Napoleon Dynamite

But this isn’t 2004.  The mere mention of a liger isn’t quite enough to get us chuckling anymore.  Eight years after the independent (sort of) film thrilled us with the non-story of Napoleon and his friends, we need something more from the follow-up.  Judging by the first three episodes, we’re not going to get it.

The good news for Fox is that the ratings for the premier were strong, largely thanks to a solid lead-in from the Giants-Packers game that ran long.  With 9.5 million viewers for the 8:30 premier and 7.2 million sticking around for the 9:30 follow-up, plenty of people had the chance to at least check out Fox’s newest animated offering.  Time will tell how many will continue to tune in for the show’s regular time slot, which is immediately after The Simpsons, also a pretty good lead-in.

The new Napoleon Dynamite animated series isn’t a bad adaptation.  Not really.  It’s true to the feel of the movie.  The voices are spot on, as they should be because they come from the original cast.  Although it does provide a more structured begining-middle-end narrative than the film, the cartoon does flow freely with several seeming non-sequiturs per episode.

But it isn’t the same.  Maybe it couldn’t be.  Not after eight full years to pine for more.   Maybe it isn’t fair to hope for the same level of stupid-funny that the movie offered.  Whatever the reason, fair or unfair, the payoff just wasn’t worth the wait.

JJ Abrams

The basic premise of Alcatraz is that the prison closed in the 1960’s because all the inmates — and everyone else on the island –  mysteriously disappeared. Almost 50 years later they begin reappearing and performing all manner of no-goodness, looking not a day older for their absence of half a century. Now it is up to Detective Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones) and Dr. Diego Soto (Garcia) to unravel the deepening mystery at the behest of shadowy, government-issue cloak and dagger type Emerson Hauser (Neill). In what I can only hope is a misprint Neill is billed on IMDB as appearing in just three of the nine episodes this season and Garcia in only five. Their interaction was some of the best stuff in the show and Jones will be hard-pressed to carry things on her own if left without these two veteran actors.

The two-part, two-hour premiere episode started the show off with a very respectable 10 million viewers. Better news still for Fox is that the second hour held virtually the entire audience. That’s a really good sign that viewers were hooked, or at least intrigued, unlike other Fox sci-fi drama offering this year Terra Nova, for example, which lost a huge chunk of its audience during the premiere. Incidentally, Terra Nova’s future is now linked with Alcatraz’s success or failure to prop up Monday night.

The show’s heavy drama, slow pacing, and even the music are all highly reminiscent of another Abrams fan-favorite, Lost. Whether or not Alcatraz can develop into the kind of cultural phenomenon that Lost was remains to be seen. That, like most of the mysteries surrounding the inmates of Alcatraz, will only be discovered after a season or more. Maybe longer.

Of the five shows nominated for Best Comedy or Musical, one was from HBO (Enlightened), one was from Showtime (Episodes), two were on Fox (Glee and New Girl), and one – the winner – was on ABC (Modern Family). Of the five nominees, two were on premium networks, which is two more than NBC and CBS combined.

In the category for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, three of the five were on premium channels, including the winner, Matt LeBlanc for Showtime’s Episodes. In the Actress category, Laura Dern of HBO’s Enlightened beat out the competition from three network shows and one other premium network.

Adding all that up, two of the three winners and 7 of 15 nominees in the big three comedy categories were on channels that most of America don’t get to see. So what is it about these shows that is capturing the attention of the awards-givers? Is it the freedom to do and say things that wouldn’t fly on basic cable? Is it the money being poured into these programs by the cash-heavy premium channels? Or are they just making better shows right now?

At least NBC snuck in a few nominees in the best Actor and Actress categories. Only Johnny Galecki’s wonderful nerdiness on The Big Bang Theory allowed CBS to even get on the board. The Golden Globes don’t actually get to determine what people watch. The viewers will have their say in the end. But last night’s award show was just one more reminder to the once dominant NBC and CBS that the times, they are a’changing.

Ricki Lake

In an interview about the talk show, Ricki Lake stated, “I want to spark ideas and conversations and inspire people to take active roles in their communities, relationships and their well-being. I have definitely grown as a person since I put down the mic in 2005, and I couldn’t be happier to share and continue the journey with both my existing fans and an entirely new generation of women.” This time around, rather than following the model of Jerry Springer and his consistently trashy talk show, Lake is hoping to follow in the footsteps of talk show greats such as Oprah Winfrey and Rosie O’Donnell. Lake signed on as both the host and producer of the new show, and is working with the FOX network for a September 2012 debut.

The point that both Lake and FOX are emphasizing the most is that the new talk show will be very different from her old show, which focused on topics of a younger, less mature crowd. The new talk show will reflect the topics and issues that face someone like Lake, including children, marriage, divorce, and weight loss. Lake’s recent life experiences, including her messy divorce and her weight and body issues, are meant to speak to her original fans, who have grown up alongside Lake. Even critics are welcoming Lake’s return to daytime television, with some even proclaiming her the successor to Oprah Winfrey, one of Lake’s personal role models. Critics are forecasting the new talk show will be just as successful, if not even more successful than the first. Critics do take time to acknowledge that the daytime talk show market is quite saturated by personalities such as Anderson Cooper, Ellen DeGeneres, and even cable news shows, but believe that Lake’s original fan base will start to expand. Critics even assert that Lake may fill some of the massive void left by Oprah’s departure from daytime television.

The official announcement from FOX proclaims, “Ricki is not an expert. She’s not a doctor, therapist or a super homemaker – she’s a working mom trying to figure life out, and inviting her audience along for the ride.” This being said, The Ricki Lake Show is destined to have a broad audience, and entertaining story lines that people of all ages and genders can relate to. Look for The Ricki Lake Show in your local listings around September of 2012.

According to a statement put out by Fox News, The Five includes a “roundtable ensemble of five rotating FOX personalities who will discuss, debate and at times debunk the hot news stories, controversies and issues of the day.” The structure of the show features five blocks, each one highlighting a controversial topic, with each of the commentators weighing in. This is when the controversial nature of the show reveals itself. Commentators often have differing opinions, although often all being outwardly conservative. Some former guests include Dana Perino (pictured), Bob Becknel, Geraldo Rivera, Sean Hannity, and even Donald Trump. The guests sometimes include strict Democrats across from staunch Republicans, making for a lively, and often out of control debate.

Ratings for the show have been lower than expected, having never matched up to the numbers produced by Glenn Beck. Surprisingly, The Five continues to outrank its liberal competitors on MSNBC and CNN. Some critics have gone so far as to call the show “boring and lame,” but others claim it to be their guilty pleasure and highly entertaining. This entertainment surely comes from some of the ridiculous statements made on the show. These include Bob Beckel’s constant use of profanity on-air and his use of the term “redneck” in relation to Michael Vick.

If you are in the mood to watch a true debate between the parties, The Five never lacks in that area. However, many viewers find the style and guests tired and outdated. Be sure to tune in every night at 5:00 Eastern to the Fox Network to decide for yourself.

(White House photo)

Howie Mandel

For one hour, Howie Mandel shows you every step of the way, from rehearsing the routines, figuring out and fine-tuning speeches, to the actual performance itself. Flash mobs have announced a wife’s pregnancy to her husband, an applicant’s getting a job offer, and even a marriage proposal.

In the first episode, a separated father, Ion, wants to make amends with his teenage daughter, Meagan, who got left behind when Ion  abandoned the family. Ion left when he couldn’t deal with the aftermath of his son’s death. But now, Ion  wants to make it up to Meagan, apologize to her and recreate the bond they had in the past. And he’s doing all of that with a flash mob.

About the Host

Howie Mandel has been in show business for over 30 years. He is probably best known for his hosting stint on Deal Or No Deal and as a judge on America’s Got Talent with Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan. He’s also the best-selling author of his no-holds-barred memoir, Here’s The Deal: Don’t Touch Me, which spent several weeks on the bestseller list. He currently lives in Los Angeles, CA with his wife, Terry, and their three children.

Catch the premiere of Mobbed on January 4, 2012 at 7 –9/8c on FOX.

http://www.fox.com/mobbed/

National Geographic

• Big Cat Week is coming up on Nat Geo WILD! From December 11 to 17, it highlights stories on cats and the people who love them. The Big Cat Week starts out with Stalking the Mountain Lion with Casey Anderson on December 11 at 8 pm. Check out the entire week’s schedule at http://www.natgeowild.com.

• Take a tour of the makers of Porsche, Ford, Frito-Lay, Lego and Ducati with the new season of Ultimate Factories, premiering on January 7.

FOX

• Midseason premieres on FOX have been announced. Alcatraz, with Jorge Garcia and Sam Neill, premieres Monday, January 18, at 8 pm. The 11th season of American Idol returns on January 18 at 8 pm. The Finder, starring Michael Clarke Duncan, premieres on January 12 at 9 pm. The newest season of Kitchen Nightmares premieres on January 13 at 8 pm. Animated series Napoleon Dynamite premieres on January 15 at 8 pm.
• Breaking In, Christian Slater’s newest show about a high-tech security firm, premieres on March 6 at 8:30 pm, while Kiefer Sutherland’s newest supernatural drama, Touch, premieres on March 19 at 9 pm.

MTV 

• A new docu-reality show premieres on January 9 at 10pm on MTV. Caged follows four young, amateur MMA fighters, living in Louisiana, spending their free time in cage fighting. Caged premieres in May 2012.

A&E

• Shipping Wars premieres on January 10 — about six independent shippers who will transport the oversized and non-regular packages that other shippers will not touch.

Lifetime

• 24 Hour Catwalk premieres on January 10, a new reality competition show where four skilled designers must create a new design within 24 hours. Alexa Chung hosts the show, where she’ll be joined by designer Cynthia Rowley, fashion editor Derek Blasberg and publicist James LaForce.

The format of the show is a little less traditional than most news shows. He always begins with an opening monologue in which he discusses the issues of the day, mostly things that have caught his attention in the news. The show is shot in front of a live studio audience, and Huckabee even opens up the floor to audience questions on a regular basis. It is absolutely no surprise that Huckabee’s uber conservative values became apparent during even the earliest  segments of the show. His guests have included notorious Republicans such as Karl Rove, Laura Bush, Ann Coulter, and numerous others.

Huckabee can be given some credit, as he is slightly less abrasive and combative than other commentators on Fox. Huckabee has often compared himself to Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and Bill O’Reilly. He believes the conservative political content that he focuses on is at the same level as these other hosts’. When it comes to touchy issues, however, Huckabee fits right in with the other radical hosts that Fox loves to hire. Huckabee has used his position as a news host to actively campaign against gay marriage. On his program he has said things that would make the average person cringe. It is very hard to take his news show seriously when he spends so much time and effort  degrading entire groups of Americans, or when distorting the news to support his radical agenda.

Huckabee caused further buzz last spring when he was set to announce his intentions to run for president. Instead, he now has his chosen Conservative candidates appear on the show, with Mitt Romney appearing within the last few months. His next venture is also rumored to be hosting a variety show in Branson, Missouri. Many commentators have already pointed out that his news show already feels like some sort of variety show due to its lack of consistency, and the multiple outrageous statements by Huckabee.

If you are looking for a fair and balanced news show, Huckabee is not the one to watch. Huckabee is full of hate, prejudice, and an overbearing Christian agenda which should make it nearly impossible for him to even call his program a news show. The fact that this news show has had enough viewers to stay on the air for three years is borderline scary. Give it a try, but remember to have low expectations. Huckabee airs every Saturday at 8 p.m. Eastern.

Her Majesty, Nancy Grace. Viewers voted on the worst news anchor of the year, and Nancy Grace came in first. Nancy Grace is the living, breathing example of everything that is wrong with the 24-hour news networks. Although she is a self-proclaimed advocate for the victims, she repeats the same negative story every night, and is downright rude when interviewing anyone involved in the stories. She is the opposite of genuine and honest, and is simply unbearable to watch.

Bill O’Reilly. Bill O’Reilly is a self-proclaimed “traditionalist”, which for my purposes translates as ignorant and hateful. Yes, O’Reilly did stick up for America after the September 11 attacks, but in a brash and frankly uninformed manner. For a television news host to cause controversy is not unheard of, but to cause controversy through their own stupidity is simply unacceptable to viewers like me, who want the news without all of the fluff and blatant egocentrism. If you want the actual, unbiased news, change the channel to someone like Anderson Cooper.

Keith Olbermann. Although he appears to be a saint next to Nancy Grace, Olbermann has his faults as well. He has a very strict adherence to his beliefs, which is perfectly acceptable for a host, but he takes his beliefs to the point of extremism. If you cannot be “fair and balanced”, why are you in charge of telling innocent Americans how to think?

I am curious to know the readers’ opinions as to the worst news show host of the year. All comments welcome!

Held on the last day of the festival, the New York Television Festival announced the award winners.

FOX-NYTVF Comedy Script Contest

Winner: Adulthood for Beginners (Robby O’Connor, New York City)

Adulthood for Beginners is about the lives of five young people in Manhattan and the great divide between classes in the city. Since part of the prize for this contest is a development deal with the network, Robby O’Connor cannot divulge too much information about the script.

Bing Audience Award

Winner: I Hate Being Single (Rob Michael Hugel, Brooklyn, NY)

Created by UCB regular and comedian, Rob Michael Hugel, I Hate Being Single is about a twenty-something trying to bounce back from his most recent break-up to the world of new friends, new relationships and dating in Brooklyn.

Best Comedy

Winner: Duder (Matt Kirsch, Brooklyn, NY)

According to their website, Duder is a web comedy show about “duders who, you know, just sort of duder around a bit”. Duder is written and produced by Matt Kirsch, who also plays Glen, one of the duders.

Best Drama

Winner: Finding Hope (Dianne Namm, Malibu, CA)

Finding Hope follows the story of Esmee, a teenage girl who runs away from the cult she’s known all her life. In her escape, the government also pursues her to use her as a witness against the cult. To survive and stay alive, she continues to run.

Check out more of the winners at the New York Television Festival official website.