Deadliest Catch – Discovery Channel:

The only thing more impressive than the fishermen on the show is the crazy camera crews on the boats. I have a new appreciation for seafood after watching this show.

Ninja Warrior – G4TV:

Typically, I really dislike pretty much anything that G4TV puts out, but this show is absolutely awesome. Frankly, after watching an entire season in one sitting, I have to say that the Japanese know how to make a brilliant game show.

Burn Notice – USA:

A TV show starring Bruce Campbell and has spies? Consider me sold. The pilot episode was pretty good and I figure I’ll keep up with this one throughout the summer. USA has been putting out some solid shows, especially now that “Psych” is returning in a few weeks.

Man vs. Wild – Discovery Channel:

First off, the guy’s name is Bear Grylls. Secondly, he was in the British special forces. Third, he can do anything with a knife anywhere. Imagine this concept: Put me anywhere in the world and I’ll find my way back to civilization in a few days. And he does. It’s amazing.

Technorati Tags: Man+vs+Wild, Burn+Notice, Ninja+Warrior, Dealiest+Catch, Discovery+Channel, USA+Network, G4TV

Technorati Tags: Jon+Stewart, Daily+Show, Comedy+Central, Virginia+Tech, media, journalism, cable+news, video

Let me just say these are amazing and I really wish there was a few episodes of “X-Men” done in Japanese-style animation. How can you watch these and not want to see the mutants with speedlines?

From season 1:

From season 2:

So, what’s the story behind these reworked intros? From the movie’s description on YouTube:

When the 1992 US X-Men animated series was imported to Japan and broadcast on TV, the original US opening intro was replaced by their own spiffy Japanese anime version, this one. Either the original US version was not to their liking or it contained too many on-screen English text words (spelling out the names of each character) for young Japanese children to understand. Perhaps a little of both, and so it was replaced. This is the anime intro attached to the 1st season, there is a second version for the 2nd season and onward.

Look, I can’t explain why they’re fighting random demonbeasts summoned by Magneto, or why Jubilee suddenly has powers that aren’t completely lame (energy balls!) but I like it.

Technorati Tags: x-men, marvel, comic+books, japan, anime, intro, TV, YouTube, video

Hat tips to Consumerist and Swimming in Champaign.

Technorati Tags: Conan+O’Brien, BJ+Novak, Cadbury+eggs, Easter, Lies, YouTube

I haven’t been a big watcher of PBS since “Seasme Street” and “Mister Roger’s Neighborhood,” but after watching the last 15 minutes or so of Frontline’s “News War” series on the local PBS affiliate, I just had to watch the rest of the episodes.

I just finished watching all four parts of the series online this afternoon, and it was time well spent.

The series progresses from the Valerie Plame affair to the right to use confidential sources and then to the tug-of-war between the presidency and the media. While certain parts were stating the obvious to many in the media profession, I felt it served as a good primer for those who might not be following the “inside baseball” media news.

The more interesting parts, however, come in the second half of the series, starting with part three, which took a look at how the idea of news is shifting from providing investigative reporting to “infotainment.” Throwing in a look at the rise of Internet media along with how we’re consuming news more differently than before, this episode builds up to the greatest worry of the news industry: the fall of the newspaper.

The most emotionally compelling and distrubing segment comes at the end of the third episode, as the downfall of the L.A. Times is chronicled. It’s sad to watch as the major players narrate the harsh realities they faced. Perhaps we’ll see an update or follow-up episode in the future now that the Tribune company has been bought out by Sam Zell.

The final segment seems like a compressed version of the 2004 film “Control Room,” where it documents the rising influence and Arab media. While its interesting as a topic, the segment felt disjointed and a bit thrown together.

One of the more interesting segments that I think was an online-only segment on OhmyNews, which helped facilitate the election of South Korea’s most-recent president.

What I’ve taken away from “News War” was both a sense of depression for the news business and also a slight bit of optimism for the future of journalism reborn in a new fashion.

The scary side is the demise of authorative institutions providing the voice of truth, but in a way, perhaps they deserve to lose it. The hopeful side is the rise of millions of voices telling it like it is, hammering away on keyboards or recording themselves for the world to watch and read.

I don’t know really where I stand on the idea of whether or not we should maintain the structure of the media as it is now, where we have consolidated powerhouses, or should we be decentralizing the media — giving power back to the people.

After all, doesn’t the news belong to the people? Why shouldn’t the people create it?

Technorati Tags: media, journalism, PBS, Frontline, news+war, Tribune, L.A.+Times, Sam+Zell, citizen+journalism

Hat tip to BoingBoing.

Technorati Tags: Aqua+Teen+Hunger+Force, 24, Jack+Bauer, TV+shows, mashup, YouTube

If you’re a regular member of the Jack Bauer Power Hour, then you already know that tonight at 7 p.m. (central) will be the start of the sixth season of “24″ in full glory. Yes, I’m aware the first four episodes of the season have been leaked on BitTorrent, but I’m all about waiting.

So, how can you fill the time while waiting?

If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the trailer for season 6.

Also, you can check out the 10-minute prequel to season 6.

You can download the distinct CTU-phone ringtone.

Or you can read this list of Jack Bauer facts:

+ Once, someone tried to tell Jack Bauer a “knock knock” joke. Jack Bauer found out who was there, who they worked for, and where the goddamned bomb was.

+ If everyone on “24″ followed Jack Bauer’s instructions, it would be called “12.”

+ Jack Bauer once won a game of Connect 4 in 3 moves.

+ Jack Bauer doesn’t miss. If he didn’t hit you it’s because he was shooting at another terrorist twelve miles away.

+ Jack Bauer once opened a can of whoop ass. All he found inside was a mirror.

+ When playing “Truth or Dare,” Jack Bauer dares you not to tell him the truth.

Enjoy the new season.

Technorati Tags: 24, Jack+Bauer, TV, video, trailer, YouTube, ringtone, CTU, prequel, Season+6

One of my favorite shows from the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim lineup has always been “Aqua Teen Hunger Force.” A friend of mine recommended this show to me about 4 years ago (I believe his exact words were “Download this sh*t now!”) and they fit right into my line of humor.

I haven’t caught up with the show lately, mostly because I don’t watch TV as much as I used to in the dorms, but I’m glad to hear that there’s news of an upcoming, feature-length ATHF movie that’ll probably be in theatres. Here’s the official trailer and my favorite clip from the show featuring a “reverse vampire bus of the undead.”

Technorati Tags: Aqua+Teen+Hunger+Force, YouTube, trailer, movie, Adult+Swim

If you haven’t heard about the new animated show “Afro Samurai,” allow me to fill you in. The show takes place in a fictional futuristic Japan where people still wear kimonos and gis and swords are as commonplace as rocket-propelled grenades. It’s animated in the distinct anime/Japanese style and features all the goodness you’d expect from a Japan-based studio and script: blood, violence, slowed-down action and one bad motherf*cker!

The storyline is pretty simple. Boy watches his father die. Becomes a man. Seeks revenge on man who killed his father. Slaughters bad guys along the way.

Oh, and did I mention that the show features the voice of Samuel L. Jackson?

The first episode of “Afro Samurai” is online in case you can’t watch it on SpikeTV — and I have to say I’m really impressed by it. Check it out.

Technorati Tags: Samuel+L.+Jackson, Afro+Samurai, anime, animation, TV, SpikeTV, video

Technorati Tags: SNL, video, skit, youtube, christmas