Watching Studio60

The next episode of Studio 60 seems to have a Christmas theme - which makes sense as we are just a few weeks away from that event.

I love this time of year - although living in California, I admit to missing the associated cold weather that I grew up with in England. Shopping in London was a highlight of the holidays, when we would go up to London, all muffled up against the cold winds, buy our gifts and eat roasted chestnuts, purchased from the street corner vendors. they kept warm from the heat of the braziers they used to cook the chestnuts, and somehow the flavour that imparted has no match anywhere else in the world.

Shopping in the warmth of California is somehow just not the same, and I have reverted more and more to the Internet. I would say that I do about 90% of my shopping via the Internet and leave the last 10% to christmas eve.

So - as Christmas approaches lets see what aaorn has in store for us all at Studio 60

As I sit here warching Jeopardy - it occurs to me that there is a plethora of material on TV for the skits on Studio 60. How about a parady of Jeopardy, or any of the other many quiz or game shows that we have. I am not sure why, but I love Trivia and showing off knowledge. I even used to run a weekly Trivia game in a pub on Tuesday nights. It may be the challange - or maybe just the competitiveness (is that a word?) - but I am the first to take online quizes, or buy quiz books for my many hours spent on airplanes, and every week my mother calls me on a Saturday morning from England to ask me to solve the crossword puzzle clues that she hasn’t been able to find in her many reference books. I Google the clues for her and call her back with the answers. It is in this persuit that I have come across many intersting words such as Comstockery - what a fabulous word. It means excessive censorship of art and literature, named for Anthony Comstock, organizer and secretary of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice in the late 1890’s.
My life would be so much the poorer without the weekly exercise of the brain - and as an added bonus I get to talk with my Mother too!!!

In watching Monday’s show - I was getting a little irritated by Matt’s continuing joke about Danny being pregnant and not having the B12 shot. It wasn’t funny when he began and it got less and less funny the more he continued. However - it all became clear, when Jordan was lying on the floor of her office and tells Danny to make sure she doesn’t get the shot. The dramatic beat as Danny leaves the office, and then we see him put his head back around the door - the metaphorical light bulb very bright above his head - and we know that Matt’s words are ringing in his ears - You are pregnant - Lights out, End of show. Brilliant.
It is this writing that makes Studio 60 so entertaining. I was reading a web site hosted by the Chicago Tribune and the posts were going back and forth about how bad - No how good etc etc etc this show is - but the best comment was - If you dont like it, Dont Watch it, but let those of us who do, watch it and enjoy it. It’s entertainment - it doesn’t have to be true to life, it just has to entertain. And it does - In spades.

So, as promised I tried to research but was unable to find any information about The American Falstaff Society. I did find a Falstaff Society assoicated with Bristol University English Department, and another that was based in New Orleans, but nothing that looked like it could be what Harriet was referring to.
So - I came to the conclusion it was invented and being used as a comedic vehicle for the character. And of course it worked.
If anybody knows anything about this society please be sure to let me know

I spent Thanksgiving in New Orleans - flew down Wednesday and flew home Monday. I had a good time - walked the French Quarter from end to end, and sideways, took a swamp tour, a plantation tour and found lots of good food.
I have to say, I was a little disappointed with the French Quarter. In my mind I was expecting more romance, more mystique, more metaphysical and infinitly more live Jazz. Instead I got commercialism extraordinaire, kareoke bars, piped rock music and on Sunday morning the wonderful smell of urine. In all fairness, there was a big game in town and many many people invaded the city. So much so that the police blocked off the streets to traffic on Saturday evening. We heard that there were many druken brawls and the evidence was all over the streets on Sunday. However, that being said, I was a little diappointed with the overall impression I got. I understand that New Orleans is a city recovering from a major disaster, but I do not think the “in your face” commercailism can be blamed on Katrina.
We watched a wonderful movie at the Imax called “Hurricane on the Bayou” which featured Tab Benoit and a young violinist called Amanda Shaw. It was well done and extremely moving. We passed on the Katrina Tours however - choosing the Swamp tour instead. That was wonderful despite the condescending manner of the tour guide. Give him his due - he was very knowledgable and obviously loved the swamp, but I just couldn’t get over his overbearing manner. Shame because the swamp is a beguiling place. We saw alligators, snakes, turtles and lizards, all in natural habitate, without a big eared mouse in sight!!!!
I dont think I will return to New Orleans, unless it is to volunteer to help rebuild the city. I am done as a tourist - but if anybody goes there, be sure to check out Oceano on the corner of Bourbon and Conti. The food is fantastic - especially the Crab Cakes, the waiters friendly and the prices very reasonable. We had Thanskgiving dinner there and our last night’s meal too, and by the end of it all we not only had our special table, but felt like family. It is great.

Just got back from The Big Easy - and watched last night’s show. Loved it, despite watching it on my laptop. I didn’t want to wait to see it on a TV screen, so I played hookie for an hour and got caught up.
Loved the singer - made me feel really out of the mainstream though as I had never heard the name before, but I did recognize the music. I thought she had a beautiful voice.
Also loved the Howie Mandell piece. I dont actually like his show, but did appreciate the skit and send up.
And what a lot happened in the show itself. It was fun to watch Harriet prove that she was an awful joke teller. And what is the Falstaff Society. I will research and write about it soon.
One line really caught my attention. When Matt’s new assistant claimed she didn’t need a rasie - Are you Nuts - Who doesn’t want a raise. Speaking as someone whose company stopped giving raises 5 years ago - Please - Give me a raise!!!
I thought Jordan’s interview was amazing - I know she is only speaking her lines, but her delivery was superb, and who wouldn’t love an opportunity to tell a reporter What For! But the question is - Did she get fired? My guess is Yes - but I dont think she is leaving the show - so where does that leave us?
Well - all in all the reviews are great for the show and I certainly thought it was one of the best yet. We saw more of the actual Studio 60, loved the guest stars, and we also got to see more of the back stgae interactions. Good show.

My last post was about my weekend, but I left out the final part of my Sunday. I have been a Child Advocate for 4 years now, and Sunday afternoon I took my child to see Happy Feet. Fabulous movie, well worth going to see. The only drawback was that the cinema was full of children…Ha Ha! And the little boy behind insisted on kicking my chair throughout the movie, but joking aside - this is a wonderful movie. Robin Williams is great -would we expect anything less, and the cinematography was spectacular.

Being a child Advocate is a very rewarding, albeit heartbreaking at times, experience. After extensive training, and being sworn in by a judge, you get to read many many cases in the effort of chosing a child. Once decided you become a Court Appointed Advocate, which gives you access to all documents and aspects of that child’s live, and you get to represent that child at the court hearings. I spend a few hours every second weekend with my child, and take him to movies, outings, lunch etc. There are many times when you are the only constant adult and role model for that child, but there are so many stories of success for this program, that I encourage you all to go to the website and see for yourselves.

And now I am off my soapbox - let me wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving. I am off till Monday - so have a safe and happy few days and I’ll catch you on the flip side.

I had a very intersting weekend, which started when a friend from Calgary flew in to see me. We stayed Friday night in a Worldmark condo in Marina Dunes on the Pacific Coast, just south of Santa Cruz. Then on Saturday morning after the obligatory walk on the beach, we drove down to Carmel. And here we lucked out as there was a Homecrafter’s Market in full swing. Now I know Carmel is an artist’s haven but some of the things we saw at this street fare were unbelievable.
One stand had vases, bowls, pots and many other things made from Junk Mail - Yes you read it right - Junk Mail! The artist takes her junk mail, boils it down, does other things to it, colours it with natural products, then makes it into vases etc. This stuff was gorgeous. Some of my friends will be seeing her products under their trees at Christmas.
Another stand had bird feeders that were old china tea cups and saucers- the kind your Granny would use - attached to the top of poles. Very unique and utterly adorable.
The best jewellry stand was the lady that makes her own glass beads, and then strings them together for peices of finery. Talk about All Home Made. I was truly blown away by the gorgeous work on display.
Then we drove back up to San Jose and had dinner in the House of Siam in downtown. Great meal - well worth a visit if you are in the area. But the best part was that I met a really interesting friend, who has a Web Site devoted to Healthy living - you have to check it out. Scott’s story is amazing - but I don’t want to spoil it for you - so go to his web site and read it for yourselves.
And that was my weekend - topped off with an unseemly early trip to SFO on Sunday morning to return my friend to Calgary.

Sarah Paulson is Soo Good in her role of Harriet and I admire her for her ability to act a role that is so diametrically opposite her real life situation. I guess that’s why they call it acting. There is not much information on the internet about Sarah, a reflection of the fact that she keeps her private life Private - and much kudos to her for that.

Well - not too many surprises last night.

Harriet was going to do a lingerie spread until Tom and Simon persuaded her that the main attraction was her reputation as an Uptight Religious Person, and in the end she decided not to go ahead. There was no interaction between Harriet and Matt this week, as Matt spent his time either obsessing about the show or trying to persuade the writers to stay on board.

The show ran 27 seconds short, and it was discovered that the script had been put out in half hour format instead of the correct format. This led to the discovery that Ricky and Ron were writing their own pilot based on Peripheral Man, which they had an Option to go to FOX with. NBS had until midnight to renew their option, which would prevent Ricky and Ron from leaving. After much talk and interaction, Matt tells them they can go, but that Peripheral man is bad and will fail, and he wont be able to take them back. At the end, Matt is left with two writers but seems convinced he will be OK.

Jordon tells Danny that he has to fire 15 people because of budget cuts, unless he agrees to some advertising on the show. After much back and forth, Cal comes up with a new set design, that looks like the Strip and has advertsing billboards as the back drop. This meets the need for advertising, and with the departure of most of the writers there is also no need to fire the 15 people.

Danny tells Jordon that Jack believes she is about to be fired, which would be the only reason her pregnancy was not brought into the plot line last night. I though it was obvious although she only wore one costume throughout. As the show spanned about an hour in real time this was not unrealistic, but I really hope they address the matter soon.

We had a wonderfully funny interaction between Simon, Tom and Harriet at the beginnig of the show, when she was changing to go to the party. For me the strength of this show is the witty fast-paced dialogue and the interaction of the characters. I am not a big fan of the half hour comedy shows on TV, preferring the hour long dramas, Friends being the only exception to this, and I have never seen an episode of SNL, so it is OK with me if they continue to focus on the characters and the dialogue between them, and the off stage lives and agonies, rather then the production of the actual show within the show.

Are we glad that OJ Simpson’s book is not going to be published by News Corp? Has that man No Decency. Even if he didn’t commit the crime - has he no respect for Nicole’s family. Does he really have to continue to throw it in their faces.

Did we see that David Beckham was not allowed to stay in Rome for the Wedding of the Century? He had to report back for soccer duty. Anyone would think he was being paid to play for his team!!!

I was sorry to see that Jeremy Slate has died. I cannot remember ever seeing him in any of his shows - but it is always sad to lose and actor. I am sure we will see his name at the Oscars in the In Memoriam slot.

I went to see Happy Feet over the weekend - very cute and I am so glad it was Number 1 in the box office. It beat out James Blond and pushed Borat to Number 3, so maybe their is hope for family cinema after all.

It appears that Brad and Angelina are about to announce baby Number 4. Do we care? I have vowed not to see another movie that either of them is in and am sitting waiting patiently for the announcement that one or other of them has been seen with a new partner. Call me cynical - but there you have it.

Happy watching tonight - I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you tomorrow

I have just watched the 2 previews of tonight’s show on Yahoo TV, and the dialogue was great - even for a 1 minute snippet.

Amanda Peet’s pregnancy was very obvious to me, so I really hope it gets acknowledged on the show this evening. It is going to be hard to keep it quiet for much longer.

I also read some reviews of tonight’s show but despite many searches and too much time spent, I couldn’t find anywhere to see the whole show. Where do these people get to see the show before 8.00am on a Monday. They are stealing my thunder and I want to join the party!

What a beautiful lady, and I noticed her pregnancy for the first time last Monday. The story line hasn’t caught up with her prenancy yet, but maybe they have a surprise in store for us. The previews for next week show scenes where it looks like Jordan is about to be fired, so maybe Amanda wil be leaving the show and they won’t write her prenancy in to the script. We will see next week.

Amanda supports the Lili Claire Foundation, and interestingly enough Matthew Perry hosted their 9th Annual benefit dinner in October. Another coincidence is that Courtney Cox and Jennifer Anniston also support this charity - nothing like keeping it in the family.

As I think we all know, Bradley has been married to Jane Kaczmarek since 1992 and they have 3 children. That has to be up there in the ranks of the best Hollywood marriages and all kudos and happiness to them.
I love them both as actors and admire them for their charity work too. They created The Clothes Off Our Back Foundation which hosts auctions of celebrity clothes and gives the proceeds to children’s charity. What a great idea. They are also very vocal supporters of Heifer International which is dedicated to relieving global poverty and hunger. What a lofty goal - I can only hope they manage to make a small dent in this huge problem - and continue to grace our screen with their work.

I thought this was a really cute picture of Matthew. He seems to be keeping a fairly low profile these days, and I am basing this on my inability to find much information on the internet. There doesn’t seem to be any news of a love interest, the last I heard was that he was dating Jennifer Capriati, and I do know he was present at Wimbledon this year, but I like the fact that the cast of Studio 60 doesn’t appear to attract too much media gossip.
I did read that Matthew had moved into a new apartment complex and his neighbours thought he was unfriendly because he didn’t respond when they said Good Morning. Well, privacy is hard to come by, especially when your name is Matthew Perry and you have been one of 6 very famous and successful people for the last 10 years, and maybe he was having an off morning or maybe he is not a morning person, or maybe he just didn’t feel like responding - but whatever the reason - it doesn’t make him a bad guy does it?
I am so glad that Matthew has been able to kick his addictions and has been so open and honest about his problems. I firmly believe that a problem shared is a problem halved, and I hope he had all the love and support he needed to get him through that period of his life. He is looking really good on Studio 60 and as always his smile just melts my heart.