Archives for September 2010
We Pick the Brain of FRINGE Star John Noble
While FRINGE fans need not be reminded of the ludicrous levels of talent actor John Noble brings to the table each and every week on the increasingly addictive Fox TV show. Non-fans (and Emmy Voters) apparently do. Which is why, on our recent visit to the set of FRINGE in beautiful Vancouver British Columbia, we were thrilled to have been given the opportunity to pick the brain of the man who has made a name for himself, well, picking other people’s brains. What we found, was a mild-mannered, soft spoken and incredibly insightful actor who had a very interesting take on what it’s like to play two versions of the same character, the plans for the third season of the show, and where he’d like to see Walter end up.
To fully embody a character like Walternate as you do, do you have to justify in your mind that his actions and motives are good?
John Noble: That’s an interesting question, because the biggest mistake you can make as an actor is to judge from the outside. I think we as human beings generally do what we think is the best thing to do in the moment and very often it’s not. As an actor, one of the biggest traps is to say, “I’m a bad guy,” because people don’t actually think of themselves as that. They’re quite justified in saying, “I’m a thief, it’s what I do.” So in that sense, No, I do not have to justify either Walter or Walternate’s action.
In the aftermath however, these characters have done things in hindsight that are horrible. In fact, Walter is responsible to some degree for the predicament we currently find ourselves in. So he’s going to deal with guilt and shame, which is so human and something he’s constantly suffering with. It erodes his self confidence, having gone from being on top of the world to being cut to pieces by a memory. So I just observe what my life is like like as an actor you observe what everyone’s life is and put that into whatever the character is going through. But I don’t judge them.
An Epic Netflix Fail!
As much as we’ve been absolutely loving the recent arrival of Netflix to Canada (Seriously, best $7.99 we’ve ever spent!) we do feel the need to point out that their self-proclaimed state-of-the-art recommendation engine could use a little bit of work. Just sayin’
SURVIVOR: NICARAGUA Recap: Flushing The Johnson
By: Josh Wigler
Nay Sayer: There isn’t too much to be said for La Flor this week, as most of the drama went down at the old folks camp. Still, we can’t not mention NaOnka. In an effort to get to an immunity idol clue before Kelly B. could take it for herself, Nay not only destroyed the tribe’s hard earned banana reward, she also intentionally knocked over an amputee in the process. What a ruthless human being! Sure, this is SURVIVOR, but does that really give you an excuse to check all forms of common decency at the door? The sad answer: sure it does!
The truth is that Nay isn’t just great television, she’s also potentially a great ally. She’s like a female Russell Hantz without the acknowledged strategy: her strategy, if she knew it, is that she has absolutely zero social game. It’s such a gift, in fact, that it virtually guarantees her a spot in the finals if her alliance has a majority when the tribes merge. Her allies would be complete fools not to take her to the end zone. Sure, she’ll get second or third place at best — she stands zero chance of winning the million at this point — but in terms of contestants who play for the silver medal, NaOnka is one of the best I’ve ever seen, not to mention one of the downright coldest players I’ve ever witnessed on SURVIVOR.
TV Ratings: Wednesday September 29, 2010 (LAW & ORDER: LA Opens Big)
Time | Network | Show | Rating | 18-49 |
---|---|---|---|---|
8PM | CBS | Survivor: Nicaragua | 11.67 | 3.3/11 |
ABC | The Middle | 8.33 | 2.4/8 | |
NBC | Undercovers | 6.96 | 1.5/5 | |
FOX | Hell’s Kitchen | 5.72 | 2.6/9 | |
CW | America’s Next Top Model | 2.69 | 1.2/4 | |
8:30PM | ABC | Better With You | 7.05 | 2.1/6 |
9PM | CBS | Criminal Minds | 14.15 | 3.5/10 |
ABC | Modern Family | 11.87 | 4.5/12 | |
NBC | Law & Order: SVU | 8.58 | 2.4/7 | |
FOX | Hell’s Kitchen | 6.55 | 3.0/8 | |
CW | Hellcats | 2.24 | 1.0/3 | |
9:30PM | ABC | Cougar Town | 7.07 | 2.9/8 |
10PM | NBC | Law & Order: Los Angeles | 10.92 | 3.2/9 |
CBS | The Defenders | 10.65 | 2.5/7 | |
ABC | The Whole Truth | 5.07 | 1.5/4 |
A Candid Conversation with NIKITA Star Maggie Q
If anyone should be in a good mood first thing in the AM on a Monday morning, it’s actress Maggie Q. After-all, as one of the breakout stars on one of the Fall’s most buzzed about new shows, the NIKITA actress has an awful lot to be happy about at the moment. Which is probably why we had such a blast chatting with the actress, who was only too happy to dish about what attracted her to the iconic series, what it’s like facing off against Shane West, and most importantly, what’s in store for fans of the roller coaster ride that is NIKITA.
Just how much thought goes into your first television series that could potentially last for six or seven years?
Maggie Q: Weirdly, I like to make rash decisions! It’s funny, the initial meeting with the head of Warner Bros., Danny Cannon and one of the show’s creators Craig Silverstein, the plan for the character, the future of the character and the elements they were going to involve to make this good all felt really right. I guess you can sort of wonder, hope, if it’s going to feel the same way in 3 or 4 years but you certainly have to feel it initially, and I did. It all kind of fell together the way that it should. I was offered it and signed to do it within a week, everything happened so quickly.
Must Read TV: Jeff Zucker, Greg Giraldo, Kaley Cuoco & More!
• RIP: Greg Giraldo.
• Revealed, The new “CONAN” logo.
• A serious must read, as the notorious Masked Scheduler makes sense of LONE STAR’s cancelation.
• It’s MODERN FAMILY meets TRUE BLOOD! NBC and Bryan Fuller remaking THE MUNSTERS
• From the department of life imitating art, Kaley Cuoco reveals a past secret relationship with BIG BANG THEORY costar Johnny] Galecki.
• The Oldest Shows on TV, from BLUE BLOODS to DANCING WITH THE STARS.
It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane…
… It’s your first look at the much-anticipated return of Laura Vandervoort to SMALLVILLE. Who, on the October 8th episode appropriately titled “SuperGirl” returns to Earth at the behest of Jor El to help Clark stop the mysterious dark force that is on its way, and in the process share a few fashion tips with our soon-to-be-man-in-tights. More first look photos of which can be seen after the jump.
Watch, PVR, Pass: Wednesday September 29, 2010
Today’s TV Addict Top 5: Questions with the Stars of THE WHOLE TRUTH Maura Tierney and Rob Morrow
TV Addicts such as ourselves often have a hard time letting go when it comes to some of your previous work. As actors do you mourn the loss of a show, or look forward to the opportunity to explore something new?
Maura Tierney: I found that for both NEWSRADIO and ER it was sort of time to go and that my time with those shows had run its course. But I still miss both of them and think about them all the time, they were fun times.
Rob Morrow: The fun of being an artist or an actor is creating something, so after six or seven years and a 100 episodes something new is always exciting. But I tend to miss the people though, you become very tight and it’s a very intimate dynamic. As for the shows, it’s usually years later than I get a new appreciation for things which is nice.
What attracted you both back to series television fresh off extended stays on ER and NUMB3RS respectively?
Maura Tierney: I wasn’t planning on going back to TV, but then everything about this job and everybody involved was so appealing to me. Plus I really enjoy how the the show really keeps audiences guessing until the very last scene of each episode when we get to find out who is the good or bad guy.
Rob Morrow: For me, the character is what attracted me to the role, which is not always the case. This character of Jimmy Brogan is really fun and very different than what I had just been doing for six years. Also, the structure of the show just felt fresh.