Shifty is available on U.K. DVD from Amazon.co.uk for those enthusiasts with all-region DVD players.

[Image via Guardian.co.uk]

The Ricky Gervais Show is basically his podcasts with Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington, animated in a very retro, Flinstones style. In the pilot, premiering tonight on HBO at 9pm, Gervais and co. adapt one of their existing podcasts to the animated style… and by that I mean they basically animate what’s already there.

This strange project has mixed results. I was struck by their decision not to censor Gervais’ rambling speech, with his animated doppelganger instead moving his mouth for each “um”. To the same point, each man is reduced to a specific default facial expression; for Merchant it’s a big welcoming smile; Gervais’ grin is shrewder and more mocking; and Karl Pilkington, originally a producer on the podcast, is rendered as a sad, childlike third wheel. It’s a funny device to be sure, especially Karl’s perpetual confusion, but we lose some of Gervais’ comic timing when we can’t see him making that classic, slightly constipated face.

The medium allows for them to go off on Family Guy-sort of tangents — that is, when Gervais cracks a joke about poor Karl, we see his mock-scenario of him and Merchant examining Karl as if he were a monkey. Merchant and Gervais continue their excellent repartee, building on their jokes (at Karl’s expense) and morphing them into what could make pretty funny spin-off series. I’m actually pretty charmed by these cutaways. They are what elevate the show above something to listen to while you’re doing laundry.

But that could be the problem, right there — in some cases the animations distract from the deep conversation (e.g., Karl’s commentary on reincarnation and the life cycle), and overall the program is missing the sheer awkwardness of Gervais’ successes in The Office and especially Extras. Perhaps that’s because in both shows (fictional, yes) he was either at the top or the very bottom of either system, and here he’s supposed to be surrounded by peers. While Karl gives him plenty to criticize, Gervais is less compelling because all he’s doing is making fun of the poor guy. Am I the only one who likes to see Gervais’ characters’ getting theirs?

[pic via Vanity Fair]

…maybe. E!, of all people, has a rumor that geek god Joss Whedon is teaming up with Super Size Me and 30 Days documentarian Morgan Spurlock, and that they need fans! Says the mysterious source:

“They want to follow people for about three months leading up to this year’s Comic-Con. And then they want to film them there. They’re looking at all types of people.”

Though neither Spurlock nor Whedon has commented on the rumor yet — which is in itself interesting, since you’d think if they weren’t part of the project they would immediately deny it — Spurlock did do a similar gig at last year’s Comic Con, tracking down Simpsons fans for a doc on Matt Groening.

The source didn’t give any contact info, but if we hear more we’ll pass it along — hell, I’d up my geek factor to get to work with Whedon!

[Via E!]

[Image source: Dr. K's Blog]

I like to think that The Spectacular Spider-Man, volumes 6 and 7 of which were released recently on DVD, is the reason for sending Peter Parker back to Midtown Manhattan Magnet, a.k.a. M3, High School in the 2012 3-D big-screen film Spider-Man 4. This era is the focus of Spectacular, which is such a terrific animated series that I subscribed to premium cable so that I could watch the second season episodes on Disney XD.

Before discussing the episodes on the new releases, I want to recommend that the producers of Spider-Man 4 consider Spectacular voice actor Josh Keaton for the role of Parker in the movie. His extraordinary portrayal of Parker and Spider-Man in the series is one of the best things about the program, and this performance receives equal praise in most of the reviews that I read. I would also love to see the creative team behind Spectacular participate in making the film.

Volumes 6 and 7 consist of the middle six episodes from the second season of Spectacular. These start with Parker beginning his junior year of high school after a rocky sophomore year that included his transformation into Spider-Man and enough teen angst to carry a CW show. The angst continues in the second season, but the older and wiser Parker handles it better.

Although the battles with super villains and the accompanying quips are great, the focus on Parker’s high school life and its parallels with his web-swinging are a better part of the show. Keaton’s voice and the spot-on way that Parker is drawn make us sympathize with him when he is called Puny Parker and Stinky Pete and otherwise bullied.

It is also fun to watch Parker bring big blonde bully Eugene “Flash” Thompson down with barbs regarding his intelligence. We learn additionally that the nickname Flash does not relate to his speed.

The high school element is especially strong regarding M3’s preparations for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The monologues that the students recite for tryouts for that production serve as a Greek chorus regarding Spider-Man’s battle of the week; tying these auditions to the primary action was clever and done perfectly. Episodes that will appear in the next DVD release bring the “Dream” production even more center stage and will have a great season 2 finale that includes the opening night of that play.

However, “Identity Crisis” in Volume 6 is the best episode of the set. Parker heroically continues fighting the good fight after super-villain Venom does his darnedest to out him merely to be vindictive. Additionally, this episode has Flash become a more sympathetic character.

The bottom line is that my fellow veteran Spidey fans will enjoy seeing our quick-witted hero in action and newer converts will appreciate the high school drama and best group of teens since Saved by the Bell.

I am eager to have folks e-mail me at tvdvdguy@gmail.com regarding Spectacular or simply their jock-boy blonde bullies; my hockey star bully has characteristically made a career out of swooping down on foreclosed properties in the Boston area.

[Image source:IGN]

Diane Sawyer got Betty White on the phone in her “The Conversation” segment last week and quizzed the Golden Girls star about the Facebook group requesting that White host Saturday Night Live. Joking that “they just dig old ladies”, White revealed that she had been asked to host SNL a few times but had always had scheduling conflicts, plus she was “scared”. Aww.

Even though I felt like Rue McClanahan more often had the one-liners, White seems to be the actress who’s carried the Girls‘ cheeky-old-ladies mentality into pop culture since the show ended in 1992. Maybe there should be some sort of fan campaign to show her that there’s nothing to be afraid of?

[Via NYT]

[Image source: Tumblr]

[Video source: ABC News]

What do you get when you combine the director of Wedding Crashers, the writers of 500 Days of Summer, and the producers of Arrested Development? What sounds like a kick-ass show: Friends with Benefits, which NBC has just picked up after ABC passed. The half-hour sitcom is described as a “comedy exploring modern day romance through the eyes of five friends each looking for ‘the one’ but in the meantime settling for ‘friends with benefits.”

One of How I Met Your Mother’s best episodes last year was when Robin and Ted attempt to capture the best part of their failed relationship — the sex — without getting re-attached… plus, it kept them from bickering over who left the milk out. Though I’m not a fan of the hookup culture, it’s still a trend that a lot of audiences will find relatable. And with the aforementioned creative teams, you can bet it won’t get too mushy, but rather inappropriately funny or just plain sad.

[Via The Wrap]

[Image source: nj.com]

A phrase in an essay in the booklet in the DVD set titled Leonard Bernstein Omnibus describes this four-disc collection of eight rare programs better than I can.

The author of that text states “But the Omnibus programs … established Bernstein as a nationally known star, and they remain the archetype of intelligent, sophisticated musical explication that enlightens the layman without offending the sophisticate.” In simpler terms, Bernstein is special because both the hoi polloi and the rich and famous can relate to him.

Omnibus was a cultural arts program from the 1950s; its scope included stage plays and a wide assortment of music. The Archive of American Television has released collections of these rare broadcasts over the past few months.

The Bernstein episodes included a mix of instruction and performance on the classic music legends Bach and Beethoven, opera, a Christmas day episode on Handel’s Messiah, and the work of Bernstein and others in American musical comedy. Bernstein’s knowledge of music, skills as a composer and a conductor, and ability to relate to the public qualified him especially well for these performances.

An episode in which Bernstein discussed conducting a symphony orchestra was particularly interesting. I learned about the history of that profession and the meaning of the motions that a conductor makes with his or her wand.

The episodes also benefited from the charm of series host Alistair Cooke, who is best known for hosting PBS’ Masterpiece Theater. Cooke did a great job providing a behind-the-scenes feel to the performances.

Fans of Omnibus and Bernstein are welcome to share their thoughts as e-mail to tvdvdguy@gmail.com.

[Image source: AllPosters]

Has it already been a year since Hugh Jackman performed his fantastic tribute to the Best Picture nominees, all while singing and slinging himself over ridiculous props? Good on you, Mr. Jackman, for getting through the opening monologue without any nasty jokes and getting us geared up for the upcoming telecast. I gotta say, I think I liked this better than his Tonys gig.

[Image source: CBC]

[Video source: Oscars on YouTube]

It’s pilot season, and already casting shows that there is an unprecedented number of minority leads in broadcast dramas:

The spy couple at the center of J.J. Abrams’ “Undercovers” for NBC is played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Boris Kodjoe. “Undercovers,” co-written by Abrams, marks his first pilot directing effort since “Lost” six years ago.

Forest Whitaker is the lead on CBS’ “Criminal Minds” spinoff; Laz Alonso tops the Fox action-drama “Breakout Kings,” directed and exec produced by Gavin Hood; and Freddy Rodriguez headlines CBS’ CIA drama “Chaos,” directed and executive produced by Brett Ratner.

TV obviously has no problem with black and Latino actors in comedy, but drama is another story. CBS seems to be laying groundwork already, with this past year’s CSI: Los Angeles starring LL Cool J, as well as Dennis Haybert’s The Unit. Barack Obama’s election could have contributed to the effect, as TV historian Tim Brooks cites a lack of relatability in causing ensemble shows with minority casts to flounder in past ratings. With a black President, how much more relatable can you get right now?

Black comedians have a strong tradition on TV, and viewers have had no problem embracing comedy series with black leads. But dramas offer a different dynamic and require a larger degree of relatability, which makes it harder for white audiences to accept an ethnic show, TV historian Tim Brooks said.

Indeed, dramas with predominantly black or Hispanic casts, such as HBO’s much-lauded “The Wire” and CBS’ “City of Angels” and “Cane,” couldn’t go beyond a niche following.

But in ensemble dramas with diverse casts, there has been a noticeable trend of raising the profile of roles minority actors land, starting with Haysbert’s role as the U.S. president on Fox’s “24,” Brooks said.

“Blacks have risen in the authority of their roles,” he said. “(Minority actors) are moving up from part of the team to leader of the team.”

Bravo, especially for seeing Forest Whitaker back on television.

[Via THR]

[Image source: Getty Images]

SNL delight Kristen Wiig has co-written a comedy with writing partner Annie Mumolo, with Judd Apatow attached to direct and Paul Feig to produce. This will be Apatow and Feig’s first time working together since the short-lived ABC Family drama Freaks and Geeks. Though Universal Pictures is keeping mum on the details of the script, it’s described as being about two friends bickering over planning their friend’s wedding party. Maybe Wiig and Mumolo’s project (they’re also co-producing) will be funnier than Bride Wars since it’ll take a more detached look at the stresses of weddings; plus, they can probably get more laughs with Apatow’s gross-out humor and maybe even a few cameos from the menfolk…

[Via Variety]

[Image source: Hulu]