That’s right – I said it. The new ‘Knight Rider’ tv movie/pilot is going to be AWESOME. As a long-time ‘Knight Rider’ fanboy, I initially reacted as most fanboys do to change. It frightened and bewildered me…but, I have taken a step back from my fanboy ways and looked at the project with the most fresh and objective eyes that I can….

…and I have determined this thing will kick ass. Here’s why –

1) The Script – I’ve read my share of reviews of the script for the pilot, and from what I can gather it sounds dead-on for ‘Knight Rider’ in 2008. KITT is the hero through most of the story, and the plot, while slightly cheesy and predicable (this IS ‘Knight Rider’ after all) sounds intriguing enough for a 2-hour pilot. The main thing here is that it seems like ‘Knight Rider’…but updated enough to fit the current tastes of today’s audiences.

2) The Car - I know, I know. “It’s too bulky to be KITT. The scanner is too high up on the vehicle. It’s a Mustang and Mustangs are for hillbillies.” Come OFF IT. The updated car looks slick as hell when its in “attack” mode, and it looking like a standard car when it’s sitting parked makes perfect sense. It’s not exactly easy for a guy in a tricked out car with a big red cylon scanner in the front bumper to hide from the bad guys now is it? This is a very thought out, very cool update for the show.

Another thing that’s pretty bad ass is that you’ll be able to buy your own replica of KITT if you really want one. When the first series came out, people constantly hounded Pontiac for their own KITT, so much so that Pontiac would not agree to let the producers of ‘Knight Rider 2000′ use their updated Trans-Am design in the early 90s for the new KITT. Ford, on the other hand, is ready to go, and the reason commercially available parts have been used for the accents on the “Attack” car is because it’s going to be available for sale.

That’s AWESOME! If you’re into that sort of thing…

3) Will Arnet – Will’s voice in that teaser just oozes bad ass – and he only says two words. That’s what great about him as the voice for the Knight Industries Three Thousand. He has the voice over chops to deliver a great performance, and he can be deadly serious and have that ‘bad ass’ quality in his voice – but he’s also a fantastic comedian. If you think back, oh ‘Knight Rider’ fans, you’ll remember that KITT was one sarcastic bastard, and that kind of whit is necessary to pull this thing off.

Plus, since the car is new, that still leaves plenty of chance for the Knight Industries Two Thousand to still be out there and do a guest spot! There are rumors that he’s in the pilot!

4) It’s A Sequel – At first I wondered why they chose this route too – why not just start over? It’s simple! By making it a continuation of the original series you can have guest stars including KITT and Michael Knight! You can throw in things for the hard-core fans, while still making it accessible to the new fans. This is Knight Rider: The Next Generation! That brings me to the last reason, of course…

5) The Hoff – Hasselhoff. He’s in. ‘Nuff Said.

Of course, it’s really stupid of me to get my hopes up about this thing – but DANG IT – I can’t help it. I want this show to be off the charts awesome – and while I can’t guarantee it, I really think they’ve done a lot to gear themselves in the right direction, and I can’t wait to see it.

Originally a part of The Simpsons Movie promotion, the first official Kwik-E-Mart to ever open full time has done so at Universal Studios. The store is your one stop for all things Simpsons – particularly Homer and Bart.

Why we don’t have these as a national chain is beyond me. Talk about a franchise opportunity. I’d go to a Kwik-E-Mart in the bad part of town before I’d stop at a 7/11 or a Cefco.

via Buddy TV

Variety reports that even though television viewing time dropped by a whopping minute in 06/07, DVRs are now in 20.5% of homes in the US.

I actually find this number low and disappointing. Why don’t more of you have DVRs? EVERYONE should have a DVR.

Do you have kids? Then you need a DVR! Do you want to stop planning your life around your shows? Then you need a DVR! Do you want to stop flipping around on the weekend saying “man, there’s nothing on!”? THEN YOU NEED A DVR!

All the cable companies have them now. Dish Network and DirecTV also have great DVRs (Dish Networks is my personal favorite), and – of course, there is always TiVo.

If, for some reason you don’t know what a DVR is, let me explain…A DVR uses an on-screen menu to let you set up your favorite show to record. It then records them to a hard drive, and that allows you to watch them whenever you want with the push of a button.

DVRs are LIFE CHANGING. You never think about when a show starts again – it’s just sitting there when you get home, giving you more time to do the stuff outside the house that you actually want to do.

Stop what you’re doing right now – and go buy a DVR, or call your cable operator and get one sent to the house.

You deserve it!

At the premiere of his new film “Run Fat Boy Run”, former Friend, David Schwimmer was adamant when asked about a possible “Friends” reunion that he just won’t do it.

“It was ten years ago – and it’s time to move on.” says the former star.

While I don’t think a Friends reunion is ever necessary, I can already tell you that there will come a day when Schwimmer retracts this statement. The only Friend who seems to be doing terribly well at the box office is Jennifer Aniston, and I seriously doubt “Fat Boy” is going to change things for Schwimmer.

Should there be a Friends reunion movie or special? Well…let me ask you this…should there have been TWO Dukes of Hazard Reunion movies?

My point is that it doesn’t matter if it SHOULD happen or not. Chances are it will.

via TV Squad

Just got in from seeing Transformers and here’s my review…it’s a great summer movie with mind-blowing effects that you will not believe. If the concept of giant friggin’ robots kicking each other’s metallic butts evokes any reaction whatsoever…it’s the movie for you. And Shia LaBeouf is going to be a HUGE star.

But during that whole spectacle, the thing that kept coming back into my mind was this little teaser that immediately preceded the film. If you haven’t seen it yet, I really don’t want to ruin it. Suffice it to say that J.J. Abrams, the ‘Lost’ mastermind, is making a monster movie.

A big monster movie.

If you’re like me you’ve heard nothing about it. So being the diligent fan that I am, I rounded up what little info there is about the film. The most complete list I could find comes from AICN, but I’ll sum it up here:

- The giant monster is referred to internally as “The Parasite”
- The majority of the film will be shot on handheld cameras, as if from the perspective of citizens of New York under attack
- It will be a relatively small film but will deliver some “big thrills” like an Manhattan-leveling earthquake or an oil tanker capsizing near the Statue of Liberty…or, you know, what we saw in the trailer

Personally, this is my most anticipated movie right now. I know that Michael over at Filmsy and ForeverGeek enjoyed the heck out of it too, so keep your eyes here and there for more info as it develops.

Summer gets such a bad wrap.  In ages past, summer programming and “boring” went hand in hand.  There has been a definite shift in recent years, though, to some really quality TV during the hot summer months…some shows that even overshadow their big-boy, fall season counterparts.  Here are some shows to check out this summer…you may just like what you find.

Kyle XY – ABC Family – Mondays 8/7c

I like ‘Kyle XY’ alot.  It’s not the deepest show on TV, it doesn’t have the best acting and it’s not the most well-written thing around.  But it’s got a really fun storyline, which follows Kyle (Matt Dallas) as he struggles to find out why he can’t remember anything before the point when he woke up naked in the forest, and why he has these amazing supernatural abilities.

‘Kyle XY’ is a great summer family show, in that it offers something for everyone…for the girls you’ve got the cute guys; for the dudes there’s the sci-fi storyline.  If you’re a fan of either of those, check this one out.

The 4400 – USA Network – Premieres Sunday, June 17 9/8c

The 4400 was Heroes when Heroes wasn’t cool.  See, the 4400 were ordinary people who, over the course of history, were somehow abducted.  They all return at once, completely unaware of the time that has passed, and all manifesting different abilities.  Rather than focus on the “secret abilities” angle that ‘Heroes’ used this season, ‘The 4400′ brought the powers right out in the open, so the question of what to do with these potentially dangerous people brings a great political aspect to the story that ‘Heroes’ only hinted at this season. 

If you’re a fan of ‘Heroes’, check out ‘The 4400′.

Monk – USA Network – Premieres Friday, July 13 9/8c

At one time a detective working for the San Francisco Police Department, obsessive-compulsive Monk retired from the force after his wife was killed in a car bomb attack.  He now consults for the department on some of their more difficult investigations.

Tony Shaloub was born to play the role of Adrian Monk.  He can go from side-splittingly funny to touchingly pathetic in a heartbeat.  I urge you to check this one out, if only to see his performance.

Rescue Me – FX – Wednesdays 10/9c

‘Rescue Me’ is consistently the roughest, most envelope-pushing drama on television today. Dennis Leary plays Tommy Gavin, a New York fireman battling with the bottle, a family that’s spinning out of control around him…oh, yeah, and the whole fire thing. And he’s hooked up with Sheila, the wife of his late cousin, who died in the World Trade Center on 9/11. Oh, and his cousin appears to him from time to time.

If you’re looking for a bright, happy hour of television, look elsewhere. But if you want fantastic drama, tremendous performances, and are not easily offended by a steady stream of “how far can we go without getting fined”, ‘Rescue Me’ is the best show you’ll find this summer.

One of the favorite things I remember about my early childhood was the time that I spent every day in Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.  That, coupled with Sesame Street, and then followed with Reading Rainbow, was enough to send my imagination reeling for the day.  My 18 month old son is just getting to the age where he can enjoy this stuff, and it thrills me.

So when I ran across this article, I thought it was just too great to pass up.  Fred Rogers was really a great man, both on screen and off, and the list displays some of his greatest moments.  A couple of my favorites:

4. He Saved Both Public Television and the VCR
Strange but true. When the government wanted to cut Public Television funds in 1969, the relatively unknown Mister Rogers went to Washington. Almost straight out of a Capra film, his 5-6 minute testimony on how TV had the potential to give kids hope and create more productive citizens was so simple but passionate that even the most gruff politicians were charmed. While the budget should have been cut, the funding instead jumped from $9 to $22 million. Rogers also spoke to Congress, and swayed senators into voting to allow VCR’s to record television shows from the home. It was a cantankerous debate at the time, but his argument was that recording a program like his allowed working parents to sit down with their children and watch shows as a family.

5. He Might Have Been the Most Tolerant American Ever
Mister Rogers seems to have been almost exactly the same off-screen as he was onscreen. Despite being an ordained Presbyterian minister, and a man of tremendous faith, Mister Rogers preached tolerance first. Whenever he was asked to castigate non-Christians or gays for their differing beliefs, he would instead face them and say, with sincerity, “God loves you just the way you are.” Often this provoked ire from fundamentalists.

The whole article is great, so head over and check it out.

A couple of news bits coming from the tech world yesterday.  First, Apple will be releasing an updated version of their newest product, the AppleTV.  When it was originally released in March, the box, which allows the user to view content from iTunes on their HDTV’s, came in only the 40GB model at $299.  The new version will be 160GB for the price of $399. 

Apple also announced yesterday that the AppleTV will soon be adding the ability to surf content from the popular social video site YouTube, bringing internet video directly to your living room.  From the press release:

Thousands of the most current and popular YouTube videos will be available on Apple TV at launch in mid-June, with YouTube adding thousands more each week until the full YouTube catalog is available this fall. With Apple TV’s stunning interface and simple Apple Remote, users can easily navigate through YouTube’s familiar video browsing categories or search for specific videos. YouTube members can also log-in to their YouTube accounts on Apple TV to view and save their favorite videos.

Since this will still be controlled by the Apple remote, I’ll be interested to see how searching is done.  Michael at sister site Apple Gazette will be checking it out, and I’m sure that we’ll get an update from him on that when it goes live in June. 

Not sure how you can possibly wait until February 2008 for your next Lost fix?  Holding your breath for an August release, like in the past, of the DVD box set to tide you over?  Well stop.  Seriously.  You’re turning blue.

Amazon has Lost – The Complete Third Season down for a December 11 release date, for the price of $41.99, discounted down from $59.99.  While that may seem like an excruciatingly long wait, remember that you can stream all of the episodes for free at ABC.com (in HD, even!) through the end of the summer, or you can drop a few bucks and download them off of iTunes.  Plus, a December release would make the perfect stocking stuffer.

The Peacock has been using the gimmick of super-sized episodes for the past few years…running extended episodes of various series. This tactic has focused mainly on their Thursday night comedy series. Today, the news comes that NBC will do away with that, for the most part, next season. Zap2It reports:

“It was a good idea when we started it. It was very novel. But it’s just not a good idea to have shows starting at 9:23 p.m.,” Manze tells TV Week. “I don’t think anyone here thinks, at this point, super-sizing often is good for the shows. We’re going to do our best to not have to do it next year.”

Now, this could very well have been an issue in years past, when viewers were slaves to the networks’ schedules. But, as more and more viewers begin to use DVRs, I see it becoming less of a problem. Manze cites the use of DVRs as a prevalent reason for the change, going so far as to say, “We’re not only fooling people, we’re fooling TiVos.” But, from what I’ve seen, so long as the DVR has enough notice of the change, there’s never a problem with the 9:23 versus 9:30 battle.

The problem I’ve run into, and ran into a lot this season, and especially on NBC, was shows getting clipped (most noticeably, the “Five Years Gone” episode of ‘Heroes’…my DVR cut off just as Sylar and Peter were about to show down, very aggravating). And this is something that I’ve heard several people complain about. I know that Tivo offers a bit of clipping protection, but a large part of the market doesn’t have that option. I would say that the main problem that NBC needs to focus on is the clipping issue, and then worry about confusing people with super-sized episodes.