Two Tivos To Paradise 07.13.12: The Norty Awards, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Homeland, New Girl, Parks and Recreation, Community
Posted by Al Norton on 07.13.2012
It's the sixth annual Norty Award nominations, our picks for the best that TV had to offer in the 2011-2012 season! See how Mad Men, Community, Homeland, New Girl, Parks and Recreation, Archer, and other favorites did this year!
Hello friends. I am recovering from that awful thing known as a summer cold. I finally have my voice back and thankfully no one else in the house got it too bad, but I have yet to catch up on all the sleep I lost coughing (and going to check on my son, who was also coughing). Speaking of coughing until you choke, the Red Sox limped into the All-Star break as a .500 team but I did enjoy a lovely day at the park last weekend; sure, they lost to the Yankees while I was there but I got to spend some quality time with my brother, which is always a plus.
We are hard at work putting together our big 300th column, which is but two weeks away! This year will be a mix of returning favorites and new friends, and I am doing everything possible to get a couple of particularly large names to take part. Fingers crossed!
The final season of Breaking Bad begins on Sunday night – the 16 episodes are broken up over two years in two separate 8 episode runs, which allows AMC to do two different publicity campaigns about the show ending – and to celebrate we are giving away season one AND season two on DVD. Go to the Two Tivos To Paradise Facebook page, click LIKE if you have not already, and then post "I want to cook a fresh batch with TTTP" on our wall and provided you have a US or Canadian mailing address and have not won anything from us in 2012, you'll be entered to win! One entry per person and we'll pick a winner at random on Monday afternoon.
Here's a look at The CW mid-season replacement Cult. I give the network credit for going out of their comfort zone on this one…
Speaking of creepy mid-season replacements, here's the trailer for Fox's The Following…
Bet you wanna put your news on it, put your news on it.
How About A Round Of Applause, A Standing Ovation
It's time for the SIXTH annual Norty Awards, the Two Tivos To Paradise version of the Emmys. The Emmy nominations will be announced next Thursday (with full coverage available here the next day) so we roll out our dream ballot for you today. We are doing things a bit different this year, announcing the nominees today and giving you the winners in a separate upcoming column, plus we've added a couple of new categories this year!
Before we get started I want to make sure and get across that these are the performers and series I think were the best in each category for the 2011-2012 TV season. Are you going to agree with all my choices? Hells to the no, and I wouldn't agree with all of yours, either. In the interest of quality civil discourse, please use the comments section below to tell me what/who you would have like to have seen recognized that was not. I am hoping for less "…lost all credibility" and "epic fail" and more "here are my picks."
Here we go…
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY
Max Greenfield, New Girl (ABC)
Nick Offerman, Parks and Recreation (NBC)
Ed O'Neill, Modern Family (ABC)
Adam Pally, Happy Endings (ABC)
Danny Pudi, Community (NBC)
James Van Der Beek, Don't Trust The B In Apt 23 (ABC)
Toughest Omissions: Ty Burrell (Modern Family), Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Jeffrey Tambor (Bent), Garret Dillahunt (Raising Hope), Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation), Dule Hill (PSYCH), Jake M Johnson (New Girl), Chris Parnell (ArcherHappy Endings)
Previous Winners: 2011: Ed O'Neill, Modern Family; 2010: Danny Pudi, Community; 2009: Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother; 2008: Chi McBride, Pushing Daisies; 2007: Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Analysis: Easily one of the toughest categories, with more than enough deserving names for a totally different slate of nominees and then some. Van Der Beek's comedy skills were a revelation, and Pudi showed some serious depth in a few of Community's episodes. To be perfectly honest, while I've picked a winner, catching a particular rerun of a different show could leave me wanting to change my vote; that's how close this one is.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY
Kristen Bell, House of Lies (Showtime)
Julie Bowen, Modern Family (ABC)
Cheryl Hines, Suburgatory (ABC)
Busy Phillips, Cougar Town (ABC)
Naya Rivera, Glee (Fox)
Casey Wilson, Happy Endings (ABC)
Toughest Omissions: Eden Sher (The Middle), Sofia Vergara (Modern Family), Christa Miller (Cougar Town), Alison Brie (Community), Aisha Taylor (Archer)
Previous Winners: 2011: Jane Lynch, Glee; 2010: Jane Lynch, Glee; 2009: Kristen Wiig, SNL; 2008: Amy Pietz, Aliens In America; 2007: Ashley Jensen, Extras
Analysis: Wow, ABC dominates among the ladies, huh? Another strong group of contenders with Omissions that had me pulling my hair out. Bell was terrific in her first post-Veronica Mars series regular role, Hines made me laugh and seemed like a truly different person than the one on Curb, while Rivera may have the quickest/sharpest tongue on TV right now. Whenever Happy Endings and Cougar Town go off the air I would totally green light a female buddy show starring Phillips and Wilson, who each bring a ton of unique energy to the screen.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA
Robert Carlyle, Once Upon a Time (ABC)
Giancarlo Esposito, Breaking Bad (AMC)
Paul Johansson, One Tree Hill (The CW)
Neal McDonough, Justified (FX)
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad (AMC)
John Slattery, Mad Men (AMC)
Toughest Omissions: Peter Dinklage ( Game of Thrones), Ray McKinnon (Sons of Anarchy), Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead), Walton Goggons (Justified), Mandy Patinkin (Homeland), Gabriel Mann (Revenge)
Previous Winners: 2011: Walton Goggins; 2010: Michael Emerson, Lost; 2009: Ryan Hurst, Sons of Anarchy; 2008: Michael Emerson, Lost; 2007: James Callis, Battlestar Galactica
Analysis: I am sure I will hear it from the Game of Thrones folks about putting Johansson in over Dinklage but the question I would ask is, did you watch One Tree Hill? I'd put Johansson's work in the Danny Boy episode up against just about any other one episode submission from TV this season and feel comfortable in my chances. Carlyle has sparkled in OUAT, alternately getting laughs and giving chills, and even doing a compelling and believable love story, too. McDonough and Esposito are both longtime TTTP faves and it was great to see them getting roles worthy of their talents.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA
Morena Baccarin, Homeland (Showtime)
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men (AMC)
Megan Hilty, Smash (NBC)
Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
Maggie Siff, Sons of Anarchy (FX)
Kadee Strickland, Private Practice (ABC)
Toughest Omissions: Laura Allen (Awake), Regina King (Southland), Sarah Wayne Callies (The Walking Dead)
Previous Winners: 2011: Margo Martindale, Justified; 2010: Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men, 2009: Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy; 2008: Diana-Maria Riva, Side Order of Life; 2007: Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights
Analysis: A nice mix of network, basic cable, and pay cable series represented in this category, all of the women showing a major range over the course of their respective seasons. Strickland may be the single most underrated actress on TV and Oh is so good I think she is sometimes taken for granted. Hendricks had perhaps her best year on Mad Men, and Hilty made sure her Smash role made her a star, even if her character's fortunes weren't as good. Baccarin had the challenge of playing opposite Damian Lewis and more than held her own.
BEST LEAD ACTOR, COMEDY
H Jon Benjamin, Archer (FX)
Don Cheadle, House of Lies (Showtime)
Louis CK, Louie (FX)
Joel McHale, Community (NBC)
James Roday, PSYCH (USA)
David Walton, Bent (NBC)
Toughest Omissions: Matt LeBlanc (Episodes)
Previous Winners: Steve Carell: The Office; Zachary Levi, Chuck; 2009: Steve Carell, The Office; 2008: Josh Radnor, How I Met Your Mother, 2007: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Analysis: My lack of a large number of omissions doesn't mean there weren't plenty of other strong performances on TV this year, just that the six I selected so stood out that the choices were relatively easy. Walton is probably the least well known actor – and his work the least seen as well – but that doesn't make him any less of a challenge to walk away with the Norty. Roday is TV best kept secret and someone who should really be a much bigger star, my love for all-things-Joel is well documented on these pages, and Cheadle commanded the screen just like you thought he would (and those were no small expectations to try to live up to).
BEST LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl (Fox)
Lena Dunham, Girls (HBO)
Tina Fey, 30 Rock (NBC)
Lea Michelle, Glee (Fox)
Martha Plimpton, Raising Hope (Fox)
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation (NBC)
Toughest Omission: Amanda Peet (Bent), Christina Applegate (Up All Night), Courtney Cox (Cougar Town), Patricia Heaton (The Middle), Julia Louis-Dreyfuss (Veep); Laura Linney (The Big C)
Previous Winners: 2011: Laura Linney, The Big C; 2010: Courtney Cox, Cougar Town; 2009: Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?; 2008: Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?; 2007: Laura Kightlinger, The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman
Analysis: This is one of my favorite categories this year because all six nominees are playing very distinct, well written characters where the stories revolve around them; despite the dearth of quality roles for women on the big screen, on TV they are thriving. Michelle was the last minute addition to this group; while watching multiple episodes of Glee in one sitting I was struck by how much of the weight of the show she carries on her shoulders, never afraid to let Rachel look bad in the course of telling a story. And her musical talents can't be denied, either. This was easy Poehler's strongest season on Parks, and Deschanel was a pop culture phenomenon on New Girl and yet still managed to make sure Jess never became a caricature. Liz Lemon showed some serious growth this year – a serious, committed relationship!?!? – and Fey deserves credit for making that believable.
BEST LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (AMC)
Jason Isaacs, Awake (NBC)
Damian Lewis, Homeland (Showtime)
Jon Hamm, Mad Men (AMC)
Gabriel Macht, Suits (USA)
Timothy Olyphant, Justified (FX)
Toughest Omissions: Denis Leary (Rescue Me), Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead), Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), Kelsey Grammer (Boss), Hugh Laurie (House)
Analysis: Damn, that's some talent! Isaacs was in just about every scene of Awake so his was perhaps the most strenuous role of the season while Macht's Harvey stole Suits right out from under Mike. Hamm was his usual excellent self, and Olyphant got some different material to work with as Raylan dealt with some personal issues this season. I don't know how many new ways I can praise Cranston, the only person ever to win three consecutive Nortys. Lewis was amazing on Homeland; even when you thought you knew what he was doing, you still weren't sure exactly why (and vice-versa).
BEST LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA
Claire Danes, Homeland (Showtime)
Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad (AMC)
Julianna Marguiles, The Good Wife (CBS)
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men (AMC)
Katey Sagal, Sons of Anarchy (FX)
Emily Van Camp, Revenge (ABC)
Toughest Omissions: Lana Parilla (Once Upon a Time), Callie Thorne (Necessary Roughness);
Previous Winners:2011: Elizabeth Moss, Mad Men; 2010: Katey Sagal, Sons of Anarchy; 2009: Jill Scott, The # 1 Ladies Detective Agency; 2008: Mary McDonnell, Battlestar Galactica; 2007: Minnie Driver, The Riches
Analysis: Who would have thought that Amy Abbott would grow up to be such an ass-kicker?!?! Danes was remarkable in her first year of series TV in a long time, and Gunn never gets the credit she deserves because the Breaking Bad boys get all the awards. Moss may have gotten less to do this season but the episode where she told Don she was quitting guaranteed her a spot amongst the final six.
BEST SERIES, REALITY/NON-FICTION (NEW CATEGORY) American Masters (PBS) Antiques Road Show (PBS) Comic Book Men (AMC) Crave (Food) Deadliest Catch (Discovery) Jamie's American Road Trip (BBC America)
Toughest Omissions: Flipping Out (Bravo), Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis (Bravo)
Analysis: I wanted to have a category to go hand-in-hand with the reality competition one we added last year, recognizing the best in non-fiction (and non-news) programming, and I think the six above titles show the genre frequently referred to as "reality" at its best and most diverse.
BEST SERIES, REALITY COMPETITION Chopped: All Stars (Food) Food Network Star (Food) The Glee Project (Oxygen) Iron Chef America (Food) Shark Tank (ABC) So You Think You Can Dance (Fox)
Toughest Omissions: none
Previous Winner: 2011: Top Chef: All Stars
Analysis: Food dominated, I know, but those were the shows that stood out. I think the food shows have an advantage because they can stick to a formula yet be SO different week in and week out.
BEST SERIES, NON-FICTION COMEDY The Colbert Report (Comedy Central) The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central) The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (CBS) Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (NBC) The Soup (E!) Tosh.0 (Comedy Central)
Previous Winner: 2011: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Analysis: This is quite the group of nominees; I might hypothesize that if someone didn't watch a single bit of TV news and instead watched every new episode of these shows they would be significantly better informed on current events and pop culture.
BEST SERIES, COMEDY Archer, FX Community, NBC Louie, FX Modern Family, ABC New Girl Parks and Recreation, NBC
Toughest Omissions: Happy Endings, Bent
Previous Winners: 2011: Community; 2010: Glee; 2009: Chuck; 2008: The Office; 2007: The Office
Analysis: I love how different these shows are; yes, all are very smart comedies (no lowest common denominator stuff to be found in this group) that are committed to characters and storytelling but the way they go about telling those stories varies so wildly that it makes for a wonderful time to be a fan of TV comedy.
BEST SERIES, DRAMA Awake (NBC) Breaking Bad (AMC) Homeland (Showtime) Mad Men (AMC) Parenthood (NBC) Sons of Anarchy (FX)
Toughest Omissions: Rescue Me, Suits, Once Upon a Time, Boardwalk Empire, The Walking Dead, Justified
Analysis: These are my nominations and even I am surprised that two network shows made it on this list. And for those who are ready to sic some dragons on me, I've written about my feeling on Game of Thrones in the past; I think it's a very, very well made show that simply didn't provide any sort of emotional hook for me. It's not that I didn't understand it or couldn't follow the plot, it's that it simply didn't speak to me on any sort of compelling level that made me feel it should be up there in place of one of the other series.
And there we have it, the 2011 Norty Awards, honoring over 40 shows over 15+ networks; you may not agree with our picks but you can't argue we don't have an informed opinion! Again, I look forward to reading your thoughts on who should have been nominated and who you would have picked to win so please use the comments section below to sound off. When offering up suggestions keep in mind that there are only six nominees per category and one winner, so when you write about people/shows you think I over looked, add in who/what they should have replaced in those categories.
Sunny Day, Sweepin' The Clouds Away, On My Way To Where The Air Is Sweet
The Sesame Street video of the week…
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 21 days…
THURSDAY Anger Management was down 35% in the demos and a hair more in total viewers in week two, although the numbers it put up in both measures were still excellent for a cable comedy series…Rookie Blue (+18%) was ABC lone bright spot for the night, with Duets matching the previous week's season/series low and Wipeout dropping 15%...Good night for Fox, with Take Me Out up 30% for a season/series demo high and The Choice up 33%...Saving Grace was down a remarkable 43% to a new series low…CBS lineup of reruns actually won the night in both total audience and demos, with the 8:30pm Big Bang Theory encore being the top performer of the night in both measures…
SUNDAY The Newsroom hit a season/series high, up 32% from week two…
MONDAY
5.6 million watched the series premiere of Perception, which held on to a strong 90+% of its lead in audience from The Closer. The total viewers made Perception the second most watched series premiere on ad-supported cable of 2012…Early reports have Good Morning America topping The Today Show in total viewers and the 25-54 demo, the first time GMA has done so on a Monday since February of 2006. These stats, if they hold, are even more interesting considering Monday was Savannah Guthrie's official debut as co-host of The Today Show…The debut of Good Afternoon America was up 40% in total viewers from the season average put up by The Revolution in the same timeslot…
TUESDAY
Fox's coverage of the MLB All-Star Game was up for last year and led the night in total viewers and demos…America's Got Talent was up 17% from the previous Tuesday's season low…Love in the Wild was up 8%...Wipeout dropped to a series low in the demos…
WEDNESDAY America's Got Talent won the night in totals and demos but did so while dropping to a season low…Actually, AGT tied So You Think You Can Dance for the demo crown, although the latter was down a big chunk from the previous week as well…
All The Young Dudes, Carry The News
Industry News, Notes, and Hot Rumors…TNT has picked up a 10 episode third season of Falling Skies…Some big changes for American Idol's upcoming 12th season; Steven Tyler will not return to the judges panel and Jennifer Lopez hinted quite strongly in interviews this week that she would not be back either. It's being reported that producers are in talks to bring former finalist Adam Lambert on board to fill one of the judges seats…Jennifer Lopez is developing a drama series for ABC Family about a lesbian couple (one a cop, one a teacher) with three kids of their own who take in a street wise teenage girl. Lopez will executive produce and likely guest star in the pilot as well…Syfy has picked up an additional 16 episodes of Total Blackout, which will begin airing in November…Leslie Odom, Jr. will go from recurring to regular on Smash's second season…Luka Jones, seen last season on NBC's Best Friends Forever, has joined the cast of Up All Night, playing Christina Applegate's younger brother…Real Housewives alum Jill Zarin will be a correspondent on ABC's Good Afternoon America…Season three of Haven hits Syfy on September 21st…Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle series reboot premieres at the end of September…Season two of Syfy's Alphas begins in a couple of weeks and they've lined up a strong set of guest stars; Sean Astin, C. Thomas Howell, Lauren Holly, and Steve Byers will all make their first appearances on the show while Summer Glau, John Pyper-Ferguson, and Mahershala Ali will return for three episode runs, reprising characters from the first season…Kristoffer Polaha - so great on Life Unexpected and late of Ringer as well) has signed to be a full time cast member on the CBS legal drama Made in Jersey this fall…Michael Buble will be a mentor on Blake Shelton's team on the upcoming season of The Voice…TTTP fave Titus Welliver has found a show he hasn't guest on; look for him on an episode of White Collar this summer…Dianna Agron and Grant Gustin are the latest Glee folks to be announced as mentors on upcoming episodes of The Glee Project…Demi Lovato and Glee's Kevin McHale will co-host Fox's Teen Choice Awards…Liane Balban (Covert Affairs, Alphas) has booked a recurring gig on Supernatural as a love interest for Sam…Season three of Boardwalk Empire hits HBO on Sunday, September 16th, followed a week later by the start of Treme's third season…Author Michael Connolly has paired up with Eric Overmeyer (Treme) to pitch networks on making a series out of the books featuring his Harry Bosch character. Connolly has written more than 20 novels with Bosch, an LAPD homicide detective, as the lead, and his previous development deal with Paramount led to 15 years with no projects plus a courtroom fight over who had rights to the character. Overmeyer, who would be head writer and showrunner for a series, has writing and/or producing credits on The Wire, Homicide: Life on the Street, Law & Order, and St Elsewhere…Spartacus may be entering its final season in January but Starz is looking to stay in business with its producers; the network is developing Incursion (set inside a platoon of soldiers battling an alien race, with each season taking place on a new planet) from Spartacus creator Steven S DeKnight and Vlad Dracula (historical drama about how Dracula came to be) from Spartacus producer Rob Tapert (among others)…Firefly fans - and I know my readership has a LOT of them - should mark November 11th on their calendars; Science Channel is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the series premiere by running an all-day marathon along with the special Browncoats Unite, which includes exclusive footage of the Comic-Con panel that takes place this Friday night and features Joss Whedon, Nathan Fillion, Summer Glau, Adam Baldwin, Sean Maher, and Alan Tudyk reuniting to discuss the show…truTV has picked up a 10 episode first season of Uploaded with Shaquille O'Neal where the former NBA all-star joins stand up's Godfrey and Gary Owen as they review the funniest web videos they can find as well as make some of their own. The show will also have a different guest co-host every week…CBS announced their fall premiere dates (series premieres marked with an *); Survivor: Philippines (Wed, 9/19); HIMYM, Partners*, 2 Broke Girls, Mike & Molly, Hawaii 5-0 (Mon, 9/24); NCIS, NCIS: LA, Vegas* (Tue, 9/25); Criminal Minds, CSI (Wed, 9/26); The Big Bang Theory, Two & 1/2 Men, Person of Interest, Elementary* (Thu, 9/27); CSI: NY, Made in Jersey*, Blue Bloods (Fri, 9/28); 60 Minutes, The Amazing Race, The Good Wife, The Mentalist (Sun, 9/30)... The 2012-2013 fall season has yet to premiere but we have the first pilot order for the 2013-2014 season; CBS wants a pilot for Ex-Men, a comedy that has How I Met Your Mother executive producer Rob Greenberg on board. It follows a younger single guy living at a short-term rental building learning the ways of the world from some of the older male residents. The show is written by the husband and wife team of Eric and Kim Tannenbaum, who previously worked together on Two and a Half Men, Rob, and Notes from the Underbelly…
Turns Out Not Where But Who You're With That Really Matters
(The Best of What's Around aka The Best Thing I've Watched In The Last 7 Days…)
Words cannot possible express how wonderfully entertaining I found this each and every time I watched this week (and it was more than twice, I assure you)…
And I thought this was extremely well executed as well as it's a shot-for-shot reenactment of the actual Golden Girls credits…
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…This section is smaller than usual, the result of my cold and all the time involved in putting together the full set of Norty Award nominations. I am hoping to start catching up this weekend…Enjoying Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell so far; it's like someone mixed aspects of Chopped with a much more civilized version of Hell's Kitchen to come up with an hour that entertains without seeming forced or manipulative. Regular readers know I am a big fan of shows where the prize is something more than cash, so someone getting their shot at a dream job certainly qualifies…Had a three episode Burn Notice marathon to catch up on this season; the scene where Michael visits Fiona in jail packed an emotional punch, for sure, but I also was left wondering who her lawyer is; yes, she confessed (to a certain extent) to the bombing but the government would still insist on having someone represent her for fear of losing the case at appeal on technical grounds. Also felt like they kind of wasted John C McGinley, but let's see where the character goes from here. I certainly give them credit for trying new things, which the show has done pretty well over the years, whether it's adding new major characters or breaking the team up…My thoughts on Perception? Ehhh. I do like the cast, especially Eric McCormack and Rachael Leigh Cook (she was SO good on PSYCH!!!), but it feels like writers sat down and said, "let's take the smart guy who helps a team solve mysteries formula but instead of making him quirky, let's make him actually crazy!" There's nothing about the show that feels genuine or organic in any way, and that makes it highly unlikely I'll come back for more…
TV Pick Of The Week
This Sunday is a huge night of TV for any time of year, let alone for the middle of July…
*Season five premiere of Leverage (8pm, TNT)
*Final season premiere of Breaking Bad (10pm, AMC)
*Series premiere of Political Animals (10pm, USA)
*Series premiere of Smalltown Security (11pm, AMC)
Plus new episodes of 60 Minutes (7pm, CBS), Dateline (7pm, NBC), Big Brother (8pm, CBS), Cupcake Wars (8pm, Food), Jerseylicious (8pm, Style), Mob Wives (8pm, VH-1), Secret Millionaire (8pm, ABC), Drop Dead Diva (9pm, Lifetime), Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition (9pm, ABC), Big Ang (9pm, VH-1), Falling Skies (9pm, TNT), Food Network Star (9pm, Food), The Glades (9pm, A&E), Ice Road Truckers (History), True Blood (9pm, HBO), Army Wives (10pm, Lifetime), Longmire (10pm, A&E), The Newsroom (10pm, HBO), Shark Wranglers (10pm, History), Weeds (10pm, Showtime), Episodes (10:30pm, Showtime)…Seriously, the level of diversity Sunday's programming offers – in subject matter and quality – is mind boggling.
Clearly Breaking Bad and Political Animals are the two most intriguing options for the evening, the former being one of the best shows of the last 15 years entering into its final season and the latter has one of the best casts a new show has put together in recent memory, with a hot storyline for an election year, when everyone is thinking politics.
Don't miss TV, this Sunday night!
Hope You Need My Love, Babe, Just Like I Need You
Other noteworthy viewing options from the next seven days…
*John Leguizamo's track record in TV and movies may be hit-or-miss but his abilities as a performer are undeniable, which is why the premier of John Leguizamo's Tales from a Ghetto Klown on PBS tonight at 9pm (check your local PBS listings) is well worth your time.
*Eureka brings its five season run to a close Monday night. This season has easily been the show's best and because the writers were given one final episode to give the audience closure, I am expecting lots of references to (and hopefully appearances by) characters from the past as well as at least a few tears coming down my cheeks.
*Despite a rash of not-so-great publicity there still doesn't seem to be a cooking show that doesn't want Paula Deen to guest on; her latest appearance comes on Tuesday's MasterChef (9pm, Fox).
*The first (and almost assuredly only) season of Duets crowns a champion this Thursday at 8pm on ABC.
*Sullivan & Son (Thursday, 10pm) is a new TBS comedy that looks just ok to me, but to be fair, I though the same thing about Men at Work and ended up enjoying the hell out of that show…
*Season ten of Project Runway begins Thursday at 9pm on Lifetime…
Two Tivos To Paradise 24 Hour Restaurant Battle, 30 Rock, After the Catch, American Idol, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Antiques Roadshow, Archer, Around the World in 80 Plate, Auction Hunters, Baby Daddy, The Big C, Boardwalk Empire, Being Human, Bent, Betty White's Off Their Rockers, Bones, Breaking Bad, Bunheads, Burn Notice, Cake Boss, Cake Boss: Next Great Baker, Chopped, The Closer, Comic Book Men, Community, Cougar Town, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Deadliest Catch, Destination Truth, Don't Trust the B- in Apt 23, Eureka, Fact or Faked, Falling Skies, Fairly Legal, Family Guy, Fast Food Mania, Flipping Out, Food Feuds, Food Network Challenge, Food Network Star, Ghost Hunters, Ghost Hunters Academy, Ghost Hunters International, Ghost Lab, Glee, Gossip Girl, Great Food Truck Race, Grey's Anatomy, Happy Endings, Haunted Highways, Haunted Treasure, Hawaii 5-0, Hell on Wheels, Hollywood Treasure, House, House of Lies, How I Met Your Mother, Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis, Iron Chef America, Justified, Key & Peele, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Law And Order: Special Victims Unit, Longmire, Lost Girl, Louie, Mad Men, Men at Work, The Middle, Mike and Molly, Modern Family, Monster Man, Necessary Roughness, New Girl, Next Iron Chef, The Office, Outside the Lines, Parks & Recreation, Private Practice, Project Accessory, Project Runway, PSYCH, Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook Off, Raising Hope, Real Time With Bill Maher, Restaurant Impossible, Revenge, Royal Pains, Rules Of Engagement, Saturday Night Live, Shear Genius, So You Think You Can Dance?, Sons of Anarchy, The Soup, Suits, Suburgatory, Supernatural, Texas Multi Mammas, Top Chef, Top Chef Just Desserts, Top Chef: Masters, Top Design, Tosh.0, True Blood, Up All Night, The Vampire Diaries, The Voice, The Walking Dead, Warehouse 13, Wilfred, Worst Cooks In America,
People Love You When They Know You're Leaving Soon
Here ends another Two Tivos To Paradise.
We'll be back next week with a full run down of the Primetime Emmy Awards plus all the week's headlines. Have fun with the comments 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, TVline.com & Deadline.com.
