Should "House" Have Gone the Musical Route?

I’m not a regular viewer of “House,” but not because I don’t think it’s a great program.  Hugh Laurie is immensely talented as is the rest of the cast.  The writing is superb and the premise and situations are as unique and sophisticated as any television program in the 21^st century can be.  I just don’t like hospitals.

However, a recent episode that had a musical interlude was brought to my attention.

When Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein), House’s boss/girlfriend, is set to undergo surgery for what is thought to be cancer, the man in her life starts to check out.  Emotionally, he can’t handle the pressure until he self prescribes Vicodin.  She responds to his instability by breaking up with him.

What happens during her surgery, though, is what I’d like to address…the introduction of a musical segment disguised as a dream sequence.

Is “House” jumping the shark?  Or is it just that Fox is capitalizing on the popularity of Glee by imposing production numbers on all its programs?

Many will remember when a past Fox hit, “Ally McBeal” resorted to such devices.  The show went downhill fast.

While Dr. House has always had a vivid imagination, I think the introduction of song and dance is a bit overboard.  A show based on supposed grit and realism should not veer into the absurd.

Yes, it was creative and the segment itself was colorful and well-directed, but it was out of character for the program.  In addition, there seems to be a setback for the title character.  He’s going backward instead of forward by returning to drugs.  That’s not unusual for an addict, but a TV program that gets stuck is one that gets closer to cancellation. 

Perhaps “House” has run its course, but feedback from viewers shows there are still tons of viewers.  At the end of last season the show was number 19 in the ratings, down from its top ten status, but popular nonetheless.   During the week of March 13, 2011 “House” was number three among all prime time broadcast programs, probably because of the “special” episode during sweeps.

I hope the loyal audience is not disappointed by writers and producers whose creativity may be stalled in season seven.  There are still a great many people rooting for House and Cuddy - who doesn’t have cancer, by the way.

Katie Couric's Replacement: Harry Smith? CBS Can Do Better

Richard Huff writes in today’s Daily News that it doesn’t matter much who takes over for Katie Couric if her contract at the CBS Evening News is not renewed, that a canteloupe could replace her and ratings would not change precipitously.

He lists a number of potential ho-hum replacements like Harry Smith (zzzzz), Jeff Glor and Lara Logan.

I say a stand-out replacement could put CBS ahead of the pack.  CBS News could really benefit from an individual who could bring something new to the anchor desk besides the typical good looks, news reading and occasional location reports and big interviews.

Anderson Cooper would be huge.  He could bring the world to people’s living rooms.  With his intrepid style and his single-minded devotion to his job, Cooper would be the anchorperson of the 21^st century.  Plus, he's already a contributor to "60 Minutes."

George Stephanopoulos isn’t as adventurous, but he does know everyone and has the requisite insider’s knowledge of national and world situations.  I’ll bet he’s itching to get away from the cooking segments and movie promotion required for his current gig at ABC’s Good Morning America.

Christiane Amanpour is another candidate with muscle.  She has the international chops, but she’s less well known and is probably less likely to be welcomed by a mass audience due to her foreign accent developed during her childhood in Iran and schooling in England.  On the other hand, she’s fluent in Persian and French, which gives her some gravitas. 

And how about Joe Scarborough, the former Republican Congressman who is now the moderate host of his own political talk show, “Morning Joe” on MSNBC?  In his few years at the program, Scarborough has proven his knowledge of events and issues and seems to move from topic to topic with ease.  The list of people in his circle of influence has grown exponentially and he also would bring a new dimension to the role because he’s not afraid to discard old conventions and start something new.  “Morning Joe” is the most novel talk show on television because it's free form yet intellectual.

My first choice would be Cooper, by far, but I think the list mentioned by Huff is not ambitious enough for a news operation with the history of CBS News.  The program needs someone with oomph.

ABC and "The Bachelor" Have Some 'Splainin' to Do

The producers of “The Bachelor” and the ABC Television Network should really look at the franchise and consider pulling it.  They should also be called on the carpet for the way they produce this program.  Not since Ricky Ricardo has there been such a hothead on TV - and this time the hottie wasn’t trying to be funny.

ABC has now made at least two major mistakes picking “bachelors.”

Last night, it was abundantly clear that the latest candidate, Brad Womack, has an anger management problem.  During the final fiancé-picking episode, there was a conversation with Emily over her five-year-old daughter.

Rationally, Emily tells Brad he should think long and hard about what it will mean to be with her, to be an instant parent and to make a serious commitment; there’s good and bad that goes with parenting.

He nearly has a breakdown and starts hyperventilating, complaining that she confronted him. 

Emily should have run for the door at that point. (But she says they're engaged.)

Instead of reassuring her that he would do his best, he attacked her for calling him out.

What a loser.

Last season, Jake Pavelka displayed similar tendencies toward Vienna, his chosen, but long gone intended.  They had a fight on television that would have made Desi Arnaz look laid back.

What is wrong with these guys?  Don’t they know the cameras are on?  Don’t they see the cameras in the room with them?

Even if they are stupid enough to act poorly in private, shouldn’t they have enough brains to “act” when tape is rolling?

For some reason, the women who have been “Bachelorettes” do not seem as crazy.  Maybe it’s coincidental, but so far none have been too out there and two are still with the guys they chose.

My recommendation to ABC would be to keep “The Bachelorette,” but do away with “The Bachelor.”

It’s like presidential candidates.  Those who run - with today’s media spotlight and fundraising necessities - have such big egos that they are among those least suited to be leaders, with few exceptions.   Likewise, single men who need to put themselves on TV to find women will likely be the least suitable husbands.  I would say I feel sorry for those poor, starving, blondes who compete to be contestants.  But I really don’t.

The New American Idol is Okay

I knocked the “new” American Idol when it debuted with Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, but I take it back.

While the two new judges have a great deal of trouble being critical, they’ve taken the show to a new, if not higher level.

Tyler is a mess, but he’s fun to watch and he seems to have a passion for the music - and even for the idea of helping the young wannabes.

J-Lo is a diva with a heart.  She’s clearly obsessed with her hair and her dresses (for which she is too old), but gushes at the contestants and seems to be their biggest fan.

The most surprising part of the new dynamic is Randy Jackson.  He’s the a reincarnated Simon Cowell, left to be an actual judge and offer the critiques that the others eschew.  On last week’s programs it was Jackson who had to say, “Wait a minute, are you guys in the same studio?  Did you hear how many notes he missed?”  This happened on a number of occasions when the performers were off their game.  While Tyler and Lopez offered accolades, only Jackson heard the shortcomings.

I suspect this will change as time goes on and the two newbies settle into their role.  Surely, they’re reading the reviews and will catch on to the idea that they have to offer more than compliments.  And, let’s face it, everyone gets tired of being nice all the time.

In the meantime, there’s a great crop of young idols in the competition and there is the star quality that Lopez and Tyler bring to the table.  I’m loving the new season and recommend it.   The only drawback for me is Ryan Seacrest who has not changed his act since day one ten years ago.

Did Ricky Gervais Cross the Line? Golden Globes Report

Click to Gervais' Monologue

Did Ricky Gervais cross the line by insulting Robert Downey, Jr. and his wayward ways (while Downey was in the room) during last night’s Golden Globe Awards?  Was it too mean-spirited to go after Charlie Sheen?

Gervais may have been distasteful, but he was funny and his monologue and in-between-awards insults were the best part of the show.  The rest of the writing, for presenters, was dull and unmemorable.  Even the women’s dresses were less than stunning.

Gervais was sharp and witty.

Referring to the aging women of “Sex in the City 2” and the supposed nomination given to the artists who air-brushed the movie poster, he said: “Ladies, we know how old you are!  I saw one of you in an episode of Bonanza!”

Plus, everything sounds a little funnier with a British accent.

I don’t know if Gervais was banished.  He seemed to have disappeared from the broadcast for more than an hour.  But without him the program honoring achievements in film and television by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association would have been a complete loss.

Even the competition was unastounding.  While there were a couple of good movies this year – The Social Network, the King’s Speech and a few others, I didn’t see anything that inspired passion.  On the TV side, the programs in contention were, for the most part, returnees like Glee, 30 Rock and The Office.   

I hope the Oscar broadcast on February 27^th is better.  With Anne Hathaway and James Franco as the designated co-hosts I wouldn’t expect a lot of comedy.  And it seems that fewer actual stars attend the Oscars since they only pay tribute to film.  I’m not getting my hopes up.  Maybe it will be worth watching the Academy Awards for the fashion.

Saturday Night Live Needs Retooling

Last night's installment of Saturday Night Live with Gwyneth Paltrow was so weak it made me think the program needs to be taken off the air and completely retooled.  It was such an obvious plug for Paltrow's latest movie, "Country Strong" and yet so devoid of any comedy that it was sad.

I'd hate to see the program go away forever because it has such great potential, per its past greatness.  But clearly it's being ignored by those who have the power to infuse it with energy.  There's so much fodder in the news these days.  How can a program that relies on current events for its material be so lame?

Last's week's cold open to SNL. (Click here)

Last week's show had an opening that was both hilarious and incredibly insightful.  The  immensely talented Fred Armisen (who usually plays President Obama) addressed New Yorkers as Mayor Michael Bloomberg in the wake of the December 26th blizzard.  It was brilliant.

There has to be a way to mine the what's going on in the world and produce a weekly comedy program that will actually make people laugh.  Jon Stewart does it five nights a week.  Surely, NBC, a major network with deep pockets, can come up with something that can measure up.

Is the New "Conan" Really New?

I like Conan O'Brien.  I missed his show when it was pulled by NBC.  I like his TBS show.  He has a good chance of someday being compared to his idol, Johnny Carson, who had just the right combination of comedy, class, cleverness and attitude.

What I quibble with is the idea that the latest iteration, named "Conan," so "they couldn't replace me so easily," is new.

It's not.  It's the same program O'Brien produced for NBC.  There's a monologue, Andy Richter, the band (minus Max Weinberg) and guests - actors, comedians and a music act to close the show.  Sure, there's a new set with a moon in the sky that moves via remote control [Sigh!], but Conan has not yet unleashed the barrage of hard core, startling humor he has promised interviewers.  On Monday there was a bleeped "SH_T" to which O'Brien exalted, "so glad we're not on NBC anymore."  Geez.

Maybe there's no way to reinvent the wheel and maybe "Conan" is good enough as it is.

The program drew 4.2 million viewers on the first night, a lot by any broadcast or cable standard and a 435% increase over what TBS was drawing in that time slot.

And the show does stand out in the crowd because it's topical and funny without pandering to the least common denominator (Jay) or featuring a septuagenarian masquerading as a college student (Dave).  It's also not heavily political a la Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart.

I hope "Conan" continues to succeed, but that he finds a way to evolve.  If he wants to become a legend like Carson, he'll change it up a bit and bring something new to the table.  These guys always compare themselves to Johnny and to real trailblazers like Lenny Bruce, but they ultimately find it difficult to get there.  Conan O'Brien is young.  He has a chance.