My boy Mill Freek (aka The Mayor) and I spent 20 minutes discussing our favorite Saved by the Bell episodes ("I'm So Excited" still ranks as my favorite) on Wednesday night. It was one of my favorite conversations of the past two years and one that got me thinking about what the Super Six have done since it went off the air in 1993. To help rank them in terms of success I did a little IMDBing...here are my official rankings.
6. Dustin Diamond - Not only has Screech not done anything of worth since leaving SBTB, he has no redeeming qualities. A sex tape, some chess videos, an appearance on Celebrity Fit Club, some random tv movies and an role on SBTB: The New Class is nothing to write home about.
5. Lark Voorhies - I honestly cannot believe I am ranking Lisa below Jessie, but the fact is she has done NOTHING since a 1999 tv series with LL Cool J. Maybe she is happy with her life away away from the spotlight, but that won't help her here.
4. Elizabeth Berkley - After SBTB she took her clothes off in the ultra-slimy Showgirls and played a hooker in Any Given Sunday. She has also had bit roles in CSI, CSI: Miami, Law & Order and The L Word.
3. Mark-Paul Gosselaar - After falling on some hard times immediately following his time at Bayside, Mark-Paul rebounded with a highly successful stint on NYPD Blue and has had supporting roles on seveeral other tv series since. He is quietly making a solid career for himself.
2. Tiffani (Amber) Thiessen - I had a really hard time choosing between Kelly and Slater because they have been successful in different ways. Thiessen had an extremely successful half decade as Valerie on 90210 and has since been supporting roles on 4 other series. I saw her just the other night on White Collar and while she may be a little older and have put on a few pounds, she still looks damn good.
1. Mario Lopez - As mentioned above, his success has come in different ways than Thiessen. He hasn't had a lead role on a tv series since 2003, but he always seems to be on my tv. Whether it is as host of Extra or Entertainment Tonight or his appearance on Dancing with the Stars or his stints as host of Miss Universe, Miss America or Miss Teen USA, Slater is everywhere. His IMDB page may not be as impressive as Thiessen, but I think you have to say he is more of an A-Lister than Kelly.
Showing posts with label tv. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tv. Show all posts
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Friday Morning Five-Pack
Here is a 5-pack of sports goodness to get your weekend off to a good start
- The Sounders re-signed my favorite player Osvaldo Alonso for an additional 2 years meaning the Bulldog will be in rave green until 2014. Alonso is still only 25 years old, so locking him up for a few more years is an excellent move.
- Speaking of the Sounders, Sigi and crew have some serious decisions to make before the season. Currently their roster sits at 33 players and they need to be down to 28 (30 if they are creative with the injured list again) by opening day. In a test of my objectivity towards the Sounders, I think they need to seriously consider dropping Taylor Graham, Pat Noonan and Zach Scott in favor of younger guys like Leone Cuz, Lamar Neagle and Servando Carrasco. I love Graham and Scott for all they did for the USL Sounders, but the fact remains that their best days are probably behind them (they are both 30 years old and I'm not sure Graham has veer been healthy). Neither make a ton of money, so I can see them sticking with the team for their experience in Champions League, but if they are not going to contribute then the team should go younger. More to come on this as we see how the roster shakes out.
- A new season of Man vs Wild was on last night and I must say I was very excited for it. The past two season have been a bit of a downer for me as Bear was placed into several situations per episodes in which he had to try to survive. He didn't necessarily have to find his way out of the environment, but simply show some survival techniques. Last night though he was thrown into the middle of the Arizona desert and after walking through desert, climbing some mountains and doing normal Bear Grylls stuff (making a home made bow and arrow and eating a scorpion) he came upon a highway that got him home. It was just good to have him back.
- I am still trying to avoid talking about the Carmelo rumors (now the current trade would have us sending Harris, Favors, Murphy, Uzoh and 4 first rounders to Denver), but want to address another rumor that has suddenly come out of nowhere: Devin Harris straight-up for Andre Miller. My first take on the trade is that it might be a good one as we would not be taking a big cap hit (Miller is owed $7.3/yr for the next 2 years compared to $8.9/yr for Harris). Harris seems to be lost mentally and has definitely has regressed since his All-Star year in 08/09. I can actually talk myself into the idea that Miller, a veteran point guard who remains underrated to this day, would actually be better at helping the young front court progress as players. I know he is 34 and some have questioned whether he is a winner, but even as point guards get younger and younger by the day, Miller is averaging 13.2 points and 7.4 assists a game and has a Hollinger Player Rating (18.82) slightly higher than that of Harris. With two years left on his contract, it would give the Nets the opp to draft his heir apparent since it is clear that they will be in the lottery for the foreseeable future
- Finally, two words to sum up my feelings towards the Mets as Spring Training begins: cautious optimism. Maybe it's because Spring Training means the nice weather is on the way. Maybe it's because records in Spring Training mean nothing. Maybe I'm just finally over our collapses. Whatever the reason, I feel good about this team. There certainly is no pressure on us to win the Division this year (as the Phils are expected to win 115 games this year), but there certainly appears to be a new attitude in camp. I'm not sure how long Terry Collins' style will work with the team, but they certainly needed some toughening up after years of Jerry Manuel and Willie Randolph. With David Wright taking over as the undeniable leader of the team and a healthy Carlos BEltran, Jose Reyes and Jason Bay I think we can still make some noise. Of course that is if RA Dickey can have another awesome year, Mike Pelfrey and Jon Niese don't self-destruct and Chris Young/Capuano recover from arm injuries...
Monday, February 14, 2011
Random TV Comments
My lack of recent posts has a lot to do with nothing overly exciting me in the sports world. Sure, I am loving the Devils hot streak, the Bison and Huskies, but besides those three, I am just waiting for March Madness and the return of the Sounders and Mets. Like mid-July, this is definitely one of the worst stretches of sports every year.
So what I would like to do is take the rare opportunity to write about tv. I'll start off by saying that I don't have Tivo nor do I have HBO or Showtime, so I don't really get the opportunity to watch any of the best shows. It's definitely something I would like to fix in the future, but in order to do so, I will need to find more time and stop watching sports. Some shows that I definitely need to get on are Mad Men, The Wire, Eastbound and Down, Breaking Bad and maybe a little Hawaii Five-0.
For now, a few comments about the shows that I do watch. First up: The Office. We all know that Steve Carrell is leaving at the end of the season and I for one am wondering how they are going to replace him. While Jim, Pam and Dwight are all major characters, The Office would not be a hit if not for Michael Scott. So much of the script revolves around his needy, childish behavior that I'm not sure where the show will go with someone new. Do they straight up try to replace him and go on for a few more years or do they promote from within and make Jim or Dwight the boss (something they have teased several times in the past)? While I hope for the latter, I'm not sure whether The Office will be able to survive.
This is unlike CSI (yes, people still are watching) which in my opinion did a beautiful job of moving on when Grisham left. I really like how they took a show with a particular premise and worked their butt off to develop characters. Grisham was indeed the lead, but the nature of the show always allowed Catherine, Nick, Sara, and Warrick to be on camera. When Grisham left, we all assumed Lawrence Fishburn would simply come in and replace him. But what we didn't realize was that their was only one Grisham. He could never be replaced. So the writers promoted Catherine and made Fishburn, the biggest name on the show, an entry level CSIer. It was beautifully done. Add in the return of Sara and the promotion of Greg from lab-rat to scene investigator and the show has not lost a beat.
On to a show that I know only has a particluar audience, I am a big fan of Parenthood. I'm sure that decreases my coolness factor a bit, but I simply can't help liking the show as it hits really close to home. I totally identify with Adam and know that I am going to have the same struggles with communicating with Abby in 14 years. You watch the show and know that he and Kristina are not handling the Haddie situation correctly. Put in that same situation though, I'm sure most of us would react the same way as it is easier to think straight when the situation is not your own.
My other favorite is Community, a show that you should be watching if not already. I don't know how to describe it, but even though every episode is completely nuts, I find myself coming back for me. I used to work at a Community College (big ups to SCCC) and all of the characters are perfectly cast - as all CC's have students like those on Community. All the characters have flaws that we can relate to and that is what helps me overlook the crazy notion that priority scheduling is determined by a paint ball tournament or that old meat from a military store can lead to zombism (a real world) or even that Greendale had a secluded Utopian-like area with a giant trampoline on its grounds. Whatever it is, keep on doing it.
Finally, a word about the Grammy's. I'm not an awards guy, but the word that Enimem would be performing with Rihanna and Dr Dre was enough to get me to watch. I have to say that I was not disappointed as their were tons of great moments. First, in terms of awkward moments, is there any one more awkward than Nicole Kidman? I know that she is married to Keith Urban and that could be a reason for all the face-time she got, but at what point does the producer tell the cameraman to get away from her lame ass? They had to be in on the joke right? The comedy was great. Next, can we talk about Mick Jagger a little? I have never been a Rolling Stones guy, but after watching him perform I think I like him even less. It's not that he is a bad singer or even a bad guy, it's just that I can't stand watching his wrinkly skin and his freakishly long fingers. Am I wrong in thinking that his performance was cringe worthy? I know the entire audience was standing, but that's out of respect, right?
So what I would like to do is take the rare opportunity to write about tv. I'll start off by saying that I don't have Tivo nor do I have HBO or Showtime, so I don't really get the opportunity to watch any of the best shows. It's definitely something I would like to fix in the future, but in order to do so, I will need to find more time and stop watching sports. Some shows that I definitely need to get on are Mad Men, The Wire, Eastbound and Down, Breaking Bad and maybe a little Hawaii Five-0.
For now, a few comments about the shows that I do watch. First up: The Office. We all know that Steve Carrell is leaving at the end of the season and I for one am wondering how they are going to replace him. While Jim, Pam and Dwight are all major characters, The Office would not be a hit if not for Michael Scott. So much of the script revolves around his needy, childish behavior that I'm not sure where the show will go with someone new. Do they straight up try to replace him and go on for a few more years or do they promote from within and make Jim or Dwight the boss (something they have teased several times in the past)? While I hope for the latter, I'm not sure whether The Office will be able to survive.
This is unlike CSI (yes, people still are watching) which in my opinion did a beautiful job of moving on when Grisham left. I really like how they took a show with a particular premise and worked their butt off to develop characters. Grisham was indeed the lead, but the nature of the show always allowed Catherine, Nick, Sara, and Warrick to be on camera. When Grisham left, we all assumed Lawrence Fishburn would simply come in and replace him. But what we didn't realize was that their was only one Grisham. He could never be replaced. So the writers promoted Catherine and made Fishburn, the biggest name on the show, an entry level CSIer. It was beautifully done. Add in the return of Sara and the promotion of Greg from lab-rat to scene investigator and the show has not lost a beat.
On to a show that I know only has a particluar audience, I am a big fan of Parenthood. I'm sure that decreases my coolness factor a bit, but I simply can't help liking the show as it hits really close to home. I totally identify with Adam and know that I am going to have the same struggles with communicating with Abby in 14 years. You watch the show and know that he and Kristina are not handling the Haddie situation correctly. Put in that same situation though, I'm sure most of us would react the same way as it is easier to think straight when the situation is not your own.
My other favorite is Community, a show that you should be watching if not already. I don't know how to describe it, but even though every episode is completely nuts, I find myself coming back for me. I used to work at a Community College (big ups to SCCC) and all of the characters are perfectly cast - as all CC's have students like those on Community. All the characters have flaws that we can relate to and that is what helps me overlook the crazy notion that priority scheduling is determined by a paint ball tournament or that old meat from a military store can lead to zombism (a real world) or even that Greendale had a secluded Utopian-like area with a giant trampoline on its grounds. Whatever it is, keep on doing it.
Finally, a word about the Grammy's. I'm not an awards guy, but the word that Enimem would be performing with Rihanna and Dr Dre was enough to get me to watch. I have to say that I was not disappointed as their were tons of great moments. First, in terms of awkward moments, is there any one more awkward than Nicole Kidman? I know that she is married to Keith Urban and that could be a reason for all the face-time she got, but at what point does the producer tell the cameraman to get away from her lame ass? They had to be in on the joke right? The comedy was great. Next, can we talk about Mick Jagger a little? I have never been a Rolling Stones guy, but after watching him perform I think I like him even less. It's not that he is a bad singer or even a bad guy, it's just that I can't stand watching his wrinkly skin and his freakishly long fingers. Am I wrong in thinking that his performance was cringe worthy? I know the entire audience was standing, but that's out of respect, right?
- Some very short final thoughts on the event: Not too many people were in love with Babs Streisand.
- I don't think anyone knows who Esperanza Spalding is and how she beat Drake for Top Newcomer.
- The Enimen-Rihanna-Dr Dre set left me wanting more. More Rihanna (and that awesome dress). More Dre. Less Skylar Grey, who interestingly did not have a single close-up the entire time. Was that by design?
- John Mayer looked like a pedophile.
- Rihanna's performance of What's My Name == HOT
- I apologize for all that I have done in making Snooki and the Situation reality stars
- Lady Gaga continues to push boundaries. She is a genius and not just crazy, right?
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