Category Archives: TV News and World Report

Follow _S_A_R_A_H (i.e. the smart house from ‘Eureka’) on Twitter

My usual reflex when I get a new Twitter follower is to block anyone I don’t know personally who has a Twitter slut ratio of at least 2 to 1. The Twitter slut ratio is calculated by dividing the "following" number by the "followers" number. Most new Twitter followers these days are spammers or attention whores trying to sucker users with low internal bullshit detection meters into following them.

(I don’t believe it’s proper Twitter etiquette to follow anyone who follows you. I do believe it’s proper Twitter usage to follow people you genuinely want to follow.)

Today, I said I didn’t want to return the Season 2 DVD set of Eureka I bought impulsively last week. I need the cash though, and maybe when I’m a little more flush, I’ll reinvest.

Then a Twitter user named _S_A_R_A_H started following me. I was about ready to block _S_A_R_A_H when I noticed the Twitter slut ratio was roughly 1 to 1. Then I read _S_A_R_A_H’s "About Me" info and realized it’s the Self Actuated Residential Automated Habitat from Eureka. In other words, it’s Sheriff Carter’s house! _S_A_R_A_H is following me on Twitter!

OK, this kind of thing would be considered Pepsi Blue on Metafilter, but still — the folks who market Eureka are incredibly clever. For the first season, they spoofed infomercials with products designed in Eureka. Now, an intelligent house is using Twitter to keep in touch with viewers.

I already like the show, but this kind of fan outreach is just cool.

Of course, now I’d feel bad if I returned that Season 2 DVD set.

Second life, TV style

A show that doesn’t get high ratings may get canceled, but a boxed set of that show selling tens of thousands of copies could be considered a success, so reports the Boston Globe.

As a result, some pretty obscure shows are coming out on DVD, and if enough folks who watched them the first time buy those sets, they can be profitable.

Myself, I wouldn’t mind the second season of Boomtown hitting DVD. And will we ever see the ABC cyberpunk series Max Headroom on DVD? I would get that in a heartbeat.

I Want My Food TV?

I have the Food Network listed as one of my favorite channels on TiVo, even though I’m a lousy cook. (People think I’m being funny when I say I can make myself ill with my own cooking.)

Food Network is kind of like VH-1 — somewhere you might want to stop by occasionally during a marathon of channel surfing between commercials. The only show I watch on Food Network is Good Eats, and sometimes I’ll take in an Iron Chef when Bravo, TNT and USA are Law & Order-less.

So imagine my surprise when I discovered I’m not the only 18- to 34-year-old viewer who watches Food Network. In fact, it’s surprisingly successful with that most envied of demographics.

I fall into the viewership who are more interested in the network’s personalities than the food programming itself. In my case, it’s Alton Brown — oh, the crush I have on that man!

Unlike other niche networks, Food Network manages to tap into programming trends without losing focus on the food. It’s got game shows (Iron Chef, Food Network Challenge), comedies (Ham on the Street, Good Eats), reality (Ace of Cakes) and a slew of non-fiction programming (Unwrapped, The Secret Life of …).

The only thing it doesn’t do is scripted drama — no syndication of Kitchen Confidential, thank you very much.

Does the Golf Channel or CourtTV offer the same kind of programming? I wouldn’t know because I watch neither one. I like the criminal justice system to a point, and I have no interest in golf. But everyone has to eat, and Food Network is essentially broadcasting people playing with food. Who wouldn’t like that?

Called it

This week the Advocate puts John Stamos on its cover. Stamos plays gay in an upcoming movie for A&E titled Wedding Wars.

That’s not what got my attention.

It was the publicity shot of Stamos and Sean Maher of Firefly looking rather domestic. And Maher was wearing a rainbow-colored lei with his shirt unbuttoned.

I called it! I don’t care that this movie is on A&E — I want to see Maher do gay. Too bad it isn’t with Jamie Bamber. Those two would make a good on-screen couple.

I knew, and I didn’t know

When I saw the headline that Neil Patrick Harris came out of the closet, I was surprised. Then the surprise wore off, and I was left with an odd sense of deja vu.

Hadn’t I already learned about this news from a long while back? I thought I had, but I couldn’t remember from where.

I always thought Harris would do a great job playing a gay character, and I guess now it wouldn’t be so much of an act. He’s not exactly on my hot list, but I’ve always found his handsomeness less boyish than what’s generally perceived. What surprised me more was finding out I’m a year older than he is. Damn, what have I been doing with my life?

Harris is the third big coming out story of the year (yes, I’m counting T.R. Knight.) In terms of child actors from the ’80s and ’90s, that makes three — Chad Allen, Danny Pinaturo and now, Neil Patrick Harris. Who’s next?