Attack of the Show!

This show is what happened to The Screen Savers after G4 got its hands on it, taking it from a useful source of computer-related information to a show that had as its high point the shoving of a miniature web server up someone's posterior.

As G4's ratings plummeted, they moved away from their original target audience, gamers, to generic hormone-driven young men, adding eye candy to the staff and a sex advice segment. Now even the gamers who applauded the show initially are turning away in disgust. I look forward to the show's, and the network's, overwhelmingly overdue and well-deserved demise.

UPDATE: O frabjous day! AOTS is over, as is G4 as a whole. In a single lapse into worthwhile viewing, there was a Newhart-style ending with Leo Laporte telling Patrick Norton what a weird dream he had.

As a flagship show, Attack of the Show (AOTS) is endemic of the larger fall of G4 TV; it is a show (and a station) that has fallen so far that it parades sex to try and cover its glaring faults. Its predecessor, The Screen Savers, was a venue for troubleshooting technology problems and scouting out the latest and greatest in technology. It was a nice show with a likable staff and it was fun to see some of the modding and other experiments the crew could put to together.

The acquisition of TechTV by G4 bothered some longtime fans of the station, but early returns were actually promising. The emphasis on gaming was a nice addition and I really enjoyed a lot of the coverage of E3 and other big entertainment events.

Unfortunately, AOTS now stands as but a shell of its former self. Those overseeing the channel have shifted the focus of the channel away from technology and gaming and toward anything that might elicit drool from young adult men. The result is that AOTS spends as much time parading Olivia Munn or touting the adult film industry as it does covering games. It is so bad it is practically unwatchable.

While some may get puerile joy out of this sort of thing, those who genuinely enjoy gaming may wonder where the good coverage went. Equally troubling, young gamers who might tune into G4 thinking their getting gaming - that active gaming group between 10-15 - are instead being fed things aimed toward a more mature audience. On a channel like HBO or Cinemax, things like that are expected. On G4, it's tragic.

At least SpikeTV, another male-aimed channel, has good programming like CSI. AOTS, and G4, has very little good left to offer.

Too bad, really.

This show is one of my favorites. I love coming home and sitting down to watch AOTS. Great, funny and informative show. The one thing I agree with viewers is it's a bit to inappropriate at times. But there are times when that can be funny. The hosts I enjoy. Kevin is hilarious whenever he torments Candace, who always has something to comeback at him with. Watching The Feed and Gadget Pr0n are my two favorite segments of the show. I am a total nerd (@ times) and watch for new hardware or news about my favored companies. But other than that I don't pay much attention to anything else on the show unless it catches my interest, like humor. Overall "I give this a 4 out of 5" (9/10)- Chris Hardwick.

Attack of the Show! (formaly screen savers) is a live gaming and entertainment TV show shown weeknights on G4 in the United States and G4techTV in Canada. It is co-hosted by Kevin Pereira, Sarah Lane, and Brendan Moran. On occasion, Wil O'Neal will fill in for any co-host when they're not.Often, before the theme song and introduction to an episode, a short skit may include the co-hosts changing the appearance of the set, or involve Office Jesus, a passive-aggressive Jesus who haunts the workrooms and cubicles with practical jokes and antics. AOTS presents gaming and technology related news, product demonstrations, software clinics, MTV-style technology entertainment, interviews with notable people, and such original segments as:

Top of the Show - Short segment at the start of each show where Kevin and his co-host (typically Sarah) review new and interesting gadgets and/or websites.

The Feed - Technology news delivered by Sarah Lane.

Frugality (formerly "Dark Deals") - Cheap and low-cost deals on the internet; sometimes free Gems of the Internet - The Internet's strange and bizarre websites Damn Good Website - Sarah's selection of the best internet websites. Live Music Thursday (formerly Boost Mobile Live Band) - Live performances, often by little-known, independent artists shown on Thursdays (formerly on Fridays).

It Came From eBay - Strange and bizarre items being sold on eBay, from a Hitler Skunk to a bull penis walking stick and more.

Chat Questions - Segment at end of each show where the hosts answer questions from the chat room while sitting on The Couch.

DVDuesday - Chris Gore's selections of DVDs, and rates them as: Buy - Many extras, great movie; excellent Rent - Do not buy, but check it out; good Pass - Do not buy or rent at all; bad User Created - Showing the best of AOTS-themed creations made by the viewers of the show.

The Lush - Segment in which the hosts discuss alcohol related websites, drink recipes, and drinking games.

First 50 - Kevin plays new games for 50 minutes and gives a review.

Fresh Ink - A new segment that displays the chosen new comics that came out the week of the airing, such as Desolation Jones. This segment features a special correspondent, one-time X-Play senior writer, recently promoted Blair Butler. Buy - Purchase because of the comic's quality Browse - Look at it on the stands for a few minutes, but isn't a must have Burn - Comics that are not worthy to be read, rather fitting to be burned or shredded!

Jimmy the Geek - A segment where a producer of the show, dressed up in costume, gives his picks and information on big (football) games.

As of January 2006, Live Music Fridays were moved to Thursday and Friday shows are now a "week in review" show, called a Mash-Up, with clips from the previous four days.there used to be another episode featuring margarita fridays which was replaced by the lush.

I cannot hate on the show. When the old (and better) tech TV had to hit the bricks, the channel was reformatted and new shows stepped in. "Attack of the Show" is the replacement for the Screen Savers, with 3 co-hosts in the beginning. They were Kevin Rose, Kevin Pereira and Sarah Lane. Brendan Moran came to be something of a co-host as well, but he mostly did prerecorded pieces for the show. Kevin Rose decided to leave the show, and eventually there was a contest to see who would be the third host, but that didn't pan out for some reason.

Eventually (I just learned this from this very IMDb messageboard) Sarah Lane and Brendan Moran moved on because (hey, this is what I read) the two got married. That was a big secret to me! Now there is a new female co-host, the not-as-hot (my opinion) Olivia Munn. She's hiding something in those tops she wears, while Sarah Lane had a perfect body and she wasn't afraid to show it.

AHEM! Sorry.

"Attack of the Show" deals with everything young people want to know about. It's music, movies, comic books, the internet and television. This is what's great about the show. If you don't want to bother with scouring the net or waste time watching MTV, you can get all you want on AOTS. Some segments and bits they do are funny. They have regular guests and contributors who are in the industry, as well as guests who range from insignificant internet stars to actual big names.

Even though the hosts aren't as geek as I'd like them to be, I still have found "Attack of the Show" to be entertaining, even with its latest lineup.