regarding recording television

Upcoming Recordings 09/29-10/04

Scheduled Recordings

MONDAY 29 September

The Blues - This airs on PBS affiliates in the evenings, but due to baseball and other network viewing, I'll be recording it at midnight. The series looks pretty long and involved. I imagine some episodes are better than others. Dan suggested we record this. I'll let him tell me which episodes are worth watching. Or, maybe he'll check out Matt Zoller Seitz's review of THE BLUES which covers most of the episodes and seems to give a hint at what might be good. WNET 13 - midnight

The Ed Sullivan Show - Herman's Hermits - The Muppets. How could this not be good? Last night I taped an episode with a Buddy Holly segment. That segment was just so-so, but there were two segments with The Animals and those were a lot of fun. I'm expecting more good stuff from this recording. WLIW 21 - 2am

Wave Twisters - Check out the website. This looks pretty wild. The on-screen guide gave me very little info other than that this is a music oriented documentary. That guide sure is frustrating. Sundance 101 - 3:45am -

Bjork: Homogenous - This is part of TRIO on TOUR. I taped this is case Dan was interested. Bjork seems to be all over tv lately. Trio 102 - 9am

Cesar's Park - From one of the producer's of "American Movie" comes this early work about Milwaukee neighbors. I imagine it's a million times better than watching 'Wheel of Fortune' episodes. Sundance 101 - 1pm

MediaTelevision - Described on the Trio website as episode 1106. Click on the link for all the topics of this episode, including the future of humanity and the media gaze (those terms are my very loose interpretations). Trio 102 - 2pm

Deconstructed - "Suburbia is the way to go." It sure is. This show is really great about integrating text and graphics with the actual show. Unfortunately, the whole thing moves very slowly. It would be amazing to watch if you were visiting Earth for the very first time and you knew nothing about "how we live." Oh, and you got very stoned before turning on the tv. FineLvg 144 - 10:30pm

TUESDAY 30 September

MediaTelevision - This is potentially a repeat of the episode that aired Monday. But I'm never sure, so I've set the DVR to record "just in case." Trio 102 - 2:30am

A Death in Hollywood - "Successful producer Don Simpson dies at 53." I've set this to record because I feel as though I should record at least one show each week on Ovation, and this is the only thing that interests me. I'm all for over the top Hollywood spectacle, and if done well, this show could have it. Ovation 83 - 3am

Dos Mas - "Pilar discovers her romantic conflicts are not easily left behind." I set this up to record just as an excuse to talk about a non-date, date I had a few months ago. Sometime in mid-Spring, or maybe late-Winter, I found myself on Lavalife looking for dating possibilities. I messaged this woman. Turns out, after a lot of back and forth confirmations, that she and I went to high school and had actually met a few times before. We agreed to meet for a drink. And we had absolutely nothing in common, other than a few high school friends tht neither of us kept in touch with. She is terribly gorgeous and seems like a lot of fun to be around. But not my sort of gorgeous (well, I guess I'm lying about this) and not my kind of fun. Maybe I would've enjoyed myself more when we met if I hadn't been so jealous of her relationship with the bartender. There was a lot of flirting going on there. Now that I think about it, I met her at the same bar I always go to for my first Lavalife "dates." Maybe that bar is cursed. I think I'll stop going there for first dates. Sundance 101 - 9:10am

NextTV -Episode 323. I have no idea what this is. I just tape everything on Trio. Trio 103 - 2pm

Extreme Homes - "decorating with bowling equipment" How can I not record this? The last Extreme Homes episode about a bowling alley home sucked, but I'm sure this will make up for it. This is just about bowling pins!!! HGTV - 131 - 7pm

One Tree Hill - Because I like torturing myself, I'll be watching the second episode. The first was not one I recommended to a single friend. I don't think this show will last all season. You can only try so hard when you're trying to be the next "Dawson's Creek." WB 11 – 9pm

WEDNESDAY 1 October

I Was Made to Love Her - It's a documentary about double dutch jump rope. How could it not be entertaining? Sundance 101 - 6am

Emmylou Harris...Spyboy - Again, "Trio on Tour." This could be good in the background while I'm working on next week's "scheduled recordings." Trio 102 - 9am

BookTelevision - This afternoon's episode is episode 406. This info, which I had to go to the Trio website to find, tells me absolutely nothing about who will be featured in the show's segments. The bookTV website also has very little information available. I grow increasingly frustrated with this entire process. I will find the answers soon. Trio 102 - 2pm

Extreme Homes - There's a segment on a "homemade castle." Who doesn't want to live in a castle? Or think about living in a castle. If there's no moat, I'm going to be seriously disappointed. HGTV 131 - 7pm

Smallville - Now we're getting back to the shows I love watching. The shows that get me way too excited about television. Tonight's the season premiere. Check otu the website link - it's too cute for it's own good. Is Chloe evil now? WB - 11 - 8pm

Angel - The season premieres are upon us. I'm hoping for some innovative stories this season. WB 11 - 8pm

THURSDAY 2 October

Take This Job... - I'm really digging this show. The episode about the parking situation in Philly was pretty good. The kind of stuff you like to watch while you're surfing the internet. This episode about "bounty hunters & celebrity photographers" looks like it's face the tv and pay attention material. I can't wait! A&E 16 - 2am

All Water Has a Perfect Memory - I like this title a lot. Sundance 101 - 3:40am

Jimi Hendrix on 'The Dick Cavett Show' - The website I've linked to is either perfectly related to this or not related at all. I'm not the craziest Hendrix fan in the world, but the mention he got in "School of Rock" was enough to make me think I should hit the record button. I also imagine there's a lot of cigarette smoking on "the Dick Cavett Show" and I want to see that, maybe even more than Hendrix. I have issues. Trio 102 - 9am

Survivor: Pearl Islands - It's got a whole pirate theme this year! Why didn't anyone tell me this so I could've watched the premiere episode? WCBS 2 - 8pm

FRIDAY 3 October

Miss Match - The first episode was totally calming. This is the kind of thing I loved watching on Friday nights when I am ten. Sometimes it's good to just curl up on the couch on a rainy evening and watch silly dramas. This qualifies. A perfect Friday night show. It may even work as a pre-going out ridiculousness show. NBC 4 - 8pm

Hey Remember! - I'm anxious to see this new show from HGTV. i think it's going to be a lot of fun. The opening title, theme song better live up to my expectations. HGTV 131 8:30pm

Sonic Cinema - Indie rock music talk. Sundance 101 - 11pm

Sonic Videos -Press Record! Press Record! Yeah, yeah, you've got plans to be out seeing "School of Rock" Friday night, but set up your VCR already. I imagine this will be like 120 minutes, but shorter. Or maybe like Subterranean, but shorter and with a less annoying host and better videos. Thurston is involved! Sundance 101 - 11:30pm

SATURDAY 4 October

Silver Rockets, Kool Things: Sonic Youth - Have I already seen this? Sundance 101 - 12am

EGG the arts show - I now tape this whenever there may be an interesting photography segment involved. Trio 102 - 11:30 am

Cinemania - I missed it in theatres. I look forward to watching it soon! Trio 102 – noon

Insider's Garden - "Houseplants; indoor garden" blah, blah, blah. It will be a letdown. But I'm going to stick to my houseplant guns. Umm, Pistils? HGTV 131 - 3pm

Independent Focus - It's an episode featuring an interview with the Coen brothers. IFC 81 - 11:45pm

Upcoming Recordings 10/29-11/2

Did I somehow get old in the past three weeks? After two months with the DVR have I become so set in my ways that I can’t find any new and interesting television programming between now and Sunday? I could go on and on about how I’ve been enjoying the current season of SURVIVOR (CBS, Thursdays @ 8pm) but how exciting is it to know that Rupert is the next Richard Hatch (but not Richard Hatch at all)? This season lacks a Colleen. It lacks a Greg. It has Rupert and he’s the best part of the show. I fear he’ll be kicked off very soon.

How exciting is it to know that I’m officially addicted to the Travel Channel’s poker series and that I can’t wait for all forthcoming poker shows, especially the ones featuring celebrities?

Oh, and in the midst of typing this, I’m engaging in an IM conversation with Chris Larry about his current live radio show. He just mentioned that the current segment “is all Cambodian garage rock bands as I make bacon and eggs.” Turns out that all things exciting in my media consumption are now based on the internet. I am seriously digging this patch of music. If Chris is a smart guy, and we know he is, he’ll make a few of these tracks part of the regular rotation on his internet radio show.

Besides Tuesday’s return of 24 the exciting bit of regular television watching is the return of THE O.C. (Wednesday @ 9pm on Fox). I think I’ll save all discussion of both shows until Thursday. This DVR lifestyle is a strange one. Jamie called at 10pm, right after 24. I had to pick up the phone and instead of saying hello had to report that I hadn’t begun watching 24 yet. Of course, I wish he’d let me know that the commercial at the beginning that looked like a commercial was really a commercial. It was way creepy. Of course, if that’s the sacrifice for watching commercial free, I’m all for it.

If you’re in a media-related film documentary mood, SUNDAY is the day to press the record button. At 6am Sundance Channel features McLuhan’s Wake, obviously a film that explores the ideas and influence of Marshall McLuhan. Eight Thanksgivings ago (because all time is measured by the frequency of Thanksgivings, right?) I tried to tackle a book called “Marshall McLuhan: The Medium and the Messenger.” Let’s pretend I got to page 160, where the pictures in the center of the book interrupt the text. Perhaps this film will inspire me to pick up where I left off and peruse chapters such as “’Canada’s Intellectual Comet’” and “The Sage of Wychwood Park.”

At noon click to Sundance for Cinema Verite: Defining the Moment. This past weekend I started thinking back on my history with the videocamera. I’d like to think that a lot of my teenage work followed in some kind of cinema verite fashion, but alas I’d never heard of D. A. Pennebaker or Frederick Wiseman at that age. My idea of creating interesting video entertainment involved recruiting my friend Eric to walk the streets of downtown Fredericksburg with me as we asked passersby directions to the mall. Hmm, now that I think about perhaps I was attempting to make some kind of commentary about the ruining of small town businesses and values by the ongoing suburbanization of America.

Upcoming Recordings 09/23-09/28

rather busy today. here's the list of scheduled recordings for this week. i may add a few comments when i have more time.

TUESDAY

Paradise Hotel - FOX 5 - 8pm-10pm

Gilmore Girls - WB 11 - 8pm - Season Premiere

One Tree Hill - WB 9pm

Food Finds - Food - 11pm - Bubby's in Manhattan

The Joe Schmo Show - SpikeTV - 11pm

WEDNESDAY

EGG the arts show - Trio - 2am - Pinhole cameras

Arts & Minds - Bravo - 5:30am - Art News

Independent Focus - IFC - 81- 2pm - Steven Soderbergh

BookTelevision - TRIO - 102 - 2pm

EGG the Arts Show - Trio - 102 - 2:30pm - artist, photographs, dance

Hilary Duff's Island Birthday Bash - WB - 8pm - How ridiculous is this going to be? I imagine gothamist will be watching.

Take This Job... - A&E 16 - 10pm - Spirit Seekers

THURSDAY

Survivor: Pearl Islands - CBS 2 - 8pm

Coupling - NBC - 4 - 9:27pm

Live by Request Starring Elvis Costello - A&E - 16 - live (viewer

requests)

Gotham Awards - IFC 81 - 11pm

FRIDAY

Thirsty Traveler - FineLvg - 144 - 12am - whiskey

Tracks: Impressions of America PBS WNET 13

from Martha's Garden - HGTV 131 - 7am "art of growing plants indoors"

Miss Match - NBC 4 - 8pm - Alicia Silverstone

Grounded for LIfe - WB - 9pm

SATURDAY

Better by Design - PBS WNET 13 - Burglar Alarm

EGG the arts show - TRIO 102 - 10am - Sally Mann

Tower Records: Next Big Thing - FUSE 132 - 2am - a Junior Senior video was in the last episode

SUNDAY

EGG the arts show - TRIO 102 - Land sculpture - craig baldwin

NextTV TRIO 102 - 10:30am

MediaTelevision - TRIO - 102

Born American - FineLVg - 144 12:30pm - three distinctive american beverage

companies

Singing/Children of Rock Royalty - Bravo 38 - 2pm

Digital Photography - DIY 145 - 2:30pm

Family Album - TRIO 102

The Ed Sullivan Show - PBS WLIW 21 - 7pm- Buddy Holly

The Genuine Article - FineLvg 144 - 35mm camera

Alias - ABC 9pm

Upcoming Recordings 10/22-10/24

The next few days look to be filled with baseball. If I’m not watching the World Series, I’ll be recording and watching a few interesting shows about baseball on PBS.

Tonight at midnight I’m set to record Cuba, Baseball and the United States.

I’ve got the DVR set to record the following programs just after midnight Thursday:

24 October 2003
Second to None: The Larry Doby Story - 12am – Doby was the first African American player in the American League.

Living Century – The Life of Ted 'Double Duty' Radcliffe – 12:30am – Radcliffe is the oldest living player from the Negro Baseball League.

A Long Season – 1am – This one’s about little league baseball in Arkansas.

The Dodgers Sym-Phony – 1:30am – Brooklyn Dodgers fans.

Upcoming Recordings 10/19

a helpful reader tipped me off to:

SECOND HAND STORIES. it's a show in which chris wilcha (the target shoots first) and john freyer traverse the country visiting thrift stores and garage sales. it airs on PBS (channel 13 in NY) this coming sunday at 5:30am and again at 12:30pm.

all signs point to world dominance

red herring examines the dvr business and finds that the satellite companies and cable television companies are pretty excited about the technology. it's an article completely worth reading if you have some interest in the future of the hard drive based television watching future. (link via PVRblog)

Upcoming Recordings 10/07

There doesn't appear to be much on worth mentioning during the next few days. The big highlight is TOM DOWD & THE LANGUAGE OF MUSIC (tonight, Sundance 9:30pm - repeats a few times this week). This new documentary looks at Tom Dowd who spent much of his life as a recording engineer working with such musicians as John Coltrane, The Allman Brothers Band, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonius Monk and Otis Redding.

The other "highlight" for the week is all those crazy films selected to air on trio. They were programmed by "Kill Bill" director Quentin Tarantino. Worth flipping onto and checking out during commercials of this week's baseball games.

Upcoming Recordings 10/05-10/06

(for Friday and Saturday, please see the previous entry)

I almost forgot to mention that Friday night sees the season premiere of DEGRASSI: THE NEXT GENERATION (The N, channel 129) - Because my DVR will be busy recording “Miss Match” and a baseball playoff game, I’ll be recording the show Saturday night at 10pm. The photos on the website stress everyone’s new hairstyles! Make sure you click through and get a load of JT’s shaggy locks.

SUNDAY 5 October
BLISS (Oxygen, channel 61 - 12:30am) – I’ve got Oxygen programmed as one of my favorite channels, and I have no idea why. There aren’t any movies or talk shows I watch on this network. I want it to have interesting programming. Am I missing out by not sampling The Isaac Mizrahi show? Should I be less scared of that old woman on the Sunday Night Sex Show? The weekends are for branching out and I’ve decided to sample BLISS. That’s probably because it’s described as an adaptation of women’s erotic fiction. I am too predictable. But this is supposed to be “edgy!” And I’m 100% in favor of “edgy!”

EGG THE ARTS SHOW (Trio, channel 102 - 10am) – I can’t seem to track down too much specific info about this episode, but there’s a segment about something called “cinema movement.” Knowing the way this show is programmed, I’m 75% sure this is going to be about some kind of dance thing that I’ll just end up deleting.

NextTV (Trio, channel 102 - 10:30 am) - EP #326. I’m hoping for something interesting.

BLUR (Ovation, channel 83 - 11am) – The big TV watching problem in my life is that I like using the computer. And I like watching TV while I’m at the computer. And I haven’t worked it out so I can actually do both at the same time. In my living room the television screen and the computer monitor face each other. While typing this, I can’t see what’s on the television screen – but I can hear it (it’s that Ovation one-hour biography about Don Simpson). I don’t like to watch anything too serious and visual while I’m at the computer, but I’m not always in the mood to listen to music. Sometimes I am, but I want something slightly different than what I normally listen to. And that’s where BLUR makes an entrance into my life. I can’t wait to update my website while listening as “the British pop band performs.”

MediaTelevision (Trio, channel 102 - 11am) – Episode #1110 looks like it’s got a few interesting segments for my viewing pleasure. Everyone who loves the convergence of television and the internet and the commenting about television on the internet needs to tune into this episode of MediaTelevision. It features a segment about Television Without Pity. There’s also a segment about the First Cut Awards for Canadian commercial directors (many of whom seem to be angry that there are other commercial directors out there fighting for jobs).

FRIENDS FOREVER (Sundance, channel 101 - 12:35pm) – The only reason I list this movie is because I saw the band on a street corner a number of months ago. It was a wild performance that included lots of craziness. Basically, the people in the band show up in their van, jump off onto a street corner or wherever and play their hearts out. If you’re busy watching baseball on Sunday, check out the dvd.

THE INCURABLE COLLECTOR (A&E, channel 16 - 3pm) – A few weeks ago some friends and I got together for our semi-regular poker game. My “Rounders” novelty cards are beaten up to the point where you always know who’s holding the seven of clubs. Before leaving Tribeca Friday afternoon, I stopped into the local comic book shop in search of a new card deck. The guy behind the counter took one look at me and knew I was a guy who needed to buy “The Simpsons” novelty playing cards. They came in a fake can of Duff beer. There was no way I could resist! I kept showing off the cards during the poker game. Everyone was impressed. But I’m not a serious collector of novelty cards. I actually opened them and I’m sure that’s a no-no in collector-land. Anyway, check out this show for a segment about "The Simpsons" collectibles.

MythBusters (Discovery, channel 18 - 4pm) – I learned about this show through a Tivo TV Show Talk Forum. Twenty-four hours later I saw a commercial for it during a baseball game. It looks like a fun time and it airs a number of times throughout the week. The episode I’ve decided to record looks to uncover the urban legends behind “exploding gas-pumps and shattering CD-ROMS.” But, can we all agree titling a TV show by combining two words (TwoWords) is getting out of control?

THE LYON’S DEN (NBC, channel 4 - 10pm) I don’t think I’ve mentioned to anyone that I recorded the first episode. It was okay. The biggest surprise? David Krumholtz (Barry Schweiber from “Freaks & Geeks”) plays a law clerk (is that the right term?) who works in a cubicle.

MONDAY 6 October

FOCUS ON BILL MURRAY (IFC, channel 81 - 5:30am) – Elvis Mitchell interviews Bill Murray. I think this is from 2002, so don’t expect any talk about “Lost in Translation.”

BUFFALO COMMON (Sundance, channel 101 - 3:35pm) – This short film won the Festival Award at the 2001 NY Underground Film Festival. It looks to be about the plains of North Dakota and dismantling of former ICBM missile silos.

TRACK 2 (MTV2, channel 128 - 9pm) – If you know who will be featured on this episode, let me know.

DINNER FOR FIVE (IFC, channel 81 - 11pm) – This episode’s dinner table conversation features the cast of ELF (Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen (who can also be seen in Joan of Arcadia!)).

URBAN SCRAWLS (Sundance, channel 101 - 11:40pm) – Bathroom Graffiti! Why wasn’t this short made sooner?