TV Talk

THE TV TALK BEST OF 2011, NOMINEES

2012-02-12T06:30:00.000-08:00

I look back at the year of TV that 2011 was, recognizing the best in popular television

From starting new shows, to catching up on the old ones, to bidding adieu to others, 2011 was an interesting year in television for me. I started watching BONES, and it became my favorite crime show. BROTHERS & SISTERS ended after its five-year run. It was announced that one of my all-time favorite shows DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES would be ending after its eighth season. Hit comedies like HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER and THE BIG BANG THEORY got renewed for multiple seasons. Actors like Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ashton Kutcher and Rachel Bilson returned to television with RINGER, TWO AND A HALF MEN and HART OF DIXIE, respectively. DEXTER took a deadly turn with its sixth season finale… And so much more! 2011 was an exciting year to say the least. And here’s a small way to acknowledge my favorites from the year gone by. Presenting the nominees for the TV TALK Best of 2011…

Series – Drama

Bones

Damages

Desperate Housewives

Dexter

Grey’s Anatomy

House MD

Series – Musical or Comedy

The Big Bang Theory

Glee

How I Met Your Mother

Modern Family

Two Broke Girls

Performance by an Actress in A Leading Role – Drama

Emily Deschanel, Bones

Eva Longoria, Desperate Housewives

Glenn Close, Damages

Madeleine Stowe, Revenge

Marcia Cross, Desperate Housewives

Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters

Performance by an Actor in A Leading Role – Drama

David Boreanaz, Bones

Hugh Laurie, House MD

Michael C Hall, Dexter

Patrick Dempsey, Grey’s Anatomy

Peter Krause, Parenthood

Tom Seleck, Blue Bloods

Performance by an Actress in A Leading Role – Musical or Comedy

Courteney Cox, Cougar Town

Julie Bowen, Modern Family

Kat Dennings, Two Broke Girls

Lea Michele, Glee

Performance by an Actor in A Leading Role – Musical or Comedy

Breckin Meyer, Franklin & Bash

Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory

Josh Radnor, How I Met Your Mother

Matthew Morrison, Glee

Ty Burrell, Modern Family

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role – Drama

Jennifer Carpenter, Dexter

Kadee Strickland, Private Practice

Lisa Edelstein, House MD

Sandra Oh, Grey’s Anatomy

Sara Ramirez, Grey’s Anatomy

Vanessa Williams, Desperate Housewives

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role – Drama

Ed Westwick, Gossip Girl

John Goodman, Damages

Justin Chambers, Grey’s Anatomy

Kevin McKidd, Grey’s Anatomy

Matthew Rhys, Brothers & Sisters

Paul Adelstein, Private Practice

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role – Musical or Comedy

Alyson Hannigan, How I Met Your Mother

Cobie Smulders, How I Met Your Mother

Jane Lynch, Glee

Kaley Cuoco, The Big Bang Theory

Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory

Sofia Vergara, Modern Family

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role – Musical or Comedy

Chris Colfer, Glee

Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Jesse Tyler Fergusson, Modern Family

Kunal Nayyar, The Big Bang Theory

Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother

Writing – Storylines & Dialogues

Bones

Damages

Desperate Housewives

Dexter

Grey’s Anatomy

How I Met Your Mother

Character Development

Damages

Desperate Housewives

Dexter

Grey’s Anatomy

House MD

Private Practice

Art Direction

Desperate Housewives

Gossip Girl

Modern Family

Pan Am

Revenge

Ringer

Costume Design

Desperate Housewives

Glee

Gossip Girl

Pan Am

Ringer

Make-up

Damages

Dexter

Glee

Grey’s Anatomy

House MD

Music – Background Score

Body of Proof

Desperate Housewives

Dexter

Grey’s Anatomy
Pan Am

Revenge

Music – Compilation

Glee

Gossip Girl

Grey’s Anatomy

Private Practice

Ringer

Titles – Opening & Closing Credits

Damages

Dexter

House MD

Modern Family

Parenthood

Ringer

Like last year (Click for results of TV TALK Best of 2010), there will be a Readers’ Choice also for the series and acting categories. For that, you may vote in the polls that are in the right-hand panel of this page.

The TV TALK BEST OF 2011 will be declared soon…(watch this space)

**Please note: The nominated series are only from the list of shows that I watch. The list of those is also further down in the right-hand panel.

WILL THE OSCAR GO TO WHOM THE ACTOR WENT TO?

2012-01-30T11:34:00.000-08:00

With a game-changing set of results at the 18th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, the upcoming Oscars become even more unpredictable. TV TALK discusses why…

The Actor

It always makes me feel good to see the first few minutes of the Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAGs), where random actors from the audience share with the camera an anecdote from their lives or careers and conclude by saying, “I’m XYZ, and I’m an actor!” The sense of camaraderie and the unity within the acting community that one sees at the SAGs can be seen nowhere else. It’s heartwarming to see even the winners paying some sort of a tribute, big or small, to actors and their community, in their acceptance speeches. They all feel a sense of pride when their names are called at the end of the sentence that starts with “And the Actor goes to…” That’s the magic of the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and this year was no different.

The Help wins Best Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture

The SAGs may not be a strong indicator of which film will win Best Picture at the Oscars, like the Golden Globes are, but they still set the graphs and statistics rolling around for or against individual acting contenders at the Academy Awards. That is because the big award is given to the acting ensemble and not the film; which is why while Inglourious Basterds wasn’t really going to win the Oscar for Best Picture, it still won big at the SAGs. However, this year, The Help, which won Best Ensemble Cast, cannot be completely ruled out from the Oscars race for Best Picture. In fact, with the Oscars going with less obvious choices (like The Hurt Locker as opposed to Avatar in 2010, and The King’s Speech as opposed to The Social Network last year), the Best Picture Oscar becomes even less predictable with the results of the SAGs. Moreover, the last time that the Academy selected a musical or comedy as Best Picture over a drama was way back in 2002-03, when Chicago won. And this year, the Golden Globe Best Picture winners, The Descendants and The Artist have both had enough mileage for both to be equal contenders for the Oscars Best Picture. And now, The Help’s win at the SAGs doesn’t put any of those two forward in the race; in fact, it levels the playing field even further.

Christopher Plummer and Octavia Spencer's chances at the Oscars are solidified

Moreover, the SAG results in the acting categories have put the Best Actor and Best Actress results at the Oscars in a more 50/50 situation, with both George Clooney (The Descendants) and Jean Dujardin (The Artist) having won Best Actor at the Globes and the SAGs, and both Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) and Viola Davis (The Help) having won Best Actress Drama at the Globes and Best Actress at the SAGs, respectively. The race for the Academy’s next Best Actor and Best Actress has not been this unpredictable in the last so many years. On the other hand, the fact that Christopher Plummer (Beginners) and Octavia Spencer (The Help) having won the supporting acting awards at both, the Globes and the SAGs, solidifies their spots as the Academy’s next Best Supporting Actor and Actress, respectively.

MODERN FAMILY wins Best Ensemble in a Television Series Comedy

Moving on to the television awards at the SAGs, to put it plainly, there was nothing worth writing home about. Both BOARDWALK EMPIRE and MODERN FAMILY winning Best Ensemble Cast in a Series, Drama and Comedy, respectively, for the second consecutive time was still understood. Maybe even Actor and Actress Drama going to Steve Buscemi and Jessica Lange was fine, considering that he’s been consistently good on BOARDWALK EMPIRE, and that she won a Globe for her role in AMERICAN HORROR STORY. However, giving Betty White her second consecutive win for HOT IN CLEVELAND and Alec Baldwin his sixth consecutive win for 30 ROCK for Actor and Actress Comedy, respectively, makes one think that the Guild doesn’t think that there have been any worthy performers other than them who are more deserving. For Actor Comedy, at least, while gems like Jim Parsons (THE BIG BANG THEORY), Ty Burrell and Eric Stonestreet (both, MODERN FAMILY) have not been given a chance, even less likely winners, like Jon Cryer (TWO AND A HALF MEN) and Neil Patrick Harris (HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER), have been ignored completely!

However, even as the results in the television
categories at the SAGs have almost been
disappointing, the Screen Actors Guild Awards
have heated up the race for the Oscars even
more, making the entire Award Season 2011-12
even more exciting. And as the Oscars come
closer, we’ll all be waiting with bated breath…

THE 69TH ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS

2012-01-16T06:10:00.000-08:00

An entertaining show, with satisfactory results, the 69thannual Golden Globe Awards had a little bit of everything for everyone

To see the entire list of winners at the Golden Globe Awards 2012, click here

Is it just me, or did others also draw a parallel between the ‘69th’ Golden Globe Awards and the sexual content in the humor that came in frequent and strong doses. There was host Ricky Gervais talking about Madonna being ‘like a virgin’, and Madonna subsequently responding to that by saying, “Ricky, if I’m still a virgin, why don’t you come here and do something about it!” And there was presenter Seth Rogen talking about ‘concealing a huge erection’ while he stood beside fellow-presenter Kate Beckinsale. And when George Clooney accepted his Globe for The Descendants, he spoke of Michael Fassbender’s ability to play golf with his hands behind his back! Despite the fact that some might call bits of the humor inappropriate, the humor at the show was hilarious and entertaining as was expected from Gervais, who’d received some serious flak for going a step too far while hosting last year.

The presenters of the evening were effective, and the ones that instantly come to mind are Dame Helen Mirren, talking about Cecille B DeMille recipient Morgan Freeman as a co-star, and Felicity Huffman and William H Macy, singing together to introduce the category they were presenting. And while some of the acceptance speeches seemed too rehearsed, it was still fun to watch Sofia Vergara and Steven Levitan making their bilingual acceptance speech on winning the Globe for Best Series – Musical or Comedy for MODERN FAMILY. A few acceptance speeches, like those by Michelle Williams, who won Actress in a Musical or Comedy for My Week with Marilyn, and Octavia Spencer, who won Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for The Help, were also moving. Among the surprises of the evening was Martin Scorsese winning Best Director for Hugo, while both Best Pictures—The Descendants and The Artist—not scoring there.

The television awards were not all that surprising though. Seeing critically acclaimed HOMELAND winning Best Series Drama as well as Actress in a Series Drama for Claire Danes didn’t come as a shock. While the comedies nominated hinted that a new show might take it away, it still wasn’t surprising that MODERN FAMILY won its first Globe for Series Comedy. It was however refreshing to see all new winners in the television awards. Matt LeBlanc won his first Globe for EPISODES, Laura Dern took away Actress Comedy for ENLIGHTENED, Kelsey Grammer won Actor Drama for BOSS, while Peter Dinklage (GAME OF THRONES) and Jessica Lange (AMERICAN HORROR STORY) won in the supporting categories for television.

The vibe of the evening was also exciting. The good turnout ensured that there was some celeb eye-candy to see at every camera angle. Barring the absence of winners like Woody Allen and nominees like Ryan Gosling, there were no real disappointments at the Globes this year. There was plenty to write home about, especially since it looked like the Hollywood Foreign Press Association didn’t bother about the controversy that the awards had generated last year, going all out with the humor that made for relaxed and amusing show.

THE GOLDEN GLOBES AND THE SCREEN ACTORS GUILD NOMINATIONS 2011-12

2011-12-17T07:25:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week, the 69th annual Golden Globe and 18th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations were announced, and TV TALK is back after a brief hiatus, to comment on the nominations, as the award season 2011-12 begins

To view the complete lists of nominees of both the sets of awards, click on the links below:

69th annual Golden Globe Awards nominees

18th annual ScreenActors Guild Awards nominees

So let’s face it… the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, both play it a little safe when it comes to recognizing TV shows and performances, unlike the Emmys, where they make it a point to award the breakthrough performances. The Globes and the SAGs, on the other hand, award the same people consistently, albeit for performances that are consistent with past work, but still without that new, ‘wow’ factor in them. Which is why, last year, the SAGs went on to honor Alec Baldwin for the fourth consecutive time for his role in 30 ROCK. The Globes did do things right by finally acknowledging Jim Parsons’ outstanding work in THE BIG BANG THEORY. That being said, it feels like this year, both these sets of awards feel like they’ve done their bit with Parsons, in a way, saying that it’s time to move on, having not even nominated him.

The SAGs have an excuse, one could think, given that they don’t have any categories for supporting performances in television, so they have to squeeze in leading as well as supporting roles into five spots, making it impossible to do justice to all those who deserve a place. Moving on, I still think that nominating Johnny Galecki was a bit of a saving grace, since the guy has done more than his bit on THE BIG BANG THEORY. But the major plus points in this year’s nominations are the first time nominees, whether it comes to series, ensembles or actor nominees. All but one Globe nominees for Series Drama are new, and while we all knew that GAME OF THRONES is going to be there, it was still refreshing to see that the list didn’t just have the usual suspects.

While many say that this has been completely unfair to shows like SONS OF ANARCHY and BREAKING BAD, I still think it’s a good sign. However, while GAME OF THRONES shows great promise, BOARDWALK EMPIRE did win the last time, and we know how much the Globes like to repeat series winners (remember MAD MEN’s hat-trick?). Moreover, GAME… didn’t even win at the Emmys in September (even there it was MAD MEN that won, even though FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS was going strong till the final win of the evening). Even in the comedy/musical category, besides GLEE and MODERN FAMILY, the list of Globe nominees is completely new, with a new hit like NEW GIRL making its mark, and EPISODES being recognized after recognition from the Emmys.

On the other hand, the SAGs have all repeat nominees, except for GAME… However, we do have to realize that they award the ensembles, and even if the two awards do have common patterns at times, the series/ensemble awards, and hence nominees, aren’t necessarily even close to common between the two. So with the SAGs, the ensemble award can go anywhere. I think 30 ROCK’s winning streak was over last year, so again it’s a battle between GLEE and MODERN FAMILY, unless they decide to finally award the great work of the ensemble in BIG BANG…

Moving on to individual performances, like both sets of awards did their bit for Jim Parsons last year, I think they feel like they’ve already done their bit for Michael C Hall (DEXTER), who’s only got a SAG nomination this time, as is the case with Kyle Chandler, who won the Emmy for FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS. In general, I feel like the nominees in common categories are quite different between the two sets of awards. Very few common names between the two lists and new nominees like Jessica Lange (AMERICAN HORROR STORY), Kelsey Grammer (BOSS), Kathy Bates (HARRY’S LAW), Patrick J Adams (SUITS), etc, will make the build-up to these award shows so much more exciting because of their unpredictability.

Another positive aspect was how refreshing it was to see some recognition given to newly popular shows like REVENGE and NEW GIRL, especially Madeleine Stowe’s performance in the former. I, for one, think that she deserves nominations simply for being in front of the camera and letting her eyes talk! Moreover, while we do have a lot of popular shows in the comedy categories, for the Globes to nominate someone from a popular, new drama (which isn’t a period drama or set in some fantasy world) is quite commendable.

So there we have it. A lot of new names, a lot of new shows; some popular, some emerging and showing promise… It’s going to be an unpredictable wait for the next month or so, as we wait to find out whether the Globes and SAGs play it safe again or all the wins end up being for new shows and performances!

The 69th annual Golden Globe Awards will be presented on Sunday, January 15, 2012

18th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be presented on Sunday, January 29, 2012

GREY’S ANATOMY CONTINUES WITH THE FUTURE UNCERTAIN

2011-10-16T10:23:00.000-07:00

As the TV season 2011-12 progresses, TV TALK analyzes how GREY'S ANATOMY is doing so far

Shonda Rhimes said that the eighth season of GREY’S ANATOMY would focus on the stories of the original cast, whatever’s left of it, that is. Out of the nine actors that the show began with in 2005, only six are left, and with their contracts expiring at the end of this season, there is little certainty as to who will return to the show in its ninth season, especially with the lead actors Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey having hinted at leaving the show, there was probably a sudden need to focus entirely on the original five. And what foundation for that could be better than Meredith and Christina starting out all dark and twisty! With Christina’s pregnancy, Meredith’s marriage in trouble, and Alex being hated by many, there was plenty of room to develop the season around three of the five original interns. Additionally, with Webber’s career on the line, Derek’s complicated marriage situation and Bailey seeing her original interns in their fifth year of residency, there was even more.

I liked how the season began, with the road cave-in and turmoil in the lives of Meredith and Christina. It was interesting to see the twisted sisters bonding again as they even shared a room. I thought that Christina might have kept the baby since she already lost one with Burke, but thankfully, the writers stayed consistent with her character and made her have the abortion. The way Owen comes through for her and holds her hand while she goes through the procedure was very well handled. Meredith’s role in the situation was crucial and seemed like the only way out of it. At the same time, it was heart wrenching to see Meredith and Derek losing their new daughter to social services, and to see Alex getting flak from every corner. I was especially touched when Christina goes to pull him out of his hospital bed so they can help Meredith out of a situation with the adoption person, and Alex begs for forgiveness for what he did wrong. What made it special was that he showed emotion, without getting sappy about it, staying true to who we know Alex to be. Of the other fifth-year residents, I was happy to see Avery getting some recognition for his abilities as a surgeon. Misunderstood pretty-boy turned out to be ‘the gunther’ in the OR! On the other hand, April’s role as Chief Resident is making for an interesting storyline, even though it was a quite a bad choice on Owen Hunt’s part to pick her just because she’s organized.

Moving on, the next two episodes had their own surprises. Each of them was significantly important, what with the fifth-year residents taking on surgeries in the lead, and then seeing all the men of Seattle Grace Mercy West (SGMW) bonding over all that they felt was wrong in their lives. Richard Webber having himself fired from the Chief’s position and putting Hunt in his office wasn’t handled all that well, I thought. I mean Webber went around acting like an unsure resident, which didn’t make too much sense, because all that had changed was that he didn’t have to do a Chief’s job; he was still an attending. Moreover, he had briefly been a regular attending back when Derek was Chief too. Besides that, it was funny to see how the residents handled their surgeries, and how almost all of them failed to take care of entire procedures. The residents bonding in April’s office, which has already become like the fifth-years’ lounge, was also fun.

The first few episodes also saw a very powerful Meredith and Derek moment, when Derek expresses his despair over how the unfortunate situation they were in. It was strange yet refreshing to see Derek admitting such things, as Patrick Dempsey performed the part so well. Moreover, with the breakthrough they made, by pinpointing their real problem was constructively good and I was impressed by the way it was carried out. The SGMW men episode was like a breath of fresh air. It was nice to see the six men, and Dr Ben being focused on, with the women on the show almost always getting the prominence. Scenes like Mark fighting with Derek over Avery were hilarious. At the same time, Owen watching baby Sofia made me sure that there would be more for him and Christina to deal with soon.

So there you have it—GREY’S ANATOMY S8 sees a refreshing start, and shows a lot of promise for our original six characters, with the exception of Bailey, who still seems to be in the background as she has been for quite a while now. Nevertheless, I look forward to the rest of the season!

What are your thoughts on how GREY'S ANATOMY S8 began. Share your views here, on TV TALK

THE 'RINGER' PILOT

2011-10-01T04:54:00.000-07:00

Having just seen the pilot of RINGER so far, I’m putting down my thoughts on what I liked, didn't like and what this series might turn into

TVseason201112

Sarah Michelle Gellar’s back on the small screen, and with quite a bang, I must say. Having read only a few good reviews of the beginning of this show, I was not expecting all that much, despite the promos, which looked really promising. However, I found that the pilot was quite interesting, and almost lived up to the promo. In fact, the promo very aptly summarized the pilot, which added the necessary details, and gave us a little more about the obviously mysterious lives of the twins Bridget Kelly and Siobhan Martin would progress.

WHAT I LIKED

The basic premise of the show is gripping, definitely, and makes us want to know what Bridget has stepped into, having assumed her twin sister Siobhan’s identity. I think there’s going to be a lot at Siobhan’s end as well, as she seems to have escaped from whatever Bridget will now have to deal with. I like the mystery and the level of intrigue brought about by twists like Siobhan running away to Paris, Bridget shooting a man who was looking for Siobhan and also finding out about Siobhan’s pregnancy. In all of that, I enjoyed watching Sarah Michelle Gellar again, even though I expected a little more from her performance. However, her part in the pilot at least wasn’t all that demanding, so I am hoping for more intensity as the show progresses. The casting of the show is quite impressive. Besides the leading lady, Ioan Gruffudd and Nestor Carbonell make for a strong, known acting presence in the series. Other elements like the background score, the costumes, the art direction, as well as the general packaging, by way of the opening and closing title/credits, also seem to be in the right direction, and that’s important, as these elements form a solid background for any series.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE

The way the premise was set was a little too abrupt. I believe the series prologue should have been done in a little more detail, even if it had to take an entire episode to reach the point where Bridget becomes Siobhan. The editing in this regard was less than impressive, with exceptions of scenes like the one in which Bridget is on the phone with Malcolm, telling him how she’s assumed Siobhan’s identity, with the interspersed clips of her in The Hamptons house after Siobhan’s disappearance. As for other developments in the pilot, since the writers decided to squeeze so much into it, I thought that maybe a stronger foundation should have been set for the supporting characters and the side storylines. Another detail that should have been dealt with a little better was how Bridget eases into Siobhan’s life. I think that details of people and social engagements in Siobhan’s life seemed to be discovered by Bridget rather conveniently. I think there should’ve been more of a challenge. Moreover, there should have been more of Bridget learning Siobhan’s mannerisms and behavior, etc. They may be twins and may have grown up together, but as we know, for the last six years, they lived apart and lived very different lives. Maybe we’ll see such factors becoming more of a challenge later.

So there it is. To sum it up, there were some negatives and some positives about the pilot. I am very much looking forward to watching the next couple of episodes, to discover more about the mystery and to hopefully see the writers and actors exploring the potential they have to turn this into a fantastic mystery drama.

What have you thought of RINGER so far? Is it a keeper for you? Share your views here on TV TALK...

COMING SOON: MODERN FAMILY & GREY'S ANATOMY

AS THE 63rd ANNUAL PRIMETIME EMMYS UNFOLDED...

2011-09-18T20:28:00.000-07:00

As the 63rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards draw to a close, TV TALK discusses the highlights of the show, which, somehow, went above my expectations

To view all the nominees and winners, CLICK HERE

Whoever thought that Jane Lynch would not do a good job as host of the 63rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards, must have been crazy! Lynch was fantastic, right from the word go. The opening sequence was innovative, funny, and most importantly, so special, because it brought together all those elements from TV shows that create the ‘magic of television’, making the medium such a ‘vast wonderland’. Following that, MODERN FAMILY stole the first thirty minutes of the show, with four Emmys in the Comedy categories, for Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell (Supporting Actress and Actor), along with Emmys for Directing and Writing. Lynch even went on to say, “And this just turned into the MODERN FAMILY awards!” That was absolutely hilarious!

Charlie Sheen presented Lead Actor Comedy, calling it his ‘old category’. He did a fantastic job out there, holding his head high, yet subtly snubbing TWO AND A HALF MEN, saying, “From the bottom of my heart, I wish TWO AND A HALF MEN nothing but the best for this TV season!” Moving on, Jim Parsons took away that category, with his second well-deserved win for THE BIG BANG THEORY. And then there were Rob Lowe and Sofia Vergara presenting Lead Actress Comedy as though they were announcing the runners up at a beauty pageant. Seeing the funny ladies up there was lovely, and the act was dropped suddenly, as Melissa McCarthy was announced as the winner in that category.

In drama, while Margo Martindale and Peter Dinklage won in the supporting acting categories for their roles in JUSTIFIED and GAME OF THRONES, respectively, it came as no surprise that Martin Scorsese won Outstanding Directing for BOARDWALK EMPIRE. That was followed by Julianna Margulies’ second win for her role in THE GOOD WIFE. And the race for Outstanding Series Drama heated up, when FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS won the Emmy for Writing in a Drama Series, and one for Kyle Chandler in the Lead Actor Drama category.

However, MAD MEN took away the Emmy for Outstanding Series Drama for the fourth consecutive time, ending the suspense. And that was followed by the big win of the night—MODERN FAMILY winning Outstanding Series Comedy for the second consecutive time, aptly concluding the show on a very high note.

The innovative presentation of awards, and videos of nominees, presenters, host, players in categories, made for some exciting recall of all those moments that makes television magical. Adding value to that were the in-set appearances in the videos and the montages that even honored the shows that weren’t nominated. The ‘Emmy Tones’ singing team to introduce the genres, including Zachary Levi (CHUCK), Cobie Smulders (HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER) and Joel McHale (COMMUNITY), was entertaining. And I thought that the abundance of backstage shots, as a part of the telecast, made the awards experience a lot more wholesome. Another plus point for the show was that the presenters had adequate material to keep their work fresh and exciting. And with that, I can safely say that the Emmys 2011 were nowhere close to being a disappointment. It was a great show, with a lot to write home about!

What did you think of the Emmys 2011, the show, the winners, the presentation and all? Share your views here and comment below.

MIGHT WIN, SHOULD WIN: PRIMETIME EMMYS 2011

2011-09-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

Hours away from the presentation of the 63rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards, TV TALK delves into a few top categories to predict who might win and who should win.

To see the complete list and the TV TALK analysis of the nominees, CLICK HERE

Outstanding Comedy Series

The Big Bang Theory

Glee

Modern Family (Both)

The Office

Parks And Recreation

30 Rock

Outstanding Drama Series

Boardwalk Empire

Dexter

Friday Night Lights

Game Of Thrones

The Good Wife

Mad Men

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

Laura Linney, The Big C (Both)

Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly

Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie

Amy Poehler, Parks And Recreation

Martha Plimpton, Raising Hope

Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights

Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Kathy Bates, Harry's Law

Mireille Enos, The Killing

Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory

Matt LeBlanc, Episodes

Louis C.K., Louie

Steve Carell, The Office

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series

Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire

Michael C Hall, Dexter

Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights

Hugh Laurie, House

Timothy Olyphant, Justified

Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series

Jane Lynch, Glee

Betty White, Hot In Cleveland

Julie Bowen, Modern Family

Sofia Vergara, Modern Family

Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live

Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire

Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife (Both)

Christine Baranski, The Good Wife

Margo Martindale, Justified

Michelle Forbes, The Killing

Christina Hendricks, Mad Men

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series

Chris Colfer, Glee

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family

Ed O’Neil, Modern Family

Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Ty Burrell, Modern Family

Jon Cryer, Two And A Half Men

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series

Peter Dinklage, Game Of Thrones

Josh Charles, The Good Wife

Alan Cumming, The Good Wife

Walton Goggins, Justified

John Slattery, Mad Men

Andre Braugher, Men Of A Certain Age

Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series

How I Met Your Mother • Subway Wars • Pamela Fryman

Modern Family • Halloween Michael • Alan Spiller

Modern Family • Slow Down Your Neighbors • Gail Mancuso

Modern Family • See You Next Fall • Steven Levitan

30 Rock • Live Show • Beth McCarthy-Miller

Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series

Boardwalk Empire • Pilot • Martin Scorsese (Both)

Boardwalk Empire • Anastasia • Jeremy Podeswa

The Borgias • The Poisoned Chalice/The Assassin • Neil Jordan

Game Of Thrones • Winter Is Coming (Pilot) • Tim Van Patten

The Killing • Pilot • Patty Jenkins

Who are your picks for the winners tonight? Share your views here and comment below...

FIRST LOOK OF DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES S8, AND MORE...

2011-09-05T12:10:00.000-07:00

tvTALKsnips

A SNEAK-PEEK OF DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES' FINAL SEASON
Here, we see the housewives burying the body of Gaby's evil-stepfather, who was killed accidentally by Carlos when we last saw the housewives in S7. This marks the beginning of the end and the beginning of the keeping of a secret that will define how, at least, the first half of the final season will be. It comes as no surprise that Bree offers no resistance and has no second thoughts about hiding the murder, because she knows better than the rest (except for Gaby, who thought she killed her previous husband Victor Lang, back in S4) how people one love need to be protected when they make such mistakes.

Even so, I think it's completely natural for Susan and Lynette to have doubts about what they're doing. All I can say is that this clip has got me really excited about the season that will end the show.

EDDIE MURPHY TO HOST THE 84th ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS

Courtesy: AMPAS

At the end of the day, the Oscars are a television event--a show that's put up to make the presentation of the awards more exciting. Hence, the host matters a lot. And the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) announced on September 6 that Eddie Murphy host the 84th annual Academy Awards. This announcement indicates that they are going back to having established comedians in the role that they experimented with last year, putting Anne Hathaway and James Franco there. That being said, the prior success of a host doesn't assure us that they'll be great on that stage in the Kodak Theater. Examples of the same are as follows... Ellen De Generes, an otherwise very funny woman, was less than impressive as host. Franco and Hathaway are great actors, but they got so much flak for the job they did. Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, both known for their comedy, were quite disappointing. And then there was Hugh Jackman, who wasn't considered much of a comedian, but did a fabulous job as host in 2009. Beyond that, given the criticism last year's hosts got, I think the Academy really should have chosen someone like the fantastic Jon Stewart, who literally made the show at the 80th annual Academy Awards.

NEW BONES VILLAIN REVEALED, AND A SNEAK PEEK
It was announced earlier that the next season of BONES would see Booth, Brennan and team tracking down another major villain. That means that the drama of major season-long serial-killing cases won't die with with the death of The Gravedigger and Broadsky. What has now been revealed is that the tech-savvy villain will be called Pelant and the Department of Defense will have him under house arrest, with a tracking device, but he still manages to arrange murders. Now that is sure to get Booth and Brennan into a mind-game, posing as a real challenge even for Brennan.

In the meantime, a sneak peek of S7 has been released, and it shows a pregnant Brennan arguing with Booth over the baby's safety. While watching the video, I realized that maybe we should have seen this coming. All said and done, I think Brennan's pregnancy is going to be way more entertaining than we imagined.

SEPTEMBER—COMING VERY SOON

2011-08-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

We’re less than a month away from the new TV season (2011-12) to begin, around the Primetime Emmys on September 18, and the promos and spoilers of all the new seasons keep pouring in. I recently watched the promos of the forthcoming seasons of HOUSE MD, CASTLE and PARENTHOOD, and here’s what I thought of them…

SEASON 8: HOUSE IN PRISON!

We’ve heard earlier that House will be in prison in the beginning of S8, for driving his car into Cuddy’s house. What we didn’t know, until recently, is that he’s not going to be liked by people in jail. In an environment where it truly is about the survival of the fittest, this promo leaves us with so many questions about whether House is fit enough to survive. On the one hand, his arrogance and his bad attitude towards everyone else on the planet could be his downfall, but on the other hand, we also know that his superior intelligence will help him through his days in prison. Still, this promo just teases us, making us desperate to know how things will go down in jail, especially since they will pick up a few months after the last season left off. What will prison do to House? Will it be similar to what an asylum did to him (his temporary turning-over-a-new-leaf), or will it be more lasting? The only way to find out is to wait for the season to start in the first week of October!

SEASON 4: CASTLE WAITS AS BECKETT FIGHTS FOR HER LIFE

Writers kill off protagonists only when the lead/s get/s fired (read: TWO AND A HALF MEN). Otherwise, it’s not much of a cliffhanger to show a protagonist being shot dead. But then again, a lot of times, it’s not so much about the ‘what’, but more about the ‘how’ in certain situations. So even though we know that Beckett will survive after being shot, the S4 premiere or CASTLE will explore the ‘how’. That’s exactly what this promo tells us. It’s tense and frightening, as Lanie and Castle watch Beckett being rolled into the OR. Not only does this offer us a lot of drama from the pilot, it also keeps us in sync with things, as they pick up right from where they left off last season. Besides, we still have to find out if Beckett will remember what Castle said to her in the last scene we watched—‘I love you!’ So while we wait for that, this promo is all we have!

SEASON 3: ADAM AND KRISTINA TAKE ON PARENTHOOD AGAIN

We know that PARENTHOOD won’t pick up from where they left off, because in this promo, Kristina has a baby bump that suggests that she’s at least eight months pregnant. We also know that Adam is preoccupied with something, from whatever little they’ve teased us with. Whether it’s just the fact that there’s another baby on the way, with him being unemployed; or it’s something entirely else, we don’t know just yet. Also, we have to consider what the passage of time means with respect to the rest of the family. There’s word out there that before the S3 premiere, there will be more promos with the other Bravermans in the picture, but so far, we can only wonder what Julia’s reaction to Kristina’s pregnancy will be, considering that she herself can’t have more children. Beyond Julia, would Kristina’s pregnancy have had any unforeseen reactions from anyone else, maybe Max, for instance? That is something we just can’t know yet. Here’s looking forward to PARENTHOOD’s return!

SHONDA RHIMES'S NEW SHOW AND MORE...

2011-08-27T12:12:00.000-07:00

tvTALKsnips

SHONDA RHIMES TO DEVELOP A PERIOD DRAMA

Shonda Rhimes, with actress Ellen Pompeo

who plays the lead in GREY'S ANATOMY

Shonda Rhimes, the enterprising TV producer is developing a new show—a period drama set in the 1890s, called GILDED LILLYS. The show will be set in New York City, based on the (fictional) first luxury hotel in the city. It will revolve around the employees of the hotel and will explore the drama of their lives and profession, involving even the guests of the hotel. It seems as though, with the success of shows like MAD MEN and BOARDWALK EMPIRE, and the upcoming ambitious project PAN AM, period dramas are becoming quite the trend on television. I think that despite having seen so many facets of Shonda, she’s out to surprise us all over again, with GILDED LILLYS. The 1890s setting offers her a great opportunity to present a show with the impeccable cinematography and storytelling that she is known for. I think this is going to be an exciting addition to ABC’s line-up next year. Rhimes, who already has two hit shows, GREY'S ANATOMY and PRIVATE PRACTICE on air, is also set to start the new legal/political drama SCANDAL very soon on ABC.

HEATHER GRAHAM SIGNED ON FOR NEW FOX COMEDY PILOT

Actress Heather Graham has been signed on for a new comedy pilot being developed by Rob Thomas, the creator of VERONICA MARS, who was also involved in developing 90210. The comedy pilot, called LITTLE IN COMMON, has been ordered by Fox. The premise of the show is the story of a group of adults who become unlikely friends because of the connections that they discover through their children. With Sarah Michelle Gellar returning to television, with The CW’s RINGER and Christina Ricci to appear on ABC’s PAN AM, it seems like big screen actresses heading for major roles on television is quite the trend this season. I, for one, am quite excited about Graham’s new pilot. I’ve always found her to be a nice actress and a great pleasure to watch. And we haven’t seen much of her lately, except for a few short appearances like the one in The Hangover, so I look forward to seeing her on TV soon.

SANDRA BULLOCK AND RYAN REYNOLDS ALSO HEAD TO TV

There’s another big-screen actress heading to television, in a way. Oscar winner Sandra Bullock, will be teaming up with her The Proposal co-star Ryan Reynolds yet again for a television project, an animated series, for which the two actors will be lending their voices. Called AND THEN THERE WAS GORDON, the show has only been ordered by Fox, as of now. However, if this project, about an ordinary child with several prodigy siblings, goes to series, Bullock will also be an executive producer. She will be otherwise lending her voice to the kid’s brilliant, but neurotic mother, while Reynolds has co-written the pilot. Even though I’m not a major fan of animation series, I still look forward to this one, not only because of the big Hollywood names attached to it, but also because of the premise, which sounds rather interesting.

WHITE COLLAR RENEWED FOR SEASON 4

In other news, the USA Network recently renewed its hit series WHITE COLLAR for a fourth season. The show, which could be called a ‘summer show’, is currently seeing new levels of success in its third season, with more than satisfactory ratings. Currently taking a mid-season break, the show will return in January, for the final few episodes of this season. I am still to catch up on S3 of WHITE COLLAR, but I can definitely say that this is a show I’d really like to see a lot more of, so it pleases me to know that we will be seeing a S4 next year.

HOW DO YOU THINK IT’LL END?

2011-08-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

tvTALKcelebratesONEyear

With the announcement of the end of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES last week, I got thinking about how all my favorite shows would end, whenever it’s time for them. Therefore, in the third and final installment of tvTALKcelebratesONEyear, I look at five of them and explore what their series finales might have in store for us…

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

This one comes with the big question: Who will the mother turn out to be, and how will we find out?

When we were introduced to Zoey last season, the more I watched her with Ted, the more I felt like this relationship had almost as much potential as Ted’s relationship with Robin had. I actually thought that Ted and Zoey’s relationship would become serious, and that she might just be ‘the mother’. I know that as the relationship would get serious, the suspense would be dead, but do we actually believe that Ted’s eventual announcement of a wedding to ‘the mother’ would end the show? I think not. I think that there might be several episodes, maybe an entire season, which will be like an epilogue after we find out who ‘the mother’ is. That epilogue could explore how Ted gets married, while simultaneously, winding up everyone else’s stories. A strange twist would be to have Ted meet ‘the mother’, subsequently have kids and then end up with someone else altogether. That’s where there’s still hope for him and Robin! Now I’ve previously mentioned here that I would love for Ted to end up with Robin, because, for me, it would be perfect for them to be together. Whether or not any of the above happens, it’ll be a tricky job for the writers to end the show well, because they could very easily just end it very predictably.

And while we take that trip with the writers, as they decide on a fitting end, I would really like to see Barney actually getting married, eventually. Who knows! With how seriously [we know] he feels about Nora, maybe they might get serious, and a couple of seasons later, after a series of ups and downs and back-and-forth, they might get married. Barney’s already in an emotional transformation, with the whole reconnecting with his father, and having true feelings for a girl, so you never know; a marriage that sticks might just happen for him before the show ends. As for Lily and Marshall, they’re already living their happily ever after, so besides exploring the travails of raising a family together, there probably won’t be anything drastically different happening in their story. Whatever happens, I wonder if they’ll show all of them with Ted’s grown-up kids in the end, in the time-frame during which he’s telling them the story. What do you think?

DEXTER

Will he get caught?

As a fan of happy endings, I would love to see Dexter walk at the end. But that’s the extent of happiness I see in his future; I mean, with the alternative being him getting caught. I don’t really expect to see him having that happily ever after, which would entail a happy marriage, family, and possibly, him having finally left his ‘dark passenger’ behind. That could happen, after a major emotional meltdown, triggered by a situation that forces him to deal with the baggage from his past and his ‘sins’. We know that in the forthcoming sixth season, he will be revealing his secret to Debra. It makes me wonder if that will affect the final outcome of the show. We know that the show’s not ending anytime soon, so it’s most likely that she’ll keep his secret, but whether she will understand it is another story. In fact, when it does, the series could possibly end with Debra finally understanding and accepting that side of Dexter. All said and done, there are way too many possibilities of how the show could end. For all we know, they might just leave us with a vague climax, not revealing anything about where the characters would go from there.

Another possibility would be that of an epilogue, probably one that jumps ahead a few years after the final climax. Picture this: Debra accepts Dexter’s dark side, while he, over the years, moves on from his need to kill, or not. Harrison’s a little grown up, and Debra’s married to some guy she met, with Quinn being a distant memory. Astor and Cody have become a major part of their lives, and they’re visiting Dexter from college. With all that established, and everyone having gone their separate ways, Dexter begins his final voice-over. He walks into his apartment, takes off the air-conditioner cover and opens his box of ‘trophies’, the glass slides with his victims’ blood, one last time, and it ends on a sinister note, with us never knowing whether or not he’ll kill again.

HOUSE MD

Will he fade into oblivion, or is there still hope for a happy ending for House?

I can safely say that the end of his relationship with Cuddy was more than ugly, with her actually instructing the cops to throw him in jail. We know that Cuddy’s going, and some theories about the opening of the forthcoming season suggest that we might actually see House in jail. Some are also speculating over whether S8 will be the last one. Whatever may be the case, this is another show, for which an ending cannot be predicted; the writing is way too edgy for that. After so many years of being miserable, and jeopardizing almost every chance at happiness, all by himself, I don’t really see House getting a happily ever after. And that wouldn’t even be in keeping with the nature of the show. I think we’re more likely to see House fade into oblivion, while sinking into dementia, all alone in his apartment; or worse, die. As morbid as that thought may be, there’s nothing else that would be a fitting end to the show that HOUSE has been.

However, a happy ending could come in the form of House retiring, and moving off to some exotic place, not much unlike the beach where we saw him last, at the end of S7. After having had enough of his life at the hospital, he could finally hand over the reins of the Diagnostics department to Foreman, and go off to lead a happy retirement. On the other hand, we might just see the other characters have their happy endings. Foreman could meet someone and settle down, while I wouldn’t mind so much if Chase and Thirteen ended up together. Even Taob could end up in a happy relationship with one of his ‘baby mommies’. Wilson should ideally get back with his ex-wife, who’ll finally take him back, with House not being a factor in their lives. What do you think? Can you see any of the above happening?

GREY’S ANATOMY

Is it just a matter of who will end up with whom?

It may not be, but just for the heck of it, let’s start with that! Now, I think we can safely assume that Meredith and Derek, Callie and Arizona, and Christina and Owen will all stick with each other, even though there may be several rough patches that they might have to overcome in their relationships. That leaves us with the rest of the doctors. Let’s not think about any characters that are going to be introduced in the future, even though we know that some of the current ones will hook up with the new ones, knowing how people hook up on the show. With the existing set of characters, I can probably see Mark eventually getting back with Lexie, and Avery ending up with April. That leaves us with Karev, but I don’t see anyone else whom he might be suited for. Who knows! Maybe PRIVATE PRACTICE will end before GREY’S and Addison might come back. We know she has a history with both Mark and Karev! On the other hand, something tells me that Teddy Altman and Henry won’t last the long run, and that he might probably die, given his poor health. But when it comes to Bailey, I think her relationship with Nurse Eli is going to be explored, and it will eventually become something that’ll stick; and they might even get married by the end.

Speaking of the end, I don’t want this show to end any time soon. But be that as it may, it will eventually, because it’s not a soap opera and I don’t want to see Meredith and Derek playing with their grandchildren! That being said, I really hope we at least get to see the fifth-year residents in dark-blue scrubs, as each of them becomes an attending, after completing their seven-year residency (in what would be season 11). It would be great to see them all specializing in their fields—Christina in cardio, Alex in pediatrics, Meredith in neuro, and so on. By that time, probably a few of the current attendings could have gotten into extensive research, conducting heavy-duty medical trails, etc. At the same time, maybe the Chief should finally retire to be with his wife, who we now know, is suffering from Alzheimer’s. With that, I would really like to see Bailey as Chief of Surgery eventually, since Webber did tell her that she would, one day, run the hospital. Who would you like to see ending up as what and with whom?

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

Will the series finale be as explosive as a disaster episode? How will everyone say goodbye?

This is one show for which we know that the end is near. With just one more season to go, creator Marc Cherry has suggested that he would like to pay tribute to the show, by having everyone, who has been associated with the show, come back to Wisteria Lane, in some way or another, during S8. Now while Nicolette Sheridan (Edie Britt) has said that she won’t be returning [they could have had her in a dream sequence or in a flashback], Dana Delany (Katherine Mayfair) has said she’d love to revisit the lane. But for now, let’s just consider how the show will end next year. I think there should be the backdrop of a big event, like a wedding perhaps. It could be Bree’s. However, I doubt they’d be able to have her establish a relationship deep enough to marry that person in one season. Moreover, given the current scenario on Wisteria Lane, her relationship with a detective won’t last too long. Maybe it could be Julie who gets married. That, we know would be a big deal for everyone. That would also be reason enough for people like Danielle Van de Kamp to visit the street.

As for those whose stories remain unfinished, I think the one person who should get their happy ending is Paul Young. Paul did return last season, and he finally had that showdown with Felicia Tillman, but he ended up going back to jail, and after losing his second wife at that. Now while Felicia is shown to have possibly died in a car crash, I think Paul deserves a happy ending, because he’s been wronged and misunderstood, and him killing Martha Huber was only to avenge Mary-Alice’s death. Cherry has said that they would revisit the original premise of the show—Mary-Alice’s suicide, so it would be a great time to have Paul get out of jail, return to Wisteria Lane, to his old home, and even reunite with his son Zach, who neglected him and let him rot in jail in S3. A crazy thought—what if Bree were to end up with Paul? Like I said, it’s crazy, but when you think about it, Bree is the one housewife who’s most like Mary-Alice, and Paul, the well-mannered and dignified gentleman that he is, would suit Bree perfectly. And if Bree could have had a relationship with Carl Mayer, why not Paul! Maybe the two could date secretly till the end, when they decide to tell everyone that they’re engaged or something.

Among other people who have unfinished business on the street, there’s Dave Williams (Edie’s husband), who was thrown into an asylum, after he tried to kill Susan and MJ, to avenge his wife and daughter’s death in the accident that eventually ruined Susan and Mike’s first marriage. I don’t know how, but if they could bring him back, it would surely be interesting. Kayla, Tom’s other daughter, who was sent off to live with her grandparents after her malicious deeds against Lynette, could also return. She’ll be all grown up now, so there might be some exciting story opportunities there. In the midst of it all, I hope they can pay some kind of a tribute to housewives from the past, like Betty Applewhite and Angie Bolen, who made quite a mark in seasons two and six, respectively.

As for the current housewives, we know Tom and Lynette will eventually get back together; Gaby and Carlos will establish a stronger bond, for sure; and Susan and Mike should have some strong storyline that doesn’t include any kind of threat to their marriage, because that’d old. I hope Renée finds someone nice to settle down with, and even Bree, whether or not it’s Paul.

How do you think DESPERATE HOUSWIVES should end, when it does next May?

How would you like to see your favorite shows end? Share your views with TV TALK...

FAVORITE TV COUPLES, THEN AND NOW

2011-08-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

tvTALKcelebratesONEyear

I continue celebrating TV TALK’s completion of one year, with a list of my favorite TV couples, then and now

Ross & Rachel

FRIENDS (1994-2004) Then

How could their names not be at the top of this list! Almost every TV show has that one couple that is meant to be together, and may get together, but have to face several ups and downs, several break-ups and reconciliations, before they finally get together for good. Pioneers in that area, were undoubtedly, Ross and Rachel. In the beginning, they may have seemed an odd pair, with her being a glamorous, rich kid, and him, a geeky paleontologist, but the more we saw them together, the more they seemed to fit. It took them two years to get together and another, to break up, because ‘they were on a break’! Thereafter, there were so many moments when they almost got there, each instance going wrong in some way, breaking our hearts each time. And after a hasty wedding in Vegas, a divorce, an accidental pregnancy, and unplanned co-parenthood, what finally brought them together was the thought of living apart from each other. I would have loved to see more of them as a solid couple, and possibly see them have a proper wedding, but unfortunately, their reunion is all we got. They’re certainly my all-time favorite TV couple!

Chandler & Monica

FRIENDS (1994-2004) Then

No one could have possibly imagined that these two crazy kids would hook up, but four seasons down the line, the live audience gasped and screamed as Monica came out from under Chandler’s covers in his hotel room in London! And that was only the beginning. A commitment-phobic Chandler and a romantic-at-heart Monica dealt with having a secret affair, the matter of defining their relationship, an almost-impulsive wedding in Vegas, living together and then finally getting engaged, bringing on the gasps and screams all over again! As a couple, they grew together, and that changed Chandler, who became more mature and sensitive, going down as one of the best character evolutions on television. Moments like them finding out that they couldn’t have kids, and then him pleading to their potential birth-mother to reconsider them as parents for her baby, were heartwarming and endearing to say the least. They were the marriage that anyone would want to have. There’s no way they’d not make it to this list!

Jesse & Rebecca

FULL HOUSE (1987-1995) Then

It may seem odd that Jesse and Rebecca are in this list, with greats like Ross-&-Rachel, but if you were a FULL HOUSE fan, there’s no way you could deny the amazing chemistry they shared and the beauty of the relationship they had. Right from the time when they first got together, one knew that Rebecca would be the one to make an honest man out of Jesse, the player! And watching two gorgeous looking people in a relationship so wonderful was an added bonus for us. Who can forget their wedding, before which Jesse goes bungee jumping and lands up in a tomato truck, and moments they shared, while expecting their twins… She was the perfect wife, who fit right into the family and he was the doting husband who loved her more than anything!

Ally & Billy

ALLY McBEAL (1997-2002) Then

We may not have ever seen them as a couple on the show, except for in flashbacks from their younger days, but I think they deserve to be on this list, because, for me, Ally and Billy have been the epitome of that one unrequited love, which almost anyone can relate to! They had their moments of unspoken affection, as friends, despite the fact that he broke her heart after law school and married the very classy Georgia. She learnt how to be around him at work, living with all the pain he had caused her, and eventually they seemed to become the best of friends, in some strange way. When his marriage to Georgia ended, there was some hope for them, but his sudden death in a courtroom became the most heart-wrenching moment on the show, for me. However, they did go on to have their special moments as she spoke to him occasionally, asking the memory of him to guide her through tough situations. And Ally may have gone on to have other relationships later, but none of them could ever come close to what she shared with Billy.

Kitty & Robert

BROTHERS & SISTERS (2006-2011) Then

I considered Kitty and Robert’s relationship to be the strongest on BROTHERS AND SISTERS, with their story being told in as much detail as it could have been told. Right from the time they first met, when she interviewed him as an up and coming politician, there was a wonderful charm about their relationship. They had more than their share of rough times. Seeing each other through his race for President, her taking to his children from a previous marriage, his heart attack, her cancer, their inability to conceive, them adopting a baby, and her almost straying away from the marriage, was all so beautifully handled. It broke my heart to see him die right before the final season of the show. Unfortunately, that turn of events took something away from Kitty’s story and left little for us to cherish in her character. That made me realize all the more how great she and Robert were together. If only he’d stayed alive right till the end.

Ted & Robin

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (2005- ) Then

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER began with Ted falling for Robin. They had one date, and he stole a blue French horn for her, but ended up ruining his chances by telling her that he was in love with her, the hopeless romantic that he is! They had undeniable chemistry, which is why, when they got together by S2, it really seemed like she was the one. Now, in a show that is, in a big way, about who ‘the mother’ of his kids will be, a revelation of someone being the one that early in the series would kill the suspense, so I guess they had to speak of her as his future kids’ ‘Aunt Robin’, but that didn’t make me lose hope, because there can always be loopholes. I thought they were great together, despite the fact that they were both so different. And now, with her past and possible future with Barney, chances of Ted being with Robin seem bleak, but on seeing them together as friends and roommates, even hooking up that one time after they broke up, I can’t help but hope they’d end up together!

Lily & Marshall

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (2005- ) Now

These two have been a total cuddly twosome right from the beginning of the show. Even though their little exchanges and, let’s not forget the unreal telepathic communication they have occasionally, can get a tad silly at times, those two are really, really cute together! What makes them even more special is the fact that they have had problems, and that things weren’t always great between them. When they broke up briefly and called off the wedding, that summer when Lily went off to pursue a career as an artist, it made them real and it made their wedding later so much more special than it would have been otherwise. Seeing each other through thick and thin, like Marshall’s conflict over having a meaningful career as opposed to a paying one, and Lily’s shopping addiction, have made them even more endearing as a couple. More recent moments like Lily being there for him when his father died, and then their discovery of their impending parenthood further made their relationship special.

Claire & Phil

MODERN FAMILY (2009- ) Now

In the midst of life with their kids, who are most definitely a handful, and the other part of their chaotic family, Claire and Phil have one of nicest relationships on television today. With his constant attempts at being ‘cool’ and hip, and her undying spirit, while holding the family together, they make quite an odd pair. And while Phil may be a bit of a letch at times, and Claire has moments like subtly trying to look hot when they’re expecting firemen over, we know that those two are completely devoted to each other. Sharing emotional moments like exchanging notes on their growing kids and funny ones, like the two disastrous Valentine’s Days we’ve seen them have, give their relationship that amazing balance for us to enjoy. I’ve enjoyed watching Claire and Phil over the last two years, and I’m expecting to see a lot more of them in the years to come.

Lynette & Tom

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (2004-2012) Then & Now

Lynette and Tom have been that one couple in this show, where every other relationship has had someone cheating or being cheated on, or getting divorced and remarrying the same person… to put it simply, where no other couple has been together as long as they have. They’re the couple that has fought over being equals in the relationship, with Tom expressing his need to be ‘the man in the relationship’ and Lynette being too strong-willed and too much of a feminist to ever let him feel like he’s superior to her. They’re also the couple that stuck together through her jeopardizing his career, him having a lovechild from a previous fling, her supporting him while he pursued his dream, him forgiving her for sharing an intimate friendship with another man, her cancer, him having slept with her best friend in college, and of course, them raising five kids together. It’s unfortunate that their relationship recently hit rocky ground, and that they’re getting separated. But it’s only a matter of time before they realize that they’ll never be happy without each other!

Gaby & Carlos

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (2004-2012) Now

Now here’s one couple that has evolved so much over years of being together, and apart and together again. They both started out as being each other’s ‘trophy-spouse’, and being two of the most selfish, shallow people you could imagine. Their first marriage was a sham in the beginning, until they decided to start a family; but then things went downhill once again. During their divorce, they were an entertaining twosome, playing games to bring each other down, and it took Gaby getting remarried to another man who also treated her like a trophy-wife for her to realize how much she cared about Carlos. For me, that’s when they truly fell in love, and that became more and more evident when they stuck together through his visual impairment, through their poverty, and raising two of the brattiest kids you could imagine. Seeing them through better times thereafter made me really happy for them. More recently, their bond was further solidified, when she needed protection from an abusive stepfather, and he needed her support after committing an accidental murder. That will certainly bring them even closer together.

Addison & Mark

GREY’S ANATOMY (2005- ) and PRIVATE PRACTICE (2007- ) Then

I know that not many fans of the show out there considered this relationship as one that was worth exploring or had any future, but I know that some fans out there, including me, feel that there would have been no one as perfect for Addison as Mark would. First of all, they were both cheaters; second of all, they always had this sizzling chemistry between them when they were together, and an undeniable sexual tension when they weren’t. And they have been friends for years, so they get each other. That’s why, as Addison was about to leave GREY’S ANATOMY, I couldn’t help but want so badly for her to honor the deal she made with Mark, which would bring them both together. Unfortunately, she didn’t, and then moved to LA. But their chemistry never ended there. We’ve seen them together in PRIVATE PRACTICE also, and that again made me think of how great they would be together. I doubt that a future between the two is something that we’ll ever see, but that just makes me want to see them together even more!

Alex & Izzie

GREY’S ANATOMY (2005- ) Then

Right from the beginning of GREY’S ANATOMY, there was this spark between bad boy Alex Karev and former model Izzie Stevens, a spark that excited me way more than Meredith’s one-night-stand with Derek. I knew that Alex and Izzie would be a pair to look out for. They always had so much potential, and the several instances when they almost got together, but didn’t, left me feeling even more desperate for it to happen. Here was a love story on television that excited me more than any other had in a long time. Their bond came through incredibly strongly when Denny died, after months of Alex being jealous of Denny and Izzie. At that point, all he did was, be there for her. But that was not their time yet. It made him lose someone else he loved, and her suffer from cancer, for them to finally get together. Moments like him carrying her away from Denny’s deathbed are etched in my memory. And I think that their wedding while she was suffering from cancer was one of the most beautiful moments on the show. Their relationship, tragically, took a turn for the worse, soon after, and that definitely left me heartbroken.

Which of these couples did you really like seeing together? Or were there any others? I’d love to know…

MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS

2011-08-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

tvTALKcelebratesONEyear

As TV TALK celebrates the completion of one year, I start this celebration with a list of my favorite characters from a few of my favorite TV shows. Now a few of these choices may not be popular favorites, but that’s why they’re worth mentioning…

PENNY from THE BIG BANG THEORY

Popular choice: Sheldon Cooper

Penny (I can’t believe they’ve gone four seasons without ever mentioning her last name) is a character that I’ve enjoyed watching right from the beginning of the series. I like her role in the comedy about four nerdy scientists; she’s a breath of fresh air, and a wonderfully vibrant one at that. It amuses me how she’s stuck in a temporary job of being a waitress, while waiting for a career in acting to happen for her. She’s spunky and carefree, and her sarcastic sense of humor is a major plus point for me. The thing I like most about her is her ability to reach out to Sheldon in ways that the others can’t, or avoid even trying to. At the same time, she’s also the one who challenges him, when the others just humor him and give in to his unreasonable quirks. Her undying spirit, for trying to make Sheldon see reason endears me and I think she adds even more color to the show than Sheldon’s t-shirts do!

TEMPERANCE BRENNAN from BONES

Popular choice: Seely Booth

Seely Booth is the alpha-male, an old-fashioned man, who believes in chivalry and believes in being the protector and provider; yet, he has a soft side to him and a fear of God. I love him for that, but what I love more is Temperance’s (Bones) spirit to challenge that, and also challenge so much more. She moves away from social norms and ‘givens’ in situations, and pursues an evolved sense of rationale that people can only be amazed at. Her lack of ability to pick up underlying sentiments appeals to me in a way that makes me wish that everyone could be so logical and rational like her. Her inability to understand references to popular culture, when she says things like “I don’t know what that means,” is completely endearing, as are her attempts at understanding the logic behind everyday jokes that people around her crack. Statements like “I see… That is amusing because…” and “We should call her; she very much likes drinking alcohol,” leave me in splits and I can never have enough of her. She makes the show what it is for me!

PATTY HEWES from DAMAGES

Popular choice: Patty Hewes

In a show with just two strong characters, or pillars, if you will, there are limited choices of characters to like; and when it comes to DAMAGES, Patty is the clear-cut choice for many, and for me as well. Patty is a no-nonsense woman, whose arrogance and unwillingness to admit her faults come from years of experience, and being at the top of her game. Her ego is what drives the show, and while you might hate her a lot of the time, there’s no way you can hate her character. While she may ruthlessly tear apart anyone who might come in her way, she’s also willing to risk her life and career for the ones she cares about. She is completely gray in nature, and that’s what makes her so fascinating. Patty Hewes is undoubtedly one of the most interesting characters written for television, and one of my favorites indeed.

BREE VAN DE KAMP from DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

Popular choices: Susan Delfino, Lynette Scavo, Bree Van de Kamp, Gabrielle Solis

The team that conceived the four protagonists of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES did an impeccable job. All four are such distinctive characters, and throughout the show’s run, so far, there has been an undeniable consistency in maintaining who each of them are. All the housewives have qualities that appeal to different people, which is why all of them are up there among the popular choices. But Bree—now she’s something else! A woman of character, who handles every situation that presents itself before her, she is my favorite for so many reasons. She’s someone, who uses her wit and her intelligence to fight for what she believes in, with morals strong enough to send her husband to prison and jeopardize a friendship. She’s someone who literally picked up a gun to shoot at the one who interrupted a dinner party she was throwing, and then immediately afterward, went on to serve dinner with all the grace and dignity as anyone could. Despite all that, seeing her with all her flaws makes her so very real, and everything about Bree makes me love her more, each time I see her!

DEBRA MORGAN from DEXTER

Popular choice: Dexter Morgan

We all love Dexter. The show is all about him, and Dexter is who we see all the time. We love him for his twisted personality, his strange sense of justice, his vulnerable nature and the dual life that he leads. However, my favorite character from DEXTER has, in some strange way, always been Debra. Her foul mouth is only a part of her kickass attitude and her ambitiousness as a cop. She’s an individualistic person, who lives life by her own terms and doesn’t take any nonsense from anyone, be it her boss or anyone influential, or even a boyfriend whom she might care deeply about. Her series of failed relationships, and her knack for often falling for the wrong men make her very real, but that’s not the half of what she’s about. With strong values, and deep respect for her late father, she’s the one thing that makes Dexter more human than anyone else does. She’s his only family and I absolutely love the sibling relationship they share. For me, there’s absolutely nothing not to love about Debra.

BLAIR WALDORF from GOSSIP GIRL

Popular choices: Chuck Bass, Blair Waldorf, Serena Van der Woodsen

While the characters in GOSSIP GIRL are rather fickle, and weak, the only ones that come close to being strong are Chuck and Blair, their annoying inability to just be together or just move on individually aside. For me, Blair Waldorf is not perfect in the least, and can even get annoying at times, but in a show about spoilt, rich Upper Eastsiders from New York City, she’s practically synonymous with the show. She’s sure about herself, confident for the most part, and has a kind of presence that everyone notices. She’s your typical ‘mean girl’, with enough clout to destroy anyone who crosses her, but she’s also someone who can appreciate the friendship of someone from Brooklyn, who’s at the bottom of the social ladder. Blair’s style and the way she carries herself, and the way she comes through for her friends when they need her, is indeed admirable.

MIRANDA BAILEY from GREY’S ANATOMY

Popular choices: Meredith Grey, Derek Shepherd, Christina Yang, Miranda Bailey

Many people like the Grey of GREY’S ANATOMY, while others like her ‘person’, the hardcore Yang, and yet others like ‘McDreamy’. However, there’s no one who doesn’t like Miranda Bailey! She’s who they called ‘the Nazi’, for the strong leader that she is, but she’s also the ‘mama bear’, who looks after the ‘kids she raised’ since the time they were all interns. Bailey has been the pillar of strength for every other character on the show, from the Chief, to the interns, through times of crisis and through times of individual strife. But she’s also the one who couldn’t see reason, while breaking up with a boyfriend, who, out of no fault of his own, simply wasn’t around during the shootout, which showed her to be so very human. She doesn’t take any nonsense from anyone, but at the same time, she can endearingly encourage a friend to fight the odds and pursue their dream of marrying their gay partner. Bailey’s undoubtedly the backbone of GREY’S ANATOMY, and I can confidently say that not one fan of the show could ever think of a moment when they didn’t like her.

TED MOSEBY from HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

Popular choice: Barney Stinson

I know this one’s going to raise many eyebrows! I do love Barney, a clear popular favorite, but he seems unreal in many ways, despite the displays of emotion he’s shown in certain situations. On the other hand, Ted is someone who I can’t help but feel for. All the guy wants is to find love, and stick with it. Deep down, that’s what everyone wants, and not many can admit it, like Ted does. On his perpetual pursuit for finding the one, ‘the mother’, he may come off as annoying at times, but that’s just a small part of him. And besides being the one who can only think of settling down and raising a family with someone he loves, he’s also the one who has ambitions and goals that are just as important for him to achieve. And aren’t those things exactly what everyone wants from life! His relationship with Robin may not have been enough for her, and his relationship with Stella might have been disregarded by her; yet, he hasn’t given up on love, and that is something I really admire.

GLORIA PRITCHETT from MODERN FAMILY

Popular choices: Cameron Tucker, Phil Dunphy, Gloria Pritchett

There are so many characters in MODERN FAMILY that are loveable in every possible way; it was hard to choose. I love Cameron for his colorful ways; Claire, for being the one who holds the family together; and Phil, for his endearing nature of trying too hard. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that the one character, whose scenes I most look forward to, is Gloria. She’s one bundle of fun. Everything about her—her exotic being, her vibrant personality, her way of being herself, no matter what—are all things that I’ve loved to watch through the show. I enjoy her accent, her histrionics, her maternal nature and her enthusiasm, even when there’s none from anyone else. She comes across as a completely genuine person, owing to her naivety, in the midst of cynicism and pessimism in certain situations, and while she may seem over-the-top in several ways, that’s a major part of what makes her who she is. I can’t help but love Gloria!

CHARLOTTE KING from PRIVATE PRACTICE

Popular choice: Addison Forbes Montgomery

I loved Addison on GREY’S ANATOMY; in fact, she was one of my favorites. And, while her character was so good that Shonda Rhimes put made her the protagonist in PRIVATE PRACTICE, something was, well, let’s just say, ‘lost in translation’. On the other hand, there was Charlotte King, who didn’t seem like a very important character in the beginning, but came into her own as the show progressed. Her very real relationship with Cooper Freedman was a small part of me liking her. She’s constantly been this strong person, who needs to be peeled, like an onion, for you to see who she really is. Another no-nonsense woman, who she’s also got a caring, vulnerable side to her, she’s someone who knows how to deal with her issues with dignity. Her recent rape was evident of that, and brought out a side to her that gave her new meaning, while maintaining all that we knew her to be. Moreover, her Southern charm adds value to Charlotte, and I can’t think of anyone else on the show that could even hold a candle to her.

Who are your favorite characters on television. Share your choices with TV TALK. Comment below...

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES TO END NEXT YEAR, AND MORE

2011-08-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

tvTALKsnips

MARC CHERRY ANNOUNCES THE END OF DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

The original cast of the show when it premiered in 2004

Earlier today, at the Television Critics’ Association press tour, it was announced that the forthcoming (eighth) season of hit ABC show DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES would be its last. The show’s creator and executive producer, Marc Cherry stated, “The only thing harder than creating a hit show is knowing when to end it,” implying that it was right to end the show while it was still on the top. The producers had the option of completing nine seasons, having already given the cast salary options for the originally intended ninth season. However, the eighth season, which is due to premiere on September 25, will be the final year for our favorite housewives on Wisteria Lane.

The cast of the show in its seventh season (2010-11)

I agree that a show should end while it’s still doing well, but as DESPERATE HOUSEIWVES has been one of my all-time favorite shows, the announcement of its end still saddens me. For the last seven years, the show has been instrumental in bringing new meaning and excitement in television for me. While the cast members expressed shock on being informed earlier about this announcement earlier, Cherry stated that he “loves Eva Longoria [Gaby Solis] more that life itself,” saying, “I'm just going to put you in a van and have you solve mysteries.” What could possibly be Cherry hinting that he’d cast Longoria in his next show, which he’s going to develop in time for pilot season, early next year, seems to be the only silver lining with this new revelation. At the same time, I look forward to seeing how the writers end the show, especially after it was revealed that they would revisit the roots of the series—Mary-Alice Young’s suicide. I do hope they give the wonderful series a fitting swan song.

The final season of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES will premiere on September 25, 2011 on ABC. Take a look here at the official announcement from ABC.com

A still from DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES that aptly represents the announcement of the end

TELEVISION CRITICS’ ASSOCIATION AWARDS 2011 ANNOUNCED

Another major announcement today was that of the Television Critics’ Association (TCA) Awards 2011. There weren’t many surprises among the few categories that the TCA gives out awards in. For example, it was no surprise that Jon Hamm (MAD MEN) won for Individual Achievement in Drama, and that MODERN FAMILY won for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy. A show that has been generating a lot of award buzz, besides garnering critical acclaim and popularity, GAME OF THRONES won Outstanding New Program, while a show with similar accomplishments, SHERLOCK won Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS won Program of the Year, while Oprah Winfrey, rightfully and deservedly won the Career Achievement award. Take a look at a few of the winners: (And CLICK HERE for the complete list)

Individual Achievement In Drama

Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire, HBO)

Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones, HBO)

Jon Hamm (Mad Men, AMC)

Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife, CBS)

Margo Martindale (Justified, FX)

Timothy Olyphant (Justified, FX)

Individual Achievement In Comedy

Ty Burrell (Modern Family, ABC) Tie

Louis C.K. (Louie, FX)

Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation, NBC) Tie

Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation, NBC)

Danny Pudi (Community, NBC)

Jon Stewart (The Daily Show, Comedy Central)

Outstanding Achievement In Reality Programming

The Amazing Race (CBS)

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (Travel Channel)

Survivor (CBS)

The Voice (NBC)

Top Chef: All Stars (Bravo)

Outstanding New Program

Boardwalk Empire (HBO)

Game of Thrones (HBO)

Terriers (FX)

The Killing (AMC)

The Walking Dead (AMC)

Outstanding Achievement In Movies, Miniseries And Specials

Cineme Verite (HBO)

Downton Abbey: Masterpiece (PBS)

Mildred Pierce (HBO)

Sherlock (PBS/BBC)

Too Big to Fail (HBO)

Outstanding Achievement In Drama

Friday Night Lights (DirecTV/NBC)

Game of Thrones (HBO)

Justified (FX)

Mad Men (AMC)

The Good Wife (CBS)

Outstanding Achievement In Comedy

Community (NBC)

Louie (FX)

Modern Family (ABC)

Parks and Recreation (NBC)

Raising Hope (Fox)

Career Achievement Award

Steven Bochco

Dick Ebersol

Cloris Leachman

David Letterman

William Shatner

Oprah Winfrey

Program Of The Year

Boardwalk Empire (HBO)

Friday Night Lights (DirecTV/NBC)

Game of Thrones (HBO)

Justified (FX)

Parks and Recreation (NBC)

GLEE: THE 3D CONCERT MOVIE NOW IN THEATRES

Stars of GLEE at the movie premiere

It’s been in the news for a while that there was going to be a 3D concert movie of the hit musical-comedy show GLEE. The trailer, which was released last month, gave us a glimpse of what the movie would look like. Yesterday, the cast of the show, and now the movie, turned up for the premiere of the film at The Village Theatre in Los Angeles, on a red carpet surrounded by an overwhelming number of fans.

The creator of the show, Ryan Murphy expressed his joy saying that he was humbled by the display of fans. Almost the entire cast of the show, including Lea Michelle, Cory Monteith, Chris Colfer, Amber Riley, Chord Overstreet, Heather Morris and Dianna Agron, was overwhelmed as they basked in the spotlight. I, for one, am really looking forward to watching the movie, because it showcases the best thing about GLEE, the music and performances.

BUFFY'S BACK, AND MORE...!

2011-08-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

tvTALKsnips

SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR RETURNS TO TELEVISION

It was recently announced that The CW would have a new mystery/noir show this forthcoming season, called RINGER, which has Sarah Michelle Gellar in the lead. Playing twins, this show puts the former BUFFY star in two dark roles—Siobhan, who mysteriously disappears, and Bridget, a recovering addict, who assumes Siobhan’s identity to hide from someone dangerous.

In RINGER, Sarah Michelle Gellar plays a woman who assumes her twin sister's
identity after the sister mysteriously disappears

There were so many of us who were fans of BUFFY, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER back in the day, when Sarah Michelle Gellar played this kickass girl who destroyed vampires, but that was not her first stint on television. She used to be on hit daytime soap ALL MY CHILDREN a long time ago. And guess what! Not only is Gellar going to star in RINGER, she’s also due to return to ALL MY CHILDREN for a short while. I think it’s great that former TV stars like Ashton Kutcher (THAT 70s SHOW to TWO AND A HALF MEN) and Rachel Bilson (THE OC to HART OF DIXIE) are returning to television. I, for one, was a fan of BUFFY, and I would love to see Gellar back on the tube, especially given the exciting and mysterious premise of RINGER. The show execs have a plan for three seasons, and they’re feeling good about it, so it sounds really promising. As for Gellar, she says that she’s loving the return to TV more than she expected to!

ASHTON KUTCHER’S CHARACTER REVEALED!

Jake Harper, Walden Schmidt and Alan Harper

Even though the mystery’s being kept alive as to how Ashton Kutcher’s entry into TWO AND A HALF MEN will go down, the speculation about who he’ll play can now end. CBS has revealed that Charlie Sheen’s character Charlie Harper’s death will make way for Kutcher’s entrance. CBS president Nina Tassler has said that S9 will start with Charlie’s funeral, and while all his exes will be present, his house will be put on the market and Kutcher’s character will be a potential buyer. Tassler also revealed that Kutcher will play an internet billionaire called Walden Schmidt, who will be recovering from his heart being broken by someone. I agree they had to create some crazy premise like this to make the protagonist-switch happen, but I think this is a little too forced, and that might make the show weak. Still, I’m looking forward to finding out how they pull this one off. How ’bout you?

BEHIND THE SCENES AND TEASER CLIPS FROM DEXTER S6

A newly released behind-the-scenes video divulges (just a little) more about what’s in store for us in the next season of DEXTER, along with a few teaser clips from the forthcoming episodes. The stars talk about the evolution of the show, while it is revealed that Dexter will have moved on from Rita’s death and Lumen’s absence, and will feel like his old self again. While we know that the season will revolve around faith, it has now been revealed that the writers are doing things with the show that they’ve never done before; it’s going to have a ‘larger scale’, it’ll be ‘bigger than before’ and ‘more disturbing than usual’. The build-up to the season gets more exciting with this new video, as minor details about the new villains (yes, plural) are revealed and more. The characters’ evolution is one of the biggest factors for me. What are the things that you’re most looking forward to, based on this video?

SPOILER ALERT!

SCOOP ON HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER S7

The scene before the cliffhanger that ended HIMYM S6

HIMYM does it again, teasing us until an anti-climax! We knew so far that S7 of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER would begin right after S6 ended, with the wedding, which would seem like Barney’s wedding...but wait! It’s not Barney’s wedding! Of course it’s not! It’s Punchy’s wedding (remember Ted’s annoying friend from Cleveland, who asked him to be his best man)! That surely does away with the mystery of whether Robin or Nora would be Barney’s bride! That being said, it has also been revealed that the premiere will take us back to the wedding and it’ll have Barney and Robin rocking the dance floor, doing an awesome number together! Now while it comes as no surprise that the writers teased us again, at least they got original this time, instead of hinting at ‘the mother’ yet again! I’m not surprised that Barney’s not getting married, but I am looking forward to how the writers deal with Robin confronting her lasting feelings for Barney. I hope they do it right and bring some meaning into what [Barney and Robin’s relationship] seemed to be a pointless storyline!

THE NEW TRAILERS BEGIN

2011-07-31T06:38:00.000-07:00

I recently watched the trailers of the forthcoming seasons of DEXTER and BONES, of which, the former was screened at the recently held Comic-Con. The trailers leave us anticipating big things in the season to come. Here’s what I thought

DEXTER TO GAIN FAITH

‘This fall, he’ll make you a believer!’ That’s what the trailer for DEXTER S6 says. The theme of the year is ‘faith’, as Dexter will prepare for Harrison starting school and will need to evaluate what faith is, as he doesn’t want to pass on his ‘dark passenger’ to his son. A friend commented on the trailer, saying that it probably had hundreds of spoilers, and while I do agree that it does, I think it’s arouses more interest and excitement than the beginning of any season probably did. I agree that with last the season starting, we were all dying to know what happens after Rita died, but with the upcoming season, we knew nothing, and the trailer gives us so much to ponder over, and look forward to.

A few shots like Deb getting some kind of an award, Dexter getting physical with a new blonde, and shots of the guest stars like Collin Hanks really got me all pumped up, and waiting. The first shot of Dexter literally hammering a victim, followed by the deadly soundtrack (Depeche Mode’s 'Reach out and touch faith') sets the thrilling mood of the trailer and the season ahead.

The show’s executive producer Sara Colleton revealed in an interview with TVLine recently that Batista and LaGuerta are going to be divorced when the show returns, a year having passed since the previous season ended. Deb and Quinn will still be living together and it has also been revealed that Josh Cooke (Ben, from BETTER WITH YOU) will join the Miami Metro squad as a forensics intern. The biggest revelation however was that Dexter will tell Deb his big secret. We almost saw Deb discovering the mystery last season, and as it turns out, that wasn’t just a teaser; there’s going to be more. Colleton revealed, “When and how that’s going to be handled has not been quite decided, but it will at some point happen.” This is surely going to change everything about the show, and I, for one, would like to see it evolve to another level. Imagine the kind of conflict Deb will deal with, after the initial, enormous shock, of course! So many doors will open up for both the characters, once the secret is out, and that will make the show all the more interesting. What do you think?

BONES TO SEE NEW VILLIAN, INTERN, ETC

The new BONES trailer didn’t have any visuals from the next season, instead, just recapping the season gone by. That’s probably because they don’t have enough material to make on yet, given that the show will return only in November. However, there were other revelations recently revealed about BONES S7.

While all our hearts broke on seeing Vincent Nigel-Murray die in the last season of BONES, we should all get ready for a new ‘squintern’. A guy by the name of Finn Abernathy will join the rotating group of interns, and it’s been revealed that he’s not going to be much of a gentleman, having got his undergrad degree in a juvenile detention facility. In addition to that, Carla Gallo (Daisy) may not return to the show, so a new intern was definitely required on the team. I, for one, quite like the rotation of interns, and I’ve liked to see them evolve over the last few seasons, after Zach went off to prison. These characters on the side add value to the show, and I didn’t think a departure of one of the interns would sadden me until Nigel-Murray’s death.

In addition, it was earlier revealed that there would be a new major villain in the next season, since The Gravedigger is dead. We hear that the new villain will be at the same level as The Gravedigger, and will form a major part of the running story through S7 and possibly S8. The new villain will be more tech-savvy, and (I imagine) more dangerous in certain ways. We’re looking at someone else getting under our skin in a creepier manner than we’ve experienced earlier on the show. A mid-season cliffhanger (probably before they go on the holiday break), after six episodes, will be about this new villain. There will be no indication about Booth and Bones’ baby until after those episodes, but while we’ve already imagined what it would be like for them to be a couple, it has been revealed that they will be very unconventional. The season will take the show to a new level for sure, on the character front as well as the mystery front. I can’t wait to see a trailer or a promo that’ll have visuals from the season. Hopefully we’ll see one by September, to at least keep us satisfied till the season begins two months after that.

What did you think of these trailers? Tell TV TALK…

COMING SOON: TV TALK celebrates its first anniversary

FIRST LOOK OF ASHTON KUTCHER ON TWO AND A HALF MEN, & MORE...

2011-07-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

tvTALKsnips

Starting today, TV TALK will bring you quick views on the latest news on TV, in a new section called TV TALK Snips. Such news and views will make appearances at random, as and when there's something worth writing about. Share your views on these recent developments in television.

Ashton Kutcher's debut on TWO AND A HALF MEN
So everyone's been wondering what Ashton Kutcher's role in TWO AND A HALF MEN will be. The actor, who is replacing Charlie Sheen, taking on the leading role in the series, will be joining the show in its ninth season, so it's kind of difficult to say where he'll fit in, especially if he's the protagonist. There has been speculation over who he'll play (theories go from him being Charlie Harper's illegitimate son, to him playing Charlie's cousin who moves in after Charlie dies). However, the producers and CBS are keeping their mouths tight shut, and are even going on to tease us with this cheeky new promotional shot. All we see is the three (new) main stars of the show, Kutcher, Jon Cryer and Angus T Jones, cheekily telling us that all will be revealed in the season premiere! It looks like their policy seems to be 'reveal nothing or everything'!

Lisa Kudrow's Back!
Apparently, our FRIENDS star was on this web series called WEB THERAPY, for three seasons. It was this comedy about therapist Fiona Wallace (Kudrow), who's not a people's person and conducts sessions with her patients online! This comedy is now hitting Showtime, premiering tonight (in the United States). I look forward to seeing this web series turn into something bigger as it moves to TV. It did do three seasons, so it must be good enough to do well. The trailer makes it look promising, especially since we can see it'll have stars like COUGAR TOWN's Courtney Cox and GLEE's Jane Lynch guest starring. With Cox's success on COUGAR TOWN, and Matt LeBlanc getting an Emmy nomination for EPISODES, who knows what might happen with Kudrow!

BONES: Season 7 Scoop
Word has it that Booth and Brennan might be living together when season 7 opens. Now that she's having his baby and we know that they'll be involved, it doesn't seem like such a surprise. But I wouldn't take Brennan to be the kinds that would go all domestic; at least not until the baby's born. It might just be a sleepover or whatever. I'm still dying to see how they handle the relationship between Bones and Booth!

ENTOURAGE Final Season begins this Sunday, July 24
It has been revealed that the eighth and final season of ENTOURAGE will begin with a newly sober Vince returning home from rehab, back to his friends. Ari Gold will still be depressed from his split from his wife. That of course won't stop him from swearing and making cracks at everyone! I look forward to what they turn this show into, by the time it ends.

Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross and Eva Longoria

The DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES are back on Wisteria Lane
Eva Longoria (our very own Gaby Solis) posted this picture on Twitter, saying, "On set with the girls! I Love my job! http://say.ly/rsNvEB." It looks like the housewives are back on Colonial Street, in Universal Studios, filming the eighth season of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES. I think the ladies look lovely, and I want to thank Longoria for giving us tiny glimpses of what goes on behind the camera on the sets of this show that we love.

SURPRISES AND DISAPPOINTMENTS OF THE 63rd ANNUAL PRIMETIME EMMY NOMINATIONS

2011-07-17T05:26:00.000-07:00

TV TALK analyzes the list of Emmy nominees that introduced several new names and shows, and dropped out previous nominees and winners, even though most regulars stayed on

CLICK HERE to download the complete list of nominees

Click on the show links to see the awards history of the respective shows, courtesy IMDb.com

The 63rd annual Primetime Emmy Award nominations were announced on Thursday, July 14, with a few award favorites being featured in every major category, as well as several new or first-time nominations. The latter didn’t come as much of a surprise, and while there were quite a few nominations that were more than welcome, there were disappointments as well.

COMEDY

Matt LeBlanc, Eric Stonestreet, Sofia
Vergara, Jim Parsons and Laura Linney

The comedy categories were ruled by MODERN FAMILY, with the show getting as many as 17 nominations, including acting nominations for almost the entire cast. Each of the performers from the series deserves the nods they received, especially last year’s Outstanding Supporting Actor Eric Stonestreet and Sofia Vergara. I’m almost certain that MODERN FAMILY will take away Outstanding Comedy Series this year as well, but if it were up to me, it’d be a tough choice between that and THE BIG BANG THEORY.

This year, both Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki have been nominated for their roles in THE BIG BANG THEORY in the Lead Actor category, and even though Galecki’s Leonard may not be a beloved character, he does play the part well. I wouldn’t be surprised if Cooper takes away the award for a second consecutive time. However, with Steve Carell’s exit from THE OFFICE, the jury might just give it to him this time. Another contender, Matt LeBlanc has been nominated for playing himself in EPISODES. It would definitely be a welcome surprise to see the gifted actor winning the Emmy for Lead Actor. In the Lead Actress category, I think the race is mainly between Laura Linney (THE BIG C), who won the Golden Globe, and Edie Falco (NURSE JACKIE), last year’s winner. A surprise nomination was Martha Plimpton’s for RAISING HOPE, but I doubt she stands a chance at winning. GLEE’s Lea Michele was left out of the list this time.

I was disappointed with HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER not being acknowledged adequately this year, since they had a great S6, definitely a notch above the last few seasons. I actually thought that Neil Patrick Harris stood a good chance of finally winning Supporting Actor, given how well he portrayed Barney Stinson in a major season for the character, but I was disappointed to see that he was even left out of the nominee list. The show has been nominated for Directing and four other categories, so at least they didn’t let it go completely unmentioned. And while 30 ROCK has got 13 nominations, I don’t see it winning in the top categories. GLEE trails right behind with 12 nominations, including a second one for last year’s Outstanding Supporting Actress, and this year’s host, Jane Lynch, as well as Chris Colfer. While I think that Colfer overacts a lot, since the past season of GLEE did touch upon the issue of bullying, involving him, the jury might consider him worthy of the Emmy this time.

DRAMA

One show that has been soaring in popularity lately is GAME OF THRONES, which, I think stands a good chance at winning Outstanding Series. I’m almost certain that MAD MEN won’t win this time, even though it has earned the highest number of nominations for a series—a whopping 19 nods. The most recent Golden Globe and SAG winner BOARDWALK EMPIRE stands a better chance. However, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS has been generating a lot of Emmy buzz lately and we might just have a surprise win there. The two shows are also competing for Lead Actor, with BOARDWALK’s Steve Buscemi and FRIDAY’s Kyle Chandler in the race. I personally wish that the jury would honor Michael C Hall (DEXTER) or Hugh Laurie (HOUSE MD) at least once, this time, for their brilliant portrayals of the title characters in their respective shows.

Another performer deserving of a win is Mariska Hargitay (LAW AND ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT), but I suspect she’ll always be remembered for having been nominated every year, but never having won. Lead Actress could go to Connie Britton (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS) or Julianna Margulies (THE GOOD WIFE). I was disappointed to see Sally Field (BROTHERS AND SISTERS) missing from the list of Lead Actress nominations, because even though the actress has won an Emmy previously for playing the endearing matriarch, I thought she did a great job in the final season of the show. As for the Directing award in Drama, I suspect that the competition will be tight between GAME OF THRONES and BOARDWALK EMPIRE. The Writing award could go to any of the three big contenders (BOARDWALK EMPIRE, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS and GAME OF THRONES), but I have a feeling that MAD MEN will win in this category.

AMERICAN IDOL, Julia Stiles in DEXTER
and Gwyneth Paltrow in GLEE

OTHERS

Year after year, AMERICAN IDOL has been nominated for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program, as it has been, this year. I really think the show deserves to win at least once, because everything about the show reflects perfection, especially the hosting, by Ryan Seacrest. I hope the jury finally recognizes him as Outstanding Host for a Reality Program.

One set of categories that I find particularly interesting are those for Outstanding Guest Actors and Actresses, because these categories give credit to those who make an impact on us audience members, albeit in small doses, adding great value to our TV experience. This year’s nominees are all those who have made impressive appearances on several popular shows. I would love to see any of the following win: Loretta Devine (Adele Webber, GREY’S ANATOMY); Gwyneth Paltrow (Holly Holiday, GLEE); Julia Stiles (Lumen Ann Pierce, DEXTER); Dot-Marie Jones (Coach Beiste, GLEE); and Beau Bridges (Nick Brody, BROTHERS AND SISTERS). I especially think Julia Stiles will win, because she was truly outstanding in DEXTER. I do wish John Stamos had been nominated here for his impressive stint on GLEE, especially since Neil Patrick Harris won last year for a similar appearance on the show.

So there you have it… That was my take on the nominations of the 63rd annual Primrtime Emmys. Do share with TV TALK what you found surprising or disappointing among the nominations. I look forward to the presentation of the awards on September 18, especially since the show this year will be hosted by the very talented and hilarious Jane Lynch.

ROUND-UP OF TV SEASON 2010-11 (VIII)

2011-07-10T13:10:00.000-07:00

As we enter the week that will give us the 63^rd annual Primetime Emmy nominations, I complete my round-up of TV season 2010-11, with two of my three favorite comedies on TV—THE BIG BANG THEORY and MODERN FAMILY

THE BIG BANG THEORY

If there was any problem that I had with THE BIG BANG THEORY (not a big problem though) was that it didn’t really evolve all that much, and an emotional connect seemed to be missing with the characters in the first two seasons. Over the last two seasons, I’ve been thrilled to see things evolving and I’m thrilled to have seen our favorite nerds and wannabe actress actually going somewhere. S4 had Sheldon in a (kind of) relationship with Amy Farrah Fowler, who turned out to be an absolute delight for me, as she brought out so much more from Sheldon and even her ‘bestie’ Penny! Throughout S4, I enjoyed watching Amy weave her way into the little group as she befriends Penny and Bernadette. I think the gradual extension of the friend-circle is a refreshing change, and I was happy to see Mayim Biyalik (Amy) and Melissa Rauch’s (Bernadette) names among the main cast, only to find out that they had been made series regulars in S4.

Of course now, with Howard and Bernadette engaged (how crazy was that!), we know that we’ll be seeing more of her. The show’s exec producer, Bill Prady has said, “All the wedding planning will be throughout the season [5], including the selection of the best man and maid of honor,” indicating that there will be a wedding, and that they won’t just break up. He adds, “The bachelor party will be miserable, but the hardest part for Howard will be trying to leave his mother’s house.” Whether they’ll have a Jewish or Catholic wedding is going to remain a question mark, as of now. I do hope they still have Howard's mother's voiceover every now and then, even though Howard might move out, because I find her absolutely hilarious! (Is anyone else reminded of Joey's agent Estelle from FRIENDS when Mrs Wolowitz talks/yells, or is it just me?) But who would’ve ever imagined that Howard would be the first to get married! Now this is some serious evolution!

That brings me to the main cliffhanger of the S4 finale. My jaw dropped when I saw Penny and Raj waking up, naked, together! I mean seeing how they were enjoying wine together, one could see where that was going, but to see that it actually happened was baffling. And it was absolutely priceless when Penny says to him, “You still can’t talk to me?!” We all want to know what repercussions this will have. Prady says, “Her career’s going nowhere, and the one thing she had going for her, her group of friends, she [has now jeopardized] by sleeping with Raj. For the first time, she had guy friends who treated her like a real person, and not the way she’s been treated in the past by men. And she just undermined that. That’s a fun journey for her. Sometimes it’s really fun to have your characters screw things up big-time and see how they get out of it.” Clearly, both Raj and Penny will have some serious damage control to do with Leonard. While it’ll be interesting to see that happening, we know that there’s no real future for Penny with Raj. Not just because he can’t speak to her unless he’s drunk or drugged, but because she still has feelings for Leonard. It has been revealed that even though Priya’s moving back to India, Leonard won’t break up with her. So the next season will have him in a long-distance relationship, with Penny still in love with him and Raj having betrayed him. And while that leaves me desperately longing for S5 to come soon, I’m also looking forward to seeing Sheldon’s relationship with Amy evolving some more. Do you think Sheldon will ever have sex? If he does and when he does, it’d certainly call for a major celebration!

MODERN FAMILY

I’ve enjoyed every bit of the first two seasons of MODERN FAMILY. S2 showed us more of all the family members we love so much. And while it’s been great to see them in the most hilarious situations and how they all bring themselves into those situations, I really would like to see the show evolve a little in S3. I understand that everyone’s settled down, and there can’t be any major change with the characters, but there are ways in which we can see the show evolving. We all know that Cameron and Mitchell want another baby, and that’s something that will make a major part of their story in S3. Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Mitchell) has said, “We never saw Cameron and Mitchell with the struggle of choosing to adopt Lily. I mean, there are a lot of loopholes to jump through to adopt a baby, especially if you are a gay man, even in California. So I think that it wasn't an easy process for them and I think that in season three, if we choose to adopt another child, there will be a lot of well, how are we going to do it? Are we going to take one of Claire's eggs and Cam's sperm and mix them together? Are we going to foster a child? I think there are a lot of different ways to expand your family, and I think it will be storyline that not only gay people will relate to, but straight families who need to look for alternative means to expand their family. I think that's a struggle that a lot of people have to go through.” That tells us that it might not be another adoption; it could even be surrogacy, which would be an interesting dimension.

Another change we saw towards the end was Alex’s middle-school graduation, which means that she’ll be going to high-school in S3. So much can happen with that, and with Haley also probably starting college soon, the writers have an amazing opportunity to let the Dunphys evolve. I enjoyed watching Haley bonding with Alex in S2 as well. Maybe there can be some interesting storylines there as well. As far as Gloria and Jay are concerned, there aren’t any major impending changes, and I don’t see what could really change for them at this point, but with the opportunities that the writers have with the other two families, maintaining the interest with Gloria and Jay could be a challenge. Maybe Manny could have a new girlfriend or something like that. Maybe at some point in the show, they could have Gloria getting pregnant. I think a lot could be done with that, but it should be done in a future season, perhaps. For now, I look forward to the changes we are expecting to see, and I would love it, by the end of S3, next year, they can give us some major cliffhanger.

What are you expecting from Howard and Bernadette’s wedding, and from Cam and Mitchell’s next attempt at parenthood? Share your views here.

COMING SOON | A comment on the 63^rd annual Primetime Emmy nominations, after their announcement on Thursday, July 14 | Watch this space for more!

ROUND-UP OF TV SEASON 2010-11 (VII)

2011-07-06T04:41:00.000-07:00

Beckett was shot, as Castle professed his love for her, and Addison gets back together with Sam, soon after they decide to dissolve the practice. TV TALK breaks down the season finales of CASTLE and PRIVATE PRACTICE…

CASTLE

The mystery of Beckett’s mother’s murder is the backdrop of CASTLE, which makes the story of the characters more personal and real, and hence it seemed apt for the S3 finale to have been about just that. Over the last three seasons, we’ve seen different dimensions to the cold case that is Beckett’s kryptonite, and finally, the end of S3 saw it move forward, as we almost discovered the entire mystery. The involvement of Captain Montgomery didn’t come as all that much of a surprise, as we’d been hearing about ‘the inside job’ angle for a while. I’m sure there were many, like me, who thought about the possible involvement of someone we knew, and when it came down to the question of ‘who was the third dirty cop’; Montgomery seemed to fit right in. It certainly gave the writers a terrific opportunity to bring about that much more drama to the cold case, as Montgomery tries to make things right, by protecting Beckett, losing his life in the process. Obviously, the mystery couldn’t be solved completely; instead, the fact that a much bigger force was behind it all, was reinforced even more. It also didn’t come as much of a surprise that the people behind it all struck again, right at Montgomery’s funeral. What did come as a surprise was Castle’s instant need to profess his love for Beckett, just as she slipped into unconsciousness.

Obviously Beckett will survive, and in all probability, she won’t remember Castle’s words to her when she was shot. To leave us hanging even more, I suspect that the writers will have her remember, but will keep her from acknowledging or reacting to what he said, and have her take that as an escape route from what is clearly an awkward and complicated situation. Even though the season gone by has seen them come closer to admitting their feelings to each other, having almost frozen to death together, and being so candid when they were in LA, I think it would be right for the writers to keep them apart for now, especially with so much else already in store for S4.

It has been revealed that S4 will pick up more-or-less where S3 left off, and that there will be a fight in the season premiere, which is being written by creator Andrew Marlowe. It has been hinted that the fight will be between Josh (Beckett’s boyfriend) and Castle. While that doesn’t mean much to us now, we also know that the new captain of the precinct will be a woman, a former Internal Affairs investigator, who only sees her job at the precinct as a stepping stone for a bigger career ahead of her. Apparently, she also won’t be too happy with the way Beckett works with Castle, and that she has a hardcore approach to work, and dealing with colleagues, which is bound to cause problems for the team. It has also been revealed that we’ll see more of Ryan and Esposito in S4, which seems fair, as it’ll only be right if we get to see how they deal with Montgomery’s death. With the changes at work, and how the most recent developments will affect every character, S4 surely has a lot for us to look forward to, which is why I strongly think that Castle and Beckett openly admitting their feelings for each other should be saved for later.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

The foundation of PRIVATE PRACTICE was ‘a fresh start’, the premise being a fresh start for Addison as she moved to LA. Somewhere in the middle, as the show came into its own and I got used to, and began to love the other characters on the show, I got tired of Addison being constantly unhappy with her life. It made me question the premise of the show, and I found that Addison’s move was pointless if she couldn’t find happiness, even though there isn’t much of a story if everyone is happy and everything is hunky-dory. That is why the end of PRIVATE PRACTICE S4 was refreshing for me, to see her being more positive, and making an optimistic change in her viewpoint. It was refreshing to see her flirt with someone new (Connor, Benjamin Bratt); even though she went on to get back together with Sam. I liked her approach towards the issues that Oceanside Wellness and all the doctors were facing, and the idea of starting afresh, playing the cards right seems potentially effective. Creator Shonda Rhimes has said, “Addison could walk away from everything, or she could actually go back to the things that she loves, which are her job and Sam.” And that is what Addison did—she went back to deal with the situation at hand, on seeing how Naomi and Violet were walking away.

That does not go to say that I blame Naomi. In fact, Naomi was being selfless in staying and being there to help the practice in whatever way she could, when Sam urged her to leave for happiness. It seemed like a perfect fit, with Maya going off to college on the East Coast and with Naomi taking over as Betsy’s guardian. It was nice to see Naomi find happiness as she accepted Fife’s marriage proposal, even though I wish they had played out her relationship with Fife a little more, to make it more real. And although I’ll miss Audra McDonald (Naomi), I think that there was little left for her character on the show. On the other hand, I found that Violet was actually being selfish. I was completely on Pete’s side when he tells her that he’s done with her, given that she chose to go away, running away from her problems. I agree that having her license suspended must be hard for her, but to leave, despite seeing how much Pete wanted her to be there, I would say, was unacceptable. And as she left, I felt little sympathy for her. I particularly liked Amy Brenneman (Violet) and Tim Daly’s (Pete) performances in the finale, especially Daly’s, as Pete collapses in the end, because of what looked like a heart attack.

I see Pete’s heart attack, and the jeopardy that his marriage with Violet is in, as the biggest cliffhangers of the finale, and I think that it gives their characters a strong storyline for S5. My two favorite characters on the show, Charlotte and Amelia also have a lot coming up next season. I liked the contrast between the two characters that the writers brought out in the finale, as Charlotte has to face her demons, while treating a rape victim, but still emerges strong, while Amelia, facing milder issues, succumbs to her weakness—alcohol. Her alcoholism and how it has already affected her friendship with Charlotte will make a strong storyline next season, and I look forward to seeing a lot more of KaDee Strickland’s (Charlotte) fantastic acting, which baffled me this whole past season. Among other news for the next season, Benjamin Bratt is going to be a series regular as Connor, which will impact Addison and the fact that she has gotten back together with Sam. Shonda has said that “it’s going to end up biting them in the butt pretty seriously.” And as I look forward to seeing more of Bratt on the show, I also look forward to a new season, which will reinforce the show’s foundation—starting afresh!

What did you think of the season finales of these two ABC shows? Share your views here…

ROUND-UP OF TV SEASON 2010-11 (VI)

2011-07-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

Two FOX shows undergo major change this year. Here are TV TALK’s views on the most recent season finales of HOUSE MD and BONES…

HOUSE MD

If there was any episode of HOUSE MD that could leave your mind racing, at another level, as you try to delve into the complexity of the title character, it would have to be the S7 finale. Coming close to the baffling S6 premiere, when House was admitted in the psychiatric ward, this one left me desperate for more, to have a chance to interpret it better, to get under everything that I saw and heard. It gave new meaning to television in a way, as I saw myself likening it to an art film, with elements of noir.

That the first few frames of the episode were intriguing was only the beginning. By the end of it, after seeing the number of final chances Cuddy tried giving House to talk, I totally understood the frustration that she finally expressed to the policeman back in the beginning of the episode, when she said, “If Greg House ever sets foot in my hospital again, or comes anywhere near me, I want him thrown in jail!” After the psychiatric ward, after the building collapsing, after House performed surgery on himself in his bathtub, I didn’t know what else could be as unsettling as that statement in this finale. We all know that, sadly, Lisa Edelstein (Cuddy) is not returning for the eighth season of the show, and while the finale implies the reason why Cuddy will leave, it still doesn’t add up. How will anything go back to normal after House drove a car into Cuddy’s home? Will Cuddy actually surrender to House, and let him have the hospital? Where will Wilson fit into this scheme of things? How will this affect their friendship? How much more can Wilson handle? And will House get back on a path of self destruction after he’s basically just shown everyone the finger? …The unanswered questions the finale left me with are endless!

And while those questions remain very pertinent, other recent developments throw out some more ideas on what the next season will have in store for us. Taob is going to be a father, by his girlfriend as well as by his ex-wife. Will one of the pregnancies fail? Or will this turn throw him into an endless struggle? As for the others, I was glad to see Thirteen bonding with Chase over her insecurities, and how he came through for her, in an unsaid acceptance of how he also deals with having killed someone (remember that dictator guy?). I would very much like to see more of them together, as she deals with the demons from her past, next season. As much as I was less than satisfied with the way the writers handled her return to work, I see great potential for her character in S8. There has been a lot of speculation over whether S8 will be the last season or not. It might just be the final season, given that FOX has asked Universal Studios (which makes HOUSE MD) to cut costs, but there can be so much to it. Now whether or not HOUSE will see a S9, I still look forward to a lot more from the show.

BONES

In comparison to the S5 finale, BONES S6 ended on a happier note, even though it left me with so much, as I wondered what would come out of the situation at hand. Bones is pregnant and Booth is the dad! I have to say that the season gone by has been extremely satisfying and I especially thought that the handling of Bones and Booth’s relationship, right from the beginning was terrific. Right from when they both returned to home turf, with Booth in a committed relationship, and Bones feeling a sense of emptiness inside her, their story evolved excellently. As Bones realized her mistake in letting Booth go, and heartbreakingly has to live with that regret; as Booth’s heart is ripped out when he has to break up with Hannah; as they both decide on figuring out a right time for them to pursue a relationship; as Booth comforts Bones when Mr Nigel Murray died; everything was perfect, up until the pregnancy. It definitely made me think of what it will do to their relationship and how everyone would react… It’s a fantastic cliffhanger, but I found it a little gimmicky, as I really feel that they were doing well, and that their stance in each others’ lives, prior to the pregnancy, was good to go on for some time, even another season!

As for the cases in S6, I thought some were outstanding, especially with the way they were solved. The one with the deaf and mute kidnapped girl, the one during the blizzard, the shooting of the gravedigger and subsequently the return and arrest of Jacob Broadsky, were particularly compelling. I enjoyed continuing to see all the interns returning, each with significant changes in their lives and approach, and my heart went out to Mr Nigel Murray as he died before Booth and Brennan. The recurring characters had interesting stories too. Seeing Angela and Hodgins preparing for parenthood was heartwarming, as they dealt with possible health issues for their baby; seeing Cam trying to have a love life, while she tried doing justice to her job and her parenting was fun; and seeing Sweets dealing with his own problems as he was more of a shoulder to everyone this season was definitely a highlight of the season. And while in the midst of it all, Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz delivered excellent performances, here’s what we can expect in S7…

For one, S7 will not show up until November, because Emily Deschanel will be on maternity leave, and because the producers have decided to premiere the season later than the usual September premiere month, and because THE X FACTOR’s two-hour time slot will eat into BONES’ regular airtime for two months. Given that, the writers are not going to pick up where they left off, but will, instead, write in a passage of time, a few months into Bones’ pregnancy. So when we come back to BONES, we will see her fully pregnant, the others will already know about it all, and Angela and Hodgins will have plunged into parenthood. I am disappointed that we won’t get to see everyone’s reactions, unless they weave in flashbacks, which seems unlikely on the show. And even though Bones’ pregnancy seemed gimmicky, this new premise will offer the writers a lot of opportunities to explore more dimensions to the Booth-Bones dynamic. It has been revealed that Booth and Bones will be ‘together’ in S7, and to see them in a relationship will be new and exciting. Further to that, the producers have also revealed that they will not be in a conventional relationship, where there would be romance and dating and so on. Instead, given how they have both acknowledged their feelings and know where they stand, they will continue to be the way they are, just as a couple now. And beyond that, they’ll be present with several challenges over raising a child together, a big one being what religious beliefs they’ll instill in their child, given Booth’s blind faith in God, and Bones being an atheist. But all that is for later, when they finally have the baby. For now, we can all just look forward to S7!

What did you think of these two major FOX season finales? Tell TV TALK…

ROUND-UP OF TV SEASON 2010-11 (V)

2011-06-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

TV TALK discusses the latest season finales of GOSSIP GIRL, 90210 and GLEE, and what’s in store for the forthcoming seasons of the shows

GOSSIP GIRL

I accept that Chuck and Blair cannot be together permanently till the end of the show, but I also think that to have cliffhangers that revolve around them as a couple is now becoming tiring. The finale of GOSSIP GIRL S4 had little to offer in terms of the drama that unfolded. Chuck saves Blair from Russell Thorpe, and then they hook up, yet again, only to decide that it’s over for them. And while Prince Louis waited for Blair, Charlie wreaked havoc at the two-year high school reunion, sending Serena, Vanessa, Dan, and even Georgina on a wild goose chase. I found that this backdrop for the finale was less than exciting, simply because Charlie seemed as insignificant as Vanessa as a character, right from the time when she first came on the scene. Even the fact that the season ended with her being revealed as an impersonator, who was carrying out a mission for Lily’s sister Carol Rhodes, didn’t make up for it, simply because even Carol seems inconsequential as of now. The finale maybe building up towards more in S5, for both Charlie (actually Ivy) and Carol, but it didn’t generate excitement from what we’ve seen in this season.

Among other disappointing ends this season was the end of the Thorpe storyline. With Rayna deciding to return to Chicago, after finding out the truth about (and confronting) her father, it made it appear as though the dust from Bart Bass’ past had been raised unnecessarily. Even Serena’s storyline with Ben Donovan, which showed promise, as one of the most interesting parts of the season, ended quite flatly. Therefore, it actually wasn’t as much of a surprise that the end of the season was simply about everyone heading off for their summer plans, with a few small cliffhangers thrown in.

We found out that either Serena or Blair is pregnant, but since Serena’s not been with a man in a while, it’ll probably be Blair. It could be Chuck’s baby to add complications to Blair’s impending wedding to the prince, or it could be the prince’s baby, to devastate Chuck further. Serena’s off to find herself yet again, after making a lukewarm apology to Nate and Dan for making them to her line for so long. That she’s been offered a job to work on adapting a screenplay doesn’t say much, because that’ll only take the summer. It has been revealed that Chuck and Nate will visit her in LA in the S5 opener, as part of their stag vacation. And as Nate continues to become an even more inconsequential character, I’m more interested in finding out what will come out of Dan’s book about the Upper Eastsiders, which Vanessa submitted to a publisher without his knowledge. We found out that he’d been working on the book since before he met Serena and before he got involved with the Upper Eastside, so even though he said that he considers everyone his friends now, the book is sure to cause friction between him and the rest. Among other revelations, Taylor Momsen (Jenny Humphrey) and Jessica Szohr (Vanessa) will be leaving the show, making only guest appearances in S5, while Kaylee DeFer (Charlie/Ivy) has been promoted as a series regular. I do hope that the hint towards her future acquaintance with Georgina will make for some interesting material next season.

90210

Does someone have to be pregnant in a season finale! What were the writers of 90210 thinking while writing in Naomi’s accidental pregnancy as a cliffhanger to end S3! Not only does it seem repetitive to have a second teenage pregnancy on a show (remember Adrianna?), it also showed us that the writers are running out of ideas. It was disappointing also because I enjoyed watching Naomi’s character grow through S3, since she was raped at the end of the previous season. To see her lose her shallow edge, letting herself fall for what she herself would’ve considered a social pariah, was refreshing. Therefore, my only hope is that they don’t mess up her evolution with this untimely pregnancy. The finale also had Ivy marrying Raj, which tells us that the next season will have her dealing with widowhood. The issues with dealing with an ailing husband could make for good material in S4, but the writers could turn it around, have Raj recover slowly and then have both of them realize that they made a hasty decision in getting married.

On the other hand, Liam is off to find himself, while Annie promised to wait for him. Although it seemed like they would stick together, going to college and meeting new people will definitely make Annie question her commitment to Liam. Navid and Silver patched things up and left Arianna miserable about becoming a total social misfit. I really thought that her attempting to commit suicide would be one of the cliffhangers, but instead, she resolved to make things right. We’ve already seen her emerging from the total darkness of drug addiction, a teenage pregnancy and more, to become a nice person, so the entire slipping into a dark place, tampering with Silver’s medication and everything seemed repetitive again. Let’s hope they make her to-the-brink-and-back story worth our while.

The next season will have everyone going off to college and there will be so many opportunities for newer storylines. It’s like the writers have an opportunity for a fresh start, one that they should make the most of. A few characters will be leaving, including Teddy (played by Trevor Donovan). While I thought his coming out storyline was handled really well, I also thought his character had serious potential from here on, so it’ll be sad to not to have him in S4. Ryan Eggold (Ryan Matthews) and Lori Loughlin (Debbie Wilson) will also not be joining us next season. I don’t much care for the former, because Ryan had turned out to be quite a spineless and uninteresting character, but I do feel bad about Loughlin. I’m definitely going to miss seeing her.

GLEE

The S2 finale of GLEE was visually stunning and downright entertaining, if nothing else. I absolutely enjoyed the change of scenery, as the New Directions went off to New York City for the show-choir nationals. Moreover, the fact that the Glee Clubbers performed original songs at the competition was really impressive, adding serious value to the show. It was a wrap-up of an interesting season that touched upon so much. Right from Kurt being bullied, and then changing schools, to Sue Sylvester losing her sister, to Emma Pillsbury’s growth, there was plenty to take away from it all. I particularly liked the self-acceptance episode, the one with Sue’s sister’s funeral, and the one in which Kurt returns. As much as I find Kurt Hummel to be the most annoying character on the show, I did think that the whole bullying chapter was handled well. He obviously fit in perfectly with the Warblers, and I secretly hoped he wouldn’t return. Having gotten adjusted to Rachel Berry’s ways, I got used to seeing her this season as well. I also enjoyed the development of the other characters like Sam, Artie, Puck, Quinn, Brittany, Santana and Mercedes.

Coming back to the finale… I liked seeing Will Schuester get a glimpse of what he could have on Broadway, and it was heartwarming, albeit unreal, to see him choose his students over his lifelong dream. That the New Directions didn’t win at nationals was no big surprise. They have to save that for just before all of them graduate next season! Speaking of which, there weren’t any major cliffhangers as such, besides the fact that Sam and Mercedes are secretly dating. I don’t see a new relationship as a cliffhanger on this show, given how frequently the kids break up and get back together. However, there are other things that we can look forward to in S3. It has been revealed that Blaine will follow Kurt to McKinley and audition for a position in the New Directions. While that seems like an obvious turn of events, the inclusion of The Glee Project (a competition conducted to offer contestants a chance to win a guest starring role on the show) winner in S3 for at least seven episodes, might make for interesting material. That this new character will have a big role to play in Sue Sylvester’s (reportedly) 20-episode strong story makes this information even more interesting, especially since we don’t have a clue as to what Sue’s role will be, given that she called Will her true friend, after the entire Glee Club came through for her when her sister died. Sue’s strong storyline for S3 also explains the revelation made by the creators of the show, that S3 will focus entirely on the cast, and that there will be much fewer guest stars on the show. That also gives the writers room to let the characters grow towards the end of S3, when a few of them will graduate and leave school. It’s never been indicated that the entire Glee Club is from the same class, so while a few seniors will graduate, there will be others, and juniors who won’t. What they’ll do with that at the end of S3, we can only wait to find out!

What did you think of the season finales of GOSSIP GIRL, 90210 and GLEE? Do share your views here. (And please hit +1, if you liked this post.)