A small TV happy for me, and John Cole: TV Squad reports that TNT has secured the rights to Southland, primarily the rights to the seven episodes from last season and the six episodes that NBC made but refused to air:
If you want more episodes, the solution is pretty simple. Show up in droves to watch these. They start airing on Tuesday, January 12 at 10 p.m., ironically against the very show that many people think killed it: The Jay Leno Show. So if you really want to make a statement that NBC might notice, turn TNT’s Southland into the next Sons of Anarchy and actually beat Leno head-to-head!
Good cops are the opposite of the Yankees, because they work hard in defense of the little people. Southland ain’t Boomtown, much less The Unusuals, but I look forward to seeing more episodes… although not on Hulu, if Comcast (another Evil Empire) succeeds with its vile plans.
Also, I think Steve Gilliard would have loved The Unusuals, because it was a very Ankh Morpork New York City series.
soonergrunt
YAY, Southland!
It would be nice if somebody would pick up Life.
freelancer
I’m just happy Friday Night Lights is back.
I have a completely pathetic mancrush on Kyle Chandler.
YMMV, but the first season is up there with S4 of the Wire, and S2 of BSG as the best TV ever made.
donovong
Great for Southland. Good TeeVee!
Fuck the Fucking Yankees !!
This is not the same Cliff Lee from Game One.
Steeplejack
FTFY. And they’re already up 1-0 on Philadelphia in the first.
I hope the Phillies’ cunning plan is to tease the Yankees along, narrowly win tonight and in Game 6 and then crush them–and George Steinbrenner’s spirits–in Game 7 at Yankee Stadium.
Crashman06
I read an article somewhere saying there’s a good chance TNT would continue the series if it gets decent ratings. Here’s hoping.
Steeplejack
Can one of the front-pagers address–or even take notice of–the fact that the Balloon Juice server’s time stamp still has not been updated to reflect the time change?
My note on possible ramifications is here.
Xenos
FTFY. In a good way. Go Bombers!
Steeplejack
RIP Eva Cassidy, died this day in 1996, age 33. She is missed.
“Fields of Gold.”
LM
TNT is giving the show more airtime, too, so the existing episodes will have some footage put back in before they re-air, and the new episodes will be a bit longer.
Pooh
This. Is. Awesome.
Shell
Some TV sour-pussing.
I know the urge to ‘remake’ is a fatal disease with tv exec’s.* But still, why are they redoing that classic series, ‘The Prisoner?’ I don’t think anyone can outdo it’s odd, surrealistic quality.
Kiril
Is this also the Saints game thread?
The Grand Panjandrum
Yankees are one game away from their 27th World Series Championship. Suck on that haters!
freelancer
@The Grand Panjandrum:
Must be because of all that good juju they received from imploding the most famous stadium in American History.
Even God things the Yankees have too much fucking money.
FTFY
Xenos
@Steeplejack: Lovely. Quite.
eastriver
Go Yanks.
Get a life all you pathetic haters. It makes you look like small and pathetic (kinda like republicans) if all you do is dwell in mindless hatred.
“I taught my kid to say Fuck the Yankees! Hee-hee!”
Stay classy. Like Rush.
Bostondreams
@The Grand Panjandrum:
Great. They have half as many as Boston this century. And, well, still proud owners of the biggest choke job in sports history. So there is that.
Rob in Denver
While I haven’t seen it mentioned anywhere, I’d bet money that the creators of Southland based the series on a novel called L.A. REX by LAPD detective Will Beall. If you like the show, give this fantastic novel a read. I couldn’t put it down.
This.
Bostondreams
Just a heads up…new Terry Pratchett book is out now. Unseen Academicals. And it has football!
SiubhanDuinne
@Steeplejack 9:10 pm
I made a similar plea, although less eloquent and well-reasoned, at #46 on the Open Thread with General Stuck’s hummingbird picture up top. I always thought time changes were just automaticm. Your tactful analysis in your link was an education.
SiubhanDuinne
(There’s no “m” at the end of “automatic,” is there?)
Bostondreams
@Bostondreams:
Well, just to clarify, when I say football, I mean European style… ;-)
M. Bouffant
Fuck the damn Phillies too!!
Hope all you Eastern elitists enjoy your crummy rain-delayed frozen Series.
Could have been played entirely in sunny SoCal, but no!!
Shell
Ahhh, your Mamma wears tennis shoes!
Screw the Series. I was mad the rain dampened all the Trick or Treaters.
ellaesther
Ok, I know that as a loyal Balloon Juicer, I’m supposed to have… um… negative feelings for Andrew Sullivan. I don’t. I confess.
But here is one of the reasons why! Just read this love letter to his old dog! http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/10/yes-that-was-a-beagle.html
AhabTRuler
Why do people keep saying this? IIRC, both John and DougJ have professed a fondness for Sully’s writing, and at least half of the commentariat keeps going back to him no matter how many times he pops open an ice-cold bottle of ye olde hypocrisy & foolishness stout.
Steeplejack
@ellaesther:
But they’re . . . beagles. Cole hates beagles.
Why do you hate Balloon Juice?
Halffasthero
@M. Bouffant:
Don’t forget the latte sipping and the arugula. Can’t have elitism without it.
Halffasthero
grrrr.
Screwing up my blockquotes tonight….
freelancer
The Onion for the motherfucking win!
Victim in Fatal Car Accident Tragically Not Glenn Beck.
Steeplejack
@Halffasthero:
Foolproof blockquote recipe:
Note: Butting up the start of the blockquote to the normal text above it will ensure that your blockquote does not come out in bold. And you’ll still get a blank line in between.
Steeplejack
@Steeplejack:
P.S. And those are underscores, not hyphens, in between the blockquote paragraphs.
MikeJ
@freelancer: I will be using that line with the final person filled in as various other people, sometimes as Beck sometimes not, for years.
parksideq
Man, I called Yanks in 6 (not here, but at work), but not like this.
1-6 Phillies means I haz a sad. Not that most Juicers will give a damn.
Halfasthero
@Steeplejack:
Thank you! Now I just need to remember that…
LoveMonkey
As much as it pains me to agree with Cole on a matter of tv viewing, I was really looking forward to the new season of Southland. Now I can really look forward, again, to the new season of Southland.
Martin
6-1 baby! FTFY.
Steeplejack
@Halfasthero:
Cut and paste, baby, cut and paste. Put the snippet in your text editor and copy it as needed. Or you just need to remember to put two underscores on each blank line between blockquote paragraphs. The “not showing up bold” part is optional and just gets you style points (but those are very important to the East German judge).
Martin
Can I request that some future version of BJ allow us to use Markdown in comments?
It would eliminate much profanity, though that’s hardly a feature around here.
FTFY!
Gozer
I live in Philly exurbs and man…this series is not good for my blood pressure.
Nellcote
Given the success of “Glee”, is there any hope for a remake of “Cop Rock”?
Nellcote
@Shell:
That is truely blasphemy.
and FTFY. also.
ellaesther
@Steeplejack: … because it’s the only way I can guarantee that the terrorists will win.
Mike in NC
What an amazing talent. Most people never heard of her while she was alive. Sad.
freelancer
For all the FNL fans in the house.
Steeplejack
@Nellcote:
I’m pretty sure loops of Cop Rock were being used at Gitmo. Not sure if Obama has stopped that. Definitely a war crime, though.
soonergrunt
@freelancer: That’s the funniest stuff I’ve seen in a while. Thanks for pointing it out.
@Nellcote:
Not if God loves me.
burnspbesq
@freelancer:
Did you get to see Episode 1?
Halfasthero
oh, and on the reason for the open thread. I know nothing about Southland but I still carry an ancient animosity towards the t.v. industry after they canceled Firefly and Keen Eddy. I also thought there should have been a 3rd year for Dead Like Me.
Martin
Woo! 5 HRs for Utley! FTFY!
Tim F.
Homer. Love the Phils.
asiangrrlMN
Holy shit. Phillies up 7-2, Utley got his second homer of the game. Yutsano, I bet you really want to have his babies now!
Tim F.
Trouble with a fastballer is that the guys you don’t strike out hit the ball into next week.
freelancer
@burnspbesq:
Yes I did. It was inspired storytelling. The way they ended season three just opened the show up, and where they’re going with it, is just sweet. I do hope they find something better to do with Riggins, not living with psycho methheads again or something dumber.
And you can too…
“East of Dillon” (via megavideo. Click the red play arrow, it’ll open a popup or a new tab, close that tab or window, go back to the megavideo window and click on the green arrow and it should start playing.)
Tim F.
Jesus harold christ. What did I just fucking say.
asiangrrlMN
Wooooooooooooot! 8-2 Phillies!
asiangrrlMN
@Tim F.: Nice call, Tim F.!
Tim F.
@asiangrrlMN: Really, that was just plain spooky. It was literally the next pitch when the batter practically beaned someone in the second deck.
Penn
The Unusuals was great. Too bad it didn’t get renewed.
I’ve never see any other show mentioned in this thread, as far as I can tell. :)
Rekster
@Steeplejack: We should all raise a glass in praise of a GREAT singer with a Beautiful voice. I have all of Eva’s CD’s and love this beautiful rendition.
Eva is missed and we should celebrate her short life.
Martin
8-2. Yeah, baby! I say that if the Phillies make it to 10-2 that they get credit for winning game 6 as well under some kind of FTFY mercy rule.
asiangrrlMN
@Tim F.: How about predicting a double play now?
asiangrrlMN
@Martin: I like the way you think.
Tim F.
@asiangrrlMN: Sorry, I only predict the obvious. Right now I see the half ending with Phils up 4-8.
Tim F.
while. I. was. fucking. typing.
freelancer
@Steeplejack:
Damn. I like that cover better than sting’s original. RIP.
asiangrrlMN
SHIT!
Martin
And
steroidsA-RoidsA-Rod earns another double.asiangrrlMN
@Tim F.: You need to stop now.
Tim F.
If it makes you feel better, I see a man stranded on 2nd.
Martin
@asiangrrlMN:
He could predict that the Park retires the next 3 batters, A-Rod dislocates his right shoulder patting himself on the back on the way back to the dugout, and the Phillies set a MLB record by hitting two grand slams in one inning to end the game 16-4. I wouldn’t mind that.
Tim F.
was going to say third…
asiangrrlMN
@Tim F.: No. It doesn’t.
@Martin: I like this. Yes, please.
Tim F.
The psychic guild just took my license back. You guys are on your own.
burnspbesq
@freelancer:
I found a torrent on Thursday night. It is teh awesome.
What I expect to see in Episode 2:
A complete Taylor family meltdown over Julie’s decision to go to East.
More defections from Wade Aikman’s staff.
Coach challenges Landry to become a leader.
Another bad loss, but with improved performance.
Julie and Matt do not kiss and make up.
Ash Can
@Tim F.: That takes me back to the Joe Carter – Mitch Williams matchup in the 1993 Series. When Jim Fregosi left Williams in to face Carter, I thought, “Geezus, Jim, wtf are you thinking?” Sure enough, a couple of pitches later, Carter put the baseball into geostationary orbit. Game, set, and match.
asiangrrlMN
@Tim F.: Well, I predict two more home runs for the Phils.
Tim F.
@Ash Can: Yep. Fastballers can build up great stats, if you don’t count the dingers.
Martin
@Tim F.:
That sucks. I was about to ask for a catastrophic Yankee Stadium accident brought about by shoddy mafia concrete contracting leading to the total collapse and destruction of the stadium during practice tomorrow. No deaths, but coincidentally all Yankee steroid users are injured sufficiently that they never return to baseball. Steinbrenner’s insurance doesn’t pay because it is discovered he knew he was hiring unlicensed contractors in an effort to save enough money to keep A-Rod on the payroll. He is forced to sell the team and they are bought by a coalition of former RedSox players who successfully, and intentionally break every MLB losing record over the course of the next 20 years. Seats behind home plate still cost $1200 but Goldman Sachs is forced to buy every seat for every game and donate them to the Make a Wish foundation so sick children can get their lifelong dream to watch some team pound the living shit out of the Yankees.
ominira
Just saw this Terry Tate, linebacker video on Sarah Palin. Brought a grin to my face.
asiangrrlMN
@Martin: I really like the way you think.
Thomas
The Unusuals could have been great if it would have just been the black guy who was afraid he was going to die and the white guy with the mustache and big nose. Those two were quirky and awesome. The girl from Joan of Arcadia and the guy from “The Hurt Locker” were boring and, I believe, killed the show’s chances.
randiego
Did you all hear about the A-Rod Centaur?
use the google. It’s too full of awesome.
Steeplejack
@Martin:
I like a man with big dreams.
Martin
Yeah, baby! FTFY!
I like the strategy here – throwing 3 games to ensure that the Phillies get to humiliate the Yankees in front of a home audience.
Ash Can
You know what the best thing about tonight’s Phillies win is?
There’s still more baseball for 2009.
I haz a happy. :)
Yutsano
Ugly but I’ll take it.
@asiangrrlMN: I’ll put the Octomom to shame.
Martin
@Steeplejack:
Go big or go home, I say. I’ve wished for Yankee Stadium to collapse before – once even while I was in it. I’m devoted to my cause.
Steeplejack
@Martin:
@Great minds, etc.
Martin
@Steeplejack: Ah, nice. I missed that. Very prescient. Maybe you can predict my Yankee Stadium event.
Yutsano
@Martin: We may indeed be halfway there. They say there’s no structural damage but just wait until it fills up for the Series and falls apart.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/24/nyregion/24stadium.html
Morbo
@randiego: That’s a bad idea; better than half of the links appear to go to virus sites. Google image search, sadly, came up empty.
Also, a happy FTFY to all.
Sentient Puddle
On an unrelated note, The Hill reports that Harry Reid dropped a train on Lieberman.
General Winfield Stuck
@Sentient Puddle:
I am certain that this is just another devious ploy by the Obama/Reid axis of evil and they are secretly planning to sell the farm, the farm house, and dairy cows to Rush Limbaugh for his personal pleasure.
But not before they torture the poor beast just like George Bush would have done. No healthcare for you libtard beatches!
randiego
admittedly, Us Weekly is not exactly the New York Times. But still, you can imagine him having that, right?
asiangrrlMN
@Yutsano: Damn right you’ll take it. You have to if you’re gonna breed for Utley.
Yutsano
@asiangrrlMN: My goodness we is feisty tonight. I kinda like it.
bjacques
If ever there was a time to call the Republicans’ bluff on a filibuster, this is it. Which of them (Joementum?) will stand up and read the phone book, in front of C-SPAN’s camera? That person will be the face that killed healthcare reform, no matter how many other senators voted against the bill or voted not to shut them up.
patrick
The Unusuals wasn’t bad, but it didn’t hold a candle to “Life on Mars”
how can you not enjoy a series with Harvey Keitel and Micheal Imperioli in a frank zappa style mustache?
Cheryl from Maryland
My favorite tribute to Eva Cassidy — Michelle Quan’s performance in 2003 to Fields of Gold: