Untertainment Weakly (5-20-2011)

By Jake 

This is my favorite entertainment news time of the year: when TV shows are canceled! The Event, Law and Order: Los Angeles--Canceled!

ABC orders a Tim Allen sitcom and a “Charlie’s Angels” reboot! Prayers answered.

NBC has picked up the Whitney Cummings sitcom (noted in a previous UW), some Chelsea Handler sitcom starring Laura Prepon and a Hank Azaria/Al Madrigal/Natasha Leggero sitcom.

ABC has canceled “Brothers and Sisters,” “Mr. Sunshine,” “V” and “No Ordinary Family.” They have renewed the pretty good “Happy Endings.” I liked “Mr. Sunshine,” but I like “Happy Endings” a lot more, and not just when I get a massage.

NBC has canceled “Perfect Couples” and “Outsourced.” I think that might be good news!

Michael J. Fox will guest star on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” as Larry David’s neighbor, playing himself and playing up his terrible illness for our enjoyment.

Seth MacFarlane is briging “Flinstones” TV and film projects to screens in an effort to torture us.

CBS has picked up the sitcom “How to be a Gentleman” starring Dave Foley from “The Kids in the Hall” and “Newsradio” and Mary Lynn Rajskub from “Mr. Show” and “24.” I’ll watch this shit.

Keanu Reeves will not be starring in a shit remake of the shit movie “Akira.” Fuck you if you like Akira.

“America’s Most Wanted” is canceled!

Movies Out Today
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - This is exactly what America needs right now, another dumb, shitty pirate movie. Seeing the second one in the theater was one of the worst movie going experiences I have had, though it wasn’t as bad as Tim Burton’s “Planet of the Apes” remake, but little is.

Okay, so this movie’s success hinges on two things: Johnny Depp being a theatrical draw and idiots going to see it. I think it will end up doing even better than “Thor” did, because there are more idiots who want to see pirates than Greek gods. I don’t get the appeal of either, but at least “Bridesmaids” should get another solid weekend from the people who didn’t see it last weekend and don’t want to see a shit pirate flick.

Does this movie prove how creatively bankrupt Hollywood is at the moment? Well, yeah, but nearly any movie coming out does. Why even attempt to make something new or different when you’re guaranteed $300 million from a bullshit movie based on a ride at an amusement park? People go see this garbage, so they keep making it.

Other Thoughts
Lots of TV news this week, but only one movie coming out. Not a good week to go see a good movie, unless you haven’t seen “Bridesmaids.” I haven’t, but I probably will not be going to see it. I’m going bowling tonight and hopefully watching “Fitzcarraldo” tomorrow or Sunday. Hopefully with every TV show I watch ending their season last or this week I will be able to have a summer of good movie viewing. I’ll try to do some recommendation instead of just slagging the movies coming out, though there will be plenty of that since it’s summer! Love you.