Two Tivos To Paradise 06.13.08: We've Got Our Own Heatwave, A Heatwave of TV News!

Posted by Al Norton on 06.13.2008

The Cleaner is the best new show of the summer (and maybe of the year), Samuel L Jackson signs a deal with CBS, FX cancels Dirt, is Gossip Girl getting a spinoff already?, Tuesday's AFI special has some big stars, raves for Last Comic Standing, TONS of news and notes, the TV Pick of the Week and more, all in Al Norton's Two Tivos To Paradise!

Hello Friends. We managed to survive the move last Saturday, despite doing it on the start of what was a crazy Boston heat wave. We are about 70% unpacked and while it's still a bit of a mess, it's quite clear why we decided to live there. The biggest shock to regular readers may be that I went almost three days without television; we moved on Saturday morning and didn't get cable turned on until I got home from work on Monday. I somehow managed to pull through but it wasn't easy.

I drive a Maserati, I'm a black belt in karate, and I love a good glass of news.

Who's The Cat Who Won't Cop Out When There's Danger All About?
Oscar nominee Samuel L Jackson has signed a two year development deal with CBS Paramount TV, using his Uppity Pictures to create new series for the network. Jackson has limited experience with producing – his animated Afro Samurai returns to Spike TV this fall – but there were multiple networks who expressed interest in signing him once it was clear he was looking for a deal. While he won't be starring in any of the series, he did not rule out making appearances on the shows on a limited basis.

I am tired of all these mf'ing movie stars on my mf'ing TV screen. No, not really, but it was the only Snakes on a Plane joke I could come up with. Wait, I've got a better Jackson reference – how will you know which shows are his? They are ones that say bad MF'er. Yes, I know this is the internet and I am free to swear, but I prefer to save my f-bombs from special occasions.

On a more serious note, Jackson is clearly a smart guy and deals that bring smart people to television are good news in my book. It will be interesting to see if any of these shows are action series, since those are frequently the types of movies he appears in, or if he goes a different route. There is no question that having his name attached means more people than usual will pay attention, and for CBS, a network whose programs skew very old, that is more than worth whatever they are paying.

We're Heading For Venus And Still We Stand Tall, Cause Maybe They've Seen Us And Welcome Us All
CBS is airing a new American Film Institute special next week and have lined up some big name stars to appear. AFI's 10 Top 10 airs next Tuesday at 8 pm and counts down the top 10 films in 10 different genres, each with a different person as host:

Clint Eastwood – westerns
Quentin Tarrantino – gangster
Jessica Alba – romantic comedies
Cuba Gooding, Jr. – sports
Sigourney Weaver – sci-fi
James Woods – courtroom dramas
Jennifer Love Hewitt – animation
Sean Astin – fantasy
Gabriele Byrne – mystery
Kirk Douglas – epics

No matter what generation you are from, that is a pretty darn impressive list of talent and one that adds immediate legitimacy. Previous AFI specials have done well in the ratings and also generated plenty of debate, although a healthy, respectful debate, as opposed to other "Best Lists" that make such bad choices they are a joke from the outset. The only question I have is why is JLH a part of this? I know there is an "I can think of two good reasons" punch line to be delivered here but wouldn't someone known for a doing a voice in a big animated movie be a better selection? Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, Tim Allen, Tom Hanks, whoever played Lilo (or for that matter, Stich)? Let's put it this way, if her show were not on the same network as this special, she would not be appearing.

I Ain't Easy, I Ain't Sleazy, I Got Reasons Why I Tease ‘Em
Producers of The CW's freshman hit Gossip Girl are already discussing a spin off series, possibly based around the character of Jenny Humphrey. The series of books the show is based on also gave Jenny a spinoff – there were 6 The It Girl books – after some rather public embarrassments caused her to ship off to boarding school. Another possibility would be to introduce a new character during next season and then give them the new show in the spring/fall of 2009. Reports have The CW getting first dibs on this new show but the producers will shop it elsewhere is the network passes.

One season of mediocre ratings (good for The CW, and with lots of buzz, but it's hardly a blockbuster) and GG is getting a spin off? I hope they build the show around Jenny as Taylor Momsen, the actress who plays her, has made her one of the few realistic teenagers on the show. Maybe that's because Momsen turns 15 next month and all of her co-stars are in their mid 20's. One would assume The CW would move to pick this up pretty quickly, what with Beverly Hills, 90210 and How To Teach The Filthy Rich premiering in the fall; clearly they are going the teen audience route, so striking while the iron is hot makes sense. If The CW were to pass it is speculated that ABC Family and MTV would be the first networks the producers would get on the phone, although I am thinking that if it's even half as racy as GG, it will be a bit much for ABC Family's more tame sensibilities.

This story changed later in the week when GG executive producer Josh Schwartz exchanged emails with Eonline.com columnist Kristen Dos Santos, denying there was a spin off in the works. What I found most interesting was his word choice; "no plans for spinoff at this moment" and "we have nothing in the works right now other than making sure season two gets off to a great start." Is there anything in there that would make a mid-season announcement about a fall of 2009 spinoff seem unlikely? All he is saying is that there is nothing in place, but the story was not that there was a deal, simply that the option was being discussed. And now I've spent way too much time on this. Moving on…

I Could Tell When I Woke Up This Morning Cause I Can Smell It When A Heartache's Comin'
Courtney Cox told reporters at the Time For Heroes carnival in LA on Sunday that FX had cancelled her series Dirt. While the network hasn't made an official announcement, it's assumed that Cox, who executive produced the series as well as starring in it, would be in the know on such things. Dirt debuted to decent ratings in season one but they were downhill from there and the strike-shortened second season was a major disappointment. There is no word yet on The Riches, the networks other bubble series.

This news was hardly a shock since Dirt was quite bad, watchable only during season one for the brilliant performance of Ian Hart and the weekly shock factor, which usually were sexual (Cox had a simulated masturbation scene in the pilot) but also included a character being tied up and threatened with his testicles being cut off, fried, and fed to him. Oh yeah, and there was the music manager who kept the severed head of one of his former clients, a rap star, in a jar. What was amazing to me is that those scenes, designed to generate some buzz, were eliminated for the second season, so you were left with essentially nothing. And a bland nothing at that. Ratings did spike a bit for a much discussed but ultimately rather forgettable kiss between Cox and former Friends co-star Jennifer Anniston in the season one finale, but this show simply never caught on, which makes sense because it was never particularly good. Joey bombed, Studio 60 and The Comeback each only lasted a season, and now Dirt is gone; let the Friends curse talk begin again.

By the way, the curse isn't about the quality of the show (I was a big fan of both Studio 60 and The Comeback, and even enjoyed the first season of Joey as a guilty pleasure) but rather the overall success of the project.

While we are only subject of FX series, let me plead publicly with the network executives to give The Riches a third season; it's one of the best shows on TV right now and the incredible build of the strike shortened second season deserves the chance to come to a full boil.

The Beast In Me Is Caged By Frail And Fragile Bonds
After receiving a thumbs up from his Doctors about being able to handle the schedule, A & E gave a 13 episode order to the new Patrick Swayze series, The Beast. Swayze, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March, plays an FBI agent with his own way of getting things done who is paired up with a new rookie partner while at the same time being the focus of a secret internal affairs investigation. The show was on track for an earlier pick up but Swayze's health threw the project into limbo. The hour long drama, which will be shot on location in Chicago, looks to hit the airwaves early next year.

First and foremost, the good news here is that Swayze is healthy enough to take this gig; I have always liked him and found him to be unaffected by the Hollywood lifestyle. Even when his projects were less than stellar (Next Of Kin, anyone?), he seemed to give each role his all. On a cynical but honest note, the show will have a MUCH higher profile because of his battle with cancer than it ever would have otherwise, and hopefully the show will be of a quality level to match that buzz. Based on A & E's other new drama (see below), my expectations are high.

And You Say, Just Be Here Now, Forget About The Past, Your Mask Is Wearing Thin
The Cleaner, the first original drama from A & E in over six years, debuts on Tuesday July 15th at 10 pm. Based on the true story of Warren Boyd, the series follows William Banks (Benjamin Bratt), a recovering addict who leads a team of fellow recoverees in helping those in the middle of the drug and alcohol struggles get help, frequently taking a "by whatever means necessary" approach. Banks does this based on a deal he made with God on the night his daughter was born, that he would get clean and help others do so as well if he could just make it through the trouble he was in. The show was created by Boyd, Jonathan Prince, best known for being the creator of NBC's American Dreams, and Robert Munic, who wrote the screenplay for Harrison Ford's upcoming No True Glory.

Easily the best new show of the summer, The Cleaner, despite its rather generic title, is also among the best new series of the year. Bratt has always been someone who should be a bigger star, and before the opening segment ends he has demonstrated a level of magnetism - an ability to own the screen - unlike many other actors on TV right now. The pilot isn't perfect; there is a plot device you can tell is coming from a long way away but that didn't make it any less emotionally affecting, and the show doesn't pull any punches in it's portrayal of drug use.

The supporting cast includes Grace Park, seemingly liberated from the constraints of her Galactica uniform and showing a level of sexuality that up to now has only existed in chat rooms and fan fiction, and Kevin Michael Richardson, who shined in last year's Knights of Prosperity, but Bratt is clearly the draw here. Not many actors could keep up a running dialog with God and have it seem anything other than incredibly cheesy but here it's never anything other than 100% genuine. That's actually the highest compliment I can give to him for his performance – from scene one you believe he is William Banks, and you buy into his passion for his mission.

Regular readers know how much I appreciate shows that examine the larger issues in life, like the responsibilities we have, not just to our loved ones but to one another as people, and the roles that spirituality and religion (yes, those two things can be quite different) in our lives, and The Cleaner is very much about these things. What makes it stand out as much as it does is that at its core it's also just a show about a guy trying to do right by his family and pay his debts. I was disappointed when the DVD I received of the show only had the one episode because I wanted to keep watching – it's that good.

Hope You Need My Love Babe, Just Like I Need You
A recurring feature here at TTTP; when the schedule warrants, we run down the highlights of the next seven days of programming.

Sunday
Saturday Night Live – The Best of Mike Myers, 9 pm, NBC
NBA Finals Game Five, 9 pm, ABC

The Love Guru comes out next Friday so the Mike Myers blitz starts tonight. Let's go Celtics (clap, clap, clap clap clap)

Monday
Inside The Actors Studio, 8 pm, Bravo
The Middleman (series premiere), 8 pm, ABC Family
Intervention (season 5 premiere), 9 pm, A & E
Weeds (season 4 premiere), 10 pm, Showtime
Secret Diary of a Call Girl (series premiere), 10:30 pm, Showtime

The Mike Myers blitz continues with him offering up his ass for James Lipton's puckered lips on Inside The Actors Studio. The Middleman is a secret agent show with quite a bit of buzz, an adaptation of a very popular graphic novel and a show that will draw ABC Family an audience that does not normally check out the network's programming. I have never been a big Weeds fan but I know there are many that love its brand of dark comedy, and let's not forget that the great Albert Brooks is doing an extended run this season.

Tuesday
AFI's 10 Top 10, 8 pm, CBS
America's Got Talent (season 3 premiere), 9 pm, NBC
Flipping Out (season 2 premiere), 10 pm, Bravo
Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood (season 3 premiere), 10 pm, Oxygen

I am a wildly entertained by Jeff Lewis brand of psychosis and anxiety so the return of Flipping Out is a joyous occasion. Tori & Dean switches locations this season, the first two taking place at an Inn they were running but this finding them at home with their two children in LA.

Wednesday
Black Gold (series premiere), 10 pm, TruTV
Top Chef Reunion Special, 10 pm, Bravo

Black Gold looks like a quality addition to the "reality series about dangerous jobs" genre and may turn out to be the breakout series TruTV is looking for. Very smart move by Bravo to show the Top Chef reunion after the finale, so fans can enjoy it instead of previous seasons when it airs before and annoys fans by making them wait another week to see who wins.

Thursday
Randy Jackson Presents American's Best Dance Crew (season 2 premiere), 10 pm, MTV

MTV has apparently learned nothing from the producers of Jackson other reality show, who have kept it as event television by only doing one season per year, and have the second RJPABDC just a couple of months (if that) after the crowning of their inaugural champion.

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 last week…Ratings news will be short the next week or two as we are in post-finale/pre-premiere limbo…Last Wednesday premiere of She's Got The Look made TV Land quite happy with it's numbers, up 15% from that time period last year in overall viewers and 23% in demos…Swingtown handily topped Fear Itself in last Thursday's battle of debuting show, with the former winning in both total viewers as well as key demos…Thursday night was won by game on of the NBA Finals, which was up 46% from last year, and Sunday's game two was a 57% increase from 2007 as well…So You Think You Can Dance saw an 8% drop from last week…Not only was the season two premiere of Army Wives the most watched episode of an original series in the network's 24 year history, it was basic cable's most watched episode of any series of 2008 among women 18-54…While the overall audience for the premiere of Nashville Star on NBC (6.6 million) was not huge, it was a 214% improvement over last season's debut on USA…Monday's The Bachelorette hit a series low, and The Mole dropped 16% from last Monday's worst ever numbers…The special CBS airing of an episode of TBS' The Bill Engvall Show was watched by 6.4 million and tied a Bones rerun in demos…So You Think You Can Dance won it's head-to-head battle with Deal or No Deal on Tuesday, finishing up as the evenings most watched program…The premiere of Celebrity Circus topped the 10 hour in demos…Farmer Wants A Wife isn't exactly lighting the world on fire but continues to perform surprisingly well for The CW…

All The Young Dudes Carry The News
Industry News, Notes, and Hot Rumors…FX has finally given The Shield's final season a premiere date: September 2nd…Original Media (Miami Ink & LA Ink) have partnered up with Stone Cold Steve Austin for a new reality series that is being pitched to networks. While the concept is being kept hush-hush, the production company came to Austin with the idea, and he is not using "Stone Cold" in front of his name with this project, which does not involve the WWE…The match up's for NBC's Celebrity Family Feud have been announced, and the show will debut on July 1st with cast members from My Name Is Earl (it's the Hickeys vs. The Camden County All-Stars), with later weeks including the Kardashians vs. Deion Sanders and family, and The Office vs. American Gladiators. They should do The Soup vs. Best Week Ever…Dennis Hopper will front the cast of Crash, an adaptation of the Oscar winning film for Starz Entertainment…Look for Michael Clarke Duncan and John Larroquette to guest on episodes of Chuck this fall…Amber Tamblyn of Joan of Arcadia fame has joined Harold Perrineau and Adam Goldberg in the cast of the ABC pilot The Unusuals. I must admit, the casting has my interest so far…MYNetworkTV has signed Tony Rock to star in the Tony Rock Project (good thing he was available!), a comedic reality series that finds Chris' younger brother doing some man on the street, real life situation sketches…VH-1 has given the green light to 8 episodes of Scream Queen, a reality show where 10 actresses compete for the lead in a new Lionsgate horror movie…The always fabulous Jane Lynch has signed on for the Damon Wayans' pilot Never Better for ABC…Industry insiders were caught off guard this past week when GSN did not renew High Stakes Poker and World Tour Poker, two of their highest rated series…From the "I Can't Make This Stuff Up" file comes word that CMT is grouping Maureen McCormick, Bobby Brown, and Carnie Wilson – who all got buddy-buddy on their reality series Gone Country – for Outsider's Inn, a new 8 episode series where they run a rural East Tennessee inn together…John Stamos will co-star with Robin Tunney in the Lifetime movie Killing Mr. Kissel, a project he will also executive produce. Stamos is also executive producing the TV movie Baby Love for TNT…Lara Spencer will be the full time host of The Insider come September, which is also when it begins broadcasting in high def. Pat O'Brien will remain as an LA correspondent…Two Tivos favorite Steven Webber will gust on PSYCH this summer…NBC is reuniting Francis Capra with Kristen Bell this fall when the former Veronica Mars cast member plays a new villain on Heroes…Just when I thought MTV has exhausted every possible faux-celebrity reality show possibility comes word that they ordered six episodes of Bromance, where dudes compete to be Brody Jenner's new best bud. It is not surprising to learn this show is being produced by Ryan Seacrest…Rocky Carroll has been made a regular on NCIS, meaning his character's promotion to Director will be a permanent thing. That was for you, Chris…Arsenio Hall will host Funniest Moments on MYNetworkTV this fall, mixing stand up with real life video clips of people caught in embarrassing moments…Sarah Paulson, late of Studio 60, has been cast as the female lead in Cupid opposite Emmy winner Bobby Cannavale…Look for Seth Green to appear on an episode of My Name Is Earl next season, a casting move that makes so much sense I am shocked it hasn't happened already…With Joy Mohr leaving for Project Gary, Ghost Whisperer has balanced their estrogen/testosterone levels by casting Jamie Kennedy in a new role…Nicole Robinson (Mad TV, King of Queens) is the star of Rita Rocks, a new Lifetime comedy series about a wife and mother who tries to reconnect with her musical roots by forming a garage band. Tisha Campbell-Martin (My Wife and Kids, Martin) co-stars…Jason Priestly is in talks to be a part of the upcoming 90210 reboot, but behind the camera as a director…Bravo has greenlighted 8 episodes of Top Chef Junior, featuring aspiring masters of the culinary arts between 13 and 16 years old…The participants in the new season of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew were revealed this week, with Jeff Conaway returning for a second go round along with newcomers Tawny Kitean, Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler, Rod Stewart's son Sean, and Rodney King. Gary Busey will be along for the ride in the role of a mentor…

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…This is a tough one since I didn't watch much but I will admit that the San Francisco-Toronto episode of Last Comic Standing had me laughing out loud for the full two hours. I really think the entire group of finalists could have come from these auditions, and I don't understand why Toronto only got two people to move to the next round of the show. Dave Foley and Richard Kind were far and away the best pair of celebrity judges, and Kind's exchange with the comic with the Vegas shtick was phenomenal.

Also worthy of praise was NBC opening the show by promising the most outrageous audition in the history of the series, and then showing it in the first five minutes. I was expecting to be teased for 1:55, so when they busted out the crazy before the first commercial I was impressed.

None of these performers have blown me away but they also have had about 90 seconds of screen time, so once we get to Vegas and the finalists get a full five minutes it will let us see who among them have a real voice.

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 is a small section this week, what with the move, lack of TV access for three days, and the Celtics being in the finals…I have become a huge Chuck Nice fan over the last few months, elevating him to the status of "favorites" among the Best Week Ever crew. Speaking of BWE, can we get some more Frangella?!? Please!!! How about giving them a crack at Best Day Ever?...Joel McHale reached new levels of genius this week when he worked the phrase "goat taint" into a punch line…Finally caught the season premiere of 30 Days and was thrilled to find the show maintaining it's level of excellence. Coal mining is a crazy job and they did as well as you can in 60 minutes of explaining what day-to-day activities are as well as delving into the history of the profession and the role coal plays in our country's current energy situation. Morgan Spurlock more than proved me right in labeling 30 Days the best reality show on TV…I really hope you are taking my advice and checking out The Academy on Fox Reality; it's brutal to watch the DI's put the recruits through their paces but when you think about the responsibility they will have when they graduate, it makes total sense…

TV Pick Of The Week
"It's about time." When I make my list of the top moments of the 2007-2008 season, the embrace between Adama and Roslin at the end of last week's Battlestar Galactica will rank right up there with Penny and Desmond's phone call from Lost (which was actually more moving to me than their eventual reunion), hitting an emotional high note leading into this Friday's episode, the end of the first half of the show's final season and the last new BSG until 2009. The ads seem to imply that the secret 4 cylon models reveal themselves, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if the episode ends with a shot of earth.

Aside from the above mentioned acknowledgement of feelings, the episode also continued this series incredible attempt to deal with some pretty deep subject matter, including the true definition of humanity and how one decides that some human lives are worth more than others. I have talked before about how what makes BSG the best show on TV is the way they examine the true nature of identity, but it's not just on an individual level; it's also about what defines a society as a whole as well. This is heady stuff and while I can understand that it's not for everyone, those who have invested the time over the last four seasons are no doubt richer because of it.

Don't miss the first half season finale of Battlestar Galactica this Friday at 10 on SciFi.

Two Tivos To Paradise, Weekly Update
30 Days, 30 Rock, The Academy, American Idol, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Antique Roadshow, The Apprentice, Battlestar Galactica, Best Week Ever, Big Love, Bones, Boston Legal, Breaking Bad, Brothers And Sisters, Burn Notice, Chuck, The Closer, Criss Angel Mindfreak, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Deadliest Catch, Desperate Housewives, Destination Truth, Dirty Sexy Money, Entourage, Eureka, Everybody Hates Chris, Fear Itself, Flipping Out, Ghost Hunters, Gossip Girl, Grey's Anatomy, Heroes, The Hills, House, How I Met Your Mother, Last Comic Standing, Last Restaurant Standing, Law And Order, Law And Order: Criminal Intent, Law And Order: Special Victims Unit, Lost, Mad Men, Make Me A Supermodel, Medium, My Name Is Earl, The New Adventures Of Old Christine, Next Food Network Star, Nip/Tuck, The Office, The Paper, One Tree Hill, Private Practice, Project Runway, Pushing Daisies, Psych, Real Time With Bill Maher, The Real Hustle, Reaper, Rescue Me, The Riches, Rules Of Engagement, Run's House, Samantha Who?, The Sarah Jane Chronicles, Saturday Night Live, Scrubs, Shear Genius, So You Think You Can Dance, The Soup, Step It Up and Dance, Supernatural, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Top Chef, Top Design, Torchwood, Ugly Betty

People Love You When They Know You're Leaving Soon
Here ends another edition of Two Tivos To Paradise. The wait is almost over – next Friday is the 100th edition of TTTP – can you feel the excitement?!?! Actually, the plans are getting so big that the celebration may be spread out over two weeks, but either way, it's only another 7 days till the festivities begin!

Have a great week, see you next Friday!

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.