The Olympics are officially over, and I ended up watching a total of 15 minutes of it. It was women’s gymnastics, and a bunch of girls fell off the balance beam.
I have both the opening and closing ceremonies sitting on my TiVo, so I figure I’ll watch them both back-to-back at some point. It’s like watching a movie and its sequel one after other! No annoying waiting time!
The fall TV season doesn’t officially start for a few weeks, but there are some season premieres happening this week regardless. Should we consider these late-summer premieres? Or early fall premieres? Or neither?
I’m tending to go with neither when it comes to tonight’s premiere of “Hotel Hell” at 8 P.M. on Fox. Yes, it’s another goddamn show featuring Gordon Ramsay. This time he takes on hotels in much the same manner he’s taken on restaurants in his “Kitchen Nightmares” show. Because he knows so much about hotels? Because it’s all the same when you’re just yelling at people about their failures? Because he has some blackmailable dirt on some Fox exec and that’s why he’s got 73 shows on the network?
Over on NBC at 8 P.M. the reality series “Stars Earn Stripes” features eight “celebrities” who are trained by soldiers to fight in fake military scenarios. The celebrities in question include Nick Lachey and Todd Palin. Umm….at least it’s for charity?
Also tonight: The early season premiere of “Grimm” on NBC at 10 P.M., and a two-episode season premiere of “Intervention” at 9 P.M. on A&E.
There’s more reality TV on Tuesday, August 14th, with the premiere of “The Week the Women Went,” an American version of a Canadian series in which all the women leave a small town, and the men have to fend for themselves. An interesting concept…being narrated by Jeff Foxworthy. Crap. 10 P.M. on Lifetime.
On Wednesday, August 15th. Jamie Kennedy hosts a game show called “Oh Sit!” which is basically just musical chairs with a live band. Yes, this is a real show, and it premieres at 8 P.M. on the CW.
The CW strikes again on at 9 P.M. Thursday, August 16th, with the premiere of “The Next,” yet another musical talent show. The “twist” here is the celebrity mentors, (who include Gloria Estefan, Nelly, John Rich, and Joe Jonas), all hang out with the hopefuls in their hometowns. Helping with chores and childcare, I’m sure.
But the week’s best bet looks to come on Sunday, August 19th, with the premiere of “Copper” at 7 P.M. and 10 P.M. on BBC America. Yes, it’s another crime drama, but this one is set in late 19th century New York, in the notorious “Five Points” area of the Manhattan, and it’s from Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana, who also created the great series “Homicide: Life on the Streets.” Costume drama + crime = OK by me.
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