TVSquad

If there were a way to completely stop people on the Internet from saying, "Why do you keep watching this? Saturday Night Live hasn't been good since the days of Gildaphil Belushikroyd Normfeyrrell!", I would punch that button (or that person). Thinking a little more optimistically, there can always be better days ahead, for SNL is forever renewable, with an ever changing cast and crew. The thing that gets the fastest turn-over is the host, who has the opportunity to bring something new and exciting from week to week.

Now that the so-so 33rd season is over, I like to pretend everyone at SNL has kicked aside all the beach time and BBQ invites to plan something exciting for their return. Picking good hosts is an important part of having a successful season, so I've compiled my own list of nine people that must host, just in case SNL decides to re-work the entire show based on blog responses. I'm just covering all my bases, all right?

The Emmy Awards voting is different than it used to be (more steps in the voting process and a special panel watches episodes and votes after that), and last year the list of the semifinalists was leaked online before it was officially announced. Well, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences don't really want that to happen again, so they've decided to just announce the finalist list itself.

After the jump, the ten comedies and ten dramas that are semifinalists for the Emmy award this year. The list will be knocked down to five (more if there's a tie) once another round of voting is done. The nominees will be announced live on July 17, and we'll have coverage here at TV Squad.

Hey, they're not the TV Squad Awards, but the TCAs are pretty cool too, and the nominees have been announced.

There are a lot of the usual suspects on the list, of course (though that doesn't mean they're not worthy - they are), including 30 Rock, The Office, Friday Night Lights, and The Wire. It's also great to see Mad Men get so many nominations, including Program of the Year, Best Drama, Best New Show, and a Best Individual Achievement nom for star Jon Hamm. It's interesting to see that Mad Men will go up against another AMC show, Breaking Bad, in the Best New Show category.

Lost is well represented, as are John Adams, Flight of the Conchords, and PBS' The War miniseries. As for The Wire, it's not only up for drama and acting awards, it has also been nominated for the Heritage Award, along with M*A*S*H, Saturday Night Live, Sesame Street, and Roots. Interesting to see such a recent show up for a lifetime award next to classics. The awards will be presented on July 19.

Anything missing from these nominations?

This fan post from Oh No They Didn't! contains two super-sneaky clips of new songs from Flight of the Conchords' recent Milwaukee tour stop. The audio isn't top-notch, obviously, what with all the audience laughter, echo-y acoustics, and the overwhelming roar of girls everywhere doing that thing where they take off their bra under their shirt and then fling it on the stage. Chick magnets, Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement are. Anyway, we still have a long while to wait before their self-titled HBO show returns for a second season. Perhaps we can give a listen to this new material and start thinking about what January 2009 will bring.

In recent weeks, TV Squad has reported that HBO has made episodes of their new drama series In Treatment available for free viewing online. Now, HBO has taken another step in expanding its brand and making some of their top shows available on the web. The cable channel has just inked a deal with YouTube to create an HBO channel online. The HBO/YouTube site is up and running -- you can click over there today and start catching up on HBO series.

The initial line up is impressive, starting with the Gabriel Byrne drama In Treatment. You can also catch up with Entourage episodes, which are always fun. There are more laughs with Flight of the Conchords, Extras, Stand Up Comedy, Def Comedy Jam, and Real Time With Bill Maher. On the dramatic front, there's The Wire. In addition, you can watch episodes of the award-winning magazine show Real Sports, as well as the Latino documentary series Habla y Habla.

I was going to write a long, elaborate intro about how excited I am that it's a new year, but I decided to make this image instead. Look out, Alec and Tina! There's a weeping angel behind you! And check out how Heidi is super excited to be with the not-so-excited guys from Flight of the Conchords. And it looks like David Anders enjoys speaking in big speech bubbles. No, I'm not still buzzed from New Year's Eve, I just have a little too much fun in Photoshop. However, I'm sure some of you are still somehow hungover from celebrating days and days ago, so let's jump right in...

The Golden Globes weren't the only award nominations announced today. The Writers Guild of America announced the nominees for their awards too. The festivities are on February 9 in LA and NY. I wonder if the writers will show up to get their awards if the strike is still going on?

Drama Series

Dexter
Mad Men
Friday Night Lights
The Sopranos
The Wire

When I got the Flight of the Conchords DVD, I was slightly disappointed to see that there aren't any fun special features. I spent about ten minutes watching Bret and Jemaine dance through the title menu before I finally accepted that the two-disc set consisted only of the 12-episode season. Again, my disappointment was only slight, because the overall awesomeness of the series is enough to keep anyone happy. Little did I know there would be a sneaky surprise waiting for me in plain sight. This is an appropriate time to use "tee hee".

After watching about three marathon-runs of the DVD, I poked around the menus a bit more and saw that there was a language setting for Spanish. I usually like trying out foreign language dubbings on my DVDs at least once so that I can hear how much the voice actors sound like the on-screen people. Yes, I'm one of those types. Easily amused. Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that the guy playing Jemaine had a very similar deep voice, although Bret's guy was a little off-mark. Then the musical numbers rolled around and I almost fell out of my chair. They actually went through and re-recorded all the songs in Spanish?

Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow. It's a complete series extravaganza!

• The Andy Williams Show - Best Of
• The Bob Hope Show - The Ultimate Collection
• The Captain and Tennille - TV Specials
• The Colbert Report - Best Of
• The Cosby Show - Season 5 and 6
• Doctor Who - Series 3, Story #123 and 124
• Flight of the Conchords - Season 1
• Full House - Complete Series and Season 8
• Gilligan's Island - Complete Series
• House of Venus - Season 1
• King of Queens - Complete Series
• Martin - Season 3
• McLeod's Daughters - Season 4
• The Munsters - Scary Little Christmas
• The Pink Panther Show - A Pink Christmas
• Project Runway - Season 3
• Seinfeld - Complete Series and Season 9
• Sesame Street - Old School Vol. 2
• The Tonight Show - Heeere's Johnny: The Definitive DVD Collection
• Wildfire - Season 2
• Wings - Season 5
• Wonder Woman - Complete Collection
• The X-Files - Complete Collection Edition

• At 7, USA has coverage of the U.S. Open.
• FOX has a Fall Preview at 7.
• At 8, CBS has a new Big Brother.
• At 9, it's The Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon (check local listings).
• HGTV has a new Design Star at 9, then a new Living With Ed.
• There's a new Ice Road Truckers on The History Channel at 9.
• VH-1 has a new Rock of Love with Bret Michaels at 9, followed by a new Hogan Knows Best.
• Also at 9: WE has a new Bridezillas.
• At 9:15, IFC has The Cooler, with William H. Macy and Maria Bello.
• At 10, Comedy Central has a new Mind of Mencia, then a new American Body Shop.
• E! has a new Girls Next Door at 10, then a new Sunset Tan.
• HBO has the season finale of Entourage at 10, then a new Flight of the Conchords.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 8, CBS has a new Big Brother.
• FOX has the Teen Choice Awards at 8.
• NBC has preseason football at 8, the Eagles vs. the Steelers.
• Discovery has two new episodes of Blue Planet at 8.
• Lifetime has a new State of Mind at 8, then new episodes of Side Order of Life and Army Wives.
• At 8:30, Nickelodeon has something called the Let's Just Play Go Healthy Challenge.
• At 9, History Channel has a new Ice Road Truckers.
• HGTV has a new Design Star at 9, then new episodes of Living with Ed and My First Place.
• HBO has a new Big Love at 10, then new episodes of Entourage and Flight of the Conchords.
• At 9:30, A&E has a new Gene Simmons' Family Jewels, followed by a new Two Coreys.
• At 10, CNBC has Against the Tide: The Battle For New Orleans.
• Comedy Central has a new Mind of Mencia at 10.
• MTV has the season finale of Making The Band at 10.
• There's a new Kill Point on Spike at 10.
• Also at 10: Food Network has a new Throwdown with Bobby Flay.
• At 10:15, TCM has Ace in the Hole, with Kirk Douglas.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 8, CBS has a new Big Brother.
• NBC has preseason football at 8, the Giants vs. the Ravens.
• Discovery has two new episodes of Blue Planet at 8.
• Lifetime has a new State of Mind at 8, then a new Side Order Of Life.
• TNT has a new, two-hour episode of The Company at 8.
• ESPN2 has the Little League World Series at 8.
• Also at 8: Food Network has a new Challenge.
• At 9, Spike has a new episode of The Kill Point.
• There's a new 4400 on USA at 9, then a new Dead Zone.
• A&E has a new Gene Simmons' Family Jewels at 9, then two new episodes of The Two Coreys.
• HGTV has a new Design Star at 9.
• At 9:30, Cartoon Network has a new Naruto.
• At 10, the History Channel has a new Ice Road Truckers.
• Food Network has a new Throwdown with Bobby Flay at 10.
• Comedy Central has a new Mind of Mencia at 10, then a new American Body Shop.
• HBO has a new Big Love at 10, then new episodes of Entourage and Flight of the Conchords.

Check your local TV listings for more.

Although it seems like John from Cincinnati is dead, another HBO summer season show lives on. Variety reports that Home Box Office has picked up a second season of the musical comedy Flight of the Conchords.

The quirky hit is popular among young viewers, an elusive demographic for the premium cable channel. In addition to Conchords, HBO has given the thumbs-up to a fifth season of Entourage.

• At 8, CBS has a new Big Brother.
• NBC has a pre-season football game at 8, the Seahawks vs. the Chargers.
• TLC has Diana: Last Days of a Princess at 8.
• TNT has a new episode of The Company at 8 (repeated at 10).
• Also at 8: Disney has a new Suite Life of Zack & Cody, then a new Kim Possible.
• At 9, HGTV has a new Design Star.
• There's a new Iron Chef America on Food Network at 9, then a new Throwdown with Bobby Flay.
• Spike has a new Kill Point at 9.
• HBO has new episodes of John From Cincinnati, Entourage, and Flight of the Conchords, starting at 9.
• USA has a new 4400 at 9, then a new Dead Zone.
• At 9:30, A&E has a new Gene Simmons' Family Jewels, followed by a new Two Coreys.
• At 10, Fox News has a new Half Hour News Hour.
• History Channel has a new Ice Road Truckers at 10.
• Comedy Central has the Flavor Flav Roast at 10.
• ESPN2 has coverage of the Little League World Series at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

Over the past few weeks, my quiet adoration for Flight of the Conchords and their HBO show has quickly spiraled into something dangerously close to rabid fanaticism. This transformation is marked by my sudden desire -- nay, my sudden need -- to listen to and watch all that the boys have ever done, and then take screencaptures of everything and then use those screencaptures in Photoshop to make little 100 x 100 avatars so that I can share my love with other fans on Flight of the Conchords forums and message boards. However, I'm glad to say that I'm not quite there yet, because my self-control has helped me contain my creepiness to a certain extent. That said, I do have a PSD file of screencaptures of the last episode on my Desktop right now. I'm just saying.

Okay, enough story time, because I have some good stuff to share...