Silly Realitytag:sillyreality.film.com,2007-09-13://12008-06-12T12:30:45ZMovable Type Publishing Platform 4.0Last Comic Standingtag:sillyreality.film.com,2008://1.1782008-06-12T12:30:17Z2008-06-12T12:30:45ZHave you been getting your weekly dose of funny? If so, you've probably been watching NBC's Last Comic Standing. Hosted by famed comedian Bill Bellamy, the sixth season of Last Comic Standing is in the midst of its audition rounds....HamsterDamehttp://www.sillyreality.comLast Comic Standing.
Hosted by famed comedian Bill Bellamy, the sixth season of Last Comic Standing is in the midst of its audition rounds. Having already passed out semi-finals tickets to comedians in New York City, Tempe, Los Angeles, Houston, San Francisco, and Toronto, the show continues on tonight in Nashville and Minneapolis.
In Nashville, the aspiring comedians will have to impress George Wendt and John Ratzenberger. The former Cheers stars serve as the show's talent scouts and will hand out tickets to those they like the best. Then in Minneapolis, the comedians will hope to receive tickets from Kate Flannery and Brian Baumgartner of The Office.
Having watched the first three episodes that have aired so far, some of the schticks the hopefuls used were absolutely horrible. Thankfully though there have been enough that were good to make the show worth watching. I appreciate the comedians the most that can get up on the stage and just be funny by telling stories about their life experiences. It's those kinds of comedians that the audience can identify with the most.
After the auditions wrap up this season, the show will move to Las Vegas where the semi-final round will be held. Judges will then pick the comics they want to see in the final round and that's when the competition really heats up. The television audience begins having their voice heard at that point by casting votes at NBC's website and by phone. The comic with the lowest number of votes each week gets the boot until there's just one comic standing. The winner this season gets $250,000, a new Honda Pilot, a talent deal with NBC, and an appearance at Bally's in Las Vegas.
Last Comic Standing airs on NBC each Thursday evening at 8:30 PM ET. Check it out!]]>
How Do You Watch Your News?tag:sillyreality.film.com,2008://1.1772008-06-11T12:30:24Z2008-06-11T12:30:14ZHow do you watch your news? I'm not talking about the celebrity fluff found on E! or the latest sports scores from ESPN either. What I'm referring to is our national news. Do you get it from the little bit...HamsterDamehttp://www.sillyreality.com
watch your news?
Last week, I wrapped up a series about watching TV online but I purposely neglected the news angle. Why? Because when it comes to mainstream news, the networks aren't doing too well. According to this article from The Wall Street Journal, just 7.6 million tuned in to watch Charlie Gibson give them the news of the day. The numbers were even lower for the other network stalwarts.
12.2 million tuned in to watch the finale of Lost this season and and shows such as Hell's Kitchen and So You Think You Can Dance plug along each week with around 9 million viewers. The fact that news programming isn't as robust as the popular prime time programming isn't shocking. Most people, myself included, would rather tune in to Grey's Anatomy than watch Katie Couric, Charlie Gibson, or Brian Williams dish out what the networks think we need to know.
I myself am not interested in watching their entire half-hour spiel but sometimes, I catch a bit of a segment and wished that I could have seen the entire thing. When that happens I get online and start clicking around.
Without a doubt, NBC has the most news video available online. They even include the entire previous episode of their Nightly News with Brian Williams. The entire episode not your style? Then just pick the clips you want to watch instead. NBC also includes a nice amount of videos that are web only.
ABC doesn't do too bad with its World News with Charles Gibson. (Oooh, Charles sounds so much more distinguished than Charlie.) No full episodes here of their nightly news offering but there are plenty of clips available for your viewing pleasure.
If the feminine delivery is more to your liking, CBS provides full episodes of their Evening News with Katie Couric. They too offer up a ton of clips and I feel their site is the easiest to navigate and best to look at. I guess they have to do something to get them to watch their news star.
Sadly, CNN and FOX News offer nothing in the way of competition. Both of these cable networks' video sections are clunky and unappealing. Talk about having to pick your way around to find what you're looking for! If you're looking for specific American programming, steer clear of these sites and check out the big three networks first.
It's unfortunate that all of these networks don't provide better websites. Just think of the money they spend on their "popular" programming and then think of what they could be doing when it comes to providing news on the web. Thankfully though, they're not the only places to get news online.]]>
The Moletag:sillyreality.film.com,2008://1.1762008-06-04T03:25:48Z2008-06-04T03:32:55ZI have a quick question for those of you reading on here and would love for you to perhaps point me straight. What is up with The Mole? I understand the basics of the show from watching it the first...HamsterDamehttp://www.sillyreality.com
The Mole? I understand the basics of the show from watching it the first time it aired way back when but I never really liked it. To be honest, I probably only watched three or four episodes before I gave up on it. And that was after leaving the fine Anderson Cooper in the dust. I definitely didn't watch any of the celebrity editions that came after that.
Why would I want to watch this show now in its current state? I love The Amazing Race but The Mole seems like it would be cheesy especially when you combine the saboteur angle with it all.
Somebody? Anybody? If you're a fan of this show please tell me why I should be watching it.]]>
Watching TV Online - Part 4 Of 4tag:sillyreality.film.com,2008://1.1752008-06-03T12:30:46Z2008-06-03T12:17:16ZAfter showing you all that is and isn't available when it comes to online television viewing on the networks' websites, it's time for me to wrap this series up. But before I go, I'm going to tell you about some...HamsterDamehttp://www.sillyreality.com
Hulu. Hulu is jointly owned by NBC and News Corp and offers up a gajoogle of programming including full television episodes and even full-length movies. Hulu also distributes its videos on sites such as Fancast (a Comcast site), AOL Television, and Yahoo TV.
While you could go to any of those linked sites and find most of the same programming, I highly recommend you watch through Hulu itself because of the features it offers its users. Like any of the videos on YouTube, Hulu offers you the ability to embed an entire show (or even a clip you make yourself) into any place on the web you want like your personal website, your MySpace, and even in forum posts. If you're watching on Hulu you also have the cool ability to lower the background lights on the page you're viewing as well as popping the video out so that it's in a window all by itself. You also have the ability to email the video to somebody if you'd prefer.
Because of News Corp and NBC's partnership regarding this site, many videos are from NBC and FOX but they also offer up a ton of extra shows. There are too many for me to name but let's just say that you can find everything from sports games and shows to network favorites (past and present) to tons of cable programming. Go check it out for yourself!
If the free options in this post and previous ones have been exhausted and you're still looking for a particular show, you have a few more options. The next place you can check out is Amazon. Perhaps you didn't know this but you can download music, movies, and even television shows from them. You can choose to either rent or purchase programming using their Unbox feature.
Besides being perfect for you if your favorite show is there and nowhere else, it's also a great option if you want to download a show to maybe watch on your laptop later where you might have no internet access. Amazon does offer some free programming but not much so prepare to pay for most of what they offer. The price of a single TV episode is $1.99. You may consider that a lot for just one episode but that's the going rate of convenience on Amazon and on other pay sites.
Speaking of other pay sites, if you have an iPod that is capable of playing video or a Zune then you are no doubt aware of your respective music stores (iTunes and Marketplace). They offer much more than music though. Go on over to their video sections and check out what they offer. If you'd like to carry your shows around with you on something smaller than a laptop and don't mind the smaller screens then this may be an option for you when it comes to portability.
Do you commute to work or have a road trip ahead of you? Check out iTunes if you have an iPod or the Marketplace if you have a Zune and see what they have available. When it comes to watching shows, you can't use an iPod to watch video from the Marketplace and vice versa so keep that in mind. Like Amazon, the price of a single episode on iTunes is $1.99 and the Marketplace is 160 points (the equivalent of $1.99).
What if you don't have a Zune or iPod but still want to carry your shows around with you on something smaller than the laptop? Well remember Amazon Unbox that I told you about earlier? If you have a portable media device like an Archos, Creative Zen, or Sansa View then you're in luck! You can put the shows that you download from Amazon Unbox onto that device instead. You can find a full list of supported devices supported by Amazon Unblox here.
I hope that this series has been an informative one for you. My plan with this set of posts was to make more people aware of the different choices they have out there when it comes to watching "television". Watching video online or on your portable media player might not make you want to dump your cable subscription or turn in the DVR but at least you know about the alternatives you have.]]>
Watching TV Online - Part 3 Of 4tag:sillyreality.film.com,2008://1.1732008-06-02T12:30:20Z2008-06-02T12:03:47ZIn Parts 1 and 2 of this series, I informed you of the online options you had for viewing full episodes of some of your favorite shows on ABC, CBS, and FOX. In this Part 3, I'll tell you about...HamsterDamehttp://www.sillyreality.com
NBC. Are you a fan of Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien? If so, you'll be happy to know you can catch up with those late night leaders right from NBC's video page. What about shows like The Office, My Name Is Earl, or Heroes? You can watch those too along with other NBC favorites like Chuck, Las Vegas, American Gladiators, and Friday Night Lights. Like CBS, you can also watch some classic TV programming at NBC's site as well. There's The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and Buck Rogers to The A-Team and Miami Vice available for you to watch again or even discover for the very first time.
The quality of all of the videos offered is pretty decent and, except for having to watch a thirty-second ad at the beginning of each episode and several times throughout, the experience is OK. NBC really pushes a service they offer called NBC Direct that allows you to download episodes to your computer to watch later when you're not connected to the internet. That's great and all but if you click on the link while watching Miami Vice, for example, what you get won't be that episode of Miami's famous crime-fighting duo. Instead, you'll discover that you can only use NBC Direct with the a few shows. Expect to really only be able it to use it to watch Jay Leno and Conan though. Overall, NBC's site isn't that disappointing but one of its biggest downfalls for me is that they don't offer any of the Law & Order full episodes or even Saturday Night Live up for viewing.
The baby network, The CW, offers very little on its site right now. That is especially frustrating because just six months ago they offered up so many more shows. Going to their video section you'll really only find full episodes of Everybody Hates Chris, Beauty And The Geek, and Girlfriends available for viewing. They used to offer Smallville and Gossip Girl but they've taken those shows away from their fans online. In fact, the CW caused a little mini revolt with their fans when they recently chose to remove Gossip Girl. Stupidly, they think only the fans are going to be the ones to suffer from that action.
When it comes to watching full episodes put out by the higher up cable channels, it's a real hit but mostly miss experience. There are clunky and bloated sites with a fairly good amount of available shows to pretty and streamlined sites with next to nothing on them. Well, at least when it comes to full episodes of anything. While that is to be expected because of their cable status, some of these channels don't even throw their viewers a single bone. Not a bone that I can find anyway.
Not surprisingly, MTV comes out way on top when it comes to the amount of popular present and past programming offered online. To check out their offerings, follow that link I just posted and find the show you're interested in. Once you're at that show's main page, you can find its full episodes available by clicking on the corresponding link on the left side of the page. MTV offers everything from The Hills, The Real World, True Life, and The Paper to even Two-A-Days and Beavis & Butt-Head.
You would expect VH1 to follow MTV's lead in this arena but that's not the case. Sadly, most of what VH1 serves up are only short clips. The few shows that are able to be watched in their entirety are split up into sections. I don't really have a problem with a site splitting up a show because I'm sure it helps with their site's operational costs but at least offer up a few of the popular shows.
The USA network does offer some of their most popular original programming with Monk and Psych. But that's half of their online offerings. You got it, they only offer four different shows. A&E offers only four shows itself. Three of them are viewer favorites though: Intervention, The First 48, and Gene Simmons Family Jewels. What a bummer that Inked or Crime 360 aren't offered.
LifetimeTV doesn't do too bad of a job. Their selection includes shows like How To Look Good Naked, America's Psychic Challenge, and Matched In Manhattan along with several others. The Discovery channel, TLC, and Animal Planet all receive failing grades by only offering four shows between them. And to watch any of those four shows you have to use their special player. If you're a fan of The Alaska Experiment, Verminators, What Not To Wear, or Groomer Has It then perhaps it's worth it to you.
Those of you with young children are probably already familiar with The Disney Channel's and Nickelodeon's horrible websites. Talk about blinding you with their graphics and slowing your computer to a crawl! But if your kid is clamoring for some Hannah Montana, Corey In The House, or That's So Raven it's their for their viewing on Disney's site. Are they a SpongeBob SquarePants fan? They can find that sponge that lives in a pineapple under the sea right here.
Back to more adult programming, the amount of online programming offered by the SciFi channel and TNT is embarrassingly slim. Both of them may as well not put up any shows online at all. The SciFi channel offers a single episode of Ghost Hunters and only a few episodes of Battlestar Galactica along with five episodes of some show called Eureka. And TNT? You can forget about watching The Closer or Saving Grace online legally. Only if you're a fan of Charmed will you be happy.
One of my favorite channels, the History channel, offers five shows online. If you're a fan of Ax Men and UFO Hunters you'll be happy but if you're a fan of Ice Road Truckers like I am then you'd better remember to watch or record them when they are televised. The History channel's saving grace, if you will, is their overall website. There is so much outside of television programming offered online that I find myself at their site at least twice a week. The same goes with NatGeo (National Geographic) even though they only offer clips of shows. But both of these sites are so nicely designed that I find it hard to tear myself away from them once I'm there.
Do you have an interest in a particular program or channel that I didn't cover? Search for their website using your favorite search engine and see how well you fare. Post back here with a comment and let me know how successful you were in your search. I'm sure others would love to know what you were able to come across.
Tomorrow, I'm going to wrap up this series by going over some sites that you can go to and legally find a ton of programming all in one shot. For those of you interested in watching your shows on the go, I'll point out some options that may be available to you. Until then everybody!]]>
Bringing Back Passwordtag:sillyreality.film.com,2008://1.1742008-06-02T02:15:25Z2008-06-02T02:21:16ZGame shows were a staple of daytime television twenty to forty years ago. Situated on either side of their soap opera programming blocks, housewives and school-aged children on summer break couldn't get enough of watching the common man have a...HamsterDamehttp://www.sillyreality.comMillion Dollar Password debuted Sunday evening on CBS and I must say that I really enjoyed it. This updated version of the original Password kept enough of what made the original a ratings hit yet amped it up enough for the modern viewing audience.
Regis Philbin is the host and guides two contestants and their celebrity partners through two main rounds of competition. In the elimination round, the celebrity begins by giving clues to their non-celebrity partner so that they can guess the "password". For each password they guess correctly they get a point. Then the non-celebrity contestant gives clues to the celebrity and after that the celebrities swap partners. The team that wins the most points by the end of this round advances to the bonus round where the contestant has a shot at winning a million dollars.
The bonus round begins by trying to guess five out of ten passwords to win $10,000. If successful, the contestant can choose to continue on to the $25,000 round where they have to guess five out of nine passwords. If they make it through this round, the contestant wins the $25,000 and won't leave the show with anything less. But why stop there? They can take their chances with harder passwords, fewer clues, and fewer passes to move up the ladder and win $50,000, $100,000, $250,000 and finally $1,000,000.
Rachel Ray and Neil Patrick Harris were the two celebrities this week and they did a surprisingly good job. Neil Patrick Harris was the lucky one that advanced to the bonus round in both games this week but fell short in guessing the word "fiasco" with his second partner. The guy had a shot at walking away with $100,000 but chose to press on for $250,000. I must say that I had no idea which three clues I would give so that my partner came up with "fiasco" even though I had plenty of suggestions for the other passwords of the evening.
Million Dollar Password airs Sundays on CBS at 8:00 PM ET/7:00 PM CT. I definitely see myself sitting with clenched fists and yelling out words at next week's show. If you missed this week's premiere, you can catch it on the show's official site. You can also watch some clips from upcoming episodes. Hooray for a Betty White appearance!]]>
Watching TV Online - Part 2 Of 4tag:sillyreality.film.com,2008://1.1722008-05-29T12:30:24Z2008-05-29T12:31:18ZIn Part 1 of this series I introduced you to the world of watching television programming online. I reviewed ABC's offerings and told you I would cover the available programming offered by CBS and FOX in the next part of...HamsterDamehttp://www.sillyreality.com
Part 1 of this series I introduced you to the world of watching television programming online. I reviewed ABC's offerings and told you I would cover the available programming offered by CBS and FOX in the next part of the series. Well here I am and there you are so let's get crackin'!
CBS offers up a ton of programming on its site. For a list of every show they provide online you can go here. As you'll see, they offer everything from daytime soap operas like The Young & The Restless and As The World Turns to the late night shows with David Letterman and Craig Ferguson. Did you miss today's The Price Is Right? They have that as well.
If you're a fan of old school programming, you won't be disappointed. Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, Family Ties, The Love Boat, Perry Mason, and even The Twilight Zone are just some of the older shows that are offered! Of course, you won't miss out on any current programming. The trio of CSIs, Criminal Minds (I love this show!), Without A Trace, How I Met Your Mother are available as will be the new take on the old game show Million Dollar Password.
Episodes are streamed in a very familiar way (think YouTube) and there is nothing to install unlike ABC. There aren't too many frills offered for online viewers but if all you want to do is catch the last couple of episodes of Survivor then it's perfect for you. The video quality is good but I don't feel it's any better than ABC or the other networks and you can watch the videos in Internet Explorer as well as Firefox and other alternate browsers. You can post episode links on your MySpace or Facebook by using their Bookmarks button under the video pane or email the video link to a friend, family member, or even yourself if you'd rather watch it later on perhaps a different computer. When it comes to the ads inserted into the video, they're short if they exist at all. Sometimes the episode will have ads and sometimes it doesn't. I find that weird but I have absolutely no complaints about it!
FOX doesn't offer up the grand assortment that CBS and ABC does but it has a few features that the sites I've covered so far don't have. Click here and you'll find the shows that FOX provides online. House, Hell's Kitchen, The Simpsons, Family Guy, Moment of Truth, and even Cops are just some of the shows available to watch online.
As with CBS, there's nothing extra to install and I'd put the quality of video between ABC and CBS up to this point. The little extra features FOX offers though makes them really shine. One of my favorite features is dimming the lights. If you move your cursor over the video you'll see various options on either side of the player window. On the right side you'll see the option to dim the lights. Click that and the brightness on the rest of the page will be lowered but will leave the video you're watching at it's proper lighting. It really makes watching the episode that much more nicer to me.
Another option lets you share an episode or a clip of an episode with others. You can email the episode link to somebody (or yourself) but even better, you can choose just a section of the episode to send. You set the start and end times and send it off. It's perfect for when you want somebody to just watch that that one hilarious segment or the last few minutes of a show that got cut off on your DVR when you recorded it. Another thing you can do on FOX's site that you can't do on ABC or CBS is to read comments that others have left about that episode. Those are further down on the page and you can even leave your own comment if you want but of course you'll have to register to do what they call "rate and review".
Navigating to older episodes is not as intuitive as other sites though. Where you would usually find a link or arrow to click on to access more episodes you just get blue dots instead. Click on those blue dots on the right side under the video pane to scroll through to older episodes. As internet-literate as I am, it took me over five trips to their web site on different occasions to figure that out. However, the biggest downfall of FOX's online programming is the time it takes them to put it online for viewing. Where ABC waits until midnight to put it up and CBS usually gets the episode up the same day, FOX will not upload the episode until eight days after it was originally broadcast. That's fine if you want to go back and watch a complete season but not fine if you want to watch that latest show that everybody was talking about at work that day.
I've gone over the online programming offered by three networks so far but haven't really touched on why anybody would choose to watch it on the even smaller screen. So let's go through some scenarios shall we? You're on your lunch break and really want to watch that episode of How I Met Your Mother that everybody's talking about at work because Britney Spears was on it. As long as your workplace doesn't have a problem with you watching it on their computer, why not go for it? It's a Saturday afternoon and your kid(s) want to play their favorite movie or video game on the big screen in the living room. Why not catch the latest episode of Desperate Housewives on your laptop while relaxing in bed?
What about if you have three shows that you want to watch but they're all airing at the 8:00 prime time hour. Watch what you want to live as it airs, pick a second show to record on your DVR, and then use your computer later to watch what you missed and couldn't record. Of course, just make sure those shows will be available online first! There are so many different scenarios but you'll recognize quite quickly how watching TV online could help make your life easier. The next time you find yourself wishing you'd been able to watch that show, check that show's website online at the network's site. Your wish just might come true!
Tomorrow in Part 3 of this four-part series, I'll review NBC's online programming. I'll also go over the offerings provided by the smaller network staples as well as some of the most popular cable channels higher up in the programming guide. So don't tune out just yet!]]>
Watching TV Online - Part 1 Of 4tag:sillyreality.film.com,2008://1.1712008-05-28T12:30:51Z2008-05-28T12:29:52ZI'm going to tell you one of my dirty little secrets straight up: I watch a ton of television. Everything from reality shows to mainstream serial dramas to programming about the pyramids and even tawdry entertainment gossip shows. I seriously...HamsterDamehttp://www.sillyreality.com
ton of television. Everything from reality shows to mainstream serial dramas to programming about the pyramids and even tawdry entertainment gossip shows. I seriously watch it all. While my secret may be shocking to you it's definitely no shock to any of my family, friends, and co-workers. They kid me quite often about it and I don't mind because I take solace in knowing that I am the person they go to when it comes to anything involving television programming.
Why am I telling you all of this? Because I all too often have the following conversation with people.
Them: Have you been watching *insert name of show here*?Me: Yes! Did you see the latest episode?Them: No, I missed it because of *insert reason here*!Me: Oh my goodness! It was *insert adjective here*!Them: Really? What happened?Me: Well, he/she did this/that and so forth!Them: I wish I could have seen it.Me: Hey, did you know you can probably watch it online?Them: I can? How do I do that?
That's the point in the conversation where I usually explain to them how they should go to that network's web site and see if they offer that show up for viewing online. The comment I usually get to that is, "Wow, I never thought about that."
I used to have this horrible inside reaction at that remark but I soon realized that many people aren't aware of exactly how much legal, and usually free, television programming is available to them online. Most all television networks, including the big boys like ABC and FOX, offer an impressive collection of programming at the click of a mouse.
I'm writing this four-part series because I want to show you exactly how much is truly out there. I'll be providing links as we go so prepare to provide the favorites or bookmarks in your browser with a little extra company. I will be giving you the good, the bad, and the ugly of each site as well as some helpful hints. And don't worry about me pushing one particular site over another down your throat because even though the programming is the network's decision, the decision to watch is ultimately yours. As my series of posts progress, I'll also be pointing out some advantages and disadvantages of watching television programming online and even go over some portable options that might be available to you.
Now that you're ready, let's check out the offerings. Why don't we start with ABC since they come first alphabetically?
There's no doubt that ABC has some of the most popular shows going right now. Lost, Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives? You can watch their complete episodes for free online! The Bachelorette, Jimmy Kimmel Live, or Samantha Who? more your style? ABC has those for your viewing pleasure as well. For a full listing of complete episodes they offer go here. Psst, that was a bookmark alert! But don't forget about ABC's main site link because you can watch tons of extra programming for each show if you just go to that show's section.
Before you can watch any of the complete episodes at ABC's site, you'll first have to install their player on your computer. Don't worry though. It doesn't require you to create an account and login or put extra icons on your desktop or muddy up your start menu (assuming you're using Windows). It's a simple, quick, and painless procedure that you will only have to do once and will have you ready to view your show in a matter of minutes that very first time you launch their viewer from their web site. One note: if you're on a dial-up connection, I don't recommend trying any of this on ABC's or any other network's site. Your experience is much more likely to be a favorable one if you have a DSL or cable connection to the internet.
Now that you have ABC's player installed, you can begin watching your show. Your episode will begin with an ad but you can "click to continue" to your programming after ten seconds. If you're watching what would normally be an hour-long show, the episode will contain approximately three to four short ads spaced throughout. If it's any consolation to you, I consider ABC's ads to be the best of the four major networks. And what's watching approximately two to three minutes worth of advertising over the length of that show compared to the almost twenty minutes you get when watching it live as it airs?
Once your episode is playing, you'll have four options when it comes to the size of the viewing area in the lower right corner of the video: mini, normal, big, and full screen. The quality of the video will depend on your internet connection and the monitor you're on but don't be afraid to play around with the different sizes offered to find what suits you the best. You also have your standard mute and pause buttons if you're interrupted by a child needing attention or an urgent phone call from the mother-in-law. When you're finished with that episode, proceed to the next or go on to another show. Easy peasy!
I don't recall ever having a problem with the streaming video quality on ABC's site. However, the problem I do have with ABC's player is that it doesn't always play nice with my Internet Explorer (IE) web browser. So to get around that, I usually load it up in Firefox. If you're not familiar with Firefox, all it is is a different kind of browser to use with the internet. It's free for everybody to use and I actually use it more than I do the standard Internet Explorer browser which comes on Windows computers. I'm not going to bore you with any further details but I highly recommend using Firefox to watch ABC's shows online if Internet Explorer is not doing the trick for you.
Overall, I find that ABC's player is one of the best out there. Very decent ads and the content of the shows they offer doesn't hurt either. High definition (HD) Lost on my computer is quite nice if I've forgotten to record it on my DVR or simply want to re-watch it later.
Join me back here tomorrow for Part 2 where I'll go over watching the programming offered online by CBS and FOX as well as discussing why watching any sort of television programming on a computer would even be an attractive option. I'm sure some of you are wondering about that!]]>
Dancing With The Stars: And The Mirror Ball Trophy Goes Totag:sillyreality.film.com,2008://1.1702008-05-21T12:25:04Z2008-05-21T12:26:25ZAs I was getting myself all nice and comfy on the couch last night to watch the season six finale of Dancing With The Stars, I couldn't help but be excited. Might a woman finally win again? Not since the...HamsterDamehttp://www.sillyreality.comDancing With The Stars, I couldn't help but be excited. Might a woman finally win again? Not since the first season when Kelly Monaco took home the trophy has that happened. Now I would have to sit through two hours of fluff to find out the result but I was prepared.
Usher opened the show with a performance of his latest single, "Love In This Club". Lip syncing aside, the dancing was fairly entertaining. It seems as though whoever choreographed that number had watched a ton of 80s movies lately because I could have sworn I saw all of his moves thousands of times over in music videos I watched in my teenage years. He even brought the "robot" back! His second performance later in the show to his mega hit "Yeah!" was a bit different as well. He jazzed it up and in doing so he ruined the song. That's a performance I hope I never see again.
After his performance, it was time to narrow the three finalists down to two. Not surprisingly, it was Cristian & Cheryl that were eliminated. They looked so disappointed but managed to keep their chins up. While watching their video montage of the season, Cheryl cracked though and tears began to stream down her face. I felt so bad for her I began crying myself. Come on, get it together girl. You have another hour-and-a-half to watch! Before making their exit, they danced a paso doble that they would have danced later in the evening if they had made it to the finals. It was a very nice way for them to go out.
Without a doubt, the most boring part of the show had to have been watching all of the previous stars this season come back and dance. Seriously, does anybody want to watch Penn or Monica or even Marissa dance again? Not I! It was nice to see Steve again though and even Adam. Those are some very funny guys!
There was one final dance from our two finalists for the evening before the champion would be crowned. Kristi & Mark danced a jive that blew everybody away a first time and brought them their first perfect score of the season. And guess what? It brought them another perfect score this time around. They now had 90 out of 90 points.
Jason & Edyta brought back a quickstep and did just as good this second time around if not better. This time, the judges gave them the proper score. A perfect score of 30! It only took them ten weeks but at least they got it. But would 81 out of 90 be enough when combined with the viewers' votes?
After ten weeks of competition, it was time to find out. The winners of this sixth season of Dancing With The Stars are Kristi & Mark! Woohoo! After they thanked everybody and their mothers, it was time for the other dancers to swarm them on the dance floor. Both of them looked very excited but I think Mark was probably more excited than Kristi was. Well, he showed it more than Kristi did anyway and that was fun to watch.
Ah, another season of my favorite dancing show is over. I can't wait for the next season to begin and I especially can't wait to see who the next round of stars will be. I hope you all enjoyed this season as much as I did and I'll see you back here for the next one. Until then everybody!]]>
Dancing With The Stars: Who's Your Winner?tag:sillyreality.film.com,2008://1.1692008-05-20T12:25:31Z2008-05-20T12:26:38ZOn last night's Dancing With The Stars, it was do or die time. Each couple performed two routines: a freestyle dance with no rules and a mini cha-cha-cha in an on-floor dance-off. At the end of the evening, I felt...HamsterDamehttp://www.sillyreality.comDancing With The Stars, it was do or die time. Each couple performed two routines: a freestyle dance with no rules and a mini cha-cha-cha in an on-floor dance-off. At the end of the evening, I felt there was one clear winner. Now whether or not they were able to pull in enough viewer votes is another matter altogether.
The cha-cha-cha face-off started the dancing for the evening. Performing to Lionel Richie's "Dancing On The Ceiling", each couple performed thirty-second routines back-to-back on the dance floor to make up an entire routine. Cristian & Cheryl were the first couple to dance and they were really crisp and sexy on the floor. Jason & Edyta danced next and I felt that they were a little sloppy in their movements. Kristi & Mark brought up the rear with some fantastic footwork and then all of the couples hit the floor to finish the number together.
The judges felt that Kristi & Mark hit their marks perfectly and it showed in their score: a perfect 30. All of the judges also agreed when it came to Jason & Edyta's routine in that it was a little off and they were given triple eights. Cristian & Cheryl, with their great rhythm, landed in the middle of the scores with a 26.
In the freestyle round, Kristi & Mark were the first to dance. Their semi hip-hop number wowed me and especially wowed the judges. And that includes Len who doesn't particularly care for hip-hop! Bruno told Kristi that she's worthy of the championship, Carrie Ann said they had every type of move imaginable in their routine and she loved it, and Len said their dance held his attention from start to finish. Would they get another perfect score this evening? Absolutely! With a total of 60 for the night, the other couples really would have their work cut out for them.
Dancing to Will Smith's "Miami", Jason & Edyta tried their best to outperform Kristi & Mark but fell just short. It was a fun routine that lacked the previous couple's high energy but did outshine them in several of their lifts. The judges praised their funky dance and great lifts but they only wound up with triple nines leaving them with a 51 out of 60 on the evening.
Cristian & Cheryl danced to their strengths and broke out a fun little Latin number. That meant the sparkly arm brace made yet another appearance along with his confidence. I was very impressed with how well he did when it especially came to the lifts -- he lifted Cheryl up several times with just his right arm. The judges weren't as impressed as I was though and told them that their lifts weren't up to standards of the other couples because of his arm. Carrie Ann even told them that she didn't think they would beat Kristi & Mark but that she considered him a winner for continuing on in the competition with his injury. Cristian & Cheryl managed to eek out a 26 which, when combined with their previous score, brought them to a 52 out of a 60 for the night.
Tonight we will all find out who this season's champions will be in a two-hour finale beginning at 9:00 PM ET. In the first hour, there will be plenty of dancing as the final three couples will be given one more chance to impress the judges. They will be performing their favorite routine of the season and those scores will be combined with their scores last night. The judges' scores will still only count for 50% of the final score though with the viewers' votes making up the other half. The ballroom kids champion will be crowned and performing tonight will be all of the dancers from this season as well as two performances from Usher.
Who do you think will be walking away with the mirror ball trophy tonight? I'm hoping it's Kristi because I would really love to see another woman win the championship. But I wonder if Jason or Cristian will have the advantage when it comes to the viewers' votes. Either way, I can't wait to find out tonight!]]>
Dancing With The Stars: The Final Three Couples Aretag:sillyreality.film.com,2008://1.1682008-05-14T12:27:45Z2008-05-14T12:27:57ZWhat else can be said about this week's Dancing With The Stars results show but the obvious? It's about time Marissa found the exit! Before she exited stage left, Kristi & Mark tangoed their way back on to the stage...HamsterDamehttp://www.sillyreality.comDancing With The Stars results show but the obvious? It's about time Marissa found the exit!
Before she exited stage left, Kristi & Mark tangoed their way back on to the stage for their encore dance. It was just as crisp as it was last night. I really enjoyed watching the final ballroom kids dancing last night. It was their last chance to show the viewing audience what they were made of and I was extremely impressed. I believe I enjoyed watching them more than watching the grownups perform earlier this week! Omarion's Michael Jackson tribute was entertaining and complete with all the crotch-grabbing and silver gloves an old school Michael Jackson fan would recognize.
Marissa took the news very well last night when Tom announced that herself and Tony wouldn't be continuing on to the finals next week. She definitely took the news better than Karina did last week! There did not appear to be one tiny ounce of spoiled brat in Marissa as she flashed her pearly whites and thanked her partner for all that he did. I almost feel bad for not liking her so much because of the class she showed in her exit. But then I think of the other three couples that did make it to the finals and I'm snapped out of it already.
Kristi & Mark were the first to be announced safe last night. If they hadn't advanced to the finals, you would have been able to knock me over with a feather for sure! Joining them in the finals will be Jason & Edyta and Cristian & Cheryl. Cristian's going to have to dance his tush off to compensate for his arm injury but I think they'll have a great shot at winning as long as he doesn't hurt his arm again. I really don't feel that Jason has what it takes to overtake Cristian and especially Kristi. Many proclaimed Kristi the winner when the stars were first announced this season. I guess we'll find out next week if those people are correct.
So who do you think will win the mirror ball trophy next week and/or who would you rather win?]]>
Dancing With The Stars: Dancing In The Semi-Finalstag:sillyreality.film.com,2008://1.1672008-05-13T12:20:20Z2008-05-13T12:20:56ZSeriously, am I the only one that felt underwhelmed with Dancing With The Stars this week? Considering this was the semi-finals round, I expected the same "wow moments" as in previous seasons. Instead, I watched four couples dance to two...HamsterDamehttp://www.sillyreality.comDancing With The Stars this week? Considering this was the semi-finals round, I expected the same "wow moments" as in previous seasons. Instead, I watched four couples dance to two routines that were technically very good but were really lacking in the entertainment department.
Each couple found out the dances they would be performing by picking a mini mirror ball out of a hat and breaking it apart. Jason & Edyta's dances for the evening would be the foxtrot and paso doble. Dancing to "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off", their foxtrot was a very elegant and seamless one. The judges praised them on their footwork and showmanship and gave them a 28 out of 30. Their second dance, the paso doble, is where I really expected these two to shine. It was sharp and it was seductive but it wasn't anything special. They received a 27 from the judges for this dance which brought their total for the night to a 55.
As this season has progressed, I have found it harder to watch Marissa & Tony on the dance floor. I can't put my finger on what exactly it is that rubs me the wrong way with her. It doesn't help though that they keep surviving week after week when they are obviously the lesser of the pairs on the floor. Last night was no exception. They really tried their hardest in their first dance, a quickstep. Bruno pointed out though that she missed a huge step at one point and Len called them out on their lack of body contact. They were still awarded a 26 though. Their second dance, a rumba to "Just The Two Of Us", was awkward and entirely too slow of a dance. Len and Bruno thought it was very sexy but Carrie Ann argued that it wasn't exciting enough at this stage in the game. I'm with you Carrie Ann! They were awarded a 26 and finished the night with a 52 out of 60.
How did Cristian & Cheryl fare? Their first dance was a Viennese waltz that was very pretty but that was all. The judges thought it was enjoyable to watch and praised them on their movement. They received a 27 for this effort. Their samba, the same style of dance that Cristian hurt his arm in previously in the season, was much better. It still didn't make me want to get up and dance though. Cristian's lack of using his left arm was blaringly obvious and I can't imagine what they might do next week if they make it through. Before I get too far ahead of myself though, I should mention the judges gave them a 29 for their samba which closed out their night with a combined score of 56.
Kristi & Mark were the last couple to dance in both rounds and they were, by far, the most exciting couple of the evening. Their tango was one of the best, if not the best, of the season so far. It was sharp, sexy, and they were completely in sync with each other. The judges came close to giving them a perfect score with a 29. Their second dance was a jive (I can't stand the jive) and what can I say about it? It was cute and full of energy. The judges told them that they felt it was an extremely difficult routine but called them out for being out of sync with each other at times and for Kristi's stiffness. They still wound up with a 28 though. Kristi & Mark also finished with the highest combined score of the evening -- a 57 out of 60.
Surely I can't be the only that felt the evening was a bit disappointing. I know their scores didn't reflect what I'm feeling necessarily but I just wanted more out of a semi-final round. And please let Marissa go home tonight! After yet another week of them being in the bottom, it is time. They are not a couple that should be in the finals.
Tonight, Omarion performs a tribute to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and I'm actually excited about seeing that. The final round of the ballroom kids competition will be held and, most importantly, one couple will be saying their goodbyes. Who do you think it will be?]]>
Survivor: Fans vs Favorites Finaletag:sillyreality.film.com,2008://1.1662008-05-12T12:17:12Z2008-05-12T12:17:31ZAfter a season filled with injuries, blindsides, and stupid moves, the final four ladies of Survivor still have a tough road to travel to make it to the end and win the million dollars. Which of them has what it...HamsterDamehttp://www.sillyreality.comSurvivor still have a tough road to travel to make it to the end and win the million dollars. Which of them has what it takes?
Parvati, Amanda, Cirie, and Natalie were in good spirits when they returned from tribal council after blindsiding Erik and who could blame them? It was a moment that will be hard to beat. Their glee was short-lived though because it was time for another immunity challenge the next day. Each of them had to stand on a pole, gather water with holes in it to raise a set of keys in a bamboo shoot, use the keys to unlock a chest filed with sixteen ladder rungs, and then climb the platform and raise their flag to win immunity. Natalie and Parvati were the first two to grab their keys and swim to shore to work on their ladders. They were no match for Amanda though when it came to her puzzle-solving skills. She wiped the floor with them and claimed immunity for herself.
Natalie knew she was the odd one out and tried her best to work some magic with Cirie and with Parvati to stick around a little longer but it just wasn't happening. She became the seventh member of the jury that evening and blew them a kiss on the way out. When Cirie, Parvati, and Amanda returned to camp that evening, a heated discussion began between them. Cirie had revealed to them at tribal council that she'd always felt like the low man on the totem pole and never felt safe. Amanda and Parvati took offense to that and called her out on it. But the argument didn't last long and the three women ended up hugging it out.
The next day they released Gloria, the last chicken standing, and went to retrieve treemail. They fully expected a fabulous dinner to be waiting for them -- the final three. That was not to be. Instead, they were told they had to go to Exile Island and pay tribute to those that had gone before them before meeting up with Jeff for another immunity challenge. It was a lovely moment watching those three realize that one of them would be leaving.
The fallen survivors tribute was just as hokey as always but the final immunity challenge wasn't. Each of them would have to balance a small silver ball on a slot carved into a wooden cylinder. Sections would be added to that center cylinder in five-minute intervals making holding things together much harder. It was all about endurance and focus. Parvati lasted only two rounds and was the first one out. Cirie and Amanda lasted the four timed rounds and then started a fifth round that would last until only one of them was still balancing their ball. Amanda outlasted Cirie and won the final immunity challenge. She would be the sole woman casting a vote that evening for tribal council. Would she be choosing Cirie or Parvati to go with her to the finals?
It really was no question as to who she would take with her. She voted out Cirie and completed filling the jury. Either Amanda or Parvati would win the million dollars this season. Both of the girls woke up the next day giddy as all get out that they lasted this long. After enjoying a picnic provided via treemail and burning down their shelter, it was time for their final tribal council. The power would now be in the hands of those they'd booted out.
The jury questioning was hilarious. First up was Eliza and it was obvious she was still holding some ill feelings towards both of them. Eliza told Parvati that she can't respect her talking bad about her behind her back and making fun of her. Eliza then told Amanda that listening to her talk made her want to kill herself sometimes. She asked both ladies to be honest with the jury this evening. Jason then asked Amanda if she would have told Ozzy about the plan to blindside him if she had known and she told him yes. Jason asked Parvati if she had any redeeming qualities in the game and she told him that she was loyal and an animal lover. Hahaha!
Alexis wanted Parvati to tell her what makes her a better role model for young women than Amanda. Parvati said that she was independent and bold unlike Amanda who liked going with the flow. Alexis then told Amanda that she thought her "performances" at various tribal councils had been fake and asked what part of her game had been genuine. Amanda said that she hadn't been faking anything and doesn't want anybody's sympathy votes. And then there was Natalie. I swear I think that girl is whacked out. She basically asked Parvati how her flirtiness translates into the bedroom in a weird roundabout way that caused confusion among everybody including Jeff himself. Parvati told her that being flirtatious is a big part of her personality and that she'll flirt with anybody, men and women, to get what she wants. Natalie then told Amanda that she's a beautiful woman but was her strategy in the game to play, "the zombied pretty girl not really knowing what's going on pageant queen cliche" or was that who she really is? Amanda basically said that it was neither and that she's a strong woman who just happens to be reserved sometimes. Again, Natalie is a WEIRDO.
Erik told Amanda that he feels thrown under the bus by what Amanda said about him at his last two tribal councils and Amanda apologized for hurting his feelings. He told her he didn't buy her apology and walked off without asking Parvati anything. James told Amanda that she had this game in the bag and asked Parvati what she really would have said to him the day after Ozzy had been blindsided. She didn't give him the answer he wanted and told her all he wanted her to basically say was that it was a game. Cirie congratulated both of them and couldn't help but involve herself in her questions to them. She wanted them to tell her why Parvati deserved to be in the final two more than herself. She was obviously still a little sore at them.
Ozzy told Parvati that he was hurt by what she did to him and couldn't believe that she put a price on their friendship. Ozzy told her that he didn't want a response from her and then told her that the hardest part was that she took away fourteen days he could have spent with Amanda. He then told Amanda that he wasn't faking his feelings towards her and feels like he has begun falling in love with her. Well we know Amanda has his vote!
After the jury voted, Jeff walked off into the jungle and then appeared before a live studio audience. It was time to find out who the winner of this season's Survivor would be.
Parvati received the first vote to win. Amanda. Parvati. Amanda. Parvati. Amanda. Parvati. The winner of Survivor: Fans vs Favorites is Parvati Shallow.
Parvati and Amanda hugged and then Parvati thanked the jury before running out into the audience to hug her family.
The reunion show was a fun one. Could Amanda say the word "like" any more and what was up with those big green flyswatter earrings? Natalie said she has plenty of haters on MySpace. Everybody's healed up from their injuries.
James won the Sprint Player of the Season and a cool $100,000. Ozzy and Amanda are still together and Mary has fallen in love with Ryan from Survivor: Pearl Islands thanks to Jonny Fairplay. Could you believe Ryan asked her to marry him just three days after meeting her? Next season on Survivor, they return to Africa but this time to the country of Gabon. 18 contestants and the season will be shot in high-definition for the very first time. Yay!
So, what did you think about Survivor? Were you happy that Parvati won it? What did you think about the jury questioning? Are you as excited as I am that they'll be back in Africa this next time around? Spill it!]]>
Survivor: Erik Is Stupidtag:sillyreality.film.com,2008://1.1652008-05-09T01:12:43Z2008-05-09T01:12:29ZErik, you have taken over James in the "Dumbest Survivor Ever" category. Seriously, what in the world were you thinking? I'm at such a loss for words right now that it's not even funny. When you ran off after getting...HamsterDamehttp://www.sillyreality.com
Survivor China was pretty bad. But you doing this?
Now I'm left trying to pick out who I'm rooting for to win. At this point, I'm pulling for either Cirie or Catalie to win it all. I would really love to see a fan win this season and nobody can say that Catalie doesn't deserve to be there at the end with the gameplay she's had going on lately. And then there's Cirie. She's been working hard ever since the first day. So I'd be perfectly fine with either of those two ladies winning.
This Sunday, May 9th, at 8:00 PM ET will be the season's two-hour finale followed by the hour-long reunion show. Who do you want to win? And what do you think about Erik's mistake this week?]]>
Dancing With The Stars: Good Times For Almost Alltag:sillyreality.film.com,2008://1.1642008-05-07T12:27:45Z2008-05-07T12:27:28ZFans of Dancing With The Stars were treated to a jam-packed two hours of dancing fun last night. I enjoyed watching the countdown special where the judges ranked their top ten dances of the first five seasons. Well actually, let...HamsterDamehttp://www.sillyreality.comDancing With The Stars were treated to a jam-packed two hours of dancing fun last night. I enjoyed watching the countdown special where the judges ranked their top ten dances of the first five seasons. Well actually, let me rephrase that. I enjoyed watching the dances from the first five seasons. What I didn't enjoy were the judges' wooden introductions to each dance and then watching their "old" critiques of the routines. It would have been nice if they had given an updated critique as if it were this season. I feel there were a couple of other things that could have been done to liven up this hour but perhaps production just got lazy. Overall though, it was still nice to see some of the best routines over the show's history.
The results hour was a much better viewing experience. Perhaps it had something to do with it being a live broadcast instead of a pre-tape though. The hour kicked off with a dance by some past and present professional dancers. It only took me about five seconds to make out Maks' shakin' hips! And Karin's flying leap in the middle of the dance? Oh my goodness it was great!
Many previous stars of the show were in attendance including: Jerry Springer, Joey Fatone, Lisa Rinna, Stacy Keibler, Mark Cuban, and Jane Seymour. After a recap of last Tuesday's performance show, the season four champions Apolo Anton Ono and Julianne Hough took to the floor and danced to a live performance of Rascal Flatts' new single, "Every Day". Apolo must have never stopped dancing after his season because he was just as great last night as he was back then. By the way, did you know that Helio Castroneves only wanted to come on the show after watching his friend Apolo dance the paso doble in season four? I didn't know that either.
Mario Lopez danced a Broadway number with some of the cast of "A Chorus Line" and it was very entertaining. He didn't do too bad with his high kicks at the end either! Last season's runner-ups Mel B and Maks performed a fabulous dance to Rascal Flatts' "Life Is A Highway" and I couldn't take my eyes off of him. Oh Maks, I hope I see you back next season on DWTS.
We're only two weeks away from this season's champion being crowned and even though the evening has been fun, one couple still has to be eliminated. The first two couples safe are Marissa & Tony and Kristi & Mark. What? Marissa & Tony are safe? You have got to be #@&*ing me! Tom then revealed, in no particular order, the next couples safe to dance. By the way, during this whole segment Karina couldn't stop with rolling her eyes and dishing out tons of attitude standing there. Give it up girl! Cristian & Cheryl are the next couple safe which leaves Mario & Karina and Jason & Edyta in the bottom two.
The couple with the lowest combined total and leaving was Mario & Karina! Thank goodness! I did appreciate Mario's comment about the real braves ones being the young men and women fighting for our country. That was really unexpected. I loved watching Karina stand next to him and stew about being eliminated. I wonder what she's like off the show. Overall, if Marissa & Tony wouldn't be given the boot this week I was glad it turned out to be Mario & Karina. That's only because I don't think it was time for the other couples to go. The semi-final dances should be interesting to watch next week. I really hope that Marissa & Tony don't squeeze through to the finals. That would be an injustice!]]>