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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title>Things I Hate About TV: Counting Americans in a tragedy</title><link>http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/06/02/things-i-hate-about-tv-counting-americans-in-a-tragedy/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/06/02/things-i-hate-about-tv-counting-americans-in-a-tragedy/</guid><comments>http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/06/02/things-i-hate-about-tv-counting-americans-in-a-tragedy/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/oped/" rel="tag">OpEd</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/things-i-hate-about-tv/" rel="tag">Things I Hate About TV</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/watercooler-talk/" rel="tag">Watercooler Talk</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/reality-free/" rel="tag">Reality-Free</a></p><img hspace="4" height="143" border="0" align="right" width="200" vspace="4" alt="Air France disaster" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2009/06/airfrance200.jpg" />I'm sure most of you are glued to your TVs for news of what happened to <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124394381881876429.html?mod=googlenews_wsj">Air France flight 447</a>, which disappeared over the Atlantic yesterday while en route from <strike>Buenos Aires</strike> Rio to Paris. Not only is any major accident like that a fascinating, newsworthy event, but the added mystery of the plane's disappearance makes the story even more compelling.<br /><br />Some of you reading this may have friends or family among the 228 people on the flight, which makes this a personal tragedy for a lot of people. But if you listen to the news media, it seems like most of the people who have been potentially lost on the flight aren't such a big deal. After all, "<a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&amp;ct2=us%2F0_0_s_0_0_t&amp;usg=AFQjCNEVyXZEdLyx7Xu3ctoYN_C-M3QVIA&amp;cid=1253868984&amp;ei=llElSrCuFcWdlQf907j6AQ&amp;rt=STORY&amp;vm=STANDARD&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freep.com%2Farticle%2F20090602%2FBLOG20%2F90602042">there were two Americans</a>" on that flight, you see, and, as far as the U.S. media is concerned, their loss is more of a tragedy than the loss of any of the others.<p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/06/02/things-i-hate-about-tv-counting-americans-in-a-tragedy/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Things I Hate About TV: Counting Americans in a tragedy</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/06/02/things-i-hate-about-tv-counting-americans-in-a-tragedy/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/forward/19055138/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/06/02/things-i-hate-about-tv-counting-americans-in-a-tragedy/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>air france</category><category>AirFrance</category><category>americans</category><category>buenos aires</category><category>BuenosAires</category><category>counting americans</category><category>CountingAmericans</category><category>disappearance</category><category>including xx americans</category><category>IncludingXxAmericans</category><category>paris</category><category>things i hate about tv</category><category>ThingsIHateAboutTv</category><category>tragedy</category><dc:creator>Joel Keller</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:31:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Things I Hate About TV:  ABC's Lost previews</title><link>http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/02/26/things-i-hate-about-tv-abcs-lost-previews/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/02/26/things-i-hate-about-tv-abcs-lost-previews/</guid><comments>http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/02/26/things-i-hate-about-tv-abcs-lost-previews/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/drama/" rel="tag">Other Drama Shows</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/abc/" rel="tag">ABC</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/oped/" rel="tag">OpEd</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/lost/" rel="tag">Lost</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/things-i-hate-about-tv/" rel="tag">Things I Hate About TV</a></p><p><img width="200" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="315" border="0" align="right" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2007/02/e-mitchell-022507.jpg" alt="Elizabeth Mitchell, Lost" />Whoever creates the promos for <em>Lost</em> needs to start coordinating things with the show's writers, or at least start <strong>watching</strong> the show. The last few <em>Lost </em>previews have made so many empty promises that I am considering hitting the Mute button on my remote when the ads come on. It should not be possible to over-dramatize the events on a show about plane crash survivors on a bizarre island, but ABC has achieved that feat.</p>
<p>Consider the commercials for last week's episode, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/02/22/lost-stranger-in-a-strange-land/">"Stranger in a Strange Land."</a> Viewers were told (in all caps and bold lettering, no less) that three big mysteries would be revealed during the episode. Did the show deliver on ABC's promise? Sure, if the meaning behind Jack's tattoos is a big mystery. If kinda, sorta finding out what happened the Cindy and the kids is a big mystery. I am not even sure if there was a third mystery; that's how inaccurate the promo was. </p>
<p> </p><p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/02/26/things-i-hate-about-tv-abcs-lost-previews/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Things I Hate About TV:  ABC's Lost previews</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/02/26/things-i-hate-about-tv-abcs-lost-previews/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/forward/839900/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/02/26/things-i-hate-about-tv-abcs-lost-previews/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>ABC</category><category>Lost ads</category><category>Lost commericals</category><category>Lost episode previews</category><category>Lost promos</category><category>LostPromos</category><dc:creator>Erin Martell</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 26 Feb 2007 11:42:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Things I Hate about TV: People who claim not to watch it</title><link>http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/01/11/things-i-hate-about-tv-people-who-claim-not-to-watch-it/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/01/11/things-i-hate-about-tv-people-who-claim-not-to-watch-it/</guid><comments>http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/01/11/things-i-hate-about-tv-people-who-claim-not-to-watch-it/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/oped/" rel="tag">OpEd</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/things-i-hate-about-tv/" rel="tag">Things I Hate About TV</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/watercooler-talk/" rel="tag">Watercooler Talk</a></p><img width="199" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="147" border="0" align="right" alt="Hey! Look at me! I'm an Grad Student!" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2007/01/man_sledge_hammer_350.jpg" />(Writers Note: This post is not about something I hate ON the television, it's about a particular type of person I hate that is caused by the existence of television. It was hard picking a category for it, so I went with the one I did.)<br /><br />I was an English major in college. If you ever get the chance to be an English major, do it! It opens so many doors to your future: with your English degree you can teach English! Or, also, starve! <br /> <br /> Being an English major, though, brought along with it one major annoyance: wannabe intellectual types who felt that since they read Keats or whatever, they were somehow better than the civilians who enjoyed <span style="font-style: italic;">Melrose Place</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">The X-Files</span>.<p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/01/11/things-i-hate-about-tv-people-who-claim-not-to-watch-it/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Things I Hate about TV: People who claim not to watch it</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/01/11/things-i-hate-about-tv-people-who-claim-not-to-watch-it/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/forward/733646/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/01/11/things-i-hate-about-tv-people-who-claim-not-to-watch-it/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>culture</category><category>stupid</category><category>tv turnoff week</category><category>TvTurnoffWeek</category><category>wannabe</category><dc:creator>Jay Black</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 11 Jan 2007 15:09:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Things I Hate About TV: "At the end of the day..."</title><link>http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/01/03/things-i-hate-about-tv-at-the-end-of-the-day/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/01/03/things-i-hate-about-tv-at-the-end-of-the-day/</guid><comments>http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/01/03/things-i-hate-about-tv-at-the-end-of-the-day/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/sports/" rel="tag">Sports</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/oped/" rel="tag">OpEd</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/tv-sports/" rel="tag">TV Sports</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/things-i-hate-about-tv/" rel="tag">Things I Hate About TV</a></p><img width="200" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="134" border="0" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/12/sportscenter.jpg" />As a red-blooded American male who has trouble relating to his father, I watch a lot of sports. That means I also watch a lot of sports related television. <em>PTI</em>, <em>Around the Horn</em>, <em>Inside the NFL</em>, <em>The Sports Reporters</em>, <em>NFL Live</em>, <em>NFL Prime Time</em>, <em>Sportscenter</em>, and even <em>Jim Rome is Burning</em> (but only when my wife is out of earshot - for some reason the sound of Rome's voice makes my wife very angry. She doesn't follow sports; I think it's just a gut reaction to smugness.) Thanks to TiVo, I watch them all, fast-forwarding past all the topics that don't interest me.<p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/01/03/things-i-hate-about-tv-at-the-end-of-the-day/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Things I Hate About TV: "At the end of the day..."</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/01/03/things-i-hate-about-tv-at-the-end-of-the-day/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/forward/726884/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/01/03/things-i-hate-about-tv-at-the-end-of-the-day/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>espn</category><category>football</category><category>jim rome</category><category>JimRome</category><category>nfl</category><category>pardon the interruption</category><category>PardonTheInterruption</category><category>sports center</category><category>SportsCenter</category><dc:creator>Jay Black</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 03 Jan 2007 09:02:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Things I Hate About TV: Workaholics in Christmas specials</title><link>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/12/22/things-i-hate-about-tv-workaholics-in-christmas-specials/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/12/22/things-i-hate-about-tv-workaholics-in-christmas-specials/</guid><comments>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/12/22/things-i-hate-about-tv-workaholics-in-christmas-specials/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/oped/" rel="tag">OpEd</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/things-i-hate-about-tv/" rel="tag">Things I Hate About TV</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/watercooler-talk/" rel="tag">Watercooler Talk</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/festivus/" rel="tag">Festivus</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/tnt/" rel="tag">TNT</a></p><img width="200" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="249" border="0" align="right" alt="Thanks, Mr. Dickens for spawning 9 million hacks of your Christmas creation." src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/12/scrooge_mcduck_small.jpg" />I had trouble sleeping the other night (there were sugar plums dancing through my head - angry, murderous sugar plums), so I turned to the best TV option I had available to me: TNT HD's replay of <em>A Perfect Day</em> starring Rob Lowe.<br /><br />Here's the plot: lower middle class guy writes a book that becomes a best seller. As he climbs the economic ladder, he becomes a workaholic and is thus estranged from his family. A mysterious stranger then appears and helps him to realize that true happiness doesn't come from work and success, but rather from spending time with his wife and his improbably named daughter, Carson.<br /><br />I watched the whole thing for the same reason I play with hangnails and follow Philadelphia sports teams - I secretly hate myself.<p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/12/22/things-i-hate-about-tv-workaholics-in-christmas-specials/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Things I Hate About TV: Workaholics in Christmas specials</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/12/22/things-i-hate-about-tv-workaholics-in-christmas-specials/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/forward/723739/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/12/22/things-i-hate-about-tv-workaholics-in-christmas-specials/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>alec baldwin</category><category>AlecBaldwin</category><category>christmas</category><category>christmas movies</category><category>ChristmasMovies</category><category>david hasslehoff</category><category>DavidHasslehoff</category><category>rob lowe</category><category>RobLowe</category><category>rush limbaugh</category><category>RushLimbaugh</category><dc:creator>Jay Black</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 22 Dec 2006 19:05:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Things I Hate About TV: Blowing news stories out of proportion</title><link>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/12/18/things-i-hate-about-tv-blowing-news-stories-out-of-proportion/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/12/18/things-i-hate-about-tv-blowing-news-stories-out-of-proportion/</guid><comments>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/12/18/things-i-hate-about-tv-blowing-news-stories-out-of-proportion/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/oped/" rel="tag">OpEd</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/things-i-hate-about-tv/" rel="tag">Things I Hate About TV</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/watercooler-talk/" rel="tag">Watercooler Talk</a></p><img width="250" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="175" align="right" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/12/mthood250.jpg" alt="Mt Hood" />Three mountain climbers go up on Mt. Hood. They get in trouble, socked in by a storm. They call for help. There's a search party. One's found dead; the others are still missing.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong; it's a sad story. I feel for the families of the men trapped on the mountain. But this doesn't feel like news to me.<br /><br />Since climbing during any time of the year, much less winter, isn't exactly a risk-free activity, I'd imagine that one or two climbers get trapped on the mountain every year. So why has this incident been the <em>top story</em> on all the local and network news broadcasts for the last five days?<p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/12/18/things-i-hate-about-tv-blowing-news-stories-out-of-proportion/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Things I Hate About TV: Blowing news stories out of proportion</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/12/18/things-i-hate-about-tv-blowing-news-stories-out-of-proportion/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/forward/720784/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/12/18/things-i-hate-about-tv-blowing-news-stories-out-of-proportion/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>blowing news stories out of proportion</category><category>climbers</category><category>mt hood</category><category>MtHood</category><category>trapped</category><category>why is this such a big story</category><dc:creator>Joel Keller</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 18 Dec 2006 13:05:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Things I Hate About TV: The woo-hoo</title><link>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/12/01/things-i-hate-about-tv-the-woo-hoo/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/12/01/things-i-hate-about-tv-the-woo-hoo/</guid><comments>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/12/01/things-i-hate-about-tv-the-woo-hoo/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/programming/" rel="tag">Programming</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/oped/" rel="tag">OpEd</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/things-i-hate-about-tv/" rel="tag">Things I Hate About TV</a></p><p><img id="vimage_1" height="195" alt="Oprah" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/12/oprah.jpg" width="150" align="right" vspace="4" border="0" />I've never been much a joiner. I wasn't on any sports teams in high school and I don't belong to many clubs or organizations. But I would join The Nancy Grace Fan Club and proudly wear their pin on my lapel before I ever "woo-hooed." (I think I've done it a couple of times in print, but only in a comical way.)</p>
<p>The woo-hoo. It's everywhere. It's not enough that Al Roker is standing in front of a crowd outside of <em>The Today Show</em>, the crowd actually has to do that long "wooooooooo-hoooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" every time the camera is even remotely pointed in their direction. The same with the daytime and late night shows. Whether it's <em>The Tonight Show</em> or <em>The View</em> or (especially) <em>Oprah</em>, the crowd goes crazy when the star comes out or a guest comes on. I mean, they even do it on <em>Emeril Live</em>, whenever he throws in garlic or hot stuff. And they <em>applaud</em> on Emeril's show and he has a band, which I think is bizarre too, but that's a whole other rant.</p>
<p>I can't even understand how people do it <em>physically</em>. I can't imagine any situation where I would be puckering my mouth and making this loud "woo-hoo" noise with a bunch of other people, or alone. I would think that a real, deserved "woo-hoo" is a rare thing, and should be used in very few circumstances. </p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/12/01/things-i-hate-about-tv-the-woo-hoo/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/forward/711100/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/12/01/things-i-hate-about-tv-the-woo-hoo/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>al roker</category><category>applauding</category><category>audience</category><category>emeril</category><category>jay leno</category><category>late night shows</category><category>oprah</category><category>the view</category><category>today show</category><dc:creator>Bob Sassone</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 01 Dec 2006 13:32:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Things I Hate About TV: Promise rings</title><link>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/11/28/things-i-hate-about-tv-promise-rings/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/11/28/things-i-hate-about-tv-promise-rings/</guid><comments>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/11/28/things-i-hate-about-tv-promise-rings/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/reality/" rel="tag">Other Reality Shows</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/abc/" rel="tag">ABC</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/oped/" rel="tag">OpEd</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/things-i-hate-about-tv/" rel="tag">Things I Hate About TV</a></p><img width="200" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="228" border="0" align="right" alt="The Bachelor" id="vimage_2" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/11/promiser.gif" />My wife made me tune into the big finale of ABC's <em>The Bachelor</em> last night. I tried desperately to talk her out of it (something about the resulting dip in testosterone from being exposed to the show might harm our chances at conceiving), but she persisted.<br /><br />Like Jesse Palmer, and (inexplicably popular) Bob Guiney before him, last night's "Prince" Lorenzo (a man who has less claim to actually being a prince than the musician Prince does) decided to opt out of going through with proposing to his choice. He did give her a ring, but called it a "family ring" instead of an engagement ring. This takes even more guts than the other Bachelors who went with the more promising "promise" ring nomenclature.<p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/11/28/things-i-hate-about-tv-promise-rings/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Things I Hate About TV: Promise rings</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/11/28/things-i-hate-about-tv-promise-rings/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/forward/709010/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/11/28/things-i-hate-about-tv-promise-rings/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>Bachelor</category><category>engagement</category><category>promise rings</category><category>PromiseRings</category><category>season finale</category><category>SeasonFinale</category><dc:creator>Jay Black</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 28 Nov 2006 17:16:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Things I Hate About TV: When Stewart and Colbert are on vacation</title><link>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/23/things-i-hate-about-tv-when-stewart-and-colbert-are-on-vacation/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/23/things-i-hate-about-tv-when-stewart-and-colbert-are-on-vacation/</guid><comments>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/23/things-i-hate-about-tv-when-stewart-and-colbert-are-on-vacation/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/comedy/" rel="tag">Other Comedy Shows</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/oped/" rel="tag">OpEd</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/the-daily-show/" rel="tag">The Daily Show</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/things-i-hate-about-tv/" rel="tag">Things I Hate About TV</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/the-colbert-report/" rel="tag">The Colbert Report</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/comedy-central/" rel="tag">Comedy Central</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/talk-show/" rel="tag">Talk Show</a></p><img width="250" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="197" align="right" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/10/dailycolbert250.jpg" id="vimage_1" alt="The Daily Show and The Colbert Report logos" />Don't get me wrong... I think everyone is entitled to a vacation, especially the hard-working folks at the comedy factories known as <em>The Daily Show</em> and <em>The Colbert Report</em>. But it sucks when I tune into Comedy Central to get my late night fix and I see reruns. This is the situation I'll find myself in this week, as both shows are on vacation.<br /><br />I can tell right away that <em>TDS</em> is a rerun; if the intro to the show doesn't show the date, it's a repeat. From there, there's a 95% chance that <em>Colbert</em> is also a rerun, so the entire 11 PM - 12 AM block is now available to me. <br /><br />It's a weird feeling; without <em>TDS/Colbert</em>, I feel kind of adrift.<p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/23/things-i-hate-about-tv-when-stewart-and-colbert-are-on-vacation/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Things I Hate About TV: When Stewart and Colbert are on vacation</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/23/things-i-hate-about-tv-when-stewart-and-colbert-are-on-vacation/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/forward/689311/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/23/things-i-hate-about-tv-when-stewart-and-colbert-are-on-vacation/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>feel adrift</category><category>goof on the news</category><category>jon stewart</category><category>JonStewart</category><category>stephen colbert</category><category>vacation</category><dc:creator>Joel Keller</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 23 Oct 2006 15:33:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Things I Hate About TV: Weather teasers</title><link>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/22/things-i-hate-about-tv-weather-teasers/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/22/things-i-hate-about-tv-weather-teasers/</guid><comments>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/22/things-i-hate-about-tv-weather-teasers/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/oped/" rel="tag">OpEd</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/things-i-hate-about-tv/" rel="tag">Things I Hate About TV</a></p><p><img width="200" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="150" border="1" align="right" id="vimage_1" alt="fozzie" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/10/fozweat.jpg" />I don't know if it's the same in other local markets, but here in the Twin Cities promos for the upcoming local news broadcasts always include some teaser about the weather forecast that goes something like this:</p>
<p><strong>Anchor:</strong> <em>Just how cold is it going to get? And will we see any snow over the weekend? Tune in at ten and find out.</em></p>
<p>I can understand doing such a teaser if the station has an exclusive story or just scooped some recent event that none of the other stations have, but it's not like they're the only place where you can get weather information. There's the Weather Channel, there's the newspaper, and there's the freakin' internet, for crying out loud.<br /></p><p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/22/things-i-hate-about-tv-weather-teasers/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Things I Hate About TV: Weather teasers</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/22/things-i-hate-about-tv-weather-teasers/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/forward/688757/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/22/things-i-hate-about-tv-weather-teasers/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>annoying</category><category>local</category><category>meteorologist</category><category>news</category><category>up next</category><category>weather</category><category>weathermen</category><dc:creator>Adam Finley</dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 22 Oct 2006 08:05:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Things I Hate About TV: It's just like a movie!</title><link>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/16/things-i-hate-about-tv-its-just-like-a-movie/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/16/things-i-hate-about-tv-its-just-like-a-movie/</guid><comments>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/16/things-i-hate-about-tv-its-just-like-a-movie/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/programming/" rel="tag">Programming</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/oped/" rel="tag">OpEd</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/things-i-hate-about-tv/" rel="tag">Things I Hate About TV</a></p><img width="200" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="278" border="1" align="right" alt="Smith" id="vimage_2" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/10/smith3.jpg" />I hate it when a network, a star, or a producer refers to a TV show that "looks like a movie." Is this supposed to impress me? I don't really care if a TV show "looks like a movie," because I look for the actual content of the show (writing, stars, direction, etc) before I look at how it looks. Give me a good script that looks terrible and I'll take it over a formula show that looks fantastic any day.<br /><br />Take <em>Smith</em>. The network (and more than a few TV critics and fans) kept saying it looked like watching a movie only on our TV sets. Um, yeah, only I think what people meant by this is that the cinematography in the pilot was good and it had some good explosions. Not a terrible show, but really, that's what it came down to.<p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/16/things-i-hate-about-tv-its-just-like-a-movie/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Things I Hate About TV: It's just like a movie!</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/16/things-i-hate-about-tv-its-just-like-a-movie/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/forward/685518/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/16/things-i-hate-about-tv-its-just-like-a-movie/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>cinematography</category><category>dramas</category><category>lost</category><category>pi</category><category>sitcoms</category><category>south park</category><category>special effects</category><category>tv shows that look like movies</category><category>TvShowsThatLookLikeMovies</category><dc:creator>Bob Sassone</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 16 Oct 2006 10:35:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Things I Hate About TV: Video on the web</title><link>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/08/things-i-hate-about-tv-video-on-the-web/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/08/things-i-hate-about-tv-video-on-the-web/</guid><comments>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/08/things-i-hate-about-tv-video-on-the-web/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/oped/" rel="tag">OpEd</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/video/" rel="tag">Video</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/things-i-hate-about-tv/" rel="tag">Things I Hate About TV</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/web/" rel="tag">Web</a></p><img width="425" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="102" border="1" alt="Microsoft failure to play" id="vimage_1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/10/microsoft.jpg" /><br />I'd imagine that, for most of you, I don't even really need to go into details on this one. Just reading the phrase 'video on the web' probably conjures plenty of your own experiences fighting with technology to get your dander up. Why? Why does it have to be so damned complicated to put a video file on the internet? <br /><br />Now, part of my frustration with this comes from the fact that I'm one of 'those guys.' I loathe Windows. I could go on and on about the evils of Bill and the Gang, but that is probably a post for another site. It does bring up one of the most frustrating things we run into when we link to content from the various networks. Requirements to play. You need Windows XP, or Media Player 10, or Flash 6, or IE, or Quicktime, or to stand on your head and chant the namshub of Enki. Good grief, it doesn't need to be that hard.<p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/08/things-i-hate-about-tv-video-on-the-web/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Things I Hate About TV: Video on the web</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/08/things-i-hate-about-tv-video-on-the-web/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/forward/681196/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/10/08/things-i-hate-about-tv-video-on-the-web/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>broadband</category><category>flash</category><category>linux</category><category>mac</category><category>media player</category><category>MediaPlayer</category><category>piracy</category><category>quicktime</category><category>streaming</category><category>veronica mars</category><category>VeronicaMars</category><category>windows</category><dc:creator>Brett Love</dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 08 Oct 2006 13:44:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Things I Hate About TV: Calling actors by their character names</title><link>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/09/05/things-i-hate-about-tv-calling-actors-by-their-character-names/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/09/05/things-i-hate-about-tv-calling-actors-by-their-character-names/</guid><comments>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/09/05/things-i-hate-about-tv-calling-actors-by-their-character-names/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/talent/" rel="tag">Talent</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/things-i-hate-about-tv/" rel="tag">Things I Hate About TV</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/syndicated/" rel="tag">Syndicated</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/celebrities/" rel="tag">Celebrities</a></p><p><img width="200" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="259" border="1" align="right" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/09/maryhart.jpg" alt="Mary Hart" id="vimage_1" />The infotainment shows (<em>The Insider</em>, <em>Entertainment Tonight</em>, <em>Access Hollywood</em>, etc) are all moronic. Studies have shown that you actually lose brain cells when you watch them. That's no secret. But do they have to be so <em>outrageously</em> moronic?</p>
<p>I'm watching a repeat of yesterday's <em>The Insider</em> this morning, and they kept teasing an upcoming story about "Doctor McDreamy." They must have said the name at least five times, before the damn story even ran, later in the show. </p><p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/09/05/things-i-hate-about-tv-calling-actors-by-their-character-names/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Things I Hate About TV: Calling actors by their character names</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/09/05/things-i-hate-about-tv-calling-actors-by-their-character-names/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/forward/663982/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/09/05/things-i-hate-about-tv-calling-actors-by-their-character-names/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>access hollywood</category><category>celebs</category><category>entertainment news</category><category>entertainment tonight</category><category>EntertainmentTonight</category><category>gossip</category><category>hollywood</category><category>the insider</category><dc:creator>Bob Sassone</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 05 Sep 2006 13:06:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Things I Hate About TV: If you change leagues, your stats go to zero</title><link>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/08/12/things-i-hate-about-tv-if-you-change-leagues-your-stats-go-to/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/08/12/things-i-hate-about-tv-if-you-change-leagues-your-stats-go-to/</guid><comments>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/08/12/things-i-hate-about-tv-if-you-change-leagues-your-stats-go-to/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/sports/" rel="tag">Sports</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/oped/" rel="tag">OpEd</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/tv-sports/" rel="tag">TV Sports</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/things-i-hate-about-tv/" rel="tag">Things I Hate About TV</a></p><img width="200" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="157" border="1" align="right" alt="Bobby Abreu" id="vimage_1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/08/abreu200.jpg" />Bobby Abreu (right) is batting for the Yankees, less than two weeks after his July 31 trade from the Phillies. You vaguely know his stats, but are curious to see how they've changed since the trade. So you look up while watching the game and see on the TV screen that Abreu is hitting .378 with one home run and five RBIs.<br /><br />Whaaa? What happened to all the homers and RBIs he had with the Phillies?<br /><br />Well, they're still there. But, because Abreu went from the National League to the American League, the channel that you're watching has decided that the stats he compiled in "the other league" don't apply anymore, and just showed his stats since the switch. It's something they've been doing since baseball's been on television, when the two leagues were distinct and the players from each never played each other outside the World Series and the All-Star Game. <br /><br />But it doesn't make any sense anymore.<p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/08/12/things-i-hate-about-tv-if-you-change-leagues-your-stats-go-to/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Things I Hate About TV: If you change leagues, your stats go to zero</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/08/12/things-i-hate-about-tv-if-you-change-leagues-your-stats-go-to/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/forward/653897/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/08/12/things-i-hate-about-tv-if-you-change-leagues-your-stats-go-to/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>american league</category><category>bobby abreu</category><category>national league</category><category>obsolete</category><category>switching leagues</category><category>yankees</category><category>zeroed stats</category><category>ZeroedStats</category><dc:creator>Joel Keller</dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 12 Aug 2006 19:43:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Things I Hate About TV: News stories about food</title><link>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/08/06/things-i-hate-about-tv-news-stories-about-food/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/08/06/things-i-hate-about-tv-news-stories-about-food/</guid><comments>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/08/06/things-i-hate-about-tv-news-stories-about-food/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/cable/" rel="tag">Cable</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/oped/" rel="tag">OpEd</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/things-i-hate-about-tv/" rel="tag">Things I Hate About TV</a></p><img width="250" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="204" border="1" align="right" alt="hot dog contest" id="vimage_1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/08/eating.jpg" />What is the deal with news stations and food? Are the employees not fed enough? Everyone, from national cable outlets to local news affiliates, loves to run stories about eating contests or giant versions of regular food. It's disgusting to see a bunch of people shoveling hot dogs, <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/more/08/05/kobayshi.bratwursts.ap/index.html">bratwursts</a>, and whatever else in their mouths in a race against the clock. It's also embarrassing that there are so many food eating contests in this country. It seems like we're showing off that we're fat and we have a lot of food to spare. I also hate the stories about giant foods. Giant Oreos! Giant Moon Pies! Gross, gross, gross. What a waste of time and resources.<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/08/06/things-i-hate-about-tv-news-stories-about-food/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/forward/651341/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/08/06/things-i-hate-about-tv-news-stories-about-food/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>cnn</category><category>eating contest</category><category>EatingContest</category><category>food</category><dc:creator>Anna Johns</dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 06 Aug 2006 15:29:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Things I Hate About TV: That stupid new Today Show promo</title><link>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/08/04/things-i-hate-about-tv-that-stupid-new-today-show-promo/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/08/04/things-i-hate-about-tv-that-stupid-new-today-show-promo/</guid><comments>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/08/04/things-i-hate-about-tv-that-stupid-new-today-show-promo/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/nbc/" rel="tag">NBC</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/oped/" rel="tag">OpEd</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/daytime/" rel="tag">Daytime</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/things-i-hate-about-tv/" rel="tag">Things I Hate About TV</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/commercials/" rel="tag">Commercials</a></p><img width="251" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="241" border="0" align="right" alt="matt and meredith" id="vimage_1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/08/matt-meredith.jpg" />I think I'm living some kind of weird Rip Van Winkle life lately. Suddenly, without warning, there are these bizarre promos running during the breaks on the <em>Today Show</em> showing Matt, Al, Ann and Meredith laughing, goofing and dancing together as if they'd been on the air for ten years with Meredith. Who are they trying to fool? Who are these people? What is going on here?!<br /><br />Maybe they did an excellent video editing job and stuck Meredith's head on Katie's body, and this is an old goofy video they're using. And even then, when I say the promo's goofy, I mean GOOFY. I'm trying to imagine what the director was saying while trying to get the team to feel all chummy together, as if we're supposed to believe they're really that pally with Meredith: "OK now Al, you do a little hop and shuffle, then eat a beignet. Matt, you stick out your tongue, slap Ann on the ass and dip Meredith. No, on the ass, Matt. Meredith, you flex your biceps while Ann laughs hysterically in the background. No Ann, laugh. Like this 'hahaha.' There you go."<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/08/04/things-i-hate-about-tv-that-stupid-new-today-show-promo/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/forward/650573/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/08/04/things-i-hate-about-tv-that-stupid-new-today-show-promo/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>al roker</category><category>AlRoker</category><category>ann cury</category><category>AnnCury</category><category>matt lauer</category><category>MattLauer</category><category>meredith viera</category><category>MeredithViera</category><category>today show</category><category>TodayShow</category><dc:creator>Keith McDuffee</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 04 Aug 2006 11:28:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Things I Hate About TV: Everybody thinks they can host a talk show</title><link>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/08/03/things-i-hate-about-tv-everybody-thinks-they-can-host-a-talk-sho/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/08/03/things-i-hate-about-tv-everybody-thinks-they-can-host-a-talk-sho/</guid><comments>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/08/03/things-i-hate-about-tv-everybody-thinks-they-can-host-a-talk-sho/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/industry/" rel="tag">Industry</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/oped/" rel="tag">OpEd</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/daytime/" rel="tag">Daytime</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/things-i-hate-about-tv/" rel="tag">Things I Hate About TV</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/syndicated/" rel="tag">Syndicated</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/celebrities/" rel="tag">Celebrities</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/talk-show/" rel="tag">Talk Show</a></p><img width="200" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="215" border="1" align="right" alt="Vivica A. Fox" id="vimage_1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/08/vivicaafox200.jpg" />Think about the number of daytime talk shows that have lasted more than a couple of years. You've got self-help shows like <em>Oprah</em> and <em>Dr. Phil</em>, "You're my baby's daddy" shows like <em>Maury</em> and <em>Jerry Springer</em>, and one or two celebrity-hosted shows, like <em>Ellen</em> and the old <em>Rosie O'Donnell</em> <em>Show</em>. The formula for daytime talk show success is very nebulous, so nebulous that it has chewed up and spit out celebrities as diverse as Jane Pauley, Tempestt Bledsoe, Tony Danza and David Letterman.<br /><br />So why, why, WHY do celebrities whosse star power has fallen a little bit keep thinking they can forge a second career as a talk show host? And who are these studio execs who think creating these shows is a good idea? That's what I thought when I read that <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060803/tv_nm/vivica_dc;_ylt=Ar8iJh6YFRvblXmvaNSSX2tpMhkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBjMHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA--">Vivica A. Fox</a> is now talking to studios about hosting a daytime talk show. <em>Sigh.</em> I mean, Vivica's a nice actress. But what insight can she give to a daytime talk show, especially one that isn't celebrity-driven? We already have Tyra Banks talking about her dolphin phobia; do we need <em>another</em> beautiful celebrity trying to relate to everyday folks?<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/08/03/things-i-hate-about-tv-everybody-thinks-they-can-host-a-talk-sho/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/forward/650272/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/08/03/things-i-hate-about-tv-everybody-thinks-they-can-host-a-talk-sho/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>daytime talk show</category><category>everyone wants to be a talk show host</category><category>EveryoneWantsToBeATalkShowHost</category><category>in talks</category><category>sigh</category><category>vivica a fox</category><category>VivicaAFox</category><dc:creator>Joel Keller</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 03 Aug 2006 14:11:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Things I Hate About TV: Constant reminders that it's hot outside</title><link>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/07/18/things-i-hate-about-tv-constant-reminders-that-its-hot-outside/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/07/18/things-i-hate-about-tv-constant-reminders-that-its-hot-outside/</guid><comments>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/07/18/things-i-hate-about-tv-constant-reminders-that-its-hot-outside/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/oped/" rel="tag">OpEd</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/things-i-hate-about-tv/" rel="tag">Things I Hate About TV</a></p><img width="200" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="86" border="1" align="right" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/07/wcbs200.jpg" id="vimage_1" alt="WCBS logo" />Why do local TV stations think we're not aware of the weather that is going on all around us? Right now, the Northeast is experiencing a pretty bad heat wave, with temperatures in the high 90s - low 100s and high humidity. Even though you might have your air conditioner on, you still feel that steamy stickiness, even it's just left over from your commute. But, for some reason, WCBS in New York has decided that you need a constant reminder that it's hot outside.<br /><br />They've decided to stick a "Heat Alert" box in the lower left-hand corner of the screen, showing the current temperature. So, just in case you don't realize that it's already in the 90s, you can be told while watching the latest episode of <em>The People's Court</em>. Jeez. Look, it's 91! Oh, wait, wait... it's 92! Woweee, it's 97! No, wait... 95! Note to WCBS: we know it's hot out there. We've taken two showers already, and earlier today we let a lawn sprinkler spray us while we were in our work clothes. We don't need the reminder. You're just making us feel hotter with that damned box.<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/07/18/things-i-hate-about-tv-constant-reminders-that-its-hot-outside/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/forward/644197/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/07/18/things-i-hate-about-tv-constant-reminders-that-its-hot-outside/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>constant</category><category>corner</category><category>heat alert</category><category>heat wave</category><category>northeast</category><category>wcbs</category><dc:creator>Joel Keller</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 18 Jul 2006 15:03:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Things I Hate About TV: summer commercials</title><link>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/07/03/things-i-hate-about-tv-summer-commercials/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/07/03/things-i-hate-about-tv-summer-commercials/</guid><comments>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/07/03/things-i-hate-about-tv-summer-commercials/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/oped/" rel="tag">OpEd</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/things-i-hate-about-tv/" rel="tag">Things I Hate About TV</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/commercials/" rel="tag">Commercials</a></p><p><img id="vimage_1" height="160" alt="Dunkin' Donuts" hspace="4" src="http://www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/07/dunkindonuts.jpg" width="200" align="right" vspace="4" border="0" />I wrote about a few of these commercials over at <a href="http://www.adjab.com/">Adjab</a> recently, but I have to mention more of them here because they are really starting to get to me.</p>
<p>Have you ever noticed that TV commercials that run during the summer are particularly annoying? It's not just the actual content of the ads (though that can be quite irritating), it's the number of times that a commercial is repeated during June, July, and August. Toyota can't just have a one or two week sale, they have to have a damn Toyotathon that lasts all summer, so we have to hear that "Let's go for a ride, feel the sunshine, let's go for a ride in the summertime" song 300 times a day. Dunkin' Donuts doesn't just have a few summer drinks, they now have summer drinks for every situation and personality, and America runs because of them, so these ads run 200 times a day.</p>
<p>Now, some of this might be because I get paid to watch TV for a living and watch a lot more of it than most people, but I think that even the most casual TV viewer sees these ads over and over and over again, to the point that they want to change the channel. Have you noticed that summertime ads run a gazillion times a day?</p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/07/03/things-i-hate-about-tv-summer-commercials/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/forward/639098/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/07/03/things-i-hate-about-tv-summer-commercials/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>america runs on dunkin's</category><category>dunkin donuts</category><category>let's go for a ride</category><category>summertime ads</category><category>television advertising</category><category>toyota</category><dc:creator>Bob Sassone</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 03 Jul 2006 08:17:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Things I Hate About TV: Talking about something later</title><link>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/06/29/things-i-hate-about-tv-talking-about-something-later/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/06/29/things-i-hate-about-tv-talking-about-something-later/</guid><comments>http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/06/29/things-i-hate-about-tv-talking-about-something-later/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/programming/" rel="tag">Programming</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/oped/" rel="tag">OpEd</a>, <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/category/things-i-hate-about-tv/" rel="tag">Things I Hate About TV</a></p><img width="200" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="240" border="0" align="right" src="http://www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/06/willandgrace2.jpg" id="vimage_1" alt="Will and Grace" />Here's what I mean: something will be about to happen in one scene, or it's something that happens offscreen that we don't see, and in the next scene, some place else, the people involved in that scene will just then start talking about it.<br /><br />God, that was confusing.<br /><br />Here's an example from tonight, a <em>Will and Grace</em> repeat. Will sells the car that Grace's uncle used to own, and he tells her he sold it to someone who has a farm in the country. Then they have to get the car back, so they go to the home of the buyer. The very next scene is Will and Grace standing in a convent in Queens, and Grace says to Will something like "this isn't the country, this is Queens!" But wouldn't they have talked about that BEFORE they even got inside the convent? Wouldn't Will have to explain why they were taking a subway to Queens instead of driving out to a home in the country? Yeah, I know, I know, they do this for the funny and they do it because that's how the staging and the setup has to be, but it doesn't make any sense! What, did they not talk on the whole ride down there? Was Grace blindfolded the whole time?<br /><br />And it happens all the time, usually on sitcoms. Can you imagine, say, getting into a car accident, you're there at the scene, giving the police info, driving or walking all the way home with the person who was with you in the car, and then you get home and say "that was some car accident we were just in, huh?"<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/06/29/things-i-hate-about-tv-talking-about-something-later/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/forward/637928/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/06/29/things-i-hate-about-tv-talking-about-something-later/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>new scene</category><category>next scene</category><category>sitcoms</category><category>wacky plots</category><category>will and grace</category><dc:creator>Bob Sassone</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 29 Jun 2006 08:39:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>