TrueNorth

50 greatest comedy sketches of all time

The 50 Greatest Comedy Sketches of All Time - Nerve.com

There's no more sure-fire way to kill something's intrinsic comedic value than to try to examine what makes it funny. The minute you start thinking, you stop laughing. So why, then, have Nerve and IFC.com devoted an enormous amount of time, manpower, monetary resources, server space and posh catered lunches to the pursuit of ranking the boob tube's finest sketch comedy offerings?

I wish I was a fireball...

XL5 that is.

Be seeing you

Eight more episodes of the legendary "Prisoner" TV series are in the works OpinionJournal.

Good commercial television

...not an impossibility.  Melvyn Bragg celebrates 50 years of ITV in Britain.

Trekkies

Bizarre post I found via the Corner that posits that of 100 pedophiles arrested by a Toronto crime unit, 99% turned out to be Trekkies.  That is a pretty hard to believe statistic (sort of like an election result in North Korea) but judge for yourself.

I note in passing that even if all P are T that does not imply that all T are P.

PBS

Reluctantly, I kind of agree with Peggy Noonan about PBS:

Conservative argue that in a 500-channel universe the programming of PBS could easily be duplicated or find a home at a free commercial network. The power of the marketplace will ensure that PBS's better offerings find a place to continue and flourish.

This I doubt. Actually I'm fairly certain it is not true. And I suspect most people on the Hill know it is not true.

PBS does an excellent job at the high culture, science and history projects it undertakes but like many conservatives, I find its pro-liberal slant on current affairs annoying.  Again, I agree with Peggy Noonan:

Why, then, doesn't Congress continue to fund PBS at current levels but tell them they must stick to what they are good at, and stop being the TV funhouse of the Democratic Party? Nobody needs their investigative unit pieces on how Iran-contra was very, very wicked; nobody needs another Bill Moyers show; nobody needs a conservative counter to Bill Moyers's show. Our children are being raised in a culture of argument. They can get left-right-pop-pop-bang anywhere, everywhere.

HDTV

We have had HDTV cable service in my area for a few months and I finally succumbed to the temptation to get an HDTV-capable set.  There was an irresistible deal on a demo 48" projection TV I just couldn't pass up.  The picture looks great and I am glad I got it, but a few words of caution are in order.

• HDTV on a small screen is a wonder to behold.  The definition is mesmerising.  However, if you get a big screen at the same time, be aware that although the picture will be great, it won't look as fantastic as it would have on a small screen.  My set went from 25" to 46" and basically with HDTV I get the same degree of resolution on the big screen that I had on the 25" - just bigger.
• Digital channels will be OK, but you will notice the detail is kind of blocky if you are too close to the screen.
• Analogue channels on a big TV look horrible.
• And, though I never thought I would say it, thank goodness for PBS.  Their HDTV channel makes the best use of the higher resolution.  I am not all that interested in seeing The Simpsons in HD, but panoramic views of eagles swooping over the grand canyon certainly make better use of the medium's potential.

Hollywood

You just know she had to be a Kerry supporter.

Coverage of the conventions

I mainly watch C-Span and PBS. Hate to admit it, but PBS usually has the most insight and seems least partisan. Good for public television. The Americans do it wisely, having the funding of PBS linked directly to audience donations which requires them not to alienate their viewers. The CBC and, even worse, the BBC, are a run by a clique of leftists and don't even make a pretence of objectivity.

I particularly enjoyed the commentary of David Brooks, the New York Times token conservative columnist. Mark Shields played the role of the openly liberal opposition, and he was OK, very smart and well-informed, though he seemed to lack Brooks' ability to see the other side's point of view even while he disagrees with it.

For instance, just after Zell Miller's speech, we return to the booth and Brooks is grinning away with what he admitted was a "guilty enjoyment" of the speech (my reaction too, they I don't remember any guilt) while he acknowledged that it was a polemic that gave no quarter and maybe went over the top on occasion.

He is an excellent spokesman for the conservative side.

I always wondered a bit about Spock...

Via The Corner this rather odd item.

That link doesn't work but this one does.