TV Casualty

Did Battlestar Galactica have the worst SF ending ever?

2009-07-14T20:33:00Z

Battlestar Galactica
It's no secret that I really, really disliked the ending to Battlestar Galactica, and I know I'm not alone. I thought the "God did it" idea was a huge cop-out and having the characters decide that technology was the cause of all their problems went against the entire point of the show, which was that people (and people-like robots) are responsible for their actions. Here's a very long essay positing that the BSG finale was the worst science fiction ending ever, especially since Ron Moore got the whole idea of Mitochondrial Eve very, very wrong. I have to say, the guy makes a good case. Worth the read.

Lost
A guy is suing the Lost producers, claiming he came up with the idea in 1977. Was Damon Lindelof even born then? Oh, well. In sort-of-related news, Matthew Fox has announced that after Lost ends next year, he's done with television forever. And since Jack Shepard and Charlie Salinger (his Party of Five characters) were both kind of judgmental dicks, television might be better off.

Come back!
Here's a list of some actors we wish would return to television, like, now. I have to say, of all of the actors on the list, I would love to see Chris Marquette come back the most, because I had the biggest crush on him during Joan of Arcadia's first season. (And yes, I am still bitter about the assassination of his character in Sesaon 2.)

HBO
The lauded cable network has yet to find another Sopranos, but its Sunday nights are doing pretty well: True Blood, Hung and Entourage both had impressive numbers this week. Of course, Entourage still sucks, but it's the show just won't die. It's the television show version of Bill Compton. However, Entourage's Rex Lee is still wonderful, and here's a great interview with him about where Lloyd is going this season.

John Stamos
Hey, Uncle Jesse is on Twitter! I think I speak for Principal Cinnamon Scudworth when I say: STAMOS!

The Bachelorette
Reid, my future husband, was dumped on The Bachelorette last night, because Jillian just COULDN'T BELIEVE that he wasn't ready to say "I love you" and propose after six weeks of dating on TV. Idiot. (Call me, Reid!) Jillian's got her take on the episode here, and I know I'm betraying my country when I say this, but I'm really not liking her. I like her more than I liked DeAnna, but I really disliked DeAnna.

Auto-Tune the News
Finally, here's the video I've been watching over and over again this week - who knew the news was so darned catchy? I keep catching myself singing, "Wake up... dead! Wake up, wake up... DEAD!"

Heroes, Sarah Palin, The Bachelorette and more

2009-07-06T20:11:00Z

Hey, long time no blog! Sorry about that; I've been distracted with an attractive little affliction called mononucleosis. Yes! People can get that as grownups! Oh, and it's just as much fun as you can imagine. Anyway, onto today's stories!

-- Ah, the sure-fire sign that a show is desperate for ratings: Heroes is introducing a "Claire becomes a lesbian" storyline. Because those always bring a crappy show back from the brink! Just ask Ally McBeal.

-- More proof Hollywood is out of ideas: TJ Hooker: The Movie.

-- With everyone wondering if Sarah Palin is going to become a TV host, someone finally asks the important question: can she? In other "stabbing blunt pencils through my eyes" news, here's an interview with Levi Johnston about his possible TV show. Sigh.

-- I'm sure I wasn't the only one who was completely unsurprised by Ed's return on last week's episode of The Bachelorette. I also wasn't completely surprised by Michael getting dumped, although it breaks my heart. But hey, at least he's still adorable in interviews.

-- Strangely enough, I think Kathy Griffin is the only one who can stage parts of her reality show and I don't mind.

-- Months after he escaped the sinking ship known as House, Kal Penn has finally started work at the White House. Do some good, Kumar!

-- Erstwhile Three's Company star Joyce Dewitt was arrested on suspicion of DUI this weekend. So that's what she's been up to.

-- Speaking of "Where Are They Now?" news, Entertainment Weekly has updates on 18 former MTV Veejays. Your life is now complete.

-- Best news story: Kiefer Sutherland once punched Prison Break star Robert Knepper IN THE FACE because Knepper said he was considering quitting show business. Best response ever.

-- And finally, here's "Body Control," the latest single from Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester. What do you guys think? I think it's actually kind of catchy.

More with Evan Starkman of The Duel 2

2009-06-17T19:39:00Z

Because Evan Starkman is Canadian - and from Toronto, where I live - I think it's part of my duty as a citizen of this country to interview him every time there's a Real World/Road Rules challenge. I did it for The Gauntlet III and I did it for The Duel II, and now that he's actually won the latter, I spoke to him again yesterday. I have to say, he's a lot more attractive now that he has $100,000.

Just kidding! He still sucks.

Just kidding again! He's a fine young man, especially compared to his castmates. I think the editors were a little too in love with him this season (it could have been called Evan Starkman Stars in The Duel II, Along with Some Other People), but when you see people like CT or Aneesa, it's a wonder Evan even makes it out of these challenges with the ability to form coherent sentences. And as cocky as he appears on the show, I just can't fully dislike a guy who will entertain me for 15 minutes by talking shit about people I don't like. And then there's all that charity stuff he does, which is fine, I guess, if you're into the whole "helping people" thing.

Anyway. Here's my interview with Evan from yesterday, in which he talks about what he wants to do with his winnings, how awful that final challenge was and why some of the people on the show are so crazy. (He also told me some stuff about the next RW/RR challenge, but MTV asked me not to print it, so you're out of luck on that one, suckas. If it's any consolation, it sounds really good.)

How are you?
I’m all right. I’m doing all right.

Well, you have $100,000, so that must be nice.
Yeah. I have half of it so far, but it feels pretty good.

Why do you only have half of it?
I don’t know; some bizarre payment where they send the first half when the first episode airs and the second half after the finale. But apparently the mail hasn’t gotten here yet.

What are you planning to do with your winnings?
Just be a stay-at-home dad. No, I really don’t know. I’ve been thinking about it. I’ve put some money into a clothing company Kenny and I are starting called Suck Yeah clothing and that’s it. I’m looking for good ideas.

You already have another clothing company, Branch Out Clothing. How is Suck Yeah different?
Branch Out Clothing is a not-for-profit clothing company. We actually just signed a great deal with Plan Canada to produce shirts for them to support their “Because I’m a Girl” campaign. Branch Out is now partnered with them and the only shirts we make support “Because I’m a Girl.” It’s an incredible mission to raise the status of women worldwide and basically ensure that young girls in most of the third world go to high school. If they go to high school then they’re recognized as people more, so it’s a good opportunity to have. But Suck Yeah is a fun way to have a bromance with Kenny. It’s just for-profit.

You’re having a bromance… for money?
Well, no, Kenny and I are great friends and we wanted to do something together. We were joking one day about the status of T-shirts in the world for men, which include jewels and skulls and horses with skulls for heads and all kinds of angry things. We felt that was sorta lame, so we wanted to make what T-shirts should be: just tacky, old T-shirts.

Tell me about the final challenge in the Duel, where you had to swim and bike and do a bunch of mini-challenges.
The one thing is that they really don’t do a good job of showing was how far that race was. It was about 14 miles. It kinda looks like we jump from point to point, but just the section of walking uphill with bikes – we couldn’t ride uphill because it was too steep. Brad and I walked with our bikes for four-and-a-half hours. We were about 30 feet apart and every so often I’d be like, “You wanna take a break?” And he’d be like, “OK, but you stand right there and I’ll stand right here!” When I was carrying the ring with Britney, we walked together for about two-and-a-half hours. It’s quite a long process. I’ve received a lot of mail concerning my reading comprehension [Evan misread one set of instructions and ended up climbing a pole while carrying a bicycle on his back]. I haven’t really come up with anything clever to say about that other than to say I’m an idiot. I really am.

Well, it all worked out.
All in all, it did work out. I would say it was one of the best days of my life. I was an athlete growing up and I’ve never pushed my body like that. It was incredibly difficult.

How long were you racing that day?
We started at six in the morning and I finished – well, Brad and I finished – around 5:30 p.m. They actually had to pick Mark and Aneesa up on four-wheelers. The producers were like, “The sun’s going down and we really need to finish this shot.” The magic of television!

Why does Aneesa keep going on challenges without doing any training beforehand?
I ask that about a lot of the women who come on the show. Ultimately, just so you know, her training is at a strip club. That’s where she works. I don’t know. For me, I have a lot of fun on these shows, and they are kind of silly and chintzy, but I understand that when I am invited on the show, I’m given the opportunity to compete for money. It’s a total blessing. And I have good odds! When I showed up in New Zealand, there were 13 guys, so I had a 1 in 13 chance; you’re not going to do better than that. So I try to get ready. By no means am I Superman, but I try to prepare, and some people just miss the memo on that. I don’t know what they’re expecting, but it’s pretty funny to watch some people come and realize, “Oh, you just… don’t care about the money. At all.” Which is unbelievable, especially if you’re a stripper. It’s not like, oh, you’re rolling in cash. She’s been paying her bills in singles for a long time!

Was Brad pissed that you beat him by, what, half a second?
Yes. Brad is a great guy and he’s done a lot of these shows and never won. I think he’s on eight or nine. He was pretty upset. It was a pretty unbelievable sequence of events; I really don’t know what went wrong. I feel bad. Not that bad, because I’m rich, but I definitely feel bad.

What was the deal with him and Tori breaking up?
It was very bizarre the last few weeks. Another thing they never really highlight on the show is the mental anguish that we’re all in. I said it a thousand times, but you’re not allowed to have an iPod, there’s no stereo, there’s no television. If you have a book, they take your book away. Prisoners are given books and the Internet and we don’t have any distractions. And then you’re in a house you can’t leave. You can’t be like, “Hey, we want to go out!” You can’t even go for a jog. It’s beyond prison. So Tori just reached this wall where she crumbled mentally, made Brad’s life sort of terrible and when she lost to Aneesa, we’re all sort of like, “Wow, that’s really pathetic. How did you lose to Aneesa?” She gave Brad this note that she had a dream where she lost but then Brad went on to win and… [laughs] I don’t know. I saw Brad recently; Tori wasn’t there, thank God. They’re getting married in April of next year and they’re happy and it’s all good.

A big aspect to the show this season was the social hierarchy, with everyone picking their friends until only one person is left.
Yeah, the whole popularity contest.

You were pretty much at the top the whole time, but you were still targeted a lot.
Yeah. I’m used to, I guess, getting a bit of a free ride on these shows. I don’t know if it’s deserved or not. I guess some of the people who don’t prepare for the challenges look at me – I mean, not only do I train hard, but I put all my T-shirts in the dryer twice before I go, so I look like a really big guy around the house because the shirts are so tight. I don’t know, I’m not used to getting called out as much as I did, which made the experience a lot more difficult. But ultimately, I think it helped me because I was more prepared for the final, mentally. Once you go into the duel enough times, you look at your competition and you’re like, “Well, if I can’t beat this guy, I probably shouldn’t be here.” Ultimately, it sucks going in and I went against a lot of good players, but if I can’t beat Davis, just go home, Evan. But I don’t know why people came after me.

Well, it was probably because you were taking charge of the game; obviously the people on the bottom were trying to change that.
You know what it is? I’m a pretty vocal guy. A lot of the veterans who came on the show are sort of quiet, mature people, I guess you would call them. I definitely have a target on my back and I don’t make any mistakes about how I feel about certain things. I always look at these shows as three phases. Despite there being different rules and there being different roads to the final, there’s always been a pattern, and it goes like this: the first few weeks are probably the most nerve-wracking because you’re learning what the game is and the house is full of new people who have never done the challenges. So the hierarchy doesn’t matter to them and they feel like, “Well, I’m going home anyway because people are going to throw me under the bus, so I’m just going to go after the top dogs or go after Evan because why not? I’m going home anyway.” You don’t know what they’re thinking, you don’t have alliances with them because they’re new and you’re just sorta like, “Yeah, get out of here.” The middle weeks are pretty mellow because everyone’s falling into pretty strong alliances and they get the game and it’s simple, the way the game flows. You know if you’re going in and everyone agrees, for some reason, on the way of things. And then at the end, the way I try and do it, I just hope that I’ve fooled people long enough that I can pull the rug out from underneath them and it’s too late for them to do anything about it. That’s sort of the plan. It just happened to work out on this one.

On the first episode, Diem seemed like a lost little puppy who didn’t now what she wanted. Did she experience any personal growth that you saw, or is she still as lost as she ever was?
Yeeeah… uh… It’s weird. Maybe it’s because I haven’t looked in the mirror long enough, but it seems that the longer people do these shows, it’s a slippery slope. Some people just slowly and surely deteriorate. When we first met Diem, she was Little Miss America. She was a teen idol and doing all these great things. She’s still a total sweetheart but a lot more wine is involved. A lot of red wine and paranoia. Diem’s true colours are sort of out. She’s lost. I love Diem because in all the shows I’ve done with her, for some reason, she’s convinced that she should get some kind of free ride right to the end. Every time she’s called out to go into the duel, it’s a mega production. Somebody should give her an award. It’s like, [fake crying] “Oh my God! I can’t believe it!” It’s like, there’s only four girls left! How did you not think you were going to get called out? Every time I was her partner, she was like, “You know, I think I’m really over my fear of heights,” and then as soon as we get up there, she’s screaming and crying. Some of these kids are buying mirrors that, when you look into them, you’re seeing a different person than the rest of the world sees. I would like to know where they’re buying these mirrors. We should all have them, actually. You look great in them, apparently.

So the last time we talked, you were just about to go on another challenge. Can you tell me anything about it?
I can’t tell you a thing about it. [He later tells me stuff about it anyway, but, like I said, I can't reveal any of it.] When did we last talk? Oh, you know what’s really funny? The last article you wrote, I said something about Robin and her child.

Yes.
Oh, yeah. Somehow her or her fiancé came across that article and I got some pretty heavy mail. I should forward you the email. She’s pretty upset.

Was it not true?
Well, it’s just sort of mean-spirited. I say things – I hope you put this – I say a lot of things that are jokes. In writing, I look bad. It’s like the opposite of my résumé, where I look good on paper but if you actually knew what I did, you’d never hire me. Sometimes in writing, I come across as… a mean guy. Overly arrogant, cocky guy. I really don’t feel like that. I mean, in The Duel 2, how much footage was there of me reading Eat Pray Love? A lot. I’m fully, fully a lesbian. No, I’m trying to be really positive and Robin is due, I think, right now. Having the baby or had the baby. It’s really hard for me to believe that she’s not still doing Percocet, but I wish her the best, I really do.

Monday Casualties: Katie Holmes, Kelly Kapowski, MC Hammer and more

2009-06-15T20:48:00Z

I know I usually do Friday casualties, but since I didn't have time this week and will be taking this Friday off, ta da! Monday casualties. Sorry, OCD people.

-- Did you guys watch the True Blood Season 2 premiere last night? Lafayette's alive! Hurray! Sure, he's chained up in a vampire's basement and the vampire keeps eating people, but I have hope. Of course, Sookie is as stupid as always, which is why I put her on my Stupid Damsels in Distress list.

-- And, in case you missed it, don't forget to check out my interview with Canadian Bachelorette Jillian Harris. And if you miss tonight's episode, you can always check Dose tomorrow morning for our Bachelorette Hit List.

-- So Katie Holmes is filming an appearance for... So You Think You Can Dance? ...Really? Yeah, that career is going really well for her.

-- After last week's awesome Zack Morris appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, here are some suggestions for how to dress like Kelly Kapowski.

-- I never thought I'd say this, but God bless Al Roker and Whoopi Goldberg.

-- MC Hammer has a new A&E reality show called, naturally, Hammertime. But you know what will make it really interesting? Vanilla Ice.

-- Talk about having the desired effect: Sarah Palin may turn out to be the Hugh Grant to David Letterman's Jay Leno.

-- There's a new Glee promo! I am far, far too excited for this.

-- Speaking of late night TV, I love, love, love Craig Ferguson making fun of NBC and announcing himself as the King of Late Night:

More with Jillian Harris of The Bachelorette

2009-06-11T21:04:00Z

I have such a turbulent relationship with The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. One the one hand, I hate it. It's ridiculous. The people are ridiculous and say things nobody ever actually says. I annoy my roommate every time I watch it, because the whole time, I talk about how much I would love a season where the bachelor or the bachelorette gets weirded out by people writing them poems or telling them how much they like them after a day.

But, on the other hand, I can't stop watching. I can't. I've tried, but every time it's on, I'm like, "Ooh, who's going to act like a douchebag this week?!" (Answer: everyone.) And, of course, now that Canadian Jillian Harris is The Bachelorette, all of Canada's freaking out, as if her being from here suddenly makes this show not stupid.

I got to talk to Jillian earlier this week, and you can read my interview here, but she did provide a few tidbits of information that I couldn't fit into the article. We talked about Scary Angry Dave, why she and the bachelors never talk about anything other than their feelings for each other (just ask what their favourite movie is! SOMETHING!) and why she always goes with the rude guys who interrupt her conversation. I figured that since I was curious about these things, you guys might be interested in reading the answers, too. So, for your reading pleasure, here's the director's cut of my interview with Jillian:

Thank you for getting rid of Dave, first of all.
Oh, yeah, no problem. Why, do you have a crush on him?

Not even a little bit.
I’m just kidding. Yeah, that was something, eh?

Watching the show, were you surprised at just how unhinged he seemed?
I mean, I guess the thing is that I believe everybody in this world deserves to find happiness. Everybody deserves to find someone who loves them and they can love back, so I never wish any harm on David. But I was also really disappointed in his behaviour and the way he spoke to Juan and other people and to me. I really thought it was inappropriate and it made me sad. I hope that Dave finds what he’s looking for because I do think he’s got a good heart and I don’t know what happened there. I hope that he learns from it.

Who else surprised you with how different they acted when you weren’t around?
Dave was a big one. He was actually the only one that really surprised me, I think. I’m not seeing a different side to Wes, but I’m seeing how much everybody disliked him. I didn’t know that. I still don’t really understand why, so that’s the one that I don’t really get. Wes is not a fan favourite and I’m not sure why because I adore him.

Does Wes’ song have more to it than the one line, “love don’t come eeeeeaaa-zaaaay”?
It does! By this time, I had heard the song once or twice. I thought it was an incredible song, but maybe they just didn’t have time in the episode to play the whole thing.

During your conversations with these guys, all of them are talking about how much they like you when they don’t even know you. Doesn’t that weird you out?
Yeah, I mean, there’s a lot of prep. These guys learn a lot about my background and we actually do spend a lot more time together than you see. But I think that was the one part – take, for example, my date with Mike and Mark. Mike had already developed these really intense feelings for me, which I was feeling were maybe a little bit premature. But Mike is such an honest, genuine, smart individual, he’s such a sweetheart, but throughout our conversation, I was only hearing his feelings about me and I wasn’t learning about him. Whereas my conversation with Mark, he had a hard time opening up about his feelings but I learned so much about him and why he had a hard time opening up. So I felt like even though he might not have been the most clear choice, I really connected with him and learned a lot about him, so, for me, it was a simple answer.

Do you ever talk to the guys about politics or favourite books or movies, or the kind of things most people want to know before they fall in love with someone?
Only when we’re off camera. When we’re off camera, we want to talk to each other about things and then that’s when we’re really allowed to talk about silly things, like where we go camping and politics and that sort of stuff. It’s hard to air those sort of things because they can’t air artists, movies, brand names or any of that. We do have those conversations, to be sure, but not as much as I’d like. But there is some off-camera time where you get to touch base on those sort of things.

Are you ever put off by how cheesy the show is and the cheesy things some of these guys say to you?
Oh, absolutely. All the time! I signed up for it knowing that it is super cheesy, but there's times where you're like, “I don't want to do this! I can't believe I signed up for this!” But, in the end, you know the whole thing about how you have to slay a couple of dragons to get to the prince? I really do think that if I want to find what I'm looking for, which is something so incredible, I don't think it's going to come easy. I think it comes in a forum like this, where you have to go through some ups and downs and you have to go through a bit of drama, and you're much, much more grateful for what you have in the end.

Do you worry that the guys on the show are more concerned with winning than figuring out if they’re a good match for you and vice versa?
I think some of the guys are. It's natural to have a competitive flair when you're doing something like this, but the guys who were there for the right reasons understood that it wasn’t a competition. They were more concerned about building a connection.

What was going through your mind when you were told some of the guys had girlfriends, especially when nobody came forward?
I was just thinking that it was so dramatic and I was so tired. I wish somebody would just tell me who has a girlfriend so I could let them go! Then, when nobody came forward, I took Tanner’s advice, I put it in my back pocket and thought, “OK, this could come in handy down the road.” But I went back to what my original decision was going to be and, you know, it’s frustrating, but you have to understand that you have 30 guys vying for one girl’s attention. It’s going to get dramatic, it’s going to get heated and this is what I signedup for.

You’ve explained why you got rid of Mike and Dave (Dave was a no-brainer, really), but why Juan? You two seemed to be hitting it off.
Juan is an absolute doll. He's successful; he's gorgeous; he was there for the right reasons. But I felt like I was really looking for my best friend, somebody that I can sit back and relax with, make some inside jokes and have fun with. Juan said so many wonderful things and cared about me so much, but I felt like our relationship was just a little too serious and I'm looking for something a little more playful.

How are you not weirded out by Tanner’s foot fetish?
If that's the worst thing I have to deal with in a husband, then that's fine! The thing is, Tanner's heart is in the right place. He's there for the right reasons. Tanner absolutely adored me. [“Adored”? Past tense? Iiiinteresting.] He loved my feet and I can deal with that. I think it’s cute! It makes him unique and he owned it! I love that he just owned it.

During the cocktail parties, there are always parts where you’re talking to one guy for a few minutes, and then another guy comes and steals you away in the middle of the conversation. Did the producers tell you that you have to go with them, or can you say, “Just let me finish my conversation and I’ll talk to you in a few minutes”?
Our conversations are a lot longer than you guys see. There have been a few times where I’ve said, “I’ll be with you in a moment.” But the time is limited that evening. Yeah, there have been a few times where I’ve told the guy to wait, and then there’s been other times where I know that person really needs to speak to me. If I feel like I haven’t had enough time, I’ll definitely tell that person I’ll be right there.

The Bachelor and The Bachelorette don’t have the best track record when it comes to long-term commitment. How do you plan to overcome that?
I think it’s one of those things, I was just explaining earlier: People get engaged on this show, or they get proposed to or they start a long-term commitment, when, in real life, they might only be at that point where they say, “I really like you and I really want to start a relationship with you.” A lot of those relationships don't work. Also, there’s all this scrutiny and pressure of being in the press and being in the media and having that chosen one, if there is one, watching you make a connection with other people. I think there's a lot of pressure. I don't know how people have dealt with it in the past, but all I know is that if there is a special somebody, I feel like I have a good head on my shoulders and all I can do is hope for the best. You never know what can happen.

How are you handling life in the spotlight?
It’s way different than I thought and I can’t say I enjoy it more than I thought I would. I am a little bit of a ham so I always thought I would love being the centre of attention, but I can't wait for the day that comes that I can just sit in my backyard and crack a beer and sit with my special someone and I don't have to do an interview or be on TV again!

What’s the hardest part of being in the spotlight?
The hardest part is accepting that everybody has an opinion and they're entitled to their opinion. I wish that I could reach out to every blogger and ever viewer and explain to them why I did what I did. But I can’t do that; I have to let people have their own opinions and let it go. Also, I’m really bad – I read the blogs. They’re really hard on me and I shouldn’t read them, but I’m always thinking that people are so mean! I should stop doing that. But people have their opinions and I’m learning that I have to let them.

Once the show’s over, you’re planning on going back to relative anonymity?
I can’t wait to get back to work! I love my job, I love what I do for a living. I just can’t wait to get back to reality.

Are you happy with the outcome of the show?
Watching it, and all the ups and downs throughout the show, I sometimes can’t say I’m happy with it. It’s dramatic and sometimes I get embarrassed with myself, like, “Why did I make that decision?” But the final outcome of the show, I'm extremely, extremely happy about. I don’t know how to put into words how happy I am. I’m at a place I’ve never been in my entire life.

The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

The Melrose Place pilot

2009-06-09T19:26:00Z

Warning: this post will include spoilers about the upcoming Melrose Place reboot. Don't go all Kimberly Shaw on my ass!

Last fall's premiere of 90210 was underwhelming, to say the last. Combine the whirlwind of hype, the residual love of the original '90s show with the almost impressively blah storylines, dialogue and acting, and 90210 was more than a disappointment. Still, it attracted enough viewers to warrant a second season and, admittedly, it seemed to find its footing by the season finale.

It also convinced the CW to bring back yet another primetime soap, rebooting Melrose Place and bringing back some even saucier storylines, since older characters mean more drinking, more sex and more debauchery and drama. Having now watched the pilot, I'm relieved to tell you that while the new Melrose Place is far from perfect, it certainly has a better idea of what it's doing than 90210 did.

First, it rips off Desperate Housewives a little bit, by setting up a murder mystery that will surely unfold over the majority of the season. As you may have read elsewhere, original Melrose star Laura Leighton is brought back as Sydney - which is a little complicated, since Sydney, you know, died on the original show. Turns out she just faked it! But then she dies in the pilot, so it's all good. Nobody knows who killed her - and one character are worried that they killed her during a drug-enhanced blackout - but we still get plenty of flashbacks to Sydney's scheming behaviour, including sleeping with one of the Melrose Place residents and his dad. Oh, and his dad? Just happens to be DR. MICHAEL MANCINI. Oh, Thomas Calabro, I didn't realize how much I missed you until you came back.

Of course, the apartment complex is filled with a whole new group of young, successful (or "struggling," but if they can afford rent on that place, they're not doing too badly), impossibly attractive people. There's Ella (Katie Cassidy of Supernatural), the ruthless publicist, Auggie (Colin Egglesfield), the way-too-nice chef with a secret (natch), Lauren (Stephanie Jacobsen), the med student who can't pay her tuition without becoming a prostitute, Riley (Jessica Lucas), the boring school teacher in desperate need of a story line, Jonah (Michael Rady of Greek), the aspiring filmmaker who just wants to MAKE IT ON HIS OWN, DAMMIT, David Brek (Shaun Sipos), the "troubled" actor and son of the aforementioned Dr. Mancini - and, finally, Violet (Ashlee Simpson), the meek new girl who is a little too interested in Sydney's death. Got all that?

Thankfully, Ashlee has very little to do in the pilot, which probably has a lot to do with me liking it more than 90210. Like I said, the murder plot is a little too Desperate Housewives, but it's a pretty good device to keep viewers coming back, especially since it involves the murder of a beloved character from the original show. (The storyline was originally proposed to Heather Locklear, who, I guess, would rather Amanda Woodward forever be in hiding with Dr. Peter Burns. Can't say I blame her.) There is some awkward dialogue that is to be expected from a pilot (lots of lines like, "That guy needs a publicist, and THAT'S WHAT I DO FOR A LIVING" and "I'm trying to be a FILMMAKER, not a VIDEOGRAPHER!"), but nothing terribly egregious.

The writers seemed to have realized that the reason people wanted 90210 back, and why Melrose Place was brought back, is because people miss the cheesy, guilty-pleasure drama that the originals provided, no matter how ridiculous they were. We want blackmail and other questionable ethical decisions! (Hiring Ashlee Simpson could definitely fit in the latter category. Hi-yo!) The main problem I see is that the "villains" aren't evil enough so far and the "nice" characters are annoying. Especially in Jonah's storyline, in which he tries to advance his film career by filming a big director's daughter's birthday party, but the director blows him off - until Jonah accidentally films the guy making out with a lady who is not his wife! Uh oh! Now Jonah has to choose between the career he always wanted and the man he wants to be! (He takes the wimpy way out. Booooo!) Granted, this part may have been more disappointing simply because I loved Michael Rady on Greek and hate that he's leaving.

So while I was initially turned off of the Melrose Place reboot because of 90210, I am willing to see MP through at least a few more episodes. Especially if all the characters keep wilfully ignoring Ashlee Simpson. Because that was pretty funny.

Battlestar Galactica's Aaron Douglas, Veronica Mars and Flashpoint's Enrico Colantoni

2009-06-05T18:48:00Z

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending CTV's UpClose party, where they had stars of all their fall shows mingling and taking photos with us regular schmoes. As if that weren't enough, there was an open bar, a barbecue and, oh yeah, an ICE CREAM TRUCK. Best party ever? Possibly. The Degrassi kids were all there - they're all, like, four feet tall - as was (bleh) Ben Mulroney, some Corner Gas people (double bleh), plus a few of the So You Think You Can Dance Canada people dancing on podiums. Except that the podiums were so narrow that for all the moves they could do, they might as well have just hired mediocre go-go dancers.

But. But! I did get to speak to two people who made me, on the inside, squeal like a little fangirl. (On the outside, I was, as always, the consummate professional.) I am speaking, of course, of Aaron Douglas and Enrico Colantoni. Douglas was there to promote his new show, The Bridge, while Colantoni was there with the rest of the Flashpoint crew. I have to say that Enrico is one of the most delightfully goofy men I've ever met in real life, though, as he later told me, it was probably just for show. So! For your reading pleasure, here are my interviews with both of those lovely men, including what Colantoni wants to see from any potential Veronica Mars movie (fingers crossed).

Aaron Douglas

How does working on The Bridge compared to Battlestar Galactica?
Oh, it’s so much work. With Battlestar, I was in a cast of 15, 16 people, so there would be weeks where I worked five days or weeks where I worked one day. Now, I’m working every day, all day – 15- or 16-hour days. It’s long. It’s fun, but it’s long.

How did you connect with your Bridge character, Frank Leo?
That’s an interesting question. I don’t know; I don’t really go in for any of that method stuff. I just go in, say my lines and hope someone likes it. And I still have a job, so I guess I’m doing a good job. I like to think that if the Chief had been a cop, he’d have been Frank Leo. He and I have a stuff in common, too.

Like what?
We both like cigars and Scotch.

How did it feel to have The Bridge picked up by CBS?
Well, great. It’s CBS, the biggest network in the States. You can’t ask for much more than that, really.

Do you feel any pressure, since it is the biggest network?
Not really. Like I said, I just go in and say my lines and hope for the best. If people like it, great; if not, onto the next thing. I don’t waste my time worrying about how the show’s going to do, because what happens, happens. But CBS has been great.

Are you enjoying being on display at this party?
You know what? It reminds me a lot of the cons, except I’m not signing anything, which is nice. It’s nice to meet people who like what I do, and this way I’m not answering the same questions over and over again.

Which question do you get the most often?
“How did it feel when you found out you were a Cylon?”

…So I won’t be asking that question, then.
Thank you.

I’ve spoken to other Sci-Fi stars who say that at the cons, there will be tons of screaming and attention during the panels, but as soon as they go out on the floor, nobody will talk to them.
Oh, no, I get stopped. You can’t just walk through the floor, because people point and take photos and ask you to take pictures with their baby. It can take hours. But it’s great, you know, because these are people who just really loved the show and supported it, and to actually see the people who kept you working is great.

Enrico Colantoni

You seem to be having a good time. I saw you doing the robot earlier.
Well, I sort of put it on, you know what I mean? You fake it ‘till you make it.

Do you ever make it?
Always!

The last time I spoke with you, it was before Flashpoint had even aired. How have things changed this then?
If you’re fortunate enough to be on a show that has longevity, I call the first season and a half the rehearsal. You’re really fumbling around, you’re figuring things out, and right around the middle of the second season, you know who these people are and you go to work happy. You know that this doesn’t work, that doesn’t work and you’re wasting less time. It’s easier and you understand the character better. It’s all gravy right now.

What’s tightened up the most?
The script. The writers just know what kind of show we have and they can say, “Wait, these characters wouldn’t do that.” The writers are just great.

How are your kids adjusting to Toronto?
Oh, they don’t like it at all. Well, the fact that they spend most of their time in L.A. I’m more upset about it than they are.

Why don’t they like it here?
Well, they like coming to visit and they have cousins and other family. I’m the Disney dad. I’m like, “You want that piece of cake! Have that piece of cake!”

How’s your bromance with Hugh Dillon coming along?
It’s a good bromance! We’re getting to know each other. He’s the coolest guy ever. I wish it were more of a bromance. They could sell the show on that. Those guys are awesome together! They love each other, man!

Are you guys going to get your own MTV reality show?
I think so! “Shut up, man! Shut up!” “You shut up! You always get to talk people down!” “You get to kill people!”

Do you wish you got to kill people more?
Yeah! We live vicariously through each other. “You wear your heart on your sleeve.” “Yeah? You wear your grin on your face! You get to see that.” We’re always leaning on each other.

Amy Jo Johnson said that now that she’s not pregnant, it’s a lot more fun for her.
Thank God Francesca’s right outside of that belly. Her husband comes in with her and she’s just the most beautiful baby in the world. I’m not even kidding. The baby is beautiful. And now Amy can play again. We’re having a good time.

She said she’s been feeling less hormonal. Was that something you noticed?
[Jokingly] You just sorta tolerate it, I guess. You’re like, “OK, she’s pregnant, let her do what she wants.” Now she’s not pregnant and I can be like, “Hey! Come on! Get off your ass! Carry your gun!”

Is anyone ever surprised by how different you are in real life as opposed to how you are on TV?
I love it! I love it! My favourite question. They seem to accept it. They seem to accept my goofiness. I am goofy. I’m a little goofy. That’s because I want future employers to know that I do comedy, too. I can be serious and I can be funny-stupid.

Can you be funny-smart?
Eh, funny-smart, who needs it? Boring!

Now, the obvious question: the Veronica Mars movie.
[Makes a “who knows?” face]

You don’t know?
Look at this face. [Makes the face again]

Is that a sad face?
It’s not happening right now. I don’t know what happening.

What would you want to see Keith Mars do in the movie?
What I loved about what they were trying to do, but weren’t really allowed to do, on the television show, was to show how seedy that world was. We did a pilot that was so seedy and so dark that, you know, CBS said, “Guys, they can’t literally live along a track. The pool can’t be that dirty. We have to feel like Veronica’s taken care of.” Dark, dark, dark. I really wanted to see the movie take us into where the morality lived in these characters and what they were willing to do. That’s what I loved about the genre.

It seemed like the show was finally getting into that just as it got cancelled.
They were! We were! It became cool in Season 3 and Rob [Thomas] had the best idea to bring it back for Season 4, bringing it right back to what it was, and then… [makes a “you know what happened” face] You know? That’s where I would have liked to see the movie. Breaking the law! Gotta do it!

Breaking Bad: "ABQ"

2009-06-01T20:43:00Z

Well, I certainly didn't guess that.

Of course, that was the entire point. All season, Vince Gilligan has been playing with our expectations of that pink teddy bear, slowly showing us bits and pieces. First, its charred body in the pool, then the evidence bags, then the cracked windshield and the body bags. And finally, in the season finale, we see that the wreckage was not due to a chemical explosion or a violent shootout between Walt and the mexican cartel; no, now Walt's misdeeds have had an even greater impact. By letting Jane die, he inadvertently set her father up to self-destruct at his job - as an air traffic controller. Distracted by his grief, Jane's father let two planes crash in the air above Walt's house, and the fire and brimstone rained down around him. Oh, and the pink teddy bear.

While some people may have been disappointed with the big reveal, I thought it perfectly summed up the consequences of Walt's prideful nature. Because of his unstoppable desire to prove himself as a man, he has left hundreds of casualties in his wake. And it's different than the deaths of Tuco and Crazy Eights, because these people were innocent bystanders. All of it could have been avoided if Walt could have just gotten over his pride and accepted help.

(In an interview with Alan Sepinwall, Vince Gilligan revealed that the titles of the episodes that opened with the black-and-white teasers actually foreshadowed what was to come. "Seven-Thirty-Seven" "Down" "Over" "ABQ." Nice job.)

But the crash wasn't even the most explosive part of the season finale. Mad props to both Anna Gunn and Aaron Paul, who hit their performances out of the park. Skylar finally discovered that Walt had been lying to her (about what, she didn't know - but she realized she didn't want to know) and decided to leave her husband - though not before tearing him a new one. Gunn played the scene very quietly, which made it even more intense. And Jesse broke my heart as he broke down and blamed himself for Jane's death. It's been incredible seeing Paul insert so much depth into Jesse - one of my favourite parts of this season has been watching the role reversals of Walt and Jesse, as Walt became more of a monster and Jesse became the guy to root for.

Season 2 showed a huge increase in quality over Season 1, which I still thought was pretty good. While last week's episode seemed to indicate it, this season finale certainly showed beyond any doubt that there's no going back for Walt. Bryan Cranston could definitely win a second Emmy this year. Who knew the dad from Malcolm in the Middle could deliver the kind of performance he did every week this season?

Can't wait for Season 3. What did you guys think?

Friday Casualties: Grey's Anatomy, Pushing Daisies, Chuck and more

2009-05-29T19:17:00Z

Happy Friday! Let's hope this nice weather keeps up.

Here's some of the TV stuff we did this week:

-- If you haven't checked out our Bachelorette Hit List, head on over and take a gander - trust us, it's much easier and less painful than sitting through each two-hour episode.

-- Canada's Next Top Model premiered this week, so we introduced you to the girls, showed you photos from the premiere, interviewed Jay Manuel and talked to Tiffany, the first girl to be kicked off. You're welcome.

Elsewhere:

-- Reports surfaced this week that T.R. Knight is indeed being killed off of Grey's Anatomy, but Shonda Rhimes has said it's "a hilarious, ridiculous rumour." Who to believe?!

-- Good news, Chuck fans: the show will probably be making some webisodes, and the show might even return earlier than expected.

-- Sad news, Pushing Daisies fans: the final episodes are airing this weekend. R.I.P.

-- Doctor Who has found its new companion, and she's a ginger!

-- Here's a great profile of Zach Galifianakis, the brilliant comedian who is starring in The Hangover.

-- Den of Geek has a great piece about what a moron Kim Bauer is. (If anything, we think they give her too much credit.)

-- And finally, check out this video of Ed Westwick in character as Chuck Bass at the upfronts presentation for the CW.

Have a good weekend!

Breaking Bad: "Phoenix"

2009-05-25T19:35:00Z

For a show that underwhelmed me with its pilot, Breaking Bad sure has my full attention now.

I've mentioned before about how I'm now hooked on this show, but each week's episode somehow manages to be even better than the last. Throughout the first season, one of my main questions was that I didn't understand why Walt, this sweet husband and father, was choosing to deal meth when he actually had his rich friends offer to pay for his treatment; to Breaking Bad's credit, they've answered that easily in Season 2. Because so much of Walt's life has not gone the way he wanted it to, and for once, he wants to be in charge. And while things frequently (...always) go wrong, it's become clear this season that it's not about making enough money to support his family anymore - Walt likes the man he's become, because for the first time in a long time, he feels like a man. And he doesn't care what it takes to feel that way, or what it means for him as a human being.

But the great thing about Breaking Bad - and Bryan Cranston's performance - is that while we understand that about Walt, it's clear that Walt himself doesn't fully understand it. Despite all evidence to the contrary he still believes that, at his core, he is a good person. Case in point: last night's episode. After making a huge deal with a local distributor, Walt tells Jesse that he's holding onto his half of the money ($480,000) until Jesse gets clean and stops screwing up their business because of his addictions. Of course, once Jesse's girlfriend, Jane, learns about the money, she blackmails Walt into giving it to them, which he grudgingly does. But after a chance encounter with Jane's dad at a bar (though neither of them realizes the connection), in which they talk about supporting your family no matter what, Walt realizes that Jesse is something of a surrogate son and that he can't just let him self-destruct. Heading back to Jesse's place, Walt enters the bedroom to see Jesse and Jane passed out on heroin; Walt tries to wake Jesse up, shaking Jane onto her back, but Jesse doesn't wake up.

And then. Oh, then. Jane begins to vomit and choke. And because Walt sees her as a problem - as an obstacle for Jesse, whom Walt realizes he should now protect - he does nothing. He stands there and watches her die because he truly believes that, in the long run, it's the right thing to do. He sits and stares, filled with sadness, self-pity and determination (and, it cannot be said enough, Bryan Cranston plays this scene perfectly). And we the audience, of course, realizes that good people don't stand idly by and let someone die when they could easily be saved - but, simultaneously, we see that's not who Walt is. Not anymore.

Next week is the season finale, when we'll finally (I hope) find out what the deal is with the burnt teddy bear and the two body bags in front of Walt's house - and, after this week, I think it's pretty clear that Breaking Bad isn't going to pull any punches.

90210: Oh, sure, NOW it gets awesome

2009-05-20T20:19:00Z

Last night's 90210 season finale - which I watched, I will admit, but only because nothing was on other than Glee, which I was DVRing so I didn't have to sit through commercials - was about a million times ore exciting than the rest of the entire season. Among the awesome things that happened:

-- After Naomi gushes to Jen about Liam's family problems (inadvertently giving her sister the leverage she needs), Jen goes and seeks out Liam, makes it seem like Naomi is telling EVERYONE about his issues, then totally sexes up her little sister's boyfriend. Because she's CRAAAAZY.

-- Naomi walks in as Liam is putting on his pants (and Jen is, conveniently, in the other room) and is understandably pissed, telling him she never wants to see him again.

-- THEN Jen tells Liam that she's Naomi's sister and Liam realizes what a d-bag he is.

-- However, after finding Annie's shawl in her room with Liam, Naomi thinks that Annie slept with him and screams at her in front of the entire after-prom party! And everyone's still pissed about Annie telling her dad about the first party (which she didn't, but everyone thinks she did), so they all mock her and throw drinks on her, so Annie tells them all to screw off, storms out of the party, grabs a bottle of vodka and calls the cops on the party - HAH!

-- Dixon confronts Ethan about his feelings for Silver, and they're all up in each others' grills and it's all very homoerotic, but then Ethan's all, "Silver, you're awesome" and runs away, but then SILVER comes and finds HIM and they MAKE OUT and it's TOTALLY HOT, and Ethan points out that if she didn't have feelings for him then she would be with Dixon instead (although, to be fair, maybe Silver just wanted someone to be nice to her after Dixon started acting like a giant baby)

-- Liam goes home and, after leaving an apologetic message on Naomi's voicemail, gets FORCED TO GO TO BOOTCAMP by his jerk of a stepfather

-- And, the best part, Annie drives home drunk and crying, and SHE HITS A GUY. Awesome. But then she realizes that she has a bottle of vodka in her car and she's underage, so she just drives off. AMAZING.

Oh, yeah, and then there was all the Adrianna and Navid and baby bullcrap, but I haven't been keeping track and babies on TV are boring. Even when Shannen Dohert guest stars.

But yeah, totally awesome! What happened, writers? It's like one of you sat up during your afternoon nap and said, "Uh, guys? I think we might be in charge of a show or something." And then you all decided to pass on your after-nap nap and write an actual episode of delightful trash. Keep it up next season, guys!

House: "Both Sides Now"

2009-05-12T20:59:00Z

Last night's House finale, mindf*ck that it tried to be, just seemed like we'd ventured into familiar territory. To discover that House and Cuddy hadn't slept together at all, that he had hallucinated the whole thing and was, in fact, still taking Vicodin - sure, I went "whooooa," but I said it in a "I can't believe they're doing this again!" kind of way. "No Reason," the second season finale, already had House hallucinating the goings on, and last year's two-part finale had House trying to interpret his own visions. It's just not impressive the third time around, especially since we've all seen The Sixth Sense.

That being said, Hugh Laurie hit that last scene out of the park. The moment House realized that he was very sick and very possibly losing his mind, Laurie perfectly showed the fear and uncertainty and pain - it's rare to really see House drop down all of his defenses, even when he's truly shaken. The look on Laurie's face made it clear just how scared House really is.

Of course, since this is House, he'll probably be fully cured by the second episode of next season. House nearly rivals Heroes in the "nothing really has consequences!" category.

On another note, I can't believe the writers made Jennifer Morrison and Jesse Spencer act out a wedding scene. Those poor guys are total pros. That must have been the most awkward scene to film ever.

What did you guys think of the finale?

Friday Casualties: Dollhouse, Grey's Anatomy, Jon & Kate Plus 8 and more

2009-05-08T20:35:00Z

-- Tonight is the Dollhouse finale, and it's probably the last episode ever, which is really too bad, because I actually really like the show now. CURSE YOU, FOX! Why must you deprive me of a shirtless Tahmoh Penikett? WHY?!

-- More (potentially) sad news: the Gossip Girl spinoff about Lily van der Woodsen in the '80s might not get picked up! COME ON!

-- Did you watch the Izzie/Alex wedding on last night's Grey's Anatomy? I will admit that I teared up a litte, but today my mind is full of questions. Did Derek not invite his mom and sisters to the wedding? Wouldn't they be pissed that they showed up for Derek's wedding and it didn't happen? Why did it take until Izzie was halfway down the aisle to include George in the wedding? Do you really expect me the believe that Katherine Heigl and Ellen Pompeo wear the same size?

-- I am far too happy about Mindy Kaling getting her own show. Love her.

-- Happy birthday, Stephen Colbert! Here's your present: you get your own beetle.

-- Here's our Q&A with Survivor: Brazil castoff Sierra Reed.

-- Guitar Hero: the show? That's it: we're officially out of ideas.

-- The allegations and denials of Jon Gosselin's affairs mean one thing and one thing only: ratings gold for the May 25 season premiere of Jon & Kate Plus 8.

-- Not that I'm taking sides or anything, but speaking of Kate Gosselin, here's a list of crazy TV Moms.

-- And, finally, the funniest/saddest eight-minute video you'll see today, made by a guy who is trying to win his ex-girlfriend back after not seeing or talking to her in two years. You're welcome.

The Biggest Loser: One Week Left!

2009-05-06T20:06:00Z

It was the penultimate episode of this season of The Biggest Loser, and, as usual, it seemed to go on forever. I swear, this episode seemed to last longer than the rest of the season put together. And you know what? Next week's finale is THREE HOURS LONG. Jebus, give me strength.

But this episode featured each of the remaining four finalists going home for 30 days to lose weight on their own, and I have to say, I've really been hating how the show's producers have been exploiting Max, Ron's other son and Mike's brother. Obviously, their entire family is very large, but Max is 16, meaning he's too young to compete on The Biggest Loser. There have been a few times in the past weeks when Ron and Mike have been able to go home or see their family, and Max has been understandably upset at realizing that he's essentially being left behind, as far as weight loss goes. And The Biggest Loser is milking this for every last drop, constantly focusing on him being upset and these "The More You Know"-style conversations between Mike and Max, where Mike promises to help him when he gets home. This would be uncomfortable to watch anyway, but it's even more awful when you realize that Max is in high school, and that the people in his school must have been brutal and relentless after these episodes aired. I cannot imagine Max has had the best time in the last few months because of The Biggest Loser. (I know it's too much to ask that The Biggest Losers producers be a little mroe sensitive to issues of embarrassment, but come on! The kid is 16!)

Last night's episode was no different, with Bob coming to visit Mike in Michigan - he brought Max to the gym with them and literally worked the poor boy out until he vomited. And Jillian, who I usually love, had the most cruel moment of the night, when she was looking at Mike (who has lost 164 pounds in the last five months) and Max (who has not) walk side-by-side on the treadmills.

"It's like a before and after picture!" she exclaimed.

That just seems really heartless and wilfully ignorant of the humilitation they're putting Max through. Sure, he may have competed on The Biggest Loser had he been old enough, but he's not. So he's being exposed to the "BEING FAT IS DANGEROUS AND EMBARRASSING" edit that the show gives everyone, but he's not getting the benefit of losing weight like the actual contestants do. He didn't sign up for the show; his father and brother did. Sure, he probably signed a release to allow NBC to air footage of him, but what was he going to do, refuse to spend time with his family when they come home after a long time away? The whole situation just makes me incredibly uncomfortable and I hope the kid either gets on The Biggest Loser when he turns 18 or gets a lot of help from Jilliand and Bob.

After a really stupid idea for a challenge (after the 30 days at home, the contestants had to finish a marathon, like, HELLO INJURIES), it was time for the weigh-in, and I was surprised to see Mike fall below the yellow line with Ron. (I knew Ron would fall below the yellow line, both because of his physical limitations and because he probably backed off the exercise to give Mike a better chance of getting into the finals.) So now it's up to viewers to vote for which of them makes it into the final three, and I'm fairly sure it will be Mike, simply because he's so darned likeable. Ron wants his son in the finale, too, but because Ron has been such a manipulative jerk for the whole season, part of me wants to vote Ron in just so I can be like, "YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME!" but, like I said, Mike is just too sweet for me to feel OK with crushing his dreams.

Still, I'm predicting that Tara will take home the big prize - and, as annoying as I find her drama queen behaviour, I have to admit she kind of deserves it. She is a force to be reckoned with, that girl. She's won almost every challenge and has never fallen below the yellow line at the weigh-in. She may be a little self-centred, only speak in sound bites and have a constant "PAY ATTENTION TO ME BECAUSE I'M GOING THROUGH SUCH A HARD TIME" attitude, but you can't argue with the fact that the girl has literally worked her butt off in this competition, more so than anyone else. But if the finale is, as I predict, between Tara, Mike and Helen, I think I'll be fairly satisfied with any of them winning. Which hasn't happened in a while.

What did you think of last night's episode? Who are you voting into the finale, Ron or Mike? Who do you think should win the grand prize? Post your comments below.

NBC Infronts: Where's Chuck?

2009-05-04T18:10:00Z

NBC made their "infronts" announcement today, which is when they reveal some of the shows that have been picked up for next season - and despite positive buzz (and even a few false reports that it had been picked up), Chuck isn't on the list. This isn't necessarily bad news for Chuck - NBC Entertainment co-chairman Marc Graboff says everything's still up in the air and insiders are reportedly still sneaking information that the action/comedy will indeed get a pick-up for next season, although it may not be until mid-season. Hey, as long as it's something, right? I need Adam Baldwin on my television screen. I need it to live. (There's no news on Law & Order, Medium or My Name Is Earl, either, but do those shows have Adam Baldwin? No? Then let's move on.)

Shows that did get pick-ups today: Parks and Recreation, Southland, Heroes (really?!) and, once again, NBC will be doing those ill-advised Thursday-night Saturday Night Live Weekend Update. Other shows that were previously picked up: The Office, 30 Rock, The Biggest Loser, Celebrity Apprentice, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Friday Night Lights (hurray!).

I want to believe that Chuck is getting the pickup, but I am worried, since Jay Leno is stealing five hours of primetime away from the NBC schedule - which really continues to be a boneheaded move on NBC's part. I know they didn't want Jay Leno to go over to ABC, but in doing their best to avoid repeating the David Letterman/Tonight Show mistake with Jay and Conan, they ended up doing something worse! And if Chuck gets punished for it, oh, I am going to be so angry, I am going to blog so hard about it.