Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Man found dead in North Akron home is identified
Dad accused of forcing son into field, killing him
NFL star Chris Spielman's wife loses cancer battle
Coventry man killed in crash at I-77 ramp
Poor machine maintenance blamed for fire at Akron business
Man allegedly paid teens to spit in his face
College student mistaken for deer, shot to death
Indians add 7 players to 40-man roster
Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
Blogs:
Pets:
Cat-loving chihuahua suckles seven abandoned kittens
The Heldenfiles:
Friday Night Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
For your Saturday entertainment …
Akron Zips:
Two blowouts, one night
Tribe Matters:
Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Hey, somebody's gotta stick up for the Browns
Kent State Sports:
Singletary update
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs at Indiana Pacers – Here’s to LBJ and Free Throws
Buckeye Blogging:
OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
Varsity Letters:
Bowling season starts today
All Da King's Men:
Headed For Disaster
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Will Health Care Reform Pass?
Akron Law Café:
Federal Judge Declares DOMA Unconstitutional
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
George is looking for a Thanksgiving buffet in Akron.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
Colloquium at University of Akron
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
Published on Friday, Oct 05, 2007
Friday Back. At 9 tonight, Friday Night Lights returns for a second season. This is not as big a cause for celebration as I once hoped.
Friday Night Lights had a marvelous first season, making it the best drama on network television. And there is still much to enjoy in the three episodes I have seen from the new season especially when it focuses on the core couple of Eric and Tami Taylor (Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton).
But, as I have said in greater detail in the HeldenFiles Online blog, there's a plot turn in tonight's episode that takes FNL in a more melodramatic direction. It feels like something designed to improve the show's ratings, or at least to provide material for more exciting promotional spots. And it is not true to what the show has been.
I don't like delivering such bad news. I would like everyone to watch the show, and discover the many good things about it (and to buy the first season on DVD.) So keep in mind that I have not yet given up on FNL even if I'm watching it with greater concern and skepticism than in the past.
A TV Omen? Another show on my liked-but-little-watched list is Jericho, which got an order of seven new episodes only after fans campaigned strenuously and successfully for the show to come back. So I took it as a good sign Tuesday night when I was in line at a local store and saw two people buying the Jericho first-season DVD.
By the way, TV Week says that the Skeet Ulrich drama could be back as early as November ''if freshman efforts Kid Nation, Cane, Moonlight or the upcoming Viva Laughlin tank in the ratings.''
But the report notes that most of those shows are doing all right. (Viva Laughlin arrives on Oct. 18.) And The Amazing Race and new telecasts of Power of 10 are also on CBS' bench. If Jericho doesn't get a November home, it may have to wait until January.
Wish I'd Said That (And I Probably Will). ''That John Mayer fling? So one month ago.'' Us magazine online (http://www.usmagazine.com) on the love life of Cameron Diaz.
Us' sources say Diaz has now taken up with actor Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers, Kitchen Confidential), who is in the final stages of a divorce from actress Jennifer Esposito.
They were hand in hand at a Saturday Night Live after-party last weekend, Us says. ''And though Diaz didn't leave the affair until 4:15 a.m., she and Cooper . . . were spotted the next afternoon strolling through Central Park and, by evening's end, sitting in a luxury box at a New York Giants game.''
Split. Cameron Diaz isn't the only performer with a short love-attention span. Remember way, way back in May when Nick Cannon used a 12-carat diamond and a New York City jumbotron to propose to model Selita Ebanks?
Oh, well.
The two are taking a break from their relationship but remain friends, which E! Online (http://www.eonline.com) translates as, ''They're never going to talk again.''
E! also argues that a proposal that elaborate should ''at least guarantee a fairy-tale wedding before the inevitable irreconcilable differences.''
More Romance. The new issue of People magazine says that Drew Barrymore and Justin Long (Mac commercials, Live Free or Die Hard) ''are clearly very into each other.''
The two connected while making the movie He's Just Not That Into You which, by the way, also stars Bradley Cooper, above, and Ben Affleck, below. It's the circle of Hollywood life.
As for Barrymore-Long, ''it's very serious,'' a People source said. ''They are constantly texting and calling each other.'' Another spotted them in Las Vegas ''totally making out.''
Which raises the question: Is there such a thing as ''partially making out''?
Pitt in Politics? In a profile in Sunday's Parade magazine, Brad Pitt says he has never thought about a run for political office but he has a couple of friends who might be suitable. ''George (Clooney) should do it,'' he said. ''He'd be quite good. I think Ben Affleck should run.''
Borowitz on Britney. Humorist Andy Borowitz writes that ''Britney Spears said she regretted losing custody of her children 'because I was just teaching them how to drive.'''
Rich Heldenfels writes about popular culture for the Beacon Journal and in a blog at http://www.ohio.com. Contact him at 330-996-3582 or rheldenfels@thebeaconjournal.com.
Friday Back. At 9 tonight, Friday Night Lights returns for a second season. This is not as big a cause for celebration as I once hoped.
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
