Captain Hammer Saves the Day in Joss Whedon’s Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.
© Joss Whedon
TV Wasteland: Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog
By: Stephen LackeyDate: Monday, July 28, 2008
It’s interesting just how many of the most visionary writers working in science fiction and animation these days are also so heavily into writing musicals. Seth McFarlane is always looking for a reason to write some music in Family Guy and South Park: Bigger Longer, and Uncut and Team America were essentially just comedy musicals. The writers of The Simpsons have done their own musical episodes of that long running series and Joss Whedon wrote a musical episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Whedon wasn’t finished though; he had more music in him and he finally let it loose with Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.
Not only was Dr. Horrible innovative in its storytelling, it was also innovative in its presentation. The three act story of Dr. Horrible’s attempts to rule the world and win the love of a woman were first made available free on the web and then sold as a package or as individual installments on iTunes. Whedon commented on a panel at San Diego Comic Con that the show was inspired by the writer’s strike-not the story but the situation. He said that many writers talked about doing something independently and putting out around the corporate machine but he actually followed through with it and brought Dr. Horrible to life.
On the panel, Whedon announced that the installments were so successful on itunes that their will be more installments as well as a soundtrack album to be released in a couple of weeks. If you’re a Whedon fan, but not a musical fan, you’re sure to still enjoy this series. It’s comic booky, it’s funny, and the songs are all catchy and hilarious. Neil Patrick Harris owns this series as Dr. Horrible but Nathan Fillion doesn’t disappoint as Captain Hammer and Felicia Day plays a classic Whedon girl-built in the Willow mold-to perfection. Don’t be turned off by the music, go download this series.
Series picks this week are as usual Fear Itself-for better or worse-,Doctor Who, and of course Stargate Atlantis. Easily the most exciting show this week though is the return of Eureka! It comes on Tuesday night, set your DVR’s!
Monday
AMERICAN GLADIATORS (NBC, 8PM EST)
The semifinals proceed with four returning combatants squaring off.
THE MIDDLEMEN (ABCFAM, 10PM EST) THE CURSED TUBA CONTINGENCY
If a cursed tuba from the Titanic is played, it will cause all those who hear it to drown. So Wendy and the Middleman don period clothes and attend a Titanic-themed yacht party in order to stop the tuba's original owner from giving a performance. Elsewhere, the Middleman and Lacey embark on their first date.
Tuesday
WIPEOUT (ABC, 8PM EST)
Contestants include a break-dancer, a cactus farmer, a preschool teacher, a banker, a single mother, a director of labor, a college adviser and a software developer. Featured obstacles: Foamy Launch Pads; Barrel Run With Waterfall; Buoy Run; Smoking Crowbar Sweeper; Killer Surf.
I SURVIVED A JAPANESE GAME SHOW (ABC, 9PM EST)
Contestants toss projectiles at a Velcro-clad teammate suspended by a wire while opponents pull the Velcro warrior from side to side, trying to keep the objects from sticking; contestants swing on ropes from a platform into a line of seven doors one at a time, trying to find the three solid doors in the fastest time.
EUREKA (SCIFI, 9PM EST) BAD TO THE DRONE
Season 3 kicks off with a hunt for an escaped drone while Samantha Thorne (Frances Fisher) arrives on the scene to oversee the clean-up of damages caused by Global Dynamics.
Wednesday
GHOST HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL (SCIFI, 9PM EST) SHATTERED SPIRIT
Claims concerning mysterious shadows and ghostly soldiers are probed at Bodelwyddan Castle in Rhyl, U.K.
SCARE TACTICS (SCIFI, 10PM EST) WHEN WITE NOISE ATTACKS
Ghosts put up a fight against the woman hired to cast them out of an abandoned building.
Thursday
FEAR ITSELF (NBC, 10PM EST) SKIN AND BONES
A rancher (Doug Jones) gets lost in the woods and becomes possessed by an ancient evil spirit. Directed by Larry Fessenden; written by Drew McWeeny and Scott Swan.
BURN NOTICE (USA, 10PM EST) COMRADES
Michael befriends a human smuggler in hopes of locating a client's captured sister.
Friday
DOCTOR WHO (SCIFI, 8:30PM EST) JOURNEY’S END
Keep an eye on this one as it starts a bit early tonight due to a 90 minute running time! Season 4 concludes with the Doctor's companions making a last stand against Davros and the Daleks with the Doctor and the TARDIS both out of commission. Freema Agyeman, Billie Piper.
STARGATE ATLANTIS (SCIFI, 10PM EST) THE DAEDALUS VARIATIONS
The team becomes trapped on a runaway duplicate of the Daedalus, which takes them to numerous alternate realities.
Saturday
DRAGON WARS (SCIFI, 9:00PM EST)
A reporter finds himself in the middle of a battle between fire breathing beasts that attack Los Angles. Wow, this movie is beyond terrible, perfect for some home brew MST3K action.
Sunday
THE VENTURE BROTHERS (TOON, 11;30PM EST) THE LEPIDOPTERIOT
As of the writing of this article, there was no description for the episode available. Characters will up to shenanigans. They always are....
METALOCALYPSE (TOON, 12AM EST) DETHCARRALDO
The band visits the Amazon and witnesses the native brutality of Nathan’s ancestors.
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