As promised, the last Emmy-related piece of this year.
While I've already discussed Modern Family and Glee, Friday Night Lights, and to a certain extent Lost, as well as rounded up my picks for who will win a gold statuette and who should have won, I can't imagine not discussing AMC's luminous period drama Mad Men.
Over at The Daily Beast, my latest feature--which is curiously entitled "Mad Men's Ice Queen"--takes a look at Mad Men's Emmy nominated actresses January Jones and Christina Hendricks and explores how they fit into certain female iconic traditions and why our perceptions of their characters seem to spill over into their real lives.
Just why is Betty Draper so misunderstood and disliked? Why does Jones seem so icy whereas Hendricks--a somewhat reluctant sex symbol--seems so vibrant and full of life? Can they escape our own perceptions of them? Head to the comments section to discuss.
Season Four of Mad Men airs Sunday evenings at 10 pm ET/PT on AMC.
Just a heads up that I'm officially on vacation and heading out of town, so thoughts on Sunday night's episodes of Mad Men and True Blood--along with Emmy reactions--will be delayed until I return.
In a weird twist of fate, my birthday weekend just happens to coincide with Emmys weekend this year (normally the latter is in September, whereas my birthday, um, stays the same each year), so I'm skipping everything Emmy-related. No after-parties, no flashy suit, no overindulging at HBO's Pacific Design Center shindig or the the after-after-party at the Chateau for me this year.
What I will be doing is taking a respite from work--and, scarily, from television--for a few days to recharge my mental batteries and soak up some much-needed relaxation.
See you on the other side. Or as soon as I post a link to my last Emmy-related story for this year from over at The Daily Beast, that is.
Could Friday Night Lights finally win an Emmy Award? Or, more importantly, isn't about time that the Academy recognized the amazing quality of this fantastic series and its lead actors?
That's the question that I'm asking in a new feature over at The Daily Beast entitled "Give Friday Night Lights An Emmy Already" where I talk to stars--and current Emmy underdogs--Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton.
In the piece, which went live this morning, I talk to Chandler and Britton about their nominations, saying goodbye to one another, the end of Friday Night Lights, and what the fifth and final season of FNL holds for Coach Eric and Tami Taylor.
Head to the comments section to discuss why you think this series has been criminally overlooked by the Television Academy and whether you think Chandler and Britton are more than deserving to take home a statuette or two this weekend at the Primetime Emmy Awards.
Season Five of Friday Night Lights begins October 27th on DirecTV's The 101 Network.
Karl Pilkington traipsing around the world and checking out the Seven Wonders? Sign me up please!
That's exactly the premise of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's new docuseries An Idiot Abroad, which will air this month on Sky1 in the UK and which will follow the notoriously round-headed Pilkington--the breakout star of HBO's The Ricky Gervais Show--as he makes his way around the globe to step outside his comfort zone and, well, maybe challenge himself.
Here's how Sky1 is positioning the series:
"Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant are outraged that Karl has written off the Seven Wonders claiming they’re all “a bit s**t” having never seen any of them with his own eyes. They’ve thrown down the gauntlet to send him around the globe to force him out of his comfort zone. Stephen wants the experience to broaden Karl’s mind and change his outlook on the world. Ricky wants Karl to hate every minute of it for his own amusement.
Dispatched on what many would term a journey of a lifetime, the ‘little Englander’ will be putting his misgivings to one side as Karl finds out for himself what the fuss is about. He will travel to the Great Wall of China, Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, Petra in Jordan, Machu Picchu in Peru, Chichen Itza in Mexico, the Taj Mahal in India and the Great Pyramids of Egypt. Meanwhile Gervais and Merchant will be keeping a watchful eye from London, monitoring every step of Pilkington’s journey. The conclusion of the series will see the weary traveler returning home to report on his findings."
The full trailer for An Idiot Abroad can be found below.
“I can’t wait to get started," said Pilkington via an official statement. "Not ‘cos I’m excited but ‘cos the sooner we start the sooner it will be over. The fact the nurse gave me an injection that protects me from dirty chimps put a dampener on the whole thing. I don’t think Ross Kemp has to have that injection.” Continue reading full story...
Channel Surfing: Chuck Sets Mercenaries, Katee Sackhoff Back to Big Bang, Modern Family's Manny, Neil Gaiman's Doctor Who & More
Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.
Chuck Versus the Mercenaries? Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that WWE champion wrestler Batista, Eric Roberts (The Expendables), and Joel David Moore (Bones) are set to appear in the fourth episode of Chuck's fourth season this fall. The trio will guest star as "Casey's former Soldiers of Fortune buddies from the Clinton era" who have "gone rogue and are back to seek revenge on their ex-comrade." The episode is entitled "Chuck Versus the Coup D'Etat." Season Four of Chuck is slated to launch on September 30th. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)
While Maureen Ryan hasn't officially started at AOL Television (she doesn't until September 1st), that hasn't stopped her from landing an exclusive: namely that Katee Sackhoff will be returning to CBS' The Big Bang Theory this fall, where she will reprise her role as "Katee Sackhoff," the conscience of Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg), in an episode that will also guest star Melissa Rauch's Bernadette. "He's struggling with his feelings about Bernadette and them breaking up, and in pops Katee Sackhoff again," Sackhoff told Ryan. "I can probably say [the scene] won't be in the bathtub. I don't know for sure ... I can't imagine them doing the same thing twice, but you never know." Sackhoff told Ryan that she jumped at the chance to stop by The Big Bang Theory a second time when Chuck Lorre called her; Sackhoff is slated to appear in the September 23rd episode. (AOL Television)
Missing Manny? You're not the only one. However, Modern Family creators Steve Levitan and Christopher Lloyd have indicated that Rico Rodriguez's precocious Manny will be pushed front and center this fall in a plot about Manny going on his first date. [Editor: a plot that I revealed over on The Daily Beast last week in an interview with Steve Levitan.] "It's his first serious girlfriend," said Lloyd. "The first one he really feels he's falling in love with... It mostly turns into a clash with Gloria. Because in the Colombian culture the bond between a mother and son is very intense, and it becomes a little bit of a competition between the girl and Gloria for Manny... He realizes that he's almost forgotten to live his childhood and he tries to figure out a way to pack it all in, because he's only got one year left before he's a teenager." (TVGuide.com)
"Tastes like Marmite on socks." Neil Gaiman has been very close-lipped about the details of his upcoming Doctor Who episode, which will air next year on the Matt Smith-led British cult sci-fi series. But he did post a deleted scene from the episode in question--in the form of a script page--that sheds some light on just what a Gaiman-scripted episode of Who will be like. In this case, it involves the Doctor and Amy (Karen Gillan) about to sit down and eat, well, something foreign. (Neil Gaiman)
E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos has a sneak peek at the senior year awaiting the class of the CW's 90210, which she writes will involve "fresh plot twists, body shots, jet-skis, Adrian Grenier and vows to get 'wicked pissed.'" (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)
Judd Hirsch is set to guest star on ABC's The Whole Truth, where he will be reunited with Rob Morrow, who played his son on CBS' NUMB3RS. Hirsch, whose episode will air sometime in October, will play Judge Ruben Wright, described as "a distinguished and well-respected jurist who is accused of corruption and murder" who "asks Jimmy Brogan (Morrow), whom he has often chastised for colorful but inappropriate behavior in his courtroom, to represent him." (via press release)
NBC has delayed the launch of reality series School Pride, opting to shift the premiere date back by three weeks to October 15th. It will instead fill the timeslot with two-hour editions of Dateline. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)
ABC is spinning off its long-running talk show The View into a new hour-long afternoon version that would add a male perspective to the mix. Project, from executive producers Barbara Walters and Bill Geddie, would be shot in Los Angeles and would feature "five co-hosts discussing a range of topical subjects." Among their dream hosts: Bryant Gumbel, Alec Mapa, Jacque Reid, and E.D. Hill. (Hollywood Reporter)
Stay tuned. Continue reading full story...
"We'll just say Community is the new Glee."
With less than a month to go until the second season premiere of NBC's deliciously absurd comedy Community, NBC has released a teaser trailer for Season Two, which just so happens to feature Betty White seeming a but, uh, confused about what show she's slated to appear on.
You can view the teaser in full below.
Season Two of Community launches Thursday, September 23rd on NBC. Continue reading full story...
Channel Surfing: Fox Snags Locke and Key, Trouble for Tilda, Torchwood Star Lands Three Inches, Temps, The Office, and More
Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.
Vulture's Josef Adalian is reporting that FOX is in talks with 20th Century Fox Television and Dreamworks to develop a series based on Joe Hill's comic book "Locke and Key," which revolves around "three kids who end up watching over a secret, spooky New England mansion filled with mystical doors that transport them to different worlds and give them special powers (like turning into a ghost)," according to Adalian. But FOX isn't turning to just anyone to adapt the series created by Hill (who happens to be the son of Stephen King): Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (Fringe, Hawaii Five-0) and Josh Friedman (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) as well as Steven Spielberg are attached as executive producers. (Vulture, Hollywood Reporter)
Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that there's some major behind the scenes drama brewing at HBO's much anticipated dark comedy pilot Tilda, which stars Diane Keaton as a Nikki Finke-esque Hollywood blogger. Showrunner Cynthia Mort has been removed from the project after the pilot shoot, during which she allegedly clashed with director/executive producer Bill Condon and with Keaton herself. "It was an unhappy marriage from day one,” an unnamed source told Ausiello about Mort and Condon's working relationship. “They banged heads about almost everything…and during production she picked huge public fights with anyone who disagreed with her on anything, including Diane.” Mort's removal prompted a nasty email to the production and the studio; neither she nor HBO would comment on the story, though Ausiello notes that Condon is assembling a new creative team and is close to picking a new showrunner for the project. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)
Which former Torchwood star is crossing the pond to star in Syfy drama pilot Three Inches? Naoko Mori--who played the much missed Toshiko for two seasons on BBC Three's Torchwood--has been cast as a series regular in Three Inches, which follows a slacker who discovers that he has a useless superpower: he can move any object three inches with his mind. Mori will play "a woman who can duplicate and recite any sounds she hears." Also cast: Melrose Place's Stephanie Jacobsen, who will play Watts, described as "a beautiful 'super' hero who has the ability to shape the emotions of anyone she meets at close range." (Deadline)
Good news for fans of Party Down: the creators of the short-lived Starz comedy series have landed a put pilot from NBC for their next project, a single-camera comedy entitled Temps. The project, created by Rob Thomas, Jon Enbom, and Dan Etheridge, was the subject of an intense bidding war before a deal was reached between NBC and studio Warner Bros. Television. According to Variety's Michael Schneider, Temps will revolve around "a group of recent college grads who are forced to take a variety of oddball temp jobs to make ends meet." Any chance those trademark pink bowties could make a return appearance? (Variety)
E! Online's Jennifer Arrow is reporting that producers of NBC's The Office, which will see the departure of series lead Steve Carell after the upcoming season, would prefer to promote from within rather than bring in an A-lister to replace Michael Scott. Arrow caught up with writer/producer Warren Lieberstein to ask him about whether the show can go on without Carell and just where Michael's replacement will come from. "We're really sad. I don't know how you soldier on from Steve leaving," said Lieberstein. "He's such an amazing talent. He's the best. He's the best, honestly. But we're kind of lucky, we have a lot of movie stars in our cast! Craig Robinson, Ed Helms, Rainn Wilson—and that Krasinski guy is not bad, and Jenna Fischer, she's pretty great. I think the reason we've been able to survive as many seasons as we have is because of the supporting cast." As for the matter of succession, Lieberstein said, "We're still debating. A lot of us want from within, because we think we have such a strong cast, but we'll see. We have a network that also [has] wants." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)
E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos has an interview with True Blood star Denis O'Hare, who is stealing scenes this season as the Vampire King of Mississippi, Russell Edgington. O'Hare told E! Online that, despite his character's longevity, he can still be killed. "I am 3,000 years old, but it can be done," said O'Hare. "The vampire rules are if you behead them, if you stake them with wood, or if you put silver on them, they're going down. The silver weakens them incredibly, the wood will actually kill them, and beheading is game over." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)
FOX is developing an untitled drama pilot with writer Rick Eid and executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci about a prosecutor who discovers that he can tell whether a defendant is guilty or innocent. "Show revolves around an overly ambitious prosecutor who wrongfully convicts an innocent man for murder, an event that becomes the trigger for his magical flashes and an understanding that he has a debt an understanding that he has a debt to repay to the innocent," writes Variety's Cynthia Littleton. (Variety)
Meghan Markle (Fringe) has been cast as one of the leads in USA's legal drama pilot A Legal Mind, where she will star opposite Patrick Adams and Gabriel Macht. She'll play Rachel Lane, described as "an attractive paralegal with an encyclopedic knowledge of the law who's assigned to Mike [Patrick Adams] and becomes his valuable after-hours research ally." Whedonverse alum Gina Torres has also been cast in the project, though her role--senior partner Katherine Pearson--is in second position to ABC Family's Huge. (Hollywood Reporter)
FX is developing comedy 13th Grade, about a "a high school graduate who's content with his meager lifestyle -- until his girlfriend dumps him for being 'stuck' between childhood and adulthood"--with Michael Cera, Derek Waters, and Emily Kapnek. Kapnek and Cera are writing the script, while Waters is set to co-star in the project. (Variety)
Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Jamie-Lynn Sigler (The Sopranos) will star opposite Sherry Stringfield in Lifetime's currently untitled Josh Berman drama pilot, where she will play Brooke Kross, the partner to Stringfield's police detective Molly Collins. Elsewhere, John Hawkes (Lost) will star in FX drama pilot Outlaw Country, where he will play Tarzen Larkin, the uncle to Luke Grimes' Eli, who is described as "one of the most charismatic and compelling characters in Slaughter, a big-time player in the Southern crime world." (Deadline)
Amy Sedaris (Strangers with Candy) and Tom Cavanagh (Ed) are set to guest star in an upcoming episode of USA's Royal Pains when the series returns for its first ever winter season this January, according to Fancast's Matt Mitovich. Sedaris will play Nan Noonan, "Jill's partner for a Hamptons golf tournament," while Cavanagh will play pro golfer Jack O'Malley. (Fancast)
TLC has ordered eight episodes of Sextuplets Take New York, which is--you guessed it!--about a family raising four boys and two girls in Queens, New York. It will launch on September 14th. (Hollywood Reporter)
Yep, Jennifer Aniston is going to guest star on ABC's Cougar Town next month, when she'll drop by as a therapist for Courteney Cox's Jules. (via press release)
TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that Life Unexpected's Reggie Austin has been cast as the husband of Vanessa Williams' character on ABC's Desperate Housewives this season. He'll make his first appearance in the fifth episode of the season and will be playing Doug, the New York pro baseball player husband of Williams' Renee Perry. (TV Guide Magazine)
20th Century Fox Television and Chernin Entertainment have signed a blind script deal with Get Him to the Greek writer/director Nicholas Stoller. (Hollywood Reporter)
Former TNT programming executive Julie Weitz has been hired as president of Carol Mendelsohn's production company. (Variety)
Stay tuned. Continue reading full story...
Be prepared to be scared.
AMC has announced an official launch date for its upcoming zombie series The Walking Dead, which is based on Robert Kirkman's comic book series.
The Walking Dead, which stars Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies, Laurie Holden, and Jeffrey DeMunn, will launch with a 90-minute series premiere on Sunday, October 31st at 10 pm ET/PT.
The official trailer for The Walking Dead can be viewed below. "Stay focused."
The full press release from AMC can be found below.
WITH A 90-MINUTE PREMIERE EPISODE ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31, 10PM
Series Stars Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies,
Laurie Holden, Jeffrey DeMunn and others
Written, Directed and Executive-Produced by
Frank Darabont, Executive Produced by Gale Anne Hurd
New York, NY – August 2010 – AMC's newest original series, “The Walking Dead,” will premiere on Halloween night, Sunday, October 31 at 10 PM ET. The Sunday night series will debut with a 90-minute premiere episode, airing at 10 PM, October 31st. Subsequent episodes will be one-hour long presentations.
In conjunction with the announcement, today AMC released a four and a half-minute trailer, previewing the series, as was seen at this year’s Comicon. The trailer can be viewed on www.amctv.com.
The series will premiere during AMC's Fearfest, the network's annual blockbuster marathon of thriller and horror films. Fearfest is celebrating its 14th year by airing 14 consecutive days of themed programming with more than 50 films.
“The Walking Dead” is AMC's first wholly-owned original series.
“The Walking Dead” is based on the comic book written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics. The six-episode series tells the story of life following a zombie apocalypse. It follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln (“Love Actually,” “Teachers,” “Strike Back”), traveling in search of a safe and secure home. Jon Bernthal (“The Pacific,” “The Ghost Writer”) plays Rick’s sheriff’s department partner before the apocalypse, Shane Walsh, and Sarah Wayne Callies (“Prison Break”), is Rick's wife, Lori. Supporting cast include Laurie Holden (“The Shield”), Jeffrey DeMunn, Chandler Riggs and Steven Yeun.
Three-time Academy Award-nominee Frank Darabont (“The Shawshank Redemption,” “The Green Mile”) serves as writer, director and executive producer. Chairwoman of Valhalla Motion Pictures, Gale Anne Hurd (“The Terminator,” “Aliens,” “Armageddon,” “The Incredible Hulk”), creator of the original comic series, Robert Kirkman, and David Alpert from Circle of Confusion serve as Executive Producer. Charles “Chic” Eglee (“Dexter,” “The Shield,” “Dark Angel”) and Jack LoGiudice (“Sons of Anarchy,” “Resurrection Blvd”) are Co-Executive Producer.
For more information, visit AMC’s press website, http://press.amctv.com .
About AMC
AMC reigns as the only network to ever win the Golden Globe® Award for Best Television Series - Drama three years in a row and the only basic cable network to win back-to-back Primetime Emmy® Awards for Outstanding Drama Series. Whether commemorating favorite films from every genre and decade from the most comprehensive library or creating acclaimed original productions, the AMC experience is an uncompromising celebration of great stories. AMC's original stories include the Emmy® Award-winning dramas “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad,” and insightful non-scripted programming such as “AMC News.” AMC further demonstrates its commitment to the art of storytelling with curated movie franchises like AMC Hollywood Icon and AMC Complete Collection. Available in more than 95 million homes (Source: Nielsen Media Research), AMC is a subsidiary of Rainbow Media Holdings LLC, which includes sister networks IFC, Sundance Channel, WE tv and Wedding Central. AMC is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile. Continue reading full story...
The Daily Beast: "Secrets of Lost Revealed on New DVD" (a.k.a. My Thoughts on "The New Man in Charge")
Today, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released both Lost: The Complete Collection and Lost: The Complete Sixth and Final Season on DVD and Blu-ray.
The box sets contain the latest--and possibly last--in-canon adventures of the Lost cast via the twelve-minute epilogue entitled "The New Man in Charge," which stars Michael Emerson, Jorge Garcia, and... Well, that would be telling.
Over at The Daily Beast, I discuss "Lost: The New Man in Charge" as well as my thoughts about the strength or weakness of the epilogue as a narrative outgrowth of the series in a piece entitled "Secrets of Lost Revealed on New DVD."
Plus, I check in with fellow television critics and writers Maureen Ryan (now of AOL Television), Entertainment Weekly's Jeff "Doc" Jensen, Time's James Poniewozik, and New York Magazine's Emily Nussbaum to see their reactions to the Lost epilogue, how it fits in with the contentious ending of the series itself, and its effects on the legacy of the series.
Head to the comments section to discuss your take on the epilogue and whether it gels with your need for answers or whether you feel that the creative team should have left well enough alone.
Lost: The Complete Sixth and Final Season DVD retails for $59.99 (or get it on Amazon for $37.99), while Lost: The Complete Collection has a suggested retail price of $229.99 (or $148.99 on Amazon).
The One True Death comes for us all in the end, human and vampire alike, and one has to hope that when the time comes you've accomplished what you've set out to do in the decades or centuries afforded to you.
That's rarely ever the case. Certainly not for most humans, though Eric Northman confides in Sookie just what he'd regret most if he met his true end. Right before, that is, he has a monumental change of heart about just what matters most in this world. Is it a matter of love? Or a matter of saving one's own skin and their children's? What price does survival have?
On this week's episode of True Blood ("I Smell a Rat"), written by Kate Barnow and Elisabeth R. Finch and directed by Michael Lehmann, much of the episode delved into the backstories of several characters, most notably Sookie, Sam, Tara, and Jason, while setting up some major consequences and twists in the final two episodes of the season.
As such, "I Smell a Rat" wasn't the highlight of the season for me but it did contain some fantastic moments, even as it began to build towards the season's climax. For the most part, however, it was an episode that dealt with the aftermath of several occurrences: Sam's vicious attack of Felton, which left one man clinging to life while the other reflected on his dark past; Bill's revelation that Sookie is a faerie, and therefore a prize to be claimed; and Jason's murder of sociopath Franklin, which brought back the truth about what had happened to Eggs.
It was an installment that was based in advancing the plot to the place it needs to be for the season's endgame, but it also had some fantastic moments that peeled back the layers of some of the characters in some very unexpected and exciting ways.
So what did I think about this week's episode of True Blood? Grab yourself a warm Tru Blood, put down the black cohash, take a sip of some V, and let's discuss "I Smell a Rat."
I say seemingly because there's always more than meets the eye when it comes to Eric Northman. It's clear that Russell Edgington is going to be out for blood now that he knows that Eric murdered his beloved Talbot and he wants Sookie Stackhouse. While it now appears that Eric is willing to sell out Sookie in order to save himself, I'm not quite convinced that he's going to just turn over Sookie to the fallen King of Mississippi once they've shaken hands. Rather, I can't help but wonder if Eric isn't playing another long con, promising Russell one of the very last faeries left on the planet in order to get him to lower his defenses... and then stake him.
After all, the Authority--via Nan--did instruct Eric to take care of the Russell situation quietly and what better way to lure the King out into the open than with the telepathic blond waitress that they're all eager to taste? Why not offer up a glittering prize to be claimed before delivering Russell the One True Death?
Of course, Sookie--who is now chained in the basement of Fangtasia--might not see it that way. Likely, nor will Bill Compton, who promised to protect Sookie and told Eric that he could not have her. It's interesting that Bill did freely admit to Sookie that her faerie blood did affect him initially (and it's why she would appear to be irresistible to vampires), but it's not why he fell in love with her.
Bill's true motives have been called into question these past few episodes, both by Sookie herself and by trickster Eric Northman, who has now urged Sookie several times not to trust her paramour. He's been less than honest in the past and concealed her true nature from her, he claimed, to protect her. They say the truth will set you free, but that's not always the case. Just look at poor Tara, who finally learned who was really responsible for Eggs' death. That knowledge did her no good whatsoever, particularly as it came right after she tearfully admitted that she believed all of the good in the world was dead and that Jason had always protected her.
He had in so many ways that mattered. But he also killed her lover... and then actually told her after he had saved her life from the vampire who had kidnapped and raped her. Did the truth set her free? It didn't at all. Instead, it shattered her already tenuous outlook on the world and on her life. It pushed her further over the edge rather than giving her strength.
That's not the case per se with Sookie and Bill... He should have come clean to Sookie about her heritage much, much sooner, particularly given that Sophie-Anne was so interested in her. But what's interesting to me is that the knowledge that Sookie is descended from the faerie folk actually creates some interesting parallels between her and Bill. They both carry darkness in their blood; Sookie is shocked to discover that her ancestor may have forced themselves on a human and that that was a common enough occurrence for the faeries. There might be magic in their pasts but it's a dark one.
That holds true as well for Lafayette and Jesus, who learn about their own ancestry after using V together and are given visions of their ancestors, of the witches and sorcerers that made up their family trees. But not all of it was good: they both appear to have darkness within them as well, which gives me pause to wonder how lucid Ruby Jean really is. She knows that Lafayette is powerful, after all, just as Jesus did; he saw the magic within Lafayette and responded to it. But Lafayette knows that both he and Tara would and will continue to be driven towards the darker elements of their nature, just as Jesus' grandfather wanted him to be.
There is, after all, a duality to all things: a light side and a dark side. The faeries may have all been wiped out due to the vampires, who craved their light but they themselves aren't innately good either. Russell and Sophie-Ann believe that a faerie's blood will allow them to walk in the sunlight, to cast off the darkness of night, a fact that would make them nearly unstoppable. Bill seeks to disprove this: while he was in the light, he still burned. Their dark nature still holds; the sunlight is fatal, even with faerie's blood.
So then what is Russell's true goal? What does he hope to take from Sookie? The strength that he would get by ending the life of another of the Fay? The light itself? Hmmm....
Russell, meanwhile, confronted several hard truths: that the man he had loved for so many centuries was nothing more than bloody remains in a crystal urn and that Talbot had faced the One True Death without his lover by his side. In a cruel and horrific twist, Russell seeks to recreate the conditions of Talbot's death, luring a young prostitute (90210's Michael Steger, who I thought was rather weak here) to a room and then staking him in the heart, seeing not this bite-mark ridden stranger dying, but his beloved Talbot.
Heartbreaking and absolutely psychotic in equal measure.
Elsewhere, Sam faced up to his own dark passenger, remembering how--back in his grifting days--he was betrayed by a woman who conned him out of his cash and how he tracked her and her boyfriend down and then killed them in cold blood. While Sam's shooting of the woman was accidental (she was firing at him), his murder of her boyfriend was motivated by vengeance and rage, the two qualities that his vicious attack of Felton brought to the surface once more. Throughout the last the seasons, we've seen a Sam who has sought to keep his own impulses in check, as much as several of the vampiric characters who have struggled with their own grip on humanity.
But with Felton, Sam let the genie out of the bottle, and allowed his anger to take hold of him once more... an anger that would definitely seem to have been inherited from the Mickens clan. Tommy's attack of Hoyt in the parking lot (after Hoyt punched Tommy in the face) connects to this same locus of rage.
But Tommy's plan to attack Hoyt and swoop in and make Jessica love him backfires horrifically as he mauls Hoyt and Jessica flies out of Merlotte's to come to his aid, throwing Tommy (in his bulldog guise) into the woods and demanding that Hoyt drink her blood. She does love him and she can try to either keep the darker elements of her nature from him or allow him into her life fully. Her choice is made in these moments as she rips open her wrist and forces Hoyt to drink her blood. They're bonded now in ways that Hoyt could never had imagined, her true form shown to him.
Just as Crystal displays her true self to Jason, appearing to him in her panther form in his bedroom, and Arlene comes clean to Terry about the parentage of her unborn child.
But while the truth might have set them free in a way, there is always a price to pay for honesty. Whether Bon Temps' couples will come out the other side unscathed is what we'll have to wait to see. But I dare say that there is bound to be much heartbreak and pain in the days ahead, and no amount of vampire blood can ever cure a broken heart...
Next week on True Blood ("Fresh Blood"), Bill tries to earn back Sookieʼs trust, but ends up bringing her face-to-face with fresh dangers; Eric tempts Russell with the ultimate vampire dream; Jason tries to wrap his head around Crystalʼs revelation; Sam embraces his dark side, alienating everyone except Tara; Hoyt and Jessica take their romance to the next level; with Hollyʼs help, Arlene puts her future in the hands of a goddess; post V-trip, Lafayette struggles with new demons.
"A man is shamed by being openly ridiculed and rejected."
On this week's fantastic episode of Mad Men ("The Chrysanthemum and the Sword"), written by Erin Levy and directed by Lesli Linka Glatter, we see how symbolism is in the eye of the beholder: what one man sees as a vase of chrysanthemums is another man's symbol for death. What a mother sees as her daughter attempting to punish her is a cry for help. Or it's none of those things at all, but a burgeoning sexuality or effort to explore and to understand.
Or it's just an attraction to The Man From U.N.C.L.E..
We can parse the meanings from others' behaviors but we always apply our own patina of understanding to the symbols we take in. Sally's behavior isn't of a wanton nature; she's not on a path of destruction, despite Betty's claims that her daughter is "fast" or is picking up things from Don's "whores." She's a normal girl dealing with normal things, particularly after her world came crashing down around her following her parents' divorce.
That dollhouse that Betty so admires in Dr. Edna's office is an illusion. It's a house without a wall on the outside, letting us peer into another world. Betty sees a perfect family living inside, everything in its proper, ascribed place. But what we might see are lifeless dolls, unable to think for themselves, unable to express their rage, frustration, lust, until someone else comes along to give them meaning.
In an interesting twist, it's Henry who seems to be the sole carrier of parental knowledge here, able to see much of Sally's behavior as not abnormal but completely normal. "Little girls do this," he says to Betty after Sally chops off her hair, "even those not from broken homes." Henry, as the parent of a now-grown daughter, has seen all this and more. Despite their physical similarities, Sally is not Betty, though the latter seems to want to place her on a similar path, lying to her about her own girlhood tendencies and threatening to cut off her fingers, just as her mother did to her.
The lines have been drawn in the former Draper household: while Bobby runs to his mother and throws her arms around her, Sally is withdrawn, aloof. There has always been a simpatico spirit between Don and Sally and Betty goes so far as to push the two of them into the same category, into being recipients of her somewhat sublimated rage. Rather than console and confront her daughter rationally, Betty acts out irrationally, slapping Sally in the hallway simply because she cannot slap Don. While it's supposedly Sally she's furious with, Betty moans, "I want him dead" as soon as Don leaves. The mark she leaves on Sally's cheek is meant to ricochet to the girl's father, really.
For her part, Sally Draper is attempting to find her own way in the world. The doll's house she once lived in has been knocked on its side. In attempting to make herself over, she's attempting to thwart her mother's expectations for her and to attract her father's attention. Sally first expresses disapproval that Don is going to meet Bethany for dinner at Benihana and leave her with neighbor Phoebe. Later, she hacks off her hair in an effort to transform herself, to feel "pretty." She assumes--incorrectly--that something is going on between Don and Phoebe and then attempts to remake herself in the nurse's image, scissoring off her locks to give herself short hair. ("You have short hair and Daddy likes it," she says.)
Betty's response is to punish Sally, even as Henry advises rewarding her. In other words: paying attention to her and giving her encouragement, transforming the situation into something positive (a trip together to the hair salon) rather than something negative. But Betty, for all of the change in her life, can't transform her rage and frustration into something pleasant; it's been so deeply sublimated her entire life that it erupts into inappropriate behavior. (Like mother, like daughter.)
Sally is curious about sex and sexuality. We see this both from her questioning of Phoebe and to her response to watching The Man From U.N.C.L.E. but no one is guiding her or talking to her. And she can't talk to Betty about it because Betty won't confront these touchy subjects, even though she herself went through just what Sally is going through. ("You don't do those things," Betty screams. "You especially don't do them in public.") Don's question to Betty--"boy or girl?"--is a valid one but Betty fails to see the distinction. Sally's curiosity was inward rather than external; Betty sees only whores and fast girls.
But Betty also can't see herself. It's fitting in a way that it's a child's psychiatrist who finally gets Betty to open up, not only about Sally, but about the pain and loss in her life, about the breakdown of her marriage and the death of her father. Both Sally and Betty were deeply affected by Gene's death, though it takes the gentle coaxing of Dr. Edna to allow Betty to admit it openly.
In going to consult Dr. Edna, Betty sees the woman as a possible cure for Sally's abnormal conditions, rather than as a sounding board for herself as well. Witness how easily Edna is able to get Betty commit to coming to see her--in the guise about talking about Sally--whereas she fails in getting her to see a psychiatrist of her own. (Betty is, however, put at ease knowing that Edna will keep both sides of the ongoing conversation private from the other party.)
"I feel like Sally did this to punish me," she tells Dr. Edna. But that in itself is a symbol of misplaced anger too; Betty's reading of Sally's behavior fails to take into account her own punishment of Sally to get at Don. A misplaced slap, a cool attitude. Their every interaction is a bitter reminder to one another of what they've lost.
In a room full of toys, it's the first time Betty can be honest and it's the first time we see the ice thaw in a long while. She admits to masturbating as a girl, she admits to feeling the agony of her father's death, and--though she doesn't say it out loud--she admits that her life hasn't turned out how she imagined it. It was never as easily as moving those dolls around that open house, after all.
Roger, for his part, can't let go of his own past. His anger at the partners for even considering doing business with the Japanese speaks volumes about his anger at his World War II adversaries and in himself. While his rage is directed at the Honda executives, it takes Pete to see what's really going on here: the negotiations are symbolic of a larger issue at play. Should Pete have successfully brought in this account, the agency is less dependent on Lucky Strike... and therefore less dependent on Roger himself.
While Roger lunges at Pete for having the temerity to suggest such a thing, Don intervenes... and agrees with Pete. His efforts to wrap himself in the American flag was a smokescreen to divert from the true issue. Just as later his story to Joan about his dead war buddies is an effort to make Joan feel sorry for him, despite the fact that her husband is about to ship out to Vietnam. She urges him to let go, reminding him that he made the world a better and safer place through the sacrifices he and his friends made twenty years earlier.
She has to believe that, after all, because her husband is standing on the same precipice that Roger had all of those years before. While he attempts to engage her sympathies, Joan urges him to stop feeling sorry for himself. The scene in beautifully shot by Glatter, as Joan and Roger are positioned in front of the window, two vertical lines dissecting their tableau, depicting the separation between them, a chasm that widens even more as Joan steps out of the scene.
Don, meanwhile, fails to see that Lane has given his little "stunt" his blessing, preferring to see that they acted without the partners' knowledge, though Lane makes it clear that he had to have allowed Joan to book studio time (at which Peggy drove around an empty set in circles). But Don's stunt does work: not only is CGC put out of the running but SCDP lands the Honda account (or at least the future Honda automobile account) because Don played up the sense of honor that the Japanese hold so dearly. By failing to hold up their own rules, they invited dishonor. Don's understanding of the symbolism land them the account. It's a matter of deciphering the meaning behind the shifting symbols.
Likewise, Faye admits to Don that she uses a fake wedding band in order to discourage "distracting conversations" from men at work. The ring is a symbol of attachment; by using it she wards off prospective admirers without uttering a word. But while Faye comes clean to Don, he too opens up to her. Her psychiatrist's couch is the narrow break room at SCDP; her notepad a bottle of sake left as a joke. But Don unveils a harrowing truth about his relationship with his children: that they are intense when he watches them, that he is relieved when he drops them off, and that he then misses them. The cycle repeats itself over and over. He does love his children but can't express it; what Betty sees as disinterest and irresponsibility is a host of conflicting emotions.
Emotions that all of them either bottle up or turn to the bottle to avoid facing. It's the chrysanthemum in the room, the specter of death, the symbology that they can't quite face up to. The call to California goes unanswered, hair once shorn can't be immediately repaired, and the hard truths of life can't always be confronted. One can only hope that Sally Draper finds solace in talk therapy and that she, as the symbol of a new generation, finds herself able to discuss the things that her parents are unable--or unwilling--to say aloud.
Next week on Mad Men ("Waldorf Stories"), Peggy clashes with her new creative partner; Don pitches under unusual circumstances.
With the 2010 Emmy Awards less than a week away, it's time to take a look at this year's front-runners and weigh the major races that are already underway.
Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, "2010 Emmys: Who Will Win This Year?" in which I take a look (via a visual gallery) at who will win the top spots this year and who should be taking home those statuettes come August 29th.
Do you agree with my assessments? Think Julianna Margulies is a lock? Or do you think that I'm wrong and Aaron Paul won't get overlooked for a Best Supporting Actor award? Head to the comments section to discuss and debate and post your take on the major categories.
The 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards will air live coast to coast on Sunday, August 29th on NBC.
Channel Surfing: NBC Dumps Parks and Rec Repeats, Smallville Return, Creative Arts Emmy Winners, Grey's Closure and More
Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.
Good news for Community; bad news for Parks and Recreation. The Futon Critic is reporting that NBC has opted to forgo repeats of Season Two of Parks and Recreation for the remainder of the summer, instead using the Thursday 9:30 pm timeslot for a second round of Community repeats. [Editor: While I applaud NBC for recognizing the potential of Dan Harmon's Community, I wish it weren't at the expense of Parks and Rec, which won't even return for its third season until "midseason."] Planned repeats for August 26th and September 2nd will instead be filled by Community episodes... which means that the airwaves will be Pawnee-free until the series returns at a to-be-determined point later in the season. (Futon Critic)
SPOILER! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that John Glover will return to the CW's Smallville to reprise his role as Lionel Luthor in a multiple-episode story arc on the tenth and final season. Glover is currently slated to appear in at least two episodes that will air in November, though it's unknown just how Lionel will be making his grand return as he was last seen plummeting to his death after being pushed out of a window by Michael Rosenbaum's Lex. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)
HBO took home 17 statues on Saturday for the Creative Arts Emmys, followed closely by ABC with 15. [Editor: Congratulations to Ryan Case, who won an Emmy for Outstanding Picture Editing for a Comedy for Modern Family. Go Ryan!] A full list of all winners can be found here. (via press release)
Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Izzie's story is far from being done on ABC's Grey's Anatomy and talks to executive producer Shonda Rhimes about providing closure for Alex when the series returns this fall for its seventh season. "We’re talking about it [in the writers' room] obsessively and trying to figure it out,” Rhimes told Ausiello. “We’re approaching it pretty carefully... I want how ever we deal with Alex growing up and moving on and moving past that relationship to feel authentic and not to feel like something that’s patched together.” So might Katherine Heigl be dropping by Grey's, after all? "I don't know," said Rhimes. Hmmm... (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)
E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos is reporting that Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy is not only developing a series vehicle for Kristin Chenoweth but is also looking to develop a project that would star John Stamos... and that the security on the set during Britney Spears' appearance was so tight that Murphy himself couldn't get on the set. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)
Murphy, meanwhile, hinted to Access Hollywood that Spears could end up making another appearance on Glee down the line. (Hollywood Reporter)
A happy ending for Bill and Sookie? Maybe not, but the actors who play them on HBO's vampire drama True Blood, Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin, have tied the knot. The couple were married in Malibu on Saturday evening. Among the attendees: Carrie Preston, Michael Emerson, and Elijah Wood. (Hollywood Reporter, US Weekly)
SPOILER! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks to 90210 showrunner Rebecca Sinclair about her decision to bring Trevor Donovan's Teddy out of the closet this fall on the CW teen soap. "[We wanted] to play a coming out story that features a kid we already knew," Sinclair told Ausiello about why they waited to delve into this storyline until this season. "Instead of his sexuality being the first and defining characteristic, we’ve already gotten a chance to know Teddy before he explores his sexuality. Teddy’s an athlete, he’s a famous guy’s son, he’s blonde and hunky and yes, he also has a sexual orientation and that’s a huge part of his life. In a lot of ways I think that’s more interesting than Teddy is a gay athlete, a gay famous guy’s son and a blonde and hunky gay gentleman." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)
TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that former House star Jennifer Morrison--who may or may not return to the FOX medical drama--will guest star on NBC's Chase this fall, where she will appear alongside current boyfriend Amaury Nolasco. Morrison is set to make an appearance in the sixth episode of the new procedural drama, where she will play Faith, described as "a single mother-turned-fugitive who embarks on a bloody killing spree across Texas with her innocent little daughter in tow." (TV Guide Magazine)
File this under sickening: The Hollywood Reporter's Leslie Bruce is reporting that Jersey Shore's The Situation (a.k.a. Mike Sorrentino) will make $5 million by the end of the year, according to an unnamed source familiar with the reality star's personal finances. "We are really excited about all the opportunities coming Mike's way," Sorrentino's manager, Mike Petolino of Gotham Entertainment, told THR. "He has been able to secure many endorsement deals, business opportunities and additional television offers based on the success of the show. Our goal has always been to try to build a brand if the situation presented itself." (Hollywood Reporter)
TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that Tia Texada (Third Watch) will guest star on NBC's Chuck this season, where she will play Hortencia, the wife of Armand Assante's Costa Gravan Premier Alejandro Goya. "We'll meet Hortencia, who (no surprise) is harboring a secret," writes Keck, "when Chuck and the gang visit the Premier's beautiful island in his native Costa Gravas." Texada will appear in the fourth season's fourth episode. (TV Guide Magazine)
Worked for NBC? Anyone and everyone who worked for the Peacock at one time or another is eligible to attend the 15th Annual NBC Reunion Dinner, which will be held at the Lakeside Golf Club in Burbank on October 23rd, according to a Variety report. (Variety)
Stay tuned. Continue reading full story...
Hulu Headaches: Modern Family Co-Creator Steve Levitan Discusses Flawed Ratings System's Improper Counting
Just two weeks after making statements at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour about his desire that ABC remove his show from Hulu and ABC.com, Modern Family's co-creator Steve Levitan again fired back at digital platforms earlier this week, following the announcement of a potential IPO for Hulu.
"Some estimate Hulu IPO could bring in $2Bil," wrote Levitan on Twitter. "What will the content providers get? Zero. What is Hulu without content? An empty jukebox."
Levitan's frustration is palpable, particularly when you consider that Hulu and other online platforms like the network's own ABC.com could be siphoning away viewers from the linear broadcast. While that's to be expected in an age of heavy DVR users, time-shifting, and an array of potential platforms from which to consume programming, it fails to address one major issue, said Levitan: these viewers aren't necessarily being counted when looking at the overall ratings for an individual program.
While I had spoken to Levitan last week for a piece about Modern Family's Emmy nominations for The Daily Beast, Levitan and I got to speaking about his comments at TCA Summer Press Tour regarding Hulu and about his fears that viewers are slipping through the cracks. What follows is a section from the transcript of our conversation.
Steve Levitan: In a weird way, I don’t want to say that I regret those comments but I think that they deserve a finer point. I want as many people to watch our show as possible. All I am saying is that we want credit for that. That’s really it. We want there to be a ratings system that encompasses all viewing on all devices: on broadcast television, on your iPad, on Hulu, on iTunes, on your DVR, whatever it is, because more and more it just seems like there’s a feeling that network comedy is dying because, look, the numbers are down.
But one could argue that, yeah, the numbers are down somewhat because of the fractured nature of the audience but when you start adding up all the different ways that someone can see the show, maybe the story is much more impressive than it appears, across the board. In a lot of ways, this is not just a beef for this show, it’s a note in general, which is to say that we need transparency, we need to know that these shows are reaching— How many millions of people are being missed because they are not being properly counted? It’s not money in my pocket that I’m crowing about here, that somehow I’m get ripped off or whatever.
But when people say, wow, your show gets 10 million viewers each week--or whatever it ended up being--but, boy, ten years ago, 18 million people were watching, that sounds really depressing and you can understand why the networks and the studios are pounding down everyone’s salaries. But when you look at the bigger picture and count all the other ways that people can watch it, the story is better than it appears. The picture it brighter than it appears. So that’s really what my beef is. I am frustrated that I can’t ever get a straight answer as to how many people are watching our show.
Lacob: The system itself would seem to be inherently flawed, given the proliferation of ways that viewers can watch shows. That was the case with Starz and Party Down, where far too many people were watching via Netflix streaming rather than via the linear broadcast on the network.
Levitan: That’s a perfect example, where if you’re giving it away in such a manner that those eyeballs are not being counted, then it’s one tiny notch better than not having those eyeballs at all. That’s a confusing statement. I care about quality television and I know that producing a quality television show along the lines of Lost or Modern Family or you name it, in order to sustain a show like this, it takes enormous resources. One person can’t do this. It’s not throwing up a hilarious 45-second video on YouTube. You have to sustain this over time and that takes a giant investment by a studio. And the only way the studios are going to continue to make those kind of big investments is if they know there’s a payoff at the end and if we continue dilute that big payoff at the end then they’re continue to push down their initial investments. At the end of the day, the quality over a long period of time will begin to dissipate.
That is what concerns me. I don’t want it misunderstood: I value every single one of our fans. I really, really do. It kind of bothered me that I came off as not caring about those people who for some reason can’t watch it the traditional way. I do value those viewers. I just want them to be counted.
Lacob: You’re saying it doesn’t matter how people consume the show, just that they do consume it in some fashion and their viewership should be counted towards the overall figures for the show.
Levitan: Exactly. Look at the reporting practices. Everyone tunes in, that next morning, the numbers are tallied and printed that same day. That’s the big number, that’s the number that people care about and then it’s pretty much forgotten. So all the numbers that drift in over the next week--digital and DVR numbers and all that--that’s a twelfth page story.
Lacob: The overnights are sort of a fait accompli right now.
Levitan: Which is silly when you think about the way that our show is being consumed.
Season Two of Modern Family launches this fall on ABC. Continue reading full story...
Can't wait until Sunday's episode of HBO's seductive and bloody vampire drama True Blood? You've come to the right place as we've got three sneak peeks of this week's episode, entitled "I Smell A Rat."
Here's how HBO describes this week's episode: A reluctant Bill warns Sookie about the dangers she will face; Jesus is intrigued by the mysterious qualities of V; Samʼs recent fit of rage triggers dark memories; Eric takes precautions and fulfills a wish; Arlene turns to Holly for help with a pressing problem; Jason deals with the unexpected, both with Tara and Crystal; Jessica is torn between Tommy and Hoyt; after communing with Talbot, Russell promises to extract vengeance on his enemies.
But if that's not enough detail for you, you can check out the three clips below, which depict Tara helping Jason clean up Franklin's remains, Pam questioning Eric, and Jessica confronting Arlene. And who's that familiar face on TV? Hmmm...
Sink your teeth into those while we wait for Sunday...
True Blood airs Sundays at 9 pm ET/PT on HBO. Continue reading full story...
Channel Surfing: USA Renews Covert Affairs, Lost Star Could Be Rockford, Lie to Me Grabs Gunn, Cannavale to Blue Bloods, and More
Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.
Good news for Annie Walker fans: USA has officially ordered a second season of espionage drama Cover Affairs. No word was given on an episodic order nor when Season Two of the Universal Cable Production-based series would launch, though the first season of the CIA drama is currently in full swing on the cabler. Series, which is shot on location in Toronto, is currently the highest rated cable series on Tuesdays in the 10 pm hour. (via press release)
Longtime followers on Twitter will remember that I pushed Josh Holloway for the role of Jim Rockford in NBC's resurrected The Rockford Files back in the spring when I read the pilot script. Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is now pushing Holloway as well and reports that the former Lost star has been "mentioned in connection to the project, but [an unnamed] insider stresses that there are no serious talks going on at this time." So it's not like an offer has gone out to Holloway or anything but the project is still alive and kicking, even after an abysmal pilot that starred Dermot Mulroney in the role that James Garner made famous. [Editor: Personally, I think Holloway would be a significant improvement.] (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)
Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Breaking Bad star Anna Gunn will guest star this fall on FOX drama Lie to Me, where she will play Internal Affairs Detective Jenkins, described as "an ambitious, politically savvy police officer on the fast track to the top [who] realizes Lightman is someone who must be handled with caution as she tries to bring down Detective Wallowski." Gunn is set to appear in the season's third episode, which will air on November 24th. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)
TVGuide.com's Adam Bryant is reporting that Bobby Cannavale (Cupid) has joined the cast of CBS' fall drama series Blue Bloods, where he will play Charles Rosselini, the boss of Bridget Moynahan's Erin. Rosselini is described as a "talented and popular Manhattan DA [who has] political ambitions, but as an ex-cop who served nearly 10 on the force before finishing law school, he remains a bit rough around the edges." He'll first appear in the October 15th episode. (TVGuide.com)
HBO is said to be developing a series based in Los Angeles' adult film business, according to a report in The New York Post's Page Six, which claims that Mark Wahlberg and Steve Levinson have teamed up with writer James Frey--yes, that James Frey--for a drama series that will feature actors and adult performers. "The plot will focus on a giant video company under siege from Internet competitors and a girl from the Midwest whose boyfriend convinces her to move to Los Angeles to become a star," according to Page Six. Frey, meanwhile, said, "We're going to make a sprawling epic about the porn business in LA. We're going to tell the type of stories no one else has told before, and go places no one has gone before." (New York Post)
Could John May (Michael Trucco) be heading back to ABC's V? Showrunner Scott Rosenbaum tells TVGuide.com's Natalie Abrams that Trucco might be popping up on the alien invasion drama again. "John May may return," said Rosenbaum. So could he be alive? "That's what they hinted to me," Michael Trucco told TVGuide.com. "I thought, 'OK, he's dead, but he's coming back?' They're like, 'Nope, he's dead.' I wrote that off as a one-off [appearance], but they made some indication that maybe he'd come back." (TVGuide.com)
Michael J. Fox is set to guest star on CBS' The Good Wife this season, where he will play Simon Canning, described as "a shrewd and cynical litigator whom Alicia (Margulies) faces in a massive class action [who] is willing to use anything in court, including symptoms of his neurological condition, to create sympathy for his otherwise unsympathetic client: a giant pharmaceutical company." “We’re absolutely thrilled that Michael has agreed to play this role,” said executive producers and show creators Robert and Michelle King in a press release. “His intelligence as an actor, combined with his incredible comic timing will really bring this smart, cynical lawyer to life.” (via press release)
TVGuide.com's Gina DiNunno has an interview with this week's ousted Top Chef contestant, Alex Reznik, in which they discuss, yes, the pea puree debacle and the Restaurant Wars drama, among other topics. "At no time during the show did I know the pea puree was an issue and that people were accusing me of stealing something," said Reznik. "It's not in my inherent nature [to steal]. So at no point did I ever try to defend myself... Amanda saw me make it. The day before, Kelly tasted my peas. The people on the show know I didn't take it. I can't really say what happened to [Ed's pea puree]. All I know is when I got to the challenge, the first thing I did was puree peas. They can't show everything. The reality was I won that challenge and it was masked by the pea puree." (TVGuide.com)
TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that Stephen Collins--best known for his role on 7th Heaven and next to be seen on ABC's fall drama No Ordinary Family--will guest star in the fourth episode of the upcoming season of Brothers & Sisters, where he will play Charlie, a man who helps Saul deal with his HIV diagnosis. "I don't want this to be like a TV Movie of the Week," executive producer David Marshall Grant told Keck. "Even though he didn't know his diagnosis until recently, I have a feeling Saul has been dealing with this for years. He hasn't been frequenting gay bars." (TV Guide Magazine)
Scott Caan's recent knee injury will be worked into the plot of CBS' Hawaii Five-0 this season, according to E! Online's Megan Masters. "According to an H50 rep, Scott's injury will not affect production in the least," writes Masters. "In fact, the also-Entourage star won't even need to miss an episode during his recovery, and is set to return to work Aug. 23... Said bumps and bruises will simply be written into the script, when Danno suffers a spill at the hands of his partner (played by Alex O'Loughlin—sigh). In the post-injury ep, the two visit the doctor's office together and when asked if he's suffered any trauma lately, Mr. "Book 'Em" responds: "I've got a partner—this guy is a physical injury!" (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)
TVGuide.com's Adam Bryant is reporting that David Alan Grier will guest star on FOX's Bones this season, where he will play Professor Bunsen Jude the Science Dude, described as the "quirky host of a children's TV program" in the vein of Bill Nye the Science Guy. "He comes to the Jeffersonian Institute hoping to get Brennan (Emily Deschanel) on his show as a guest scientist," writes Bryant. "When Brennan scoffs at Jude's offer because she doesn't consider him a serious scientist, Jude volunteers to work with the 'squinterns' to help solve a murder case. Brennan agrees to appear on Jude's show if he is successful." (TVGuide.com)
More guest stars heading to Syfy's Eureka, with Ming-Na (Stargate Universe) and comic book legend Stan Lee set to descend on the Pacific Northwest town. "Ming-Na will portray U.S. Senator Alice Wen who arrives in Eureka to handle a sensitive matter within Global Dynamics," according to a Syfy press release. "Her character may appear in more than one episode. Details of Stan Lee's appearance are being kept under wraps. No airdates have been set at this time." They join previously announced guest stars Wil Wheaton, Jamie Kennedy, Chris Parnell, Felicia Day, Jaime Ray Newman, Ed Quinn, and Matt Frewer. (via press release)
NBC has renewed Last Call with Carson Daly for a fifth season. (Variety)
Chelsea Handler will host this year's MTV Video Music Awards. "If there's one awards show that I should be hosting, it's probably this one," Handler told The New York Times. "My personality probably wouldn't gel with the Emmys or the Golden Globes." (New York Times)
Don't hold your breath waiting for a Glee cover of a Kings of Leon song: the band turned down a request to license its music to the FOX musical-comedy. (Hollywood Reporter)
Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Renee Felice Smith has been cast in a recurring role on CBS' NCIS: LA, where she will play Nell, described as "an incredibly bright, somewhat quirky, and extremely chatty intelligence analyst who’ll be assisting Eric (Barrett Foa) in the OPS center." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)
Universal Media Studios has signed a two-year overall deal with Parks and Recreation writer/producer Alan Yang, under which he will remain aboard the ensemble comedy while also developing new projects for the studio. (Deadline)
Former AMC executive Christina Wayne and her new company Cineflix Studios is set to pitch a comedy series based on Ariel Leve's novel "It Could Be Worse, You Could Be Me," according to Variety's Cynthia Littleton. Script was written by Leve "with guidance from Wayne," and revolves around "successful femme journo in her late 30s whose life is turned upside down when she loses her job." (Variety)
Stay tuned. Continue reading full story...
While several of the categories in this year's Primetime Emmy Awards look to be fierce, one of the most hotly anticipated is the Best Comedy category, which will see fellow freshman series Modern Family and Glee compete for the top prize.
Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, "Why Modern Family Should Win an Emmy Over Glee," in which I discuss, well, just that, taking a look at whether Glee should be competing in the category, whether it's even a comedy, and whether the FOX musical-comedy stands a chance at winning the Emmy later this month.
I also speak to Modern Family co-creator Steve Levitan about the comedy series and whether he's written an acceptance speech or not. (Hint: he hasn't.)
Which show are you rooting for? And what's your take on Glee's status as a comedy? Discuss.
Channel Surfing: Syfy Renews Eureka, Lone Star Lands Chad Faust, Teri Polo to Law & Order: Los Angeles, True Blood, and More
Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.
It's official: Syfy has renewed drama Eureka for a fifth season. The news of the renewal--no surprise given the ratings and the creative resurgence of the series this summer--was announced by Mark Stern, EVP of Original Programming for Syfy and Co-Head of Content for Universal Cable Productions, which produces the series. “Eureka remains a steadfast performer for Syfy with its superb cast and perfect blend of drama, comedy and eye candy,” said Stern in an official statement. "Given what Jaime, Bruce and their entire team have done collectively to reinvent the show this year, we can't wait to see what's in store for season 5." (via press release)
Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Chad Faust (The 4400) has been cast in a recurring role on FOX's upcoming drama series Lone Star, where he will play Harrison, the ex-husband of Adrianne Palicki's Cat. Ausiello, per unnamed sources, confirms the casting and offers up an official description of Faust's character. Harrison is described as "[Cat's] mistake carried over from high school. What was charming about him at seventeen is less than attractive in a grown man with adult responsibilities that until now, he has not wanted to shoulder. But his motorcycle-riding, noncommittal, unfaithful-husband ways are behind him, or so he claims, and he’s back in town now, ready to prove that he’s changed.” Lone Star premieres September 20th. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)
Teri Polo (Little Fockers) has been cast in a "major recurring role" on NBC's upcoming procedural drama Law & Order: Los Angeles, where she will play Casey Winters, the wife of Skeet Ulrich's Detective Rex Winters. Her character is described as "a former hard-nosed cop who retired to start a family." (Deadline)
MAJOR SPOILER! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has confirmed that Season Four of HBO's True Blood will feature Hallow Stonebrook, learning from series creator Alan Ball that the "were-sorceress" will turn up in Bon Temps next season, though Ball maintains that Hallow is a necromancer, and said that she is "actually a medium. She communicates with the dead, and she’s interested in developing further powers." No word yet on who will be playing Hallow, though Ausiello has already put in a bid for Buffy's Juliet Landau to take on the role. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)
The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd is reporting that CBS is developing a companion reality series for Undercover Boss, handing out a pilot order for an untitled project from the producers of Boss that would "feature two employees who work at the same company competing against one another for a major promotion." (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)
Kevin Spacey and Rod Lurie's cult drama is heading to HBO. Reports are swirling that the pay cabler is close to finalizing a deal to pickup Spacey and Lurie's cult drama The Crux, which revolves around the leader of a billion-dollar global cult. Project is being written by Lurie and Marc Frydman and will star Spacey as said leader. (Variety)
Lainie Kazan (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) has been cast in a multiple-episode story arc on ABC's Desperate Housewives, where she will play "a self-employed business owner and neighbor to Teri Hatcher’s character, Susan." Kazan will make her first appearance in the seventh season premiere. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)
Showtime's series debut of Laura Linney-led dark comedy The Big C brought the pay cabler their highest rated original series premiere in eight years, luring 1.154 million viewers at 10:30 pm on Monday and an additional 429,000 during the 11:30 pm airing, bringing the night's total to 1.583 million viewers. (via press release)
AMC has promoted Ben Davis to VP of scripted programming and Susan Goldberg to VP of production. Davis will report to Susie Fitzgerald, while Goldberg will report to an as-yet-unnamed SVP of production. (Variety)
Disney Channel will launch Shaun the Sheep spinoff Timmy Time with a sneak peek on September 7th, followed by the official premiere on September 13th. "Timmy, the baby lamb drawn into misadventures on Shaun, becomes the centerpiece of stories about initial preschool experiences in his new show," writes Variety's Jon Weisman. "Gestures and animal sounds are emphasized rather than human dialogue." (Variety)
Sony Pictures Television has promoted Kim Hatamiya to EVP, where she will now have oversight of worldwide marketing for the television division. Her role now encompasses the duties of Robert Oswaks, who left the studio in April. (Variety)
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