Sleepy Hollow: Oh, How I Love and Despise Thee!

So, Sleepy Hollow had its season finale on Monday, and I have to say that it was a doozy! There was a big reveal that was shocking. I definitely didn’t see it coming. And there were cliffhangers galore.

Sometimes I miss the old days when the season finale was a wrap-up of the season, and most things were resolved. But not nowadays. Noooo… We have to make sure viewers come back for the next season by hanging everyone over the cliff. (Oh, Buffy, how I miss your season finales.)  I believe that if viewers watch the season finale, it means they like the show enough to come back the next season. Unless you really mess things up.

Yes, I watched Sleepy Hollow’s season finale, and yes, I will be returning next season; not just because I want to find out what happens, and how my favorite characters get out of their current predicaments, but because I really like the show.

*** Possible spoilers ***

My other big beef with this show, and with other shows that deal with the supernatural, is that everyone seems to know what's going to happen before it happens except for the main characters. How the heck did George Washington know that Ichabod was going to be killed by the headless horseman and then rise 200 years later to stop an apocalypse? If he did, why didn't he just tell Ichabod, instead of giving him all of these cryptic hints. And... why the heck did Moloch need that map? Couldn't he already get to purgatory? Oh, I really could go on & on. But I won't, because in spite of these beefs, I still like the show.

Oh, and one more thing... Ichabod dated Betsy Ross. Hehe.

*** End of possible spoilers ***

Oh, September, you seem so far away!

King of the Nerds is Coming Back!

Season 2 of King of the Nerds premieres this Thursday, January 23rd on TBS. Last season was hilarious, and I can't wait to see what the geeky competition has in store for us this time around.

The trailer makes me laugh.

First favorite quote:

"It's a science fair, not a talent show."

And, Bill Nye, the Science Guy, shows up! 'Nuff reason to watch. Am I right?

Peter Pan will Fly Live this Christmas

After the success of The Sound of Music Live, NBC has decided to take a chance on airing another live musical. Peter Pan (which was originally filmed live on television in 1955 with Mary Martin in the title role), will be broadcast for the holiday season. I think it's interesting that they are doing another show that Mary Martin was in (she was Maria in the original Broadway version of The Sound of Music, if you didn't know). Maybe next year they'll do South Pacific (please, no!), or I Do, I Do (hmmm), or One Touch of Venus (yes, please!).

Robert Greenblatt, Entertainment chairman at NBC said, "We’re very pleased to be underway on Peter Pan as our next live holiday musical for the whole family. In the hopes that lightning strikes twice, we think we’ve landed on another great Broadway musical, which ironically also starred Mary Martin, that is a timeless classic for all audiences, young and old, who just never want to grow up.”

He also said, “Get ready for flying children and some kind of state-of-the-art light technology for Tinkerbell.” Regarding the flying, Greenblatt said, “You see the wires, it’s part of the charm of the show, we’ll do what we can to disguise them.”

So, I'm excited that NBC will be airing another musical live, but I'm not excited about their choice. Peter Pan the musical really isn't a favorite of mine. I was hoping that they would choose a show that hasn't already been on television, and, to be frank, one that I actually like. However, it's a good choice because people are familiar with it, it's a very family-friendly musical, and they can cast a big name in the title role. I just hope that this time they cast someone who can really fly. *wink* (You thought I was going to say "act," didn't you? Nope, I wasn't going to go there.)

How do you feel about Peter Pan being NBC's next live musical project?

Live Musical Theatre Makes a Comeback on Television: I Hope There's No Way to Stop It

I know it's been almost a month since the live broadcast of The Sound of Music, but I wanted to post a few of my thoughts about it.

The best thing to come from the show is that it had enough viewers to make network execs open to the idea of producing more live musical theatre on television. And to me, my friends, that made every negative thing said and written worth it.

So, here are a few words of what I liked and what I didn't like about the production.

What I Liked:

Audra McDonald, Laura Benanti, and Christian Borle. When you have Broadway actors of their calibre, it can't do anything but lift the production (not to mention Christiane Noll and Jessica Molaskey as two of the nuns).

Laura Benanti and Christian Borle singing "No Way to Stop It." I've loved that song ever since I was a small child when I listened to the Broadway cast recording of The Sound of Music on our family record player. I didn't understand what the song was about when I listened to it as a child, but I loved the music and lyrics anyway.

I know it will probably seem strange, but because I love live musical theatre, and I'm very familiar with performing onstage, I was a bit thrilled with the minor flubs in the production that proved we were watching a live performance. Carrie's foot slipped a little when she sang the title song on the little fake mountainside, her voice slipped a bit too, and I thought, yes, it really is live! One of the Captain's guests stepped on Elsa's dress, and Laura acknowledged it briefly and then moved on, just like you would have to do in a live stage production. Also, I went back later to rewatched the moment when lines were either missed, dropped or forgotten during the conversation between the Captain and the Nazi officer, to notice Christian Borle's (Max) reaction, and he didn't react to it at all. That is a professional stage actor.

I loved the theatricality when the wall opened and Maria walked from the Von Trapp home right into the Abbey, and when the family walked from the home into the concert hall. I wanted more theatricality like that.

It was a musical - live - on television!!!

What I Didn't Like:

I don't think that The Sound of Music was the greatest choice to try to bring back the "live television musical." Yes, the musical is well-known, because most everyone has seen the 1965 film. However, it's just not a very exciting musical. It's not very entertaining to me. I think the movie is much better than the stage play, however, it's still not one of my favorite musicals - or movies (sorry, Rogers and Hammerstein). Although, I am glad they didn't try to "remake" the movie.

Why, oh why did they put Rolf in those shorts? Who thought that was a good idea? If they thought it would make him look younger, then their choice failed miserably.

In general, because I don't really like the musical, I was pretty bored. Yes, the fact that it was live was exciting, and again, I loved McDonald, Benanti and Borle. However, the production just wasn't very entertaining to me. Stage musicals are best seen live - in person - so to make them interesting and entertaining on television, you really have to have a show that catches your attention, whether it's from the plot, the set, the production numbers, or the performances. It had its bright spots, but all-in-all, this production just didn't do it for me.

Other Observations:

I can't end this review without talking about Carrie Underwood's performance. I think she sang the part well, and I don't want to bash her, because that was a brave thing she did. But there is no denying that her acting ability is nowhere near that of her costars. Casting her brought one of the results the producers wanted - brought in viewers. But casting her didn't do the production much good.

The Time of the Doctor: Behind the Scenes

If you haven't seen "The Time of the Doctor," you probably won't want to watch this video until you do, because it does contain spoilers.

As I said in my last post, I am sad to see Matt go, and I got a little teary-eyed when they showed him at the table-read for this episode. And, it made me like Matt (the person) even more.

I really liked David Tennant's simple "I don't want to go," but I do have to say that Matt's little speech before his regeneration was some of Moffat's best writing. And as much as I have complained about Moffat's writing during Matt's time as the Doctor, I did like the regeneration scene.

Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor - Mini Review

We said goodbye to Matt Smith's 11th (?) Doctor on Christmas Day. (The parenthetical question mark is due to the fact that Stephen Moffat has messed up the numbering of the Doctors regenerations.) My main question after seeing the episode is "why can't we get a new showrunner with the new Doctor?"

I wanted to like this episode - so much. I want to like Doctor Who still - so much. But Stephen Moffat is slowly ruining the show for me - so much.

*sigh*

Stephen wrote some of my favorite Doctor Who episodes during Russell T. Davies time as the head writer. ("Blink," "The Girl in the Fireplace," "Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead"). He writes Sherlock, which I love. So I don't understand how he's missed the mark so many times during Matt's time as the Doctor.

Regardless of my many frustrations with Matt's farewell episode, I am sad to see Matt go. I have really enjoyed him as the Doctor. However, I am looking forward to Peter Capaldi's Doctor, and I hope that we get some classic traveling to new places, seeing the Doctor's joy at introducing his companion to new worlds and new adventures. That is Doctor Who to me - adventures in time and space!

Sherlock is Coming Back!

The mini-episodes Stephen Moffat has written for Doctor Who have been so successful that he decided to make one for Sherlock.

I'm so excited for Sherlock's return!