Two Tivos To Paradise 5.15.09: The Week In TV News, Condensed For Your Reading Pleasure

Posted by Al Norton on 05.15.2009

Fox's HUGE week, The Soup gets another spin off, cast shake up at One Tree Hill, A & E unveils a ton of new shows, is Reaper coming back for a 3rd season?, a rundown on this week's finales, American Idol thoughts, raves for Rescue Me, tons of news and notes, the TV Pick of the Week and more, all in this week's edition of Al Norton's Two Tivos To Paradise!

Hello Friends. Another crazy week in real life, including a nice Mother's Day celebration with Mrs. Tivo and her family as well as my Dad's birthday on Wednesday. Factor in work, watching TV, writing, and trying to get my life in order and it makes for some head scratching, wondering where the day went.

On a completely non-TV related note, I have known since I met her that I liked my brother's girlfriend quite a bit but didn't realize until this week just how impressive and strong a person – both physically and emotionally – she really is.

Hope you had the chance to catch the three interviews I did this week but in case you missed my chats with Nathan Fillion, Dr Jenn Berman, and Michael Emerson, use the links at the bottom of the column to pull them up!

Its 9:00 on a Saturday, the regular news shuffles in.

I'll Be A Big Noise With All The Big Boys, There's So Much Stuff I Will Own
Sunday night begins the biggest week of the year for the Fox Network, one in which they expect to dominate the Nielsens. Sunday features the season finales of their five animated comedies; while Sit Down, Shut Up has been a major disappointment, the rest of the line up has enjoyed a ratings resurgence this past season. For King of the Hill it's a series finale as well. On Monday they air the final 2 hours of 24 and then Tuesday finds the final night of competition on American Idol paired with the series premiere of Glee. Wednesday has the two hour AI finale followed by the first audition episode of So You Think You Can Dance? on Thursday.

There is no question their goal is to win every night, especially Mon-Thu, and they stand a pretty good chance of doing so both in total audience and in demos. I am most interested in Glee, a dramedy about high school glee clubs from Nip/Tuck creator Ryan Murphy that has many critics raving. It's certainly a different strategy to air one episode of a show now and then bring it back in the fall but with 25+ million expected to be watching AI on Tuesday, it's just about the best lead-in a show could ask for.

I suppose if I am talking about a big week for Fox I should mention tonight's Prison Break series finale. I gave up during season two, right around when one of the characters got a veterinarian to sew his severed hand back on. I have no issues with suspension of disbelief but don't treat me like an idiot. The reviews of the finale have been strong, especially the flash forward that ends the episode, so fans who have stuck through it for the full four seasons will not want to miss it.

Life It Ain't Real Funky Unless It's Got That Pop, Dig It
G4's announcement that Web Soup would debut in June bring the total of Soup-related series on the air to four. Producers Edward Boyd and K.P. Anderson have The Soup on E!, The Dish on Style, Sports Soup on Versus, and this new show, which will highlight the best and worst of internet videos for the week. Chris Hardwick, best known as host of MTV's classic Singled Out, will be the front man.

I do love me some Soup, and am a fan of all three of the current shows so I have little doubt I will be entertained by this new series. This news item also gives me the chance to mention that The Dish, hosted by the funny and beautiful Danielle Fishel, returns to the airwaves on Saturday, May 23rd!

Cowboys Don't Cry and Heroes Don't Die, Good Always Wins Again And Again
A & E unveiled their 2009 schedule, building off of their current series with a ton of new programming. What follows is a rundown of their line up plus what's in development.

Renewed series: The Cleaner, Intervention, The First 48, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, Dog the Bounty Hunter, Cris Angel: Mindfreak, Crime: 360, Paranormal State, Parking Wars, and Manhunters: Fugitive Task Force.

Confirmed New Reality Series:
*Untitled Tony Danza Project; the actor uses his long ago earned education history degree by spending a year as a teacher in a New York public high school.

*Steven Seagall: Lawman; cameras document Seagall's work as a fully commissioned deputy (he has been such for over 20 years) in Jefferson Parrish, LA.

*Obsessed; think Intervention but for people with debilitating anxiety disorders.

*Hammertime; the current life of MC Hammer, his wife, and their six kids.

*The Squad: Prison Police; a look at police forces that investigate crimes committed inside prison walls.

*Runaway Squad; a behind the scenes documentary series about a former NYPD cop who puts together a team of detectives to track down at-risk runaway youth.

Reality Series In Development
*Love Shaq; the NBA star and his 5'2 wife let the cameras into their house, where they live with 5 kids.

*Bob Saget On America; the comedian traveling the country and looking at various subcultures and parts of America not normally seen on TV.

Scripted Series In Development:
*Untitled Kevin Costner Western; the Academy Award winner will executive produce a four hour, two part mini-series about the setting of the West after the Civil War. Costner will most likely direct at least part of the mini-series as well.

*Cooler King; an ex cop recovering from the murder of his girlfriend joins a group of detectives trying to clean up their Honolulu homeland streets. Jerry Bruckheimer is executive producing.

*The Quickening; a bi-polar cop balancing taking her meds with the knowledge that her disorder, left unchecked, makes her better at her job. Written by Jennifer Salt, author of the best seller Eat, Pray, Love.

*The Lead Sheet; set in LA while the police are tracking the Hillside Strangler in the late 70's. Shawn Ryan (The Shield) and James Ellroy will executive produce.

Come on, who wouldn't want to watch Welcome Back, Danza?!?! To be honest, The Squad: Prison Police sounds fascinating to me as well. Obviously the network is focusing on crime as well as people overcoming life obstacles, with some cross over involved. I am not sure the world needs more procedurals but a show that's done well is always worth checking out, no matter what the genre.

But Sally Has A Hard Time Holding Back, The Alley To Her Heart Is A Beaten Track
Fox will announce its full fall line up on Monday but gave a preview this week when they gave orders for two new series as well as picking up a second season of Lie To Me. Even more interesting Lie To Me news was the naming of Shawn Ryan (creator and executive producer of The Shield) as the series new showrunner. The new shows picked up were Human Target, an action adventure adaptation of a DC comic book, and the comedy Sons of Tucson, which stars Reaper's Tyler Labine as a conman hired to pose as the Dad of some teenagers whose real Father is in prison. These shows join Glee and Cleveland in the 2009-2010 Fox schedule.

The concept of Human Target – a guy who assumes the identities of people in danger – already had me drawn in and the news that the cast includes Mark Valley (as the Human Target), Jackie Earle Haley, and Chi McBride has me over the moon in anticipation. Tyler Labine was so entertaining as Sock that I will follow the actor to a new series blindly.

Did I mention how much I love Mark Valley? Any Keen Eddie fans out there? I love that he is finally getting another series lead, especially one that seems as interesting as this. I am not sure how the visuals will look – I mean, he can't just assume the identities of people who look like him, right? – but you can be sure that Human Target will be season passed in week one.

All Good Things Have To Come To An End, The Thrills Have To Fade Before They Come Round Again
It's season finale season in TV world so here is a list of the show's signing off (some for the summer, some maybe for good) over the next seven days.

TONIGHT
America's Funniest Home Videos, 8 pm, ABC
The Game, 8 pm, The CW
Ghost Whisperer, 8 pm, CBS
Numb3rs, 10 pm, CBS

SATURDAY
MadTV, 11 pm, Fox
Saturday Night Live, 11:30 pm, NBC

SUNDAY
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, 7 pm, ABC
Sit Down, Shut Up, 7 pm, Fox
The Simpsons, 8 pm, Fox
Survivor: Tocantins, 8 pm, CBS
King of the Hill, 8:30 pm, Fox
Desperate Housewives, 9 pm, ABC
Family Guy, 9 pm, Fox
American Dad, 9:30 pm, Fox

MONDAY
Gossip Girl, 8 pm, The CW
How I met Your Mother, 8:30 pm, CBS
One Tree Hill, 9 pm, The CW
CSI: Miami, 10 pm, CBS

TUESDAY
NCIS, 8 pm, CBS
Dancing with the Stars, 9 pm, ABC
The Mentalist, 9 pm, CBS
Without A Trace, 10 pm, CBS

WEDNESDAY
The New Adventures of Old Christine, 8 pm, CBS
Gary Unmarried, 8:30 pm, CBS
Criminal Minds, 9 pm, CBS

THURSDAY
Ugly Betty, 8 pm, ABC
Southland, 10 pm, NBC

And With Your Hair Swung Right And Your Pants Too Tight, It's Gonna Be All Right
Welcome back to the American Idol Revue, where we run down the latest week of American Idol, season 8. This is the last week before the finale so let's get right to it!

Tuesday, May 12th
-And then there were three…white males.

-Ok, each gets a song of their own choosing tonight as well as one selected by the judges.

-Danny totally looks like a narc standing next to the other two guys. Come to think of it, all three are giving off a bit of a 21 Jump St vibe.

-Danny starts things off with some Terrance Trent D'Arby chosen for him by Paula…Just as I was thinking this lacked the energy of last week when the band was on the stage, out walks a sax player…A passionate but not particularly impressive performance.

-Kara and Randy choose Apologize by One Republic for Kris…Solid work at the piano and a quality if not outstanding vocal.

-Wow, the judges are really going at each other tonight.

-Simon selects One by U2 for Adam and seems to imply he worked out the arrangement as well, which is too bad since that's the worst part of the song tonight. It really was awful (the arrangement, that is) and more of the same vocally from Adam. He should have gone with the stripped down Johnny Cash version of the song and showcased the tones and inflection in his voice instead of the notes he can reach (again).

-Isn't the $140 million raised by Idol Gives Back reason enough for the haters to back down a bit?

-Danny begins round 2 with You Are So Beautiful, a version I could totally hear on Bedtime Magic later on tonight, which I think is a compliment but I am not 100% sure. The judges love it.

-Kris choice for his last impression before the voting for the finals begins is Heartless, a very strong performance and one that stands out tonight.

-Adam closes the show with Aerosmith, reminding the world that Alicia Silverstone was a huge factor in the band's 80's resurgence. Sadly, she is not on the show tonight. I get why Adam picked a song from their catalog though, reminding the world that there is room in the rock world for a flamboyant singer with a crazy-ranged voice.

-Who goes home? I honestly have no idea. My guess is Danny, which would leave us with a Kris-Adam final.

Wednesday, May 13th
-Where is Paula? Too busy denying Ladies Home Journal stories to join the other judges for the start of the show?

-I love when the contestants go back to their hometowns as it's the first time they really get to see the power of the show. They may be told that 20+ million are watching every week but seeing 5,000 screaming people show up just to see them is much more tangible.

*And here we go…Kris is in the final, going up against…Adam! Danny, who had never finished in the bottom three all season, goes home tonight.

Next week is the finale, with a two hour special on Wednesday night that will name the 2009 American Idol.

But You Were Up To Your Old Tricks In Chapters Four Five And Six
All you need to know about the Nielsen's for the past week (or so)…For the first time since November of 2007 Grey's Anatomy beat CSI in both demos AND overall audience, with the hospital drama admitting 15.33 million…Optimistic (Michael J Fox's special) benefited from the strong lead to the tune of 10.6 million…NBC's pairing of The Office and 30 Rock was up from last week while the earlier pairing of My Name Is Earl (16%) and Parks and Recreation (12%) both took serious hits…Survivor was the big winner on Thursday at 8 pm with 11.97 million although things looked much better for Ugly Betty, up 10% from last week's poor showing…Smallville showed a small improvement while Supernatural showed an equally small drop…Southland dipped yet again…Numb3rs topped Friday night with 9.52 million, with Ghost Whisperer finishing a close second for the evening with 9.35 million…Dollhouse signed off for the year (and probably for good) with a series low of 2.76 million…Prison Break's penultimate episode was down 5% to 3.03 million…In a major surprise, the third hour of the Celebrity Apprentice finale topped the season finales of both The Unit and Brothers & Sisters…House's season finale was watched by 12.33 million, unless the audience was a hallucination, The Big Bang Theory ended season two 9.8 million, it's biggest audience in almost a month, while lead out How I Met Your Mother was down a smidge…Castle increased it's already solid chances for a second season with a finale that was watched by over 10 million, including 500K who weren't in tow last week…The Biggest Loser averaged 11.76 million over it's three hours and gave NBC it's best non-Olympic Tuesday night demos in over three years…American Idol's 21.79 million on Tuesday was down 7%....The Fringe finale was watched by 11.22 million, a 21% increase from last week…Without A Trace was up 14% at 10 pm…NCIS (15.78 million) and The Mentalist (16.11 million) drew well albeit down from last week…Lie To Me's season finale actually dropped a bit from last week, a bit of a surprise, although it still won the Wednesday at 8 pm timeslot...American Idol was up on Wednesday to a total of 23.99 million...Lost closed out its season on a high note with it's best ratings since April 1st...Criminal Minds was the nights most watched scripted series with 13.03 million...

All The Young Dudes, Carry The News
Industry News, Notes, and Hot Rumors…Sources at The CW confirmed to TVGuide.com that Chad Michael Murray and Hillarie Burton would not be returning for the new season of One Tree Hill this fall. Austin Nichols has signed on to be a regular for the upcoming season after recurring this past year. New characters expected next season include one of Haley's older sisters, a sports agent for Nathan, and a party girl who is the face of Brooke's new fashion line…The Hollywood Reporter had a story on Thursday saying that sources told them ABC Studios was in talks with The CW affiliates to bring Reaper back for a third season as a syndicated show on Sunday nights. Several weeks back The CW announced they would not be scheduling original programming on Sundays and were turning those hours over to the stations. There are multiple complications, including Tyler Labine's headlining a new series on Fox and the executive producers having signed a deal with 20th Century Fox, but clearly there are conversations going on…ABC has signed Zack Braff and Sarah Chalke to appear in six episodes of a possible 9th season of Scrubs. Most of the other regulars have agreed to return if the current pilots don't get picked up. The official word won't come until next week but it's looking more and more like the series return is a lock...Speaking of series returning to ABC, the network has told the producers of Samantha Who? that if the show does come back it will need to switch from a single camera show to a multi-camera show, saving roughly $500,000 per episode in productin costs...ABC is developing a syndicated daily talk show with comedienne/actress Aisha Tyler…Rumors abound that video game/phenomenon Guitar Hero could be turned into a weekly reality series… G4 picked up a 10 episode second season of Human Wrecking Balls…Eddie Kaye Thomas has been made a regular on HBO's upcoming comedy How To Make It In America…Misha Collins has been upgraded from recurring to regular status on Supernatural…Joss Stone will be a regular on the fourth and final season of The Tudors…Nickelodeon ordered a 26 episode first season of The Troop, a live action series about three high school students who fight monsters in their spare time. The show will feature CG animation and is an action series with sci fi elements but they have hired Emmy winning writer Jay Kogen (Frazier) to give it some comic teeth as well…Look for Alanis Morisette in a recurring role on the upcoming season of Weeds…Jamie Foxx will host The BET Awards next month…Paullina Porzikova announced that she had been fired as a judge from America's Next Top Model while appearing as a guest on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, mentioning the producers feeling she had an "ego problem"…Starz picked up a second season of Party Down, with everyone but Jane Leeves (who will be a regular on Fox's Glee) returning…Kristen Cavallari of Laguna Beach "fame" will join The Hills starting with this month's season finale. Cavallari will be replacing the departing Lauren Conrad…Neil Patrick Harris will host The Tony Awards next month on CBS...Nickelodeon has ordered a 26 episode first season of Kung Fu Panda: The Series...In a move that can only be described as classy, Jay Leno has scheduled incoming host Conan O'Brien to be his final guest on The Tonight Show...

Turns Out Not Where But Who You're With That Really Matters
The top thing I watched since the last column went to press AKA The Best Of What's Around…Rescue Me started out slowly this year – not a bad thing – because this season is 20+ episodes long, close to double what they usually do, so the pacing had to be adjusted accordingly. At this point I have such affection for the characters that there doesn't need to be a ton of plot for me to enjoy the show; I am more than content to watch an hour of the guys sitting around the firehouse. All of that being said, the episode from two weeks ago was among the best the show has ever done, featuring an award worthy performance by Callie Thorne. Sheila's monologue about losing her husband on 9/11 was heartbreaking both because of the writing and Thorne's delivery; Sheila has always been crazy but this was one of the few times we got a glimpse of who she was before she lost Jimmy and it was startling and quite sad.

Also worthy of tremendous praise was Steven Pasquale, whose Sean is usually a comedic character but got to show his full range when Sean was diagnosed with cancer. His condition, most likely caused by his prolonged exposure at Ground Zero, provided an ultimate irony; if he uses his NYFD health insurance for treatment it guarantees he will be stuck behind a desk for the rest of his career.

While Denis Leary has been nominated for Emmys in the past the rest of the show has been for the most part ignored by the Academy but it is looking more and more like this is the season that changes for Rescue Me, and deservedly so.

People Say I'm Crazy Doing What I'm Doing. Well, They Give Me All Kinds Of Warnings To Save Me From Ruin
What's flashed before my eyes the last seven days…Real Time with Bill Maher is a significantly better show when they have three panelists. This season has found them with just two on more occasions than not and it's just not the same thing…Medium continues to be on a major roll and I am keeping my fingers crossed NBC does what everyone thinks they will and renews it…I loved the Everybody Hates Chris finale and the homage paid to the final episode of The Sopranos. It's too bad the show wasn't on a bigger network to get the audience it deserved. I will miss my weekly fix of Julius and Rochelle…I liked the almost casual nature of Peyton and Lucas' wedding on One Tree Hill, less like a major event and more like a reunion of friends. You knew something was coming at the end but they still did it well. Where has Dan been the last few episodes? I thought for sure he would crash the wedding…Party Down continues to be a highlight of my weekly TV viewing, making me laugh out loud each episode…I know its almost a cliché to talk about how good Justin Timberlake is on Saturday Night Live but his hosting gig last week was second only to Jon Hamm for this season. The Barry Gibb Talk Show ranks on my SNL top 10 recurring sketches list, slightly behind Lyle the Effeminate Heterosexual…I really enjoyed how Brothers & Sisters ended their season not with a cliffhanger but by wrapping up Tommy's story and somewhat setting the stage for next season (Justin & Rebecca's engagement, Justin starting med school, Kitty and Robert's relationship). I hope that the writers find a way to salvage Kevin as he has gone from being one of the more interesting characters on the show to one of the most annoying on TV…This is what is so frustrating about Desperate Housewives – I write last week about how they have ruined Orson and then they go and give him some quality scenes last week to make Bree feel bad about the divorce. As much as I have enjoyed Neal McDonough this year, his revenge on Susan and Mike storyline has gone on WAY too long…Even though I could see the Izzy-Alex wedding plot twist coming down Main Street I still was moved by the 100th episode of Grey's Anatomy. I honestly don't know if they will kill Izzy off, which is exactly what the show wants leading into last night's finale. Kevin McKidd has been fantastic after a slow start and he brings an intensity to his work unlike many others can…The Café Disco episode of The Office may not have stayed in my head for much after it ended but I laughed out loud more than a few times…Add Alan Alda to the list of guest stars that 30 Rock has put to great use…

TV Pick Of The Week
Synchronized Swimming, Kill My Landlord, Christmas Time for the Jews, Smelt Night, Dick in a Box, the one where little kids are given a jolt of electricity when they try to play video games…These are just a few of the short films that Saturday Night Live has done over the years that hold warm memories for me. I am not sure all will be a part of NBC's new special that airs this Sunday at 9 pm but this is the first time I can remember where they've brought all of these types of things (digital shorts, cartoons, short films) together in one episode. It seems fitting that Andy Samburg is the host considering he has shown a talent for them unlike anyone in the show's history.

Don't miss Best of SNL Shorts this Sunday at 9 pm on NBC.

(Yes, I did run this exact same clip about six weeks ago when NBC originally was scheduled to run this special but at the last minute they didn't, rescheduling it for Sunday. Since I am all about recycling I thought I'd just cut and paste. Plus, considering the subject matter of some of these shorts, I think the decision to air it two hours later makes sense.)

Hope You Need My Love, Babe, Just Like I Need You
Most of the week's big moments-to-be are found in the finale guide above but here is some other noteworthy programming of the next seven days…

*If Groomer Has It isn't enough for you than maybe you'll want to check out Beverly Hills Groomer, debuting Saturday at 10 pm on Animal Planet. Or maybe you should seek professional help.

*The Bachelorette (ABC) is back with a two hour season premiere on Monday at 9 pm.

*I love it when the title of a new show tells you all you need to know; Clean House: The Search for the Messiest Home on the Planet debuts on Style this Wednesday at 10 pm.

*If you like the various Real Housewives Of…series but wish they were a bit younger and all had accents than Southern Belles: Louisville may be just the show you've been waiting for. Check out the premiere Thursday at 10 pm on SoapNet.

Two Tivos To Paradise
30 Days, 30 Rock, The Academy, American Idol, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Antiques Roadshow, Best Day Ever, Best Week Ever, Better Off Ted, Big Love, Bones, Breaking Bad, Brothers And Sisters, Burn Notice, Celebrity Apprentice, Chocolate News, Chopped, The Chris Isaak Hour, Chuck, The Closer, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Daddy's Girls, Damages, The Deadliest Catch, Desperate Housewives, Destination Truth, Dirty Sexy Money, The Dish, Entourage, Eureka, Everybody Hates Chris, Flipping Out, Gary Unmarried, Ghost Hunters, Ghost Hunters International, Gossip Girl, Grey's Anatomy, Heroes, The Hills, House, How I Met Your Mother, Iron Chef America, Jon & Kate + Eight, Last Comic Standing, Last Restaurant Standing, Law And Order, Law And Order: Criminal Intent, Law And Order: Special Victims Unit, Life On Mars, Lost, Mad Men, Make Me A Supermodel, Man v. Food, Medium, The Middleman, My Name Is Earl, The New Adventures Of Old Christine, Next Food Network Star, Nip/Tuck, The Office, One Tree Hill, Paranormal State, Party Down, Private Practice, Project Runway, Pushing Daisies, Psych, Real Time With Bill Maher, Reaper, Rescue Me, Rules Of Engagement, Run's House, Samantha Who?, Sanctuary, The Sarah Jane Chronicles, Saturday Night Live, Scrubs, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Shear Genius, Skins, So You Think You Can Dance?, Sons of Anarchy, The Soup, Southland, Sports Soup, Step It Up and Dance, Supernatural, Table For 12, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Top Chef, Top Design, Torchwood, True Blood, Trust Me, Ugly Betty, Will Work for Food

People Love You When They Know You're Leaving Soon
Here ends another edition of Two Tivos To Paradise. Look for a HUGE column next Friday as by the time we go to press all the networks will have unveiled their fall line-up's!

The countdown to the 150th edition of Two Tivos To Paradise is on – only seven weeks away. Great news – Joel McHale is back with us for our anniversary celebration!

Don't forget to come back next Friday for all the news, and while you're at it, why not just bookmark the movies/TV page here at 411mania.com and make it that much easier for you to find your entertainment industry hook up!

Feedback is encouraged at [e-mail] as well via the comments section below.

Sources for this week's column include Daily Variety, Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide, and Hollywood Reporter (plus the web sites for those publications) as well as Aintit.cool.com.