In last week’s episode, “Making Concessions,” we saw Amanda, one of my least favorite chefs throughout the competition (ok, let’s be honest: I’ve had it in for her from the very beginning!), go home for her unappealingly gray tuna tartare.  Seriously, who serves that at a baseball game?  Both Ed and Tiffany (who were the top two for this same elimination challenge) aimed high and hit it out of the park with much more appropriate ballpark cuisine. Let’s see how these two top competitors (and the other three remaining chefs) fared in this week’s Quickfire Challenge.  Remember: only four chefs can make it to the finale! (more…)

“One hit wonder” is a phrase synonymous with Blind Melon and Chumbawamba. But it can also describe those TV shows that rocket into the Prime Time lineup with vim, vigor, and all the right intentions, only to end up tragically canceled after one season.

This is a tribute to our four favorites.

4 Gems We Wish Were Still On Air

Freaks and Geeks

The gist: 80s high school students navigate the tumultuous hallways of a suburban Detroit school – as well as the tumultuous ups and downs of their own self-identities.

The best part: Plot congruency, vivid characters, Bill, and the entire Judd Apatow cast in youthful, fresh-faced glory.

Why it got canceled: Low ratings, even though it won several Emmy awards, was ranked in the Top 100 TV Shows of All TIME in TIME Magazine, and has remained a cult favorite through DVD sales.

Why you should get it on DVD: The opportunity to ogle James Franco as a greasy-haired bad boy. Also, it continues to live on as one of the most realistic, angst-ridden teenage dramas in the history of television.

My So-Called Life

The gist: The pre-cursor to Freaks and Geeks, this mid-90s show focused on a straight-laced girl trying to find herself through new friends and exposure to all sorts of new experiences.

The best part: The fact that issues were not brought up and resolved in a single episode, but were strung out through the entire season, lingering much like real problems tend to linger. No Degrassi-storytelling here.

Why it got canceled: Low ratings were coupled with star Claire Danes’ lack of interest in continuing a second season.

Why you should get it on DVD: Think back to a time when teen dramas didn’t even exist. My So-Called Life was among the first and should be honored for the integrity The OC lacked.

Police Squad!

The gist: A 1980s police-detective comedy that took place in the 70s and spoofed the 60s. Whoa.

The best part: The subtlety of true comedy. For being a show geared to get laughs, it required a fair amount of attention to detail. It’s hilarity with an intellectual boost.

Why it got canceled: Matt Groening of The Simpsons explains that Police Squad! was far before its time – no one was prepared for zippy jokes and an even zippier pace. Apparently, the 80s audience loved their television with a side of drab.

Why you should get it on DVD: The six episodes that aired are overflowing with the exact kind of comedy that is popular today: inside jokes, puns, and jokes spawning from the ridiculousness of past eras.

Firefly

The gist: It’s the future. We are in a completely different star system. We are the outcasts of society. This new place looks a lot like Arizona.

The best part: It’s Joss Whedon at his finest. We get new worlds, new languages, and different people coming together to create some sort of family.

Why it got canceled: The mashup of Old West and space travel was a little too difficult for viewers to comprehend, and therefore appreciate.

Why you should get it on DVD: The DVD set shows the episodes in their true order, something that FOX managed to royally bungle when they aired the show. This, along with the three episodes FOX skipped, give the show a whole new element, one that cult-followers everywhere love.

How did we do? Do our four favorite one hit wonders match your own? Leave us your thoughts below, and be sure to catch all the new series that are rolling out this fall with the DISH Network Package that is right for you.

We have some news that will get your toes tapping. Bristol Palin is going to be on Dancing with the Stars, along with David Hasselhoff, Audrina Patridge, the Situation, Kristie Alley, and (possibly) Brandy. DWTS is the show where pseudo-celebrities go to die; our overall prediction is that we’ll never have to watch any of them on TV ever again. And that Spencer Pratt will star in Season 12. (more…)

Let’s be honest: no one knows how Two and a Half Men stays on the air. Your friends don’t watch it. My friends don’t watch it. It’s dumber than The Hills and has more stereotypes in it than the Jersey Shore. It’s overrated. We won’t tell you not to watch it, but we will tell you what you should be watching instead.

Three Highly Underrated TV Shows

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In last week’s episode, “Restaurant Wars,” we saw my beloved Kenny go home (I know, shocking!) in spite of the fact that every.single.chef seemed to agree that Alex was the one who truly deserved to be sent home in his place.  I’m still mad about the whole pea purée thing, but nothing prepared me for discovering how much I truly loathe Alex’s ineptitude in the kitchen and—as clearly proven in his “front of the house” role—anywhere else near food (or people, for that matter).  Ok, so maybe I’m being a bit harsh, but Alex stinks, and it’s time for him to go.  Anyway, let’s move on to bigger and better things, like this week’s Quickfire Challenge. (more…)