South Park spoofs George Zimmerman

Token and Eric "Zimmerman" Cartman

On Wednesday, October 9, South Park will air episode #1703, "World War Zimmerman," about a vigilante-minded Eric Cartman who runs amok amid the town of South Park in search of Token, the sole African American male resident, who he sees as a threat to all humanity. The story is a parody of the George Zimmernan trial, with Eric Cartman apparently portraying a Zimmerman-like character. 

George Zimmerman, as you recall, was a 28-year old Hispanic white man who was charged with murdering 17-year old African American Trayvon Martin after he spotted him walking through his condo complex one rainy night on February 26, 2012 in Sanford, FL, just north of Orlando. Zimmerman mistook Martin for one of the teenagers who had burglarized the neighborhood. Martin was wearing a hoodie (a hooded sweatshirt) and carrying only a pack of Skittles and an Arizona Watermelon Tea. The trial took place this summer. Zimmerman plead self defense and was found not-guilty on June 14, 2013, much to the dismay of those who felt he panicked and should have at least been charged with manslaughter. 

Here in Central Florida, we have a uniquely personal relationship with the Martin/Zimmerman case. We joke about the "Stand Your Ground" (SYG) Florida law which was not utilized in this trial, but was considered by the defense as a possible way to defend Zimmerman.  "Stand Your Ground" allows a person to injure or kill someone who they view to be a threat. In many states, prior violence must be clearly proven, and unless someone is inside your house or car, you can be charged with murder. Locals joke about murdering unpopular politicians who they find to be particularly offensive and wondering if the SYG law would stick. Criminals have been successful using the law as an excuse to shoot and kill someone, even when they are the aggressors and went looking for a fight. (interesting chart on SYG law cases) The law is very controversial since the victim, now deceased, cannot tell their side of the story. 

Since Zimmerman has been released, he has managed to stay in the media spotlight. On July 31, 2013, Zimmerman was pulled over for speeding on U.S. 80 near Dallas, TX. Displaying a gun to the officer, he got off with only a warning after letting the police officer know who he was. On September 9, police were called to the Zimmerman home over a domestic dispute between George, his estranged wife Shellie (who had just filed for divorce), and Shellie's father.  Shellie had said in an ABC interview a few days earlier that her husband "believes he is 'invincible' after being found not guilty." 

Locals joke about watching out for Zimmerman while visiting Sanford, since he seems to be able to shoot random innocent people at will. There are even "Zimmerman" sightings, like Big Foot. 

I'm sure that South Park will reveal a moral lesson in this episode, that people cannot be judged as evil merely based on the color of their skin. Perhaps the show will take a poke at Florida's inane laws.

One local TV critic, Hal Boedeker of the Orlando Sentinel, has theorized that Zimmerman himself will make a guest appearance on the show (Article dated Oct. 7, 2013). Since South Park is animated, only Zimmerman's voice would be used.

The episode will debut at 10:00 p.m. on the Comedy Channel (66 or 1292HD on Brighthouse Cable in Orlando). The half hour show will replay several times this week:

Wednesday October 9 -- 10:00 p.m.

Thursday October 10 -- 12:01 a.m.

Thursday October 10 -- 3:45 a.m.

Thursday October 10 -- 10:30 p.m.

Friday October 11 -- 11:30 p.m.

Monday October 14 -- 2:00 a.m.

Wednesday October 9 -- 9:30 p.m.

Time Warner Under the Dome of CBS

Under the Dome on CBS is no longer viewable on demand, online, or on TV in certain markets due to an airing fee dispute.

Like many viewers out there, I have become a big fan of Under the Dome, the shiny new sparkling TV series airing on Monday nights at 10 p.m. on CBS. The show debuted on June 24, 2013, during the off summer season, a brilliant move. It is now rated the number one show nearly each week and boasts viewership from 10 to 14 million each episode. (according to Zap2it)

Under the Dome is a really exciting, unique, and original thriller conceived by popular horror novelist Stephen King about the community of Chester’s Mill, Maine which is mysteriously cut off from the rest of the world when it is encompassed by a 10-mile diameter transparent dome one beautiful sunny morning. The dome allows nothing in, nor out, save for for a little air and moisture. People are trapped inside without extra food or medicine. The doctor was out of town “when the dome came down.” The fire department had left for a parade in a neighboring city. And a few unfortunate visitors happened to be driving through and are now trapped inside, away from their homes and separated from their families, friends, and all their own personal belongings. 

With no cell phones, email, or television signal, Chester’s Mill residents are reduced to scrawling hand written messages and holding them up to show to others outside the transparent sound-proof dome. Lip reading sisters act as interpreters, revealing that the U.S. military is just as in-the-dark as to the cause of the dome as are the residents, and so is the rest of the world. 

Efforts to penetrate the dome with ordinary construction equipment are futile and it's discovered that metal objects touching the dome become electrically charged as if in a microwave, causing them to burn up. The government perceives the dome as a potential threat created by an unknown entity (possibly extraterrestrial) and in episode 5, Blue on Blue, aims a missile at it, exploding a M.O.A.B. (mother of all bombs) in an effort to destroy it. 

Anticipating the complete annihilation of the town of Chester’s Mill and it's inhabitants, the bomb only manages to destroy the surrounding landscape of homes and farmlands into oblivion. (These are miraculously restored in the next episode -- whoops! ) 

Nothing can crack it. Life goes on as best as possible inside the dome.

The CBS dome over Time Warner Cable

I try to watch Under the Dome via on demand each week due to my busy schedule, but was sadly dismayed to discover that CBS has pulled it's on demand viewing menu and blocked online viewing on it's own website due to a failed airing fee negotiation with Time Warner Cable. In an effort to rally support from viewers to call Time Warner at 1-888-TW-Cable and “tell them you want your CBS shows back!,” CBS has initiated its own blackout. 

CBS has created a website explaining their position and attempting to rally support here: KeepCBS.com

Time Warner has created a far more detailed explanation and offered solutions on their website here: Time Warner Conversations.

It's a wee bit complicated. You pay for cable. Your cable company (Time Warner in this instance) pays CBS to air their shows. But, CBS wants more money and claims they are underpaid. Time Warner says essentially: No, you're getting your fair share. So, CBS has cut the feed and Time Warner customers are now experiencing a blackout of sorts. 

Obviously, if you just hook up a good antennae to your TV, you can still watch CBS shows free of charge, which is what many of the 3.5 million paying Time Warner customers in the blackout cities of Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York City, and Pittsburgh are doing. These are the major metropolitan markets where CBS owns and operates the local CBS stations, thereby enabling them the control needed to create the blackout. 

Several channels are affected. In addition to CBS, Time Warner Cable customers can no longer view Flix, The Movie Channel (TCM), Showtime, and the Smithsonian Channel. To appease customers, Time Warner has replaced TCM with Encore, and Showtime with Starz.

I live in Orlando and I don't have Time Warner Cable. I have Bright House Cable. However, Time Warner is leading the negotiations with CBS for both Bright House and Time Warner, so I am also blocked from not only viewing my favorite CBS shows on demand on channel 304, but also from viewing them online via my Bright House internet connection. Fortunately, I can still view shows during their regularly scheduled viewing time slots since WKMG, our local CBS affiliate station, is owned by the Post/Newsweek Corp and will not block out the shows.

While I don't want to harp on this issue, I do feel that as a consumer, it's difficult to take sides in this matter without knowing all the facts. I would love to know what the fees are that Time Warner pays ABC, FOX, and NBC.  Is CBS asking for more money? And if so, why? CBS airs several major sporting events – do they feel that's their big bargaining chip? NBC airs the Olympics every two years and you can't get much bigger than that.

Hit shows come and hit shows go, and I'm all for equality in democracy. All four major networks who air their own original primetime shows from 8 to 11 each night: ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC should get paid the same fee. HBO and Showtime are also equal to each other in my eyes, and should get the same fee as well. If CBS wants more than what NBC is getting, then shame on CBS. If Time Warner wants to pay CBS less than what they are paying NBC, then shame on Time Warner. Just make it equal. Problem solved. If CBS feels they deserve more since they have a few hit shows, can't they simply make up the difference in advertising revenue? Leave us innocent cable customers out of the fight.

But, this blog is supposed to be about Under the Dome, not about a ridiculous behind-the-scenes spat which has affected viewers of all CBS shows, including many of my favorites: the popular Big Bang Theory, Two Broke Girls, and How I Met Your Mother, just to name a few.

Life Under the Dome

Fortunately, I was able to watch the latest episode 7, Imperfect Circles, when it aired this Monday at 10 p.m. on Bright House Cable. However, I've missed the previous episode 6, The Endless Thirst and had to resort to watching an action-figure collecting, computer-repair geek’s online critique on youtube to find out what happened. Apparently, the town’s water tower was knocked down, it rained inside the dome, and the character Rose, who ran the diner, was gunned down and killed by two hooligans, a sad, sad day in Chester’s Mill.

I love the premise of the show. The concept of “what would you do?” if you were suddenly cut off from the rest of society, unable to ship goods inside or out, with limited communication, power, water, food, medicine, and other resources? Especially with no hope in sight, no promise of future interaction, and no promise of anything ever returning to normal. I imagine it must feel a wee bit like those on the U.S.S. Minnow felt after being stranded on Gilligan’s island. At first, you hope for a quick rescue and end to your misery, drinking up all the wine which floats your way. As time passes, you adjust, take inventory, and create new ways to accomplish simple tasks.

I’ve experienced such an event myself on a short-term basis after a two-week power outage here in Orlando back in 2004 after Hurricane Charley swept through Florida, wrecking havoc. We neighbors met on the street, pooled our resources, and formed a cooking-and-entertainment brigade of sorts. One neighbor had a freezer full of thawing meat, so he made us dinner each night. I had a large screened in porch that offered a nice breeze and bug free environment. Another neighbor brought over their furniture, and another their candles. We read books and played canasta. Down the street, we charged our phones and computers at the gas station. We raided the next door neighbors’ orange trees and juiced the oranges to make mimosas.

If we had gone far longer without power and resources and been cut off with no hope in sight, we would have done more, entering unoccupied homes looking for canned goods and toilet paper stashes. 

Even longer, and I imagine creating a co-op exchange of goods and services: hand-me-down clothes in exchange for roof repair, mending in exchange for canned tomatoes. I'm sure we would have scrounged up some seeds and planted some new crops of vegetables. 

The show is based on the book of the same name, Under the Dome by Stephen King, and in it, just as in the adapted TV show, anarchy results, disasters occur, and people are killed. In the book, after a little over a week, the dome is lifted and it is discovered that only 26 people still remain alive. However, this is a television series, and the hope is that it will last a few years as we explore the sociological impacts and scenarios that would develop over the course of several months. Though King wrote the first episode, Producer Brian K. Vaughan has been hired to adapt and modify some characters and scenarios to accommodate the longer timeline.

My largest complaint, as a nerdy geek sci-fi fan are that the fallout from the disasters are magically erased each episode. Giant fires and explosions should be creating great clouds of unbreathable pollution, but are magically dissipated. The fields and homes destroyed by the M.O.A.B. have magically reappeared in the next episode. The dome edge seems to move. 

Before I read the book’s synopsis online (I don't recommend it -– it’s a spoiler), I was intrigued with what on earth could have caused the dome to form. I wondered if it were Eden, and mankind was being given a protective barrier against the rest of humanity in an effort to preserve them from some future cataclysm which would erase mankind from the surface of the earth, leaving only the dome occupants to repopulate the world.  The latest episode, with a black egg-shaped stone at the center emanating the force field, led me to theorize that this is perhaps a giant alien egg, and the people of town of Chester’s Mill have invariably been caught in the wasp’s nest, perhaps to be living food for whatever creature will be hatching from within. 

The true cause of the dome revealed in King’s book is just as exciting. Let’s hope that the dome on CBS and Time Warner and Bright House subscribers is lifted so that the rest of the world can see the show for themselves. Until then, you can watch this nerdy guy Trevor here on youtube for show updates: Trevschan2

Sing-Off Season 4 Accepting Applications

On Wednesday, March 13, the producers, cast, crew, and loyal fans of The Sing-Off received the wonderful news that their beloved show had been picked up by NBC for a fourth season in 2013.  A call for applicants to audition was posted and word is spreading among the predominantly college-based a cappella community that group auditions will begin on Saturday, April 27th in Chicago.

Group Audition Dates:

Chicago	April 27
Nashville	May 4
Los Angeles	May 11
New York	May 18

More information can be found online at sing off casting.

The Sing-Off is an a cappella competition show that began airing in 2009 and features all-vocal musical performances of groups of four or more members competing for a $100,000 Sony recording contract. Acts are judged on their live performances by a panel of three experts and are encouraged to perform unique vocal arrangements of popular songs. Microphones are the only equipment permitted and are supplied by the show. The sounds of drums, horns, bass and other instruments are created solely through vocals.

The show had meager beginnings. It was slotted as a season end filler which ran in December 2009 in Season 1, then again in November and December 2010 in Season 2 where it gained high viewer ratings. In the fall of 2011, the Sing-Off was awarded a regular primetime Monday night spot. Unfortunately, it did not compete well against Dancing with the Stars which aired in the same time slot, and therefore was not renewed for 2012, instead being replaced with The Voice. However, confident that they had a healthy fan base, show owner Sony continued to shop the Sing-Off around to other networks.

What is unique to the Sing-Off are its overly enthusiastic fans. After the Sing-Off was not renewed by NBC for a fourth season in 2012, a fan named Dan St. John launched a #savethesingoff twitter and facebook campaign to gather signatures in an online petition to save the show. To date, over 38,000 signatures have been gathered, bringing the popularity of the show to the attention of the network.

During the Sing-Off's one year hiatus, a cappella music as a commercially viable art form has risen from the level of goody-two-shoes obscurity into the popular mainstream, thanks in part, to the Emmy award winning FOX TV show Glee; the hilariously funny $110 million-high-grossing hit movie Pitch Perfect; and the Sing-Off's own Season 3 winners Pentatonix, who have stormed across the country making musicial history by charting on Billboard and itunes.

Money talks, and a cappella is hot!

NBC finally saw the light and on March 13, word was leaked that the Sing-Off would return in 2013. On March 20, NBC made it official in a press release. The show is returning as a regular season ending filler during the holidays.

At the helm in Season 3: Dr. Ben Folds, Sara Bareilles, and Shawn Stockman.

What is unclear is who will head up the helm at the judges desk. Though Sony still owns the show, and Deke Sharon is still a producer and huge contributor, a new executive producer, Mark Burnett of Survivor and The Voice fame, has been brought in to help boost the shows ratings in its fourth season. Burnett may make changes.

In the past, the show's format consisted of three judges who made all of the preliminary decisions on which group shall move forward and which shall stay behind, with audience participation not allowed in the decision making process until the finale. A fourth regular cast member is a host who introduced the acts.

All three judges and the host are well-liked, admired by fans, and have the street-cred needed to be worthy of their roles:

I personally do not feel that the show can go on without the clever quips from "Professor" Ben Folds, who not only evaluates competitors objectively, but also is a veritable encyclopedia of musical and vocal terminology. Folds simply IS the show.

Shawn Stockman has become a regular feature as well, without whom the show could not survive. As an cappella performer with 25 years experience performing with Boyz II Men, he comes in tow with real-life working knowledge.

Sara Bareilles came on board as a judge in Season 3 to replace Nicole Scherzinger, who left to join the X-factor. Bareilles, though new, is a good fit for the show with her recent experience competing as a member of an a cappella group while attending college at UCLA. Her amazing vocal prowess, youth, and star success are a much needed asset. [Update: As of April 5, Sara Bareilles announced that she will not be returning to help judge the Sing-Off.]

The show's host, Nick Lachey, is perhaps underutilized. His 18 years with 98 Degrees have given him real life experience and yet he is given the neutral position as announcer. I am curious – how would he work as a judge? Perhaps he could slide into a judges chair if one of the others is unavailable. Or, perhaps his role could be expanded to help vet the applicants during the auditions before they are chosen to compete in front of the panel of judges.

All four celebrities have cleared their schedules by early August when the show usually begins taping.

Shawn Stockman and Nick Lachey are currently touring together through August 5 with The Package, a three-act power house featuring Boyz II Men, 98 Degrees, and New Kids on the Block. Ben Folds is touring with Ben Folds Five through July. Sara Bareilles is touring through May.

Cusack family is featured in High Fidelity

John Cusack and his sister Joan Cusack both star in High Fidelity, a 2000 movie based on the novel by Nick Hornby.

A few years ago in 2000, I remember vividly when the record-store-based movie High Fidelity was being promoted in interviews with John Cusack and his older sister Joan.  John, who I first remembered playing a teenager in the movie Sixteen Candles, helped to write and co-produce the movie, which is based closely on the 1995 book of the same name by Nick Hornby. John cast three other members of his talented family: his older sister Joan, who I also first saw in Sixteen Candles, his younger sister Susie, and their father Richard "Dick" Cusack.

The movie is showing tonight, Dec. 2, Monday Dec. 3, and on Tuesday Dec. 4 on television on  Sundance and AMC, the American Movie Channel network. Times are listed below.

I immediately went out to see the movie as soon as it was released, and I consider it to be one of the best of the year 2000, along with other fine music-filled and interesting artsy movies such as Almost Famous, O Brother Where Art Thou, and Billy Elliott. The movie was nominated for a Golden Globe, along with numerous other honors. Writers John Cusack, Steve Pink, Scott Rosenberg, and D.V. DeVincentis were nominated for a BAFTA award for best adapted screenplay, and Jack Black won a Blockbuster Entertainment award for best supporting actor in a comedy/romance.

John Cusack took on the title role of Rob Gordon, a vintage collectible record store owner in Chicago, who's live-in girlfriend Laura (played by Iben Hjejle) is fed up and finally leaving him. His older sister, Joan, is cast in the role of Liz, a mutually supportive friend and confident.

Throughout the movie, Rob counts down his top five past relationship breakups, evaluating what went wrong and why he's once again, alone. He calls up each of his old girlfriends, arranges to meet with them, then rehashes the past, looking for clues pointing to why his romances always seem to fail.

There's Caroline Fortis (played by Natasha Gregson Wagner), who was his first kiss in junior high school, but she kissed a different boy a few days later much to the dismay of Rob. Then, there was Penny Hardwick (played by Joelle Carter) who dated him in high school, but would never put out. One of his lost loves was Charlie Nicholson (played by Catherine Zeta Jones), who he dated in college. Gorgeous, popular, and seemingly out of his reach, Rob was mesmerized by the very idea of being Charlie's boyfriend. Then, there is the beautiful and mysterious singer Marie de Salle (played by Lisa Bonet), who he goes to see perform. There are a few missteps and stark awakenings along Rob's journey of self-discovery. For instance, past girlfriend Sarah Kendrew (played by Lili Taylor) has now become unbalanced and is struggling to keep her sanity while on prescriptive medications.

Paralleling the plot are scenes in the record store where the two employees, Dick (played by Todd Louiso) and Barry (played by Jack Black), count down the top five songs of various made-up categories, such as: Monday songs, songs to play at a funeral, first songs on first albums, and songs to make love to. Rare and unusual tidbits of music trivia, much of it from the original novel, are sprinkled throughout the script, and we even get to see a surprise cameo by Bruce Springsteen, as himself, who gives advice on breaking up in his song, "Bobby Jean." Music by local Chicago bands is featured throughout. Even Jack Black performs.

Other famous actors make appearances in minor roles: Tim Robbins is a zen-like neighbor named Ian and Sara Gilbert is Anaugh, a record store patron. Luke Perry is a dinner party guest. Margaret Travolta, John Travolta's sister, provides an amazingly realistic and humorous portrayal as Rob's mother.

In the end of the movie, we come to the conclusion that Rob Gordon's perception of his failed past relationships is perhaps the only major part of his behavior which is in error. It turns out that not all the girlfriends left him, he has forgotten that he broke up with some of them as well. Some are perhaps better left alone as he rediscovers why they simply weren't right for him. In all cases, we find that like many men, he has failed to communicate his feelings properly. Throughout this process, he learns to open up and bare his soul, which leads to a realistic, yet somewhat happy ending.

Dick Cusack as the minister at Laura's father's funeral.

Susie Cusack (at right) plays a dinner guest at Charlie's (Catherine Zeta Jones) dinner party.

Notes on the Cusack family

The two other Cusacks are cast in minor roles. During a later scene in the movie, Patriarch Richard "Dick" Cusack plays the role of the minister at Laura's father's funeral. Sibling Susie Cusack is cast as a party guest at Charlie's dinner party.

There are two other Cusack siblings in the business who do not appear in the movie: Ann and Bill, who are equally talented. Ann Cusack, like Joan and John, is quite busy, having recently wrapped up her regularly appearing role as Susan Grant in the Grey's Anatomy spin-off show, "Private Practice." She is currently guest starring on several television shows.

Their mother, Nancy Cusack, though not in the business, is a former mathematics teacher and political activist, a passion held by her children.

Sadly, patriarch Dick Cusack passed away only three years after the release of this movie in 2003 due to pancreatic cancer. He has left behind a legacy in their hometown of Evanston Illinois, where he worked to preserve a school and turn it into the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, where his own children trained to be come actors.

High Fidelty is airing:

• Sunday Dec 2 at 10 PM on Sundance
(channel 179 or 374 on Brighthouse in Orlando)
• Monday Dec 3 at 7 PM on Sundance
• Tuesday, Dec 4 at 3 AM on AMC
(channels 48 or 1355 HD on Brighthouse in Orlando)
• Tuesday, Dec 4 at 9:15 AM on AMC

The Vanilla Ice Project: Rockin' Renovation

Today, three hours of the first ever episodes of the DIY network's The Vanilla Ice Project are re-airing starting with Season 1 Episode 1, "Nice Nice Landscaping," at 1 PM on HGTV. More re-airings of shows from Season 2 will air on Monday, November 19 on the DIY network. Season 3 is set to launch in January of 2013.

The TV show begins by renovating and restoring a 7,000 sq ft house in Palm Beach, FL that rapper star and rock vocalist Vanilla Ice bought as a short sale after it had been abandoned and stripped by it's former owner.

Vanilla Ice, also known by his real name of Robert Van Winkle, or "Rob," to his work crew, said he had been doing home repair for 10 years before launching the show. Hands-on home renovation is a hobby he enjoys. 

Ice's first venture into real estate investment began in the early 1990s by accident, when he purchased three homes with the 20 million dollars he earned from the 1990 hit song, "Ice Ice Baby," the first hip hop song to hit the Billboard top 40. He toured the world for three years, returned to his homes in LA, Greenwich Village, NYC, and Snowbird, Utah, only to decide he didn't really want to live in any of them. "Sell 'em," he said. 

After making a tidy profit of hundreds of thousands of dollars, he said, "It can't be this easy," in an interview with DIY network ( article dated October 7, 2010 DIY network ).  It was. The real estate market was experiencing a boom.

In the early 1990s, Ice eventually settled on Star Island in Miami Beach, purchasing a 14-room home where he discovered that life after fame can be quite lonely. At first, he paid others to redecorate, but the party-themed atmosphere soon grew old. He got married to girlfriend Laura Giaritta in 1997, settled down, and started a family. He had two daughters, Dusti and Keelee. Customizing and redecorating his own home to suit his growing family's needs grew into a passion that led to purchasing other homes in need of some TLC. The hobby grew into a business, and Ice found himself doing something he truly loves: home renovation. 

Rather than build new homes that just sit vacant, and resell only after they appreciate, Ice decided instead, to turn someone else's discarded houses into dream homes. In today's buyers' market, he can buy distressed houses at a lower price as well as afford quality workers to assist him. After working his magic to create beautiful homes from tear-downs, he can then re-sell the house at a decent profit. 

In the real estate market, that's known as "flipping." However, there are good flippers who truly renovate a home, and bad flippers who only do cosmetic repairs while hiding the true problems. Rob "Vanilla Ice" Van Winkle is a good flipper.

The Vanilla Ice Project TV schedule

Listings courtesy TV Guide. Synopsis courtesy DIY network.

Friday, October 5
HGTV 61, HGTVD 1250 Orlando

1 PM Nice, Nice Landscaping S1 E1

Rapper Vanilla Ice renovates a home in Palm Beach, Fla., in this series. First up: improving the landscape with palm trees and LED lighting suitable for a concert venue.
Original Air Date: Oct 14, 2010

1:30 Party Pool S1 E2

Vanilla Ice replaces an old pool and lays a new patio, enhancing the space with tiki torches and a fire bowl. Original Air Date: Oct 14, 2010

2 PM The Master Sweet S1 E3

Vanilla Ice installs a spa in the master bathroom. Original Air Date: Oct 21, 2010

2:30 A Tasty New Kitchen S1 E4

Customized cabinets are made for Vanilla Ice's kitchen while he searches for countertops. Original Air Date: Oct 28, 2010

3 PM Living Room Rescue S1 E6

A faux coral fireplace and a new bar are added to the living room in the mansion. Original Air Date: Nov 11, 2010

3:30 Rapping It Up S1 E11

Vanilla Ice and his crew put the finishing touches on the mansion and hire a staging expert to prepare it for sale. Original Air Date: Jan 1, 2011

Monday, November 19, 2012

DIY Network

1:00 pm Upstairs Reality Check S2 E6

Rob's daughters, Dusti and Keelee, help make over the upstairs bedrooms (under his supervision). Original Air Date: Feb 18, 2012

1:30 pm The Master Hideaway S2 E7

Vanilla Ice and his team design and build a master suite that features ceiling frescoes and a spa-like bathroom. Original Air Date: Feb 25, 2012

2:00 pm The Ice House Retreat Suite S2 E8

Vanilla Ice and his crew build a guest suite that features sleek white marble, a Murphy bed and a spa bathroom. Original Air Date: Mar 3, 2012

2:30 pm Baby Got Back Yard S2 E9

A backyard makeover, complete with a zip line and a fire pole, as well as high-end landscaping and a state-of-the-art sprinkler system. Original Air Date: Mar 10, 2012

3:00 pm The Ultimate Garage Getaway S2 E10

Vanilla Ice and his crew transform an old garage into a refuge for auto aficionados. They install a car lift and hurricane-proof doors, and add some rock-star bling to complete the look. Original Air Date: Mar 17, 2012

3:30 pm Elevator up to the Mega Den S2 E11

The project: renovate an unused second-floor loft and turn it into a gaming room. Included: a glass elevator that opens directly into the gaming room. Original Air Date: Mar 24, 2012

4:00 pm Boom-Boom Screening Room S2 E12

Vanilla Ice and his team turn a dated, oversized room into a high-tech theater room with an elaborate sound system. Original Air Date: Mar 31, 2012

4:30 pm Punch List Olympics S2 E13

In the Season 2 finale, Vanilla Ice and his crew hurry to finish their work on the mansion as the open house approaches. Original Air Date: Apr 7, 2012

Little Boxes on the Hillside, Little Boxes Made of Ticky Tacky

Showtime's hit TV show Weeds features the opening theme song, "Little Boxes," a cutesy folksy song originally written and recorded by Malvina Reynolds in 1962. Reynolds wrote the song during a trip with her family through Daly City, California as a social commentary on the shoddily built, conformist track housing she saw from the road. The lyrics refer to the homes being built of "ticky tacky," a reference to cheap construction. The song was then recorded by Pete Seeger who ultimately made the song famous.

Season 1 in 2005, the Weeds show featured songwriter Reynolds' original version. However, seasons 2 and 3, featured unique renditions by famous recording artists. A few of the performers have included Elvis Costello, Regina Specktor, Billy Bob Thornton, The Shins, Randy Newman, Linkin Park, and The Decemberists. The covers were unfortunately abandoned during seasons 4 through 7. Now in its final season 8, the show is reintroducing guest artists to remake the theme.

Episode 1 "Messy," which aired on Sunday July 1, debuted a new opener with a whiteboard cartoon created by Idea Rocket Animation, depicting a timeline of the shows plot over the last seven seasons. [ Link to the new animation. ] Company creative director William Gadea explains the process artist Robert Kopecky employed to create the cartoon opener in an interview with Studio Daily.

This Sunday, July 8, Episode 2, "A Beam of Sunshine," will feature recording artist and Sing-Off judge, Ben Folds. You can find the show on Showtime at 10 and 11 PM EDT on Sunday, July 8. The show repeats throughout the week at various times. [ Ben Folds' cover of Little Boxes Weeds intro ]

Folds is currently working on the production of his first CD made with Ben Folds Five in over 12 years via an online pledge campaign. His last CD of newly unreleased material, Lonely Avenue, which he cowrote with book author Nick Hornby, featured a similar animation of the song "From Above" by Simpsons director and animator Julius Preite and designer Justin Owens.

Covers by various artists

Here are some of the versions of the series theme song performed on the show. I starred some of my favorites. Just for fun, try playing these for a friend and don't tell them who is performing them, then see if they can guess who it is.

Thanks to youtuber joeblowaz for taking the time to post the intros from Seasons 2 and 3. A special note: Watch out for the odd little pop-up video ads in the upper right hand corner on some postings. They contain an audio track which can ruin your listening experience.

Original song

Here is the original song as performed by Malvina Reynolds, "Little Boxes."

Season 2 of Weeds Opening Theme: Little Boxes

Season 2 Episode 1 - Elvis Costello
Season 2 Episode 2 - Death Cab for Cutie
Season 2 Episode 3 - Engelbert Humperdinck **
Season 2 Episode 4 - McGarrigle Sisters (French version)
Season 2 Episode 5 - Maestro Charles Barnett (symphonic version)
Season 2 Episode 6 - Aiden Hawken
Season 2 Episode 7 - Ozomatli
Season 2 Episode 8 - The Submarines
Season 2 Episode 9 - Tim DeLaughter
Season 2 Episode 10 - Regina Spektor **
Season 2 Episode 11 - Jenny Lewis with Johnathan Rice **

Season 3 of Weeds Opening Theme: Little Boxes

Season 3 Episode 01 - Randy Newman
Season 3 Episode 02 - Angelique Kidjo (Afropop Carribean) **
Season 3 Episode 03 - Kinky (disco Spanish)
Season 3 Episode 04 - Donovan
Season 3 Episode 05 - Billy Bob Thornton **
Season 3 Episode 06 - The Shins
Season 3 Episode 07 - The Individuals
Season 3 Episode 08 - Man Man **
Season 3 Episode 09 - Joan Baez
Season 3 Episode 10 - The Decemberists
Season 3 Episode 11 - Michael Franti
Season 3 Episode 12 - Persephone's Bees (Russian and English) **
Season 3 Episode 13 - Laurie Berkner Band
Season 3 Episode 14 - Linkin Park
Season 3 Episode 15 - Pete Seeger

Season 8 of Weeds Opening Theme: Little Boxes
To be updated throughout the year

Season 8 Episode 01 - Malvina Reynolds with new cartoon intro by Idea Rocket Animation **
Season 8 Episode 02 - Ben Folds **
Season 8 Episode 03 - Cast member Kevin Nealon (Doug) with Steve Martin yelling and screaming while playing banjo
Season 8 Episode 04 - Mariachi El Bronx **
Season 8 Episode 05 - The Mountain Goats
Season 8 Episode 06 - Bomb the Music Industry!
Season 8 Episode 07 - The Womenfolk **
Season 8 Episode 08 - The Thermals
Season 8 Episode 09 - Dierks Bentley **
Season 8 Episode 10 - Cast member Hunter Parrish (Silas)
Season 8 Episode 11 - Aimee Mann **
Season 8 Episode 12 - Cut Chemist
Season 8 Episode 13 - Malvina Reynolds (Series finale)

Never used theme covers:

After Season 3 ended, the show temporarily ceased using other performers to cover the theme song. However, these versions were already recorded and can be found on youtube. In fact, you can find numerous independent recordings of the theme by fans and lesser known artists, perhaps hopeful that their versions would be chosen.

Rise Against
The Crackheads
Mayer Hawthorne / Haircut

Props used on Weeds:

As long as we're on the subject of "Weed," here is another youtube video I ran across while scrounging around for the opening theme song posts. This video from Season 4 features the creation of the magnificent fake marijuana props for the show, using ingredients such as Mexican spices, parsley, and kosher salt attached to dowels with hot glue.
Video: The Weed Wranglers.



20 21 22 23 24

The Power of Bieber

On Friday morning, June 15, 2012, Justin Bieber performed on the Rockefeller Plaza outside the NBC Today show studios. Before the concert, he sat down with Matt Lauer to discuss his tour.

Longtime Today show host Matt Lauer confessed that Bieber had convinced him to sign up for twitter, something he said he swore he'd never do. During the interview, Lauer asked the 18-year-old pop star to prove his influence by helping him gain followers, "I want to find out the power of Bieber. I'm gonna do a little test here... I want you to tell your 23 million followers to follow me."

After first promoting the release of his new album Believe on June 19th. Bieber finally complied, tweeting from @justinbieber at 8:18 that morning:

"Everyone follow my man @mlauer" 

Matt Lauer had quietly signed up for twitter the day before, but said he had "zero followers." Lauer said that NBC's director of digital news operations, Ryan Osborne would streak in the studio if he can gain over 750,000 followers by Tuesday, June 19.

I found Lauer's account before the Bieber blitz and clicked to follow his tweets, taking this screen shot showing 85 followers. Joining right before me were: Amanda Wright @adwritght10, Susan @savedbygraceto, Carrie Mitchell @MonsterPuma, and Lauren Boudreau @LBoudreauu.

"We're going to see the power of Justin Bieber by Tuesday," said Lauer.

Within three minutes, while Bieber typed away, Lauer announced: "We have 9,000 already, okay? And this has been going on for three minutes... Ryan, start taking your clothes off."

Within five minutes, Matt Lauer had 30,753 followers and was trending.

Only one day later, on Saturday, June 16, @mLauer had over 131,000 followers. Today, he has nearly 140,000. Although he won't reach the 750,000 mark he had hoped for, it's still quite impressive.

Will Matt Lauer remember me, having been one of the first 100 to follow him on twitter? Nah, probably not. It's fun trivia, though, just another story for tvgrrrrl's files.

Bieber will be back on NBC on Wednesday and Thursday nights, June 20th and 21st, for his All Around the World tour TV special airing at 8 p.m. each night. (NBC can be found on channels 4 and 1020 in Orlando on Brighthouse Cable.)