Post Seattle Snowpocalypse 2012

 First came all of the snow on Wednesday, January 18, 2012. It started around 3:30 AM and kept going and going, snowing a constant blanket of that powdery white that compacts so well and makes for great snow balls. By late Wednesday night the temperature had dropped significantly, and the shit on the ground was freezing and turning into ice.
The next morning we woke to this horror: A world covered in ice. And around 10AM it started to snow again and continued until the afternoon, when it changed to dumping a frozen sleet on the ground.

By Friday it was all over; except for the thaw and the digging out. The amount of shoveling, ice-picking, and glacier removal that I had to do to unearth my car so that I could drive the 2 miles down the road to see my father was ridiculous.
The Seattle side streets today are still a slushy, wet, treacherous mess. But at least one good thing came out of this shut-in week: I watched and cleared out HOURS of programming from my dvr. And I didn't lose power once.
It's the small things.

New Fall TV report card..."Sorry Charlie"

It's time to check in on how the new Fall 2011 television shows have fared in my opinion since their premieres these past several weeks. I was initially excited about quite a few new prospects, some of which have turned out to be huge disappointments.

The Good:
Up All Night - I love this show so much more than I expected I would. All of my fears about the retooling/reshooting they did were for naught. Will Arnett and Christina Applegate are amazing. Maya Rudolph is a national treasure, and this show has even made me see Nick Cannon's appeal. He's hilarious!

Revenge - Omigod, omigod, OMIGOD, I LOVE this crazy Dynasty-style drama. Since having a dvr I rarely watch TV shows on their actual aired nights. This is the one show that I make an exception for. I can't wait to watch this piece of brilliance every Wednesday. And then when it's done I feel bereft at having to wait another week before I get more. Madeleine Stowe for President y'all! And I forgot how hunky I've always thought Gabriel Mann to be. I want a Nolan of my very own!

Suburgatory - This sitcom is so charming. Who knew Jeremy Sisto could handle comedy with such a deft hand? I love the relationship between his character and his daughter. Gilmore-girlsy but better. Ana Gasteyer and Cheryl Hines are also both hilarious.

Homeland - I've never liked Claire Danes. Never. Either personally or for her acting "ability". I've never understood her appeal. Until now? She's kind of great in this thrilling new drama on Showtime.

The (Oh SO) Bad:
The Playboy Club - I've already talked about this show's cancellation. And while I didn't hate it as much as most people, it did have a lot of things that were wrong with it.

Charlie's Angels - Oh gawd. Why was this show so bad?! I love the original Charlie's Angels so much. I can even appreciate the awful and cheesy season 5. But this remake has truly been awful. Even the beautiful and talented Minka Kelly couldn't save this stinker for me. ABC just announced its blessed cancellation. Season Pass DELETED.

Terra Nova - ZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZzzzzz So awful. Nothing more to say.

The Meh **shrug***:

There are some shows that fall into this category like Ringer, Mad Fashion, and Hart of Dixie that I'm still actively watching on a weekly basis and will continue to do so, but I'm just not jazzed about them. If I miss one or two I'm not going to cry about it.

But most of the shows that I'm lumping in here (Secret Circle, 2 Broke Girls, Prime Suspect, Pan Am, New Girl) are ones that, even though they may be getting good reviews and/or ratings, I'm just not invested in them at all. I've given up. I'm most regretting my ambivalence about New Girl. The 2 episodes I've seen I found really funny, but I just can't be bothered to remember to record it or set up a season pass for it. I watch SO much television already and only have so much dvr space and hours in the day to dedicate to something that isn't grabbing me.

And then there's American Horror Story. WTF is up with this show?! It is so damn wacky and disturbing. And confusing. And weird; but not in a good way. I so wanted to like it (I love most of the cast), and I still like the idea of the show, but its execution has been a failure for me. I'm going to watch the 4th episode this week but I don't know if I can stomach it much longer after that.


On a side note - NBC's Grimm is the only remaining new Fall show that I was interested in that hasn't premiered as of this writing so I can't comment. But it's a good sign that the ads for it still intrigue me. I am a little worried and annoyed that folks are going to confuse it for the OTHER fairytale character drama that premiered this week on ABC called Once Upon A Time. I don't understand the Hollywood phenomenon where similar themed projects are always popping up at the same time and competing against each other. It's really annoying.

Fall TV 2011 - Returning "Favorites"

Just in time for premieres starting this week, let's talk about returning TV shows now -

Parenthood
Returns: September 13 at 10 PM on NBC
Why I’m still watching: I love the Bravermans! They are probably my favorite TV family. And Jason Ritter is back where he belongs after leaving to be on the failed dumb show The Event.

America's Next Top Model
Returns: September 14 at 9 PM on The CW
Why I’m still watching: It's All-Stars time! Transgendered Isis, drunk Lisa, Angelea "From The Block", sweet Laura and other bitches are back for more fighting and runway stomping. I still hate Tyra Banks with every fiber of my being, but damn if she can't produce an addictive show.

The Sing-Off
Returns: September 19 at 8 PM on NBC
Why I’m still watching: Nicole Scherzinger left for The X Factor and singer Sara Barielles has joined the judges panel instead, which should be a good thing because this show already has the good fortune of having the best reality competition judging on television. They're getting a major upgrade from short end-of-the-year filler to a full-on series but I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not - we'll see. Still, an acapella show choir competition? YES!!!!

How I Met Your Mother
Returns: September 19 at 8 PM on CBS
Why I’m still watching: Marshall and Lily's baby will arrive sometime during the season which may or may not ruin things; we presumably find out more about Barney's wedding; maybe we'll finally get an answer to who the fucking mother is?!! Not likely and even though I increasingly HATE Ted, I do still love Marshall and Lily and would happily watch a show that was just about them.

Hawaii Five-0
Returns: September 19 at 10 PM on CBS
Why I’m still watching: Terry O'Quinn is joining the cast! And from the commercials, it's obvious that McGarrett will get off the hook for the governor's murder. This show is like the television equivalent of rice krispy treats. Utterly uncomplicated and nicely tasty.

Glee
Returns: September 20 at 8 PM on Fox
Why I’m still watching: I'm one of the few folks out there seemingly (especially above the age of 30) that still finds this show delightful. Sure it has its hits and misses but generally it's one of the most enjoyable parts of my tv watching week. I seriously don't understand some of the criticism it takes. Anyway, I was really sad and a little annoyed to hear that Chord Overstreet wasn't coming back; not because I was particularly enamored with Trouty Mouth, but because his leaving means that we won't get a continued love story between him and Mercedes, which would have been a brave subject for this show to tackle. But I am excited to see how the writers deal with Kurt, Finn and Rachel's senior year. And since I didn't watch The Glee Project I'm interested to see how those kids are written in as well.

Raising Hope
Returns: September 20 at 9:30 PM on Fox
Why I’m still watching: Probably my favorite new show from last year. LOVE Martha Plimpton and Garrett Dillahunt as the funniest grandparents on tv.

Modern Family
Returns: September 21 at 9 PM on ABC
Why I’m still watching: If the Parenthood peeps are my favorite family on a TV drama, the Pritchett-Dunphy clan are my faves in the Comedy category. Love.

Happy Endings
Returns: September 21 at 9:30 PM on ABC
Why I’m still watching: It felt like I was one of the few people out there who caught this mid-season replacement show this past spring. I didn't want to like it but kind of ended up loving it by the end of its run. I thought for sure that ABC would've canceled it, but instead they brought it back for a new full season. ABC is weird you guys.

Law & Order: SVU
Returns: September 21 at 10 PM on NBC
Why I’m still watching: Christopher Meloni has left :-(, Mariska Hargitay is supposedly cutting back her amount of eps, and they've added a few new detectives that aren't Munch and Ice-T. Not to mention the fact that I'm still smarting over the loss of L&O:LA and Corey Stoll's beautiful moustache. So why am I still looking forward to this show? BECAUSE IT'S THE ONLY ONE LEFT DAMMIT!!! I can't live on L&O reruns alone. Sigh...

Parks & Recreation
Returns: September 22 at 8:30 PM on NBC
Why I’m still watching: The more important question is - Why aren't YOU watching this phenomenal show?! The amount of friends that I have that refuse to watch the funniest show on television really upsets me. Yes, it was weak when it first started (3 fucking years ago); it's improved to surpass any other comedy on tv in terms of laughs, timing, acting, and writing. Get with the fucking program people.
This season we will meet Tammy 1 and Ron Swanson's mother. God help us.

Grey's Anatomy
Returns: September 15 at 9 PM on ABC (Note: a lot of web sites list the premiere date as 9/22 but I trust my Tivo)
Why I’m still watching: Because. I'm invested in these dumb gits at this point. And because I still think Justin Chambers and Eric Dane and their respective characters, Dr. Alex Karev and Dr. Mark Sloan, are effin' hot. And because I still find it amusing as a Seattle resident to see the outside location shots and where they supposedly have scenes taking place - Bainbridge Island is NOT West Seattle. And because it's one of the only things left that my dad and I can have conversations about without me wanting to murder him.

CSI: New York/CSI: Original Recipe aka Las Vegas
Returns: September 22 and 23 at 9 PM on CBS
Why I’m still watching: For the past several years NY has been the only part of the franchise that I've consistently watched so I feel sort of loyal. NY is coming back for an abbreviated season, and the premiere is supposedly going to tackle/pay tribute to 9/11 which might be maudlin and annoying or could be great. Las Vegas has Ted Danson taking over the lead reins from Laurence Fishburne which might be really cool so I'm going to at least watch the first couple of eps, at least until Jorja Fox annoys me too much (which might be within the initial 10 minutes).

Gossip Girl
Returns: September 26 at 8 PM on The CW
Why I’m still watching: I love these stupid, privileged wankers. Especially now that Jenny Humphreys and Vanessa Abrams are out of the damn picture.

Hung
Returns: October 2 at 10 PM on HBO
Why I’m still watching: The continuing struggles of part-time prostitute Ray are always fun to watch. Plus supposedly this season we're getting the full frontal male nudity that we've all(?) been clamoring for.

Dexter
Returns: October 2 at 9 PM on Showtime
Why I’m still watching: I'm not going to lie, last season (5) was kind of a let down for me. It was good, but coming after the incredible 4th season it just didn't hold up. But for season 6 they've moved the show a little into the future, about a year, and I think that will shake things up in a nice way. Edward James Olmos, Mos Def and Colin Hanks will be guest starring this time around. Can't wait.

Fall TV Schedule 2011 - NEW SHOWS

The brand new TV season is upon us and even though we no longer have to wade through the summer months without new programming, Fall Television is still just as exciting for this TV enthusiast as it was when I was a teenager.

In sort of chronological, premier date order, here are some of the new shows starting in the next several weeks that are on my radar:
Ringer
Premieres: September 13 at 9 PM on The CW
Who’s in it?: Sarah Michelle Geller, Kristoffer Polaha, Ioan Gruffudd, Nestor Carbonell
What’s the story? Sarah Michelle Gellar is back on my TV and it is about damn time! She's playing twin sisters, one a recovering addict stripper, and one a rich bitch with a secret. The rich one seemingly dies and the drug addict takes over her life because she’s hiding from the mob or something. Anyway, this reminds me a lot of this cheesy romance novel from the 80s that I LOVED by Judith Krantz. Plus I love Gellar and am intrigued to see her pull off “stripper”.

Up All Night
Premieres: September 14 at 10 PM on NBC
Who’s in it? Christina Applegate, Will Arnett, Maya Rudolph
What’s the story? Christina Applegate and Will Arnett play new parents coping with all of the typical baby shit (literally and figuratively). Maya Rudolph is Applegate's boss who doesn't understand why her employee can't be the party girl she was before having a kid. I fiercely love all 3 of the leads but I am so worried about the success of this show. It’s already been retooled and reshot TWICE. Eek. But I can’t understand how something featuring some of the funniest people on Earth can’t be fucking hilarious. It’s got to be good, right? But then the commercials are horrendous. Sigh…I don’t know what to think. I had the same worries about Parks & Recreation and that turned out alright. But on the other hand, I was right to trust my instincts on how bad Running Wilde was last season. Ok, now I’m starting to sound like a crazy person so I’ll stop now.

The Secret Circle
Premieres: September 15 at 9 PM on The CW
Who’s in it?: Britt Robertson, Thomas Dekker, Gale Harold, Phoebe Tonkin, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Shelly Hennig, Louis Hunter, Ashley Crow, Natasha Henstridge
What’s the story? Based on a book series by teen lit author L.J. Smith, about witches and a new generation of powerful young teens who seemed cursed or destined to follow in their parents footsteps. I don't know. Of all of the new shows that intrigue me, this is the one that I care about the least. I'll record the premier but I don't know past that.

2 Broke Girls
Premieres: September 19 at 8:30 PM on CBS
Who’s in it?: Beth Behrs, Kat Dennings
What’s the story? The whole rich girl/poor girl trying to deal with each other as co-workers and roommates storyline. I don’t know, it’s gotten good reviews from a bunch of people whose opinion I trust. Plus I like Kat Dennings.

The Playboy Club
Premieres: September 19 at 10 PM on NBC
Who’s in it?: Eddie Cibrian, Amber Heard, Laura Benanti, David Krumholtz, Naturi Naughton, Leah Renee, Jenna Dewan, Wes Ramsey
What’s the story? The show takes place in the mid-late 60s during the Club’s heyday. I believe this show focuses on the L.A. club with Cibrian playing the lead as the club manager. From the commercials there looks to be a lot of shady mob-like dealings etc. happening and bunnies being evil. I love Eddie Cibrian to a fault as I’ve mentioned several times before. So I’m on board automatically with any new project he has on tv. I just don’t know if The Playboy Club will be able to survive Eddie’s “show killer” mojo.

New Girl
Premieres: September 20 at 9 PM on Fox
Who’s in it?: Zooey Deschanel, Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, Damon Wayans Jr(?), Hannah Simone
What’s the story? Deschanel’s character Jess finds her boyfriend cheating on her and ends up being roommates with 3 guys who are going to show her how to get a new man despite being retardedly quirky, or something. I don’t know, I find Zooey charming and likable but the promos for this show make me homicidal. And I still don’t understand the deal with Damon Wayans Jr.; is he on this dumb show or is he still on Happy Endings which ABC renewed for next season? It’s annoying that they feel that they can just replace one “black guy” with another and think that we won’t notice? **eyeroll**

Revenge
Premieres: September 21 at 10 PM on ABC
Who’s in it?: Emily VanCamp, Madeleine Stowe, Gabriel Mann, Henry Czerny, Ashley Madekwe, Nick Wechsler, Josh Bowman, Christa B. Allen, Connor Paolo
What’s the story? Oy Emily VanCamp. I only rarely like her. This time around she’s been cast as a manipulative young woman out to get revenge on the snooty Hamptonites who used her father as a scandal scapegoat and maybe caused his death? and ruined her life. The previews seem crazy! In a really wonderful way. And I love Madeleine Stowe so I’ll definitely set a season pass for this one and see how it goes.

Charlie's Angels
Premieres: September 22 at 8 PM on ABC
Who’s in it?: Annie Ilonzeh, Minka Kelly, Rachael Taylor, Ramon Rodriguez
What’s the story? If you have to ask this question then you are not my friend and need to stop reading this blog. It’s Charlie’s FUCKING Angels! Once upon a time there were 3 beautiful girls who went to the police academy, and they were all assigned very “hazardous” duties. But mysterious, super wealthy philanthropist Charlie Townsend “took them away from all of that” and now they work for him as private investigators – he gives them orders, Bosley keeps them in check, they kick ass and take names and have lovely hair. The end. I’m beyond excited about this reboot of one of my all-time favorite television shows. I love Minka Kelly, who is obviously playing the Kelly Garrett role, and the idea of having the first Black Angel in the “Sabrina” role is very exciting. If I’d had that on my tv screen in 1978 who knows what I could’ve become. The third angel is being played by that annoying blond that played Dr. Lucy Fields on Gray’s Anatomy who I hated, but I’m hoping she grows on me with this role. Either way – it’s Charlie’s Angels! It doesn’t matter who’s in it – I’m watching it.

Person of Interest
Premieres: September 22 at 9 PM on CBS
Who’s in it?: Jim Caviezel, Micahel Emerson, Taraji P. Henson
What’s the story? Umm, I’ve read the plot description of this show several times and I still don’t think I fully understand it. Ben from Lost is a guy who gets Social Security numbers of people who may end up committing or being the victims of crime? And my boyfriend Jim Caviezel is anti-government dude who helps him out? But only reluctantly? And is on the run from the government for something else? I don’t know. Did I mention how in love I am with Jim Caviezel and his weird voice and dreamy eyeballs?

Prime Suspect
Premieres: September 22 at 10 PM on NBC
Who’s in it?: Maria Bello, Kirk Acevedo, Aidan Quinn, Joe Nieves, Brian O'Byrne, Dmaon Gupton, Tim Griffin, Peter Gerety
What’s the story? Peter Berg (who can do no wrong in my book) is behind this US remake of the legendary BBC series that starred Helen Mirren. Bello steps into the tough female cop lead role, dealing with misogynistic colleagues who think she slept her way to the top and bosses who don't respect her. I was a huge fan of the original show, and I have high hopes for this one.

A Gifted Man
Premieres: September 23 at 8 PM on CBS
Who’s in it?: Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Ehle, Margo Martindale, Pablo Schreiber
What’s the story? I’ll be tuning into this show for the first couple of eps because of the cast. I LOVE Patrick Wilson and want to have a million of his babies and hope that he finds a way to sing in at least one episode. I also love Margo Martindale. But the plot of this drama seems DUMB. Wilson plays a brain surgeon who was an asshole but then starts helping out the less fortunate when he starts seeing visions of his dead ex-wife? Iiiiiiiii don’t know about this one.

Pan Am
Premieres: September 25 at 10 PM on ABC
Who’s in it?: Christina Ricci, Kelli Garner, Karine Vanasse, Margot Robbie, Mike Vogel, Michael Mosley
What’s the story? High off the success of Mad Men, shows like The Playboy Club and this series about Pan Am stewardesses are trying to capitalize on the new popularity of “The 1960s”. Confession – I love the stylized look of the old-fashioned flight attendants. It’s all so “Catch Me If You Can”. But this show also kind of looks dumb.

Terra Nova
Premieres: September 26, at 8 PM on Fox
Who’s in it?: Jason O'Mara, Shelley Conn, Landon Liboiron, Allison Miller, Naomi Scott, Alana Mansour
What’s the story? Fox and their relentless promotion of this damn show wore me down. I was staunchly NOT going to watch this show that seemed like an Avatar rip-off, complete with actors in it from that stupid film. But then I saw started paying attention to some of the 14,000 commercials that kept running for it and I became intrigued. And I do like Jason O’Mara and his arms. So anyway, sometime in the future, our planet is dying, so a handful of people get sent back in time to an era with dinosaurs. But I don’t know how this is supposed to save present-day Earth? Whatever, I’ll give it 2 episodes to get me.

Hart of Dixie
Premieres: September 26 at 9 PM on The CW
Who’s in it?: Rachel Bilson, Jamie King, Wilson Bethel, Cress Williams, McKaley Miller, Scott Porter
What’s the story? Remember that stupid movie with Michael J. Fox called “Doc Hollywood”? Well in this tv version Bilson’s character is named Zoe Hart is a cardio-thoracic surgeon (yes, Dr. Hart is a heart doctor) who loses out on a dream internship and has to move down south (Dixie, get it?) to take a job as a general practitioner and deal with Southerners who can't relate to her big city ways. Um, I don’t know why I’m interested in this show at all except that I like Rachel Bilson and want to see her succeed in something other than commercial for ice cream bars.

Suburgatory
Premieres: September 28 at 8:30 PM on ABC
Who’s in it?: Jeremy Sisto, Jane Levy, Carly Chaikin, Allie Grant, Alan Tudyk, Cheryl Hines, Rex Lee
What’s the story? Jeremy Sisto stars as an over-protective single father who freaks out that his only daughter might be having sex, so he moves them out of the dangerous New York City and into the suburbs where he's hot property and she's immediately picked on by mean girls. I love the hell out of Jeremy Sisto and am intrigued by the idea of him in a comedy.

Homeland
Premieres: October 2 at 10 PM on Showtime
Who’s in it?: Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, Damian Lewis, Morena Baccarin
What’s the story? A thriller involving an American POW who had been held captive for most of a decade in I think what’s supposed to be Afghanistan or Iraq and has now returned home. Danes plays a CIA officer who suspects that he's working for the other side. I used to loathe Claire Danes, but I’m slowly admiring her acting in the last few projects she’s done. And I love Mandy and Damian so I’m on bored for the whole season of this show. A perfect follow-up after Dexter.

Mad Fashion
Premieres: October 4 at 10 PM on Bravo
Who’s in it?: Chris March
What’s the story? Chris March of Project Runway fame has his own show that features the CA RAYYYZEEE designs he does for the rich and famous. He's expanding beyond Sonja Morgan which is awesome in my book. And seriously I just love this teddy bear and am interested to seeing how he is as a boss.

American Horror Story
Premieres: October 5 on FX
Who’s in it?: Connie Britton, Dylan McDermott, Shelby Young, Frances Conroy Alexandra Breckenridge, Denis O'Hare, Jessica Lange
What’s the story? From Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuck (Nip/Tuck and Glee) a show about a family that moves into a haunted house. The plot sounds so stupid but I’ve never not liked a show from these two guys, and the commercials are great. AND look at the cast

TV Musings - Last week of March 2011

This week for Lent I've given up Tivo. Well, I've really been forced to give it up because my beloved Reuben (that's my Tivo's name) died on Sunday; total hard drive failure. EEEK! And while I do have another dvr, its hard drive space is very limited because I have a bunch of HD programs taking up a ton of space, which essentially has left me with having two televisions that I have been forced to watch LIVE, in real time, without the ability to rewind or pause. **gasp**

But while I'm on this dvr-hiatus, I haven't totally been forgoing television altogether. Here are some things keeping me interested this week:

• It looks like the fan and critic outrage over the new Wonder Woman suit/costume forced some changes. Gone is the ultra shiny vinyl cheap looking "pants" and slutty high heels. I like it much better, but I'm still skeptical about this revamp of the classic series from the 1970s.

• I'm okay with Richard Blais winning the Top Chef All-Stars finale but boy, I really wish he had competed against Antonia instead of gross Mike Isabella. Anyway, I'm super excited to see the All Star reunion next week when Elia gets ripped a new one for being such a bitch. And the new Top Chef Masters season starts next week too, hosted by my boyfriend Curtis Stone who must have some naughty pictures of Jeff Zucker in his possession. How else to explain Stone's dominance on anything and everything NBC Universal has on television? I can think of 5 shows off the top of my head that he's been involved with, and that's just in the past 6 months.

• The Beverly Hills housewives are back for Season 2! As much as I generally dislike Bravo's Real Housewives franchise(s), I did thoroughly enjoy the Beverly Hills edition, especially Lisa Vanderpump. But seriously Bravo, what happened to all of my awesome "gay" shows like Make Me a Super Model, Shear Genius, and Top Design? Sigh...at least I'll soon be getting new reality shows for Brad Goreski and Chris March.
• Perfect Couples is getting the ax (at least temporarily) and being replaced by a new show from Paul Reiser. Man, I really wanted to like Perfect Couples. I like most of the cast, and I LOVE a lot of the writers, especially Jen Kirkman and Nick Adams, so it was really weird how bad it was. It had its moments, but for the most part it sucked.

TV Round Up - last week of August/early September

I've been embroiled in a bunch of family drama these past several weeks (don't you just love family sometimes?); so I haven't had any time to watch television. My poor Tivo and Tifaux have been working overtime and their little memories are filled to capacity.
But let's talk about some of the things I managed to watch this week. Keep in mind, most of this stuff aired days ago and in this day and age of Twitter and live blogging, none of my comments are really that fascinating. That's not stopping me from sharing them though.

Project Runway from 8/26

The team challenge episode for this season was superb television. Gretchen's spectacularly crazy spiral on the runway, the appalling treatment of Michael C. by the rest of his team, and best of all the AMAZING smackdown of Gretchen from one Tim Gunn were some of the best moments this show has had in some time.

Huge - 1st (and hopefully not last) season finale

You guys? I loved this quirky gem of a show so much. Yes it's a teen drama on the ABC Family channel. And yes, it was about teens at a fat camp for the summer. But boy oh boy it was so much more than that. The stories, dialog, and the characters that were created for this show was some of the best written stuff for tv that I've seen in some time. The tv show is better than the book. And the book is great! Teens talked and acted like real teens. The actors playing the kids at the camp were, guess what Hollywood?, actually overweight, and not some weird slightly bloated thin person or someone thin in make-up and prosthetics. No fat suits! Nikki Blonsky who was in the film version of the musical Hairspray was one of the leads, and she was so great; she has real dramatic talent. And I loved that they didn't really showcase her singing talent in a forced way (like some shows could've/would've done).Sure, her character and another one end up writing some songs together, but it was done in a very organic way, that made sense with the character development. And the singing was not at all canned, produced, or auto-tuned. 

You really cared about every single person and I really can't tell you the last time I experienced television characters, especially teen television characters that were so, well, deep.

The finale was just as superb as the whole season has been. My only complaint is that it really left me hanging. I'm dying to know how everyone fairs by the end of summer camp. Will I have to wait until next year?! I don't know how ABC Family does their seasons. Or if the show was even picked up for a second season; but if that dumb show they have about gymnasts can get a 2nd season, certainly Huge can right? They totally deserve it!

Memphis Beat season finale

Another quirky freshman drama; another cop drama on TNT, but hey if it's working for the network why mess with the formula? This one starred Jason Lee as MPD detective Dwight Hendricks who moonlights as a blues singer who has an affinity for Elvis songs. It also starred the always good Alfre Woodard, Celia Weston, and a surprisingly good DJ Qualls who finally found the right character and balance for his inherent weirdness. Jason Lee sure does have a beautiful singing voice. Who knew? No seriously, did people know this? I know about Lee being a former pro skateboarder, and a Scientologist etc. But I did not know that he could sing; and play guitar and bass. He should consider putting an album out. Maybe he already has and I'm just out of the loop; that would mean I'd have to give up my Jason Lee fan club membership card I guess. The show's writing was a little inconsistent throughout the season, but I can't say that there was any episode that I hated.

Which can't be said about another TNT drama HawthoRNe. This show and I had a very dramatic dvr-breakup last month because I hated Jada Pinkett-Smith's character so much. You know when the power of shirtless Michael Vartan can't save a show for me, there's something wrong.

Big Brother -

Sigh...the people I had picked to win in my office pool all got eliminated, the last being Brendon who really played an excellent game and just barely missed staying in the house (as HOH no less) for another week. Oh well, I really don't want anyone left in the house to win but if I had to choose I guess I'd go with Britney.

2010 Emmys -

I'll quickly just say that I was over the moon about Eric Stonestreet and the Modern Family wins. Can't wait for that show to come back into my life.

And that opening number from Jimmy Fallon et al was effin' brilliant.

True Blood

Season 3 has been better than I could've hoped for. I've said it before, Alan Ball and the rest of the writers are doing an excellent job of incorporating various plots and characters from the books into the television show, while creating totally new and interesting characters. Case in point the two men pictured above, Kevin Alejandro and Joe Manganiello. They play Jesus and Alcide respectively; Alcide is a beloved character from the book and Joe was the top choice from fans of the book who emailed and tweeted Alan Ball with suggestions to have him play Alcide. He's perfect in the role and I can't wait to see what next season brings. Jesus on the other hand is a brand new character created for the show and such a welcome addition. I love Alejandro's chemistry with Nelsan Ellis who plays Jesus's love interest Lafayette.

Speaking of my beloved Lafayette and Nelsan Ellis, how cute is he in this picture from a cast Emmy party with actor Marshall Allman who plays newcomer Tommy Mickens/Merlotte.

Needless to say, I'm super psyched for the True Blood season finale happening in a couple of weeks. And then it's time for all of the new and returning Fall tv shows. It's my favorite time of the year!

TV Round-up - New Summer 2010 Shows (June Edition)

Memphis Beat

Jason Lee is a quirky detective who loves and performs blues music. So far I'm really enjoying it. It's not your usual cliched cop drama. And Alfre Woodard is great as the police captain. Also? Jason Lee has an amazing singing voice - the man just got sexier. Now if only we could deal with the whole "Scientology" thing...

Hot In Cleveland

Betty White plays the caretaker of a house in Cleveland that three "fabulous" LA-based friends (the underused Wendie Malick, Jane Leeves and Valerie Bertinelli) end up living in because their flight to Paris has to emergency land in Cleveland (?); and the ladies decide to stay because their 40/50 something bodies/faces are considered a "hot" commodity in the midwest (?!!!) Yeah, this show is kind of a mess. And it's been so long since I've watched a sitcom that's filmed in front of a studio audience that I find their laughter distracting. I'm giving this a chance because of White and the guest stars they're gettting like Carl Reiner, John Schneider, and Huey Lewis. This is a show that will probably hang out in my Tivo unwatched for awhile.

Persons Unknown 

Seven strangers have been kidnapped and brought to a deserted "town" and forced to piece together a puzzle to free themselves from their environment, while indestructible security cameras keep a watchful eye and mind-fuck with them. I love Jason Wiles and Alan Ruck and their characters, so I'm invested in this show for now even though I'm starting to have a feeling that I'm going to be really let down when we find out the whole story when this mini-series ends in September.

Huge

I didn't know what to expect about an ABC Family network show about a fat camp for teens. But what I got was a show that was weird, wonderful, provocative, imaginative, realistic, and refreshing. I have a new summer favorite!

Louie

I find comedian Louis C.K. very polarizing and that's sort of a good thing. A lot of his comedy makes me uncomfortable, but also makes me think. His new show on F/X has a lot of critical acclaim all of which it deserves. It's like an R-rated "Seinfeld", if Jerry Seinfeld had actually talked about problems and feelings that real people have. I enjoyed the heck out of the first episode with nary a twinge of discomfort. Can't wait to see what C.K. brings in the coming weeks.

Eddie Cibrian - How CBS avoided his "show killer" curse

My love for Eddie Cibrian is no secret. I've even given he and Leann Rimes a pass for all of their affair shenanigans, and defended Eddie's behavior with his soon-to-be ex wife, because she's such a slag and you can kind of understand why he left her for Leann in the first place.

ANYWAY, one of the most interesting things about Eddie Cibrian is his professional reputation as a show killer. Cibrian ranks right up there with the king and queen, Ted McGinley and Paula Marshall, as an actor that is brought in to a project, only to have that tv show or movie go south right afterwards.
But producers and networks keep giving him a chance! It's amazing, but sort of understandable - the man is great looking and only gets better with age; he can do comedy, romance, and drama; and he's a decent actor. And I know I can't be the only person out there that will tune in to a show just because he's on it.
Case in point - CSI: Miami. I HATE this show. The #1 reason why? David Caruso as Horatio Crane. I can't stand Caruso as an actor, and the Crane character is one of the most ridiculously irritating ever written. But sure enough, when Eddie Cibrian joined the cast last year, I found myself recording episodes of CSI:Miami. And kind of, sort of enjoying them. SIGH...

Oh well, CBS has taken care of this issue for me by letting Cibrian out of his contract and getting rid of his CSI character. It's still not determined how they're going to write him off the show. Will they kill him or leave open any opportunities for him to come back?

I think the real reason CBS made this decision is that they were worried that the power of the Cibrian show killer curse would strike again. The ratings for all of the CSI franchise have been going down over the last year or two.

Don't worry Eddie. I still have at least two of your Lifetime tv movies to keep me company this month.

Linky link - 2010 Summer TV edition

God, I love tv. I know that's probably horrible, and I totally agree that I should spend at least half the time I "waste" watching television on healthier activities like exercising, cleaning, and sleeping. But I don't really care; it's my main vice - judge me all you want.

So once again we're entering the summer months where all of our regular season shows are ending their seasons (or ending altogether - so long 24, Law & Order, and Lost). And now from June through September we get a bunch of new reality and scripted shows to tempt us (me) to stay inside on the couch instead of enjoying the sunshine and good company of friends and family.

To that end I'm linking the excellent lists compiled by the staff of Television Without Pity of the upcoming:
New shows for summer 2010
and
Summer 2010 returning shows

For the returning shows I'm the most excited about Drop Dead Diva, True Blood, So You Think You Can Dance, and Beautiful People and I'll probably devote whole posts just to them in the coming weeks.

The new shows that look intriguing are Hot In Cleveland (even I can't resist the lure of Betty White fever - plus hello, it's got Valerie Bertinelli, I'm there); The Choir (because it's a trifecta of things I love - reality show, British, show choirs); Memphis Beat (my boyfriend Jason Lee! and it's another TNT cop show that I can enjoy watching with my dad when I visit him); and Persons Unknown (a mini-series murder mystery by the dude who won the screenwriting Oscar for The Usual Suspects? Yes please. Plus it's got Jason Wiles who I love). 

I hope my DVRs are ready for the onslaught.

Maybe I'll buy an exercise bike and kill a few birds with one stone. And maybe I should hook it up Ed Begley style to the tv and dvr so that I have to bike in order for the electronics to even work? Anything to fuel my tv addiction!

My new favorite tv show (April edition)

Timothy Olyphant has a great walk. I've always thought so. He displayed it to great effect as the Sheriff on Deadwood, and now in his new show on Justified he's brought his slow swagger walk to his latest lawman character - Deputy Marshall Raylan Givens.

I love Raylan Givens. I love how flawed he is, but in the most amazingly imaginative way, not in a cliche tv cop way. I love his accent, his cowboy hat, his sports coats/blazers, and yes that swagger.

Justified as a whole show is almost as awesome as the character of Raylan Givens but it does sometimes fall a little short with the character development of the other players. But it's still one of the best things on television and far superior than the tired CSI or NCIS franchises on network stations. The writing is smart and tight, and the cast is great, especially stand-outs like Erica Tazel who plays Marshall Rachel Brooks and established character actor Raymond Barry who brings depth to the character of Arlo Givens, Raylan's con man father. (although note to Ray Barry - work on your Kentucky accent will you? So far you keep trying different ones and have somehow ended on one that sounds like coastal Maine by way of New Orleans - it's very distracting).

I've been talking up this show to anyone who will listen. I only wish F/X would repeat at better times. It's normal slot is Tuesdays at 10PM which is bad for a lot of people like my dad, who would love Justified. The only times F/X repeats it during the week are Wednesdays at 1 AM and Sundays at 11PM. Again, for people without DVRs like my dad, these additional showings of the episodes is totally inconvenient. Justified has received decent critical reviews, and I hope that it's picked up for a second season; I also hope that they repeat the entire first season on a day/time that will allow it to pick up a bigger audience. They should take a page from shows like TNT's The Closer, and AMC's Breaking Bad concerning building an audience and the power of repeated airings.

TV Round Up for the week

I'll start off with just a little blurb about my favorite dance competition show So You Think You Can Dance. I follow producer/head judge Nigel Lythgoe on Twitter (@dizzyfeet) and he's revealed this week that there will be some changes coming for Season 7 this summer.
First, they're moving back to the way they did the partnering thing in Season 1, where the top 20 finalists will switch partners each week. For the past five seasons couples were chosen by the producers and stayed together until the top 10 where they then changed every week. I'm both excited and a little anxious about this change back to the original format. On the one hand it really stretches contestants while allowing the best to shine and show real spark and personality with certain people. Take this past season - Jakob and Ellenore were MAGIC together. Imagine if we had been able to see them partnered more throughout the season? On the other hand, it's been nice to see real relationships develop and to cheer for certain couples that had that special quality - i.e. Dominic/Sabra, Chelsie/Mark, Melissa/Ade, Katee/Joshua; so I'm torn.

The other change that Nigel revealed in a tweet this week is that they will only be eliminating one dancer a week. This puzzles me. How will that work regarding routines? Will the odd dancer end up dancing twice in one week? Will a dancer only dance solo?
I like the idea of switching things up on this show even when it doesn't work - like when they decided to air season 6 in the fall and not do a S6 tour, even though last season saw some of the most promising dancers ever to grace this competition. I was angry about that but I love this show enough to go along for the ride no matter what; c'mon Summer, get here soon!



Bravo reality shows - Best of the week as always goes to Kell On Earth. I don't know what I'll do without my beloved Andrew and Skinner after next week's finale. Or who I'll turn to for no-nonsense advice besides Kelly Cutrone.
Worst of the week is a tie between Shear Genius and the NY Real Housewives. My ferocious love of Jonathan Antin is failing to save the hair cutting competition show. I removed my season pass this week after Jon got robbed(!) by not only not winning the challenge but being in the bottom 2 with Brig. And my intense hatred of wonder-twins Matthew and Janine continues to grow, endearing me to Brig of all people. Stop it show!
And don't get me started about the Real Housewives. My gawd, is Bravo purposely trying to ruin this fawking franchise for me? First there was this past OC season which was insufferable and had me rooting for Vicky Gundalfson which is a sign of the apocalypse. And now this new NY season has shown my girl Bethenny to be a HEINOUS bitch, and faves Leanne and Jill to kind of be jealous old ladies. Why are you torturing me Bravo/Andy Cohen? I'm actually starting to enjoy the antics of Kelly Bensimone which is something I can't abide so I am done watching this crap show.

American Idol - for a season that looked so promising during Hollywood Week, I can't remember being this disappointed and bored and disillusioned with a batch of AI contestants since maybe season 3 (the year of Diana Degarmo, Jasmine Trias, John Stevens and George Huff, all of whom I loathed); but at least that season had the battle of the divas with awesome Jennifer Hudson and ultimate winner Fantasia Barrino. This season? Nothing.
There's amazing Crystal Bowersox and quirky-as-shit Siobhan Magnus but let's face it, neither of these ladies are going to win. And there's some eye candy in the form of Casey, Lee, and Tim, but this is the first season in maybe ever that there hasn't been at least one person who I care about. At all. I could give a crap about any of these people going home or winning this contest. I haven't even purchased any iTunes downloads for this season; I have at least 2 from every season since 19Entertainment started partnering with iTunes back in Season 6. I'm this close to being done with the show altogether, but I know something cheesy like Barry Manilow night will suck me right back in.
But if these damn kids don't start choosing better songs to sing, I'm going to punch someone.

Best TV-related thing I've heard all week (maybe all month) -
Mike Tyson is getting his own show about PIGEON RACING. Hee hee hee


Yes folks. There are actually people that race pigeons.


They're organized and everything.
Can you say TIVO season pass?

Celebrity Apprentice

Ok, something that you should know off the top - I HATE Donald Trump. Seriously, if I saw him on the streets of NYC, I would weigh the pros/cons about kicking him in the nuts.

And generally I have hated the Apprentice franchise that NBC has been running into the ground for the past decade. I haven't watched the show since the 2nd season (except for the one season that Martha Stewart did), and the clips I have seen over the years on The Soup or other various "news" shows have been ridiculous and not in a good way.

But last season's celebrity addition seemed to be quite over-the-top and like a bad fever dream in the best possible way; what with Joan and Melissa Rivers being well, themselves, and Clint Black making a commercial where he simulated masturbating with laundry detergent? Ummm, yeah. Anyway, last year's celebrity edition has seemed to have resuscitated the series and it has a new lease on life.

The proof? Check out TWoP's link to get a gander at the celebrity contestants for Season 3. Brett Michaels and his bad wig? Rob Blagojevich and his bad hair? Sharon Osbourne who always brings a tinge of the crazy but is an insanely good business woman? Cyndi Lauper (love her)? Hottie chef Curtis Stone? Sinbad!?

Count me in people!

That other dancing show...

The problem with having two DVRs (I know I know it's pathetic how much tv I watch) is that because there's only so many hours in the day, I end up watching certain shows days after they've originally aired and feeling behind the times when I discover something awesome that people have already talked about and is now totally played out and eye-roll inducing to everyone else.

So I haven't really been faithfully watching this season of Dancing With the Stars. Basically I've watched the results shows, because they replay the dances from the night before so I don't miss anything but the dumb filler, the results show is where they show "Dance Center" which continually is awesome, and the professional dancer showcases are also on Tuesday.
Last night's results show was a total gem that I can't believe I didn't know about until this evening. First of all the motherfuckin' BEE GEES performed. Y'all know I love me some Barry Gibb; even in all his current bad denture/receding hairline glory. And while Robin Gibb is seriously one of the scariest people alive, his face and "hair" are comedy gold.
So there's that gem, plus the show's fans voted to have past season contender Melissa Rycroft come back and dance in the pro showcase with Tony Dovolani. But here's where the really awesome part of the show comes in. The pro showcase didn't just feature Tony and Melissa. Performing with them were SYTYCD alums, Chelsie Hightower and...MY BOYFRIEND Artem Chigvintsev! You guys, I love Artem. After 6 seasons of wonderful dancers he's still in my top 10 list of SYTYCD competitors. I was sad when they changed the opening credits of that show this year because they took out all of the great Artem parts.
I knew that he was involved in the DWtS national tour but I'd never seen him on the actual show before tonight. As an aside, I was sorry to recently hear that Artem and DWtS judge Carrie Ann Inaba had broken up earlier this year. They were one "cougar" couple that I was excited about. They were so cute together and despite their 15 year age difference seemed to make it work. Supposedly they parted on great terms and remain friends.
The DWtS performance with my favorite former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Melissa Rycroft is linked here.

And another video featuring my boyfriend Artem:

C'mon! Isn't he adorable?

And finally one short note about tonight's results for SYTYCD. After an AMAZING opening number choreographed by Wade and Amanda Robson, I wasn't surprised that the judges let Kevin and Channing go. I was a little disappointed by Channing's ax though. Her solo was better than Karen's and especially Mollee's. Oh well. Victor gets a 3rd partner in as many weeks and a strange pairing at that with Karen, but we'll see.

TV Show Breakup

It's been a long time coming Heroes. I've stood by you longer than any of my friends or family has. Through 4 seasons I've stood by you; I've made excuses for your bad writing and bad casting decisions that continued to happen over and over since the second season began. I was forced to defend you on a regular basis, and had to deal with people's loss of respect when they found out that I still watched and somewhat enjoyed you.

I struggled through the abyssmal third season, embarrassed to admit to friends that I was still watching you, like someone whose boyfriend gets too loud and obnoxious when they drink and they can't admit to their friends that they're still seeing the lout.

And after that struggle, I was so gun-shy to even give you another chance with this new season. But I gamely carried on; kept your Tivo season pass set to not delete any episodes until I decided, kept your season pass priority in my top 10. But I was hesitant to watch any of the new season; so afraid of disappointment. Again.

I finally bit the bullet and watched all of season 4's aired episodes this weekend. And I'm through. I'm outta here boy! You've let me down for the last time. I deleted your season pass last night at 10:58 PM. I won't get fooled again; I don't care how hot Milo Ventimiglia or Zachary Quinto are, or how much I love Greg Grunberg and want him to have a successful show.

Peace out!

For another perspective on what might have been, read this article from Television Without Pity.

Revisiting a Classic - "Another Country"

Sometimes I just love Tivo. Its little DVR brain looks at my Wishlists and what I’ve been watching and decides to record things that it thinks I will like. In the wee hours of the morning yesterday Tivo decided to record a movie that I haven’t seen in probably 15 years, Another Country, starring a trio of breathtakingly beautiful (and YOUNG) actors Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, and Cary Elwes; long before any of them were stars. Watching this late last night I was transported back to my teen years.

In the mid-80s, I, the daughter of a self-proclaimed anglophile, was in the midst of a wonderful 2nd British Invasion; with all of the glorious music that was around (Style Council, Smiths, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Specials, English Beat etc) and all of the great films/mini-series coming out at that time including: Chariots of Fire, Brideshead Revisited, My Beautiful Laundrette, A Room With A View, and 1984’s Another Country. I was obsessed with anything and everything British, and of course I loved cute boys, so Another Country was right up my alley; when it came out my mother and I saw it in the theater its opening weekend. I didn’t totally "get" it back then, but I pretended that I did and added it to my collection of things that I loved. I even had the huge movie poster (see above left) on my bedroom wall that I recall getting from the gay bookstore in Dupont Circle about a month after the movie came out.
Another Country has really held up well, and besides the horrible old man make-up they have on Everett at the opening/ending of the film, this beautifully shot and acted film is a treat that I would highly recommend. I defy you to listen to Colin Firth’s character Tommy utter the phrase “contemptuous sycophant” and not swoon and/or smile.

Some background on the basis for the film - In the 1930s, four young men of rank and privilege met at Cambridge University, went on to earn positions of authority within British intelligence, and then decided to systematically betray their country and their class by spying for the Soviet Union, offering state secrets to the KGB. The notorious Cambridge Spies escaped detection for decades; Kim Philby, Donald Maclean and Guy Burgess were exposed in the 50s and defected to Russia, and Anthony Blunt escaped public exposure until 1979. The fact that a traitor like Blunt could have ascended so high in society shocked Britain to its core and was all over the news. It inspired playwright Julian Mitchell in1980 to write a fictionalized account of what might make a member of the elite like Guy Burgess break with his class as a young adult and betray his country.

In the movie Rupert Everett plays the Burgess-like Guy Bennett reprising his character from the original stage play. The film begins in 1983, with a reporter arriving in Moscow to interview an unrepentant Bennett, who recalls his days at an “Eton like” public school. Told in flashback, the movie concentrates on Bennett's alienation from his peers at the boarding school because of his homosexuality; his friendship with fellow alienated peer Tommy Judd played by Firth, who’s a Marxist, Stalin-loving “commie” who openly scorns and shuns the school’s rules and traditions; and Bennett’s transforming love and romance with a student played by Elwes.

The movie surmises that even if you're destined to be on top of the class system hierarchy, it is suffocating and cruel and can lead one to rebel in the worse ways. Eh, the movie never does that good a job of linking Bennett's struggles in school with why he decided to become a spy. But I'm not sure it's supposed to, or has to. It really serves as a window into a time and place that is so completely foreign it's like another planet. One filled with gorgeous angelic boys with awesome accents. Does this make me shallow? So be it. Go out and rent this or catch it on cable.

Summer TV July/Aug - "How could I forget?" edition

Although I posted about the summer tv I'm looking forward to this month and next, I regrettably left out a couple of gems. I'm rectifying that now.

First up, is a new Bravo reality show that premieres tonight called Miami Social. It's supposed to be like "The Hills" for grownups. The reasons I'm already a little bit in love with this show?

1. The location - as much as I HATED living in Miami for 6 years because of the rude people, the city and surrounding communities are really beautiful and seeing my old stomping grounds on tv makes me nostalgic. Additionally, because of the aforementioned rude people, it's a great place for a reality show. Assholes are entertaining!
2. HARDY! Omigawd, how I loved, then hated, then loved, then pitied, then hated Hardy on the second season of Big Brother. But seriously, any and every person from BB2 (best season ever!) will always have a special place in my heart. And now I guess Hardy's become like the social mayor of Miami or something? I don't know how that happened but I'm intrigued.
   
3. Did I mention that it's supposed to be like "The Hills"? Can't wait. I wonder who will be the toolish "Spencer Pratt" of the group? Additionally another reality show vet is part of the group of 7 friends profiled on the show; Katrina from the first season of "The Apprentice". And I love how Bravo already has the ominous "season 1" tag on their website for the show. Already filming a second season are we Bravo?

In August, besides Project Runway, the other show that I'm looking forward to is the next season of the BBC show Skins. I totally got hooked on this last season. Love me some Sid. Can't wait to see how Tony fares...

TV Highlights

- Two words to say about American Idol this week - TOTALLY UNINSPIRED

WTF? These nine talented (ok, probably only about 5 are what I would call talented) people had practically the entire American fawking songbook to choose from and those are the songs they chose? And that's how they chose to perform them? The hell?

Absolutely everyone fell apart this week. You either had people like Anoop, Danny, and Matt who I think chose fine songs but didn't execute them very well; or you had people like Adam and Kris who chose two of the most f'ed out, played out, karaoke-fodder, lame songs on the planet to sing. And even though they made these songs "their own", no amount of crazy arrangement is going to make "Ain't No Sunshine" or "Play That Funky Music" any more interesting or less fawking played out. Jeezus! So disappointing.

- Masterpiece Classic: Little Dorrit

Anyone that knows me knows I'm a huge Charles Dickens fan and I love to watch the various attempts that people have made in TV productions of his works. Some hits ("Bleak House") and some misses ("David Copperfield") have been done by the BBC/PBS. Little Dorrit (an underrated Dickens' classic) firmly falls into the "hit" category. I thoroughly enjoyed the first part of the 5 hour series playing throughout April. Can't wait for more.

- Gossip Girl

I feel like I'm the only person who hates the idea of Nate and Blair back together. Uggh. Although I do have a secret thrill about Chuck and Vanessa. It's so sick and twisted but lovely. Still want Jenny to go throw herself in front of a moving train.

- "Spectacular!"

I forgot to comment about this little Nickolodeon movie about the world of competitive highschool show choirs that I watched a couple of weeks ago. So comically bad that it turned right around to being awesome. The movie's title was the name of the main characters's highschool choir team. Their main rival's team name? Ta-da! Ha ha ha ha ha heee hee hee hee Oh so funny.

TV show break-up - "Ugly Betty"

It's been coming for awhile; for a few episodes this season, it looked like we'd be okay, that our relationship was getting back on sure footing. But alas, these past several episodes you've disappointed me beyond repair.
So I've deleted your season pass from Tivo Ugly Betty. If you ever decide to do the "Marc and Amanda Show" let me know. We'll talk.

This week in TV season premieres

This first full week of 2009 is bringing a handful of shows that promise to shake the winter blues away.

The first thing I want to talk about is last night's premiere of VH1's Confessions of a Teen Idol. I talked about how much I was looking forward to this show last week, and it did not disappoint!

Let's get the Eric Nies stuff out of the way first. He is, in a word, AWESOME on this show. For some reason I've always liked Nies, and been sympathetic towards him no matter how douchey he acted on the various seasons of the Real World/Road Rules Challenge. And these days, he's like this new-agey faux Buddhist; wearing a lot of linen and hemp clothing but not wearing shoes, growing his hair long, spraying ionized kelp water on his housemates before their tasks to "cleanse their spirits". Hee! It's hilarious; and I'm sure that if I was stuck in a house with him he would be getting on my last nerve with his pep talks and lame fake Dalai Lama crap, but it's good tv. And his burgeoning bromance with Adrian Zmed touches my cold dead heart.

As for the other participants, Billy Huffsey and Chris Atkins were kind of quiet but from the previews promise to be more interesting in the coming weeks. And who knew the biggest tools of the lot would turn out to be the two dudes from Baywatch.

Next week's ep looks great; they have a focus group with women of various ages critiquing the guys "then" and "now". Should be excellent!

Also premiering last night was "Superstars of Dance"; a kind of amalgam of So You Think You Can Dance and America's Got Talent. So far it's too much like the latter for my taste. As much as I enjoyed some of the elements, I don't know if I'll stick with it for the long haul.

Good things about it:

• Pasha and Anya(!!!!) from SYTYCD. I actually squealed (alarming the cat and dog) when they were introduced.
• Getting to see awesome popper Robert Muraine again
  
• Seeing the Shaolin monks incredible routine

Bad things about the show:

• Michael Flatley as host
• The confusing rules/scoring/judging
• Michael Flatley

Status of my TV show relationships - November 2008

Recent break-ups (season passes erased from Tivo):
Private Practice: Dude this show looks good on paper - spinoff of successful hit; great actors; sexy people - but it Sucks. So. Much. I tried to give it a chance because of things like Taye Diggs's hot pecs, but I can't do it anymore. I'm out.

Eli Stone: I love you Jonny Lee Miller and Victor Garber. And I love television characters randomly breaking out into song, but jeezus this show is boring. A good idea, wasted.

Life on Mars: I watched the BBC version of this and actually the American one is very well done for what it is. Again it's just sort of boring. Harvey Keitel is even boring. And Michael Imperioli's 70s 'stache is really scary.

Relationships in trouble (episodes gone unwatched/dropped off Tivo):
Dirty Sexy Money: Oh, DSM. I don't know what to do with you. There's so much I love about you...but your ridiculousness has moved from campy fun to lame triteness. And there are a couple of characters that I absolutely hate that are bringing the whole show down. I'm looking at you Karen and Simon...

Heroes: We've already had this conversation babe. And again, I haven't given up on you yet. But on the other hand your last 3 episodes are just sitting on my Tivo hard drive. Just sitting there. Waiting. I don't want the same thing that happened with "Lost" to happen to you.

Grey’s Anatomy/Ugly Betty: Ok, you Thursday night ABC guys get lumped together. You both disappointed me greatly last season. So much so that I almost ended it with both of you. But with the writer's srtike and everything I thought that I'd give you both another chance to win my love back. Betty, you started off a little weak but with last week's ep you got a firmer foothold on my heart. But I'm still on the fence about you taking up recording time that I could be using for my brilliant "30 Rock". Grey's you had redeemed yourself, what with the Mer being less annoying, and the getting together of Iz and Alex (squee!). But then you had to go all weird and fire Brooke Smith who played Dr. Hahn. Now on one hand, I kind of hated her character, but on the other hand, I'm concerned that you might have gotten rid of the character because she's now a lesbian? That would make you a real douche, Grey's.

Shows that still have my love and devotion (season passes bumped up on the priority list):
True Blood: Only 2 eps left this season and I'm just as entranced as I was from the first taste. I think I've even figured out who the killer is! Although I hope I'm wrong. But as long as you keep giving me Lafayette, Rene, and Sam I'll be in this for the long haul.

Pushing Daisies: I've waxed poetic about how much I love you. I'm not going to say anything more except to reiterate that Emerson Cod is one of the greatest television characters of all time. And I wish there was a Pie Shoppe in my town.

Gossip Girl: GG, you make me feel like a 14 year-old girl again. But in the best possible way!

30 Rock: You know I love you when I'm willing to watch you on Hulu.com (that little screen!). But seriously, you are so brilliant I can't even take it.

Top Chef: You've been away for too long. And sometimes you annoy me with the cheftestants that you choose (fucking Ilan?! Assy Lisa? Really?!) but generally the foodie in me can't keep away. And Tom and Padma are just so damn sexy.