ARTS The Michigan Daily - Thursday, October 6, 2005 - 11A I CHANNEL SURFING Courtesy of HBO Yeah, they look like they have some chemistry. Sure. New show offers up " a lot of 'Extra stars DAILY ARTS EDITORS ARGUE By Kelly Shefferly For the Daily "Extras," HBO's new Hollywood satire is the new project from Ricky Gervais and Ste- phen Merchant, the co-creators of the smash BBC hit "The Office." Originally airing Extras Sundays at 10:30 p.m. HBO on the BBC in July and August, the show details the vain attempts at fame by the anonymous extras who fill up the background of movies. It specifically follows the on and off-set misadventures of Andy (Ger- vais, "The Office") and his close friend Maggie (Ashley Jensen, "East- Enders") and features turns from guest stars Ben Stiller, Ross Kemp * ("EastEnders"), Kate Winslet, Les Dennis ("Family Fortune"), Samuel L. Jackson and Patrick Stewart, who all play themselves. The awkward pauses and social misunderstandings that were so integral to the humor of "The Office" can also be found in "Extras," but the show is not neces- sarily an exercise in repetition for Gervais and Merchant. The guest star in the first epi- sode shown on HBO is the normally reserved Kate Winslet. She plays a nun in a Holocaust movie because she is certain that making a Holocaust film practically guarantees an Oscar. In the second episode, Ben Stiller ("Meet the Fockers") turns in a hilari- ous performance as the director of a tragic film who throws out-box office statistics to prove his worth. However, the real star of the show is Gervais. His character is not nearly as animated and ridiculous in "The Office," but he still manages to make offensive remarks to the wrong people and sabotage his own attempts at suc- cess. Maggie, a shallow and some- what daft woman, is the perfect foil for Gervais's smugness and ambi- tion. Jensen makes Maggie's constant social faux pas and idiotic comments seem endearing because of the inno- cence that she gives to the character. The two of them maintain excellent chemistry that brings compassion and sympathy to the characters even when they are doing things that most people find completely offensive and inap- propriate. With its unflinching look at the less visible people in the film industry and its numerous guest stars, "Extras" conjures up memories of the mid- '90s HBO classic "The Larry Sand- ers Show." The two are very similar in their sarcastic and cynical view of fame, but "Extras" makes this point from the perspective of those who will never attain it. THE MERITS OF THE NEN SEASON T he world of pop culture is littered with trash. Daily Arts Editor Adam Rottenberg and Daily Magazine Editor Doug Wer- nert wade through the wreckage, debating topics ranging from the fall TV season and US Weekly cover-couple Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey. Are Nick and Jessica really broken up? 1 Adam Rottenberg: I can't believe we're actu- ally debating this in print. If I have to answer; I'd say yes. But I think what we should really be discussing is why is Jessica's dad is so creepy. Does he always have to talk about how large her l chest is?1 Doug Wernert: If you can't believe it, then why 1 did you call me the second you found out? Of course it's not true. If it was, Nick would have already written a song about it called "Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche) Part 2." Plus, what girl wouldn't want to be with a guy with 1 no career, no personality and is best known as that guy who moves around furniture on "New- lyweds?" Does anyone still care about "Survivor?"i DW: Call me crazy, but despite not even being the best reality show on its own network (that I honor still goes to "The Amazing Race"), "Sur- vivor" still has that surreal element that draws l people to it. Everyone loves to see a good back- i stabbing once in a while, and when you thrown in the bizarre circumstances and the hunky Jeff Probst, you still got a winner, even if we've seen ; it all 10 times before.i AR: "Survivor" is done. They already jumped the proverbial shark by airing an "All-Star" edition, which was two seasons ago. The last I meaningful contribution the series made to pop culture was when Colby guest starred on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" last year - and only because 1 the result was so cringe-inducingly funny. How many Holocaust jokes can you make anyway? What TV show do you miss the most? AR: I miss "Seinfeld." Thursday nights just aren't the same. I remember coming to school the next morning and hearing everyone quote the new episodes. As much as I love shows like "Buffy" or "Freaks and Geeks," none of those series had the same impact on the world around me. There isn't another show like "Seinfeld," and NBC is stuck watching its ratings plummet. DW: How can you miss "Seinfeld?" It's on like five times a day. I miss "The Sopranos." It's been more than a year since a new episode and I want to see someone get whacked, dammit! Tony Soprano continues to be one of television's most feared, yet most adored characters, and the show found its groove last year. When that theme song hits again, I'll be ready. "Woke up this morning / Got yourself a gun ..." Is it better to burn out or slowly fade away (a tribute to "The Simpsons")? DW: First off, does anyone even watch "The Simpsons" anymore? What was once a can't- miss hit has turned into a shell of its former self. Back to the question, it's better to burn out. Many shows try to squeeze out one more season (or in the case of "The Simpsons," five more sea- sons) for the sake of ratings and it's just painful to watch. How else do you explain Steve Urkel getting lost in space on the series finale of "Fam- ily Matters?" AR: Nothing is more depressing as a televi- sion viewer than watching a show outlive its usefulness. We have a fondness for a series like "Seinfeld" because it knew when to walk away. What has happened to "The Simpsons" is dis- heartening. What do you think about "Commander in Chief" so far? AR: I stopped watching "The West Wing" years ago and didn't realize that Geena Davis was now on the show. Oh, wait, it's not "The West Wing?" You could have fooled me with the constant walking and leftist political ranting. And as far as Davis is con- cerned, Stewie Griffin put it best, "not a good gum to tooth ratio." DW: Oh, come on, "Commander in Chief" is harm- less. When the biggest topic of conversation is "Why is Geena Davis wearing red lipstick?" it can't be all bad. My favorite part of the show, though, is Donald Sutherland saying those overly emotional phrases about running the country, like "Leadership comes from leaders" or whatever he says. We're about two episodes away from "You're risking a country's life!" What's the most surprising cult hit? DW: The cop-out answer is "The O.C.," but who didn't see that one coming? This just in, Ryan Atwood is now 38 years old. I'm going with "Gilm- ore Girls." Not only do guys actually watch it, but from what I gather, it's just one of those overly emo- tional shows about teen love and failed marriages. Isn't every show on the WB about that? Plus, there's actually a character named Sookie. Is there some- thing I'm missing here? AR: Whatever. "Gilmore Girls" isn't surprising in the slightest. It clearly has a target demographic and caters heavily to it. "Veronica Mars," one of TV's best-kept secrets, is easily the most surprising cult hit. It managed to survive until this season and has won over such heavy-hitters in cult TV as "Buffy" creater Joss Whedon. "Mars" managed to cultivate a relatively rabid fanbase in only one short season. - Did Wernert live up to the legacy of Daily TV/ New Media Editor Punit Mattoo? Let them know at dwernert@umich.edu and arotten@umich.edu. DAILY ARTS. WE'RE IN LATEX. 'Court' recounts student legal case By Amos Barshad Daily Arts Writer In 1898, during the Spanish American War, the United States invaded Guantanamo Bay Storming and, as part of the Court the military with- By Brandt drawal, procured a Goldstein perpetual lease for Scribner the bay from Cuba. To this day, Fidel Castro receives a yearly check for $4,000 from the U.S. government, which he refuses to cash. The bay has served as a U.S. Naval base ever since, recently gaining attention for the controversial treatment of Afghani and Iraqi detainees. In the early '90s, however, Gitmo was home to Haitian refugees. Soon after Jean-Bertrand Aristide won the Hai- tian presidency in a free election, General Cervas led a military coup and a carried out a crackdown on all democratic activ- ists. In "Storming the Court," Brandt Gold- stein tells the story of a legal battle, fought primarily by Yale law students, to protect the rights of these Haitian refugees. Since Gitmo isn't officially U.S. ter- ritory, the area has always been home to dubious activity. Haitian refugees were transferred to the base after being found at sea and were subsequently treated as prisoners, receiving inadequate medical attention and enclosed in shanties with barbed-wire fences. Spurred to action by reports of human rights violations, the stu- dents took action, hoping to acquire asy- lum for the refugees in the United States. Yale professor Harold Kohl, a rising young star with a lucrative future in gov- ernment, jeopardized by his involvement in such a divisive political case, puts together an army of students to fight. Kohl is the rock, rallying the kids through all-nighters of legal research and acting as lead coun- sel. Lisa Daugaard, a fiercely idealistic stu- dent, represents the legions of bright-eyed idealists willing to spend night after night researching obscure legal details. Refugee Yvonne Pascal's story exposes the brutal details of life in the Guantanamo camps. Weaving together these three strands, Goldstein relays the story smoothly with- out bogging it down in details. The inherent risk in dramatizing real life is overdoing it, and Goldstein does fall prey to this occasionally. After a particu- larly harrowing week forces Kohl to take a break, he makes a striking reappearance at the office, waving the kids away from their work and declaring that "Michael Jordan wants the ball." The strength of "Storming the Court" is in the portrayal of the trial proceedings, which is the real meat of the book. Gold- stein infuses the court scenes with a crack- ling energy, and his law background allows him to hold the reader's hand through the more complicated details, never losing sight of the big picture - law students good, government bad. While the Yalies do manage to save hundreds of abused and diseased Haitians, ultimately their legal victory is overturned. Still, it's a thrilling ride, from the begin- nings of an impossible case up to the ini- tial decision handed down in favor of the young'uns. The idea that a small group of passionate people can carry out real change is an invigorating one that, though susceptible to melodramatic overtures, still manages to create a compelling foundation for the book. Unplanned Pregnancy? Hais Aross The Water, a liir oe adoption agency, ,an help yW"I explore your opt-ins. 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