WTF: Things That Are WACK This Week

In this issue: the Baldwin daughter gets a special birthday surprise; ABC possibly buying a show based on a movie that hasn't been released or successful yet; and a little random "I WIN!" note from me.

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This is Real and I Mean It

The cake pictured above is the birthday cake that was custom ordered, purchased, served and eaten at Ireland Baldwin's 14th birthday party. And, yes, Baldwin as in the daughter of Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin. In case the licorice dreadlocks, cheek band-aid and forehead tattoo didn't give it away, the cake is a likeness of about-to-be-incarcerated-on-weapons-charges rapper Lil Wayne. I hope I am not the only one disturbed by the creepiness.

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Producers Think Everyone Wants to Spend Their Time Watching the End of the World

Despite the fact that the film has not been released yet, 2012 director/producer Roland Emmerich thinks that the movie should be adapted into a television series. Word around Hollywood is that Emmerich and 2012 executive producer Mark Gordon (who also executive produces ABC's Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice) are working on a deal with ABC to produce a series based on 2013 or the aftermath of the end of the world apocalypse type thing that happens in 2012. Why they wouldn't wait to start blabbing about making a TV show until they achieve "box office success," I do not know. What if their film bombs a la The Day After Tomorrow? That might be pretty embarrassingggg! Although I can't badmouth shows about the end of the world due to my love for all things Terminator, I can say that unless shiny metal robot assassins and an allegory about how modern day society relies too much on technology are involved, I really don't have any interest in watching a show about the end of the world. Because then it's just scary.

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L&O Wins with 'Human Flesh Search Engine'

This is basically for myself, but I figured I should share. A couple weeks ago, I was reading an article about how NBC's ratings were doing and speculation about their apparent plans to shake their schedule up for the 2010-2011 season. The writer mentioned that Law & Order was getting ridiculous with titles like the one for a then upcoming episode (it aired last week) called "Human Flesh Search Engine." I, not being aware of the trend in China, was confused by the title, but defensive over a show I've been watching for the majority of my time here on Earth, thought to myself, "Well, I'm sure they have a very good reason for calling it that!!" And they did. That episode, which was incredibly powerful and well-done and showed off Loops and his complete badassery, dealt with an American HUMAN FLESH SEARCH ENGINE. Hence the fucking title, "Human Flesh Search Engine." So, that article can SUCK IT for not 1. researching what that phrase could mean and 2. waiting to see if the title was applicable to the story before criticizing it.


And THAT was the Week in WTF!

*Images: Gawker, Google*

See, Rent, No: Movies For the Month

The Box – Rent



This movie’s existence makes a lot more sense once you realize it is adapted from a short story that was adapted into an episode of The Twilight Zone. Cameron Diaz and James Marsden (nice to see you, Cyclops!) star as a couple living in 1970s Richmond, Virginia struggling to get by when a man shows up and gives them a mysterious box. He tells them that if they press the button on the box, then they will get $1 million but someone they don’t know will die. Moral conflict and creepy horror movie stuff ensues. I’m intrigued by this film just because I want to see how well Cameron pulls off the Southern accent.

A Christmas Carol – No



No offense to Jim Carrey, but A Muppet Christmas Carol is the only Christmas Carol I will ever need.

The Fourth Kind – No





The Men Who Stare at Goats – See



George Clooney teams up with a bagillion glorious actors in this comedy flick about a secret military outfit training soldiers to develop psychokinetic powers. No explanation should be needed as to why this is a “see” movie.

Precious – Rent



Based on the novel Push by Sapphire, Precious tells the story of a 16-year-old pregnant girl trying to find a reason to live in her life of poverty and abuse. This film also marks the return of Mariah Carey to the big screen. But don’t let Glitter fool you—she pulls off her role really well here. It’s hard enough getting through the trailer, so I definitely would rather watch this one at home with a plentiful supply of tissues where my sobs won’t distract anyone from the movie.

2012 – No



I hate end of the world movies. Plus, I am still bitter over seeing a trailer for this in theaters at the beginning of the year and screaming to Pedro, “THEY’RE DOING IT!!!!!!!!!! THEY’RE DOING A REAL X-FILES MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!”

Pirate Radio – See



An American DJ helps out British rock lovers when their government bans rock music from the radio by broadcasting from the high seas. I’ve been reading that the American version of this film is drastically different from the British version (titled The Boat That Rocked), so it might be interesting to see both versions and compare! Anyway, this story really interests me and I am totally there.

Fantastic Mr. Fox – Rent



A group of furry woodland creatures take on a nasty farmer. This animated family film based on the Roald Dahl tale is directed by Wes Anderson and stars favorites like George Clooney, Bill Murray and Meryl Streep (AAAAAHHHH!!!). Think about the awesomeness of The Royal Tenenbaums coupled with the ability to feel like a kid again. You’re there, too. I know it.

The Messenger – Rent (Maybe)



Ben Foster stars in this film that examines the aftermath of war on families. Foster plays an Army soldier assigned to deliver casualty notifications to next of kin who falls in love with one of the widows he visits. It will be interesting to see the reception of this film, which is already getting outstanding reviews, in comparison with last year’s Taking Chances and the upcoming Tobey Maguire film Brothers. The only reason I say I will maybe rent this one is because I don’t know if I will ever be in the mood to watch a film that will make me cry this much.

That Evening Sun – No



An elderly Southern farmer gets out of his old age home only to return to his farm and discover that his son has leased it to one of his enemies. The two become embroiled in their two-man war. While this film looks like it contains incredibly powerful performances all around amongst other great things like writing and so on, it just doesn’t genuinely interest me. But Dixie Carter is in it! And that’s something!

Uncertainty – Rent



I don’t have to watch a trailer for a Joseph Gordon-Levitt film to know that I am going to rent it. That being said, this movie likes like Cellular meets Sliding Doors, which is both incredibly awkward AND interesting! I will definitely rent it, but I realize that this could be completely full of fail. But I doubt it. But it could. But I really doubt it.

Women in Trouble – Rent



This is basically Crash for ladies and sans racism (at least judging from the trailer). Following a day in the lives of 10 women in Los Angeles, this all-star cast includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt (I know, right?), Carla Gugino, Marley Shelton, Sarah Clarke, Simon “My Show Copied Psych” Baker, Elizabeth Berkley and Josh Brolin. Aside from being interested to see how all of these stories of women dealing with big problems mesh together into one film, there are too many amazingly talented people in this for it to NOT be a good movie.

The Young Victoria – Rent



Emily Blunt steps into the spotlight as the lead in this biopic of Queen Victoria during her early years of reign and her romance with Prince Albert (played by Rupert Friend). History buffs, delight that there is finally another British royalty movie but that it is not about Queen Elizabeth!

The Blind Side – SEE



Based on the life of current offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens Michael Oher, Quinton Aaron stars as an African-American teen who finds success after being taken in and shown love by a family in Memphis, Tennessee. Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw also star as the couple who adopt Oher and help turn his life around. This basically looks like Sandra’s role of a lifetime.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon – No



Absolutely not.

Planet 51 – Rent (Maybe)



Another cute animated film about aliens for 2009. This one turns the tables with a story about an astronaut who lands on a planet only to discover it is exactly like Earth except with an alien race rather than humans. So, he is the alien. Big names doing voice acting like Gary Oldman and John Cleese. It looks cute and I might rent it, but probably not as there is just too much to see.

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans – No



So, there are a few things wrong with this film in my eyes. First and foremost, Nick Cage’s hair (it’s STILL bad, yes) and, second, Eva Mendes (I just can’t stand her and I don’t know why). Cage plays a cop who gets hooked on drugs and lands himself in a whole lot of trouble. Sounds interesting, but there’s just not enough holding it there for me. If it gets insanely good reviews, I might rent it.

Broken Embraces – No



A foreign language film that tells the story of a writer who “writes, lives and loves in darkness” (WTF?) and was in a horrific car crash 14 years ago in which the love of his life died. The trailer makes it look like some crazy Paul Thomas Anderson shit is happening, and I’m really not interested.

The Missing Person – No



A private eye is sent on a job to tail a man who was presumed dead after the 9/11 terrorist attacks from Chicago to LA and bring him back to his wife. This film has been described as, “delightfully strange noir,” by New York Magazine. I will pass.

Ninja Assassin – No



I feel like there have been 100 movies telling this story. Also, I am disappointed this is not a Tracy Morgan film.

Old Dogs – See



I saw the trailer for this film at the beginning of the summer and have been obsessed with it ever since. Robin Williams + John Travolta + Seth Green = win. Williams and Travolta play best bros dealing with being middle aged when Williams’ character discovers he is the father of tween-aged twins. Hilarious antics and learning to love follow. The trailer is too hilarious to not watch, so watch it.

The Road – Rent



Based on the critically-acclaimed Cormac McCarthy book, Viggo Mortensen stars in this post-apocalyptic drama that chronicles the journey of a man and his son as they try to make their way to the coast to find food and a new home. Please note that this is a fan-made trailer because apparently the official trailer is too “gaudy” and “bright.” Click here to watch the official trailer for The Road.

Me and Orson Welles – See



Zac Efron stars as a young, aspiring actor in 1937 New York City who comes into Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater Company just one week before the staging of his notable production of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. In that short time, he learns about life, love and art. I am really into Zac Efron lately, and I have and always will be into the lovely and oh so talented Claire Danes.

The Princess and the Frog – Rent



To quote the wise Mrs. Potts, this is a tale as old as time and it is about time Disney put their wonderful spin on it! Beloved composer Randy Newman is back, so this is a Disney film in the spirit of the classic Disney princess films like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty and so on. Plus, Disney’s first African-American princess!!! It’s a landmark moment.

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee – Rent



Robin Wright Penn stars as Pippa Lee, a woman who has everything but who also has led many lives. When she starts to tire of her “charmed existence,” she realizes that it isn’t too late to start a new one. Blake Lively co-stars as a young Pippa, and Keanu Reeves plays older Pippa’s reason for awakening. This sounds like a truly great story with rich characters and the kind of balance between funny and poignant that I adore.

Don't Judge Me: Excited Over a Sequel Edition

Whilst reading up on the latest movie news this morning, I discovered that shooting will begin next month in Atlanta on a sequel to my favorite movie from 2007: Stomp the Yard.

Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming will take place four years after the first film, but returning director Rob Hardy promises that we "might see some familiar faces." He must mean in addition to the first film's star Columbus Short, who has already signed on to reprise his role as DJ. Actors Collins Pennie and Pooch Hall, as well as last year's So You Think You Can Dance runner-up Stephen Boss (who will reportedly play the film's antagonist, Taz), have also joined the cast.

I know I am over the age of 16 and that these dance-themed teen movies are starting to outnumber the Wayans brothers' "________ Movie" films, but I fucking LOVED Stomp the Yard and I just can't help myself. I AM SO EXCITED that there is going to be a sequel!!!

Don't judge me. Please.

Volume I of the 'Glee' Soundtrack Released Today

The first volume of music from my favorite new show of 2009, Glee, sees its official release today! The physical copy of the disc is going for $8.99 on Amazon* as of press time.

The album consists of 17 song selections from the first half of the show's opening season, "Road to Sectionals," including the pilot hit "Don't Stop Believin'" and duets with Kristen Chenoweth! But, listeners, be warned! The disc includes two songs that have yet to air on TV so prepare for song spoilers (although most likely these are the songs that will be used in the next episode that airs).

Ryan Murphy has mentioned a plan to release a gigantic soundtrack of the entire first season catalog next summer, so don't fret about future releases. They will happen.

*Note: Speaking of Amazon music pricing...

Dear Amazon,

I think at this point in our relationship it is clear that I am a loyal, loving customer. Which is why I come to you know with nothing by love in my heart to say what the FUCK is wrong with you??? How do you expect to compete with iTunes when you start charging way less for physical releases than you do for digital album downloads?! Four dollars difference* is pretty significant. That shit has got to go. I bought Carrie Underwood's Play On this morning because it was only a dollar more and I was desperate, but I wasn't happy about it! Please get back on track making digital downloads cheaper than physical releases and all will be right in the world again.

Big Hugs,
AJ

Pop-Corn: Random Pop Culture Tidbits

The following pop culture tidbits made me squeal with excitement that only a 9-year-old girl receiving her first pony could imitate:

First off, Sir Anthony Hopkins has been cast in the much talked about Kenneth Branagh film Thor. Sir Hopkins will be playing Odin, King of Asgard and father of Thor and Loki. I love Anthony Hopkins and everything he has ever put his name on, so this just became the best Kenneth Branagh film ever made. Thor tells the story of an Asgard warrior (Thor) who is banished to Earth by his father Odin after reigniting an ancient war with his reckless and arrogant behavior. While on Earth, he learns what it means to be a true hero when he comes face to face with an enemy from Asgard. The film is scheduled to begin production in January.

Another little tidbit that made me squeal with both figurative AND literal glee is the news that Matthew Morrison, who plays Mr. Will Schuester on the hit Fox series Glee (see: literal Glee), told Access Hollywood that he is near finalizing a record deal and will soon begin working on his first solo album! Morrison described the sound he has in mind for the album saying, “It’s going to be different. I would consider it a classier Justin Timberlake album. It’s going to be me and a big orchestra, but also with beats.” Can we say YES PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Unfortunately, Morrison did break the news that he most likely will not be involved in the Glee tour that is supposedly taking place at some point next year, saying, “Mr. Schuester likes to take his summer break.”

While we’re talking about Glee peeps, in the same article from Access Hollywood, they make mention of a news item from Billboard in which Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy stated that Lea Michele (who plays Rachel Berry) is also “considering” making a solo album. Hells yeah! That would be amazing. Her voice is so versatile; she could go in so many directions with a solo career. And I can’t get enough of her voice basically ever. I have listened to her version of Rihanna’s “Take a Bow” more than I care to admit here. Just know it’s a lot.



One final Glee-related tidbit! The above video is the cast of Glee, led by Amber Riley (who plays Mercedes Jones), performing the National Anthem before Game 3 of the 2009 World Series at Citizens Bank Park, which took place on Halloween!

Now, here is a tidbit that didn’t make me squeal with glee, but instead gave me reason to pause and shed a single, glistening tear under the fluorescent lights shining over my cubicle, mourning the loss of what could have been and the possible end of an era:

Just when NBC’s Heroes is starting to get good again (and I mean really, really good—CIRCUS GANG = WIN!!!), an anonymous source has gone to Airlock Alpha to report that Peacock execs are planning on pulling the plug and soon. The source says that executives are going to ask the producers to “start winding the show down” in an attempt to pull the plug on the series with some advance warning so that the show can have a proud exit. The source says there is a possibility they would ask the show to end as early as May (the end of the current 2009-2010 season) as there is some massive NBC plot to change things up for the 2010-2011 season (supposedly to include not having Leno on five nights a week at 10!). While absolutely none of this has been confirmed with anyone at NBC and should thus be labeled RUMOR, it pretty much resonates with the direction Heroes has been heading over the last couple of years (hence why I feel the need to mention it here). The show had an explosive opening season that redefined action television for years to come. However, its second and third seasons paled in comparison and left much to be desired in terms of storylines, characters and basically everything ever. The current fourth season has been getting the show back on track with a simplified, concise set of storylines and the elimination of motifs that have been beaten to death longer than the will they or won’t they of Ross and Rachel. If this is true, it will be sad to see Heroes go, mostly because it never lived up to the expectations set by the first season. But it won’t be “cancelled before its time” sad. More like “goodbye, dear friend” sad. You know what I mean. The final word from the source was that the execs he or she kept referring to will make their decision closer to midseason, so we should all wait and see whether or not there is any truth to this one.

But let's end on a high note, shall we?

Kelly Clarkson is amazing:



*Images: The Cinema Source, TV Guide, NBC, Rickey.org*

Today is the Premiere of Britney's '3' Video

Today is a very special day because in a few hours Britney Spears is going to premiere the new music video for her brand new single, "3."

Britney has stated that she will tweet a link to where the video can be screened sometime today. Follow Britney's Twitter to stay in the loop!

Can't wait that long? Head over to BritneySpears.com to check out a few 5-second sneak peek clips from the video.

This post will be updated later once the video is released. Count it out! One, two, three...

UPDATE 9:30am:

Someone has posted a low-quality leak to TwitVid. I am not going to watch it because I'd rather wait a few more hours for the real thing, but feel free to click here if you are interested in LQ leaks.

UPDATE 10:22am:

IT IS HERE!!! IT IS FINALLY HERE!!! Watch Britney's "3" music video below or click here to watch it on BritneySpears.com now!!!



My reactions:

- Her bangs are FIERCE.

- I love the simplicity of this video and how they focused entirely on choreography. It looks amazing. I basically love everything about it ever. Totally lives up to my expectations.

- I am disgruntled that the radio edit for a song about a threesome 1. exists and 2. changes "living in sin" to "living like this." We can't say "sin" on the radio, but we can sing about threesomes? For reals?

- She looks like she's having fun.

Post your thoughts about Britney's new video in the comments section, peeps!

These Are My Confessions: Classical Music Edition

Every single time I see this American Express commercial:



I think of this scene from the Judging Amy episode "A Pretty Good Day" (4x08):

*This post is dedicated to SWTS reader, dear friend and fellow Judging Amy mocker, Krystal.*

WTF: Things That Are WACK This Week

In this issue: deceased Chris Farley advertises DirecTV just in time for Halloween; a girl threatens to cook her cat if Miley doesn’t come back to Twitter (you read that correctly); the BBC thinks way too highly of their original programming; and theeeeeeeese Hulu gaaaaa aaa aaa ames are teeeeaaaaaring me apart.

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DirecTV Ad Uses Farley and Spade from ‘Tommy Boy’



You may have already seen the above television commercial for DirecTV (big fan and customer, hiiiiieee!) during some of your own television-watching, but if you haven’t take a look. When you first see Chris Farley back on your TV, it’s a little off-putting, maybe shocking, maybe just slightly surprising. But then you realize, oh!, it’s just one of those clever DirecTV ads where actors and actresses revive one of their classic movie roles to advertise for the satellite television provider. No big thang! Apparently, using a scene from a film with one of the deceased stars is not okay with some people. David Spade, Farley’s close friend and frequent co-star, has received a lot of backlash for participating in the ad campaign. Reports from Gawker and the Inquisitr accuse Spade and DirecTV of sullying Farley’s memory by trotting clips of his films out in an effort to profit off of his memory, the commercial is in poor taste and so on. Spade told People magazine, “The movie is important to me, and I would hate to offend [anyone] because that's one of my favorite things I've ever done. So, I would apologize to someone who took it that way.” I admit that I was shocked when I first saw the commercial, but mostly just at the fact that Chris Farley was on my TV again and I wasn’t watching Black Sheep on Comedy Central! I think this ad campaign from DirecTV is wonderful and entertaining (I thought that long before this Tommy Boy ad). I mean, it doesn’t involve cavemen or geckos so it’s a winner in my book. Do I think it’s weird and awkward to see a dead man advertising a company that was just starting out when he died? Sure. Do I think Spade and the DirecTV ad execs sat around a table drinking champagne plotting how to make money off of Spade’s dead friend? Certainly not.

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The Miley-Leaves-Twitter Aftermath Still Reigns

This is real. I repeat: This is real.* The aftermath of Miley Cyrus quitting social networking site Twitter is still going strong! One creepily zealous Miley Cyrus fan has decided to sacrifice her pet—and by “sacrifice,” I mean cook and eat her cat, Fuzzy—if Miley Cyrus does not give in to her demands and rejoin Twitter by November 16. Otherwise, and this is a direct quote from the website, “Fuzzy will part with his life and become a meal.” Look, I can’t even begin to describe the crazy that is going on here. It is imperative that you visit the Miley Save Fuzzy website yourself to read the entirety of this chick’s tirade on why she needs Miley to come back to Twitter and what she will do if Miley does not. Seriously. You will either laugh forever or call PETA. Either way, you need to know this is the kind of world we live in. For realz.

*Note: Obviously, it would be 1. a huge relief and 2. hilarious if this turns out to be an elaborate internet prank. But the girl specifically states, “This is NOT a prank or a hoax. I am not joking, even if some will choose to interpret it that way. Cooking a cat is not illegal in my country, in fact it's part of our culture. I'm not asking for money or any other benefit. Fuzzy is my cat and I will not entertain any offers of selling or giving him away. If Miley doesn't tweet again, this WILL happen, and I'm as serious as a heart attack.” For Fuzzy’s sake, I am taking her word for it.

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BBC Wants to Make Their Shows Available Internationally

When I started reading this article from the Telegraph, which starts out by stating that the British Broadcasting Company is developing a plan to make their television programs available on the internet for non-UK viewers via a global iPlayer, I was pleased. It’s about time TV stopped being held in by geographical borders! And then I continued reading. BBC wants to charge for this service, which is fine and makes total sense (read: not a Hulu situation) considering the fact that British cable companies and advertisers cannot profit from international viewers. I can definitely see people, especially those living in countries that do not develop a lot of original programming, signing up for a subscription service to use this BBC iPlayer to watch programs in real time rather than waiting the months or years it typically takes to get UK programs in their own countries. Then I read even further: “Executives say that global audiences would be prepared to pay $10 for an episode of hit programs like Torchwood, the Doctor Who spin-off starring John Barrowman.”* Um, NO, Executives, no they would not!!! Nowhere on this planet will you ever find anyone who would be willing to pay more than $1.99 to download a single episode of a television program and even those people would be unwilling to pay even that much just to STREAM one episode of a television program! You have to be out of your fucking minds!!! And what a perfect segue into our next WTF item…

*Note: That sentence from the article refers to this direct quote from a Mr. Luke Bradley Jones, who leads digital operations in the US for BBC Worldwideand serves as the managing director of BBC.com: “Millions of people love Torchwood and would probably pay 10 bucks an episode rather than two bucks.”

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The Hulu Debate Goes On



Last week, some sound bytes hit the wire from a Deputy Chairman at News Corps during a conference in which he discussed the prospect that Hulu will start charging for its services as early as 2010. Now, anonymous “Hulu insiders” are running to leak information to the media to calm the internet TV watching public’s fears. In the wee hours of yesterday morning, I came across this article from Entertainment Weekly that states, “Contrary to widespread web reports, the wildly popular TV and movies streaming website Hulu is not planning to start charging for all its content — although you would certainly be forgiven for thinking so.” First, the reason people, especially those who read EW.com, should be forgiven for thinking so is because EW.com published an article that said rather definitively that Hulu will start charging in 2010 and then added shadily, “some content will probably continue to be offered free of charge,” which completely twists the actual statement from Deputy Chairman Carey published at B&C: “Carey says that while throwing up a pay-wall around all content is not the answer, it doesn’t mean there wont be fees for some specially-created content and TV previews.” The vagueness of EW’s reporting aside, I am here to say that these anonymous insiders are neither calming nor aggravating me anymore than I was last week. I have a pretty good idea of what will happen to Hulu eventually. I’m confident that most television shows from the Big Four networks and even some big players from the cable networks will still be free—at least for a limited time (it might be smart to only offer currently airing season episodes for free for a limited time and then make them subscribers-only after a certain point). And this morning when I was streaming Legend of the Seeker from Netflix, I got to thinking how nice it is to stream something without commercials. There are definitely reasons to pay for a subscription to a site like Hulu, but this game is turning into an internet versus cable face-off. If people have to pay to watch TV on their televisions and online, then that forces them to chose one method of viewing. The average consumer is smart enough to avoid double-dipping as blatant as that. If Hulu and its competitors want to move toward this model of charging for their unique online content like exclusive clips and what not, great! I never watch that stuff anyway. If they want to charge to watch shows from premium channels like Dexter and True Blood and charge less than it costs to actually get those channels with your cable package, super! Plenty of people would be into that. But if they ever think they will get people to pay for basic cable shows as they air, they are out of their minds.


And THAT was the Week in WTF!

Another Blast from My Childhood Past

Reading an article about Barbies coming out in 2010 led me down one of those internet wormhole path thingies and I ended up listening to Jem songs on YouTube. I just wanted to post the theme song here (above) for memories and also to let you know that I was completely, utterly, thoroughly, entirely obsessed with this show when I was a small child and wanted desperately to be a crimefighting pop singer with neon pink hair.

UPDATE 9:51pm 30 October 2009:

Whoooooaaaaa whoa whoa whoa. Coincidence of all coincidences: I just found this article from Out.com in which author Noah Michelson interviews Samantha Newark, the voice of JEM!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks, PTBs!!!

What AJ is Watching: Fall 2009 Updates

***Click the image to enlarge. Key: Red = new shows; Blue = shows that will start soon; Black = on previous schedule; Highlighted Black = ending before January.***

It feels like just yesterday I was planning my lovely fall 2009 schedule and posting it here. And now there are already so many changes that I felt it necessary to provide an update.

I removed Drop Dead Diva, Psych and Mad Men from the schedule. DDD and Psych ended already (although Psych will return in January) while Mad Men is scheduled to air its second season finale on Sunday November 8 (thank goodness).

And I've added a couple new shows to the schedule, including a few returning favorites like Scrubs and The Closer and some new shows like USA's White Collar, which premiered last Friday. The pilot was shown with limited commercial interruptions, which meant it was longer than your average 42-minute episode so those of us who watched were able to get into the show a bit more than what is expected from a pilot. It was quite charming with entirely lovable characters. The tone and mixture of comedy, drama and action fit right in with the rest of USA's family of shows. The chemistry between Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay is perfection. I love them as a team at first sight. White Collar is definitely not anywhere near a rip-off or copy of TNT's con artist series Leverage, but it is proving a nice distraction from that show's absence. I'm glad I tuned in to the pilot and will definitely continue to watch. Even if it is just to see Willie Garson's face.

Also new on the schedule is ABC's new sci-fi series, V, which is scheduled to premiere Tuesday November 3 . V will include a couple of familiar faces (AKA reasons to watch) like Firefly's Morena Baccarin and Alan Tudyk and Lost's Elizabeth Mitchell*. The show is based on Kenneth Johnson's 1983 two-part miniseries of the same name. V tells the story of aliens called The Visitors who claim to come to Earth in peace, but are really trying to take over the world as Mitchell's FBI agent character Erica Evans soon finds out. It's a got a little BSG and a little Terminator in there, thus I'm so stoked I can use the word stoked sincerely!

Another show set to premiere in the coming weeks is the brilliant fantasy series created by Evil Dead director Sam Raimi called Legend of the Seeker. The show is based on Terry Goodkind's The Sword of Truth series (books, people, books). I am actually in the process of watching the show's first season on Netflix Watch Instantly (I'm four episodes in as of press time). Over the summer, I kept hearing all about Legend of the Seeker and thought that 1. it was a British import and 2. that it has been around for a long time. I figured I would check it out eventually. Then a couple days ago I read that the show was only going on its second season AND that the new season hasn't started yet! So, I jumped at the chance to add it to my schedule. So far, so awesome! The show is literally gorgeous (they shoot in New Zealand and the cinematography is just breathtaking). And it's definitely soothing my Merlin* withdrawals with its heartwarming adventure stories and AMAZING ACTION SEQUENCES. Legend of the Seeker is nationally syndicated, so broadcast networks and air times vary across the country. Click here to search for listings in your area. You can enter in your zip code and cable provider. This is an alternate link for finding local listings, which I found less helpful for rural areas.

Finally, in December TNT's original series Men of a Certain Age will premiere. This show stars Ray Romano, who I really didn't love at all during the Everybody Loves Raymond years, but this show looks really fantastic. He's co-starring with Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula. It's a little Desperate Housewives/Golden Girls, but about middle aged men. It looks smart, funny and genuine. So, I'll be there! Plus, I pretty much give anything TNT has to offer a try (Saving Grace and Trust Me being its only failures so far, in my opinion).

On the side, I totally gave in a couple weeks ago and watched the first disc of Ally McBeal season one. Nothing was on and I didn't want to go to sleep and it was sitting there looking so watchable! I haven't made significant progress, but it is so good to be watching this show again. I am still in awe that it was finally released on DVD let alone that the complete series came out right away and that I have it here in my home! Calista Flockhart, you.are.exquisite.

That should cover things until January! Sound off in the comments section about what you're watching, what you're not watching, what you wish you were watching!!!


*Note: As I have yet to watch Lost (summer 2010, people!), I know Mitchell as Dr. Kim Legaspi from ER.

*Note: The second season of Merlin is currently airing in Britain, but it won't come here until the summer. Hence the withdrawals.