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Channel Surfing ~ Tribune staffer Albert Ching meticulously planned out his prime time television watching schedule back in elementary school. This blog is the natural progression.

Archive for the 'back to you' Category

What’s on - ‘Top Model’ season finale, ‘Back to You’ ends, more

Wednesday, May 14th, 2008 by Albert Ching

antm.jpg

America’s Next Top Model
7 p.m., The CW

It’s the 10th season finale of “ANTM.” Yes, 10. And yes, the only “America’s Next Top Model” winner that anyone who doesn’t watch the show has ever heard of is the one that is mostly famous for marrying Peter Brady. But that doesn’t stop the show from rolling on, and it’s coming back for an 11th “Cycle” (and has already been renewed for a 12th) in the fall. The three potential top models in the running are Anya, Fatima and Whitney (pictured, apparently engaging in “Xena: Warrior Princess” cosplay). Without knowing anything about the contestants this year, I’ll pick Anya, who is apparently from Hawaii, because Hawaii is cool. Though Fatima at least has a fun name. I wonder if her nickname is “Fat,” so then all the blog headlines can be “Fat model wins”! Which would be ironic, since Whitney is the plus-sized one. Sam has much more to say about this.

phhead.jpgBack to You
7:30 p.m., Fox

“Back to You” had gotten good buzz lately, from sources as varied and credible as Entertainment Weekly and this very blog. So, of course, Fox canceled it this week. That makes this the de facto series finale, even though it reportedly ends on a cliffhanger of some sort. And I had just realized that the weather lady was the same actress as the “Studio 60″ cast member that flirted with Matt Albie a lot, so who knows what other revelations might have been in store.

bgnew.jpg‘Til Death
7 p.m., Fox

“‘Til Death,” though, has been renewed, which clearly makes Brad Garrett the winner in the former “Everybody Loves Raymond” supporting character career sweepstakes. Patricia Heaton - show canceled. Doris Roberts - in “Grandma’s Boy.” Peter Boyle - dead. I was always hard on this show until I found out that J.B. Smoove, Leon on “Curb,” played a recurring role this season. I still don’t watch it, but that definitely made it seem better. Second season finale.

dcchead.jpgBoston Legal
9 p.m., ABC

Will an appearance from George Segal, asking Denny Crane (William Shatner) to run for president equal wacky hilarity? Magic 8-Ball says: It is certain. It’s a shame this show is ending next season, think of the potential inherent with another TV veteran, say, Michael Gross, asking Denny Crane to run for Congress in the midterm elections of 2010! PS, go here for extra Shatner-fun.

ALSO ON: Someone (hopefully one of the two Davids; if Syesha gets cut we riot) goes home on “American Idol” (8 p.m., Fox), “The Price is Right” gets a million dollar SPECTACULAR prime time special (7 p.m., CBS), and the first season of “The Big 4-0″ (10 p.m., TV Land) ends, whatever that is.

Upfront week - ‘America’ alienated, ‘Back to You’ miscues

Monday, May 12th, 2008 by Albert Ching

aianew.jpg“Aliens in America” getting the boot, while not surprising (it had terrible ratings, zero promotion, and the biggest star was Scott Patterson, aka Luke from “Gilmore Girls”), is a huge bummer. The show was great (edging past “Gossip Girl” as my favorite new show of the admittedly weak ‘07-’08 season), and if you never saw it (which is most people), you missed out on a show that had one of the best balances of “genuinely funny” and “sweet and touching” (an extremely tough mix in the post-”Seinfeld” world) that I’ve seen. I saw someone say it was “crude” and “preachy,” and while that might technically be accurate, it did an excellent job of both of those things, as odd as that might sound. The lead kids were great and “Caroline in the City” vet Amy Pietz was surprisingly hilarious as the mom. Hopefully there will be a DVD set out soon, which everyone should buybtynew.jpg (and then watch, natch).

“Back to You” wasn’t necessarily up my alley, but Kelsey Grammer is obviously a treat and this was a likable show in the old school sitcom mold, which is rare these days (as most of the few current shows in the old school sitcom mold, “How I Met Your Mother” excepted, suck big time). It was not anything I’d enthusiastically recommend, but there’s definitely other things I’d rather see go.

Introspection time

Thursday, February 28th, 2008 by Albert Ching

backtoyou.jpgI’ve watched two episodes of “Back To You” in the past two days. And I’ve…sort of enjoyed them. Am I a bad person? Discuss. I blame it on the ol’ Grammer charm. Also, Fred Willard is pretty funny. Sure, it’s full of musty old sitcom cliches, and has an obnoxious laugh track (which I really only tolerate on “How I Met Your Mother” these days), and one of the episodes had a yuckily saccharine plot about the two lead’s young daughter (who doesn’t know that Frasier is her father!), but I found them to be pretty good. I blame Grammer and Willard. They’re great. Also, the news director guy is kind of funny in a Jonah Hill-lite way. It’s very old school, in a refreshing way.

Maybe I just need “The Office” and “30 Rock” back. April 10!

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