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Archives for August 2007
Casting Couch: CRIMINAL MINDS, LOST
Following an exhaustive search, CRIMINAL MINDS has found their Mandy Patinkin replacement. Announced Executive Producer Ed Bernero, “We are very excited to tell you all that Michael Keaton, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel Joe Mantegna is officially joining the cast of CRIMINAL MINDS. Thanks for hanging with us, everyone.”
In other casting news, CRIMINAL MINDS former timeslot competitor may be headed towards the same complex casting situation. After failing to sign VERONICA MARS’ leading lady Kristen Bell, who according to Michael Ausiello did not want to relocate to Hawaii (bad movie Kristen, Hollywood’s #1 rule, never turn down work). LOST execs are left to continue the search for their mysterious new ‘other’. May we humbly suggest former MARS guest stars Keri Lynn Pratt or Jesse Schram.
Jenny’s This Week on TV
Welcome to a new week for This Week on TV! What a crazy summer. I love that TV is one of the only thing that keeps me sane! Cause I really really need it this summer. 😀 Let’s see what is coming up this week, hmm?
SUNDAY
Sunday is the season finale of John From Cincinnati on HBO at 9/8c. Butchie and Kai have a joyous revelation; Imperial Beach plays host to a makeshift parade.
Also on tonight:
- *Sports* – Sunday Night Football: Seattle at San Diego (Preseason) – NBC @ 8/7c
- *New* – Army Wives – Lifetime @ 10/9c
- *New* – Big Brother – CBS @ 8/7c
- *New* – Entourage – HBO @ 10/9c
- *New* – Flight of the Conchords – HBO @ 10:30/9:30c
- *New* – Gene Simmons’ Family Jewels – A&E @ 9:30/8:30c
- *New* – Hogan Knows Best – VH1 @ 10/9c
- *New* – Rock of Love with Bret Michaels – VH1 @ 9/8c
- *New* – Scott Baio is 45… and Single – VH1 @ 10:30/9:30c
- *New* – Side Order of Life – Lifetime @ 8/7c
- *New* – State of Mind – Lifetime @ 9/8c
- *New* – The 4400 – USA @ 9/8c
- *New* – The Company – TNT @ 8/7c
- *New* – The Dead Zone – USA @ 10:01/9:01c
- *New* – The Girls Next Door – E! @ 10/9c
- *New* – The Kill Point – SpikeTV @ 9/8c
- *New* – The Two Coreys – A&E @ 10/9c
- 7th Heaven – CW @ 8/7c
- American Dad – FOX @ 8:30/7:30c
- Brothers & Sisters – ABC @ 10:01/9:01c
- Cold Case – CBS @ 9/8c
- Desperate Housewives – ABC @ 9/8c
- Extreme Makeover: Home Edition – ABC @ 8/7c
- Family Guy – FOX @ 9/8c & 9:30/8:30c – (2 Repeat Episodes)
- Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll – CW @ 9/8c
- Shark – CBS @ 10/9c
- Sunset Tan – E! @ 10:30/9:30c
- The Simpsons – FOX @ 8/7c
Guess the Actor!
This evening, the TV Addict will be spending some time with one of Hollywood’s busiest multi-hyphenates (that’s Hollywood speak for actor, writer, producer and director). Him (or her) has starred in one of the TV Addict’s favorite ‘brilliant-but-cancelled’ series and can currently be seen in one of the summer’s HOTTEST cable shows. Can you guess the actor (or actress!)? If not, I’ll post more clues throughout the day.
UPDATE: Commentor ‘Face’ guessed: Jeffrey Donovan, right? Cuz he’s so HOT on Burn Notice? And Touching Evil was pretty awesome. And while ‘Face’ is not correct, there’s a clue within the guess that will point you to the right actor!
Couch Tater Says: BBC’s BABYLON Is Worth Checking Into
HOTEL BABYLON is a five-star guilty pleasure aimed at those who find the sinfully salacious FOOTBALLERS WIVES a tad too subtle. Just how over-the-top is the series, set in an upscale London hotel and currently airing its debut season on BBC-America Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. ET? Well, the premiere featured a transvestite, a deflated blow-up doll and talk of guests urinating on the property… all within the first 15 minutes. We view the action through the eyes of head receptionist Charlie, who is hoping to be made deputy manager under general manager Rebecca Mitchell. By the end of the pilot, he’s achieved exactly that thanks to his wily ways. We’re told that the hotel is something of a land-locked FANTASY ISLAND, where guests can come and spend a whole lot of money to live out their wildest fantasies. Not surprisingly, the premise might summon up in some viewers memories of another Aaron Spelling offering, but BABYLON has more in common with LAS VEGAS than HOTEL. From the splashy opening credits and fast-paced scripts to the sexy, mood-setting music and quirky cast, this is trash of the highest order… and that’s meant as a compliment.
Fun with Headlines: FLASH GORDON Edition
The most unfortunate thing about SCI FI’s re-imagined take on FLASH GORDON isn’t that it fails to live up to the network’s previous re-imagination — BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. Rather, it’s that the show’s title makes it far too easy a target for negative headlines. Here’s a few of our favorites:
‘Flash Gordon’ Missing the Flash — SyFy Portal
‘Flash Gordon’ not out of this world — Newsday
‘Flash Gordon’ Fizzles — The Tampa Tribute
You’ll pan this ‘Flash’ as soon as you see it — USA Today
Lost in Space — NY Post
Super zero: ‘Flash Gordon’ likely to pass quicker than speed of light — Boston Herald
Poor writing leaves ‘Flash Gordon’ grounded — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Proving yet again the art of subtlety is lost on The Hollywood Reporter comes, “Flash Gordon” remake a little ridiculous. With the award for least flashy headline going to Cleveland.com’s ‘The Plain Dealer’. Who gives us, ‘Sci Fi Channel brings back Flash Gordon.’ (well duh!) That said, the newspaper does have the word ‘plain’ in the title. We probably shouldn’t have expected anything flashy.
For theTVaddict.com’s recent take on FLASH GORDON, click here.
Can Television Studios Have it Both Ways?
Television studios are leaking faster than the Titanic. Over the past few weeks, some of the fall’s hottest new show — including BIONIC WOMAN, CHUCK, PUSHING DAISIES, WEEDS and DEXTER have all “mysteriously” found their way online. And oddly enough, television executives don’t seem to mind.
In fact, when recently contacted by Rick Ellis of Allyourtv.com, an anonymous Warner Bros. executive came clean, admitting that he was the brains behind the PUSHING DAISIES leak, stating in an email, “I just thought it was a good idea. Even though… I don’t have any direct stake in the show, it’s a really great project. It’s tough to describe, though, and while it makes great sense once you’ve seen it, it’s one of those shows that will only work if people do tune in at least once.”
In other words, it’s all about generating buzz. [Read more…]
Thursday’s TV Headlines: Mad Men, Mika and Montana
AMC’s fantastic new scripted drama MAD MEN is so realistic that it should come with a Surgeon’s General Warning. Is anyone else completely amazed at how much smoking went on amongst the mad men of madison avenue in the 1960’s? For a break from the endless tedium that is summer reality TV, tune into a new episode of MAD MEN tonight at 10PM on AMC.
If you’re a fan of up-and-coming artist MIKA, Click here to find out how you can get VIP ACCESS to see a live performance on tomorrow’s installment of GOOD MORNING AMERICA. If you attend, be sure to fill in this uber-trendy TV Addict as to whether Mika’s a guy or a girl. (Seriously, who’s Mika? Am I that old already?)
Miley Cyrus and her alter ego Hannah Montana have just announced a 54-date tour launching October 18 in St. Louis. Which begs the obvious question… Will reigning Disney Queen Miley Cyrus go the way of fellow Mousekateers Shia LeBeouf, Justin Timberlake, Hilary Duff and Raven Symone. Or end up in-and-out of rehap ala Lindsay Lohan. Place your bets.
CouchTater Dissects THE REAL WORLD
Himbos and Bimbos and Aussies, Oh My!
By now, you know what to expect from the granddaddy of reality series, MTV’s THE REAL WORLD. And so far, the 19th season, which is set in Sydney, Australia, and kicked off last week, has delivered in spades. There’s the inevitable culture clash, this time around courtesy of 21-year-old Iranian Muslim Parisa, who comes off as something of a school marm when compared to such housemates as KellyAnne, a 20-year-old Texan whose audition tape features her warning, “When I want something, I’ll do it. It doesn’t matter what it is, and I don’t think about the consequences.” These two girls are the human equivalent of a bird and a worm… we know someone’s gonna get eaten. And things only get more complicated thanks to hunka-hunka-burnin’ himbo Dunbar, a 22-year-old Mississippi native who has both a girlfriend and a healthy ego. “Throughout my life a lot of people have been attracted to me,” he admits. And sure enough, the first episode finds a bikini-clad KellyAnne playing trampy temptress in the hottub while Parisa tries convincing us that she’s only upset because he has a girlfriend.
Not to be outdone, there’s bad boy Isaac, a 21-year-old who apparently spent “a lot of time” on probation for robbing 15 houses and shooting fireworks through someone’s window. He’s thuggishly handsome and, of course, winds up making out in the confessional with Shauvon, the 24-year-old California girl who wants to prove she’s not a bimbo. Um, this might not be the best way to do it, hon. (Although, to her credit, the smooches occur in a corner where the camera can’t see… not that the slurps picked up by the microphone leave any doubt as to what’s going on.)
SYTYCD: Move Over Twyla Broadway Needs Mia
theTHEATREaddict here with a somewhat television related post. Last year I tuned into the second season of So You Think You Can Dance. I am not a huge dance fan but as a lover of musicals I do appreciate excellent choreography. The show captivated me with all the different styles of dance, the insane talent of choreographers and dancers and for once the very informative comments of a reality television judging panel. I also have to admit that watching Cat Deeley and listening to her say “Your Judges” is also enormously appealing.
Many of the dancers have experience doing musicals on a community theatre or Broadway level. Take for example this year’s member of the Top 6 Neil Haskell who performed in The Times They Are A-Changin. Surprisingly it is the Broadway numbers on the show that I dislike the most and the Modern Dance pieces I am captivated by. I never considered myself a fan of Modern Dance but I loved Bill T. Jones work in Spring Awakening and thought the type of dance was the perfect outlet for the angst and emotion of the show. [Read more…]