Two Tivos To Paradise 12.08.06
Posted by Al Norton on 12.08.2006
You Say You Want A Tivolution, Well You Know. We All Want To Read The News. Wait, Do I Owe Someone Money For Using A Beatles Song? Click Here For All The Latest Before I Am Forced To Make A Lame Michael Jackson Joke.
Two Tivos To Paradise
Hello, hello. Winter finally hit Boston this week, with light snow on Monday followed by some seriously chilly temps. This was right on the heels of a record setting 70 degree day last Thursday. The cliché about New England weather is true – if you don't like, wait five minutes - and my Dad keeps telling me the Farmer's Almanac is predicting a severe winter, so that may mean I am frequently snowed in and able to stay on top of the ever growing "Now Playing" section of my Tivo. On an up note, I did manage to finish my holiday shopping without ever actually stepping foot into a store. I do not remember a world before Amazon.
Despite it being a slow week, words can not begin to describe how excited I am to give you the news; I'm like a one eyed cat peepin' in a seafood store.
Dance All Night Play All Day; Don't Let Nothing Get In Your Way
Another week, another network shaking up their post-Holiday line up; ABC announced a serious of unexpected changes, the biggest being shifting Lost from 9 to 10 on Wednesday when it returns the first week in February. Day Break is done as of the end of the year, ending its run five episodes early. Taking its place at 9:00 will be two new comedies, the high profile Knights Of Prosperity and In Case Of Emergency. The 8:00 hour will be filled by two returning comedies, George Lopez and According To Jim. The William Shatner hosted quiz show Show Me The Money moves to Tuesdays at 8, to be followed by Big Day and Help Me Help You. This is just the first of what will be several line up changes for the alphabet network before the end of the season as Dancing With The Stars returns in March and will command at least two hours of prime time per week.
All of this is because of a little Fox show called American Idol; it is remarkable how the other networks run scared from a show that is hosted by Ryan Seacrest and prominently features Paula Abdul. Lost had a big ratings drop off last year when going head to head with AI so bumping it to 10:00 is a pretty smart idea, especially with Criminal Minds pulling big numbers (which will get even bigger with this move). Its bad news for NBC's Medium, which now faces Lost and CSI: New York. More interesting to me is ABC going from having a total of one sitcom on the air in September to having three hours of comedy programming in January; if you are trying to convince the audience that you are a destination for laughter it makes more sense to build slowly, establishing a few shows and then using those to break in the new series. Expectations are high for Knights Of Prosperity, which is why ABC is promoting the crap out of it. Let's meet here next week to see what CBS has in store for going to war with Simon.
Many A Long And Lonesome Highway Lies Before Us As We Go
Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, and Ehren Kruger are executive producing TNT's upcoming adaptation of the Stephen King-Peter Straub novel, The Talisman. Originally developed by DreamWorks as a big screen project, this version will be a six hour "limited series." Spielberg and Kennedy most recently worked together producing Into The West for TNT last summer, and Kruger wrote the screenplay for The Ring. The Talisman is the story of a young boy who goes on a quest to find the talisman that will cure his Mother's cancer and finds himself in a parallel universe.
This sounds good for lots of reasons, not the least of which is that both the DreamWorks team and TNT have experience with this sort of thing; I have written several times over the past few weeks how amazing Spielberg's mini-series Taken was, and TNT has done a credible job with King's work (last year's Nightmare's And Dreamscapes was brilliant at times, boring at others, and their remake of Salem's Lot was bad TV in its finest form). I know there are some who have been waiting for years for someone to make the King-Straub book into a movie for years and they should be pleased with the extended running time, giving them the opportunity to go into much more detail than a feature film ever could. Why has the term "mini-series" become a taboo? This is the second week in a row with a press release calling them "limited series", and I can't figure out what PR peon justified his job by creating a new term.
I Can Bring Whole Cities To Ruin And Still Have Time To Get A Soft Shoe In
Joss Whedon has been making the interview rounds this week (Entertainment Weekly and TV Guide to name but two) in an effort to promote his new Buffy The Vampire Slayer comic book. Coming out in March of next year from Dark Horse Comics, Buffy: Season Eight picks up after the events of the series finale, with Buffy now in charge of all the young slayers. While many new characters will be introduced, all your old favorites will return, including Spike And Angel. Whedon will write at least the first and last four issues of what is expected to be a 20-30 issue run.
Sign Me Up! Sorry, I couldn't resist saying that for the third week in a row, but the sentiment is real; if it's Buffy, as in real Buffy (aka written by Joss) than I am there. I am not much of a comic book guy although I, like every other teen age boy, was obsessed with Spider Man and I still have vivid memories of being shocked by the reveal of the Sin Eater's identity. This is a godsend for those of us who are Buffy diehards and going through withdrawal. Apparently there still is some negotiating going on with the company that has the comic book rights to the Angel characters, but Whedon seems to think it will be worked out. I am now and will always be firmly in the Spike camp, and to read a real follow up to the show without him would be bittersweet. I am marking off the days before I hit the local comic store for what will undoubtedly be the Best. Comic. Ever.
The Gods May Throw A Dice, Their Minds As Cold As Ice
The Hollywood Foreign Press will announce nominations for the 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards this Thursday, so I thought I would run through a quick set of predictions. Keep in mind these are not necessarily who I think should be recognized but rather who I think the HFP will single out. In general they are a bit more hip than the Emmys, so look for a few surprises. The awards will be given out on Monday, January 15th on NBC.
Best Drama Battlestar Galactica
Grey's Anatomy
Heroes
Lost
Studio 60
BEST COMEDY Desperate Housewives
Entourage
My Name Is Earl
The Office
Ugly Betty
BEST ACTOR, DRAMA
Tim Daly, The Nine
Patrick Dempsey,Grey's Anatomy
Hugh Laurie, House
Edward James Olmos, Battlestar Galactica
Matthew Perry, Studio 60
BEST ACTOR, COMEDY
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Jason Lee, My Name Is Earl
Josh Radnor, How I Met Your Mother
BEST ACTRESS, DRAMA
Kristen Bell, Veronica Mars
Edie Falco, The Sopranos
Mariska Hargitay, L & O: SVU
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
Jeanne Tripplehorn, Big Love
BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY
Julia Louis-Dryfus, The New Adventures Of Old Christine
America Ferrar, Ugly Betty
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives
Mary Louise Parker, Weeds
But You Were Up To Your Old Tricks In Chapters Four Five And Six
All you need to know about the Nielsen's…NBC's Thursday night comedy block came out of the gate strong, with My Name Is Earl and The Office putting up their best numbers of the season, even up against an Ugly Betty that pulled in almost 14 million viewers. Scrubs had it's highest ratings since 2004, and 30 Rock benefited from the strong lead-in as well…The new post-Grey's time slot was a good fit for Men In Trees, which finished in second place, beating a Shark rerun…A bit of good news for Battlestar Galactica fans worried about ratings; this season numbers for adults 18-34 is up 12%...Not only did the season premier of Supernanny pull in more than 10 million viewers for ABC on Monday but it was also up more than 2 million from the season premier of The Bachelor, which previously occupied that timeslot…Friday Night Lights took advantage of facing reruns and posted it's best numbers since October…The return of King Of Queens (back-to-back episodes) on Wednesday drew almost 2 million more viewers than the season finale last May…The finale of America's Next Top Model broke the CW ratings record that it had set two weeks previous…Sunday's Cowboys – Giants game on Fox was the most watched regular season NFL game since 1997, and the largest audience for a Sunday afternoon game in almost exactly 10 years…
All The Young Dudes Carry The News
Industry Notes, Pilot Updates, & Casting News…Rick Schroder has joined the cast of 24, playing a new partner of sorts for Jack Bauer… Criminal Minds will be getting the big post-Super Bowl slot from CBS this February, which should propel this already popular show to even greater heights…30 Rock received a full season pick up, which should keep the new Thursday Night comedy block in place for the foreseeable future…Jason Lewis (Sex And The City) is doing four episode of Brothers And Sisters as a love interest for Kevin…I mentioned the Lifetime pilot Army Wives, with Catherine Bell and Kim Delaney, a few weeks back and now the network has given an 13 episode order with a summer 2007 debut…Lots of star power on the upcoming season of Monk; look for appearances by Steven Weber, Charles Durning, Sean Astin, and Andy Richter to name but a few…Felicity creator Matt Reeves is working on Ordinary Joe for ABC, which chronicles the three different ways a 20something's life would have gone had he chosen a different girlfriend…Vivica A Fox has signed on for the upcoming season of Curb Your Enthusiasm…Mario Lopez has signed a development deal with The CW…Seeing how I never miss a chance to get an Everwood reference in, Emily Van Camp (Amy Abbott) is filming a guest spot for Law And Order: SVU that will air during February sweeps. No word yet on her getting cast as the mystery daughter on Brothers And Sisters…Garrison Keillor will host a special New Year's Eve edition of Prairie Home Companion for PBS this year…Chris Kattan and French Stewart are voicing the title characters of the new Fox animated series, Two Dreadful Children…Men In Trees has added Justine Bateman to their cast for the rest of the season… Kristin From E is reporting that Rebecca Romijn will start work on Ugly Betty next week…Best casting news of the week comes from Fox's Terminator spin-off The Sarah Connor Chronicles, which has inked Thomas Dekker (best know for playing Claire's friend Zach on Heroes) to play John Connor…
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…Oh, how I had missed Scrubs, which gets more laughs before the opening credits than most shows do in their full 30 minutes…If you had told me the cast of The Office was going to get even stronger I would have said you were crazy, but that was before I saw Ed Helms in action, who's performance as Andy has taken playing the fool to new heights; having a banjo in his trunk was one level of funny, singing The Rainbow Connection was true comic genius…The last 10 minutes of this week's Battlestar Galactica were heartbreaking. I urge people who may be put off by the Sci-Fi part of the show to tune in – cue broken record – because this is the single best show on television right now…Watched the first two episode of the new TBS comedy My Boys and came away feeling the writing was better than the performances. I can see how the scripts appealed to people but they need a higher caliber of actor to pull off that kind of clever. It was an interesting switch from many sitcoms where the scripts are not up to the performer's abilities…Did not much care for 10 Items Or Less. I liked the lead but it seemed much more like a sketch than an actual show. The concept of improve shows is not the problem, but they always end up a bit too much on the silly side for me…Ready for me to heap more praise on the much maligned The Class? I think Rickie and Lena are my favorite love story of the current TV season. The hug at the end of last week killed me (in a good way)…Wondering who is the best new actor of the year? It's Friday Night Lights' Scott Porter, hands down. I have never doubted a single second of his performance as Jason Street, which rivals Keifer Sutherland's Jack Bauer for the mix of intensity and humanity…Speaking of actors being singled out for praise, I am keeping my fingers crossed that Jack Coleman gets a push for a best supporting actor nomination. The entire case of Heroes is excellent but Coleman stands out week after week…Monday's Studio 60 was the best episode since the pilot; while Sorkin obviously shines writing big speeches, Danny's few lines to Jordan at the end were as good as it gets…Last week's TV Pick Of The Week, the two hour special episode of The Closer, was a bit plot heavy but the two hours still flew by, and it was great to see the squad together again. To repeat what I wrote last week, this is the best ensemble cast on any crime show on TV right now. You can catch up on season two as TNT show reruns – they call them "encores" on Tuesday nights…How can Dean Winters not have his own show at this point? From his work on Rescue Me to his recent hysterical appearances on 30 Rock as the Beeper King, he has earned a shot at a lead role; maybe David E Kelley could consider him for his upcoming Life On Mars remake?
TV Pick Of The Week
The three part Sci-Fi Channel mini-series The Lost Room kicks off Monday night. Starring Peter Krause, Julianna Margulies, Kevin Pollak, and Elle Fanning, this six hour event tells the story of a private detective (Krause) who discovers certain everyday objects that contain special powers, like a comb that stops time or pen that microwaves anyone/thing it touches, and combined these items could be used to control the world. Dakota's younger sister Elle plays his daughter who disappears into the mysterious hotel room of the title, and the always fantastic Roger Bart (Desperate Housewives, The Producers) plays a key supporting role. Mrs. Tivo and I have been looking forward to this , which Krause describes as a mix of The Fugitive, Lord Of The Rings, and The Twilight Zone, for months, so don't bother calling us between 9 – 11 next Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday!
Two Tivos To Paradise, Weekly Update 3 LBS, 30 Days, The 4400, The Apprentice, Battlestar Galactica, Best Week Ever, Big Love, Bones, Boston Legal, Brothers And Sisters, Celebrity Paranormal Project, The Class, Criss Angel Mindfreak, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Dead Zone, Desperate Housewives, Entourage, Extras, Eureka, Everybody Hates Chris, Fast Inc, Ghost Hunters, Grey's Anatomy, Hex, Heroes, The Hills, House, How I Met Your Mother, Jericho, King Of Cars, Laguna Beach, Last Comic Standing, Law And Order, Law And Order: Criminal Intent, Law And Order: Special Victims Unit, Life On Mars, Lost, Medium, My Name Is Earl, The New Adventures Of Old Christine, The Nine, Nip/Tuck, The Office, One Tree Hill, Project Runway, Psych, Real Sports, Real Time With Bill Maher, Rescue Me, Saturday Night Live, Scrubs, Shark, The Sopranos, Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip, Supernatural, Two-A-Days, Top Chef, Ugly Betty, Veronica Mars. Additions :None Deletions :None
Here ends another edition of Two Tivos To Paradise. Don't forget to check out the other news reports that 411Mania offers up daily, and let's meet back here next Friday to see how I did in my Golden Globe predictions. Keep those emails coming – I love to hear from my readers! For those people who wrote in last week, don't worry; I am still working on the lyrics to Tivolicious.
