I can’t believe we were on vacation a total three days and somehow have an overflowing PVR again, after finally catching up from our last vacation.
Clearly, being a TV couch potato is a full-time job that allows for no time off. At least not during sweeps month.
So I officially hate So You Think You Can Dance (US) being on in the fall, when it’s so busy, instead of the summer, when it’s almost the only thing on and you can bask in it. Now I can’t keep up with it and can’t get into it. And having the judges pick the first two weeks (due to the gods of baseball) was just weird.
What I have managed to get into? Battle of the Blades! I thought it would be sort of a joke, but those guys have turned into pretty decent figure skaters there. I’m impressed.
And it was very nice to see Ron Duguay again. Very nice.
And on Being Erica — is the idea that she is going to turn into a therapist? Because it sure seems as though everyone around her is a lot more messed up than she is, now. Well, except for that apparent sexual incompatibility she’s having with Ethan. Which I must say I found incredibly frank for a network show. (Or even a cable show—I’m don’t recall that even Sex and the City dealt with quite that situation…)
And the Glee soundtrack turns out to be best in smaller doses, or you end up feeling sort of overwhelmed by the cheese. It’s also missing some of the best stuff, like the two mash-ups, “Push It”. (Of course, you can buy those songs individually.) But with some nice chasers of authentic music in between (a little Who, a little Joni, a little Johnny Cash), it’s kind of great. Though still a bit alarming to get such warm feelings about songs like “Can’t Fight This Feeling”.
Cultureguru's Weblog 
November 16, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Ironically, i’ve been watching the US SYTYCD – mostly because i was intrigued by some of the comments guest judges from the US show would make on the Canadian one – that our version was more risqué etc. I have to agree – they even censored Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “Relax” last week. I preferred the judges cutting people the first 2 weeks simply because last week the public protected Mollee and Nathan, who were abysmal. And i like that the US judges actually CRITICIZE. The CDN judges rarely ever said anything was bad.
November 17, 2009 at 1:03 am
Oh, I agree about the US judging being much better — I’ve managed to watch enough this year to catch that, and I’ve seen it in previous years. They give actual critiques. The Canadian judges are mostly just cheerleaders, and it just gets annoying. Not everything every dancer does is wonderful, and it doesn’t help them to not be told what to work on.
They censored “Relax”? That’s hilarious. I just recall being surprised they actually used that song. It’s naughty! Apparently too naughty. Even 20 (25?) years later.
As to whether the judges have selected well (vs. the public), I haven’t watched closely enough to assess that. (Is Mollee that young blonde, perky but somewhat awkward dancer?)
Hopefully I’ll be able to catch up and focus on the upcoming shows more.
November 17, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Yep, they censored “Relax”. It sounded like: “Relax, don’t do, when you want to go to it/Relax don’t do it – music, music music…” Apparently “when you want to come” is just too sexy for USians delicate ears.
Mollee is the annoyingly perky blond. Nathan is this year’s super cute young dude. Don’t get me wrong – they can dance. The previous week they did a most excellent Bollywood number. But last week they did a Gustavo Vargas Salsa and it just reeked. Nothing even remotely close to the salsas JR and Everett and TJ and Vincent did. Yet they were safe while Kevin and Karen, who did a very good hustle, were put up on the chopping block. Nigel told Karen (who is really good and very sexy) that she would probably be up a lot because voters would find her too intimidating – she’s too sexy for the USians. It’s rather pathetic.