TV Blog Coalition - Let The Christmas Music Overload Begin

We went missing for a week when the American TV bloggers were overloading on turkey and shopping their heads off on Black Friday, but we are back again, talking about TV, the strike, and other delicious things as the sounds of Christmas music wafts in the air. Enjoy!

BuzzSugar: This week, we mulled the Cashmere Mafia vs. Lipstick Jungle debate, got all excited over new promos for The Wire, and wondered if 30 Rock's product placement is brilliant or annoying.

Daemon's TV: This week, Sandie took a first look at some pictures of the new season five of One Tree Hill and got to interview Moonlight star, Alex O'Loughlin. And this week, Araya found 30 Rock funny again.

Glowy Box: Liz bemoaned the hideous results of the latest challenge on Project Runway, enjoyed the predictable over-the-top-ness of Desperate Housewives, and (for the zillionth time) questioned the judging panel’s sanity on America’s Next Top Model.

Mikey Likes TV: After a long, healthy respite from the Internet, Mikey mused on the much-needed shot of Battlestar Galactica and his continued frustration with Dancing with the Stars.

Scooter McGavin's 9th Green: Scooter wonders who needs writers when you have the uber-entertaining YouTube Debates (well, Fred Thompson definitely still needs them). Of course most of America would rather vote for the greatest karaoker in the land and Scooter checked out the latest winner Jordin Spark's album And with December starting up, Scooter has the complete schedule for ABC Family's 25 Day's of Christmas (if you check it out, you may just win a car).

Tapeworthy: As a Canadian, Vance is totally fascinated by your Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the fact that you'll put ANYBODY on TV (see: Menudo). He has some reasons for ending the writers strike, if anything, to save all of humanity. And while there is still TV left, he's loving Mondays where there's something for all (in Chuck, How I Met Your Mother, Samantha Who? and Notes From The Underbelly).

Televisionary: This week, Jace was ecstatic over this week's awesome Bryce Larkin-themed episode of NBC's Chuck (picked up for a back nine, no less!), pondered about the sudden disappearance of Chuck's gorgeous 1950s-inspired ensembles on Pushing Daisies, and had to recover from laughter-induced pain after watching this week's stellar installment of 30 Rock.

TiFaux: Jealous yet? Kyle and Maggie took a trip to see Tina Fey and company perform a yet-to-be-aired episode of 30 Rock. Dan discussed the sexy, sexy lives of the characters on Cane, a show you probably aren't watching. He also wondered who you'd rather have as your Project Runway gay uncle: Tim Gunn or "Uncle" Nick Verreos.

TV Filter: Raoul interviewed Lorena and Jason from The Amazing Race, then talked with Lisa from ANTM. Kate was freaked out by Chuck's What About Brian? moment but loved the Flowers in the Attic episode of Gossip Girl.

TheTVAddict: It was interview madness on theTVaddict.com as we posted interviews with THE UNIT star Abby Brammell and THE GAME star Hosea Chanchez. We also managed to anger the SUPERNATURAL Army and post some great behind-the-scenes photos with Summer Glau on the set of the TERMINATOR.

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How Can You Not Love These Folks?

Broadway is back up! And they're singing and dancing in the streets! Literally!

How cute is this? No wonder I loved A Chorus Line so much! Time to go back and see a Broadway show!

And look, the Avenue Q monsters (and Rod) are signing into the theatre, ready for work again! Oh Trekkie, isn't it wonderful that we can find so many pictures on the internet... (if you don't know what I'm going to say next, then you REALLY REALLY must go and watch Avenue Q).

While I'm talking about musicals again, how did I miss this? I mean, Priscilla Queen of the Desert was BORN to be a musical but I'm totally appalled/intrigued/excited.

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Aliens In America - The Purple Heart of America

Purple Heart - Ep 107
My Musky, Myself - Ep. 108
Junior Prank - Ep. 109

I haven't commented on Aliens in America for a while, not because I don't love it anymore (in fact, I think it's just getting better and better every week) but because the Canadian network took it off Mondays and moved it to Wednesdays but is replaying the whole series from the start (yet thus, falling behind The CW's airings... I guess they are REALLY trying to stretch it out over the strike while trying to gain new viewers?). It's annoying but anything to gain more viewers can only be a good thing for this underviewed satirical family/political comedy.

So over the last few weeks, we saw Raja smoke causing Gary and Franny to fall back into their old bad habit, Veterans day taken to a new hallmark low, Justin becomes a fish, and Raja saves the day with Alpacas. I know. It makes much more sense on the show. Much funnier too.

Claire gets dumped and Justin, trying a nice gesture, sends his sister a purple heart, the high school's equivalent to a candy gram on Veteran's day (because nothing says respect to those lost in a war like a message of a hard on) and the school reads the gesture the wrong way, and Claire rejects Justin.

Justin becomes the school mascot to get close to the cheerleaders but nervousness sets in and Raja takes over. Then Raja's pent up aggression gets released in the anonymity of the musky mascot costume in one of the funniest fish-to-man headbutts EVER (you know, because it happens all the time). Funnier than seeing Mr. Matthews attempt to dance (Now THAT gives me a WHOLE new perspective on Christopher B. Duncan and his mysterious ways on Veronica Mars).

Watching Raja smoking, and finding it perfectly normal was also hysterical. Who is this kid? Adhir Kalyan is seriously gifted in the comedic innocent look.

Raja who is 16 and 3/4 years old tries to talk some sense into Justin who is 1/2 a year younger, out of the Junior class prank but Justin, needing to be part of the cool group, will do anything to become accepted. They try to vandalize the vandalizing prank, things get even worse (by flooding the football stadium instead of the school building itself) and Justin is ostracized even more.

Claire takes over the duties of taking care of the Alpacas and teaches Justin how to sneak out of the house (I love the dynamics between the brother and sister) as Gary tries to find ways of making more money, and Franny start selling everything on craigslist (I particularly liked the Drop of kids at school rant (22Oct07) and the Halloween rant (01Nov07) though a lot of this is great procrastinating sh!t!).

Just as Claire starts bonding with the Alpacas when Franny wants them sold, Raja finds a way to use them in the prank, leaving them in the classroom for all the teachers to find. Along with their doo doo. Because doo doo is always funny. Just saying doo doo is funny. Or the other word for it. Maybe.

I love all the different relationships on this show. Justin's constant need to be cool and Raja's complete ignorance of it all, and their geek buddy duo is so great to see, even when Justin gets mad at Raja for essentially being right all the time (except the smoking thing but Gary and Franny took care of THAT). Gary and Franny are so great together and I never though Scott Patterson could move on from Lorelai Gilmore but apparently he can, and do it really funnily too. Now I'm thinking how underused he was on Gilmore Girls and I never thought that when I watched the show. Maybe he did have a reason to be at odds with Lauren Graham for stealing the show.

I thought Claire was a bit of a throwaway character at first, and while she's still a bit too-cool-for-school one note popular girl, the moments she does get to bond with the family are nice.

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30 Rock - Grrr, I Lik'em Young, Rowr

Cougars - Ep. 207

There's a cute new coffee boy at 30 Rock. His name is Jamie (UPDATE: Actor/ Singer-songwriter Val Emmich, thanks Popcandy via AE). His hair does the faux-hawk thing (seriously, when is that going to be out again? I still half refuse to do it since I laughed at it when Beckham first did it years ago I figured it would never last... boy was I wrong. Of course, I'm afraid of the next trend moving in from Europe and South America that has already hit the gay villages and that's the faux mullet... oh lord...I'm seriously too square to be gay. Plus I've probably just offended half my readership. All 20 of you.) and has streaks of blonde in it.

Liz is asked out on a date by the 25 year old faux-hauked-blonde-streaked Jamie, since he thinks Liz is 29. She's actually 37, he's actually 20. Good lord, she could have been his mom if she was knocked up in high school. Fantastic! Hey if old men can do it, why can't women? Rowr...

Jenna, never one to be one upped, gets her own youngun' seriously crossing the Dateline-To-Catch-A-Predator line, and finds herself with an manchild who is really just a child (as opposed to grown men who are really just like children, I guess Jenna had it right, we never really do change so why go for the wrinkled one?).

Jamie the coffee boy takes Liz on dates that start at 10 (PM) and lasts into the morning, all while making Frank jealous. What you say? Scruffy boob loving Frank? Jamie is so cute that Frank becomes gay for him (oh sure, I've heard THAT before...) and fights for Jamie's affections. Frank just wants some straight man to straight man, body to body action. Don't we all. (I'm not even going to link this one).

So as Frank gays it up for Jamie's affections, Liz, through the always brilliant advice of Jenna, tries to work it out with the youngun' and buys Jamie things he can't afford. Or take him on taxi rides with less than 7 people. Seriously, I still don't. Of course, everything comes crashing down as soon as Liz meets Jamie's mom.

Meanwhile, Tracy is forced (because of community service) to lead an all black kids baseball team coming from the worst neighbourhood in New York. He asks Jack for help. Kenneth ends up on the baseball field. You know this can't go well! In the end, the team wins, with some help from some big-boned kids (who happen to be named Grizz and Dot Com).

Anyways, here's another shot of Frank gaying it up, just cause:

To be honest, I almost completely forgot Frank was on the show (and to this I add, what happenned to Josh and Toofer?) since 30 Rock has already become the hilarious nutjob show that it is just from Jack, Kenneth, Jenna, Tracy and Liz, but it was nice to see Frank back in the mix again. Pete's a good straight man within the comedic chaos but I'd like to see even more of Jonathan (Maulik Pancholy) but maybe it's because I've been catching up with Weeds and keep remembering how funny he is.

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Pushing Daisies - Home Sweet Ho

Bitter Sweets - Ep. 108

Raúl Esparza is back as Alfredo Aldarisio!!!

Mike White is "some guy" creepy candy seller Billy Balsam!!!

Molly Shannon is too (who yes, can be annoying at times but her overdramatic flair seems to be put to good use here)!!! Dilly Balsam, sister to Billy, owners of Bitter Sweets Taffy and Sweets Emporium, a new candy confectionary across the street from The Pie Hole, and Billy and Dilly are out for war.

Holy casting. I said it last week and I'll say it again. With an already amazing main cast, they keep adding a great list of character actors to their roster.

On a weird side note tangent, I realised the two versions of the musical Company that I've seen had Bobby played by Christopher Seiber (in a version in LA that also starred Aliens in America's Amy Pietz amongst the TV star cast) who was on last week as LeNez and Raúl Esparza, whose version of Company by the way, will apparently be on PBS on February 20th 2008 .

Anyways, another week, another mysterious death. This time lover Tony is dead and girlfriend Tina is jailed for the murder but Ned, Chuck and Emerson are hired to clear Tina's name, and somehow the death is lead back to a Burly Bruce Carter and his murdering plastic doll (what's with all the "Real Girls" all of a sudden?). So that's over and yet we still have 50 minutes to go. What the?

In comes Billy introducing the new candy store across the street from The Pie Hole and as the gang goes over to meet Billy and Dilly Balsam, they soon find Dilly creating a war between the two stores as she sets her eyes on taking over The Pie Ho .

Chuck and Olive unite (as the Pie Hos, uh-huh!) to take revenge on Dilly, Billy is found dead just as Ned is caught red-handed, is thrown in jail, leaving Emerson on his own to investigate.

Holy camoly I love where this show takes us and how the plots run all over the place with twist and turns about.

All while expanding on the theme of Ned's secret about killing Chuck's father, Olive's unrequited love for Ned and her blindness to Alfredo's affections, Emerson's actual PI investigation skills and his need for the easier workload with Ned, all while serving up delicious slices of pie made from rotten fruit, fruit that is discovered when Dilly sends over an inspector to spotcheck the joint. Oh, and poor Bruce? I love that they weave him back full circle into the plot when Ned is thrown in jail, and how the plastic doll Shiela somehow makes Ned realise that lying is sometimes okay for the delusion of others. Emerson had always said so.

Anyways, Dilly seems to be here to stay, but just as we thought she may be nicer than she'd been letting on, she ain't and kills the inspector that murdered her brother.

And Ned's secret? Just as he's okay with keeping it from Chuck, he blurts to Chuck that he killed her father. And... end scene. Up next, Corpsicle on December the 12th.

At this point, I've stopped keeping track of all the brilliant lines. So many moments.

Olive finally dreaming of Alfredo kissing her full on the lips, and realising the missed moment (um, so when are these two Broadway stars going to belt it out for us? Seriously, I can't wait).

And who isn't in silly glee watching the look of bemusement, frustration and genuine niceness eminating from Ned? I loved that even his floppy hair gets played into the plot, a big no-no when the inspector is checking The Pie Hole.

Did I mention it was World Hello Day? Hola! I love the reactions of straight laced reserved Ned to these weird and wonderful little oddball things that get thrown at him.

I loved the look on Ned's face as Olive cried incessantly while he was in prison as she tried to give him a pie with a gun baked in it.

How great was Chuck and Olive out to destroy Bitter Sweets? I love that Chuck momentarily thought Olive was nuts before she gamely joined her.

Anyways, way too much to love that I could go on forever and ever about everything and everyone. Here's the rest of the promo pics from the episode:

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