Renewals galore: FX's "Sons of Anarchy" has been picked up for a second season. ... HBO renewed over-the-hill "Entourage" for a sixth season. ... CBS's "The Mentalist" has earned a full first season inched closer to a first season renewal with an order for six more scripts, per Entertainment Weekly. A full-season order will be forthcoming. ... TBS has renewed "My Boys" for a third season.
***
It's been quite a while since I've reviewed a show on My Network TV, Pittsburgh's WPMY, Channel 22. Mostly that's because MNT hasn't bothered to send TV critics review copies of its shows since its disastrous launch of a batch of telenovelas two years ago.
Now the network has sent out an episode of "The Tony Rock Project" (8 p.m. Wednesday) for review, but I don't expect those reviews to be pretty. Rock is the younger brother of the funnier Chris Rock. A desire for fame may run in the family, but if there's much talent to be found in Chris, it's not on display in "Project."
A broad mix of hidden camera gags and comedy sketches, the show is filmed in front of a studio audience that appears to have been sequestered in a basement.
In one sketch, Rock mistakes a "Cops" film crew for a "Punk'd" crew and ends up getting tasered. In another, Rock's buddies punk Gary Coleman. Really, Gary Coleman? Hasn't he endured enough abuse already?
In man on the street interviews, Rock tries to find the "ultimate minority," preferrably a "bi-racial, handicapped midget" but he ends up settling for a guy who took classes in prison.
Another segment features an overweight woman working out with a team of BMX riders.
The remarkable thing about this "Project" is that it's such an abject, laughless failure. It almost makes me long for the day of MNT's telenovelas. Sure, they were terrible drama -- but at least they were funny.
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Tonight at 9 I'll be live blogging the presidential debate. This time I'll be watching coverage on Current's "Hack the Debate." Will the comments there be intelligent or cogent? Or is "Hack the Debate" as pointless as Twitter? We'll see.
Posted
Oct 07 2008, 03:19 AM
by
Rob Owen