Kristen Bell Party Downz!

KRISTEN BELL is on the season finale of Party Down tonight!!! (On Starz at 10:30pm on Fridays after Head Case at 10pm, which I hear is good but haven't had the chance to check out yet. Both shows which seem to be available online on their site).



And what's with the Journey comeback? ANOTHER reference to "Don't Stop Believin'"? Is this some kind of sign for me?

but KRISTEN BELL!!! Veronica Mars! Together again with Dick Casablanca! And Vinnie Van Lowe!!!
Kristen is Uda Bengt, a rival caterer!!!:



AND Jennifer Coolidge?!!!:


I'm actually a few episodes behind on Party Down but I'm loving the series from Rob Thomas and the Veronica Mars folks AND Paul Rudd. (Yes, if you didn't know already, THE Paul Rudd is a creator and producer on this show). Plus since this show stars VM alums Ken Marino and Ryan Hansen, it's totally AWESOME (picture Hansen saying it!). Plus Adam Scott, who guested on VM as a teacher.

AND It's the OTHER show Jane Lynch is currently on. (Seriously, everything comes back to Glee this week doesn't it?). No word yet if she will continue with this series since Party Down has been picked up for a second season, which will coincide with Glee filming but I'm sure they can work it out. She can cater while they sing!

Oh, and Sulu's in the episode too! And George Takei as himself! (NSFW):



Plus I definitely want to see the outcome of this:



Vance at http://tapeworthy.blogspot.com

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Funny Friends - The Office, The Big Bang Theory And More

My friend Anthony wrote tonight's The Office episode Casual Fridays! So WATCH!!! And because I'm completely biased, I know it'll be fantastic and just as great as last week's terrific episode.

And, Anthony also made his own little web show called Dwelling for Strike TV (the web venue that was born from the writer's strike). It's cute and gets better (currently with 4 episodes) once they establish everything. So check it out!

The Office - Two Weeks, Dream Team, Michael Scott Paper Company, Heavy Competition, Broke - Ep. 519-523

Alright, so Michael quit Dundler Mifflin, started his own company, brought along Pam and Ryan, went broke, and got bought by Dundler Mifflin. I kinda loved that whole arch, especially when it ended in such a fairytale way, especially for this usually unlucky gang.

And now Pam gets to be a salesperson! And Ryan's back at Dundler Mifflin!

And as much as I love Jim, I'm glad someone finally didn't. When Idris Elba wasn't dealing with Beyonce and Nikki/Jessica (seriously, he was in Obsessed, and it was #1 last weekend? Is that a joke?), he was not becoming friends with Jim, and I enjoyed the way Charles loomed over the office folks.

More on 30 Rock, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Corner Gas, Party Down, Greek:


30 Rock - Apollo, Apollo, Cutbacks, Jackie Jormp-Jomp, The Ones - Eps. 316-319

Dennis came back! Love Dean Winters. Love that he's hot and can play slimy and can go from serious (in Oz) to completely wacky (like here). Dennis slept with Jenna. Tracy goes into "space". Elisa is a crazy killer. Jenna "dies". Even Lutz had a funny moment. Kenneth saves the day, again. And Tina joins the ladies who lunch (with Xanadu's Kerry Butler!) and punch.

It's all getting so kooky it's becoming a blur, but while the stories are all kinda blending together with more zaniness on top of more zaniness, I've got to say, I still laugh out loud during the whole show.


The Big Bang Theory - The Dead Hooker Juxtaposition, The Hofstadter Isotope, The Vegas Renormalization, - Eps. 219-221

They've zeroed in on the Penny Sheldon comic dynamo so much that the other boys seem to have been relegated to side stories. Still, I'm LOVING it right now, so can you blame them?

Though I think I still laughed hardest when Rajesh woke up in bed with another woman, looked horrified, then accepted his position and enjoyed with a smile. Still, as funny as Rajesh can be when he's drunk, and the only time he can talk to women, they're gonna have to get Raj back into the action without needing to be inebriated everytime or else he'll move farther away from the Penny/Sheldon comedy.

I must have also lost some brain cells but I'm totally enjoying (and totally buying) Penny's date with Stuart (Kevin Sussman, WALTER! from Ugly Betty) and both his and Sheldon's response to Penny's romantic advances.

And loving any response Howard is giving (especially after finding out Raj and Leonard bought him a hooker) and ALL of HIS romantic advances (Or attempts actually).


How I Met Your Mother - Old King Clancy, Murtaugh, Mosbius Designs, The Three Days Rule - Eps. 418-421

Never one to pass up a Canadian joke, the whole Robin episode going back to her Canadian past kind of fell flat. At least Aaron Hill (BEAVER! on Greek) was on!

And while the ladies are hiding behind strategically placed plants and furniture (and with Lily conveniently absent from the bar lately as she has her real life baby), Marshall and Barney get even MORE attention, though if you think of it, considering Jason Segel is doing so well in films now, and NPH is... well... NPH!!!, it's credit to the show and the ensemble that the show isn't just the NPH/Jason Segel show and that they're hilarity blends in nicely with the rest of the show. (Though Barney's little outburst with Marshall when he rejected/loved Robin was genius).

Now if only Ted can get some more decent storylines like the last two episodes. I was reminded that I actually LIKE this character in the last two weeks, who I almost forgot up to this point.


Corner Gas - R2 Bee Too, Crab Apple Cooler, Happy Career Day to You, Get the F Off My Lawn, You've Been Great, Goodnight - Eps. 615-619 - Series Finale

I'm actually going to miss this show. A lot. It had a nice slow dry rhythm to it. And it was consistently funny. Kinda like a low rent Seinfeld, a show about nothing except this time in a place where there's nothing: the middle of Saskatchewan.

And as stupid as the jokes were, I kept laughing at all the F-in jokes (no really, the "F" and the "E" from Ruby's Cafe sign blew off and were flying around the town of Dog River. Letting them run with the F jokes all episode long. And I kept laughing).

The series finale got a bit too meta for me (I love the meta stuff but for this shows charms were in the daily boring and absurd lives of the townsfolk of Dog River. Well, except when the Canadian celebrity cameos popped in. Kiefer Sutherland's (which hinted at Jack Bauer) was completely out of the blue (and thus totally hilarious)) and actually reminded me a bit of Seinfeld's meta arch with his NBC show within the show.


Party Down - Pepper McMasters Singles Seminar, Investors Dinner, Sin Say Shun Awards After Party - Eps. 103-105
Greek - Engendered Species, Big Littles and Jumbo Shrimp - Ep. 213-214

I'm behind an episode on both these awesome cable comedies, but I'm LOVING them so much!

Always loved Adam Scott so glad he gets such a great role in Party Down, though as always Ken Marino totally steals all his scenes, giving his Ron Donald such a sadness to his goofy role.

Still, the entire cast is awesome (Martin Starr! Jane Lynch! Ryan Hansen! Lizzy Caplan!), and still love the rotation of guest stars and the links to Veronica Mars. Can't wait for Kristen Bell's appearance!

On Greek, I know Jesse McCartney doesn't have to do much to be the nice affable Andylicious and to be honest... I don't really care. He's totally dylicious looking. As is Andrew J. West as Fisher (below), Ashley's new hired maid/secret boyfriend. (Also loving the new trio of Rebecca, Ashley and Casey).

Plus, while I wasn't sure where they were going with downtrodden Evan, it gave us his brother Patrick (Robert Hoffman!!! Who I just spoke about last week!) and a reunion of sorts with Cappie! Evan, Cappie and Robert Hoffman in one room! Wow. That's a lot of white bread hotness going on there. And bonus points to Evan for dumping Frannie!

Loved Cappie's line of the incestuousness on campus, while talking to his little brother Rusty about Rusty's big sister Casey.

Oh, and an appearance from Janeane Garofalo? As a womans studies prof? Excellent! (Though she's looking mighty plasticized, which I'm kinda shocked about).

Vance at http://tapeworthy.blogspot.com

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Ken Marino Is Everywhere - Party Down, Greek, The United States of Tara

Is it me or is Ken Marino everywhere these days? What I love about him is that he's a pretty handsome fellow but he usually makes himself look pretty slimy and full in character on various shows. While he was lovely and charming on Leap of Faith, he was positively... icky/charming/doofusey as Vinnie on Veronica Mars.

I haven't even caught up with him on Reaper yet (this season or the second half the of the 1st season, I only got to the first few eps with him and Ian Michael Black as the devilish gay couple) but he's the main reason why I've haven't deleted the show yet. Plus he appeared in the pilot for In The Motherhood as yet another slimy coworker to Cheryl Hines.

Now he's in the new show Party Down from the Veronica Mars gang led by Rob Thomas AND co-created by Paul Rudd, he cameo'd in the season 2 part 2 (seriously, just call it season 4 would you abcFamily?) of Greek and he guest starred as a slimy convention guy in The United States of Tara. Does the guy rest?

So I'm behind on all three shows (because I just don't get those those US cable channels up here in Canada so it's all on delay) but I'm loving them all!

Party Down - Willow Canyon Homeowners Annual Party, California College Conservative Union Caucus - Eps. 101-102 - Series Premiere

Seriously, it's like a Veronica Mars reunion. Rob Thomas!? (Cupid), Ken Marino (Vinnie Van Lowe) AND Ryan Hansen (Dick Casablanca)! And a guest staring role for Daddy Mars Enrico Colantoni (Flashpoint) in the first episode and Jason Dohring (Logan Echolls) in the second episode!

AND to have my favorite under-appreciated actor Adam Scott (Step Brothers, Tell Me I Love You, and who guested as a teacher on Veronica Mars) as Henry Pollard, the lead loser who winds up working for Marino's Ron Donald's party caterers company.

Add Jane Lynch (upcoming Glee, Role Models and apparently every TV show EVER, including of course, Veronica Mars), Lizzy Caplan (The Class, Cloverfield) and Martin Starr (Freaks and Geeks, Superbad), I'm loving all the loser characters on this show.

I love that the show is partially serious but with a dry wit, yet is completely ridiculous without seeming like it's ridiculous. They've built a nice set of losers (with the great set of comedic actors to back them up) and then let them roll with a new party set up for every episode (the first one at a loser's suburban home (Colantoni) and the second at a college republican's group with Dohring AND Alona Tal (Meg Manning on Veronica Mars) as the plastique young republicans (LOVED Dohring's wiglike hair. Hysterical!!!).

Plus, Ken Marino, with that flattop buzzcut is such an outrageous character, but is nicely balance with Adam Scott's moroseness. Yet Marino never makes it like a sketch comedy character but reigns it in just enough to make it plausible (as is Lynch's portrayal).

Love the format, love the cast, and love the pseudo Veronica Mars reunion.


More on Greek and The United States of Tara:

Greek - Take Me Home, Cyprus-Rhodes, From Rushing With Love - Ep. 211-212 - Season 2 Part 2 Premiere

Okay, so Ken Marino's little guest cameo seemed a bit wasted as a camp counselor at Rusty's summer job. I kept thinking it would be far more hilarious than it was. But let's face it, the real awesomeness is back at Cyprus-Rhodes.

Especially now that it's FINALLY a brand new year and Rusty is finally a Sophomore. And new pledges are descending upon the Kappa Tau house (and every other house on the block). And Jesse McCartney is Andy, one of the new rushes!!!

Seriously, how cute is the new bromance rush crush developing between Rusty and Andy?!!

Plus I'm actually loving this new Frannie rival house IKI (stupid and hilarious) and Rebecca as the mole.

Plus I can't believe how much I miss The Beaver (the adorable Aaron Hill) and I love that Heath (Zach Lively) is still prominently featured as a glorified extra, if only to remind us that gays do exist in the greek system. (Though Heath's reaction to Beaver's girl callout was freaking funny and a nice way to slip in a gay shout out).

I'm also glad Max is back (Michael Rady) and I like the subtle meta-joke when some of the Zeta Beta girls declare their love to the hot greek guy in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.


The United States of Tara - Revolution, Transition, Alterations, Abundance, Possibility, Betrayal - Eps. 105-110

I still haven't finished watching the final 2 episodes of the terrific first season but while I initially had some reservations for the show, I grew to really love the first 4 episodes, but since then, I found it's only gotten better and richer and deeper, especially with Tara's sister character Charmaine (a terrific Rosemarie DeWitt) and Tara's husband Max (John Corbett who is finally really growing on me with this show).

Obviously I was loving Marshall (Keir Gilchrist who is WAY beyond his actual years in maturity and understanding his character) and his gay storyline with religious Jason (Andrew Lawrence). I like that Max is cool with it, and that Charmaine has this strange relationship with Marshall. Plus, kissing the hot religious boy-next-door story is always hot.

Brie Larsen has also made Kate so much more than just the pretty misunderstood blonde teenager, and her hilarious outburst, reactions and actions against Tara, her job, and the creepy boss Gene (Nathan Corddry, so good at the geek creep thing).

And Tara/T/Buck/Alice. It's already a role made for awards. Still, you have to give Toni Collette credit for making you forget it's a role and making you believe that this Tara really does exists. It's simply fabulous but she doesn't overplay it either (which could have been so easy here) and she doesn't take over the whole show. It's to her credit (and writer Diablo Cody) that she's just part of the marvelous ensemble that bounces off this odd situation the family is put in.

And while the show may have started like some kind of cable gimmick with the multiple personalities, it's really turned into a compelling family drama.

Oh, and yeah, Ken Marino was hilarious as the creepy guy at the convention, who with his friend (Ryan Eggold! Teach! from 90210) were trying to pick up Tara and daughter Kate. Also, bonus points for the show for having Patton Oswalt (Ratatouille)!

Vance at http://tapeworthy.blogspot.com

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