BLUE MAG

Summer is usually the time of year for reruns and not much else. Since the networks started selling shows on DVD or making them available for downloading (off the interweb or whatever) there has been less of a demand (if there ever was such a thing) for seeing shows a second time around. Now we have a glut of new shows running exclusively during the summer to keep us drooling monsters happy until of fall season of bliss returns. Anyway here’s what I’ve been watching:

Top Chef – Bravo has the reality game show format down to a science. This is basically Project Runway with people cooking. For some reason I love to watch people cook competativly. I loved the Japanese dubbed “Iron Chef” back in the 90s and I love this show. Most of all I love stuffing my increasingly fat face while watching someone infuse something with saffron foam.

Hell’s Kitchen – Again cooking competition = joy. However, this show isn’t as focused on the food and is more about Gordon Ramsay shouting “bleeped” insults at pathetic sexless foodtube stuffers. Here the joy is substantially less than “Top Chef” (and I find myself eating less during the program) but the yelling and screaming by the sawed off little prick is fairly entertaining.

Flight of the Conchords – I can’t say enough about this show. It’s a bit like “The Mighty Boosh” from New Zealand set in New York. It’s on HBO and it’s as funny as anything on TV right now. Actually it’s funnier. The production values are a bit low but that seems par for the course for HBO comedy shows (ie: “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, “Lucky Louie”, etc) and unlike say a sci-fi show, low production values don’t hurt comedy and at times make the comedy better.

Torchwood – Okay this isn’t really a summer show but I’ve just started watching this spin off of BBC’s Doctor Who. It’s the Brits attempt at an adult sci-fi show about a secret organization called Torchwood (an anagram of doctor who) that investigates weird activity in England (Cardiff more specifically.) I’ve only watched a couple episodes and it’s not very good. The second episode is notable for the gas that makes you want to have sex with everything and everyone. If only someone would adapt Charles Platt’s The Gas.(Note: I’m planning to check out “Hex” and “Primeval” as other examples of modern Brit Sci-fi. Good idea readers?)

John From Cincinnati – I’ve only seen the first episode and have to catch up but man that was a good pilot. If you like “Deadwood” you’ll like this even though it’s totally different. That doesn’t make much since but it’s written by David Milch and has the same stylistic dialogue that “Deadwood” had. By the way, are those “Deadwood” movies ever getting made?