TV OVERLOAD

Andy Samberg did a pretty terrific job as the host of last night's 67th Primetime Emmy Awards by keeping things light and avoiding any painfully bad comedy bits (it's surprising how often hosts fail at that—I'm looking at you and your Oscars locked box bit, Neil Patrick Harris). While his monologue was a solid hit (multiple Ed Asner jokes!), the highlight of the night came via the prerecorded opening number, where Samberg gleefully sang about a modern problem we've all encountered—not being caught up on all the TV shows that come up in conversation. The number even features Jon Hamm, Kerry Washington, and Bob Odenkirk. What more could you ask for?

REELING FROM "THE REALLY BIG ONE"

It's safe to say the recent The New Yorker article "The Really Big One," left more than a few Seattleites obsessively thinking about the scientifically inevitable massive earthquake that could leave everything west of I-5 (and I believe this is the scientific term) "toast." Shelby Earl is one of said doom dwellers. In response to the feelings evoked by the piece, Earl (and the Spectacles) created a music video for "Stay With Me Tonight." The clip employs footage shot in on the San Jaun Islands to convey a sense of isolation, fear, and beauty with shots of Earl floating clothed in the water, traversing the vast humanless landscape, and searching and waiting in the dark. As Earl told The Wall Street Journal, "I made this song about a fling anyway, so we might as well take it next-level: end-of-the-world fling."

GOOD TWEETS OF THE WEEK

These are good tweets, y’all...

When parents say to kids "go to ur room & think about what you've done" it's really good practice for what you'll do every night as an adult

— pat tobin (@tastefactory) September 18, 2015

i wonder if Ians are wary around guys named Killian

— Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) September 18, 2015

Hey guys, check out this movie about an astronaut getting abandoned in space lol https://t.co/yNpx7PVW9h

— Ken Jennings (@KenJennings) September 20, 2015

CAUGHT RED-PAWED

There are many problems with Vine, but one thing the social media app has undeniably proven is that some narratives can be fully told in a mere six seconds. Behold "Puppy caught eating paper decides killing witness is the only way out." That reveal. That mouth drop. That pause for dramatic effect before the climactic action. You couldn't script it all any better.

LATE NIGHT ART

It's always interesting to watch a new talk show like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert find its footing over the first few months. While I could watch Colbert and Emily Blunt do fake vomit takes for at least 3 hours, the final segment on last Friday's show was really eye-catching and potentially telling. The stars of Broadway's An American in Paris ended the night by performing a gorgeous and romantic ballet-based dance duet. Colbert even briefly interviewed director/choreographer Christopher Wheeldon before the performance (P.S. Pacific Northwest Ballet opens its season this Friday by once again performing Wheeldon's absolutely stunning Tide Harmonic). That just doesn't happen on modern late night talk shows. Hopefully Colbert will continue to incorporate more performances like this as he moves forward with The Late Show.

(Just so we're clear here, while Colbert's doing this, the #1 rated late night show largely centers around lip syncing. Cool job, America!)