Category: TV

The Price is Right Returns Tomorrow Night, Sans Audience

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It will be quite a site tomorrow night, when The Price is Right returns from its coronavirus shutdown for a primetime special but without it’s rambunctious crowd. How will contestants know the prices of cars and lawn mowers, when to bid one dollar, or whether or not to spin again with 50 cents without the advice of 300 strangers? That all remains to be seen, but credit to the producers and staff of The Price is Right for their willingness to accept this challenge head on.

On Jeopardy! all the producers had to do was move the furniture around. On Wheel of Fortune they’ve just asked the contestants to stand an extra few steps apart behind the wheel. The Price is Right has been on for nearly fifty years, and Drew Carey has been host for the last 13 years. It would have been relatively easy for them to ride this out in reruns. But they recognize that in times of trouble and uncertainty, America needs The Price is Right.

People will come, Drew. They’ll come to Hollywood for reasons they can’t even fathom. They’ll turn up at the Bob Barker Studio not knowing for sure why they’re doing it. They’ll arrive at the big doors as innocent as children, longing for the past.

They’ll walk out into the studio; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect morning. They’ll find they have seats somewhere behind Contestants Row, seats they saw when they watched with their grandmother as children and cheered contestants. And they’ll watch the games and it’ll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they’ll have to brush them away from their faces.

People will come Drew. The one constant through all the years, Drew, has been The Price is Right. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But The Price is Right has marked the time. This stage, these games: it’s a part of our past, Drew. It reminds us of all that once was good and that could be again. Oh…people will come Drew. People will most definitely come.

Watch the Losers Episode “Stone Cold” ASAP

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Reading the title, you may be thinking that the documentary I am about to describe is about one of Stone Cold Steve Austin’s defeats at the hands of Bret “The Hitman” Hart or Triple H. Serious WWE fans may even be hoping for an entire episode devoted to Stone Cold vs. The Rock at Wrestlemania XIX, when Austin risked paralysis or even death to compete, according to his doctors.

The Rock vs. Stone Cold at Wrestlemania XIX in 2002.

When I tell you the episode is pure excitement, sparkling electricity, and dripping with more sex appeal than a Rihanna music video, I wouldn’t blame you for thinking of such a legend. However, if that’s what you are thinking right now, you are mistaken.

No, “Stone Cold” isn’t about the beer-chugging, finger-flipping king of the ring. It’s about none other than….curling. That’s right. I said it. Curling. “Stone Cold” takes us deep into the world of Canadian curling culture in the 1980’s, building to the historic 1985 battle between Pat Ryan and Al “The Iceman” Hackner. And it’s glorious.

Netflix curling documentary | The Curling News
Pat Ryan in full concentration mode.

I’m not gonna lie to you, this is nothing short of Oscar-worthy. Loaded with the magical mustaches and devastating calm only 1980’s Canada can produce, this made me want nothing more than to throw stones with my buds, beer in hand and cig dangling from my lip.

The story starts by describing the sport and it’s beer league mentality during the 1970’s and early 80’s. We learn about the rules, the terms, and the annual championship event, known as The Brier, where teams from each province are represented. For years, The Brier was dominated by The Iceman and his Ontario squad, who, after suffering their own heartbreaking defeat early on, set the standard for the sport.

Is curling a real sport? Why was it invented? Help. | Dawson Creek Mirror
Pat Ryan and the Albertans holding the Brier trophy.

Then, the drama escalates. The year is 1985. Enter the sexy MF’s from Alberta pictured above. And you know what they do? Change the game. Nonstop training. Workouts. No drinking or smoking. Laser. Fucking. Focus. These measures are unheard of at the time, but they work. Crazy Albertans, amiright? Behind the intensity of team leader Pat Ryan, they cruise to the finals to take on defending champ Al Hackner and team. Down 5-3 in the 10th and final end, the Iceman hits this incredible shot, forever to be known as “The Hackner Double”.

Now, you need to watch the documentary to really understand the significance of this shot, which is why I don’t mind spoiling it a bit. Regardless, the shot only ties the game. The match inspires Pat Ryan to once again change the game, and he develops a defensive approach in the years to come that revolutionizes the sport while also eliminating nearly all of the scoring. In typically raucous Canadian behavior, this lack of scoring leads furious fans to chant “Boring! Boring!” And they say Philly fans are bad! Anyway, Pat Ryan eventually becomes a champion, but the league institutes rules banning his new approach in the years to come.

In what is quite possibly the best ending to the story imaginable, Pat Ryan goes on to become a country singer in retirement. The whole episode is superbly Canadian. Maybe I’m late to the game here considering this series came out in March of 2019, but I never noticed it until a few days ago. It’s pure gold and everyone should know about it.

Bill Burr Crushed It In This Sam Adams Skit On SNL

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It’s hard to believe last weekend was Bill Burr’s first time ever hosting Saturday Night Live considering the man has been an A-list comedian for years. He had Comedy Central specials back when those were a thing and obviously was a key guy off the bench on Chapelle’s Show back in the early 2000s.

So I was pretty jazzed to see old Billy Red Face take the stage at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. His monologue got the most attention because it did what Burr does best, it pissed off a ton of people, it made others uncomfortable, but it was all genuinely hilarious. But the best part of his episode had to be the Sam Adams commercial.

“Yea it’s kinda sweet and shit, but there’s nothing else to drink” had me howling. That and when Burr chugs the entire glass, then looks on in disgust only to say “I don’t like that.”

It’s nice to see SNL playing to the strengths of the actors and their backgrounds for a change rather than forcing everyone into quirky situations or another hamfisted political skit. I don’t know what it is, maybe it’s just me being provincial, but SNL always seems to kill it with the Boston skits. I mean how can we forget Casey Affleck’s Dunkin Donuts commercial?

I fuckin love Dunkin, guy.

Dexter is Coming Back

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SPOILER ALERT FOR A SHOW THAT ENDED SEVEN YEARS AGO.

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So yesterday from the clouds came the news that Dexter is coming back to Showtime for a limited series 10 episode run. After a brief seven year hiatus it seems like they’re trying to make up for that god awful ending of Dex sailing directly into a hurricane only to somehow survive and go become a lumberjack. God that ending was dumb, but I know we’ve had this discussion so many times on this blog; how many great TV shows really stick the landing? It’s an unenviable task after years and years of buildup and fan expectations, it’s impossible to please everyone. Breaking Bad is the only show that really seemed to nail the finale. Game of Thrones did not, The Sopranos did not, LOST absolutely did not, hell even the Seinfeld finale was a weird letdown.

But in the age of streaming many beloved TV shows have regained new life. Whether it’s Arrested Development, 24, Roseanne, Fuller House, Prison Break, Will & Grace etc. These revived shows of yesteryear are usually either a blatant cash grab, a nostalgia bomb, or a make good for a poorly received finale. The point is, in the age of streaming fans have more power than they’ve ever had before.

With all that being said and after the taste the finale left in my mouth, I am all in on Dexter making a comeback. Reports say it starts shooting next year and is likely to air in fall 2021. This show was one of my favorites in college and was one of the first I truly binge watched bumming DVDs off friends because this was before Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime etc. But when Dexter was good, it was GREAT so it will be awesome to see Michael C. Hall back in the shoes of our favorite serial killer. Granted the show kind of waned in the last couple of seasons with convoluted plots and forced storylines.

Like I said though, when this show was good it was great as it had some incredible acting. John Lithgow even won an Emmy for his role as Arthur Mitchell in Season 4.

Dexter won four Emmys, two Golden Globes, and Michael C. Hall himself earned 27 award nominations including a Golden Globe win for Best Actor.

The show featured some all-time shocking TV moments like finding out who the Ice Truck Killer was, Rita in the bathtub, Deb vs LaGuerta over Dexter, the affable Lithgow dropping an absolutely nuclear C-bomb on his wife, or Sgt. Doakes catching Dexter with a one liner so popular it became a meme.

But what really sealed Dexter as an all-time show for me was the incredibly powerful Dark Passenger monologue from Hall in Season.

Now that is acting.

So I am ready for some more Dexter in my life and I’ll have my credit card ready for you Showtime, just name the premiere date.

SNL Returns Tomorrow Night

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In welcome news, Saturday Night Live will make its return tomorrow night with its first live broadcast from Studio 8H since March 7. The return of SNL will hopefully give at least a small sense of normalcy back to the country tomorrow night, and help lift the spirits of a beleaguered city.

Even before the pandemic and the shutdown, it wasn’t too often that I found myself out past midnight on a Saturday night (though, unlike Red, I refuse to use the term “washed”). Speaking for myself, I need this and am ready for this. Considering that in many parts of the country you still need to order a full meal of food in order to drink in public, there should be lots of people home tomorrow night and this episode should do monster ratings.

While I don’t like to make any comparisons to 9/11, this episode could have a similar vibe to the show’s first episode back after the terrorist attacks in 2001. With all that has happened over the last seven months, over the last week, and in the last 24 hours, I’m sure the cast and writers are still trying to figure out what to lead with and what tone to strike. But I’m certain that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will still be front and center…

It doesn’t hurt to have a former cast member, and one of the best stand-up comics of all time, Chris Rock as host this week. Whatever tone the episode strikes, I’m confident that Chris Rock will hit it out of the park. It also looks like the show will have at least a limited studio audience based on tickets being made available. Free tickets AND a COVID test? If I lived in New York City I would sign up for that deal in a second. Probably still easier than getting a test at CVS.

Based on tickets possibly being made available, it looks like there could be episodes each of the five Saturdays this month, leading up the election the first Tuesday of November. While SNL usually doesn’t do that many new episodes in a row, and the fact that no other hosts or musical guests have been named for this month, it could be a chance to strike while the iron is hot. Maybe they’ll see how things go this week?

The path to reopening the country, getting back to work, and regaining some sense of normalcy is going to be long and challenging. We could all use a few laughs to relieve some anxiety along the way. So practice social distancing, wear a mask, and stay home and tune in Saturday night. That’s what I’ll be doing, and rooting for SNL to help bring back even just a little bit of normalcy to my weekend routine.

Showtime Has a Must See Documentary About The Comedy Store Coming Out

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If you’re a fan of comedy even in the slightest then you know The Comedy Store is an institution; it is the mecca for standup comics. Walking in under those red lights and passing all the framed pictures in the hallway immortalizing dozens of Hall of Fame comedians that have performed there, it’s unlike any other club in the country.

The first time I visited LA a few years ago The Comedy Store was the No. 1 place I had to check out. Well that and In N’ Out.

But seriously this spot on Sunset Boulevard has been a launching pad for some of the funniest people to ever walk the planet. Name any famous comedian and it’s pretty much guaranteed they performed at The Comedy Store at some point. Just look at this murderer’s row of alumni:

This place is revered by comics to this day and is still frequented by huge names who do shows routinely just to work on material. Joe Rogan performs there pretty much every weekend and he just signed a $100 million contract with Spotify so it’s not like he needs the work.

I went to a show on a Saturday night that was stacked with huge names like Joe Rogan, Tom Green, Iliza Shlesinger, and Michael Rosenbaum. All that for a $20 ticket. So if you lived in the area you could go see some of the best comedians in the country every weekend for less than what I spend on a GrubHub order.

Now the first time I actually went to The Comedy Store was when I literally just stumbled in at like 1 AM on a weeknight. Whats great about this place is if theres not a big headline event, you can just walk in whenever, pay a small cover, and theres just comics working on material at all hours of the night. So we dropped in and just sat in the back with a couple of beers and laughed our asses off watching some guy I’d never even heard of. The talent there is just on another level.

So I am going to have to actually buy Showtime for the first time ever because this doc series is going to be must see TV.

Jim Carrey to Play Joe Biden on SNL This Fall

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SNL returns from its coronavirus hiatus and kicks off a new season October 3, and with the election only a month later we all expected to see a lot of politics on the show this October. We got a clue of what to expect today, as the show announced that Jim Carrey will be playing Joe Biden this fall.

Just like he did with Trump four years ago, Lorne Michaels is pulling in a ringer to play Joe Biden this season. While it’s always a bit disappointing to see a big role like this go to a guest and not a cast member, this could work. About 6’2, 180 pounds, big teeth, kinda gangly? Yeah, this could definitely work.

Even with last season cut short due to coronavirus, Joe Biden was still able to make quite a few appearances. “Joe Biden” appeared on six of SNL’s 15 live shows last year. The role was a bit up in the air, though, as three men played Biden over the course of about five months. Woody Harrelson made three appearances as Biden and gave us this all-time line.

John Mulaeny took his memorable turn as Biden on Leap Day:

And Jason Sudeikis, who played Biden on the show when he was veep, made two cameo appearances as Biden last season.

With Carrey in place, it looks like the show won’t be forced to go with Biden-by-committee again this year. With two old pros as the candidates, the SNL debates this fall should be some of the best in the show’s history.

RIP to Diana Rigg, AKA Olenna Tyrell from Game of Thrones. She Was a Real One

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RIP to Olenna Tyrell, one of the great TV characters of our time. She was a real one. She understood that you didn’t have to be the greatest swordsman in the world to wield power.

Beyond Thrones though, Rigg was a superstar for several decades starring in The Avengers, the Bond flick On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and even The Great Muppet Caper! Diana Rigg was also a FOX back in the day. An absolute weapon in the 1960s.

RIP to the Queen of Thorns.

Happy Birthday Tommy!

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Happy birthday to Celtics legend Tommy Heinsohn! The hall of fame player and coach turns 86 today. In addition to all of his accomplishments on the court, generations of basketball fans know him primarily as the crazy uncle/grandfather who has been calling Celtics games with superb play-by-play man Mike Gorman since 1981.

Despite his status as one of the most beloved Boston athletes and sportscasters of all time, it might be easy to forget that T handled some play-by-play duties himself on the road in the ’90s. With today being his birthday, here’s my excuse to open up the YouTube vault and share some classic Tommy Heinsohn highlights from the UPN 38 days. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87MYCN5XdNQ

The 300s is Looking For Bloggers

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With everyone either remote or part-time, we know you’ve got some time on your hands so The 300s is looking for interns and part-timers to blog about Boston sports, national sports, golf, TV, movies, video games etc. We’ll give writers a platform, promotion on social media, and the opportunity to write about what you like.

If you’re interested send an email to Red@The300s.com and let us know what you want to write about and any samples you might have.