TIC Recommends

Courtesy of IO9, here's a look at Better Off Ted, which might fill some of the void left behind by the dearly departed Arrested Development. Hell, BOT even has Portia DeRossi in the mix.



This other clip is for the ladies: I guess Captain Tightpants has a new show coming out, too. Check out the teaser for Castle:



EDIT: Also found this -- a warning about fake David Tennants from ... a guy who looks like David Tennant:

TIC Follows Up

Just here to get back on the horse, so to speak. Things are ... well, sometimes they're good, sometimes I think they're not. The trick is getting to be keeping myself busy enough to err on the side of the better. I'll keep you posted. Right, so let's talk about a few things: Heroes Like I said Monday, so far, so good. But, I've been re-evaluating the Peter/Mohinder sequence after reading a comment posted in our discussion of the episode over at Racialicious.

As we saw early on in the episode, most of the core cast was returning to a regular life. Most of them got jobs that were related to their chosen career paths; Peter was an EMT, Parkman was a security guard, and Tracy and Daphne went right back to their old jobs. Yet Suresh -- Doctor Suresh -- was back driving a cab.

On one hand, putting Suresh in the cab was most likely a device to get him to meet up with Peter. But, upon reflection, it did come off as lazy writing by Tim Kring. Couldn't it have been plausible for Petey the Medic to deliver a patient to Doctor Mo at a hospital? You don't sacrifice the ensuing conversation, while putting both characters at a more equal footing. (Also, Peter came off as tone-deaf, if well-meaning, while talking to the EMT of Iranian descent, but we'll talk about that on The R later in the week.)

The Brave & The Bold I'll be honest: it disappointed me to read that Will Friedle had been cast to do the voice for the new Blue Beetle on the show. I would have liked for DC's most prominent Latino hero to have been voiced by a Latino. Though Friedle, to his credit, has said he didn't want to make Jaime into Speedy Gonzales 2.0, it's just one of those things, y'know?

But, after doing some research, I'm happy to note that Friedle's casting is a rare miscue, rather than a negative trend. Last week, for instance, not only was Not only was Ryan Choi featured as The Atom, but he was voiced by Asian-American James Sie. Prior to that, black characters Black Lightning (Bumper Robinson) and Black Manta (Kevin Michael Richardson) had been voiced by black actors. Richardson, in fact, is a series regular.

So I'm glad that B&TB is mostly doing right by its' characters of color. I'm also glad the upcoming comic book based on the series has given Katana a costume that looks more like her original gear. The harajuku-ish outfit the cartoon version originally sported kinda weird.

SuperOld At The Super Bowl My apologies to Brother Jim, but I couldn't put together a complete SB 43 diary Sunday; I spend most of the day prepping for Hour 42. But Springsteen's performance bugged me.

I mean, the guy sounded creepy from the moment he started in with that whole "AMERICA, PUT DOWN THE CHICKEN WINGS" noise. Look, Bruce, if your own tour rider calls for your kids to get chicken wings, not to mention an entire roasted chicken for your aging sax player, don't give me crap for enjoying a $2.99 8-pack of wings because you're so desperate to come off like a "working-class guy." That whole Benny Hinn routine of yours was much scarier than Prince's guitar -- and not half as funky. And tell me this: Janet's breast slips, and it's a scandal; Bruce teabags America, and not a peep. What was that about?

Image courtesy of Awful Announcing. And yes, that is Dan Patrick!

Bromance Yup, I had to watch this. For a review, mind you, which is up at Racialicious right now; the column also touches on the "gayness" of the upcoming I Love You, Man. Enjoy!

Band On The Run: TIC v. Heroes 4.1!

Cross-posted to Racialicious!
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

No worldwide publicity tours. No hour-long infomercials. Heroes is now just another sci-fi show. And for this episode, at least, it was a decent one.

As it kicks off the critical "Fugitives" arc, not only did the creative team finally get the ball rolling on the various doomsday scenarios it had alluded to throughout the series, but it also skipped to a plot point we used to have to wait at least 10 episodes for – Superhero Team-Up Time!

Building on the fall finale, "A Clear And Present Danger" saw Nathan Petrelli, now the freshly-minted Homeland Security chief, begin to round up the other Heroes, with the help of Mr. Bennet and a new character, Danko (Zeljko Ivanek), aka "The Hunter." In short order, Tracy, Mohinder, Hiro, and Parkman are picked up for shipment to ... well, we never get to find out, thanks to the increasingly pugnacious Claire.

Previously spared by biological daddy Nathan, Claire stows aboard and initiates a jailbreak that goes wrong when Peter, after mistakenly making contact with Tracy (he thought she was Niki) ruptures the hull, which will apparently crash the plane -- but not before ejecting one unknown hooded figure. Judging from next week's previews, most of the core group will at least have survived the crash, and we can bet that the Mystery Masked Metahuman will make his or her presence felt later in the series.

Meanwhile, as predicted by our Roundtable in December, Sylar apparently fell through a plot hole and landed in Baltimore, eyebrows in mid-season form (and actually looking plural!), in the midst of his search for his own biological father, in between bouts of fending off government agents. The attack sequence on Sylar was actually a welcome touch of continuity and common sense, and it actually made one hopeful to find out how Sy survived the destruction of Primatech headquarters.

In fact, the episode was marked by a mostly logical progression of the primary storyline, believable interaction between most of the characters – alas, Greg Grunberg and Brea Grant are still unbelievable an on-screen couple -- and piqued enough interest in the other plotlines (Sylar's search, the remaining Heroes "in play," the unknown detainee) to already put this episode ahead of most of the previous volume.

Next Week: Would it jinx things to wish for a second straight good episode?

The Racialicious Scorecard:
Usutu: The Roundtable's favorite character returns! Usutu is apparently still playing Obi-Wan to the newly precognitive Parkman's Luke from beyond the grave. This time, Usutu's spiel involves Matt becoming a "prophet" after inheriting his powers. Anybody else hear Unchained Melody playing whenever the two are on screen together?

Mohinder: Careful what you wish for, doc. After expressing support for Nathan's ideas, Suresh is himself among the first to be tagged and bagged, and not even his super-strength (a remnant from his Spider-Mo days?) can save him from being betrayed by Noah. Mo did, however, share a nice moment with Peter before being captured. My only complaint was that he seemed to forget the whole "left for dead face-down in viscous liquid in a burning building" thing a little too quickly. We'll see how this plays out.

Hiro & Ando: When we rejoin Tokyo's finest, Hiro's mission is to help his buddy become a full-on superhero, complete with spandex, Ando-cycle, and fortress of geekitude. Fortunately for Ando, he's aware his "super-charger" power is limited – and that women dig his groovy bike. Unfortunately for both of them, Hiro's rounded up by Nathan's Stormtroopers. (Another welcome bit of logic: Nate had no way of knowing Hiro was de-powered, or that Ando had powers now.) Hopefully this leads to an Ando/Daphne reunion, as Grant and James Kyson Lee actually did show chemistry during their scenes together last year.

Stay tuned later in the week for the return of the Racialicious Roundtable!

Previously: Racialicious Heroes Archive
Character Bios courtesy of HeroesWiki
Images courtesy of Comic Book Resources

FHF SEARCH: A Wide-Open Contest

We've seen the coaches, and quibbled over the quarterbacks. Now we get to the fun stuff: picking my FHF wide receivers!

A good receiver can change a game with just one play. Observe:







So, yeah, this time we're spotlighting the high-flyers -- and this time, you get to pick two players to make it onto my team. Here are the contenders:

Spider-Man (Marvel)What, you thought he wasn't going to show up? Editorial mismanagement notwithstanding, Spidey's the original showboat, the guy who made heroism a suitable after-school job for generations of youngsters. People may wish they could be Superman or Batman -- but they can relate to Spider-Man.

Pluses: Unparalleled agility, dexterity -- and a motormouth that will get under anybody's nerves.
Minuses: He's a Jets fan.

Invincible (Image) And meet Spidey -- The Next Generation. Robert Kirkman's creation has preserved the tradition of the teen hero and taken it to other worlds, literally. Want a power-set? How about Kryptonian-level strength, speed, the whole shebang. If Mark Grayson were in one of the Big Two, he'd be a superstar.

Pluses: Seemingly no limit to the kid's upside.
Minuses: Who is this kid, one might ask ...

Madman (Image) And from way out in left field -- Snap City, to be exact -- we bring you one of comics' truly unheralded stars, the indie wonder who's half-dead, all-hero. After his death, former hitman Frank Einstein wanders his crazy-ass world, defending it against the worst of the worst. Surely he could find a spot among the best of the best?

Pluses: Abilities include superhuman learning aptitude, psychometry and clairvoyance. So in the course of a day, he can learn to play football, then figure out what the defense is looking with a mere touch.
Minuses: Dude's practically a zombie himself. Why not just start ninjas, pirates and Chuck Norris while we're at it?

Ms. Marvel (Marvel) A woman in the midst of a career renaissance. After years as a supporting character, and some time getting a little too, uh, happy at happy hour, Carol Danvers has finally come into her own in recent years, leading an incarnation of the Avengers and now striking out against Norman Osborn.

Pluses: Ever wonder what Wonder Woman could do with U.S. military training? Carol's your answer.
Minuses: Still mentally vulnerable -- Iron Man managed to undermine her during their tenure with the Avengers.

Nova (Marvel) The real new Green Lantern. While starring in his own critically-acclaimed relaunch, Rich Ryder has accomplished virtually everything the more-ballyhooed Hal Jordan has -- namely, survived a war in space (the Annihilation) and kick-started his own galactic police force, the Nova Corps.

Pluses: Supersonic speed has to come in handy, especially when it's fed by tremendous willpower.
Minuses: Can he go head-to-head with a Lantern and not get labeled a copycat?

Deadpool(Marvel) Wade Wilson could be the breakout character of '09, if Ryan Reynolds can honor the character in the upcoming Wolverine movie. Beyond that, he literally puts the X in X-factor. Unhinged, unpredictable, and indefatigable -- with a healing factor.

Pluses: Batsh-t crazy. Nobody wants to face this guy.
Minuses: Batsh-t crazy. Nobody wants to be seen with this guy.

Daredevil (Marvel) The old saying, "Keep an eye on the ball"? Not an issue here. Matt Murdock's hyper-acute senses might make him the smartest guy on the field -- he knows what's going on all around him and can maneuver accordingly. And nobody else refuses to lose as badly; the guy literally beat up the friggin' Kingpin.

Pluses: Arguably Marvel's No. 2 hero behind Spider-Man.
Minuses: Put through an emotional wringer in his own book; a football game might not mean that much to him.

FRIDAY MORNING JUKEBOX: Oingo Boingo Overload!

One of the saddest rites of passage in our culture is the yearly half-assed resurrection of Oingo Boingo by various half-assed terrestrial radio stations every October. Admit it: by the time Halloween night rolls around, you're nearly sick of "Dead Man's Party" or "Weird Science" being trotted out by whatever jocks are stuck following the cookie-cutter format sheet. And for about a generation now, I imagine, that's all Top 40 fans would know of what, to me, is one of the quintessential California bands.

I first heard of Boingo around 1983. I wasn't any sort of music fan, as such, but I'd hear the name bandied about by my more musically-inclined friends. Boingo was just one of those things that was part of the San Diego/Tijuana scene. With the benefit of hindsight, their rise stands out even more: they were a post-punk band that wasn't punky at all, once their sound was fully formed. Yet they weren't synth-pop; they weren't ska; they were sort of unassuming in their look -- suits? nice shoes? horns? -- but D. Elfman's sci-fi sensibility kept them on their own edge, not "cool kid" rock by any means. This was geek rock, two decades before the term was co-opted and bastardized by East Coast hipsters.



Though I noted Elfman's graduation from rock cult-stardom into the realm of elite film composers -- how many of us became Batman fans thanks to that theme? -- I didn't begin to follow Boingo as a band until I received a copy of the Boingo Alive double-record. It wasn't until even later, after I'd gotten hooked on the band thanks to "We Close Our Eyes," that I realized the tracks within were themselves re-recordings of their earlier standout tracks. And the new versions were better. How many artists would go back and not only compile a greatest-hits collection, but improve upon the originals?



By the time "Insanity" was released, I'd become an honest fan of the band -- still sorta-secret, because nobody I knew in college really "got" them. So my sadness was private when I heard about their farewell show, in -- where else? -- Los Angeles and realized my broke ass couldn't go. But I've gotten to catch up, on CD and via video, and I can say I finally attended a show of theirs ... sorta. Two years ago or so, I got to see Dead Man's Party, the near-creepily similar Boingo tribute band. It wasn't the same, of course, but I still got to swing-dance to "Goodbye, Goodbye."

FANTASY HERO FOOTBALL: The Search For A QB

Yesterday we asked you to choose a coach for TIC's entry into Sunday's FHF battle on HOUR 42, someone who could motivate and prepare our mighty squad. But, you might be asking, who's actually going to be on the squad? Today, you get to help me figure that out, as we start selecting the players. First up, the field leader -- the quarterback. Your contenders are:

Buffy Summers (Dark Horse)The woman who made the world change. Buffy The Vampire Slayer has been showing her leadership skills for years -- first her homegrown Scoobies, and now an army of Slayers. After facing down a Hellmouth, angry goddesses, a homicidal former first love and for heaven's sake, high school, what challenge could stand in the way of Sunnydale's pride and joy?

Pluses: Adaptable to nearly every sort of combat and situation; streak of defiance invariably throws opponents (and Watchers) off their game.
Minuses: Though athletic to no end, Buffy's never shown an interest in, y'know, playing any sports. Will her years as a cheerleader lead to awkward teenage flashbacks?

Captain America (Marvel) This ain't your father's Sentinel of Liberty. James Buchanan Barnes -- Bucky if you're nasty (or stupid) -- did a ton of bad during his life as the Winter Soldier, but he's determined to make up for it while living up to the greatest mantle this side of Krypton, inherited from Steve Rogers himself. After starring in an excellent series by Ed Brubaker, look for the new Cap to step it up as the leader of the New New Avengers.
Pluses: Tactical training second-to-none except perhaps his fallen mentor.
Minuses: Will Steve Rogers' ghost continue to hover over Bucky's promise?

The Savage Dragon (Image) Like Kurt Warner in the actual Super Bowl, the Dragon's story is one of relative longevity for a character who's not a Marvel or DC property; he's starred in his own book, written and drawn solely by Erik Larsen, since 1993, a Cal Ripken-like streak that's to be commended. As a character, Dragon's been one of the underrated powerhouses in comics -- nearly as strong as anybody you could name, with a singular streak of common sense in his finny head. The Dragon isn't going to lose you many games.

Pluses: Crazy-ass life in the Chicago PD (alternate worlds? Check. Dead loved ones? Check.) has prepared him for seemingly any challenge.
Minuses: Unproven on the big stage -- would he only appeal to the "hardcore" comic fan?

Three solid choices, no? But it's up to you to point the way. Who's gonna lead the way for our team against Peter Pixie's squad this Sunday? Find out on HOUR 42!

Help me choose my FANTASY HERO FOOTBALL team!

This Sunday on HOUR 42, Peter Pixie and I will be playing Fantasy Hero Football -- and I need your help fielding a team!

The rules are as such: PP said he'll use heroes from the DC Universe, and I get to cherry-pick from any other company. Good times for me, no?

With so many characters available, I wanted to open up the process and solicit help picking the right players -- and, today, the right coach. Here are the contenders:

Norman Osborn (Marvel) I know what you're thinking: How could The Green Goblin even be an option, right? That's the beauty of it -- right now he's the biggest hero in the Marvel U.! Formerly the head of the Thunderbolts, Stormin' Norman made himself out to be the key to Earth's victory over the Secret Invasion, an act which gets him influence over the entire superhero population, including his own team of Avengers. So, who better to run my show than the guy who's effectively running the 616?

Pluses: Coaching philosophy could be Vince Lombardi on Super-Serum
Minuses: Coaching philosophy could also be Vince McMahon on Super-Serum


Rupert Giles (Dark Horse) An assemblage of power needs wisdom to direct it, and good ol' Giles has plenty of that, as well as the magical know-how to tip the scales if need be -- and the occasional bit of ruthlessness to know when to use it. Unlike Osborn, though, Giles is less likely to piss people off. And much less likely to take all the credit when the game's won.

Pluses: Experience managing and motivating the most problematic personnel on Earth -- teenage girls.
Minuses: Prior disdain for American football might make him dismiss the very idea of a Big Game as "rubbish."


Reed Richards (Marvel)A good coach needs to know his or her x's and o's. Why not go with a guy who knows x's, o's, y's, z's and any other variable you can come up with? Mr. Fantastic might be the candidate who "gets" the game the best, not just as a series of applications and probability exercises, but as a game. He'd be a teacher and a fan, and possibly the most heroic coach I could find.

Pluses: "Elastic consciousness" could give team a living playbook, creating new schemes on the fly, confounding any defense.
Minuses: Can a coach be too smart for his own team? It might be the case here.

The Doctor (IDW)How about nearly 1,000 years of experience leading the squad? How about knowledge spanning a whole cosmos? How about creativity that probably rivals Richards'? How about a cute female assistant coach? How about the ability to pluck plays from anywhere in time? How about the ultimate motivator?

Pluses: Combines Giles' wisdom with Richards' theoretical knowledge, topped off by his own innate creativity, curiosity and tenacity.
Minuses: Might share Giles' disdain for American football, or be put off if his Companion fancies one of the players.

So there you have the nominees. Just vote on the handy-dandy gadget on the page and I'll announce the results Sunday night on HOUR 42!