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	<title>CityCynic.com &#187; Television</title>
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	<description>The life of a New Yorker who doesn&#039;t know when to quit!</description>
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		<title>Andy Richter on Lopez Tonight to promote CONAN</title>
		<link>http://citycynic.com/2010/11/05/andy-richter-on-lopez-tonight-to-promote-conan/</link>
		<comments>http://citycynic.com/2010/11/05/andy-richter-on-lopez-tonight-to-promote-conan/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Nov 2010 17:59:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anthony</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Comedy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Conan O'Brien]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Late Night]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Television]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[andy richter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[george lopez]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jay leno]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nbc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tv]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://citycynic.com/?p=698</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Andy Richter was on Lopez Tonight last night to promote the premiere of Conan this Monday Nov. 8th. He talked about how he and Conan were slighted (aka screwed over) by NBC and he even took a shot at Jay Leno (and rightly so!): Conan O&#8217;Brien&#8217;s new late night talk show premieres Monday at 11pm [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Andy Richter</strong> was on <em>Lopez Tonight</em> last night to promote the premiere of <strong>Conan</strong> this Monday Nov. 8th.</p>
<p>He talked about how he and Conan were slighted (aka screwed over) by NBC and he even took a shot at <strong>Jay Leno</strong> (and rightly so!):</p>
<p><object width="550" height="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oRo8lPNRJRs&#038;hl=en_US&#038;feature=player_embedded&#038;version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oRo8lPNRJRs&#038;hl=en_US&#038;feature=player_embedded&#038;version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="550" height="320"></embed></object></p>
<p><a href="http://teamcoco.com/" target="_blank">Conan O&#8217;Brien&#8217;s</a> new late night talk show premieres Monday at 11pm on TBS. Be there!</p>
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		<title>10 Other Twitter accounts that should be turned into TV shows</title>
		<link>http://citycynic.com/2010/09/28/10-other-twitter-accounts-that-should-be-turned-into-tv-shows/</link>
		<comments>http://citycynic.com/2010/09/28/10-other-twitter-accounts-that-should-be-turned-into-tv-shows/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 28 Sep 2010 06:17:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anthony</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[CityCynic.com]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Facebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mobile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Movies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Television]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twitter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CBS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[celebrity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[show]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tweet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[twitter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://citycynic.com/?p=630</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[CBS&#8217; new sitcom $#*! My Dad Says starring William Shatner is based on the Twitter account of Justin Halpern, who lives with his 89-year-old father. The show&#8217;s premiere brought in 12.5 million viewers last week. Maybe that&#8217;s why CBS is planning another TV show based on a Twitter account, @shhdontellsteve. That one is about a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_631" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><img class="size-medium wp-image-631" title="stuff-my-dad-says-logo" src="http://citycynic.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/stuff-my-dad-says-logo-300x172.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="172" /><p class="wp-caption-text">CBS made this show from a Twitter account? What accounts will they use for show ideas next?</p></div>
<p>CBS&#8217; new sitcom <a href="http://www.cbs.com/primetime/my_dad_says/" target="_blank">$#*! My Dad Says</a> starring <strong>William Shatner</strong> is based on the <a href="http://twitter.com/shitmydadsays" target="_blank">Twitter account</a> of Justin Halpern, who lives with his 89-year-old father. The show&#8217;s premiere brought in <strong>12.5 million viewers</strong> last week.</p>
<p>Maybe that&#8217;s why CBS is <a href="http://mashable.com/2010/09/27/cbs-turns-another-twitter-account-into-a-tv-show/" target="_blank">planning another TV show</a> based on a Twitter account, <a href="http://twitter.com/shhdontellsteve" target="_blank">@shhdontellsteve</a>. That one is about a guy writing about what his roommate does and is currently being made into a pilot called &#8220;Don&#8217;t Tell Steve&#8221;.</p>
<p>Now I&#8217;m not too familiar with that second Twitter account, but if <strong>CBS is so intent on making shows from Twitter accounts</strong>, I might as well share a list that the network&#8217;s execs can use for <strong>future pilot ideas</strong>:</p>
<p>1) <a href="http://www.twitter.com/wolfblitzercnn" target="_blank">@WolfBlitzerCNN</a> &#8211; Come on, Things <strong>Wolf Blitzer</strong> Says is sure to be a hit. Watch out William Shatner, Wolfie&#8217;s gunning for you!</p>
<p>2) <a href="http://www.twitter.com/johncmayer" target="_blank">@JohnCMayer</a> &#8211; A show about a musician who connects with viewers through Twitter? That could be cool. Oh wait, just like <strong>John Mayer&#8217;s</strong> Twitter account, this show has also been cancelled.</p>
<p>3) <a href="http://twitter.com/perezhilton" target="_blank">@PerezHilton</a> &#8211; Sure <strong>Perez Hilton</strong> initially got famous by drawing penises on photos of Lindsay Lohan and then blogging them, but a show about a gossip blogger becoming famous for his celebrity news tweeting would be cool.</p>
<p>4) <a href="http://www.twitter.com/50cent" target="_blank">@50Cent</a> &#8211; I guess its not totally surprising that rapper <strong>50 Cent</strong> employs no filter while he tweets, but between all the retweets of half-naked, booty-showing photos of fans he retweets, plus gems like the following, I would actually watch this show: &#8220;This b*tch is a super freak for real @beautydiorxz yal want some p*ssy follow this b*tch she crazy as hell look at her page.&#8221;</p>
<p>5) <a href="http://twitter.com/kburkhardtSNY" target="_blank">@KBurkhardtSNY</a> &#8211; <strong>Kevin Burkhardt</strong> is the New York Mets&#8217; on-field reporter who happens to tweet in the same way that he reports on the baseball team  &#8212; in a timely, relevant, and totally original manner. I&#8217;d love to see a show about an on-the-field reporter who covers baseball from unique angles and eventually earns his way into the broadcast booth.</p>
<p>6) <a href="http://www.twitter.com/molliewestie" target="_blank">@MollieWestie</a> &#8211; <strong>Mollie the Westie</strong> is just one of thousands of <a href="http://dogswhotwitter.com/" target="_blank">Dogs Who Twitter</a>. And let&#8217;s not forget cats who tweet, like <a href="http://twitter.com/SOCKINGTON" target="_blank">@sockington</a> who loves writing about his kibble! How about a show called <em>Paws to Tweet</em>, CBS?</p>
<p>7) <a href="http://www.twitter.com/lilpecan" target="_blank">@LilPecan</a> &#8211; Speaking of pets with twitter accounts, <strong>Lil Pecan</strong> is a self-described &#8220;social media guinea pig&#8221; from Boston with over 3,500 followers, that is often snarky while defending the fact that her human doesn&#8217;t write her account, like some other animals. A talking-and-typing guinea pig right there on your television?!? Instant ratings!</p>
<p>8) <a href="http://www.twitter.com/ev" target="_blank">@ev</a> &amp; <a href="http://www.twitter.com/biz" target="_blank">@biz</a> &#8211; <strong>Evan Williams</strong> and <strong>Biz Stone</strong> are the creators of Twitter. Could you imagine a show about the guys responsible for the newest way the world communicates these days? Hey, they made a movie about Facebook&#8230;</p>
<p>9) <a href="http://www.twitter.com/aplusk" target="_blank">@AplusK</a> &#8211; <strong>Ashton Kutcher</strong> helped put Twitter on the map with his competition to 1,000,000 followers against CNN and his straightforward tweeting. How about a show that focuses on  a celebrity&#8217;s struggle with what to share and what to keep private and how it affects his family? Sort of part-reality, part-entertainment? I&#8217;m sure MTV has a time slot or two open still.</p>
<p>10) <strong>@YOU!</strong> &#8211; Maybe you are the next tweeter that would make a good subject for a show because you use Twitter in a unique way that is also entertaining. Hell, if I&#8217;d follow you, why wouldn&#8217;t I also wanna watch a show about you too? At least CBS thinks I should&#8230;</p>
<p>What other tweeters/tweeple do you think CBS should consider for their own TV shows based on their twitter accounts? Share in the comments below!</p>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 245px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow: hidden;">http://dogswhotwitter.com/</div>
<img src="http://citycynic.com/?ak_action=api_record_view&id=630&type=feed" alt="" />]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>LOST&#8217;s John Locke and Ben Linus reunited on new show?</title>
		<link>http://citycynic.com/2010/09/23/losts-john-locke-and-ben-linus-reunited-on-new-show/</link>
		<comments>http://citycynic.com/2010/09/23/losts-john-locke-and-ben-linus-reunited-on-new-show/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 24 Sep 2010 01:33:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anthony</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Comedy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photo of the Day]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Television]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ben]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ben linus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[john locke]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[locke]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LOST]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[odd jobs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://citycynic.com/?p=625</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[LOST executive producer J.J. Abrams has pitched a comedic drama (or is that a dramedy?) starring former LOST co-stars Terry O&#8217;Quinn and Michael Emerson. Since the two actors had such great acting chemistry on LOST as John Locke and Benjamin Linus, many fans have suggested the two do their own show together. And I for [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>LOST executive producer J.J. Abrams has pitched a comedic drama (or is that a dramedy?) starring former LOST co-stars Terry O&#8217;Quinn and Michael Emerson.</p>
<p>Since the two actors had such great acting chemistry on LOST as John Locke and Benjamin Linus, many fans have suggested the two do their own show together. And I for one agree &#8212; ITS ABOUT DAMN TIME!</p>
<div id="attachment_626" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 539px"><img class="size-large wp-image-626 " title="Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson" src="http://citycynic.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/oddjobs-tvshowidea-ad-mockup-588x600.jpg" alt="" width="529" height="540" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Terry O&#39;Quinn and Michael Emerson</p></div>
<p>Abrams&#8217; show concept supposedly features the duo as <strong>retired spies</strong> living nearby or sharing an apartment in the suburbs somewhere.</p>
<p>Would you watch a show like this? I&#8217;m thinking I would.</p>
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		<title>Hey, that shirt looks like an ABC reality show logo</title>
		<link>http://citycynic.com/2010/01/10/hey-that-shirt-looks-like-an-abc-reality-show-logo/</link>
		<comments>http://citycynic.com/2010/01/10/hey-that-shirt-looks-like-an-abc-reality-show-logo/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 10 Jan 2010 06:03:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anthony</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[abc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[moguls]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reality show]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shark tank]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sharks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[skyscrapers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[t-shirt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Television]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[threadless]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tshirt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tv]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://citycynic.com/?p=412</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As I was mindlessly channel surfing the other night, I came across an ABC reality show called Shark Tank, where millionaire moguls bid on burgeoning entrepreneur&#8217;s business ideas. While I found the show mildly amusing, what stuck with me afterwards was the cool show logo featuring skyscrapers and sharks as seen looking up from underneath. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As I was mindlessly channel surfing the other night, I came across an ABC reality show called <a href="http://abc.go.com/shows/shark-tank/">Shark Tank</a>, where millionaire moguls bid on burgeoning entrepreneur&#8217;s business ideas. While I found the show mildly amusing, what stuck with me afterwards was the cool show logo featuring <strong>skyscrapers and sharks</strong> as seen looking up from underneath.</p>
<p>Then I remembered a certain new <strong>Threadless</strong> t-shirt I had seen recently called  <a href="http://www.threadless.com/product/1660/Solitary_Dream_Pt2" target="_blank">Solitary Dream Pt2 by Budi Satria Kwan</a>, which also features <strong>skyscrapers and sharks</strong>. And while I usually prefer <a href="http://www.threadless.com/product/2044/All_Dinosaurs_Go_to_Heaven" target="_blank">t-shirts with dinosaurs</a> on them, I did plan on purchasing one for myself.</p>
<p>Note any resemblance between the two?</p>
<div id="attachment_411" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 490px"><a rel="attachment wp-att-411" href="http://citycynic.com/2010/01/10/hey-that-shirt-looks-like-an-abc-reality-show-logo/sharktankshirtsm/"><img class="size-full wp-image-411 " title="sharktankshirtsm" src="http://citycynic.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/sharktankshirtsm.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="259" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text"> Shark t-shirt vs. Shark Tank</p></div>
<p>Not only do both designs consist of <strong>skyscrapers and sharks</strong> as seen from underneath looking up, but they both similarly feature a sun or light source in the upper righthand corner.</p>
<p>I mean, it all could be a gigantic coincidence, especially considering not that many people actually watch (or have even heard of) ABC&#8217;s <em>Shark Tank</em>.</p>
<p>But what if <strong>Budi Kwan</strong> saw the <em>Shark Tank</em> logo and decided to make a t-shirt design based off of it?</p>
<p>Then why stop there? I would like to suggest his next shirt design come from <strong>I&#8217;m A Celebrity, Get Me Outta Here!</strong>:</p>
<div id="attachment_415" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 510px"><a rel="attachment wp-att-415" href="http://citycynic.com/2010/01/10/hey-that-shirt-looks-like-an-abc-reality-show-logo/iacgmoh/"><img class="size-full wp-image-415" title="iacgmoh" src="http://citycynic.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/iacgmoh.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="281" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">I&#39;m A Celebrity, Get Me Outta Here!</p></div>
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		<title>A look back at &#8220;Oddville, MTV&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://citycynic.com/2009/11/16/a-look-back-at-oddville-mtv/</link>
		<comments>http://citycynic.com/2009/11/16/a-look-back-at-oddville-mtv/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:44:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anthony</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Comedy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Television]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beyond vaudeville]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blink 182]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cheesy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eccentric]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[episodes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hanson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jessica biel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kathy griffin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kenan and kel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mtv]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nablopomo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oddville]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oddville mtv]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[program]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reel big fish]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[season]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[show]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stephen baldwin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sugar ray]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[talent show]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[talents]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[talk show]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tom green]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vaudeville]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://citycynic.com/?p=288</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Every once in a while, I daydream back to a time when MTV didn&#8217;t just show music videos, but rather experimented with original talk show programming. And while I see Tom Green way too much these days to try to limit him to only daydreams, there was a show that pops up from time to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_291" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><img class="size-medium wp-image-291" title="Fullscreen capture 11172009 34006 AM" src="http://citycynic.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Fullscreen-capture-11172009-34006-AM-300x200.jpg" alt="Oddville, MTV ran one season on MTV in 1997." width="300" height="200" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Oddville, MTV ran one season on MTV in 1997.</p></div>
<p>Every once in a while, <strong>I daydream back to a time</strong> when MTV didn&#8217;t just show music videos, but rather experimented with original talk show programming.</p>
<p>And while I see <strong>Tom Green</strong> way too much these days to try to limit him to only daydreams, there was a show that pops up from time to time in those aforementioned daydreams: a little show I like to call <strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oddville,_MTV">Oddville, MTV</a></strong>.</p>
<p><strong>Oddville, MTV</strong> (1997) was a variety talk show that originated on NYC public access as a show called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_Vaudeville">Beyond Vaudeville</a> (1986-96) and was hosted by Frank Hope (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0114501/">Rich Brown</a>).</p>
<p>The original show featured <strong>New York City eccentrics</strong> and other real life characters who came on to showcase their &#8220;unique&#8221; talents. When it was brought to MTV, it went on to include celebrities and eccentric people with <strong>special talents</strong> from all over the place. Although to be fair, the level of the guests&#8217; talents varied widely &#8212; from a nose hummer to a roller skating grandmother to a guy with a third nipple to a bilingual midget.</p>
<p>Frank always had a sidekick named <strong>David Greene</strong> who would always remain silent throughout the show, never reacting to any of the weird stuff going on in front of him, and sometimes just resembling someone in a catatonic state. Oddville also had a cute announcer named <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0300260/">Melissa Gabriel</a> who provided someone that Frank could talk to during the show.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, and <strong>Joey the Dancing Monkey</strong>.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s how a typical interview segment went on the show, this one featuring the WWE&#8217;s Sunny:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="480" height="385" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/eaqCz31BUrk&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="385" src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/eaqCz31BUrk&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p>Celebrity guests included <strong>Kathy Griffin</strong>, <strong>Blink 182</strong> (one of their first TV performances), <strong>Jessica Biel</strong>, <strong>Reel Big Fish</strong>, <strong>Sugar Ray</strong>, <strong>Stephen Baldwin</strong>, <strong>Kenan and Kel</strong> promoting their smash-hit <em>Good Burger</em>, and the U.S. television broadcast debut of a three-brother band known as <strong>Hanson</strong>:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="480" height="385" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/ypPOup5U-V4&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="385" src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/ypPOup5U-V4&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p>Whereas I always enjoyed the show for its <strong>cheese factor</strong>, obviously some people didn&#8217;t agree, since the show only lasted one season (<a href="http://www.tv.com/oddville-mtv/show/4083/episode.html?season=All&amp;tag=list_header;paginator;All">episode guide</a>) and inspired <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118413/#comment">negative reviews from viewers</a> like this one:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">When I watched the show on MTV, all I saw was the same boring things.  There was a host who always acted in a nervous manner, a guy who just sat there and didn&#8217;t talk, pointless interviews (the interviews weren&#8217;t even interesting because they seemed to be so short), and a bunch of losers being brought out to showcase their talent.  I remember seeing a guy do bad impersonations of celebrities while he was laying down on the floor.</p>
<p>But anyway, <strong>it&#8217;s nice to daydream sometimes</strong> and remember a simpler time, like 1997, where bands like the <strong>Bloodhound Gang</strong> would actually fit in somewhere when performing their song &#8220;Why is Everybody Always Picking On Me,&#8221; while a dancing monkey and a cute announcer would dance around to the song, as a catatonic co-host and nervous show host looked on:</p>
<div><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="420" height="339" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/xa5ukq" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="339" src="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/xa5ukq" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br />
<strong><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/xa5ukq">Bloodhound Gang &#8211; Why is Everybody Always Picking On M<em>e</em> </a></strong></div>
<p>That was <strong>Oddville, MTV</strong>.</p>
<p><strong>RELATED:</strong> Check out the original 1997 CNN article about the show: <a href="http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9708/07/oddville.mtv/">&#8216;Oddville, MTV&#8217; shows off weird things people can do</a></p>
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		<title>Sometimes I wish my dad had the game on</title>
		<link>http://citycynic.com/2009/11/02/sometimes-i-wish-my-dad-had-the-game-on/</link>
		<comments>http://citycynic.com/2009/11/02/sometimes-i-wish-my-dad-had-the-game-on/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:44:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anthony</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[baseball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Television]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bonding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dad]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[father]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mets]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[world series]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[yankees]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://citycynic.com/?p=161</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Sometimes when I walk by my dad sitting on the couch watching TV, I wish he had the game on. Or maybe more accurately, I wish he called in to me from the other room and asked me if I was going to watch the World Series with him. Its a strange position to be [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Sometimes when I walk by my dad sitting on the couch watching TV, <strong>I wish he had the game on</strong>.</p>
<p>Or maybe more accurately, I wish he called in to me from the other room and asked me if I was going to watch the World Series with him.</p>
<div id="attachment_172" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><img class="size-medium wp-image-172" title="IMG_4858" src="http://citycynic.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/IMG_4858-300x271.jpg" alt="Dad and me at the last game at Shea Stadium." width="300" height="271" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Dad and me at the last game at Shea Stadium.</p></div>
<p>Its a <strong>strange</strong> position to be in. I mean, my dad is who originally got me into baseball when I was 5.</p>
<p>It was a <strong>sunny afternoon</strong> in 1985, the Mets were taking on the Cubs, and I was sitting in the upper deck &#8220;red seats&#8221; at Shea Stadium as airplanes roared overhead.</p>
<p>He could have taken me to a movie. He could have taken me to the local park and pushed me on the swings. But he decided to take me to <strong>a baseball game</strong> at the age of 5 and that decision has shaped many aspects of my life ever since.</p>
<p>Not only did that <strong>$9 ticket</strong> and hot dog experience give me an amazing baseball team to root for over all these years in the Mets, but it gave me something I thought would be a <strong>common connection</strong> between me and my dad.</p>
<p>But that connection isn&#8217;t here in 2009 and I don&#8217;t know why.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s not to say my dad and I don&#8217;t discuss baseball. I&#8217;ve given him World Series updates throughout the Fall Classic and <strong>Mets injury updates</strong> throughout the 2009 season. But that&#8217;s not the same as experiencing the ups and downs of a game and <strong>bonding over trade rumors</strong> and the latest stats.</p>
<div id="attachment_168" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 142px"><img class="size-medium wp-image-168 " title="IMG_8580" src="http://citycynic.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/IMG_8580-189x300.jpg" alt="IMG_8580" width="132" height="210" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Upper deck seats, 2009.</p></div>
<p>I don&#8217;t really take all of this personally &#8212; my dad really doesn&#8217;t follow any sports these days. And maybe he never really did. Instead, maybe that day in the mid-80&#8242;s <strong>wasn&#8217;t a vote for baseball</strong>, but rather a vote for father-son bonding. I don&#8217;t really know, but the effect it had on me is evident in the license plate frame on my car and the <strong>multi-pack of Mets tickets</strong> I buy and use each season and the drive to visit Cooperstown and the<strong> Baseball Hall of Fame</strong>, which I finally accomplished with <a href="http://www.justonemiss.com/">Melissa</a> at the beginning of October.</p>
<p>It made me a diehard Mets fan &#8212; <strong>I bleed orange and blue</strong> &#8212; and I just don&#8217;t understand why my dad doesn&#8217;t also.</p>
<p>Its not like we don&#8217;t have things that we bond over. We can talk Obama and politics like nobodies business. Or bring up a <strong>sociological principle</strong> evident in today&#8217;s society and we&#8217;re off running, often talking for hours. <strong>Bring up the economy</strong> and the pros and cons of the death tax, the rise and the fall of the stock market, and the strength of the dollar are sure to follow. And there are other things we both seem to &#8220;get&#8221; enough to discuss.</p>
<p>Its just that <strong>none of these things are baseball</strong>. None of them involve rooting on a team through a 162 game season. None of them involve believing in something so much that not making the playoffs makes you cry.</p>
<div id="attachment_171" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><img class="size-medium wp-image-171" title="IMG_5403" src="http://citycynic.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/IMG_5403-300x235.jpg" alt="Goodbye Shea... Thank you!" width="300" height="235" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Goodbye Shea... Thank you!</p></div>
<p>I know other people&#8217;s fathers watch every baseball game they can, <strong>the big game every Sunday</strong>, and any other assortment of sports events that come along. They curse at the television, throw back a couple beers, and quote baseball history like the gospel.</p>
<p>So yeah, <strong>sometimes</strong> I wish my dad had the game on.</p>
<p>But maybe, just maybe, our shared baseball experience almost 25 years ago was supposed to be only <strong>an example of how much my dad loves me</strong>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p>And baseball is supposed to be <strong>a gift I share and enjoy with others</strong> in my life to show them how much I love them. Hey, I like the sound of that.</p>
<p><em>It sure could have been worse though&#8230; he could have taken me to a *gasp* Yankees game all those years ago.</em></p>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="overflow: hidden; position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 144px; width: 1px; height: 1px;"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-164" title="IMG_0248" src="http://citycynic.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/IMG_0248-300x198.jpg" alt="IMG_0248" width="300" height="198" /></div>
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		<title>Why NBC should be arrested for cancelling Southland</title>
		<link>http://citycynic.com/2009/10/10/why-nbc-should-be-arrested-for-cancelling-southland/</link>
		<comments>http://citycynic.com/2009/10/10/why-nbc-should-be-arrested-for-cancelling-southland/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:46:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anthony</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Television]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[black donnellys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cancellation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cancelled]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[medium]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nbc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[olivia wilde]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[southland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tv]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://citycynic.com/?p=103</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[NBC has done it again&#8230; cancelled a critically-acclaimed drama with a good fan following. The network announced the other day that Southland, which had just five weeks ago been given a second season run, would be cancelled before premiering this season. The reason: the John Wells (&#8220;ER&#8221;) produced show has a &#8220;dark tone&#8221; that wasn&#8217;t [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>NBC</strong> has done it again&#8230; <strong>cancelled a critically-acclaimed drama</strong> with a good fan following. The network announced the other day that <strong><a href="http://www.nbc.com/southland/">Southland</a></strong>, which had just five weeks ago been given a second season run, would be cancelled <strong>before premiering</strong> this season.</p>
<p>The reason: the <strong>John Wells</strong> (<em>&#8220;ER&#8221;</em>) produced show has a <strong>&#8220;dark tone&#8221;</strong> that wasn&#8217;t suitable for the 9&#8242;o&#8217;clock time slot. What does NBC have on in the 10pm slot? Oh right, 5 nights on the <strong>Jay Leno Show</strong>, which happens to be <strong>bleeding viewers</strong> left and right these days, as Jay Leno struggles to get into a groove with his new digs.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-105" title="southland" src="http://citycynic.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/southland-600x233.jpg" alt="southland" width="540" height="210" /></p>
<p>The cancellation of <strong>Southland</strong> brings back all the bad feelings towards NBC that I had when they cancelled <strong><a href="http://www.nbc.com/The_Black_Donnellys/">The Black Donnelly&#8217;s</a></strong>, another critically-acclaimed drama that was beginning to establish a solid fan base, but <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Black_Donnellys">never got the chance</a>. Starring Olivia Wilde (<em>&#8220;House</em>&#8220;), the show about an Irish crime family brought a fresh perspective to primetime crime dramas and was the subject of <strong>constant discussion and fan promotion</strong> on the Internet.</p>
<p>But all of that wasn&#8217;t good enough and NBC cancelled the show over the objections of fans and critics alike.</p>
<p>And let&#8217;s not forget the <strong>Patricia Arquette</strong> drama, <strong><a href="http://www.cbs.com/primetime/medium/">Medium</a></strong>, which NBC showed to good ratings for years, but then <strong>abruptly cancelled</strong>. Only to see CBS purchase to solidify its Friday night schedule between <strong>Ghost Whisperer</strong> and <strong>Numbers</strong>.</p>
<p>And now it has happened again, although the situation with <strong>Southland</strong>, a fresh-faced and gritty cop drama staring <strong>Benjamin McKenzie</strong>, is further complicated by the face that NBC&#8217;s reason for cancelling it is <strong>NBC&#8217;s fault to begin with</strong>&#8230; that it&#8217;s &#8220;dark tone&#8221; should be shown later on in the night at 10pm. Of course, that&#8217;s exactly where NBC stuck the <strong>Jay Leno Show</strong> EVERY night of the week, preventing them from showing ANY shows with a &#8220;dark tone,&#8221; viewers would be led to believe.</p>
<p>Except that when you look at other shows on NBC that one might consider to have a dark tone, like <strong>Law &amp; Order: Special Victims&#8217; Unit</strong> or even the original <strong>Law &amp; Order</strong>, which NBC scheduled at 9pm and 8pm respectively this season. <strong>Are those shows less dark than Southland?</strong> They certainly are capable of carrying the same amount of gun use and violence, if losing a bit of their grityness over the years, and NBC hasn&#8217;t used the 10pm time slot excuse to pull or otherwise shift the timeslots of those shows, have they?</p>
<p>Upon further review, the cancellation of <strong>Southland</strong> really comes down to <strong>a money play by NBC</strong>, steadily running as the fourth-place network these days. Stone Philips&#8217; <strong>Dateline</strong> is currently in the 9pm slot that was supposed to become home to <strong>Southland</strong> and has been carrying ratings similar to those of the cop drama&#8217;s performance last season.</p>
<p>So why has NBC chosen not to follow their plan if it would get them similarly good ratings with a critically-acclaimed cop drama with a proven ratings past? Well, <strong>Southland</strong> is produced by <strong>Warner Brothers Studios</strong>, which would require NBC to pay some <strong>hefty licensing fees</strong> as part of airing the show.</p>
<p>Basically <strong>NBC decided that they&#8217;d rather pay less for similiar ratings</strong>, damn what the fans of the show think and damn what the critics say.</p>
<p>Not only should NBC be arrested for such a selfish decision, but they deserve the <strong>reduced ratings</strong> they will get because of it. The much-younger skewing demographics for <strong>Southland</strong> will not be tuning in for <strong>Dateline</strong> and will look for another show to follow, preferably on <strong>a network not known for cancelling popular shows on their updraft</strong>.</p>
<p>At 9pm on Friday night, that might very ironically turn out to be CBS&#8217; <strong>Medium</strong>. Or maybe ABC&#8217;s <strong>Ugly Betty</strong>. Or the additional viewers may flock to FOX&#8217;s <a href="http://www.fox.com/dollhouse/"><strong>Dollhouse</strong></a>, giving the struggling drama the <strong>jolt in viewership</strong> it might need to be renewed.</p>
<p>Maybe NBC is happy with it&#8217;s <strong>dueling hospital dramas</strong> the network desperately clung too in the absense of <strong>John Wells&#8217; ER</strong> going off the air. <strong>Mercy</strong> and <strong>Trauma</strong> both seem promising scripted vehicles, if not both carrying the same excitement factor. But <strong>two hospital dramas on the same network</strong> isn&#8217;t likely to work for very long. I wonder if NBC realizes that.</p>
<p>Either way, NBC <strong>continues in it&#8217;s tradition of making stupid decisions</strong> that all but guarantee it staying in fourth place. And even Jay Leno can&#8217;t help them with that.</p>
<p><strong>RELATED:</strong> <a title="Southland's Michael Cudlitz Will Never Work for NBC Again" href="http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/10/michael_cudlitz_will_never_wor.html">Southland&#8217;s Michael Cudlitz Will Never Work for NBC Again</a> (NY Mag)</p>
<p><strong>ALSO:</strong> <a href="http://www.marketnology.com/?p=191">Solving NBC’s 10PM Problem</a>: Talib Morgan thinks NBC&#8217;s best bet is to really mix up their scheduling, with a 12-minute drama.</p>
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