Televisionary

The Great Comedy Debate: The Five Best Comedies on Television (Right Now)

2009-11-06T08:10:00.000-08:00

Over on Twitter, there's been a great debate waged over the last few days about what the best comedies currently on television are, a subjective discussion if there ever was one. Titles have been thrown about, opinions bandied, and worthiness dissected and then dissected again. The Great Comedy Debate led Time critic James Poniewozik to yesterday publish his list of the top television comedies at the moment (he included just those that are currently on the air right now) and I thought I do this same, limiting my list to just five US series that are airing new episodes as we speak. So, in no particular order, here are my picks for The Five Best Comedies on Television: Modern Family (ABC) No other series has come close to balancing the sweet with the tart than Christopher Lloyd and Steve Levitan's brilliant mockumentary Modern Family, which each week dazzles its enraptured audience with a winning combination of heart and humor. It's the rare comedy that can make you roar with laughter and tear up with melancholy and it's anchored by one of the most talented ensemble casts on television today, who bring their characters to life honestly and without vanity or pretension. Parks and Recreation (NBC) I've remarked on it before but even the opening chords of the series' theme song makes me giddy with excitement. After a shaky start last season, the mockumentary comedy created by Greg Daniels and Mike Schur has developed into one of the season's best series, one rife with...

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The Shadow Knows: Ashes to Ashes on "Fringe"

2009-11-06T07:36:00.000-08:00

Now that's what I call a fantastic episode of Fringe. While I've been pushing the series' producers to shift towards a sleeker serialized format for the series since its inception, last night's episode of Fringe ("Earthling"), written by J.H. Wyman and Jeff Vlaming and directed by Jon Cassar, was the perfect compromise: a self-contained mystery of the week that also served to deepen the characters. Or one character in particular, the enigmatic head of Fringe Division, Phillip Broyles (The Wire's Lance Reddick). I've been on a tirade since the very first episode of the first season that we still know next to nothing about both Broyles and lab assistant Astrid Farnsworth (Jasika Nicole) so I'm glad that the writers are finally giving some layering to both of them, who have served more or less the thankless roles of exposition dumps until now. Last night's mystery had the Fringe Division attempting to capture a shadowy organism that may or may not be extraterrestrial in origin but which managed, during a space walk, to attach itself to the body of a Russian cosmonaut, who brought it back to Earth where it began killing people in an effort to obtain their radiation while its host body was trapped in a comatose state. Weird? Youbetcha. Scary? Hells yeah. But while the central mystery may have been quite the perfect sci-fi thriller (loved the opening scene and the ash effect the creature's victims exhibited), it was the fact that it was such a personal case for Broyles that...

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Channel Surfing: J.J. Abrams to Direct "Undercovers," Eric Dane and Kate Walsh Up for "Grey's" Crossover, Comedy Central Peels "Onion," and More

2009-11-06T06:28:00.000-08:00

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing. J.J. Abrams is in talks to direct his NBC espionage drama pilot Undercovers for Warner Bros. Television, marking the first time that he has directed a pilot since the series premiere of ABC's Lost. Details of Undercovers, said to be about a husband-and-wife team of spies, have been kept tightly under wraps but several have described it as a cross between Mr. and Mrs. Smith and The Bourne Identity. Project is written by Josh Reims (Felicity, Dirty Sexy Money), who will executive produce with Abrams and Bryan Burk. (Hollywood Reporter) SPOILER! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Shonda Rhimes' next Grey's Anatomy/Private Practice crossover will revolve around Eric Dane and Kate Walsh. "Mark summons Addison to Seattle Grace to perform a surgery on [a patient] (a.k.a. Leven Rambin)," writes Ausiello. "The storyline spills over into Private when, according exec producer Shonda Rhimes, 'complications arise and Mark ends up taking [her] back down to Los Angeles to get more surgery.'" (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files) Comedy Central is producing a half-hour pilot based on The Onion's Onion Sports Network website. The potential series "is designed to appeal to both casual and hardcore fans of sports as well as the Onion's well-defined style of humor," according to Variety's Jon Weisman. Project will be executive produced by Julie Smith and Will Graham. (Variety) HBO is developing half-hour drama...

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Confrontation and Cuisine: Another Look at the "Top Chef Reunion Dinner"

2009-11-05T08:05:00.000-08:00

Where there's Marcel, there's drama. Last night's Top Chef Reunion Dinner, a nice twist on the culinary series retrospective, offered both Marcel and drama in equal measure. After all, there's been maybe one other Top Chef contestant (cough, Tiffany, cough) who has stirred up as much conflict and confrontation as Marcel has. From the head-shaving almost-incident to the post-series bottle-throwing, Marcel has been at the heart of some memorably tense moments, including one from the Season Five finale that had never before been aired in which he suddenly becomes involved in a verbal battle with supercilious judge Toby Young. While I already hinted at my thoughts about the Top Chef reunion special (you can read my advance review here), now that the episode has aired we can discuss some specific details from last night's special. Personally, I really enjoyed watching the reunion. While it was a break from the competition itself (as well as the current series), it offered not only a breather but also a look back... and I'd have much rather had some new Top Chef content this week than face an evening of repeats, as we often have to during the course of the series' run. Given that there have already been five iterations of the series to date, Top Chef has produced some memorable contestants, including some that are known for more than just combative personalities; I was glad to see that the producers brought back not only the most dramatic cheftestants (and thank goodness...

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Channel Surfing: Sarah Wynter Gets "Damages," "Life on Mars" Creators Developing at ABC, "Party Down" in April, CBS Counts Down "Numb3rs," and More

2009-11-05T06:32:00.001-08:00

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing. Sarah Wynter (24) has joined the cast of FX's Damages in a recurring role on the series' third season, set to launch in early 2010. She joins the previously reported Reiko Aylesworth, Martin Short, Lily Tomlin, and Campbell Scott. Wynter will play a mysterious "'security specialist' helping a high-level assistant district attorney unravel" a financial scheme; Aylesworth will play the wife of Campbell Scott's character. [Editor: I've also just been informed that "Short's character is a high-powered attorney (family friend) who defends a prominent NY family accused of the financial scheme. Lily Tomlin plays the matriarch of the family."] (Hollywood Reporter) Life on Mars creators Ashley Pharoah and Matthew Graham have been commissioned by BBC Worldwide new drama czar Jane Tranter to write the script for an ABC drama pilot described as a "California cop show with a British twist." Should the project--executive produced by Julie Gardner--go to pilot, it would be produced by BBC Worldwide's Los Angeles production team and Pharoah and Gardner would remain heavily involved, unlike their limited creative involvement with the US version of Life on Mars. (Broadcast) The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan is reporting that Starz comedy series Party Down will return for its second season in April. Ken Marino, Adam Scott, Martin Starr, Ryan Hansen, and Lizzy Caplan are set to return for Season Two and will be joined by new series...

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Trailer Park: Syfy's "Caprica" (New Promo)

2009-11-04T12:45:00.000-08:00

"You are what you choose." Syfy has released a new 90-second promo for its upcoming drama series Caprica, the prequel to Battlestar Galactica launching in January. Featuring all-new footage of the series, the promo depicts some of the storylines and imagery slated to appear on the series, which is being overseen by showrunner Jane Espenson. And, yes, it just happens to also feature a brief shot of James Marsters as terrorist leader Barnabus Greeley. (He's slated to appear in at least three episodes this season.) Caprica is slated to launch January 22nd at 9 pm ET/PT.

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"Chuck": What Are Your Hopes for Season Three?

2009-11-04T07:47:00.000-08:00

I've gotten some lovely emails, tweets, messages, and comments from Chuck-starved viewers who were overjoyed to see the lovely Yvonne Strahovski turn up on their computer monitors yesterday via the video interview I did with her on set a few weeks back. While Season Three is still a ways off (who knows when for sure), I thought I'd take this opportunity not to rehash rumors or spin some spoilers but find out what you, the viewers, want to see in Season Three of Chuck. So take this opportunity to offer up some predictions (no spoilers!) or creative suggestions for the upcoming storylines, romantic permutations, and diabolical scenarios facing our favorite spies next year. Any and all thoughts encouraged as we keep up our vigil for new episodes of Chuck...

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Talk Back: Series Premiere of ABC's "V"

2009-11-04T07:30:00.000-08:00

They have arrived. You read my advance review of the pilot episode of ABC's sci-fi series V but now that the series has launched, I'm curious to see what all of you thought of the first episode. (You can also read my post-air thoughts on the first episode of V over at the Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker site.) Did you love the arrival scene where the Visitors descended on Earth and then broadcast their message of "hope" and "peace"? Did you think that Elizabeth Mitchell made a kick-ass FBI agent and single mom? Happy to (nearly) see a reunion between former Firefly co-stars Alan Tudyk and Morena Baccarin? Enjoying the Vs' use of propaganda and devotion in their arsenal? Liking the updated elements, such as the sleeper cells, human resistance force, and the fact that the Vs have been on Earth for decades already? Were you surprised by the reptilian reveal behind two characters' fleshy facades? Curious about the Vs' master plan? And, most importantly, will you tune in again next week? Talk back here. Next week on V ("There Is No Normal Anymore"), Erica and Father Jack find themselves being tracked by a "Seeker" from the V's; Chad, thinking he blew it for 80 million viewers with his exclusive first interview with Anna, looks to pick himself up and becomes more investigative in his next newscast; Dale Maddox's wife and law enforcement begin questioning Erica about his whereabouts.

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Channel Surfing: "Flight of the Conchords" Might Stop Flying, Rosenbaum Arrives at "V," James Franco to "30 Rock," Colin Hanks, and More

2009-11-04T06:51:00.000-08:00

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing. Flight of the Conchords star/co-creator Jemaine Clement has indicated that there might not be a third season of their HBO comedy series but said that a final decision will be made within a month, once Clement discusses it with fellow co-creators Bret McKenzie and James Bobin. "It very likely might not," said Clement. "It could come back in a shorter season or like a special." One major hurdle is that the team would not only have to write the scripts for the series but also the music as well. HBO, meanwhile, will stand by the Conchords' decision either way. "We've left their future entirely in their hands," said HBO spokesperson Nancy Lesser. "We would love to have more, and we left an open door at HBO." (Hollywood Reporter) Chuck executive producer Scott Rosenbaum has replaced Scott Peters as the showrunner on ABC's sci-fi series V, which launched yesterday evening. Peters will remain on board the series as an executive producer. Jeff Bell, meanwhile, has left the series. Rosenbaum has signed a two-year deal with Warner Bros. Television, the studio behind V. (Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker) Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that James Franco will follow his run on General Hospital with a guest shot on NBC's 30 Rock. Citing an insider, Ausiello reports that "Franco (playing himself) will be involved in a faux romance with Jane Krakowski’s Jenna — a relationship engineered by their respective agents."...

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Chuck Me: Yvonne Strahovski Talks Season Three of "Chuck"

2009-11-03T08:16:00.000-08:00

While I still don't have any news about when Season Three of Chuck will launch on NBC (January? March?), I do have a rare treat for Chuck-starved fans looking for something to tide them over until next year, when NBC will bring the action-comedy back to its schedule (now with six more episodes as well!) I had the opportunity to visit the set of Chuck a few weeks back and those of you who follow me on Twitter have been anxiously awaiting any news from that visit. So, I bring you the first of several video interviews with the cast of Chuck as I sit down with Yvonne Strahovski inside the Castle to discuss the felicitous Season Three Chuck renewal, love triangles, comedy and action, what's coming up for Sarah Walker, and much more. Without further ado, I'll let Yvonne Strahovski fill you in on some non-spoilery Chuck goodness. Season Three of Chuck will launch on NBC in 2010.

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Eat, Drink, and Be (Not So) Merry: An Advance Review of "Top Chef Reunion Dinner"

2009-11-03T07:51:00.001-08:00

It's hard to believe at times that we're nearly almost done with the sixth season of Bravo's addictive culinary competition series Top Chef. What better time then to take a look back than just before we anoint another new Top Chef to join the ranks of the blessed few? Tomorrow night, Bravo will take a break from the current competition for the Top Chef Reunion Dinner, which will offer audiences a chance to see cast members from previous seasons of Top Chef come together for an evening of conversation, competition, and confrontation. And, yes, those three things play an equal weight in the unfolding of the evening, which is hosted by Top Chef: New York competitor Fabio Viviani at Social Hollywood. Joining Fabio for the reunion are such noteworthy former competitors as Harold Dieterle, Tiffany Faison, Marcel Vigneron, Ilan Hall, Dale Levitski, Casey Thompson, Hung Huynh, Richard Blais, Lisa Fernandes, Carla Hall, and Stefan Richter. I had the opportunity to watch the reunion dinner episode and have to say that I was not only completely captivated by what these accomplished chefs created in the kitchen but also the way that they interacted. Tensions run high as do emotions and this episode showcases both haute cuisine as much as hot tempers. Yes, there are certain tough topics from Top Chef history that are dredged up rather uncomfortably for all involved. The head-shaving incident that ensnared Marcel, Ilan, Elia, and Cliff back in Season Two comes to mind. Tiffany's...

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Tune-In Reminder: Series Premiere of ABC's "V"

2009-11-03T07:32:00.000-08:00

Just a quick reminder to be sure to set your DVRs (or, hell, tune in live!) to the series premiere of ABC's V tonight. Based on the classic 1980s sci-fi miniseries, V boasts an amazing cast that includes Elizabeth Mitchell, Joel Gretsch, Morris Chestnut, Scott Wolf, Morena Baccarin, and many others. But you needn't have watched any of the classic V in order to understand the intricacies of this new reimaginating. You can read my advance review of the pilot episode for V (written back in May) as well as my interview over at the Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker with series lead Elizabeth Mitchell about her character Erica Evans and what's coming up on the series, which will air four episodes this month before returning after the Olympics with nine additional installments. V launches tonight at 8 pm ET/PT on ABC.

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Channel Surfing: David Tennant Crowned "Rex" for NBC, Naveen Andrews to Guest on "Law & Order: SVU," Ramsay Brings "Masterchef" to US, and More

2009-11-03T06:38:00.000-08:00

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing. Looks like the TARDIS has deposited the Doctor on our shores. Outbound Doctor Who star David Tennant has signed on to topline NBC's legal dramedy pilot Rex Is Not Your Lawyer. Tennant, who departs from Doctor Who at the end of the year, will play the titular character, Rex Alexander, a Chicago lawyer who suffers from crippling panic attacks who begins coaching his clients on how to represent themselves in court. Project, from Universal Media Studios and BermanBraun, is written by Andrew Leeds and David Lampson and will be directed by David Semel, who executive produces with Barry Schindel, Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun, and Gene Stein. (Hollywood Reporter) Lost's Naveen Andrews will guest star on an upcoming episode of NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Details on his role are being kept firmly under wraps, though it's known that his episode is slated to air in January. (TVGuide.com) FOX has ordered roughly twelve to fifteen episodes of a US adaptation of British culinary competition series Masterchef from Reveille, One Potato Two Potato, and executive producer Gordon Ramsay, who will likely also appear on the series, possibly as its host. The format is still under discussion but it's thought to likely resemble the Australian version of Masterchef more than the BBC version of the series; hundreds of amateur chefs are invited to audition for a slot on the series which then becomes an American Idol-style...

Read the full article at Televisionary (http://www.televisionarytv.com).

Alone in the Dark: The Death of the New Frontier on "Mad Men"

2009-11-02T07:28:00.000-08:00

I really believed that Matthew Weiner would leave that crucial moment in history--namely, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy--until next week's finale but I'm glad that he didn't as it allows the audience to see the fallout, both social and personal, from that Dallas killing, dragging the nation as it did into the into the harsh realities of adulthood. JFK's assassination has hung like a dark cloud over Season Three of Mad Men and each episode this season brought us that much closer to an end of innocence, knowing as we did that fateful day in Dallas was inching closer. With a shot that November afternoon, America had changed, perhaps forever. This week's episode of Mad Men ("The Grown-Ups"), written by Brett Johnson and Matthew Weiner and directed by Barbet Schroeder, pushed our main characters somewhat into the periphery, focusing instead on JFK's death and the ripple effect his passing had on the lives of the characters we've come to know and love. How they deal with and process JFK's unexpected killing says quite a lot about who they are as individuals and the choices they make will themselves have lasting repercussions on the series. Given the impact of Kennedy's murder, people remember where they were when they learned that Kennedy had been killed. This week's episode depicts a number of individuals discovering the news in their own way, whether that be Pete and Harry, who mistakenly turn down the volume of the television set so that Pete can impart his...

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Sunday Night Television: HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and CBS' "The Amazing Race"

2009-11-02T07:14:00.000-08:00

Looking to discuss the latest episodes of CBS' The Amazing Race and HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm? You're in luck. Head over to the Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker site, where you can read my take on last night's episodes of both series. In "The Amazing Race: For Whom the Bell Tolls," I take a look at last night's episode which featured feats of strength, counting, and herring-eating as well as some tears. You can also read my take ("Curb Your Enthusiasm: Swan's Way") on last night's episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, which was a bit of a return to form for the absurdist comedy, which this week depicted Larry accidentally killing a man, somewhat intentionally killing a black swan, and basically making a mess of everything he touched, not least of which his mother's headstone. Head to the comments to discuss both.

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Channel Surfing: Elizabeth Mitchell Talks "Lost" Fate, Itzin to Return to "24," TNT Locks Up "Southland," and More

2009-11-02T06:08:00.001-08:00

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing. Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch has an interview with Elizabeth Mitchell and Lost executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse about the ultimate fate of Mitchell's Juliet, last seen detonating the hydrogen bomb that may or may not have caused The Incident at the end of Season Five. While Mitchell is set to reprise her role as Juliet Burke on Season Six of Lost, it's been confirmed that Juliet is definitely dead. Still, there are still some mysteries about the good (or not so good?) doctor that still need to be resolved. "There’s still something very significant that we have not yet learned about the character," according to Cuse. (Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch) Gregory Itzin (The Mentalist) will return to FOX's 24 in a multiple-episode story arc that finds him reprising his role as villainous former President Charles Logan, who was last seen being stabbed by his wife Martha (Jean Smart) during Day Six. The Wrap's Josef Adalian is reporting that Logan will return in Day Eight in order to help Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones) deal with a diplomatic crisis. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe) It's official! TNT has picked up the axed Southland in a deal with Warner Bros. Television that gives the cable exclusive rights to the six unaired episdoes produced for NBC, which TNT will air as well as the series' seven-episode first season. Southland will debut on TNT on Tuesday, January 12th at 10 pm ET/PT. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live...

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BBC America Announces US Airdate for "Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars"

2009-10-30T12:29:00.000-07:00

Following up this morning's Doctor Who story, BBC America has announced that it will air Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars on Saturday, December 19th at 9 pm ET/PT. The news comes on the heels of BBC One's announcement that they will debut the David Tennant special, the first of three final Doctor Who installments featuring the Tenth Doctor, on Sunday, November 15th at 7 pm GMT, a full month ahead of the US transmission. Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars, written by Russell T. Davies and Phil Ford, will star David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor and Rome's Lindsay Duncan as Adelaide. The plot finds the Doctor arriving on Mars at the Bowie Base One where not everything is as it seems as the base falls under attack from a deadly water-based threat. ("Mars, 2059. Bowie Base one. Last recorded message: don't drink the water. Don't even touch it. Not one drop.") US airdates for the final two David Tennant Doctor Who specials will be made public in early December. As fans of the British sci-fi series are aware, Tennant will depart Doctor Who at the end of the year before Season Five returns in 2010 with the Eleventh Doctor, to be played by Matt Smith. The full press release from BBC America, announcing the scheduling, can be found below. THE DOCTOR WHO SPECIALS ARE LANDING ON BBC AMERICA "Mars, 2059. Bowie Base one. Last recorded message: don't drink the water. Don't even touch it. Not one drop." New York, NY – October 30, 2009 - The BBC today announced the imminent arrival of the...

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Tricks and Treats: Quick Thoughts on NBC's Halloween-Themed Thursday Night Lineup

2009-10-30T09:09:00.000-07:00

I've never been much of a Halloween guy. Some people love to dress up and head out to parties but I've always taken the view that Halloween is one of those holidays that you either believe in with all of your being or you can't quite wrap your head around. Last night, NBC's two-hour Thursday night comedy block all offered Halloween-themed diversions but happily each did so in their own inimitable way with Community focusing on a Mexican Day of the Dead after-school party, Parks and Recreation splitting its focus between Leslie stalking a notorious Halloween teen vandal and Ann throwing a costume party, The Office keeping it all confined to the cold open, and 30 Rock offering a celebration of "gay Halloween." I have to say that I thought that Community and Parks and Recreation were by far the funniest two entries in last night's comedy block, comprising a strong one-two punch of humor that seems to be gathering more confidence week to week. Last night's episode of Community ("Introduction to Statistics") might just be my favorite episode yet and featured fantastic turns by Yvette Nicole Brown and Danny Pudi, some fantastic Senor Chang moments, and some genuine emotion as Britta tried to get Jeff to attend Annie's Day of the Dead party rather than score with his statistics professor and slowly realized that Shirley's anger toward Jeff really stemmed from her own issues at home. (Brown is hands-down one of my favorite elements of the series and last night gave her the...

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Weekend Telly Reminder: USA's "White Collar," PBS' "Place of Execution"

2009-10-30T07:44:00.000-07:00

Just a quick reminder to be sure to take a break from your Halloween festivities to tune in to two of the weekend's best television offerings. Tonight, be sure to catch USA's crime procedural White Collar, which airs its second episode at 10 pm ET/PT. Neal and Peter infiltrate New York's Fashion Week to stop a criminal from selling security data that is stored on a piece of technology woven into the fabric of a runway dress. Given that White Collar is already one of the most gorgeously stylish series on television, the addition of a sartorial-themed plot can only be the icing on top. While not forgetting of course about HBO's comedy duo of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Bored to Death and CBS' The Amazing Race, be sure to tune into Part One of PBS' extraordinary mystery mini-series Place of Execution on Masterpiece Contemporary on Sunday evening. (Check your local listings for details.) You can read my advance review of the two-part mystery, which I called "gripping and provocative." The truly haunting (and at times harrowing) mini-series stars Juliet Stevenson, Lee Ingleby, and Greg Wise in a dual-stranded mystery taking place in 1963 and the present-day. It's not to be missed.

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Channel Surfing: ABC Reveals First "Lost" Promo, BBC One Sets Airdate for "Doctor Who: Waters of Mars," Easton Ellis Spies "Follower" at HBO, and More

2009-10-30T06:27:00.000-07:00

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing. ABC has released the first promo for Season Six of Lost, the series' final season. But, be warned, the fifteen-second clip doesn't contain any new footage, which many believe is proof positive that the network will be going out of their way to avoid revealing just what happened after Juliet detonated the hydrogen bomb at the end of last season. There's still no premiere date for Season Six of Lost, but it's expected to debut roughly around the end of January. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed) BBC One has announced today that it will air the latest David Tennant Doctor Who special, Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars, on Sunday, November 15th at 7 pm GMT. No word yet on when BBC America will schedule the special, which will feature Tennant in one of his last appearances before his final two-part story at the end of the year. As soon as BBC America announces their scheduling plans, I'll let you know. Novelist Bret Easton Ellis will adapt Jason Starr's novel "The Follower," about a group of twenty-something Manhattanites seen through the eyes of a stalker, for HBO. Project, from Lionsgate Television, will be executive produced by Jason Blum, Doug Davison, Roy Lee, and Geyer Kosinski. (Variety) Sasha Alexander (NCIS) has been cast opposite Angie Harmon in TNT's drama pilot Rizzoli, where she will play medical examiner Maura Isles, who teams up with Harmon's police detective Rizzoli to solve crimes in the Boston area. Also...

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"Helmets and Racism": The "True Blood" Writers Talk About HBO's Vampire Drama at the Paley Center

2009-10-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

Season Three of True Blood might be a long ways off but I was able to get a taste of what we can look forward to in the meantime. I was lucky enough to be in attendance last night at the Paley Center's event Inside the Writers Room: True Blood, featuring True Blood writer/producers Alan Ball, Raelle Tucker, Alexander Woo, Bryan Buckner, and Nancy Oliver. Expertly moderated by Entertainment Weekly's divine Alynda Wheat, the panel pulled back the curtain to reveal the creative process behind HBO's vampire drama, with the panelists teasing some information about the series' upcoming third season, which will launch sometime around June of next year and is currently being written. (They've so far broken about half of Season Three.) Asked what the major theme of Season Three of True Blood is, Ball joked that it was "helmets and racism," and admitted that they just tell HBO that it's about "identity." (Which it is, in actuality, as Ball told me last month.) Ball quickly addressed the recent news that rapper Snoop Dogg wanted a role on True Blood by saying that he's not a fan of stunt casting. (Sorry, Snoop.) Unless he was looking to cast a specific part wherein the character was a rapper and vampire, he's not calling Snoop Dogg as celebrity stunt casting takes the audience out of the story. So it's not going to happen anytime soon. Wheat brought up comments made by Ball in the past about the fact that True Blood started to hit its stride in the fifth episode of Season One,...

Read the full article at Televisionary (http://www.televisionarytv.com).

Whatever, Whatever: Meatless Meals Fail to Hit the Mark on "Top Chef"

2009-10-29T08:08:00.000-07:00

First off, I am not a vegetarian. I've flirted with vegetarianism at certain points in my life (perhaps, most notably, a reaction to dining hall food at university), but I've been a blissfully happy carnivore for the majority of my life and I don't see that changing anytime soon. That said, vegetarians often get a raw deal in restaurants and sometimes have to deal with chefs that don't understand how to satiate someone's hunger without the inclusion of meat. But vegetarian cuisine can be just as nourishing, comforting, and filling as carnivorous dishes; it's just a matter of replacing protein with protein and making sure that the dish is more than a collection of cooked vegetable side dishes. Last night's episode of Top Chef ("Meat Natalie") found the cheftestants grappling with the unexpected. After arriving at Tom Colicchio's craftsteak in Las Vegas, they all made a very big assumption and believed that they would be creating steak-based dishes for Tom and his special guest. But Tom's guest was vegetarian actress Natalie Portman and there would be no red meat going out of the kitchen that night. Top Chef has always been, at its core, about how well the chefs can adapt to whatever is thrown their way, whether that be time elements, a change in plans, or the exclusion of meat altogether when they're cooking in a steakhouse. Some chefs rose to the challenge, producing stunning and inventive dishes, while others this week sank to some new lows. So how well did they...

Read the full article at Televisionary (http://www.televisionarytv.com).

First Look: Day Eight of FOX's "24"

2009-10-29T07:55:00.000-07:00

FOX has unveiled their first official promo for Day Eight of 24, which launches in January. The 45-second promo clip for Day Eight, which can be viewed below, doesn't focus on the new characters played by Katee Sackhoff and Freddie Prinze Jr. next season, instead placing the emphasis squarely on Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer and Elisha Cuthbert's Kim (sans cougar, natch). Will Jack ever get a chance to settle into the quiet comfort of grandparenthood and time with his family? Not this day, anyway, as Jack is once again called upon to save the nation. Are you excited about Day Eight? Curious about the new characters? And wondering whether Jack will make it through the season alive? Discuss. Day Eight of 24 is scheduled to launch on Monday, January 17th on FOX.

Read the full article at Televisionary (http://www.televisionarytv.com).

Channel Surfing: NBC Ups "Chuck" and Dumps "Trauma," "Lost," Syfy Orders US "Being Human," "Better Off Ted" in December, and More

2009-10-29T06:58:00.001-07:00

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing. Good news for Chuck fans: NBC has opted to order six additional episodes of Chuck, bringing the episodic total for Season Three to 19 installments. (Huzzah!) While NBC has yet to announce an official launch date for Chuck's third season, the order of the additional episodes points to a potential January launch for the Warner Bros. Television-produced series, as does NBC's decision to cancel low-rated medical drama Trauma, which failed to garner a back nine pickup. Given the Peacock's cancellation of both Trauma and Southland, it now seems more likely that Chuck will return to the schedule before March. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe, Hollywood Reporter, Variety) E! Online's Jennifer Godwin gets Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof to answer a few choice questions about Season Six of Lost while at a signing for the hardcover collection of Lindelof's Wolverine Vs. Hulk. Asked about whether fan questions have helped the writers frame a storyline, Lindelof said, "The fact of the matter is no question is ever asked of us that we're not asking ourselves. So by the time someone asks me if Libby's ever coming back to the show for the 14th time, I'm like, 'Trust me. I wish we could figure out a way to make that work.' Like, I wish I could talk to the actress and get down on my hands and knees and beg her to come back, but the reality is, you know, there are certain questions that every time you're asked it's a pain for you because you're...

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Tears and Recriminations: The Ugly Truth (or Lack Thereof) on the "Flipping Out" Reunion

2009-10-28T07:45:00.000-07:00

Cameras are funny things. They're meant to capture the reality of a moment but there's something inherently artificial about them being there in the first place. Reality television isn't exactly reality as it exists; it's an edited-together version of actual events, threaded together into a cohesive narrative for television. It gives us an image of reality but not the whole picture. The reason I'm bringing this up is that I'm still in shock about last night's dramatic and intensely stressful Flipping Out: Season Three Reunion on Bravo. While the reunion special brought up a number of intriguing (and in some cases hilarious) plot strands from the third season of Flipping Out including "rollover Number Two minutes," Roomba (dubbed a "big bitch" by Zoila), the poisoned bacon, and the status of Valley Oak, the main set piece in the episode was a confrontation between Jeff Lewis and his former business partner Ryan Brown. It was, shall we say, heated. The former best friends--who hadn't spoken in the four months since Jeff walked out of Chloe's birthday party in the season finale--attacked, defended, and deflected and ultimately reached another stalemate, unable to convince the other of their perspective. It's impossible to say who is telling the truth but it's clear that there are some mightily bruised feelings on both sides. And it's also clear that Jeff believes with all of his heart that Ryan deliberately misled people and siphoned business away from him via some...

Read the full article at Televisionary (http://www.televisionarytv.com).