Guess what tomorrow is?
Halloween, you say? Who cares. It’s the day House finally returns after the baseball hiatus. Not only that, but it’s the start of a guest run by Dr. Boomer, one of my early crushes. (Though I have to admit, the less obvious charms of David Morse in St. Elsewhere had some slight competition from that show’s Mark Harmon and Denzel Washington.) I worry about what the new House competition might do to CBC’s Intelligence, but I can only do my part by watching them both. I know, I’m a hero.
Coincidentally, in today’s mail I got a couple of House reminders. First was my Amazon order of the first two seasons of A Bit of Fry and Laurie on DVD, which I absolutely did not illegally download a couple of years ago, and really enjoyed and was therefore eager for the official DVD release. No sirree.
Second was a 3 lbs screener from CBS, in a much fancier package than normal, with a cool picture of a brain scan on the cover. I may be squeamish about the blood and guts, but I’m all about the brain. Plus it came with a present: a brain squeezy ball. I love CBS.
Yes, my affection can be bought for the price of a 10 cent squeezy ball. Fox never gives me presents. Except, I guess, a show I love more than my brain tells me is reasonable.
There’s no guarantee I’ll love 3 lbs as much as the cool present. While I tend to like medical shows in general, I’m both curious and a little wary of just how House-like this one sounds, focused as it is on a cranky, troubled, but brilliant neurosurgeon. There was room on my schedule last season for both House and Grey’s Anatomy because of how different they are. I don’t know if I could watch a show that feels like House-lite, and I don’t think any show could do what House does better.
Still, a premise doesn’t really say much about how I’ll respond to a show. And speaking of crushes, it stars Stanley Tucci. He was just another solid character actor to me until Big Night, a movie that had the distinction of most surprisingly effective use of a former Wings cast member until Studio 60. Tucci co-wrote and co-directed the lovely, sweet (and other less girly adjectives) movie about two brothers, played by Tucci and a post-Wings, pre-Monk Tony Shalhoub, who concoct an elaborate meal in their failing restaurant in preparation for a potentially business-saving visit by Louis Prima. It’ll make you laugh, make you cry, make you really, really hungry.
Anyway, I’ll write an actual review after I’ve actually watched 3 lbs (I think CBS wants me to call it 3LBS but I can’t quite manage that yet). In the meantime, I’ve got some Hugh Laurie and Stanley Tucci to watch.
I feel like I should launch into a simulated BeeGees medley..you know…the musical version of ‘I’m Down With That’.
I really regret picking that title. I can’t get the stupid song out of my head.
I think I saw Big Night when it came out, but I added it to my Netflix queue to watch again. I’m sure I’ll get a bigger kick out of it after watchinig Tony Shalhoub as Monk. Thanks for the tip.
I saw the promos about 3 lbs and had pretty much the same reactions. We shall see!
Envidia, envidia, envidia…
Hoy verán el 5º episodio de House! Ojalá yo también pueda verlo pronto (si es que hay algún alma caritativa en internet…).
Leeré mañana tu reseña, Diane. Espero que el episodio esté a la altura de las circunstancias y no nos desilusione; a mí también me gusta “House” aún más allá de lo razonable, pero soy más feliz cuando ellos se ganan mi amor.
También me encanta A Bit of Fry and Laurie. ¿Vieron el sábado pasado a Hugh Laurie en SNL? Yo pude ver en youtube algunas partes… Su monólogo, brillante; pero no me gustaron tanto los otros sketches… Creo que no se comparan con los que HL y Stephen Fry hacían en su programa.
Adoro también a S.Tucci y Big Night es un a de mis películas favoritas…
Trato de cambiar de tema pero es inútil: envidia, envidia, envidia… (el pecado capital me pesigue)
Saludos desde Argentina y que disfruten del episodio! (la globalización es una maldición)
Aww, Julia’s making me feel bad … almost. Italics is a translation of the above:
Envy, envy, envy …
Today you’ll see the 5th episode of House! I hope I can also see it soon (if there is some charitable soul on the Internet…)
I will read your review tomorrow, Diane. I hope the episode rises to the occasion [I had to Google that idiom, Julia – you’re challenging me!] and doesn’t disillusion us; I also like House even more than is reasonable, but I’m happier when they earn my love.
I also love A Bit of Fry and Laurie. Did you see Hugh Laurie on Saturday Night Live last Saturday? I managed to see some of it on YouTube. His monologue was brilliant, but I didn’t much like the other sketches. I don’t think you can compare them with what HL and Stephen Fry did on their show.
I also adore Stanley Tucci and Big Night is one of my favourite films.
I’m trying to change the subject but it’s futile: envy, envy, envy … (the cardinal sin that ? follows me/plagues me/somethings me ?)
Greetings from Argentina and I hope you enjoy the episode! (Globalization is a curse)
Hee! You don’t seem to have too much trouble keeping up with the show despite the fact that season three isn’t playing in Argentina, though. I think there’s lots of “charitable souls” on the Internet. The copyright police might not think so, but …
I have to admit I’m a little anxious about tonight’s episode too. This season has been very hit or miss for me so far, and I haven’t always loved their longer-term story arcs in the past, and I have such high expectations after being deprived for over a month.
I did see HL on SNL and I was underwhelmed. Loved him, of course, but not so much most of the sketches. I have to admit I laughed at the fart sketch, but then it went on way too long. And the Queen sketch was pretty good. The “protest song” was great, but then it was an oldie from A Bit of Fry and Laurie. I was hoping for a decent House parody and was disappointed they didn’t even try, though I suppose that’s better than having to see a dismal House parody. The rest of the show was pretty terrible, except Beck. I thought he was great.
Completamente de acuerdo.Me gustaron las mismas cosas, Beck incluido, por supuesto.
Adoro la Canción de protesta, pero no sé si me gustó más esta vez o cuando HL la cantaba más joven. De todas formas, es brillante.
En fin, su visita a SNL sirvió para que apreciara más aún los fantásticos textos de A Bit of Fry and Laurie. Gracias por la otra traducción, intentaré no hacértelo dificil (aunque veo que te estás haciendo una experta)
Fry and Laurie have, of course, a long history of collaboration. I think they did their best work in “Jeeves and Wooster”, although much of that credit belongs to the masterful Wodehouse for the source material.
I’m dying for a Fry guest spot on “House”….
I can’t decide if I want Fry to do a guest spot or if it would be too … worlds colliding. David Shore and Stephen Fry have been quoted as saying they’ve actually talked about it, but scheduling hasn’t worked. So it could be in the cards sometime.
From Julia:
I completely agree. I liked the same things, Beck included, of course. I loved the protest song, but I don’t know if I liked it better this time or when the younger HL sang it. In any case, it was brilliant.
At least, his visit to SNL served to make me appreciate more the fantastic writing of A Bit of Fry and Laurie.
That’s looking on the bright side!