Tee Vee and Mee, Whee

(October 24, 2008)

Man, I totally fell asleep last night around 11.

Actually I didn't fall asleep, I passed out.

And ACTUALLY it was BEFORE 11. I now remember I grudgingly decided to watch a new TV show I'd never heard of called "Eleventh Hour" but I fell asleep partway through the thing. During the tenth hour, I guess you could say.

I don't know how long it's been on, but "Eleventh Hour" seems good in a "Numbers" meets "House" kind of way. From what I saw, it's an FBI consultant guy, who is a doctor, who diagnoses puzzling crime scenes using his super mad skillz. My falling asleep during the show should in no way be connected to its quality as a medical/crime drama.

You know what's really cool? I can catch "Numbers" any time I want with the Comcast video-on-demand, and since I became interested in "House" I have discovered I can catch THAT anytime too, with Amazon.com's video-on-demand.

Clearly this is the kind of thing that made Tivo so popular. I don't think I quite need a Tivo though.

Plus, what's the point, anything I like gets canceled. I'm the kiss of death. I need only say "Hey, great show!" and it gets knocked back to a mid-season replacement slot before fading into obsolescence.

If I hate it, it stays on the air for twenty years.

Anyone remember the old Jay Mohr show called "Action"? I think they made, maybe, eight of them. It was friggin' brilliant. Jay played a sleazy, fast-talking Hollywood producer, and the underrated Ileana Douglas played his actress-turned-prostitute-turned scriptwriter assistant. Funny, smart, edgy -- at the time it was like no TV ever made. They were really on to something, a certain adult-oriented humor with a lot of politics, backbiting and subterfuge. I couldn't believe "Action" didn't make it.

"Sports Night" is another one that didn't make it.

"Arrested Development" too.

Sorry "Eleventh Hour," because I like you, you're doomed.