Watching KVille

Hmm, there really isn’t much out there that is exciting me in any way, or making me want to watch anything other than the final half of the final season for BSG (or it is over?). Maybe FOX’s Fringe…

It’s looking a little X-Files to me, and that could be a good thing. My secret is that I have yet to watch Lost. I know, I know, it’s great and I will love it. I even own the first two or three seasons and I have yet to watch them. Why? I don’t know. It’s like after going through my addiction to The 4400 and then reeling from it when it started sucking, rebounded right into Battlestar Galactica. I just don’t want to get hooked on another multi-season-and-still-going hour long scifi drama. I just can’t. I will someday, but not today. Maybe this winter.

Anyway, Fringe is what I am writing about today. I am not sure if Fringe will be a “K-Ville.” Does it capitalize on a tragedy? If you count something like the lack of X-Files a tragedy, then yes, but I don’t think that counts. So will it only last one season or less? Who’s to say. FOX is notorious at canceling shows that perhaps just needed a second season to find their legs and audience, but JJ Abrams is behind this one, so it must be good, right? This is the guy behind Alias (never watched it, never wanted to) and Lost (already discussed above), so you know, he’s awesome or something.

Wait. What else does the image say? “From the writers of Transformers…” That movie was terrible, I mean really, really terrible. Maybe I am not as excited as I thought I was.

We shall see. FOX is fickle. Firefly came from Joss Whedon and that did nothing to keep it on the air. I am trying to think of another example, and can only think of something like Cop Rock. Can anyone please think of anything else?

FOX, fall tv, Fringe, X-Files, Lost, Alias, BSG, Battlestar Galactica, The 4400, Firefly, Cop Rock, JJ Abrams, Joss Whedon, Transformers

Yep, it’s true. Anthony “Marlin Boulet” Anderson has moved on to greener and (currently slightly) higher-rated pastures, joining NBC’s long-long-long-running drama, “Law & Order.”

Photo comes from the NY Post, as does this blurb.

“He’s a former IAB [internal affairs] officer who didn’t sign up for that job - they recruited him right out of the academy and told him he could become a homicide detective in two years,” Anderson told The Post.

“It’s what he really wants to do,” Anderson said. “Bernard feels he can really make a difference as a homicide detective.”

Bernard is replacing Det. Ed Green (Jesse L. Martin), who’s leaving the show. Bernard’s first appearance on “L&O” will overlap with Green’s final appearance, scheduled to air April 23 on NBC. Bernard will be paired with Det. Cyrus Lupo (Jeremy Sisto), who’s also new to the “L&O” family.

“He’s not a hard-ass,” Anderson says of Bernard.

“He’s a fair guy trying to find his way in a new station house - and trying to get away from the stench of the ‘rat squad’ of internal affairs.”

Don’t bother checking Anthony’s website for any information, as it looks as though it has not been updated in quite some time. K-Ville is not even listed in the filmography.

That’s an odd word, isn’t it? Filmography.

One, I think this is a good move for Anderson, as FOX is notoriously bad at supporting shows that don’t rake in the benjamins. If you ain’t American Idol, your job is not safe at FOX. And working on Law & Order carries a certain loyal audience that tunes in now matter what, and L&O goes into a profitable syndication outlet that means that in a few years, maybe one or two depending on how fast the current season goes into re-runs, Anderson will be raking in the residuals.

However, L&O is getting very long in the tooth, if you know what I mean. There are rumours that NBC may end up giving it the boot, which I doubt, as L&O has spawned so many time-slot fillers for NBC, and I would think that NBC would not want to piss off Dick Wolf. Wolf will more likely be the one to pull the plug.

I popped by the Law & Order forum on the NBC website, and it seems that there are mixed feelings about Anderson joining the cast. I think that Anderson is a surprisingly good actor with tremendous range (The Shield providing a good example of this), so it is not like he will ruin the show, which personally I cannot watch anymore due to having a tv writing teacher that had worked on L&O back in the day and she ruined the show for me, thank you very much. L&O has had a venerable cast over the years, (Jerry Orbach is King! May he rest in peace.) so if anything Anderson is joining a great cast for the most part.

Anthony Anderson, Law & Order, L&O, NBC, K-Ville, FOX, American Idol, Dick Wolf, Jerry Orbach

Thanks a lot, Writers Strike. Now what am I supposed to write about?

News came this week that K-Ville will not be returning to production, FOX, or Monday nights. Get your fill of the existing K-Ville episodes on the official FOX website or on Hulu, or wait until the DVD set comes out — if it comes out on DVD??

The Times-Picayune reported that K-Ville will not return for our viewing pleasure, or displeasure, depending on how you viewed the show starring Anthony Anderson and Cole Hauser. I, for one, will miss K-Ville, but as I have had the past three months getting used to the fact that it ain’t comin’ back, I am not upset or surprised for that matter.

The Times-Picayune reporter was not surprised either.

I’ve been writing and rewriting “K-Ville’s” obituary for months.

And the author, Dave Walker, added this…

Every[sic] since the strike shut-down, “K-Ville” has existed among TV’s undead — not quite canceled but presenting very weak vital signs.

The resolution of the strike — which is happening this week; see this link for a rundown on when or if your other favorite shows will return — was supposed to provide closure for the handful of fans holding out for a “K-Ville” resurrection.

No such luck. Fox is one of those networks that never quite cancels anything. Its shows just stop running, and their demise is never officially acknowledged.

“K-Ville’s” home page, streaming episodes and streaming theme song are still active at www.Fox.com, but that’s really all that’s left of the series.

So, there we are. Forced to think of Boulet and Cobb, who I thought could become the next Crockett and Tubbs, as only a memory

Personally, aside from my disappointment regarding this website, I thought that K-Ville was getting slightly better each week, until that crapfest of a “fall finale” aired as the last episode. Granted, that episode was never written as a “finale” of any sort, but it was what it was, and it was bad. Again, sadly that will be the last taste of K-Ville many of us will be left with, as we watch Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles. Yet another fine show from the FOX network…Kudos oncasting Summer Glau, because she is the only thing watchable on that show. Although, I do like the guy that plays the terminator that took the identity of d-list actor, and is hunting down that whiny brat, John Conner. Let’s hope he sticks around for a few episodes.

That actor, Garrett Dillahunt, was also in John from Cincinnati, and also had a small role in one of the year’s best, and most talked about film, No Country for Old Men. If you have not seen No Country, see it. It’s excellent. You can read a review I wrote of it by clicking here. Dillahunt is someone to watch, as I think he is a very good actor. Although, he does seem to take just about any job he is offerred. Oh, I kid, I kid. He’s working…a lot, and that’s great.

But still, this is about K-Ville. Just remember…Jericho was cancelled and has returned to primetime. Viewers wrote CBS and complained enough that the show was brought back. I’m just throwing that out there…

K-Ville, FOX, Jonathan Lisco, Writers Strike, Hulu, Anthony Anderson, Cole Hauser, Times-Picayune, Terminator, The Sarah Conner Chronicles, Garret Dillahunt, John from Cincinnati, No Country for Old Men, Jericho

The Sarah Connor Chronicles debuted last night, and the second episode will be airing tonight at 9pm Eastern/8pm Central. And yes, that is K-Ville’s time slot. Not that it has been on the last couple of weeks, but still, a new show in a previous show’s time slot makes me suspicious, except that we are in the middle of a writers strike, so there really is no rhyme or reason to anything anymore. Like Jimbo Jones says to Homer Simpson during the cat burgler episode, “I don’t believe in nothing no more. I’m goin’ to law school.”

I checked the FOX website for next week’s schedule as well, and yes, it’s true that the Sarah Connor Chronicles are taking over the 9pm Monday night time slot. Now, I imagine that this is a “permanent” schedule, as I really don’t see when else this show would air. Maybe it will be moved to the hour after American Idol, like House did for a while, and maybe FOX will again show K-Ville, but I doubt that. When and if K-Ville will return is unknown to me, so if anyone out there has any real, definitive information, please pass it along to the front of the class. But I am inclined to think that we will not see K-Ville again until the strike is over and new episodes return. However, I also strongly believe that if the strike goes on too much longer, there will be no return of K-Ville. Unless of course, the strike goes on for quite some time; then I think that due to the lack of pilots for next fall, K-Ville may just win a second (half of a) season. But again, this is all speculation.

Did anyone check out the Sarah Connor Chronicles last night? Much like Bionic Woman, I was a little excited about it and really wanted SCC to be good. Instead, I found it pretty cheesy, and a little 24-esque, without the ticking time clock to lend momentum to the action. However, as I learned from the K-Ville pilot (and almost every other pilot I have seen in my insignificant lifetime), pilots can be lame and then the show once it hits its stride can really come into its own and become quite good. I have always liked the Terminator mythology, so I’d like to see SCC become better, but we’ll have to wait, watch, and see.

And yes, I will be watching SCC tonight. In case, you were wondering…What can I say, I like Summer Glau — I miss Firefly

Oh, and I have some good news for all my fans (all two of you). I am taking over the Portland, Oregon site for 451 Press. You can visit it here…www.about-portlandor.com. Don’t worry, I am still writing Watching K-Ville.

Sarah Connor Chronicles, K-Ville, FOX, Jimbo Jones, Homer Simpson, American Idol, House, writers strike, Terminator, 24, Summer Glau, Firefly, Portland, Oregon

I just received the official FOX newsletter for K-Ville last night (first one all fall/season).

Here’s what it said:

K-VILLE: SEASON FINALE!
MONDAY 9/8c

When a reporter from New York visits New Orleans to write a story on the city two years after Katrina, Cobb and Boulet begrudgingly take her on a ride-along. While escorting their guest, Boulet and Cobb respond to a call where a victim has been brutally shot. As the investigation unfolds and the journalist reports, challenging and unforeseen circumstances surface.

One, the email’s subject line said “Fall Finale.” The email itself says “Season Finale.” It is probably a moot point, but still it inspires hope that FOX is keeping K-Ville around. If they were going to cancel it, wouldn’t they simply let it disappear without fanfare, like so many other shows?

Two, I think it is cute how the promo is written. First, it’s “Cobb and Boulet,” and then it’s “Boulet and Cobb.” Aw, they don’t want either star to feel “bigger” or more important than the other. I do the same things with my cats.

Three, what a crappy promo. “…challenging and unforeseen circumstances surface.” Geez, I guess the promo writers are on strike as well. My eight-year-old nephew could have written that, FOX. Give me something to look forward to, not ambiguities. I know, I know, you can’t give it away, but you really should tease me better than that. I’ll beg for it more.

So anyway, my friends, I am sad that K-Ville will not be a part of my weekly routine, and I am going to have to start watching more reality TV (seriously, that lie detector show looks HORRIBLE!), but as I mentioned before, now I will have more time and desire to really start examining the episodes we do have at our disposal. Thank you, FOX, for making the episodes available on line, as well as a kiss out to you, Hulu.

K-Ville, FOX, Season Finale, Hulu

As I was checking out the official K-Ville site, I happened to read the recap for “Boulet in a China Shop.”

If you must know, I was trying to see if FOX listed whoever did the excellent “Blue Skies” cover toward the end of the episode that then sound-dissolved-cut into Love Tap’s screeched version of it at the kareoke bar. Anyone?

Anyhoo, the official FOX recap has more in it than the version of “Boulet in a China Shop” than I saw. Remember how I wrote that Cobb was a little too mysterious about his doin’s and transpirin’s during the episode? The recap explains that he was outside of A.J.’s trailer while the gang was at the kareoke bar the first time in the beginning, and then again, he was giving AJ the money that he tried giving her in a previous episode, “No Good Deed.”

But if you read the recaps from both “No Good Deed” and “Boulet in a China Shop,” the exact same phrases/half-paragraphs are in both, so I am inclined to see this a some weird typo on the part of the FOX site.

AJ, a lovely lass, was the girlfriend of Cobb’s old cell mate that he kind of let drown during “the storm.” Anyway, to make a long story short, Cobb tried to assuage his guilt by giving AJ the stash from one of the cell mate’s heists. This blew up in his face as AJ was arrested a short time later for trying to spend some of the ill-gotten cash. But now, the stolen cash issue is no longer an “issue” and he can finally give her the money again. Was this in last week’s episode? I had missed it due to the Oregon floods, and decided to watch it once new episodes were no longer available. A way of keeping myself busy during the Season of the Reality Show…

So, my question is, did anyone in the country see this interaction between Cobb and AJ during the December 10th episode? Because I did not see these two scenes. Why would those scenes have been cut? Hmm. Or is this simply an oversight on the FOX sight and someone screwed up with the recaps?

Here’s my evidence:

From the recap for “No Good Deed”: (the beginning)

Cobb gives A.J. the money, tells her it was Sonny’s, he won it gambling the night he was arrested. The other cops thought it was dirty but he got to the bottom of it, just took a while to sort out. He explains that before he was NOPD he was a prison guard, became friends with Sonny and as they establish this connection both missing their old friend, Cobb’s pager disrupts their moment and takes us to…

From “Boulet in a China Shop”: (towards the end, after the Boulet and Cobb scene in the locker room)

Cobb goes back to the trailer park, in uniform. He gives A.J. the money and tells her it was her husband’s. Sonny was Cobb’s old cellmate who he allowed to drown during the storm. Cobb says that Sonny won the money gambling the night he was arrested. The other cops thought it was dirty but he got to the bottom of it; it just took a while to sort out. A.J., emotional, says she doesn’t know if Sonny would want her to have this money. They were having troubles when he died. There’s an attraction between her and Cobb. She says she plays guitar most nights at Jake’s, and shyly invites him to stop by if he wants.

Here’s more from the Boulet in a China Shop: (From the very beginning)

Boulet, on a night out with his fellow cops and Ayana, whoops it up at a karaoke bar. Meanwhile, Cobb goes to a trailer park, where he lays eyes on the beautiful A.J. for the first time. He hides in the shadows, just watching her.

First time?? There was already a whole episode about AJ and Cobb. Is this oversight perhaps why the Cobb scenes were cut?

My guess: The AJ/Cobb thing was supposed to be in one episode, and then switched to another. But the recaps were obviously not updated, and that is why Cobb had no sub-plot in “Boulet in a China Shop.” Any other guesses?

And wait, to further the mystery…Amanda Righetti, who plays AJ, is listed in IMDB as appearing in “Cobb’s Webb” and “No Good Deed.”

Have you seen this woman in more than one K-Ville episode? If so, which ones?

K-Ville, FOX, Amanda Righetti, IMDB, Cobb

Oh, do the clever names for episodes never stop? Wait, they might in about two episodes.

Yes, my friend, conflicting information about the fate of our fair show. According to both wikipedia and epguides.com, there will only be eleven of the original thirteen shows that will be airing.

Hmm, why wouldn’t FOX have produced the full run? My guess is cancellation. Drat. Seriously, FOX, what else do you have?

It seems that Anthony Anderson may have to find a new job. Shouldn’t be a problem for him. He has had a pretty good couple of years…The Departed, Transformers, The Shield. He just finished up work as himself on Black Poker Stars Invitational. Can’t wait.

Cole Hauser just finished production on a movie called Tortured. It is about an FBI agent that has a moral dilema about torturing someone…how timely.

But hey, back to the present.

Last night’s episode, “Boulet in a China Shop” offered us a look into Boulet’s tortured soul, and kept us in the dark about Cobb — again. A murder at a Mardi Gras warehouse, you know where they store floats?, interrupted Boulet, Glue Boy and Love Tap’s awesome kareoke night — Anthony Anderson can sing! When the team + Cobb and + Captain + the other nameless faceless cops in full SWAT gear storms the warehouse, they find two dead bodies and another guy hiding out in a big head. I kept calling the guy Ashy Larry because he looked a lot like Ashy Larry from Chappelle’s Show.

This Ashy Larry character was one of the many people that Boulet had saved during “the Storm.”

Ashy Larry, or “Owen Giles” as K-Ville calls him was played by Avery Waddell, and it is impossible to find pictures of him, so here is one from his younger days on Boston Public.

Here’s Ashy Larry.

You try and tell them apart, especially after the character was pulled from some big paper mache head with a lot of dust all over him.

And the time count for the first mention of “the Storm”– 5 minutes! Who has that square? Yay, it’s me, because I’m the only person playing.

K-Ville, FOX, Anthony Anderson, Cole Hauser, IMDB, Transformers, The Departed, The Shield, Black Poker Stars Invitational, Tortured, Ashy Larry, Avery Waddell, Boston Public

Just in case any FOX execs happen across this little blog…

1. The Location of New Orleans.

I am sick to death of watching New York shows or Los Angeles shows. New Orleans gives viewers a somewhat unique locale for a drama. Sure, I know that more and more shows are branching out into other US cities, but so many of them are obviously not filmed in those cities. K-Ville is filmed in New Orleans, and that is a wonderful change of pace for those of us that took that first hit of TV as kids and never bothered to get help for our affliction.

I mean, sure, a show like Grey’s Anatomy takes place in Seattle (right?), but you can tell that they did not film there. There is one or two exterior shots of that hospital, and we are to believe that poof, they are in Seattle. But it seems to me the only place they ever go outside of that hospital is to that bar across the street (At least not in the three episodes I have bothered to watch — that show is like a high school soap opera, but then even high school soaps seem more mature). ER did/does the same thing. There is no authenticity in the location, and today’s television viewer is more savvy than that. We want a sense of realism in our cop shows. K-Ville gives us that, in spades.

And one more point, K-Ville provides jobs and maybe a sense of pride for New Orleans, and hey, what US city can use the help more than NOLA?

2. The Dynamic of the Two Leads.

Not to get into a whole discourse on race relations in Television History, but it is refreshing to see an African-American Actor not only carrying the show, but carrying the cop team. In Miami Vice, the show centered heavily on Crockett and Tubbs was there to make it seem progressive. Add Edward James Almos and we have a cross-section of the American population — what, no Asian-Americans or Native-Americans, come on, it was the 1980’s.

Anthony Anderson is entirely watchable. His Marlin Boulet is a complex hero. He doesn’t have those cop superpowers that make him always right and know exactly which lead to follow, and he drinks on the job, and he tricks people into letting him steal evidence, and he bullies people into telling him what he wants. The flaws are as good as his strengths.

Cole Hauser’s Cobb is an equally strong and flawed character. He’s an escaped convict, for pete’s sake. What made him want to be a cop; couldn’t he have done just starting “doing good” by teaching kids or fighting fires? And what makes him such a good cop? Is it that he spent so many years on the wrong side of the law, and he can think like a criminal? Either way, I am digging it, and I want to see his character grow.

3. FOX, It is Not Like You Have Anything Better.

House is on its last season, face it. Bones just cannot be bringing in the viewers. Prison Break is so over, and the choice to put them back in prison, is well, pardon the pun, criminal (and lazy). What else ya got, Fox?

Give K-Ville a chance to grow. Maybe find a better night. Maybe start programming it after that insidious American Idol. Isn’t that how you turned House into a hit?

K-Ville, Fox, New York, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Seatle, Grey’s Anatomy, ER, Miami Vice, Edward James Almos, Anthony Anderson, Cole Hauser, House, Bones, Prison Break, American Idol

In an ironic twist of fate, the December 3 episode of K-Ville, titled “Flood, Wind and Fire,” (which I am sure was named for an insurance policy rather than a clever re-working of the supercool group from the ’70’s, Earth, Wind and Fire) was pre-empted in Portland, Oregon due to FOX 12 having to spend three hours covering a three-day storm that has flooded many areas around Northern and Central Oregon.

So there I was, happily camped out on the sofa, in my favourite blankie, with a glass of syrah and a full two-pages of blank paper waiting for the adventures of Crockett and Tubbs, er, I mean, Boulet and Cobb, and instead there are the requisite lame white guy reporters in full adventure gear braving the wind and water to bring me the latest developments.

Here’s the problem though…FOX shows their local affiliate news at 10pm. K-Ville is on at 9pm. So really, couldn’t the news have just waited an extra hour before interrupting my regularly scheduled programming?

At first, I held onto the belief that the news would be over in five or ten minutes. You know, one of those irritating news “briefs” that make you miss the beginning of the show, but then you can have the challenge of figuring out what you missed. A fun little game, right? Well, after twenty-nine minutes, I gave up on the hope that it was merely a news brief.

You call that a flood?

This is a flood.

Just kidding, the Oregon floods are pretty bad. Not Katrina bad, but then again, Oregon is above sea-level.

Ah ha, but I don’t give up that easy. I then found the number of the local FOX 12, and I called to voice my irritation with them for showing the same footage in a loop for 29 minutes, and for making me miss K-Ville. The local NBC affiliate didn’t pre-empt Heroes!

The FOX 12 offices were closed. And unless I have some real news to report, there was no one to talk to. And yes, I paused a second before hanging up, evaluating if my complaint was actual news. But hey, there was a state of emergency out there (Oregon and Washington’s Governors had just declared it), so I hung up.

And now, I have to wait for the full episode to be available on the FOX website.

Oh, and I went back and checked FOX 12 at 11:20 pm. They were still showing the coverage of the Oregon floods, and yes, the same loop of video. If you have nothing to do, please email FOX 12 and voice your dismay at their utter disregard for K-Ville fans. I did.

So my question to you is…are all local FOX affiliate news super lame, or is it just me? I have lived in Chicago, Los Angeles, Ann Arbor, and Grand Rapids, Michigan, and all of those FOX stations are utter crap. Does anyone have a decent lcoal FOX station out there?

K-Ville, Oregon, Washington, Floods, Storm, Fox 12, Heroes, Chicago, Los Angeles, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, local news

Forgive the inappropriate pun .

This may be a rather pointless exercise as the WGA strike is calling the shots in prime time programming and will be for at least another three or four months, even if the strike ends today. But I am looking at what poor K-Ville is up against and it seems like FOX didn’t really want K-Ville to succeed.

Of course, I want to believe that FOX thought K-Ville strong enough to go up against Heroes. FOX may have figured that Prison Break would be a strong enough lead-in program to draw a considerable base viewership for K-Ville. Maybe those non-comic book geeks would warm up to K-Ville instead of Two and Half Men. But no. ABC seems to winning the 9pm time slot thanks to Dancing with the Stars, and for November Sweeps, Samantha Who? is reaping the benefits of the DWTS juggernaut.

However, Monday Night Football and even a crappy start to Heroes are nails in the K-Ville coffin. K-Ville is consistently coming in fourth place in the battle of the network shows at 9pm on Monday nights. But it is beating Girlfriends, so I guess that is something to hold up as an accomplishment, right?

If this were a normal season, I am sad to say that FOX would have axed K-Ville by now. FOX has always been rather cancellation-happy, but when K-Ville loses viewers that tuned in for a House repeat, well, either K-Ville sucks (kinda, but getting better) or FOX should have found a better spot for it in the programming grid.

Also, as I am a rabid Simpsons/Family Guy viewer, I noticed that there were no K-Ville promos last night. That’s because there is no K-Ville on tonight. Instead we will be treated to a House repeat and a Bones repeat. Way to go, FOX. Just another example of screwing K-Ville over. Consistency please.

Peter Griffin said it. Click here to hear it.

K-Ville, Heroes, Prison Break, Two and a Half Men, Dancing with the Stars, Samantha Who, Monday Night Football, ABC, FOX, Girlfriends, WGA, writers strike, November Sweeps, programming, House, Bones, Simpsons, Family Guy