TV CASUALTY!

Borrowing Glenn Danzig's words, I couldn't help but think that my TV habit is in serious danger of hanging like a bad jones over my head.

It only makes matters worse that I bought a new TV, the first one I've ever purchased, and it's a beauty! Now I have to have something to watch.

The Sopranos ended their run on HBO, and by all accounts it was not a brilliant finish. Articles by Nikki Finke in the LA Weekly essentially called bullshit on the "cut to black" technique, calling it basically an emperor's new clothes moment. Good thing I wasn't a regular viewer of that show, because I'd be bent!

The debut that same night of HBO's surfing drama, John From Cincinatti, was obviously designed to lure in some of those jonesing viewers, but Sopranos and JFC couldn't be more opposed in character and tone than if it were planned. Then again, I only started checking out Sopranos in their 4th season, way too late to know if it started slow or what.

I gave JFC my attention, just trying to figure out the tone and direction of the show, to see if there was any plot surfacing. The show is loaded with surfing experts/advisors, like Steve Hawk, Herbie Fletcher and Brock Little. But this is no retread of "Lords of Dogtown," this is something that appears to be designed for a nightmare world that is half daytime soap opera and half censor-free adult programming.

I'm not watching another episode. It's going to take someone I know and trust to come up and say, "this show is amazing!" for me to change my mind. Basically it reminded me of something like Dallas or Falcon Crest at the beach. And don't get me started on that cast, holy shit, who put that group together?! I can almost guarantee you now that this show will be cancelled before it gets to Season Two, leaving HBO high 'n' dry without another show.

What are we supposed to do, those of us who have grown used to watching quality TV on HBO, where they don't pander to childish tastes or run scared from censors? I can't go back to watching network TV with their bullshit commercials, their bullshit 7 act structure, and their tepid, unimaginative retreads. No sir!

Something that IS good, though, is Flight of the Conchords. Only seen the one episode but so far it's pretty funny. Granted, it can basically be called 2 Kiwis Pirate Everything Tenacious D Already Did, but at least they're stealing from the best. I recommend this show.