A Note About Summer TV, Update 1

I've been catching up the last few days on summer TV shows. Here's the lowdown:

Burn Notice
It's an been a great story with Michael having to deal with burning another spy. I like the character of Jesse, the renegade spy with nobody to turn to, but frankly, he's messing with the plans of the "dream team," (Mike, Sam, and Fi), more than I can really tolerate. He provides a nice foil to Michael's mother as he's become the most recent house guest.
Things I could pass on: Jesse doing a a Jamaican accent, hostage situations, Jesse going on missions with just Sam or just Fi(ona) and splitting the story...
Things I want to see more of: Sam as "Mike Finley", his great alter ego, Mike's southern low class accents, Fi outwitting dumb businessmen and bikers, Mike spending time with his mom

Royal Pains
AKA Hank Med, this show became a favorite of my family last summer. Paulo Costanzo is great as failing younger brother Evan, CEO of HankMed, and his classic "moonlighting"-esque repartee with Divya match the great scenes between Hank and hospital administrator Jill.
Things I could pass on: Jill's wanna-be McDreamy Husband Charlie-who has thankfully already left town, Hank's father dating, Dr. Emily Peck, Boris's ladylove, HankMed being broke...
Things I'd like to see more: Marcia Gay Harden as the cranky surgeon at Hampton Heritage Hospital, Dieter- butler of Boris, Boris- the mysterious benefactor of Hank- (who recently appeared on Damages), Andrew McCarthy's Marshall David Bryant IV and his son Tucker (hopefully they'll be back this season), the Fonz as Hank's deadbeat father...

Pretty Little Liars
The first episode of this show was like a WB-flashback: part One Tree Hill, part Veronica Mars, part Gossip Girl. It's good, it's bad, it's addictive. That dead Alison girl is like the second coming of Amanda from Melrose Place. I can't wait to find out what's going to happen with A's mysterious messages and what really happened to Ali the night she disappeared.
Things I could pass on: shameless promotion of the KIN, creepy Jenna, crappy father figures, the Maya and Emily "friend"ship, people in their late 20's playing high school students, girls constantly making out with everyone they meet- Aria and her adorable teacher, Spencer and her future brother-in-law, Emily and her neighbor Maya, Hanna and her pretty boy- Erik Von Detten wannabe boyfriend, Hanna's mom and the cop,
Things I'd like to see more: Ezra the cute teacher- in a relationship with someone who is over age 20- maybe Aria's mom, Hanna's mother getting some self-respect, Tobe and Emily's friendship, Aria's brother, lipstick on the mirrors, Spencer going completely "Jessie Spano", a.k.a. I'm so excited, I'm so scared...

Persons Unknown
I accidentally stumbled along this show, and I'm so glad I did. People trapped in a 50's style town, being watched by creepy cameras? It's like a ABC Saturday night movie that gets progressively better and creepier every week. Plus, a reporter somewhat hot on the trail of a creepy grandmother, it keeps you interested. Is it a military training camp/government experiment/purgatory? Is it a murderers colony?
Things I could pass on: beating up the guy from brother's keeper- he is such dead weight in this town, Tori turning up dead, the new prisoner, Chinese food every day,
Things I'd Like to see more: Joe and Janet's sexual tension, Joe taking down the people who he used to help out with this whole confusing experiment, the dad from charmed as the mysterious, ambassador in Italy, what happened to the soldier guy in Iraq

A Note About Social Media

My twitter feed told me today is social media day.

Happy social media day everyone!

A Note About Billy Joel, King of 80's Pop Culture

I grew up trying to suss out half of what Billy Joel says during "We Didn't Start the Fire." I know this song. I love it. I sometimes hear it in my dreams. So imagine my delight when I saw this new video, a stand up comic and his young kids making an updated 2010's version, "We Still Didn't Start the Fire."

Enjoy...

A Note About Eclipses, Promotions, and Adorableness

I love Twilight. Now I know what you're thinking, one of those people chasing the stars through the street and grabbing locks of Robert Pattison's gorgeous hair. Hmm, I do love his hair. Now I'm also the first to point out inaccuracies in the movies and corny dialogue etc... but yes, I am a Twilight saga fan.

The big "Eclipse of the Heart" episode of Jimmy Kimmel was on this evening. P.S. -genius marketing strategy for the episode. And the sets designed to look like Forks were oddly unique, but reminiscent of the recent "LOST" themed episode of Jimmy.

There always seems to be some slighted members of interviews. Where were Kellan Lutz and Jackson Rathbone in this "cast interview??? As Edward's brothers, cast members of every movie, and pretty important members of the story, they were mysteriously absent. I love all of the other cast members, and it was interesting to see the "volturi" members included such as Dakota Fanning and the extremely sweet Xavier Samuel.

Why do the townspeople of forks rarely get their due diligence in promotion? Where were the talented actors that play Jessica, Angela, Eric and the perpetually sad Mike Newton. And where was Billy Burke, who plays Bella's father, Chief Charlie Swan?

Marketing aspects aside, I got to see another side of Peter Facinelli on tonight's show. He is so sweet, and a very likable and engaging conversationalist. And he looks so hot, without that horrible blond dye they make him put in his hair as Dr. Cullen. Did anyone else ever realize he could pass for the brother of Mark Feuerstein from Royal Pains?

And surprisingly, there was a lack of awkward conversation between Rob Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in this interview, which was refreshing. Rob, as always, was adorable (gotta love that accent and his somewhat trimmed mussed up locks). And as much as I don't feel any attraction toward Taylor, he seemed really sweet when talking about the promotional tour for the movie.

And to top it off, they had a great "Jersey Shore" spoof of the Twilight movie, complete with Mike "the situation" flashing his sparkling abs and trying to "get his tan on".

A Note About NKOTBSB

Long before I heard the opening strains of the Backstreet Boys singing "Quit Playing Games With My Heart," I was a NKOTB fan. Their heyday kinda passed me by, with their major hits happening when I was born and in my early toddler years. But on my sixth birthday, a much cooler and older friend, she was nine, gave me a New Kids On The Block doll. Joey McIntyre, who wore a different outfit than the one linked here, to this day lives in my basement and enjoyed many happy years singing for my barbies.

Flash forward to middle school , where I was a die-hard (and am still to this day), of Backstreet Boys. The gold records, the VMA performances, AJ's trip to rehab, I know all about it. And I love and embrace it.

I remember all the countless viewings of "All Access," "A Night Out With the Backstreet Boys,"and "Homecoming Live in Orlando" on VHS. I've only seen them in concert two times before (2001-Black and Blue Tour, and 2005- Never Gone Tour) and now this coming August makes a long-awaited third concert.

Now skip forward another ten years. NKOTB are back, and better than ever. Their summer 2009 tour was one of the best shows I've seen. And BSB are back and going strong minus Kevin, and dancing as well, or better, than they did in 1999.

So imagine my delight and surprise when I came across this video from last night's NKOTB concert at Radio City Music Hall. BSB and NKOTB singing "I Want It That Way" together! Beautiful, and kind of a full-circle boy band love.