The Washington Post’s Gene Weingarten posted his list of the 30 greatest sit-com characters of all-time. His guidelines are: Sitcoms are sitcoms: Animated series, however good, do not qualify. American shows only, please.

So, here they are:

1. Ed Norton (”The Honeymooners”);2. George Costanza/Larry David (”Seinfeld” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) 3. Archie Bunker (”All In The Family”); 4. Alex P. Keaton (”Family Ties”); 5. Eddie Haskell (”Leave It to Beaver”) 6. Latka Graves (”Taxi”); 7. Alice Kramden (”The Honeymooners”); 8. Kingfish Stevens (”Amos n’ Andy”); 9. Barney Fife (”The Andy Griffith Show”) ; 10. Lois Wilkerson (”Malcolm in the Middle”); 11. Edith Bunker (”All In The Family”); 12. Maynard G. Krebs (”The Life and Loves of Dobie Gillis”); 13. Ralph Kramden (”The Honeymooners”); 14. Cosmo Topper (”Topper”); 15. Sgt. Ernie Bilko (”The Phil Silvers Show”) 16. Cliff Claven/ Norm Peterson (”Cheers”); 17. Roseanne Connor, (”Roseanne”) 18. Bill Bittinger (”Buffalo Bill”); 19. Louis DiPalma (”Taxi”); 20. Frasier and Niles Crane (”Frasier”); 21. Sophia Spirelli Weinstock (”The Golden Girls”); 22. Det. Phil Fish ( “Barney Miller”); 23. Hawkeye Pierce (”M*A*S*H”); 24. Larry Sanders (”The Larry Sanders Show”); 25. Dr. Robert Hartley (”The Bob Newhart Show”); 26. Ricky Ricardo (”I Love Lucy”); 27. Thurston Howell III (”Gilligan’s Island”); 28. Lucy Ricardo (”I Love Lucy”); 29. Ted Baxter (”The Mary Tyler Moore Show”); 30. Granny Clampett (”The Beverly Hillbillies”)

So, what do you think? And who wasn’t included that should have been?

Since this doesn’t include British sit-coms, I cant’ include Basil Fawlty, who is one of my favorite sit-com characters EVER, brought brilliantly to life by John Cleese.

And I can hear the 30 Rock and The Office fans revving up for the debate…

Is it just me or has summer TV been a vast wasteland of bad reality shows this year?

Anyone else recall the days when networks actually re-ran shows or did creative repeat runs? (I’m thinking of NBC’s Quantum Leap week, when they’d run the five best episodes from the previous season over the course of five evenings.) The lack of repeats seems even more glaring in the wake of the writer’s strike with shows being gone for longer than usual. Seems to me that instead of watching a bad reality show, you could brand it as a way to get caught up or discover the greatness before the new season begins.

But, I digress.

What I am really here to praise is the return of two great shows to the airwaves this week. Or to be more accurate to the coax since they’re both cable series–AMC’s Mad Men and SciFi’s Eureka.

First up on Sunday night is Mad Men, one of the more celebrated new dramas on television in recent years. Created by Matthew Weiner, who worked on The Sopranos, the series follows the story of Don Draper, a New York City ad man in the 60’s. Last year’s on-going story was about the questions of identity and just who was the real Don Draper. It was a fascinating story and a compelling one and the first season finale left some things on the table for season two. The second season picks up two years later, at Valentine’s Day and from what I’ve heard the first two episodes are spectacular. (Robert Bianco at USA Today sang the praises of the return of this show). Mad Men airs Sunday nights at 10 p.m. EST on AMC. The first season was shown in a marathon last Sunday and is out on DVD.

Tuesday brings the return of SciFi’s quirky gem Eureka. Eureka takes place in a high-tech community, located somewhere in the Pacific Northwest and inhabited entirely by brilliant scientists working on new scientific advancements that frequently go awry. The town’s location — indeed, its very existence — is a closely guarded secret.

Eureka is a show that walks the fine line between comedy and drama with ease. It’s got quirky characters, deft writing and some solid performances. It’s not going to garner Emmys like Mad Men has, but it’s still a fun summer show. It does have a bit of a long-term story arc, but it’s not so overwhelming that you couldn’t tune in now and not feel right at home after about five minutes. In a vast TV wasteland, it’s a show that’s worth the time and I’m eager to see where it goes for the third season.

So that’s two quality summer shows. And heaven knows, they come at the time we desperately need them.

Tune in…trust me, you’ll like them.

Movie Viewing Date: 7/15/08
Movie Title: Batman Gotham Knights (single disk)
DVD
Reviewed By: Kip Lewis

Intro:

In time for the release of the new Batman movie, THE DARK KNIGHT, DC released its first PG-13 animated Batman movie.  Unlike previous animated Batman products, this DVD is part of the the new movie line.

But DC didn’t just stop with an animated movie.  They hired the talents of several animators from Japan and did the movie in the style of Japanese Animation.  Six different styles that is.

The story is broken up into six parts, each told by a different animated in their own style.  Surprisingly, it works well.  My favorite art style is the third (which is done in the style you see in G-Force/Gatachaman) and the fifth (which reminded me of the Bubblegum Crisis style, but I can’t say for sure it was one and the same).  But even the other art styles worked well.

Story wise, it worked, but it wasn’t a great story.  I would say it is more a character study through an adventure then an action storyline.  The first two parts are my favorites, because they’re not about Batman, but about the denizens of Gotham.  (I don’t think I’ve even used the word “denizen” in a sentence, before.)  The first story was about 4 friends telling about their own encounters with the Batman.  Each one saw Batman differently; the first saw him as a living shadow, the second as a half-human, half-demon creature and the last saw him as a robot.  The second storyline gave us the view of the police.  Two detectives in Gordon’s unit debate the value of Batman.  The first saw him as the hope of Gotham and the second saw him as a vigilante, pure and simple.
The rest of the story moves to Batman telling about what Batman values, his training, and so on.

The movie was completely captioned.

Previews/Commercials Captioned: No

Opinion Review: I like anime.  I enjoy the different styles, though I do have my favorites.  The character story was good, but I think I might have enjoyed it if they continued to show us Batman through the eyes of others.

Special/Supplemental Features Captioned: No (Note, I didn’t review the two disk version, but given that none of the supplements in the singled disk were captioned, I wouldn’t expect the second disk to be, but maybe.)

Overall Caption Rating: 4

Overall Show Rating: 4

Total Rating: 4

Do You Recommend This Show to Others Who Depend on Captioning? Yes for show, No for special features or trailers.

Like What You Reading?  Be sure to visit our current sponsors and tell them what you’re reading!

– RelayMO: www.donthanguponrelay.com
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Interested in becoming a sponsor of an outstanding, on-going, educational project?  Contact us about becoming a Caption Hunt Project Sponsor today! Great traffic, entertaining reviews and you will be helping a new generation learn about a great educational effort that truly can make a difference in YOUR community!  Contact us now and help us continue “The Caption Hunt!  The Search for Open and Closed Captioning in The Entertainment Realm!”

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Michael Emerson
Outstanding Drama Series
Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (original Dramatic Score)—The Constant

LOST

SOURCE: http://cdn.emmys.tv/awards/2008pte/60thpte_noms.php

*************************************************************************************

Michael Emerson’s Reaction to Having Been Nominated for an Emmy

“I was laying in bed and I heard the phone ringing and I jumped up outta there because I thought, `Oh god, I know what this is.’ My agent would’ve let me sleep, I think, if I had not gotten the nomination. I figured it was the beginning of a busy day. To start with, I couldn’t find the phone! So I wasn’t able to answer, so I called him back and he gave me the news.” — “Lost” star Michael Emerson, nominated for supporting actor in a drama series.

Source: At AP

The 2GuysTalking Summer Feature Film Review Series Continues!
It’s the first film of the summer to reach half a BILLION DOLLARS worldwide!
We’re cannot wait for the new season of “TERMINATOR: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” in January, but we’re busier than John Connor’s teenage libido!  We’re proud to review one of the many great comic-book-based movies of this year, ‘IRON MAN”, directed by Jon Favreau, starring Robert Downey Jr.!  With Robert Downey Jr. recently being provided a 200k Bentley as a “thank you” from the studio for the $500mil accomplishment today, it’s perfect timing, it’s entertaining, and only from The 2GuysTalking Podcast Network!

Click Here to Listen to It Now!

STAR TREK¹S GEORGE TAKEI AND PARTNER BRAD ALTMAN SIT DOWN EXCLUSIVELY WITH
TV GUIDE NETWORK¹S ³TV WATERCOOLER² TO DISCUSS THEIR NUPTIALS

From Tuxedos to Bachelor Parties and More, Takei and Altman Chat About
Their Soon-To-Be Married Life on Monday, July 14, 2008 at 8:00 PM ET/PT

Who: George Takei, best known for his role as Sulu on the original ³Star
Trek,² will sit down with his partner, Brad Altman, on TV Guide
Network¹s TV WATERCOOLER, marking their first national talk show
appearance since obtaining their marriage license. Viewers will hear
about the couple¹s wedding outfits, their wedding ring, and even catch
some hints about the upcoming ³Heroes² season premiere.  Don¹t miss TV
WATERCOOLER on Monday, July 14 when hosts John Fugelsang and Teresa
Strasser dish all the dirt about the pair¹s  upcoming marriage and
more.

When: Monday, July 14, 2008 at 8:00PM ET/PT

What: TV Guide Network’s signature series TV WATERCOOLER is designed to be
the original plugged-in and fun destination for every television fan.
Hosts John Fugelsang and Teresa Strasser examine favorite
“watercooler” shows, provide quotable commentary on the week’s big TV
stories and tackle the entire television landscape with wit and
smarts. The series features in-studio celebrity interviews, fan
feedback from the streets of Hollywood and signature segments.

Click Here to Read More…

Show Viewing Date: 7-8-2008
Show Title: Deadliest Catch - Changing Tides
Network: DiscoveryHD
Reviewed By: Mike Wilkerson - 2GuysTalking.Com

Intro:

I think I may have been a northern Alaska crab fisherman in another life or something - it’s hard to explain. Since the inception of this show, I have managed to “catch” every single episode, until this season’s launch that is. Time has been of a premium, but since the inception of the “Caption Hunt” program, I’m able to step back into my regular viewing schedule a couple of times a week and Deadliest Catch - Changing Tides, an episode in the shows current season

Opinion Review:

Ahh, the fine mist and continual hi-def spray of the north pacific. The potential danger that each and every man, from lowly green horn newbie, to the most seasoned ship captain, and everyone in between. It’s all up for grabs in what continues to be a great show that teaches, inspires, and showcases something most of us will never/might never want to see - life on a crab fishing boat navigating the high seas of Northern Alaska during the crab fishing season. We find ships moving full bore in this episode, and one of those seasoned captains in the hospital, fighting a battle even more drama-filled than any of the most difficult shark landings you’ve ever heard of - a fight against the silent killer that is a blood clot. With two sons on the boat, they continue working hard and touching base with their father to let them know who they are becoming even with him away.

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Show Viewing Date: 7-8-2008
Show Title: 30 Days: Life on the Navajo Reservation
Network: FXHD
Reviewed By: Mike Wilkerson - 2GuysTalking.Com

Intro:

Ah, the cultural submersion-gift that is 30 Days strikes a very familiar chord today. I can remember both my mother and grandmother telling us about the “line of Cherokee Indians in our family”, that as it reached me is surely watered down quite a bit. I currently have no Cherokee tradition, knowledge or familiarity at all with my “Indian roots’ but still - this episode brings something strange into the mix that I CAN relate with. The continual eradication, both perceived and real, of a culture that fewer are learning and even fewer are interested in resurrecting.

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