I took a new interest in the Bond series last year (largely due to the fantastic discussion on The Talk Show), and while I really prefer most of the later entries, it’s good to know that every film will now be available on Blu-ray for die-hard fans. And considering the spotty selection over the last few years, one can only hope that MGM will eventually make each film available separately for those looking to round out their collections.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Burton wants to make a retelling of PINOCCHIO with Warner Brothers (not at Disney, interestingly enough), and Robert Downey Jr. would play Gepetto, the lovable inventor who wants a son so badly that he makes a puppet that comes to life.  This new tale would be from the perspective of Gepetto and his adventures trying to find his lost wooden marionette.

Expect lots of cartoonish goth imagery and Danny Elfman-scored “la la la”-ing. Yawn.

Collet-Serra already had halved the budget from the incarnation that Albert Hughes was going to direct. He now is working on a budget in the $90 million range. But with only Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy) signed on to star, and Kristen Stewart, Ken Watanabe and Helena Bonham Carter in various stages of dealmaking, the studio feels that the price tag is still too high for a sci-fi project with that level of star wattage. The goal, says an insider, is to bring the budget down to between $60 million and $70 million. However, another source close to the production says the script, rather than the budget, has skidded the production. The project, this person says, will remain in the $90 million range.

It’s all probably with good reason, since the last time the WB invested mightily in bringing a classic anime title to the big screen–2008′s Speed Racer–the masses didn’t turn out like they’d hoped. Even in today’s market, $90 million still seems like a lot of money, and obviously the studio is having some confidence issues.

While I like to think this is just a matter of studio execs acting responsibly (can any of those actors can carry a film of that size, much less one based on a nerdy, mature property like Akira?) it’s probably more of an exercise in common sense, considering the declining appeal of anime as a whole over the last several years–all of which is fine with me, of course. I like Akira just the way it is.

While I’m as excited as the next person to see the film–and by some measure, the trailer for the film–having what amounts to trailers for the trailer is perhaps taking things a step too far. I certainly hope this isn’t the beginning of a new marketing trend. Then again, if there’s a film that deserves some clarity and managing of expectations with audiences, Prometheus would be it.

Check out the trailer (and trailer trailers) at Apple.com.

Sources also say some at Warners would like Nolan to change the sound mix, but the filmmaker, whose autonomy is well-earned (his Inception earned the studio more than $800 million and eight Oscar nominations), has informed executives that he plans only to alter the sound slightly, not to rework it completely.

“Chris wants the audience to catch up and participate rather than push everything at them. He doesn’t dumb things down,” says one high-level exec, declining to be named. “You’ve got to pedal faster to keep up.”

Might I, but a humble writer, suggest a simple compromise? Subtitles.

With the success of this last one, and the inclusion of so many characters, and the broadening of scope, when we were sitting down to figure out what would fit into the real estate of number six, we didn’t have enough space…

We have to pay off this story, we have to service all of these character relationships, and when we started mapping all that out it just went beyond 110 pages,” Diesel explained. “The studio said, ‘You can’t fit all that story in one damn movie!’

Scott

The Tree of Life
2011 has turned out to be one hell of a movie year. Though it’s tougher and tougher for filmmakers to get financing for anything worth a damn and the slog to get to the good stuff as an audience member can seem endless and dispiriting at times, I was surprised to look over my notes from the past year and find that there were 15 movies I’ve seen so far that I really, really liked (late entrants like The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Young Adult and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy have eluded me thus far). There were real surprises, like an acid trip kid’s movie (Rango), an engrossing meditation about pioneer life (Meek’s Cutoff), and TWO high-profile salutes to silent movies (Hugo and The Artist). But for me, the best film of the year is an absolute no-brainer. The Tree of Life isn’t just 2011′s best film, it’s one of the best films ever made. It’s a once in a lifetime event, a masterpiece that ties the lives of normal people to the vastness of the universe itself, guided by the confident hand and visionary mind of Terrence Malick. It’s also an anomaly in an industry where personal stories and spectacle almost never mix. Filmgoers have been conditioned to think that an intimate film has to be small and modest, and that a filmmaker who can use the tools of cinema to their full potential is “all style and no substance”. The Tree of Life focuses in on something as tiny as a newborn baby’s foot and as grand as Pangaea splitting apart, and does so with a shorter runtime than the new Transformers movie. The prevailing criticism of its ambition and scope shows just how little we want or expect from movies today. Do we really want a serious film world dominated by sleepy bedroom dramas? The Tree of Life swings for the fences and gave me one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had in a theater.

Honorable Mentions
If this was any other year, Abbas Kiarostami’s amazing Certified Copy would be at the top of my list. It’s a stunningly-composed puzzle box of a movie that dodges every easy turn and features a career-best performance by the great Juliette Binoche. Those who yearn for the glory days of the 70′s need look no further than the hypnotic Moneyball, the kind of brainy man’s man movie that Paul Newman specialized in circa 1975 (starring his closest living surrogate, Brad Pitt). Takashi Miike’s 13 Assassins surely belongs in the top tier of a filmography that probably numbers into the thousands now, with a first half that superbly evokes the dark side of feudal Japan and a second half in which he slashes and burns it to the ground in brutal and spectacularly-choreographed fashion. Hanna‘s fearless and unapologetic genre-bending inevitably results in an uneven final product, but for long stretches it’s one of the most exciting, original and visually innovative studio films in years. Despite its flaws (why are we seeing Cyclop’s obscure kid brother but not Cyclops himself?), X-Men: First Class is one of the best and most emotionally affecting superhero movies ever made, with Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy acting the crap out of comic book material like it was Richard III. And no movie tugged at my heartstrings like 50/50, a sweet story about finding human connections in the darkest times.

Ellen

The Skin I Live In
As the credits rolled on Pedro Almodovar’s latest mindbender, I found myself pinned to my chair by a sort of emotional whiplash. As much as I had learned about the movie, nothing could have prepared me for the spectacle that had just unfolded. As a Pedro devotee of many years, I go to his movies expecting to be surprised — but I can’t think of another director whose output has been so consistently risky, while still repeating motifs as to create a rich, deep body of work that doesn’t get stale. The Skin I Live In also saw the welcome return of Antonio Banderas to a project where he is actually acting, neither serving as an eye-candy fixation (as in Almodovar’s earliest) nor as some kind of cartoon action star with a shabby all-purpose accent. The creepy effectiveness of his Dr. Ledgard is not in the stillness of a stoic, but that sense of withheld passion and fear that could break forth at any moment. And don’t forget Elena Anaya and Jan Cornet as Vera and Vicente (those who’ve seen the movie will understand why I have paired them here). I happen to think 2011 was a very good year for movies, but none of them disturbed me like this one.

Honorable Mentions
Best documentary: Gnarr, about an Icelandic comedian whose stunt campaign for mayor of Reykjavik becomes a serious pursuit. Best performance I’ll never be able to forget: Michael Fassbender, Shame. Best ensemble cast: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller and Nick Krause, The Descendants. Best adaptation: Ralph Fiennes (dir. and star)’s Coriolanus. Best supporting actors we should have seen more of: Paul Giamatti and Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Ides of March. Surprisingly good blockbuster of the year: X-Men: First Class. Biggest disappointment of the year: The Muppets. Best performance by an article of clothing: The scorpion jacket Ryan Gosling wears in Drive. Most annoying accent: Viggo Mortensen as Dr. Freud in A Dangerous Method.

Robert

Moneyball
You don’t have to be a baseball fan to appreciate the story of Billy Beane and his game-changing approach to the sport with the 2002 Oakland Athletics. All you have to understand is the basic human desire to succeed against all odds and the necessity to sometimes step well outside of your comfort zone in order to do it. It’s not that baseball isn’t important, but it’s largely used as the backdrop for the emotional and political struggles that Beane and his players go through in order to prove that they might actually be onto something. It’s a story of falling to the lowest of lows and reaching the highest of highs and keeping your humility and integrity intact along the way. The fact that Brad Pitt (an undeniable presence in movies this year, it seems) turns in a finely tuned, reserved performance as the perpetually tainted Beane shouldn’t be surprising, but it’s also great to see Jonah Hill and Chris Pratt (better known for their comedic work) step it up and keep us invested in the team around him. And much like his home run with last year’s The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin’s adaption of Moneyball finds a perfect balance between the literal “inside baseball” and the larger workings of a major league franchise while also serving up far more sympathetic characters to root for.

And when I think about it, Moneyball speaks to me in ways I hadn’t expected it to. It gave me a renewed enthusiasm for forging my own path, both in my professional ambitions and in life in general. It even gave me a new appreciation for the game and how, in some ways, it has to work just like any other business. Most of all, it gave me a chance to connect with my father over his favorite sport, and with his own father (my grandfather) succumbing to illness, inspired us both to reevaluate what we want out of life and what we can do—no matter how unconventional—to make it happen. Those rare times when a film comes along at just the right time in your life to help you through adversity or just give you a new perspective are what make them so magical for me, and this year Moneyball did just that.

Honorable Mentions
When I saw it over the summer, I thought Super 8 was a wonderful, genuine homage to Steven Spielberg that also incorporated the more somber themes of loss and grief, but watching it again after going through a loss of my own really drove it home for me. And when I think of those kids and the enthusiasm they put into their kooky movie project, I find myself all kinds of inspired to do something creative just for fun of it. For those reasons, I found it both incredibly entertaining and moving, making it probably the closest runner-up I’ve ever had to call.

Others include: Drive, for being the best combination of all of my favorite crime drama tropes in a boldly subdued, Michael Mann-esque package; The Tree of Life for its sheer ambition and ability to work entirely in moods even if it is ultimately a narrative mess; Rango for challenging the animated feature formula and making Johnny Depp entertaining again; a touching little film called The Music Never Stopped for exploring the cognitive power of music as a father tries to reconnect with his amnesiac son.

Zoe

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
I almost didn’t participate in this year’s movies picks–a quick glance at most of other year end lists had me Googling movie titles, so I clearly missed out on most of the Cinematic Masterpieces of 2011. Fortunately I took the time this week to Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and it jumped to the top of my list. Some of that comes from the profound sense of homesickness it caused in me–the sets and characterizations and phone rings were so real I felt like I could smell the actors. But the rest comes from it being a masterful film, full of a sense of impending doom that doesn’t really seem to matter when it comes. The entire cast is terrific, but Gary Oldman knocks it out of the park as Smiley, a man who understands the spy game better than anyone, and yet must know how little it matters. With less than five gunshots in the whole movie, this is not a film about the athletic young spy fighting for NATIONAL SECURITY!!!, but about what happens to old men and old countries and old rivalries when people aren’t anything more than pieces for a spymaster to play with. Tremendous.

Honorable Mentions
The Cave of Forgotten Dreams may be my favorite Herzog movie. For starters, it actually finds a use for 3D by showing the contours and dips and cracks in the Chauvet cave–allowing the viewer to really feel like they’re there. While the ruminations of Herzog and the characters he finds are as delightful as always (and include albino alligators), the cave paintings are the star of the film and it’s wonderful to get a chance to see them like they really are.

What’s Your Number? is by no means a cinematic masterpiece, but it is hands down, one of the best romantic comedies–just a very solid outing in the genre. Anna Faris and Chris Evans are both funny and affable and the film manages to be better than its terrible name and sexist premise would suggest.

Paul

The Tree of Life
Surely the most ambitious movie of the year, and startlingly effective in achieving its ambitions, Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life was my favorite movie this year. I have a terrible suspicion that too many people will have gone to see it because of the dinosaurs. Much was made of the dinosaurs. Here I am right now drawing attention to them. But this is not a movie about dinosaurs, this is a movie about placing a human life in the context of the yawning abyssal maw of eternity. This is a movie about the laughable impossibility of a personal relationship with the god of the universe. This is a movie about being really fucking tired of your dad. While it may have divided audiences, my orientation toward it is unambiguous: It is upsettingly, majestically great.

Honorable Mentions
Hanna was the year’s surprise, artfully pointing the way to a post-Bourne future for thrillers. Drive was a Steve McQueen movie for the 21st century, which I think we can agree is a good thing. And though its reception was lukewarm and it seems destined for footnote territory, Paul made me laugh and laugh and laugh.

Dennis

Hugo
Full disclosure: I work for the company that was responsible for the book on which Hugo is based, but I can assure you I’m not being paid to say I enjoyed this movie and think its the best of the year. I’m not even a Scorsese devotee. I know that’s kind of sacrilege. There are the classics of course, like Taxi Driver, but then there’s some more recent stuff like Gangs of New York, which I thought bathed in excess. And that’s maybe one of the reasons I liked Hugo so much. Scorsese is forced to strip away the usual raging severity (and forced to strip away his characters’ propensity to strip down, as well) featured in his other films and just tell one simple, beautiful, multi-layered story about love, about family, and about film itself. The movie might be lead by two capable youngsters, but it’s this film’s supporting adults, Ben Kingsley, Sascha Baron Cohen, Emily Mortimer, and the always chameleon-like Helen McCrory that give the movie its heart, and occasionally broke my heart while watching them. Hugo is a movie about movies, that renewed my faith that they do, indeed make em like they used to, if not better.

Honorable Mentions
Almost Snagged The Top Spot: A Better Life, which more people should’ve seen and should still be talking about. Hanna (and, to a lesser extent, Source Code), which revealed that good movies do occasionally come out in the first part of the year. And The Descendants, another slam dunk dramedy from director Alexander Payne.

Better Than Anyone Gives Them Credit: Scream 4, for actually offering up some sort of critique of our remake culture, even if everyone skipped it to see some horror remake instead. What’s Your Number? for being better than Bad Teacher, despite what the box office (or some critics) might say. Corey Stoll for his scene-stealing turn as Hemingway in Midnight in Paris. 50/50 for every scene not featuring Seth Rogen. And X-Men: First Class for an underrated remake-quel that also gave us a glimpse into the star potential of Fassbender way before Shame gave us um, a whole lot more glimpses.

Zoe

Parks and Recreation
Maybe it’s disingenuous to pick a show I started watching this summer as the year’s best, but dammit, I’m going to. In part this is because Parks & Rec‘s third season was incredibly strong and its fourth season shows no sign of slowing down. In part, it’s because the show was so delightful I wanted to watch it again and again — and had to, because I was on a mountain with literally nothing else to watch. It’s not a perfect show and it’s not as comedic as other comedy shows, but it’s TV that actually has me looking forward to seeing it every week. As much as I like all the shows I regularly watch, Parks and Recreation is the only one I never get behind in. It’s just a delight to watch every week and one of the least condescending portrayals of Real America on a comedy. Plus, it doesn’t help that all the couples I want to see make out do.

Honorable Mentions
Downton Abbey is probably not a fair pick since season two has only aired in England so far. But America, get excited. Not only is my favorite soap opera as wonderfully soapy as ever, but season two is far better than season one, which was pretty damn good itself. There’s something about a World War that brings out the best in everyone. Downton Abbey takes the opportunity the Great War offers and runs with it, adding depth and pathos to every character on the show, while never abandoning its snippy society roots. It’s some of the most fun I’ve had watching TV all year and it’d be my top choice if it wasn’t so unfair to do that to people who hadn’t seen it yet.

Community is a show I adore without being as hardcore about it as, well, the rest of the internet. In fact, that element probably scares me away from being a fan more than anything. Yet it’s hard to deny how good the show has been this year, even if the threat of cancellation still looms. I’m not sold on season three yet, admittedly, but the highest highs of the season have been some of the best comedic TV work I’ve seen. And the lows, well… I like to pretend they’re not there. Moreover, the show managed to invert the “will they, won’t they” paradigm, make a Western paintball shoot out seem realistic and if not redeem Chevy Chase at least keep him away from the rest of the cast a lot more. I don’t think Community needs to be on the air for another 10,000 years, but it certainly deserves at least another season to finish the story it’s started.

Dennis

Parks and Recreation
What a difference a few months make. As of September, I was threatening to break up with Parks and Rec. Not because it wasn’t a good, heartwarming show, but because I wasn’t laughing enough for a tiny period of time there. But any momentary laugh-related restlessness has most certainly passed. Parks and Rec has truly become a rare TV occurrence, a show that just keeps on steadily improving with age. Unlike its sorta-sister show The Office, Parks and Rec’s characters continue to actually grow, and I in turn grow to love them more with each episode. No matter how many internet memes are erected in worship of Nick Offerman’s Ron Swanson, Amy Poehler will always be the deserving, delightful star of this show, with Adam Scott getting second billing in greatness as the perfect love interest for lovely Leslie Knope. Meanwhile, it’s perhaps the anti-Ben and Leslie, the spontaneously married Andy and April, whose wonderful wackiness is often the root of show’s comedic gold. While I’ll refrain from doing so, I could spend days reciting the great things show has done with many of its supporting and recurring players (such as Aziz Ansari’s Tom “Chicky Chicky Parm Parm” Haverford, Retta’s sardonic Donna, Jim O’Heir’s fantastically forlorn Jerry, Mo Collins’ lustful lush Joan Callamezzo, and Ben Schwartz’ goofball sidekick Jean-Ralphio). And after this year’s birther-battling episode “Born and Raised,” I can’t wait to see what Parks and Rec has in store for the election season next year. Beneath all the usual NBC comedy zaniness, I like that this political world-set show actually has something to say satirically. Parks isn’t all recreation, and for that reason and many more, it’s my show of the year.

Honorable Mentions
My apologies again this year to The Good Wife, which is more often The Great Wife, for falling to the runner-up position again this year (an overdose of Eli might’ve contributed). Justified came close to the top spot too, for a more than just fine sophomore season. I will admit I almost gave the top spot to The Glee Project too. If you had told me last year that the best reality show of 2011 would be one on Oxygen devoted to casting people for a show I don’t really even enjoy anymore, I wouldn’t have believed you. But Project was far more compelling and consistent than the scripted show it spun off from. Then there’s Revenge, which gets props for being way  better than I ever expected it to be, and which was the best soap primetime has seen in years. And the sleek and stylish British import The Hour slides nicely into the Mad Men-sized honorable mention period piece hole. This was also the year of Damon Wayans Jr., who briefly appeared on Fox’s New Girl (a show way more than just having an– ugh, I’m going to say it – adorkable lead) before returning to his day job on the inconsistent, but also oftentimes uproariously hilarious Happy Endings. Sadly, the happy renewal for Endings likely factored into the end of ABC’s other underrated comedy Mr. Sunshine, whose short life I still mourn. And lastly, there’s, Beavis and Butt-head, who scored in their return from the dead, thriving in the often dumbed-down land of Snooki and 16 and Pregnant. Heh heh. I said “score.”

Robert

Homeland
I had almost no expectations going into this new series after seeing the initial promotional spots for it over the summer. I didn’t even realize that it was based on an Israeli TV series called Prisoners of War (although, aside from the core premise, I can’t imagine that the two are all that closely related). All I knew was that I’ve always liked the lead actors since their breakout TV roles years ago—Damian Lewis in Band of Brothers, Claire Danes in My So-Called Life—and that the show was being produced by the minds behind landmark TV hit 24.

Whatever genetics it might share with that terrorist thriller are dialed back in favor of setting up a world far more familiar to our own, where things slip through the cracks and people often make the wrong decisions despite having the best intentions. Most of all, characters in Homeland are motivated by real emotions and circumstances, giving the show a very natural feel as it progresses from one episode to the next. When Sgt. Brody returns home as a distant husband and father, it’s unsettling and suspicious, but when we learn that in his eight years of captivity, he taught and essentially adopted his captor’s son only to see the boy fall victim to a US airstrike, we understand his reluctance to embrace family (and country) again. And when it’s revealed that Carrie entertained a momentary tryst with her supervisor Estes, we start to understand how it was a result of (and perhaps contributed to) her ongoing emotional imbalance, which ultimately leads to other, greater improprieties that risk the security of the nation and those around her.

As I’ve noted throughout its dozen or so episodes since it debuted in October, it’s been a surprising discovery that I’ve found myself completely invested in. While I was initially concerned that it would flex its pay-TV muscles a bit too much by going overboard with sex and violence, the show found a comfortable balance and ditched any gimmickry after a few episodes. Instead, its smart, topical writing and methodical pace give us a chance to get to know the characters and why they are the way they are, rather than pushing forward to the next giant plot reveal. Because of that, when those big moments do come, they feel all the more rewarding. In that regard, Homeland resembles some of the better shows on TV today, and certainly one of the best of this year.

Honorable Mentions
I first saw the pilot of Breaking Bad over a year ago and wasn’t impressed. I thought the premise was intriguing, but it moved at a snail’s pace. When I finally gave it another try this past summer, I finally understood what all the fuss was about. The (mis)adventures of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman are some of the most compelling and heartbreaking I’ve ever seen on television, and somehow, this year’s fourth season surpassed everything that has come before it. One can only wonder where things go from that truly explosive finale.

Meanwhile, in the fictional town of Dillon, Texas, life for the Taylors came to a close as they moved on in the final season of Friday Night Lights. Yes, murder plot and all, getting to know those fictional characters and their lives was probably the closest I’ve ever equated watching a TV show with watching real friends and neighbors.

TV also got medieval this year, and while I was adequately pleased with the noble effort to adapt Camelot yet again, and I continued to enjoy the brutality and hedonism of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, it was Game of Thrones that came away with all of the acclaim—and rightfully so, considering that it’s probably the heftiest wager ever on whether or not hard adult fantasy can work on television.

Scott

Friday Night Lights
I am not a crying man. I can count the number of times I’ve cried in my entire life on both hands, and the times media has made me cry on one. But I totally lost it at the end of the Friday Night Lights finale, the overwhelmingly emotional capper of a series that will go down as one of the greatest that TV will ever produce. FNL is a deceptively simple show composed of good, normal people trying their best to live good, normal lives, grappling with issues we’ve all dealt with: relationships with the people we love, the closing of chapters in our lives, the joy of success, the pain of loss. But over the course of five years, it’s impossible for anyone who watched the show regularly to not feel like a part of the Taylor, Saracen and Riggins families. Its final season sums up what made the series as a whole so great — the good guys win a few and lose a few with nobility and grace — but the final few minutes accomplishes it even more beautifully. The game was never the ultimate end, it’s the lessons learned on the field as a team that guide you through life. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose. A simple idea carried off completely guilelessly.

Honorable Mentions
Breaking Bad exemplifies the very best that TV can achieve, with a magnificent season — probably its best yet — that continually boosts a small, intimate show to mythic proportions. HBO is getting closer to replicating their Sopranos/Deadwood/Wire glory days with fantastic freshmen series Game of Thrones and Enlightened. The triumphant return of Beavis and Butt-head proves the immortality of its characters and format. And on the cancelled front, my beloved Men of a Certain Age was simply too nice and sweet to live, and Onion Sportsdome was too nasty and smart.

Paul

Community
For no reason in particular, 2011 became a year in which I very nearly opted out of mainstream entertainment altogether. I listened mostly to old stuff in my iTunes library and obscure electronic soundtracks for cult webcomics, attended fewer movies than I do in a normal year, and watched almost no television. Only one show kept me from being utterly disconnected: Community. Dan Harmon’s brilliant sitcom has only gotten better in its third season; it’s joined the august ranks of “things so great I cannot believe they exist.” Seriously, how does this show continue to get made? Complicated characters, intricate multi-season running gags, animated foosball facedowns… it just doesn’t stand to reason. Community is almost too good.

Honorable Mention
With its surreal, psychedelic art direction and design, and its almost Twilight Zone-esque stories, Adventure Time is another show whose continued existence baffles me. I hope to remain baffled for season to come.

Ellen: At last, the writers and creators of “Parks & Rec” admit they wrote themselves into the wrong corner. The first episode of this season concluded with Leslie and Ben resolving to be friends and throw ash on the coals of their relationship for the good of Leslie’s career. This was a perfectly sensible choice on the part of the couple and the writers, that at the same time made no sense and seemed to punish any fan’s (ie my) emotional investment in their relationship. No way could it have ended with such a pat, sober, unfunny discussion.

Per this week’s episode, I’m a little frightened about what’s going to happen next. If Leslie will give one bribe, what’s to say she might not give another? What will Systems Man Ben Wyatt do next? And yet I wouldn’t want the court reporter to have said anything different.

The Office: “Mrs. California”

Dennis: Admittedly, I’ve never been a regular viewer of The Office. I check in here and there, but I’m one of those obnoxious Anglophile snobs who liked the Ricky Gervais version way better. Still, even I admit the show has had some well-written episodes, especially in its middle seasons, and I felt the need to check in for the first time all season to see Maura Tierney appear (sorry Spader, my allegiances lie with the former Abby Lockhart) here as this episode’s title character. I thought Tierney a surprisingly good fit in the office, elevating just about everyone around her (except maybe Wacky Jim. When did Jim get wacky?), and I was reminded that Tierney needs a full time role on television again. Now that Tierney’s cancer is in remission (a big yay for that!), and she escaped The Whole Truth wholly unscathed, here’s hoping she gets a starring role on a show worth her acting prowess. Will that show be The Office? It seems like any appearances she might make would put her in a triangle between Spader and Ed Helms, which could be interesting, or it could be annoying. Either way, it’d get me to tune in every week, for the first time in American Office history. Who knew it was that easy?

Psych: “In for a Penny…

Zoë: Psych‘s strong sixth season has been a little less strong lately. Not bad, just back to what it was before. However, this week they tried to do some work that was desperately needed, but giving Juliet a life outside of “bossy cop” and “lady annoyed by Shawn”. The latter is especially bad since, ostensibly, they’re dating and he should care about her feelings, although hasn’t really shown this lately. Unfortunately the episode didn’t do much for the “fleshing out” part of Juliet’s character also used the third act for her to renege on all that as interesting previously. Psych isn’t  a show that allows for angst very long. Even Shawn and his dad’s trouble relationship was always better than most bad TV parenting and Juliet’s bad father is no exception. I get that the show is a serial, despite it’s continuity, and that they’re not really going to do much in the way of dealing with Juliet’s poor relationship with her father. But I thought the moments where she told Shawn off for being a jerk who ignores her feelings and her dad for, well, a lifetime of the same thing was some of the best work for the character all season. To have that be pulled out at the last minute because we can’t end an episode on a down note, seems to be a bit much. I don’t know. I like Juliet as a character, but the show doesn’t really know what to do with her, especially in regards to her dating Shawn. It makes them both look like a bad couple because of this and I was hoping this episode would tweak that dynamic. Oh well. Maybe next time.

Up All Night: “Week Off”

Dennis: I’m still really liking Jason Lee on this show. Besides continuing to be a good romantic foil/grounding force for Ava, this week he had a nice little moment chatting with (and humorously, impersonating) Chris. It seems like the show is still having a hard time finding stuff to do with Will Arnett’s character (as evidenced by the weird addition of Chris playing hockey in the previous episode and in the opening credits, as if to say “See! He has hobbies!”) and I’ve liked him the best when he has a dad friend to talk show with (whether it be Lee or Will Forte earlier in the season), rather than his semi-douchey lawyer buddies (much as like Paul F. Thompkins, and in a previous episode, Bryan Callen, in other TV stuff). I’m not sure if Up All Night can afford a fourth big TV name on its call sheets full-time, but I’ll keep enjoying his stint, however long it lasts.