TV Style: Bell Pepper Dress and Scary Spice's Style on THE X FACTOR AUSTRALIA

Scary Spice, Mel B, is looking really better on The X Factor Australia. Not a fan of how she dresses up in general. But on the show, I think she's hired a smarter stylist this year. Most of what she's wearing aren't screaming, "Take notice!" as it is in the past. And yet, I *do* take notice of her now because what she wears highlight all of her best features.

Scary Spice does have a pretty face and her clothes on the showw serve to bring that out.   Gone are the bold, wild colors and prints she used to wear, which clashes with everything else. Instead, she wears dresses with classy fit and happy colors.

On the show this week, she wore this simple yellow dress and matched it with purple lipstick. Purple! The shade she had on is the kind that only a few people can pull off, but look at how amazing it is on her:

Also on The X Factor Australia this week, one of the finalists wore this bell-pepper printed dress. Not too keen on the actual style of the dress, but I'm so digging the print! Never would imagine something like this would be great to wear. You usually find it in curtains, to be honest. But this worked for her (Bella). It's uncommon and original and it complements the artist (she's the quirky type).

Anyway, I'm really enjoying the show this year. Pfft...I think I say that all the time when it comes to Australian talent shows. But they are just so good down under!

TV Style: Tamsin Greig's Piano-Printed Blouse on FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER

Seen on Tamsin Greig's character, Jackie, in the British comedy, Friday Night Dinner. This blouse (shirt? top?) even made it to the script. They wrote a joke about it, as the neighbor, who's been stalking Jackie, tells her he actually knows how to play the piano and then attempted to grope her chest. :D

No idea where this top is sold in the UK or if it's anywhere online. But I just really like how whimsical it is. For someone in her mid-40's probably (I'm talking about the character, Jackie), this top suits her. It's cute, right?

Show Status: How are these new shows doing?

I have to say that many of these new shows have been underwhelming to me, so far. Although I'm enjoying the season, none have really hooked me so well as....maybe Revenge from last year?  I have my issues with Revenge now. But on its first 13-episode run (and before it had been picked up for a full season) the series was, in fact, flawless. There hasn't been anything like that for me with these latest freshmen shows. 

Among the new drama shoqa, even Revolution's popularity hasn't lived up to my viewing pleasure. And I love Nashville and Last Resort, but with their low ratings in total viewership, I'm not sure investing in it would be okay, so I watch these with caution. Elementary has disappointed me so much, I've decided to quit it.

I made a comment about Vegas on my Twitter account, and said that it hasn't been talked about much but look at where it stands. I like that show. There are more rooms for development, but given that it is a procedural, I know the show won't be able to do much with story development.

Under new comedies, I am really, really happy for Go On's mild success and I am hoping the show picks up steam and have me rolling on the floor soon. I find The Mindy Project and The Neighbors quite entertaining, with a few hits and misses. Partners, which has been panned by critics, is a pleasant surprise for me. 

Here is a ranking of where these new shows are:

Top 1: Revolution is leading the crop of new shows and has announced on its Facebook page that it is up for a 2nd season renewal. However, none of that seems to have hit the press and the announcement has been deleted on their page. Despite that, the show surges at 4.3 in the demo and it really is a hit for a struggling network like NBC.

The rest of the rankings are as follows, as posted on Deadline.

2. Elementary  CBS   9-episode order (22)   3.5/9
3. Go On   NBC   9-episode order (22)   2.9/8
4. Vegas   CBS   9-episode order (22)   2.7/8
5. The Mindy Project   Fox  11-episode order (24)  2.6/7
6. The New Normal   NBC  9-episode order (22)   2.5/7
7. Nashville  ABC  TBD  2.4/7
8. Last Resort ABC   2 Scripts   2.3/7
8. Partners   CBS   TBD   2.3/6
8. 666 Park Ave  ABC   2 Scripts   2.3/6
11. The Neighbors  ABC   3 Scripts   2.1/6
12. Ben & Kate   Fox   6-episode order (19)   1.8/5
13. Chicago Fire   NBC   TBD   1.7/5
13. Guys With Kids   NBC   5 scripts  1.7/5
15. Animal Practice  NBC   Cancelled  1.4/5
16. Mob Doctor  Fox   Unofficially cancelled 1.3/3
16. Arrow   The CW   9 Episodes (22)   1.3/4
17. Made In Jersey   CBS   Cancelled   1.1/4
18. Beauty And The Beast   The CW   3 Scripts   0.9/3
19. Emily Owens, MD   The CW   3 Scripts   0.5/1

Noticed that the fate of Nashville and Partners are still undertermined  (I hope these will be kept for another season, please!); while Mob Doctor, which will still air all its 13 episode orders, is basically considered dead.

I'm now eager to see the mid-season offerings from the networks with shows like The Following and Hannibal airing soon. Maybe these shows will totally wow me then.

What about you? Which of these have you seen and how much are you liking it?

Top 28 TV Shows for 2012 Fall Season - 1st Week DVR

As per Nielsen ratings record, these shows topped viewership in DVR (Digital Video Recording) usage during the first week of season/series premieres:

1. Revolution (NBC) 
2. Modern Family (ABC)
3. The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
4. Elementary (CBS)
5. NCIS (CBS)
6. Person of Interest (CBS)
7. Castle (ABC)
8. Hawaii Five-O (CBS)
9. Vegas (CBS)
10. Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
11. The Mentalist (CBS)
12. Criminal Minds (CBS)
13. Glee (Fox)
14. Once Upon a Time (ABC)
15. Grimm (NBC)
16. Blue Bloods (CBS)
17. Revenge (ABC)
18. CSI (CBS)
19. Last Resort (ABC)
20. 666 Park Avenue (ABC)
21. NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)
22. Scandal (ABC)
23. Bones (Fox)
24. Private Practice (ABC)
25. New Girl (Fox)
26. 2 Broke Girls (CBS)
27. Two and a Half Men (CBS)
28. The Good Wife (CBS)

DVR usage allows viewers to record shows for watching at a later time. Viewers can fast forward in between commercials or pause the show when they watch. A popular DVR device is TiVo.

That Revolution would top the list is amusing to me because.... the show runs under the premise that sometime in the future, the world's electric power has ceased to exist and it's all back to basics. No one would actually be able to DVR their favorite TV series in a world were Revolution exists. Hee!

Anyway, based on this list, CBS has at least 14 shows, followed by ABC, Fox & NBC. The CW didn't premiere their shows until the 3rd and 4th week of the new season.

This is for the very first week of Fall TV 2012 only. 

TV Style: One Valentino Dress, Two Gorgeous Women from HOMELAND and REVENGE

Tonight, while watching Homeland and Revenge, I've learned that this is the dress to wear when you need to reveal something shocking to the public, by way of a speech:

Next time you have to get on stage, take the floor and speak on the mic, remember this dress. It's a cocktail number from Valentino. The Valentino Techno Couture Rose Shoulder Dress, to be exact.

On Victoria Greyson (Revenge)

On Jessica Brody (Homeland)

So, who do you think wore it better? Jessica or Victoria?

If TV Shows Were Relationships, Mine Would Be...

College Humor has come up with this hilarious post called "If TV Shows Were Relationships" and I could relate to it oh so well.  In the archives of this blog, I think I've discussed about it in passing at one point.

I liked College Humor's take on Lost. That show really took a lot from me. By the time it ended, I was too exhausted to protest and question everything, I took what it gave. I'm not alone in this knowing several viewers of Lost were sore about the show, too. Lost made a sucker out of me. Wiser a few years after it ended, I now see that this show fucked me up big time. I can't easily appreciate complicated stories now. I practice caution, for fear of being sucked into it.

I feel the same way about The Office, but I'm watching its current and final season with renewed interest. I'm learning to love the show all over again. Since I am aware it's going to end this season, I should really be thankful I'm getting a well-deserved closure.

While I'm not geek-crazy about Firefly like many of its hardcore fans, I do get what this is about. It ended too soon, and rather tragically, yes.

##########

We all have this certain emotional attachment to what we watch. If your life basically revolves around watching TV like mine is, the attachment goes deeper. I sometimes do regard these shows like they're "people".

I love a lot of TV, although not every show I watch is a potential "romantic relationship". But following what the original post says --- if TV shows were relationships, these would be the ones I've had serious history with...

• FRIENDS would be my true love. No one can ever measure up to it. It's the one I would marry in 100 churches and re-marry in the after-life.
• HAPPY ENDINGS would be the new relationship after FRIENDS' death, leaving me a young widow. It's a lot like my true love and it does make me happy. But it isn't FRIENDS.
• BAND OF BROTHERS would be my May-December affair. I've learned so, so much from this relationship because this TV show "boyfriend" has so much experience and wisdom.
• FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS would be my ideal marriage, if I ended up marrying it.
• HOMELAND would be my abusive relationship. I mean, this show is so good, it's orgasmic. (Seriously!) But I am always so tensed around it, I know it would be the death of me. 
• GREY'S ANATOMY would be the ex that left me very bitter.  My emotional scars for this run deep.
• FELICITY would be the college relationship I'd remember with fondness. Although I still can't figure out why it didn't work, almost a decade after we've broken up. I can't even remember how we broke up.
• SUITS right now, would be my Summer fling.
• HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER would be the relationship I feel so trapped under. Eight long years and I should've quit it, especially after last year's events. For one reason or another, I'm still holding on. And unlike The Office, I can't find new ways to love this new season. 
• BEVERLY HILLS 90210 would be the first TV relationship; the first love I would eventually grow apart from.

How about you? Which TV show are you so crazy about, it hits you like a love relationship?

ARROW: A Desert-Island Face-Off

I'm not familiar with the Green Arrow mythology, so everything I'm watching from this freshman series, Arrow, is new to me. I can't say a lot about the show's merits (or the lack of it), knowing someone out there could be analyzing the pilot episode to pieces, comparing it with the comic book series.  I did read somewhere that Arrow is a decent translation of the comic book. But I wouldn't know that.

I've never been stuck in a desert island, which was what happened to Oliver/Arrow in the story. But I've seen the movie Castaway dozens of times, and that is, perhaps, the closest I can relate Arrow with.

So allow me to veer off the show for awhile, and pit these two characters in my own... desert-island face-off!

Which character handled being a castoff better? And what can I learn from their experiences?

Oliver Queen
# of years stuck in an island: 5

Chuck Noland
# of years stuck in an island: 4

LANGUAGE

• Learned to speak Russian: Oliver Queen
• Learned to speak to a Volleyball: Chuck Noland

Winner: OLIVER QUEEN

Oliver made use of his time in the island really well and learned another language. He couldn't have learned it before getting stuck in the island. His own mother was surprised he knew Russian. Who knows what other language Oliver learned in those five years? For his sake, I hope it's Chinese. Because that's the language of the future. (Have you seen Firefly??)

The question I have though is...how did he learn Russian in the island? Did he happen to unearth an library there? 

HEALTH & FITNESS

• Pounds lost Chuck Noland: 55 lbs
• Pounds lost Oliver Queen: Unknown 

Chuck Noland

Oliver Queen

Winner: OLIVER QUEEN

Even as he is covered in tattered clothes, it's obvious Queen remained buff all those years. He lost weight in a healthy way. But I've got to ask --- was he able to build his own gym in that island?



Here's a bonus shot with the six-pack, taken immediately after his rescue:

Weeeeheeee. :D

WILDERNESS SKILLS

• Learned to build fire: Chuck Noland
• Learned to build bow and arrow: Oliver Queen

Winner: DRAW

Here is where I am conflicted.

It's no joke to build fire from scraps, everyone knows that. I mean, I've seen Survivor and one of the million things it taught me was that, "Fire is life." --- profound words from Jeff Probst. Heh.

On the other hand,  archery is pretty cool. :D

Since I confess don't know anything about Oliver Queen, I'm not sure if he learned to use the bow and arrow on the island, or it's something he has mastered since childhood, being of privileged upbringing.

In any case, the skill does come handy when foraging for food or fighting wild animals in the forest. So, it's still a winner.

AFTER-ISLAND

Wounded and suffering from post-traumatic syndrome, Oliver/Arrow plots his revenge as soon as returns home. Acting like a vigilante, he keeps a hitlist that includes associates of his father and people who knew him as a child.  He is angry and he seeks justice. Oliver also harbors guilt and shame for the death of one woman, while trying to assure another woman how sorry he is that all these happened.

"She says the island changed me. She has no idea how much. There are many more names on the list. Those who rule my city through intimidation and fear. Every last one of them will wish i died on that island."

Chuck Noland, on the other hand, returned home a broken man with a broken heart. The woman he was to marry ended up marrying someone else, believing that Chuck was already dead. Did he suffer from post-traumatic stress? Yes, he did as I recall. He couldn't sleep in his own bed for days.

But the wonderful thing about him is that he had no vendetta and learned to let go.

We both had done the math. Kelly added it all up and... knew she had to let me go. I added it up, and knew that I had... lost her. 'Coz I was never gonna get off that island. I was gonna die there, totally alone. I was gonna get sick, or get injured or something. The only choice I had, the only thing I could control was when, and how, and where it was going to happen. So... I made a rope and I went up to the summit, to hang myself. I had to test it, you know? Of course. You know me. And the weight of the log, snapped the limb of the tree, so I-I - , I couldn't even kill myself the way I wanted to. I had power over *nothing*. And that's when this feeling came over me like a warm blanket. I knew, somehow, that I had to stay alive. Somehow. I had to keep breathing. Even though there was no reason to hope. And all my logic said that I would never see this place again. So that's what I did. I stayed alive. I kept breathing. And one day my logic was proven all wrong because the tide came in, and gave me a sail. And now, here I am. I'm back. In Memphis, talking to you. I have ice in my glass... And I've lost her all over again. I'm so sad that I don't have Kelly. But I'm so grateful that she was with me on that island. And I know what I have to do now. I gotta keep breathing. Because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring? 

It's  probably not a great idea to compare their circumstances, because Arrow is kinda dark and dangerous. But they both suffered in the island, that's the one significant thing they have in common. And I like Chuck Noland's outlook better, so this round's winner is...Chuck.

##########

Oliver Queen wins my face-off, 3 out 4 and I don't really know what that means because --- yeah, let's face it ---  this face-off is a bit stupid. But I do have lots of questions about what has happened to Oliver all those years. And while I know Chuck's story by heart, I can't wait to learn more about Oliver's story.

Were you able to watch the first episode of Arrow this week?

Arrow is developed by Greg Berlanti (Brothers & Sisters, Political Animals, Eli Stone) and  Marc Guggenheim (Eli Stone, No Ordinary Family). It airs Wednesdays on The CW (USA).

First Thoughts: A star is born in NASHVILLE

Connie Britton is someone I will always adore as an actress and I expected nothing less from her for headlining Nashville, the latest musical drama to hit television (ABC, Wednesdays 10 PM beginning Oct 10th).  Her performance in the pilot episode was impeccable. I wasn't aware she could sing like that, but she was believable as the award-winning country singer (Rayna James) with 20 years to her name.

Hayden Panettiere plays the young, up-and-comer (Juliet) the record producers want to support because she brings the audience and their spending money. But her character is a bit reckless and troubled. A Lindsay Lohan waiting to happen.  I'm not necessarily fond of Panettiere, but she is suited for the role and plays it decently. It's clear her character is complex and viewers will be divided about loving or hating Juliet.

These two leads anchor Nashville solidly. But the show itself has a really interesting storyline, which is treated by way of Dallas or something similar.

There's rivalry.
There's money and power.
There's blackmail.
There's lost loves, past loves.
There are secrets.
And there's family you can't weed out...because, well... they're family.

The series also boasts of an equally solid supporting cast from seasoned actors, down to new faces I'm just now seeing on TV. Even the young girls playing Rayna's kids are talented!

But the real surprise for Nashville for me, though, is this fresh talent, Clare Bowen (playing Scarlett):

Where they found her, I wouldn't know (googling her afterwards!). But she is Nashville's little (not so secret) weapon and I'm guessing someone like Rayna James would gladly hand down her reign for.

This is what I'm talking about:


I have to admit, I wasn't too keen on the show's concept because country music, in its basic and most organic form (think Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton), is the least of my favorite.  I wasn't sure I'm going to like this one, save for Connie Britton.

But the pilot --- which is arguably the best pilot for a drama show I've seen this season so far --- showed that it was more than the music and the singing. I dare say this one is a potential hit, in both the ratings and at the charts.

Nashville is created by Callie Khouri who wrote the movie Thelma & Louise.

GO ON: The One Where Chandler Moves On

Matthew Perry's newest show is doing really well on NBC and it has already gotten a full season's order. Viewers and critics have been warmly receptive to it, going so far as to compare the show with Community, a show that's a favorite among critics.

I do see the similarities between Go On and Community. The cast work well together and the mix of characters is interesting.

In trying to stay away from the shadow of Friends ---  by doing a drama series (Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip) and by doing an off-beat comedy (Mr. Sunshine), where both shows didn't stick with viewers --- Matthew Perry has finally found the right vehicle.

What can I say? It does take time.

Chandler Bing has moved on.

And Matthew Perry is coasting on what looks like a good year for his new show.

I'm really loving the fact that while Go On is mainly a comedy series, some scenes leave me pondering, with a slight ache on my chest. The good kind, though. The kind that makes you go, "Awww..." with lines like this:

"Because I’m not the one who didn’t do what they were supposed to do here. We had a deal. We were going to be together until we were ninety. You’d be spry and into gardening and I’d have great old guy hair like Robert Wagner. And when it was time to cook you would do everything and I would stand next to you and say funny things about my day that would make you laugh."

Matthew Perry's character, Ryan King, is trying to go on with life, after the death of his wife --- who is not Monica, but is also a brunette like her.

And in order to do that, Ryan has to attend group therapy and be with this crazy bunch of people, who, like him, are trying to move on from a loss.

The moving on part, that's relatable to a lot of the viewers. The crazy group therapy part, now that's really funny!

Here they are suggesting vanity license plates for Ryan:

Have you been watching Go On? Liking it so far?

Go On is created by Scott Silveri who has worked on shows like Joey and Friends.

* Photos from Tumblr reblogs.

First Thoughts: Emily Owens, MD

I know a few people who are giving up on Grey's Anatomy  (GA) this season because it's just too depressing to watch now. I've long abandoned it (Season 4?). I started disliking the show when it was evident how poorly written it was underneath all that sappy storytelling and emotional manipulation. I diss GA even when I'm no longer watching it. Because my feeling "robbed and cheated" about the Danny Duquette season is that intense. (Why is it so hard to move on from that???!)

So, I can't believe I'm saying this but...

Watching the pilot episode of Emily Owens, MD --- officially airing Oct. 16th, The CW --- made me miss and appreciate the way stories revolve on Grey's Anatomy. Just a tiny bit!

Emily Owens, MD's first episode is, for lack of a better word, BORING. The first few scenes showed promise. If you've seen earlier previews of it on Youtube, it's those scenes that made me so eager to watch this show in the first place.

But, as soon as Emily was handed her first case, it all went downhill from there.

Like Skipper is to Barbie Doll, this show is Grey's Anatomy's less developed (way, way less developed!) little sister.  Or little distant cousin, if you must --- coz these two shows aren't at all connected.

It sorely lacked humor, and that alone should make a big difference. It didn't have sex (well it hinted of one sexy scene, for a fleeting second), and romance is still (potentially) developing. And as much as I do not like soap opera, this show sadly needed a big kick of that.  It didn't even have an interesting background music! (Hint: Use Fix You by Coldplay. It always works!!! Haha.)

The one bright spot to Emily Owens, MD is casting Mamie Gummer for the lead. Not yet quite fantastic as her mom, Meryl Streep, Mamie is adequately talented and very capable of carrying her own show. Her biggest asset is that she is so relatable to the average viewer. Those watching, however, may find her narration off-putting. But I blame that on the material and not on the actress.

Come to think of it, Emily Owens, MD is composed of a good set of actors. I like everyone in the group just fine, even if they play stereotypes. It's the writing I'm having a beef with. Cliched, predictable and lacklustre, the story could use more improvement.

But hey, it's the pilot and more often than not, pilots are pretty much uneven.

So, I'm staying put to see where this goes because, while the show doesn't even look too promising based on what I've seen so far, I'm really, really rooting for the lead star. (Go, Mamie!!!)

Emily Owens, MD is written & created by Jennie Snyder Urman, whose previous shows include 90210, Lipstick Jungle, Gilmore Girls & Men In Trees.

From the official press release:

At long last, Emily Owens feels like she is an actual grown-up. She can finally put her high school days as the geeky-girl-with-flop-sweats behind her; she's graduated from medical school and is now a first-year intern at Denver Memorial Hospital, where she'll have the chance to work with world-famous cardiologist Dr. Gina Beckett - and where, not-so-coincidentally, her med-school crush Will Rider is also an intern. So why does everyone keep warning her that the hospital is just like high school? Emily soon finds out the hard way - her high school nemesis, the gorgeous, popular Cassandra Kopelson, is also just starting out at Denver Memorial, and it seems like they're rivals all over again - not only as surgical interns, but for Will's attention. 

Fellow intern Tyra Granger warns Emily that the cliques at Denver Memorial are all too familiar: the jocks have become orthopedic surgeons; the mean girls are in plastics; the rebels are in the ER, and Tyra has her own awkward place as the principal's kid - her father is the chief resident. Emily's the new kid all over again, and it's just as awkward as high school. Only this time around, Emily will have to balance the personal and emotional turmoil of social politics with the high-stakes world of life-and-death medical decisions. At least she has fellow intern Tyra and nerdy-but-cute resident Micah, to count on as friends. Emily is growing to realize that although she may be a geek, she may also grow to be a great doctor, flop sweats and all. 

The series stars Mamie Gummer as Emily, Justin Hartley as Will, Michael Rady as Micah, Aja Naomi King as Cassandra, Kelly McCreary as Tyra and Necar Zadegan as Gina. EMILY OWENS, M.D. is from CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television with executive producers Jennie Snyder Urman ("90210," "Lipstick Jungle"), Dan Jinks ("Pushing Daisies," "Milk") and Bharat Nalluri ("Tsunami"). The pilot was directed by Bharat Nalluri.

Here is the preview: