Shifting Channels

Leaving the "Lights" On?

Episode 12 (click to play/pause)

Harold and Nicole discuss the merits of Friday Night Lights and try to decipher what the critics and fans find so appealing about this sports-themed drama. Are you psyched that Lights is almost certainly coming back for a third season?

We also answer a listener question: What was the short-lived show from the '90s that was similar to Wonder Years, but followed an urban family from an earlier era?

Show notes:

• Friday Night Lights - you can stream full episodes of both seasons on NBC's website or pick up the DVDs for a pretty cheap price
• Brooklyn Bridge - it starred Danny Gerard, Peter Friedman and Marion Ross, among many others. It garnered several Emmy awards and then disappeared.

What is Reality?

Episode 11 (click to play/pause)

Harold and Nicole talk about Reality Television in general, as a cultural trend, and more specifically about the shows that they've watched and enjoyed, both past and present. Top it all off with a short chat about Rob Thomas, who has not one, but two new shows on the slate for next year -- a spinoff of Beverly Hills 90210 and a revamped version of his 1998 show, Cupid.

Show notes:

• Devwatch: Reality Shows - The Futon Critic's amazing list of reality shows that have been ordered for next year -- both pilots and series. If you only ever click one link in our show notes, please let this be the one, if only so you can dream about a possible future where Celebracadabra, Hey Bitches, L.A. Gang Unit, and Untitled Diddy Assistant Project are all waiting for you on your TiVo.
• America's Next Top Model - Guiltily or guilt-free, people love this show -- but you better believe they all fast-forward through Tyra Mail.
• FourFour - If you love ANTM, you'll probably enjoy Rich's weekly coverage.
• The Real World - Nineteen seasons in and they're still going. Strong? Hard to say.
• Project Runway - Perhaps the reality show with the highest barrier to entry, yet they still manage to cast some real nutjobs. A truly impressive achievement!
• SuperNanny - She comes in, cracks some skulls, and the kids behave. Looking forward to next year's SuperManny spinoff.
• Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - Sure, it's an elaborate fantasy, and the made-over homes are held together with chicken wire and good intentions, but on the plus side, you are almost guaranteed to cry during the reveal...
• Temptation Island - They made three whole seasons of this stinker. It was a simpler time back then.
• The Biggest Loser - Harold is watching this one and has realized that an entire two-hour show can be watched while fast-forwarding in an envigorating 25 minutes. If only he was watching from the treadmill...
• "To Catch A Predator" - an ethically challenged recurring segment on Dateline NBC. This is the kind of reality television that makes everyone involved look really gross -- from the producers to the police to the perps. For some background, there's an Esquire feature and news about a recent lawsuit.
• Not one, but two Rob Thomas articles from The Hollywood Reporter
• Alan Sepinwall on Cupid on YouTube

Mad About... Hulu, Mensa, Battlestar and Britney

Episode 10 (click to play/pause)

Harold and Nicole talk about the recently launched TV portal, Hulu, and how ad-supported streaming video sites had better make the commercial-watching experience better than broadcast, not worse. We also tackle the sticky subject of the 10 "smartest" shows, as chosen by the chairman of MENSA. The list isn't popular, but can you do better? We round out the week by talking about upcoming DVD releases and the shocking news that Britney Spears has barged onto the set of How I Met Your Mother, causing guest star Alicia Silverstone to bail.

Show notes:

• Hulu - the lovechild entertainment portal from NBC and FOX. Watch everything from the Westminster Kennel Club to WKRP. Check out the coverage for more background.
• New Amsterdam - a new show about a NYC homicide cop who's 400 years old and immortal -- for now.
• 30 Days - Morgan Spurlock's TV-sized take on Super Size Me offers month-long looks at a variety of predicaments.
• The MENSA Post - the king of the brainiacs says Boston Legal and Mad About You are two of the "smartest shows" in the history of television. Hilarity ensues...
• Battlestar Galactica Season 3 - hits stores on March 18, just in time to brush up before...
• Battlestar Galactica Season 4 - premieres on the Sci-Fi channel the first week in April. Go now for an 8-minute recap.
• Bionic Woman - This show stunk. Sorry. Although, on the bright side, the discs, also out on March 18, might have some behind-the-scenes footage with Michelle Ryan, and she probably has a cool British accent.
• How I Met Your Mother - Two questions: Will they survive the Britney Spears stunt-casting? What happened to Barney's blog? Visit CBS for full episodes. Tune in March 24th for the Crossroads star.
• The Britney Experience - show creator Craig Thomas tells the tale.
• Neil Patrick Harris interview: "There were lots of 'Hey, hey—I need to see your wristband,' and I said, 'Lady, I'm actually on the show, so I don't have a wristband.'"
• We had some minor audio glitches this week. We apologize. It won't be a regular occurence, we promise.

Spoiler Alert

Episode 9 (click to play/pause)

Episode 9: Harold and Nicole and their guest, Jenny Check, discuss their attitudes towards and approaches for avoiding (or finding) spoilers -- key facts about future episodes of their favorite shows. Are you spoiler-phobic or spoiler-addicted?

Show notes:

• Spoiler Fix - search by show or just get the latest updates via their blog
• Spoilers News - spoiler links from around the web
• Ask Ausiello - TV Guide's Michael Ausiello answers reader questions, mostly about individual shows and their futures
• Slayage - the site of many a Buffy spoiler
• Mars Investigations - a very cool site about the defunct Veronica Mars series, with a fancy-pants drop-down menu that lets you avoid any spoilers