"We are on a break!"

Yes we are. You and I. You, the one reading this, and I.

I counted 15 TV shows I've yet to watch. It should increase to 20-25 before the week is over. But these programs are taking a backseat for now, as much as this blog is also going to be quiet in a few days.

Real life is taking over. So, let's take a break. K?

PS.

There's a new show you may want to check out while I'm gone: Trust Me starring Eric McCormack.

What the heck, House?

The curse of Denny Duquet lives...not in Grey's Anatomy, but in House:

Exclusive: Is 'House' bringing Amber back to life?!

The producers of House are engaged in preliminary talks with Anne Dudek -- a.k.a. Wilson's deceased girlfriend, Amber/Cutthroat Bitch -- about returning later this season

CB, I love.
House and CB, I love.
House and CB and Wilson, I love.
CB dying, I loved how they did that.
CB coming back from the dead? WTH!

What's next? The Denny Duquet curse on Scrubs? ER?

Bravo Taraji P. Henson!

Before having seen her in Benjamin Button (and thus earning an Academy nomination for that performance), I was already in awe of Taraji P. Henson's acting prowess when she guest appeared on Eli Stone last year.

At the Oscar's Taraji will be up against these women:

• Viola Davis, Doubt
• Penelope Cruz, Vicky Christina Barcelona
• Amy Adams, Doubt
• Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

I can't even say if she'll win it. But that won't take away the fact that she is a really, really good actress.

Here, watch what I'm talking about in this scene from Eli Stone and tell me if you aren't moved by her delivery:

TV Round Up: They fired Bikini Girl!

Ooh, I've got some catching up to do! I mean with this blog, not with watching. I've been watching, haven't been writing about it. I'm writing on my personal blog more these days, it's therapeutic. So, anyway...

Whatever happened to American Idol's David Cook's visit to the Philippines? He is now going on a College Tour.

Speaking of Idol. Remember Bikini Girl in this season's first episode? Hooters Fired Her.

George Clooney returns to ER for one last visit as the show bows down this year. With ER going, NBC is replacing it with two medical dramas --- Trauma and Mercy.

House + Cuddy = Huddy. They will do the deed? Shark jump?

How funny is this: Is Lost's Hurley the Next Ghost Romancer on ABC?

Pushing Daisies' last three episodes might be aired in the summer (June).

I am curious about The Diplomat.
“The Diplomat,” a two-part, four-hour counterterrorism mini-series on Saturday on Ion, was made for British and Australian television and is similarly disorienting. It stars Dougray Scott and is a little like Fox’s “24,” only murkier and much shorter: “24” divided by 6 and steeped in Graham Greene.

Also curious about Happy Town. Lotsa new shows next season, huh?

CSI ratings went down with Grissom now gone.

Lost Is Back!

Apparently according to this site, there will be a million jillion quantrillion clues on the new episode of Lost which begins tonight. Is my head ready to explode? Maybe it's time to check back on my favorite Lost Theory Website and be in the loop again....

Anyway, while waiting for the premiere, feast on this video of a guy named Sayid, who is not the assassin we know. Although he looks like the same guy, he is Sayid....the Indian MCHammer:

Wheee! Band From TV Performs on TV!

These guys were on Leno last night. It was their first ever musical performance as a band...on TV. It wasn't some charity function, or a concert for a cause. It was an actual TV performance....on TV.

I've seen them perform before, countless times...even on TV. But this is the first time they're playing as a band, promoting an album (for charity, I guess?). This time, they aren't just actors on my favorite TV programs. They're also musicians, full-pledged.

And the best thing about it? They're performing with all members present. Especially Hugh Laurie (who would be absent from gigs now and then). Oh, wait Bonnie is missing...where's the chick?

Anyway, here's BAND FROM TV!!!

United States of Tara Pilot

Interesting can't even begin to describe what United States of Tara is. I've read though that not everyone who saw the early streams (as Tara premiered on the internet before it did on TV the other week), didn't really find anything to like about this new series. I guess that's usually the effect Diablo Cody (Juno) has with the audience. She is the creator of the show. And with her, it's either you like her stuff or you don't... no in-betweens.

Well, I like this. And I like Tara's....err... diversity. Who wouldn't? She has four personalities living in one body --- she could never be boring. One can't possibly not love Toni Collette. Because she is one talented genius, playing all personalities to a T. (Incidentally, T is one of her personalities, a 15 year old who speaks like those kids on Juno).

The show is without hitches as some execution felt uneven. But I'd tend to overlook that for now and just relish in the new-ness of it.

What I can't understand...and maybe this will be explained later in the series (it should!)....is when and what triggered Tara to become crazy. ???

Her family is obviously very, very supportive of her. They deal with her multiple-egos with patience, acceptance, humor and understanding. And Tara's husband (John Corbett) is a perfect catch. Imagine sticking with her for 17 years, indulging and accommodating each of the four people in her head, while not ever thinking about giving her up and living his own life. There's a good, good man!

With Tara's kind of a support system from her family unit, what did really make Tara crazy then?

I can't wait to find out and meet her other personalities in the next episodes.

United States of Tara airs on Showtime.

Friday Night Lights Ends Season 3 Beautifully

Direct TV has just finished airing Season 3 of Friday Night Lights (13 episodes total), as the show premiered on broadcast television (NBC) this week.

I have been following FNL 3 for the last 13 or so weeks...those who are going to watch it on NBC from now till spring should prepare themselves for what is truly an amazing story development.

It's been said before, and I reiterate --- this is a great show nobody is watching!

Forget about the uneven second season, the third one makes up for everything ----

• From Julie and Matt finally doing the most intimate thing couples do, to her parents learning of it, to Tami talking to her daughter about this new level in her relationship;
• From Tyra falling in love with a heart-breaker, to needing Landry still, to Landry standing up for himself to her, to finally accepting he is the one she really loves and has stood by her;
• From Lyla supporting Tim, to Tim supporting Lyla, to Lyla losing a family with her dad disappointing her big time, to her gaining a new family with the Riggins --- Bill & Mindy and Tim;
• To Jason Street's new found responsibility, independence and hopefully, success; to Smash's new achievement;
• To Eric and Tami's new challenges
  

All of these and MORE? Puts FNL Season 3 back on my top-list.

The finale laid the groundwork for what should be a fresh and captivating Season 4, should that turn out well (it's still not known if the show is getting a fourth season). But at the same time, it seems obvious we won't be seeing back a lot of these characters anymore, and will be rooting for new ones.

In a way, it's sad if you think about it. There will be no more Jason, Smash, Tyra or Lyla or Tim. But I liked the way the writers provided them closure. I was very satisfied with the way things ended for a lot of these characters.

On the flipside, the future of Eric Taylor's coaching career offers something new and I can't wait to see what that is.

Seriously, Grey's Anatomy should take a cue from this show's writing team, from planning to development to execution. :P

Awww. JD + Elliot = <3

JD: Elliot I've never really been able to get over the idea of 'us'. I'm still crazy about you.
Elliot: I don't really know what you want me to say...
JD: Maybe you could tell me if you feel the same way.
Elliot: (sarcastically) Yeah.
JD: Maybe you could tell me without sounding angry...
Elliot: But JD you crushed me. I mean I gave you my love and you threw it back in my face and pretty much scarred me romantically. I mean now I'm doomed to a life gravitating to safe boring guys who I don't really love and I'm repelled by the ones I care for deeply. So, thank you for that...
JD: Look if it helps, you hurt me too.
Elliot: Really?
JD: There were so many times I wanted to be with you so badly, you shot me down. Like when we first met. Uh, when you wanted to be sex buddies.
Elliot: Oh yeah...but that's when I found work so overwhelming, I didn't want you....
JD: Blah, blah, blah, blah...I'm sorry we've just been down this road so many times, you know? I mean, seriously doesn't even talking about it makes you hate yourself a little bit?
Elliot: I can't tell if it's the normal amount of hating myself or on a slightly higher level of self-loathing.
JD: You're too hard on yourself...
Elliot: No, I'm not. I'm just stupid and ugly and I have a pigface. (JD laughs). JD, we're just back here again because we're both lonely and neither one of us has had physical contact for months...

********

Elliot: We have so much history, most of it bad.
JD: Yeah.
Elliot: How can we ever get past that?
JD: We can't.
Elliot: Oh, good...that makes me feel better. :P
JD: But maybe we could remember all our pitfalls like a roadmap. Maybe this time we could avoid all the drama. We don't have to be that couple where one of us says they're moving out of town and one has to rush to the airport to stop them. We don't have to argue about whether or not we were on a break.
Elliot: You watched a Friends marathon last night, didn't you?
JD: I did I loved it. The point is Elliot, you are a lot stronger than you used to be. I changed too. I have a beard now.

********

Elliot: I know we're talking but I still like we're being so careful, you know?
JD: We're just scared. I made so many mistakes in my life because I was scared. It's the reason I bailed when you said, "I Love You," it's the reason ---
Elliot: Blah, blah, blah, blah...
JD: Okay....but I am scared of ending our friendship.
Elliot: What if I get hurt again?
JD: What if you pick up a new STD?
Elliot: For the last time, that was not an STD! It was a urinary tract infection that I got from having sex with you in the pond! Ugh....I tell you what else I don't wanna deal with - all the judges from everyone else, Dr. Cox, Jordan, even Turk and Carla, I mean it's almost not enough of a reason to do anything.
(Dr. Kelso interrupts) Dr. Kelso: Hogwash!
JD: Excuse me?
Dr. Kelso: That ridiculous drivel you just said....Uhm, but who am I to talk. Here I am eating some kind of a banana sawdust muffin and hiding out in this crappy excuse of a coffee place. Who the hell cares what anybody else thinks? Just look into your heart, do whatever the hell makes you happy.

And so, they're back together. After four years since that devastating break-up, is it?


Scrubs has been so stellar this season, so far. They are determined to close this show with enough fireworks for us fans to remember forever.

Thank you, Bill (Scrubs' creator)!

TV Round Up: Which TV Character is Going To Die in the Movie Version?

That Amy Ryan is set to comeback on The Office makes me giddy. Best Love Affair ever.

I haven't been updated on Smallville at all. But Lana's gone? And apparently, for good?

What's the real deal on Lipstick Jungle? I am getting restless about news of it's cancellation and un-cancellation. Pretty soon, I won't even care.

Friday Night Light's season 3 ends next week. Will there be a Season 4?

Jack Bauer will die if 24 becomes a movie. Why did they reveal the ending, the movie's not even being done?

Are you going to watch a Jericho Movie?

Check out soon: Light Years --- a show about young parents, young marriages, airing on CBS.

Spartacus is getting remade on TV? Hmmm...

Meet Mommy McDreamy.

Kelsey Grammer's new TV project is about the financial crisis.

Looks like John Mayer's Variety Show is going to happen.

New show Party Down: a reunion of Veronica Mars characters.

24 Bromance, Showmance Back On!

There's nothing like a show like 24 to pump my adrenalin! Jack and Tony. Tony and Jack. They are back....and they're still good together.

This may seem like Jack was gonna kill Tony, because what does he know? He saw his friend died .....and now he's back working for the bad guys? I'd be pissed, too.


But the truth was revealed in 24 Season 7's third episode --- Tony was actually doing deep undercover! Jack is relieved and now their teaming up again. Reunited. Their bromance is alive! Watch out House and Wilson!


Jack is even back with that sling bag he carries around...where did that come from?

Throw in Bill Buchanan and Chloe in the mix....and my show is back on it's feet. In a big way! Old school 24, right there. And the story so far? It's developing really well. I am so happy, I cried. :D

Nothing like a good show to keep my mind off things for a while.

Prison Break Is Canceled

It is about time! This show could only sustain so much of a decent plot line, canceling it would have been more prudent. It will miss out on having its 100th episode though, which usually takes place during a fifth season.

But after four seasons, it is official --- Prison Break and Wentworth Miller are no longer hot. They're so 2005!

According to EW:

The final string of episodes will kick off April 17, but exactly how many episodes there will be is an open question. "We've got our remaining batch of four episodes and then there are a couple more we're contemplating," says network prez Kevin Reilly, adding that the four-year old Prison has simply run its course. "The show is played out."

But why do I get a feeling that spin-off rumors from last year is going to happen?

How I Met Your Mother: Benefits

So how about this week's How I Met Your Mother, huh?

The only word I can think of to describe it? PERFECT. The writing was perfect. The execution of the story was perfect. All five characters delivered perfectly, especially Barney (who has finally revealed to Ted he was in love with Robin...well, sort of).



How could this guy not win an acting award for playing Barney yet??!

Canada's Being Erica

Found another gem of a series straight from Canada in Being Erica, a comedy that stars Erin Karpluk. I don't know her but I'm loving her and I am loving the premise of this show! It's a bit like the TV version of Back To The Future.

Erica Strange is a 32 year old woman who feels her life is a big disappointment. In the pilot, she mysteriously meets a therapist who inexplicably lets her travel back in time, re-living those moments when she thought she made bad decisions, shaping who she is right now. Her very first time travel sends her back to a school dance, 16 years ago.

But these time travels doesn't necessarily have to be a do-over for Erica. Sometimes, it may only be so that she realizes something about her past to make her present work.

"I love the idea of going back into a 16-year-old body with the knowledge of an adult -- it's so exciting," Karpluk said. "But just when you think she has it all figured out, she's going down the rabbit hole again."

"Being Erica is something I think everybody can identify with, which is, what would you do if you could do certain things in life over again? I think a lot of people would like to go back in time right now and buy some different stocks." Kirstine Layfield, the CBC's executive director of network programming.

Source

Here's a trailer ---

Ray Romano is a Man of A Certain Age

Comedian Ray Romano is doing a 10-part drama about men going through mid-life crisis in "Men of a Certain Age". Joining him in this series are two other men, Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula

The project will air on TNT.

Ray Romano doing drama? I've seen him do something similar before...I just forgot what project that was but a serious Ray Romano is kind of convincing, too.

Source

Hilary Duff Is Barely Legal

Hilary Duff transits from the Disney Channel to prime time programming on NBC with this new comedy series called Barely Legal. She is going to play an 18-year old lawyer. I'm seeing how this show is gonna go ---- her character must be a whiz at some stuff, but being 18, she may not be completely wise and mature in making the right decisions and will make blunders as she goes through life (hence, the comedy).

Her show will be produced by Rob Morrow (that guy from Numb3rs which I haven't been watching in a while now...)

NBC loves shows about young female lawyers this development season.

On the heels of the pilot order for David E. Kelley's legal dramedy "Legally Mad," the network has picked up for development "Barely Legal," a half-hour comedy based on the true story of Kathleen Holtz, who in November 2007 passed the notoriously difficult California bar at age 18 to become the state's youngest lawyer.

She would be played by Hilary Duff, who has come on board as part of her talent deal with the network and Universal Media Studios.

"Barely," which has received a script commitment, hails from actor Rob Morrow, who developed the project through his company Bits and Pieces Prods. and is exec producing.

Elisa Bell ("Little Black Book") is penning the project, which is being produced by UMS.

Duff, Morrow, Bell and Holtz are repped by WMA. Duff is managed by Curtis Talent, Morrow by the Hofflund Co. - Source

Golden Globe 2009 Winners

Should I be surprised 30 Rock swept every category they were nominated on? I love it, I love Tina Fey but I was rooting for Steve Carell in the actor category.

Here's the complete list ---

GOLDEN GLOBE WINNERS - TELEVISION

BEST DRAMATIC TV SERIES
* Mad Men
Dexter
House
In Treatment
True Blood

BEST ACTOR, TV DRAMA
* Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
Jonathan Rhys Meyers, The Tudors

BEST ACTRESS, TV DRAMA:
* Anna Paquin, True Blood
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU
January Jones, Mad Men
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

BEST TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
* 30 Rock
Californication
Entourage
The Office
Weeds

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
* Tina Fey - 30 Rock
Christina Applegate - Samantha Who?
America Ferrera - Ugly Betty
Debra Messing - The Starter Wife
Mary-Louise Parker - Weeds

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
* Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock
Steve Carell - The Office
Kevin Connelly - Entourage
David Duchovny - Californication
Tony Shalhoub - Monk

BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
* John Adams
A Raisin in the Sun
Bernard and Doris
Cranford
Recount

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
* Paul Giammatti, John Adams
Ralph Fiennes, Bernard and Doris
Kevin Spacey, Recount
Keifer Sutherland, 24: Redemption
Tom Wilkinson, Recount

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
* Laura Linney, John Adams
Judi Dench, Cranford
Catherine Keener, An American Crime
Shirley MacLaine, Coco Chanel
Susan Sarandon, Bernard and Doris

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
* Tom Wilkinson, John Adams
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Denis Leary, Recount
Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Blair Underwood, In Treatment

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
* Laura Dern, Recount
Eileen Atkins, Cranford
Melissa George, In Treatment
Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters
Dianne Wiest, In Treatment

Lie To Me Pilot

Having recently re-watched Tim Roth in this old Tornatore movie, The Legend of 1900, it was a bit difficult for me to disassociate his character there to his character on Lie To Me. I was waiting for him to break into a piano rendition any minute. Heh.

Anyway, in Lie To Me, Tim Roth is Dr. Cal Lightman, a behavioral scientist who is like this human lie detector... he reads body languages and in the process, helps solve crimes with his deductions.

The closest series I can compare it to would have to The Mentalist. Except Roth's character has a snarkier personality. And he doesn't have Patrick Jane's (Simon Baker) adorable smile.

Though there's nothing about Lie To Me that breaks ground, it is still engaging enough and interesting enough because --- I get pointers about telling if a person lies! Oh, yes...I am taking down notes, people! Hah!

The show will premiere on the 21st of this month.

The pilot episode is a bit decent. Roth...or rather, Dr. Lightman, works with 3 other people here (they should always have a team, don't they?) and they all seem to have interesting backgrounds as well. I would be curious to know what else is there in their stories.

I'm watching this one some more...

Whooee...Guess Who's Grinning From Ear To Ear This Month?

The cast of How I Met Your Mother, that's who!

Well, you would be if you've just gotten a raise, won't you?

THR quotes some figures in this report below. It is a raise well-deserved. I mean, have you been watching the show this season? It's steady and solid than ever.

The cast of CBS' hot comedy series "How I Met Your Mother" got something extra for the holidays: salary bumps.

But in a sign of the tough economic times, the five "Mother" stars didn't hit the mother lode that some expected despite the show's solid ratings and strong syndication sales.

After months of renegotiations, Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris and Alyson Hannigan recently inked new deals with producing studio 20th Century Fox TV that will bring their salaries up to $90,000-$120,000 per episode.

On average, that's between two and three times what they made before -- a big raise, especially given that Radnor, Segel and Smulders were virtually unknown before they were cast. Still, it's lower than the pay for the ensembles of other comedies at similar points in their runs, like NBC's "The Office."

The new pacts, retroactive to the beginning of this season, the show's fourth, also add an extra year to the five actors' original seven-year contracts.

The "Mother" salary renegotiations followed the lucrative off-network syndication deals in September with stations in the top markets and Lifetime estimated to potentially bring Fox $2.5- $3 million per episode in the first cycle.

They also come as "Mother" continues to enjoy ratings momentum, which started after the writers strike ended last spring and carried over to this fall.

TV Round-Up: New Sitcoms and Scrubs News

Rounding up TV news a bit off schedule today. I'm trying to get back to my routine already and I think this is a good start.

Anyway, excited about ---

Kelsey Grammer's new sitcom about a corporate guy forced to reunite with his family after the economy turns bad.

Scrubs' Janitor starring in a new sitcom. With Patricia Heaton. He was fired by Courtney Cox's character on Scrubs last night...but I know that he's still on the show since they shot his wedding episode in the Bahamas last summer. And Scrubs may go beyond this season (with or without Zach)...so how's Janitor going to do both if ever?

Speaking of Scrubs, according to TV Guide, the show has enjoyed better ratings than ever at 6Million something last night. ABC must be rejoicing everything paid off for them by adopting Scrubs from NBC.

Royal Pains...about an on-call doctor exclusively for the rich and famous. The storyline seems thin, but it's new and something to look forward to.

Not really excited about this but...Uh-oh. Scotty is really the wife in this relationship no?

Still quiet in these parts...

If you have to know, I haven't been really watching a lot of TV this week yet. Though I have checked out the latest episodes of The Mentalist and Scrubs (Courtney Cox, how I miss her on TV!), mid-Season doesn't begin until after the Golden Globes (which airs this Sunday). So I trust that after the 11th, my routine returns to normal.

Hopefully....

I've lost my beloved Pushing Daisies site. The owners have decided to go on a different direction, with the show already canceled.

I'm also dealing with some life-changing stuff away from television...a real life drama that's keeping my concentration away from enjoying what I wanna watch.

Things are really on pause and hold, wait and see.

This is going to be an interesting year.

Busy January

There are apparently 71 TV shows premiering their new seasons this month. Seventy one.

Of it, I think my viewing can accommodate like 30-40 only. It's definitely going to be a very busy January. I don't think I've come prepared, with work to do and getting my personal life back in order. I have not even gotten my blogging groove back, you noticed?

Will probably slide into my routine in the next week. That's enough time to prop myself up I guess.

Off to check for news and work first.

Be back in a few.

And I'm back!

I just arrived from my trip yesterday. I've yet to unpack and get things back in order. But once that is done, I have new episodes of Eli Stone and Leverage to check out; as well as the season premiere of To Love and Die. Also...I'm going to finally watch the first season of Big Love. Will blog more later. Happy New Year!