Those of you who follow The Three Strike Rule know what a big fan I am of the TBS comedy, 10 Items or Less Thanks to my fellow Popdoser, Will, I had the opportunity to speak with John Lehr, the star and co-creator of — not to mention one of the producers and writers for — 10 Items or Less Needless to say, the guy has his cart full. The show had wrapped its second season before the writers strike began, and John was just about to leave on a well-deserved vacation. He was in New York doing publicity for the show when I caught up with him.

10 Items or Less is an improv-based half-hour ensemble comedy. Lehr stars as Leslie Pool, who has inherited his father’s Ohio grocery store, the Green & Grains. Determined to carry on his father’s legacy, despite knowing little about the grocery business, Pool oversees a crew of misfits while dealing with a competitive chain across the street.

The genesis for 10 Items or Less came out of an independent film Lehr starred in and co-produced, Memron. That film, which was an improv comedy, was co-written by Robert Hickey and Nancy Hower, who also directed. According to Lehr, these three decided that they “would like to do more of that kind of humor (improv). It felt like it was meant for TV.” They developed 10 Items or Less and pitched the idea to Sony, who prepared to shop it around. The first network they approached was TBS. The former Superstation was changing its image and starting to produce new, original comedies. Lehr was excited about finding a home on the cable channel. He said, “I grew up watching Superstation and it felt like our show would be a perfect fit. TBS is aimed at the whole country, not just New York and Los Angeles, and our show takes place in the Midwest. This seemed like a perfect fit.” (more…)

FX recently released the first season of their original series, Damages, on DVD. You may have heard some buzz when the show began airing last July, and perhaps some new murmurs as the first season came to a close. Noteworthy for its cast and innovation, Damages proved to be a challenging series for any viewer, no matter how loyal: the show’s use of frequent flashbacks meant that missing just one show would potentially left viewers in the dark. However, in the end, Damages proved to be one of the most compelling shows to air on television — not just of the summer, but of the entire year. (more…)

We had a good response to the Friday Night Lights writeup last week, and I thought that all the loyal fans out there should be made aware of Ben Silverman’s recent comments about the fate of this beloved (apparently cult) show.

Silverman is the new head cheese at NBC, and he was recently thrown some questions by one of the writers at RADAR. When asked the fate of FNL, his response was:

“I love it. You love it. Unfortunately, no one watches it. That’s the thing with shows. People have to watch them. We’re NBC, we have a reputation to uphold. And, man, with this writers’ strike … well, we’ll see what we can do. But start watching ‘30 Rock.’”

So there you have it, folks — when a network goes out of its way to NOT promote a quality show (especially when there’s a frickin’ strike going on and all we have to watch is Deal or No Deal and American Gladiators), they let it die a sad death.

Maybe all of us diehards should start sending jockstraps to send a message: Keep this show on the air!

Damn right I’m going to talk about NBC’s Friday Night Lights on Super Bowl Sunday. It’s the only show that deserves mention on a day when the Patriots are seeking perfection and the Giants are looking to become one of the greatest underdog stories in NFL history. Friday Night Lights is perfect — and it’s one of television’s biggest underdogs.

Inspired by H.G. Bissinger’s 1990 book and the 2004 film directed by Peter Berg,
Friday Night Lights uses football as a jumping point introduce us to the citizens of Dillon, Texas, one of those small American towns Steve Earle sang about in his song “Someday.” In Dillon, high school football isn’t just an extracurricular activity; it’s a way of life. The players on the Dillon Panthers football team are in their glory years, which is sad because most of these young men have yet to turn 18. Almost all of them will graduate high school, some will head to college, and one or two of the elite will be recruited to play college ball. The rest will either join the military or wind up living the rest of their lives in Dillon or some other blue-collar Texas town. They will sell cars, work construction, or just shuffle from job to job. The fame and attention they’re receiving may be the best they ever get. That sounds kind of depressing, doesn’t it? Not exactly the kind of “entertainment” you’re looking for on a Friday night, huh? I beg to differ. With delicacy and grace, Friday Night Lights strives to show the good and bad in humanity in all of us by giving us characters full of hope, trying to rise about the racism and economic hardships of their town. Whether you catch it live on NBC, TiVo it, or stream episodes online at NBC.com (where every episode from both seasons is streaming), I implore you…watch this show.

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Those of you looking for a laugh will be pleased to know that TBS has just begun airing the second season of their workplace comedy, 10 Items or Less. Unfortunately, you’ll be hard pressed to find any PR for the show. It feels like the network chose to place all of its ad dollars behind Tyler Perry’s House of Payne (because, you know, Tyler has a tough time getting people to find his work) and the far inferior My Boys.

10 Items or Less premiered in the summer of 2006 to little fanfare; the show seemed to slip under the radar as critics instead salivated over My Boys, the romantic comedy with which it was paired. Thankfully, TBS didn’t give up on the series, and you can now catch new episodes Tuesdays at 11 p.m. (I know, I know, what kind of time is that to premiere an original series? Once again, all praise the mighty TiVo). Full episodes of the series are also available online. (more…)

Yeah, I may catch a lot of crap for this review, but I have my reasons for writing about October Road: actor Geoff Stults is a friend of mine. When he was an unknown, he embarked on a ridiculous adventure with me, starring in a still-unseen movie I directed entitled King’s Highway. Geoff was 100% committed to the project and never wavered over the course of the two years it took us to complete the project. In addition, Geoff has shown generosity whenever I have come calling for donations to the CF Foundation. Bottom line: good guy all around.

Because I think he’s a fine actor, I was thrilled when he was cast in the ABC series October Road, which debuted last spring and began its second season last Thanksgiving. While the show may not be a classic like Friday Night Lights, it is definitely not as horrid as critics would have you believe. Although the show got off to a painful start, I forewent my three strike rule because I wanted my friend to have success. And you know what? I’m glad I stuck with it. By the end of Season One, October Road had become a heartwarming, sometimes funny show. Syrupy and contrived, but still a guilty pleasure. (more…)

I have seen the future of television, and its name is Quarterlife.

Several weeks ago, NBC announced a deal to broadcast the Internet series, Quarterlife, during this strike shortened television season. For those of you unaware, Quarterlife has been streaming 11-12 minute episodes twice a week since sometime in mid-November over at MySpace and quarterlife.com. While this may seem like a major coup for some start up webcaster, the truth is that Quarterlife is the brainchild of Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick. Those names may not ring a bell, but their past TV series are considered to be some of the most beloved family dramas in the past twenty years. I’m speaking about Thirtysomething, My So Called Life, and Once and Again. Additionally, Zwick has directed some of today’s most important actors in films such as Glory, Legends of the Fall, Courage Under Fire, and Blood Diamond. In other words, these guys have some clout.

Quarterlife follows a group of friends in their twenties living in Los Angeles as they embark on their professional lives and adulthood. Covering similar territory that Cameron Crowe did in Singles (but without Matt Dillon’s killer wig), the characters in Quarterlife are driven to succeed in life and love. However, all of them are without a map as they traverse this unfamiliar territory. Their lives are full of questions: How do you get ahead without compromise? How do you assert yourself without looking like a bitch? How do you find love and fulfillment in a city as vast and overwhelming as L.A.? How do you become a grown up while retaining the optimism and hope of your youth? These are some of the major themes Quarterlife has posed in a short time. (more…)

Welcome to The Three Strike Rule, the Popdose television column. If you’re reading this live, you must either be a really big fan of the site, or you don’t have much to do on a Sunday morning. Whatever the case, thanks for dropping in and reading me blather about TV for a couple of minutes. My hope is that with this column, we’ll be able to begin a conversation about television, both as a consumer product and as an art form. While so many people still view the television landscape as a vast wasteland, I say they’re wrong. True, there are hundreds of channels of crap out there. But there’s a reason that so many film actors are choosing HBO, FX or Showtime over starring in an empty-minded blockbuster. Moreover, the quality in production values and in the craftsmanship of good television series rivals those of many independent movies and some big budget features. My hope with The Three Strike Rule is that I’ll be able to shed a little more light on television and you, as a reader, will appreciate the finer things about it.

To start off the new year, I thought I’d introduce my likes with a list of the ten shows I think are worth watching and to look out for in the coming months. (more…)

I have to be upfront and tell you that I sat down to watch “Cavemen” because my close friend, Tony Gardner, designed the makeup for the cavemen characters both in the popular Geico commercials and the television series. Tony is a master at what he does, having been in the effects business for over 25 years. Most recently, he and his company transformed John Travolta into a woman for the hit movie, “Hairspray” (although you wouldn’t know it by the way New Line promoted the film). Like I said, Tony is a friend. I want him to succeed.

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For anyone who is not watching NBC’s “Friday Night Lights”, you are missing one of the best series on television. It’s not a show about doctors or lawmen. There is no supernatural element involved. You won’t hear a cheesy laugh track and there is nothing ironic about the show. It wear its heart on its sleeve in its portrayal of a small town in Texas in which football is the one thing in all of these peoples’ lives that gives them meaning. Except that it isn’t. Football is actual a minor part of this examination of the lives of the citizens in the Texas town. The people are poor or middle class. There aren’t any rich people. This isn’t Texas 90210. The characters are relatable and are not perfect. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a reflection or real life portrayed in a dramatic series like this one. And ultimately, it is a show about hope. Each and every person is looking for that light that will provide him or her with some salvation. And they all believe that light is out there. Please, if you are one of the infrequent readers of this blog, check out the show and give it a chance. You won’t be disappointed.