phamos

Everyone knows that television shows have gotten progressively shorter, with regards to their actual running times. The Wire is a notable exception. It's episodes are all upwards of 55 minutes long, some even over an hour; I can barely watch them because my attention span is so shot from crappy network TV. My good friends over at NBC Universal have hit a new low, though. This past week's hour-long episode of The Office (Are they all going to be an hour now? Because storytelling-wise, it REALLY doesn't work well) topped out at 39 minutes. 30 Rock? 19 minutes. NINETEEN MINUTES. That's embarrassing. I really have no larger point to make here. I just think it's ludicrous that the networks were actually angling to get iTunes customers to pay MORE for shorter shows that are packed to the brim with sponsorship as it is. (No, Hiro Nakamura, I do NOT want to buy a Nissan Versa.)

I'm making a list of the stupidest characters on TV. But more the pitiable numbskulls, not just people who are intellectually challenged. They have to be the kind of person where, whatever they do, you kinda shake your head and say "Poor, stupid BLANK". Helo Agathon has been my longstanding top beleaguered idiot, but he has recently been surpassed by Mohinder Suresh. And then there's pretty much everyone on Lost except for Sayid. Have I expressed my continued disbelief that everyone on that island hasn't started listening to Sayid yet? The guy is pretty much always right, and he's super cool, and yet they're all like "Jack, lead us!" The fuck? Roy on the Office isn't exactly a braintrust, either -- he never figured out the JAM? In all that time?

OK, do any of you guys have people to add?