Fall Casts Shadows

Mae Whitman (Anne, George Michaels invisible girlfriend on Arrested Development) is off Bionic Woman and they are getting thinking of getting rid of the hearing-impaired character altogether? NOOOOOOO...

I was sad to hear Merrin Dungey (Francie/Evil Francie on Alias) bumped off Private Practice since she didn't seem to score well as Addison's best friend (great actress, wrong character), so instead, they will just replace her with another black actress. This is where I would roll my eyes until I heard it was Audra McDonald (above), who is, just, simply, AMAZING on Broadway (currently in 110 in the Shade), and who I was just saying to my friend last week, that she deserves a bigger shot at stardom.

Meanwhile, I may have to work around my CW boycott to watch Reaper since I just simply love Bret Harrison who just finished on The Loop this past weekend. Plus, I hear Aliens in America is hilarious as well and just acquired Scott Patterson (Luke on Gilmore Girls)!!! It'll be interesting to see if he can play anybody other than Luke Danes.

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The Loop - It Will All Come Around, Let's Hope on DVD

The Dutch
Lady Business
Stride

Well, Fox AGAIN burns off one of its funniest comedies. Are we even surprised at this point? May I need to remind you of Arrested Development? The Tick? Andy Richter Controls the Universe? Kitchen Confidential?

Fox shoves 3 more episodes last night, and not even in a row, of The Loop, a comedy that started off with 7 great episodes of its short first season (which made #13 on my Best of TV 2006 list), and now this week, Fox burns off the last 3 episodes of this 10 episode second season. And we know it's not coming back because star Bret Harrison is the lead in the upcoming CW show The Reaper, one of the shows getting good buzz and good reviews for the fall season.

So last night, our belovelent hero Sam Sullivan (Bret Harrison, above) overdonates to a charity but becomes part of the aviation boys club. Sam writes a loving tribute letter about Meryl (Mimi Rogers) and wins her a lady business award that she doesn't want, and Sam okays a product placement deal with Stride gum to be plastered over Trans-Alliance airlines.

Sounds simple enough.

It's not. Somehow, we get great disses on corporate America and especially the aviation world (the price fixing and the cost cutting savings with turnaround time was hilarious because it's so true). We get fake penises, a lemonade stand with a grown man, Sam being chased and shot in the head, and digs at jetblue and Southwest.

Also, Stride's a real gum?

Well, at least I'm glad to know the cute and very funny and likable Bret Harrison will be on a new show this coming season, even if it's on The CW which I'm currently at war with. I just wish Philip Baker Hall and Mimi Rogers can join him since they devour their roles as the top 2 execs at Trans-Alliance, and I love that Mimi Rogers can play the strong female exec role without being harsh or evil or military like. Darcy hasn't been as funny as the first season, with her antics being a little TOO over the top, but for a comedy that is usually over the top, that's saying a LOT.

Still, I have a feeling this show will grow with the DVD's and I'm sure half my friends will say 2 years from now... "have you seen The Loop? I'ts so funny! Are there more episodes?". And I will reply back "No you DOLT because no one watched it when I told you to watch it when it was actually on TV years ago and then it got cancelled. Meanwhile, Two and a Half Men is STILL on the air. It's all YOUR FAULT". I know I will say this because people have been NOW telling me about GREAT shows that they've just discovered. Shows like Six Feet Under and Arrested Development and Veronica Mars and Scrubs. Seriously. Do my friends live in CAVES? Why am I friends with these people again?

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Don't Like Tony? Watch The Loop

If you're not going to watch Tony Soprano in the Series Finale of The Sopranos on Sunday evening, and if you don't want to watch The Tony Awards (but you MUST! Just to see the performance medley from the cast of Spring Awakening so you know what I've been talking about all this time!), then flip over to (or Tivo, or DVR, or PVR, or Tape, or whatever you call it these days) FOX at 8:30 pm and again at 9:30 for the 2nd Season Premiere of The Loop, which was one of my favorite shows of last year. Now, we know it's over since star Bret Harrison is already the lead in Reaper which starts this fall on The CW ( and getting great reviews but since I'm still mad at The CW for cancelling Veronica Mars and Everwood, I'll withold my enthusiasm until the fall), but The Loop is well worth watching, despite its short span.

Anyways, The Loop. Very Very Funny. Particularly the office scenes with Philip Baker Hall, Mimi Rogers and Joy Osmanski as Darcy, the (bitter) Asian secretary.

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Best of TV - Fall 2005 and Winter 2006 Season

I know. I'm a little late. Here it is:

Best of TV – The 2005-2006 TV Season

Remember, this is based on the old-school Fall – May Sweeps season so Entourage, Rescue Me and Weeds does not qualify. Nor does Sopranos or Big Love cause I just don’t get them here on my basic cable. (Feel free to make donations to get me Tivo and all the cable channels in the world).

I will say this. Particularly my top 4 shows, are pretty much interchangeable in the order. Since every week as soon as I watch Everwood on Mondays, it’s the BEST show, Veronica Mars on Tuesdays, it’s the BEST show, Lost on Wednesdays, it’s the BEST show, and The Office on Thursdays, it’s the BEST show. Alas, after much thought and debate (you wonder what I do all day at my jobs huh?), here is the final order and I’m sticking to it!


1. Everwood – Alas, it was the most human and humane drama of them all, simple, realistic and yet completely thrilling and emotionally draining and will be much missed. Four years and at this point, the Browns, the Abbotts, Hannah, Nina, hell, even Jake, became part my world, as we watched them live, make mistakes, yet still strive to become good people, albeit with a wicked sense of sarcasm.


2. The Office – The fact that I actually care about Creed, Toby, Phyllis, Kelly, Kevin, Stanley, Jan, Angela, Oscar on top of loving Dwight, Michael, Ryan, Pam and Jim makes you realize how deep into the lives of the employees of Dundler Mifflin this series has gotten over the past season. And all funny to watch!


3. Lost – Can you believe Season 2 only started out with the hatch? Pre Anna, Pre Desmond, Pre Mr. Eko, Pre Button pushing, Pre Henry Gale, Pre Dharma Initiative. Pre giant toes, Pre Libby, Pre Arctic foreigners, Pre gigantic . And you thought this show was SLOW? I beg to differ, as it slowly investigates each of these castaway survivors and their place in whatever world they are in. Does fate, logic, destiny or our own doing create the world we live in?


4. Veronica Mars – A bus crash, gang wars, a pedophile, 2 rapists, a bomber, con artists and of course, the aptly named rival detective Vinnie Van Lowe, and our favorite, Sherrif Lamb. Seriously, how much funnier and heartwarming can this show get? I’m being totally serious too! Kristen Bell leads off the show with charm and sass to spare, and is surrounded with the fantastic, though questionable characters around the town of Neptune, which makes this show not just a great detective show, but a great comedy, drama, mystery, action and romance as well. To those who haven’t seen the finale, and wanted to know who made the bus crash? They answer it in season 1 already, you just didn’t know it. Brilliant and Fun!


5. Grey’s Anatomy – We laugh, we cry, we want to throw things at Meredith. Finally a smart soap with imperfect characters that still resonate with us, in all its’ realities. A top notch cast that balances the dramatic pathos and the comedic high jinxes set within Seattle Grace Hospital headed by writer Shonda Rhimes.

6. Arrested Development – A perfect cast for hilarious absurdity. The fact that they went all out nuts, from Busters hook hand, George Michael and cousin Maeby (Oh I GET IT NOW… MAEBY maybe is not…)’s back and forth crushes, Tobias and Lindsay’s “marriage”… to the brilliant guest appearance from Charlize Theron. However, nothing topped the perfect series finale and Ann-yungs return.

7. Scrubs – Another perfect cast for more hilarious absurdity, this time with a dose of heart and moroseness. Zach Braff, Judy Reyes, Donald Faison and Sarah Chalke make the best buddy/couple foursome with a bit of John C. Dr. Cox McGinley thrown in. Don’t forget The Todd, Dr. Kelso, Sam, Laverne, Jordan or The Janitor who round out Sacred Heart with sacred hearts. (You know I had to).


8. Gilmore Girls – I give it that this was an incredibly frustrating year, where as another internet post put it, Lorelai and Luke were possessed by aliens. At least that’s what must have been it to explain the inconsistencies in their characters actions. Still, leave it to Lauren Graham and Scott Patterson that even when we wanted to give them a nice smack in the head, we still wanted to hug them right after. The charms, the dialogue, the wonderful world of Stars Hollow had made us deeply care for these characters, to the point where when we saw them do wrong, it made us viewers mad in the real world. Lorelai and Rory’s fight for the first half of the season was true, wicked, and heartfelt, we just wish now they could find men who would treat them perfectly, and not realistically, the way Luke and Logan have actually been written. Still, throw in Sebastian Back singing Hollaback Girl and we still find ourselves adoring this show.


9. How I Met Your Mother – Neil Patrick Harris is BACK folks and at the top of his game as Barney, the soul sucking womanizing wanna-be who “suits up” for a “legen-...wait for it...and I hope you're not lactose-intolerant 'cause the second half of that word is...dairy” time. Add in perfect couple (so we think) Marshall and Lily and a charming lead in Josh Radnor, we get the next young people’s traditional (thought to be dead) sitcom that makes us laugh out loud and makes us care.


10. The Loop – Bret Harrison, Philip Baker Hall and Mimi Rogers in the corporate setting duking it out. Add a hilarious bitter Chinese secretary and you’ve got the perfect workplace comedy. Lose the home stuff, with lazy brother, kooky blonde roommate and the unrequited love, (granted, some of those scenes are still hilarious) and we have The Loop. Another crazy comedy from Fox that I thought would never last, but will be joining the American Idol lineup next year so please people. Give this a try.

11. The New Adventures of Old Christine
12. My Name is Earl
13. Everybody Hates Chris
14. Bones
15. Boston Legal
16. Love Monkey
17. Kitchen Confidential
18. The Amazing Race
19. Supernatural
20. Survivor: Exile Island
21. House
22. American Idol
23. ER
24. Without a Trace
25. Sons & Daughters

25.5 Desperate Housewives - Overall the story arcs have sucked but there are still some of the funniest lines and moments on.

25.7 Alias - Totally ridiculous 5 x over but that was always its curse yet its' asset.

Other Guilty Pleasures

Dancing with the Stars, Freddie, The OC, Out of Practice, the last 5 minutes of Extrememe Makeover: Home Edition.

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Rest of the Week

Survivor Panama: Exile Island
I’m not sure who is more stupid, the Crazy Casaya people or Terry for not using his two immunities to his advantage more. This one was the one week Casaya could have drew the hidden immunity out of Terry (or Sally, if they though she had it), but they totally wasted it for some burgers, fries and coke. Only Aras knew he had to fight for it… UGH…I hope Aras wins now.

American Inventor
I saw the last 10 minutes as they played Westlife’s version of Josh Grobin’s You Raise Me Up, over and over again as they gave the final word to the contestants if they made it to final 12. have to admit, its cheap but moving, and it works. No wonder it’s a hit. Simon Cowell is involved in Westlife though which explained the music choice (since this is his show).

The Loop – The Rusty Trombone
That had BETTER not have been the Series Finale because damn that show is funny. Great casting of Adam Brody as Phillip Baker Hall’s long discussed gay son (also, Bret Harrison’s real life roommate).

The New Adventures of Old Christine – The Other F Word
Wanda Sykes is finally not annoying and funny again. Love the homophobic black folks, then the racist homo’s that Christine tries to invite to the “White Bread” school.

How I Met Your Mother – Nothing Good Happens After 2 AM
Finally, great way to break up Ted and Robin for good, though not enough time for Neil Patrick Harris to give his one liners.

Without a Trace – Expectations
Another Finally: Finally Martin is “better” and we can move on. Though I did like the bonding between him and partner Danny Taylor.

Scrubs – My New Suit
The only good thing to come out of the demise of Love Monkey is that Tom Cavanaugh can return as J.D.’s useless brother. The almost threesome with Keith and Elliott was so quick yet hilarious.

Supernatural – Provenance
I am NEVER buying an antique EVER AGAIN.

Commander in Chief – State of the Unions
Time to undo everything Steven Bochco ”fixed”/screwed up. Hope this show survives, it’s the ultimate fantasy show, plus I love that it can combine Oscar winner Geena Davis, should be Oscar winner Donald Sutherland, underated Ever Carradine and Anthony Azizi, and Manhunt reality show contestant Matt Lanter. LOVE THAT. Manhunt. Just thinking about it makes me laugh. Also, Meg and Jake Kane together! (more Veronica Mars Alum people…)

Teachers. – Schoolympics
I should be ignoring this show by now but somehow it’s comforting to me. Kinda like a Growing Pains episode. Not great but somehow cozy to watch. Or maybe it’s because its Sarah Alexander. After UK Coupling, I will give her more than enough chances after she being in the brilliant Coupling.

Modern Men – Timmy Can You Hear Me
If only for Eric Lively, who gives a new meaning to naïve but lovable dimwit.

The OC – The Dawn Patrol
Totally hooked into the manipulative and silly plot that is Seth and Summer breaking up, because Seth is too proud to admit he didn’t get into Brown. If only to get Summer to jump on the coffee bar to profess her love, or getting her to pair up with Taylor Townsend to do some scheming. But PLEASE don’t bring back drinking Kiki.

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Rest of the Week

The New Adventures of Old Christine - Open Water
Blind Date HELL but HILARITY for US. The sad thing is, You KNOW some guy pulled out homemade chicken on a date with one of the writers on this show. Kudos to Matt Letscher as guest star Burton as the perfect blind date (just not Christines) for making us forget he was on Good Morning Miami.

Scrubs – The Extra Mile
“The TODD” is the SECOND BEST SURGEON competing for the Surgical Resident spot?

Sons & Daughters – Family Finance, Karaoke
I’m totally impressed with ex-Much Music VJ Amanda Walsh. Didn’t think she could pull it off. I think my favorite moments are with her, Whitey (the always funny Greg Pitts) and Wylie, together or separately in scenes.

Boston Legal – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
William Shatner’s Denny Crane tells guest star Tom Selleck’s Ivan that they are just like two big stars that had their own shows… LOVE that this show is where former TV Icons get to play now.

Out of Practice - Model Behaviour
FINALLY, Christopher Gorham changed that godawful mullet hair he had in the first half of the season. Henry Winkler's former Happy Days Co-star (and Grandma Gilmore) Marion Ross guest stars as a visiting friend who still doesn't know that Lydia and Stewart got divorced. Oliver still steals the best lines.

The George Lopez Show/Freddie – George Gets Cross Over Freddie, Freddie Gets Cross Over George
A Crossover with The George Lopez Show and Freddie where George’s son chats online with Freddie’s niece, only Freddie and George thinks the other is some sicko pedophile, and each try to trap the other. The second half was not as funny as George is invited to Chicago after all the misunderstandings are resolved.

Heist – Pilot
Man, Dougray Scott must hate Tom Cruise more than Katie Holmes does. Poor guy misses the X-Men start date due to delays on Mission Impossible 2, and loses his job as Wolverine, to be given to then unknown Hugh Jackman, and as they say, the rest is history. Well. Dougray Scott stars in this new pilot from Doug Liman (Go, Swingers, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The OC), about a group of criminals planning to rob three jewellery stores on Rodeo Drive on the night of the Oscars. More entertaining than I would have thought, though with a slightly disturbing scene where poor pizza delivery guy is taken hostage (from another group of criminals) and blown up. Kinda doesn’t jive with the slick, fast paced humourish action the rest of the story was going for (think Get Shorty, or other Doug Liman projects). I’m wondering if they can hang on to a series about a bank robbery and keep it interesting, then again, who knew Lost would be so great? Not as clever as Lost, but still watchable.

The Loop - Tiger Express
I'm still annoyed by Eric Christian Olsen as Sam's brother Sully, but the rest of this show is totally hilarious. I will give you that the Sully's invention of the meat version of Sam (you have to see it to understand) during the launch of Tiger Express (a new Asian airline Sam's company is launching) was great though.

My Name is Earl – Y2K
One of the funnier episodes of a very funny show, where we get flashbacks of Earl and gang circa 1999 right before Y2K is about to happen. The reveal about Crabman’s past was hilarious and clever, and the entire apocalyptic-living in the local K-martish store, FANTASTIC.

The OC – The Undertow
Why did they bring back that slut Jess just to cause problems for Ryan only to have it all resolved again at the end of the episode so he could finally hook up with Nikki which was inevitable anyways? Finally they get Marissa out of the loop and then they bring Jess back? UGH…Still, leaves us with some GREAT Seth and Summer moments, with Taylor trying to help their sex life. When did Taylor become the poor joke? Do they always do this to an original nemesis? (See Chris Carmack’s Luke)

Free Ride - Procrasti-Nating
I know why I get annoyed with this show. Nate's friend, the straight-out-of-80's-headbanger-band is VERY Annoying and not funny like Sebastian Bach is on Gilmore Girls. Plus, the parents sex issues are a little tiring and kinda give me the creeps. Which is too bad because Josh Dean as Nate is VERY likable and his flirtations with Amber are very cute and amusing.

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Rest of the Week

The New Adventure of Old Christine – Pilot, Supertramp (NEW SERIES)
Another cute family comedy that fits into CBS’s Monday comedy line-up, with Julia Louis Dreyfus as Christine, a divorced woman who remains friends with her ex. Her ex however is dating a new girl, also called Christine, thus, Julia is dubbed, Old Christine. Julia is back in form (though I also thought Watching Ellie was pretty funny (starring a then unknown Steve Carrell)) and with Clark Gregg as her ex, and Hamish Linklater (another Gideon’s Crossing alum) as her brother, there’s some great chemistry in this group for some good comedy. (Andy Richter guesting on the second episode Supertramp was HILARIOUS as “Sad Dad” who Christine ends up sleeping with, her first since getting divorced 2 years ago)

Sons & Daughters - Film Festival, BBQ Therapy

This week, Gillian Vigman gets to shine as Cameron's Wife Liz Walker, when Henry (Cameron's son) gets a film into a film festival, and as the family and everyone else it seems, is invited to Cameron's annual BBQ. Still trying to figure out who everyone is though, but still some very awkward but funny moments. It's kinda like The Office meets Arrested Development except with an even bigger cast.

Boston Legal – Stick It!
I’m not sure if I’m loving the daughter on heroin storyline, or hating it, as it seems to be taking screen time away from Julie Bowen or James Spader. Maybe it’s just director Adam Arkin giving more screen time to his ex-co-star from Chicago Hope days.

The OC – The Journey
Damn. Marissa is still alive. Meanwhile, Ryan turns 18. (REALLY? Do they really expect us to believe this at this point? More like 26). Sandy locates Ryan’s mom in jail in Albuquerque, and Summer tells Julie Cooper that she knows of her tryst with her dad. Seth hires a Foreigner Cover Band for Ryan’s birthday, only to tell him it’s a Journey’s cover band, Ryan’s favourite, only because Foreigner is so much better than Journey.

My Name is Earl – Dad’s Car

Was I the only one completely disturbed by Randy and Joy, even if it was only a visual gag? Still, a very funny episode with Earl’s parents again, and Joy getting drunk while the kids are away.

The Loop - Jack Air
I know the Jack Air jokes were cheap but they were nonetheless very funny. Especially with Mimi Rogers there sitting completely deadpan. Sam is responsible with coming up with a new idea for a discount airline but can't help partying it up with the beer girl. Ends up in Cabo. Sam hair gets the rasta look. I think they like to have some fun with poor Bret Harrison, since he got his head partially shaved in the pilot ep, and now this!

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The Loop - Pilot

Premiering last night, with its second episode tonight, The Loop follows Sam, a 23 year old who gets hired straight off his thesis in college into an exec job at an airline company headed by a tenacious Philip Baker Hall (what the hell is HE doing on a TV show? Man, TV really is the new movies).
Filmed in one-camera, like Arrested Development, Scrubs, Sons & Daughters and the other new Fox show about post-college life, Free Ride, it’s another sitcom that splices quirkiness into the “real world”.

Does it work this time? YES. Why? 4 Reasons.

Reason number one: One of the Co-creators is Will Gluck, who did the brilliant Andy Richter Controls the Universe, combines the wacky world of work with the wacky world of our being in our 20’s, something that shockingly hasn’t really been explored in television nowadays (because apparently, we all live where 20 murders happen a day and we must all know forensic science to solve them).
Reason number two: Bret Harrison is EXTREMELY likeable as Sam, the main character that fantastically plays goofy, slapstick alongside sincere and naïve against:
Reason number three: Philip Baker Hall, as Russ, the president of the airline that hired Sam, in all his bitter command.
Reason number four: Mimi Rogers (Ex-Mrs. Cruise, although by the end of the year, who won’t have had that role yet?), as Meryl, the Vice-something exec. The Cougar to Sam’s prey.

It still wasn’t perfect, like the way Scrubs or AD started off, but I can’t wait to see more, which is a good sign. Keep me in The Loop! (You know I had to).

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