TV in Development: A comedy with ex-90's girl-group!

The 90's, for me, was a time for growing up, getting perspective and gaining responsibilities.

A time when, while Reality Bites with Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke was the coolest thing on film, I was getting my own dose of reality biting me.

 It was the decade I...

• Graduated college. 
• Got my first job. 
• Thought of marriage. 
• Nixed marriage. 
• Broke hearts. 
• Disappointed people. 
• Stumbled. 
• Found my path. 
• Got a second chance.
• Quit work
• Gave birth. 
• Got it all together.
• Matured into motherhood.

It was also a time when I played Spice Girls' music a lot. I used to play this and have me and my toddler dancing to it till we're both tired. I used to rock my son to sleep singing one of their slower songs.

Although at that time, I think I would have never admitted to listening to Spice Up Your Life, or confess to watching their video of Wannabe everytime it ran on Studio23 and following their dance steps when no one was looking.

I think, back then, I wouldn't openly claim that I was affected when the group lost Ginger Spice.

Because only kids in school back then loved Spice Girls.

And in the 90's, I was definitely NOT a kid anymore.

I thought that girl bands were stupid and superficial, no matter if their music was catchy, their dance moves were fun and challenging, or that I sang 2 Become One in the shower a lot.

But who was I kidding? Their music was the soundtrack of my decade.

So, it thrilled me, no less, to read about this TV show under development, for the simple reason that --- I am this show's target market!!!

The plot?

A “super cool” 1990s all-girl band who, after 20 years of bad blood, tries to reunite though they’re no longer girls and no longer cool:

From The Hollywood Reporter

I'm already thinking about what this show's gonna be like!

If all goes well and this series is ordered to pilot, I have something new to look forward to by Fall of 2012!

It's time to bring back the zigazig-ha!

TV In Development: A drama about the Cosmetics Industry

I think my friend Sol from Digital Traincase, who also happens to love TV shows like I do, would be waiting for this show.

It's a drama series set in the beauty industry.

Screen Capped from Futon Critic

The show's creators, Elizabeth Craft & Sarah Fain, have previously worked on Lie to Me, The Shield, Dollhouse and Angels.  They've also worked on The Vampire Diaries, as well as Women's Murder Club with Angie Harmon (Rizzoli!).

None of these shows are even remotely close to what Beautiful Girls is.

I'm guessing it's going to be something like Melrose Place meets Ugly Betty meets Devil Wears Prada.

Kelly Rowland's X Factor Look (Her Make-up's Gorgeous!)

There's not a lot I know about Kelly Rowland. Beyond Destiny's Child, beyond her singing, beyond her career... I know absolutely nothing about her.

So, when it was announced that she was one of three new judges The X Factor UK would be introducing in their 8th season, I think my reaction would be closest to a verbal shrug. I didn't give a hoot.

There were three X Factor shows I'd be following this season (UK, Australia, USA) and the judges were not the reason why I'm tuning in.

It becomes a bonus, however, when people behind the show do their edits right to make every aspect of the program interesting. I love Australia's version a lot because other than the singing, they have a way of tying facets together for a story.

Anyway, while watching the 2nd episode of the UK version today, I was so pleased to see how its production people placed special focus on Kelly Rowland. It never occured to me how much interesting she is.

For this episode, they showed viewers how Kelly's such a darling and how there seemed to be a lot of male contestants crushing on her. There was a 10-minute bit with the men fawning over her and Ms. Rowland loving every minute of it. She flirted with some of them even, which sent me giggling.  It wasn't so much annoying to watch, as it was endearing.

Kelly Rowland is a doll, I discovered.

And she literally reminded me of this African-American Barbie Doll I had as a kid. Her make-up suited her really well. In fact, it was her make-up that had me staring at the screen, studying every detail of it.

She looks amazing in any type of shade and color. I cannot pick out which look I like the best. SIDEBAR: That lavender lipstick shade (bottom right) is the prettiest I've seen on someone. She carries it so well. And here I am thinking --- Can I wear that?

In an interview, Kelly says that she travels with a publicist, a make-up artist and a stylist for work. Here's her team in action. This was also Kelly getting ready for another X Factor audition.

Credit: http://soulfulbeauty.com/article.php?n=1189

Having her on the show is, as they all say, a breath of fresh air. With 8 Seasons of The X Factor UK, the series was on its way to becoming ultra-predictable and laborious to watch. I guess they did right picking new set of judges this time around.

Are you watching this show? How do you find it?

If I were a TV Showrunner, Part 2

Someone told me once that your craziest and brightest ideas come to you in the wee hours of the morning, when you're mind has rested and it's clearer. Since I'm no genius, the epiphany I had early this morning was more crazy than bright.

It all started when I saw this photo of Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights), who chopped off his hair:

I prefer him better with the long hair. But since it did not seem like he shampooed a lot wearing his hair long, cutting it that short is probably doing him good.

Anyway, my immediate thought was --- he looks a lot like Barry Watson (Samantha Who/Seventh Heaven) now:

Doesn't he?

Although, these days, Barry Watson's looking a lot less like...Barry Watson.

But still, you can see the resemblance between these two actors.

Which lead me to think that If I were a showrunner, I'd cast these two stars in a TV series where they discover they are brothers separated in childhood.

I can probably make them twins separated-at-birth...coz that's trendy.

Or they could be not related, but switched at birth. :P

For spice --- and because folks might say this idea is totally unoriginal --- I'd add in a third brother/doppelganger and include Tyler Blackburn (Pretty Little Liars):

Now, there may be a slight problem with the age difference. But this is television, where ages do not matter. SIDEBAR: Finn from Glee is 30 years old IRL and he plays a high school kid.

And then one of these boys will have to be named Sam.

So I can all my show "Pretty Brothers, Separated On A Friday Night...One Asked: Sam, Who?"


So, will you watch?

Here was my first "bright" idea: If I Were A TV Showrunner

TV Lawyers Up: THE FIRM & LINCOLN LAWYER in Development

Currently in the development slate are two New York Times Best-Selling Novels, which have had their movie versions.

NBC is doing The Firm, which already has Josh Lucas in the title lead as Mitch McDeere, the role Tom Cruise played in the movie that premiered in the 90's. The TV series takes place in a more current setting and also stars Juliette Lewis, Molly Parker, Callum Keith Rennie and Tricia Helfer.

Lukas Reiter is credited as the series creator. He has worked on shows like Boston Legal, The Practice and Law and Order.

This series is expected to air January 2012.

And following up on the trend, ABC is developing its own lawyer series based on another New York Times Best-Selling Novel turned movie.

There are no details to the TV version of The Lincoln Lawyer for now.

The producers have yet to hire the guy who will play the lead (which Matthew McConaughey played in the movie). But Michael Connelly is credited as the series creator. He also happens to be the writer of the book, which incidentally, is a four-part series so they've got lots of materials to work with.

Of these two series, I'm assuming:

• Lincoln Lawyer would be classic procedural where each case is different per week and you won't have trouble following most of the story in case you miss an episode or juggle the episode order. 
• The Firm looks more serialized and mythological, where you'd have to watch from the beginning and go strictly from episode 1 to 24 to not get lost in the story.

Two shows with basically the same backbone, yet two different ways to tell a story.

This is why TV is awesome!

Nailed It: Katie Cazorla's "Nail Files"

Those who know me well are aware of my nail polish obsession. So that, when TV Guide announced back in 2010 that the channel was airing a TV show about a nail salon owner, I've been so eager to see it.

The problem was,  in this part of the world, there was no way I could easily get a copy of a show that airs on a special channel like TV Guide.

So, when The Nail Files started airing in July, I was bummed when I could not find any access.

Thankfully, Google is my best friend...thus, I was able to locate all 8 episodes of this short reality series.

I had been expecting a show where I'd be seeing all kinds of interesting well-manicured fingers and be inspired from it. I thought I was going to see some ideas on how to make nail application easier or, you know, stuff related to nails and polish.

Not quite so.

 The Nail Files, as it turns out, is apparently about Katie Cazorla's lifestyle as a nail salon owner. It's about running a business (The Painted Nail). It was about watching her market her product and attending events. It had all the drama of dealing with her staff and making sure her business is running smoothly. It had snippets of her personal life with the most supportive boyfriend on the planet.

I did not even get to see one well-manicured finger on this show. Although, there were scenes with celebritites getting their mani and pedi done.

However, I was not disappointed.

The Nail Files is entertainingly colorful in its own right. In my eagerness to find something new about nail polish per se, I forgot that this is a reality program, where viewers are invited to peek into the life of someone with character.

And Katie Cazorla is just the right person. An Entertainment Weekly review calls her "severly wacky" and they couldn't have described her better. It was so fun listening to her talk, or having a nervous breakdown, or goofing around, or making snide comments about the people in her life, in front of the camera. She's so animated that I had no doubts why she's kept her business popular with her celebrity clients. She is one charming, interesting person.  She's loud, but in the most adorable way.

The show is fun, fun, fun.

I expected differently and ended up loving it.



 I hope they follow this up with more seasons!

Eagerly Anticipating: the "BOSS" Starring Kelsey Grammer

Kelsey Grammer played the role of Frasier Crane on television for over 20 years, or roughly 8-10 years on Cheers and 12 years on Frasier. 

He played it really well and has won numerous awards for it. Unfortunately, there's a downside to that because the next comedies he did, Back To You in 2007 and Hank in 2009, were awful, awful, awful!

I've been a huge fan of the character Frasier Crane that, to see Kelsey doing comedy as someone else, was hard to follow. Suffice to say, the shift wasn't easy --- for both viewers (and fans like me!) and the actor.

So, Kelsey Grammer is doing a different kind of shift.

He's returning to TV this fall and doing DRAMA, for once.

And this leaves me so excited no less, because, on top of being a good comedian, he is a theater actor who used to do a lot of these heavy drama on stage.

And I think the role he has picked to play in a drama series suits him really, really well.

Here is a short teaser to...the BOSS, where Kelsey Grammer plays the ambitious and powerful mayor of Chicago. He's fearsome and quite manipulative. He's bent on staying in office, except that he's just been diagnosed with a brain disease.

And he's keeping this fact from anyone who may jeopardize his political career.


 The series will air on Starz beginning October 21st.

Rizzoli & Isles Getting a 3rd Season!

Oh, how I truly love these girls! They are as different as night and day, but they gel so well together!

Rizzoli & Isles make their show, a typical crime series, so engaging to me because the two of them are mirrors of a lot of female friends I know, including myself.

Currently on their second season run, after almost a year long hiatus, the show will be running until Sept 12th and will not return until the mid-season (sometime November or December) to finish their sophomore year.

There are still plenty more to look forward to --- like the appearance of guest stars Jacqueline Bisset and Andy Garcia;  and a possible tension between Jane & Maura, as a result of Maura having a new boyfriend. I won't tell who coz it's a spoiler. But it's safe to say that nope, Jane is NOT jealous because she is in love with Maura. The reasons are so much more personal. We will all find that out by the eight episode, airing at the end of August.

And here's more reason to be happy about this show --- IT'S GETTING A THIRD SEASON! TNT has ordered more  Rizzoli & Isles for summer of 2012. The show is getting a 15-episode pick up next year.

I've actually been re-watching Season 1 in between and while eagerly waiting for new episodes of the current season. I can't get enough of these girls. They're just so cute!

Are you following this show, too? What do you love about it?

The Truth About the Sex And The City Prequel

Will there be a Sex & The City prequel? The answer to that question is a NO....and a YES.

Here are the facts:

1. News about a Sex & The City prequel or a third Sex &The City film, which will be about the girls in their 20's, first appeared in a British online tabloid, saying these girls are going to be the ones playing Samantha, Charlotte, Miranda & Carrie, respectively:

2. Michael Patrick King, who created the series for HBO based on Candace Bushnell's books, and who also wrote the first two movies, denied this is happening. He has announced during Television Critics Association panel yesterday that he is not writing a movie prequel for SATC.

"I'm not working on any 'Sex and the City' prequel at all. My Carrie Bradshaw started at 33 and I took her to 43 ... the idea of going backward, making her less evolved, is something that I can't even imagine doing. I have no connection."

3. There is NO prequel MOVIE.

4. But there IS a prequel TV SERIES which HBO is planning to produce and may be aired in a network other than HBO.

5. The first SATC productions for both TV and movies were from HBO & Warner Bros. The rumored prequel will be from HBO & New Line. Different studios, different people, different productions.

6. The TV show will be based on "The Carrie Diaries", which is another book written by Candace Bushnell. It's basically Carrie in High School.

7. The information about the TV Show prequel comes from this LA Times article which says ---

"Any new "SATC"-related property would come up against skepticism from some of those involved with the original."

It's because the original players aren't involved anymore. It's a totally different production. So they wouldn't know anything.

Clear?

How this TV show is going to develop or sell, or even make it to a pilot episode for test viewing is now the next question. It may not even happen in the next three years.

I think I'm going to love HOMELAND!

I love psychological thrillers.

I love political drama. I am intrigued by conspiracy theories (who isn't?) I may not understand what is really going on at times, but watching characters getting intoxicated with power is fascinating.

I think any kind of war is stupid, and yet I'd be the first one to watch any kind of story about the war.  Sidebar: have you seen "The Boy in Striped Pajamas"??

I love Damien Lewis. I first loved him when he did a TV series about the war ("Band of Brothers").

I love the guys who did "24". They went over the top with some of the story lines on that show. But boy, they do know the kind of hero we want. (I MISS JACK BAUER!!).

Given all that, I think this show, which premieres in the fall, is going to be something I'll love.

Here's the teaser to "Homeland":

First Thoughts: Against The Wall...otherwise known as SHOW WITH FULL OF HOT MEN!

Lifetime's newest TV Show Against The Wall premiered earlier to what I thought was an unimpressive start. I could be wrong. Ratings may have picked up. (But I wouldn't know for now, since the data would be out a few more hours after this post is published.)

But I say it was unimpressive because --- it was more of a chick show than a cop show. And I don't want my cop shows like that.

To be fair, this series airs on the cable channel Lifetime, whose target audience is 90% women. I shouldn't have expected Against The Wall to be my next Chicago Code.

I should've taken the hint after seeing the lead female character's three brothers.

They look as if they're molded from pages of GQ Magazine and then brought to life by good fairies who know the world needs to be populated with gorgeous men:

These photos don't do justice. You've got to see them move, emote and act on this show to see why I say they're very GQ-esque. Men in uniform...YUM.

How can a sister be so lucky? The chick's got three good-looking brothers, I mean for cops.  And being the only girl in the family, she's actually the ugliest:

Well, okay...not really.

Everyone's been calling her television's Meg Ryan, specifically her Sweetheart Personality. She is Australia's Rachel Carpani and on Against The Wall, she plays Abby, a detective who works for the Internal Affairs.

To cops, the Internal Affairs is the enemy. Which poses a huge issue for Abby's family because her father and three brothers (yes, those men up there) all work for the force.

If casting for this show's been spiced with men with good genes, as a television series, Against The Wall is actually, well... quite bland. I was disappointed. Again, I say this because I have a huge bias. The last cop show I saw that was set in Chicago was really well-written and captivating (The Chicago Code).

Against The Wall goes by a lot of cliches - from props, to the background, to the dialogues and even to the background music. (Cue Adele's "Make Me Feel My Love". Great song but so not right for the show!)

I didn't enjoy the show's premise...it was really bordering on stupid.

On the other hand, there's all that eye candy and more. So, what's a girl gotta do --- except keep on watching, huh?

To find out who the men are, check Against The Wall on IMDb.