A RANT -  No Channel 6 on the Radio

It’s been a couple months, but I’m still having problems getting used to NOT having ABC and RTV 6 audio on the radio anymore. If you didn’t know, you used to be able to listen to Channel 6 at 87.7fm.

Unfortunately, with the FCC mandated analog television signal switch-off  on June 12, the audio that you could hear on the radio (that came from the TV audio) went away as well. 

I love DTV (and RTV 6’s digital signal is stronger and better than ever) but I really miss listening to the news in the car. We’ve heard from hundreds of you about it. Unfortunately our new digital audio can’t be picked up on the radio.

We feel your pain and frustration. No immediate fixes right now…but I’m guessing cell phone options will be coming soon! 

A RAVE – “Man Land” on HGTV  

My wife enjoys HGTV. Now there is a show on the channel that I can love! It’s called “Man Land!”

George Gray, host of Man Land on HGTV

Hosted by comedian George Gray, the show features the outrageous man-cave basements, garages and rooms that men love. The more man-ly (meaning elaborate toys, bars, decor) the better.

My favorites?

The basement that featured a slot car track that covered a big portion of the room. And elaborate media rooms…can’t go wrong with that! Wives will cringe…but guys will drool over “Man Land!”

A RAVE…AND A RANT – “Pawn Stars” on The History Channel?

A reality show about a family pawn shop in Las Vegas. This is not what I think of when I think of Pawn Shops. And I find this show, with its fun mix of personalities strangely addictive.  It’s a simple concept…people bring in unusual items (a suit of armor, a civil war rifle, a Pac Man arcade game) and the wacky personalities of the pawn shop decide whether or not to make an offer for it…and for how much. Kind of a cross between ”Antique Roadshow” and “Ace of Cakes.” Fun stuff.l

My rant about “The Pawn Stars?” Is this a show you would think to find on of all places, The History Channel? 

A RAVE – “Defying Gravity” coming this Sunday to ABC.

I dunno if the show is going to be any good (it is a Canadian production picked up by ABC.) But at least it is new programming that ISN’T a reality show or news program!

A RAVE – Chris Harrison on “The Bachelorette”

Sure its a goofy summer reality show about a very unreal dating situation. So why can’t we stop watching it?

Jillian and Bachelorette host Chris Harrison

Sure there is the drama provided by the bachelors and bachelorettes. But Harrison, the host, helps bring a winking aknowledgement and a terrific sense of humor that we all know this is silly and addictive fun.  

And when it comes to those “After the Final Rose” shows, Harrison is a terrific interviewer who knows when and how to let painful and awkward silence tell the story.  This guy deserves a rose as the Bachelor MVP! (And he writes a hilarious blog for Entertainment Weekly that is definitely worth a read!)

A RAVE – Jon Stewart, the most trusted newsman?

Recently, a Time Magazine poll asked on-line readers who should take the mantle of “the most trusted man in America” since Walter Cronkite passed away? The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart took the prize!

I love it if for no other reason than it will give Stephen Colbert some good material to be sarcastically bitter about for months! Brian Williams, Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric were runner ups. 

Why Stewart? He’s smart. He’s funny. He takes shots at everybody. And most importantly, he cuts through the B.S. News people everywhere could learn some lessons on holding government, politicians and other media folks accountable from this guy!

A RAVE – “Phineas and Ferb” on the Disney Channel

Sure, Spongebob and Patrick are fun, but this silly cartoon on The Disney Channel about stepbrothers that build incredible contraptions and drive their sister Candace crazy is entertaining. Oh, and did I mention they have a pet platypus named Perry who only makes weird clicking sounds but also happens to be a secret agent?

The cartoon borders on the bizzare in its silliness. That’s why my kids and I love it!

Okay, I have said this before, but I feel I gotta repeat it so I do not have my man-card taken away.

I read “Twilight.” 

And I liked it. 

The books are very popular with young women, particularly teenagers.

I thought the romance of the ages part was fine, but I really enjoyed it because it has a good sense of humor. It is about cool vampires, tough-guy werewolves and has plenty of action. 

I finished the fourth book in the series, “Breaking Dawn” a few weeks ago. I picked up the books after my wife recommended them as a fun summer read.

They are fun.

The “Twilight” series (four books in all) are primarily told through the eyes of a young woman named Bella, who finds the true love of her life, a pale white model-like teen named Edward.

They meet when Bella transfers to a new high school in the rainy northwest part of the United States. 

Bella and Jacob from the sequel "New Moon."

The only problem…her new lover is a vampire.

In books two and three, we meet Edward’s vampire family, the Cullens, we make friends with a pack of werewolves, and meet the ultimate baddies, a group of ruling vampires call the Volturi. (Okay, a suspension of disbelief is needed.)

I don’t want to reveal any plot points from Book four, but will say it takes the story of Bella, Edward and Jacob (the werewolf friend) in a logical and I thought pretty satisfying conclusion. The final book (if it really is the end) has great characters and a surprising amount of humor in it.

I liked it.

****

So after making this a ”Twilight” summer, I wanted to see how Hollywood matched up to my imagination.

I watched the first movie to see how it compared to the first book in the series.

My take: The cast is terrific and dead-on (hey, what else can you say when you are talking about vampires.)

The movie is fine, but it reminded me a little of the first couple of Harry Potter movies. It was a decent adaptation of the story, but not necessarily a great movie inspired by the book. 

I am looking forward to the second movie of the series, “New Moon” which is coming out this fall. It has a director that I hope makes a better movie from a decent book.

****

Finally, enjoyed the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday.

Nicholas cheers on his driver (and yes, those are empty seats around us!)

It was the fifth one in a row for me and my ten year old son.

My son is a big Jimmie Johnson fan…and in those five years he has seen his racing hero win THREE times!

Go figure.

Tony Stewart has won the other two times we went.

While the race itself was exciting because of the green flag pitstops, there was not a lot of passing. The biggest excitement was Juan Pablo getting the speeding in the pits penalty which set up Johnson’s win.

It seemed to me there were  many open seats around the track this year. It was pretty easy getting in and out of the Speedway for us.

And we had plenty of empty seats around us. Which was nice as it wasn’t cramped.

She is one of the most amazing, influential women of all time.

But is Oprah still relevant?

Last week the New York Post ran a story that asked it this way: “Has Oprah lost her mojo?”

Whatever you want to call it, people are not watching the queen of daytime television like they used to. 

The New York Post reported:

” TV’s reigning queen is losing viewers at a rate that hasn’t been seen since “The Oprah Winfrey Show” was launched 23 years ago. Winfrey’s ratings for the July 4th week, were her lowest since 1983 — the latest in an alarming slide that’s been going on for the last five years. The ratings for “Oprah” since 2004 are down by nearly a third, 32 percent, records show.”

 That trend is showing in Indianapolis too.

For the latest July ratings, Oprah is now number two at 4pm show, running a full rating point+plus behind a surging “Judge Judy” on RTV 6. ( Judge Judy really DOES rule at 4pm!)

So what’s wrong with Oprah?

I asked three women, each a fan of the show, what they thought was wrong with Oprah.  

One complained that the show seems to have a more tabloid feel to it. The topics are a little more salacious. My friend says she always liked the more spiritual aspects of the show and didn’t feel it was as focused anymore.

Another complained whenever she tuned in, it was a repeat. It’s not surprising as Oprah only produces about 26 weeks worth of episodes each year. That means half the time you tune in, it likely will be a repeat!

And the problem with that is the show misses so many current events.

Witness this, the summer of Michael Jackson’s death. Oprah famously interviewed the King of Pop for ABC many years ago. Wouldn’t a show about Michael be appropriate right now? I’d like to hear what Oprah thinks about all the mania surrounding his passing. But you won’t see it, at least until this fall when the show goes back into production.

The third woman I talked to didn’t think there was really anything wrong with Oprah…my friend just didn’t make the time to watch the show like she used to.

Does that mean Oprah is still relevant?

Sometimes.

But does it also mean it’s okay to miss when you have a busy schedule?

Absolutely.

Even Oprah isn’t invulnerable to busier lifestyles.

****

"Shaq Versus"

Gotta share this odd, new reality show coming to ABC…

ABC this week announced the premiere of “Shaq Vs.,” a new competition series starring NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal. The one-hour series, in which O’Neal will take his athletic prowess beyond the basketball court and strive to become a champion in a new sporting event each week, will debut TUESDAY, AUGUST 18 (9:00- 10:00 p.m. ET) on the ABC Television Network.

 Over the course of the series, O’Neal will challenge Olympian and World Champion Michael Phelps in swimming; Ben Roethlisberger, Super Bowl-winning quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, in football; reigning U.S. Open, Australian Open and Wimbledon Champion Serena Williams in tennis; championship fighter Oscar de la Hoya in boxing; two time NL MVP and St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols in baseball; and Olympic gold medalists Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor in beach volleyball.

 “These athletes may be on top of their game, but I am up for the challenge,” said O’Neal. “I plan to train hard and win, so look out.”

 “Shaq is the only one with the athletic skills and personality to carry this unique project,” said John Saade and Vicki Dummer, co-heads of Alternative Series, Specials and Late-Night, ABC Entertainment Group. “It’s Shaq versus the best athletes in the world, competitors who aren’t afraid of the challenge… or Shaq’s humor.”

 The series will closely follow Shaq and his athletic adversary throughout the rigorous training process and the pre-game hype, including press conferences and interviews, all leading up to the final competition. To level the playing field, O’Neal will negotiate a handicap with his opponent and train with a coach for one week leading up to each challenge.

There you go!

Me in 1979 with classmate Rhonda Smith. I was the editor of the school paper...Rhonda was the Yearbook editor. What's scary is my goofy hairstyle is back in style in 2009.

I spent part of my weekend in a time machine.

About 75 of Blackford High School’s class of  ‘79 got together for our 30th reunion on Saturday night in Hartford City, Indiana.

And I had a blast.

If you have ever attended a reunion, you know some of the drills. 

The cliques are still there. But why not? You tend to hang with the folks you shared the most time with in school.

I also had a couple of old friends come up and declare, “You don’t remember me, do you?” And since I have been to a couple other reunions, I have learned to dispense with the lies, fess up quickly and ask pointedly, “No idea, either show me your name card or just tell me who the hell you are?” (Rick, you know who you are!) 

It really was a terrific evening getting together with the class of ‘79…Bryon, Big Dave, Tracy, Dennis, Rick, Rhonda, Joanne, Lynn, Kim, John,  Brian and Chantel, Brian and Mary, Mike, Libby, Cindy, Tammy, Teresa, Steve, Bev, Michele, Kevin, Amy and many, many more.

One of the big differences with this reunion though was that many of us had reconnected BEFORE the reunion thanks to linking up on Facebook and to a special website that Bryon (our social chairman) put together.

(Click here to see it. Nicely done, Bryon!)

Good times.

Very good times.

*****

Speaking of looking back, were you alive when Apollo 11 landed on the moon?

40 years ago this week...

On this 40th anniversary, I can fondly look back at that historic moment and remember huddling around my Uncle Jim and Aunt Betty’s black and white TV set with my family and excitedly watching Neil Armstrong walk on the lunar surface. I was eight years old.

It’s one of those childhood moments I will never forget.

Forty years later I want to thank my Mom and Dad for letting me stay up late!

*****

Finally, I found out last week that the page views (kinda like the ratings in the web world) for this Entertainment Blog are pretty good…I’ve got the number two blog ranking on TheIndyChannel.com. (Got beat by those Capitol Watchbloggers.)

Well, when I found that out, I did a little trash-talkin’ on the Bous Theory Sports Blog. And found out that Chad’s sports blog, while not pulling as many page views as this entertainment blog, he does have some very, very, very loyal fans.  

With all their comments, I may set a record this month!

It’s no secret that I am a fan of the “Harry Potter” series of books.

The books are great fun and very satisfying reads for kids and adults. 

(I’m even more a fan as they have introduced and inspired my kids to the joys of reading.)

I am also a BIG fan of the movies made from the books (at least the movies #3, #4 and #5.)

The films have evolved into an outstanding series of movies, each one adding more magic and more personality to the Harry Potter universe.

The newest, “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” is one of the best!

It’s got great character humor, great action and a story that does a terrific job in setting up the finale coming soon, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the two part conclusion that will be released in 2010 and 2011.

I always felt the first two Harry Potter movies were fine, very faithful adaptations of the JK Rowling novels.

But maybe a little too faithful. 

Beginning with the third film, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” the series was taken over by a series of outstanding directors that have infused the films with more quirky style and inventiveness. These directors, working off wonderful source material, make great movies, not just literal adaptations of the books. They have turned the “Harry Potter” series of movies into a magical experience all over again!    

“The Half Blood Prince” focuses on the sixth year at Hogwarts for Harry, Ron and Ginny Weasley and Hermoine Granger. Voldemort is back and his evil minions are rising into power. The new film reveals Voldemort’s origins in a series of flashbacks that establish how a young kid named Tom Riddle became a dark wizard. Great stuff. Gothic, scary but rooted in an emotional magical reality of the movies. 

Dumbledore and Harry

But while the Voldemort rising is the main thrust of the story, what I found especially charming (and very funny) are the growing relationships, romantic interactions and sometimes misplaced feelings between the teenagers in the story. Who can’t identify with those awkward teenage years. It’s especially engaging because we have literally watched these kids grow up on screen.  

The returning cast of British acting royalty (Jim Broadbent, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, and my favorite Alan Rickman as Snape) continue to dazzle. 

But the talent of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson (as Harry, Ron and Hermoine) continues to amaze me. These young actors are uniformly terrific. The movie works because we believe them.

I’ve been asked if I think this movie is too intense for younger viewers.

It is rated PG (unlike the previous films PG-13 ratings) and I thought it appropriate.

It is action-oriented, occasionally scary and intense but not overwhelmingly. 

I  took my seven year old and ten year old sons. They’ve read the books and seen the previous movies. Certainly it was fine for my 10 year old.

One of the summer's best movies? You bet!

Younger, you should make your own decision. 

So did I!

I give it an “9″ on The Sandwich Scale.