Top 5

Every week, I’m going to ring in the weekend by making some random top 5 list and encourage everyone else to do the same.

Today’s topic: Top 5 overlooked television shows

5. Beg, Barrow & Deal – ESPN – ESPN’s ripoff of the Amazing Race was amazing. Originally aired in primetime, when this show began airing at like midnight, I figured it was a bad sign.

4. Swan’s Crossing -My guess is that if I actually went back and watched this teen soap opera that aired for 13 weeks in 1992, I would think it was awful but I have super fond memories of the show from when I was 9.

3. Blow Out – I think my favorite part of this show was watching hair stylist Jonathan Anton try to convince the world that he was straight every week. Dude, you have tattoos and you finish every sentence with “man,” you like chicks, I get it.

2. Bands on the Run - I was obsessed with this show when it was on. I just didn’t miss it. If anyone from VH1 ever reads anything I write, I hope it’s this.. BRING BACK BANDS ON THE RUN AND RELEASE THE FIRST SEASON ON DVD. Who can forget the hard-drinking, hard-living guys from Flickerstick going toe-to-toe with corporate rock schmoozers Soulcracker. That show was epic.

1. Degrassi: The Next Generation – I know as a 23-year-old white guy, I’m hardly this show’s target demo but Stephen King’s love for Veronica Mars makes me feel like this is ok. This show is completely mindless and melodramatic and fantastic. If you don’t believe me, I’ll give you an example of the power of Degrassi. A couple weeks ago I was at home in Indiana for the wedding of my blogging colleague L-Mo and my girlfriend, myself and my friend Zac were sitting around my parents living room watching television. I turned on Degrassi. What started with “This is so dumb” quickly turned into wait “Who did Emma sleep with?” and “Why is Jimmy in a wheelchair?” That’s right, it’s social commentary brought to life by Canadian teenagers.

Friday’s Line

Lighters will be allowed back on airplanes. Unreal.New CEO of Revision3, parent company of Diggnation, talks about the company’s future.

A smaller, cheaper iPhone may be in the works. And in related news, I still don’t care.

CNET teaches you how to ghost hunt.

Young adults and teens aren’t reading the news. Wow, great stuff, guys! Really!  

You’re less likely to die in a plane crash if you’re sitting in the back.

This guy is the new Green Hornet:

     

Huffington Post’s Tony Sachs talks about losing his wife to Harry Potter.

Top 10 things you can do with your time before reading the new Harry Potter. 

The New York Post’s Top 100 cover songs of all-time.

Newsweek’s Devin Gordon on the Emmy nominations.

Randomly Rad

I am not at all excited about the Simpsons Movie but I’m a Lost dork and this is pretty rad.

Certified by The 730

The 730 hereby certifies “Victoria Beckham: Coming to America” as Pop Culture genius.

This certification will be awarded anytime Lauren and I agree on the genius of any one thing.

I think the show really does showcase Victoria’s wit and sense of humor in a really charming and endearing way. But just when you think, man, she’s just like anyone else. She arrives somewhere in what are surely two bulletproof Cadillac Escalades and enough bodyguards to protect the entire field of 2008 presidential candidates.

If the Beckhams never do anything else in this country, I seriously hope they consider making more episodes.

Victoria Beckham: Coming to America (and my heart)

Remember how I said I love reality tv? Well I do. And to demonstrate that, I’m posting twice in one day on yet another reality television show.

First things first. Victoria Beckham? Not the heinous shrew I once believed her to be. She’s actually a really funny chick. I flipped across her new show in an effort to keep my Tivo from recording South Park (I loath South Park, but that’s a post for another day). I had no intention of watching Vicki pout and not eat her way through an hour of my life. But one zinger after another and I was glued!

From commentary on botoxed over the hill Hollywood “socialites” to an attempt to fake out the paparazzi with a very well-coiffed blow up doll, the woman is full of British charm and humour. And guess what? She smiles!

Exhausted from a long day, I won’t spend too much time recapping. I will say that reviews of the show have been poor, which shocks the hell out of me. Beckham is, for me, the trendier, more famous, British Kathy Griffin. I love her. To illustrate this, I will leave you with an exchange from the show between Beckham and noted celeb-hater-blogger Perez Hilton in a coffee shop.

Hilton: I got you a cookie!
Beckham: Isn’t that nice of you. [gestures to piles of paparazzi outside the cafe] Unfortunately I can’t be seen eating or smiling. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to make myself miserable again. [exits cafe with trademark pout]

LOVE HER.