Will my prophecies PLEASE stop coming true

Box office’s post-summer stumble @ Variety

All summer long I rattled on about how glorious of a time it was for movies. “There will never be another Summer 2007″ I would say to everyone I met. “Soak it up while you can.” And we did; and it was wonderful.

For those who were asleep all summer long, you missed the highest grossing summer in Hollywood’s history. Not only did the numbers reach record heights on grosses, but even traditionally slow days, like July 4th, saw people heading into the multiplexes in droves. Paramount cracked a billion dollars in revenue for FY 2007 not even halfway through the year. This summer, Hollywood ran like the well-oiled machine it gained notoriety for being oh so long ago. Read on...

The Office vs. 30 Rock: The Battle for Thursday Night (Done Right)

So here we are, nearing the end of 2007, and we can all sit back and enjoy the fact that NBC once again has a powerhouse of a Thursday night. Can the old glory days be just around the corner? Is Ben Silverman the Warren Littlefield? Are we looking at the early offerings of shows that will make it past 200 episodes? Let’s discuss.

The Office: An American Workplace

After a short first season, the execs over at the peacock opted to give it a go with this British import and offer up a full season in ‘05-’06. The result was a network smash hit that went on to pull in the Best Comedy Series Emmy and became a tentpole of the weekly lineup, not to mention a somewhat lucrative income generator via its constant number one spot at iTunes.

In the third season, the show went to new heights of comedy, especially exciting since it was heading into territory the original never even had the chance to get to. Still, for this humble critic, the season felt a little fat in the middle. It opened with a powerhouse series of episodes, exploring a new office in Connecticut and building on the tension of Jim’s failed attempt at dating Pam. And again, as we neared the end of the season it was a fascinating web of relationships and future opportunities.

But the episodes in between those high points felt a little rote to me. My biggest bone of contention was that Michael Scott seemed to be nearing a foolishness more akin to Homer Simpson since the tenth season of that Fox mainstay. Thankfully, the makers delivered a wonderful finish to the season, setting up for great fourth season in the fall. Just as they did at the end of season two, they ended with a slew of unanswered questions, keeping us all salivating over the summer.

But then it came back on the air. Read on...