So, I wonder: How many of these elements survive in the new ‘V?’ Will there be another Holocaust theme? Maybe it will evoke memories of a different tragedy, perhaps 9/11.  Will we be able to tell humans from Visitors? Most importantly, are they still big ugly green reptiles underneath?

I will be tuning in to find out.

But anyway, I just wanted to note how much I enjoyed watching the Adventures of an Incurable Optimist last Thursday.

I know that Michael probably can’t work at a full-time show, but I would really enjoy seeing more episodes of this show.  Even if it’s only quarterly or monthly.  I would like to see a sort of “State of Optimism” update…

For those of you who didn’t catch it, here is a clip directly from ABC’s website: [Clip is now "directly from YouTube since ABC can't seem to keep a consistent link to a video...]

And for more information about the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, visit the site at http://www.michaeljfox.org/

Now, picture Jason Alexander in the same kind of situation. He’s dressed like Captain Kirk, so he has a decent idea what’s next. But all the other actors in the scene have an agenda, a script, that they will stick to. What do you do? How would you react?

Well, thanks to NBC, we get a glimpse into this freakish world. Thank God You’re Here recently premiered on the Peacock network, and it’s a “can’t miss.”

If you’re familiar with Whose Line Is It Anyway? then the concept of improv comedy is not foreign to you. The key differences between WLIIA? and TGYH being:

• “TGYH” has a script. (Well, a storyline for the other actors to follow, anyway.)
• “WLIIA?” has no props or sets, “TGYH” has both.
• “TGYH” has a different celebrity for each routine, a total of four during one episode.

But what makes TGYH most compelling is watching the celebrities squirm their way through an uncomfortable scene, and watching how some of them thrive off the situation. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t, but that’s the chance you take, and that’s what makes it interesting.

In success or in failure, the scenes on Thank God You’re Here are very entertaining, and they give you an interesting insight to some of your favorite celebrities.

Grease: You’re The One That I Want  had its grand finale this evening.  We were quite happy with the chosen Danny & Sandy, Max and Laura.  I was actually cheering for West Virginia’s own Derek Keeling, but he was eliminated last week.  But it was nice to see the two “underdogs” win.

I’m still waiting for my phone call from the Deal or No Deal “Lucky Case Game” informing me that I have just won $10,000.  Gee, I wonder what’s taking them so long…

Blame American Idol.  Ever since it began its seasons in January (starting with season two) it set the standard for starting a season off in January.

NBC has grown by leaps and bounds recently.  The best move they’ve made is making their prime-time shows available for streaming on their website.  I missed a few early episodes of Heroes on TV but (thanks to NBC.com) I’m back on track now and am watching every week.  Had those shows not been available, I probably wouldn’t be watching, because I can’t stand catching a series in the middle.

And what they’ve done to extend the show to the web is amazing.  The Heroes website is full of extra information you’ll only get from NBC.com.  They have even introduced a character (known so far only as “Wireless”) on the site that hasn’t yet been in the show…

Beyond that, they’re playing games with us.  There are special in-show phone numbers to call, and web applications to fill out.  Claire Bennet even has her own myspace page where she discusses her high school life.  Great tie-ins to let us learn more about these characters, and make them seem more real, more accessible.

They’ve done an awesome job of jumping into the whole multimedia universe and other networks would do well to take lessons.

Right now, Florida is winning by 20.  I think I’d to see them win, because I would really like the only undefeated team in college football to be Boise State. Who possibly could have predicted that?

I’m really getting into that show Heroes on NBC.  However, I do not know if I am on the list.  I guess I should be trying to figure that out…

2007 is almost here. Time just flies by. I found an old episode of MTV’s “Remote Control” that I used to watch regularly in the late 80′s:

Have a Merry Christmas!

On April 1, DISH began a “promotion” to upgrade their current customers to the newest DISH Network HDTV receiver. I have a DISH model 942 already (the last model) and was thinking about upgrading my equipment anyway. So, I accepted the deal.

I was told that they would ship me out an empty box and a receiver, and I was to return the old receiver after I got the new one. Then I was asked when I would like to schedule my appointment. “Appointment? For what?” They wanted to send a technician to install this box. Stupid. They’ve already dumbed it down so much with everything color coded and everything. Blue goes to blue… green goes to green… yellow goes to yellow. Duh.

So, anyway, they want to send a tech out to work for five minutes and go home. Whatever. I told them I was more than comfortable with plugging the blue cable into the blue hole… no big deal. But the CSR insists on sending someone out. I should have just been adamant, but I acquiesced.

I was assured the receiver would arrive within five days, so my appointment was scheduled for April 10. Fine. April 10 came, no receiver had arrived. What a shocker. So the installer calls and I inform him of the situation. No receiver. He said that he had one on the truck and would see if he could just use it. That was the last I heard from him.

So today, the 11th, the receiver arrives. Not knowing if or when the installer was going to arrive, I decide to hook it up. Five excruciatingly-easy minutes later, I was on the phone with DISH, as I received a message that my receiver “has not yet been authorized.” This does not surprise me. In fact, I expected such a message. So, call DISH.

The DISH CSR asks me for R# and S# as expected, which I give her.

“Is this the receiver the installer is supposed to install on the 24th?”

“24th?”

“Yes, you have an appointment for the 24th.”

“I had an appointment for yesterday. But I had no receiver yesterday. The installer told me he would be over after 5:00pm, but I figured he got busy. I never heard more from him, and besides, this was so easy to do, I don’t need him here.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t activate this receiver until the installer installs it. It’s an open work order.”

How FREAKING stupid. I just hung up on her. Morons. Absolute morons.

So now I’m stuck with a receiver I can’t use until the 24th, or whenever the installer decides to show up. Last I heard he had a three-room install to do. Must be gonna take him three weeks. He never called to tell me otherwise. I guess I’ll be hooking up my old receiver while the new one gathers dust. The good news is: I’m getting so good at this that soon I will be a DISH Network qualified installer.

STAY AWAY FROM DISH NETWORK. Oh, how I long for the days of Time Warner Cable. If they were here, I’d jump in a heartbeat. I’d even pay the frickin’ fee for cancelling my DISH early just to get away from these morons.

Have a nice day.

–Jason