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I’ve been a fan of Alison Krauss ever since I heard her breathtaking a Capella rendition of “Down To The River To Pray” in the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?. That song and 15 others make up this beautifully eclectic mess of music called “A Hundred Miles Or More: A Collection”. The official press release from Rounder Records reads as follows.

“A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection” is comprised of 16 tracks, highlighting Alison Krauss’s career outside of her traditional releases with longtime band Union Station. The album features Krauss’s collaboration with John Waite on the single “Missing You,” as well as Krauss’s contributions to film soundtracks, including the Oscar-nominated songs “The Scarlet Tide” and “You Will Be My Ain True Love,” written for the motion picture “Cold Mountain,” and “Down to the River to Pray” from the film “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” Known for her collaborations, Krauss also includes several duets in the collection such as the 2003 hit with Brad Paisley, “Whiskey Lullaby,” and her duet with James Taylor for the tribute album “Livin’, Lovin’, Losin’: Songs of the Louvin Brothers,” “How’s the World Treating You.” The collection debuts five new songs: “You’re Just a Country Boy,” “Jacob’s Dream,” “Simple Love,” “Lay Down Beside Me,” and “Away Down the River,” all of which feature Krauss as a producer.

Alison’s voice is as enchanting as ever with an ability to completely remove me from my head and exist in between the notes she sings. There are very few singers who have that ability and I sincerely hope she keeps making the music she wants to make and avoids the commercial pitfalls of overproduced studio albums. There are a few weak spots in the album but they are more than made up for by the rest of the songs. The sweetest surprise for me was the cover of “Baby Mine”. A little ditty you may remember from a truly heartbreaking scene in the Disney classic Dumbo. I didn’t think the song alone would be as moving but Alison’s voice is absolutely magical and takes you right back to the outside of the tiny circus car with bars on the windows where Dumbo’s mother comforts him in the darkness. Luckily for us, Alison’s voice carries much farther than Mrs. Jumbo’s.

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I have been a champion for television for as long as I can remember. I love the medium and I have been at the forefront of applauding shows that really push the boundaries and show what episodic entertainment can do. I have watched with wonder and even a little pride as shows like Twin Peaks, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural tell incredibly complex stories though fantasy and allegory. Stories that “mainstream” television can’t seem to tell as well. I don’t know what it is about genre shows that allows for more forward thinking but it’s a phenomenon that I’ll save for another column. Today I want to take a look at a few shows that are “on the bubble” (an industry term meaning that their future is uncertain).

First I want to say I’m not a big fan of the modern sitcom. To me no other half hour program has come close to matching the brilliance of Redd Foxx on Sanford and Son. That isn’t to say I can’t enjoy a sitcom, I just won’t care about it like I do hour long dramas. There have been exceptions to the rule, most notably That 70’s Show. This season brought the first sitcom in quite some time that had me engaged in the characters journeys and actually anticipating the next episode. The creators of The Class took a big risk with its odd premise. Ethan Haas (Jason Ritter) throws an impromptu party and invites as many members of his third grade class as he can find with the intention to propose to his girlfriend who he met in that class. The premise is a little stupid honestly. Who in the world would even come to that party? The answer is one of the most interestingly diverse casts I’ve seen on a sitcom is a number of years. The writing is witty and clever and the situations we find these cast members in are funny and awkward and most of the time completely void of the typical sitcom cliche’s. Its an amazing feat that I would not have thought possible. The first season ended a few weeks ago with a number of cliffhangers, some more contrived that others but all standard sitcom fare. Having a half hour comedy that I felt was something beyond the norm end so hackneyed rubbed me a little wrong. I had faith however that the writers of this show could pull out some interesting twists next season. I sincerely hope that show is given the chance to go to new places and not be dropped like so many other truly creative and intelligent shows.

Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip was without a doubt the best, brightest, smartest surprise of this season. The show has an amazing with and intelligence you just don’t see on network television (except Gilmore Girls but I’ll touch on that in a minute). No other hour of television this season touched me as much as the Christmas episode of Studio 60. Without being heavy handed or overly melodramatic it managed to strike a chord about what Christmas really means to people. I’ve gone back and re watched that episode more than any other. It was a beautiful and moving piece of television and that kind of heart and impact should not be ignored and cast aside. Aaron Sorkin has proven his worth and fan reaction, while not showing in the ratings, has been overwhelmingly positive.

What in the hell is wrong with the CW? I know reality shows bring in ratings, are cheap to produce and make a bunch of money but why turn your network into “The Boob Channel”? I do, on occasion, watch America’s Next Top Model. I understand how hard these girls work and I see the reason behind capitalizing on that shows success with the Pussycat Dolls reality show. What I don’t see is canceling one of the best hour long dramas on television because girls dancing in their underwear gets strong ratings. Veronica Mars is in serious trouble and I don’t think her super sleuthing powers are going to help her in this instance. It stands to reason that if television networks were actually concerned about creating diverse and entertaining television they would make allowances for shows that are both critically praised and beloved by fans. Sadly while every network will tell you they want to make great television for the most part they are all content to only get behind those programs that make them a fortune no matter how horrible they are. If Veronica gets canceled it will be due to simple greed. Why have an intelligent show on that gets ok ratings when scantily clad girls filmed by college kids would sell far more advertising?

Which brings me to the biggest mess I’ve seen in television in a while. Before the WB and UPN merged into the CW, the creators of the WB’s much loved Gilmore Girls asked the unthinkable. They wanted to extend their contract beyond one year. Among actors this is a standard practice and the Palladinos felt as if they had earned the right to be guaranteed a spot on the roster. The network of course balked at the proposal and the Palladinos left the show in the hands of capable people. While the show has been decent this season the magic the Palladinos brought to it is gone. Why couldn’t they have the same length contracts as the shows stars? I have no idea. I don’t know how network execs decide anything. What I do know is the Gilmore’s lagging creativity isn’t what has it in danger, its the reluctance of series star Alexis Bledel to sign her contract. Because Alexis is stalling the other series star Lauren Graham is also holding out. What are they holding out for? I honestly have no idea but I hope its a return of the Palladinos.

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