Two Tivos To Paradise 09.11.09

Posted by Al Norton on 09.11.2009

Ellen joins American Idol, Alison Sweeney stops by to talk about The Biggest Loser, Community is the best new show of the season, Edward Norton comes to the small screen, Sons of Anarchy gets big ratings, a rundown of the week in season/series premieres, raves for Tivo, tons of news & notes and more, all in the latest edition of Al Norton's Two Tivos To Paradise!

Hello Friends. Not exactly the Labor Day weekend I had planned; I spent two days in the hospital with a mystery virus that was attacking my muscles. I am fine now after being IV'd full of fluids to protect my kidneys and given ultra high doses of ibuprofen, but it felt like my own personal episode of House; I evened turned to Mrs. Tivo at one point on Saturday and said, "it's 25 after, this is where I should start coughing up blood."

Because of that brief illness, this week's column won't feature a "What I've Been Watching" section as frankly, I didn't have time for much, and is in general a little smaller than usual. Next week's edition will be jam packed!

CBS is using official TTTP singer/songwriter Will Dailey's song Love Is On The Way to hype their new Jenna Elfman sitcom Accidently On Purpose…



Use the links at the bottom of the column to pull up my interviews with Jessalyn Gilsig (Glee), Ryan Hurst (Sons of Anarchy), and Candice Accola (The Vampire Diaries) that ran earlier this week.

God is great, news is good, and people are crazy.

THIS JUST IN
Right as TTTP was going to press it was announced that Maura Tierney was dropping out of her role on NBC's Parenthood as her treatment for breast cancer conflicted with the series' production schedule. The show, an adaptation of the 1989 Ron Howard film, was originally scheduled for the fall and was the highest profile new series in the network's line up, featuring a cast including Tierney, Peter Krause, Craig T Nelson, Ericka Christenson, and Bonnie Bedelia. Tierney's diagnosis earlier this summer pushed the show back to mid-season and now the producers have begun the re-casting process for the role, meaning much of the pilot will need to be re-shot.

There's A New Girl In Town And She's Looking Good, There's A Fresh Freckled Face In The Neighborhood
Fox stunned the TV industry on Wednesday night when they announced that Emmy winning talk show host Ellen DeGeneres would replace Paula Abdul as the fourth judge on the upcoming season of American Idol. Abdul, who had been a judge for the top rated series' first 8 seasons, left the show after a contract dispute this summer. DeGeneres has talked about AI during her daily talk show but her being hired by Fox to fill the opening was a complete shock. DeGeneres will join the show in January for the Hollywood round, with Victoria Beckham, Mary J Blige, Kristin Chenoweth, Joe Jonas, Neil Patrick Harris, Avril Lavigne, Katy Perry, and Shania Twain sitting in during the audition episodes.

While on one hand I can see the logic behind bringing Ellen on board – she is smart, funny, loves the show, her daytime talk show has won 29 Emmys, and more than anything else, people love her – this to me is a move that does not sit all that right with me. I mean, will I be entertained by her throughout the course of the season? Sure, she's about as quick as they come and I am a huge fan of her stand up. To me the issue is the lack of music credentials.

Say what you will about the show but Simon, Randy, and Paula have some serious success in the music industry on their resumes, so their opinions on such things carried weight. Kara DioGuardi, who joined last year, has made quite a bit of money as a songwriter for some of the biggest artists working today. And Ellen has…won 29 Daytime Emmys. Which one of these is not like the other? Is Simon going to take anything she says seriously? Will she even be able to step up and give on-target criticism of bad performances when needed? The Fox press release quoted her as saying she looked forward to being the voice of the people but the people already have the loudest voice on AI – the vote that decides who wins. I don't want to hear what the public thinks when watching the show since they get to speak loud and clear the next night, I want to know what the professionals think.

Bringing in a random judge from the entertainment world strikes me as something I'd see on America's Got Talent, a show that does quite well for itself in the summer, but not what I'd expect from the number one show on TV eight seasons running.

Now Whip It, Into Shape, Shape It Up, Get Straight
The new season of NBC's The Biggest Loser premieres this Tuesday a 8pm, and that can only mean that official "Friend of TTTP" Alison Sweeney is stopping by to chat (or at least sitting in front of her computer exchanging emails with me).

TTTP: Every time we talk it seems I ask you how you balance all your activities, and every time we talk it seems like you've got something new; Days of our Lives, The Biggest Loser, two kids, and now you're coming off of your stint hosting a portion of the MDA Telethon...All of which begs the question, what's next?

Ali: I'm in the process of writing my new book THE MOMMY DIET which will be out next fall.

TTTP: With your diverse resume, I assume you've been approached about doing your own show in some form. Is a daily/weekly series dealing with issues of health and wellness something you'd be interested in at some point?

Ali: Health and wellness are always relevant topics of importance to me and it's a journey that I feel I share with so many others worldwide
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TTTP: This season of The Biggest Loser goes back to individuals. How does that change the dynamic from the couples/pairs we've seen recently?

Ali: I think it allows everyone to have to focus on themselves. When they're in pairs, it's typical for a parent to focus on their child or a husband on his wife. Now they have no excuses and they have to work on themselves.

TTTP: Do you feel flattered by a show like Dance Your Ass Off, which is clearly trying to go for a similar people getting healthy/uplifting personal triumph vibe?

Ali: Obesity is a major epidemic in this country and I'm proud that The Biggest Loser has inspired other shows to follow our lead in trying to get people healthy.

TTTP: While I know you didn't win, it still must have felt good to have Days of Our Lives get nominated for Best Daytime Drama. Have the tensions over last year's renewal subsided a bit or do you and the rest of the cast simply do your jobs and let the business end of things take care of themselves?

Ali: Days can no longer sit by and hope for the best. Every crew and cast member embraces the challenge NBC put to us and we're doing everything we can to put our best foot forward and work towards a pickup. It's not called "show-art," it's show business.

TTTP: Can the Dodgers hold on to their division and do you think they have any shot in the World Series? I know you are a huge Lakers fan but it's too early to talk basketball.

Ali: LOL. I love getting to Dodgers games and I'm incredibly impressed with how well they've done this season and I'm rooting for them to go all the way

TTTP: Give me a preview of the new season of The Biggest Loser.

Ali: It's the season of second chances, everything from our returning contestant Daniel who is getting a second chance to finish what he started, to some emotional stories of people getting a second chance at life. It's going to be an amazing season

Don't miss the season premiere of The Biggest Loser, Tuesday at 8 pm on NBC.

She's Precocious, And She's Knows Just What It Takes To Make A Pro Blush
Natalie Morales, star of the Norty Award winning series The Middleman, has signed on to the upcoming USA series White Collar as a regular, her role being upgraded after "guest star" status on the first two episodes. The new show, which premieres in October, follows a con artist (Matthew Borner, Chuck) who is released from jail to help an FBI agent (Tim DeKay, Tell Me You Love Me) solve crimes. Tiffani Thiessen co-stars. In other USA casting news, Peter Gallagher headlines a list of actors who joined the Covert Affairs pilot, including Kari Matchett, Eion Bailey, and Eric Lively.

I know that Natalie Morales is not a big enough star (YET) to really warrant her own news item but I jump at any chance I get to highlight how amazing The Middleman was.



The full season/series is currently available at Amazon and I urge you to check it out. Seriously, it was that damn funny!

So Go On, Let It Be, If There's A Feeling Coming Over Me, Seems Like It's Always Understood This Time Of Year
The fall TV season is here! For the next few weeks we'll be using this section to let you know about the week's premieres. Shows with an "*" are series premieres.

SATURDAY
Cops (Fox), 8 pm
Two questions; does Cops ever get new viewers, and is this the most profitable show on TV? I mean, it can't really cost anything to make, meaning it's pure profit no matter how much they get for the advertising.

America's Most Wanted (Fox), 9 pm
Allow me to take a moment to once again urge the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences to honor John Walsh with a lifetime achievement for the incredible work that he's done with this show. I don't have the exact numbers of criminals caught after being spotlighted on AMW but make no doubt, this show has saved lives.

MONDAY
Lincoln Heights (ABC Family), 8 pm
The best family drama you are not watching, and probably have never heard of. A police officer moves his family back to his old (and rough) neighborhood, causing issues with his wife and kids as they adjust to a new life. Lincoln Heights gives earnest a good name and is more than worth your time.

One Tree Hill (The CW), 8 pm
I genuinely like One Tree Hill; despite its occasional excesses there are very few shows on TV that reward their longtime viewers as well, both by making sure than current storylines don't trample over what has come before and also by making sure the characters have stayed true to themselves while growing up. This is the first time the show has tried to recover from a major cast change – no Peyton and Lucas anymore – so let's see if the shift in focus is a good thing.

Gossip Girl (The CW), 9 pm
At this point debating whether or not Gossip Girl is a good show or not (and it's not) is silly; you either watch the show and enjoy the ludicrous world these characters live in or you tune out in some form of disgust early on. I watch, although increasingly I wonder why.

The Jay Leno Show* (NBC), 10 pm
Is there anyone who is looking forward to this show? I am in no way saying it's going to be bad – I don't have the same Jay-hate as many of my readers – but I just haven't heard a single person talking about their excitement to see what sort of new format Jay has in store for us. Here is a little preview…



TUESDAY
The Biggest Loser (NBC), 8 pm
Obviously I am biased as host Ali Sweeney is a friend of the column but I am impressed at how the show manages to tell the stories of their contestants without ever seeming to exploit them, which is in direct comparison to other series that deal with overweight people.

WEDNESDAY
The Beautiful Life* (The CW), 9 p
Mischa Barton playing a washed up model can only be described as a casting-gasm. This may shock you but Ashton Kutcher's involvement in this show makes me slightly more interested than I would be otherwise.

THURSDAY
Bones (Fox), 8 pm
Bones is either the most watched unpopular show or the least watched popular one; I really don't know a ton of people who talk about it, and yet it continues to produce pretty well in the ratings and has a loyal fanbase. I was a big fan the first season and have become less so each following year. I love the cast but think the writers let them down quite frequently; banter for banters sake isn't good, nor is it entertaining.

SNL Weekend Update Thursday (NBC), 8 pm
It worked last year, and politics is still in the pop culture mainstream, so why not keep it going? Amy Poheler will guest this week only, taking the chair next to Seth Myers to hype the NBC line up.

Survivor: Samoa (CBS), 8 pm
I've never seen a full episode of Survivor, not because I think it's bad but rather because I just was/am not interested. One of these cycles I will force myself to watch but until them, my Samoa memories belong to Lava Lava Lenny.

Parks and Recreation (NBC), 8:30 pm
Season two is make-or-break time for P & R; the first season had its moments (loved the finale) but the show was mean to Amy Poheler, and not in a funny way. The bones of a good show are all there, they just need to put it together.

Fringe (Fox), 9:00 pm
Hopefully this time around Fox will let the show get some momentum and not do the start-and-stop scheduling that fans found so frustrating last spring. Fringe could break huge this fall.

The Office (NBC), 9 pm
Coming off of the very funny (at least to me) Michael Scott Paper Company story arc, we've got quite a bit going on at Dunder Mifflin to start the season, most interesting being a pregnant Pam trying to pull off a wedding before anyone figures out her secret. At this point I have no worries about The Office; some episodes work better than others but it's always worth my time.

Community (NBC), 9:30 pm
The best new show of the season. Any chance NBC will quote me in the ads with that line? It helps that I fully mean it, and not just because I am a devoted McHale-head. I have frequently written about how most of the time quirky on TV is very forced, with organic quirkiness a tough commodity to come by, and that's what Community has in spades. It may take some time for all the characters to grow on you but you'll laugh your ass off along the way, plus the story takes a few turns that I did not see coming. Season pass Community now!

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (FX), 10 pm
Sunny is probably the show I get the most, "how do you not watch this show?!?!" emails about, and my answer is always the same; I hold an irrational grudge against the show because when it debuted it was paired with Starved, which I thought was brilliant, and I hold it against the Philadelphia team that it got renewed and Starved did not. Hey, it may be irrational but at least I am honest about it.

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)…Sons of Anarchy's return was cause for celebration by FX executives, with the season two premiere improving on season one's demos by 95%. It was the largest such jump in network history. Overall 4.3 million tuned in…90210 returned to an audience larger than last season's average, with 2.6 million viewers…Melrose Place followed with 2.3 million, decent by The CW standards but nowhere near what the network was hoping for…So You Think You Can Dance? first fall episode was watched by 6.5 million, down from the summer opener of 8.7 million…Glee's season premiere pulled in 7.3 million and topped the night in demos…America's Next Top Model premiere was down 10% from the last cycle…

All The Young Dudes, Carry The News
Industry News, Notes, and Hot Rumors…Academy Award nominated actor Edward Norton will guest on the new ABC's comedy Modern Family later this fall…CBS picked up a 12th cycle of Big Brother, which will air next summer…Writer/Director Richard Curtis (Love Actually, Notting Hill) will write an episode of Doctor Who…Pulitzer Prize winning author Richard Russo first TV series gig will be as writer/producer for a new HBO drama about the current gas rush in Catskills. The show is being adapted from a New York Magazine piece from last year. Russo has written Nobody's Fool and Empire Falls, and his latest novel That Old Cape Magic, was recently released…Chuck executive producer Scott Rosenbaum is developing a western with sci-fi elements for Fox…Jerry Bruckheimer's latest series, an action procedural, will be with NBC. Bruckheimer's production company has 8 shows on the fall schedule...Adam Rodriguez, last seen on CSI: Miami, will be a regular on the upcoming season of Ugly Betty…Judd Nelson will guest on an upcoming episode of PSYCH. No work yet on how they will work in Sean and Gus' running debate over if it's From The Hip or Blue City that is the better vehicle for Nelson's talents…It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia writers Sonny Lee and Patrick Walsh are developing Family Business, a new comedy for ABC…Bryans Fuller and Singer are teaming up to adapt the Augusten Burrough's novel Sellevision for NBC. The book and series follow the behind the scenes action at a home shopping network. Fuller is also developing No Kill, a comedy set at an animal shelter with a no-kill policy, for the network…NBC confirmed that Megan Fox and U2 would be the host and musical guest respectively for the Saturday Night Live season premiere on the 26th of this month, followed in consecutive weeks by Ryan Reynolds & Lady Gaga, Drew Barrymore & Reginka Spektor, and Gerard Butler & Shakira...

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…Sitting in a hospital room for two days left me with a much deeper appreciation for the wonder that is Tivo. Not that Saturday and Sunday afternoon viewing choices are all that great regularly but factor in that it was a holiday weekend and I was left with a whole lot of nothing on my screen. This was the first time in a LONG time that I had time to really do nothing but watch TV and here I was, stuck miles away form my house, where there was a "now playing" section of my Tivo filled with good stuff, not to mentioned DVD screeners of many fall premieres I needed to catch up on. I suppose if I had planned my sudden illness better I would have brought my lap top and DVD's with me, but I was clearly lax in my preparation. I will never take my Tivo for granted again.

TV Pick Of The Week
It's the first of two big Sundays in a row for HBO, this week highlighted by the season finales of True Blood and Hung. True Blood has become that rarest of rarities, a pop culture phenomenon that has both strong ratings AND critical acclaim. It seemed like the network's PR department just kept releasing the same Monday statement because each week they set new series highs. The show has expanded it's already deep cast of characters without sacrificing any of the depth and development that made the first season so much fun.

Hung may have seemed like a one-note comedy on paper but in reality it's turned into a very funny, very real series about people struggling to find their way in the world. Identity is a strong theme in the show I enjoy and Hung has it in spades, as the various characters look to figure out who they are and, as importantly, where they fit in as everything they thought they knew is changing around them.

Don't miss the season finales of True Blood (9 pm) and Hung (10 pm), this Sunday on HBO.

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

*Say Yes To The Dress (TLC) returns with a new batch of episodes on Friday at 9 pm.

*The US Open women's finale airs in primetime on Saturday on CBS at 8 pm. The men's final follows the next day at 4 pm.

*It may be only the second week of the college football season but that doesn't make Saturday's USC – Ohio State (ESPN, 8 pm) match-up any less huge.

*This may come as a shock but Sunday's 2009 MTV Video Music Awards (8 pm) is the 26th year the event has taken place. Russell Brand is back as host.

*ESPN's Monday Night Football kicks off the regular season with a doubleheader; Bills-Pats at 7 pm, followed by Chargers-Raiders at 10 pm.

*America's Got Talent (NBC, 8 pm) crowns a new champion Wednesday during its two hour season finale.

*VH-1 Divas (Thursday, 8 pm) concert is back after laying dormant for a few years, with Paula Abdul hosting performances by Kelly Clarkson, Jordin Sparks, Miley Cyrus, Leona Lewis, and Adele.

*Extreme Cuisine with Jeff Corwin makes its series debut Thursday at 9 pm on Food Network. Best known for his work with animals (in particular endangered species) and the environment, this is the sixth different network (at least) that Corwin has hosted a show on, which is pretty dang impressive. On this new show he travels the world, learning about native foods and customs in such locals as Greece, Peru, Morocco, and the Pacific Northwest. Corwin walks the walk when it comes to leading an earth-healthy life, something I give him lots of respect for, and I am looking forward to checking out this new series.

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, Glee, 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. We'll be back next week with a preview of next Sunday's Emmy awards, all the latest news, and maybe a celebrity guest or two stopping by. Have a great week!

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.