This Doesn't Suck: AOL.com is launching its own suite of broadband networks that will feature, among other things, on-demand reruns of some 100 classic TV shows, like Welcome Back Kotter, Chico and the Man, Growing Pains and F-Troop. Other networks will be devoted to interactive games, action shows (like Kung-Fu), "Heroes and Horrors" and a channel called "Dramarama", which sadly will have nothing to do with the band of the same name, but should. This is long overdue. How long has it taken the interwebs to figure out that the computer monitor has replaced TV as the new boob tube? Sure, there's piracy and security concerns, but it's just like the music biz. They sat on this idea so long that it created "on-demand demand" (I call it ODD), which, in turn, forced people into filesharing. Had a major studio launched this just as broadband was starting to proliferate (free or otherwise), filesharing of shows would be a tenth of what it is now. Classic "if you can't beat them, join them" business philosophy.
Rupert Murdoch Said So: Unless I'm misreading this, I think this means Fox is encouraging viewers to share their programs. Sure, they prefer videotape, but legally, I don't think it matters how you share, say, last night's episode of Family Guy...the network gives you its blessing. I wonder how long we'll see this up on the website. Apparently Arrested Development wasn't shared enough.
Chandler's Dad Is Not Drunk: This gives you a pretty good sense of how messed up Hollywood's priorities are: Kathleen Turner let people think she was an alcoholic rather than reveal she was suffering from arthritis. Says Kath, "They always hire drunks, all the time. But they wouldn't hire someone with a disease they didn't understand." Turner said once people started noticing her dropping things (due to the swollen hands), the rumor got started that she was a lush. With puffy, swollen hands, apparently. In a way, I can relate to this. I would much rather people think I was an alcoholic than let on that I really really like Taco Bell and burritos as big as my head.
Oh My: For people who like to move with their music, there's this handy iPod accessory. Other than some crude jokes about the size of my playlist, I got nothin'.
Monday Downloadable Thing: Jack's Mannequin is the side-project of Something Corporate frontman Andrew McMahon. As mannequins go, this one's pretty full of life. From Everything in Transit, book a "Holiday From Real". It's as if these are the songs that Andrew wants to do with SoCo, but they're too personal. This is what solo projects are for, I suppose.
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