Fox

What Really Happens When You’re The Last Man On Earth

/ Alex Doriot / Leave a comment

“The Last Man On Earth” betrayed its title in the very first episode.

If you haven’t watched the hilarious Fox show, now in its second season, that’s not really a spoiler. You can tell from any commercial that Will Forte’s character finds out fairly quickly into the series that he is not actually the last living human who survived some sort of massive viral outbreak.

I think “The Last Man On Earth” is the funniest and most creative show on television today. Every week the show surprises me as it adds depth to a seemingly simple premise and creatively increases the stakes for its oddball cast of survivors.

I also appreciate how the show has made the lead character Phil an unapologetic, unlikable jerk. Continue reading →

Is It Time To Change Your Opening Credits?

/ Alex Doriot / Leave a comment

new-girl-cruise“New Girl”, my favorite comedy on TV right now, took a tremendous risk last week.

No – the show didn’t kill of any of it’s main characters. It didn’t end in some unpredictable cliffhanger. There wasn’t a game-changing revelation.

“New Girl” changed their opening credits.

This may not seem like a show-altering move on the surface. Here’s why it was. Continue reading →

Why Homer Simpson Has To Die

/ Alex Doriot / Leave a comment

Homer-Simpson-Images-540x405Homer Simpson has to die. 

You may think this is a crazy thing to say. After all, The Simpsons have been in a bit of a renaissance of late.

First there was the “Every Simpsons Ever” marathon on FXX, which shattered ratings records for the struggling cable network. Then the cast celebrated 25 years on the air with a live performance of classic musical moments from the show at The Hollywood Bowl.

Just last night featured the highly anticipated Simpson family crossover on an episode of “Family Guy”, which, aside from a bizarre and laugh-less fight scene between Homer and Peter Griffin. was surprisingly clever and funny.

Plus there was the actual season premiere of “The Simpsons” which garnered a good amount of mainstream buzz for promising to kill off a major character.

Of course, despite a few teases, Homer Simpson didn’t die on either episode. And I’m not saying I want to live in a world where “The Simpsons” actually kills off their patriarch.

I just think to truly be appreciated that “The Simpsons” must die.  Continue reading →

Fire The Coach

/ Alex Doriot / Leave a comment

** FILE ** This is an Oct. 11, 2008 file photo showing Georgia head coach Mark Richt gesturing on the the sidelines during an NCAA college football game against Tennessee in Athens, Ga. Judging from the chatter on Internet message boards, Georgia fans are fretting a little more than usual, clearly bothered by the perception that their program is starting to lag ever so slightly behind the other elite schools in the powerful Southeastern Conference. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

Last year saw marks the launch of the SEC Network, the latest in a line of 24 hour sports networks. It joined the relatively new Fox Sports 1 and NBC Sports Network as well as the already established ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, and about 100 other “all sports, all the time” channels.

Sports dominate the American culture like nothing else. You could say sports rule the day because of fantasy teams, or because of geographical rivalries, or because live sports are “DVR-proof”.

You might even say sports rule the day simply because of the thrill of victory. But I think it’s the opposite. Continue reading →

Why I’ll Always Love The O.C.

/ Alex Doriot / Leave a comment

http://nowhitenoise.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ocpilot.jpg

Everything I’ve learned about leadership I learned from The O.C.

Maybe that’s a stretch. But as the landmark soap marked it’s tenth anniversary this past week (and retrospective articles like this one from Grantland were all over the place) I started thinking about why I have such a soft spot for this bubblegum show.

I realized none of the articles I found on the internet really got to the heart of why I loved The O.C. – the heart of it all. Continue reading →

So You Think You Can Doubt

/ Alex Doriot / Leave a comment

Time to come clean and reveal a dirty little secret. My favorite guilty pleasure of the summer is a show called “So You Think You Can Dance.”

I’m a fan of reality shows which track and reward a contestant’s growth over the course of the series. “Survivor”, older seasons of “American Idol”, even “Celebrity Apprentice”. I love seeing real people face down seemingly insurmountable challenges and overcome them, learning more about themselves and life along the way.

(Also I have an unhealthy crush on host Cat Deeley.)

But what I love most about “So You Think You Can Dance” is the moment of doubt. Continue reading →

Homer Simpson: Father Of The Year

/ Alex Doriot / Leave a comment

http://www.hulu.com/watch/33378

Homer Simpson. Always a model for fatherhood. Why, just in this clip above, he shows us 3 of the most important characteristics of a great father.

A father always makes time to give advice to his child. A father is always ready to teach his child. A father is willing to endure extreme pain for his child.

Ok, so he’s not always perfect. But he does what he can with what he has.

As long as you’re doing your best with your kids and not giving up, you should be commended. If you’re at least as good a dad as Homer Simpson then you have reason to celebrate this Father’s Day.

Relax and rejoice. The children of the world appreciate you. No one knows exactly how to do what you’re doing. But we’re glad you’re trying.

Happy Father’s Day.

What If Arrested Development Fails?

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arrested“What if it fails?”

It’s a question near and dear to the heart of every “Arrested Development” fan. For 7 years we’ve been clamoring and campaigning to bring the cult hit back to the airwaves.

There have been many false starts and glimmers of hope, hints and clues dropped by various stars that a reunion might occur.

Then out of the blue came the confirmation: “Arrested Development” was really and truly coming back. And not just for a brief reunion, but for an all new fourth season.

Come on! This was unthinkable news. The cult of “Arrested Development” has been steadily rising since the show went off the air in 2006. Many young adults discovered the show on DVDs borrowed from friends who couldn’t help telling people they were making a huge mistake if they had not seen it.

This Sunday all 15 episodes of the fourth season debut on Netflix. Still, the question remains in articles like this from The Hollywood Reporter: What if it fails? Continue reading →