confrontation-related stories
Posted Jul 29th 2009 8:02AM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Watercooler Talk

As it turns out, Joseph really
is a bitch.
So last night we had the big resolution of the Ramsay/Joseph confrontation. Kind of an anti-climax, really, though. Fans who thought that Joseph would stay around in some way might be disappointed.
But is this show getting too crazy, too predictable, too "reality show-ish?" I don't want to see swearing and yelling just to have some swearing and yelling, and most of these cooks just seem too immature. I'm actually thinking about not watching it anymore. Next week is going to have to impress me.
Posted Nov 9th 2006 10:50PM by Michael Sciannamea
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, NBC, OpEd, The Office
(S03E07) I'm sure that many of us have either been laid-off from their jobs or know someone that has, so this episode surely hit home with quite a number of people.
As what took place with the British version of The Office, Jan tells Michael that corporate has decided to close the Scranton office and will transfer a few staffers to the Stamford branch. Someone once said to me that you never truly find out what a person is made of until you seem him/her deal with a crisis. Watching Michael go to extremes to save his employees (and himself) showed that despite his overbearing, obnoxious, pompous personality, he does have a soul, and you ended up rooting for him to save the day. Of course, it was all moot when we learned earlier that after Josh decided to move on to Staples, the Stamford branch would be closed and merged into Scranton.
Continue reading The Office: Branch Closing
Posted Sep 2nd 2006 6:15PM by Michael Sciannamea
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Retro Squad, The Prisoner
(S01E16) It has come down to this. Number 6's captors have failed in every attempt to get him to tell them why he resigned. Since this is the second to last episode in the series, something has to give.
It doesn't take long to realize that this episode is going to be an interesting one because Leo McKern returns as Number 2. In my opinion, he is the best Number 2 because he just seems so comfortable in the role. As he returns, we can see that he is not happy to be there. It appears that he has been brought back to ascertain Number 6's reason for his resignation. Upon looking at Number 6's actions on the video screen, he asks angrily, "Why do you care?"
Continue reading The Prisoner: Once Upon A Time
Posted Jul 19th 2006 10:20AM by Michael Sciannamea
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, OpEd, Retro Squad, The Prisoner
(S01E08) This time around we get to see what lengths the powers-that-be at The Village will go through to get Number 6 to tell them why he resigned. After engaging in a mind-reading exercise with an attractive fellow resident, Number 6 is removed from his quarters while asleep. We then see him wake up with a moustache and darker hair--or, at least we think that's Number 6. It appears that the new Number 2 is leading a plot whereby an exact replica of Number 6 (Number 12) has been surgically altered to look like our hero Number 6. Got that so far?
Continue reading The Prisoner: Schizoid Man
Posted May 1st 2006 12:28PM by Michael Sciannamea
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, HBO, OpEd, Big Love
(S01E08) If anyone has ever had famliy over
for an extended stay, sooner or later tensions will arise and there will be many uncomfortable situations to navigate.
But how many guests in your home have urinated in your kitchen sink, borrowed your spouse's car and put a huge scratch
in it, or undermine your plans for a holiday dinner with their own menu ideas?
Frank Henrickson (as played by
Bruce Dern) was especially obnoxious this week, as witnessed by his tendency to use alternate means of going to the
bathroom. In addition, there is no love lost between his sons Bill and Joey. He has some grduging respect for Bill,
since he is a businessman and, more importantly, has money. However, he especially taunts Joey about his past football
failures, and the time will come where either Joey or his wife Wanda will take severe umbrage with Frank.
Continue reading Big Love: Easter
Posted Jan 26th 2006 11:29PM by Joel Keller
Filed under: TV Royalty, OpEd, Daytime, Syndicated, Watercooler Talk, Celebrities

I've never been one of
Oprah Winfrey's biggest fans. Although she's helped a lot of people with her show and her wealth, she also tends to
over-promote just how generous she is. Also, her sanctimoniousness is irritating as hell;
her overreaction to being denied access to a
Hermès store that was closing for the night was a particularly galling incident.
But I have to give
her a lot of credit for not only confronting James Frey
on her show Thursday, but for admitting
that she made a mistake in initially
defending him on
Larry King
Live a couple of weeks ago. She realized that, although she supported the message of the book, that the truth is
what counts the most. During the course of the show, she showed a fantastic human side, showing flashes of anger,
frustration, and humiliation, her voice cracking at certain points during her interview with Frey. She seemed
especially dismayed that the facts about the suicide of Frey's lover Lilly, who he supposedly couldn't save from
hanging herself a day after his "jail sentence" ended, were also changed.
Continue reading I have newfound respect for Oprah
Posted Jan 9th 2006 7:38PM by Joel Keller
Filed under: Cable, News, Talent

Interesting
article by David Bauder of the AP on the
aftermath of the
Letterman/O'Reilly
grudge match last week. It seems like Dave isn't the only television host that's willing to go toe-to-toe with Mr.
No-Spin. Keith Olbermann has selected Bill as his show's "Worst Person In The World" fifteen times, and he
told Bauder that "he's writing this material for me. I'm thinking of sending him a check. Day after day he just
gets weirder and weirder and weirder."
The article goes on to say that O'Reilly quite enjoyed the
dustup, and played clips on
The O'Reilly Factor. Apparently he likes these kind of confrontations. He'd better
get ready for a bunch more.
[Thanks to
TheModerateVoice.com for the screen cap]