Angry Alien Productions

Looking for something fun to watch in a comedic and fuzzy sort of way? Well, I believe I have pretty amazing that will probably be the highlight of your day.

No, it has nothing to do with aliens or anger. Rather, something a lot more interesting. BUNNIES! Yes, if you haven't already discovered it Angry Alien Productions ensues cartoon bunnies re-enacting popular movies and television shows in a period of 30 seconds.

It's different, and fun. It's definitely a break from all that more or less serious material that I've plugged before. All the videos are high quality and take like a second to load, even on the worlds most slowest computers.

Most of the movies on there are quite funny, as well as clever. The layout is nice, light and carefree. I usually can't help but think about fall when I visit -- It's probably just the obnoxious orange. But moving on, the site is obviously dedicated to entertainment and comedy, that it so greatly succeeds at doing. If you're looking for a good laugh, on a terrible day, check it out.

Link TV

Link TV - Television without borders. And virtually, your guide to the outside world. Don't believe me? Read on.

Yes, I know, I'm plugging another T.V site. But who really cares if they're all useful? Anyways, I assure you that this one isn't like the others. In fact, it's probably a lot better. Link TV is a brilliant site that involves bringing you television and news at the same time.

Now, it doesn't quite allow you to watch your favorite network television shows. But what it does do, is let you watch a whole bunch of videos/episodes on documentaries as well as that high strung intellectual stuff. It's pretty cool. Because honestly, it's not something you see all the time. Especially, if it's a site that is completely dedicated to it.

Just browsing along the site is a blast, the web design is bold and interesting. Not too flashy, which is good -- because most of the content is of a serious nature. Link TV is completely devoted to giving you relevant global programming. It also has news on music as well as interviews with artists all around the globe. Another great thing, coming from a world that feeds off of the United States -- it's nice to see something different.

I can't stress enough about how great it is. Visit it, you'll thank me.

I Have No Control!!

That's right guys, I have No Control. As in, the television blog No Control: The Best Television Blog Posts. That's right! No Control is a blog. Now, I don't think that No Control has any original blog posts (I could be wrong, I haven't investigated it enough to find out). What their is aim is, is to collect blog posts from other T.V sites. And as luck should have it, they collect blog posts from sites such as Television Without Pity as well as TV Squad; sites that I'm pretty fond of and that I've mentioned before.

Blog posts that they believe are note worthy are picked for their little blog. The format of the site is actually quite cute -- for lack of a better word. The site is in essence, very simple, but gives quite the punch. The navigation is pretty much effortless and they often have links to other websites that should prove useful on the subject. Also, there's also a function that allows one to submit a story for the site -- provided that it's good enough.

Another aspect of the site that I find pretty neat is at the top of the screen, they feature a television review (in a large, bolded font) from a different sites, that they like to change every time you refresh the page. I used to think they wrote them themselves, before I realized that they didn't. But that's okay. I don't mind. The site is fresh, original, simple and I happen to be pretty fond of it.

You know what that means! You have to visit it asap! It takes all those great T.V sites, and mashed it all into one. What could possibly be better? Chocolate. But that's a different subject for a finer day.

Television's Favourite Squad

Another great television site that I'm going to plug for its utility,would be TV Squad. It was probably one of the first television blogs that I found pretty useful. As well as one of first one's that I've ever encountered. And to be completely honest, there really isn't anything completely different from all the other television blogs on the internet. They provide the same information as all the other outlets that bring us information on the goings on in the world of television. But what I do appreciate about them is their quality.

TV Squad is very much to the point and much like TV Guide, they are very simple to navigate. Actually, TV Squad's navigation is a lot easier. Browsing info on your favorite shows couldn't be simpler, as all the genre's are completely separated to facilitate things for their visitors.

Another thing that they do quite well would be the quality of their writing. It's frank, precise and it's usually pretty entertaining. Their main focus is to provide information to the public on not just shows, but the happenings with studios as well. Which is great because it's pretty important to know what's going with the studio of your favorite shows -- for me anyway. I like to know what's happening.

Also, they have a section that they update weekly showing their picks on the shows you should be tuning into on a certain night (it's actually powered by AOL). It's based on quality and hype; which is pretty neat if you ask me. In addition to all that, they've also got links to other note worthy blogs. Which is pretty useful, especially if you're looking for similar types of blogs on that subject.

Their layout isn't all that bad either, I'd be a shame not to take a visit. Link on the sidebar!

Your Guide to Television Land!

Okay, there's no secret why this site is great. It's pretty much an online version of everybody's favorite television magazine. - TV Guide. Except, it's about five times better. As is everything online. I jest.

Just as the original format in TV Guide magazine is to inform you on television schedules as well as the goings on in the land of television, the online version takes it a couple steps further. Not only is the website layout pretty cool - as I mentioned below, I'm a stickler for that sort of thing - but, it's also very informative. Technically, the website has very simple navigation. Television types/genres are separated and have how their own respective areas. For example, the moment you reach the website, you see that 'Soaps' and 'Reality TV' have their own sections. Just to break down and simplify everything a little bit. There certainly isn't anything wrong with convenience.

Another thing that I happen to love is the fact that they have interviews with people in the entertainment business. And of course, those are always interesting to read. Their latest interview is actually with Glee's Corey Monteith (Finn). An interview with the new star talking about his success and being Canadian.

TV Guide, much like many other television websites, have many in-depth reviews on new shows as well as old. But, reviews never seem to ever get old, because I always like knowing what's good in T.V. I'd rather not waste my time with something that doesn't quite deserve it.

You should also find it useful that the site provides it's visitors with up-to-date news on all aspects of television, as well as breaking news on that subject as well. TV Guide.ca doesn't seem to miss a beat these days. CHECK IT OUT! You'll be pleasantly satisfied.

Television Without Pity!

Today, I'm blogging about the magnificent television website named so cleverly as Television Without Pity. Not only do they have very friendly people (see interview with Lauren below), the content on the site is absolutely mind boggling. For a slew of reasons:

Firstly, they have in depth re-capping and reviewing of every show and episode of every relevant and irrelevant show airing on television. Which, by the way, happens to be a lot. TWP manages to cover a lot of ground when it comes to those sort of issues. After reading a few of the show recaps that they published onto the site, it's obvious that they don't ever miss a beat. They give you enough meat to know what's going on, but not too much to give away things that you might want to discover for yourself.

Another thing that makes them a great resource for all your television news, would be the fact that they provide visitors with a lot of interactive material to get them into the site. They have polls that they frequently change up, just to get the viewing public's opinion on entertainment. I don't know about you...but I love participating in polls. And no, I don't really care if the excitement of it all ends in about a second. Because, after all it only takes about a second or two to click on a button. Then it's all done. But moving on, they also have tons of LISTS. Yes, as in a means to countdown the best (fill in the blank) of 2009 or whichever. I love lists. And theirs, are particularly interesting.

Also, as if Television Without Pity wasn't already amazing enough, they're also a (legal) resource in checking out your favorite shows. Missed or otherwise. But (yes, there's a but), unfortunately since their video host is Hulu, if you're interested in watching your favorite shows and you're not located in the U.S region, you won't be able to watch it. A giant but. Though, for those living in the U.S, it's extremely convenient. Especially since Hulu's video quality is grade A.

Lastly, another reason why TWP is an amazing website that everyone should check out at least once, would be the fact that the general appearance of their website is great. I don't know about you, but the web design (for me) is very important. The general layout of a site is absolutely crucial and if the design looks cheap and mediocre, that's a complete and utter deal breaker. It may seem a little petty and laughable, but it's true. Their web design is quite refreshing and is honestly one of the larger reasons as to why I continue to visit it. Their graphic designer is a god.

So, that pretty much explains why Television Without Pity is a great go-to place for all your television desires. Check it out, the link is on the sidebar!

Interview with an Expert

So I recently had the chance to interview a real T.V expert. I got to conduct the interview via e-mail with 'Television Without Pity' blogger Lauren S. Although her main responsibilities lie in recapping ABC's 'Grey's Anatomy' for the popular television website, she was kind enough to answer my questions. Here's how it went:

1. How are you finding this seasons fall shows? Do you find they're of good quality and content?

I'm not watching too many of the new shows, but I think like most seasons they are of varying quality. I so wanted to like Flash Forward, for instance, but after a few weeks I had to admit that it was an awesome premise that was set up horribly, and I gave it up. I think it depends on what you like, honestly. Melrose Place is campy, but I understand that it's gotten to be pretty good camp now that it's settled in. V had a strong start, but we have yet to see how it will hold up. I am watching Glee and think it's fabulous, though it's been a little up and down with the quality of the episodes. (Though with that one, the music has consistently been awesome.) I'm not watching Modern Family but I have heard from friends across the board that it's great, so I am going to have to try and work that in to the schedule. I think each season has that, though -- a bunch of new shows and eventually a few gems shine through while the horrible ones are cut away as time goes on.

2. Which one is your favorite and why?

Glee is my current new favorite. I think it's still working to find a consistent tone but overall I think it's clever and has good characters -- and as I mentioned above, GREAT music. I like it a lot because it's not like every other show out there, it's something new.

3. I've noticed that a lot of shows are getting canned lately (some of which were good), what do you suppose are the causes of this?

I think it's all down to money. Networks are having a harder time financially (as are we all) but I feel like it's always down to money. Even if a show is of good quality, if it's not getting the viewership and they are making the ad dollars, it's not worth it. I think we'd all love to say it's about the art, but it's all about the money. I think networks are also getting a lot more competition from the cable shows these days, which are getting to be really high quality and the audiences are growing, and it could be having an impact as well.

4. I read somewhere that the public is watching more television than ever these days; what do you think the reason for this is? Quality, or simply because we just have nothing else to do?

That's interesting, because I know in a lot of cases the ratings are down for shows. But honestly I think one of the reasons -- and this is speaking solely from my own experience -- is the DVR. It's so much easier to have shows just tape automatically, and it makes it easier to keep up with more shows, even if you aren't keeping up when they are actually airing. But it definitely makes it possible to watch more shows than if you were just stuck to one TV for one time slot.

There you have, an interview with an expert. Thanks Lauren! Check out
TWP whenever you get the chance, it's a great site.

Times are Changing

For the better, so it seems.

More and more we see the evolution of what it means to be a family, and what the typical family should look like. Yes, it's been happening for a while now, but until it's on on T.V for millions of people to witness on a weekly basis, it'll probably mean absolutely nothing. But when it actually does reach television, we see that we're on the cusp of acceptance, on the bridge of acknowledgment.And whether you like it or not, it's happening.

Take the new ABC show, 'Modern Family' - and it depicts just that, the Modern Family (or families, as it depicts more than one). From it's debut on September 23rd, it's seen lots of critical acclaim. Applauding the show for it's very now depiction of the new American family, and in a very comical way. Honestly though, the show is hilarious. Watching the pilot episodes, I nearly had myself in stitches.

Yes, it is that good.

But more onto the modern family concept. As the show depicts three different families, we come to learn that these families are actually one. The show takes the format of a documentary, or a 'mockumentary' following the lives of these three families. But the family garnering the most attention is the family consisting of Mitchell Pritchett, and his partner Cameron. When introduced to the story, they are seen on a plane from Vietnam, after having just adopted a Vietnamese baby they named Lily.

Now, we see and hear this happening among a lot homosexual couples who can't have children of their own - it isn't new. But now that it's made this emergence onto television, we can finally see that the world around us is changing. The idea of same-sex individuals are able to adopt a child without having to have a horrible stigma attached to them is great.

Because not only is it great to see that we as a society have become more open-minded, it's also great material. Watching these dysfunctional families interact with each other is not only interesting and heart-warming, it's also very funny.

Interview with me!

A few weeks ago, I was required to participate in an peer interview to express why it television I chose as my blog topic. This following, which was written by fellow blogger
Lightbody, is the product...

For most of us, television is a big part of our everyday lives; it can relax us, inform us, entertain us or for some, provide an escape from the real world. For first year journalism student Caroline, T.V. is something she finds both intriguing and fascinating. During the interview, Caroline proceeded to share with me what it is about television that she finds so interesting.

I began the interview by asking Caroline what her area of expertise was. "I wouldn't really call it an area of expertise, but I chose television," is what she told me. The reason? Because she couldn't think of anything else, and because she enjoys watching T.V. Caroline admitted that she likes how television provides visual stimulation and enjoys watching "documentaries, anime and mysteries." When asked about documentaries, she said that she liked "learning about the history of past people and how they lived their lives, and also animal documentaries."

Caroline doesn't consider herself to be an expert, but she says that she is "knowledgeable in some fields." She confessed in recent times, it hadn't occupied much of her time as it did in the past. The next question I asked her concerned her opinion on how T.V. impacts peoples lives, if television can be seen negatively. Her response was that she "believes that T.V. can take over people's lives because they live vicariously through the people portrayed on T.V." I then took a different approach and asked Caroline if she had any connections to television in which she disclosed the fact that some of her family members were actors.

Before I finished our small interview, I asked Caroline the final question. I asked her if she would pursue a career in television where she then told me that she would "someday aspire to be on television involving aspects of journalism".

There you have it - my interview! Check out the interviewers blog here!