TV and Sympathy

Movin' on up

2006-08-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

TV and Sympathy readers, I have officially moved! Well, not me, technically - I still live in the same old apartment - but the TV and Sympathy website has a new home at www.tvandsympathy.com.

The new TV&S is more aesthetically pleasing, more organized, and has more room to grow (thanks to my amazing friend Josh -- you RULE!). Go visit the new site, wander around, and let me know what you think. All my old posts are over there, along with brand-spanking-new sorting and searching features like all the cool kids are using these days. In the future, I plan to add more recaps and reviews along with the blog posts and poor-quality MS Paint illustrations you've come to know (and love?).

So go check it out, and shoot me a suggestion about what you think I should recap or review next.

Aptly named, since it disappeared from my must-watch list

2006-08-29T07:54:00.000-07:00

If you've checked out my calendar of shows, you might've noticed that I took the opportunity to watch the premiere of Vanished last week. You might also have noticed it no longer appears on the calendar. There's a reason for that. That reason is that Vanished isn't particularly good.

Watching Vanished is like being at a party where the hostess is trying too hard to make sure everyone's having fun. There are a whole bunch of activities planned, all kinds of food, a wide assortment of guests. But no one wants to participate in the activities, no one's hungry, and no one really wants to be there. Sure, everyone showed up, but they're just going through the motions of how they think they should behave in those circumstances. They're all sort of waiting for the night to be over, and not even in a particularly interesting way.

Vanished is that party. The crime seems planned, but none of the characters seems all that driven to investigate it. The chick's disappearance is rife with mystery, but no one's hungry to solve it. They're all too busy sleepwalking through their lives fulfilling expectations. "Oh, I should be doubting someone's motives now? Okay." or "Right, this is when I should be feeling tortured about my checkered past." Everyone's milling around a bit, waiting for the final payoff -- the pinata, the cake, the reappearance of the senator's missing wife.

Maybe some other viewers will stick around till the end of the party, but as for me, I'm heading out to see if there are any good frat parties at Hearst College or disorganized celebrations at Chili's.

There's no I in the Emmys

2006-08-28T17:56:00.000-07:00

There is a me (and a my!) in the Emmy Awards, I suppose, but that doesn't mean that they're in any way representative of what I as a viewer feel merited recognition on Sunday. Category after category, the Emmy voters seemed to make bizarre and inappropriate selections.

Alan Alda? Hell to the no. Tony Shalhoub? Might be okay if he hadn't already won twice and weren't running against Steve Carell. At least we didn't see Stockard Channing picking up a trophy or I might be writing this post from the great beyond.

Alan Sepinwall, in his always excellent column, put it best when he applauded Conan for a solid performance (Conan and Jon Stewart are my personal favorite awards show hosts) but chastised the voters for their choices. By awarding so many actors from cancelled shows, the Emmys continue to prove that, despite all the updated nomination procedures, they're an anachronism that doesn't reflect the state of quality television today.

I'm not saying I know exactly what's worthwhile about television today. I haven't watched great shows like The Sopranos or Deadwood, and I know my tastes run towards the cult-ish more than the predictable or procedural. But I think when you fail to recognize so many quality performances and scripts from shows that are beloved by viewers or almost universally praised by critics, you're missing out on a big part of what's great about television.

Sure, the Emmys are an institution, a tradition. But part of being traditional means that what's new and cutting edge will get ignored. It also means that, sometimes, people will continue to take part in a tradition, just because they're expected to, even when it no longer has any meaning.

Okay, so they did get it right twice: The Office as outstanding comedy and Jeremy Piven as outstanding supporting actor in a comedy. (Even a broken watch is right twice a day.) Still, if you want to hear appropriate office-related squeeing and gleeing, head over to Jenna Fischer's MySpace page, where you can revel in the joy of being one of the few winners they got right.

As promised...

2006-08-25T16:45:00.000-07:00

So, I honestly haven't been that excited about the Emmys this year. Don't get me wrong, I'll still be watching and blogging them, but I was fairly sorely disappointed by some of the absences from the nominee list, so I suppose I've been a bit soured on the whole business.

That said, I promised I'd let you all know who I'd be rooting for, so here are my brief thoughts on what I'd hope to see happen on Sunday:

Outstanding Drama Series
"Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
"House" (FOX)
"The Sopranos" (HBO)
"24" (FOX)
"The West Wing" (NBC)

I am so torn between House and Grey's Anatomy here, but I think I have to give it to Grey's, for their outstanding cast and overall improvement this year. Sure, they're a soap, but they're bubbly and addictive.

Outstanding Comedy Series
"Arrested Development" (FOX)
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO)
"The Office" (NBC)
"Scrubs" (NBC)
"Two and a Half Men" (CBS)

The Dunder-Mifflinites had an amazing year as well. Though I'd like to give it to AD on their way out, I think The Office was really revitalized and astonishingly creative this past season.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Frances Conroy, "Six Feet Under" (HBO)
Geena Davis, "Commander In Chief" (ABC)
Mariska Hargitay, "Law & Order: SVU" (NBC)
Allison Janney, "The West Wing" (NBC)
Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer" (TNT)

Abstaining from selection based on fury and resentment at several notable ladies not being included. However, looking forward to seeing all their dresses.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Peter Krause, "Six Feet Under" (HBO)
Denis Leary, "Rescue Me" (FX)
Christopher Meloni, "Law & Order: SVU" (NBC)
Martin Sheen, "The West Wing" (CBS)
Kiefer Sutherland, "24" (FOX)

Comic timing and dramatic chops? I never knew Leary had them until I watched Rescue Me. He created such a great character for himself.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Stockard Channing, "Out of Practice" (CBS)
Jane Kaczmarek, "Malcolm in the Middle" (FOX)
Lisa Kudrow, "The Comeback" (HBO)
Debra Messing, "Will & Grace" (NBC)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "The New Adventures of Old Christine" (CBS)

Ditto my previous comments about the Dramatic Actress category. I think I should invite Lauren and Kristen to go get drunk with me and boycott these sham awards.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Steve Carell, "The Office" (NBC)
Larry David, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO)
Kevin James, "The King of Queens" (CBS)
Tony Shalhoub, "Monk" (USA)
Charlie Sheen, "Two and a Half Men" (CBS)

Steve. So painfully funny, so much improvement over those first slightly awkward episodes. He's really carved out his own take on things, and it's a pleasure to watch.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Candice Bergen, "Boston Legal" (ABC)
Blythe Danner, "Huff" (Showtime)
Sandra Oh, "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
Jean Smart, "24" (FOX)
Chandra Wilson, "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)

So hard to choose between the two Seattle Grace docs. Since Sandra won a Golden Globe, I'll give this to Chandra.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Alan Alda, "The West Wing" (NBC)
Michael Imperioli, "The Sopranos" (HBO)
Gregory Itzin, "24" (FOX)
Oliver Platt, "Huff" (Showtime)
William Shatner, "Boston Legal" (ABC)

This is all you give me to work with? No Enrico? No Dohring? I don't think so.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Cheryl Hines, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO)
Megan Mullally, "Will & Grace" (NBC)
Elizabeth Perkins, "Weeds" (Showtime)
Jaime Pressly, "My Name Is Earl" (NBC)
Alfre Woodard, "Desperate Housewives" (ABC)

Jaime is a complete surprise and a white-trash delight in this role. Love her (if not her fashion line) and think she deserves success for her performance.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Will Arnett, "Arrested Development" (FOX)
Bryan Cranston, "Malcolm in the Middle" (FOX)
Jon Cryer, "Two and a Half Men" (CBS)
Sean Hayes, "Will & Grace" (NBC)
Jeremy Piven, "Entourage" (HBO)

Completely to my surprise, this is one of the harder categories for me to pick. I'd like to give one to Cranston for his consistently great work on Malcom, were it not for standouts Arnett and Piven, who I've loved for years. If pressed, I'd have to give it to Arnett, since Piven is one of my TV Boyfriends, which means he's already a winner.

Pure character

2006-08-24T14:42:00.000-07:00

With 'Top 25 Character' lists floating around the series of tubes known as the Internet, you just know I had to jump on the train with a list of my very own.

They're in no particular order, but you know V is near and dear to my heart, though I could just as easily have added Logan and Keith to the top of the list were I not keeping myself to a one-character-per-show limit.

1. Veronica Mars (VM) - Flinty, funny, fiercely loyal. Keen to protect herself and everyone she cares for, but not always able to.

2. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace (Battlestar Galactica) - Capable of handling everything but her own emotions.

3. Jim Halpert (The Office) - The most ordinary, or the most extraordinary guy, depending on how you look at it.

4. Zack Morris (Saved by the Bell) - BMOC. A legend to a generation.

5. Michael Wiseman - (Now and Again) - John Goodman's brain in Eric Close's body? Tell me that's not worth watching.

6. Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) - Responsibility weighed heavily on her, but she still knew how to have fun.

7. Pacey Witter (Dawson's Creek) - The only person that never suffered character assassination on DC. Sweet, funny, full of mischief.

8. Doug Ross (ER) - One of the original charming rogues. Breaking hearts as fast as he sews 'em up.

9. Cosmo Kramer (Seinfeld) - Weiry, wacky, wiry, watchable.

10. Greg House (House) - A rule-breaking bastard you can't help but root for.

11. G.O.B. (Arrested Development) - Devious, immature, magic on stage and screen.

12. Aeryn Sun (Farscape) - Hard on the outside, with a soft vulnerable filling for a certain IASA member.

13. Perry Cox (Scrubs) - Insults have never been so fun and fanciful.

14. Hoban "Wash" Washburne (Firefly) - Capable, whimsical, equal parts brave and scaredy-cat. Devoted to his woman and his work.

15. Ari Gold (Entourage) - I think I've said it all.

16. Javier Clemente Quintata (Felicity) - A brutally honest teddy bear.

17. Karen Walker (Will & Grace) - A brutally honest lush and flibbertigibbet.

18. Angela Chase (My So-Called Life) - The awkwardly beautiful girl we all grew up next door to.

19. Vicki the Robot (Small Wonder) - A freakishly strong, hyper-intelligent girl child robot? In no way is this a bad idea.

20. Ed Stevens (Ed) - Quirky and sweet. A perennial optimist with a flair for legal affairs.

21. Lorelai Gilmore (Gilmore Girls) - This pop-culture goddess may not be the best mother, but I bet Rory wouldn't trade her for any other.

22. Jack Bauer (24) - He's so busy kicking ass, he doesn't even bother to take names.

23. Sandy Cohen (The OC) - One of the few TV dads that isn't just a satellite of his children. (John Wesley Shipp, I'm talking to you.)

24. Samantha Jones (Sex and the City) - Vulgar, uninhibited, confident, glamorous, and daring. My favorite diva.

25. The Lone Gunmen (The X-Files) - Lovable nerds and conspiracy theorists, I can only think of them as a unit, like the Three Musketeers.

Several things are evident to me from this list: I like strong female characters (Buffy, Veronica, Aeryn) and brash male characters that I'd probably find insufferable in real life (G.O.B., Ari, Perry). I imagine what's entertaining to watch is not entertaining to live with.

I'm sure it's also evident how very young I am -- there are no classic characters on the list, as I really have had no exposure to them.

Frankly, though, I'm more curious what you think -- so have at it in the comments!

When does it premiere? When does it air? Now you know.

2006-08-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

I've never been satisfied with keeping track of fall premieres as well as ongoing series that I'd like to check out. Calendars tend to either show premiere dates only, or show only when a program will be showing regularly but not the date it premieres.

Unsatisfied with the current options, I created a Google Calendar that lists all the shows and premiere dates I'm interested in, in order to help solve this problem for myself. You can view it here or go subscribe to it by clicking the button:

Keep in mind that this extremely does not include all the shows that will be airing this fall. It only includes things that I personally am interested in. As has probably been clear if you're reading the site, that isn't the widest range of programs ever. You probably won't catch me tuning in to Law & Order: Criminal Intent, so it's not listed. For some shows (like Vanished or Friday Night Lights), I've included only the premiere if I just intend to check it out, but may not watch it on a regular basis.

The premiere schedule is back-dated to Monday's Prison Break episode, and continues to add new and returning shows of note until October 11th, the premiere of 30 Rock. Enjoy!

Even if you're not interested in keeping up to date with the calendar, you can still see what I plan to be watching this season. And, if I've missed a show you think I should add or check out, let me know. I'll be back with some more in-depth thoughts on the fall schedule soon.

Do yourself a favor

2006-08-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

To my regular blog readers, it's probably pretty clear that I'm fond of a little show called Veronica Mars. I've been lucky enough to tempt numerous friends and family members to watch it, and they've all enjoyed it, from my grandmother right down to my most recent convert, a coworker buddy.

I bring this up because Season 2 of VM is released on DVD today. If my numerous posts haven't convinced you to give this show a try by now, perhaps this awesome promo, first aired at Comic-Con, will do the trick.

So do yourself a favor, and go buy the DVDs. You've got plenty of time to get caught up before the Season Three premiere on October 3rd.

Get me an IV of TV, stat!

2006-08-22T00:17:00.000-07:00

After watching 9 episodes of Prison Break back to back on Saturday in an attempt to get caught up before last night's Season Two premiere, I've come to the conclusion that mainlining TV shows has both good and bad aspects.

The good part is that you keep the momentum of the show going. This is great particularly for fast-paced shows in which only a brief period elapses between episodes. When you watch episodes in big batches, you don't have to put in the extra emotional energy of waiting for things to be resolved week to week. They leave you on a cliffhanger? You get it resolved ten minutes later when you watch the following episode.

This can also be helpful for shows that have convoluted mysteries. It might be hard to maintain your interest (and keep plot points straight) from week to week, but when you watch them all in a batch, you'll have a better understanding of the flow of clues and investigations.

The downside, however, is that character development can suffer. When you take a day to watch episodes that are meant to occur over the space of a few months in a character's lives, it can be hard to understand their reasoning and reactions. Something that happened months ago to them was just a few hours ago to you. What's meant to be a gradual thaw between characters can seem like a microwaved plot if watched too quickly.

When I first got a friend hooked on Veronica Mars, we watched the entire half of the first season in one night -- from "Silence of the Lamb" to "Leave It To Beaver". While I happily re-watched the L-V romance unfold in hyperspeed, she found it a bit jarring to see Logan's intentions towards Veronica change over just a few hours. She didn't see their week-by-week progress towards becoming friends again -- she saw Veronica kissing someone who thought she was trash. After watching the episodes a few more times, however, she had a better sense of what the characters were meant to have gone through.

All in all, I think watching TV shows marathon style works if a show 1) is meant to occur in near-real time, like Lost or Prison Break or 2) if the characters don't change too much over the course of a season, like House. Which reminds me: I've got a DVD to go purchase...

Gimme a Break

2006-08-21T13:49:00.000-07:00

Like GMMR, I was lucky enough to get a set of the FOX screeners, so I could watch the premiere of Prison Break early. And, like GMMR, I thought it rocked. My brief, non-spoilery reactions below.

In the area of casting, I really enjoy Bill Fichtner in the 'Tommy Lee Jones' role, as my roommate puts it. In just one episode, he's established his character as a layered, deliberate, controlled, intelligent person, a force to be reckoned with. I must say, the chase is only fun to watch if you believe Michael and the escapees might be caught. Will Fichtner prove up to the task? Only time will tell, but I already believe he's a more capable adversary than Bellick.

Also, as I mentioned in an earlier post, Terrence Steadman had to be recast. Happily, one of my favorite bit-part actors, Jeff Perry (who also played Meredith's dad on Grey's Anatomy) has filled the role. I'm unsure how much of him we'll be seeing this season, but I think he brings a sense of weary intrigue to a part that already has a lot of mystery.

As for the plot, it was great seeing how they introduced the escapees and weaved in elements and shots from the first season to bring in new viewers. The tone of the show, the core that caught my interest, is still there. The tattoo is still relevant, the somewhat incredible plot twists are still present -- heck, even the transition-to-commercial music is the same! What's changed is the dynamic between the characters.

Before, they all had one united objective: getting out. Now, there's much more potential for conflict and disagreement, since they all have different destinations and loyalties. Though the circumstances have changed, the characters haven't. Michael is as wily as ever, T-Bag as squirrely as ever, Abruzzi as amoral as ever. What will be really interesting is seeing how all these personalities we've grown familiar with will react to their new environment.

All in all, the first episode was a great, fresh start to a new season, and it was fun getting to see a screener (complete with the time running on the bottom, placeholders for stock shots, and some pretty horrendous voiceovers). I expect big things from Prison Break this season, but let's be honest -- as long as they keep putting Wentworth Miller in suits, I'll keep watching.

TV Boyfriends: Michael Scofield

2006-08-18T17:47:00.000-07:00

Other that the whole 'my pregnant girlfriend is going to marry some dickweed while I chill in prison' thing, Sucre is one lucky guy. Why? Because he gets to spend night after night in a cell with Michael Scofield. There are worse ways I can think of to spend one's time. Even if you are, in fact, "doing time," I wouldn't call that "hard time."

Reasons why I wouldn't describing sharing a cell with Michael as punishment:

- He's loyal. Once he cares about you, he considers it a duty to take care of you. And if he does something to hurt you, he'll do his best to make it up to you, even if that involves incarceration. As Wentworth says in this clip, he'd like to believe Michael has a plan to go back and make things right with Sara.

- Three words: Low latent inhibition. This is a guy who's so intelligent and perceptive, he pays attention to everything. Just think if he paid that much attention to you! He'd be great at giving presents, beyond just the standard origami roses everyone's handing out nowadays.

- He's inventive. You wouldn't get bored with Michael. No sirree. Nor would you have trouble solving problems. If anyone can find a solution to a difficult problem, it's this guy.

- I'm generally not a tattoo person, but how can you object when it's so creatively constructed? Or when the wearer is so lean and shapely? You can't.

- Michael's a good enough kisser to make you forget about career and moral obligations. Observe, then take the first of several cold showers.

- The man knows the meaning of follow-through. Neither blocked walls, nor butchered toes, nor Bellick will keep him from getting what he wants. If what he wants is you, rejoice! (Or OD on heroin, whatever frosts your cake.)

As for Michael's portrayer...I can forgive him his foray into Mariah Carey videos and his spot as a Buffy punk. He's named after a Jane Austen character, after all! And he draws cartoons! He's a keeper.

From my office to the one we all share

2006-08-17T15:01:00.000-07:00

Busy day at work today, so I'll just be busting out some Office-linky goodness.

- Television Without Pity, which typically abstains from recapping sitcoms, has offered up two stellar recaps of "The Dundies" and "Casino Night". That Jacob is such a romantic.

- The webisodes continue! Watching these webisodes reminds me that I have the crappiest sense of the layout at Dunder-Mifflin. The only places I'm really sure of are the reception area, Jim/Dwight's desks, and Michael's office.

- GMMR will be having her very own Office Chat over at Buddy TV tonight at 8:30 ET. It's times like this that being a West Coaster bums me out. I'd pop over during the East Coast feed, but I'll be in a meeting at the time. Bummer!

- Brian Baumgartner (aka Kevin) has a new blog up at TV Guide in which he mentions that he likes Rescue Me. I bet Lou is his favorite character. Or maybe Sean. I wonder if he reads my recaps? ;)

- Internet-related snooping led to my encountering this wonderful Jim-face picture posting. So much fun!

- More excellent Office commentary from Logan and Veronica over at the Neptune Navigator. I love that Logan is the total Jam shipper, and I love that it alludes to one of my fave Logan lines: "You had me at ice cold."

- Come on, you know you want to watch it again.

So I might have to start watching The OC again...

2006-08-17T14:25:00.000-07:00

...because if Chris Pratt (aka Bright from Everwood) is going to be on it this fall, that's reason enough!

Michael Ausiello of TV Guide has all the details. Essentially, he'll have a multi-episode arc as a college buddy of Summer's starting on November 2nd.

I mean, if Everwood isn't going to get renewed, the next best thing is for all the actors on it to get roles on other people's shows. First Chris...next Greg and Emily? Consider these fingers crossed.

Ruminating on Rescue Me

2006-08-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

Every week, I do my recap over at Give Me My Remote. I watch the show, have a few laughs, get those heartstrings tugged, then type it all out and send to GMMR. But I tend to add very few editorial comments along with my recap. I want to let readers, if they missed the episode, decide for themselves how to feel about a particular storyline. So how do I feel?

I'm loving the 'New Lou' and the fact that Franco is finally acting like an adult (though, seriously, where is his daughter??). I'm liking the developments with Jerry (though not the most recent!) and the crazy Gavin family dynamics. I'm loathing the absence of Damien (I miss him! He ain't been around.), Sheila's ep-to-ep fluctuations in sanity, and the utter mishandling of Probie's sexuality.

But, as it's been said numerous times in the media, my main gripe is that RM could do a much better job of writing women. I love that their depictions of men are so complex and layered and damaged and lovely. I know that they're trying to present things from the male point of view. But for goodness' sake, hire a female writer! Trust me, she won't overshare about her menstrual cycles in the writer's room, she won't emasculate Garrity and Gavin by making them talk about their feelings in excrutiating detail, and she won't make the remaining female cast members spout feminist diatribes.

It will be, as Martha Stewart says, a good thing.

Video tidbits

2006-08-15T18:23:00.000-07:00

These two videos exemplify why TV boyfriends are so utterly essential and adorable.

First, we have John Krasinski re-enacting that famous kiss. Scroll down to the video clip on the left side of the page.) That one's for Sara. Be sure to check out his characteristically Jim face at the very end.

Next, we have Jamie Bamber explaining how he becomes 'fat Lee'. That one's for Jonas. Be sure to fan yourself while watching or you might melt into a puddle from the accent.

Enjoy, ladies!

Bringing down the House DVDs

2006-08-15T17:45:00.000-07:00

Recommending shows to people is such a tricky business. What if they don't like them? Will they stop liking you? I've had such wonderful luck with Veronica Mars, and my roommate is now on a recommend-Rescue Me kick with positive results, but telling others they simply must try a new show can occasionally go awry.

For example, it's hard to recommend a show that you've only seen a few times, even if you think the show and the potential viewer would match up so perfectly it would border on kismet. So I steered clear of recommending House to my roommate for a long time, even though I knew he liked funny, snarky, strong male leads in stand-alone-episode series, preferably with a mystery element, because I'd only seen a couple episodes and couldn't be 100% certain if House evangelism was the way to go.

As it turns out, I had nothing to worry about. The House S1 DVDs, borrowed from my roommate's brother, have been in near-constant rotation in our DVD player for the past few days. As I suspected, my roommate loves bitter, sarcastic House and his crew of curious investigators that go poking around in the internal affairs of every body who's anybody in Princeton-Plainsboro Hospital.

One thing I've enjoyed during all this marathoning? That House, like so many other medical shows, is an excellent venue for quality guest stars. They roll in on a gurney, we grow to care for them, then they're rolled off stage left in a wheelchair. House, in particular, is a great revolving door of Hey, It's That Guys and Gals: Hannah's mom, Lilly, Veronica and Lincoln, Mrs. Jack Bauer, Brandy, and that hot wasp-y guy we're supposed to believe JLH could have bagged.

If you love House like House loves Vicodin, then you'll be pleased to hear you have just one more week till Season 2 comes out on DVD. At the rate my roommate and I are going through Season 1, it's a fair bet that we'll be picking up S2 (along with VM S2) on August 22nd.

A new season of House premieres September 5th at 8. All I can say is, Gilmore Girls better step it up this season if it expects to be my lead-in to VM. If there's one thing House has got, it's a competitive streak.

They'll be our public dancers, dancers for money

2006-08-14T12:38:00.000-07:00

News is swirling around the web that the contestants for next season of Dancing with the Stars have been announced.

Here they are, ordered by desirability to win, highest to lowest, with accompanying YouTube links so you'll have an idea of who the heck they all are:

Sara Evans
Harry Hamlin
Mario Lopez
Monique Coleman
Emmitt Smith
Joe Lawrence
Vivica Fox
Shanna Moakler
Willa Ford
Jerry Springer
Tucker Carlson

Though at first I was not particularly excited about watching Dancing with the Stars, it became something of a guilty pleasure for me last season. I found myself rooting for Drew and Cheryl even while my roommate inexplicably rooted for the far-less-competent Jerry Rice. When they won, I was pretty pleased.

This season, I'm hoping Harry or Sara can pull off some good moves, and that we don't have to tolerate too much of the pompous windbags I placed at the bottom of the list (yeah, I'm talking to you, Willa).

Ain't too proud to Begley

2006-08-14T10:50:00.000-07:00

Last week, I noted that Michael McKean had done the unthinkable and passed on the role of the Dean of Hearst College.

This week, I'm happy to report that someone else has stepped up to the task. And no, not just anyone, but the lovely Ed Begley Jr.

As far as star sightings go, mine have been relatively mundane. Up until recently, the highlight was saying hi to Lyle Lovett when he stayed at the hotel where I front desk clerked during the summer of 2000. I haven't been lucky enough to rub elbows with the stars of Veronica Mars at the Upfronts like a certain lucky Bostonian I know. However, during a visit to Brentwood, I did once see Senor Begley driving out of a gas station in his electric car. It was one of those surreal 'that guy looks a lot like someone famous' moments that made sense later when I did some internet research and found out Begley's alter ego is environmentally-friendly Ed, peddler of green cleaners and inhabitant of a solar-powered shack in L.A.

Well, Ed, I salute you. Not just for your I-Heart-Mother-Earth ways (I drive a hybrid!), but for choosing to be part of a great TV show. Who knows, maybe Ed appearing on the show will bring in more septuagenarian viewers? My grandmother already watches the show, so this will be a little eye candy for her if nothing else. ;)

TV First Glimmers of Interest in Boys: MMC

2006-08-11T20:15:00.000-07:00

If you read Monday's post, then it will come as no surprise that the video below brought me no end of glee.

I'm sure I should feel shame about this, and I do. But it's hard to properly feel shame when your inner ten-year-old is bouncing up and down repeating, in her high-pitched prepubescent squeal, "OMG they are so cuuuuute! Jay Ceeeeeeeeee!!!" It's only once she's tired herself out and is lying in a blissful heap on the floor in your mind that you can actually look at the show, and the boys on the show, somewhat objectively.

If John Carter was squeaky clean, then Justin, JC, Ryan, and the other boys of the Mickey Mouse Club were so clean that they make a sound only Superman and dogs can hear. Dean Cain might've been my first star crush, but Ryan, Justin, and JC pre-dated him as some of the first times I looked at boys and thought they might not be altogether a bad sort of thing.

Certainly I didn't have fuzzy feelings about the lot of them (preferring to annihilate them at kickball or keep things strictly Math Team), but perhaps these MMC boys, in their flowing garments with their gently undulating dance grooves and their dulcet, I-haven't-met-testosterone-yet voices, could be tolerated...even enjoyed.

I mean, seriously. The boys of the MMC were confident, talented, well-spoken, and comfortable making fools of themselves in front of millions. Compared to the cretins I shared a lunch table with, they were positively Adonic.

And, heck, 15 years later, Justin and Ryan didn't turn out so bad, did they? As for JC...well, did I mention Ryan and Justin turned out well?

Note: I recognize that this week represents something of a regression in maturity, a giving-in to my baser fangirl instincts, a vacation from quality posting. I'll be back with Serious Journalistic Prowess next week, I promise.

I'm so excited. And I just can't hide it.

2006-08-10T09:34:00.000-07:00


Season Two of Veronica Mars comes out on DVD on August 22nd, a scant 12 days away! To tide ourselves over till then, here we have a bit of a sneak peek in the form of an extended version of the Logan-and-Veronica "I'm really struggling" bathroom scene. And yes, it is squee-worthy. Proceed squeeing forthwith.

TV Tidbits

2006-08-09T20:19:00.000-07:00

Tangentially Veronica Mars-related:

- Bad call, Michael McKean. Didn't you want the adoration of fan girls everywhere?

- A guy who's making a habit of macking on smart, sassy, petite blond investigators gets interviewed.

- Get thee to a mall, VM fans! You know, shopping in the bay area is so limited...I should probably try San Diego this weekend to see if they have some interesting stuff.

- If you're heading to SD, you might want to wear this so they'll know who they're dealing with.

- The Tubey Awards are up! And VM won a bunch of 'em. Those TWoP people can be a bit prickly, but they've got taste.

And otherwise:

- People really want you to watch The Wire.

- One change to the fall schedule I'm not particularly psyched about: Ugly Betty moves to Thursdays at 8, opposite My Name Is Earl and The Office. Maureen Ryan is, however.

- I don't need to watch a Battlestar Galactica primer, but I probably will.

- If at first you don't succeed, remember that Will Arnett didn't either.

More than meets the eye

2006-08-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

I think it can be agreed upon that Wentworth Miller is a work of art. Not just the lean, toned body (that's a post for another day -- a Friday for sure), but the tattoo on his character's body holding the key to breaking himself and his brother out of prison.

Now it turns out that in addition to being aesthetically pleasing in person, Wentworth actually knows a little something about art. Back in his days at Princeton, he also drew a comic strip with his dad where he displays some quirky talent.

Unfortunately, with the escapees on the run this season, we can expect to see more of Wentworth covered up this season (to prevent people from catching a glimpse of his note-worthy tattoo). However, if all his ensembles are as hot as this suit, I don't think I'll mind.

With the look Sara's giving him here, I don't think she'd mind either.

Season One of Prison Break came out on DVD today, so we can all enjoy Wentworth from capture to escape. I missed the second half of the season, so I know I'll be picking up a copy.

Young at heart

2006-08-07T22:18:00.000-07:00

In honor of my little brother's birthday today (hi, Drew!), I thought I'd post about my favorite TV shows when I was a kid. I think it's probably pretty clear I was a child of the 80's. If you spent your formative years watching TV in the 80's, then the list below should have some fond memories for you.

In no particular order, I was all about:

1. Rainbow Brite
2. Saved by the Bell
3. Kids Incorporated
4. Mickey Mouse Club
5. She-Ra
6. Smurfs
7. Gummi Bears
8. Transformers
9. Faerie Tale Theater
10. Avonlea

I think that each one of these shows had a deep psychological impact on me, turning me into the person I am today: that is, a bouncy singing diminutive blue performer with a powerful sword and belt who can turn into a toaster at will and who loves hanging with her fairy godmother and Mr. Belding in her idyllic Canadian hometown.

I'm sure Abbey would say the same for her magical appearance-manipulating earrings, unrecognized business acumen, and purple-haired boyfriend.

What shows do you all blame (or credit) for making you the fine upstanding citizens you are today? Did anyone get their philosophical side from Splinter, or their moral fiber from G.I. Joe? (Dubious...you probably got it from Zack Morris.)

TV Ex-Boyfriends: John Carter

2006-08-04T16:19:00.000-07:00

Bumbling. Inept. Awkward. It's hard to believe these adjectives could describe a quality TV boyfriend. And yet from 1994 to perhaps 1998, during the first few years of the ER craze, they absolutely did.

Eager, well-meaning, and intelligent, John Carter burst into the ER with the air of an overenthusiastic, inexperienced puppy that's about to get kicked. Not as suave as Ross, as steady as Greene, or as stoic as Benton, Carter was sweet and sentimental, wearing his heart on his sleeve even as he operated on the hearts of others. Carter's most defining characteristic was that he cared. As a teenage girl, how I wished he'd cared about me -- but instead it was always one of those pesky patients of the week. Cock-blocks, the lot of them.

Looking back now, it's hard to remember quite why I loved Carter. Maybe it was his smile? Hopeful and earnest, none of the Adama angst or Turk tomfoolery I'd come to love in later years. Carter was vanilla and his adorableness was wide-eyed and unthreatening. To a teenage girl just beginning to indulge in romantic longing, this was highly appealing.

Yes, Dr. Carter always was good and tried to do good. No shades of gray for this doctor. When they later tried to add addiction issues, I jumped off the Carter train. I liked my Carter innocent and unsullied, which is probably the reason I didn't 'ship him with anyone. Unlike most of my TV boyfriends, I wanted him alone, not being romantic with one of those jaded nurses or pharmaceutical-peddlers or lawyers. Carter a la carte. Ohh, that's so bad I'm going to have to end on it.

You know what's truly shocking? I am older now than Noah Wyle was when he first appeared as John Carter. Oh, God. Someone get me a walker and some Depends, I'm about ready to shuffle off this mortal coil.

Joobie is just like everyone else

2006-08-03T23:33:00.000-07:00

I'm not a big reality TV person. I think I've said before that it's just hard for me to get involved or care too much about it. I've never cared about Survivor, or Big Brother, or The Biggest Loser. The few months in 2004 when my roommate decided Fantasia Barrino was the best thing since sliced bread where among the more unpleasant of my life. (Just kidding, Corey.)

That said, I love Kelly Clarkson. I think she's a great singer, and a classy dame, and I loved watching her rise to fame on the first season of American Idol. I didn't watch too much of it--just a few episodes with my coworkers, and then the finale. And at the time, I felt like I was watching something truly magical: the transformation from an ordinary person to a star. That's what the American Idol folks were hoping to achieve, but I only feel like they succeeded with it the first time. When she belted out "Respect" in one of her earliest performances, it was a shock of talent that ran a shiver down my spine.

And now, just like GMMR and Jonas, I've seen Kelly in concert. And I have to say, I still feel that magic. I still think Kelly is doing what she was meant to do. And if a reality TV show got her there, well, then I suppose they can't be all bad.

TV Tidbits

2006-08-02T23:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week in the world of TV, and for me as well. Now that shows are beginning to film again following the hiatus, there's a bevy of spoilers to enjoy (or avoid, depending on your preference). Here are a few things I found new and notable in the last few days:

- A Veronica Mars spoiler I wasn't able to duck. Fortunately, it's just about casting, nothing too major. Should have some happy female fans, and I'm never upset about eye candy, so it's hard to get too bent out of shape about it.

- Prison Break DVDs are out on August 8th. Since the show premieres August 21 (so soon!), it's definitely worth going out to pick these up and relive all the incarcerated shenanigans and glorious Michael-Sara sexual tension before picking up with our favorite escapees.

- G.O.B.! TV Squad has an interview with Will Arnett, the lucky bastards. It's great to hear that Arrested Development opened up a lot of doors for Will, because he's a talented guy who was very humble about his Emmy nomination. I'll be rooting for him on August 29th.

- I think I may have found the next trashy reality show to replace ANTM for me while their writers are on strike.

- Critics all over the place agree that last night's Rescue Me episode had the show back in good form. I liked it too.

Jessica Biel can act (!) and other surprises

2006-08-01T12:47:00.000-07:00

Last night I had the distinct pleasure of seeing an early screening of The Illusionist, starring Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, and Jessica Biel. Yes, I know this is only tangentially related to TV, but given that Biel starred in a show I positively scorn (Seventh Heaven, to be specific), I thought it noteworthy to post.

Let me start off by saying that the movie is spectacular. It's got romance, political intrigue, magic, and mystery. Long-time big-screen boyfriend Edward Norton stars as the enigmatic Eisenheim the Illusionist, who has captivated turn-of-the-century Vienna with his surreal and spiritual performances. Jessica Biel, in a surprising bit of casting, plays Sophie, the childhood love Eisenheim was torn from and still burns for. And Paul Giamatti, who excels at any role he plays, is the police inspector investigating Eisenheim's illusions and potential agenda with regard to Sophie's boyfriend, the Crown Prince (Rufus Sewell).

The movie is full of surprises and reveals, not the least of which is the capable performance that Biel gives as Sophie. It helps that she is stunning on film, ethereal and luminous in period clothing and lighting. Even better, there's no twinge of spoiled Mary Camden in her performance, which I was surprised to enjoy.

It's no surprise, however, that Norton is perfectly cast as Eisenheim. The film's director, Neil Burger, who was present after the screening, describes Norton as "intense." That intensity works very well for the character of a late 19th century magician in The Illusionist. Norton is commanding and self-possessed on stage, naturally inhabiting the showman characteristics necessary to perform to a large audience. In his scenes with Biel, he's magnetic and passionate. No one gives dark looks filled with ardor and longing like Norton -- except, perhaps, Jason Dohring. (Fitting since the two could be brothers -- both blessed with an abundance of talent and enough charisma to have chemistry with a block of wood.)

Performances aside, the writing, art direction, and music are lovely. The score, composed by Philip Glass, is haunting and mysterious with a dramatic flair of which Eisenheim himself would approve. The script, also written by Burger, is great too -- particularly the philosophical, lyrical speeches Eisenheim gives during each of his performances. The movie has an intentionally eerie "silent-film" appearance which, along with Prague as the backdrop, makes the events of the film seem part of another time. Everything that happens takes on the otherworldly feel of a place where reality blurs and magic may be possible.

Essentially, I loved it. My sister loved it. And you might love it too! So if you want to see Mary Camden really act, watch Edward Norton be hot for 110 minutes, or just enjoy a truly great movie, check out The Illusionist. It's opening August 18th, and there's a trailer here.

Will viewers gobble up these serials?

2006-07-31T23:25:00.000-07:00

I feel like TV shows traditionally can be lumped into one of two categories: shows with stand-alone episodes that you can view in almost any order you like (procedurals, some sitcoms), and shows with ongoing storylines that you have to watch sequentially (24, anyone?).

I've always been a fan of the latter, though I understand that there is quite a strong following for the former--people who like Law & Order or CSI. Personally, I prefer shows with continuing plot threads because they don't seem to exist in one moment in time. They allow for character development and the feeling that you are really a part of the lives you're witnessing onscreen.

Not everyone prefers that, certainly. That's fine--to each his own, and all that. I can see the value in being able to dip into a show whenever you feel like it and not feel completely lost. To be so familiar with characters and enjoy that familiarity, knowing that they won't have changed the next time you happen to check in with them. There's something comforting and relaxing about that, I'm sure. And it definitely requires less ongoing attention and mental energy than a serial.

However, I enjoy expending my mental energy on TV. I like to become involved in the lives of the characters and to feel the weight of time pass in their lives. I've liked hybrid shows, like The X-Files, that had some stand-alone episodes and some mythology episodes. In fact, I think many of my favorite shows, have been shows that blend one-shot episodes with larger plot lines--BtVS and VM, for example. I just need something to propel me forward from one episode to the next.

While I could go on and on about why serialized shows appeal to me, Matt Roush at TV Guide does an interesting overview of how the upcoming TV season is heavily weighted in favor of the serialized drama. So what's behind it? Perhaps the success of shows like Lost and Prison Break, which require sequential, multi-episode viewing in order to fully understand, has influenced network executives.

However, for many of these serialized shows to succeed, it may be integral that the networks give them time to grow. So often shows get cancelled if they don't perform as expected right from the start. But if a show is allowed to keep improving and building an audience, there's little more satisfying than watching plots run their natural course and play out as they should.

Reading Matt's post, it occurs to me the serializing a show isn't enough to make it interesting to me. I don't just need something, I need compelling characters that I care about in order for it to be worthwhile viewing, in my opinion.

So what type of shows do you prefer? Do you think that the influx of serial shows in the schedule spells disaster, or that some have a chance for survival?

TV Boyfriends: Lee "Apollo" Adama

2006-07-28T22:43:00.000-07:00

This Captain...er...Commander can have my hand anytime. Since recently becoming obsessed with the Battlestar Galactica Season Three promo, I've been giving Apollo a lot of thought...not that I didn't do that already. Listen: imagine there's less than 50,000 people left to choose from (less than 25,000 if you're picky about gender). With those odds, when you find an relatively stable guy who's this attractive, you stop looking and start obsessing.

Of course, with a sample size that small, you're not going to find the perfect guy. But let's see how close Apollo comes.

Pros:

- If your Viper needs piloting, look no further. This guy knows how to handle his bird with finesse.

- Loyal beyond reason. If you're lost or hurt, he'll search for you and care for you beyond what you'd expect or hope for.

- When he grins, he lights up a room. It's a smile so open and boyish, it could make you forget about the constant threat of human extinction by Cylons.

- If you do something wrong -- like, say, shoot him -- he'll forgive you. (Note: this may not extend to making out with other guys in front of him.)

- Insert witty comment here while I just stare at his abs. Or arms. Or jaw. Ack! So much chiseled flesh, cannot look away!

Cons:

- Already involved with Dualla (just physical?) and Kara (definitely emotional).

- Father, dead brother, and ditched fiancee issues lead to him being just a wee bit tortured. (Fortunately, he wears angst well.)

- May have developed an addiction to noodles during year on Galactica while protecting New Caprica.

I think it's a safe bet to say that if the charming Jamie Bamber, who plays Lee, were ever to use his genuine British accent on the show, I'd probably spontaneously combust.

IIIIII don't want to work, I just want to...

2006-07-27T21:30:00.000-07:00

You guessed it--I want to watch TV all day!

Well, not quite. I do like my day job. But work has been quite busy this week, which explains the dearth of posts (or at least their brevity and lack of creativity). Since I've been so focused on work, I thought I'd do a brief post about my top ten TV workplaces! And before you ask: no, Doublemeat Palace is not on this list. (I suppose I could have listed "the graveyard" but that seems a tad morbid.)

Here they are classified ads for each position, in no particular order:

1. The West Wing
Description: Seeking young, well-educated, quirkly attractive American citizens. Democrats preferred.
Requirements: Must have 1) a sense of civic duty 2) the ability to talk very, very quickly 3) experience sublimating sexual frustration into quality work.
Benefits: A sense of purpose in life and the feeling that you're contributing to the greater good.

2. The Dragonfly Inn
Description: Seeking well-dressed, customer service-oriented front desk clerk with a desire to serve the whims and charms of small town occupants and visitors.
Requirements: Must be able to tolerate manic and eccentric colleagues and customers. No college education required, but must be able to think on your feet.
Benefits: All the witty banter and gourmet food you can stomach.

3. SD-6 (or the CIA or APO)
Description: We'd tell you, but we'd have to kill you.
Requirements: Fluent in at least 10 spoken and programming languages. Skilled with blades and weapons of all kinds. Willing to let yourself, and your personal relationships, take a hit for the job. Strong sense of patriotism. Superman (or Superwoman) complex optional.
Benefits: The knowledge that you could take anyone out. At any time. No questions asked.

4. The Daily Planet
Description: Seeking trained investigative reporter for regular columns, features, and the occasional Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial.
Requirements: Must not suffer from vertigo. Spelling skills not necessary. Myopia encouraged. Must be dogged, determined, resourceful, and a closet romantic.
Benefits: One-on-one interviews (and more) with one of the planet's most eligible bachelors.

5. Dunder Mifflin
Description: Seeking qualified salesperson with intimate, detailed knowledge of paper products and trends.
Requirements: Must be college educated, creative, assertive, communicative, and willing to be bored out of your skull by never using any of the skills or qualities previously listed.
Benefits: One amazing coworker.

6. Angel Investigations
Description: Seeking intelligent office manager with an interest in the occult.
Requirements: Must be able to wield an axe/crossbow, read ancient Etruscan, communicate with clients in the great beyond and in the office. Comfortable helping carry 240+ years of baggage.
Benefits: High probability of hook-up with hot coworker/boss--provided you're hot for a room-temperature body.

7. Mars Investigations
Description: Seeking detail-oriented, innately curious, efficient receptionist. Occasional undercover and surveillance work may be involved, at your discretion, if you have any discretion.
Requirements: Must have a PhD in snark and an above-average sense of personal responsibility. Must be canine-friendly. Hazy ethical boundaries a plus.
Benefits: Your boss will walk through fire for you. Plus, dirt on potential friends, boyfriends, and coworkers is just a mouse click away.

8. Seattle Grace
Description: Seeking medically trained intern for life-saving and liaisons.
Requirements: Scalpel skills essential. Must be able to tolerate negative feedback, function with minimal sleep, and flourish under pressure.
Benefits: Around every corner, you'll run into an attractive coworker who can cut you right to the heart--literally. Plus, there's always someone to gossip about.

9. Dean & DeLuca
Description: Seeking unskilled laborer for part-time counter job. No room for promotions--menial workers only sought.
Requirements: Must be able to take direction in heavily-accented English, be comfortable wearing a hairnet, and be open to stockroom shenanigans.
Benefits: Muffins, bagels, croissants, coffee, and all the black baseball caps you could dream of, plus a new lifelong friend, your boss.

10. Central Perk/Monk's Restaurant (tie)
Description: Seeking skilled waitress/hostess with 10+ years experience in a busy cafe environment.
Requirements: Must be able to deal with idiosyncratic, rude, self-involved regulars who may hit on you with little regard for your feelings.
Benefits: All the coffee you can drink and bragging rights to having witnessed some of the most bizarre interactions and conversations between New Yorkers.

Honorable Mention: FYI, Stuckeyville Lanes, Sports Night, WNYX, the FBI, and CTU.

Note: For a real office experience, check out Brian Baumgartner's blog over at TV Guide. Like me, the cast of The Office is at work again.

TCA-riffic

2006-07-26T22:36:00.000-07:00

The Television Critics Association held their awards ceremony on Sunday. While the TCA Awards aren't highly publicized, it seems that they're respected by people in the business. The ceremony was hosted by Mary Lynn Rajskub (better known to 24 viewers as Chloe) and surprisingly boasted a high number of star attendees (probably because they let the winners know beforehand so they'll be likely to show up).

I posted a bunch of the nominees back in May, and the winners are listed below:

PROGRAM OF THE YEAR
"Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
"The Office" (NBC) (my pick)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
"Lost" (ABC)

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
Steve Carell ("The Office") (Lauren Graham will never win anything. Ever.)

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
Hugh Laurie ("House") (my pick)

OUTSTANDING NEW PROGRAM OF THE YEAR
"My Name Is Earl" (NBC) (my pick)

Of the categories I looked at, I batted .500. Not bad! Though I still really would've loved for Lauren Graham to take home an award, I'll admit Steve Carell deserved it as well. (You can see his acceptance speech over at GMMR.)

One critic, Tim Goodman, offers his inside point of view about the ceremony and the winners at his SFGate.com blog. From his description, the TCA awards are more offbeat, intimate, and low-key than other awards shows. They aren't exactly thought of as the redheaded stepchild of awards shows, but they're far away from having the spotlight and cache of the Emmy awards.

Speaking of the Emmy's, they're just a scant month away now. TV Guide has full coverage and predictions. I guess they aren't familiar with the concept of procrastination! (I'll try to get to my predictions and wish-would-be-winners up soon.)

So jealous: not just a song featured on VM

2006-07-25T18:18:00.000-07:00

Veronica Mars fans might know the Tegan & Sarah song "So Jealous" from the Season Two episode Green-Eyed Monster. However, it's also an accurate description of me this week as I read through all the great accounts of people's experiences at Comic-Con and TCA. Though I'm sad to have missed all of it, I'm particularly bummed that I didn't get to enjoy the Veronica Mars Comic-Con panel on Saturday. However if, like me, you'd like to live vicariously through those who did attend, you're welcome to enjoy all the lovely links below.

- TV Guide's Daniel Manu, who acted as moderator for the panel, shares a few highlights. (Only slightly spoilery.)

- Pop Candy's Whitney Matheson, who geeked out over all sorts of comic-related and unrelated goodness, including the VM panel.

- The ever-amazing NeptuneSite.com has interviews up with Ryan Hansen (aka Dick "sometimes you don't need the prettiest horse" Casablancas") and Jason Dohring (aka Logan, my favorite maternal-expletive-spewer).

- Cast pics from the TCA's can be found at GMMR. Man, is Kristen Bell pretty!

- Video interviews with KBell and the adorable Dohrings can be found at Eonline (scroll down). It's sweet to see Jason give his wife the same I'm-so-into-you look that Logan gives Veronica.

- It is almost universally acknowledged that the highlight was Ryan doing a bit of Michael Jackson-inspired dancing and a backflip. Check him out!

Oh - and for you BSG fans who've been scouring the net for Comic-Con dish, go check out Maureen Ryan's blog.

Tremors of psychitude

2006-07-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

So, a couple weeks ago I told you all how excited I was to check out the new USA show Psych. Well, I'm happy to report that I've watched the show, and it was everything I was looking for.

I'll be up front and admit that I'm predisposed to like any show that quotes Reality Bites (Shawn to Mr. Stick-Up-His-Ass detective: What's your glitch?). But it's more than just the pop-culture references that make this show a worthy addition to my weekly viewing schedule. It's the fact that like its main character, Psych doesn't take itself too seriously.

The show is perfect for a Friday night - light, funny, and requiring minimal brain power. James Roday, as main fake psychic detective Shawn, has charm to spare and a face that sparks with mischief. His pent-up energy propels him from each case to the next, punctuated by spastic 'psychic episodes' that are hilarious and embarrassing to watch. Dulé Hill, as his buddy Gus, is along for the ride, doing his best to keep Shawn out of too much trouble, and helping out with a clue here and there. The pair have great chemistry, and as I suspected, it's fun to see Hill letting loose with a role that's outside Charlie territory.

Case in point: do yourself a favor and watch the "Man in the Mirror" Psych Out - you'll be treated to a new side of Hill.

I don't mind that the mysteries aren't so complex or aren't very credible. I don't tune in for the mysteries, I tune in for the characters. And from their tagline, that's just the way the USA network would want it.

TV Ex-Boyfriends: Clark Kent/Superman

2006-07-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

Sure, the internet was all atwitter with most-downloaded-Lois, but it was Clark who really caught my eye in the late summer of '93 when Lois & Clark premiered. From the moment he took to the skies in spandex, he owned my pre-teen heart.

Was it his irresistible maroon suit jacket/light blue shirt/patterned tie ensembles that made that heart flutter? The bashful smile and sidelong glance he'd send Lois' way? The fact that coupledom with Clark meant never having to say you're sorry you couldn't open a jar? Probably all of the above--a combination of physical strength combined with emotional vulnerability for maximum attractiveness.

Let's just review how Clark/Kal-El/Superman ranks on the scale of super-dateability.

Moral fiber: 10. "Integrity" is Superman's middle name. This is a guy who says he fights for truth, justice, and the American way...instead of fighting for booze, injustice, or the right to party, like so many of today's modern men.

Intelligence: 8. As a newspaper reporter, Clark knows his way around a sentence. He also ought to have an impressive grasp of geography in order to fly himself around the planet without getting lost. However, I docked points for his inability to dispose of that pesky kryptonite stuff in a lasting manner.

Sense of humor: 8. Though some consider puns the laziest, lamest form of humor, my grandfather would most certainly approve of Clark's aptitude for punniness. After Clark stops an escaping suspect by trapping him with a spare tire, Lois asks him, "How'd you catch up with him?" His response: "He got tired." Guffaw!

Appearance: 11. They don't call him "The Man of Steel" because he likes ironworking, people.

Sex appeal: 10. Power corrupts, and absolute power to save the world corrupts my brain with its smoking hotness. Plus, costumes!

The numbers don't lie (and neither does Superman). If you won his heart, he'd be loyal for the rest of your life...which, let's face it, might be short since you'd immediately become the prey of every twisted supervillain in the vicinity of Metropolis.

As a teenage girl, I was certain dating Clark would be worth whatever tragedy might befall me. However, as I aged my tastes changed. Superman is the ultimate good guy. As far as fictional boyfriends go, I started to like the bad boys a little better, so the time came when Clark and I had to go our separate ways. However, Dean Cain, his portrayer, will always hold a special place in my heart as my first star crush.

Fun fact: Dean was the first guy to audition for the part of Superman in Lois & Clark. They initially thought he was too young; good thing they came around!

TV tidbits

2006-07-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

- According to this interview, Ron Livingston is totally right for my sister. Except for that pesky twelve-year age gap.

- Prison Break is going to have to look for another mistress of evil, since VP Patricia Wettig won't be coming back. Maybe they'll recast her, like her undead bro Terrance Steadman.

- Alan Sepinwall, one of my favorite TV critics, has a great and quite candid interview with David Rosenthal, new Gilmore Girls showrunner. (Note: it's a bit spoilery.)

- America Ferrera, who headlines the new show Ugly Betty, reminded me why it would suck to work in Hollywood. Though they make her look a bit homely in the show, America definitely begs a bad pun about her name and one of this country's famous songs. She's a doll.

- Thoughts on laugh tracks. Interesting tidbit: when doing Friends, they often had to turn down the audience reaction because it sounded so much like a laugh track. Who knew?

- For some reason, I decided to watch a bunch of Friends bloopers. If you need a laugh, I heartily recommend this and this and this.

BSG giddy!

2006-07-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

Since the hiatus between new Battlestar Galactica episodes has been so long already, I thought I might not get too excited for the new episodes. I was wrong.

There's a new trailer floating around for Season Three, and it has left me in an absolute tizzy. Watch it! Then come be in a tizzy with me!

I'm going to do my darnedest not to get too spoiled for the new season, but it's hard because I know there's already a lot of information out there. Maybe I'll just have to limit myself to rewatching the entire show to get pumped for Season Three. New Caprica, woo!

Candles are, like, so passe!

2006-07-18T19:08:00.000-07:00

In honor of the lovely Kristen Bell's 26th birthday (felicitations, Kristen!), I present 26 of my favorite Veronica quotes. It occurs to me that not all of these quotes read that funny; it's a tribute to Kristen's awesome delivery that they all come off smart and snappy onscreen.

Let me know if you've got a favorite!

1. "I mean, if it's as big as you say, I'll be your girlfriend. We could go to prom together!"
2. "You wanna know how I lost my virginity? So do I."
3. "Just as God made me."
4. "Sometimes people find it very difficult to say no to me."
5. "I'd believe cartoon birds braided your hair this morning."
6. "Just be glad I don't flip my hair. I'd own you."
7. "I have that exact same platitude-a-day calendar at home. It's how I know beauty comes from within."
8. "I could write down that I met Kid Rock every weekend at the Hedonism Lodge for sensual massage and smoothies, but that doesn't make it true."
9. "You must feel really safe at night, when the dragons come."
10. "If you want people to leave you alone, Mandy, or better yet, treat you with respect, demand it. Make them."
11. "It's all fun and games until one of you gets my foot up your ass."
12. "I bet on you, and I lost. I've been doing that my whole life. And I'm through."
13. "What are you saying, you're not pretty?"
14. "Why do birds suddenly appear every time you're near?"
15. "I remember that summer. He was a roadie for White Snake, I was singing backup for Boyz II Men."
16. "The only way I'd ever make two grand in a week working at the Hut is if they installed a pole."
17. "You know sometimes, when I'm feeling a little, I don't know, glum, I like to get a little Pirate love."
18. "You're here for your looks. Why don't you leave the heavy thinking to me, sugarpants. Now go make yourself pretty."
19. "Because saving your ass with comment, it just...it works better for me."
20. "So when you rented The Thomas Crown Affair, McQueen, or Brosnan?"
21. "And if it were in, say, Maine, I'd be excited. But it's in Neptune, so I'm not excited. I'll go, but just to skip school, which excites me."
22. "You undercounted the sassy."
23. "Think back eighteen years: small, blonde, baby. Born ready."
24. "Dancing around in your underwear with the curtains open is always good. And if you're in chat rooms, and they suggest meeting face to face, do it in an abandoned railroad car down by the river side."
25. "You'd have the cops crawling all over you. Right? What do you think, Madison?"
26. "Easygoing Veronica Mars. That's what the kids at school call me."

May she live to be 100! (And may the show generate sufficient quotage to mark that milestone.)

Veronica heart...Jim?

2006-07-17T14:30:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what characters on your favorite TV shows would think of other TV shows? With my level of obsession with all things television, I certainly have. Ever since Spike professed his love of Passions, I've been entertained and surprised by the tuning tastes of my TV friends. We've got evidence of a few cross-network fans, including George Michael and Maeby watching Veronica Mars, Dwight enjoying Battlestar Galactica, and J.D. absorbed in Grey's Anatomy.

And now, thanks to the Neptune Navigator, we have an idea of whether Gia Goodman would rate Supernatural as any good and, more importantly, what Veronica and Logan might think of Season 1 of The Office (US). We're lucky enough to be privy to a fictitious IM chat/critique of the first season.

This, my friends, is great writing. It's smart, it's funny, it's in-character, and it's available here. If you like Logan-Veronica conversations that are snarky and full of subtext, look no further than the Neptune Navigator, brought to you by some lovely people who put their summer free time to good use. (Props to the Navigator staff...and pleas to keep writing, since it's a looong time till October 3rd.)

TV-free? You're not better than me.

2006-07-17T11:48:00.000-07:00

In an excellent recent article from the Connecticut Post, writer Amanda Cuda talks about why people who don't watch TV have nothing to be proud of.

Cuda defends television as a valuable source of information and entertainment, making the case that people who don't watch TV out of some elitist idea that they are "too good for TV" are really the ones missing out. To all those people who are superior about watching television, she has this to say:

"By eliminating an entire source of information and entertainment from your life, I argue that you are actually less enlightened than me and my tube-viewing brethren."

Just--WORD. As an avid reader, I've certainly been guilty of judging people for choosing not to read books of any sort. However, I'd never considered that the same idea could be applied to television as a valid source of information. Shame on anyone for outright denying TV as worthy of their time.

Cuda's writing is intelligent, insightful, and pro-Veronica Mars, so it definitely strikes a chord with me. The ideas she discusses in the article are things that have come to my mind over the many years I've been watching TV (and enduring other people's opinions about it). However, I hadn't found the time or the words to voice those ideas as she did. Sure, I've described TV as just another art form, but I didn't go into my reasoning as concisely and articulately as Ms. Cuda.

Damn, now I totally wish I could write good. Hee.

TV Boyfriends: Ari Gold

2006-07-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

He's brash, he's assertive, he's acerbic. He's the guy you love onscreen but that would be torturous to date. He's Ari Gold.

Life with Ari would be a challenge, at best. But it might just be worth it because this Hollywood super-agent has what he wishes all his clients had: it. You know what I mean? That spark, that drive, that magnetism that makes him impossible to forget. Would you be offended if he tried to end an argument by asking you to "hug it out, bitch"? Definitely. Would spending a significant amount of time with him drive you to homicide? Maybe. But before the bitter end, he'd probably be a lot of fun.

Reasons I'd be happy to pledge my undying loyalty to Ari:

- He is harsh but fair. He expects the best from you as well as from himself. Just see if you can pass the interview.

- He'll stop at nothing to make you happy. Your stress is his stress. Your success is his success. Do you want Mandy Moore maligned in the papers? Pushed off your current project? Killed? He'll do it.

- He insults because he loves. At least, that's what Lloyd tells himself.

- He's a sweet-talker: "We're gonna dent that headboard. No bullshit. I guarantee you! You will not walk right tomorrow." Who wouldn't be seduced by that?

- He's pretty. Really! Great suits, great skin.

- Any guy that will dance with you to Stevie Wonder, in the middle of the night, on the sidewalk in front of your house, when he's drunk and at his lowest, and somehow make it seem charming, has my vote.

The fact that Ari is played by Jeremy Piven is no small coincidence. I've been a Piven groupie for years, back when he was on Rob Thomas' other genius show, Cupid. (The fact that Cupid isn't on DVD is a crime.) From an interview with TV Guide, Piven seems like an intelligent, honest guy, quite different from his character. Still, he's got Ari down to an art, as the recent Emmy nomination proves.

Boy toys...who knew they could talk?

2006-07-13T20:07:00.000-07:00

Next Tuesday, July 18th, TBS is going to start running Let's Talk About Sex and the City, a six-week special wherein the some of the show's male cast members will provide a little commentary to spice up choice episodes.

Sounds like fun, right? It'll be nice to get a little male perspective on one of the first shows to represent the female perspective on sex and relationships. However, don't get too excited yet: we won't be getting interviews with some of the main men from the show: Big, Aidan, Smith, Aleksandr, or Trey. Nope, the participating hotties include:

- Blair "this cookie loves you" Underwood
- Mario "laugh/man whore" Cantone
- Evan "sweaty and sweet" Handler
- Willie "she's fashion roadkill!" Garson
- David "you're the one" Eigenberg

Over the years, Sex and the City had scads of attractive men in great bit parts in addition to those with recurring roles: Bradley Cooper, Dan Futterman and Bobby Cannavale, to name a few. I know my sister will be disappointed that there's no Ron Livingston in the list of interviewees. Post-It faux-pas aside, she definitely thinks Berger is spark-alicious.

Steve's my personal favorite -- fitting since I am Miranda -- but I've also got a soft spot for Harry and think Big was pretty steamy while cooking veal or serenading Carrie. Who was your favorite match for the Manhattan ladies? (Keep in mind that if you say Aleksandr, I'm going to disagree. Vehemently.)

If you need some help making up your mind, you can view clips of the interviews on the TBS website now. Though they complain about the fashion on the show, they all look quite dashing in their boy-band-esque matching white suits.

Rescue Me from spoilers?

2006-07-12T09:31:00.000-07:00

I've said before that I try to avoid spoilers about my favorite shows whenever possible. (Now that intel about the season three premiere of Veronica Mars has surfaced, it's becoming increasingly difficult.)

However, I don't avoid spoilers for all the shows I watch. In that vein, I just noticed a Rescue Me spoiler from Ask Ausiello: The season's penultimate episode — airing Aug. 22 — is going to be insane. One major character will die, another will tie the knot, and a third will suffer a stroke — all in that order.

I'm flummoxed. I don't even have good guesses for these three people! But August 22 is a long way away, and knowing the speed with which RM usually spins their plot twists, I'd believe they can pull it off.

Any guesses? Which characters do you think will be croaking, eloping, and stroking?

The VM/BSG connection

2006-07-11T18:44:00.000-07:00

Battlestar Galactica and Veronica Mars have lots of things in common: great writing, stellar acting, and a devoted fan base.

But did you also know they have The Education of Max Bickford in common? I'm guessing you didn't. Max Bickford was a show starring Richard Dreyfuss that ran for just one season back in 2001. Why is it notable? Because it starred Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck! With 'punky' pink hair!) as Dreyfuss' daughter and Rob Thomas (god of Neptune and Mars) was a writer for the show. Who knew such quality would come out of a show watched by so few? Certainly not me -- I never caught an episode. (And it isn't out on DVD, so it looks like I never will.)

Did any of you catch it and want to offer commentary? Was it boring? Did it offer glimpses of burgeoning genius? Comment to fill me in.

And, in other Veronica Mars news, Neptunesite is reporting that we'll be seeing more of Sheriff Lamb next season. Excellent! By "more" I'm hoping that means "with less clothing," but Michael Muhney is such an awesome guy that I'll take whatever I can get.

Maeby baby

2006-07-10T16:54:00.000-07:00

Speaking of other people I'd like to see matriculating at Hearst next season on VM, how about Alia Shawkat, Maeby from Arrested Development? She did a great job in last season's Rapes of Graff episode, and since her storyline was never really resolved, I think she absolutely must make an appearance in the fall.

This summer, however, Alia's starring in a new TV movie, Not Like Everyone Else, which airs tonight at 9PM on Lifetime. It looks a bit melodramatic, but based on Alia's interview with TV Guide it sounds like she's interested in taking on some meatier dramatic parts, so that probably explains her choice of this role. (I say, if she wants to play someone involved in a witch hunt, she'd be a great Abigail Williams in The Crucible.)

If you're not into goth teen TV movies, you can always wait for Season Three of AD to be released on August 29th.

Whatever Alia decides to do in the future, she sounds like a down to earth, funny girl, so it should be a pleasure to watch. That said, my vote is for her to come back to Veronica Mars...and bring Ann Veal (Mae Whitman - Alia's real-life best friend) with her.

Mac attack!

2006-07-10T15:17:00.000-07:00

For all you Mac fans out there, there's an interview with Tina Majorino at Backstage.

We all know Mac's going to Hearst with Veronica, and we know Rob Thomas is trying to make Tina a regular, so it sounds like we should be seeing more of her next season. Great news, since Mac is one of my favorite characters. I'm curious to see how different she'll be in the wake of everything that happened with Cassidy in the season finale. Will there be Mac 2.0? Hard to imagine what that might be like, since Mac 1.0 was more like Veronica 2.0.

I'm also still waiting to see something in the future about Mac and her biological family. Ever since Ep. 1.11, Silence of the Lamb, I've been wanting to see some little follow-up to show that Mac's still connected with her birth mom. Maybe if Tina's around more in Season Three, we could get an episode where the truth comes out? Happy to help write it, Rob. ;)

If you're a Mac person, check out the interview. It's pretty interesting that Tina's managed to cover three projects with a strong cult following. If she becomes the next pilot in the next Serenity movie or shows up as the next cylon, she'll really be covering her fan bases. Guess there is life after Waterworld.

Psyched! (Yeah, it writes itself.)

2006-07-07T12:15:00.000-07:00

USA Network, which I don't ordinarily watch except for the odd movie, has a new series premiering tonight. Psych stars the mischievous-looking James Roday and Charlieeeeeeee....ahem...Dulé Hill of West Wing fame. Roday plays Spencer, a slacker with keen observational skills who fakes being a psychic to help solve crimes. Hill plays his best friend, who's pulled into Spencer's capers somewhat unwillingly. Paired with another humorous crimedy, Monk, it seems like a fun, fluffy way to spend a Friday night.

(Yes, I just made up the word crimedy. Crime + comedy? I think it works. It has the benefit of sounding a bit like criminy, which is one of my favorite antiquated exclamations.)

If you visit the show's website, you can test out Spencer's "psychic" skills for yourself. While I think Spencer will be a fun character, I'm more looking forward to increased screentime for Dulé, who wasn't featured too prominently in the final season of The West Wing. And if James and Dulé don't do it for you, you can always enjoy Corbin Bernsen.

The website for the show also has a trailer along with various blogs and clips, so you can get a flavor of whether you might like it. The trailer features the song Blister in the Sun, which I will forever remember as the song Angela Chase did her "I'm over Jordan Catalano" dance to in My So-Called Life, so it's already got that going for it.

The Shammy nominations are in!

2006-07-06T17:29:00.000-07:00

I've decided that if you fail to recognize Lauren Graham as a nominee for Lead Actress in a Comedy, your awards show is a sham. Therefore, this post will be in regards to the recently announced Shammy nominations (formerly known as the Emmy nominations). Rather than posting all the nominees (which GMMR was already kind enough to do), I'll just be listing a few of my yays and nays.

YAY:

- Denis Leary: Leary managed to make a fiery, controversial, politically incorrect character lovable. He's utterly captivating in this role.

- Steve Carell and The Office. This show, and the character, improved by miles in the last season, so it's very rewarding to see them recognized.

- G.O.B. and Ari. I would love to see these two characters interact, and I'd love it if either Jeremy Piven or Will Arnett took home the award, as they are both highly deserving.

- Jaime Pressly is a white-trash wonder, and I'm so glad they nominated her.

NAY:

- Stockard freakin' Channing? I know the Shammy voters love her, but really, people! You should be ashamed of yourselves.

- No hombres from Grey's? No T.R. Knight? Isaiah Washington? Patrick Dempsey? No sir: we get Alan Alda and Oliver Platt instead.

- Total Veronica Mars and Battlestar Galactica shut-outs are a slap in the face to people who love good television. I hope Kristen, Rico, Jason, Mary, and Eddie know they are all tops in the viewers' (and many critics') eyes, even if the Shammy voters said otherwise.

Once smoke stops pouring out of my ears, I'll write another post with my favorites and my anticipated winners from the list of Shammy nominees. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a date with a gallon of "Highly Caloric Consolation" ice cream.

Anticipation

2006-07-05T18:06:00.000-07:00

The Emmy nominees are announced tomorrow, and word on the street is that a few never-nominated shows might just have a chance of appearing in the list. While I'm not one to get my hopes up, a part of me is filled with glee at the idea that Veronica Mars, Rescue Me, Battlestar Galactica, Gilmore Girls, or indeed anyone from my long dream Emmy ballot appear on the list. (I created the ballot before I watched RM, which explains its absence.)

GMMR will be posting the nominees live in the early AM, since she's lucky enough to be an East Coaster. I love TV, but I don't exactly 5:35-in-the-morning love it. Once I see the list, you can bet I'll begin posting my thoughts with a fury. (Fingers crossed the second definition of fury, not the first.)

Before the announcements, you can stop by EW for their cage match poll about potential Emmy newbies. Though I voted for Jaime Pressly, I've got to admit that in a knock-down, drag-out fight, Kelly Bishop could probably beat the tar out of her and Alyson Hannigan.

We'll see her round the Battlestar

2006-07-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

The talented and awesome Jane Espenson, who has written for Buffy, Gilmore Girls, and beyond, is now penning an episode of Battlestar Galactica.

Jane tells all about her episode in this interview--though of course by 'all' I mean nothing at all about her episode, the plot of the show, or any season three storylines or circumstances (since they're trying to keep all that stuff under lock and key). Instead, she talks more about why she loves the show and her experience writing for it.

Jane knows whereof she speaks (and writes). She has an excellent blog where she discusses the craft of writing for all us hopefuls. She offers numerous tips, ideas, and encouragement for anyone who's dreamed of writing for television. If you've ever considered writing a screenplay or script, Jane's blog just might be the invaluable resource of practical information you've been looking for.

And, if you're not of the writing bent, you can always read it to find out what she has for lunch every day. Seriously.

Confessions of a Teenage-Drama Queen

2006-07-04T09:17:00.000-07:00

In a recent article on The Evolution of the Teen Drama Series, TV Blend analyzes a few key dramas that have had an effect on the way television is programmed to teens today.

The article highlights:

Beverly Hills, 90210
Party of Five
My So-Called Life
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Freaks and Geeks
Veronica Mars

I agree that these shows paved the way for later programs. Certainly the kids of The OC couldn't have lived it up in So Cal if Beverly Hills 90210 hadn't existed, and I doubt if the young people of Everwood would have been able to emote their way through a day without My So-Called Life before them. But there is one glaring omission: where is the influential (if uneven) Dawson's Creek?

Though the quality of the acting, writing, and storylines on DC varied greatly over the years, it was among the first shows to try having teenagers use dialogue that wasn't dumbed down--the way teenagers would arguably talk if they felt the need to exercise their SAT vocubulary 24-7. Realistic? Certainly not, but it at least tried to act as if teens were intelligent. And unlike MSCL, it was actually successful.

On the evolutionary timeline of the teen drama, it's somewhere in the middle. Not an australopithecus like BH, but certainly not an upright-tool-user like VM. No, Dawson's is probably in the range of homo erectus (particularly appropriate given the show's focus on genitalia).

I agree with writer Kelly West that teen dramas are evolving to offer less "soap fluff" and more well-written characters with complex, realistic storylines. Still, today's teen dramas have a ways to go to be considered non-fluffy fare in the eyes of the general TV-viewing public. When shows like Veronica Mars are considered by the Emmy voters, and when we no longer feel the need to put a "teen" disclaimer before the word drama, then the genre will really have made strides.

For my consideration

2006-07-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

Since the lovely invention of TV on DVD, my past few summers have been spent in the company of a few great shows. I'll always remember the summer of 2003 as the time I spent sublimating post-college depression via obsessive Alias DVD rewatching, last summer as the season I devoured Farscape, and this summer as full of Tommy Gavin swearing and tearing his way through the first and second seasons of Rescue Me. However: Rescue Me is pretty short. Its first two seasons pretty much comprise one normal season for a network TV show.

So, I still need a bit more TV to fill the void until September (or October...damn you BSG!). I'm hoping all of you, with your vast and infinite knowledge of television, can help me make a decision. (Even if that decision is, "yes, Joobie, watch them all!" since I am notoriously indecisive myself.) Here's what I'm considering:

Supernatural: Taken in by some YouTube fanvids (some shamelessly celebrating Jared Padalecki's body of work, some piecing together the show's funniest moments), I've been thinking about giving this show a try. Now, I'm not averse to hot men, and I do love good man-banter, but I'm not sure the plots or the characters will be interesting enough to keep me watching. Opinions? Or just want to rave about how Jensen Ackles' ass is worth the price of admission? Speak out, sister! (September 5)

The Wire: The first season has been toiling on my Netflix list for some time, not quite making the transition to the top of the queue. I've read numerous great reviews of the show, and it's something a little different from my normal angsty-romance or bantery-comedy fare. Dominic West has sort of a rakish charm, and the acting overall is supposed to be stellar. It's been a while since I tried a crime drama, but perhaps if the characterizations are strong enough and the ongoing storylines involving enough, this would be a good chance to get back into the genre.

Doctor Who: Since I loved Farscape and BSG, I think this just might be a logical next step for me. I've read a number of comments about how great and revitalized the show was with Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper, and that it's easy to jump in even if you don't know the decades of backstory. And although I'm spoiled for the first season, I think DW's blend of whimsy and drama could be a pleasure to watch even knowing the outcome already. There's a bit of amour, too, isn't there? Unresolved sexual tension is my raison d'etre. (July 4)

Slings and Arrows: Reading the description of the show, which follows the exploits of a "dysfunctional Shakespearean theatre group," I'm pretty much sold. Knowing that it also stars Rachel McAdams, who I'd watch in almost anything, definitely helps to seal the deal. The first season just came out on DVD, and though it's a pretty short series, it might be enough to fill the TV gap. Plus, at only 6 episodes, it's a small time investment for something that could be quite funny and irreverent.

So, what do you all recommend? You're welcome to think outside the list; these are just some ideas I've been mulling over. And keep in mind that I'm the kind of gal who watched Sidekicks in its entirety last night, so I can set the bar for entertainment value pretty low when I feel like it.

TV Boyfriends: Chris Turk

2006-06-30T12:22:00.000-07:00

If it weren't for the whole "married to and expecting a child with Carla" situation, I think Turk and I could have had something. Unfortunately, I'll have to get by with adoring him from afar weekly on Scrubs. His mischievous personality, rock-solid friendship with J.D., and sweet/snarky relationship with Carla make him an absolute pleasure to watch.

Reasons why Carla is one lucky lady:

- Turk loves Lando and doesn't disguise his inner geek.

- He knows the value of a well-placed kung-fu blowout -- and comes well-prepared with tearaway scrubs. Yes, those would absolutely come in handy.

- He's a doctor, so he's got smarts and a job Mom would approve of.

- He can dance if he wants to. He can leave his friends behind--and come boogie with me. ;)

- He knows his place in the relationship. (Turk: "Dr. Miller accused me of being sexist. Me! I'm marrying Carla - who do you think wears the pants? And the shirts... and the shoes... and sometimes my underwear.")

- He has a competitive, playful nature.
Turk: "Let's play Steak."
J.D.: "What?"
Turk: "Steak. The first person to finish their steak is the winner of Steak."

- His overly serious facial expressions and pelvic thrusting could take a girl to air band utopia (see below).

Like Jason Segel, Donald Faison has long been a favorite of mine. I remember back when he wasn't "jeeping" behind Dionne's back in Clueless and wasn't intimidated by Elena in Felicity. (We can just forget about that little Sabrina, The Teenage Witch indiscretion.)

WB gets a little classy

2006-06-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

Word from Variety via TV Guide is that on its last day of programming, the WB will air the first episodes of some of its signature series: Buffy, Angel, Felicity, and Dawson's Creek.

That's a fairly classy move (out of character for the WB?), so it doesn't seem quite right for the network's final goodbye. Personally, I'd love if the WB were willing to celebrate their successes and failures over the years by airing some bad pilots along with the good.

How about some Tarzan with a pre-Prison Break Dr. Tancredi? Or the pilot of Zoe, Duncan, Jack, and Jane, with the always smokin' pre-Lex Michael Rosenbaum? There's a lot of crap to celebrate along with the quality. I like what the WB is trying to do, but they could rock a whole other set of less-than-stellar shows as well for a send-off that's truly representative of their programming over the years.

What forgotten or fondly remembered show would you like to see the WB say farewell to on its last night?

YouTube-eriffic

2006-06-29T18:03:00.000-07:00

Talking a page from GMMR's book, I'm giving some love to YouTube today.

Some gems I've discovered:

- Scrubs' funniest moments and bloopers

- All three parts of Nobody's Watching, an unsuccessful (but funny) pilot from the creators of Scrubs (the TV Addict even included it in his funniest quotes of the week)

- Pure, exuberant hilarity, tangentially related to Veronica Mars

- I've only seen a couple episodes of House, but these two clips from the season two finale might be reason enough for me to Netflix the first couple seasons. I'm such a sucker for unresolved sexual tension.

- A reminder about why I love Luke and Lorelai, and why last season's finale was so painful. If the writers would give us great moments like these between Lorelai and Christopher, maybe I wouldn't be so hell-bent on L&L.

- Ohhh....and just one more for all you Jam fans. (You probably already have it bookmarked.)

Location, location, location

2006-06-28T17:50:00.000-07:00

While I was out and about in the world for a few days last week, I got to thinking about the locations where many of my favorite shows are set. So I thought I'd compile a little location list.

Most common location: New York. (Friends, Seinfeld, Sex and the City, Rescue Me, CSI:NY...are there shows that aren't set in New York?)

Most dangerous place for a witty young crime-fighter: fictional Southern California (See Neptune and Sunnydale)

Best for a medical drama: A big city that isn't New York. (See Chicago Hope, ER, Grey's Anatomy, St. Elsewhere, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman...just kidding.)

Place I'd like to vacation: Stars Hollow (Festivals with strange themes, troubadours, gorgeous scenery, and one lovely inn. Eccentric, but great for a short term stay. Plus, I might be able to bump into those Gilmore Girls and have a rapid-fire chat filled with pop-culture references. Groovy!)

Place I'd most like to live: Everwood. Sob!

Place I'd least like to live: Wisteria Lane. (I'd like to be able to have a romance that's normal, functional, and drama-free. I'm pretty sure that's verboten for the ladies of Desperate Housewives.)

Most "out-there" location: Farscape. The uncharted territories RULES!

Best for someone in witness protection program: Springfield. Do The Simpsons live near an ocean? Are they landlocked? What's the climate? What state are they in? No one knows--and it's a safe bet no one could find you there.

What are some favorite fictional places in the TV-verse that you'd like to visit? Or that you would avoid like the plague?

Clunk. Thonk. Bwack.

2006-06-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

I admit it. I watched Kyle XY last night. I'm not proud of myself, but I am still the same girl who once watched The Secret World of Alex Mack, and I was sort of bored and eating Frosted Mini-Wheats and maybe I just regressed back to the mental state of an eleven year old for a bit. What?! It happens! Whatever the case, watching Kyle XY seemed like a good idea at the time.

The title of this post refers to the noise that the script from Kyle XY made when coming from my television. The dialogue was clunky. The voiceovers were wooden. I get that he's supposed to be a boy without emotion, but he talks about his feelings in his sterile narratives, so presumably he feels something? And does he or does he not grasp the English language? If you know the word 'mathematics' you probably know the word 'picture.'

Anyway, I wasn't expecting quality, I was expecting entertainment, and Kyle XY delivered...marginally. The previews for upcoming episodes look like a bit of an improvement over the pilot, so perhaps I'll tune in again. I am something of a masochist, after all.

Though bellybutton-free Matt Dallas is a relative newcomer, I did spot one familiar face: The dad is played by Bruce Thomas, who also played the UPS guy who inspired hairdresser Paulette to learn the bend-and-snap in Legally Blonde. Hee. He's also a dead ringer for Bruce Campbell--which explains why he had the formidable role of 'Mini-Ash 3' in Army of Darkness (one of my favorite cheesy flicks).

Also...was that Alex Krycek I saw lurking around in a truck, spying on the wonder boy? Is anyone else square enough to admit they watched this and spotted him too?

Superhero sidekicks...trend watch?

2006-06-27T17:31:00.000-07:00

It looks like appearing in a supporting role in a superhero film is the new black for some of TV's second bananas. First, we've got Rainn Wilson (Dwight from The Office) enjoying some screen time in My Super Ex-Girlfriend.

Now, we've got Sam Huntington, aka Luke the drug-filled-piñata smuggler from Veronica Mars. Sam won the coveted role of Jimmy Olsen in the new Superman Returns movie coming out tomorrow.

Sam (who, despite a certain weakness of character on VM, I've always thought was sorta cute) will also be starring in Kristen Bell's next film, Fanboys, about a group of Star Wars fans who trek to Skywalker Ranch to view Episode I before its release. Maybe this time she really will spike his juice box and have her way with him! (Though, seeing as how Sam starred in Jungle 2 Jungle, I could see why she might take a pass on that.)

What's next for this burgeoning trend--T.R. Knight as Robin? Liza Weil as Aquagirl?

John Krasinski: hot even with weird hair

2006-06-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

I randomly stumbled across an old Kodak commercial featuring a bizarrely coiffed John Krasinski. I remember being quite amused by it back in the day, though I had no idea who he was at the time. Enjoy!

And if you're all about JKras, GMMR has some adorkably awesome pics of John on the set of his new movie with Mandy Moore. Oh, to be an umbrella within those hands, that I might touch that geek!

(Yeah, I know I'm the real geek here.)

Rescue them from controversy

2006-06-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

With the extreme packing I had to do for last week's trip, I didn't get a chance to watch and recap Rescue Me last Tuesday when it aired. Perhaps that's for the best, however, since the close of the show featured a violent sex scene between Tommy and his wife, Janet, that I'd have had difficulty describing.

I'd read the brief spoilers from Andrea Roth (Janet) in TV Guide's interview, so I was a bit prepared for the scene. However, Andrea's comments led me to believe that there would be a clearer demarcation between the violence and the sex. Instead, the line between physical pain and sexual pleasure was a lot subtler than I'd anticipated, and after the scene ended I came out feeling closer to Andrea's comment "you're not really sure what the hell happened."

While I wasn't sure quite what I'd seen, some viewers saw things all too clearly for their liking. They saw Tommy's actions as an unquestionable rape, something unforgivable, a storyline that rendered the show unwatchable.

For a show that bases much of its popularity and appeal on pushing the boundaries of what's appropriate, Rescue Me may have finally found an issue that's a little too far outside their viewers' comfort zone. Creators Denis Leary and Peter Tolan gave a post-ep interview addressing some of the negative response to the scene. Tolan also posted comments on Television Without Pity defending the scene.

After watching the episode, reading viewer comments, and absorbing Leary and Tolan's responses, I'm still not exactly sure what to think.

When I first watched the scene, I was reminded of the stairway sex between Tom and Edie in the recent movie A History of Violence. Both are violent sex scenes that start off motivated by anger, then midway through change into something (arguably) motivated by desire. Admittedly, the transition from violence to lust is more evident in History; it didn't come off as clearly as the people behind Rescue Me would have liked.

So why write a scene like this at all, if it's so apt to incense viewers? I'm hoping it's not simply to push buttons. I'm hoping they felt it was important. Maybe to show us that under the anger, there's love. Maybe to demonstrate that whatever emotions are present, these two characters connect on a base level. Or maybe they're just putting something out there that's dirty and repugnant.

In the end, it's up to the viewer to decide.

Why XY?

2006-06-26T11:32:00.000-07:00

Overwhelmed by the outpouring of responses to last Wednesday's post, I'm happy to get back up and blogging. I'll start off with a short post to ease myself back in the swing of things.

In fact, it won't just be short, but kind of creepy. I've been feeling a bit violated by the heavy promotion of the new ABC Family show Kyle XY on many of the TV sites I frequent. This bizarre, blue-eyed, bellybutton-less pretty boy (who actually looks a tad like one of my sister's ex-boyfriends) keeps popping out of the ads on the side of my screen with a stupefied expression I assume is meant to look naive and questioning. It's unnerving.

I can't find a good image of it, but if you visit the TV Guide website, you can get visually violated all on your own. Kreepy Kyle will be more than happy to tell you his show airs on Mondays at 8PM. You can also check out a Q&A with Matt Dallas, who seems decidedly less creepy in interview form, and gives some background on his show and character.

ABC Family has an uneven track record of original movies and series. I'm not ashamed that I loved Lucky 7 (featuring a pre-Grey's Anatomy McDreamy!), but wasn't exactly wowed by Celeste in the City. Maybe I'll give this a try, if only to see if Matt can keep up that expression for a whole 44 minutes. (Nicholas Cage holds the record for maintaining one expression throughout a project; see his continued "longing" face throughout City of Angels.)

Note: I just watched Season 2 of Entourage on DVD, and noticed that Matt Dallas appears in a brief scene as a producer's boy-toy. He's a cute guy--wonder why ABC Family decided to up the creep factor in all his online ads?

Note to my blog buddies

2006-06-21T00:07:00.000-07:00

Hello random readers of TV and Sympathy!

I'll be taking a brief and much-needed vacation over the next few days, so don't expect much new content. However, I'll be back and raring to go on Monday! While I'm out, I'd love to have your comments about what you'd like to see more of (or heck, less of!) on the site. Any shows you think I should be watching that I'm not? Curious about what I think about movies, not just TV? Just want to rave about how much you're digging World Cup soccer or the World's Strongest Man competition?

Whatever's on your mind, leave me a comment to let me know. Catch y'all next week.

The well of lost plots

2006-06-20T19:37:00.000-07:00

In a few recent critiques of Rescue Me, I've been reading about how they sometimes bring up plots and then never seem to go anywhere with them. Watching old episodes of Felicity has also brought this problem to mind. I think it's a fairly common practice for a show to bring up a plotline, tease viewers along with it for a few episodes, and then never decide how to resolve it, so they simply let it drop. I can think of a few examples offhand:

Felicity: Political activism seems to be an oft-used plot device that's brought up and quickly dropped. In her sophomore year, Felicity quickly became involved with the student health center and school presidential campaign. By junior year, her political side was nowhere to be seen. (See also Abbott, Amy on Everwood re brief entanglements with liberal activism.)

Dawson's Creek: Anyone remember Eve? She was the snake with the apple to poor virginal Dawson at the start of season three, promising a world of adventures and hedonism. Well, until she mysteriously disappeared without the audience ever finding out a resolution about how exactly she fit into the Lindley family.

Battlestar Galactica: Roslin is Pithia the prophet, who needs an arrow that will guide everyone to Earth. Seriously? There was a fair amount of religion and mysticism for a show that usually doesn't deal with such fuzzy motives. However, at this point they seem to have put it aside a bit.

Veronica Mars: Even the best shows can suffer from this problem. Spy pens and dead rats aside, there's also the case of Lucky's relationship to the Manning's or the child abuse at the Manning's. However, with a crew this continuity-focused, it's possible we'll see more information come to light in season three.

Can you think of any plotlines from your favorite shows that were dropped like a hot potato when the writers no longer knew what to do with them?

Just wishin' and hopin'

2006-06-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

It can be difficult to support one's TV addiction on a budget. I don't spring for the good cable package, so I don't get to check out Entourage or Deadwood or anything that's good on Showtime. (Is there anything? Tell me what I'm missing.) However, I do occasionally splurge on DVD sets--most recently, Everwood, which wasn't really a splurge because it is dirt cheap right now, people.

Here's my wish list of DVDs that I'd love to have to help me through the summer hiatus:

Sports Night: It's been on my list for frickin' ever. TV Squad is doing recaps of the first season, and I'd love to be able to rewatch, then read their commentary. Alas.

The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.: It probably won't be that great. But...Bruce Campbell! Abel Koontz! Chaps! I kind of have to watch it.

Veronica Mars: Season Two: She will be mine. Oh yes, she will be mine. (August 22)

Sex and the City - The Complete Series: Since apparently I am Miranda, I think it only logical that I own the whole series chronicling the ups and downs of my love life, fashion sense, haircut, and road to personal enlightenment. Also, SatC reminds me of many fond memories trying to track down stray episodes from various Blockbusters in the Berkeley environs. Classic!

Dawson's Creek - Season Three: Shameful? Yes. Watchable? Yes. This is the season where Joey and Pacey get together and the teenage girl inside me breathes a happy sigh of relief. OMG Joey-Pacey OTP!!1! (Ahem! Allow me to repress her and let's move on, shall we?)

What am I missing? Maybe the first season of House, which I think might be obliging to all members of my household? Everything Battlestar Galactica for a re-watch? Lois & Clark or Smallville to get me revved up for the Superman movie?

Also, now that my TV on DVD week is over, it's left me with quite a thirst for commentary. What should I turn my attention to next - any commentary you've been craving?

TV on DVD: Veronica Mars

2006-06-17T19:12:00.000-07:00

I know what you may be thinking to yourself: "But Joobie, I own the Veronica Mars DVD's and I haven't seen hide nor hair of a DVD commentary anywhere on their person!" Rest easy, fair reader. You haven't missed some commentary Easter eggs. Due to an undesirable DVD production schedule, there are indeed scant extras available to us VM fanatics.

However, creator Rob Thomas with his godlike powers was kind enough to throw us fans a peace offering in the form of an mp3 commentary, available through his website, Slaverats.com.

So let's see what he has to say.

- Rob composed the piece of score that plays over the cold open. On his computer! Multitalented!

- Rob has watched commentaries for two things: Say Anything and The Office. (US or UK, I wonder? Must be UK.)

- He wanted to create a girl who had no friends, so that a burgeoning friendship would make viewers feel good about her.

- The students in the opening scene are actual students who came in on a Saturday.

- The "OMG we could go to prom together" was a scene that they auditioned potential Weevils and Veronicas with. The original line was "When I want you to open your mouth, you'll hear me unzipping." Dirty!

- Rob wanted the pool in Veronica's apartment to look like the Karate Kid apartment. The network did not, so they cleaned it up in post-production

- Originally they wanted to use the Coldplay song "Don't Panic" instead of "Just Another". (Wow. Who knew Rob Thomas = Denis Leary? Well not exactly. One uses far less profanity.)

- Daran Norris (Cliff) and Rob Thomas have been friends since they were three years old. (All together now...awww!)

- Even before casting Enrico Colantoni" (Keith), Rob Thomas was a huge Galaxy Quest fan. (Good. Now I can still respect him.)

- They didn't have Kyle Secor (Jake) for a the pilot; they cut his parts in later.

- Amanda Seyfriend was "about 100X better than everyone else" they saw for the role of Lilly.

- Originally Lilly was found in the ocean, but that was apparently too "dark and creepy" for the network, so they switched it out.

- "What's the matter with you people" scene was added after they cast Jason Dohring because he was so, so good.

- Francis Capra didn't want to say the "Weevil love you long time" line. (Also, I just noticed that he's younger than me. That's disturbing.)

- Shelly Pomroy is played by the real-life cousin of the real-life Shelly Pomroy, who is a friend of Rob's. (And you didn't want to name a nicer character after your friend, Rob? I guess there are only so many Wallaces to go around.)

- Kristen Bell came up with real tears for the morning after scene, four times in a row.

- Was Kristen what Rob Thomas imagined for Veronica? Yes - but he thought she'd be a brunette.

- Alona Tal was the second choice to play Veronica. She's a native Israeli and auditioned right off the plane. They later created the role of Meg for her.

- The bong Veronica plants in Logan's locker was original supposed to be penis shaped. Consequently, "I'm pretty sure you won't be getting your cock bong back" was Kristen Bell's favorite line from the original script.

- Important philosophical question: Do gang members wear helmets? Rob thought it was 'uncool' but the network really preferred that they put them in helmets. Happily, the helmets were able to disguise that many of the extras weren't high-school age.

- Rob loves that Jason checks his nose in the mirror as the car drives away. (I love it too. I also love Jason Dohring. And from his signature in Austin, he loves me too. )

- Wallace tested a bit "weak" with audiences.

- Originally we were supposed to find out that Veronica's paternity was in question in the pilot. (Whew! Too early. Good call to put it later.)

Liked these tidbits? Cue up your DVD and have a listen!

TV on DVD: Firefly

2006-06-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

Certainly I'm not aglow with happiness over The WB/CW's treatment of Everwood, but there never was a story of more scheduling woe than that of the Firefly and her crew. Dumped on the wasteland that is Friday night, poorly promoted, and aired out of order, Joss Whedon's kick-ass sci-fi Western Firefly suffered right from the get-go. Still, it managed to build a seriously devoted fan base, the Browncoats, and even morph into a decent big-screen hit in the movie Serenity.

In a bit of a departure, I'm going to talk about the commentary not from the pilot, but from the episode "Objects in Space," the last episode that was filmed, which has commentary from Joss, who wrote and directed the episode and created the series.

Joss' commentary is different because it's the most high-level and the least anecdotal. He talks more about the development of the story and what he's trying to achieve dramatically, and how, rather than saying "this scene was difficult to write" or "Nathan kept giggling like a schoolgirl throughout the scene." We hear more about his inspirations and influences, which can be good for people who want to know about the creative process, but bad for people who just want to know the behind-the-scenes gossip.

- Joss wanted to do an episode where River really became a part of the group.

- Joss wrote the theme song for Firefly the day before he wrote the pilot, on the day he pitched the show. (My roommate loves this song and sang it often when we were watching Firefly. It, uh, does not get old. Really! Okay, yes it does.)

- When Joss was 16, he had an epiphany while watching Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He just suddenly understood that "real life was happening" right then. He later read Jean-Paul Sartre's Nausea, which spoke to the pain of being aware of things and their existence--just the very fact of that objects exist. We cannot stop existing or changing. "Nothing can exist only slightly."

- Kaylee is an emotional "in" for the viewer; we feel what she feels. Often Mal also serves this purpose of the audience perspective.

- Though they're both killers, what separates River and Early, the bounty hunter, is that she has a heart. River takes the meaninglessness of things and imbues them with a kindness. For Early, he stays detached and dissociated, which is why he's able to do the horrible things he does.

- Of the scene where Early sexually intimidates Kaylee, Joss thought: "This is one of those scenes that you write, and then you worry that maybe you're not as good a person as you thought you were."

- Joss got many thanks for adding the "shirtless Simon" scene to the show. (Yeah...Sean Maher isn't exactly an eyesore.)

- He listened a lot to the score from Gattaca while writing the episode.

- The exchange about the midget arsonist is one of Joss' favorite things he's ever written.

- The moral according to Joss: "If nothing we do means anything, then the only thing that means anything is what we do." That's if there even is a moral, which there really isn't.

- Aloneness (not loneliness) is the most common theme in everything Joss feels and does.

- The long steady shot at the end shows that all the crew is connected, to River as well.

It makes me a bit sad to be posting this on a Friday, when by all rights I should have been posting about how excited I was that a new episode of Firefly was going to air. Boo to narrow-minded network programmers who can't see the potential of a show run by a visionary like Joss.

TV on DVD: Grey's Anatomy

2006-06-15T23:18:00.000-07:00

It's so surprising and pleasant when a midseason replacement show turns out to be great. The Office, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and, a year and a half ago, Grey's Anatomy all defied my expectations of the typical filler that networks toss in when their other shows don't perform how they'd like.

The Season One Grey's Anatomy DVD is short on episodes (only 9) but has a few good extras, including one pilot commentary with creator Shonda Rhimes and director Peter Horton, and another with Katherine "Katie" Heigl (Izzie), T.R. Knight (George), and Sandra Oh (Cristina). Lots of fun insights into how the show is filmed and how much they've learned since shooting the first episode.

Let's get it on...kind of like Meredith and McDreamy in the pilot...

- In the morning-after scene, both Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey got completely naked. They had minimal prodding from the directors--and great chemistry right from the start. Those exhibitionists! The brief opening scene is where Shonda wanted viewers to "fall in love with Derek" right away.

Casting Call

- Alex was not in the original pilot. He was a response to a request that they have 'more guys'. Initially Burke was going to be so much more of an asshole, but when Isaiah was brought on they needed someone else to deal with that. Can you imagine the show without Justin Chambers? I can't.

- Chandra Wilson transforms when she gets in character; in real life is one of the sweetest people in the world.

- Sandra Oh came in to read for Bailey and they offered it to her, but she was more interested in Cristina.

- Jim Pickens was the only person they wanted for the Chief, the only person who read, and the network said yes immediately. Sweet!

Real vs. Fake

- Ellen did a lot of takes of throwing up without complaining. It wasn't real vomit (of course); it was apples or applesauce, that kind of thing.

- Isaiah Washington learned the entire surgery and performed it over and over for 8 hours straight, saying all the instructions, etc. to the nurses. Too bad they only made a brief montage with a song playing instead of Isaiah's lines. All that memorization went unappreciated...until now! Wooooo - go Isaiah!

- The shot of the brain during the rhythmic gymnast's surgery was a real brain. Ew! (Also, with the extreme dopeyness of the girl, I wasn't sure she actually had one.)

Outside the Operating Room

- Originally the interns were going to hang out in the morgue, rather than the tunnels underneath the hospital. Everybody loves the tunnels now. (Me too--the morgue would be too morbid. It doesn't fit the effervescent tone of a lot of the show.)

- They've tried to stay away from the 'patient of the week' syndrome; it's more how the doctors deal with the patients and feel about them.

- During the scene after the surgery where Meredith talks to McDreamy, he only says "Yeah" - his other direction was just to "enjoy her". (Yeah, he did okay. If charm were a sport, Patrick Dempsey would dominate.)

- Shonda expected through the whole pilot process that the closing scene where Meredith goes to see her Alzheimer's-afflicted mom would get push-back and be cut. (Again, I'm glad it wasn't. I think it hit the right tone for the show and made me want to see where the story would go.)

The second set of DVD's, with a whopping 27 episodes, sounds like it'll have a bunch of great extras as well. We can look forward to savoring it, and every glorious hair on Patrick Dempsey's head, on September 12th.

Oh, and by the way? Even Shonda Rhimes makes a "shades of gray" pun about her own show. I feel a lot better about my dumb puns now. Whew!

C'mon, c'mon, go watch some clips

2006-06-15T14:29:00.000-07:00

Behind The Office cast, the good people who make Rescue Me are probably second on my list of people with whom I'd like to work.

In John Scurti's anti-blog for TV Guide, you can learn about the man, the myth, and the madness behind his character, Kenny 'Lou' Shea. You can also learn about numerous fake behind-the-scenes antics. Scurti has a wicked tongue and a way with words, and his entries entertain even as they make me concerned for the mental well-being of all those involved with the show. He'd be an intelligent and irreverent guy to banter with in front of or off camera.

For more evidence on why the team would be great to work with, check out a few behind the scenes clips from the show. The crew really seems to love making fun of each other and themselves. I'm all about self- and team-mockery, so I'd fit right in.

Since I'd be one of the few ladies on the show, I'd probably miss Diane Farr. As a viewer, I miss having her around. I know she's over on Numb3rs now (where she doesn't have to haul around the heavy firefighter equipment), but I could understand if you don't want to watch that; it ain't no RM. I've respected Diane for a long time after her classy response to a broken engagement: she sent out a smart, wry card to all her wedding invitees ("Picked the wrong guy. Gave him the wrong finger."), then founded a greeting card company for awkward situations just like hers. She could haul me out of a flaming building anytime.

Can't get enough Rescue Me info? Check out the blogger chat with Denis Leary (reveals some plot points), or, if you're big into the music of the show, check out the Music Lounge on the FX website. You can listen to clips of all the songs on the soundtrack and read liner notes from Denis Leary.

TV on DVD: The Office

2006-06-15T06:54:00.000-07:00

It's hard to endure a summer free of "That's what she said"s...unless you have your very own Michael Scott at your office. (Shudder.) But we'll get through it--through a combination of repeats (tonight's ep is "Email Surveillance", one of my favorites), commentary (duh), and gritty determination (you've got that, right? RIGHT?).

The repeat will wait for tonight. On to the commentary!

This time, we've got commentary on the pilot episode, and it's loaded: we get comments from the director and the US executive producer, along with John Krasinski (Jim), Jenna Fischer (Pam), Rainn Wilson (Dwight), B.J. Novak (Ryan), and Steve Carell (Michael). (I totally did not just type Jim Krasinski, then have to correct myself. For the record.)

- The pilot was shot maybe 6-8 months earlier than the rest of the episodes.

- Dwight unlocks his phone from a drawer in the pilot. This is total continuity to the "Conflict Resolution" episode, when it's explained that Jim filled it with nickels as a prank.

- Rainn used to be an acting teacher.

- Some of the actual office staff, like the accountants, are in the group scenes of the pilot.

- NBC didn't try to get rid of any of the smaller, quiet moments in favor of more jokes. It's good because those "uncomfortable moments and long pauses" really set the tone of the show. (Good call, NBC. Now why don't you treat Scrubs better? And while you're at it, get Everwood renewed. Atta network.)

- The network actually wanted to play up the Jim-Pam relationship; that's one of the only notes they gave them. John and Jenna improvised a lot during the pilot. During one of their scenes together, the director told them to "just flirt."

- The casting director said to Jenna 1) don't wear makeup - be as plain as possible 2) dare to bore her.

- Audition ad libs included Dwight hitting on Pam after hearing she broke up with Roy and Dwight being suspicious of Jim giving him a glass of water. One of Jenna's audition scenes was the scene where Pam breaks down crying. They cut a line in that scene that said "You're a sad little man."

- The first question Jenna asked when she got the role was "Did John Krasinski get the role of Jim?" (OMG JAM IS SO MFEO...ahem.)

- Unlike Pam, Jenna couldn't keep a straight face during Steve's "Six Million Dollar Man" scene. They eventually had to shoot her stuff separately.

- It was too hard to make the jello-encased coffee mug work; they used silicon instead. (What a relief. Now I can quit trying to replicate it! But whatever will I do with my caseful of lemon Jello?)

Season One came out on DVD August 16th last year. So when will they announce the Season Two DVDs? Let's hope they're as loaded with commentaries as the first set.

TV on DVD: Felicity

2006-06-14T17:17:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've been watching a lot of classic Felicity episodes - complete with commentary.

Some of the commentary I particularly enjoyed was on two back-to-back episodes--one with Keri Russell and Scott Speedman (Ben), and one with Keri and Scott Foley (Noel).

The chemistry in Keri's commentary is different with each Scott. It's interesting that each one brings out a different side of her, much like Ben and Noel both brought out different sides of Felicity. With Speedman, Keri's much sillier, mocking herself and her costars, embarrassed by everything, dissolving into fits of giggles. With Foley, she's more sentimental, quieter, cracking fewer jokes.

I know that actors are not their characters. Still, it's interesting to think how different things might have been if Foley had ended playing Ben, as he was originally cast.

Enjoy a little compare-and-contrast below.

Keri and "Speedy"

- Speedman describes her short haircut as "trim and pubic-like," which induces a Keri giggle fit. He later says that when he first met Keri, "I saw your hair before I saw you" and thought, Man, she is way too pretty.

- He was too self-conscious to ever watch the Felicity episodes while they aired. Speedy's acting philosophy: "If you don't know what to do, smile." (This philosophy is very evident in his awkward scenes with Keri.)

- Speedman to J.J. Abrams: "Somehow you managed to get me to do a swimming episode and wear a speedo, and for that I'll never forgive you." (Don't worry, J.J. - you have the thanks of fangirls everywhere.)

- Speedman has a terrible, terrible fear of public dancing. It's a "wake up in a cold sweat at 4am" sort of fear. Meanwhile, Keri Russell is terrible at drawing.

- In a scene where Ben is meant to be looking at Felicity lustfully, Scott describes himself as looking more stoned and staring at dip. "More hungry than horny," as he puts it, saying clearly he should have asked for another take. Later on in the episode, when Ben fails to show up for a meeting with Felicity, Scott jokes: "What a nutbag. You know where he is, he's probably at an all-you-can-eat place." Keri and I both fight off laughter.

Keri and Foley

- Keri and this Scott get as involved with the storylines as viewers did. When Keri liked an episode, she wished her life was really like that. Scott Foley says something similar about how close he felt to the characters; that he truly was affected and sad when Felicity didn't choose Noel. (This may be because, as Keri and Foley put it, they're the corniest, most sentimental people on the show. Foley: "Who doesn't like Kenny Loggins?")

- Keri's favorite episode was the pilot.

- Robert Patrick Benedict (Richard) and Scott Foley waited tables together back in the day.

- Keri Russell and Amanda Foreman (Meghan) both used to watch The Bachelorette, then talk about it together.

- Scott Foley and Keri Russell have a conversation about their pets, as if they're not even being taped. Keri has cats. (It's a little sad because Scott mentions his ex-wife, who he met on the set.)

Through all the commentary, their love of the cast and crew comes through. They describe the creators as passionate and extreme. Example: After Keri's first talk show experience went badly, J.J. came with her to do Jay Leno. This was such a special show that Keri wouldn't ever want to do another TV show. Too bad for us!

TV on DVD: Rescue Me

2006-06-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

In my efforts to provide better-quality recaps of Rescue Me, I've been watching the first season on DVD, and I must say, I'm loving the show. Denis Leary has created one hell of a character for himself in Tommy Gavin: sarcastic, fiery, emotional, disturbed, sexy, brave, and hostile. If Logan Echolls decided to grow up and fight fires, I imagine he'd turn out a lot like Tommy.

The pilot commentary by Denis Leary and executive producer Peter Tolan, who co-wrote the episode, is surprisingly informative. Unlike some of the other commentary I've heard, they don't ramble about unrelated things and they remember the episode quite well. What also surprised me is that cussing in the commentary is bleeped out. What the #$%@? Cussing is to Denis Leary as cuddling is to a puppy; it's natural, and I like watching it.

So let's get down to the details:

- The speech Tommy gives to new firefighters is based on a real speech given by a friend of Denis'. Mike Lombardi, who plays Siletti, had to watch the speech as part of his prep.

- Denis Leary is a habitual line-stepper. They said he couldn't give the finger, but he did it anyway. They also wanted to take out some of the racial slurs, and the line "surrounded by fags", but Leary wouldn't budge.

- Denis' son found the theme song, "C'mon C'mon." Originally, they had some slower music and fewer cuts, but Denis wanted something energetic that would bring to mind an engine roaring out of the firehouse. When they re-cut it with the new song and faster pace, everyone was happier. To quote Denis: "Again, I was f---ing right, and the world was wrong."

- The throwaway joke where the Chief asks Garrity to get a box and he brings back a bag was improvised.

- Leary sneaks in t-shirts all the time, often for the Leary Firefighters Foundation or other organizations.

- The hepatitis gag (where they trick the Probie into leaving the urine and stool samples on the Chief's desk) is an actual gag from a real firehouse. The "river of piss" is also based on real life. Consequently, I am really gagging now.

- They filmed a scene where Tommy spies on his ex-wife dressing across the street; Andrea Roth went topless for the scene and they had to clear the whole street for privacy, but it ended up being cut.

- The chick who comes on to Tommy in the pilot, Marissa Clark, was one of the two finalists in on the show Outback Jack, which prevented her from appearing in later episodes. (I remember her! She was less emotionally available than Natalie. Yes, I admit I watched Outback Jack. Admitting that you have a problem is the first step towards recovery.)

- There's some very morbid discussion of how firefighters are trained to make it easy for searchers to find their bodies. If a firefighter knows he or she is going to die, they're trained to put their axes or badges somewhere prominent to help locate or identify them.

- "The bitch" is a real nickname firefighters have given for the fire.

- The scene with Denis Leary and the therapist who visits the firehouse was performed in one take. What a pro!

- The whole idea for the show actually began as an idea for a movie, which came to Denis Leary while listening to Coldplay's Don't Panic. Leary ended up using the song at the close of the pilot episode.

Unfortunately, I don't think the second season contains any commentaries; I'll have to make do with the behind-the-scenes featurettes.

Walk or kill to buy this DVD

2006-06-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

For Chuck Norris fans, today is a day to do a roundhouse kick of joy. Today, the Complete First Season of Walker: Texas Ranger is released on DVD.

According to Chuck Norris Facts, "When an episode of Walker Texas Ranger was aired in France, the French surrendered to Chuck Norris just to be on the safe side." Now that the series is coming out on DVD, Mr. Norris can continue his world domination.

Also, if you're looking for a double dose of kickin' ass and taking names, you might consider picking up the sixth season of MacGyver, also released today.

To truly OD on awesome, invest in the eighth season of Frasier. We all know those Crane brothers were really ninjas in their spare time. Maybe if you buy the DVD, you'll get to see cut footage of them administering roundhouse kicks to their patients as a special sort of therapy.

TV on DVD week begins with AD

2006-06-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

This week, the focus is all on TV on DVD. I'm going to be sharing some of my favorite tidbits from the DVD commentary on some of my favorite shows. You can look forward to fun factoids from Rescue Me, Felicity, Firefly, Grey's Anatomy, Veronica Mars, and The Office.

First up: Arrested Development, with commentary on the pilot episode by series creator Mitchell Hurwitz, lead actor Jason Bateman, and co-directors Joe and Anthony Russo. AD is (was) one of my favorite shows and has some of the funniest sight gags, throwaway jokes, and characters in the history of television. As they state themselves, "It's Royal Tenenbaums shot like COPS."

Jason Bateman gets things starting off right by expressing how happy he is to be doing the commentary: "I'm an actor, I love to hear myself talk, so I'm here with bells on." Too bad more of the actors weren't able to participate in the commentary, but Jason's self-mockery will have to do.

Random bits of information to impress and astonish your friends:

- The biggest influence on the tone of the show was the reality TV fad. (To which I say: Thank God it didn't turn out like Bachelorettes in Alaska.)
- Maeby's name comes from a combination of Mitchell Hurwitz' children's names: Maisie and Phoebe.
- They really loaded the show with jokes and extra material that would eventually be cut. Mitchell's motto was: "I want this show to be so funny that we could throw like half of the stuff away and not even notice." Seems like it worked, because whole storylines were often cut.

- The kiss between George-Michael and Maeby was Alia Shawkat's first kiss.
- Even in the pilot episode, they included the ...on the next Arrested Development scenes. In that case, it was a kind of "buy this show and see this stuff" teaser.
- Jeffrey Tambor originally joined AD as a guest star, who wasn't meant to be part of the ongoing series. Mitchell Hurwitz casually invited him to take part in the pilot for a couple days' work, and it stuck.
- David Cross got to pick his character, Tobias, who he really enjoyed playing because it was so different from himself. (Oh, come on, David. We know you're a never-nude too.)
- On Tony Hale's audition tape for Buster he was giving a massage to something off-camera, then at one point simply said 'heeey brother' and the creators knew he was the right guy.
- They created insta-chemistry between George-Michael and Maeby by making them opposites: one fearful, one fearless; one close to parents, one not at all.
- Michael Cera was "maybe the best improviser" on the show because he stayed in character, stayed serious, even after his lines were finished and between takes. But, not surprisingly, David Cross did the most improvisation overall.

Oh, how I miss the Bluths and their wacky ways.

We've got the "ev", what about the "erwood"?

2006-06-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

So far, only the first season of Everwood is out on DVD. Only getting the first season is only getting one fourth of the story. What about the rest?

Sounds like we might have to deal with disappointment; more Everwood seasons aren't coming out on DVD anytime soon. Unless the Season One DVDs start selling bigtime, additional seasons may never be released, since the studios seem to care more about profit than about engendering fan loyalty. Lovely.

However, don't despair! Everwood will begin appearing on ABC Family in the fall, according to TV Guide's Matt Roush. No details on when specifically, but it's good news nonetheless.

For all of us who succumb to the siren song of TV on DVD, Everwood's currently appearing at #8 on Amazon's list of top-sellers. It's on sale for the incredible bargain price of just $16.99 - buy it now to experience a great show (and increase the chances that additional seasons will be released).

Saturday movies on TV funhouse

2006-06-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

Today, let's celebrate random dudes in film.

Romy and Michele's High School Reunion) (12pm, A&E): Is it arts, or entertainment? I'd argue neither, but it does have a choreographed dance sequence with Alan Cumming, so maybe the former.

Erin Brockovitch (2:30pm, TNT): Aaron Eckhart is awesome and a total chameleon. Watch this movie for him as Julia's heart of gold next-door biker boyfriend. Oh, and maybe for her Oscar-winning performance.

Sorority Boys (3pm, Comedy Central): I've been curious about Michael Rosenbaum ever since he was included in a segment of MTV's Cribs, showing he not only owned a karaoke machine, but sings Wham! on it.

Hidalgo (4pm, AMC): I'd watch Viggo Mortensen read a cereal box. I wouldn't, however, pay for it, which is why I didn't see this in theaters. Watch it now to feel the heat. (Of the Sahara. Perverts.)

Sunset Boulevard (5pm, TCM): William Holden, face-down in a pool, is one of my favorite images from a movie ever. Who gives good voiceover? This guy.

Highlander (8:15pm, AMC): Clancy Brown has been in a lot of movies - lots of them voiceover as well. He's even played Lex Luthor in Superman: The Animated Series! Maybe he and Rosenbaum could have a Lex-off.

Old School (8pm, TBS): Vince Vaughn knows how to turn a phrase. Earmuffs! Stereo City commercials! Snoop Dogg! Also, my sister hasn't seen this movie. I have urged her to do so because (1) she can see Ellen Pompeo before she went Grey, (2) it was partly filmed at UCLA as my roommate watched, and (3) it is very, very funny.

Wouldn't Sunset Boulevard and Old School make a lovely double feature? One of them truly is old school, and the other one just has Will Ferrell's flabby ass.

TV Boyfriends: Marshall Eriksen

2006-06-09T18:08:00.000-07:00

The tagline of How I Met Your Mother might be "Haaaaaave you met Ted?" but personally, I'm more interested in meeting Marshall. Sure, Barney's funny, but Marshall's the true catch of the bunch: sweet, smart, a little strange. The kind of guy you could bring home to Mom but who'd also be a formidable opponent at strip Scrabble or an excellent executive mischief consultant.

He and Lily may be temporarily broken up, but that won't last long; Marshall's too rare and remarkable a specimen to be given up for some foray into San Franciscan independence. Here are a few reasons why Marshall rocks:

- He has a healthy libido. "You know who likes long distance? Girls. It is all talking and no sex. Kill me now."
- The Olive Theory shows he's a total romantic.
- He makes one sexy (gay?) pirate and has a keen understanding of the art of coordinated costumes.
- He hearts the environment.
- He's got smarts (See exchange with Barney re: the oldest profession. Barney: "I bet even Cro-Magnons used to give cave hookers an extra fish for putting out." Marshall: "So then the oldest profession would be fisherman. Kaboom! You've been lawyered.")
- His sense of humor is delightfully random, like costuming the anchor on the TV during the morning newscast for extra flavor.
- He rocks a suit. Really. Whew! If looking that hot while selling out is wrong, I don't want him to be right.

Jason Segel, who plays Marshall, seems like a pretty great catch as well. I've been a fan since his days on the awesome, dead before its time Freaks and Geeks, and I absolutely bubbled with glee during his guest spot on Alias a couple years back. Also, he was cool enough to have a cameo in Lollilove, Jenna Fischer's movie; in her commentary she mentions a short movie he made as a joke for his girlfriend, which gave Jenna the idea to make a film herself. Pretty groovy.

In summary: Marshall and Jason are both five-star dudes. Stay classy, TV Boyfriends.

Scrubber's delight

2006-06-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

Zach Braff has a new website up with a sneak peek at his new movie, The Last Kiss. The movie is a remake of L'Ultimo Bacio, an Italian film from a couple years ago, and is also starring a couple other faces well-known to TV viewers: Rachel Bilson, of The OC fame, and Jacinda Barrett, who somehow managed to find non-trashy fame outside of The Real World.

I'm really interested to see how the movie will translate to American culture, since it seemed to focus on a generation of very Italian "mammoni", or at least men who've resisted growing up. It's being written by Paul Haggis, who also wrote Million Dollar Baby and Crash, which already suggests that it'll have a different tone than the original Italian version. I'm also curious to see how Zach will do in a role that might be something of a stretch to him.

The Last Kiss is scheduled for release on September 15th.

Change: it's not just for your piggy bank

2006-06-07T17:53:00.000-07:00

This may sound like a no-brainer, but for a show to be truly meaningful to you, you often have to watch it during the right time in your life. The same thing is true of any kind of art - books, movies, paintings, poems, music; what you connect with at one time in your life may be completely different than if you'd encountered it years earlier or later. Watching Buffy as a teenager was revelatory for me, but who's to say whether watching it later in my life would have the same effect?

My point is, your relationship to a piece of art changes over time as you change. This makes it interesting to go back and rewatch shows you loved at one time from a new perspective. Sometimes, you feel just the same, and other times, you feel completely differently.

I've been thinking all this because I've been watching Felicity again, right from the beginning. When I first watched 'The Fugue', the episode in which she loses her virginity, I was furious with Felicity. What was she thinking? She wasn't supposed to sleep with some poser sensitivo art student punk! (Insert adolescent fuming here.) But rewatching the episode, I'm surprised by how much Felicity's actions don't bother me this time around. Certainly, I'm not applauding Simon Rex as her choice for the deflowering man of the hour (poor!), but I'm not upset at Felicity like I was back then.

It's more than just feeling differently about certain aspects of the show - it's connecting with things you didn't the first time around. For example I didn't remember this exchange from the first season finale, where Felicity's debating whether to go with Ben on a road trip or Noel to Berlin, but I absolutely loved it on rewatch:

Felicity: "I can't go with you because that would make me the Devil!"
Ben: "You are not the Devil." ...
Felicity: "What if I am, then what?"
Ben: "Then I'd still want you to come with me."

Cute and sweet and earnest as Noel was, he was always the safe choice for Felicity. When I first watched Felicity, I wanted her to make the safe choice. I wanted her to make the choice that wouldn't put her heart at risk, because Ben was almost certain to disappoint her. But that wasn't what Felicity wanted. She wanted the challenge, someone to make her feel alive and complicated, who would let her make mistakes because he'd make them too.

Maybe my taste has just changed from font-loving geeks to swim-loving delinquents, but I don't think that's it. I think it's that I now have empathy and respect for the struggle to choose between what looks right on paper and what feels right to you. Felicity made the decision that was right for her. She, and I as a viewer, just had to do a bit of living to understand that.

Has your opinion of any shows changed between your first viewing and a later viewing? What about music or movies?

I'm shocked they didn't (over)use the song "Heroes"

2006-06-06T15:50:00.000-07:00

One of the new shows this fall that I'm really looking forward to is NBC's Heroes, in which normal people awaken with extraordinary powers like teleportation, telepathy, levitation, and all kinds of interesting stuff. I'd caught a very brief Milo Ventimiglia-centric teaser a few weeks back, and now NBC has the full four and a half-minute clip up.

You can go to the NBC site to watch it. The plan is for it to air Mondays at 9 in the fall. Wow, I just realized that's the same time as Everwood. Just as Nina was not meant to replace Julia, in no way is Heroes meant to replace Everwood, but it might still be good.

Bonus Cast Member Trivia: It stars Greg Grunberg, who I have loved since his early days as Sean-the-Smoothaise-king on Felicity, Hayden Panettiere, who once played Ally McBeal's shark-jumping daughter, and Adrian Pasdar, who's married to the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks.

If I were bitter, I'd call it Overwood. But I'm not.

2006-06-05T12:11:00.000-07:00

I had trouble enjoying last week's episode of Everwood. Not because the episode was bad; on the contrary, it was wonderful and heartfelt and well-written, classic Everwood. No, I couldn't properly enjoy it because I was all too aware that it was one of the last episodes I'd ever get to enjoy.

It's like the last day of a visit with a friend or to a place you know you won't see again. You want to soak in every minute, every nuance, but so many of the things you say and do already feel like goodbyes that you can't properly enjoy it. One thing it made me aware of: Everwood is certainly going before its time. There's much more for these characters to express and experience, and I'll miss them dearly.

However, I'm a perennial optimist, so I'm already wondering what some of the wonderful actors from this show will be doing next. Here are my completely off-the-wall fantasy suggestions for a few of our beloved Everwood denizens:

Sarah Drew (Hannah): I know Deadwood is nearly over, but I'd love to see Sarah do something completely different, like a period drama. Can't you just see her as a bonneted prostitute, swearing her way through town? Just me, then.

Chris Pratt (Bright): Let's all say hello to the new intern/male nurse on Scrubs! Silly humor is right up his alley. Plus, maybe we'd get to see if he can dance like Turk.

Treat Williams (Andy): I'd like to see our favorite confident surgeon take on the Cylons over on Battlestar Galactica. His commanding presence would fit in well with the whole military atmosphere of the show, and he could vie with Edward James Olmos for Mary McDonnell's affections. Solid.

Gregory Smith (Ephram): Sensitive, smart, knows how to deal with difficult women...I'm thinking he could take a jaunt over to Stars Hollow to romance Rory on Gilmore Girls. His bantering muscle would get some much-needed exercise.

Tom Amandes (Harold): It's a stretch, but I think Tom can do anything, and I'd like to see him more hardened and driven. I'm thinking he should be the agent hunting down the escaped Michael Scofield over on Prison Break. Dr. Abbott with a gun and an agenda? Badass.

Emily Van Camp (Amy): Sweet, neat Amy needs to get down and dirty. Let's put her on Lost! We can grubby her up, give her a really tawdry backstory, and let her run wild, possibly with a spear of some sort.

Stephanie Niznik (Nina): Even though I really loved Keith with Alicia, I think I could handle Veronica's dad dating someone this sweet and down-to-earth. We already know he likes blondes and she can handle her honey's challenging children. It's a win-win! To Veronica Mars she goes!

Of course, my ideal fantasy would be for the entire cast and crew to replace those smarmy youngsters on One Tree Hill. They could keep the essential relationships of the show (half brothers, friends, couples, and so on), but the writing and acting would improve about 300%, thereby rendering it watchable.

Show runner Rina Mimoun has moved on. I'll try my best to enjoy tonight's finale, then do the same.

What would your favorite character be watching?

2006-06-03T12:14:00.000-07:00

For some reason a lot of today's movies reminded me of some TV characters.

Dazed and Confused (12PM, E!): It's in Pam's top three. So suck it.

American Gigolo (12:30, WE): Lorelai, Lane, Rory, and Sookie were very disappointed not to see this during Lane's bachelorette party. Don't let yourself suffer the same fate.

Road Trip (1:50, TBS): Okay, Felicity would probably not enjoy this movie, but I just watched the season one finale and I know she chooses the road trip with Ben, so it seems sort of fitting.

Heathers (5PM, Sundance): JTT probably watched this before taping Weapons of Class Destruction, in order to deliver his spot-off Christian Slater impression.

Cruel Intentions (8PM, ABC Family): I'm pretty sure this must be the favorite movie of all the One Tree Hill kids, for all their sordidness. I'm also kind of appalled that this is on the ABC Family channel. What are children meant to be learning from this?

I've learned one thing: I'll be watching Rescue Me instead of movies on TV today.

Smokin' hot

2006-06-02T13:50:00.000-07:00

Just as I suspected I would, I loved Rescue Me. Pitch black humor? Just my style. Men heckling each other? Music to my ears. Plus, some great lines and disturbing stuff throughout. My favorite exchange was about snakes:

Tommy: Snakes, that's some real Satan-type bullshit right there.
Franco: Just thinking about some legless, leathery...what's the word I'm looking for here...?
Chief: Cock.

Hee. Dirty! This show knows how to combine the silly (Tommy taunting Franco about the snake only to get freaked out by a "snake" himself) with the spiteful (Janet sleeping with Johnny) and the horrific (Janet telling Tommy she was glad their son died so he couldn't turn out just like Tommy) with the heroic (Tommy bringing a little girl back to life).

Though if it weren't so good, I'd probably watch it anyway. Why? 'Cause Denis Leary just fans my flames. He's a hunka burnin' love, a pyromaniac's dream, and other bad fire-related metaphors for hotness. The Ref, sure, everybody likes that, but I actually liked Two If By Sea. That's a fan...or maybe just a gal with bad taste.

To get my RDA of Tommy Gavin, I might try to watch the first season this weekend (with the bonus of getting caught up enough on RM to do some recaps for GMMR). Should be fun!

An uphill Battlestar

2006-06-02T11:37:00.000-07:00

For weeks I've been saying Battlestar Galactica deserves an Emmy. Yeah, like that's gonna happen. As fate would have it, the likelihood of a BSG Emmy nom just increased, if only a bit. It turns out that SciFi knows a good thing when they've got it, and they're running a nice shiny Emmy campaign for the show.

It's nice to see a network taking good care of one of its shows...even if SciFi is making all of us BSG devotees wait until frakkin' October for new episodes.

Fleecin' it out

2006-06-01T15:53:00.000-07:00

Today we have the pleasure of not just one but four episodes of The Office. True, they're all repeats, but the beauty of a show this layered and hilarious is that you'll catch things on rewatch that you missed the first time. With all the actors staying in character in the background, the reaction shots are reason enough to watch the show.

Tonight they're airing:

The Fire: I missed this episode the first time around, so I'm really excited to see it this time. That reminds me of NBC's abysmal rerun campaign a few years back: "If you haven't seen it, it's new to you!" There is a spork, and I am gagging myself with it.

Halloween: I've seen Dwight as Darth Sidious. If I had a spirit inhabiting my body like Phoebe once did, watching this episode would be the "now, I've seen everything" moment that would allow my spirit to depart for the great beyond.

The Client: Michael manages to be marginally competent at his job, and sublimely incompetent at writing an action screenplay. One of the best table reads ever results.

Performance Review: The only thing I can recall about this episode is Jim and Pam trying to convince Dwight that it was Friday rather than Thursday. It's probably at about this point in the series that my ardor for Jim began to take hold, interfering with my focus on other storylines.

If you really want to go for an Office bonanza, you could watch Lollilove, which Jenna Fischer, aka Pam, wrote and directed with her husband, James Gunn. I watched it this morning, and got a great start to my day. Lollilove is a mockumentary about a couple who decide to start a charity handing out lollipops to homeless people. It's self-deprecating, politically incorrect, and funny as hell. I'll probably do a longer post about it another time, but it's definitely a must for Office-ianados, as GMMR puts it.

Critical thinking

2006-05-31T20:52:00.000-07:00

Let me start off by saying that the Television Critics Association has my eternal respect just for nominating Kristen Bell and Veronica Mars last year. You nominate Veronica, I mark you in the "good" column. It's that easy.

That said, the TCA released their 2006 nominations today, and it's a surprising mix of the deserving and the meh, in my opinion--and not just because Ms. Bell is conspicuously absent. One of the things that I find interesting, more than the nominees themselves, is the categories of the nominations, which are different from both the Emmys and the Golden Globes. With the TCA awards, there's "Program of the Year," which could go to a comedy, drama, or fake news show--sort of whatever the critics decide. Also, the nominations for acting are also gender-blind...or gender non-specific, at least. It makes for some interesting competition:

(my preferences italicized and explained below)

PROGRAM OF THE YEAR
"Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
"Lost" (ABC)
"The Office" (NBC)
"The Sopranos" (HBO)
"24" (Fox)

The little show that could, The Office found its voice this year, along with one of the best relationships on TV.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
"The Daily Show" (Comedy Central)
"Everybody Hates Chris" (UPN)
"My Name Is Earl" (NBC)
"The Office" (NBC)
"Scrubs" (NBC)

My sister thinks this show is funny. Trust me, that's an achievement.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
"Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
"House" (Fox)
"Lost" (ABC)
"The Sopranos" (HBO)
"24" (Fox)

I kind of have to give it to the only show I watched this season, though I'm planning to get caught up with House in summer reruns and Lost on DVD.

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
Steve Carell ("The Office")
Stephen Colbert ("The Colbert Report")
Lauren Graham ("Gilmore Girls")
Jason Lee ("My Name Is Earl")
Jon Stewart ("The Daily Show with Jon Stewart")

This woman is amazing. Give her an award already!

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
Alan Alda ("The West Wing")
James Gandolfini ("The Sopranos")
Hugh Laurie ("House")
Kiefer Sutherland ("24")
Kyra Sedgwick ("The Closer")

No one on this list is as awesome as Kristen Bell. So I give it to Hugh Laurie, because he gives good accent.

OUTSTANDING NEW PROGRAM OF THE YEAR
"Big Love" (HBO)
"The Colbert Report" (Comedy Central)
"Everybody Hates Chris" (UPN)
"My Name Is Earl" (NBC)
"Prison Break" (Fox)

It's a breath of fresh, funny air, with a deceptively simple premise and some of the mellowest, most fun characters on TV.

There are some conspicuous absences (Battlestar Galactica?) but you've got to hand it to the TCA for recognizing a number of actors and series that no other awards will. Hats off to you, critics.

Rescue Me, finally

2006-05-30T14:43:00.000-07:00

Rescue Me has been on my list of to-watch shows for ages. I continually forget about it because it doesn't have the same airing schedule as most other shows; by the time I remember a new season has started, I'm already a few episodes behind, wary of jumping in and being lost among the continuing storylines.

That said? I'm going to watch it tonight. Season Three is premiering at 10PM on FX, and that seems as good a time to start as any. It was a combination of three things that made me realize this show just might be the thing for me:

1) I caught the webisode and really enjoyed the man-banter and camaraderie between the crew members.

2) Denis Leary appeared on The Daily Show with John Stewart. Individually, these two are hilarious. Together, their wicked back-and-forth between practically set my TV on fire. Their mutual heckling did nothing to disguise how much these two like and respect each other.

3) John Scurti's anti-blog for TVGuide. I'm firmly in favor of mocking of castmates and self -- especially when it produces such funny results.

I'm not sure if Rescue Me is for everyone, but I'll tune in tonight to see if it's for me. If you're on the fence about the show, I'd say take a look at the three things that made up my mind. Maybe they'll do the same for you.

Everwood fans go through the five stages

2006-05-29T17:15:00.000-07:00

With the news that Everwood won't be returning in the fall, it's clear that fans are going through the five stages of grief. Just reviewing Entertainment Weekly's Ask the TV Critic webpage, you can see examples of fan reactions. We've got:

1) Denial: "It can't be true! Everwood is gone? No way! The best show on TV cannot be cancelled."

2. Anger: "Everwood has not had the opportunity to build a strong and consistant fan base because of the inconsistant scheduling by the network. Too many long gaps during each season. Shame on CW!"

3. Bargaining: "Please do what you can to convince Dawn Ostroff that she and the CW have made a very grave mistake in not renewing EVERWOOD for another season."

4. Depression: "Everyone I know watches and loves Everwood and is devastated that it is being taken off the air."

5. Acceptance: (Umm...couldn't find an example of this. I guess the fans aren't there yet.)

It's ironic that fans should now have to go through these stages, considering Everwood's focus on the heavy subjects of grief and loss throughout its four-year run. Maybe Dawn Ostroff thought Everwood fans would be well-educated about how to deal with it at this point? Harsh.

What stage am I in? Maybe bargaining -- since I'm going to try to get you to watch the show right now, in the hopes that some miraculous reprieve will keep in on the air. Word on the street is that Seventh Heaven got its surprise renewal over Everwood for ratings reasons, and there's been buzz that if the final two episodes of Everwood do well enough, it might get renewed as a midseason replacement.

So listen: If you've ever been curious about Everwood, I implore you to watch the penultimate episode tonight at 9 on the WB. No complex espionage-driven plotlines here -- you can jump right in. Give it a chance.

Worst case-scenario? You don't like it. Fine. It's just an hour. Best-case scenario? You'll enjoy one of the best written, best acted, hands-down best shows on TV, and maybe even have a chance to help save it...before it's gone permanently.

Faerie Tales can come true

2006-05-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

The proof is in the fact that my very own DVD set of Faerie Tale Theatre recently arrived.

I loved this show like cake when I was a kid. Do you remember it? Faerie Tale Theatre is a series of lavish, live-action retellings of fairy tales that aired on Showtime from 1982-1987. It was produced by Shelley Duvall, who also appeared in a couple of the segments: Rumplestiltskin and Rapunzel, I believe. There were 26 episodes featuring appearances by a wide range of well-known '80's actors guaranteed to marvel and amuse, from Joan Collins and Rick Schroeder to Vanessa Redgrave and Vincent Price.

My childhood memories of the show were fond and fervent, if a little fuzzy. Then, a couple years ago during a visit to Atlanta, I spotted some familiar cover artwork in the children's section of an independent video rental store. Could it be? It was: several videotapes from the series ("Cinderella," "Beauty and the Beast," "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves," and "The Dancing Princesses" if I recall correctly). They were rented and watched and prodigious giggling ensued. They even had the original cover artwork, something my DVD set is sadly lacking.

The series is awesome and great for kids (even if the creepy image of Mick Jagger from "The Nightingale" was indelibly pressed upon my brain). They managed to get some of the decently big stars of the era to take part in the series, so there are some pretty memorable '80's-flashback pairings. A few of my beloved episodes were "Cinderella" (featuring Matthew Broderick and Jennifer Beals), "The Little Mermaid" (with Pam Dawber and Treat Williams), and (the final episode and my absolute favorite) "The Dancing Princesses" (starring Lesley Ann Warren and Peter Weller).

Then there are some episodes that I can't remember at all, like "Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp" (with Robert Carradine, Leonard Nimoy and James Earl Jones -- what a cast!). Some others I dimly recall, like "Sleeping Beauty" with Bernadette Peters and Christopher Reeve, or "The Snow Queen" with Melissa Gilbert and Lauren Hutton.

I'm looking forward to watching all the Faerie Tale Theatre episodes now, both for the camp factor and to see if watching will magically transport me back to my childhood. I'm sure seeing them again will bring back memories both misty and watercolored. However, if I really wanted to travel back in time, I'd have to have my sister come over so we could go to swim practice in matching neon-green suits at 7:30 in the morning, then play Clue and eat mounds of parmesan-covered spaghetti. Now that would be a blast from the past.

Saturday's theme: men fight over Julia Ormond

2006-05-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

The only thing that would make this day more Julia-Ormond-tastic would be a showing of the Sabrina remake. I wonder if men now avoid Julia because they're worried that they will fall for her, then one of their close male friends/relatives will fall for her, and then there will be bloodshed and death. At least she managed to get a husband! He's probably an only child. And a loner. And I'm off-topic.

First Knight (11AM, TNT): Like Guinevere, Julia Ormond's character in this film, many women have found themselves forced to choose between Sean Connery and Richard Gere...in their dreams. Chivalry + adultery + swords = emo!

Legends of the Fall (1:30PM, TNT): Elliot from E.T., the villain from Stakeout, and Thelma's boytoy all want to get on Julia Ormond. Family discord + death + long hair = emo!

Romancing the Stone (3:30PM, WE): The only movie in which Michael Douglas is hot. I know some of you ladies are going to disagree with me, but I'm sticking firm on this one. I liked The American President and Wonder Boys, but they remain blissfully attraction-free.

The River Wild (5:00PM, WGN): The movie that cemented Kevin Bacon's creepiness and Meryl Streep's awesomeness doing anything whatsoever in front of the camera.

Pieces of April (5:25, IFC): Relive the days when Katie Holmes was picking hot, age-appropriate men and interesting roles. Patricia Clarkson is shiny and awesome as Katie's mom.

10 Things I Hate About You (6PM, Comedy Central): I saw this movie in the theater with a group of my friends for my birthday. My friends told me watching bitchy, standoffish, soccer-playing Kat was like watching me onscreen, but with longer hair. I found this perfectly acceptable, provided it would lead me to a Heath Ledger of my very own. At press time, Heath still belongs to Michelle Williams.

My Best Friend's Wedding (8PM, TBS): I'm not really sure what makes Dermot Mulroney so special that two women need to fight over him. I mean, come on, it's not as if he's Julia Ormond or something.

After reviewing the films above, I come to the conclusion that nothing can stop me from watching a Quantum Leap marathon.

Blast from the past: Quantum Leap

2006-05-26T17:09:00.000-07:00

For the past couple weeks, my roommate and I have been watching the first season of Quantum Leap on DVD. What a gem! It reminds me both of how much television has changed over the years and how much has stayed the same.

For those of you who have managed to avoid any knowledge of Quantum Leap (pretty difficult considering it was on for five seasons, '89-'93), the basic story is this: scientist Dr. Sam Beckett finds himself "leaping" through time as the result of a time-travel experiment gone wrong...or "cock-eyed", as he puts it. Sam jumps in and out of different eras of history, attempting to set right what once went wrong; once something is set right, he leaps elsewhere in time for another task. As he attempts to correct the mistakes of the past, Sam's aided by his friend Al, a fellow scientist still in the present time. Al appears as a hologram that only Sam can see and hear, and acts as Sam's link to Ziggy, a supercomputer that helps Sam figure out what he's meant to fix and how to do it.

Sam's perpetual fish-out-of-water scenario provided for a never-ending source of hilarity and hijinks. I've never become very involved in shows that rely on the 'instant reset' button -- setting things back to the start at the end of each episode, without continuing plotlines or narrative threads -- but Quantum Leap managed to pull it off in a way that didn't get too repetitive. Plus, the show seemed to set the stage for a couple other shows I liked, like Sliders.

So what's the same about TV? Good characters can make or break a show. Scott Bakula, who plays Sam, is pretty much as good-natured and likeable a guy as you could ever hope to run across. They say Sam and Al (played by Dean Stockwell) are pretty much the personalities of their actors, and I'd believe it, given their easy, natural banter on the show.

What's different? The credits - they're incredibly long and quite detailed about the past events that Sam has taken part in. You could never catch a show with credits that long and informative today -- just look at the brevity of the intros for hit shows like Grey's Anatomy. The shorter the credits, the more time for commercials in today's profit-driven age. (The same age that axed Everwood in favor of the marginally more profitable yet deplorably poor-quality Seventh Heaven.) Also, the plotlines are a lot simpler. None of this 'several storylines interwoven together' stuff that got its start with ER. One goal, one story, e basta.)

Any other Quantum Leap fans out there? The first four seasons are available on DVD, so you can become one if you aren't already. We've got one episode left to watch from season one, so it's a fair bet that we'll be buying season two tonight and watching that this weekend.

What, you thought I was going to do something other than watch TV over the long weekend? Dubious.

NBC Scrubs in

2006-05-25T20:58:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty psyched about a few new shows that are scheduled to start on NBC this fall. Heroes and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip are two of those I'll definitely tune in to come September. (More on those in a later post.)

However, I have to subtract some points from the network for their ignominious treatment of Scrubs. Season after season, they don't give this show the respect and scheduling it deserves. I know it isn't a runaway hit for them, but it's a solid performer that has a devoted fan base, and they really should give Scrubs its due.

For example, Scrubs doesn't appear on NBC's fall schedule. They've been renewed, but it looks like viewers will have to wait until January for new episodes, just like last season. The cast plays it off like they don't mind, saying the January start this season didn't seem to have a negative effect, either ratings- or creativity-wise, but you know it must feel a bit insulting. (There are, however, meager signs that it may show Thursdays at 9PM, which would unfortunately put it in the way of Grey's Anatomy in the fall.)

I fail to understand precisely why Scrubs remains underappreciated. Perhaps because it has a sense of humor that's rare on TV today: light-hearted, irreverent, and delightfully random. Think of the running Dr. Acula joke (and if you love it, then buy this shirt), or consider the giddy, goofy glory of Turk's Poison dance -- unselfconscious and sublime. Last week's finale had a couple bits I absolutely loved, things I wanted to pull my friends around the TV to watch with me: the janitor's 'baby cage' gift and the 'floating head doctor' sequence.

There are probably a couple moments like that in every episode. Unfortunately, the type of humor that Scrubs excels at can spell the kiss of death for some shows (Arrested Development and Sons and Daughters, to name a couple recent examples.) Perhaps it's a miracle Scrubs has lasted so long.

As long as they keep running Scrubs, I'll keep watching it -- but please don't schedule it opposite my favorite show again. I want to see how this whole 'I'm pregnant' cliffhanger gets resolved. Thanks, NBC! Smooches! ;)

Sloane lives forever, but Alias will not

2006-05-24T17:36:00.000-07:00

It's over. Final blows delivered, explosives detonated, motives revealed, and last sweet scenes recapped at (excrutiating) length. So how did the Alias finale stack up to my wish list?

Rambaldi resolution: I'll give it an B+. They tied up a lot of loose ends given the time allotted, but it wasn't clear exactly what that red gooey liquid did. Was Sloane just healed? Or will he live forever? He seemed to think so. Plus, if Sloane fell in the red ball and got all revitalized, why did a similar-looking red ball do something harmful to Vaughn back in Season Two? I admit confusion.

Jack and Irina: A-. Both of them kicking the bucket kinda shuts things down for any sort of reunion, but we did at least conclusively find out she had nefarious motives at heart. Maybe they'll hook up in the afterlife? Nah...they're probably headed for different destinations. Pity, 'cause you know Jack would still love her, even though she's all evil.

Sloane suffers: A-. Syd got to fill him with lead, which has got to feel good after all the pain he'd caused her over the years. I'd say being trapped by rubble, alone in a tomb for eternity (without even your trusty Casper daughter to keep you hallucinatory company), is nearly as bad as it can get. I'm also hoping he gets an itch on his foot that he can't reach. Now that would be torture.

Awesome wigs: B-. We only got one disguise. There was no wig. Bwah! However, points for the roof-jumping sequence, which definitely took me back to the early days of Alias.

Peace: A. Living on a secluded beach with your children and the love of your life? We should all be so lucky.

With all these things on my wish list, it seems like things would average out to a B+ or so. (I never was a math wiz. Well, I was, but I'm not in 5th grade anymore.) However, the people behind Alias gave me something I hadn't even asked for - flashbacks of important events in Syd's life that led her to become the amazing woman she is today. Why didn't I ask for it? Because I didn't know how much I'd love it until I saw it. Her mother's death, her recruitment, her ascension to field officer...they were all steps on a path that led Syd to what she described as "...my purpose. It's in my blood. It's who I am. I have never been so sure of anything in my life."

Seeing the flashbacks brought us full circle and reminded me of what I loved most about this show - Sydney's inner strength. I don't believe in destiny or faith or any of that Rambaldi hooey Sloane did. But I believe that when you live to the fullest extent of who you are, you can do great things.

I'm sorry, is that mushy? Well you know what they say: I'm a marshmallow. (I'm also the girl who was totally in tears over Jack and Syd's final scene together, but we won't get into that. I have a rep to protect.)

My dream Emmy ballot

2006-05-23T20:01:00.000-07:00

As the song says, "all you have to do is dream." Of course, they should have been more specific with regard to a show or star getting nominated for an Emmy: "All you have to do is dream, and be on a network the Emmy voters actually consider, and do some serious campaigning, too, if you want any of these unlikely candidates to get nominated." But that wouldn't make for a very good sound clip, now would it?

Emmy nominations are announced on July 6th and the show will air on August 27th, but since the TV season is pretty much over, I'm getting a jump on the whole 'dream ballot' thing and posting a few of my totally biased, 100% uninformed opinions. You can tell they're uninformed because 1) I don't recall how many nominees are in each category 2) I'm a little fuzzy on the whole supporting vs. lead distinction and 3) I don't have the luxury of getting the submission tapes, so there are definitely things I'm missing. Nonetheless, here we go:

Drama Series
Veronica Mars
Grey's Anatomy
Battlestar Galactica
Everwood

Lead Actress for a Drama Series
Kristen Bell - Veronica Mars
Mary McDonnell - Battlestar Galactica
Allison Janney - The West Wing
Jennifer Garner - Alias

Lead Actor for a Drama Series
Jason Dohring - Veronica Mars
Bradley Whitford - The West Wing
Wentworth Miller - Prison Break
Edward James Olmos - Battlestar Galactica

Supporting Actress for a Drama Series
Katee Sackhoff - Battlestar Galactica
Chandra Wilson - Grey's Anatomy
Kate Walsh - Grey's Anatomy
Lena Olin - Alias (probably doesn't qualify, but I don't have a guest category so here she goes)

Supporting Actor for a Drama Series
Enrico Colantoni - Veronica Mars
Victor Garber - Alias
Isaiah Washington - Grey's Anatomy
Chris Pratt - Everwood

Comedy Series
The Office
How I Met Your Mother
My Name Is Earl
Arrested Development
Gilmore Girls

Lead Actress for a Comedy Series
Lauren Graham - Gilmore Girls
Jenna Fischer - The Office (not really a lead, but that's how I think of her)
...drawing a big ole blank here and that's pretty sad

Lead Actor for a Comedy Series
John Krasinski - The Office (not a lead, maybe, except in MY HEART)
Jason Lee - My Name Is Earl
Jason Bateman - Arrested Development
Steve Carell - The Office

Supporting Actress for a Comedy Series
Jaime Pressly - My Name Is Earl
Alyson Hannigan - How I Met Your Mother
Kelly Bishop - Gilmore Girls
Jessica Walter - Arrested Development

Supporting Actor for a Comedy Series
Rainn Wilson - The Office
Michael Cera - Arrested Development
Will Arnett - Arrested Development
Ethan Suplee - My Name Is Earl
Neil Patrick Harris - How I Met Your Mother

Eight years later

2006-05-22T20:59:00.000-07:00

Last week I watched the series finales of two shows. I'd once watched both of them regularly, but lost touch with them over the years. Will & Grace and That 70's Show were never favorites of mine, and I found them somewhat uneven over the years, but they had some good seasons. They were both solid hits for their networks, drawing in a satisfying group of viewers every week, so I was curious how they would handle their final send-offs.

That 70's Show was surprisingly effective. I remember watching this show mainly for the silly circle jokes, the tough love and acerbic wisdom of father Red Foreman, and the on-and-off relationship between best friends tomboy Donna and sweet dweeb Eric. All of these had fitting resolution in the finale. We got a few final circle jokes, a montage of Red's "put my foot in your ass" comments over the years, and a final reconciliation between Eric and Donna, who had separated when Topher Grace left the show at the end of the previous season.

There were some truly nice moments, such as the New Year's Eve speech from Kitty, Eric's mom, as she told her various friends and family all the things she'd appreciate and miss about them had the family chosen to move to Florida. Her comments felt real and unforced, Donna's tears in reaction from the heart. Ashton Kutcher returned to the show for the final episode as well, injecting some energy and vitality into his final appearance as Kelso, one of TV's most endearing idiots.

I've read a couple criticisms of the finale, saying that it boiled down to little more than a clip show, but I disagree. The two other brief montages, that of Donna-and-Eric moments throughout the years, as well as a series of shots of people falling off the water tower, weren't just space fillers. They reminded me of the easy humor and sweetness I liked about this show. That's just what I'll miss.

In contrast, the finale of Will and Grace felt a little off to me. The show always seemed to teeter between hilarity and over-the-top shrillness (much like Karen's voice). The final episode had some funny bits, mostly one-liners (the show's specialty), but so much of the humor felt self-referential, inside jokes that broke the fourth wall, not funny on their own merits. But perhaps that's the ultimate tribute to the fans--ending the show with scenes that only true Will and Grace aficionados will be able to appreciate.

One of the things I appreciated about W & G in the past was their boldness in creating a difficult relationship between Will and Grace. These were people who loved each other to a fault, told the truth about each other and had arguments and rifts. Even though it may have made viewers uncomfortable, there was an emotional honesty and a closeness between them that was enviable.

In the finale, however, that honesty came to a breaking point and their friendship ended when Grace returned to Leo, the father of her child. The two friends reunited briefly only to lose touch for many years, until their children met in college and married. The writers made some discussion of destiny, as if fate had made them friends for so long only so their children could meet and be married. That felt cheap to me. These two characters, with such a strong connection and friendship that survived so much, deserved more than to serve as stepping stones to their children's eventual happiness.

The Will & Grace finale ended on a more somber note than I'd have expected. It may have seemed like closure to some, but I found it sad to see Will and Grace chatting on the phone before meeting Karen and Jack at the bar. They seemed to have lost their spark and vitality. Things seemed to be ending for them rather than beginning--not exactly what I want from a series finale.

In my head, I like to think of the characters living on, having lives that are rich and full, even if I'll never get to see them. Even when your friends are no longer part of your life, you still want the best for them. TV friends are no different.

The Goodbye Spygirl

2006-05-21T21:10:00.000-07:00

After five years, three great and two just so-so, Alias is heading off the air this Monday.

I loved this show so much when it started. The pilot episode blew me away. It was like nothing I'd ever seen. I remember pulling my sister in from the other room and insisting she watch it, marveling at the action and the angst and the acting. Jennifer Garner was a complete surprise. Strong and vulnerable and daring and fun. I loved the interplay between her life as a spy and her life as a student. It was about balancing the two sides of yourself.

I've been doing Alias recaps for GMMR for the past few weeks, and it's definitely made me think more about what I've been wanting from the show now that it's winding down. What would I like to see from the characters? What needs to get resolved for me to have closure? Who should die? (Come on, people kick the bucket in finale as a matter of course.)

So what's on my wish list:

Rambaldi resolution: There's been a lot of Rambaldi-related nonsense over the years. What's with Page 47? What was Syd really chosen for? It's time to find out.

Jack and Irina: I want these two together or apart for good. They've got chemistry like nobody's business and once we find out whether Irina is or isn't evil (they keep going back and forth on us), I want an answer.

Sloane suffers: If karma needs to bite anyone in the ass, it's this weasel.

Awesome wigs: Unless we get one really awesome, implausible, extravagant wig in the finale, it's just not going to feel like the same show that I fell in love with back in the day.

Peace: I want Syd to feel like she can take a rest and trust someone else to take care of things for a change. Constantly dealing with duplicity and spy games has got to be hard. She and Vaughn need to hang out and be a family, possibly with Vaughn shirtless.

See? It won't take much to make me happy. They've got two whole hours. I think they can pull it off.

What does the cast think about the impending signoff? Kristin over at E!Online has their thoughts.

Alone again? Naturally.

2006-05-20T15:47:00.000-07:00

My roommate is out of town this weekend, so I have the house and the couch all to myself. This means I'll probably end up watching one of my Netflix movies (Sexy Beast or Something New), one of the many, many movies we have on DVD, or possibly one of the many shows still waiting on my DVR.

Or maybe, just maybe, I'll end up watching one of these gems on TV:

Blade II (4PM, TNT): Kris Kristofferson and Ron Perlman. What more could you ask for? Oh yeah. Quality.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (5PM, WGN): "You wear too much eye makeup. My sister wears too much. People think she's a whore." Danke schoen, darling, danke schoen for this movie.

Seven (6PM, TNT): I don't think so. I actually want to be able to sleep tonight.

Dick (6PM, Comedy Central): See Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams before either of them made out with Jake Gyllenhaal or someone who made out with Jake Gyllenhaal. Plus, awesome fashion and Dan Hedaya as President Nixon.

Remember the Titans (8PM, ABC): I don't think I do. Wasn't Titans a shortlived soap filled with coitus sordidus? Or was that Models, Inc.?

Fargo (8PM, Bravo): "And I guess that was your accomplice in the woodchipper." I don't have to guess - I know this movie is awesome in 50 different ways.

Big Daddy (8PM, ABC Family) and Billy Madison (8PM, Comedy Central): Take your pick. These are pretty much interchangeable. Well...one of them has a penguin, and the other has Cole and Dylan Sprouse (aka Ben Gellar). That's about it.

Yeah, it looks like a Netflix kinda night. Or, I just remembered I have all four seasons of Felicity on DVD...

Grey's heads one to the grave

2006-05-19T15:37:00.000-07:00

Denny had to die.

At least, that's what Grey's Anatomy creator and finale writer Shonda Rhimes said over at the writer's blog. I'm inclined to agree with her -- and not just because Jeffrey Dean Morgan is so smokin' hot and talented that he deserves his own show. I agree because Denny's death is realistic for the circumstances and sets up a lot of interesting dramatic stuff for Izzie, Alex, and the whole crew.

However, I disagree with the execution (ha) of Denny's death. Rhimes says they portrayed it that way because death is often sudden, without warning, when you least expect it. Trouble is, I did expect it. A lot of us did. Not because of spoilers, though I know how much Rhimes hates them. I expected it because it was telegraphed from a mile away. I'm pretty sure I saw a scythe-carting dude cloaked in black in the background of every happy scene Izzie and Denny shared in the finale. And if there's one thing I've learned from television, it's that happiness doesn't last long.

How should it have been handled? Well, I don't want to say they should have followed The Body episode of Buffy (in which Buffy's mom dies) word for word, but I think that episode is a good model for understanding what an unexpected death feels like. All the events in the Izzie-Denny story, from the beginning, felt like they were leading up to her letting him in and then getting her heart broken. So to do things that way seems just predictable. I would've hoped that Shonda and crew would do something different.

Likewise with this season's cliffhanger. Having Meredith sleep with Derek just as she's made a connection with Finn is standard drama tactics - divide a woman between two romantic options. Since reports say Chris O'Donnell will be back next season, I'm guessing she's going to choose Finn. However, given that Derek has pretty much just admitted to himself (and Addison to the whole hospital) that he's still in love with Meredith, it feels just like prolonging the inevitable reunion between Mer and Der. I can be patient, but I don't want to feel strung along.

Reading over what I've just typed, I realize that, like a few of my other reviews lately, it's coming off more critically than I intend. I don't mean to get down on these shows - I write about most of them because I love them, and the site is called "TV and Sympathy", not "TV and a pissed off fan", or "Television Without Pity". Sometimes, though, it can be easier to focus on the negative rather than waxing rhapsodic about all the things I thought were so super-fabulous.

What did I love? The interrogation scenes, with the Chief grilling the interns about what really happened to Denny's LVAD wire, with each intern just completely derailing his line of questions to deal with their own personal issues. How the interns' prom clothes turned into funeral garb as soon as we discovered Denny was dead (as Shonda said in the blog). The long-awaited love scene between Meredith and Derek. Alex's reaction to Izzie's despair. Not to mention Addison's confrontation with Derek, Callie's confrontation with George, and George's apology to Meredith.

And don't even get me started on all the VM people who showed up in the last episode.

If you can't get enough Grey's, Michael Ausiello has a great Q&A with Shonda Rhimes up over at TVGuide.com. Or, on the fluffier side of things, check out the cast appearance at the Upfronts.

Tuesdays will be scorching come September

2006-05-19T14:27:00.000-07:00

I've done it, Entertainment Weekly has done it, and now two of my favorite TV stars have done it. I'm talking about comparing Veronica Mars and Gilmore Girls, people. Now that they'll be airing back to back on Tuesday nights come September, I imagine many more people will be doing it.

From People, about the CW upfronts:

Gilmore Girls star Alexis Bledel and Veronica Mars's Kristen Bell took the stage and compared their series, which will share Tuesday nights. Both are set in small towns, they noted, and Bell pointed out, "We both date hot guys named Logan." Replied Bledel, "But my Logan is hotter!"

Umm...Alexis? You better check yourself before you wreck yourself. Or before legions of LoVe fans wreck you. Can't we just say they're both eye candy and get along?

Really, who's the loser in that scenario?

Say it ain't so

2006-05-18T21:59:00.000-07:00

Based on the CW schedule released today, next fall we'll have to live without Everwood, as it's nowhere to be found on their schedule. I know The TV Addict is bitter, and I'm pretty unhappy about it myself.

As an added stake to the heart (or a specter of hope, depending on how you look at it), the CW website had a page up indicating that Everwood would be on their schedule, airing on Sundays (looks like they've taken it down now, but you can see it on TheTVaddict.com). Instead, they renewed Seventh Heaven. Funny, Heaven isn't exactly where I think this show should end up.

Everwood's demise is so hard to hear because I feel like the show is still at the top of their game creatively. When I talk about the events that have taken place on the show this year, it's nothing big. No one's gotten married or divorced or pregnant in the past nine months. But it doesn't matter if nothing big happens in the lives of the people you love. You love them anyway.

This exchange from Monday's episode, which I just got around to watching today, seems particularly bittersweet now.

Reid: It's weird, to think that less than a year ago I didn't even know what Everwood was.
Amy: Yeah, a lot of people say that.
Reid: But now that I do, it's like I can't imagine my life without it. I'm really going to miss this place.

And I'm really going to miss Everwood.

How the West was done

2006-05-17T22:49:00.000-07:00

It's done. After 7 years, the West Wing has finally come to a close. And how did it end? Not with a bang, nor with a whimper. To me, it ended with a meh. It wasn't the Seinfeld level of head-scratching finales, but it wasn't the Buffy level of satisfying conclusions. No Toby? No "what's next" from Jed? No Jackal? With so much missing, it really felt like the end of an era on just a so-so note.

There were some nice moments, though. The callback to the "Bartlet for America" napkin. Ronna's amazement at working right outside the Oval Office. Donna mistaking her enormous office for the one the First Lady was meant to have. A jobless Charlie, Will, and Kate heading out to a movie in the middle of the day.

Even with those brief flashes of good, the majority of the episode left me feeling a bit tepid. It's as if they couldn't decide what note to end things on, so they chose not to end it on any note at all. I can't fault them for that, exactly, since goodness knows I haven't the foggiest idea how to conclude a show that's been creative and inspiring for many years, but I did feel a bit disappointed.

Oh well. At least we know who'll be President circa 2038 - from the Malcolm in the Middle series finale, it looks like it will be beleaguered middle child Malcolm himself. I haven't watched Malcolm for a few years, but I read Entertainment Weekly's positive review and then caught the last episode. I liked the note they ended things on - with Malcolm's whole family smelly and scattered and arguing, but full of love and the best intentions, as they've had throughout the series' run.

That is how a TV show should leave you, I think: sad that it's ending, but with fond memories that make you happy and hopeful for the characters.

Glee!!!

2006-05-16T11:59:00.000-07:00

Veronica Mars has been renewed!

Apparently they've been picked up for a full 22 episodes with the option that if the ratings are poor, they might get cut down to 13. No word on time slot yet, but you know I'd follow that show to the ends of the earth so it doesn't matter too much where it lands.

It isn't all sunshine and puppies, however. Sources say Everwood won't be around next season. Extreme boo!!! Nevertheless, my ecstatic mood will continue unabated.

Death takes a holiday...in Colorado

2006-05-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

TVGuide.com has a great interview with Everwood creator Rina Mimoun. The interview doesn't have any major spoilers, but Mimoun does gives a few hints about who will be the major death on Everwood in the weeks to come. She lays out three possibilities: Bright, Rose, and Andy's dad.

As sad as it will make me, I'm thinking it's got to be Rose. Why? A bunch of reasons.

- Andy's dad would be a sucker way out. Having hinted at the death all season, I don't think Mimoun would cop out with a non-main character death in the end. So we're left with Bright or Rose. Poor Abbott family!

- It's realistic. Complications from cancer could have an impact on someone's health even months later.

- It's been set up for months. Rose's health has been a concern for a long time. In a way, we're sorta prepared.

- It sets up a lot of potential for drama. How will Harold react to losing his wife? Or Amy and Bright to losing their mom? It might bring Amy closer to Ephram again, which would be a lone bright spot for such a tragedy.

- Bright is one of the characters that gets a decent amount of PR for the show. There aren't that many young people on the show for the fangirls to obsess over, and taking him away would just cut that number down further.

- Word on the street is that Emily VanCamp and Chris Pratt (the actors who play Amy and Bright) are dating. It would be pretty harsh to have one leave the show.

- The Bright/Hannah relationship has a lot left to explore, whereas Rose and Harold have already been through a lot together.

- Because I'll just be so darn pissed if they get rid of Bright. He's the comic relief, people! He has great hair! He's like an enormous teddy bear! He...I...please don't take Everwood away, CW.