Category: TV

why ‘normal’ people won’t give up Cable TV

On By Rick McIn Apple, bad news, Google, product complaints, TV3 Comments

Ad agency Hill Holliday recently conducted an experiment, asking five families to give up cable TV in favor of connected TV devices for a week.

The growing availability of online content and video subscription services, coupled with an exploding market for connected devices, has pushed the idea of cord cutting — or dropping a traditional cable TV subscription package in favor of online video sources — into the mainstream. But how viable is the concept, really?

For its experiment (which the agency stresses was not intended as a scientific research study), Hill Holliday provided each family with a different connected device: the Roku, Apple TV, Xbox 360, Boxee Box and Google TV.

An Experiment In Cord Cutting from Hill Holliday on Vimeo.

Traditional Cable TV is horrid. But the alternatives are still even worse.

When is Apple or Google going to get it right?

(via Mashable)

Bob and Doug – 12 Days of Christmas

On By Rick McIn humour, TVLeave a comment

… the classic Twelve Days of Christmas song sung by Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis. …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Bob and Doug were hosts of a legendary bit on Second City Television (SCTV) , the Canadian poor man’s version of Saturday Night Live.

… Ironically, the most popular sketch was intended as throwaway filler. Bob & Doug McKenzie, the dim-witted, beer-chugging brothers in a recurring Canadian-themed sketch called Great White North, were initially developed by Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas (Bob & Doug, respectively) as a sardonic response to the CBC network’s request that the show feature two minutes of “identifiably Canadian content” in every episode. …

Never have the CanCon rules so backfired. Many Americans assume ALL Canadian guys are either Bob or Doug.

To this day I still refer to my homeland as the Great White North.

important anti-bullying video

On By Rick McIn government, TVLeave a comment

Powerful.

Part of the noh8 campaign, in reaction to gay suicides and the November 4, 2008 Proposition 8 ban of same-sex marriages in California.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Jon Stewart ripped John McCain a new one on Monday night. McCain has waffled back and forth on a no win issue for Republicans, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.

His wife, Cindy, appeared in that video saying:

… “Our political and religious leaders tell LGBT youth that they have no future … They can’t serve our country openly,” she said on the video.

Then later tweeted:

“I fully support the NOH8 campaign and all it stands for and am proud to be a part of it. But I stand by my husband’s stance on DADT,”

You can’t have it both ways, Cindy.

Cindy McCain

McCain’s daughter wants DADT repealed. Must make for some awkward family meals.


noh8campaign.com

Biden and Colbert team up to salute troops

On By Rick McIn product endorsements, TVLeave a comment


”I’m not going to debate this war,” said Colbert, in mock pundit character. ”It’s been seven years. Who can remember who invaded who?”

If you get the chance, watch The Colbert Report for Wed. Sept. 8th.

Important commentary on ‘the end’ of the war in Iraq. And consistently entertaining.

Vice President Joe Biden served up hotdogs to the audience, all veterans of Iraq.

That’s the best I’ve ever seen Biden on TV.

Geek chik – The Guild

On By Rick McIn geek babes, music, TVLeave a comment

The Guild is an American comedy web series created and written by Felicia Day, who also stars as Codex. It premiered on YouTube on July 27, 2007.

Subsequent webisodes premiered on Microsoft’s Xbox Live Marketplace, Zune Marketplace, and MSN Video. The webisodes were later made available on the official Guild website, YouTube, and iTunes.

The show revolves around the lives of online guild “The Knights of Good” who play countless hours of an unspecified MMORPG video game. The story focuses on Codex, the Priestess who attempts to lead a normal life after one of her guild-mates, Warlock Zaboo (Sandeep Parikh), shows up on her doorstep. …

Felicia Day is even more famous for this online video.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Her new Bollywood theme video is going viral too.

Old Spice guy makes wedding proposal video

On By Rick McIn humour, TV1 Comment

You must know that series of great TV commercials for Old Spice.

Mashable:

The Old Spice guy just took his YouTube campaign to a whole new level by proposing to a woman on behalf of one of his Twitter followers. …

Yesterday, Old Spice started posting YouTube videos featuring the shirtless man from the popular TV commercials delivering personalized messages to fans on Twitter, Facebook and other websites. Regular fans got video responses, but the Old Spice guy also smartly targeted social media-savvy celebrities and bloggers to get the word out and achieve viral status.

A fan named Johannes S. Beals tweeted, “Can U Ask my girlfriend to marry me? Her name is Angela A. Hutt-Chamberlin” …

Click PLAY or watch the proposal on YouTube.

Just a few hours later, Beals tweeted at Old Spice: “SHE SAID YES!!!!”

Glee makes life worth living

On By Rick McIn product endorsements, TVLeave a comment

Just watched the finale of Season 1.

Fantastic.

Click PLAY or watch a clip on YouTube.

It’s been renewed for not just next season, but for the next two.

I love Glee.

You can watch the finale in Canada on Global, in the USA on Fox.

Jon Stewart vs FOX News

On By Rick McIn government, TV2 Comments

An interesting article by BRIAN STELTER of the obviously Commie NY Times …

… Fox News Channel is Jon Stewart’s new enemy No. 1. …

Comedian Jon Stewart’s job of host on The Daily Show has been renewed until into 2013. Is that good or bad news for FOX?

Both, I’d say.

… he may well be television’s pre-eminent fact-checker of Fox News, the nation’s highest-rated cable news channel.

It has been noticed by, among other people, the Fox host Bill O’Reilly, who called Mr. Stewart a “devoted critic” of Fox News and said “his influence is growing.” …

Personally I’m sick of Jon Stewart. But thrilled that somebody is raking FOX News over the coals.

As Jon Stewart says, FOX News is “truly a terrible, cynical, disingenuous news organization.”

Yet millions of people believe the many bald-faced lies told on FOX interspersed between actual news.

O’Reilly responded to Mr. Stewart on his Fox program on Wednesday, calling “The Daily Show” a “key component of left-wing television” …

Not. The Daily Show has independent writers who have no hot line to the White House. It’s on a Comedy Network. If Bill O’Reilly was on the Comedy Network, I wouldn’t complain. I’d chuckle.

FOX News parrots Republican Party talking points on multiple TV shows all day long. I’m embarrassed to have been born in an era where FOX News could be so successful. The end of the world is nigh.

a battle of wits

read the article for yourself – Jon Stewart’s Punching Bag, Fox News