tag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-378335 2008-07-23T20:18:29Z TypePad tag:typepad.com,2003:post-53134656 2008-07-23T13:18:29-07:00 2008-07-23T20:24:47Z

This writer's immediate reaction walking onto the Dollhouse stage on the Fox lot: This set is so nice there's no way FOX will ever cancel this series.

Daniel Fienberg tag:typepad.com,2003:post-53037944 2008-07-21T15:59:32-07:00 2008-07-21T23:01:11Z

Amy Poehler will be starring in an NBC comedy from Greg Daniels and Mike Schur, executive producers of The Office.

Rick Porter tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52924054 2008-07-19T17:00:54-07:00 2008-07-20T01:22:02Z

Like any adolescent, The CW is still trying to discover its identity, experiment with innovative ideas and occasionally make some bold, if borderline wackily uncertain moves. Hey, they may even offend people (read: critics) along the way. Welcome to the first green network, the one that has less to do with living green than spending greenbacks.

Hanh Nguyen tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52888970 2008-07-18T13:55:45-07:00 2008-07-18T22:41:57Z

As has been widely reported, William Petersen will exit CSI: Crime Scene Investigation mid-way through the hit forensic drama's upcoming ninth season.

Daniel Fienberg tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52886912 2008-07-18T12:57:24-07:00 2008-07-18T20:02:18Z

Which Disney Channel character is gay? Could it be the hat-wearing Ryan, brother of the fabulous Sharpay, in the High School Musical films? Or perhaps one of the many other fun and feisty characters in one of the networks' many series, movies or cartoons?

Hanh Nguyen tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52883120 2008-07-18T11:19:35-07:00 2008-07-18T18:24:39Z

While CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler insists she still has great adoration for all things occult, she has yet to feel regret about the decision to leave Moonlight off of the network's fall schedule.

Daniel Fienberg tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52877314 2008-07-18T08:58:17-07:00 2008-07-18T15:58:29Z

Darlings galore filled the stage at Thursday (July 17) afternoon's Dirty Sexy Money panel at the Television Critics Association press tour. One major exception, though, was Samaire Armstrong, who plays the flighty twin Juliet Darling on the ABC dramedy.

Daniel Fienberg tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52850594 2008-07-17T17:02:56-07:00 2008-07-18T00:04:12Z

Shonda Rhimes should totally Facebook friend her fellow ABC showrunners, because they did what friends do at an entertaining and sometimes informative press tour session Thursday.

Rick Porter tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52849598 2008-07-17T16:21:53-07:00 2008-07-17T23:44:18Z

He works with tools; I'm a tool, Wilmer Valderrama jokes Tuesday (July 15) at a recording session of his Playhouse Disney series Handy Manny, on which he voices the title character.

Hanh Nguyen tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52842658 2008-07-17T13:03:05-07:00 2008-07-17T20:03:17Z

Having already looked at Thursday (July 17) morning's Emmy nominations on a macro level, let's examine the nods on a micro level, highlighting some of the more notable minutiae.

Daniel Fienberg tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52836464 2008-07-17T11:04:13-07:00 2008-07-17T20:06:53Z

When it comes to evaluating the overall merits of an Emmy nomination slate, I like to refer to what I call the TW/AtJ Index. The TW/AtJ Index, of course, refers to the proportion of nominations received by The Wire versus According to Jim.

Daniel Fienberg tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52800988 2008-07-16T19:38:47-07:00 2008-07-17T13:43:04Z

Here's the thing: while more than one TV critic has a couple of pilot scripts rattling around at home and a notebook full of great ideas for shows, by and large we don't want to be part of the limelight. We're really nothing more than wayward souls whose favorite classes involved reading books and then tearing them apart and putting them back together. The only thing that kept us from a career in academics is our desire to watch Beverly Hills, 90210 over attending Thursday night study group.

Brill Bundy tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52795970 2008-07-16T16:33:45-07:00 2008-07-16T23:34:04Z

In this world, there are fewer than a half-dozen things capable of distracting this writer from the promise of deep-fried Oreos. On Monday (July 14) night at the Santa Monica Pier, one of those things just happened to be Cat Deeley.

Daniel Fienberg tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52794798 2008-07-16T15:55:16-07:00 2008-07-16T23:02:08Z

Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes won't be at press tour until Thursday, so we'll have to wait until then to ask her the Katherine Heigl Emmy Question. TV critics being a generally impatient lot, though, we put the question to Rhimes' boss, ABC chief Steve McPherson, during his time in front of us.

Rick Porter tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52733722 2008-07-15T11:02:02-07:00 2008-07-15T21:47:09Z

Troy and Gabriella worked it out before, but can they survive senior year?

Hanh Nguyen tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52699726 2008-07-14T16:58:27-07:00 2008-07-15T00:41:35Z

So You Think You Can Dance choreographer/Judge Mia Michaels has been on a bit of a tear this season. During rehearsel for the first week's performances she said that she didn't think dancer Mark Kanemura was turning out as well as she thought he would. Then, last week she took Jessica King to task for being carried through the competition so far by her much stronger partner Will Wingfield.

Brill Bundy tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52696080 2008-07-14T15:04:57-07:00 2008-07-15T00:11:29Z

Given the current state of the television landscape, questions of diversity are likely to come up with some frequency in the coming days. FOX Entertainment President Kevin Reilly just had the good fortune to face them first on Monday (July 14) morning.

Daniel Fienberg tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52653736 2008-07-13T17:37:47-07:00 2008-07-14T16:16:15Z

Four seasons into The Closer, Brenda Leigh Johnson hasn't changed all that much.

Rick Porter tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52652462 2008-07-13T16:46:53-07:00 2008-07-13T23:48:26Z

Season two of Saving Grace starts off in a rather dark place. Grace (Holly Hunter), who tracked down and confronted the priest who abused her as a girl in the first-season finale, continues that confrontation in Monday's premiere.

Rick Porter tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52570714 2008-07-11T16:40:20-07:00 2008-07-15T00:12:49Z

Judging by the critcs' applause greeting a screening of Cartoon Networks' Star Wars: The Clone Wars, fans will be happy with the latest offering in the world George Lucas created.

Hanh Nguyen tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52550378 2008-07-11T09:01:06-07:00 2008-07-15T00:07:45Z

Is Spike Lee growing up before our very eyes?

Daniel Fienberg tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52525922 2008-07-10T18:01:39-07:00 2008-07-15T00:13:48Z

This shouldn't come as too big a surprise, given that it's been nearly two years since Deadwood finished on HBO and its creator and a number of its actors have gone on to other things. But the two movies that supposedly would wrap up the series aren't going to happen.

Rick Porter tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52517622 2008-07-10T14:02:04-07:00 2008-07-10T21:04:06Z

It's summer, and writers are now getting paid (at least a little bit) for work that originates online. Which means -- hooray! -- that the some of the occasionally overlooked employees of The Office can have their adventures chronicled in a series of webisodes.

Rick Porter tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52457632 2008-07-09T09:19:33-07:00 2008-07-15T00:14:56Z

We in the media have apparently been uncharitable when it comes to Katherine Heigl and her decision not to submit herself for Emmy consideration.

Daniel Fienberg tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52437536 2008-07-08T22:30:44-07:00 2008-07-15T00:15:43Z

I started watching a screener of BBC America's comedy Gavin Stacey a couple of weeks ago. I abandoned it about halfway through the first episode.

Rick Porter