Late Late Night TV with James Corden

I’ve never been a fan of the late-late night entertainment shows, and when I have watched some of them, I’ve been appalled at the crudeness of the comedy and the skits. This week, however, James Corden’s show was on at 10 pm, so I decided to watch it and see what all the hoopla is about. Of course, I didn’t stay up much past 10 pm, but I dvr’d the show and watched it the next day.

What a funny, entertaining show! I enjoyed the skits and laughed so hard when he did the crosswalk playhouse routine that I thought I would wet my panties. What a great concept, and the cast he chose to perform The Sound of Music really sold the skit. Allison Janey was a perfect foil for James, and I don’t know how they kept from busting out laughing when they were performing.

I had, of course, heard about carpool karaoke, but had never seen the bit played out. James had a couple of cohorts in the car and the performance was over the top, especially with Christina Aguilera. It was quite the surprise when Melissa McCarthy popped up in the back row of the SUV and joined the hilarity, catching both Aguilera and Corden off-guard.

I tried to watch Saturday Night Live a couple of times, and it just wasn’t my cup of tea. The skits were more vulgar than humorous, and the actors seemed to play too much to the audience to get a laugh than letting it happen organically. I’m going to tape Corden's show a couple more times and see if it’s really as good as this episode before I commit to staying up late to watch the performance “live.”

The Great British Baking Show

My new favorite TV show is on PBS: The Great British Baking Show. I watched it last year and loved it, so was happy to find it in the listings again this year. The premise is fairly standard: a group of bakers are brought in, given 3 different (and often challenging) baking tasks to complete, each of which is judged by Mary and Paul, both of whom are well-known and respected British bakers. They are critical in their opinions and comments, so only the best are kept from show to show, no matter how well s/he has done previously. Thus, a star baker one week can go home the next: it all depends on this week's bake.

The three challenges are a technical challenge, which means making a baking product that each baker should not only know how to bake, but bake well. A runny custard can ruin the bake, no matter how good the crust. The second challenge is the star baker challenge, where the bakers are given a recipe to make with minimal directions -- and they each have to figure out how to do it and how to do it well enough to be #1 for that contest. The third and final bake is the showstopper, which is a challenge that the bakers may have practiced at home and done well, but the only performance is that at the actual baking contest. Too thick a crust on a game pie? Sorry, that's not acceptable. Too little or too much seasoning? Sorry, that's not going to cut it. Game is under-cooked or over-cooked? Not worthy of being the showstopper winner.

The variety of bakes is interesting, sometimes featuring recipes from the 1800s, othertimes featuring recipes from the early 20th century. Appearance is a big part of the challenge, so if the crust is too pale or too brown? the filling is too thick or too thin? the appearance is not grand enough? Not going to score points and can lead to a contestant leaving the show. And, beware artificial flavorings! It has to have a natural taste or the judges turn up their noses at the bake, regardless of how well all the other many criteria are met.

This season has come to an end, but look for reruns on your local PBS station. It's well worth the time to watch this dignified British delight.

It's All About the Music

Without question, my favorite TV singing show is The Sing-Off, featuring a capella singing groups with a range of ages and abilities. The Sing Off was awesome the first time around, but it didn’t make it back on-air last year. This year, it’s back in a slightly different format, including fewer performance groups and a quicker pace.The basic premise is ten singing groups, ranging from 5 performers to 20 or so, who prepare presentations within a musical context, such as Party Anthems. Each froup performs, is critiqued by judges who actually have professional singing careers, and the bottom two choirs at the end of each episode duel for the save that brings one of the bottom two groups back for the next round in the competition. Every group is good, but there is always another group who is better – and that head-to-head competition elevates the bottom groups to bring their A game if they expect to be saved.

The pros on the show include Nick Lachey, host, and judges Ben Fols, Shawn Stockman, and this year’s new addition, Jewel. Because all of the pros are professional musicians, they are tuned into the talent, rather than focused on the cute performances that often mask weak singing. For instance, Justin Beiber would be a good member of a choir, but he doesn’t have a solo voice; hence, all the electronic enhancement and distractions on the stage to keep the focus off his basic weakness: his voice. On the other end of the spectrum, a Whitney Houston voice needs a large choir to help her blend as her powerful voice demands singing solos, and would over-power a small a capella group. In an a capella group, every voice has to be a “best” voice because each member has to carry his/her own weight and not drag down the over-all performance of the choir.

The competitors need to have strong bass vocalists to anchor the bottom range of the songs, the bass provided solely with vocals because no instrumentation augments the singing. Additionally, there is a “beat box” performer who sets the tempo and keeps the performance moving to … the beat … without having a drummer on stage. There also have to be enough members of the group to fill in both the mid-range and the high end, and all of it has to be cohesive, as well as technically perfect to win the contest. Any one performer dragging the tempo, or flatting a high note, or rushing the bridge can justify being in the bottom two and headed back home for the holidays.

This years’ groups include a high school team, a typical street corner group of singers from days gone by, a niche performance group of Filipino male singers, and a large group of male performers who go by the name of AcoustiCats. Sprinkled into the mix are groups that include both male and female performers who blend their voices in song and accentuate the pieces with choreography that keeps the eyes entertained while the ears listen to the music. Too much choreography distracts from the music, and poorly performed music stands out with nothing else on stage to mask a singing issue.

I’m happy to have The Sing Off back this year and hope that it comes back every holiday to delight those of us who enjoy real singing, rather than electronically enhanced lip-syncing.

SPLASH!!

I watched the first episode of Splash and think the first 2 divers got a bad call. At the beginning, both Kesha and Katherine Webb did more difficult dives than the 3 men who followed, but they received the lowest scores (in the 6s)because they went first – and the 2 male judges had no idea how badly the following 3 men would dive. As it was, a 400-pound man who toppled over and fell into the water, scored a full point higher than either of the first 2 women who did “something” dives that showed a semblance of skill.

Although the womens' dives were equal to or better than the 3 male divers who dove after them, Kesha had to leave, but Katherine was saved, so she will dive again.

All 12 contestants should have dived a first time before any scores were given that would eliminate anyone. The technique of each contestant could be evaluated in the first round, with pointers for improving performances given by the judges. Then, let the competition begin with a baseline performance index guiding the judges' scoring.

I’m not going to watch further episodes of this reality show because it isn’t interesting or entertaining, and it’s also unfairly scored.

Reality TV

Design Star is one of my favorite reality TV shows, and David Bromstad is my absolute favorite host, winning the first Design Star competition. His Color Splash show amazes me as he never ends up with tacky, no matter how much color he brings into a space, and he always personalizes his design work with an original piece of art that completes the job perfectly. David served as the mentor for this year's competition, providing insight into what separates outstanding design from average, as well as smoothing out the presentations for the camera challenges.

David has grown so much since he won the first competition, and he is the one designer I would not hesitate to leave in my home to do his magic. Antonio, on the other hand, fagetaboutit! His designs remind me of a chainsaw massacre!! Emily? Too much turmoil to get to the end product that still looks like a tossed-together melange of whatever happens to catch HER fancy!!

I watched the latest series and was interested first that Kathy stayed on the show as long as she did: her best design plan was “I’m going shopping,” which left her teammates in the lurch on every single project assigned to her. Kathy personifies the catch phrase “throw under the bus” as she made it very clear to the viewer that her plan was to do her own thing, ignore any ideas from her teammates, and win based on her past experience on-camera. I sighed with relief when the judges finally caught on that she was outstanding on camera, but not as either a designer or a team player. I knew from the git-go, however, that the judges’ favorite was Meg because they forgave her faults that others left the show for making. I was surprised, on the other hand, that Carl made it to the finals, but pleased at the same time because he truly designed, while Meg merely redecorated.

Carl, in the final challenge, brought design features from the building veneer into the space to make it not just unique, but a reflection of the architecture of the neighborhood. This was Carl’s strength throughout: architectural design. I thought it would be the quality that gave him the win, but his camera presence was not professional – and Meg, although her work was much more frantic decorating than design, glowed on camera no matter how many takes it took for her to get herself together and film the spot.

I always hope that the HGTV execs realize the talent they have available and give second place something to do, so I’m going to continue to look for Carl, but probably won’t tune in to Meg’s show because she simply did not show me anything I could not have figured out for myself and done at least as well as she did it during the contest.

I also watched America Has Talent, an interesting show of some of the weirdest contestants ever to make it to a stage. Perhaps “talent” is as the individual defines it, but I would think that a person would have to do whatever it is that s/he designates as a “talent” better than anyone else, not worse. Last evening’s wrap-up finale featured the Top Ten Worst, every one of which was more than deserving of being included on that list. OMG, as if it weren’t bad enough to sit through their performance the first time, highlighting them as a performance group was painful.

In the end, however, the singing talent of Landau gave him the top honor, as well as a million dollar prize and a show at a Las Vegas venue. Landau can sing across genres and his voice does credit to any song he performs. Last night, he rocked it out with Patti LaBelle, and it was magic, truly a million-dollar performance.

Next week, the Sing-Off begins, and I cannot wait. This is choral performance, with voices making the sounds of musical instruments, as well as vocalists performing the actual songs. Last season was amazing, and I’m looking forward to an even better season this year. Nick Lachey is the right host for the series, and the judges all have the creds to back-up their critiques. Good show, good music, good time watching.

Gleeful

A new TV series, The Glee Project, is engaging on several levels. The starting point is that each participant is talented, but the selection process determines what else sets each contestant apart from another, as well as potential cohesion with the existing Glee cast and conforming to the series premise of "losers" who sometimes are winners. Some contestants can out-sing others, while others can out-perform some singers, but what separates them is that intangible quality that goes beyond the skill sets. So far, it appears that few are talented in dance/ choreography, which is a significant part of the Glee performance each week, a performance skill that separates the top tier from who’s going home in the next episode.

What I specifically appreciate is the willingness of the selection committee to hone in on the quality indicators as they specify them each week: the final performance either makes – or breaks – a contestant, and sometimes those indicators are discreet, rather than obvious. It is the distinction that can be made only by a well-qualified working professional, a rare insight that takes years of knowledge and practical experience to develop. You know it when you experience it, but there is no way to define it or even describe it: it's deep and it's real, and it's critical to success.

This week’s episode centered on vulnerability, but not on what one says is his/her vulnerability, but what the individual conveys beyond the words. This kind of reality is not applied like a band-aid to give the appearance of vulnerability, but has to be the deeply-felt vulnerability that no one wants to share with others. In my view, the most disadvantaged performer is the most professional, the young Irish lad who has been on-stage with Celtic Thunder. His job on the Celtic stage is to convince the audience that he’s all man, Celtic strong, a strength that comes from generations of fierce warriors. He’s a young man whose life is more façade than reality, so how does he touch what’s inside and bring it outside for the world to see, especially while he’s on stage? Vulnerability directly conflicts with his previous professional performance, so for him to be vulnerable, not just act it, had to be harder than it would be for any of the other contestants.

From the living room side of the TV screen, it is easier to see contestants acting vulnerable than it may seem from the performance stage. Some of the performers are certain that they have nailed their song and are surprised when the professionals critique the performance as being less than honest. This week’s final performance was presented by a “chica” who spent too much time pretending to be … rather than being. She stereotyped herself the way she thought would be most convincing to the panel of judges, but they recognized her act and sent her home. She wasn’t vulnerable; she was merely acting her perception of vulnerable, and acting did not rate a call-back.

I’m not sure if the goal is to finish the experience with one winner or multiple winners, but that task has to be beyond challenging to almost impossible. When everyone participating shares a level playing field, the little things separate the call-backs from the contestants going home. I am going to stick with the series because I like the life lesson that reminds all of us that sometimes, good enough isn’t, along with an enjoyable hour of talented performers doing their thing. The Glee Experience: tune in.

Really, Really Good TV Series

The Killing is in at least its second year, which is surprising because it's one of the low-key, realistic, non-trendy shows that usually do not appeal to the hip young audiences and is quickly canceled. However, when one realizes that this show is on AMC, it makes sense that it's not just one of the best "cop" dramas on TV, but also one of the best TV shows period. The premise is similar to the popular Keifer Sutherland series 24, with Linda the lead investigator in the case of a murdered teenager found in the trunk of a submerged car. The goal is to investigate the murder along with Linda, putting together the clues with her, and the twists and turns she takes are complicated, frustrating, and believable from the seats on the couch.

The setting is Seattle, where it rains far too much for a desert rat's liking, so we see Linda, long hair pulled back into a pony tail and dressed in jeans, boots, and a pea coat, dragging herself from one lead to another in the constant rain. Linda is not only not a fashionable lead character, but her personality could use a lot of work if her goal were to make friends. She is intense, often to the point of exhaustion, and her intensity interferes with her life as a single mother of a 13-year-old son, as well as with her somewhat pending marriage and relocation. When she catches a case, it is her sole focus to the point of personal sabotage.

Her partner in solving this crime is totally unlikeable, seemingly untrustworthy, and trying too hard to be a badass cop -- but he anchors Linda in reality, especially when he's been up for 48 hours and heads for bed, rather than following-up on a lead that he determines can wait until he's had some sleep. He's been an undercover cop, so he has a tendency to use deception to open doors with witnesses and/or potential suspects, pretending, for instance, to smoke weed with teens at the victim's high school to provide him with a reason for conversation with the otherwise reluctant high schoolers. He uncovers good leads through somewhat unconventional methods, then Linda uses her conventions to follow-up.

This show allows the tension to build with no one saying a word sometimes. When Linda stares at the evidence, there is no requisite room filled with smart-talking peers to break her concentration. When she's upset, she shows it physically, but keeps it internal. Sometimes, the clues that are seemingly going nowhere open with a startling clarity, such as this past episode wherein the word "Adela" and a number written on a piece of paper found between the pages of a book appears on a ferry moored at the dock where Linda finishes a morning run. When Linda uses the random note as another step in the investigation, she also figures out the key the young victim had: it opens the door to a room in a casino along the route of the Adela.

I find myself caught up in the plot, not just watching it. I find myself getting inside Linda's mind, not just watching her. I find myself shivering from all the damned rain and wonder how anyone can do their job under those circumstances. I feel badly for Linda that she's alienated her fiance, her one friend, and her son, but can empathsize with her need to finish what she's started, rather than walking away for personal reasons.

The Killing is a great series. I do not know if the previous season is available at the AMC website, but I know that this season is. I recommend The Killing to anyone who wants to know what has happened to good TV.

OKAY: updating. Her name is Sarah Linden, not Linda, and the sidekick's name is Holder. The series orginated in Denmark, but this is the first American season of it. The website shows lots of information, some interactive aspects, as well as a tracker feature for those who really get into the story and want to investigate along with Linden and Holder. Some viewers claim that they have already solved the murder, but everytime I think I have, the show takes a turn and I'm back at not having a clue who done it.