Good Great News: Ellen Degeneres will join AMERICAN IDOL as the show’s fourth judge for the upcoming ninth season. Bad News: For Paula whatsername, whose fifteen minutes just came to a screeching halt! Full press release after the jump.
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Today’s TV Addict Top 5: Fall’s Most Anticipated New Comedies
COMMUNITY
For his first regular series television project, THE SOUP’s Joel McHale proves he’s no dummy… by enrolling in Community College. No, really. Rather than go down the sitcom route that has plagued so many big names prior (see: Geena Davis, Jason Alexander, Michael Richards and Bette Midler to name a few) McHale cleverly decided to surround himself with perhaps the most talented group of quirky newcomers since Dunder Mifflin opened up a branch in Scranton. Yup, thanks to Chevy Chase, Allison Brea and our prediction for this Fall’s break-out star Danny Pudi (Sorry Jack McBrayer, you’re so 2007), we finally have a reason to be excited for school. COMMUNITY premieres on Thursday September 17 at 9:30PM on NBC, CityTV in Canada
COUGAR TOWN
Heading into the fall season, there was little doubt that the Courteney Cox starring, Bill Lawrence produced comedy was going to make this list. Unfortunately, rather than offer up big laughs, COUGAR TOWN is little more than a big disappointment, relying far too much on hackneyed stereotypes (older woman + younger hottie = funny!) and an unbelievable premise (Seriously, who is divorcing Courteney Cox?). That said, when your showrunner is one of the funniest men in the business, heck on the planet (Free advice: If NBC were smart, they’d give Bill Lawrence the 10PM slot) and your show continues to employ the under appreciated gem that is ALIENS IN AMERICA survivor Dan Byrd, you get a second, third, well, as many chances as you need to make it work. COUGAR TOWN premieres on Wednesday September 23 at 9:30PM on ABC, CityTV in Canada
Review: GLEE
By: Aleks Chan
My original trepidation with GLEE was that while the pilot was marvellously executed – showcasing its wry sense of humor (reminiscent of Alexander Payne’s Election), game covers of modern pop songs, and a stellar cast – the characters were broadly drawn and somewhat stereotypical.
If the show is going to work as a serious portrayal of a high school show choir group and satirize it at the same time, it’s going to need – hell, demand – characters more sophisticated than worn high school archetypes (the jocks, the cheerleaders, the closeted gay kids and loud, diva-like black girls).
After screening two more episodes, there are definite signs that creator Ryan Murphy (NIP/TUCK) will be fleshing out the cast of ‘New Directions’ and its supporting characters, slowly but surely. Episode 3, for instance, focuses primarily on Kurt (Chris Colfer), who helps the football team’s losing streak by teaching them the choreography to Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies.”
Review: DURHAM COUNTY
By: Aleks Chan
Like many a crime procedural, the opening scene is of a discernibly older man, with two much younger girls (extra creepy points if they’re in their school uniforms) in a secluded forest. If our basic detective skills cultivated by cable crime fighters (and DATELINE) have taught us anything, the girls won’t be turning in their homework the next day. But the sadistic way the girls meet their fate is gruesome – you’re never this uncomfortable when you watch CSI.
Through the branches and wood is a focused, studying eye – a witness to a double murder, the trembling figure leaves one of the girls’ plead for help unanswered. Before the bodies are discovered and an investigation is launched, the body of a schoolteacher washes up bludgeoned in the same fashion. That wandering eye was Ray Prager’s (Justin Louis), and when he’s not screaming at his wife or belittling his son, he’s moonlighting as a serial killer.
What’s On TV: August 31, 2009
GREEK (9PM ABC Family)
Appropriately titled “The Day After,” comes GREEK’s fantastic third-season opener which picks up exactly as advertised. And while it probably will come as no surprise that the world did not in-fact come to an end at least season’s “End of the World Party,” the Cartwright clan might find themselves wishing otherwise. With Casey still reeling from the one-two punch of Cappie’s rejection following Max’s (Michael Rady) decision to move on (to the CW’s MELROSE PLACE). While Rusty finds himself on the verge of flunking out.
JON & KATE PLUS 8 (9PM TLC)
Just how bad have things gotten for the ‘stars’ of this once saccharine series? A first read of the episode log line that has “Jon and the girls having a scavenger hunt at home” had us completely misinterpreting the words “Jon and the girls.” Sad.
WEEDS (10PM Showtime)
Season five ends on a high note. Hehehe… high… weeds… get it? Lame we know. But hey, blame Canada’s Showcase Network, whose delay of season five until September (Sunday September 13 at 10PM to be precise) has left us at a quite literal loss for words.
Exclusive: Thomas Dekker Says TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES may be back
Thomas Dekker at FanExpo 2009 (Source: Dekker Daily)
Thomas Dekker was our first. On-set interview that is.
Which is why — aside from starring in one of the most criminally under-appreciated television shows in recent memory — we’ll always have a soft spot for the TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES star.
And, why this TV Addict took it upon himself to brave the horde of 50,000 strong that converged upon Toronto’s Annual FanExpo over the weekend to provide fans of the show with some much needed closure. And, as luck would have it, a little hope — courtesy of the always classy and candid Dekker (Who was on hand to promote the slasher flick Laid to Rest) and was more than happy to take a few minutes to reflect upon his now infamous YouTube video, the one thing he would have changed about the series and of course, what was in store for Connor and Co. had the proverbial powers that be not put the kibosh on a third season of Sarah Connor’s Chronicles.
The TV Addict: How do you feel about being here in Toronto right now instead of the Warner Bros. lot shooting season three of the show?
Thomas Dekker: I definitely miss the show a lot. In fact, it sort of catches me off guard how much I miss the show sometimes. I really miss the people I got to work with everyday and the environment of knowing where you were working on a daily basis. And of course, the story. I loved the story and I knew where the third season was going and I thought it was just so cool. I love that Josh [Executive Producer Josh Friedman] had the balls to make everybody kind of wait, and be patient. Unfortunately I guess people really weren’t that willing to be patient.
First Look: CSI Star Laurence Fishburne’s Extreme Makeover: Wardrobe Edition!
With ratings for CSI down last season, one of the big stories to come out of CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler’s press conference at the recent TCA Press Tour was that the team behind CSI had a plan to turn things around. That plan: Get William Peterson replacement Laurence Fishburne a wardrobe makeover, and stat! And here with your first look at said makeover, plus the return of CSI alum Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox) is theTVaddict.com, with a publicity still from CSI’s 10th season premiere titled “Family Affair.”
First Look: GOSSIP GIRL Joanna Garcia
Say what you will about Joanna Garcia, but one thing’s for certain, she’s a survivor. Which is why, fresh off the untimely demise of last season’s delightful PRIVILEGED (moment of silence please), the talented and beautiful actress now finds herself with a pretty good consilation price — arm candy to the GOSSIP GIRL’s Nate Archibald. According to Michael Ausiello, Garcia will be sticking around for at least four episodes playing Bree Buckley, “an irreverent, slightly evil Miss America-type who hails from a conservative Southern family.” More photos of whom can be found after the jump.
First Look: GREEK Row Strips Down!
Introducing the 61st Annual CRU Undie Run. Or as this TV Addict likes to call it, a rating stunt we can really get behind. And yes, we’re is well aware that if this were any other network (cough*CW*cough), or any other series for that matter (cough*THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE*cough), we’d probably be screaming something to the effect of “most blatant sweeps stunt EVAR!” But since we’re talking GREEK here, a show that not only has earned the right to have a little fun after three season of consistent quality, but could use all the eyeballs it can get… Well, we’re just gonna go ahead and remind you that not to miss an annual college tradition on September 14th at 9PM on ABC Family. One that will have your favorite Greek Row Co-eds partaking in “The Half-Naked Gun.” More revealing photos of which can be found after the jump.
Review: POST GRAD
Inglorious Bastards! Why didn’t anyone — and by ‘anyone’ we of course are referring to the studio behind the new movie POST GRADS — bother telling us that this weekend we could have spent one hour and twenty-nine minutes in a darkened air-conditioned room with GILMORE GIRLS’ Alexis Bledel and FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS’ Zach Gilford!? Luckily, this all-but-forgotten release didn’t sneak past our good friends over at theREELaddict.com, which is why we thought we’d share with you their take on Alexis Bledel’s Mission Impossible: The Search for a Post-GILMORE GIRLS Career.
In the interest of full disclosure, you should know that because my affection for them runs so deep, when it comes to anything featuring Rory Gilmore and Matt Saracen (aka Alexis Bledel and Zack Gilford) it’s very hard for me to maintain any sort of critical objectivity. All the more so with POST-GRAD, since they are almost exactly appearing as they did/do on their respective shows, Gilmore Girls and Friday Night Lights. It’s like some sort of inter-serial crossover fan fiction fantasy come true, which is why in my book POST-GRAD gets away with a lot more mediocrity than I know it probably deserves to.
POST-GRAD begins almost exactly like a deleted scene from the Gilmore Girls. On the day of her graduation Ryden Malby (Alexis Bledel) speaks to us video blog style, catching us up on her very Rory-like “The Plan” of using her straight A’s to land her dream job at renowned literary firm. She also introduces us to her best friend since childhood, Adam (Matt Saracen), who is a sweet, sensitive, supportive guitar playing guy. If you can’t see where either plotline is going, then you might be one of the few people to be graciously spared the pervasive sense of worn out familiarity that bogs POST-GRAD down.