Joey Joe Joe Jr

I remember reading about this show in one of the Bill Apter magazines, like World of Wrestling or something like that. I remember the article and the layout so vividly like it was yesterday. I used to study that article as I so wanted to be there, but without Sky or the internet, I couldn't simply watch it and it seemed really special.

It's funny but for me at least 2002 was the start of a new era for me in wrestling. That year a bunch of independent companies began in the wake of WCW and ECW (others like MCW failed quickly the year before), while WWE (as it was now) was desperately trying anything to fend off sliding ratings. In 2002, TNA and ROH both started up, and through the Apter mags I really got more into these smaller companies and it felt like my eyes were really opening to alternatives. So now ten years later, it's incredible that so much time has passed and now these anniversaries are coming up.

It makes me look back on that year with a great deal of fondness because so much happened and the gears were starting to move to shape the next couple of years in the industry. Places like 3PW, CZW and PWG would open up with similar models and using loads of new talent some of whom are major stars now on TV. I feel that now the last couple of years all blend together and I have to struggle to remember what happened in which year, but 2002 saw so, so much happen, whether in WWE or American and International indie companies.

My favourite film of all time, This is Spinal Tap is on ITV4 right now. Just switched on a few minutes in as they're discussing their drummers. That's for now sorted (32nd viewing or there about), while afterwards on the same side is Escape from New York. Should see me nicely before Raw starts tonight.

The Muppets- Really enjoyable and at times a riot. Lots of what you would expect in self-referential, fourth wall breaking down of (?) and cameos from contemporary television and film. Could have done with less of the tweeners and more NPH, Donald Glover and John Krasinski but that is just me, though the Jim Parsons one was brilliant. Also one minor gripe is that at times Amy Adams seemed really self-conscious during her "Me Party" song, which I thought was a bit cringe worthy, and did't half throw herself into it as she did in the magnificent Enchanted. Jason Segel and Amy Adam's ongoing story was kept to a minimum, even at one point literally sending them home, and though the theme of adults letting go off their childhood was done in the last Toy Story film in a much better way, it still worked here and was even helped by the fact that this seems like a personal project for Segel. There were some great one-liners like the 'celebrities are not a people' one and in fact that whole exchange is gold. I would say Segel did a great job overall and it makes a nice change for the samey animated films that come out now.

I watched the whole thing over a few weeks in the Summer two years ago and I would love to watch it again but maybe more slowly to let things sink in. The mutiny was absolutely terrific from what I rememberand was real edge of your seat stuff, and was just one of those storylines, along with the suicide attacks in the beginning of S3, which makes it such a superb television series in relation to the real world.

Am I right in thinking he did a DGUSA show a while back? Out of interest how did he look?

Two episodes into Homeland, intrigued and hoping for good stuff to come.

There was a Chikara invasion at the ROH show last night. Doubt it will be ever as heated as the fantastic ROH/CZW feud but should give the shows a creative boost and chance to see some new talent.

Thoughts?

Yeah that alliance with Dwight was seemingly cut and never really went anywhere. I remember the ep where they shook hands and was really excited but then nothing. It is actually incredible how many changes he has undergone from the first season some have been very miss; I remember him wearing a fedora in The Lover ep which was just random.

Yea I should clarify, I still really like the odd line Ryan gets in just because he doesn't care any more and is a complete dick. Funniest thing he did recently that I remember was feign sadness that Stanley might die, he says something like 'Oh no Stanley, you'll live forever' with such a tone of apathy that I found it great. Also his exchanges with Pam where he antagonises her are great because I really don't like Pam any more.

And agreed on the Parks front. I don't like some of the characters but Leslie, Ben and most definitely Chris and Ron are terrific. April annoys me and Andy feels like a bad Jack Black impression but still it's a very enjoyable show. I like how they have slowly constructed this whole town's universe each season, it feels like a Sims game at times as you get to know more aspects of the town and it's people as they turn up every now and then. They also get some terrific guest stars, including the person who is set to play Leslie's opponent this season. I won't put it here to spoil the surprise for people who don't want to know.

Got copies of Seasons Six and Seven of The Office earlier this week and have just finished Season Six. Overall I enjoyed it, despite in 'Mafia', it featuring my least favourite episode ever. A couple of the characters have run their course and don't really offer anything to the show anymore (Meredith and especially Ryan, plus I wonder if whether BJ Novak wasn't a writer and producer whether the character would still be around as he offers so little). The Erin and Andy relationship doesn't work for me and Kevin's character just appears to be nothing more than a permanent moron. Liking what I've seen of Gabe, Kathy Bates' appearances and Daryl's promotion from the warehouse to the Office. Always enjoy the Toby and Michael scenes and Dwight is probably the MVP on the show at the moment.

I was wondering the other day just what Ryan's job is any more. He is still a temp? I'm up to date with the US pace and he still kinda lingers around playing the office hipster.

Just watching the RF shoot with Finlay and no kidding, talk about horrible interviewers, as has been done on here. One such exchange with Feinstein interviewing:

Interviewer: 'How about the Hardcore Soldiers?'

Finlay: 'Hardcore Soldiers? Who were they?'

Interviewer: 'I don't know'

Feinstein then mumbles something about reading up online somewhere, probably wikipedia, and writing the questions himself. So he read something, didn't think to question it or ask someone, despite being in the business himself for years, and went along with it when he is going to be face-to-face with a professional (and legend). Tool.

Great film indeed.I watched it after I heard Danielson say how in 2005 Lagana wanted to make him the Bobby Fischer of WWE, as in the quiet, chess-type who one day just snaps and becomes really "out-there" (this was when Danielson had the long beard).

I've tried getting in to ROH lately but I can't get over how sterile and humourless the promotion is these days, the last iPPV was particularly difficult to watch because I just couldn't feel any kind of emotional connection with any of the performers, even the ones I was familiar with. I used to love the early stuff with the ludicrous scramble matches II still have two Special K beanies somewhere), the "pure wrestling" and "strong style" contests and the phenomenal main event matches, but now it seems to be all about bland Firstname Surname guys with no charisma or personality going through the motions looking like they'd rather be somewhere else.

I kinda know what you mean or at least it was my experience when after a long stint of maybe a year of not watching a lot of the product, I ordered a few dvds back in 09 (Danielson and Nigel's last show) and during some of the matches, despite it being the Manhattan Center, the crowd were so, so quiet. It shocked me since the last show I watched had been A New Level which had a pretty hot crowd IIRC. That experience really turned me off watching constantly and from thereon I would catch the video wires and dl or buy the odd dvd which I heard good things about throughout the card.

It may not have had the super "WRESTLING IS AN IMPORTANT SPORT" vibe the Cornette insists on, but the Ringcrew Express shtick back in 05 with their stage dives were brilliant.

Any fans of Children's Hospital? Has a great cast and list of guest stars and is kinda like Green Wing, Garth Merenghi and AD thrown together. Each ep is only 11 min long so I've flown through them

The show has no edge. Add that to the formulaic layout and it's way too samey every week.

That complaint was being made before 2008 as well, because all the blood and swearing and whatnot had long since lost its novelty.

If this was last year when Raw was more concerned about the guest host comedy bit than the rest of their main feuds, I would be with Tiger Rick about the formulaic feel of it (hence why TNA had my attention a lot of time despite the ADD booking). But this year has been very good for highly anticipated, unpredictable TV, stretching from the Undertaker videos at the start of the year, to the CM Punk summer stuff with Nash and then the conspiracy Miz/Truth stuff tied in (even if it went nowhere). And I think now that they seem to be working to make people care about a larger section of the card than before, it feels like they are actually building people slowly rather than throwing them out therefor the sake of it.

Just rewatching Mysterious Skin now, and geez is it grim, though it treats its subject matter well.

Punk is a strange one, he's over huge with the live crowd and his gimmicks sell but the audience in TV land just aren't into him (same with Ryder).

Do you think this is one of those things that WCW did wrong in 2000 where they pushed the "appeal to the internet" button too much so it was incredibly hard for the casual majority to understand properly what was going on? Sure Punk looks cool and different with his tats and slicked back hair and more identifiable physique but for someone tuning into the Slammys he just came out with a plastic display model and spouted some references; not exactly Austin-esque antics of spraying the clearly defined heel boss with a beer truck, huh?

Trips said it himself on the Shawn DVD I was watching again a few months ago when discussing him holding the company on his shoulders while WCW was kicking their arse in the ratings. Even when critically they were the better show, it wouldn't show straight away in the numbers but they were winning over the proverbial 'man on the street'. It's a slow progress especially when they've relied on a handful of acts for so long. Every year it seems we begin on here discussing the potential names who should be solidified as "the" guys, but it always seems to be the Cena show with a few supporting actors. In their defence, this year, Punk, Miz, R-Truth, Ryder, Sheamus and Ziggler (and Cody to a lesser extent) have all flourished with varying levels and for the first time, I have enjoyed watching whole episodes of Raw in 2011 because it doesn't feel like a whole show of filler building to the cash-cow Cena in the main segment. Every year around this time it seems there is a discussion about who will become part of the upper echelon and break out yet if you look at those Mania posters, it always looks the same pretty much (this year most of the promo material and intro video featured guys who weren't around the year preceeding it like Taker, Trips, Rock, Austin, Trish and Booker). Each year, one or two established big names leave or go on hiatus (Rey, edge, Taker, Jeff, Jericho, Trips, Shawn, Batista) but only now it seems there has been a conscious effort to build up with who they have. There are so, so many guys to varying degrees whom WWE have begun to tell us are "the next big thing" in the last ten years and then proceeded to either push them too hard to the point where they fail on a big stage or just left to dwindle so they leave (Kennedy, Carlito, MVP, Lashley, Koslov, Swagger, Morrison).

In short, producing an incredible piece of programming will not drive business up especially when they have so many other revenues of income that putting on compelling stories and characterisation is no longer integral to making money; so what if PPV numbers dwindle when they sell out more frequent tour schedules in new markets?

In case none of this actually means anything, does anyone remember back in 2000 on Heat on C4, they would show like at least once a week one of their stars on a TV show, filming an ad or music video or doing something related to pop culture? At the moment it feels WWE is in its own little bubble (or universe) yet still wants to be considered a part of the glamorous Hollywood community. It no longer dictates pop culture but is being dictated by it, something summed up by the Guest Host debacle which I thought they allowed themselves to be exploited by allowing mostly D-list celebs at the time plug their products and not really do much for the talent (Hugh Jackman's appearance was easily the best example of a good use of celebrity in this period because he looked genuinely excited to be hanging with a superstar and made him look like solid gold, and plus it felt "real").

Basically this is a rant that I have gotten into after reading Tiger_Rick's post and probably is old material but take from it what you will, in relation to this latest news about Punk and Ryder.

Cabana tweeted that he may have lost the Ziggler podcast interview he did

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Ziggler just tweeted that he has recorded an ep of the Art of Wrestling with Cabana, fucking stoked.

So he isn't gay?

I remember in a discussion about the film Zodiac, some people on here were talking about having read some of the books written about the subject. Just wondering on what people would recommend (Have just watched the film for third time and it is just as good as I remember, possibly my favorite Fincher film and the documentary about the killings I watched was really good).

Mickie James on Jenny Jones pre-WWE.