TVSquad

Julia told everyone about the new VH1 series The Department of Acceptable Media starring Jack Black back in November, and now there's a little more information available, such as when the heck the show will debut (March 23). Oh yeah, and it's not called The Department of Acceptable Media, anymore, it's simply called Acceptable TV.

The new series will feature several three-minute shorts in one episode, some created by regular folks like you and me, and some created by Jack Black and pals. Viewers will vote on which shows to dump and which ones to keep. If that sounds an awful lot like the Channel 101 site, that might be because Channel 101 helped create the series.

Shorts that are too hot for TV will made available online, and creators will also get a share of the ad revenue everytime their short is viewed online. You can watch some hysterical promos for the new series here.

[via Lost Remote]

After sucessfully strip-mining every unknown piece of information about the original Start Trek series, our friends at G4 have decided to do the same thing with The Next Generation.

Earlier this week, TrekToday.com reported that the network will show all seven seasons of ST:TNG in their patented "2.0" format, with the episode sharing the screen with trivia, behind-the-scenes information, a live chat, and a stock ticker (I can't explain that one; you'll have to see it). They'll also be keeping track of the "Picard Maneuver" -- how many times a crew member tugs down on his or her uniform when he or she stands up -- among other statistics. G4 will start airing ST:TNG 2.0 on January 15 at 9 PM.

I'm sure the folks at G4 will do a fine job with this. But they don't have Wil Wheaton working for them. I mean, as far as behind-the-scenes info and wise-ass reviews are concerned, how much better can you do than using someone who was actually on the show? Wil's been doing a helluva job with his Next Generation reviews, so I'd say check with us first before watching a 2.0 episode. You'll have double the fun.

[via tv filter]

Boy, MTV never lets a reality show die, do they? They've decided to bring Road Rules, which ran from 1995 to 2004, back to their lineup, but not without a few changes first.

First of all, this version will stick an all-star cast from previous installments in the RV and send them on a cross-country trip. But the big change is going to be that the show will shoot in real-time, instead of months in advance, and viewers will be able to vote out a cast member every week via online vote. The two "weakest" cast members will be voted on by the cast each week and they will face off on MTV's Overload broadband channel. Then viewers will vote for the one that gets eliminated, along with who will be their replacement in the RV (that's the confusing element to the story... I guess they need to replace the eliminated person or else the show would end pretty quickly).

The "real-time" element should be interesting. To be honest, I'm about 10 years too old for this show, which I stopped watching almost that long ago. But it'll be fun for the young'uns and the reality nuts out there.

[via Pop Candy]

Looking for a new car but you're too lazy to get off the couch? I know the feeling; having to endure the insincere smiles from dealership salesmen, driving around to see the cars you want, then test driving all of them. It's a big pain in the arse. But fear not, lazy one: you can now shop for your new car through the wonders of interactive digital cable. The Wall Street Journal has the details of a new service called driverTV, which not only allows viewers to see complete specs on many of the vehicle models out there, but also shows a three-minute "test drive." The video is shot as if the person was in the driver's seat of the car, and each drive is taken on the same stretch of road. Because of this, viewers find that they can get a very objective view the car and how it drives compared to others. Armed with this information, viewers then can go into dealerships with more of an idea of what they want to buy.

Many cable systems are either implementing this system or their own system; Cablevision, for instance, uses something called "Optimum Autos," which has a similar function. I still think you really need to be in the car to get a good feel for everything, like seat comfort, noise levels, suspension, steering feel, etc. But this isn't a bad way to help a person focus on one or two models to look at.

It seems like HSN has been promising this for a long time, but that time is finally here. The shopping network is debuting its shop-by-remote system for digital TV customers. HSN viewers have to pre-register their credit card information with the network and then point and click. No special remote or cable box is needed.

When it comes to interactive television, we're a little behind the times here in the good ol' USA. Britain and Asia have 39 interactive television channels but the technology development here in the US has been a little bumpy.

HSN shop-by-remote will be available first in New York and Hawaii and other cities will get the service in coming months.

Hey, remember those upcoming Family Guy video games I mentioned? Well, there's still no official release date set, but there is some information about what the game will be exactly. 2K and High Voltage, the developers of the game, are calling it "interactive humor." You'll play Peter, Stewie, and Brian, each with different objectives but with paths crossing throughout the video game. Your adventures through Quahog will involve combat and puzzle-solving skills. In addition to the main characters, there will also be cameo appearances by over two hundred of the show's extras, including the evil monkey. There does seem to be some apprehension among gamers about the development team behind the new game, but I guess we'll wait and see. The screenshots look pretty cool, but that's not the best way to tell if the game will be worth it or not.

G4 will begin airing reruns of the original Star Trek on April 10, but this time with a twist. Rather than simply showing the episodes, G4 is hoping to make it a more interactive experience by providing an online chat, as well as facts and trivia to be shown onscreen during each episode. Essentially, it sounds like TRL for Trekkies, which could either be kind of cool or kind of annoying. If you're excited about seeing these old episodes but aren't thrilled about seeing what SpockHugger345 in Sheboygan thinks about it, don't worry. Uncut versions without all the interactive woo-wa will be shown during Saturday marathons, starting on April 8. I'm not sure everything old needs to be re-invented for a young audience, or in this case made more obnoxious. What do you guys think?

Previously: http://www.tvsquad.com/2005/12/19/g4-gains-star-trek/

[via Lost Remote]