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TV Junkie: The Tour de France Starts Tomorrow; Chris Titus 'Neverlution' on Sunday
Weekend Edition
Note: We will be providing a new TV Junkie on Monday, July 4th.
This weekend begins the 4th of July celebrations but what we're excited about is the Tour de France, one of the only sports that we mention on the TV Junkie since most all other sports are well-covered by LAist sports editor Jimmy Bramlett. If you're watching the Tour on TV instead of some kind of international satellite feed you will be forced to watch it on Versus. Versus' earlier cycling coverage this season was riddled with obnoxious amounts of inappropriate (non-demographic) advertising including during the final few miles of a race which is a disservice to any viewer. Versus is now somehow part of NBC (I didn't get a press release on that) but not part of their Universal Sports division which is completely idiotic. Universal Sports would know how to run the coverage of the Tour de France and any other cycling events. Instead NBC is offering an online service called TourDeFrance.NBCsports.com where you have the opportunity to spend $30 at a MapMyRide.com gateway to get to the "unlimited" online coverage. NBC is also hocking a an iPad app to watch the Tour there, which you will have to pay an additional $15 for the privilege. Needless to say, the iPad app is getting extremely low grades. Way to screw this one up NBC Sports!
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A viable option is watching it for free at ProCyclingLive.com which provides links to a number of feeds in various languages. Sure, some of these feeds have a lot of pop-ups and they might be in Flemish but just click on another one until you find something you like. You will be amazed at how better the coverage is on European TV compared to anything you've seen offered in the US. A feed my freeze or crash, but at least you haven't coughed up almost $50 for what I can tell, could very well be sub-par coverage and apps.
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Christopher Titus is back which a timely special, "Christopher Titus: Neverlution" on Comedy Central this Sunday at 9pm (see clip above). This is more good work from Titus, it's less standup and more "one-man-show" in the vein of Colin Quinn's recent Broadway show, Long Story Short. The problem I had with it was the background screen which had (without irony) photographs and images fading in and out behind him as he performed - these images were a bit distracting after a while. He should have just stood in front of a flag or curtain, and let his work speak for itself without the technical gewgaws and art direction which were totally unnecessary. If you're already a Titus fan, you will love the show but if you aren't, this may not be the one to convert you but give it a chance if Sunday's 9pm offerings of "True Blood," "Leverage," or "Masterpiece Theatre" aren't to your liking.
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The TV Junkie Must-Watch Plan: Tonight - "The Soup," "Fashion Police," "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson" (Actor Cedric the Entertainer; actress Moon Bloodgood). Saturday - Tour de France, Brother Orchid. Sunday - Tour de France, "True Blood," "The Marriage Ref," "Treme' (late night rerun.
Friday
10:00pm The Soup E! - All new episode with Joel McHale & Co.
10:00pm Rhett & Link: Commercial Kings IFC - Los Angeles; American Dream Rhett & Link use local talent to produce commercials for small town businesses.
10:30pm Fashion Police E! - Joan Rivers won't hold back this Independence Day weekend as she rips celebs and fashion a new one or three.
12:35am The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson CBS - Actor Cedric the Entertainer; actress Moon Bloodgood.
Saturday
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5:00am 2011 Tour de France Versus - Stage 1 From Passage du Gois to Mont des Alouettes.
8:30pm Brother Orchid TCM - (1940) Ousted by his right-hand man (Humphrey Bogart), a gangster (Edward G. Robinson) poses as a monastery monk until they meet again.
9:00pm Outcasts BBC America - Stella discovers that a super whiteout would one day threaten the settlement
Sunday
5:00am 2011 Tour de France Versus - Stage 2 From Les Essarts to Les Essarts
9:00pm True Blood HBO - You Smell Like Dinner Sookie adjusts to changes in Bon Temps; Bill reveals parts of his past; Eric crashes a witches' meeting; Jason finds comfort; Andy struggles with his addiction; Sam learns about Luna's talents; Jessica satisfies her cravings.
9:00pm Leverage TNT - The 10 Li'l Grifters Job When a mark is killed during a sting, the team races to complete the con and find the killer.
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9:00pm Food Network Star Food - Diner's Drive-Ins and Fourth of July The finalists re-create American classic dishes and perform their first cooking demo.
9:00pm Masterpiece Mystery! PBS/KOCE - Poirot XI: Hallowe'en Party Ariadne Oliver helps Poirot investigate a drowning, which uncovers a series of deaths that may be connected.
9:00pm Christopher Titus: Neverlution Comedy Central - The comedian's fearless stories of his dysfunctional family and relentless social criticism.
10:00pm The Marriage Ref NBC - Panelists Tracy Morgan, Susie Essman and Regis Philbin weigh in on disputes like that of a woman who hates her husband's 19th-century tavern and a man who wants his wife to dress more provocatively.
10:00pm Treme HBO - Treme residents get a welcome respite from a challenging year when Jazz Fest comes to New Orleans.
10:00pm Falling Skies TNT - Tom and his men are attacked while on a mission to retrieve motorcycles; Anne and Dr. Harris make an important discovery.
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