Two Tivos To Paradise 08.28.09: Shop Here For All Your Back To School TV News

Posted by Al Norton on 08.28.2009

Summer Glau moves into Dollhouse, Megan Fox is hosting the season premiere of SNL, A&E moves forward on a Jackson family reality series, Kids In The Hall reunite, Project Runway returns to huge ratings, a preview of Spike's Surviving Disaster, raves for The Closer, tons of news & notes, the TV Pick of the Week and more, all in the latest edition of Al Norton's Two Tivos To Paradise.

Hello Friends. Harry and Genevieve turned one year old on Wednesday, with a fantastic birthday celebration last Saturday; friends and family gathered, showering them with a ridiculous amount of presents and munching on some incredible cup cakes. I can't believe it's already/only been a year.

We are gearing up for the start of the fall season and continue to line up interviews for your favorite returning shows as well as some new series; over the coming weeks you'll see chats with folks from Fringe, Sons of Anarchy, Southland, Glee, Vampire Diaries, One Tree Hill, and more.

I came across www.Locatetv.com this week, a pretty cool website where you enter in your email address, your city/town, and your favorite shows and/or actors and it lets you know when they are on plus when any DVD releases you might be interested in hit the streets. For those of you who are always frustrated that you missed a new episode of your top show, this is the perfect solution!

Any major TV fans with some extra cash out to check out the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences auction, which runs through next Thursday. Items up for bidding include visits to the sets of Monk and Melrose Place, tickets to the Emmys and the HBO after-party, a seat at a Family Guy table reading, plus signed props from shows like House and Grey's Anatomy. 100% of the proceeds go to the foundation, who's mission is to "shape the future of television while preserving its past." Check out all the details here.

For all your House fans, here is a trailer for the upcoming season:



Most of you know I got a little bored with House (and the House formula) last season but the presence of Andre Braugher in the season premiere guarantees my viewership.

As usual, the TV news is slow as August winds down but we've still got more than enough to fill your Friday morning/afternoon coffee break.

Because your news is on my list of the best things in life.

There's A Bittersweet Perfume Hanging In The Field, The Creek Is Running High
There are multiple reunions going on with the newly announced made-for-HBO movie Sunset Limited; adapted from a play by Cormac McCarthy and directed by Tommy Lee Jones, it bring the two together for the first time since No Country For Old Men. Jones will also star in the movie with Samuel L Jackson, a re-teaming of the pair who played opposite each other in Rules of Engagement. The story follows a conversation between two men on a subway platform after one stops the other from committing suicide.

It's certainly nice to see Jackson getting a script equal to his talents and one that will seemingly showcase his abilities as an actor instead of just a play off of the "Sam Jackson" persona that seems to be a part of many of his roles. Jones directed 2005's The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada and also wrote and directed the Emmy nominated TV western The Good Old Boys in 1995, and I have no doubt that he is an excellent choice for this type of character study.

HBO is on a bit of a role right now and a project of this stature looks to keep that momentum going on through 2010.

Me Minus You Is Such A Lonely Ride
Kids in the Hall are getting back together for an 8 hour murder mystery comedy to air on Canadian television. Written from an idea by Bruce McCulloch, with fellow Kids Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson all pitching in on the scripting duties, the project is titled Death Comes to Town and is directed by Kelly Makin, who directed the original Kids in the Hall series and also their movie Brain Candy. The series will premiere in January, with no word yet on who will get the US rights.

It took me a while to get on the Kids in the Hall bandwagon but once I did there was no jumping off; the combined comedy talents of these guys is incredible, as is the joy the get in working together. My assumption is one of the cable networks (HBO, Showtime, maybe Starz) will fork over some cash to be able to air this in the states.

Looking Out A Dirty Old Window, Down Below The Cars In The City Go Rushing By
MTV announced plans to remake the BBC series Skins, setting the US version in Baltimore, Maryland. Brian Elsley, co-creator of the original, will write and executive produce for MTV, which will follow the production model of casting unknown actors and involving teenagers in the writing process to achieve a level of authenticity.

One of the things that made Skins so different than anything else on TV was the language used as well as the realistically casual attitude many of the characters had about drugs and sex, and it's very hard for me to imagine MTV allowing those things to continue the same way. Sure, it makes sense for them to do the show – why wouldn't you remake a critically acclaimed hit from across the pond – especially with Elsley involved, but my guess is that this turns out to be a very watered down version of Skins. Hey, I know – if they go too light I can call this new show Shirts!

The Eastern World, It Is Explodin', Violence Flarin', Bullets Loadin'
Surviving Disaster is a new Spike series the premieres this Tuesday at 10 pm, teaching viewers the best ways to come out alive in the event of a plane crash, earthquake, shark attack, and even a nuclear bomb. Recently we chatted with the show's host, Navy seal Cade Courtley.

TTTP: Did you always know you wanted to be in the military, and the Navy specifically?

Cade Courtley: I pretty much knew from a young age that I wanted to serve my country. When I saw Top Gun, just like millions of other guys my age, I was going to be a Fighter pilot/ Naval Aviator. A random accident in which I injured my right eye took me out of the running for that, but it ended up being a blessing in disguise, because I found out about the SEAL teams.

TTTP: How did you become involved in Surviving Disaster?

Cade Courtley: I was part of a TV show in 2002 called COMBAT MISSIONS. On the set was a PA that, fast forward, would become a creative executive at Spike TV. I was in Iraq as an "independent contractor" when I got an email from him asking me if I wanted to be in this new show called "Surviving Disaster."

TTTP: Did being in front of the camera present a new set of challenges for you?

Cade Courtley: Being good in front of the camera is very challenging. My previous experience was pretty limited, so every day was a vertical learning curve. And being in every scene with 10-15 pages of script to read while running and avoiding fire, etc.....well, I'm calling it my Hollywood "boot camp."

TTTP: I would think the hardest part about making the show would be the logistics around creating the disaster scenarios. How did you choose the disasters and how much work went into the attention to detail?

Cade Courtley: When the series got picked up, there were about half a dozen of us who got together and literally started writing possible "worst case scenarios" on a board. We even combined a few and from that list picked the nine nastiest scenarios for the rest of the season. From there, the problem solving and research began. If we are saying it in the show, there have been no less than two experts who have approved it. I'm not going to put my name and the reputation of the SEAL teams on the line for bad information!

TTTP: Was it hard to strike a balance between the show being informative and also entertaining?

Cade Courtley: Not really. I think given the nature of this show, the truth is more entertaining than fiction. And again, since these episodes are literally the worst day of your life, the more you learn, the better chance you have of surviving. That's a pretty entertaining concept.

TTTP: Give me the quick pitch on why someone would want to tune in to Surviving Disaster.

Cade Courtley: Who wouldn't want to learn how to land a 767, treat a "sucking chest wound", defend yourself against 20 sharks, rappel down the side of a burning high-rise, fire an AK47 and get out of handcuffs. Who wouldn't want to know what to do to improve their chances of surviving when they find themselves having the worst day of their lives?

Don't miss Surviving Disaster this Tuesday at 10 pm on Spike.

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)…With full live audience and DVR numbers tallied, the 5th episode of Warehouse 13 was the top rated episode of a regular series in Syfy history…Top Chef Masters' finale was watched by 2.4 million, a huge increase from it's premiere earlier in the summer…Top Chef: Las Vegas pulled in 2.6 million, 1.8 million of whom were in the key demos…Project Runway's Lifetime debut produced huge numbers, with its 4.2 million representing a 45% jump from last July's season premiere on Bravo…Big Brother stalled a bit last Thursday, the first time in several outings that the audience didn't get larger…There Goes The Neighborhood hit a series low on Sunday…Shark Tank ran even with last week's strong numbers…I know it seems like I can just keep cutting and pasting this item but True Blood hit a series high on Sunday. Not only that, but this high was 20% higher than last week's high…As expected Mad Men dropped from their series high, although Sunday's totals were good enough for the third best in series history…The Big Bang Theory's very strong ratings continues to be a big story this summer, making CBS quite pleased with their decision to shift the schedule and air it after Nielsen powerhouse Two and a Half Men…More To Love hit series highs on Tuesday…America's Got Talent looks like it will be the most popular show of the summer for the fourth year running, with over 11 million tuning in on Tuesday night…

All The Young Dudes, Carry The News
Industry News, Notes, and Hot Rumors…Summer Glau (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) has joined the cast of Dollhouse…NBC has yet to confirm but look for Megan Fox to host the season premiere of Saturday Night Live on September 26th…A&E is moving forward on The Jackson Dynasty, a reality series focusing on the lives of the four remaining members of the Jackson 5. The show was in the works before Michael Jackson died earlier in the summer and the one hour premiere will consist of that footage, with the news of his death coming at the end of that episode…Fox News is reporting that Lindsay Lohan is in talks with Britney Spears' manager Larry Rudolph about developing a realist series that follows the troubled actress as she attempts a comeback…Multiple sources have Heather Locklear in talks to reprise her role as Amanda Woodward on the CW's upcoming Melrose Place reboot…Neil Patrick Harris and Kristin Chenoweth are the latest to sign to be a guest judges during the audition rounds of American Idol…HBO added Nikolaj Coster (Amsterdam) to the cast of their fantasy pilot Game of Thrones…Keith Carradine, who will be back on Dexter this fall, signed for two episodes of Dollhouse…Hiroyuki Sanada, who has starred in over 70 Japanese films (and appeared in Rush Hour 3) will join the cast of Lost for the upcoming final season…Andrew Leeds and David Lampson, winner of 2005's Situation: Comedy on Bravo, have sold their pilot Rex Is Not Your Lawyer to NBC. The dramedy follows a lawyer who suffers from panic attacks and ends up coaching clients to represent themselves…HBO is developing Savage Love, a new reality/magazine show based on the writings of columnist Dan Savage…The second season of Cartoon Network's Clone Wars premieres October 2nd with back-to-back new episodes…TLC picked up a second season of The Little Couple…The highly acclaimed BBC series Occupation, about three soldiers trying to adapt to live after the Iraq war, will debut on BBC America on October 18th…Jemma Mays, a regular on Glee, will reprise her role as Hiro's love Charlie on one episode of Heroes this fall…Kristen Johnson has replaced Paula Abdul in a guest role on Ugly Betty…Speaking of Paula, she will host the VH-1 Divas concert special on 9/17…CMT ordered an additional 20 episodes of The Singing Bee…Those lined up to sit in on The View while Elisabeth Hasselback is on maternity leave include Megan McCain, Kate Gosslin, and LaToya Jackson…TTTP favorite Ed Quinn (Eureka, True Blood) will be doing multiple episodes of the new CW series The Beautiful Life…TNT picked up a 15 episode third season of Leverage…Josh Schwartz (Gossip Girl, The OC, Chuck) is teaming with Chuck producer Matt Miller for a CBS sitcom about a couple returning from their honeymoon to start their new life…NBC has pushed the season premiere of Southland back to October in order to give the show the proper build up…VH-1 President Tom Colderone told the LA Times that the network is rethinking their reliance on dating/relationship shows in the wake of Megan Wants A Millionaire contestant Ryan Jenkins committing suicide after being implicated in the murder of his ex-wife. Megan was immediately cancelled, with all mentions of the show eliminated from the VH-1 web site, and I Love Money 3, which Jenkins had also taped, has been removed from the network's schedule…Oscar, Golden Globe, Tony, and Emmy nominee Laura Linney will star in the Showtime pilot The C Word, about a wife and mother dealing with cancer…Brandon Routh, who starred in the last Superman movie, has signed for multiple episodes of Chuck…

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…I have spent several paragraphs raving about The Closer these past weeks but this past Monday's summer finale deserved to be singled out for extra praise. Let's start with Kevin Bacon, who did a phenomenal job directing the hour, handling the action sequences perfectly; by not going over the top in the truck chase, it added to the tension. He also got a great performance out of Xander Berkeley as Texas Detective Curt Landry, who matched Brenda's drawl as well as her maneuvering. Another stand out turn was delivered by Geoff Meed as serial killer Jesse Ray Moore ("why do they always have three names?").

I have had The Closer on my year end list of Top 10 Dramas the last two years, and it's been far and away the best procedural drama since its debut, but this latest batch of episodes really picked it up a notch; I am not sure of where it will ultimately rank but right now it's just behind the cluster of Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Lost, Big Love, and Rescue Me.

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 few weeks…Sorry that there is so little this week but the kids' birthdays and other real life stuff took much of my attention. I would love to hear from you about what you've been watching these past few months – that's what the comments section at the bottom is for!!! Is Wipeout your favorite summer show? Royal Pains? Leverage? With high quality series like Burn Notice, Rescue Me, and The Closer, is there even a stigma to being a summer show anymore? ...Shark Tank continues to be a highly entertaining hour of television. Second week in a row someone made a very bad decision by turning down some serious cash; this time around it was the guy who made the foldable guitars turning down $500K for 51% of his company. Aside from dramatically overvaluing their products, the one big mistake people seem to be making when dealing with the "sharks" is not remembering that if they (the "sharks") fork over some serious cash for a partnership, they will be doing everything they can to make that business successful and not shelving the project…I got a few emails about my praise for Jane Adams on Hung last week. I find her performance to be Norty/Emmy worthy and while I know some find her annoying, to me that's what makes her so great; there is no shading to the way Adams plays the role – she puts all her emotions out there and it makes Tanya that much more of a real character because of it…Campbell Scott deserves some kudos for his Royal Pains work over the course of the break out USA hit series first season. I am not saying the character isn't a tad ludicrous, just that if you watch him in this and then find an episode of Six Degrees you'll almost be shocked it's the same person. I consider it a high compliment when I say he takes each and every role with the same level of commitment and seriousness…If you caught Patton Oswalt's stand up special on Comedy Central last week than you know why "Uncle Touchy's Naked Puzzle Basement" is so damn funny…I mentioned Terry Serpico as a dark horse for a Best Supporting Actor Norty nomination last week for his work on Army Wives so I thought I'd throw out Larry Miller as the same on the comedy side of things. 10 Things I Hate About You is a surprisingly funny and well made show and Miller, reprising his role as the over-protective Dad from the movie, does a great job mixing his line readings with some smart physical/body language comedy. When I saw that Gil Junger, who directed the movie, has directed the first season of the series the quality level made much more sense to me…One of the best things about Rescue Me's 20+ episode season this summer is that it allows for much longer scenes, sometimes with one conversation taking up an entire segment. I know some view the show as sexist but Maura Tierney is just the latest woman to make an incredibly strong impression with her work on the show. On the other side of the gender aisle, Laranz Tate has done a lot to justify his increase in screen time…

TV Pick Of The Week
As the 8th anniversary of 9/11 draws near, National Geographic devotes a new special into one of the more controversial aspects of the events of that day with 9/11: Science And Conspiracy. Gathering some of the top minds in the field, the special is a forensic investigation into some of the wider known conspiracy theories out there, including if the Twin Towers collapsed because of fire or explosives and if a missile and not an airliner hit the Pentagon. Using high-tech experiments, footage of the events, CGI recreations, and experts from all sides of the debate, this will be the most in-depth examination of the evidence that TV has seen and may help some to reach new conclusions.

Don't miss 9/11: Science and Conspiracy this Monday at 9 pm on National Geographic.

Hope You Need My Love, Babe, Just Like I Need You
Here is some other noteworthy programming of the next seven days

*In tribute to Dominic Dunne, who passed away this week, TruTV is doing a 13 hour marathon of Dominic Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice starting at 3 pm today. The series, a documentary look at crimes involving the rich and famous, is finishing up its 9th season on the network (formerly Court TV).

*Being Human wraps up its excellent first season on BBC America Saturday night at 9 pm.

*The Little League World Series championship games beams worldwide on ABC on Sunday at 3 pm.

*Vanessa Williams hosts the 36th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, Sunday at 8 pm on The CW.

*Coverage of the US Open begins on Monday, with the Tennis Channel broadcasting at 11 am and ESPN2 taking over from 1pm - 6 pm and then again from 7 pm - 11 pm.

*ABC Family's Greek begins a new season Monday at 9 pm while Weeds latest season finale sparks up at 10 pm on Showtime.

*Rescue Me's Emmy/Norty worthy season comes to a close Tuesday at 10 pm on FX. All sorts of rumors about what happens at the end...

*Fox gives you a best of So You Think You Can Dance? special Wednesday at 8 pm, followed by a re-airing of the fantastic Glee pilot at 9 pm.

Two Tivos To Paradise
30 Days, 30 Rock, The Academy, American Idol, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Antiques Roadshow, Being Human, Best Week Ever, Better Off Ted, Big Love, Bones, Breaking Bad, Brothers & Sisters, Burn Notice, Celebrity Apprentice, Cake Boss, Chopped, The Chris Isaak Hour, Chuck, The Closer, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Daddy's Girls, Damages, The Deadliest Catch, Desperate Housewives, Destination Truth, The Dish, Entourage, Eureka, Flipping Out, Gary Unmarried, Ghost Hunters, Ghost Hunters International, Gossip Girl, Grey's Anatomy, Heroes, The Hills, House, How I Met Your Mother, Hung, Iron Chef America, Jon & Kate + 8, Last Restaurant Standing, Law And Order, Law And Order: Criminal Intent, Law And Order: Special Victims Unit, Lost, Mad Men, Make Me A Supermodel, Man v. Food, Medium, 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, Psych, Real Time With Bill Maher, Rescue Me, Royal Pains, Rules Of Engagement, Run's House, Sanctuary, Saturday Night Live, Scrubs, Shark Tank, Shear Genius, Skins, So You Think You Can Dance?, Sons of Anarchy, The Soup, Southland, Sports Soup, Supernatural, Table For 12, Top Chef, Top Design, Torchwood, True Blood, Ugly Betty, Warehouse 13, Web Soup, Will Work for Food

People Love You When They Know You're Leaving Soon
Here ends another edition of Two Tivos To Paradise. This weekend will find Mrs. Tivo and me taking in a Cirque Du Soleil performance, with my brother and his girlfriend handling babysitting duties for the first time. We'll be back next week with all the latest TV news plus a preview of the Labor Day Weekend marathons!

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! You can also follow us on Twitter!

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.