First Look: HBO’s Enlightened
Sep 10th
Hmm, this looks interesting…
Check out the just released trailer for the new HBO show Enlightened, featuring Laura Dern as a corporate exec who suffers a breakdown, heads off to a retreat in Hawaii and returns to work as a new person full of self help and life affirming mantras!
It’s an intriguing concept, although as someone who’s a big believer in self improvement, I hope the show doesn’t stray too far into the ‘let’s-make-of-the-self-help-crowd’ territory. This is an HBO show though, so I have a feeling the series will prove smarter than that!
Enlightened is built around Laura Dern, a criminally underused actress who’s best known these days for Jurassic Park (and perhaps Blue Velvet). But like all ‘aging’ actresses – and Dern is only 44 – she’s realized that all the best material for women is on TV, specifically cable. So just like the likes of Laura Linney and Glenn Close, Dern’s heading to our screens. Plus she’s bringing her mom along – check out Diana Ladd, playing Dern’s on screen mom Helen.
Enlightened is created by Mike White – actor, writer, director and even Amazing Race contestant. The show launches on October 10th… so will you be watching? (more…)
More >2011 Fall TV Preview: New Girl
Sep 9th
When Does It Start: Tuesday September 20th at 9pm EST on Fox
In A Nutshell: Recently dumped girl moves in with 3 male roommates to get her life back on track…
What’s It About: Jessica Day (Zooey Deschanel) just broke up with her boyfriend in the worst way possible. So now she’s single in the city and trying to piece her life back together. To help herself move on, Jess moves in with three male roommates: Nick, a bartender; Coach, a personal trainer; and Schmidt, a self described Casanova. Rounding out the cast is Cece, Jessica’s street-smart model friend who helps keep the guys in check…
Sneak Peek: The Vampire Diaries – The Season 3 Trailer
Sep 9th
Looks like The CW are still keen to spend money on their hot little vampire show!
Yep, after a summer of zero original programming – The CW are blasting back with high expectations for new shows like Ringer and H8R, and renewed buzz for the likes of The Vampire Diaries.
Personally I think the network may have a bit of an uphill struggle ahead after essentially taking 3 months off – but I do think Ringer has huge potential and could become the network’s biggest breakout hit.
As for The Vampire Diaries – now entering season 3 – ratings started to hit the skids at the end of last season. Season 1 NEVER fell below the 3 million mark. By contrast the last 7 episodes of season 2 couldn’t even reach that key figure. So will the slide continue into season 3?
The CW hopes not – hence this kind of glossy promo. Plus the show’s stars have been doing the publicity rounds recently and Dairies will have a very compatible sister show in the Fall – The Secret Circle – to anchor Thursday nights.
On the downside, VD will now be up against the X Factor Results shows – although to be fair the vampires often More >
Damages Season 4: Is Anyone Else Watching?
Sep 8th
What happens when a great show gets zero viewers?
That’s the challenge currently being faced by Damages, the Glenn Close starrer that’s coming to the end of its run on DirecTV with pretty much no buzz or fanfare!
As you may recall, I was very worried when I first heard that my favorite legal drama was changing channels last year, after being unceremoniously dropped by FX (who then went ahead and laid a giant egg with boxing flop Lights Out).
DirecTV was fine for Friday Night Lights as the show received a second window on NBC – so at least fans could catch it second time around. But Damages was getting no such reprieve – meaning it was exclusive to a channel that most of the country don’t get and probably can’t even find if they have it in the first place! So in a way it doesn’t matter how great this season of Damages is – basically no one is watching!
Well except me that is! So has the move to DirecTV affected the Damages brand?
Thankfully no. Season 4 has just been just as good as year’s past – though you can certainly see the effects of the show’s reduced budget.
More >Quick Take: America’s Got Talent – The 2011 Top 10
Sep 7th
It’s a sure sign that summer is officially over when the America’s Got Talent final swings around… but am I the only one who felt this year’s Top 10 was distinctly underwhelming.
Last night I sat with my notepad, marking crosses every time an act failed to impress on the AGT stage. And by the end of the horribly padded 2-hour show I had a heck of a lot of crosses! It wasn’t that everyone was awful – none of the final 10 acts exactly crashed and burned. It’s just that with a million dollars at stake am I the only person thinking ‘is this it?’ And those three words could sum up the whole of Season 6 really, no matter how much spin Piers Morgan would like to put on this year’s line up…
So who will make the Americas’s Got Talent final? Remember only four acts can make it through… (more…)
2011 Fall TV Preview: Unforgettable
Sep 6th
When Does It Start: Tuesday September 20th at 10pm EST on CBS
In A Nutshell: It’s another CBS procedural… this time about a former police officer who has the ability to remember everything!
What’s It About: Former police officer Carrie Wells (Poppy Montgomery) suffers from a condition called hyperthymesia – meaning she can remember everything that’s ever happened to her. EVER! But the one day Carrie can’t remember is the day her sister was murdered, a tragedy that continues to haunt her to this day.
After leaving the force due to the stress of the job, Carrie witnesses a murder and is reluctantly coaxed back into duty by her former partner and boyfriend, Al (Dylan Walsh). And voila, CBS has a new crime-fighting duo…
Big In Britain: Red Or Black?
Sep 6th
While over here in the US we await the launch of The X Factor, over in the UK Simon Cowell‘s been super busy this week with his new game show, Red Or Black?
Touted as the most expensive game show in history, the 7 day run is costing 15 million pounds / around $24 million! Seems there’s no recession when it comes to Simon Cowell.
As you’ll see from the trailer below, Red Or Black is a game show on steroids. Aired twice a night over 7 nights, the show consists of 10 rounds, with contestants progressing to the next round if they pick the right color (duh, red or black!). The show starts at Wembley Arena with THOUSANDS of contestants who are swiftly cut down, then goes on location as the number is reduced further. A final 8 then progress to the live studio show and are whittled down to a single contestant who must then make the ultimate gamble – betting on red or black on a giant roulette wheel. If they choose correctly they’ll pocket a million pounds! In total 7 contestants over the 7 nights will stand to win a million…
The show looks a lot like long running UK More >
Sneak Peek: Downton Abbey Season 2
Sep 4th
Finally – the promos are out!
Yep, it’s the return of my favorite Brit drama series, the absolutely superlative Downton Abbey – the best TV show most Americans aren’t watching! So if you remember Season 1 left us with a whole batch of cliffhangers… sneaky O’Brien caused Cora to have a miscarriage (a baby that would have been a boy and therefore saved the family fortune), Thomas quit after his various schemes started to unravel and Mary sabotaged Edith’s engagement in revenge for her sister revealing her affair with Pamuk. And of course war was announced… phew!
The new season launches 18th September and will run from 1916 – 1918. There’s 8 episodes, followed by a Christmas special. Many of the male characters such as Matthew, Thomas and William will be off fighting the war, while politically engaged Lady Sybil goes to work as in the nursing corps. And of course there will be plenty of Maggie Smith’s trademark putdowns!
Considering the show launches in 2 weeks time I’m amazed ITV1 in England have left it so late to start releasing teasers – but heck, they know the show is going to be a massive success even if they didn’t put out a single More >
Sneak Peek: Community – Season 3
Sep 2nd
Okay all you Community fans – here’s your first look at Season 3 of your favorite series!
As you probably know, John Goodman is joining Joel McHale and Chevy Chase this time around, playing the fearsome Vice Dean of the titular community college. And here he is in action…
I’ll be honest – I’m not much of a Community fan. I find the show hard to enjoy as it seems so in love with itself and its sheer cleverness. I also find it bizarre that NBC would recommission a show that scored just 3.32 million for its Season 2 finale. Are the network really THAT desperate? I have a feeling if the likes of The Playboy Club and Prime Suspect take off this Fall, Community won’t be back for a 4th season.
That said, I do like John Goodman and am really enjoying his performance on Damages this season. You know, the Glenn Close show that NO-ONE is watching since it moved to DirecTV!
Anyway – here’s the teaser Community fans… enjoy! (more…)
