January 8, 2009
Tony Almeida's death on the fifth season of 24 was admittedly a very suspicious one. It felt like it came out of the blue, it didn't seem to make any sense, and to make things more obvious, the silent clock was nowhere. Of course, fans thought that it was an off event, and thought it shouldn't have happened (or at least should've been done differently)—so nary a complaint was made, at least from my perspective, when news that Tony is actually alive surfaced.
Then comes the other details: that, apparently, Tony (Carlos Bernard) is the bad guy, and that Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) should now find him and figure out what he's up to, or else. With a lot of history between the two, no wonder it's got so many like me waiting. Still, we've got questions. So what exactly is Tony up to? Why bring him back and all?
January 7, 2009
“24 is just around the corner.” Finally, I can say that with conviction.
It's been two years since we've last seen Jack Bauer. Then again, there was 24: Redemption, which gave us a much-needed shot in the arm, but it still isn't a complete day, but rather, the set-up to Day 7, which premiered with two back-to-back episodes this Sunday. Those who bought the Redemption DVD, however, already had a sneak peek at the first 17 minutes of the day: Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) is summoned to a Senate investigation into his conduct, only to be pulled out of the hearings to deal with something far more pressing.
Now, one could say that the Senate scene, as pictured up there, could have been shot in some studio in Los Angeles. Sure, they've shot in the Californian city for the past six years, but the show's producers figured they needed a change of atmosphere. So, when they decided that the latest season will be set in the nation's capital, they actually went there—Washington D.C.
December 30, 2008
New Years is upon us and this weird thing we call a hiatus is almost behind us. Soon, shows old and new will begin to air and life will seem just a little bit better. Mid-season replacements are on the horizon and reality shows are about to kick into high gear. With so much television to choose from, we thought we'd share the top nine shows we're looking forward to in 2009.
Our list is not what you would expect. For instance, I expect a lot of flack for not having Lost or Battlestar Galactica on the list. This will infuriate a lot of people, but Lost jumped the shark a while ago and I think I gave up after all the “we've always had a plan” and the “this is not a science-fiction show” bull. Battlestar is not on the list simply because how can we really bring ourselves to look forward to the end. Essentially, denial is my number one priority.
December 30, 2008
It's somewhat arbitrary that we start the new year in January. On the ancient Roman and Julian calendars, the new year began when the new consuls took office in Rome. This used to be in March, but eventually changed to January, and so that's when the year began. When the Gregorian calendar was adopted in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII, January was merely kept as the start of the year because that's how it was on the previous calendar. (Big ups to my guys over at Wikipedia for that information.) For television, we like to assign some sort of meaning to the arrival of the new year, but usually there is none to give. It's simply the midway point in the typical nine-month TV season. Not anymore, however. These days, with January comes the real TV season. September through December? Just a warm-up. Meaningless. A trifle. American Idol, Lost, 24. That's what January brings. (Also, the return of our favorite fall programs – Supernatural fans, bear with me. I've got something for you a bit later.)
December 19, 2008
We've waited for the seventh season of 24 for far too long, obviously. The last season ended in May last year, and since then, the writer's strike has gotten in the way. That, and the tremendously long period of time that takes for a season of the show to finish, means we have to wait a little longer than usual. The two-hour prequel, 24: Redemption, already attempted to tie up some loose ends, and if you've seen the first 17 minutes of season 7—available on the Redemption DVD—then you very well know that it's something you've really waited for.
Kiefer Sutherland—you might call him Jack Bauer, but hey, it's almost synonymous already—has been busy during the strike, working on his record label Ironworks, and attempting to get 24 on track even without the writers. “That was a really frustrating time,” he said. “We had very little contact with the writers. After seven years, we were friends. We talked on that level, but they were very strict about not even talking about the show. [Co-executive producer] Jon Cassar and I were thinking about which direction the show was going, so we had conversations, but without the writers. It was really frustrating.”
(Oh, before I continue, there are some spoilers after the jump, so if you're allergic to spoilers, you're better off skipping it.)
December 18, 2008
All of a sudden, the bad economy comes knocking on our doors, and nobody—not most of us, at least—can't help but give in and start tightening some belts. Television producers are also feeling the pinch, and as ratings and advertising revenues slide, the inevitable's got to happen: budget cuts.
20th Century Fox Television is the latest to order cuts in all production budgets, as tough economic times beckon. This affects all of the shows produced by the banner, from established shows such as 24 and Family Guy, to newer shows such as ABC's Life on Mars, and even to shows that have yet to air, like Dollhouse.
December 11, 2008
The Golden Globe Awards honor the best in both television and movies, and though they're not taken as seriously as the Emmys or the Oscars, they're still a lavish, star-studded affair. However, the glitz was put on hold last year due to the writers' strike, forcing the producers of the show to cobble together an awkward news conference to announce the winners. This year, with no strike in sight, the Globes are back to being as glamorous and exciting as ever. The ceremony is set to air on NBC on Sunday, January 11 at 8pm, and is bound to be attended by a cavalcade of big stars.
The nominees for the 66th Annual Golden Globes were announced this morning, and below you'll find a list of all the television categories. Shows like True Blood, Mad Men, 30 Rock and The Office received multiple nominations, while other critically acclaimed shows were surprisingly omitted.