BuzzSugar

Link Time! 8/21

BuzzSugar — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 15:33:28 -0700

Give Me My Remote has pictures from the first episode of the new season of "The Office."
Pop Candy points me to a cool site with videos from MTV's "120 Minutes."
Speaking of MTV, the MTV Movie Blog brings us this tidbit of information: High School Musical's Olesya Rulin will next star alongside Jessica Simpson in Major Movie Star
Best Week Ever lists the top 10 karaoke songs to avoid at all costs. Where's "It's the End of the World as We Know It"?
TV Squad knows what really happened with Mandy Patinkin and "Criminal Minds."
Cinematical provides us with a retrospective review of National Lampoon's Vacation.
GeekSugar rocks out with a little dancing robot and a cool Spoon song.
TV Filter says the version of "Grease" with the stars from that reality show isn't doing so hot.
Eyeballs and Fishlips shares the exciting news that the quickly canceled U.S. version of "Creature Comforts" is coming to DVD.
Popwatch agonizes over whether to love or hate the cowboy rap song "Hick Chicks."

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Link Time! 6/26

BuzzSugar — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 15:17:56 -0700

TV Squad gives me a new reason to be excited about the Concert for Diana: the resurrection of "Free Love Freeway," David Brent's song from the BBC version of "The Office."
I checked out the band Chester French because Popwatch said so, and I'm very glad I did.
Idolator can't help but notice that Paul McCartney will talk to pretty much anyone.
The recaps of all your favorite food reality TV shows ("Hell's Kitchen," "Top Chef," "The Next Food Network Star") can still be found regularly on YumSugar!
If you liked the new Interpol song, check out the video for "The Heinrich Maneuver" on Stereogum.
GeekSugar has posted the awkward Nintendo commercial starring Nicole Kidman.
TV Filter talks with "Pirate Master" contestant Cheryl, who will not, in fact, become the master of all pirates.
Rolling Stone offers a very cool virtual tour of the Beatles' New York.
The blog EyeballsAndFishlips desperately wants to keep "Creature Comforts" on the air!

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Summer TV's First Casualty: "Creature Comforts"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 15:26:32 -0700

Remember how when I was first writing about "Creature Comforts," I mentioned that I was already mourning its premature cancellation? Well, this is the kind of thing I hate to be right about, but CBS quietly announced today that "Creature Comforts" is gone, to be replaced by repeats of "The New Adventures of Old Christine."

Sigh.

I'm baffled on this one because CBS already spent the money to make the show, and, according to the ratings reports I've seen, it was getting the same number of viewers as the "Old Christine" reruns it was paired with. Plus, it was only supposed to run for a few more weeks anyway.

There's no word yet on whether the unaired episodes will surface online eventually, but I certainly hope so. After all, I've gotten rather attached to these guys over the past few weeks (especially my favorites, the mother owl and her grumpy teenage son), and I'd like to hear the rest of what they have to say, even if most of America doesn't.

Photo courtesy of CBS

TV Tonight: "Creature Comforts"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 04:44:00 -0700

It's finally time! My new favorite thing, the CBS animated series "Creature Comforts," starts tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.

Here's the deal: The Aardman Animations team (known for "Wallace and Gromit" and Chicken Run) went around the country, interviewing ordinary people on subjects ranging from art to love to health care. Then, they turned those people into adorable animals (caged lovebirds, horses in a stable, a fish in a bowl) and told their stories through the studio's trademark stop-motion animation.

I'm really not sure if this show will catch on (in fact, I'm already gearing up to mourn its premature cancellation, just in case). My biggest fear is that people will hear the word "animated" and assume they're getting cartoons, not social anthropology. True, "Creature Comforts" isn't necessarily laugh-out-loud funny, but it is charming, delightful, and definitely worth a shot. To watch a couple of preview clips, read more

Photo and videos courtesy of CBS

"Creature Comforts": My New Favorite Thing

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 07:00:29 -0700

Sometimes an idea comes along that's so brilliant, I can't even believe it exists. That's how I feel about "Creature Comforts," the animated series from Aardman Animation, best known as the folks behind Wallace and Gromit. The show - which aired for two seasons in England and will premiere June 4 on CBS - features interviews with ordinary folks about work, health and love. The words are then put in the mouth of animated animals that fit the situations they're talking about - the "lovebirds" in the photo at right, for example.

Here's what CBS has to say about it:

In upcoming episodes, interviews with hundreds of ordinary Americans from across the United States cover a variety of subjects, such as the trials and tribulations of doctor's visits and being sick, what animal magnetism is and what they look for in a mate, as well as the truth about lies and what it takes to keep a secret. Told through the mouths of animated animals, insects and other un-human species, they reveal their thoughts in a new and distinct way: an older married couple listing their ailments as portrayed by two lovebirds, the couple who talk about their great height difference as portrayed by two dachshunds, and two men who seem to be examining the bouquet of a fine wine as portrayed by two dogs sniffing, well, another dog.

Basically, it's Studs Terkel meets Shaun the Sheep. What did I tell you? Brilliant!

I'm totally obsessed with "Creature Comforts," so to read more and see some videos, read more

The series is based on creator Nick Park's Oscar-winning 1989 short film that features zoo animals talking about their captivity. Both seasons of the British series are available on Netflix, and several segments from the series can be seen on YouTube. The creators have kept a blog about production on the U.S. series, complete with video clips and still photos, and the official "Creature Comforts" site has several short previews of the show. Here are two of my favorites:

Photo courtesy of CBS