<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>SeanPAune.com &#187; TV</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.seanpaune.com/category/tv/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.seanpaune.com</link>
	<description></description>
	<lastBuildDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:43:16 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5</generator>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
			<item>
		<title>CBS Launching Video Games Based On Television Series</title>
		<link>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/11/04/cbs-launching-video-games-based-on-television-series/</link>
		<comments>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/11/04/cbs-launching-video-games-based-on-television-series/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:16:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sean P Aune</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Reality TV]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TV]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Video Games]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[amazing race]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[amazing race video game]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CBS video games]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[survivor video game]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.seanpaune.com/?p=5097</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[CBS has decided people love TV &#8230; and they love video games &#8230; so they should mix them!
Licensed properties have been a staple of the video game industry since its inception.  Sometimes the games work, but most often they don&#8217;t.  It&#8217;s hard to capture the essence of another medium in a video game, [...]<script type="text/javascript">SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "CBS Launching Video Games Based On Television Series", url: "http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/11/04/cbs-launching-video-games-based-on-television-series/" });</script><p>Post from: <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com">SeanPAune.com</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/11/04/cbs-launching-video-games-based-on-television-series/">CBS Launching Video Games Based On Television Series</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-5096" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" title="survivor video game" src="http://www.seanpaune.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/survivor-game.gif" alt="survivor video game" width="300" height="265" />CBS has decided people love TV &#8230; and they love video games &#8230; so they should mix them!</p>
<p>Licensed properties have been a staple of the video game industry since its inception.  Sometimes the games work, but most often they don&#8217;t.  It&#8217;s hard to capture the essence of another medium in a video game, but this isn&#8217;t stopping television network CBS from licensing a truck load of shows into video games for 2010.</p>
<p><a href="http://worthplaying.com/article/2009/11/4/news/69936/" target="_blank">Worth Playing</a> has the synopsis for each of the upcoming games &#8230; my thoughts after each one &#8230;</p>
<p><strong>AVAILABLE 2010:</strong></p>
<p><strong>The Amazing Race (Ludia Inc.)</strong><br />
Get ready for around-the-world competition with the video game based on the eight-time Emmy® award-winning television series The Amazing Race where team players split up in pairs for a remarkable journey across exotic locations in a race against time. Players will face frantic challenges and tasks as they navigate through detours, roadblocks and other unpredictable game elements from the show. Working together strategically throughout the game is essential as each team tries to discover hidden clues that are crucial to getting them to the Pit Stop first &#8211; and one step closer to ultimate victory at the check-in mat. This video game will be launched throughout North America across multiple platforms in tandem with the show&#8217;s 16th season.</p>
<p><strong>Sean&#8217;s thoughts</strong>: I love the <em>Amazing Race</em>, like crazy love.  I dream of going on the show constantly (mainly with The Diabolical Miss M as my team mate &#8230; whom I imagine I would carry in my pocket due to our size differences), but the idea of playing it on a game console?  Um &#8230; I guess it could be somewhat challenging?  Maybe something on the Wii where you would have to be physically involved?</p>
<p><strong>Survivor (Mindscape)</strong><br />
This game is perfect for any fan of the show Survivor. Players will be able to live like the contestants on Survivor. With challenges such as fishing, collecting food and participating in Immunity challenges, players will compete to outwit, outlast and outplay in order to be crowned the ultimate sole Survivor. Available on Wii &amp; Nintendo DS platforms.</p>
<p><strong>Sean&#8217;s thoughts</strong>: This is a horrible idea.  90% of Survivor is the conditions you live in, you will never be able to capture that in a satisfying manner on a video game screen.</p>
<p><strong>AVAILABLE FOR HOLIDAY 2010:<br />
</strong><br />
<strong>Diagnosis Murder (Merscom)</strong><br />
Available in early 2010, this is an adventure game where the player must find different items in a scene to use as clues in order to solve the mystery. Available for the PC/Mac, this video game will be sold on most casual gaming websites and at major retailers.</p>
<p><strong>Sean&#8217;s thoughts</strong>: &#8230; this show has been off the air for almost 9 years.  Who in the world is the target demographic for this title?  My 88-year-old grandmother?</p>
<p><strong>Criminal Minds (Legacy Interactive)</strong><br />
In the Criminal Minds game, players will be able to take on the role of different members of Behavioral Analysis Unit to solve a series of five shocking crimes. In order to track down the killers and solve each case, players will need to examine crime scenes for clues, interview witnesses and suspects, analyze evidence and build a profile based on real-life criminal profiling techniques. The videogame is slated to launch in the fourth quarter of 2010 on the PC.</p>
<p><strong>Sean&#8217;s thoughts</strong>:  I&#8217;m going to guess the already released <em>CSI</em> games must be doing well &#8230;</p>
<p><strong>Ghost Whisperer (Legacy Interactive)</strong><br />
Debuting in early 2010. Ghost Whisperer will be the first-ever video game based on the hit series. Written by Emmy Award-winning television writer Lance Gentile, the PC game calls for players to embark on the adventure of helping the recently departed move on to the afterlife and providing closure to loved ones left behind.</p>
<p><strong>Sean&#8217;s thoughts</strong>: Having never watched the show, I&#8217;m guess it&#8217;s going to involve talking &#8230; a lot of talking.</p>
<p><strong>The Hollywood Squares (Ludia, Inc.)<br />
</strong> This timeless TV game show experience comes to fans everywhere on the platform of their choice. The Hollywood Squares game will feature all the favorite elements of the show as played on television, as two contestants play head-to-head in a bid to win money and prizes. Nine open-faced cubes make up the tic-tac-toe style &#8220;board&#8221; for the game which are occupied by celebrities/TV personalities. The stars are asked questions and players judge whether their answers are true or false, all the while incorporating outrageous &#8220;zingers&#8221; and &#8220;bluffs&#8221; to fuel the fun. Each correct answer earns the player a square on the board, and the first player to mark three squares in a row wins the game. Additionally, the game will incorporate bonus video of the funniest moments from the TV show. The North America-wide exclusive deal will result in games across major platforms including PC/Mac, consoles, iPhone™ and iPod® touch. The first of The Hollywood Squares games is slated for release in 2010.</p>
<p><strong>Sean&#8217;s thoughts</strong>: Eh, I actually kind of enjoy <em>The Price Is Right</em> on my iPod Touch.</p>
<p>I guess there is a market for everything these days.  I don&#8217;t personally see myself buying any of these except maybe the <em>Amazing Race</em>, and I would need to see a lot of really good reviews for it before I would, but obviously someone has convinced all of these companies there is a market for these.  Wish I knew &#8230; I have a bridge I would love to sell them &#8230;</p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com">SeanPAune.com</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/11/04/cbs-launching-video-games-based-on-television-series/">CBS Launching Video Games Based On Television Series</a></p>
<p><a href="http://sharethis.com/item?&wp=2.8.5&amp;publisher=58be3b8b-57d7-49b1-bd26-0cc1425097f2&amp;title=CBS+Launching+Video+Games+Based+On+Television+Series&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.seanpaune.com%2F2009%2F11%2F04%2Fcbs-launching-video-games-based-on-television-series%2F">ShareThis</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/11/04/cbs-launching-video-games-based-on-television-series/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>It&#8217;s Always Sunny In Philadelphia</title>
		<link>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/11/03/its-always-sunny-in-philadelphia/</link>
		<comments>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/11/03/its-always-sunny-in-philadelphia/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:25:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sean P Aune</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[TV]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Charlie Day]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Danny DeVito]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Day Man Lyrics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Glenn Howerton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rob McElhenney]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.seanpaune.com/?p=5091</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Day man
Fighter of the Night man
Champion of the sun
You’re a master of karate and friendship…for everyone
Day man, day man
Uhh ahhahh
Fighter of the Night man
Uhh ahhahh
Champion of the sun
Uhh ahhahh
Master of karate and friendship…for everyone
Day man, day man
Uhh ahhahh
Fighter of the Night man
Champion of the sun
For some reason I had never seen the appeal of It&#8217;s [...]<script type="text/javascript">SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "It&#8217;s Always Sunny In Philadelphia", url: "http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/11/03/its-always-sunny-in-philadelphia/" });</script><p>Post from: <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com">SeanPAune.com</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/11/03/its-always-sunny-in-philadelphia/">It&#8217;s Always Sunny In Philadelphia</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-5090" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" title="iasip" src="http://www.seanpaune.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/iasip.png" alt="iasip" width="320" height="275" /><em>Day man<br />
Fighter of the Night man<br />
Champion of the sun<br />
You’re a master of karate and friendship…for everyone<br />
Day man, day man<br />
Uhh ahhahh<br />
Fighter of the Night man<br />
Uhh ahhahh<br />
Champion of the sun<br />
Uhh ahhahh<br />
Master of karate and friendship…for everyone<br />
Day man, day man<br />
Uhh ahhahh<br />
Fighter of the Night man<br />
Champion of the sun</em></p>
<p>For some reason I had never seen the appeal of <em><a href="http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/sunny/" target="_blank">It&#8217;s Always Sunny In Philadelphia</a></em> when I saw the commercials.  I skipped it for four seasons and then I spent an evening in a cigar bar in Boston this past August.</p>
<p>The Diabolical Miss M had been trying to convince me to try the show for ages, but I just kept blowing it off.  Well, as I sat in a cigar bar with her she ended up spending about a 1/2 hour acting out entire scenes from the show to try to convince me I needed to try it.  I finally relented and ordered the DVDs, and now I can say I am caught up to the most current episode in the fifth season which is currently airing.  So, thanks M &#8230; for sucking me into another television series.</p>
<p>Basically the show revolves around three childhood friends that co-own a dive bar, with the fraternal twin sister of one of them working as a waitress.  In the second season the twins&#8217; father, played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000362/" target="_blank">Danny DeVito</a>, joined the series.</p>
<p>While the concept sounds simple, what you don&#8217;t know until you dive into the series is that these people are, to quote Waitress, &#8220;are the worst people in the world!&#8221;  There really are no words to describe just how horrible they are.  It isn&#8217;t as if they set out to do bad things, they are just so insanely selfish and inconsiderate that they destroy the lives of every one that comes into contact with them (except for one woman named Artemis who seems to somehow escape their orbit unscathed every time she interacts with them).</p>
<p>While the concept doesn&#8217;t sound that funny, and there are some misfiring episodes, the series is amazingly funny, awkward, uncomfortable &#8230; and yet you can&#8217;t stop watching.  You are blown away by how these guys &#8212; the show was created by the three main actors <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0568390/" target="_blank">Rob McElhenney</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1097351/" target="_blank">Glenn Howerton</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0206359/" target="_blank">Charlie Day</a> &#8212; continually come up with these scenarios that have the crew at Paddy&#8217;s Bar walk away obliviously that they have yet again somehow messed up someone&#8217;s life.</p>
<p>Is the show for everyone?  No, not even close, but I do think you should give it a chance as you may be surprised by it as I was.  I honestly didn&#8217;t expect to like it, but I have burned through all of the episodes, and now find myself quoting episodes on a regular basis &#8230; although most of them are highly inappropriate for this blog &#8230;</p>
<p>If you&#8217;re looking for a new show to watch, something to catch up on during the winter months, give it a shot, I think you may be pleasantly surprised.  (and, yes, a begrudging &#8216;thank you&#8217; to M for introducing me to the show &#8230; although I should have made her act out even more scenes)</p>
<p>Those song lyrics at the beginning of the post come from a song Charlie and Dennis write called &#8220;Day Man&#8221; which has become a bit of a running joke in the series.  You can watch the clip below of the original time the joke appeared.</p>
<p><object id="ordie_player_ee546c6f07" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="480" height="400" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="flashvars" value="key=ee546c6f07" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://player.ordienetworks.com/flash/fodplayer.swf" /><param name="name" value="ordie_player_ee546c6f07" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><embed id="ordie_player_ee546c6f07" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="400" src="http://player.ordienetworks.com/flash/fodplayer.swf" quality="high" name="ordie_player_ee546c6f07" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="key=ee546c6f07"></embed></object></p>
<div style="text-align: left; font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0; width: 480px;"><a title="from velcrocity" href="http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/ee546c6f07/dayman-from-velcrocity">Dayman</a> &#8211; watch more <a title="on Funny or Die" href="http://www.funnyordie.com/">funny videos</a></div>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com">SeanPAune.com</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/11/03/its-always-sunny-in-philadelphia/">It&#8217;s Always Sunny In Philadelphia</a></p>
<p><a href="http://sharethis.com/item?&wp=2.8.5&amp;publisher=58be3b8b-57d7-49b1-bd26-0cc1425097f2&amp;title=It%26%238217%3Bs+Always+Sunny+In+Philadelphia&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.seanpaune.com%2F2009%2F11%2F03%2Fits-always-sunny-in-philadelphia%2F">ShareThis</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/11/03/its-always-sunny-in-philadelphia/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Here We Go Again: Dollhouse Cancellation Looking Likely</title>
		<link>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/22/here-we-go-again-dollhouse-cancellation-looking-likely/</link>
		<comments>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/22/here-we-go-again-dollhouse-cancellation-looking-likely/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:31:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sean P Aune</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[TV]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dollhouse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dollhouse canceled]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dollhouse cancellation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dollhouse cancelled]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dollhouse renewed]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dollhouse season 2]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[joss whedon]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.seanpaune.com/?p=4992</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It seems we are about to do the Dollhouse Cancellation Tango again.
Dollhouse is off the air for most of October as Fox airs the baseball post season games, but commercials had promised it would return in November with new episodes.  Well, Michael Ausiello of Entertainment Weekly learned today that the show has been pulled from [...]<script type="text/javascript">SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Here We Go Again: Dollhouse Cancellation Looking Likely", url: "http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/22/here-we-go-again-dollhouse-cancellation-looking-likely/" });</script><p>Post from: <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com">SeanPAune.com</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/22/here-we-go-again-dollhouse-cancellation-looking-likely/">Here We Go Again: Dollhouse Cancellation Looking Likely</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-3653" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" title="dollhouse fading" src="http://www.seanpaune.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dollhousefading.gif" alt="dollhouse fading" width="400" height="275" />It seems we are about to do the <em>Dollhouse</em> Cancellation Tango again.</p>
<p><em><a href="http://www.fox.com/dollhouse/" target="_blank">Dollhouse</a></em> is off the air for most of October as Fox airs the baseball post season games, but commercials had promised it would return in November with new episodes.  Well, <a href="http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/10/21/exclusive-fox-to-bench-dollhouse-for-sweeps/" target="_blank">Michael Ausiello of <em>Entertainment Weekly</em></a> learned today that the show has been pulled from the November sweeps period, and that it will probably burn off its remaining episodes by showing back-to-back episodes on Friday nights in December.</p>
<p>This does not bode well for the series continuing past its current 13 episode order for the second season.</p>
<p>I think the problem is multi-faceted in what has gone wrong with this show:</p>
<h2>Fox messed with season 1 too much</h2>
<p>Joss Whedon, creator of the series, told the press prior to season 2 beginning that Fox had promised to remain more removed from the series this season.  It was thanks to them that season 1 turned into a &#8220;costume of the week&#8221; show, showing Echo, played by series star Eliza Dushku, in as many male fantasy outfits and scenarios as they could conceivably fit in.  (Any one remember the odd segment of her in a Domanatrix outfit as she returned from an engagement?)</p>
<p>This severely delayed development of the over arching plots, and made the show feel like it crawled before it ever took its first tentative steps at moving the bigger story forward.</p>
<h2>Nielsen ratings are horribly broken</h2>
<p>Nielsen ratings for this season have been abysmal, but they do not take in to account DVR recordings or online viewing.  When the DVR numbers came out, <a href="http://twitter.com/elizadushku/status/4814355994" target="_blank">Eliza Dusku mentioned on her Twitter account that the ratings for the season premiere jumped 50%</a>.  That still didn&#8217;t make it a hit show, but it certainly looked better than the awful numbers that were initially released.</p>
<h2>God bless her, but Eliza Dushku can&#8217;t carry a series</h2>
<p>Don&#8217;t get me wrong, I have nothing against Ms. Dushku, but she does not have the acting chops to carry a primetime series on her acting talents.  She is a supporting actress and isn&#8217;t cut out for the lead.  Throw rocks at me if you must, but I am just not impressed by her in this role.  I love the premise of the series, I enjoy a lot of the supporting cast, but she is just not my cup of tea when it comes to a leading lady in a series.</p>
<p>Honestly, I think we should be thankful we got any portion of a second season, but I think this is it this time folks, I think we can put <em>Dollhouse</em> in the history books after December.</p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com">SeanPAune.com</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/22/here-we-go-again-dollhouse-cancellation-looking-likely/">Here We Go Again: Dollhouse Cancellation Looking Likely</a></p>
<p><a href="http://sharethis.com/item?&wp=2.8.5&amp;publisher=58be3b8b-57d7-49b1-bd26-0cc1425097f2&amp;title=Here+We+Go+Again%3A+Dollhouse+Cancellation+Looking+Likely&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.seanpaune.com%2F2009%2F10%2F22%2Fhere-we-go-again-dollhouse-cancellation-looking-likely%2F">ShareThis</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/22/here-we-go-again-dollhouse-cancellation-looking-likely/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Fawlty Towers DVD Giveaway</title>
		<link>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/20/fawlty-towers-dvd-giveaway/</link>
		<comments>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/20/fawlty-towers-dvd-giveaway/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:46:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sean P Aune</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DVDs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TV]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andrew Sachs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Connie Booth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fawlty Towers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fawlty Towers DVD Giveaway]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Cleese]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Monty Python]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Payne]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Prunella Scales]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.seanpaune.com/?p=4978</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
// < ![CDATA[
// < ![CDATA[
 tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/20/fawlty-towers-dvd-giveaway/';
// ]]&#62;

What is it about October and anniversaries?
Monty Python’s 40th anniversary was this month, as was Saturday Night Live&#8217;s 35th anniversary, and now we have the 30th anniversary of the end of what some consider the all time best British sitcom, Fawlty Towers.
If you have never heard of [...]<script type="text/javascript">SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Fawlty Towers DVD Giveaway", url: "http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/20/fawlty-towers-dvd-giveaway/" });</script><p>Post from: <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com">SeanPAune.com</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/20/fawlty-towers-dvd-giveaway/">Fawlty Towers DVD Giveaway</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-4979" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" title="fawlty towers" src="http://www.seanpaune.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/fawltytowers.gif" alt="fawlty towers" width="350" height="300" /></p>
<div style="float: left; margin: 10px;"><script type="text/javascript">// < ![CDATA[
// < ![CDATA[
 tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/20/fawlty-towers-dvd-giveaway/';
// ]]&gt;</script><br />
<script src="http://tweetmeme.com/i/scripts/button.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>
<p>What is it about October and anniversaries?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/05/monty-pythons-40th-anniversary/" target="_blank"><em>Monty Python’s</em> 40th anniversary</a> was this month, as was <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/11/35-years-of-saturday-night-live/" target="_blank"><em>Saturday Night Live&#8217;s</em> 35th anniversary</a>, and now we have the 30th anniversary of the end of what some consider the all time best British sitcom, <em>Fawlty Towers</em>.</p>
<p>If you have never heard of this series, you are really missing out.  In 1975 John Cleese of Monty Python fame, and his then wife, Connie Booth, wrote a series about a poorly managed sea-side hotel in Torquay.  The series revolved around Basil Fawlty, played by Cleese, and his inept attempts at running a high-end hotel.  Beyond his own shortcomings, he is also hampered by his over bearing wife, Sybil Fawlty (Prunella Scales), Polly (Connie Booth) the maid that dreams of a better life and Manuel (Andrew Sachs) the bell hop/waiter from Spain who speaks very little English.</p>
<p>The second season didn&#8217;t appear until 1979, a full four years after the first, and it ended up being the last, ending on Oct. 25th, 1979.</p>
<p>Although the series only ran for 12 episodes, it has not stopped numerous attempts being made at launching a version in the United States, and all of them have failed in disaster: Two of them never made it past pilot, and the third, named <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payne_%28TV_series%29" target="_blank">Payne</a></em>, did make it to air, but was quickly canceled.</p>
<p>So, why mark the end of the series as opposed to its launch?  Well, I got an email from the BBC America PR department informing me of the new DVD set coming out today for the series that has been digitally remastered, features commentary tracks from Mr. Cleese on every episode, new interviews with John Cleese, Connie Booth, Andrew Sachs and Prunella Scales, outtakes and more.  Basically it sounds like a killer set, and even though I already own the set, I am tempted to buy it just for the Cleese commentary tracks.</p>
<p>If you haven&#8217;t ever treated yourself to this gem of a series, now seems like a better time than ever.</p>
<p>With all of that being said &#8230; why should you go out and buy a copy of the DVD set when I can just give you one?  Yes, that&#8217;s right folks, the kind folks over at the BBC have teamed up with me to give away not just one of these fantastic sets, but TWO!  (You can only win one &#8230; stop being greedy!  Someone else gets the second one!)  These sets have a suggested retail price of $49.98, but you can get one completely free courtesy of SeanPAune.com and the BBC!</p>
<p>So, how do you win one of these sets?  Well, it&#8217;s a two step process, but fun!</p>
<h2>Step 1</h2>
<p>Make a video of yourself reenacting your favorite Basil Fawlty moment from the series.  Beat on a car with a tree branch &#8230; tell people not to mention the war &#8230; hang a moose head on the wall, if Basil did it in the series, you can reenact it!  (It is not required to dress like Basil, but it certainly wouldn&#8217;t hurt either)</p>
<p>Then post the video to YouTube with the following in the info section:</p>
<blockquote><p>Entry for the <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com" target="_blank">SeanPAune.com</a> and BBC America Fawlty Towers DVD set giveaway</p></blockquote>
<p>And make sure to tag them with SeanPAune.com, BBC America and Fawlty Towers.</p>
<h2>Step 2</h2>
<p>Come back to this post and leave a comment with a link to your video so everyone can enjoy it.  I will also create a playlist with all of the videos so everyone can easily browse them.</p>
<p>I will choose the two best videos posted by 11:59 PM CST on Friday Nov. 6th and will then contact the winners for their mailing addresses  shortly after that.  I will also post the winning videos on this site to share with more of the world.</p>
<h2>The Small Print</h2>
<p>Contest is limited to residents of the United States and its territories.  Only one entry per person.  Void where prohibited by law.  Have fun!</p>
<p>Want in on even more <em>Fawlty Towers</em> fun?  Join the <a href="http://tr.im/fawltyfb">Facebook Fan Page</a> for the series, or follow them on Twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fawltytowersDVD">@FawltyTowersDVD</a> for the latest news surrounding the 30th Anniversary  where you can use the <a href="https://twitter.com/#search?q=%23fawltytowers">#fawltytowers</a> hashtag.  And if you just can&#8217;t wait, and need to have the DVD set immediately, you can always head over to the <a href="http://www.bbcamericashop.com/dvd/fawlty-towers-remastered-special-edition-15371.html" target="_blank">BBC America Shop</a> and purchase one, but where&#8217;s the fun in getting one of these sets the same way anyone else can?</p>
<p><strong>THIS CONTEST IS OVER</strong></p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com">SeanPAune.com</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/20/fawlty-towers-dvd-giveaway/">Fawlty Towers DVD Giveaway</a></p>
<p><a href="http://sharethis.com/item?&wp=2.8.5&amp;publisher=58be3b8b-57d7-49b1-bd26-0cc1425097f2&amp;title=Fawlty+Towers+DVD+Giveaway&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.seanpaune.com%2F2009%2F10%2F20%2Ffawlty-towers-dvd-giveaway%2F">ShareThis</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/20/fawlty-towers-dvd-giveaway/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Batman</title>
		<link>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/19/the-batman/</link>
		<comments>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/19/the-batman/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:23:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sean P Aune</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TV]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the batman]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.seanpaune.com/?p=4967</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Batman was yet another series based on the Caped Crusader, but how does it measure up against other animated efforts to bring him to the small screen?
Following up on my overviews of Batman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond comes the early 21st century animated version of Batman, a series simply entitled The Batman.
Running [...]<script type="text/javascript">SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "The Batman", url: "http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/19/the-batman/" });</script><p>Post from: <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com">SeanPAune.com</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/19/the-batman/">The Batman</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-4966" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" title="the batman" src="http://www.seanpaune.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/thebatman2.gif" alt="the batman" width="350" height="578" />The Batman was yet another series based on the Caped Crusader, but how does it measure up against other animated efforts to bring him to the small screen?</p>
<p>Following up on my overviews of <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/02/14/batman-the-animated-series/" target="_blank"><em>Batman: The Animated Series</em></a> and <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/08/08/batman-beyond/" target="_blank"><em>Batman Beyond</em></a> comes the early 21st century animated version of Batman, a series simply entitled <em>The Batman</em>.</p>
<p>Running from September 11, 2004 to March 8, 2008 on the Kids WB animation block for five seasons, <em>The Batman</em> was faithful to the source material while also finding a way to do a  re-imagninaing of the character all at the same time.</p>
<p>Confused?  Don&#8217;t worry, so was I.</p>
<p>While the series kept the basics of Bruce Wayne being Batman and Alfred as his butler, pretty much everything else was turned topsy-turvey by this series: The Joker was a barefooted wild man, the Riddler had numerous henchmen and a different origin, Clayface was a police detective that was a childhood friend of Bruce and so on.  There were also changes such as Batgirl appearing on the scene before Robin which threw me for a total loop as that is so outside of the normal timeline.</p>
<p>The animation style took some getting used to (example to the right), since I had come to love the slickness and stylized versions in <em>Batman: The Animated Series</em> and <em>Batman Beyond</em>, this was by fat the most &#8220;cartoony&#8221; looking.  Does it mean it was bad?  Of course not, just had more of a &#8220;kid friendly&#8221; vibe to it, which is why I think a lot of people skipped it.</p>
<p>Of all the animated Batman series of the past two decades (not counting <em>Brave &amp; The Bold</em> since I have seen a whopping one episode), this was my least favorite, but that isn&#8217;t to say it was bad, it was just the most inconsistent.  Characters came and went with no real rhyme or reason (Det. Yin had a bit of a cliffhanger at the end of season 2, and then we never saw her again, although she was mentioned in a &#8220;future&#8221; episode as being the new police commissioner), continuity seemed secondary and in general the writing was very uneven.  It was still watchable despite these nitpicks, but if you have to pick just one series to watch, I think it will always be <em>Batman: The Animated Series</em> coming out on top.</p>
<p><em>Disclosure: Hey, FTC, no one gave me a flippin&#8217; thing to write this up, and I paid for the DVDs out of my own pocket.  To my readers, if you have no idea what I&#8217;m talking about, you can read about it <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/index.php?s=ftc" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com">SeanPAune.com</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/19/the-batman/">The Batman</a></p>
<p><a href="http://sharethis.com/item?&wp=2.8.5&amp;publisher=58be3b8b-57d7-49b1-bd26-0cc1425097f2&amp;title=The+Batman&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.seanpaune.com%2F2009%2F10%2F19%2Fthe-batman%2F">ShareThis</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/19/the-batman/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>DVRs Need Time Update Features</title>
		<link>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/18/dvrs-need-time-update-features/</link>
		<comments>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/18/dvrs-need-time-update-features/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:52:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sean P Aune</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General Rants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TV]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[60 minutes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[amazing race]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Buffalo Bills]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cbs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DVR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New York Jets]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.seanpaune.com/?p=4970</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If this rant sounds familiar, it&#8217;s because it is.
Last December I ranted about how Sunday football games were constantly throwing CBS&#8217; Sunday night programming into chaos.  At that time I was complaining about a 32 minute delay to the evening&#8217;s programs, but that was nothing compared to tonight&#8217;s whopping 71 minute delay.  Thank you New [...]<script type="text/javascript">SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "DVRs Need Time Update Features", url: "http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/18/dvrs-need-time-update-features/" });</script><p>Post from: <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com">SeanPAune.com</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/18/dvrs-need-time-update-features/">DVRs Need Time Update Features</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-2712" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" title="cbs hate" src="http://www.seanpaune.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/cbshate.gif" alt="cbs hate" width="240" height="250" />If this rant sounds familiar, it&#8217;s because it is.</p>
<p>Last December <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2008/12/14/cbs-football-can-bite-me/" target="_blank">I ranted about how Sunday football games were constantly throwing CBS&#8217; Sunday night programming into chaos</a>.  At that time I was complaining about a 32 minute delay to the evening&#8217;s programs, but that was nothing compared to tonight&#8217;s whopping 71 minute delay.  Thank you New York Jets and Buffalo Bills for throwing the game into overtime and then changing possession 500 times!</p>
<p>So,CBS has opted to play <em>60 Minutes</em> in its entirety, meaning that <em>Amazing Race</em>, the show I&#8217;m waiting on, will not start until 8:11 my time.  Well, my TiVo still shows it as airing from 7 &#8211; 8, and that is when it will record, leaving me without one second of the show.</p>
<p>Well, I&#8217;m lucky in that I also get West coast channels, so I can still catch the show at its specified time, but since I wrote the original rant, I have learned of something that exists that would fix all of this.  Apparently there are signals that channels can send out in some countries and tell the DVRs that a show is running late and it will shift the schedule on your DVR for you automatically.  So say a show is starting 5 minutes late, the network sends out a signal and your DVR will change the settings from 7 &#8211; 8 to 7:05 &#8211; 8:05.</p>
<p>Why don&#8217;t we have this here?  I can&#8217;t imagine it is the complicated to do, and the technology already exists, so why isn&#8217;t it here?  Instead, people that watch any show on Sunday night on CBS are totally hosed if they set their DVRs and left their houses for the evening.  DVRs are now accounting for approximately 39 percent of all television viewing, so shouldn&#8217;t a bit more concern be given to making sure they record at the right time?</p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com">SeanPAune.com</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/18/dvrs-need-time-update-features/">DVRs Need Time Update Features</a></p>
<p><a href="http://sharethis.com/item?&wp=2.8.5&amp;publisher=58be3b8b-57d7-49b1-bd26-0cc1425097f2&amp;title=DVRs+Need+Time+Update+Features&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.seanpaune.com%2F2009%2F10%2F18%2Fdvrs-need-time-update-features%2F">ShareThis</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/18/dvrs-need-time-update-features/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>DVD Set Design Changes Are Annoying</title>
		<link>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/14/dvd-set-design-changes-are-annoying/</link>
		<comments>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/14/dvd-set-design-changes-are-annoying/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:17:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sean P Aune</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DVDs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TV]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DVD set design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[saturday night live]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Saturday Night Live DVDs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[snl]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SNL DVDs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.seanpaune.com/?p=4935</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I really wish DVD releases would just stick with a design through a logical stopping point.
I just picked up Saturday Night Live season 4 on sale, and while moving all of my TV show DVD sets to a new shelving unit, I popped it in its rightful place next to Saturday Night Live season 3 [...]<script type="text/javascript">SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "DVD Set Design Changes Are Annoying", url: "http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/14/dvd-set-design-changes-are-annoying/" });</script><p>Post from: <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com">SeanPAune.com</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/14/dvd-set-design-changes-are-annoying/">DVD Set Design Changes Are Annoying</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-4936" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" title="snlsets" src="http://www.seanpaune.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/snlsets.gif" alt="snlsets" width="350" height="425" />I really wish DVD releases would just stick with a design through a logical stopping point.</p>
<p>I just picked up <em>Saturday Night Live</em> season 4 on sale, and while moving all of my TV show DVD sets to a new shelving unit, I popped it in its rightful place next to <em>Saturday Night Live</em> season 3 &#8230; and immediately cursed.</p>
<p>When I had received the set from Amazon I thought something felt &#8220;off&#8221; about it, and I was right.  Not only is the package of a cheaper material, it&#8217;s shorter.  I can understand wanting to save money, but couldn&#8217;t you have waited until a more logical changing point like season 6 (no original cast members remained after season 5)?</p>
<p>Other series have done this to me over the years, and it has always been annoying.  You like some uniformity to your sets, you like them to look like they belong together, but then they change up the appearance with no rhyme or reason, and you&#8217;re stuck.  The worst case of this was when the <em>X-Files</em> went from their original &#8220;fat packs&#8221; to the &#8220;slim packs&#8221; in the later seasons.  They were so radically different that it made them difficult to store together at all, let alone look nice.</p>
<p>So, feel free to change packaging when there is a major shift in the show, like when <em>Simpsons</em> season 1 &#8211; 5 had one look, and with season 6 they went on to another design.  That was fine, that made sense, this just seems random, and an obvious grab to save a few cents at the expense of the consumer who pays the same price for each season, and now has a totally random looking shelf.</p>
<p>Think about these things video companies, it will make your customers feel a lot less slighted.</p>
<p>(And, yes, I am aware only season 1 is unwrapped &#8230; I&#8217;m getting to the others eventually.)</p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com">SeanPAune.com</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/14/dvd-set-design-changes-are-annoying/">DVD Set Design Changes Are Annoying</a></p>
<p><a href="http://sharethis.com/item?&wp=2.8.5&amp;publisher=58be3b8b-57d7-49b1-bd26-0cc1425097f2&amp;title=DVD+Set+Design+Changes+Are+Annoying&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.seanpaune.com%2F2009%2F10%2F14%2Fdvd-set-design-changes-are-annoying%2F">ShareThis</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/14/dvd-set-design-changes-are-annoying/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>35 Years Of Saturday Night Live</title>
		<link>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/11/35-years-of-saturday-night-live/</link>
		<comments>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/11/35-years-of-saturday-night-live/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 11 Oct 2009 18:53:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sean P Aune</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[TV]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chevy Chase]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dan Aykroyd]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Garrett Morris]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[George Coe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jane Curtin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Belushi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Laraine Newman. Gilda Radner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michael O'Donoghue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NBCs Saturday Night]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[saturday night live]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[snl]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.seanpaune.com/?p=4907</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On October 11th, 1975, American late night television changed forever.
35 years ago today, the very first episode of Saturday Night Live aired from studio 8H in 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the same studio the show continues to broadcast from.  During the first season the show was called NBC&#8217;s Saturday Night due to a conflict with a [...]<script type="text/javascript">SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "35 Years Of Saturday Night Live", url: "http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/11/35-years-of-saturday-night-live/" });</script><p>Post from: <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com">SeanPAune.com</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/11/35-years-of-saturday-night-live/">35 Years Of Saturday Night Live</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-2211" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" title="snl logo" src="http://www.seanpaune.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/snllogo.png" alt="" width="289" height="100" />On October 11th, 1975, American late night television changed forever.</p>
<p>35 years ago today, the very first episode of <em>Saturday Night Live</em> aired from studio 8H in 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the same studio the show continues to broadcast from.  During the first season the show was called <em>NBC&#8217;s Saturday Night</em> due to a conflict with a sports show on ABC at the time named <em>Saturday Night Live</em>.</p>
<p>The format of the first episode was different as George Carlin was the host, but only appeared on stage to do stand up, never appearing in an actual sketch, of which there was very few.  The episode also featured two musical guests that week, Billy Preston and Janis Ian.  This particular episode was rerun on June 28, 2008 to commemorate the passing of Mr. Carlin, and after having watched it that night, and on DVD, I am honestly shocked the show ever survived.  It was so rough compared to later seasons, but there was no denying that the original cast (Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman. Gilda Radner, George Coe and Michael O&#8217;Donoghue) were all talented, but I don&#8217;t think anyone knew just how talented.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s interesting to compare the impact of <em>SNL</em> on comedy to <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/05/monty-pythons-40th-anniversary/" target="_blank">Monty Python’s 40th Anniversary</a>, which happened earlier this week.  Although only 5 years separate the two series, people can quote every sketch from <em>Monty Python&#8217;s Flying Circus</em>, and with <em>SNL</em>, people only remember the players, and really none of the skits from that first season.  I remember a few of them such as the very first sketch of Belushi trying to learn English and saying, &#8220;I would like &#8230; to buy &#8230; a wol-ver-ine&#8221;, and the Bees showed up a few times, but that season was so rough that very people remember it.</p>
<p>The show has certainly had its ups and downs over the years (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Night_Live_%28season_11%29" target="_blank">the 1985-1986 eleventh season</a> was a complete train wreck), it has continued to deliver quality comedy now for 35 years.  How much longer can it go?  Who knows, but I know I will continue to watch it though until the end.</p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com">SeanPAune.com</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/11/35-years-of-saturday-night-live/">35 Years Of Saturday Night Live</a></p>
<p><a href="http://sharethis.com/item?&wp=2.8.5&amp;publisher=58be3b8b-57d7-49b1-bd26-0cc1425097f2&amp;title=35+Years+Of+Saturday+Night+Live&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.seanpaune.com%2F2009%2F10%2F11%2F35-years-of-saturday-night-live%2F">ShareThis</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/11/35-years-of-saturday-night-live/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Buffy Season 8, Issue 29</title>
		<link>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/10/buffy-season-8-issue-29/</link>
		<comments>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/10/buffy-season-8-issue-29/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 10 Oct 2009 20:47:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sean P Aune</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Buffy season 8]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Comic Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TV]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[buffy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[buffy issue 29]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[giles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[satsu]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[willow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[xander]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.seanpaune.com/?p=4884</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[***MAJOR SPOILERS***

Characters Seen:
Andrew
Buffy
Dawn
Faith
Giles
Oz
Willow
Xander
The Slayers are preparing for traditional warfare as they know Twilight is coming.  Since they have been at Oz&#8217;s temple, they have surrendered their magicks up to the Earth to hide themselves, and now they are learning you can&#8217;t just flip a switch to bring them back.
The original Scoobies have split off to talk to [...]<script type="text/javascript">SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Buffy Season 8, Issue 29", url: "http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/10/buffy-season-8-issue-29/" });</script><p>Post from: <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com">SeanPAune.com</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/10/buffy-season-8-issue-29/">Buffy Season 8, Issue 29</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p align="center">***MAJOR SPOILERS***</p>
<p align="left"><span id="more-4884"></span></p>
<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-4593" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" title="buffy season 8, episode 29" src="http://www.seanpaune.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/buffys8e29.jpg" alt="buffy season 8, episode 28" width="400" height="615" />Characters Seen:<br />
Andrew<br />
Buffy<br />
Dawn<br />
Faith<br />
Giles<br />
Oz<br />
Willow<br />
Xander</p>
<p>The Slayers are preparing for traditional warfare as they know Twilight is coming.  Since they have been at Oz&#8217;s temple, they have surrendered their magicks up to the Earth to hide themselves, and now they are learning you can&#8217;t just flip a switch to bring them back.</p>
<p>The original Scoobies have split off to talk to various groups of Slayers about the coming attack, and the fact that without magicks they will have no force fields, no rapid healing and people will die.  Willow seems the most distraught by this and has an outburst during Buffy&#8217;s talk with a group of Slayers, Buffy tells her they need to have a sidebar.</p>
<p>They go off to speak with Oz and Bay (his Tibetan girlfriend in case you forgot), who is holding their baby.  Willow is screaming about how they said it would take months for the magicks to go away, but Bay explains that once you commit to it, you can&#8217;t just get it back on a whim.  Willow explains that this isn&#8217;t a &#8220;whim&#8221;, it&#8217;s a &#8220;need.&#8221;</p>
<p>Oz tries to comfort her, but Willow is still going on about how they agreed to be made weak.  Bay interrupts saying that they brought an army to her peaceful home, so who really has the right to be angry.  Oz asks Bay to hand him the baby, but Willow says there is no need to protect the baby, she isn&#8217;t mad at them, but instead is mad at herself.  She points to her eyes and says, &#8220;I&#8217;m so angry at me, I can&#8217;t believe these aren&#8217;t black.&#8221;</p>
<p>Willow goes on about this being the wrong decision, how she knows now she can&#8217;t have a family, that she must die in the future, which Buffy half-heartedly confirms.  The two old friends hug as Willow says that she could have all of this, but now she has lost everything.</p>
<p>Xander and Dawn are in the Slayer&#8217;s armory demonstrating a wide assortment of weapons to the now powerless girls.  Machine guns, mortars, various types of grenades, self-loading auto cannons and tons more.  Andrew asks Xander about &#8220;the big thing&#8221;, but he tells him not to worry about that.</p>
<p>Giles and Buffy are looking at two Chinese assault rifles on a bed when Buffy asks why he needs two.  He says one is for her, but she replies that Slayers don&#8217;t need guns.  He reminds her she is no longer a Slayer.  He asks what&#8217;s bothering her, but she brushes it off and says they need to find Andrew to discuss an idea she has.</p>
<p>We cut back to Xander and Dawn now training some Slayers on how to monitor the radar station, and trying to teach them the difference between &#8220;noise&#8221; and actual aircraft.  The Slayers feel out of place, like they won&#8217;t get it, but Xander and Dawn explain that they never had powers, and they could do this stuff, so surely the girls can.  One of them refers to the Scoobies as &#8220;Mama and Papa&#8221; which Dawn and Xander just smile about.</p>
<p>Buffy is talking with Andrew, she wants him to create illusions that they still have magicks.  While they talk, Andrew asks how she&#8217;s doing considering what she saw (we see a flashback to Xander and Dawn kissing), but she brushes it off.  An hour later Andrew has all sorts of smokes and potions cooking to make it appear that they still have their magicks</p>
<p>The temple is now surrounded by weapons, Dawn comments on how Buffy is strong even when she is weak, and she is worried about how they had to retreat even when they were strong.  Xander tries to comfort Dawn, and gives her a kiss, Buffy looks on with a pained look in her eye.</p>
<p>A Slayer spots a plane on the radar, three Slayers pop out with surface-to-air shoulder missiles and take it out, but it doesn&#8217;t matter as tanks are now rolling in across a small creek.  As the Slayers prepare, a werewolf appears and transforms into Monroe, the man that Oz mentioned left the temple.  He says his wolves have come to help as Twilight&#8217;s group wants to destroy all magicks, so this puts them on the same side.</p>
<p>The fight is joined and both sides are hitting each other hard.  The werewolves attack as they can, but &#8230;</p>
<blockquote><p>Willow: Buffy, look.  We&#8217;re not even slowing them down.<br />
Buffy: Yeah, I&#8217;m starting to think there&#8217;s a reason no one&#8217;s written a suspense novel where the conflict is wolves vs. tanks.</p></blockquote>
<p>Xander shows up at Buffy&#8217;s request, she tells him she needs his big secret weapon &#8230; Xander says that sounds like a come-on if he&#8217;s ever heard one.  She says she has no time for jokes, but he says it used to amuse her.  She just tells him, &#8220;Get it.  Use it.  Now.&#8221;</p>
<p>The tank commanders are surprised to see a torpedo sliding down the hill towards them.  A Slayer asks is torpedoes even work on land &#8230; a tank explodes &#8230; someone shouts &#8220;TORPEDOES WORK ON LAND!&#8221;</p>
<p>The Slayers regroup in the radar room, but they are concerned they are losing, and they need the magicks.  It suddenly dawns on Willow that Bay has kept saying they &#8220;redirected&#8221; them, Buffy goes to find Bay and finds Oz is carrying a wounded Bay through the battlefield.  Oz asks for help to take care of Bay, but Buffy has to ask her where the magicks go.  Bay says they go into the Earth, but Buffy doesn&#8217;t believe her.  They get Bay inside and lay her down, and Buffy continues questioning her and says one of the words in the chant they have been doing is &#8220;invocation&#8221; and she knows they have been begging for something to help them, Bay says it is &#8220;wrathful goddesses.&#8221;</p>
<p>Bay says that is just ancient names for the Earth, but Buffy thinks &#8220;Earth&#8221; is just the modern word for these goddesses, and she thinks the magicks have been sucked out of them by the goddesses, and the more they got, the faster they took the magicks.  Bay says they have conducted a trade, and by giving them their powers, the goddesses protect them.  Buffy says she wants to cash in their trade.  Willow tells Buffy Bay has passed out from her wounds.</p>
<p>Willow runs off to get the scrolls, and Giles asks if this will work, going from pulling back to full-throttle forward.  Buffy says it does when she punches someone, and Giles says she has a good point.  Willow returns with the scrolls as the temple is rocked by an explosion, Buffy tells Xander and Dawn to buy them 10 minutes while they work on the scrolls.  Willow says it would be easier if they could read them, and Buffy says Bay can.  Buffy tries to wake up Bay, but Oz stops her.  Buffy says they need her help to keep everyone alive, and Bay wakes up long enough to say that if they have anger in them, they can call them &#8230; Buffy says she has some anger.</p>
<p>Outside the war rages on &#8230; the Earth cracks open &#8230; colored mist shoots out of it, and three ancient looking goddesses appear in giant size as the issue draws to a close.</p>
<p>Nice to see a lot of action in this issue, although the cover misleads you and you never see Twilight in this issue.  You aren&#8217;t sure if Buffy is jealous of Dawn kissing Xander instead of her, or is she&#8217;s just disturbed by the whole situation.  For the first time in quite a</p>
<p>If you enjoy these recaps, please consider purchasing your <em>Buffy, the Vampire Slayer</em> trade paperbacks through the links below to help support this site.</p>
<table border="0" width="200">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><img src="http://www.seanpaune.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/buffytpb1.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="314" /></td>
<td><img src="http://www.seanpaune.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/buffytpb2.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="308" /></td>
<td><img src="http://www.seanpaune.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/buffytpb3.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="314" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Buffy Season 8, Vol. 1</td>
<td>Buffy Season 8, Vol. 2</td>
<td>Buffy Season 8, Vol. 3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Includes Issues #1 &#8211; #5</td>
<td>Includes Issues #6 &#8211; #10</td>
<td>Includes Issues #11 &#8211; #15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000028978145">Purchase from Barnes &amp; Noble</a></td>
<td><a href="http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000028978200">Purchase from Barnes &amp; Noble</a></td>
<td><a href="http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000028978201">Purchase from Barnes &amp; Noble</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table border="0" width="200">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><img src="http://www.seanpaune.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/buffytpb4.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="308" /></td>
<td><img src="http://www.seanpaune.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/buffytpb5.JPG" alt="" width="200" height="308" /></td>
<td><img src="http://www.seanpaune.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/fraytpb.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="314" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Buffy Season 8, Vol. 4</td>
<td>Buffy Season 8, Vol. 5</td>
<td>Fray Mini-Series</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Includes Issues #16 &#8211; #20</td>
<td>Includes Issues #21 &#8211; #25</td>
<td>Includes all 8 issues of the series</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000028978203">Purchase from Barnes &amp; Noble</a></td>
<td><a href="http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000028978205">Purchase from Barnes &amp; Noble</a></td>
<td><a href="http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000028978210">Purchase from Barnes &amp; Noble</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com">SeanPAune.com</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/10/buffy-season-8-issue-29/">Buffy Season 8, Issue 29</a></p>
<p><a href="http://sharethis.com/item?&wp=2.8.5&amp;publisher=58be3b8b-57d7-49b1-bd26-0cc1425097f2&amp;title=Buffy+Season+8%2C+Issue+29&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.seanpaune.com%2F2009%2F10%2F10%2Fbuffy-season-8-issue-29%2F">ShareThis</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/10/buffy-season-8-issue-29/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;Arrested Development&#8217; Script In The Works</title>
		<link>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/06/arrested-development-script-in-the-works/</link>
		<comments>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/06/arrested-development-script-in-the-works/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2009 05:00:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sean P Aune</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Movies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TV]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alia Shawkat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arrested development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arrested development movie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arrested development movie script]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David Cross]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jason Bateman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jeffrey Tambor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[michael cera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mitch hurwitz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Portia de Ross]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ron howard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Will Arnett]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.seanpaune.com/?p=4870</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Scripting for the Arrested Development has officially begun.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Arrested Development series creator Mitch Hurwitz and co-executive producer James Vallely havebegun writing the script for the long delayed movie.  Mr. Hurwitz has said in the past that this  wouldn&#8217;t happen until all of the main cast had agreed to return, so this seems [...]<script type="text/javascript">SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "&#8216;Arrested Development&#8217; Script In The Works", url: "http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/06/arrested-development-script-in-the-works/" });</script><p>Post from: <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com">SeanPAune.com</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/06/arrested-development-script-in-the-works/">&#8216;Arrested Development&#8217; Script In The Works</a></p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-2586" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" title="arrested development" src="http://www.seanpaune.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/arrested_development.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="197" />Scripting for the <em>Arrested Development</em> has officially begun.</p>
<p>According to <em><a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i6e0d957446c196ca6151a0acf551a953" target="_blank">The Hollywood Reporter</a></em>, <em>Arrested Development</em> series creator <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0403804/" target="_blank">Mitch Hurwitz</a> and co-executive producer James Vallely havebegun writing the script for the long delayed movie.  Mr. Hurwitz has said in the past that this  wouldn&#8217;t happen until all of the main cast had agreed to return, so this seems to confirm that everyone is finally in place.</p>
<p>Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, David Cross, Will Arnett, Alia Shawkat, Portia de Rossi and Jeffrey Tambor all appear ready to return, and filming is expected to start in the spring of 2010.  Scheduling may be the only problem as Arnett is preparing a new series for Fox, Bateman is committed to <em>Hancock 2</em> (blech &#8230; this sequel didn&#8217;t need to happen) and Cera has multiple upcoming projects.</p>
<p>No release date has been mentioned as of yet, but if the spring filming date does happen, a late 2010/early 2011 release date seems likely.</p>
<p>I leave you with one of my absolute favorite jokes from the series.</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="480" height="295" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YknjhnywGGI&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;color1=0x234900&amp;color2=0x4e9e00" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YknjhnywGGI&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;color1=0x234900&amp;color2=0x4e9e00" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p>Post from: <a href="http://www.seanpaune.com">SeanPAune.com</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/06/arrested-development-script-in-the-works/">&#8216;Arrested Development&#8217; Script In The Works</a></p>
<p><a href="http://sharethis.com/item?&wp=2.8.5&amp;publisher=58be3b8b-57d7-49b1-bd26-0cc1425097f2&amp;title=%26%238216%3BArrested+Development%26%238217%3B+Script+In+The+Works&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.seanpaune.com%2F2009%2F10%2F06%2Farrested-development-script-in-the-works%2F">ShareThis</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.seanpaune.com/2009/10/06/arrested-development-script-in-the-works/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
