15 posts tagged “friday night lights”

What's so great about summer TV schedules? True there are slim pickings for new quality programming. But that also means when something good is on, chances are nothing is competing against it. And many are on cable so they are also repeated often if you miss them the first time. Here are a few of my summer favorites:

- Generation Kill owns me. I watched the first episode multiple times to catch everything. Like a current Band of Brothers written by David Simon and Ed Burns, so yet another Simon show I can obsess over. I haven't read Evan Wright's book (usually don't go for war/combat-related books, fiction or non-fiction, except for The Things They Carried, a personal favorite), but it's on my list. Especially after reading Jacob's recap on TWoP. Yeah, the first episode's is thirty pages (knew it had to be Jacob with that page count), but as always with his recaps, it's well worth the read.

- Mad Men returns this Sunday. And this past Sunday, we were blessed with a marathon of season one, which was perfect timing for me while I worked on a project. Oh, Joan Holloway, how I covet your sense of fashion and fabulous red hair. She's the perfect combination of bitch and sass.

- Burn Notice is back and such damn fun. I decided to give it a try last summer because I became a fan of Jeffery Donovan's with Touching Evil. He's pretty magnetic, that one. And you can't go wrong with Bruce Campbell in the supporting cast. I've never cared one way or the other for Gabrielle Anwar as an actress, but her kick-ass Fiona won me over, and I now forgive her for ice skating into Brandon Walsh's heart in one of the lamest 90210 Old School episodes ever (and that's saying a lot).

-  Psych is back too. I don't catch every episode, but never fail to laugh a lot when I do. It may not be tops in terms of story, but it makes up for it with character. And I love seeing Dule Hill be goofy.

- The Closer returned and is as charming as ever. Although I find the mysteries to be incredibly predictable, the show makes up for it in character and B-plots. Plus, I wasn't joking when I said I'd follow J.K. Simmons anywhere. Kyra Sedgwick may rock, wonky unrealistic southern accent aside, but after Oz, I watch in awe and fascination every time he erases the strong stench of Schillinger clouding my perception.

- Project Runway, sigh. All hail Tim Gunn, but the show just doesn't grab me the way it once did. I still enjoy it, but maybe I'm just over it? And mentally preparing for next season when it makes the possibly disastrous move to Lifetime and L.A. (no Nina Garcia!). Watching it just makes me miss Top Chef. As does Shear Genius, which I watched a few weeks ago while on the elliptical and I cannot handle the whiny, diva attitudes. I don't think styling hair is easy, and does take skill and talent, but they don't even break a sweat and act like they deserve the Nobel Peace Prize for creating an updo. So annoying.

- Okay, so I can't ignore the giant elephant that is the Emmy nods. Yeah, yeah, they did recognize more outstanding cable shows this year (might that be because so many were already complete due to their production schedules or at least in the can before the strike?) and Mad Men was graced with sixteen nods, a show voters would have been stupid to ignore, what with the critical praise, ratings, and utter awesome that it is every single week. But giving The Wire one nom for its farewell season, possibly the best of all five amazing seasons? Well, once again the Emmys miss the mark, and not just when it comes to The Wire (maybe third show's a charm, Simon will get notice for Generation Kill). As always, it will be interesting to see who wins (kind of) but in the end, it doesn't really matter to anyone who watches shows that do.

- So, the TCA press tour wrapped up. Um, I didn't really follow it this year. With the end of last season, I contracted a bout of TV burn-out, I think. And I am so tired of hearing about the new 90210 (blah, blah, successful stage actress Brenda returns to West Bev in an over-convoluted plot to direct the high school musical. Freaks & Geeks pedigree aside, I question the sanity of a producer who says, "The audience has become more sophisticated...from following celebrity gossip." Thanks to The Hills? Sophisticated is not really the word I would choose). Jessica Walters rocks though. Diane Ruggiero does too. And I was intrigued to hear about what's up for Friday Night Lights. I love its premise, how the story organically can evolve, skipping ahead eight months and picking up with our favorite characters' lives, and the need to bring in new characters as others naturally leave the story; if it gets better ratings, it could last many seasons and remain fresh. As for Dollhouse and Fringe, I'd rather wait to hear what comes out of ComicCon.

- How cool is it to see so many tributes to the fabulous Estelle Getty? She made Sophia Petrillo truly unforgettable, snarky yet lovingly sincere when the time was right. I vividly remember watching Golden Girls with my Nana (as well as Dallas, Falcon Crest, The Love Boat, and Fantasy Island). She's currently in her own Shady Pines and although her short term memory wasn't great before cancer, her senility and dementia was accelerated thanks to "chemo brain." She can solve Wheel of Fortune's puzzles before a vowel is bought but can't tell you what she had for dinner an hour earlier. My heart goes out to Estelle Getty's family and friends who supported and cared for her.

With that rebel Jeff Zucker behind the monster truck wheel at NBC, the peacock network released it's lineup for the 2008-2009 season this week, a good six weeks before the traditional upfront presentations that Zucker has decided to shun (he's calling it an "infront," har-har). And since entertainment chief Ben Silverman is his navigator, that means there's some good, a lot of bad, and definitely some ugly on the roster. Aw, come on, it's been a while for the GBU, I can't help myself.

The Good
Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can't lose! For real, ya'll. NBC's deal with DirecTV is official for Friday Night Lights. As much as I knock Silverman, he did make season three happen. Kudos, Benji. Next season, thirteen episodes featuring the Dillon Panthers will appear on DirecTV's subscriber based 101 channel in the fall and then on NBC in 2009. Jason Katims hopes to get writers to work as soon as possible with production slated to begin in July. Well, barring a SAG strike. But this is good news, so let's not visit the recent breakdown between AFTRA and SAG.

ER will say goodbye after fifteen seasons. Finally.

Ian McShane is set to star in Kings, a show about "exploration of the timeless David vs. Goliath struggle." It will be strange to see Swearengen not swear on the telly.

Donal Logue is joining Life when it returns. Damien Lewis and Donal Logue. Redheads Rule! (not that I'm biased or anything)

Heroes and Chuck are still partnered as the pitch perfect antidote to my Monday blues.

Silverman's fave 30 Rock got a full season renewal. It even won a Peabody this week, so added to the awards it has garnered already this is not a real surprise, just good news.

The Bad
Knight Rider got a pickup. Consider kudos retracted, Silverman.
 
Scrubs is done at NBC after this season. That's a little sad but not the big bad. The badness actually concerns rumors that ABC may pick it up. I love Scrubs (watched so much I know dialogue) but isn't it time to end? Unless the remaining episodes at NBC can't send it off properly, just let it flatline already. Please, before I lose all luh-ove for it. Not even pitch perfect Dr. Cox and Turk can balance out the annoyance that has become JD any more. Doesn't Braff have a movie to direct with an "adult contemporary alternative" soundtrack featuring at least one whiny British dude, loads of acoustic guitar, and Imogen Heap? (And I say that as someone known to indulge in the guilty pleasure of whiny British dudes, acoustic guitar, and Imogen Heap).

A new mother-daughter sitcom called Kath & Kim starring Molly Shannon and Selma Blair. Does Molly Shannon look old enough to play Selma Blair's mom? That can't be their relationship, right? Eh, not generally a fan of either, especially Blair's wooden delivery.

Thursday Night Live, an extra special dose of political satire leading up to the elections. Really, the time we already spend together not laughing isn't enough? Let's take a guess as to what we'll see. Lots of Darrell Hammond doing spot-on impressions. Plenty of  Amy Poehler. Seth Meyers trying to crack wise. And an extra dose of Samberg's SNL Digital Shorts. Yeah, only if there is a change in the balance of Kristen Wiig and Kenan Thompson appearances. She is a comedic goddess. Can't say the same for Good Burger.

Camelot? Merlin? Crusoe? Why does "original" programming seem to be such a turn-off for NBC?

The Ugly
Lipstick Jungle was renewed. I caught a repeat of it on Bravo late one Sunday night while trying to fall asleep. Twenty minutes and the Zs came easily. Not even for the love of Andrew McCarthy would I watch it again. And after I saw Pretty in Pink when I was eleven, I spent an entire Sunday night dinner at my grandparents staring at his picture in Teen Tiger Bop Beat Magazine. I also saw Fresh Horses and Mannequin in the theater. That's some stalkerific tween devotion right there.

They are planning a spin-off of The Office. Why? Duh, to mess with a good thing, of course! So do they consider the spin-off of a remake "original"? If you're interested in details, including a Will Arnett rumor (NBC, you evil bastards!), here you go. I only skimmed because I refuse to acknowledge it exists until production starts (lalalalala, I can't hear you!). Avoidant much?
 
In other telly news . . .

A little while ago, I read that Rob Thomas was developing a pilot for ABC in addition to Cupid Redux and writing the Recycling 90210 pilot (maybe "creative conservation" is an unclear-on-the-concept effort by the networks to go green). It is a go, according to E!'s TV Diva Kristin Dos Santos. This one is the remake (three makes you Remake Rob, my friend) of an hourly from New Zealand called Outrageous Fortune. The big news, though, is that Kristen Bell is in talks to star. Yeah, yeah, what about Heroes and Gossip Girl? Well, she isn't signed for too many episodes as Elle next season and she can literally phone in her XOXOs, right? In addition to KB, Rene Russo is rumored to be up for the role of her mother. Love her, she's smart, sometimes goofy, and can kick serious ass. Hmm, that sounds like casting perfection. Okay, Remake Rob, once again, I am your bitch, which is a good thing since it seems you are fighting for primetime domination.

CBS greenlit another series starring the lovely Simon Baker. Well, I guess being canceled twice doesn't mean squat when it comes to a contract. First The Guardian and then Smith, two CBS shows I enjoyed and not just for the Australian eye candy that is Simon Baker. (We won't mention how many times I've caught Something New on the HBOs or how I wish there was video on-line of The Daily Show interview during his scruffy summer hiatus talking about how he doesn't wear deodorant because he drinks so much water his super-hydrated sweat doesn't give off toxic fumes and I didn't bat an eyelash at the absurdity of it because his grin hypnotized me). Jonny Lee Miller was in Smith, too, heh. Anyway, The Mentalist is about a guy "who uses his special gifts to help the police as an independent detective." So a little like Psych without the yuk-yuks, I'm guessing. And Owain Yeoman. Sure, fine, whatever, I dig mysteries and, from time to time, like to wade in the shallow end (will it be paired with Moonlight?), so I'll check it out.

Clear eyes! Full hearts! Can't lose!

Looks like I can take down that light bulb in my sidebar. Nikki Finke is reporting that NBC teamed with DirecTV to air Friday Night Lights' third season "across multipurpose platforms." I imagine Coach's Follicles of Emotion are truly ecstatic that we'll get another season to see Taylor family dinners, the Panthers go for State again, Street become a father, Riggo stalk Lyla, Smash try to walk the walk in college, Saracen put the pieces of his heart back together, Julie sulk about something Tami/Eric/Matt/Baby Gracie did, and, hopefully, never see Landry and Tyra in another daytime drama-inspired storyline. Unless they want to "take out" Matt Czuchry's heinous bangs. That I can handle.

Exclusive: NBC Picking Up 'Friday Night Lights' After Partnering With DirecTV [DeadlineHollywoodDaily]

03/07/08 ETA: Okay, so we all know Nikki isn't always right. Remember her post about the positive talks early in the writer's strike, hinting they would end in time to give LaLaland a very merry generic holiday season? Yeah. TV Guide's awesome Michael Ausiello did some additional digging and he now reports that a deal is in the works. Still good news. E!'s Kristin Dos Santos posted a quote from Jason Katims, FNL showrunner, about the deal, optimism, and being too early in negotiations to cheer about a deal.

I read rumors that NBC might shop Friday Night Lights around a bit, maybe shove it onto another network like they did with L&O:Criminal Intent to little brother USA. This is the first legitimate mention I've seen about that possibility though. Still seems like a stretch, especially with the networks that execs are supposedly reaching out to.

NBC Looks to Keep 'Friday Night Lights' Burning

But then Taylor Kitsch just took a role in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Riggins getting his Marvel on as Gambit doesn't bode well for the show's immediate future.

Oh, and evidently the big boys at VH1 halted the campaign that Best Week Ever started to keep Friday Night Lights from getting NBC's boot in the ass.

Did VH1 Brass Kill Best Week Ever's 'Save Friday Night Lights' Campaign?

I usually don't participate in these campaigns. I still can't believe the peanuts drive worked for Jericho, although CBS may be thinking the same thing right now with recent ratings. I might sign a petition, send an e-mai, letters are very rare. But I will promote these campaigns so that others can participate if they wish, which is why I posted about it earlier. And I'm keeping the shiny light bulb in my sidebar. I like it.

But why block BWE from cheering for FNL? Viacom is still a member of the CBS family, so is it out of loyalty to Moonlight and CBS? Yeah, FNL was a true threat to CBS' Friday night ratings. Then there's the theory Defamer suggests that BWE and FNL both air on Friday nights. But not in the same time slot, so again, wha? I think it's cool and relevant that a show about pop culture would take an interest in, you know, pop culture.

The whole thing just reminds me of an e-mail rant a while back after trying to find a clip to send some friends of Patton Oswalt's hypothetical conversation with George Lucas as he conceived the Star Wars prequels (shovel to the head!). Long story short, I was peaved about having to find the clip on Comedy Central's site because my slow-ass connection hates their video format, yet loves the YouTube, and particularly loathes the commercials one must watch to get to the funny. Which lead to the writers' strike and the dispute over new media residuals. Then diverged to VH1 and MTV and their brand of reality show suckage. And finally me blaming Viacom for inflicting Heidi Montag, Queen of the F**kwits, on the world. Truly, an atrocious crime against pop culture. If only there was a High Court of Pop Culture, the world would never have been exposed to Heidi's homemade music video directed by Spencer Asshat Pratt. If only . . .

I have been in car repair hell for the past few weeks. Totally distracted by it and other crappiness of life which is why I haven't rambled lately, or finished and/or made a ramble public.

- Did you hear the WGA Strike ended? Yeah, I am so behind that I didn't even post a proper huzzah for the picketing scribes last week. Is a late huzzah better than no huzzah at all? If a huzzah falls in the blogosphere and nobody hollas a huzzah back, um, who cares. Word of the day: huzzzzzaaah. And, no, I am not committing am HUI, huzzah under the influence. Just like the word. Anyway, it's over and time will tell if the writers are truly happy with their deal, but I'm most stoked for all of those below-the-line crew members who can now step away from the Top Ramen with the production frenzy.

- With the strike over, a few of the networks were itching to announce happy news of the renewal-kind:
 
    CBS: Yeah, I don't really watch the eye network which is why I'm sadly not surprised shows like The Big Bang Theory or Ghost Whisperer were renewed. And that's why I don't watch. The cheestastic Moonlight was not picked up but is going back into production. Same for How I Met Your Mother, the only other show I sometimes catch. Scratch that, I also have been charmed by the underrated The New Adventures of Old Christine from time to time (such a great cast). Obviously, execs will wait to see if Jericho's fans really can bring the ratings to keep it from facing the chopping block again. Liked it, didn't love it, but I wish any show with a devoted fan base much luck. Always root for the underdog!

    NBC: Well, NBC decided to give newbies Life and Chuck another shot. Excuse me for a sec. Hell YEAH, Bartowski! And it will be lovely to see Damien Lewis get another chance too, ahem. Surprise, surprise they also picked up their only ratings hit, Heroes. As for Friday Night Lights, things look dim (never pardon my puns) for one of the best shows on the telly roster. But televisionaries Ben Silverman and Jeff Zucker know what they're doing, right? American Gladiators, Knight Rider, and Bionic Woman are the future of television. But those remakes, um, wouldn't that be, aren't they, is there such a thing as a re-future? Bionic Woman didn't work out so well, huh? Rewarmed 80s shows might not be the future after all. But then American Gladiators is a hit and gets another season (sigh). Way to uphold that shiny reputation, Silverman. Did we just update our spring wardrobe to the Sonny Crockett collection too?

    ABC: The alphabet network renewed the usual ratings grabbing suspects: siblings, housewives, slutty surgeons, and flight 815. Newcomers include Dirty Sexy Money, Samantha Who?, and Pushing Daisies. Not a surprise that the Piemaker and his merry band of darlings will return, but I am interested to see if the show can continue to be charming without being gimmicky.

    CW: Not to be outdone by the big boys, the CW announced when new episodes will air of its current shows. Wait, what? Did I miss the announcement? Other than the cancellation of CW Now, anything else, former-frog-now-just-green network? New episodes soon, alrighty.

-There are two online petitions to save Friday Night Lights. Click on the shiny light bulb at the bottom of my sidebar to head over to Best Week Ever's blog devoted to saving the show and sign their petition. They have tons of suggestions for showing your support as a member of the Dillon Panthers Booster Club (what will the assistants at NBC do with cases of light bulbs?). The folks at Save Friday Night Lights also have a petition and are raising funds for customized mini footballs to send to the network.

- Joel Surnow left 24. The show was its worst last season (hell, I can't even remember most of it) so maybe it's time for a little new life to creatively revitalize it. Probably the best for Surnow and the show. Wonder what it will be like without the ultra-conservative steering the wheel? Time will tell, dink dank, dink dank.

- Ausiello's strike chart is now being regularly updated as a post-strike chart for the RETURN of shows to the telly. Five new episodes of Gossip Girl.Oh, Little J, feel the wrath of B.

-Coming Soon: my Pro/Con list for watching Rock of Love II: Barbie Hair and Botoxxx Club for Middleaged Dirtbag and Women With Rock-Bottom Low Self-Esteem. Spoiler: much like the bimbos on this show, the Pros lose.

• This just went up at Radar's "The Idiot Box" earlier today. Seems they had a little one-on-one with NBC's Entertainment head honcho Ben Silverman at a launch party for Lipstick Jungle (ugh). And Ben Silverman loves the 30 Rock. Well, doy, it wins shiny awards that translate into advertising dollars, forget that it's fabulous and funny and helmed by TV's girl-geek-goddess Tina Fey (hey, I love that show, just sayin). This was obvious because he included it in each answer when asked about the future for Friday Night Lights.

I love it. You love it. Unfortunately, no one watches it. That's the thing with shows. People have to watch them. We're NBC, we have a reputation to uphold. And, man, with this writers' strike ... well, we'll see what we can do. But start watching 30 Rock.

True, the strike didn't help FNL. Being a critical darling (often the first nail in a show's coffin) with an incomplete season and a small audience doesn't bode well for any show. But if it hadn't been shoved to Friday night with the lame excuse of the show's name confusing people when it aired any other night (how stupid do you think viewers are?), it might have a chance at a larger audience. Changing time slots can be positive, but Friday at 9/8 pm is a killer for many shows, especially those looking for an audience, needing big numbers for survival. Although, competitors Women's Murder Club and Moonlight somehow manage to do so (I know!). I hate it when execs put out a hit out on a good show.

• Also at NBC, president and CEO Jeff Zucker announced that the peacock network is ditching upfronts and pilots. With more networks moving to year-round programming, the upfronts announcement is not a surprise. And why trot out your fall schedule to advertisers with such fanfare when so much changes? Apart from the fact that a lot of people get good work during the pilot season, I've never really understood the point of network-produced pilots.They rarely represent the show that ends up being produced and most of them don't even make it to a schedule. If it does, so many changes occur between the pilot and the first episode, they often barely resemble each other. Putting more into the first six episodes of a show seems like a logical move, economically and creatively. Maybe a small mini-pilot, such as the Veronica Mars season four FBI pitch, would be a good compromise for those not willing to ditch pilots completely. But the industry doesn't always embrace change (looking at you, studio system), so we'll have to see if it catches on.

• So, I missed all of In Treatment this week. After Tell Me You Love Me, I'm not psyched to watch a show about therapy sessions, but for Gabriel Byrne, I'm willing to give it a whirl. Although, I may not make it through "Jake and Amy" because of the possibility for Tell Me You Love Me redux (or reflux, depending on how you look at it). For those who missed it, HBO is airing all the episodes in "Week One" marathons this weekend, HBO2 on Saturday night and on HBO Sunday evening.

• For some Lost giggles, check this out. The gals at Jezebel figured out that their relationship with Lost is much like one with an abusive boyfriend, complete with indicators from the National Domestic Abuse Hotline. Ah, I remember that feeling. It's okay, you're not alone, all TV-geeks go through it at least once. Hee.

• Chuck! Zachary Levi makes me smile. Adam Baldwin makes me smirk. It's not groundbreaking but it is fun, light, and I didn't realize how much I missed it until NBC burned off the last two episodes in one night (why, Zucker?). Geez, I was even glad to see Morgan, and cheered when he dropped some Farmer Ted on Ellie. Random John Hughes references? You have my heart, Chuck.

• Two weeks ago Friday Night Lights was like the CW of Tuesdays gone by. Matt Czuchry and Francis Capra in one episode. Yeah, Lonestar Weevil was a little over the top, but so far, Radiovangelist Logan's greatest sin is atrocious hair. Oy, those bangs are Chris O'Donnell in Scent of a Woman bad. Don't you just want to reach into the TV and mess them up? As for the show, this past Friday's episode was better of the two. It was closer to the show we met last season.

• Speaking of Veronica Mars, I think Joel Silver may have been behind the notes requesting shirtless Jason Dohring. Moonlight steered in that direction, but maybe they're just borrowing from Heroes' play book. The last three episodes, Dohring was sans shirt in two of them with Alex O'Laughlin sweatily showing how vamps stay buff to open the episode in between (not sure how cardio works for a vamp, but, umkay). In the finale, my Joel Silver light bulb flickered when it was highly unnecessary for Josef to be getting a massage from silicone enhanced extras while chatting with Mick. As for the show, well it did get more interesting toward the end but it's still only mindless fun to watch on a Sunday afternoon. Especially when laughing at the wretched Reign of Terror flashbacks in the finale. Recalling those still makes me snortle.
  

• On Project Runway, Kit going home perturbed me. Yes, her dress was like an ad for Martha Stewart linens but Ricky's ready-to-wear dress was straight off the sale rack of  5-7-9 circa 1997. This past week, Victorya's coat was a rip and she really annoyed, so fine with her farewell. Sure, Ricky shouldn't have been dismissed, although his dress wasn't all that and a trucker hat, but now he has immunity which guarantees we'll be swimming in tears for two more weeks. I liked Right Said Rami's design best (ever since he wore that black shirt with the sheer striping during the Hershey's challenge, all I think is "I'm too sexy for my shirt" during his talking heads), even if he did swipe Jeffrey's finale zipper trim detail (still love that dress, it had pockets!). Eh, I'm just glad jolly Chris is still around, even though his dress did look like something Amanda Woodward would wear to meet Jake for a beer at Shooters.

• I have decided to stop the insanity and resist Rock of Love II. Yep. That's another post, though.

• I'm not toes-over-noggin for The Sarah Connor Chronicles, but it's actiony goodness. Wasn't obsessed with the movies, so that may help. Lena Headey has made Sarah Connor her own, and Summer Glau cracks me up.
  

• Lost returns this week. I gave up on Lost about seven episodes into season two. I was heavily invested in it at the start but seriously annoyed by its finale, only to be completely dismayed by the second season. I wasn't even bitter, I just didn't care so I said bye-bye. But then I caught an episode or two last spring, and because I am a reformed spoilerwhore, became mildly interested in seeing the finale. Not giving a rat's ass made it much more enjoyable, who knew? I will probably catch the new episodes with the blight of programming.

• Jimmy is so out of control on The Wire. But who cares if it means Dominic West returns for the entire final season? Now that Lester has become his partner in faked crime, I find it hella entertaining. I love Lester as much as Bunk.
  

• The WGA made a deal with Lionsgate and now Mad Men scribes can get back to work. Maybe the summer season won't be pushed too far back in the schedule after all. Le sigh of relief.
  

• Eli Stone debuts on ABC on January 31. Reviews haven't been the best, but I'll catch it. Greg Berlanti and Ken Olin among those behind the wheel. Julie Gonzalo, Loretta Devine, and Victor Garber in the supporting cast. Random George Michael appearance (his cameo was the best of Extras' finale). The kicker, Jonny Lee Miller. What can I say? I crushed on Sick Boy and don't care that his Hackers co-star and ex-wife Angelina Jolie still considers him a soulmate. And he's not new to American TV, remember Smith? With Simon Baker? Ray Liotta? Well, I do.

• I didn't post about Heath Ledger last week. At the time, I was stunned and didn't really have anything to say about his death other than, "Oh, sweet boy, what happened?" I just saw Candy a few weeks ago and immediately hoped that his life didn't include an ounce of Dan's self-destruction. Losing him is devastatingly tragic for his family, his daughter, and his friends. It is sad for the film community, those who worked with him, and for those who enjoyed his work, whether you laughed at Patrick Verona, swooned for William Thatcher, or your heart broke for Ennis Del Mar. Looking at his IMDb profile, I realized I've seen almost all of his credited films, several of them multiple times and not because he was easy on the eyes. He was incredibly talented and a joy to watch light up the screen. I tuned out most media coverage (yes, even Defamer) but was elated to hear Joel McHale's short and perfect tribute to Ledger at the end of The Soup (heinous crap quality, but here's a YouTube link). I adore McHale not only for providing me with guaranteed laughter every week but because he doesn't cut E! or head "weasel" Ryan Seacrest any slack. Bravo, Mail Nurse, well done.
  

The Good

30 Rock
"You know what, I've moved on. I bought a whole bunch of apartments. I bought a black apartment."  Liz  drunk dialing the co-op board  when they wouldn't return her call after their "date." Best part of the entire episode: Liz Lemon on a treadmill at 7 a.m. drinking a glass of wine while placing her final call

"I've always been told that New York was the twenty-first century city of Sodom and look what's happened? I've become one of them. I've been sodomized." First Kenneth became addicted to coffee (hot drinks are of the "devil's temperature"), then he went to a PG-13 movie, bought sunglasses, and tried a "Jewish doughnut." He promised his mama he wouldn't change, but NYC changed him, so he had to return to Georgia.

Gossip Girl
Serena: Anybody notice the weather today?
Blair: What?
Serena: Take a look outside, B. My first response would be that the sky is a clear blue easy.
Blair: Dorota, you may be excused now.

"I command myself not to be pregnant." Blair before taking her Clear Blue Easy test.

"I'm so happy. I would have had no idea what to wear to a paternity hearing." Serena hearing the results said test. Actually, Blake Lively had several snarks this week; the writers were spreading the wealth and not giving Leighton Meester all of the goodies.

"RALLY!" Tim Gunn altering his usual "Make it work!" to boost Christian out of his rut on Project Runway. I want a pocket-sized TIm Gunn to carry around for when I need life advice or encouragement. Who doesn't love TIm Gunn?

Why did I have to say goodbye to 30 Rock and Gossip Girl  in the same week (the reason for the above quotefest)? It's so unfair. Sigh.

The 30 Rock episode wasn't the greatest of all episodes, but Liz's adventures with the co-op board were hysterical. Jack and CeCe's storyline was kind of dull, although it still had moments (Lott-Spector Recreational Whale Torture Bill), but the "Midnight Train to Georgia" song-and-dance actually made up for it. When it started, I was skeptical it would be funny, thought they may have derailed. By the end, I was laughing myself off the elliptical trainer. I'm too verklempt to say more.

Which brings me to the last Gossip Girl of the season, my favorite small screen guilty pleasure. So much crammed into one episode, I've decided to go with a train of thought ramble. Wanna hear it? Here it go. First, Rufus' sub-plot was Kirsten Cohen-level dull. Parents don't have to be snoozers, Schwartz. Next up, Dan and Serena. Dan can be so self-righteous that he's a skosh insufferable. I wanted to deck him for the way he turned down Serena's first Christmas present (too expensive but she was so excited--graciously accept, jackwad), but the way he handled Serena's not-reply to his proclamation of love, well, that Serena's a classy gal because he should've limped to his next class (it's a mystery why I'm still single). Kind of bamboozled the girl, jackass. Meh, I really like them together, find them to be genuinely adorable, and hello, Penn Badgely. Serena rocked through Blair's preggo drama. Those two may have knock-down spats, but in the end, they realize they need each other the most at those times. Their final scene, spectacular. As for Blair's maybe-baby-daddy mess, I've never been a fan of Nate (Chace Crawford wins the Teddy Dunn Award for Outstanding Impersonation of Lumber this season--studio doesn't care if he can act as long as he's pretty) so I'm cool with his farewell to Blair. He didn't want Blair when she adored him, they break up, his life goes down the drain, and then suddenly the world revolves around Blair. Uggh. At least Chuck knew what he wanted, even if he is a pervy, unscrupulous douchebag with a heart of scotch. Juciest breakup, Chuck and Nate. Who should break up? Chuck and turtlenecks. Moving on to Little J. I take back my comparison to fabulous Caitlin Cooper, nope, not even close. Jenny has some of the worst dialogue, she's whiny and annoying, and I can't wait to see what Blair plots in revenge. Little J is not ready for the wrath of powertwins Blair and Serena. What else? Eric is the bestest brother, the Ostroff Center taught grasshopper well. No Lily, too bad, but no Vanessa, awesooooome. Okay, that's all. Whew.

Yes, there is a b in subtle, and The Wire put it there. Bubs struggles to stay clean while his old pal, McNutty, fell off the wagon and rolled down the hill into a bar. Full-circle, Jimmy? The unit was busted up because the Boy-Mayor can't keep his promises to the police department with the crumbling school system. Marlow stirred the pot of Prop Joe's co-op. And the city desk editor, Gus, is just trying to fill his section with at least a few inches of good copy about the corrupt city council. Nobody can do a newsroom story better than David Simon.

Finally, Friday Night Lights returned to form. No soapy drama. Well, except for Riggo stealing money from Tighty Whitey Meth Dealer to pay the mortgage while putting his handprints all over his handgun (hello, Chekov). But the rest of the episode was fantastic. Kyle Chandler's Emmy reel needs to include both his apology to Riggins and his talk with Julie. The Follicles of Forgiveness even made an appearance during both of those speeches. As for Smash's verbal commitment, isn't a verbal worth the paper it's printed on? It's not like signing a letter of intent. I did find the recruitment humorous, especially the Alabama talk. Son, do not go to Bama now. And not because of the fictional players Coach Taylor mentioned. The writers didn't know that Bama would have a 6-6 season, adding a bottom rung bowl win to cap off the year, true. But they did know the school forked over an obscene $4 million a year to lure Nick Saban to a program that has been trying to rebuild ever since Gene Stallings departed a decade ago. At least they finally have scholarships to spread around again; sanctions are a bitch (guess my alma mater?).
[ETA: So I missed the first few minutes of FNL with Smash's meeting with the Alabama recruiter, or at least the part where his new little girlfriend/agent first showed up. I was reading TWoP's recap of the epi. and read that she was wowing him with knowledge of the Tide's "eight national championships." Excuse me? Try twelve, sweetie. Come on, writers! I don't know if I should be more pissed about the writing staff not doing their research, or their missed opportunity to have the goofy God-Bless-Bama recruiter correct nosy Noelle. And, by the by, I love football but it isn't a religion for me.]

The Ugly

Well, Kevin's Project Runway dress definitely belongs here. It did look kind of cheap and not like a prom dress. Too bad because I liked most of his work before this week, and wanted Town Crier Ricky to go home. Victorya's dress was fun, well-made, and suited her client, but I wanted Sweet P to kick her annoying ass.

Moonlight returned this week. It wasn't terrible, but I had issues with Mick's emergency treatment to a dying Josh. It was conveniently introduced, after Josh had been shot, that Mick was a medic in WWII. Was that mentioned before? When I watched, I thought not, but now that I think about it, maybe it was? I don't pay the best attention to this show. Eh, they made up for it when Mick wickedly vamped out on Josh's killers.

I caught two episodes of Grey's Anatomy this week, the new one and a repeat. Watching the new one, I realized I don't miss it because I don't care about the characters any more. Bailey was pretty much it, and I am not happy with what Shonda decided to do with her home life. Realistic? Probably, but when has Grey's ever been based in reality? Interestingly, I also caught an old episode on Lifetime (forgot I had that channel, hee). It was the one with the subway accident with the man and woman impaled by the same pole. Watching Monica Keena ask her partner in pain about heaven, knowing she had to die to save his life, made me tear up as much as it did the first time I saw it, and I don't cry at shows. Then, I still cared about most of the characters, didn't yet hate Meredith, didn't yet love Addison, and didn't say "you go, Derek" when he dumped Mer (as I did during the new episode; not because I'm choosing sides, because they both grate, but anything that "ends" their relationship is fine by me). The medical stories always made ER look like a Discovery Health show, but the show was a soap set in a hospital so I didn't expect much. I never believed that Grey's was the show that the hype made it out to be, but it was a fun, guilty pleasure to snark on. It's too bad it's no longer what it used to be.

I decided to ease back into blogging with the weekly wrap-up post, but there hasn't been much on my telly lately so this isn't going to follow my standard pattern of The Good, The Bad(Ass), and The Ugly. It's kind of strange to go into the standard holiday hiatus knowing some shows won't return for the Winter season. February sweeps are going to be interesting since even many newbies will be kaput by then. The Futon Critic as always provides an ab-fab guide to the Winter season, as well as one for how the strike impacts your favorite series (ie, how many episodes are left).

The Good

"I know. I'm the perfect one." Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl after being told what a stellar Constance Billard student she is by the new head mistress during her interrogation. The eye roll of false humility Leighton Meester added was perfection.

"And then I will kick your old tired ass six ways from Sunday, Donald" Coach Taylor on Friday Night Lights finally cracking under pressure and telling the rival whiny, asshat coach about how to act respectfully in his locker room.

The Bad(Ass) Blues

Slim pickings. Thankfully, many shows return next week, and The Wire returns for its final season tonight. Before the strike started, I remember reading an article (I couldn't tell you who, what, when, or where) about how one show that might actually benefit from the tumbleweeds in scheduling could be The Wire. The show known as "the best show nobody is watching" might draw a decent audience for once. Truer words. If you have HBO and don't tune in, just watch it already. My David Simon-appreciation goes back to a love for Homicide: Life on the Streets, and my admiration has only grown with characters like Bubs, Omar, Kima, and McNutty. This season we are also blessed with Homicide vet, actor and director Clark Johnson as Baltimore Sun city desk editor Gus.  

I missed Friday Night Lights. This week's episode felt a little like the Tim Riggins show. And for once, he played a bit of the white knight. While staying with the Taylors, Tim takes care of Gracie. Then runs errands for Shelley. He even protects Julie while a tornado hits the market during said errand (ah, tornado season, I don't look forward to your spring arrival). And that was just in the first five minutes. He proceeded to charmingly wreak havoc in Tami's life, flirting with Shelley, bringing porntastic cable to the Taylor home, and playing midnight ping pong with Coach. Riggins' downfall was Coach finding him with a drunk Julie. He actually saved Jules from a skeevoid date-rapist who reminded me of the Swede sorta-kinda, and then took her home while she was still upright-ish. He was caught trying to move her into a position on her bed that would eliminate asphyxiation by vomit. The Follicles of Fury were joined by Clenched Jaw of Rage when Coach booted Riggo from the house. Elsewhere in Dillon: Tyra blew off Landry, AGAIN; Matt and Hellllllo Nurse Carlotta are macking in public; Buddy Garrity begged for forgiveness from his wife only to learn she is happy with her new fiance; and the rival high school took up residence at Dillon after the tornado tore up their campus with an actual pissing contest ensuing between the football teams.

The Christmas episode of Gossip Girl was delicious. I didn't even hate Vanessa. But she was really shoehorned into "School Lies," and then proceeded to grate my nerves. Do these rich kids really need to steal the key to the school's pool? I guess it's the rebellion that makes it fun, regardless of the fact that they probably can have pool parties at any one of the high-rise buildings they call home. Whatevs, it was boring. I don't understand why Lily has to marry Bart Bass. She dumped Rufus based on Serena's deluded reasoning that she and Dan are MfEO, for the moment (MfEOFtM?). Yes, it is admirable to sacrifice your happiness for your child's even though you have known this man for decades and Serena has known Dan for months. But it's not like you have to marry Rufus any time soon, or ever actually. Marrying Bart Bass, sire of Chucky, kind of counteracts that sacrificial sentiment. Stay single, Lil. Kick up your Manolos with Eleanor. She's back on the dating scene thanks to Roman's matchmaking shove. You've got to still be getting alimony, right? Or is that really why you're in the hotel during "renovations"? Hmmm..

I'm still not loving Project Runway this season, but I am glad they brought back Chris March. I also root for Kit, aka Pistol because costume designers are amazingly versatile seamstresses and designers. Christian is like the male Paris Hilton, or Paris in drag, at least what she would think is hot, and fierce, and kind of a big deal in drag. Gillian's Twizzler dress was pretty damn awesome, although I adored Rami's, and Chris' subtle design floored me because he could have gone so Santino over the top. I wanted to choke Victorya every time she rolled her eyes during the final judging. But wacky earth muffin Elisa got auffed, which was not a surprise since, as Christian snarked, those sleeves did look like floaties, and they focused on her backstory in the episode. I don't watch a ton of reality shows, but one thing I've noticed especially with Bravo's shows is that if your backstory is key to the week's storytelling, you are on the chopping block. And if your budding friendship is highlighted (Casey's pals on Top Chef), get out your suitcase.

The Unconscious

I was going to make it a separate post, but it works here. Anyhoodle, I was sick this week, spent several days in an over-the-counter induced haze when I was awake. No news, I'm a TV-marathon whore. Last week VH1 aired every cycle of America's Next Top Model. I've only watched ANTM when I caught a couple of earlier seasons in marathons long ago. Also, I would catch the last five minutes when it aired before Veronica Mars for a Tyra-is-batshit-crazy fix. Since I loathe daytime television and wasn't really in the mood to watch movies or even deal with dvds, I ended up watching most of three cycles of ANTM between antihistamine mini-comas. Yep, all Tyra, all the time. I learned the difference between fierce, Fierce, and FIERCE and when each is appropriate. I found out that there is a fine line between many expressions, and Tyra will always masterfully show you. I discovered the difference between sophisticated sexy and hoochifying one's beauty, which basically depends on the position of the booty. We should all go after our dreams and reach for the stars, no matter what our background and abilities, especially if we want to model Cover Girl lipsticks. Finally, I realized that Tyra is not whack; she's wacky. She's more looney tunes than batshit crazy. As I type this, I realize that might be the antihistamines talking. Hmmm. If I was scrambling to tune into her talk show, I would assume brainwashing could even be at play, but I only desire to see clips of her show accompanied by Joel McHale's snark on The Soup. Whew.

Strike Links

A week until the Golden Globes and SAG refuses to cross the picket line, standing by the WGA. No presenters, no award winners. Nada as long as it is broadcast by NBC. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is trying to convince NBC not to air the show so that the picket line will lift for the evening, and nominees can collect their awards. Jeff Zucker refused to budge, but now maybe a compromise is in the works. Does anyone really care? The Globes are the only awards show I usually enjoy, at least most of it, but it's still no great loss. Maybe a break from the overhyped egotastic awards shows would be a good thing, give us something to actually miss about them.

Edited later to add strike links because I just, um, forgot?

I was a very bad TV-geek this week. I missed shows because actual real-life important stuff interrupted regular programming. Which happens, that's life. The badness is that I recorded shows and still haven't watched them. Chuck didn't get my undivided attention, and I tried to watch Gossip Girl, but it was v. late when I did and I think I fell asleep in the last ten. Couple that with no Pushing Daisies or Supernatural or something else I'm forgetting right now, and well, I don't have much to post.

So I'm changing things up and adding a few telly-related items that snagged my interest.

• This handy dandy little strike chart compiled by Michael Ausiello (slowly but surely, I totally defected from Watch with Kristin and became a bona fide Aushole) tells us not only how many episodes remain of our fave programs, but also how many episodes have been/will be completed.

• Kiefer Sutherland started his sentence at the Glendale hoosegow (of course his mugshot smolders). Let's hope he doesn't end up as scraggly as Jack Bauer after his stint in the Chinese prison. Eh, it's not like working in the kitchen or doing laundry is actual torture, so I'm guessing not. I guess we won't get a rematch of Sutherland vs. Spruce this year for Christmas.

• I never thought I'd defend Jennifer Love Hewitt for any reason whatsoever (really not a fan), but twice in one week? I know Hell didn't freeze over because it's 70+ degrees in my hometown. So, she's on the cover of People defending her average-looking ass to folks who have criticized it (as a part of her size two frame) after being snapped by scumbag razzi in a bikini while on va-cay. Good for her for calling out skeezy TMZ, all the jackwads that chimed in with negative thoughts about her normal booty, and for the ridiculous expectations put on women by Hollywood when it comes to size and weight. But she didn't say boo about being on NY Daily News' list of the 50 Dumbest People in Hollywood? I think she is the only celeb without a scandal and/or public dumbass or drunkass behavior on the list. She's there for just being her, right? Maybe she didn't want to acknowledge it with a response (it is the Daily News). But, criticize her butt and get a scathing personal blog post and media frenzy; criticize her intellect, nada? What's up with that?

On 30 Rock . . .
Jack: We are lovers.
Liz: Oh, that word bums me out unless it’s between the words meat and pizza.

"I hear there's a great selection of handlers in this year's CIA Christmas catalog." Casey on Chuck. It's so nice to have Adam Baldwin on my small screen every week. Sigh.

"Serena plans on bedding as many millionaires as possible." The last line of Serena's introduction at the debutante ball on Gossip Girl. Well, Blair didn't want it to sound like hers.

The Bad(Ass)

Oh, Heroes.  Hell, after last week, I  need to watch it again. A nice season finale that answered questions, solved some mysteries while still providing cliffhangers (something Lost is incapable of doing; I don't care what Stephen King says in the Dec. 14 EW about these two shows, I lost a lot of faith and interest in Lost once it became obvious the audience wouldn't get answers and issues made it apparent Lindelof and Cuse might not actually have a plan. At least Tim Kring owns up to his mistakes). No shirtless boys, but that's okay because there was lots of action to distract me. Nathan better not die. One of the reasons I tuned into this show early on was for Pasdar. As for Niki? Meh.

Although I'm kind of tired of comparisons of Lily/Rufus and Serena/Dan (Jenny and Eric can never date, please) on Gossip Girl because it's kind of weird and skeevy, I did like scheming society beeyotch Grandmother CeCe as the foil to the relationships. Because I really love Lily and Rufus together. So if it means they learn a thing or two from watching their kiddos defy the odds, struggle to be together but continue to find a way, so be it. And she's a much more entertaining obstacle than Alison who truly annoys me. By the by, good to have Jenny and Chuck back this week, even though Chuck only found out he had a heart once it was broken (love Gossip Girl so much sometimes). I thought the ball would be kind of hokey, but somehow, Josh Scwhartz and crew are still managing to make rehashed drama seem fresh.

The Ugly

Dexter's Lila = Hate. The show still manges to rock, although a little differently this season--I just needed to say that upfront. I am sick of Lila. I totally retract ever thinking she reminded me of a younger, artsy-psycho Nigella Lawson because Nigella is nine kinds of awesome. Oh, and Deb and Lundy do not work. I wanted to like them because I adore Deb this season, as opposed to last season when I didn't mind if Rudy/Brian killed her. I also love Keith Carradine and what he's done with Lundy. It's not a problem with the age difference; those two lack any spark.

Matt Saracen and Helllllo Nurse! got so much worse this week on Friday Night Lights. They are disaster. And just killed a good episode too. Wrapped up the Mini-Mart Murder, thank you. Julie mended fences with Tami, spectacular. Riggins did whatever it takes to make Coach and the Follicles of Fury happy while realizing that Tighty-Whitey Meth Dealer is a danger, delightful. Buddy Garrity and Santiago tripped over obstacles in their new relationship, surprisingly touching. Jason hooked up with the waitress after his internet hookup turned freaky, um, not really digging that. But Scott Porter was adorable (he still reminds me of Teddy Dunn for some reason) and now that Street's moved in with Herc, maybe we'll get more of those two in the remaining episodes.

Strike Link

Oy, just one because I am so bummed. Talks have stalled thanks to the AMPTP's grandstanding ulitmatum issued to the WGA. (Check out the link to Nikki Finke's blog with a copy of the proposal and decide for yourself, much politics). So much for a merry holiday in LaLaLand. Not gonna happen. Even the president of IATSE, who has been against the way the WGA has handled negotiations for a long time, is siding with the producers. That's not good. There are 50,000 members of IATSE below-the-line crew trying to make ends meet (the union has a no-strike clause) who might not be too supportive if negotiations drag on forever. Told you that the work stoppage could be a problem. Here's hoping the new year brings progress.  .