May 3, 2006
Network TV Show Status
Recommended reading: Deadline Hollywood's Cheat Sheet.
The rest of this entry is from Shouting Into The Wind's post "The Watch List".
UPDATED 5/3 with cancellation.
Cancelled (new) shows:
* Head Cases (Fox)
* Sex, Lies and Secrets (UPN)
* Inconceivable (NBC)
* Just Legal (WB)
* Kitchen Confidential (Fox)
* The Night Stalker (ABC)
* Threshold (CBS)
* Reunion (Fox)
* Hot Properties (ABC)
* Killer Instinct (Fox)
* Emily's Reasons Why Not (ABC)
* Book of Daniel (NBC)
* Love Monkey (CBS)
* Four Kings (NBC)
* Heist (NBC)
* Commander in Chief (ABC) (yanked on 5/3)
Shows likely to be axed:
* In Justice (ABC)
* Twins (WB)
* Related (WB)
* South Beach (UPN)
* Crumbs (ABC)
* Conviction (NBC)
* Modern Men (WB)
* Sons & Daughters (ABC)
* Free Ride (FOX)
* The Loop (FOX)
* The Evidence (ABC)
* The Bedford Diaries (WB)
* Teachers (NBC)
* Courting Alex (CBS)
* Pepper Dennis (WB)
* Thief (FX)
* What About Brian (ABC)
On the Fence:
* Misconception (WB) (midseason premiere TBD)
* Windfall (NBC) (summer premiere 6/8)
* Saved (TNT) (summer premiere 6/12 after 'The Closer')
* Blade: The Series (Spike TV) (summer premiere 6/28)
* Psych (USA) (summer premiere 7/7)
* Brotherhood (Showtime) (summer premiere 7/9)
Likely pickups:
* The Unit (CBS)
* The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS)
Ordered full season:
* Prison Break (Fox) (renewed for next season)
* My Name is Earl (NBC) (renewed for next season)
* Bones (Fox) (renewed for next season)
* How I Met Your Mother (CBS) (renewed for next season)
* Criminal Minds (CBS) (renewed for next season)
* The Ghost Whisperer (CBS) (renewed for next season)
* Weeds (Showtime) (renewed for next season)
* Sleeper Cell (Showtime) (renewed for next season)
* Rome (HBO) (renewed for next season)
* Big Love (HBO) (renewed for next season)
* Supernatural (WB) *
* Everybody Hates Chris (UPN)
* The War at Home (Fox)
* Invasion (ABC)
* Out of Practice (CBS) (back on hiatus)
* Surface (NBC)
* Love, Inc (UPN)
* Freddie (ABC)
* E-Ring (NBC)
* Close to Home (CBS)
*No word on renewal for next season unless otherwise noted
Existing Shows probably in their last year:
* Arrested Development (Fox) (cancelled)
* Will & Grace (NBC) (cancelled, will end in May)
* Alias (ABC) (cancelled, will end in May)
* The West Wing (NBC) (cancelled, will end in May)
* Over There (FX) (cancelled)
* 7th Heaven (WB) (cancelled, will end in May)
* Malcom in the Middle (Fox) (cancelled, will end in May)
* That 70's Show (Fox) (cancelled, will end in May)
* Yes, Dear (CBS) (cancelled)
* Charmed (WB) (cancelled, will end in May)
* What I Like About You (WB) (cancelled)
* Wanted (TNT) (cancelled)
* Jake in Progress (ABC) (Stamos going to ER next season -- I'd say it is gone)
* Joey (NBC) (on hiatus -- again)
* Rodney (ABC)
* Still Standing (CBS)
* Stacked (Fox)
* The Bernie Mac Show (Fox)
* Blue Collar TV (WB)
* Living with Fran (WB)
* Cuts (UPN)
* Half and Half (UPN)
* One on One (UPN)
* One Tree Hill (WB)
Posted by bonnie at 7:19 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 6, 2006
Save Our Shows
Have you voted in the annual "Save Our Shows" campaign? Please strongly consider shows with which my buddies are involved: "Commander in Chief" (Jasmine Jessica Anthony, Steve Tom), "Sons & Daughters" (Fred Goss, Alison Quinn, Greg Pitts, Dee Wallace-Stone, Nick Holly), "The King of Queens" (Victor Williams), "One on One" (Camille Mana), and "Reba" (Melissa Peterman).
Thanks!
Posted by bonnie at 9:37 PM | TrackBack
March 24, 2006
Early New Sitcom List Looks BAD
From an article about how we're watching far more "old" sitcom TV than "new,"
The executives are certainly continuing to try, judging by the comedy projects in development this spring (ABC executives declined to speak for this article). Among the more likely to hit the air in the next year:
_"Community Service," starring Jay Mohr as a real estate agent who travels to the Midwest to win a woman's affection and ends up afoul of the law, on NBC.
_"The Winner," with Rob Corddry of "The Daily Show" as a successful man looking back on when he was a 32-year-old slacker living with his parents, on Fox.
_"The Class," helmed by a co-creator of "Friends," reunites a group of third-grade classmates when they reach their 20s, on CBS.
_"Angriest Man in Suburbia," a big-city accountant becomes a stay-at-home dad and it pushes him over the edge, on CBS.
_"Worst Week of My Life," a limited-run series on Fox. Each episode focuses on one day in the week leading up to a marriage.
_"Alpha Mom," a comedic look at a frenetic working mom, by the creator of "Scrubs," on NBC.
Just ew.
Posted by bonnie at 3:00 PM | TrackBack
March 20, 2006
TV Shows That Left Too Soon
This post comes from the Calgary Sun. Read it in its original format here. Glad to see a few of my favorite "gone too soon" shows (Freaks and Geeks, Action!, Boomtown, Family Guy, The Job, and Cupid. I, of course, would add shows like It's Like... You Know, Get Real, Class of '96, Relativity, Joan of Arcadia, Significant Others, Debt, Partners, and Getting Personal.
TV series cut short too soon: The Sun counts down the 25 best series that were cancelled before their time
By KEVIN WILLIAMSON
Imagine ripping a bonbon from Britney Spears' chunky, grasping talons.That's a little what it's like separating a TV critic from his favourite show.
For the courtship between critic and series is a complex one, first marked by the flush of pleasant surprise ("Hey, this ain't bad") and then cemented by fidelity ("I will watch you above all others'), foolish pride ("I must tell others about how glorious you are") and desperate prayer ("Don't let it be punted for a spinoff of Yes, Dear ... Don't let it be punted for a spinoff of Yes, Dear ...").
It is not something to be dismissed lightly. And it is a love affair we rarely forget, long after our beloved has been cheerlessly replaced by The Surreal Life.
Just last month Love Monkey -- a promising dramedy starring former Ed star and current CIBC pitchman Tom Cavanaugh -- was axed by the braintrust at CBS (a.k.a. Those Responsible For Ghost Whisperer) after a smattering of episodes.
The cancellation wasn't a shock, considering the network was probably at a loss with what to do with a series that had neither a laugh track nor a body count. Truthfully, I hadn't seen enough of it to declare it great -- or merely a project with potential. But then, we'll never know now, will we?
Love Monkey's demise did, however, get us thinking about all those other shows, some more recent than others, that have come and gone so fleetingly -- resigned to wander the intergalactic static in the hope that some alien civilization might some century tune in.
We know there are dozens -- possibly hundreds -- that have blinked into existence to be imprinted upon too-few minds.
But in the name of the common good, we arrived at this Sun-certified ranking of the 25 finest shows ever to be cancelled too quickly, cut short too soon.
1: TWIN PEAKS: Like many series consigned to an early grave, the influence of this David Lynch-crafted melodrama about murder in a small Pacific Northwest town was felt for years after its end. Would we have met Mulder and Scully or opened their X-Files had there not first been Peaks and Kyle MacLachlan's FBI agent Dale Cooper, with his deadpan demeanor and obsession with the occult? Peaks -- with its Lynchian atmosphere -- cobbled together painterly images with swelling melodies and abstract, disquieting non sequiturs. Never again would I look at cherry stems or apple pies the same way. Lynch wouldn't return to television until nearly a decade later when he produced a pilot entitled Mulholland Falls. ABC ended up scrapping the project, which led Lynch to retool it as a film.
2: ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT: A recent wound inflicted upon the collective unconscious was the criminally-inane nixing of this Emmy-winning family comedy. Starring Jason Bateman and filmed in a quasi-documentary style with a narrator and no insipid laugh track, Development never resorted to easy gags, deriving its laughs, ever so archly, from its characters, while refusing to underestimate the intelligence of its viewers. Both of them.
3: FIREFLY: This series from Joss Whedon (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) billed itself as the anti-Star Trek, a futuristic western about outlaws living on the fringe of a galactic empire. The show, fronted by Edmonton-born Nathan Fillion, wasn't remarkable for special effects or mind-bending 2001 concepts, but for its sharp performances and whip-fast wit. Firefly got the short shrift from Fox, which aired episodes out of order and pulled the plug before all its instalments had aired. Whedon exacted a revenge, of sorts, when he wrote and directed last year's feature film Serenity, based on the series.
4: EZ STREETS: Before he enraged gay cowboys everywhere by winning an Oscar for Crash, Canadian writer/director Paul Haggis created and produced this introspective crime epic about three violent men -- a cop, a criminal, a convict -- and the uneasy world they inhabit. With Streets, Haggis, who at the time was coming off the success of the lightweight Due South, demonstrated his skill at interweaving challenging narratives with intricately-shaded characterizations.
5: FREAKS AND GEEKS/UNDECLARED: These two short-lived comedies -- about the travails of the young and alienated -- were created by Judd Apatow, an Emmy winner whose credits include The Larry Sanders Show and last summer's The 40-Year-Old Virgin. In both, Apatow juggled laughter and pathos without sacrificing reality or low-balling viewers -- in other words, no pies, flutes or Krazy-glued body parts. Just nerds and their friends, confronting freedom, responsibility, the opposite sex and more than a few hapless parents.
6: ACTION!: These days, Jay Mohr is best known for doing a wicked Christopher Walken impersonation -- oh, and there was that stint hosting the reality-TV contest Last Comic Standing, how could we forget? -- but if Hollywood were a fairer place, he'd be remembered for starring in this Tinseltown satire as a Hollywood player who's every bit the velociraptor Jeremy Piven's agent in HBO's Entourage is. Speaking of Entourage, should Piven ever bolt, we could think of no more fitting a replacement than the ever-employable Mohr.
7: ANDY RICHTER CONTROLS THE UNIVERSE: Sidekicks are historically an underrated lot. Robin The Boy Wonder in the green short-shorts, Ed McMahon degenerating into a home-lotto pitchman. So perhaps Andy Richter, who rose to stardom as Conan O'Brien's right-hand man and staring-contest sparring partner, should have been braced for the lukewarm reception his ingenious, whimsical comedy Andy Richter Controls The Universe was greeted with. The gimmick of the show, co-produced by Richter, was letting viewers be privy to his inner-most fantasies (don't worry, it was all PG-rated), allowing Controls The Universe to offset its Dilbert-esque office setting with flights of imagination -- all to sublime comic effect.
8: THE TICK: The Seinfeld curse hasn't simply hexed the primary cast members -- at times it has also plagued supporting players such as Patrick Warburton, who portrayed Elaine's on-and-off boyfriend, Puddy. In 2001, Warburton landed the titular role in this live-action comic strip created by Ben Edlund and produced by Men in Black's Barry Sonnenfeld, only to find audiences indifferent to its wry and endearing tale of an endlessly cheerful, blue-suited crusader.
9: CRIME STORY: In 1986, while the world was watching Miami Vice, its producer Michael Mann created this sprawling crime saga set in the 1960s and starring Dennis Farina as a dogged, flawed detective who wouldn't be caught dead in a pink T-shirt. While Crime Story didn't have the immediate impact on the culture Vice did, its season-long arcs, graphic violence and hard-boiled cops make Mann seem prescient 20 years later.
10: BOOMTOWN: This L.A.-based procedural was at times too slick, but with its Rashomon-style storytelling -- each episode being told from differing points of view -- and jigsaw structure, it was a propulsive piece of pop entertainment. Even with former New Kid on the Block Donnie Wahlberg in the cast.
11: FAMILY GUY: How does a show that's still on the air make it on this list? Because it WAS cancelled by Fox and resurrected only because DVD sales convinced executives there was still cash to be milked from Peter Griffith's udders.
12: SPORTS NIGHT: Before he created The West Wing, Aaron Sorkin dazzled with this dramedy set at a sports cable network. The ensemble included Felicity Huffman, but the true star was Sorkin's mastery of the language.
13: ANGEL: When this Buffy spinoff was slain, executive producer Joss Whedon ended things by sending his heroes to certain death because even though they'd lose, the fight itself was just. The same could be said for Angel.
14: ROBBERY HOMICIDE DIVISION: Michael Mann returned to the streets briefly with this CBS crime drama. The problem? It didn't look like every other CBS crime drama. Which is why, coincidentally, it's listed here.
15: GREG THE BUNNY: Seth Green peaked when he starred in this sitcom about a world in which muppets are real.
16: THE JOB: Before Rescue Me, Denis Leary created and starred in this equally energetic and truthful dramedy.
17: THE CRITIC: Jon Lovitz voiced the titular toon of this Simpsons spinoff.
18: CUPID: Jeremy Piven before he was relegated to playing only 1) a jerk or 2) the star's best friend.
19: REUNION: Memo to self: Before you start watching another serialized drama, make sure it has a full-season order so the writers can tie up all the loose ends.
20: THE ADVENTURES OF BRISCO COUNTY JR.: Two universal truths about anything with Bruce Campbell: it will be cool and never find a large audience.
21: HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET: This police drama lasted longer than most shows on this list, but like Rutger Hauer in Blade Runner, we still wanted more life.
22: ONCE AND AGAIN: A rare drama that dealt with divorce realistically.
23: WONDERFALLS: Joan of Arcadia with brains.
24: STAR TREK: The question is, would Star Trek have lasted for 40 years if it hadn't been cancelled after three seasons, since its early death only served to nourish its cult following?
25: NOW AND AGAIN: Not to be confused with Once and Again. Like he does with his other projects, creator Glenn Gordon Caron (Medium) subverted genre cliches with this tale of a modern-day Six Million Dollar Man.
THEY LIVED TOO LONG
Some TV shows die too soon, but others go on waaaay past their expiry dates:
- THE X-FILES: The first five seasons of this supernatural series were excellent. Then we had the move from Vancouver to Los Angeles, the muddled movie and the search for Mulder and ... need I go on?
- ALIAS: This spy serial fell apart after two seasons. It's currently limping toward its final episode -- three years too late.
- FRIENDS: What's so funny about watching a group of bored multimillionaires who just showed up so they can collect their $25-million-per-season paycheques? Nothing at all.
Posted by bonnie at 9:09 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
December 1, 2005
Midseason TV News
NBC to shuffle primetime lineup in January
Dec. 02, 2005
By Andrew Wallenstein
It's a new "Earl" order at NBC.
The peacock announced an aggressive reshuffling of its primetime schedule Thursday, including the move of new hit comedy "My Name Is Earl" from Tuesday to Thursday beginning Jan. 5.To reverse its sagging fortunes on a night it once dominated, NBC also will remove "Joey" and "The Apprentice" from the Thursday lineup. Both series are expected to return to the schedule later this season on a different night, but the timing has not been determined.
"Will & Grace" will finish out its final season in the 8 p.m. slot once reserved for "Joey," followed by "Four Kings," a new comedy from "Will & Grace" creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick. "ER" remains at 10 p.m.
The addition of "Kings" will give NBC four consecutive comedies scheduled on Thursday, hearkening back to the powerhouse Must-See TV lineups of yesteryear.
"Certainly destination comedy has been part of NBC's identity for a long time, and reassembling those blocks is a priority," NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly said. "With the success of 'Earl' this year and with 'Office' finding its legs, we have the makings of a block of shows we felt perfectly fit the profile of an NBC Thursday night comedy lineup."
The Thursday shake-up represents a dramatic shift in strategy from the conservative approach NBC surprisingly took in May, when it left "Joey," "Will & Grace" and "Apprentice" in place despite drooping ratings. Their declines only continued this fall, with "Joey" off 43% in the 18-49 demographic 10 weeks into the season, and "Will & Grace" down 35% and "Apprentice" 38%.
Sensing vulnerability at NBC and opportunity to reap Thursday's bountiful advertising revenue, competitors had begun making bold moves. ABC is returning summer hit "Dancing With the Stars" to 8 p.m. Thursdays beginning Jan. 5. There were rumblings that Fox would move the "American Idol" results show to Thursday as well, but the network said Wednesday that the top-rated series would remain on Wednesday.
The removal of the "Idol" threat on Thursday freed up Reilly to make a bold move of his own. "We didn't want to go out into the jaws of 'Idol,' " Reilly said. "Frankly, we were waiting to see what they did."
Also in January, NBC will fill the "Earl"/"Office" void Tuesdays with back-to-back episodes of "Scrubs." "Fear Factor" also will return to NBC's schedule in the 8 p.m. Tuesday hour.
On Wednesday, the peacock plans to fill the 9 p.m. hour after the finale of "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart" this month with special themed episodes of the reality series "The Biggest Loser," which wrapped its second cycle Tuesday with strong ratings.
On Friday, NBC is benching its reality series "Three Wishes" for episodes of "Most Outrageous TV Moments" at 8 p.m., followed by newsmagazine "Dateline" and the new limited series "The Book of Daniel," about an unconventional minister, in the 10 p.m. slot that in recent weeks has carried repeats of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."
Switching nights midway into its first season is a risky gambit for "Earl," but Reilly thinks the show's fans will find it easily. "Earl" has averaged a 5.5 rating/13 share among adults 18-49 and 12.5 million viewers overall, making it the season's No. 1 comedy.
Moving "Earl" might be more of a defensive move on Tuesday than it is on Thursday given the increasingly competitive nature of the former night. In addition to new ABC hit "Commander in Chief," Fox's "House" is likely to grow only stronger once "Idol" slips in as its 8 p.m. lead-in. "Earl" also was about to lose its own lead-in, "The Biggest Loser."
While the retention rate of "Office" out of "Earl" is an underwhelming 71% this season, Reilly was encouraged by a steady uptrend in that number and its passionate, young core audience.
The new Thursday lineup will be supported by a new marketing campaign that will be apparent both on and off the network. The "Must-See TV" tagline will not be revived, said Reilly, who added that he is not likely to tinker with the new Thursday foursome. "This is clearly not a short-term ratings play with this lineup."
January won't be the last of Reilly's rearrangements. The period after the Olympics in February could see the addition of anywhere from three to six new series. The field of possibilities include comedies "Thick and Thin" and "Teachers"; dramas "Kidnapped," "The Black Donnellys," "Heist" and "Windfall"; and the unscripted series "Treasure Hunters."
"Apprentice" also is expected back on after the Olympics, according to Reilly, who gave no such timetable for "Joey."
The midseason benching of "Joey," currently in its second season, might signal an ignominious end for a comedy NBC was counting on to keep the lights on on Thursday. But Reilly said he hasn't given up on the series, nor does he report receiving negative feedback from "Joey" producer Warner Bros. Television. "They understood, nobody's squawking," Reilly said.
WBTV declined comment.
Asked what reaction he was anticipating regarding the new strategy, Reilly is resigned to riding out the vagaries of the TV business.
"You're damned if you do, you're damned if you don't," Reilly said. "Conservative and stable didn't play in May. Now it's going to be, 'What, are they crazy, moving everything?' In this environment, it's hard to look smart."
...and...
CYNTHIA TURNER'S Cynopsis
12/01/05
Good morning. It's Thursday, December 1, 2005, and this is your first early morning briefing.UPN has announced the launch dates of two if its midseason series: South Beach on Wednesday, January 11 at 8p (2-hour premiere); and Get This Party Started on January 24 at 9p. Also, Get This Party Started will repeat each Tuesday night at 8p, with a new episode at 9p, starting January 31st.
Fox's Midseason schedule kicks off in January, thusly:
* Mondays: Skating with Celebrities (as of 1/23), 24 (as of 1/15)
* Tuesdays: American Idol (as of 1/17), House
* Wednesdays: American Idol (1/18), Bones (1/25)
* Thursdays: The O.C., That '70s Show (as of 3/2), Stacked (as of 3/2)
* Fridays: The Bernie Mac Show, Malcolm in the Middle, Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy (as of 1/6)
* Saturdays: Cops, Cops, AMW: America Fights Back
* Sundays: Encore Fox Comedies, King of the Hill, The Simpsons, The War at Home, Family Guy, American Dad
Two notes regarding the Fox midseason schedule:
Prison Break will return with original episodes on March 20.
Killer Instinct will have its last airing on December 2.That's it. On your mark, get set .... Program your TiVos!
Posted by bonnie at 11:15 PM | TrackBack
November 22, 2005
The Gauntlet 2
Dude. How did I miss that the new RW/RR Challenge started airing last night? Oh well, at least I can relax, knowing how MTV loves to rerun shows like The Gauntlet 2. Will report soon.
Posted by bonnie at 4:14 PM | TrackBack
September 19, 2005
LOST--What's in the Hatch?
Spied on the Internet (not written by me--a casting director friend came up with it). Enjoy!
DOWN THE HATCH!--by Mark Sikes
The suspense will be over in a couple of days when the new season of "Lost" begins, but I thought I would take this final opportunity to ponder this summer's greatest mystery. Not since J.R. was shot have TV audiences had a better cliffhanger. Below are a few of my best, and perhaps silliest, theories about whom, or what, is down the hatch!
Theory #1: A top-secret PETA rescue facility. Explains the polar bear. Also opens this season up to lots of lab monkeys! Who wouldn't buy a "Lost" lab monkey plush toy?!
Theory #2: Al Capone's long-lost loot. Look for Geraldo to make an "I told ya so" cameo by episode three.
Theory #3: Richard Hatch. The naked "Survivor" guy, not the "Battlestar Galactica" guy. This theory isn't as far-fetched as you might think for a couple of reasons. One, he's been in the jungle before and the way these castaways got along in season one, they could use someone with better leadership skills. And second, his name is Hatch. Get it? A hatch that leads to... a Hatch! This show is not above a little wordplay, trust me.
Theory #4: Corey Feldman's acting career. This one has legs. Where else could it be?
Theory #5: President Bush's plan for relief for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Okay, it's unlikely that ABC will want to hop on such a political powder keg, but like Feldman's career, where else could it be?
Theory #6: The co-pilot of Oceanic Flight 815! Hey, if your last flight was 1000 miles off course you'd hide down a hatch for months, too!
Theory #7: The Count from "Sesame Street." This would help ABC attract a younger audience. Besides, who else is going to explain those creepy numbers?
Theory #8: All of Charlie Sheen's ex-girlfriends. Okay, it would have to be a really big room down there, but wouldn't the island be more fun with thousands of strippers and playmates or is that just me?
Theory #9: Patrick Duffy taking a shower. Season one was all a dream.
Theory #10: All the scripts for "Lost" season two. Putting them in the hatch is the only way to keep them off the internet.
Posted by bonnie at 4:54 AM | TrackBack
September 16, 2005
The OC
So, I watched my first ever episode of The OC and I'm seeing shades of Aaron Spelling all over the place! Man, how I miss Beverly Hills, 90210! Are these kids REALLY playing 17/18?? Wow!
Of course, I've tuned in to see my friend (and co-author) Blake Robbins do some killer-type stuff and to finally see those hypnotic eyebrows Chip has spoken of (and, Chip, why are your archives password protected??).
There's some Election vibe going on in the classroom. That's cool. I'd probably have loved this, had I started watching at the beginning. I wonder if I'm hooked now.
Hm.
Next week, Blake's on again, so it'll only be AFTER the 29th that I know for sure. Do like these "valley girl" talking girls, though! A little Heathers-esqueness, methinks.
Gosh, but they talk so Dawson's Creek!
Posted by bonnie at 1:01 AM | TrackBack
September 13, 2005
Breaking Bonaduce
I TiVo an episode of just about everything so that I can see if I want to commit. I am going to have a hard time watching Breaking Bonaduce, but I'm going to do it, just the same.
Having done years of therapy and being from an alcoholic family, there's a lot to relate to, for me. There's also a lot to learn.
I was fascinated by Danny's exit from his job at Star 98.7, knowing he'd first gone back to rehab, then learning he'd come back to his morning show only to leave it forever.
In tonight's episode, I got to see him reveal, on the air, that he had cheated on Gretchen. While his bouts with ALL things were always radio fodder, it was chilling to watch his face when the bottom fell out, as Gretchen called him to confront him for putting *this* specific piece of information out there. And of course, her phonecall was aired.
I'm not sure how I feel about that much pain being put out there for others to see, but I'm also not sure that it's not a good thing. I feel conflicted for enjoying the show--and then I realize I don't actually *enjoy* it. I respect the feet-held-to-the-fire-ness of it. It's the kind of accountability I would expect from... me, really. It's brave and it's difficult to imagine. I guess it's also difficult to watch. But I'm going to continue to do so.
I will enjoy My Fair Brady after. It's the only way to get the Breaking out of my emotional landscape.
Posted by bonnie at 12:39 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
August 23, 2005
Inside 9/11
I am questioning my sanity at enduring Inside 9/11 on the National Geographic Channel. Keith told me that he would NOT be watching, as it angers him to "kill" levels. Marines with combat experience get like that, so I don't question it. But I have to watch.
I watched the first half of the documentary this time yesterday. I'm watching the last half tonight. I'm shaking and quaking with pain, grief, disgust... Thank God they've edited this documentary to include tales of righteous heroism between steady doses of tragedy or I wouldn't be able to take it.
I wanted to be mad at Dubya for all of the warnings he ignored, prior to the attacks. I remember feeling that way before watching this excellent, gripping, fascinating documentary. But, of course, Clinton was also alerted of credible threats, years and years before the 9/11 attacks. And so was George Bush before him... and so on....
When I speak with Keith about things like this (he worked at the White House for two years, during the Reagan era), I am assured of what we all assume, really: that there are ALWAYS dozens of reports of credible threats to US security. Always.
What fascinated me about the profile-of-the-terrorists portion of the documentary (last night) was learning that the cowards, in their last night on the planet, ordered in-room pornography and called to check prices for hookers. Yes. Truly you are carrying out your god's will with that crap. Ugh.
Of course, I am mortified at the state of FAA security measures pre-9/11. How could four-inch blades be PERMITTED items on airplanes? How could one hijacker with NO PHOTO ID be granted a boarding pass? Sheesh, if I begin asking questions, I'll never finish the review of this unflinching documentary.
It is a steady dose of sickening replay (nearly in real-time, for hour three of the documentary, which is "zero hour") and belief-challenging information about the human spirit, the will to endure, and the criminal mind.
I will never forget the phone call. Keith, at work on the east coast, called me and my best friend, who had stayed up late (in my pet-sitting gig locale) drinking, catching up, and planning her wedding on one of her semi-regular layovers into LAX. Sissafest had stretched late into the night, and we were not thrilled with the ringing phone, on this, Sissa's day off in Hollywood. Keith's voice, "Bon? I love you. I need to tell you bad news. Sissa is not going to work today. There have been a series of terrorist attacks on American soil. Turn on CNN, but brace yourself. I love you."
Driving Sissa back to her crew at the hotel near LAX on that day was the weirdest thing. Easily a hundred planes: grounded. Like a graveyard. NOTHING in the air. And I have to pass through security unlike any I've experienced, just to drive Sissa back to her crew. Surreal.
Surreal like the Muzak piped in through the World Trade Center Plaza, even after the first tower had fallen, everyone covered in ash and debris.
I simply keep trying to understand the world we live in. Isn't that all any of us can do? I have to constantly remember the millions upon millions of miracles I witness every day to try and balance the sadness I feel right now. It takes my breath away.
This wasn't just a documentary, it was an outstanding synopsis of a history we've lived... stretching back from the early '90s and up through this summer's attacks in London. Somehow, I cannot bring myself to delete this "zero hour" half of the program from my TiVo. It's too important a reminder.
Posted by bonnie at 5:08 AM | TrackBack
July 28, 2005
Situation: Comedy
I saw Sean Hayes interviewed on the early morning shows while I was casting in Missouri and I knew I'd have to Season Pass the new Bravo show Situation: Comedy.
Brilliant. If you have any interest in the business of show creation, pilots, pitches, and show running, you must tune in. The Bravo site (linked at the photo above) includes blogs from the principals. Can't wait to see the rest of this Project Greenlight for TV.
Chip, did you see how the pitches were all, "It's _____ meets _____," like you like to hybrid-cross shows in your head? You are so made for this show! Write a sitcom! Come out for season two! I'll help with your pitch.
Posted by bonnie at 2:35 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
June 4, 2005
New TV Season
What shows are you most excited about? Me? All the ones my friends are involved with, of course! ;)
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF (hour drama; ABC) Series about the first female president of the United States. Geena Davis, Donald Sutherland, Harry J. Lennix, Ever Carradine, Kyle Secor, Julie Ann Emery, Andrew James Allen, Caitlin Wachs and Jasmine Anthony star. Executive producers: Rod Lurie and Marc Frydman. Produced by Touchstone Television and Battle Plan Prods.
CRIMINAL MINDS (hour drama; CBS) An elite squad of FBI profilers analyzes the minds of criminals, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. Mandy Patinkin, Thomas Gibson, Shemar Moore, Matthew Gubler and Lola Glaudini star. Executive producers: Mark Gordon and Ed Bernero. From Touchstone Television in association with Paramount Network Television.
CRUMBS (half-hour comedy; midseason; ABC) Two estranged brothers reunite in their small hometown to run their family's business. Fred Savage, Eddie McClintock, Maggie Lawson, William Devane and Jane Curtin star. Executive producers: Marco Pennette, Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins and Joe Davola. Produced by Touchstone Television.
GHOST WHISPERER (hour drama; CBS) A young newlywed possesses the unique ability to communicate with the earthbound spirits of people who have died and seek her help. Jennifer Love Hewitt, David Conrad and Aisha Tyler star. Executive producers: John Gray, Ian Sander and Kim Moses. From Touchstone Television in association with Paramount Network Television.
INCONCEIVABLE (hour drama; NBC) An inside look at doctors, psychologists and lawyers who work at a fertility clinic. Jonathan Cake, Ming-Na, Joelle Carter, Mary Catherine Garrison and David Norona star. Executive producers: Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins, Joe Davola, Oliver Goldstick and Marco Pennette. A Tollin/Robbins production in association with Touchstone Television.
IN JUSTICE (hour drama; midseason; ABC) Attorneys liberate the falsely accused while discovering the identities of those really to blame for crimes. Jason O'Mara, Kyle MacLachlan, Constance Zimmer, Daniel Cosgrove and Larissa Gomes star. Executive producers: Robert King, Michelle King and Stu Bloomberg. Produced by Touchstone Television.
THE MIRACLE WORKERS (hour reality; midseason; ABC) An elite team of physicians embraces revolutionary medical treatments that many never knew existed. Executive producers: Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, David Garfinkle and Jay Renfroe. Produced by DreamWorks Television and Renegade 83 Entertainment.
THE NIGHT STALKER (hour drama; ABC) A man's determination to find the truth behind his wife's murder leads him to investigate other crimes with seemingly supernatural components. Stuart Townsend, Gabrielle Union, Eric Jungmann and Cotter Smith star. Executive producers: Frank Spotnitz and Daniel Sackheim. Produced by Touchstone Television.
WHAT ABOUT BRIAN (hour drama; midseason; ABC) Series about a 34-year-old single man and his married friends. Barry Watson, Matthew Davis, Polly Shannon, Rick Gomez, Amanda Detmer, Raoul Bova and Rosanna Arquette star. Executive producers: Dana Stevens, J.J. Abrams, Thom Sherman, Bryan Burk, Anthony Russo and Joe Russo. Produced by Touchstone Television and Bad Robot.
FATHOM (hour drama; NBC) A new form of sea life appears worldwide. Lake Bell, Jay R. Ferguson, Rade Sherbedgia, Carter Jenkins and Leighton Meester star. Executive producers: Josh Pate and Jonas Pate. From NBC Universal Television Studio.
SONS & DAUGHTERS (half-hour comedy; midseason; ABC) An inside look at the trials and tribulations of marriage, raising children and dysfunctional extended-family members. Fred Goss, Gillian Vigman, Alison Quinn, Jerry Lambert, Desmond Harrington, Corri English, Dee Wallace, Lois Hall, Noah Applebaum, Alexandra Gold Jourden, Trevor Einhorn, Eden Sher, Greg Pitts and Max Gail star. Executive producers: Fred Goss, Nick Holly, JoAnn Alfano and Lorne Michaels. Produced by Broadway Video in association with NBC Universal Television Studio.
THICK AND THIN (half-hour comedy; midseason; NBC) A woman who was fat embarks on a journey as a fit, newly single woman. Jessica Capshaw, Sharon Gless, Amy Halloran, Martin Mull, Mel Rodriguez and Chris Parnell star. Executive producers: Paula Pell, Lorne Michaels and JoAnn Alfano. From Broadway Video in association with NBC Universal Television Studio.
THREE WISHES (hour reality; NBC) A team of experts travels to small towns to grant wishes to deserving people. Amy Grant, Carter Oosterhouse, Eric Stromer and Amanda Miller star. Executive producers: Andrew Glassman and Jason Raff. From Glassman Media and NBC Universal Television Studio.
EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS (half-hour comedy; UPN) Single-camera series inspired by the childhood of Chris Rock, who grew up in a mostly white Brooklyn neighborhood during the 1980s. Chris Rock, Tichina Arnold, Terry Crews, Tyler Williams, Tequan Richmond, Imani Hakim and Vincent Martella star. Executive producers: Chris Rock, Ali LeRoi, Howard Gewirtz, Michael Rotenberg and Dave Becky. A production of Chris Rock Enterprises Inc. in association with Paramount Network Television.
EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT MEN (half-hour comedy; midseason; CBS) A secretary is determined to figure out what men are all about while wondering why women even bother to try to understand them. Jenna Elfman, Brady Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Rhea Seehorn, Lauren Tom and Dabney Coleman star. Executive producer: Fred Barron. From Touchstone Television in association with Paramount Network Television.
LOVE, INC. (half-hour comedy; UPN) A single matchmaker and her quirky co-workers help the lovelorn find their soul mates. Shannen Doherty, Reagan Gomez-Preston, Vince Vieluf, Ion Overman and Holly Robinson Peete star. Executive producers: Adam Chase, Warren Littlefield, Mark Burg and Oren Koules. A production of Chase TV, the Littlefield Co. and Burg/Koules in association with Paramount Network Television.
OUT OF PRACTICE (half-hour comedy; CBS) A family of physicians shares a profession but has little else in common. Christopher Gorham, Stockard Channing, Henry Winkler, Ty Burrell and Paula Marshall star. Executive producers: Joe Keenan and Christopher Lloyd. From Paramount Network Television.
SEX, LIES & SECRETS (hour drama; UPN) Series about relationships among a tight-knit group of twentysomething friends finding out who they are and what they want in life. Denise Richards, Eric Balfour, Lauren German, Omar Miller, Tamara Taylor and James Stevenson star. Executive producers: Jonathan Axelrod, Kelly Edwards and Daniel Cerone. Produced by Axelrod/Edwards Co. in association with Paramount Network Television.
SOUTH BEACH (hour drama; midseason; UPN) Best friends move to Miami and get caught up in the glitz and glamour. Marcus Coloma, Chris Johnson, Lee Thompson Young and Vanessa L. Williams star. Executive producers: Tony Krantz, Jennifer Lopez, Simon Fields and Philip Levens. Produced by Nuyorican Prods. and Flame Television in association with Paramount Network Television.
THRESHOLD (hour drama; CBS) A team of experts is assembled after the U.S. Navy discovers an extra-terrestrial craft that has landed in the Atlantic Ocean. Carla Gugino, Charles S. Dutton, Brian Van Holt, Robert Patrick Benedict and Brent Spiner star. Executive producers: Brannon Braga, David Heyman and David Goyer. From Paramount Network Television.
EMILY'S REASONS WHY NOT (half-hour comedy; midseason; ABC) A self-help author does not heed her own advice. Heather Graham, Nadia Dajani, Khary Payton and Smith Cho star. Executive producers: Gavin Polone, Vivian Cannon and Robin Schiff. Produced by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Pariah.
BONES (hour drama; Fox) A forensic anthropologist assists in murder investigations by reading clues in victims' bones. Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz, Eric Millegan, T.J. Thyne, Michaela Conlin and Jonathan Adams star. Executive producers: Barry Josephson and Hart Hanson. From 20th Century Fox Television.
FREE BIRDS (half-hour comedy; midseason; Fox) A former big man on campus moves back to his small hometown after graduation. Josh Dean, Dave Sheridan, Erin Cahill, Allan Havey and Loretta Fox star. Executive producer: Rob Roy Thomas. From Fox 21.
THE GATE (working title) (hour drama; Fox) Detectives chase serial killers. Johnny Messner, Marguerite Moreau and Chi McBride star. Executive producers: Russell Friend and Garrett Lerner. From Regency Television.
HEAD CASES (hour drama; Fox) Two equally unbalanced attorneys attempt to keep each other sane. Chris O'Donnell, Adam Goldberg, Krista Allen, Jake Cherry, Rachael Leigh Cook and Rockmond Dunbar star. Executive producers: Bill Chais, Jeff Rake and Barry Josephson. From 20th Century Fox Television.
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (half-hour comedy; CBS) Series, told through flashbacks, about how a man fell in love. Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan, Neil Patrick Harris, Cobie Smulders and Bob Saget star. Executive producers: Rob Greenberg, Carter L. Bays and Craig Thomas. From 20th Century Fox Television.
THE INSIDE (hour drama; Fox) When a profiler is murdered by a serial killer, a rookie agent is recruited to join the FBI's Los Angeles violent crimes unit. Rachel Nichols, Adam Baldwin, Jay Harrington, Peter Coyote and Katie Finneran star. Executive producers: Tim Minear, Brian Grazer and David Nevins. A 20th Century Fox Television and Imagine Television production.
KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL (half-hour comedy; Fox) A talented chef is determined to climb back to the top of the food game. Bradley Cooper, Bonnie Somerville, Owain Yeoman, Nicholas Brendon, John Cho, Jaime King and John F. Daley star. Executive producers: Darren Star, Jim Rosenthal, David Knoller and David Hemingson. Produced by Darren Star Prods. and New Line Prods. in association with 20th Century Fox Television.
THE LOOP (half-hour comedy; midseason; Fox) A young executive attempts to straddle his career and the social demands of his roommates. Bret Harrison, Eric Christian Olsen, Philip Baker Hall, Mimi Rogers, Becki Newton and Joy Osmanski star. Executive producers: Pam Brady and Will Gluck. From 20th Century Fox Television.
MISCONCEPTIONS (half-hour comedy; midseason; WB) A woman is forced to allow her daughter's father to be part of their lives. Jane Leeves, Taylor Momsen, French Stewart and Adam Rothenberg star. Executive producers: Brian Grazer, David Nevins, Jeff Kleeman and Michael Saltzman. From Imagine Television in association with 20th Century Fox Television.
MY NAME IS EARL (half-hour comedy; NBC) A bully and low-rent crook wins the lottery and sets out to right the wrongs of his past. Jason Lee, Jaime Pressly, Ethan Suplee, Eddie Steeples and Nadine Velazquez star. Executive producer: Greg Garcia. Produced by 20th Century Fox Television.
PEPPER DENNIS (hour drama; midseason; WB) An ambitious reporter sets her sights on anchoring Chicago's top-rated evening news broadcast. Rebecca Romijn, Lindsay Price, Rider Strong, Brooke Burns and Josh Hopkins star. Executive producers: Gretchen J. Berg, Aaron Harberts and Shawn Levy. From 20th Century Fox Television.
PRISON BREAK (hour drama; Fox) A man gets himself thrown into prison to help his brother escape. Wentworth Miller, Dominic Purcell, Robin Tunney, Sarah Wayne Callies, Peter Stormare, Amaury Nolasco, Wade Williams, Marshall Allman, Stacy Keach and Muse Watson star. Executive producers: Brett Ratner, Paul Scheuring, Marty Adelstein, Dawn Parouse and Neal Moritz. From 20th Century Fox Television, Adelstein-Parouse Prods. and Original Television.
THE UNIT (hour drama; midseason; CBS) A covert team of special forces operatives risks their lives on undercover missions while their families maintain the homefront and protecting their secrets. Dennis Haysbert, Scott Foley, Robert Patrick, Regina Taylor, Max Martini, Michael Irby, Demore Barnes, Abby Brammell and Amy Acker star. Executive producers: David Mamet and Shawn Ryan. From 20th Century Fox Television.
THE BEDFORD DIARIES (hour drama; midseason; WB) New York-based college life is explored through a provocative Human Behavior and Sexuality class. Matthew Modine, Tiffany Dupont, Penn Badgley, Corri English, Milo Ventimiglia, Ernest Waddell, Victoria Cartagena, Audra McDonald and Peter Gerety star. Executive producers: Tom Fontana, Jim Finnerty, Julie Martin and Barry Levinson. From HBO Independent Prods., Warner Bros. Television and the Levinson/Fontana Co.
CLOSE TO HOME (hour drama; CBS) An aggressive prosecutor tries cases that take place in her own backyard. Jennifer Finnigan, Kimberly Elise, John Carroll Lynch and Christian Kane star. Executive producers: Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, Jim Leonard and Simon West. From Jerry Bruckheimer Television in association with Warner Bros. Television.
E-RING (hour drama; NBC) Series set inside the Pentagon. Benjamin Bratt and Dennis Hopper star. Executive producers: Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman and David McKenna. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Television in association with Warner Bros. Television.
THE EVIDENCE (hour drama; midseason; ABC) Cops use evidence to solve complex cases in San Francisco. Orlando Jones, Nicky Katt and Martin Landau star. Executive producers: Sam Baum, Dustin Thomason and Gary Fleder. Produced by John Wells Prods. in association with Warner Bros. Television.
FOUR KINGS (half-hour comedy; midseason; NBC) Centers on four lifelong friends on the cusp of adulthood. Seth Green, Shane McRae, Josh Cooke and Todd Grinnell star. Executive producers: David Kohan and Max Mutchnick. Produced by KoMut Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television.
FREDDIE (half-hour comedy; ABC) A successful man balances his roles as provider, brother, grandson and uncle while attempting to enjoy what should be his "swinging single" days. Freddie Prinze Jr., Jacqueline Obradors, Brian Green, Jenny Gago and Chloe Suazo star. Executive producers: Bruce Helford, Freddie Prinze Jr., Bruce Rasmussen and Deborah Oppenheimer. Produced by Warner Bros. Television, Mohawk Prods. and the Firm.
HOT PROPERTIES (half-hour comedy; ABC) Four female real estate agents cater to high-end clients while coping with their own predicaments. Audra Blaser, Stephen Dunham, Evan Handler, Gail O'Grady, Nicole Sullivan and Sofia Vergara star. Executive producer: Suzanne Martin. Produced by Interbang Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television.
INVASION (hour drama; ABC) A blended family finds itself at the center of a conspiracy to mask an alien takeover happening one neighbor at a time. William Fichtner, Eddie Cibrian, Kari Matchett, Lisa Sheridan, Tyler Labine, Alexis Dziena, Evan Peters and Ariel Gade star. Executive producers: Shaun Cassidy and Thomas Schlamme. Produced by Warner Bros. Television and Shaun Cassidy Prods.
JUST LEGAL (hour drama; WB) Lawyers save themselves while helping their clients. Jay Baruchel, Don Johnson, Veanne Cox, Raphael Sbarge and Michael Mitchell star. Executive producers: Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman and Jonathan Shapiro. For Jerry Bruckheimer Television in association with Warner Bros. Television.
MODERN MEN (half-hour comedy; midseason; WB) A male perspective on modern relationships. Josh Braaten, Max Greenfield, Eric Lively, Marla Sokoloff and George Wendt star. Executive producers: Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman and Marsh McCall. From Jerry Bruckheimer Television in association with Warner Bros. Television.
RELATED (hour drama; WB) Four sisters juggle their careers and relationships. Jennifer Esposito, Jon Hamm, Callum Blue, Lizzy Caplan and Laura Breckenridge star. Executive producers: Marta Kauffman, Steve Pearlman, Andrew Plotkin, Mimi Leder and Liz Tuccillo. From Warner Bros. Television and Class IV Prods.
REUNION (hour drama; Fox) Follows six friends from high school graduation to their 20-year reunion in 2006. Will Estes, Sean Faris, Dave Annable, Alexa Davalos, Amanda Righetti, Chyler Leigh and Mathew St. Patrick star. Executive producers: Jon Harmon Feldman, Steve Pearlman and Andrew Plotkin. From Warner Bros. Television and Class IV Prods.
SUPERNATURAL (hour drama; WB) Brothers searching for their missing father hunt down supernatural forces along the way. Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles star. Executive producers: McG, Eric Kripke and David Nutter. From Warner Bros. Television in association with Wonderland Sound and Vision.
TWINS (half-hour comedy; WB) Fraternal twin sisters with nothing in common inherit their parents' undergarment business. Sara Gilbert, Molly Stanton, Mark Linn-Baker, Melanie Griffith, Chris Fitzgerald and Steve Braun star. Executive producers: David Kohan and Max Mutchnick. From KoMut Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television.
THE WAR AT HOME (half-hour comedy; Fox) Parents struggle to keep their teenage children in line. Michael Rapaport, Anita Barone, Dean Collins, Kaylee Defer and Kyle Sullivan star. Executive producers: Michael Hanel, Mindy Schultheis and Rob Lotterstein. From Acme Prods. and Warner Bros. Television.
Posted by bonnie at 11:07 PM | TrackBack
May 16, 2005
Upfronts
If you want to keep tabs on what's getting picked up this week for the fall schedule, here's your Google news list (by date) on the big TV-palooza.
Woo hoo!
Posted by bonnie at 6:31 PM | TrackBack
April 23, 2005
Cancelled TV Shows as of 4/22/05
Thought this list might be of interest to y'all.
Enjoy!
American Dreams (NBC)
Andromeda (SciFi) final season
The Benefactor (ABC)
Center of the Universe (CBS) 5 eps unaired
Clubhouse (CBS) 7 eps unaired
Committed (NBC)
Complete Savages (ABC) 4 eps unaired
The Complex: Malibu (FOX)
Dead Like Me (Showtime)
Doc (PAX)
Dr. Vegas (CBS) 5 eps unaired
Drew Carey's Green Screen (WB) 8 eps unaired
Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS) final season
Father of the Pride (NBC) 2 eps unaired
Grounded for Life (WB) 2 eps unaired
Hawaii (NBC) 1 ep unaired
JAG (CBS) 2 eps unaired
Jake in Progress (ABC)
Jonny Zero (FOX) 5 eps unaired
LAX (NBC)
Last Comic Standing (NBC)
Life As We Know It (ABC) 2 eps unaired
Love Is in the Heir (E!)
Medical Investigation (NBC)
Method & Red (FOX) 4 eps unaired
The Mountain (WB)
My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss (FOX) 5 eps unaired
North Shore (FOX)
Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica (MTV)
NYPD Blue (ABC)
The Osbournes (MTV)
Point Pleasant (FOX)
Rodney (ABC)
Second Time Around (UPN)
Star Trek: Enterprise (UPN) final season
Third Watch (NBC) final season
Tru Calling (FOX) 1 ep unaired
Wanda Does It (Comedy Central)
Wild Card (Lifetime)
The Will (CBS)
Posted by bonnie at 8:32 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
March 8, 2005
Fat Actress
Um. This show had some really funny moments, sure. But it wasn't groundbreaking, as all of the advance press would have you think.
It's clear Showtime wants you to see this show. The network was free for the weekend before and day-of the show, plus Yahoo runs the show online for the rest of this week.
But it's just okay. It's filled with Scientologists and other "heavy" actors (John Travolta, Mayim Bialik) plus some way over-the-top schmacting by Kirstie Alley.
I agree with the EW review at CNN.com:
[T]he huge problem with Fat Actress is that it isn't about a fat actress at all: It's about a crazy woman and her enablers.
Not having Showtime, I won't be seeing more of this series. But I think that's probably okay with me.
Posted by bonnie at 6:11 PM | TrackBack
February 13, 2005
Jamie Foxx on "Inside the Actors Studio"
Generally, this show is heavy on the pretention and that's a thimbleful more of that than I like in my Hollywood breakfast cereal.
However, if you've ever wanted to love this show, if you've ever already declared your love of Jamie Foxx, or you just love good laughter-through-tears at any time, watch it.
Great actor, great craft, great life story, great "real" moments with the audience. Love it all.
Posted by bonnie at 10:09 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
January 29, 2005
Ideal
I feel like I have been dropping the ball on the MtC blog but I haven't been to any movies lately. I haven't read any books lately. I haven't heard any new good music lately.
I have downloaded and watched the first three episodes of a new BBC3 comedy called "Ideal" or "I Deal" depending how you look at it. If you happen to be reading this in England, then you can watch it on the telly but if you are like me, you have to use your mad 1337 interweb skillz.
Ideal is the story of Moz, an English drug dealer. The comedy takes place entirely in his apartment and concerns his life and those he deals to. He is having trouble with his live-in girlfriend, infatuated with a college student named China who said in the second episode "You know if I slept with you it would only be out of pity." Moz's reply "What are we waiting for then?"
The oddest character is Cartoon Head, a hitman who wears a mouse mask who may be responsible for the series of murders in the neighborhood. There is also a subplot of a new dealer two streets over who is getting all the good stuff.
I have the first three on DVD. If you are in Athens and want to watch, I'll lend it to you. Otherwise, you better boot up your bittorent client and get to the downloading.
Link: BBC - BBC THREE - I Deal
Posted by chip at 2:40 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
January 15, 2005
"Battlestar Galactica" - the new series
The new Battlestar Galactica premiered last night on the SciFi channel. This is Ron Moore's "reimagining" of the original 1970s television series. The premise is that there are only 47,000 civilians on a handful of spaceships and one aging military spaceship (the Battlestar Galactica) that survived a Cylon attack on the homeworld and colonies. These were the people already in space during the attack, basically.
They can't go home because home is no longer there. I think they are trying to get back to this place called "Earth" from their stories but I may be getting that confused with the original story. They are flying through space with a lack of supplies, constant threat of attack, and no sense of how long it will take to get where they are going. During the first five days after the attack, the caravan of ships was found by the cylons every 33 minutes. They had to "jump" to a new sector 238 times in a row. Every 33 minutes. We start off the new series with everyone really tired and extremely irritated.
It differs from the original series in the character development and type of stories. One of the plotlines concerns the new President and how she is adapting. She was Secretary of Education until everybody ahead of her in the line of succession died during the attack. There are people trying to find lost family members, an Admiral who was at the end of his career thrust into this new world with six carefully marked out shots of whisky left for the rest of his life, there is a scientist influenced by Cylons, and a sleeper Cylon agent on the Galactica.
It is shot with that whole handheld camera kind of thing which is odd for an sci-fi show but it ends up working.
I'm a geek. I'll keep watching it. What else do I have to do Fridays at 10:00?
SciFi Channel Galactica Website
Posted by chip at 7:08 AM | TrackBack
January 9, 2005
"Zoey 101"
We have been given a chance to make right what once went wrong.
Remember back before the Red Bull, Kaballah, and grocery store feet when Britney Spears was kind of this cute kid? That's what Jamie Lynn Spears is. It's like looking into a time machine. What we can do is not let this one go crazy. We need to help Jamie Lynn know that you CAN take the Kentwood out of the girl. Write her a letter. Let her know you are out there.
But, this has nothing to do with Jamie Lynn's new Nick TV show "Zoey 101". Z101 is about a boarding school next to the beach that has just admitted girls for the first time. Episode 1 has Zoey trying out for the boys basketball team and decorating a urinal.
It's directed by Savage Steve Holland who I have always liked since Better Off Dead and Onc Crazy Summer.
I can give you no compelling reason why you should watch this show.
Posted by chip at 9:45 PM | Comments (201) | TrackBack
January 8, 2005
"life as we know it"
I'm laying on the couch watching this week's episode and I realized I really like this show. There is something weird about it that I haven't been able to put my finger on yet. It's based on a teen novel from the UK called "Doing It" which is floating around my house somewhere. It seems a lot like "My So-Called Life" with the focus on three boys and three girls (and parents) instead of just Angela.
Boywise: One of them was involved with a teacher and is dealing with that. One's parents are getting divorced and he is having relationship and sexual issues and the other guy is dating a girl he likes but she's Kelly Osborne so he has that to deal with.
Girlwise: One of them is a beautiful jock who is realizing that people don't like her and think she is stuck up and she just broke up with her boyfriend. One is smart and pretty and likes a boy who was sleeping with a teacher. She has a rep of a girl who has slept around but really hasn't. And one of them has self esteem issues and is Kelly Osborne so she has that to deal with.
Peter Dinklage from The Station Agent was on this episode as a counseler to help Dino after he punched someone.
As teen dramas go, this was is much more like DeGrassi or MSCL than Dawson's or the O.C. I think it's Thursdays at 8 on ABC but you should check your local listings and all of that.
Posted by chip at 9:34 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
January 7, 2005
Committed
Wow. This show sucks.
Keith keeps telling me to give it a minute, but I'm pretty sure I'm on SUCK, as far as the love-of-the-show meter is concerned. Yeah. It's pegged at SUCK. Tom Poston, did you JUST throw a pie into your own face because an old friend from clown college sent it to you?
Oh, and jokes about the physically disabled are always funny. "We got off on the wrong foot." (To the guy in the wheelchair.) "I don't want there to be any bad blood." (Reply: "I got some bad blood once. It was supposed to regenerate my spinal tissue.") Oh, and now with the, "Why must I be able to play basketball? Because I'm Black?" joke. Wow. That's just always comedy.
Way to go NBC. Refuse to bring Significant Others over from Bravo, which would've given it a chance beyond two short seasons, but give this dreck a slot during Must See TV. Or can we even use THAT phrase anymore?
Posted by bonnie at 12:06 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
January 1, 2005
The Office: Series One
People have been telling me how funny this show is so I finally got around to renting the first season. I had seen some on TV and thought it was sort of funny but only so-so.
I was wrong. It's really really funny. The weird thing is that it is the type of humor that usually really bothers me. It's really uncomfortable watching David Brent make an ass of himself at almost every chance he gets. The interaction between Tim and Gareth is hilarious and the interactions between Tim and Dawn are like watching a train wreck.
If you rent it, you need to actually watch it. I am very bad about multi-tasking (reading and computing while watching) and I think I would have missed stuff. Series 2 is hopefully in the mail.