Twitter should be a tool for audiences to interact with the talent behind their favorite shows—instead, anonymous users heap abuse onto writer-producers for ruining "their" shows.
Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, "Twitter's TV War," in which I speak to Community's Dan Harmon, Bones' Hart Hanson, and Grey Anatomy's Shonda Rhimes about the complicated relationship between access, privacy, and angry fans on the social networking platform.
I'm curious to know what your take is and whether you side with showrunners or fans. What happens when the dialogue turns ugly? Head to the comments section to discuss.
Must. Restrain. Myself.
I was going to write a post about last night's episode of The Amazing Race ("I Hate Chinese Food") but I'm actually still too angry at contestant Nick to think clearly... and at the producers for keeping this buffoon around another week.
Quick recap: after shouting at his asthmatic girlfriend Vicki all season, making her do just about every challenge, and managing to avoid elimination several times thanks to Vicki, Nick decides that he's going to take a nap rather than help Vicki look for a boat registration number in the dark, even though he spent several hours sitting in a chair while Vicki gorged on Chinese food and puked her guts out.
Nice boyfriend.
Nick had given up and wanted to walk off the race when they opted to take the six-hour penalty for not completing a Detour and simply walked onto the mat. It had to be over for them, right? They were so far behind the first place team--Nat and Kat--and had that penalty on top of it.
But, surprise of surprises, it was a non-elimination leg, the second time that this team has been spared this season, leaving them still in the running to land in the final three, and thus have a 33 percent chance of winning a million dollars.
Kids, the lesson is: even if quit and don't want to play by the rules, and act like a total tool all the time, you too can still make a killing! (Personally, I wish that they would have dropped out of the race, only to learn after making their withdrawal official that it was a non-elimination leg.)
TAR has had some selfish, awful contestants in the past but I haven't felt this level of anger towards a race participant in quite some time. Nick, you really do take the cake for being just so woefully awful. And, Vicki, word of advice for you: run as far away from this loser as you can.
I'm curious to know what you think: am I being too hard on Nick? Or are you as turned off by this clown as I am? Head to the comments to discuss.
Next week on The Amazing Race ("I'm Surrounded by Ninjas"), the teams head to Seoul, where one team will be eliminated while the others compete for a final chance at the million dollar final prize. Continue reading full story...
"You're so wicked." - Robert
The sins of the past were on everyone's mind this week as tensions came to a head in every corner of the Emerald City: the tenuous relationship between Nucky and Margaret seemed to shatter like her looking glass; the uneasy past between Gillian and the Commodore was dragged out into the light; and Angela made a difficult decision, only to have her choice explode in her face.
And then there was that baptism scene...
This week's penultimate episode of Boardwalk Empire ("Paris Green"), written by Howard Korder and directed by Allen Coulter, gave us several displays of sleight-of-hand, intricate magic tricks designed to distract, to incapacitate, or simply to kill outright, an extravagant and riveting installment that pulled back the curtains to reveal the true face of Oz himself.
Atlantic City exists because of the power structure that the Commodore built and Nucky Thomson finessed in his inimitable style. But the walls are closing in on Nucky from every direction. Even his mentor has seemingly turned against him, while Margaret reveals that she is not willing to stop asking probing questions about Nucky's work and Eli has become too much of a loose cannon. (Or is it the other way around?)
But it was the escape act of Houdini's brother Hardeen which gave this week's episode its driving motif, a magic trick of the highest order that set up a series of revelatory actions from the series' cast of characters, giving us a sequence of vanishing acts, soothsayers, and escape artists.
But there's one act of trickery and deception that's all the more heartbreaking: after Angela decides to flee to Paris with Mary, she leaves Jimmy a note explaining all... only to discover that Mary and Robert have used her money to leave Atlantic City, playing her for a fool. Jimmy's coldness towards her and his haunting words towards their son--that it will soon be just the two boys, up all hours--add another layer of anguish to the proceedings.
Not only has Angela had her heart broken and her money stolen, but she's soon to lose her child as well. Her vanishing act, concocted in the heat of the moment, wasn't hers at all. It was a bit of legerdemain designed to distract, just as Hardeen steals Margaret's bracelet and places it on Annabelle's wrist. What's been lost is far more precious than any bracelet and the consequences of her actions will likely haunt poor Angela for the rest of her days.
Margaret, meanwhile, was far more successful in her own efforts to disappear (just as Harry successfully evaded Annabelle), effectively vanishing from the luxurious apartment that Nucky set her and the children up in. Distracting watchman Richard Harrow, Margaret flees, leaving only that same bracelet--a gift from Nucky--behind, a bitter reminder that she will not be enslaved to his whims.
Just as the mirror was smashed in an act of anger by Nucky (the same mirror, it must be noted, that she gazed in at the end of last week's episode), Margaret's efforts to leave reveal that she saw the bracelet as a gilded chain, her home as another prison to escape from. Nucky was not the man she thought he was, Lysol her only means of preventing another link in that chain.
Margaret has been willing thus far to keep her mouth shut when it came to Nucky's line of work. After all, she has the sense to look into the ledger when he places her in charge of guarding his office after Eli's shooting. She speaks out on behalf of his candidate for mayor, securing Bader the endorsement of the League of Women Voters after her fiery speech on his behalf. But she's no fool and the scene between Nucky and Annabelle put her in the position of patsy. She may have kept silent this whole time but she knows full well how Nucky made her a widow.
Duplicity, as Hardeen says, is most successful when people want to be deceived.
A bottle of Lysol becomes an escape route; stashed money an escape hatch; a smashed mirror a symbol of male anger, just as a cookie becomes not a pleasurable sweet but death incarnate in the hands of the vengeful Gillian. The Commodore's mystery illness has been lurking on the periphery of the action but here it was pulled into sharp focus, a plot designed to bring Jimmy and the Commodore together, just as it was to end the old man's life and land Gillian payback for her ill-use as a teenager.
Gillian might have gotten away with it too, if it hadn't been been for Jimmy tasting one of those cookies... and violently vomiting as a result after tasting the Paris Green contained within. (Of course, it's an intentional callback to how Angela's own dreams of Paris turned as bitter as arsenic as well.)
And then there was Van Alden and poor Sebso. In the episode's most brutal and shocking sequence, Van Alden forces Sebso to undergo a baptism in the river, despite the fact that Sebso is Jewish and does not want a baptism. But with Van Alden's suspicions at an all-time high (and comments about damnation and hellfire awaiting Sebso), he agrees to go through with it, it seems, just to placate his increasingly unstable partner.
Little does he know, however, that Van Alden uses the baptism to save his soul at the cost of his life, dunking him under the water repeatedly until he drowns, the congregation aghast at how Van Alden has inverted this ceremony into something violent and savage, a magic trick itself designed to entrap Sebso, a "righteous" vengeance raining down on the turncoat and traitor to Van Alden's own cause.
He's a believer, after all, a man who sees himself as carrying out the Lord's work on Earth, a good man, even in spite of his many, many sins. He can deceive himself because he wants to be deceived.
As does Nucky, in the end, it seems. Despite seeing the fortune teller as nothing more than another con artist, Nucky travels to her boardwalk shop and enters, curious about his future. It might be a lie, another trick, but it's the lie that he wants--or needs--to hear.
Next week on the season finale of Boardwalk Empire ("A Return to Normalcy"), Nucky and Atlantic City brace for change on Election Day; Torrio brokers a deal between two nemeses, with far-reaching consequences; Jimmy ponders his future, as do Margaret, Agent Van Alden, and Eli.
Knock-knock.
It's been a while since we've had an episode of Chuck that focused on Chuck Bartowski's better half, Agent Sarah Walker.
We've been given slivers of Sarah's backstory--it was only last season that we learned her true name (that would be "Sam" for those keeping score)--but the enigmatic spy who has stolen Chuck's heart has remained largely an international woman of mystery, her heart encased in stone until Chuck came around. But does Sarah love Chuck for the man he is or the man that she thinks he could be? And with the Intersect out of commission for the foreseeable future, what does that mean for their own?
This week's episode of Chuck ("Chuck Versus Phase Three"), written by Kristin Newman and directed by Anton Cropper, did not disappoint on that front, giving Yvonne Strahovski the perfect showcase for her skills, both in terms of silently emoting and kicking butt. While the action led Sarah (and Casey and Morgan) to far-flung countries before learning of The Belgian's Thailand hideout (where this "giant blonde she-male" took on an army), the episode itself was more about the lengths we'll go to in order to save the ones we love, whether that might be a literal rescue (in the case of Chuck/Sarah) or a figurative one (Ellie/Awesome).
Love, it seems, is all about making sacrifices... and refusing to back down.
From the way Strahovski silently conveyed her innate sadness and regret upon learning of Chuck's elaborate proposal scenario (complete with multiple sports cars and a white stallion), stabbing herself inwardly for not telling him out loud what she thought was obvious, to the way in which she finally came clean, bringing Chuck back from the edge of emptiness during the Phase Three procedure all summed up her quiet strength and charisma as an actress. (Plus, that shot of her emerging from the water with a knife clenched between her teeth? Epic.)
With Sarah, it's been just as much about what's not been said as what has been, her whole life being a struggle to compartmentalize, to rationalize, to think logically and keep her emotion in check. But when she saw clearly that her chance at real happiness was in peril, she didn't hesitate from crossing several lines in order to save her boyfriend. International incident be damned, really. From kidnapping an official on Thai soil (plucking him right out of the Thai embassy in an automated carpet) to threatening him with an ammonia injection (!!!), Sarah was willing to do whatever she had to in order to get Chuck back safe and sound. If that's not true love, I don't know what is.
Sarah has long seen Chuck as more than just an asset, as more a three-dimensional man than just someone carrying the Intersect. It's bloody obvious that she would love him regardless of whether he could be in the field with her, or whether he had access to the Intersect or not. But from Chuck's perspective, one can see why he might wonder whether his abilities enable his relationship with Sarah. (After all, it's not like she would have been willing to jump into bed with Chuck when he was just a Nerd Herder. We can all admit that she was initially way out of his league.)
Those fears and insecurities were given form by the procedure that The Belgian and his scary scientist helper (whom you might recognize as Adam Sandler's doctor in Funny People), a nod to both Charlie Kaufman/Michel Gondry's The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and perhaps to Christopher Nolan's Inception as well. I kept waiting for a spinning top to turn up in one of Chuck's dreams, each designed to force him to flash.
I especially loved the final dream sequence at the apartment complex, as Ellie and Awesome drifted back into their darkened apartment and Chuck walked through shards of glass in the living room. Beautifully directed and exquisitely imagined, the sequences allowed us to take a look into Chuck's mind without superfluous exposition, bringing his subconscious thoughts to life in a visual format. Interestingly, however, it's his knowledge of those around him that act as a trigger (such as Ellie's lack of anger about him spying again), reminding his subconscious that he's dreaming in the first place.
But it's Sarah's confession--that she loves him, Intersect or not, and wants to be with him--that pulls him back from the very edge, mere seconds before his entire consciousness would have been wiped out, rendering Chuck an emotionless robot with a computer in his head. Love does conquer all, it seems. Even doomsday psycho-surgical procedures.
Meanwhile, Devon attempted to help Ellie out by drafting the entire Buy More staff to fix the mysterious laptop that Stephen left Ellie in his old car, clearly intending his daughter to find the device. Sacrificing the next 36 hours (and his dignity somewhat), Devon trades medical consults with the Buy More staffers in exchange for spare parts and technological know-how.
He does get the laptop up and running again, just in time for Ellie to return home to solve the riddle. (Fortunately, the response to "Knock-Knock" wasn't "who's there?") It's fitting that the solution should be something deeply personal, something that only Ellie would know ("I'm here"), making me believe that whatever it is that the computer contains--and we're only given Ellie and Awesome's facial response (and a "whoa" for good measure) this week--it's something vital and something that Stephen intended for Ellie, rather than Chuck to have. So it's not an Intersect mainframe. But what is it?
That's the question and one I wish I had an answer for, but we'll have to wait a week to find out just what is lurking on that laptop. Is it something that could restore the Intersect? Or something altogether different?
Regardless, I'm intrigued and I thought that this week's fantastic Sarah-centric episode of Chuck removed some of the sting of last week's sub-par installment, which left me cold. Definitely a step in the right direction and it used the series' sprawling cast to good effect here, while also injecting some humor into a some very tense situations. Well done, all around.
This season of Chuck has been a mixed bag, with some very strong episodes ("Chuck Versus the First Fight") sitting alongside some lackluster ones. I'm definitely missing some of the writers who left after last season--from Ali Adler and Phil Klemmer to Matt Miller and a host of others--who seemed to nail the show's voice and tone better than many of these newcomers. Which isn't to say that they won't in time adapt to the rhythms of the series, but it's been a bit of a teething process, I think, this season. Fingers crossed that the upcoming episodes are more in line with "First Fight" and "Phase Three" and less like "Fear of Death" or "Cubic Z."
But an ass-kicking Sarah Walker taking on anyone and anything getting between her and Chuck? Thank you very much indeed.
What did you think of this week's episode? And of this season of Chuck so far as a whole? Head to the comments section to discuss.
Next week on Chuck ("Chuck Versus the Leftovers"), Chuck's mom comes over for Thanksgiving leftovers dinner the day after the holiday; Morgan and the rest of the Buy More crew deal with the busiest shopping day of the year.
"I remember my dream now." - Jim
Those of you who follow me on Twitter know that I've been watching screeners of AMC's zombie apocalypse drama The Walking Dead but haven't been as captivated as I was with the pilot episode. However, I watched the fourth and fifth episodes of the series over the weekend and found both of them to be on par with the harrowing atmosphere of the pilot, giving viewers an intense experience that shows the gripping struggle for and by humanity.
In a land beset by demons, can the survivors of a global apocalypse retain their humanity? Or does killing monsters make you a monster yourself? Once you cross that moral line, can you step back over it?
This week's sensational episode of The Walking Dead ("Vatos"), written by Robert Kirkman (who created the series' underlying material) and directed by Johan Renck, put the focus back on the human aspect of the drama, giving us an installment that largely revolved around familial bonds, starting with that gorgeous scene in the boat between Andrea (Laurie Holden) and Amy (Emma Bell) in which they reminisced about their father, likely dead, and their own childhoods, the way in which their father taught them to fish using different methods.
He understood that the two girls, separated by twelve years, needed different things: that Andrea needed to catch fish to feed the family and that Amy needed the throw them back into the water. Two very different women joined by the unbreakable bond of blood.
But, even amid the madness of the helter-skelter world they live in, Andrea's focus wasn't just on survival by on Amy's birthday and she wanted to make it as special as possible, looking everywhere for something to wrap up the mermaid necklace she took from the department store back in "Guts." A birthday present, a charm, for a smiling girl.
It was not to be.
Such a human dilemma, really: her final words, her last thought on this earth, being something so trivial and so universal. A flicker of normalcy in a world gone mad. The horror that Holden's Andrea displayed filled me with dread, so connected as it was with Jim's own history: his own experience of seeing his family ripped apart by walkers, unable to save them, unable to do anything. Amy's fate decided while Andrea sat not 30 feet away with the others.
If Merle hadn't have taken the van, it's possible that Rick and the others could have saved more of the group. As it were, they arrive just as the walkers attack the camp and are able to save the majority of refugees. But if they hadn't gone back for Merle in the first place--or that bag of guns (or gotten diverted by the vatos who kidnapped Glenn), Amy's death could have been prevented.
Instead, a few hours shy of her birthday, Amy bleeds to death in front of the RV, her broken body cradled by her sister Andrea. "I don't know what to do," Andrea cries out, guilt and her confusion coursing through her veins as her sister dies in her arms.
The fragility of human life, the transience of all things, are only too fitting when juxtaposed with Dale's concerns with time, his insistence on winding his watch, his belief in the importance of keeping time. The watch itself emblematic of Faulkner's line about "the mausoleum of all hope and desire."
The horror of Amy's death is at odds with that beautiful scene at the beginning, two sisters in a boat on a cerulean blue lake. What's left of that bond leaks out onto the ground. But the terror is not just of a woman passing, it's that death isn't the end anymore. In this new world, the dead walk again, demons in human form, all teeth and nails and insatiable hunger. Is this what time holds for Amy? For all of them? Is there any place of safety remaining in this world?
There's something to be said for the vatos' philosophy. They closed themselves in, barricaded the doors and looked after the elderly that were left behind. Their aggression a front for something else. While I wasn't crazy about the vatos storyline--thugs with hearts of gold! a factory concealing an old folks' home--it showed that there is still humanity in the midst of savagery and there are other bands of survivors just like our central group.
But surviving is a relative term. Jim survived the zombie attack that killed his family. He escaped at the price of their deaths but he's haunted by what he experienced. How does one go on with that rambling through your head? His dream, the reason for digging those graves, tenuously out of grasp until he glimpses the carnage around the campfire. He now knows why he was digging those holes. He knows for whom he was digging them. But is it a sign of prescience? Or of inevitability? That death would claim those close to them, breaking their charmed circle?
"Wildfire," next week's episode--which I watched yesterday--continues the threads here, exploring the aftermath of the attacks and giving Holden another incredible opportunity to soar as an actor. (The teaser scene below gives you a taste of her agony.) It's an episode that sets up the final act of the season and offers a few intriguing questions as well as some potential answers.
While it might strike fans of British drama series Survivors as somewhat familiar (and seemed to jump over some key points along the way), the episode plays out with a tremendous amount of tension and dread, a riveting installment that refuses to let go of your attention. It's both harrowing and heartbreaking, gruesome and gripping. And I can't wait to see just what happens next...
Next week on The Walking Dead ("Wildfire"), Rick leads the group to the CDC after the attack; Jim must make a terrible life and death decision.
I find it depressing that some viewers are less than enchanted with HBO's soaring period drama Boardwalk Empire, which once again turned out a remarkable installment ("The Emerald City"), written by Lawrence Konner and directed by Simon Cellan Jones, this time about truth, consequences, and the lies we all tell ourselves.
Every fairy tale, after all, has to come to an end, even for Margaret Schroeder.
The parallels between Dorothy's visit to Oz within L. Frank Baum's novel, Margaret's discovery of her own artifice, and Richard Harrow's dream brought the lesson right out into the light. We can all dream and our dreams can be filled with beauty but eventually we all come crashing back down to reality, whether that be Richard's realization that he is once again disfigured (poor Emily screaming bloody murder) or Margaret catching sight of herself in a mirror. What we see looking back at us isn't what we expected.
Whether she chooses to admit it or not, Margaret seems deeply haunted by Van Alden's visit to her, particularly given his use of his totemic photograph of a young Margaret arriving at Ellis Island and his insistence that he's trying to save her from the eternal fires of hell.
What Nelson claims to want is Margaret's repentance, but he claims to be able to see into her soul, something even Margaret can't do these days. The woman staring back at her in the mirror is not the woman she once was. She may have finally won the right to vote (America catching up, finally, with Ireland) but her newfound liberty is jeopardized by the fact that she allows herself to be bought by the system, pronouncing Bader the next mayor of Atlantic City and urging the League of Women Voters to support him in the election amid a glittering speech that makes full use of Bader's construction experience as a metaphor for being The Great Builder.
Has she sold her soul for a fancy apartment and luxurious clothes? What happened to that girl from County Kerry who arrived in America with a dream of a better life? In asking her own personal Wizard for what she desired most, did she lose a part of herself in the bargain?
I thought that all of the scenes between Kelly Macdonald's Margaret and Jack Huston's Richard Harrow were fantastically well played this week, with Margaret's terror at the sight of Richard's mask transforming itself into something more tender, seeing her children's fear as an opportunity to overcome her own. Seeing Margaret in her own green-tinted living room as she read to her children of Baum's Emerald City, she transforms Richard into something heroic rather than tragic, rendering the war hero as something akin to the Tin Woodsman, a noble soul cursed with an affliction whose heart still beats beneath the armor.
Richard's interest in Margaret's story and his upset at frightening the children were beautifully enacted as he wins over the children with his usurping of the Tin Man's mythology, his mask nothing more than a piece of tin, this visitor in the household a gift from Oz. In those moments, Richard is far more than just the scarred man he forgets himself to be; he's a genuine fairytale artifact. His dream of Odette, shattered by her ear-piercing screams, show us the Richard Harrow that he himself sees: a whole man, his smile stretching from ear to ear, rather than the Bogeyman that little Emily sees on her sofa.
But what does Margaret see when she looks in the mirror? It's not the well-heeled lady that she's become or even the concubine that she knows herself to be. She sees a patsy, a dupe, a woman pressed into Nucky Thompson's service. It was one thing when he persuaded her to speak on Bader's behalf, telling her of the good she would be doing for the city, for him, and for her family, but it's another when Nucky laughs with his cronies during Bader's speech... or when he blatantly lies to her upon returning home late. By allowing Nucky to tell his lie--that he was working late on campaign strategy--she perpetuates the cycle of cronyism, contributing to the graft that keeps Nucky and his ilk in power.
What she sees in her reflection is an inversion of everything she once believed it.
Al Capone, meanwhile, learns what it means to be a man: to put away childish things and to accept responsibility for one's actions. Al has stood with one foot in adolescence and the other in adulthood for far too long; he doesn't wear a yarmulke or even a hat in the temple, but rather "the cap of a boy," a sign of his immaturity. He reverses his later, turning up at the Four Deuces with a man's hat as well as an apology for Torrio. But are we seeing a man aware of consequences now? Or just a more motivated Capone? After all, we all know how this story--certainly no fairy tale--ends.
For Angela and her "kissing friend" Mary, they buy into their own fairy tale, seeing Paris as nothing less than their own Emerald City, a place of opulence and freedom where they can escape to. But is the story that Mary spins a possible future or is it nothing more than a fragile dream that will never be? Jimmy's attack of Robert--he threw the photographer through a window and assaulted him viciously right on the boardwalk--might be a sign from above that Angela needs to run before he turns his anger on her. (And he was just winning her over again.) But he fails to see the truth: that Angela's friend isn't Robert, but Mary. He's blinded by his own expectations, even as he lies to the group surrounding them that Angela is his "wife."
As for Chalky, he can't let the D'Alessios get away with lynching his employee. While Nucky's plan goes off with nary a hitch, Matteo D'Alessio lets slip that he knows that Chalky drives a Packard, which in turn leads Chalky to spin around with a gun in each hand. (Kudos once again to Michael Kenneth Williams for being just eternally bad-ass, even in a well-cut dandy's suit. No one messes with Chalky.)
Which debt then is more important? That of money or of blood? Chalky leans towards the latter and they execute two of the D'Alessio brothers, sending Lansky back to Arnold Rothstein with a message about what he saw that night at Chalky's. While Chalky's vengeance may have been sated, it's likely just the start of Rothstein's campaign against Nucky.
Finally, there was Nelson Van Alden, who succumbed to his vices amid mounting frustration with the case against Nucky Thompson and his own attraction to Margaret, by wandering into a speakeasy and drinking two whiskeys... and then, upon seeing Lucy, ends up having his way with her before sobbing, his raw and scarred back a testament to his own brand of self-torture. What is it that Nelson sees when he looks in the mirror? A man of god and government? Or a sinner condemned to hell?
Only time will tell.
Next week on Boardwalk Empire ("Paris Green"), Nucky shakes up the status quo; Jimmy deals with some tricky family issues; Van Alden addresses Agent Sebso’s “temptations.”
Fringe fans aren't the only ones concerned by the midseason schedule unveiled this evening by FOX, which includes the move of American Idol to Wednesdays and Thursdays in January.
The move means that the reality juggernaut, which has seen its ratings deflated somewhat of late, will now air opposite NBC's cult comedy Community. But it's not time to send in the save our show letters just yet.
Creator Dan Harmon, reached by Televisionary on Friday evening, had this to say.
"My reaction: We have nothing to worry about," Harmon told me. "American Idol has a totally different audience. They like popular things."
So there. Viva Greendale.
Well, Fringe, it was nice knowing you.
Fox has today announced that it is moving Fringe to Fridays at 9 pm (sound familiar, Dollhouse fans?) amid a series of scheduling moves that include reality juggernaut American Idol moving to Wednesdays and Thursdays this January.
Fringe will make the move beginning January 28th and it's already potentially a sign that the writing is on the wall for the sci-fi drama, now in its third season. Traditionally the death slot for television series, Friday nights often signal that a series is on its way out the door. Whether this proves to be the case for Fringe remains to be seen, but it's not a promising move, even if the series has been underperforming on Thursdays. (Sigh.)
The full press release from Fox can be found below.
“AMERICAN IDOL” MOVES TO WEDNESDAYS AND THURSDAYS
WITH TWO-NIGHT SEASON PREMIERE
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 19 AND THURSDAY, JAN. 20
FOX TUESDAYS CONTINUE TO SING WITH DEBUT
OF NEW ENSEMBLE COMEDY “MIXED SIGNALS”
FOLLOWING ALL-NEW EPISODES OF “GLEE” AND “RAISING HOPE”
TUESDAY, FEB. 8
NEW ANIMATED SERIES “BOB’S BURGERS” OPENS SUNDAY, JAN. 9
NEW POLICE DRAMA “THE CHICAGO CODE” BOOKS PREMIERE
MONDAY, FEB. 7
NEW COMEDY “BREAKING IN” SECURES DEBUT WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6
MILLION DOLLAR MONEY DROP Returns Tuesday, Jan. 4;
BONES Moves to 9:00 PM Starting Thursday, Jan. 20;
Gordon Ramsay’s KITCHEN NIGHTMARES Turns up the Heat Friday, Jan. 21;
FRINGE Travels to Fridays Beginning Jan. 28
FOX is announcing premiere dates of new and returning series, as well as revisions to its 2010-2011 midseason schedule, including AMERICAN IDOL moving to Wednesdays and Thursdays and GLEE continuing to lead off FOX’s Tuesday night of comedies featuring RAISING HOPE and the debut of MIXED SIGNALS.
Television’s No. 1 series, AMERICAN IDOL, moves to Wednesdays and Thursdays beginning with a two-night premiere event Wednesday, Jan. 19 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and Thursday, Jan. 20 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT). AMERICAN IDOL welcomes new judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, who join judge Randy Jackson and host Ryan Seacrest, and an all-new crop of hopefuls from auditions held in Austin, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Orleans, San Francisco and East Rutherford, NJ.
BOB’S BURGERS, the new animated comedy about a man, his family and their burger joint, opens Sunday, Jan. 9 (8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT). In the newest addition to the Sunday “Animation Domination” lineup, BOB (H. Jon Benjamin, “Archer”) and his quirky family have big ideas about burgers, but fall short on service and sophistication. Despite the greasy counters, lousy location and a dearth of customers, Bob and his family are determined to make Bob’s “grand re-re-re-opening” a success.
As previously announced, THE CHICAGO CODE (formerly titled “Ride-Along”), the new police drama from creator Shawn Ryan (“The Shield”), will make its anticipated debut the night after SUPER BOWL XLV, Monday, Feb. 7 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), following all-new episodes of HOUSE (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT). The new fast-paced series starring Jason Clarke (“Public Enemies,” “Brotherhood”), Jennifer Beals (LIE TO ME, “The L Word”), Delroy Lindo (“Kidnapped”) and Matt Lauria (“Friday Night Lights”) follows the Windy City’s most powerful and respected cops as they navigate the city’s underbelly to fight crime and expose corruption.
MIXED SIGNALS, the new relationship comedy created by Bob Fisher (“Wedding Crashers”) that reveals how friendships and romances both enhance and complicate the lives of the men and women in them, will have its series premiere Tuesday, Feb. 8 (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT) following all-new episodes of GLEE (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) and RAISING HOPE (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT). The new ensemble comedy stars David Denman (“The Office”), Nelson Franklin (“I Love You, Man”), Kris Marshall (HUMAN TARGET), Liza Lapira (“Dexter”) and Aya Cash (“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”).
Additionally, FOX has picked up BREAKING IN (working title), an offbeat half-hour workplace comedy about a high-tech security firm that takes extreme – and often questionable – measures to sell their protection services. Created by Adam F. Goldberg (“Fanboys”) and Seth Gordon (“Four Christmases” and the upcoming “Horrible Bosses”), the series centers on a team of uniquely skilled oddball geniuses hand-picked to work for a manipulative mastermind. Starring Christian Slater (“The Forgotten”), Bret Harrison (“Reaper”) and Odette Yustman (“You Again”), the new comedy premieres Wednesday, April 6 (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT) following 90-minute AMERICAN IDOL episodes (8:00-9:30 PM ET/PT).
KITCHEN NIGHTMARES serves up a new season Friday, Jan. 21 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT). Each week, Chef Gordon Ramsay will try to help turn around some of the country’s most unsanitary and unsuccessful restaurants on the verge of closing their doors forever.
FOX midseason sees other changes as well. LIE TO ME reveals a special two-hour episode Monday, Jan. 10 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) with Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) continuing his search for the truth in its regular time period Mondays (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) until Jan. 31.
GLEE continues with encores until all-new episodes begin in February with a special installment airing immediately following SUPER BOWL XLV Sunday, Feb. 6 (approximately 10:30-11:30 PM ET/7:30-8:30 PM PT). Beginning Tuesday, Feb. 8 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) GLEE leads a night of all-new episodes of FOX comedies, including RAISING HOPE (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT) and MIXED SIGNALS (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT).
MILLION DOLLAR MONEY DROP will challenge more duos to keep their $1 million with all-new episodes airing for four weeks on Tuesdays (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) starting Jan. 4, plus two bonus Thursday (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) episodes on Jan. 6 and 13.
After a run of six all-new episodes in a row this fall, HUMAN TARGET springs into action with special two-hour episodes airing Wednesday, Jan. 5 and 12 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). The action-packed drama charges into its time period premiere Wednesday, Jan. 26 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) following AMERICAN IDOL (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) for three weeks.
The thrill continues when BONES moves to a new time period Thursdays (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) after AMERICAN IDOL (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) starting Jan. 20. Fan-favorite FRINGE will travel to a new night and time with all-new episodes beginning Friday, Jan. 28 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).
THE CLEVELAND SHOW makes its time period premiere Sunday, Jan. 9 (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT), with AMERICAN DAD moving to a new time a week later Sunday, Jan. 16 (7:30-8:00 PM ET/PT).
FOX 2010-2011 MIDSEASON SCHEDULE
(All times ET/PT except as noted)
MONDAY
Monday, Jan. 10:
8:00-10:00 PM LIE TO ME (Two-Hour Episode)
Mondays, beginning Jan. 17:
8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE (All-New Episodes)
9:00-10:00 PM LIE TO ME (All-New Episodes)
Mondays, beginning Feb. 7
8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE (All-New Episodes)
9:00-10:00 PM THE CHICAGO CODE (Series Premiere)
****************************
TUESDAY
Tuesdays, beginning Jan. 4:
8:00-9:00 PM GLEE (Encore Episodes)
9:00-10:00 PM MILLION DOLLAR MONEY DROP (All-New Episodes)
Tuesdays, beginning Feb. 8:
8:00-9:00 PM GLEE (All-New Episodes)
9:00-9:30 PM RAISING HOPE (All-New Episodes)
9:30-10:00 PM MIXED SIGNALS (Series Premiere)
***************************
WEDNESDAY
Wednesday, Jan. 5 and 12:
8:00-10:00 PM HUMAN TARGET (All-New, Two-Hour Episodes)
Wednesday, Jan. 19:
8:00-10:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL (Two-Hour Season Premiere, Part One)
Wednesdays, beginning Jan. 26:
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL
9:00-10:00 PM HUMAN TARGET (All-New Episodes)
Wednesdays, beginning Feb. 16:
8:00-10:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL (Two-Hour Episodes)
Wednesdays, beginning April 6:
8:00-9:30 PM AMERICAN IDOL (90-Minute Episodes)
9:30-10:00 PM BREAKING IN (Series Premiere)
***************************
THURSDAY
Thursdays, beginning Jan. 6:
8:00-9:00 PM MILLION DOLLAR MONEY DROP (All-New Episodes)
9:00-10:00 PM BONES (Encore Episodes)
Thursdays, beginning Jan. 20:
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL (Season Premiere, Part Two)
9:00-10:00 PM BONES (Time Period Premiere)
***************************
FRIDAY
Friday, Jan. 7:
8:00 PM-CC ET AT&T COTTON BOWL (Live)
Friday, Jan. 21:
8:00-9:00 PM KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (Season Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (Encore)
Fridays, beginning Jan. 28:
8:00-9:00 PM KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (All-New Episodes)
9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE (Time Period Premiere)
**************************
SATURDAY
Saturday, Jan. 15:
8:00 PM-CC ET NFC DIVISION PLAYOFFS (Live)
Saturdays, beginning Jan. 22 (no change to lineup):
8:00-8:30 PM COPS (All-New Episodes)
8:30-9:00 PM COPS (Encore Episodes)
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA’S MOST WANTED (All-New Episodes)
**************************
SUNDAY
Sunday, Jan. 9:
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS (All-New Episode)
8:30-9:00 PM BOB’S BURGERS (Series Premiere)
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY (All-New Episode)
9:30-10:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW (Time Period Premiere/All-New Episode)
Sunday, Jan. 16 and 23:
7:00-7:30 PM THE SIMPSONS (Encore Episodes)
7:30-8:00 PM AMERICAN DAD (Time Period Premiere)
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS (All-New Episodes)
8:30-9:00 PM BOB’S BURGERS (All-New Episodes)
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY (All-New Episodes)
9:30-10:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW (All-New Episodes)
Sunday, Jan. 30:
7:00 PM-CC ET NFC PRO BOWL (Live)
Sunday, Feb. 6:
6:00 PM-CC ET SUPER BOWL XLV (Live)
10:30 PM ET/7:30 PT GLEE (All-New Special Episode; Approximate Start Time)
Sundays, beginning Feb. 13 (no change to lineup):
7:00-7:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
7:30-8:00 PM AMERICAN DAD
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM BOB’S BURGERS
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW Continue reading full story...
What did you think of last night's episode of Community?
This week marked another go on AOL Television's Skype Second Opinions, where I connected via Skype to ramble on for a few minutes about this week's episode of Community ("Conspiracy Theories and Soft Defenses"), which included a vast array of conspiracy theories, an incredibly sprawling blanket fort (village?), gunfire, confessions of true love, Dean Pelton, lessons, Professor S. Professorson, fake night school courses ("Learning!" "Reading?" "Introduction to Basics"), and more than I could possibly fit into this wee paragraph. (If you couldn't guess, I loved this week's episode.)
You can watch the video in full over here at AOL Television or right below.
In two weeks on Community ("Mixology Certification"), when the study group convenes to celebrate Troy's birthday, they realize he is actually turning 21 and decide to hit the bars; Jeff and Britta ingest a few too many cocktails and get silly; Shirley gets busy pulling down incriminating photos of herself that are posted at the bar; Annie embraces the identify on her fake ID; Abed delves into conversation with a fellow sci-fi nerd; Senor Chang finds the fresh remains of a birthday cake in the study room and vows to find the group. Continue reading full story...
There's always a sense of walking a tightrope when reviewing a mythology-heavy installment of any series, but particularly with FOX's Fringe, which thrives on the unexpected and inexplicable.
Revealing sensitive information or plot twists has the ability to take much of the fun out of the proceedings, really, especially when they're as well plotted as they are here.
Earlier this week, I sat down to watch DVD screeners of the sensational next two episodes of Fringe ("The Abducted" and "Entrada"), the first of which airs this week while the second airs on 12/2, taking a turkey-based break of a week.
Sitting comfortably within the grand design of the current third season of the series, the episodes split their time on either side of the dimensional divide as "our" Olivia Dunham attempts to find a way back through the invisible veil separating the two worlds. On the other side of the curtain, the "other" Olivia is making preparations of her own, her clandestine mission well underway, but both women will encounter distractions and diversions that threaten to derail both their objectives.
"The Abducted" focuses on a distinctive and engaging case of the week "over there," as the Fringe Division investigates the kidnapping of a little boy by a deranged individual known as "The Candy Man," a serial kidnapper whose victims are seemingly drained of their energy and joy. (His sobriquet? Named for the off-putting glucose found in his sweat.) It's an unsolved case that has close personal ties to one Fringe Division agent, making the suspense all the more tense and angst-ridden.
But it's the final moments of tonight's episode that will likely have viewers cursing that one-week hiatus for Thanksgiving, a fantastic twist that while inevitable trails behind it some rather severe repercussions. It will, undoubtedly, give Fringe fans something to ponder over the holiday break. (I can't say much more than that without spoiling.)
As fantastic as this week's episode is, the next episode manages to top it in terms of scope, drive, and sheer suspense. The superb "Entrada" picks up the already breakneck momentum from "The Abducted" and runs with it, delivering a provocatively intense episode about consequences and battle lines. What defines us as people, as individuals? In the midst of war, can we retain our humanity? What matters more: the greater good or what's morally correct?
These questions slingshot around the episode, giving "Entrada" some philosophical heft. But it's not just an episode about moral pondering: it's an action-packed thrill ride whose foundation lies in the overarching mythology of the season. Typewriters, laptops, shapeshifters, secret weapons, tanks, Cortexiphan: these things all play a key role in what unfolds in "Entrada," a gripping installment that doesn't just push the plot along but propels it at super-sonic speed.
And, yes, the episode's title is most definitely a clue to what's going to happen in this episode, which also features a hilarious portmanteau from Walter that I might have to adopt in real life (won't spoil the gleeful intermixing of words here) and some clever callbacks and surprises to previous seasons.
(An aside, I also can't help but wonder after seeing these next two installments whether Over There's Astrid is autistic, as she certainly seems to be in "Entrada." Or whether she's just devoid of emotion and social awareness. UPDATE: I've since been informed that Jasika Nicole has confirmed that Alt-Astid does in fact have Asperger's. Her performance definitely makes that more than apparent in "Entrada.")
While the "other" Olivia has been a dangerous and unpredictable element in the mix here, we're given the opportunity to get to know her a little better here, to see the stakes that she's facing and to see who she really is under the dyed hair and studied demeanor. Just how similar are these two Olivias? Are they intrinsically the same person or do our circumstances shape us in unexpected ways? It's an intriguing set of questions that get answered somewhat during "Entrada," as we're given a chance to peer into her mind. What you find there might surprise you.
Yes, the war between these two worlds, linked invisibly by threads of fate and verisimilitude, is coming, storms gathering on the horizon. And, with all of the tension and suspense of these two fantastic and gripping installments of Fringe, you'll likely wish that there was a soft spot between you and the television screen. Just don't push too hard.
Fringe airs tonight at 9 pm ET/PT on FOX. Continue reading full story...
After last week's Julie Taylor-related catastrophe, I was extremely pleased that this week's episode of Friday Night Lights ("Keep Looking"), written by Bridget Carpenter and directed by Todd McMullen, fell back into the pattern of greatness that the series is known for.
This week's episode offered an examination of the often contentious relationship between fathers and sons, summed up in the juxtaposition of Vince's struggles with his ex-con father Ornette and Buddy's attempts to drum some tough love into his angsty teenage son Buddy Jr.
In this case the dynamics were flipped on their head, with Vince struggling to determine whether he could trust his father, and laying down the law now that he's reentered his and his mother's lives. While his mom is happy to dwell on the more rose-colored memories of the past, Vince can't let go of what his father's absence meant to the family, the missed birthdays and moments, and the fact that he blames Ornette for getting his mom hooked on drugs. Across town, Buddy attempts to drum some semblance of responsibility into his rebellious son and, not surprisingly, pushes him to join the East Dillon Lions.
While it was obvious that Buddy Jr. would eventually join the Lions, the beauty of the episode was how well it dealt with this eventuality, following Buddy Jr. as he brushed off Tami at school (and later made a joke about her "rack" over dinner) and then broke into Buddy's bar and got drunk. But the writers made both Buddy Jr.'s malaise and speed palpable, demonstrating just how fast he can run when Buddy and Eric spotted him at a convenient store and took off after him. (He had, after all, stolen Buddy's credit card and his car.)
The disparities between Buddy Jr. and Vince are all the more felt during the course of this installment; Buddy Jr.'s gripes are of the seitan variety, while Vince's anger at his father comes from a place of responsibility, of having to care for his junkie mother and keep his family together. Both have been hurt, it seems, by decisions made by their fathers but Buddy refuses to let his son slide. He may have moved away but he's sticking by his decision to raise his son on his own in Dillon. Vince may not need Ornette, but Buddy Jr. definitely needs Buddy. (And vice-versa, it would seem.)
Football is, after all, in his blood, as Buddy tells Eric. It's only natural that his son would end up on the Lions, even if he claims to know next to nothing about the game. It's a smart move that makes Buddy's laser-like focus on the team even more concentrated now that he has a personal investment in the success of the team, beyond that of mere booster or football fan.
Ornette's pride, meanwhile, rubs Vince the wrong way. It seems almost put on, for show, an effort to prove to his son that he cares. Or at least, that's how Vince sees it, and he's grimly determined to keep his father away from that area of his life, refusing to introduce him to Eric on the field. Can these two find a way to live together, to coexist? And with Vince's future brighter than ever, is this going to hold him back from achieving his dreams? (After all, those coaches gathering around Vince at TMU seem to want to recruit him rather badly.)
And then there's the matter of Jess. I loved the scene where Jess held her own against the guys, coming back at their catcalls and teasing with all manner of burns. But Vince can't quite handle allowing Jess to stand on her own two feet and turn the other cheek when his teammates are ragging on their new equipment manager. The scene where Eric told them that they couldn't be a couple on the field or in the lockerroom was hysterical, but it reveals another characteristic to Vince, one that's in keeping with his conflict with Ornette: he wants to protect the women in his life. But there's a difference between protecting and cloistering, and Vince has to let both his mother and Jess find their own way and make their own decision... and fight their own battles.
(I am a little concerned though by how willing Billy was to steal Jess' observation about Tinker. While she may have smiled blithely about being right, it was her keen insight that may have saved Tinker, after all.)
Eric and Tami, meanwhile, are feeling the loss of Julie from their house. This week's episode was fortunately light on the Julie/Derek plot (though we did get two scenes between the pair) as they continued their inane dance of courtship before ending up in bed together again. Tami's effort at homework club (and dealing with at-risk Epyck) hit a bit of a wall, thanks to Epyck's aggressive streak (leading her to get suspended once more) and Tami's own rusty math skills. Attempting to call Julie led only to voicemail as usual, while Eric's sadness was summed up in his glance at a family photo, a sad reminder of their somewhat empty nest.
If only they knew what their daughter was up to...
But the episode wasn't just about fathers and sons as Becky had to deal with the return of her father, who demanded that she move back in with him and her step-mother. Or else. Becky reluctantly complied, even as she and Mindy finally forged a bond, perhaps one that echoed Mindy's own relationship with younger sister Tyra. (Also, as an aside: I loved Luke's words to Becky that he will ask her out and they will go out on a date together. Adorableness all around.)
I loved the scene between Mindy and Becky after Mindy learned that she'd been bumped to a day shift at The Landing Strip after returning from her maternity leave. Becky's peppy nature and her innate optimism did buck up Mindy's spirits considerably, as she urged her to negotiate with the manager. While Mindy was dead set against Becky moving in with them earlier this season, something has changed as they've forged something akin to a family unit, Becky stepping into the role of babysitter/younger sister to Mindy, Tim's football photo staring back them.
Which is why I was so proud of Mindy for not allowing Becky to go back to that house with her "redneck" step-mother and horrible father. As soon as I saw the altercation unfolding at Becky's house, I knew Mindy would do the right thing and step in... and bring Becky back home with her. It was a clear reminder that, for all that Tyra and Mindy have gone through, they always had their mother Angela to support them. Becky is all on her own, a lost girl being yanked around by people who aren't really her family, virtual strangers who are living in her home.
And if Friday Night Lights has taught us anything, it's that the lost and the hopeless can regain their footing. Sometimes all it takes is a helping hand, some tough love, or simply a warm place to stay.
Next week on Friday Night Lights ("Kingdom"), Coach Taylor discusses recruitment regulations with Vince and his father Ornette and when the Lions take a road trip, four of their stars make a pact that will stay with them forever; Julie's inappropriate relationship with Derek becomes even more complicated. Continue reading full story...
It seems as though Doctor Who fans in the States are definitely on the nice list.
BBC America has today announced that the latest Doctor Who Christmas Special--entitled "A Christmas Carol"--will air on Saturday, December 25th at 9 pm ET/PT. In other words, on Christmas Day itself, a first for the British sci-fi series.
The Dickens-inspired installment, written by head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat, is described by BBC America thusly: "Newlyweds Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) are joined by Harry Potter’s Michael Gambon and Opera diva Katherine Jenkins, for what may be the Doctor’s most Christmassy adventure yet."
“Oh, we're going for broke with this one," said Moffat in an official statement. "It's all your favorite Christmas movies at once, in an hour, with monsters. And the Doctor. And a honeymoon. And ... oh, you'll see. I've honestly never been so excited about writing anything. I was laughing madly as I typed along to Christmas songs in April. My neighbors loved it so much they all moved away and set up a website demanding my execution. But I'm fairly sure they did it ironically.”
The next season of Who meanwhile, will make its way to the airwaves in Spring 2011 as Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Alex Kingston (reprising her role as River Song), and Mark Sheppard shoot the two-part premiere in Utah.
Meanwhile, the channel will air a Doctor Who marathon beginning December 24th at midnight, featuring a slew of favorite episodes, Christmas specials, and the US premiere of Doctor Who at the Proms, all leading up to the launch of Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol.
The full press release from BBC America can be found below.
Harry Potter’s Michael Gambon Guest Stars in the Holiday-Themed Adventure
Following Matt Smith’s appearance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on Tuesday November 16, BBC AMERICA announces that the new Doctor Who Christmas Special will premiere in the U.S. for the first time on Christmas Day. The festive Dickens-inspired adventure, A Christmas Carol, is penned by award-winning lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat (Sherlock, Coupling) and premieres Saturday, December 25, 9:00 pm ET.
Newlyweds Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) are joined by Harry Potter’s Michael Gambon and Opera diva Katherine Jenkins, for what may be the Doctor’s most Christmassy adventure yet.
Lead Writer and Executive Producer, Steven Moffat, commented on the upcoming special: “Oh, we're going for broke with this one. It's all your favorite Christmas movies at once, in an hour, with monsters. And the Doctor. And a honeymoon. And ... oh, you'll see. I've honestly never been so excited about writing anything. I was laughing madly as I typed along to Christmas songs in April. My neighbors loved it so much they all moved away and set up a website demanding my execution. But I'm fairly sure they did it ironically.”
Perry Simon, General Manager, Channels, added: “Doctor Who has become a key part of the BBC AMERICA schedule, and having the opportunity to air A Christmas Carol on Christmas Day is like receiving our very own holiday gift. The Timelord may travel through time and space, but he’s certainly found a home at BBC AMERICA.”
Doctor Who is currently filming in Utah for next season’s two-part premiere set in the U.S. during the late ‘60s. Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Alex Kingston and guest star Mark Sheppard are all in production stateside. The next season premieres spring 2011 on BBC AMERICA.
In the run up to A Christmas Carol on Christmas Day, BBC AMERICA will be running a marathon of the series, beginning at midnight on December 24 and leading up to this year’s special. The marathon includes previous Christmas specials and a selection of favorite Doctor Who episodes from recent seasons.
Christmas Day will also see the premiere the Doctor Who Prom, a live concert featuring stars Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill as hosts. The Doctor Who Prom was filmed earlier this year at the world renowned Royal Albert Hall and features appearances from the Weeping Angels, Daleks and the TARDIS. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales, who record the soundtrack for the series, present a selection of intergalactic music – including Murray Gold’s music from the TV show, plus a selection of classical favorites.
Fans can catch up on the new Doctor’s first season with Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series Blu-ray and DVD, both are now available in stores. Continue reading full story...
Yes, I'm in love with The Good Wife.
Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, entitled "The Naughty Side of The Good Wife," in which I speak to creators Robert and Michelle King and series lead Julianna Margulies about topical plots (masseuse scandal!), wonky cameos (Lou Dobbs!), and adult sexuality (oral sex on CBS!), all of which add up to The Good Wife being one of the best--and most consistently challenging--shows on TV.
But that's not all. In addition to the in-depth interview/thinkpiece on the show, I also got the Kings and Margulies to offer character-specific teases (read: minor spoilers) about what's coming up for Alicia, Peter, Will, Kalinda, Cary, Blake, and more in the second season. (You can read their take here in the gallery.)
What's your take on the show? Head to the comments section to discuss.
I always find it disappointing when an episode of Chuck fails to live up to my expectations and this week's episode ("Chuck Versus the Fear of Death"), written by Nicholas Wootton and directed by Robert Duncan McNeill, definitely did not live up to the momentum created in the wake of "Chuck Versus the First Fight."
I'm sure it wasn't helped by the fact that the series took a week off between installments but this week's episode also seemed all the more weak in comparison to the previous episode, which set up some new subplots and a potential new direction to the overarching mythology. This week's episode... felt more than a little like filler.
Way too much weight given to a flimsy Buy More plot involving this week's Greta, Summer Glau, who had little to do other than prance around angrily, flick open a knife concealed in a thigh holster, and eat some product placement. If I'm being brutally honest: it wasn't a good use of Glau at all and revealed just how irritating the revolving door that is Greta has become this season.
Had Glau stuck around for more than an episode (even for two episodes), her arc could have been paid off with Lester and Jeff's snooping and potential unmasking of her CIA affiliation. But here it was just an aside as Casey swooped in to rescue Greta and she walked off, tossing her Buy More badge on the table as she went. Cue the next Greta.
Much of the episode felt cobbled together from plot retreads and I felt myself losing interest with the diamond auction, Chuck's training, and a way too long opening sequence in which we learned that a month had passed since Chuck last flashed. Yes, it was all leading up to a grand reveal at the end of the episode in which Chuck was kidnapped by The Belgian (guest star Richard Chamberlain), who was aware of his identity as the Intersect and plucked him off of a Gstaad gondola before vanishing altogether.
It was the final moments of the episode, in fact, that made the rest of the episode tolerable. I'm curious to see the strike force team of Sarah, Casey, and Morgan attempt to track down Chuck and rescue him. And I'm also keen to see Sarah break down her boundaries and go all Wolverine-style berserk to save her boyfriend.
But I sadly could have done without the rest of the episode, which just felt entirely "off" to me. Certainly not as strong as "Chuck Versus the First Fight," but also not as strong as some of the weaker episodes in the series' run.
Am I alone in feeling this? Did the episode live up to your expectations and am I being too harsh? Head to the comments section to discuss.
Next week on Chuck ("Chuck Versus Phase Three"), Sarah, Chuck, Morgan and Casey head to the jungles of Southeast Asia when The Belgian (guest star Richard Chamberlain) tries to learn more about the Intersect; Ellie and Awesome try to decipher a secret her father left behind.
I just left the first post-merger bureau meeting to learn that NBC had announced its midseason schedule, complete with a few scheduling shifts (cough, Parenthood), a third hour of comedy on Thursdays (along with a renewal for 30 Rock, when it all goes pear-shaped), and a few missing series as well. (Love Bites and Friends with Benefits, I'm looking at you.)
And, most importantly, a announcement about the long-delayed return of Parks and Recreation, which returns to the schedule on January 20th in a new timeslot of 9:30 pm ET/PT, right after The Office. (About time it got this plum timeslot as well.)
I'm off to an interview but I'm curious to know what you think about the new schedule, the musical chairs, and the return to Pawnee. Head to the comments section to discuss.
The full schedule can be found below, along with the official press release from NBC.
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – November 15, 2010 – NBC today made several mid-season schedule announcements, including the premiere dates for four new series – the dramas “The Cape” and “Harry’s Law,” the comedy “Perfect Couples” and the alternative series “America’s Next Great Restaurant.” The lineup also includes series time period changes for “Law & Order: Los Angeles,” “Chase,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and “Parenthood.”
Additionally, returning series “Parks and Recreation,” “The Biggest Loser: Couples,” “Who Do You Think You Are?,” “Minute to Win It,” “The Marriage Ref” and “The Celebrity Apprentice” resume on the schedule while other moves maximize the amount of original, non-repeat programming on the network.
Following are night-by-night details:
Mondays
The new action-filled drama “The Cape” will premiere with a two-hour episode on Sunday, January 9 (9-11 p.m. ET). An encore broadcast of the two-hour episode airs Monday, January 10 (9-11 p.m. ET) with new episodes starting in its regular time period on January 17 (9-10 p.m. ET). The highly buzzed-about drama “The Event” returns with a two-hour edition on Monday, February 28 (9-11 p.m. ET) and begins airing in its regular 9-10 p.m. (ET) time slot on March 7. The new drama “Harry’s Law” debuts at 10-11 p.m. (ET) starting on January 17. “Parenthood” will return on January 4 with new episodes in its current time period (Tuesdays, 10-11 p.m. ET) and will move to Mondays on March 7 at 10-11 p.m. (ET) with original episodes to complete its second season. “Chuck” continues at 8-9 p.m. (ET) on January 17.
Tuesdays
The new season of “The Biggest Loser: Couples” premieres on Tuesday, January 4 at 8-10 p.m. (ET). “Law & Order: Los Angeles” will move to Tuesdays at 10-11 p.m. (ET) on February 8.
Wednesdays
Beginning January 5, “Minute to Win It” returns at 8-9 p.m. (ET). The freshman drama “Chase” relocates to a new night and time at 9-10 p.m. (ET) beginning January 12. “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” moves to a new time beginning with a two-hour episode from 9-11 p.m. (ET) on January 5 before resuming in its regular time of 10-11 p.m. (ET) the next week. The new alternative series “America’s Next Great Restaurant” premieres from 9-10 p.m. (ET) on March 16.
Thursdays
The new Thursday-night lineup features wall-to-wall comedy beginning January 20 with “Community” at 8-8:30 p.m. (ET) followed at the new comedy “Perfect Couples” at 8:30-9 p.m. (ET). “The Office” continues at 9-9:30 p.m. (ET) and “Parks and Recreation” returns from 9:30-10 p.m. (ET). NBC opens a new hour of humor with “30 Rock” moving to 10-10:30 p.m. (ET) and the freshman series “Outsourced” concludes the night at 10:30-11 p.m. (ET).
Fridays
The alternative genealogy series “Who Do You Think You Are?” returns on January 21 (8-9 p.m. ET). “Dateline NBC” will return on January 7 (9-11 p.m. ET).
Sundays
“The Marriage Ref” returns for its second season on March 6 (8-9 p.m. ET) followed by the return of “The Celebrity Apprentice” (9-11 p.m. ET), also on March 6.
For more detailed information and photography on these and other NBC series, please log on to WWW.NBCUMV.COM.
The premieres of the new January-March program schedule follow in a grid (all times ET); new series are capitalized.
MONDAYS
8-9 p.m. – “Chuck”
9-10 p.m. – “THE CAPE” will premiere with a two-hour episode on Sunday, January 9 (9-11 p.m.). New episodes start in its regular time period on January 17 (9-10 p.m.)
10-11 p.m. – “HARRY’S LAW’ (beginning January 17)
9-10 p.m. – “The Event” (returns on February 28, 9-11 p.m.; resumes in its regular time slot March 7)
10-11 p.m. -- “Parenthood” (debuts in this slot March 7 with all originals)
TUESDAYS
8-10 p.m. -- “The Biggest Loser: Couples” (beginning January 4)
10-11 p.m. – “Parenthood” (beginning January 4 for four episodes)
10-11 p.m. -- “Law & Order: Los Angeles” (beginning February 8)
WEDNESDAYS
8-9 p.m. -- “Minute to Win It” (beginning January 5)
9-10 p.m. –“Chase” (beginning January 12)
10-11 p.m. – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (originals beginning January 5 with two-hour episode, 9-11 p.m. ET)
9-10 p.m. – “AMERICA’S NEXT GREAT RESTAURANT” (beginning March 16)
THURSDAYS (all beginning January 20)
8-8:30 p.m. – “Community”
8:30-9 p.m. – “PERFECT COUPLES”
9-9:30 p.m. – “The Office”
9:30-10 p.m. – “Parks and Recreation”
10-10:30 p.m. – “30 Rock”
10:30-11 p.m. – “Outsourced”
FRIDAYS
8-9 p.m. -- “Who Do You Think You Are?” (beginning January 21)
9-11 p.m. – “Dateline NBC” (beginning January 7)
SUNDAYS
7-8 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”
8-9 p.m. – “The Marriage Ref” (beginning March 6)
9-11 p.m. – “The Celebrity Apprentice” (beginning March 6) Continue reading full story...
If you missed last night's episode of Community ("Cooperative Calligraphy"), written by Megan Ganz and directed by Joe Russo, you missed out on not just a hilarious and accomplished installment but the very best bottle episode ever to air on television.
The search for Annie's missing pen transformed the group into separate individuals, as paranoia and suspicion ripped our community asunder, accusations and frustrations rearing their ugly head as the gang shut themselves into the study room to figure out what fate befell that gel-grip purple pen.
It wasn't about the pen, of course. It was, as I said in my glowing advance review of "Cooperative Calligraphy," about the way in which something insignificant can become something monumental, how a mountain can be made of an anthill, how a pen can become the thing that divides a group. The pen, in this case, is most definitely more powerful than the sword. (And especially scissors, proven here.)
By stripping the show down to its most basic level--the study group--this episode turned the focus on the characters entirely, yet it retained that gonzo spirit that makes for the very best Community episodes, an experimental drive that's felt in the bones of every encounter. Here, it's utilized in the way that the action escalates, how Annie's simple accusation of theft threatens to derail the entire collective itself.
For each, just what they had inside the little world they carry around revealed elements of their characters in ways heretofore unseen. I loved that Troy carried around a pillow in his backpack rather than any supplies (something that made him Jeff's hero), that Abed's notebook revealed that he was charting the women's menstrual cycles (hence, why he kept handing Annie chocolate) for the good of the group, that Britta had six condoms and a used q-tip among her possessions... and that Shirley's bag contained physical evidence of a secret.
Shirley's "comically huge" purse has been a stable of Community since the beginning and Yvette Nicole Brown wields the bag like a combination of carry-all, security blanket, and soldier's shield. She's never away from that bag and there are few activities that require her to remove it from her shoulder or lap. But that sense of protection, of keeping her enemies at bay, was brutally ripped away from her, as were her secrets.
Shirley may be pregnant.
The reveal that she was carting around a home pregnancy test (You Know Girl!, a HPT marketed towards black women) not only picked up the dangling plotline from "Epidemiology," in which Shirley slept with Ken Jeong's Ben Chang but also paid off Abed's menstrual cycle gag as well. Cycling backwards, he knows that Shirley couldn't have conceived when she hooked up with her ex-husband (who will be played by Malcolm Jamal Warner) on Labor Day because she was ovulating on Halloween. Cue Troy, who realizes the importance of that nonsensical cell phone call from Chang during the zombie attack.
Troy knows exactly who the father of Shirley's (possible) baby is.
But it wasn't just the truth about Shirley's pregnancy scare that came out of this entire purple pen affair: in fact several truths emerged, including just what Shirley thinks about Britta and Annie deep down inside (or at least in times of stress what emerges), calling them Jezebels and the gang stripped down in more ways than one, removing their clothes to dislodge any concealed writing implements and casting off any artifice. (Hell, even Pierce's leg casts came off, revealing a collection of tongs, Slim Jims, and other impromptu scratching devices.)
But the fact remains that no one in this group would steal from the others. There are bonds of trust, which while tested, are regained by the end of the episode. Jeff is right to think that there is a miraculous explanation for what occurred rather than a mundane one. Why didn't, as Troy suggests, a ghost take Annie's pen? Why isn't that possible, given everything that the group has been through? His improvised ghost story reunites the group, giving Jeff and Annie an opportunity for a stolen smile. The pen is a principle, but it's also a bit of poetry, really.
And then there's the true culprit: Troy's former pet monkey (a.k.a. "Annie's Boobs"), freed by Abed forever ago, who is the villainous magpie here, stealing not only Annie's pens but whatever it can get its hands on: a Troy and Abed in the Morning mug, Troy's student ID, a Greendale Human Being doll, a deflated balloon. It's an explanation that's both in keeping with the gleefully absurd tone of the series and which defies the group's (and the audience's) expectations. There is an explanation in the end and it's just as miraculous and mundane as possible.
(It's worth noting that you can see a tiny monkey hand swipe the pen early on in the episode. As Dean Pelton distracts the group with his adorable puppy--and a promise of a puppy parade on the quad--you can see the paw reach up and grab the pen at the end of the table. Blink and you miss it.)
As a bottle episode, "Cooperative Calligraphy" was truly aces, an opportunity to put an enormous amount of pressure on the group and watch them crack under the strain as well as a display of the innate elasticity of Community's tone and scope. As I said in my advance review, this is the rare show that can give us puppy parades and purple pens, space adventures and zombies. But it's also a show that can give us the funny and the profound, the raucous and the tender, the snarky and the touching in equal measure. These writers, it seems, are not monkeying around.
Next week on Community ("Conspiracy Theories and Soft Defenses"), when Dean Pelton starts checking class schedules, he discovers that Jeff has listed a class that does not exist; Abed and Troy build an elaborate blanket fort. Continue reading full story...
It's official: AMC has announced that they will not be renewing Rubicon for a second season. The series, produced by Warner Horizon Television, premiered in early August on AMC.
AMC made the following statement about the cancellation:
"Rubicon gave us an opportunity to tell a rich and compelling story, and we're proud of the series. This was not an easy decision, but we are grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such a phenomenally talented and dedicated team."
I do have to say that I'm surprised by the decision, given that when I met with AMC President and General Manager Charlie Collier and Joel Stillerman, senior vice president of original programming, a few weeks back for a feature for The Daily Beast, they seemed more positive about a possible pickup, telling me that a decision would be reached in the next few weeks.
It was.
Rubicon, despite its much publicized launch numbers (at the time the highest rated original series launch for the network), ended with relatively low numbers, even for AMC. (The first and only season ended with just with 1.04 million viewers overall.)
What do you think of the news? Has AMC made a mistake ending Rubicon? Or did you tune out along the way? Head to the comments section to discuss.
I'm just going to say it upfront: I'm hating Julie's storyline.
I always like to give Friday Night Lights the benefit of the doubt when it comes to storytelling (except, maybe, for the murder conspiracy storyline in Season Two), but the weakness of the current college plot for Julie Taylor (Aimee Teegarden) was all the more apparent this week when it was juxtaposed with the strength and grace of the storyline for Vince (Michael B. Jordan).
This week's episode of Friday Night Lights ("The Right Hand of the Father"), written by Patrick Massett and John Zinman and directed by David Boyd, attempted to balance the two plots, as well as a third about striving to be a better person in light of last week's disastrous party and the drunken behavior of Maura (Denise Williamson) but it didn't quite all come together for me in the end, due to the lackluster nature of that Julie subplot.
Which is a bit of a disappointment, as Jordan's Vince delivered some powerful and affecting scenes in which he attempted to balance the expectations placed on him by Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and his father, newly released from prison, with his own bruised feelings and innate needs. Viewed within those contexts, the episode was a resounding success as it followed what could have been a familiar plot trajectory and instead made it is own, exploring whether we can change as human beings and how much change we're capable of achieving.
Which makes their final scene all the more vital and important, as Vince takes his father's hand and shakes it. It's a rare moment of connection between them as well as a sign that Vince did take Coach's words to heart: Vince is attempting to be a better Vince than anyone expects. It's a reversal of the sullen Vince we saw earlier in the episode as he gives into defeat in the parking lot and sends the team home and the angry Vince we saw in Coach's office. (When he threw something across the room and exploded, I loved how calm and collected Eric was, allowing Vince to vent and cool down and not provoking him further.)
But it's also telling that Vince doesn't chase after his dad after he packs his things and leaves, apologizing for intruding. It would have been unrealistic if he had done so and it wouldn't have been true to the struggles of this character. We can attempt to change, attempt to be better people, but it doesn't mean that we can ever achieve sainthood. Vince made huge progress in his struggles with his father and while he walked out to the landing to watch him leave, he bit his tongue and didn't call after him.
That moment might be all that ever passes between them but it was a genuine moment of understanding, as his father realized it was the first time he ever felt pride and he expressed his love for his son in the only way he knew how, a different declaration than this man would have made before his incarceration.
The struggles of fatherhood were part and parcel of this episode as Buddy (Brad Leland) grappled with what to do about his misbehaving son Buddy Jr., finally telling his ex-wife to send the boy to live with him. Given that Buddy has been parenting from afar from some time, it will be interesting to see just what it means to see Buddy as a hands-on parent again. And I couldn't help but think back to that derailed Santiago plot from a few season back (which remained unresolved due to the writers strike of 2007/08). It was Buddy's turn to rise above expectations and, instead of punishing his ex-wife or her new husband, take responsibility for his son and place his child's needs before his own. It's time for some tough love, Buddy Garrity style.
Tami (Connie Britton), meanwhile, attempted to snap the rally girls out of their stupor after footage of Maura being used as a rag doll at last week's party made their way onto the internet. Maura's shocking apathy, as well as that of the other girls, was eye-opening for Tami, who gave an impassioned speech about bad reputations and downwardly mobile behavior patterns to a disinterested crowd. (It's telling that perhaps only Jess and Becky seemed to be paying attention.)
Seeing an opportunity to make some positive change, Tami pushes Jess (Jurnee Smollett) to pursue a role as equipment manager for the East Dillon Lions... without clearing if with Eric first. (Oops.) But while Tami is able to win Eric over, it's actually Vince who's uncomfortable with the idea of Jess being the lockerroom with the guys. I'm curious to see just where this storyline is going as it will be interesting to see Jess interact with the team, with Coach Taylor, and with the team's all-male coaching staff.
But while Tami's speech may have spurred Jess to action, it seems clear that the real audience Tami needs to deliver this diatribe to is her own daughter, Julie.
As I mentioned earlier, I'm so disappointed by the way in which Julie's current storyline is unfolding that it actually made me angry to watch her portions of the episode this week. We've known ever since "head TA" Derek Bishop was introduced that the two would end up sleeping with one another and I haven't been too enamored of their interactions to date. It's possibly due to the lackluster energy of the actor playing Derek, who isn't quite a charming as he needs to be in order to pull off such a rote plot.
But the fact that we learned this week that Derek is actually married (to a woman who is on a sabbatical, posing questions as to whether she's a grad student or a professor) and Julie jumped into bed with him without stopping to think that she is willing to have sex with a married man made me question this plotline as a whole. Julie has made mistakes before, but her lack of judgment and her seemingly willingness not to question the situation (and to fall for Derek's cheesy lines about he and his wife not "really" being married) had me scratching my head. Yes, Julie is attempting to seize the moment and she's not fitting in at all at school but I'm hoping the speed with which she extricated herself from Derek's bed the morning after points towards some realization that she made a mistake.
And for all his talk about Julie's potential, he still gave her a poor grade on her essay. I'm not sure of Derek's game but I don't like it and I'm holding out hope that this storyline--an attempt to give Julie a life outside of Dillon--either takes her to some interesting and unexpected places or brings her swiftly back to Dillon, post-haste.
What did you think of this week's episode? Do you agree about the Julie storyline? And do you find it as irritating as I do? Or are you curious to see where it leads? Head to the comments section to debate.
Next week on Friday Night Lights ("Keep Looking"), Coach Taylor is forced to play mediator as tensions erupt in the locker room; the Lions also welcome a new player and Luke is recruited by TMU; Buddy deals with the trials and tribulations of fatherhood; Becky's dad returns; Tami counsels a troubled student named Epyck. Continue reading full story...
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