Posted on February 14, 2009 at 8:00 am
A Valentine for my readers — this YouTube compilation of 10 great first kisses from recent television series, including “The O.C,” “One Tree Hill,” “Veronica Mars,” and “Gilmore Girls.”
Posted on February 1, 2009 at 8:00 am
In the words of Entertainment Weekly, House and Cuddy will “do the deed” this season. The popular television series is about the irascible doctor who is a master diagnostician but who constantly battles with his frustrated supervisor about his disregard of rules, risks, and social conventions. As often happens in fiction and sometimes happens in real life, this friction sets off some romantic sparks and after years of dancing around their mutual attraction they are going to act on it.
This may be satisfying for the characters, but it is unlikely to be satisfying for the viewers, at least not for long. Can you think of a time when resolving the romantic tension between lead characters has made a television show better? I’m thinking of “Cheers,” “Rhoda,” “I Dream of Jeannie” — any others? “That Girl” ended before the wedding of Ann and Don. Is getting together another form of Jumping the Shark?
Posted on January 31, 2009 at 8:00 am
Many families have Super Bowl traditions as the generations gather around the television to watch the biggest football game of the year. It gives families a wonderful opportunity to share their interests and histories and to talk about the skill, determination, teamwork, practice, and courage that go into competing at that level. 
Unfortunately, the ads, which have generated almost as much press as the game itself, can lead to a whole other kind of family conversation and not one many parents welcome. Every year, I hear complaints from parents who find themselves getting questions about ED or who find their children imitating the silly or hyper-sexed behavior from alcohol ads.
Common Sense Media has a new report based on a review of the ads in over 50 games with more than 160 hours and more than 5000 commercials.
They found:
94% of the mothers polled said that they were concerned about inappropriate television commercials during pro football games. And at least one father agrees:
“I wasn’t too happy with ads for erectile-dysfunction drugs popping up every 15 minutes whenever I watched a football game with my daughters in the room.”
President Barack Obama,
The Audacity of Hope, 2006
The report, called Broadcast Dysfunction: Sex, Violence, Alcohol, and the NFL is well worth reading. And Common Sense Media’s site has something even more important — a direct link to send the NFL a complaint using their draft text or your own words. If this is a concern for you and your family, I urge you to let Commissioner Roger Goodell know how you feel.
Posted on January 27, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Hey you guys! The classic 1970’s show The Electric Company taught a generation of kids how to take the letters they learned on “Sesame Street” and turn them into words and sentences. The superstar cast included Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno, and Bill Cosby. Zero Mostel, Joan Rivers and Gene Wilder worked with animation pioneers John and Faith Hubley on the “Letterman” segments.
Now endearingly retro, the original disco-era series is available on DVD. And it has just been updated with a whole new series featuring beat-boxers, hip-hoppers, and record-scratchers, but still teaching kids about the power of the “silent e.” It also has some very good lessons about problem-solving and asking questions to discover the truth. In this version, The Electric Company is a group of people with special word skills who work together to foil a group of mischief-makers called the Pranksters. No Broadway or television stars in the cast, but it does have some Tony-award talent behind the scenes and some guest appearances by kid-friendly celebrities like Tiki Barber. It’s aimed at children from 6-9 and its bright, bouncy, and colorful characters and situations will keep them entertained and inspired about the power of words. And they still yell, “Hey, you GUUUUYYYYS!”
Posted on January 25, 2009 at 3:48 pm
There is no better way to strengthen family connections than combining shared laughter and history. So every family should make time to watch the hilarious new PBS series “Make Em Laugh,” the history of comedy on television and in the movies in the United States, from the silent era to Jon Stewart, with current comedians commenting on their inspirations and influences. Episodes on slapstick, satire, pushing the limits, and verbal humor are on the schedule (NOTE: some mature material)
