The Pit: American Idol, Avengers, Buffy & More!

Sorry about the slow updates. There really hasn’t been much to talk about and I’ve been distracted by the returns to two of my favorite shows, Lost and Chuck. In fact, if you haven’t yet, you should really watch the first 6 (awesome) episodes of the new Chuck season! (Note: See the previous article for a link to the new Lost episodes)

• Howard Stern to replace Simon Cowell on American Idol? Sure, Stern has been in radio for as long as I can rememeber and is just as mean as Cowell, but would you call him a music genius? Or even an expert? He is not a record producer, he hasn’t ushered into countless talents. If they choose him, the show is becoming even more of a joke than when they announced Ellen replacing Paula. When will this show end? With X-Factor coming, is it really needed?

• The Super Bowl is on tonight, and that means there is another Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet! ABC brings us a Modern Family marathon (with reruns of Cougar Town and The Middle thrown into the mix). Fox has reruns of their usual Sunday toons. And CBS is following the big game with the new reality show, Undercover Boss.

• Over at Marvel Comics, the Avengers are changing things up again and relaunching with a new #1. Who has been revealed on the new team so far? We have Captain America (looks like it’s the Bucky version), Jessica Drew the Spider-Woman, Iron-Man, the recently revived Hawkeye, and the soon to be a big motion picture Thor! None of these guys are unexpected, but it shows that Marvel is getting away from the “Dark Marvel” age and bringing back the traditional “Hero” aspect of their universe.

• Looking for a fun online Hollywood simulation game? Give Hollywood the Game a try!

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 #32 hit stands earlier this week. This is part 1 of “Twilight”, the story that will finally reveal the identity of Season 8’s “big bad”.

Tags: american idol, buffy the vampire slayer, captain america, chuck, comics, hollywood the game, howard stern, joss whedon, lost, marvel comics, modern family, simon cowell, super bowl, thor, tv, x-factor

Did you get Lost this week, brother?

Even Ben didn't know what the heck was going on during the first new episodes of Lost's final season.

But I loved every minute of it.  We finally get some answers (”I didn’t want you to see me like that”) and right when I thought I knew where they were going with the series, the rug was pulled out from under me.  Well done. There are a ton of places that you can go on the Internet to read what happened, but you should really just watch it for yourself. If you stopped watching the show at some point, buy the DVDs, watch it on Netflix, just catch up because this show is everything that a TV series should be.  After you watch the premiere, take a look at this awesome video comparing a scene in it with the pilot.

Tags: abc, evangeline lilly, jorge garcia, josh holloway, lost, matthew fox, tv, watch online

TV Tonight: Damages, Third Season Premiere

Tonight is the third season premiere for Damages.  This season Patty (Glenn Close) is defending a Madoff-like character, while Ellen (Rose Byrne) now works at the DA’s office and is trying to prosecute the corrupt business man.  With this shift in dynamic it should be interesting to see how things play out for the pair. In the past, they were working together yet secretly against each other. Now they will be facing off directly. Will Ellen be able to hold her ground against Patty? The new season kicks off tonight at 10pm on FX Network.

Also, don’t forget that we have an all new Chuck at 8pm on NBC. What else is on?

8PM

• ABC: The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love (Reality… with a horrible subtitle)
• CW: One Tree Hill (Melodrama)
• FOX: House (Medical Drama)
• NBC: CHUCK!!! (Spy Action Comedy Drama Awesomeness)
• ABCFAM: Secret Life of the American Teenager (Teen Drama)

9PM

• CW: Life Unexpected (Drama)
• FOX: 24 (Action Drama)
• NBC: Heroes (Disappointing Sci-Fi)
• ABCFAM: Make It or Break It (Sports Drama)
• USA: WWE Monday Night Raw (Wrestling)

10PM

• ABC: Castle (Crime Drama Comedy)
• NBC: Jay Leno Show (Talk/Sketch Comedy)
• ABCFAM: Greek (Drama)
• TNT: Men of a Certain Age (Drama)

Tags: damages, fx, glenn close, rose byrne, tv, tv tonight

Do You Enjoy Casinos?

While I absolutely love my X-Box 360 and Wii, there are a lot of times that I just need to play more adult games. When that desire kicks in, I head directly to a Casino.  I’m not a big spender mind you, my favorite games are roulette, slots, and poker. There is something about the guessing game of roulette and the immediate payout (or loss).  While playing slots, I prefer the machines that mimic real games and people, like the Monopoly, Wheel of Fortune, and Elvis styled machines.

I usually go to Vegas, which is a 4 plus hour ride away from Hollywood, but maybe it is time to look into additional casinos. This is where Online Casinos Planet comes into play.  The website provides visitors with an extensive guide to real casinos around the world. They also have reviews for online casinos, videos from popular casinos (including a video of the fountain at the Bellagio Casino and a $8000 jackpot win at Caesars Palace), links to fun online casino flash games, and a ton of tips for all sorts of games.  What type of casino games do you prefer?

Tags: casino, games

TV Tonight: Chuck (Versus Operation Awesome)

Tonight brings us an all new installment of Chuck on NBC at 8pm. Joining the cast (for at least a few episodes) is Superman, aka Brandon Routh (pictured above with Chuck!).  The new episode, “Chuck Versus Operation Awesome”, continues off last week’s cliffhanger that left the fate of Captain Awesome in the balance. The episode also guest stars Angie Harmon.

Also on tonight…

8PM

• ABC: The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love (Reality)
• CBS: How I Met Your Mother/Accidentally on Purpose (Comedies)
• CW: One Tree Hill (Melodrama)
• FOX: 24 (Action Drama)
• ABCFAM: Secret Life of the American Teenager (Teen Drama)
• USA: Tom Brokaw Presents: American Character Along Highway 50 (News Showcase)

9PM

• CBS: Two and a Half Men/ The Big Bang Theory (Comedies)
• NBC: Heroes (Sci-Fi Drama)
• CW: Life Unexpected (Drama)
• ABCFAM: Make It or Break It (Sports Drama)
• USA: WWE Monday Night Raw (Wrestling)

10PM

• ABC: Castle (Crime Drama Comedy)
• CBS: CSI: Miami (Crime Drama)

Tags: adam baldwin, brandon routh, chuck, joshua gomez, nbc, tv, tv tonight, yvonne strahovski, zachary levi

The Pit: Avatar, Green Lantern, TV Show Renewals, & More!

Lots of stuff is going on in the world of entertainment. The NBC late-night drama continues, shows are coming and going, and Avatar is finally being challenged at the box office. Welcome to The Pit.

• The Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman post-apocalyptic thriller The Book of Eli managed to edge out James Cameron’s Avatar out of the top spot at the domestic box office on Friday  by about a million dollars. Can it beat it on Saturday and Sunday to take the weekend? Maybe.  I have a feeling that Avatar might keep the top spot thanks to the 3D and Imax showings.

• Earlier this week it was announced that Peter Sarsgaard was in final talks to take on the villainous role of Dr. Hector Hammond, a villain that I never really cared about in the comics. He is a great actor, I just wonder where they are going to go with the character.  I’m still not sold on Blake Lively as Carol Ferris, she seems too young and just not suited for the role.  Today it was revealed that Mark Strong is up for the ultimate GL villain, Sinestro. That my friends, could be perfect casting.  Strong vs Ryan Reynold’s Hal Jordan in a space battle with two of the most powerful weapons in the universe? Badass.

• Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock full on kissed at the Critics Choice Awards after they tied for Best Actress. Ewwwwww.

Moving on to TV, there have been lots of renewals, included in the mix is:

• ABC: The Middle, Cougar Town, Modern Family
• CBS: The Good Wife, NCIS: Los Angeles
• Fox: Glee
• Starz: Spartacus: Blood and Sand
• TNT: Men of a Certain Age

What is really interesting about this is the second season pick-up for Spartacus: Blood and Sand, which hasn’t even started its first season. The show looks like a pretty cool cross between 300 and Gladiator and co-stars Lucy “Xena” Lawless.  If I got Starz, I’d totally watch it, but as it is I’ll have to wait for it to come on Netflix.  None of the other listed shows are really surprising, I love Glee and ABC’s new comedies have been doing good.  Modern Family is hysterical and has an awesome cast.  Men of a Certain Age hasn’t been killing in the ratings, but with the talent behind it I’m not surprised that it is continuing.

Tags: abc, avatar, cbs, cougar town, denzel washington, fox, gary oldman, glee, green lantern, james cameron, lucy lawless, mark strong, men of a certain age, meryl streep, modern family, movies, ncis, ryan reynolds, sandra bullock, starz, the book of eli, the good wife, the middle, tnt, tv

One Phone to Rule Them All

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of LG Chocolate Touch. All opinions are 100% mine.

Everyone that knows me, knows that I’m a huge fan of technology. I love gizmos and gadgets and I need to have the latest of everything. Sadly, my budget can’t always make this possible, so I have to be smarter about what I buy, when I buy it, and how much it offers to me.

I was given a chance to take a look at the LG Chocolate Touch. Another phone? You ask. Well, yeah, but it is not just a phone. The LG Chocolate Touch is one of those items that is aiming to let you get rid of other devices and have one all purpose device. This thing does everything that a phone does (makes calls, lets you send and receive texts), and also lets you surf the Internet, has a one-touch social networking key for easy blogging on the go, it is a 3.2MP camera and recorder which lets you take high quality pictures and videos, it has an in-device image editor, visual voicemail, picture and video messaging, and an impressive music player built with Dolby Mobile technology for crystal-clear sound. The LG Chocolate Touch also features “visual effects”, including Rhythimical Beat, a visual feature that vibrates the handset to the beat of the song that you are listening to.

The LG Chocolate Touch is trying to put everything that you need into your hand in just one device, which would allow you to get rid of portable music players, still and video cameras, and netbooks. Just think about how much easier things would be without having to have a different device for all of your favorite applications.

Tags: phones, technology

I’m With Coco

I’m With Coco, are you?

Tags: conan o brien, nbc, the tonight show, tv