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Ghost Lab (2009)
Needs Work, But Mildly Entertaining
Ghost, specters, spooks, apparitions, and demons seem to be all the rage nowadays and the public is hungry for as many paranormal investigation shows it can fit down it's gullet. "Ghost Lab" is one of these shows. Led by the Klinge Brothers, soft spoken Barry and excitable Brad, the Ghost Lab team travel throughout the U.S. to reportedly haunted locations in search for paranormal evidence. Though the team has a huge amount electronic and scientific equipment, Brad's favorite method for luring out ghost is good old fashion provocation. Unfortunately, he's not very good at it as he rant and rave without the tact necessary to cleverly lure a spirit in front of the camera. However Brad's attempts to bully the ghosts into revealing themselves sometimes pay off and the results are usually amusing but the excitement is short-lived. Ghost Lab, like with most paranormal investigation shows, just doesn't have enough paranormal activity to keep your full attention.
What works for this show is the editing and Mike Rowe (Dirty Jobs). By building the drama with eerie or abrupt music and running short clips that leads to whatever strange is about to happen, it gives the viewer hope that some paranormal discovery is just around the corner. It's a pretty good effect to keep the viewer interested.
Occasionally, there is history pertaining to the reportedly haunted location and is narrated by the familiar voice of Mike Rowe. With photos and sometimes a dramatization, Rowe's voice, which can range from sympathetic to strangely haunting itself, compliments the mini history lesson. The history narrative can sometimes be the most interesting part of the show.
Watching Ghost Lab is not the worst way to spend an hour, the show definitely has its moments. It just need a little more ghosts and a little less Brad's obnoxious provocations.
Yukon Men (2012)
Survival Reality At It's Best
This is not "Survivorman" or "Man vs Wild". This show depicts the all too real life of everyday survival in Tanana, Alaska. As so many of us take for granted the luxuries we are accustom to such as local supermarkets with a supply of never ending food, we see the struggle of the occupants of Tanana to maintain enough food to last the winter by gathering and hunting it themselves.
And the obstacles are many. Bears, wolves, and bad weather are just the tip of the iceberg. Broken equipment, changes in animal migration, and even unseasonably warm weather can play havoc on any attempts to gather enough food. Many have lost their lives due to the unpredictable mood of the Alaskan environment as they attempt to provide for their families.
Remarkably, you see the best in human nature. The residents truly care for the well being of their neighbors and consider all as extended families. With no hesitation, they band together to overcome any crisis, this is evident when a local is killed and the entire town rallies together to mourn his passing in a traditional funeral and feast.
Survival shows have become very popular lately, but nothing can compare to "Yukan Men" if you want to see people survive as a way of every day life. And yet, they would not want to live their lives any other way.
True Grime: Crime Scene Clean Up (2011)
Good Topic, Not So Good Show
Crime scene clean up. What could actually be the subject of really interesting and informative reality TV is lost in this show's look on the unpleasant task of cleaning up the aftermath of lawlessness.
The first obstacle is Neal Smither, the foul mouthed, control-freakish grime tech leader who is not above describing an employee as "Fat Ass" and appears to be one of the most unpleasant persons to work for. He tries to show a sensitive side while cleaning a crime scene, but it just doesn't seem believable.
The second obstacle is that the show does not grab your attention for very long. It's easy to switch channels on this series without the regret that you are going to miss something interesting.
What a shame that this little known profession is represented in such a manner. You'll be better off watching meerkat reruns.
The Looney Tunes Show (2011)
The Looney Tunes Show Will Please After All
The newest Odd Couple on the small screen is none other than our old friends, Bugs Bunny and his house mate Daffy Duck. Bugs, in his usual swarmy manner, deals with Daffy's self-absorption and nutty eccentricities while coping living under one roof with the delusional mallard. The result: witty dialog and excellent slapstick, and combined with the above-average animation, makes for one great show. However, the sly, conniving yet knuckle-headed Daffy we grew to know and love over the years has been reduced to a clueless knuckle-headed frat boy roommate who actually seems quite fond of Bugs...somewhat of a disappointment but not enough not to enjoy the show.
The cast of characters are drawn in the delightful old Chuck Jones style making them visually appealing, that is except for Bugs who looks like a parody of the original rabbit. His design has been simplified (for what reason?) and at certain angles, bears little resemblance to Bugs at all. This Bugs Bunny could easily fit in with the cast of "Drawn Together". Still, the facial expressions Bugs uses are wonderfully "Friz Freleng" keeping the character's personality familiar to the audience.
Aside from that, "The Looney Tunes Show" offers classic and modern animated lunacy that will appeal to all ages. And if you're lucky enough to catch the cgi Road Runner/ Coyote clips, you'll be in for a real treat.
Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated (2010)
New "Mystery Incorporated" starts out on a high note.
Finally, character development for the Scooby-Doo Gang. Despite the fact that Fred and Daphne are back in their old late 60's outfits, new life has been breathed into Scooby's supporting cast. Norville "Shaggy" Rogers and his pet Great Dane, Scooby-Doo, have always been the most developed of the five characters and display their usual hijinks and slapstick, with one exception...Shaggy has a secret involving one of the members of the gang. Freddy Jones, the son of the town's Mayor in this story line, no longer has the Mr. Perfect persona, but is a precocious and eager yet likable teen who loves the thrill of mystery solving to the point that he gets carried away. Daphne Blake's personality is very sweet and endearing. Her character is more reminiscent of the original Daphne from the sixties only this Daphne is a cheerful optimist when it comes to her friends but is easily dishearten when it comes to Fred's cluelessness of her affections. The real surprise is Velma Dinkley! Her appearance seems to be modeled after the live-action version as her features looks more feminine. Although she's still extremely short in stature, Velma has more of a slender build making her noticeably busty. And though Velma still wears the usual outfit, her turtle neck sweater plunges slightly lower, revealing her neck. She now sports a fluffier hairstyle with small hair ribbons. As for her personality, she is sarcastic, opinionated, slightly quick-tempered, and (surprisingly) flirtatious. This new change in her character is well suited for the flow of the show and rounds out the cast quite nicely. Even with all the changes, "Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated" takes you back to the original Scooby-Doo roots, with enough of it's own originality to bring it up to date. However, with more attention directed towards the lives of the characters rather than the mystery, it leaves the story of how the mystery was executed half explained. Still, the writers seem to know what their doing and if they keep to this format, this show has the potential to be almost as popular as the classic "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?".