Ananas

This is, I think, an irrational but understandable move by NBC. For all the buzz it had coming out of last year's upfronts, this season has been a DISASTER for the network outside of "Heroes". A lot of really good shows just went up in flames, and as easy as it is to point the finger and say they didn't promote it (which is silly because they did, and at the same time it was a very difficult show to promote) this is a show whose price tag did not fit the potential audience. It would be different if they were FOX, and had a couple juggernauts returning every January to bail them out during sweeps, but they aren't. There's no time for slow-burn when you're dead last. The argument for renewal is as follows: the show does excellent Tivo numbers and may likely lead to big DVD sales, a DVD release may lead new viewers to discover the show, an inevitable windfall of Emmy nominations (although not necessarily wins) could bolster interest, and as low as the ratings may have been they're still the strongest NBC has garnered in that timeslot during the year (of 3 different shows given the chance with some kind of regularity). The argument against: the show is obscenely expensive by conventional standards, Tivo viewers don't watch commercials, DVD's are expensive and there is evidence that the market is falling out, the Emmy's did little to help the case of Arrested Development (another show that ended its first season in such a predicament), and although S60's numbers were better than the shows that replaced it, they still fall well below the watershed numbers required to give the network any hope of getting out of the Big 4 cellar. I honestly thought that the argument for was enough to warrant a renewal contingent on some cost cutting (and I suppose we'll find out in the coming weeks if such offers were made) and a 12 episode "limp in" commitment, but I suppose the desperate network is hardly a rational one. NBC is holding a weak hand, and the safest strategy for a network in this situation is to get out and hope for some better cards next time. Studio 60 just happens to be the victim of numbers.

The NY Times article seems to be speculation, whereas the number of different trade websites have confirmed that the show has been renewed from various sources. Can we be 100% certain? No, but there's probably reason to get one's hopes up.

For those interested, there's a rumored ABC schedule for next season going floating around and it has Lost returning this January on Tuesdays. If you're interested, you can check the whole thing out here.

My Name Is Earl - "The Trial" - 9/10 Holy shit. This was one of those format changing, well produced episodes that define the way we remember a show. Awesome use of music, great work from Jason Lee and a fantastic script. We've had some great moments on sitcoms this year ("Robin Sparkles", Carla saying goodbye to Laverne on "Scrubs", "the black crusaders", the entire "Traveling Salesmen" episode of "The Office"), but I think the last 5 minutes of tonight's season finale has put Earl right at the forefront. It's comedy's workhorse, and maybe after tonight a darkhorse at this year's Emmy Awards.

But how can you leave now? Rush Limbaugh assures us it will be fantastic next year!

I dunno, JD and Elliott to me seemed two people with wonderful chemistry that always seemed to hook up at the worst of times. Now there's gonna have to be some sharp writing to get past the fact that JD is once again pining after an engaged Elliott, but I think if the circumstances were appropriately created it could work without being inconsistent and desperate. As for JD/Kim, I just have a hard time believing that Elizabeth Banks is going to commit to an entire season of a TV show when she's arguably more in demand than she's ever been.

This is completely irrelevant to the argument. You already acknowledged that most teams cannot keep pace with the Yanks, and therefore are disadvantaged in putting together teams to compete. It's not just the Yanks either, it's small markets vs. large markets. So if Tampa can never hope to compete for a playoff spot barring some kind of miracle, how much of a fanbase do you expect them to build? Or KC? Or Florida? Or Pittsburgh? How about being a middle market franchise in the AL East with the two biggest markets, Boston and New York? Predictability doesn't inspire excitement. Constant defeat stifles support. And giving teams like the seven major league franchises with a payroll of over 100 million dollars a head start towards the playoffs is BAD for baseball. A salary cap is needed, and they chose to ignore that problem at the CBA negotiations last year.

No, they spend to be as competitive as possible and still have a chance of HAVING a profit. And for cities that DON'T have a lucrative network TV deal in place, or the comfort of being MLB's most recognized brand, or the biggest market in the league, it's understandably hard impossible to keep up. But hey, there's nothing wrong with that, right? I suppose when the league collapses on the weight of its own inequality in a couple decades, the Yankees and Red Sox can have great seasons... playing each other 162 times. Now THAT's how you build a division rivalry.

So a team with a $195 million payroll can just go out and throw a guy a contract more lucrative than the D-Rays spend in a year without problem? And yet the CBA negotiations went by without mention of a salary cap this year. Oh but don't worry, we can easily deal with the eroding competition and eventually unsustainable markets in 2009. Who knows, maybe by then you'll need a few less votes to ratify the agreement.

Nelly Furtado: Whoa Nelly and Folklore - Interesting, fun and unique. Loose - Fodder for "So You Think You Can Dance" Bjork: Medulla - Album of 2004 Volta - Great outside of "Earth Intruders" (repetitive) and "Innocence" (obnoxious and overproduced). Guess who produced those? I actually dug the Antony Hegarty duets. My main problem with Timbaland is that he injects his own sound over whatever he produces. It's one thing to do that with the Pussycat Dolls (which are essentially a corporate entity) or Missy Elliott (who seems to operate on the same wave length), but with people who actually have unique sounds? Don't take them and and homogenize it into a mashup of your own tastes. I'm aware that it was a conscious decision on their parts to choose him, but fuck, he's like a cancer for creativity.

I'm gonna take a slightly less traditional definition of metal and say: 1) System Of a Down 2) Rage Against the Machine 3) Metallica Certainly my tops in terms of most listened to. And the least edgy list ever. Still, one must be honest.

New Bjork is good, but fuck Timbaland for ever producing anyone good. He ruined Nelly Furtado and made Bjork less interesting. There are some good tracks, but it's a definite step down from Volta. I'm listening to this Silversun Pickups record Zero was raving about in the albums thread and the first track is awesome. Hopefully the rest is similarly awesome.

Except for one track that LeCompt co-wrote ("All That I'm Living For"), Amy Lee wrote every track on "The Open Door" either on her own or with Terry Balsamo (still in the band). This changes nothing.

That better be a Amy Winehouse reference <3

"White Americans, what, nothing better to do? Why don't you kick yourself out, you're an immigrant too?" Awesome song. Probably better than anything off Get Behind Me Satan, and the best White Stripes song since Seven Nation Army. 2007 in music just keeps getting better.

You're right about Norah Jones. I don't think I've really gotten into it at all at any point; it's not bad, but certainly a step below the first two. As for Daughtry... let's just say Fitzy is gonna be pissed. And when he gets pissed, I will agree with him.

Maybe it was the show being gone for a while, but was that not awesome? Dialogue was great, I cared about the story for once and the Veronica/Logan stuff wasn't annoying. Shame it's basically dead in the water.