Stalking With the Stars

MDNA: The Dawn of a New Madonna Era

2012-02-01T03:26:00.001-05:00

In what is surely some of the most exciting news of 2012 (at least so far), Madonna is making her official return to music this year. There were rumblings toward the end of 2011, but now there are all kinds of details floating around so it's time to share 'em!

First and foremost, the pop queen will release her twelfth studio album, MDNA, on March 26th. The album title is a play on the artist's own name, and the similarity to the drug MDMA is nothing more than a publicity-generating side effect.

Of course, March 26th is still a little ways off and Madonna's fans have been waiting quite some time for her to get back in the studio and deliver some new tunes. This will be Madge's first album in four years so to say the anticipation is high is beyond an understatement. Luckily, we only have to wait a couple more days to hear Madge's first new song since 2009's "Revolver."

The first single from MDNA, "Give Me All Your Luvin'," features M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj. The music video will premiere during tomorrow's American Idol (Thursday February 2nd, 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT on Fox). If you don't watch AI, never fear! The video will be posted online the next morning at 9am EST. Madonna will then perform the single, along with a medley of her hits, live at the Super Bowl Halftime Show on Sunday February 5th.

Of course, there may be some people out there who simply cannot wait until Friday. Well, you're in luck! The soundtrack to Madonna's directorial debut, W.E., was released this week and it features the Golden Globe-winning song "Masterpiece." The track was written and composed by Madonna, Julie Frost, and Jimmy Harry and produced by longtime Madge collaborator William Orbit. "Masterpiece" will reportedly be included on MDNA.

As a lifelong (I literally listened to Madonna in the womb) Madonna fan, I am pretty excited about her return to music and this dawn of a new era. Judging from the glossy album cover (above), the fact that she's collaborated with hot hip hop artists, and the copycat scandal I heard about last fall that compared an MDNA song to Nicola Roberts' "Beat of My Drum," I say we are definitely in for some hard-hitting dance music that may have more of an urban, gritty vibe than past albums like Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005) and Hard Candy (2008). But since it's Madonna, at the end of the day, I have no real clue. We'll have to see what "Give Me All Your Luvin'" brings come Friday morning!

2011 in Review: Better Late Than Never Edition

2012-01-31T08:24:00.009-05:00

It took me the first full month of the year, but I was finally able to process the glorious year that was 2011. At least I got it done before February! Here’s my official 2011 wrap-up and review:

Music

This was an amazing year for music. I simply cannot stress that enough. There are albums that were released in 2011 that I truly cannot imagine ever living without. I’m talking all kinds of music—rock, country, pop. Everyone had a phenomenal year. The great thing about it is that a lot of the momentum that started building in 2011 is going to keep going right through 2012. We have new albums from 90s rock greats Foo Fighters and Bush; we will soon have new albums from their peers Garbage and No Doubt. I think 2011 definitely raised the bar a little bit on the variety of music we need and the level artists have to reach.

Some personal highlights:

- Britney Spears releasing Femme Fatale and embarking on her Femme Fatale Tour.

I got a chance to catch the show when she stopped in Washington, D.C. It was my second time seeing the Living Legend live . It was a spectacular show and a night I will never forget—which can be largely attributed to the fantastic material this era gave us.

- Miranda Lambert barreling ahead with Four the Record and the Pistol Annies.

The Pistol Annies’ debut, Hell on Heels, is one of the aforementioned 2011 albums that I cannot imagine ever living without. My greatest fear is that the trio won’t release another. And then there was Miranda’s fourth solo effort, Four the Record. Three months after its release and I’m still blasting this nonstop. I’m sure the fact that I just saw her on tour last week has something to do with it, but it’s also because FTR is another amazing album from a truly amazing artist.

Other 2011 albums of note (I have a feeling I’m forgetting some!):

Foo Fighters – Wasting Light (another one I can’t imagine living without)
Florence + The Machine – Ceremonials
Adele – 21
Bush – The Sea of Memories
Cher Lloyd – Sticks + Stones
Nicola Roberts – Cinderella’s Eyes
Kelly Clarkson – Stronger
Chris Young – Neon (I can’t live without the title track)

Movies

Since starting this blog, I’ve had to admit to myself that I am more of a television person than a cinephile. Going to the movies is grueling for homebodies like me. It is also ridiculously expensive. But I do the best I can between Netflix and sporadic trips to the theater. 2011 was no different. Here are some highlights:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

The eighth and final installment of the Harry Potter film franchise opened in mid-July. I remember both anxiously awaiting opening day and desperately wanting it never to arrive. When I finally did get into the theater, the emotions started overwhelming me the second the WB logo appeared on the screen. The film itself was a beautiful piece of work fitting to serve as the finale to such a tremendous series of films. I’m looking forward to owning the entire series one day so I can marathon them any time I please.

Ryan Gosling

He had three movies this year: Drive, Crazy. Stupid. Love, and The Ides of March. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing all three so I speak with confidence when I say that Ryan Gosling is one of the most consistently fantastic actors I have ever come across. It isn’t that I like the films he’s in (truth: outside of his performance, Ides was pretty weak). It’s that I love the way he fills out the roles he’s been landing. Gosling is one of the rare performers who you believe in each role. He doesn’t just play a version of himself over and over again but with different circumstances. He plays the part, the part doesn’t play him. I could really talk about Gosling’s fabulousness all day long. I know he’s said in a few interviews over the last couple years that he doesn’t think he will act forever. I hope the day he stops acting is a very far way off in the future.

The return of the Muppets

I think The Muppets was a special cinematic event for me for two reasons: 1. I genuinely love the Muppets. I was fortunate enough to grow up with them—from watching classic Muppet Show reruns on Nickelodeon to watching Muppets Tonight in real time—and I am fortunate enough to still enjoy them in adulthood. 2. I find it interesting and enjoyable to watch people make their dreams come true, and that is just what Jason Segel did when he got to write and star in a movie with the Muppets. The movie was a true delight. And fun fact: I’m rocking out to the soundtrack right now as I write this.

Additional personal film-related highlights:

X-Men: First Class – I knew Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy were amazing, but I was not prepared for the level of awesome they reached as a duo

Captain America – In part, this was special because I saw it the day I went to the Femme Fatale Tour. But seriously, 2012 needs more Chris Evans.

Bridesmaids – I didn’t get to see this in theaters so I was late to the game, but DAMN! What a phenomenal movie and a giant leap for comediennes (i.e., lady comics).

Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game of Shadows – An absolutely fantastic sequel. I’m already itching for a third. And this is the first movie I can recall that had a scene in it that just at the thought of it makes me burst into giggles (Sherlock on the pony).

Television

This past year, I definitely matured as a television viewer. I became more discerning, my instincts sharpened. I’ve brought myself to a point where I can evaluate a show based on its synopsis and cast and crew to determine if it is worth my time or not. And after that, I’ve figured out how to cut a show from my schedule if it isn’t keeping me invested. And now, I’m happier. Goodbye, Glee and Covert Affairs!

Some television highlights:

Got caught up with Parks & Recreation

I remember back when Parks & Rec started, it was a dark time for me and television. ER had just ended after 15 glorious years and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles was on death’s door. I was pretty distraught. I remember being excited that Amy Poehler had left SNL and now had a show of her own, just like Tina Fey, but I also thought it looked like a lame reimagining of The Office. So I didn’t give it a second thought. Not until things exploded for P&R on the wonderful interwebs. And I’ve been trying to carve out time to get on the P&R train ever since. It finally happened this year and now I am a loyal and passionate Parks & Rec fan for life. Let’s put it this way: I feel the same way about P&R as I do about the Pistol Annies’ record—I cannot imagine my life without these characters and these jokes and Pawnee.

BBC America’s Dramaville

Another facet of my maturation as a television viewer was that I started branching out beyond the small handful of cable channels I watch, thus taking better advantage of what I pay for. Thanks to the hallmark simultaneous UK/US premieres of new episodes of Doctor Who, I learned all about BBC America and started watching it for more than just reruns of Kitchen Nightmares. Most importantly, I found Dramaville, which is BBCA’s nighttime programming with all the great British dramas. I finally got to see the original State of Play miniseries, which I’d been meaning to do since I saw the American film adaptation back in 2009. I got to catch the second season of Luther before it came to North America on DVD. And I know there are more great things to come in my future thanks to BBCA.

Goodbyes

2011 wasn’t without its tough times though. I had to endure some pretty rough goodbyes. Here are but a few of them (soundtrack supplied: Boyz II Men, “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday”):

The Harry Potter film franchise – There are no words.

Britney Spears’ Femme Fatale era – I will forever mourn that we didn’t get a video for “Inside Out.”

ABC Family’s original series Greek – I miss you, Cappie.

Friday Night Lights – More specifically, Tim Riggins, the Taylors, and Dillon, Texas.

***SPOILER ALERT: The Vampire Diaries season 2***

Aunt Jenna Gilbert – By far, the most shocking and difficult death to deal with from 2011 television.

And that's 2011! There is already so much to be grateful for in 2012 and I know there are a ton more surprises in store, but I definitely wanted to honor 2011 properly before we get too far along into the new year. And now I have. Hurray!

More Details on the Upcoming Garbage Album

2012-01-30T02:36:00.007-05:00

***** UPDATED. TWICE! *****

Last October, I posted the news that the first new Garbage album in seven years was coming this spring. And that's all the news I've posted so far about this epic event. Until today of course!

I've been following every tiny detail about this for the better part of a year, but nothing has really been big enough to post about until now. The cogs and wheels are starting to loosen in place and prepare for major movement. So far, we've got an official website relaunch and an album title.

Over the weekend, the band relaunched their official website, which up until that point had simply been their logo with the message "coming soon." Now we have an open line of communication right from their main hub of information, which Garbage has since used to post a welcome message, a video, and a word scramble game (that's since been taken down) that revealed their album title. For those of you who missed the scramble, the album title looks to be Not Your Kind of People. That phrase gives me a real feeling of being a misfit and loving it, which is one of the first reasons I ever connected with Garbage as a band way back when they were starting out.

The video they posted, shown below, has clips of the band doing a promo shoot and a few members talking about how the album is—wait for it—FINISHED! Yes, that's right. The album is officially complete. All the tracks have been mastered and are ready for release. I'm sure very soon we'll have an album release date, a first single name and release date, and a full album tracklist, pre-order, the works! Check out the video for yourself and relish the fact that new music from these amazing and talented people is coming soon:

As a lifelong fan of Garbage, I feel extremely giddy about all of this. I know it's been a really long time with this slow leak of information and it's probably still going to be awhile before we get to hear anything new. But it just feels like this really special time right now, the calm before the storm, where you can just sit and prepare yourself for what's to come. I've started putting all Garbage albums, remixes, and b-sides on heavy rotation. I'm falling in love with songs I've known for over a decade all over again and finding new meanings behind my favorite lyrics. I can't wait for a new era of rock and pop music lovers to be introduced to Garbage and fall in love with them, too.

Updated 1:33pm:

BREAKING NEWS!!! Garbage just published a press release with even more details!

Not Your Kind of People will be released on May 15, 2012 via the band's own record label, STUNVOLUME.

Furthermore, the band is not going to waste any time between the release and hitting the road. They are hard at work putting a tour together. So far, they've got some EU dates and a few festivals lined up, but they say more are being confirmed and announced soon!

I know May seems like a very long time to wait, but at least we will have a single coming before that! And what's a few more months' wait after seven years?

UPDATED 8:26am 31 January 2012:

Hey, Anony Moose! I KNOW! I logged in yesterday morning to post the Garbage news and saw your comment. I was like, "OH NO ANONY DI-INT!" I, too, hope No Doubt gets it together the way Garbage has. I actually stopped following the ND album saga because they were drawing every little thing out. My dream would be for a joint tour (Shirley and Gwen are besties, after all!), but if that doesn't happen I have to admit that I am more interested in seeing Garbage. I'm getting a little ahead of myself. The point is that the 90s alt rock queens are back!

This news and a new Madonna single in the same week?? I feel like a teenager again!

Kellie Pickler's 100 Proof: A Review

2012-01-26T12:15:00.005-05:00

Kellie Pickler released her third studio album, 100 Proof, this week.

I’ve been looking forward to this album ever since Pickler finished promoting her last record, which came out in 2009. But the anticipation has really been killing me since “Tough”, the first single from 100 Proof, was released to radio early last summer. It’s been seven long months of reading articles and wondering, but 100 Proof is finally here. And it’s Pickler’s finest work yet.

Though I received my copy in the mail (I went old school for Kellie and bought the physical disc) the afternoon of its release on Tuesday, I waited until the next morning to give it a first listen because I wasn’t feeling well. That is how serious I am about this album. I wanted to be in the right headspace to enjoy it and evaluate it objectively. So I played it for the first time Wednesday morning on the way to work. I sat in the passenger’s seat in complete silence and took in every note, every word, every twangy strum of the banjos and mandolins. I haven’t been able to stop listening to it since.

Like I said, I’ve been looking forward to this album for a long time. I’ve read a lot of interviews where Pickler discussed her goals for the album. She wanted to make a record that reflected her roots, the kind of country music that she grew up with and that inspires her. At one point, the quote was that she wanted to make “dirty” country music that was rough around the edges (just like Pickler describes herself in “Tough”). Considering what massive success Miranda Lambert and the Pistol Annies have found recently doing that, I knew that the time couldn’t be better for Pickler to—as the second track on 100 Proof says—“unlock that honky tonk.”

And that’s the first thought I had when the music started playing. The album opener, “Where’s Tammy Wynette,” has Pickler pining for a honky tonk angel—a reference to Wynette’s collaboration with fellow classic country superstars Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn—while she sounds a lot like one herself. From there, Pickler gets more fired up and commands, “Don’t tell me country’s gone!” as she blasts her way through the second track, a surefire future hit, “Unlock That Honky Tonk.”

The next two songs see Pickler demonstrating something country gets right every time—heartbreak. With “Stop Cheatin’ On Me” and “Long As I Never See You Again,” Pickler takes us through experiences that would make anyone grow a thick skin, which she tells us all about on “Tough.”

But it’s not all sorrow and misery on 100 Proof. The second half of the album is what happens once you recover from the heartbreak and finally find some peace and happiness [“Turn On the Radio and Dance” and “Rockaway (the Rockin’ Chair Song)”]. Even the tear-jerking track “Mother’s Day”—a sort of follow-up to Pickler’s hit “I Wonder” (from her first album) that explores the way her mother leaving her as a child impacts her in adulthood—has a positive twist to it. And the wonderful thing is that, even though the figurative tune changes in the later songs, the album’s sound is consistent throughout. 100 Proof delivers authentic country music through and through.

If I’ve learned anything about 100 Proof from listening to it nonstop the last couple days, it’s that this is the most personal album Kellie Pickler has released to date—in everything from its sound and style to its subject matter. From start to finish, 100 Proof is the story of what Pickler’s been through since her last album and who she’s grown up to be. It’s safe to say that she has definitely matured in her songwriting, as well as her singing. And this is what I love about albums that aren’t firsts. It’s wonderful and inspiring to see an artist, who clearly spent the start of her career working on her craft and learning about herself and the music business, finally come to a place where she can afford and enjoy being her authentic self as a woman and a musician. It’s a great thing to witness as a fan of the artist and a fan of music.

So, just in case it wasn’t clear, I am so pleased with 100 Proof. It lived up to all the expectations I had for it after reading about the process for so long. The only disappointment is that it is quite short compared to most albums (about 34 minutes), but I’m not going to complain about that. I’m so excited to have more Kellie Pickler music to enjoy, and good country music at that!

My favorites right now (i.e., if I am forced to pick only a few—in reality, all of them are my faves):

- “Where’s Tammy Wynette”

- “Unlock That Honky Tonk”

- “100 Proof” (this is actually the second/current single)

PS – This has been a fantastic country week for me! A new Kellie Pickler album, Carrie Underwood announced that she’s releasing a new single next month, AND I am seeing Miranda Lambert and Chris Young in concert tomorrow night. WOO WOOOOOOO!!!!! Or, better yet, YEEHAW!!!!!!!!!

Reactions to the 2012 Oscar Nominations

2012-01-24T09:07:00.003-05:00

The nominations for the 84th Annual Academy Awards are officially out! Click here to see the complete list and check out my reactions below:

- I got chills when they read Melissa McCarthy’s name for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Bridesmaids and I shouted excitedly for Bridesmaids scribes Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo who were nominated for Best Original Screenplay. This film deserves all of the buzz and acclaim and accolades that come its way. I am truly pleased.

- I am so happy for Glenn Close. I know Albert Nobbs has been a lifetime passion project for her so, though I haven’t had the opportunity to see it yet, I am incredibly happy for her that her hard work was recognized in this way.

- I continue to be shocked by Beginners being this silent contender all this time. I’ve had it on my Netflix queue for a couple months, but only because I caught Ewan McGregor’s most recent delightful appearance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, remembered how much I love Ewan, and added his latest film immediately. Aside from that, I never heard anything about it before the Golden Globes.

- Because of the Golden Globes, I am not at all shocked by all the love for The Artist. I do have to say though that this is another film I hadn’t heard one single thing about until recently when a friend mentioned she wanted to try to see it in theaters.

- I haven’t had the chance to see this yet either (side note: This whole experience has only increased my bitterness toward my local theater. I fear nothing will ever be for my consideration…), but I know already that Gary Oldman’s nomination for his role in Tinker Tailor Solider Spy is well-deserved. I jumped when I heard his name mostly because I love him and am happy for him to be honored with a nomination, but also because I love me a good surprise nom.

- The biggest and best surprise nomination, of course, goes to EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE!!! This film has gotten no love whatsoever from any other film institution and everyone has been wondering and waiting to see what would happen with it. I am so excited that this happened! And for this film, I plan on being prepared. I’ve owned the book for a good six years, but am only just now reading it. I’m hoping the film will play at my local theater before the ceremony next month, but if not—I just may have to go on a journey to find a legitimate theater.

- I'm pretty surprised Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross were not nominated for their work on The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo score. I am sad, but I can't be too mad since they won last year. Trent is well on his way to EGOTing.

Like all awards shows, the Academy Awards are not without fault, but this whole experience is still fun in its own way each year. I’m looking forward to finding out who takes home an Oscar next month!

The 84th Annual Academy Awards air Sunday February 26th at 8pm ET on ABC.

Ladyhawke Debuts New Single

2012-01-24T06:02:00.002-05:00

New Zealand electro-pop singer-songwriter Ladyhawke is gearing up for the spring release of her long-awaited sophomore album, Anxiety. This week, the Ladyhawke camp posted her new single, "Black White & Blue," online in advance of its February 20th release. Check it out:

You may remember Ladyhawke from her absolutely fantastic 2008 self-titled debut album that spawned hit singles like "Paris is Burning" and "Magic." She also performed a notable acoustic cover of the Britney Spears pop anthem "Womanizer."

That cover is actually how I first heard of Ladyhawke and I was so glad when I finally looked into her music because her first album is truly great. It's one of those rare albums that fits any occasion. Driving in the car, doing chores around the house, concentrating incredibly hard on something tedious while sitting in a beige cubicle. On the surface, Ladyhawke delivers killer dance beats with soulful lyrics. And underneath all that, there is this calming undercurrent that lulls you into a state of peace. That sounds incredibly over the top, but I think it's that balance of calm and loud that makes her music so fantastic and malleable.

I haven't seen an official confirmation of a U.S. release date, but Anxiety will be released in Australia and the U.K. on March 19th. Hopefully, a North American release will follow soon after that.

Newcomers The Good Mad Offer First Single for Free

2012-01-23T16:17:00.002-05:00

Thanks to the great minds behind ABC Family's The Lying Game, I've just been introduced to a wonderful new band called The Good Mad.

Lying Game star Allie Gonino, who plays little sister Laurel to lead character Sutton on the show, is not only a fine actress with a role on a hit series. She is also an incredibly talented musician who plays in a band called The Good Mad.

The trio is comprised of Gonino, Adam Brooks, and Andy Fischer-Price (mhmm). Their music is a beautiful, soft mixture of folk and country. They've got everything from harmonica and fiddle to ukelele mixed in their sound, creating a truly lovely combination. The guys recently appeared on an episode of The Lying Game ("Pleased to Meet Me" 1x13) as a house band playing a party. Gonino's character joined them on stage for a special performance.

Normally, when I see TV or film characters demonstrate a musical talent, I am moved to learn more about the actor playing the character to see if music is a part of the person's life outside of acting. I don't know why. I just love finding out about multi-talented people because they fascinate me. Viewers already knew that Laurel is a skilled violin player on the show, but this was the first episode where we got to hear her sing.

And that was just the motivation I needed to look past my fear of spoilers and do some internet research. That's how I found out about The Good Mad.

Of course, the names of the band members is just about all there is to find out right now. It turns out that the band just formed last summer and is busy working on making their first album. They debuted their first single, "What Money Paid For," on The Lying Game and are now offering it as a free MP3 download via PureVolume.

From the little I've heard from The Good Mad, I have to say that really love their harmonies and their overall sound. And at the risk of sounding old school, it's refreshing to see a young actress who is also involved in music being involved in this type of music versus the in-your-face dance pop that we get from so many other crossover stars. I love listening to that stuff, too, but like I said it's refreshing.

To check out The Good Mad and learn (a little) more about them, click here. To get right to the free download of their single, click here.

And don't forget! A brand new episode of The Lying Game premieres tonight at 9pm ET on ABC Family.

Gettin' a Bit Political: SOPA Blackout

2012-01-18T06:46:00.004-05:00

Please click here for more information.

2012 Awards Shows Calendar

2012-01-17T12:22:00.000-05:00

With the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony airing last Sunday night, the 2012 awards season is now officially in full swing.

I didn't used to be so into the awards shows because of the many issues that they bring in tow, but now I have a tradition with my BFF K. Fay where we watch each ceremony together and make picks and predictions and what not. So that makes it fun.

That being said, here are the upcoming key events that I will be paying close attention to this awards season:

- Tuesday January 24th - Oscar nominations (at 5:30am PST)

- Sunday January 29th - 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards - TNT and TBS

- Sunday February 12th - 54th Annual Grammy Awards - CBS

- Sunday February 26th - 84th Annual Academy Awards - ABC

I did take notes during the Golden Globes on Sunday night and I have a few highlights to share. But mostly, I'm sorry, but they were a huge snoozefest to me. Last year's show was much more exciting, and not even because host Ricky Gervais unleashed his full offensive comedian self on the audience and the HFPA. There were just more moments. This year, not so much. But like I said, there were a few things to highlight so stay tuned!

For more information on these and other special pop culture events, be sure to check Scheduling With the Stars.

What AJ is Watching: Winter 2012

2012-01-12T11:18:00.008-05:00

*Click to enlarge.*

Key:

- Shows that I already watch (whether returning or premiering) = Black

- New series I am going to check out = Red

I just realized this morning that, even though I made my chart over my winter break, I never actually posted my winter TV schedule here! So now I am righting that wrong. I know that many shows have yet to return from their winter hiatuses and/or debut, but it's definitely time to get organized and discuss!

I say this pretty much every season, but I am SO excited for the returning shows like Justified, White Collar, and The Lying Game. I seriously have been thinking nonstop about the cliffhangers for White Collar and The Lying Game; when I'm not thinking about those, I am trying to guess what in the world the writers for Justified will do next. I am just seriously SO excited.

I'm excited but not necessarily for the timing of the return of 30 Rock and the fourth season premiere of Merlin. I had really, really wanted to rewatch both shows before the new seasons started, but the timing didn't work out. Merlin actually sneaked up on me and I had no idea it was premiering until a week or so before it kicked off last Friday. I thought about holding off on starting both shows and just hoarding them on my DVR, but my TV-watching partner in crime does not want to wait on Merlin and the thought of new Liz Lemon moments passing me by and me not experiencing them in relatively real time...I couldn't bear it. So, those might turn into summer projects!

And in addition to the usual and returning suspects, there are a number of new series debuting this winter and spring. For the winter newbies, it probably goes without saying that the show I am most looking forward to (dare I say eager?) is J.J. Abrams' Alcatraz. In the words of Marguerite de Ghent from Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998), "I do love a good intrigue!" Impending alliteration aside, J.J. Abrams is a master of mystery and of creating long story arcs that maintain energy and hold viewers' interest. I have faith that Alcatraz will be just as engrossing as his other shows like Alias and Lost. I really can't wait to get that mystery started.

The only other new show I am super excited about is The Fades coming over to the States. It debuted in the UK last year and I've been hearing rave reviews ever since. I thought we'd have to wait much longer to catch the first series so I was pleasantly surprised when it was scheduled for a January 14th debut on BBCA's Sci-Fi Saturdays.

The winter season is in full force! Shows are premiering new episodes every night almost! Be sure to check Scheduling With the Stars for all the latest premiere dates and dates for special events.

Any new shows you're interested in watching? Looking forward to a returning favorite? Let us know!

Ask AJ: She Has All the Answers

2012-01-10T13:06:00.004-05:00

**** UPDATED ****

You asked and I'm answering! Here's a Batman-centric edition of Ask AJ:

I was wondering, what are your thoughts on the Dark Knight Rises? I am a huge fan of Batman, specifically Batman: The Animated Series, and I was wondering if you like Nolan's series and your thoughts on the last installment? I am beyond excited because I like Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and Christian Bale. As for Anne Hathaway—I would have preferred Rachel McAdams. What are your thoughts? – Anony Moose

First, I have to say that this is one of my favorite questions that I have ever been asked. I grew up desperately wanting to be Batgirl. Well, not necessarily Batgirl, but I wanted to be Batman's sidekick. I was pretty obsessed. And I still am. But Batman: The Animated Series is and always will be one of my personal favorite cartoons, as well as—in my objective opinion as a critic and fan of television—one of the most brilliant animated shows ever created. What I loved most about it is the way it didn't cave in and make a childish cartoon that was a censored look at Batman through rainbow sunglasses. It was true to the spirit of Batman as a troubled, mysterious caped crusader who could be viewed as a hero or a vigilante running amok.

And Christopher Nolan's take on the franchise has been, for me, a wonderful experience because it takes Batman: TAS to the next level. His films are delightfully dark in just the right ways. And (somewhat obviously because it is not animated), Nolan adds a new layer of realism to such an extreme plot. Gotham is a comic book world, but in Nolan’s take you don’t have to suspend your disbelief as much as had to for the previous Batman film series. He doesn’t trouble himself with comic book styling and the fact that he is adapting comic stories doesn’t impede his storytelling the way, for example (again, my opinion), it did for movies like Sin City. Through the first two films, I've felt Nolan’s series has been everything it should be in a reboot of a franchise. The original film adaptations that turned out to be the four-film Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher series were campy and surreal. They are enjoyable in their own ways (who doesn’t still say, “Saved by kitty litter!” on occasion?). And Nolan took that, clearly appreciated it, and went in a completely different direction. And I applaud and thank him for that.

As for the upcoming third and final installment of Nolan’s Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, I couldn’t be more excited. I must confess that I saw the full-length theatrical trailer for the first time in theaters recently when I went to see Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows* and it honestly gave me chills. And it was so intense that it actually made my chest tight. I was even shielding my eyes and plugging my ears through most of it because I try to avoid watching trailers for movies I already know I want to see* and that was still my reaction! It breaks my heart that we have to wait until July to see it, but I know it is going to be completely worth it.

With regard to the casting choices—I am so grateful that Inception happened, that it was such a phenomenon, and that Marion Cotillard, Tom Hardy, and JGL were in it because now they are in TDKR. I love all three of them and I know they are going to be wonderful, but I am particularly pleased with the casting of Tom Hardy. Whenever I think of Tom Hardy in the role of Bane, I think of Mickey Rourke in Iron Man 2. His part was greatly underused in that film (one of its many problems, enjoyable as it may be), but the forethought that he put into it and the intensity that he brought to it—for some reason, I know in my heart of hearts that is how Tom Hardy is going to deliver Bane. At that level or higher.

As for Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, I am actually quite pleased with her casting. From watching previous films, I know Anne can be charming and witty, but I also know she can be really, really dark and have this menacing edge—like having a razor blade smile. And that is the exact combination of traits I see in Selina Kyle. And I have faith that Anne would find a way to put her own spin on Catwoman, as amazing as Michelle Pfeiffer was in Batman Returns. I know there were lots and lots of names bandied about for this role, but I trust that they picked Anne Hathaway for a reason and that she is going to blow our minds with how wicked and wonderful she is as Catwoman.

Apparently, I can talk about Batman all day long. The moral of the story is that I am SUPER excited about The Dark Knight Rises and I think Christopher Nolan and his cast and crew for this trilogy have done a terrific job.

It’s probably too early to start a countdown, right? Blerg…

The Dark Knight Rises opens July 20th!

*Note: It is REALLY hard not to say “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Thrones” when trying to recite the full title.

*Note: This is because I have an insane memory so if I see even a tiny detail, I end up spoiling things for myself during the movie. If that didn’t make any sense, let’s just chalk it up to the fact that I am a weirdo.

UPDATED 2:04pm:

Yes, I take "Batman Forever" to a whole new level. Tim Burton's Batman (1989) was, I believe, the very first movie I ever saw in theaters. (I'm dating myself, but since I was a few months shy of four at the time, if there were movies I saw in theaters before Batman, then I was too young to remember.) So, I've basically been a fan my whole life!

And I COMPLETELY. CONCUR. that Christopher Nolan is a genius and that Memento is a genius film that genius-ly illustrates his genius. I had a serious obsession with that movie for years. Oh, man, this blog would be so embarrassing if I had started it back then...

Finally, I promise to do better with the posting. I have lots o' ideas for posts and things I want and need to say/write about. It's just a matter of finding the energy, focus, and time. But it SERIOUSLY helps to know that there are actually people who read it! That makes me super happy.

Thanks for commenting and asking questions and keeping the pop culture dialog going, Anony Moose!

How I Spent My Winter 2011 Vacation

2012-01-05T07:35:00.006-05:00

I have been a major posting slacker for the last little while due to the fact that I gave myself a little winter vacay and did whatever I wanted for the last two weeks. It was as glorious as it sounds. But now it is back to real life and time to get down to business.

I have a lot of things I need to get out of my brain and post about, including (but not limited to) a 2011 wrap-up, what I’m looking forward to in 2012, midseason progress reports for my Friday and Sunday shows (whoops—never finished that…), and a new edition of Ask AJ. Those will all happen in time.

But for now, I’m going to share how I spent my winter vacation:

- Went to the movies by myself for the third time in my life

As you may know from previous posts in which I lament this reality, I live in a rural area and my local movie theater kind of sucks. If it gets any movies I actually want to see, they are often only there for a couple weeks at most. Due to other people not loving the Muppets as fervently as I do, I had to go see Jason Segel’s Muppet movie, The Muppets, alone the week before Christmas. I’d been trying to convince others to see it with me since it opened on Thanksgiving, but to no avail. So, I seized the last possible opportunity for me to see it in theaters. I quickly found that it was so worth it to brave the theater on my own. The film was absolutely delightful and it was such a warm, happy, familiar place to be—hanging out with the Muppets. And now I shout, “I got more cheese than super-size nachos!” everywhere I go.

- Caught up on season 6 of Doctor Who

I hesitate to admit this, but I haven’t been as enthusiastic about Doctor Who with this cast for the Eleventh Doctor. So, I kind of slacked on watching it during the recent sixth season and let episodes pile up on my DVR. But when BBCA started airing promos for the Christmas special, I knew I had to get back on the Eleventh Doctor horse. Now I am officially all caught up and I think I’ve found a way to be fond of this cast, even if the fondness comes and goes. I might be getting nostalgic a bit early since Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill recently announced that next season will be their last and that’s softened me a bit. Either way, Eleventh Doctor, Amy, and Rory ain’t so bad. Do I still cry when I think about Rose and Donna? Of course. But this is what we have right now and that’s that. Plus, I love me some River Song. I’m getting quite antsy for next season, actually now that I think about it.

- Did not watch nearly enough Christmas movies

I need to remember for next Christmas season to start watching holiday movies earlier. I didn’t get a chance to watch any of my favorites like A Muppet Christmas Carol or Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. I even recorded Mixed Nuts when I had a free Starz weekend, but never got around to watching it! So now it will sit on my DVR until December. Let this be a lesson to myself and to everyone out there—take advantage of the whole month. Not just the few days around Christmas. Sincere regrets over here.

- Watched tons of other movies though

I decided not to do a TV project during this winter break so I would have time to focus on books and movies while my TV shows were on hiatus. I recorded mad movies during the aforementioned recent free Starz weekend and I watched a ton of those. I’m not going to lie about it: A lot of them were rom coms. Some of those were pleasant surprises—like How Do You Know with Reese Witherspoon and Paul Rudd and Going the Distance with Justin Long and Drew Barrymore. Also, The Invention of Lying was shockingly moving and even thought-provoking. I was really impressed with it actually. And if there were any duds, then I stopped when I got bored and deleted them because TIME IS PRECIOUS! I was also able to rent movies, as well, and started catching up on all of the 2011 films I was unable to see in theaters. Like Crazy Stupid Love, which turned out to be one of my favorite Ryan Gosling roles of all time and was just overall a truly great film and story. I’m going to try to keep my movie-watching momentum going, but once the winter hiatus ends for more shows, it’s going to be difficult.

- Started reading The Chronicles of Narnia, which I said I would do two years ago

Remember the time I found a book that sounded really interesting called The Magician’s Handbook: A Skeptic’s Adventures in Narnia in which the author describes her journey to reconcile her favorite childhood literature series with the religious overtones she discovered about it as an adult? And how I needed to actually read through the entire series before I read that book? Well, I’m finally doing it. I had started the first book, The Magician’s Nephew, a month or so before my winter vacay. I finished that, blasted through the second and third books, and am now idling on the fourth. That's another thing I want to keep my momentum going for, but it will take some serious focus.

So that’s it! Those are the major highlights of how I spent the last couple weeks while I was MIA from SWTS. It was nice being a bum for awhile, but it feels good to be back. And back I shall be with more posts very soon.

I hope everyone out there had an awesome end of 2011/holiday season. Happy New Year to all!

Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars Team Up for The Hunger Games

2011-12-23T09:31:00.003-05:00

The very first song from the soundtrack to the forthcoming film The Hunger Games debuted this morning and it's a big one! The song is a collaboration between mega country superstar Taylor Swift and alt-country/folk duo The Civil Wars called "Safe and Sound." Listen to it in the video above.

On first listen, I was struck by how absolutely haunting, breathtaking, and simple the song is and how well it matches the tone of the film (from what I've seen in the trailers) and the story. This sound will fit right in with the districts in Panem. And it almost goes without saying that this is one of the greatest vocal performances from Swift in her entire career.

I've listened to the track too many times to count at this point. I don't understand why Hunger Games fans are bickering over where and when this song will be used in the film. Who cares? The point is that the song is beautiful, fits well with the story, and will draw attention to the film in a big way. And big box office numbers mean second and third film installments to complete the trilogy will be a sure thing.

It remains to be seen if there will be other popular artists contributing songs to the soundtrack (thus creating a super movie album a la the Twilight franchise), but this song alone gives me even more confidence in the movie. The trailer made me cry within seconds and now this song is so beautiful and moving. March 23rd cannot come soon enough.

Midseason Progress Report: Thursday Shows, Part 2

2011-12-22T14:05:00.002-05:00

It’s only fitting to finish up the Thursday shows on a Thursday, is it not?

Whitney – C+

Whitney is still chugging along as a sitcom that either belongs on NBC ten years ago or right now but on any other network besides NBC. It can be funny at times, but for the most part it hasn’t sparked the same kind of energy as other new comedies like New Girl and Suburgatory. I do like the supporting characters, but the entire cast hasn’t gelled in the same way as other friend-related comedies. The highlight of the show is, by far, title star Whitney Cummings’s costar Chris D’Elia, who plays Whitney’s live-in boyfriend Alex. He’s had some pretty stellar moments (I still think about his washed jeans dance when I do my laundry) and is consistently funny on the show, no matter what material is being thrown at him. I still don’t think I’d care if this show didn’t make it to a second season, but I’ll enjoy it while it’s on.

Prime Suspect – A

I hate to even review this show since NBC already cancelled it, but I will just say for the record that I really enjoyed it. Was it groundbreaking? No. Did it, like the original series starring Helen Mirren, explore the idea of a woman working in a male-dominated field and the challenges she faced? Only in the pilot. But I liked Maria Bello’s Jane and I really, really adored the supporting characters in this series comprising the band of male detectives working with and around Jane. Every single one of those actors—including Brian F. O’Byrne, Kirk Acevedo, Tim Griffin, and Damon Gupton—somehow managed to create a character that was a street smart, wisecracking detective who was also sometimes charming and sometimes dumb, but also loyal and good at heart. And each was different in his own way. It was really shaping into a fun precinct. I hope these actors find new homes soon.

Person of Interest – A+

This is my favorite new hourlong series of the season. I never in a million years thought that would be the case. In fact, if you recall, I only decided to watch this show at all a mere few days before the fall premieres began. I was just giving it a chance because of Michael Emerson and J.J. Abrams and I was intrigued by Christopher Nolan’s brother, Jonathan, being the brains behind it. So it is with great respect for the series that I say it is my favorite new hourlong of the season. Since I last discussed how much I love POI, particularly the odd couple pairing of Emerson and Jim Caviezel, the show has continued on a steady course. The weekly stories are always thrilling, and they’ve done a remarkable job working in background information on the characters and a longer story arc that ties everything together. I still think Taraji P. Henson’s character is annoying, but the last couple episodes before the winter hiatus were clearly meant to try to correct that so it is clear that I am not the only viewer who feels that way and the production team is trying to address that. So, all in all, POI is fantastic and I can’t wait for new episodes to start up in a few weeks.

Burn Notice – B

I’m actually very glad that I didn’t get a chance to write up my thoughts on my Thursday shows last week because now I’ve had a chance to watch the Burn Notice finale, which was a real game-changer for me. I was prepared to say that Burn Notice, now heading into its sixth season, is starting to really wear on me. How much longer can I care about hunting the people who burned Michael? Even when they changed the story up by bringing him back into the CIA, he was still hunting someone. But now with that finale and Fiona turning herself in to free Michael of Anson’s grip and what not—wow. Things could really, really get interesting here. USA renewed Burn Notice a few years ago through a sixth season, which will be what starts up next summer. So I wonder if they are planning this next season as a big finish for Michael and his crew? Like I said, it could get interesting! Oh, and one more thing—Jesse did not annoy me one single bit this entire season. In fact, he was quite endearing and I enjoyed having him join in on missions and all of his neurotic cover IDs!

Bones – B+

It’s been interesting having Bones back with the big changes that have taken place—namely, that Booth and Brennan have shacked up and are having a baby together. The cases are still pretty meh and I don’t see a big overarching, dramatic storyline cropping up during this season due to the production constraints so the cons I’ve pointed out for the last couple seasons still stand. However, it has been immensely enjoyable to have the will-they/won’t-they thing over and get to enjoy watching the dynamics of Booth and Brennan’s relationship change. Am I still bitter over the death of Dr. Nigel-Murray? A little (but I’m glad Ryan Cartwright was free to join Alphas!). But it’s Bones, and it’s fine.

Midseason Progress Report: Thursday Shows, Part 1

2011-12-20T11:40:00.003-05:00

I’m back with the midseason progress report of all my shows. I had that pre-vacation work rush last week to deal with and now I’m basking in the gloriousness of being on vacation and taking things nice and easy. Since I watch a heck of a lot of shows on Thursdays, I decided to break this one up into two posts. So here’s the first batch of shows:

The Vampire Diaries – A+

I don’t know if I will ever have a complaint about this show. The third season of the CW’s Vampire Diaries has been just as complex and action-packed and emotional as the previous two. It’s been very interesting learning about the Original Vampires and getting the history of the Sun and the Moon Curse. And that’s one of the reasons why I love this show so much and am always pleased—they’re constantly finding new material in a story that’s been told countless times. Sure, a human girl and a dreamy boy vampire have fallen in love and there’s always some trouble trying to rip them apart, but TVD always digs deep and finds something interesting to keep the show’s momentum going. And what I’ve grown to love the most about TVD is the explosive second half of the season. Knowing that’s going to begin in just a few more weeks…I’m practically salivating. I really can’t wait to see what they have up their sleeves this year.

The Secret Circle – B+

I think I’ve mentioned before that The Secret Circle is a complete guilty pleasure for me. That is still true—I am definitely still invested in the storyline and enjoy watching the show on a weekly basis. But I think I feel TSC is a GP (while TVD, which is aimed at the same market, is not) because the show isn’t the same caliber television as TVD. It feels young—not that it is made for a young audience, but that it is a show that is standing on new legs that are still wobbly. It hasn’t found its sure-footing yet, but it is heading in that direction. So, at the end of the day, TSC is a fun, often thrilling series about witchcraft and history and family that is consistently improving. Sticking with it is a no-brainer for me.

Community – A+

I’ve said it before and I will say it again: Community is, by far, one of the most hilarious and brilliant comedies currently airing on television. If you are not already a fan and regular viewer but you love to laugh and you appreciate wit on television, please do yourself a favor and start watching this show. So, now that I’ve said that, I’m sure it’s clear that I feel the current season is living up to the amazingness of the past two years. And even if every single episode of the third season sucked so far, there would be one episode that would still make the season rank at an A+ for me overall and that episode, my friends, is “Remedial Chaos Theory” (3x04). If you’ve seen it, then this needs no explanation. And if you haven’t, then you probably aren’t a Community viewer so please refer to my first statement about watching this show immediately.

Parks & Recreation – A+

I can’t get enough of Parks & Recreation. Like Community, I consider it one of the most brilliant comedies currently airing on television. That can be attributed to the beyond talented writers and actors who craft and deliver such wondrous jokes that you honestly cannot tell what was written and what was improvised. And the way multiple people can get into one character’s head and things always sound so genuine is also wonderful. But most importantly, this season has had some seriously brilliant moments that have had a profound impact on my personal life. For now when I go to a Target and I see a new shade of nail polish that resembles two or three other nail polishes I already own but is slightly different, I say to myself, “TREAT YO SELF!” and I spend those five or six dollars on a nail polish I didn’t really need. Parks & Rec touches me deeply, and that is why I love this show always and forever.

The Big Bang Theory – B+

Early in the season, I found myself growing slightly weary of TBBT. Perhaps purposefully expanding my comedy repertoire detracted from my enjoyment of the series. I had other comedies to be amused by, and I think I found I was being amused by TBBT much less than during previous seasons. I’m sure that is due in part to the way the show uses the same tropes over and over again. But I think the fact that TBBT is now in syndication and runs on several networks throughout the day has really helped me fall in love with this show again. I’ve been reliving fond memories from the series and it makes me appreciate the fact that it is still around and they are still finding nerdy material to explore and joke about. Is it the most brilliant comedy on television? Not in my opinion. But the characters are fun and I’m attached to them. I did think it was great when they brought in some new blood with the two female additions last year, but now they need to find a way to reinvigorate the actual storylines.

Up next for Part 2 of my Thursday shows: Whitney, Prime Suspect, Person of Interest, Bones, and Burn Notice.

Midseason Progress Report: Wednesday Shows

2011-12-14T04:51:00.002-05:00

***Updated 15 December 2011 8:18am*** Real life happened yesterday so I only got a chance to write a partial post. I’ve now updated this with the rest of my Wednesday shows.

Up All Night – C+

NBC's new hit comedy stars Christina Applegate and Will Arnett as a couple dealing with the transition from carefree professionals to new parents. I've had friends drop this series because it is too "precious." Well, to me, IT'S NOT PRECIOUS ENOUGH!!! Just. Kidding. It is plenty precious. And the two lead characters sometimes get on my nerves (Applegate's Reagan for sometimes being a condescending know-it-all and Arnett's Chris for being super emo). Essentially, what I am trying to say is that Up All Night is the NBC equivalent of How I Met Your Mother. I'm not into the premise, most of the characters annoy me, but since the show is only half an hour it isn't a big enough commitment to warrant dropping. Plus, there is a special someone who holds my interest. In the case of HIMYM, it's Jason Segel. And in the case of Up All Night, it's Maya Rudolph! Her quasi-Oprah character Ava is the truest of true delights. She is neurotic, absurd, and charming. I would say that, on average, my enjoyment of an episode of the show is 90-95% Ava and 5-10% anything else that happened. So, I will continue watching Up All Night, but I know it will never become one of my most beloved comedies.

Suburgatory – A+

Speaking of beloved comedies, Suburgatory is still going strong as one of the smartest and funniest new sitcoms of the season. I just paused and tried to think of actors and characters from the show to highlight, but my brain instantly overloaded because there isn't a single person on the show that doesn't deserve props. Jane Levy as the uprooted urban teenager Tessa and Jeremy Sisto as her father George, who moved the two out to the suburbs in order to have a more wholesome family life. Both are just spectacular as they waver between too-cool-for-this sarcasm and pessimism to moments of suburban indulgence. Then there's secondary characters like Cheryl Hines' trophy wife Dallas, which ranks at the top of her list of funniest roles, and Carly Chaikin as her deadpan (or dead inside?) popular daughter Dalia. I could go on and on, honestly, but instead I will just say this: I love Suburgatory. I want it to be around for years and I want it to get mad Emmy props next year because the writing and acting are truly great.

Harry's Law – A+

I honestly cannot say enough good things about this season of Harry’s Law. The show’s abbreviated first season (12 episodes) started off very strong. I was in love with all of the characters, they told compelling case-of-the-week stories, and it had all the trademark things that made it a David E. Kelley series without feeling like a copycat of any other David E. Kelley series. But then as the weeks passed and the ratings never really exploded, I started getting nervous. With NBC being the network of rare chances, I was sure that Harry’s Law was not going to make it to a second season. I started distancing myself from the show while I watched. So, I don’t have fond memories of the last few episodes of the first season. But it was renewed and it is doing so well this season. I was nervous about all of the changes—two of the original cast members left, a big setting change, new series regulars—but there is not one thing that hasn’t worked out for this series. I think the biggest improvement during this second season has been the addition of Mark Valley to the cast. He plays a macho high-powered litigator who joins Harry’s practice as a partner and says things like, “You wanna take it outside?!” anytime someone disagrees with him or pisses him off. Sounds like he would be ridiculously annoying, but now. Valley gives him life, humility, charm, everything. And the reason why Valley is such an amazing addition to the cast is because his superpower as an actor is that he slips into character so well that you absolutely cannot imagine anyone else in the universe ever being cast in his role. That suits the David E. Kelley world very, very well. As you can see, I really could go on about this show forever. So I will end it with a recommendation to check it out sometime if you haven’t already. It’s more than a quirky legal drama! It’s a show with real heart and amazing characters. Fini!

Modern Family – A-

Confession: The minus in the grade of A- is for selfish reasons. Namely, that I need MORE. STELLA. Other than that, Modern Family is still one of the most smart, lovable, and vibrant sitcoms on television. I am not surprised that it was just nominated for several Golden Globe and SAG Awards, including Ensemble Cast of a Comedy Series. One of the things that stands out to me this season is that they haven’t gone overboard with guest stars and one-off character appearances. It’s really been about the family this year and it’s been great to be able to focus on those dynamics. I really have nothing else to say. This show is just on a roll!

Law & Order: SVU – C

Here’s another NBC drama that underwent numerous changes this season, and I think SVU is faring almost as well as Harry’s Law. Of course, you have to factor in the reality that SVU is tired. So basically any change is going to do it some good. But how the show would do after the loss of Christopher Meloni’s Stabler was a big question mark heading into the fall. They also added two new cast members and are still rotating between different ADAs so no one really knew what to expect. I’d say the show is pretty much the same. The stories aren’t all that original anymore, the humor is being repeated almost as much as the stories, but I can say that the two new cast members—Danny Pino and Kelli Giddish—are completely fine. Do I love them? Naw. But I don’t suspect I will spend ten years watching them either. But I think I like Pino’s Nick Amaro better than Giddish as Amanda Rollins. Neither one is grating or makes it nearly impossible to enjoy the show the way some past ADAs have, but Amaro has been given some more personal story time than Rollins so I’ve gotten to know him and have reasons to care about his life. I do hope they give Rollins some more time during the second half of the season so we have the same chance with her. Anyway, I still think it’s time to put SVU to bed, but it’s fine to watch for an hour each week. I do want to give shoutouts to the Treat Williams episode about sports injury related dementia—that was the standout episode of the season so far. Someone’s gunning for a Guest Star Emmy!

Psych – A

I love Psych. I love Shawn and Gus. I just love Psych. It was really difficult to deal with the delay for the new season. Typically, Psych airs during the summer, but this year it didn’t start until October. I much prefer watching it during the summer because it’s a comforting tradition for me, but I got over it. This latest season of Psych, which just wrapped last night, has been great as per usual. Fun times and crazy antics were had by all. And I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how little the fact that Shawn and Juliet have finally slid to the “will they” side of the will-they/won’t-they spectrum has impacted the dynamics of the show. Of course, the big tension now is will Juliet find out Shawn has been lying to everyone for years about being a psychic and, if she does, what will happen? I’m too scared to think. But like I said, this season has been great and I look forward to more new episodes to come in 2012.

Midseason Progress Report: Tuesday Shows

2011-12-13T09:25:00.001-05:00

This week, I'm evaluating every show I've been watching this season by day. We continue our midseason progress report journey today with the Tuesday shows:

Glee – D

I am on the brink of dropping this show for good. The only reason I am still watching it is because I feel obligated to hang on since I know so many people who watch it. But I find no joy in watching Glee anymore. I fast-forward through the musical numbers, I roll my eyes at everything, and I barely sympathize with or care about any of the characters. I don’t want to get too specific about the things I hate because I will get all riled up, but I wouldn’t be surprised if by the next time I do a progress report I’ve officially stopped watching. I yearn for this to have been a canceled-too-soon show that only lasted one season. Sigh.

New Girl – A+

I feel really bad for anyone who isn’t watching this show because they don’t like its female star, Zooey Deschanel, because New Girl’s Jess is much more a member of a fabulous ensemble than a series figurehead. I can’t imagine this show without Jess’ roommates Nick, Schmidt, and Winston (yes, I’ve recovered from the loss of Coach). The cast and writing gelled very quickly; the show’s style of humor and tone were apparent very early on. It’s delivered a very consistent performance and is totally hilarious. I can see myself watching this show repeatedly and laughing every time. I do need to admit something: Schmidt is my favorite. I dream of him running into Parks & Rec’s Tom Haverford and the two becoming besties. Needless to say, Max Greenfield is flawless beyond all reason. I love this show.

Raising Hope – A+

This is a show that I held off on watching last year because I wanted to see if it got renewed before I devoted time to it because, as you know, Fox does not have a great track record with comedies. In addition to being renewed for a second season, which is now on the air, Raising Hope has also received constant praise from critics and earned a few Emmy nominations. So it should not come as a shock that I completely adore this show. It’s kind of like Roseanne meets Arrested Development in that it examines a lower middle class family and makes amazing use of absurd humor. Perhaps some would call it a low-brow Modern Family, but I don’t think that accurately describes the style of comedy and the tone. But, like Modern Family, Raising Hope also strikes a great balance between jokes and ridiculousness and telling an actual story that has ups and downs and resolutions. It’s a very well-done show with a truly enjoyable cast. Anyone who likes shows exploring family dynamics and comedy would enjoy this show.

Ringer – A

Sarah Michelle Gellar is one of the busiest actresses on television this season, playing five different characters on Ringer. I know a few people who didn’t make it past the pilot due to the low budget twin-related special effects. But the primetime noir soap from the CW is still going strong for me. It rests somewhere between a guilty pleasure and a legit drama—it’s juicy and twisty enough to make you feel indulgent while the dramatic acting and story hold it together. Thankfully, everyone who did promo leading up to the season premiere did not lie when they said it wouldn’t be too long before the audience started getting answers. Viewers knew they were signing up for a mystery, but no one wants to be strung alone forever. Ringer has been doing very well in that department—as soon as the curiosity for one thing reaches full capacity, they answer it and set you up with a whole new set of questions. It’s a smart strategy to reward viewers and keep them engaged. I don’t quite think I’ve reached the point where I am completely addicted and would be crushed if Ringer didn’t make it to a second season, but it is definitely one of the first shows I watch when it’s on my DVR.

Parenthood – A+

Currently NBC’s longest running drama aside from Law & Order: SVU, Parenthood is rocking and rolling in its third season. The acting and writing are both still phenomenal, although I think the show still struggles slightly with managing its large ensemble cast. But as a whole, I love this show. I’m always motivated to watch it, which is due in part to the aforementioned ensemble cast. They make it fun because you really never know what kind of a story you’re going to get each episode. This season in particular I have enjoyed the hell out of the Joel/Julia second baby storyline. I also loved that John Corbett came back to do a little baby daddy Seth time with Lauren Graham’s character Sarah. And through the Peter/Luncheonette/third child story, I’ve learned that what I appreciate the most about Parenthood is the way the story can do things that upset and annoy me, but at the end of the day I’m still enjoying watching the show and seeing what happens to these characters. It’s a damn good family drama that’s matched and kept the momentum Brothers & Sisters exhibited during its first season, but quickly lost in favor of going the soap opera route. Something that we know Parenthood, a show so rooted in realism, will never do.

Sons of Anarchy – A+

I have to say that season 4 of SOA has been the most Hamlet-ish season to date with its realignment of mother Gemma to son Jax over stepdaddy Clay. It was also much more reserved than previous seasons, which was clearest during the two-part finale (i.e., they didn’t orchestrate an ambush to assassinate a federal agent), but it was still explosive albeit mostly figuratively. Overall, there were huge changes for the club and it was exhilarating to see how the last three years have lead up to the chain of events that played out. Sadly, the fourth season of Sons of Anarchy just finished last week and now it will be another ten months until its return. While I know that wait is going to kill me (because it always does), I know that’s what it takes for Kurt Sutter and his amazing cast and crew to put together another amazing story and season of brilliant TV. At least I have Justified to look forward to in the meantime.

The midseason progress report will continue with my Wednesday shows tomorrow.

Midseason Progress Report: Monday Shows

2011-12-12T08:29:00.004-05:00

Since most shows have headed into hibernation for the winter hiatus, this is the perfect week to evaluate all of the shows I watch and see how things are stacking up midway through the season. Up first, all of my Monday programs:

Gossip Girl – B-

Surprisingly, I’ve actually been enjoying Gossip Girl this season. That is to say it doesn’t just sit on my DVR until it is the absolute last thing left to watch. Perhaps I’ve just accepted that it is a ridiculous, frivolous show now and just watch it for what it is—soapy fluff. Some of the things that happen are completely eye-roll-inducing, but most of it is harmless and fun and entertaining. My biggest complaint is that they are ruining Dan by making him this self-pitying man-child who is completely shattered by his semi-failure. But I have been enjoying the dramatic Charlie/Ivy storyline and all the screen time Blair has been given. Do I want it to last three more seasons? Certainly not. But I’m not bitter anymore that I can’t bring myself to let go of it.

Hart of Dixie – B

Another show from the CW that’s harmless, fun, and entertaining. I really do enjoy this one. I still think that there’s something a little stiff about Rachel Bilson’s Zoe Hart, but she’s definitely become more relatable and even lovable. The rest of the show, including the quirky small town setting of Bluebell and its cast of characters, has found its stride and stopped being a Southern knock-off of Gilmore Girls’ Stars Hollow. I’m still looking for a change of direction as far as Zoe’s nemesis Brick accepting that she is here to stay. I figured that at some point by midseason, Brick and Zoe would find common ground and then the first season cliffhanger would be about whether or not Zoe, having found acceptance in Bluebell, would choose to stay or head back to NYC. There’s still a chance that will be the case, and I hope it does. I’m just kind of over the whole “No one accepts me because I’m from the city!” thing.

How I Met Your Mother – C

This show is still one that I only watch because I live with someone who likes it. I do love Jason Segel and I did get wrapped up in the most recent bout of Robin/Barney romance, but at the end of the day this sitcom just cannot hold a candle to the other comedies that I watch. But it still makes me laugh at least a few times every episode so it’s doing its job.

2 Broke Girls – A+

It makes me sad that I have to defend my love of this show, but I do love 2 Broke Girls and I don’t care who knows it! There are a lot of people who get down on it because it isn’t 100% feminist-proof, but why does it have to be? It’s a show about two girls waitressing to save up money to open a cupcake shop. It’s not that deep. And the two leads are hilarious, have great chemistry, and awesome comedic timing. I love Max and Caroline, and I always laugh my ass off when I watch this. I couldn’t ask for more. Well, just one thing: MORE CHESTNUT.

Terra Nova – A

I’m still loving Terra Nova! Jason O’Mara is fabulous as the cunning and charming Jim Shannon. Though there are so many characters and storylines, O’Mara definitely leads the show and holds it together. Without Jim, I don’t think the show would fall apart necessarily, but I don’t think I would care about the world they’ve built and the characters in it as much. Another great thing about Terra Nova is the fact that they have been giving answers. It hasn’t been painful at all to watch the conspiracy about the Sixers and the real purpose of Terra Nova unfold. Things are definitely heating up and getting more thrilling, but it’s been a fun ride all along. The season finale is coming up in a couple weeks so I am eagerly anticipating news of a second season renewal. I know it costs a lot of money, but I think it’s a fun action-adventure epic and it gets great ratings so I hope Fox keeps it alive for a good chunk of time.

Castle – F

Yep, I failed a show starring my beloved Nathan Fillion. In fact, breaking news: I stopped watching Castle a couple weeks ago. A few episodes had piled up on the DVR and I realized that I was never, ever, ever going to watch them. I hate the character Kate Beckett (for many reasons that I have discussed in the past), the writing and stories are beyond predictable, and the show has just become completely consumed with the will-they/won’t-they of Castle and Beckett. So much so that I am unable to enjoy an episode. So I decided to just stop watching. I love Nathan Fillion and I love the characters Ryan and Esposito, but I cannot stomach more Beckett cockiness. It’s over. No regrets, no turning back.

See you tomorrow for the Tuesday shows!

College Humor Loves Community, Urges You to 'Save Greendale'

2011-12-09T04:06:00.001-05:00

Last night, NBC aired the last episode of Community the show's fans are going to see for awhile since the network left it off of their midseason schedule without explanation.

People who tend to overreact went into a tizzy, claiming that this meant Community was not going to make it to a fourth season. Other, more optimistic people are looking on the bright side of the midseason snub. There is the hope that the media attention surrounding Community's unexplained absence will lead to more buzz for the show and more people will tune in when it eventually does come back (and it will; NBC has not cut the season order of 22 episodes so there will be at least another 12 episodes airing in the spring).

College Humor seems to be straddling both camps. The comedy website posted a parody video yesterday starring the cast of Community. In the clip, the in-character actors all plea for people to save Greendale, the fictional community college setting of Community, as an allegory for fans to rally and urge NBC to save the series. I like to think of it as yet another example of how hilarious and talented the people responsible for this show are, even outside of their timeslot. Others may think of it as a war cry. Check it out below:

Personally, I'm trying to remain in the optimistic camp. NBC has a habit of putting comedies on random hiatuses (30 Rock during its first year, Parks & Rec). The network also has a habit of keeping low-rated yet critically-acclaimed comedies around (30 Rock...Parks & Rec...). The fact that Community has even made it to a third season is amazing. The one thing that makes me nervous is the fact that Community has been snubbed in the awards department. The other low-rated shows typically garner a few nominations. Hmmm...

Here's hoping NBC recognizes what a special show it has on its hands and here's hoping that we'll soon find out when we will get to see new episodes of Community.

GO HUMAN BEINGS!

New (and Free!) Music from The All-American Rejects

2011-12-07T10:00:00.005-05:00

Every so often (e.g., when I am watching The House Bunny), I ask myself, "When in the hell are the All-American Rejects going to release a new album?"

Apparently, the answer is in two months. Well, maybe.

In an October interview with MTV, AAR frontman Tyson Ritter announced that the band's long-awaited follow-up to their 2008 album When the World Comes Down will be released on February 7, 2012. However, I can't confirm this date anywhere else so I am inclined to think that the date has slipped a little. Most places are reporting the ambiguous "spring 2012" for the release.

Even though a potential later release date is a bit of a downer, there is some good AAR news! The band has released a promo single from their upcoming effort, called "Someday's Gone" and has made it available to fans as a free download. And, as if they weren't busy enough, they also put together a music video.

Here's what AAR had to say about "Someday's Gone":

"We wanted to give fans an early candy cane for the holidays and this song is the teeth of the record. The video, directed by Jon Danovic, was conceived in one day and shot the next day in one take. Hope it bites you and gives you a mark."

Check out the "Someday's Gone" video below and sign-up for the AAR newsletter to get your free download:

To me, the song has the trademark AAR rock sound fans know and love while still showing that the band is continuing to mature. While their last album's most recognizable single, "Gives You Hell," is fun and youthful, the rest of the album took a clear step forward in terms of AAR's maturity and range as they experimented with softer sounds and lyrics. So, if "Someday's Gone" is the "teeth" of their next album, it sounds like AAR is pushing ahead along that path.

And the AAR news doesn't stop there! The first official single from AAR's as-yet-untitled fourth studio album is called "Beekeeper's Daughter." The band is slated to debut the song during the January 24th episode of the CW's 90210 with an official release to follow. I'm sure more details about the album will be hammered out by then, as well.

In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy "Someday's Gone" and put the other three AAR albums on heavy rotation.

Ask AJ: She Has All the Answers

2011-12-05T12:31:00.000-05:00

This edition of Ask AJ proves that sometimes you don't even have to ask a question for me to answer it.

I'm not as in love with Breaking Bad as other shows. I just don't have as much sympathy for Walter White as I do for characters like Dexter or Hank Moody from Californication. That makes me not care about the show as much. — Elle Woods

I think Breaking Bad is an acquired taste. I don't know many people who watch it and the only people who I know who watch it love it voraciously. If you want to like it better or care about the show more, I think it might help if you took yourself out of it and didn't look for a way to sympathize or even like the main characters. If you just think of it as a story versus something you have to relate to. What I appreciate most about Breaking Bad is the storytelling because Vince Gilligan is a genius and he knows exactly what he is doing (even when he's making stuff up as he goes along). There are things that have happened in this show that I can point to, out of all the hundreds of hours of television I have watched in my lifetime thus far, as the greatest whatever type of moment that I've ever seen. He is definitely in the same realm as Kurt Sutter for me as far as crafting stories that are engrossing and unpredictable. I'm thinking of some of these moments right now and I'm getting chills, seriously. Plus, the acting is phenomenal and the show has this beautiful way of transitioning seamlessly from dark and quirky humor to chest-tightening action and suspense sequences. I'm not sure how far you've gotten with the show so I don't want to say much more for fear of spoilers. But I definitely understand where you're coming from as far as not being able to sympathize with Walter White. Of course, the beauty of Breaking Bad is that you're not necessarily supposed to, just like you're not supposed to find Don Draper and Vick Mackie sympathetic and likable either. So, in conclusion, I hope you stick with Breaking Bad through the end of the series, even if it's just to see what in the world happens next.

Do you have a burning pop culture question to ask? Send it in! Leave a comment on any post or email SWTS directly. If you ask it, you better believe I'll answer.

Reznor and Ross Unveil Soundtrack for 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'

2011-12-02T06:57:00.004-05:00

Trent and Atticus strike again!

Early this morning, Trent Reznor posted details on NIN.com about the release of the score he and Atticus Ross created for David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

The film, which will be in theaters December 21st, is the English-language adaptation of the international bestselling novel by Stieg Larsson. Daniel Craig plays Mikael Blomkvist opposite of Rooney Mara's Lisbeth Salander.

Reznor and Ross have worked with Fincher before, putting together the Academy Award (and Golden Globe) winning score to last year's The Social Network. The music for that film was beyond amazing. It was its own entity, but one that sidled seamlessly from the background to the forefront, serving its purpose to punctuate scenes perfectly. The TSN score made me care about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I didn't read the book and I'm impartial as to Daniel Craig's awesomeness, but the fact that Reznor and Ross are scoring this film means that I need to see it so that I can hear what they've created. Luckily, the film looks fucking fantastic.

Of the fourteen-month-long process the duo went through to create this score, Reznor writes, "We laughed, we cried, we lost our minds and in the process made some of the most beautiful and disturbing music of our careers." From what I've heard in the trailers I've seen and now this description, my anticipation couldn't be greater.

The full album will be released one week from today on Friday December 9th. Reznor describes the formats and various editions available for pre-order on the website. There is also the opportunity to download a free six-song sampler.

I did download it, but I'm not going to listen to it. I want my first experience hearing this music to be in context. I want to see the scenes play out and learn the character of the music that way. So, that means I can't listen to it for another two and a half weeks at least. Boo.

Click here to read Trent's statement and learn more about the album.

The 2011 GRAMMY Nominations are In!

2011-12-01T08:59:00.000-05:00

The 2011 GRAMMY nominations were announced last night during a televised concert. As was expected, Adele's 21 was given numerous nods and Taylor Swift was nominated for everything except Best Rap Album (I kid). Click here to read the full list of nominees.

While it saddens me to no end that Britney Spears' Femme Fatale was not recognized in any way, there were a few nominations that I was pleasantly surprised by:

- The Foo Fighters received quite a few nominations (six for themselves, and two others for Butch Vig's production and Deadmau5's "Rope" remix) for their amazing album Wasting Light, including one for Album of the Year. The album's breakout single "Walk" was also nominated for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song. This was my favorite rock album of 2011 so I hope they win big!

- My beloved Robyn is nominated twice! Not only did she snag a spot on the list of nominations for Best Dance/Electronica Album for Body Talk Part 3, she also received a nod for Best Dance Recording for "Call Your Girlfriend." WERK IT, GIRL!

- Eric Church has been nominated for Best Country Album for his third solo release Chief. Considering what a great year it has been for country music releases, that is a huge deal. Chief is a great album and definitely deserves its spot.

Any nominations you are shocked, disappointed, or enraged by?

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

2011-11-30T07:02:00.010-05:00

Alan and Parker: Reunited and It Feels So Goo-ood!

You may remember that last year I finally discovered the brilliant satire that is the 2001 live action film adaptation of Josie and the Pussycats. One of the greatest things from this movie is the pairing of two amazing comedic actors: Alan Cumming and Parker Posey as Wyatt Frame and Fiona. The two were so marvelous together that, to me anyway, it was very much a “Rachel and Tara and Rosario WHO???” situation. So when Parker Posey appeared on The Good Wife as Alan Cumming’s character’s ex-wife, I fainted. Not really, but I squealed really loud and did a weird jig. Parker appeared in the October 30th episode titled “Affairs of State” (3x06). It was really brilliant to watch because Alan and Parker were once again amazing together, but in a completely different way. It’s a real testament to the power of their acting abilities. Since Parker’s role was a character tied to a main character’s life versus a case-of-the-week type of person, I’m sure she will be back. And I can’t wait.

Pentatonix Wins NBC’s The Sing-Off

So, I prepared this list of things I wanted to rave about so long ago that this segment was originally going to be devoted to Pentatonix’s Britney Spears mashup that they did for superstar medley week back on Halloween because it was absolutely flawless. But now my favorite group has officially been crowned champions of The Sing-Off season 3! So, I figured it was best to celebrate them and their contributions throughout the entire competition rather than that one performance. It is with great pleasure that I can honestly state that I loved Pentatonix right from the beginning. Their debut performance of Katy Perry’s “E.T” completely sold me on their group right away. If I had any reservations about them, they were about whether or not that was the style they would stick with throughout the competition and if they would be able to deliver at the same level each week. I didn’t know during the first couple shows that they were going to end up being my favorite group, but I did have that feeling during that first performance. And then, with their consistently impressive, surprising, and innovative performances, it wasn’t long before I realized that they were without a doubt the group I most wanted to win. I truly want an album from them. I liked Committed during the second season and I was happy that they won, but I didn’t buy their album when it came out. I know that I will want to listen to Pentatonix’s music. All of the groups were immensely talented and it was really fun to watch all of the different interpretations of themes and their lively performances each week. I mean, that’s why I watch The Sing-Off in the first place—to be entertained in this way. But my appreciation for Pentatonix extends beyond one season of a reality show. I am so thankful and excited that they won because I know that they really wanted it, that they have a passion for music and a cappella, and that they are determined to make the kind of music and take the kind of risks that their fans expect of them.

PS – I need to state for the record that their performance of Florence + The Machine’s “Dog Days Are Over” fucking SLAYED. I was completely overcome and I bawled my eyes out after that bridge (werk, Mitch!). If ever anyone was questioning how they won the top prize, then that performance should be answer enough. Pure brilliance!

Goran on Pan Am

It’s been three years since Goran Visnjic was on my TV on a regular basis starring on ER as Dr. Luka Kovac, one of my most beloved characters from the series. He’s popped up in a few TV shows and movies I’ve watched since then, but not often and not for very long. So it was a huge surprise and a great pleasure when he guest-starred for a three-episode arc on ABC’s freshman series Pan Am. Goran played Niko Lonza, a Yugoslavian diplomat and love interest of my favorite character, Kelli Garner’s Kate Cameron. The storyline and brief romance between the two was utterly engrossing. I bawled uncontrollably during many of their scenes together, especially their goodbye scene in the airport. I know Pan Am’s fate is shaky considering how low the show’s ratings are, but should the show continue I would absolutely love for them to find a way to reunite Niko and Kate. Not just because I love Goran and I want to see him on my TV more often, but because they were really beautiful together—the actors and the characters. In the meantime, I am looking forward to seeing what Goran delivers in the upcoming English-language version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which opens in theaters December 21st.

Honorable Mention

Nicola Roberts’ “Yo Yo”

Nicola Roberts, who you may remember from Part 2 of my “Current Jams and Music Obsessions” post earlier this month, just released the music video for her third solo single “Yo Yo.” This song is an indie, electronic, heartbreaking bastard cousin of Britney Spears’ “Don’t Let Me Be the Last to Know.” I realize that connection might only make sense to a few people so allow me to explain—it’s a song that will speak to anyone who has never been in love and it wasn’t reciprocated. I’ve read numerous accounts from Nicola fans who have said that this song means the world to them and it’s kind of morphed into an “I’m not going to let you treat me like shit!” anthem for people. The video is stylish and well-done, albeit predictable, but the song is a pop hit for the masses. Check out the official video below:

Rihanna’s Talk That Talk

Rihanna just released her sixth studio album last week, titled Talk That Talk, and, yes, that is six albums in six years if you were keeping track. I haven’t listened to the album enough to have a complete grasp of it yet, but from the few listens I’ve been able to fit in I can tell that it is as kick ass as I expected. It’s definitely a step up from Loud, which was a very solid pop album but this time the sound is a little harder and stronger. Talk That Talk sees Rihanna dabbling with a much more open electronica sound than before, specifically on songs like lead single “We Found Love” and the track “Drunk On Love” (which samples The xx song “Intro”—beautifully, I might add). If you’ve never been a fan of hers or haven’t bothered to check anything out beyond the songs you hear on the radio, I suggest listening to songs from Talk That Talk. It will definitely surprise you.

I'm Still Here, I Promise!

2011-11-29T11:43:00.002-05:00

Hey, readers, heyyy! So, I was on vacay from my real (i.e., moneymaking) job last week and I had every intention of keeping up with current pop culture affairs and blogging as per usual. But I was so burnt out that I straight up did not. And, as you can see, I haven't posted in awhile. But I will! Soon! It's taken me a couple days to get back in the swing of things, but rest assured that I've got tons of post ideas that will be coming soon.

I hope all my fellow Americans had a great Thanksgiving. Thanks for bearing with me!

Sara Bareilles Says 'Love is Christmas'

2011-11-21T14:35:00.005-05:00

Grammy-nominated musician and The Sing-Off judge Sara Bareilles released her very own Christmas single today! Titled "Love is Christmas," the song is available for digital download everywhere music is sold.

Explaining the inspiration and story behind the song on her website, Sara writes, "This song is about what I believe really matters during the holidays. There is so much distraction and emphasis on commercialism during this time of year, I wanted to remind myself (and a few others) that we'd be better off if we focus on what's at the heart of it all: Love."

I've been trying not to go into a fanatical Christmas music mode before Thanksgiving is over, but I did go ahead and purchase this so I could listen to it in full. I am happy to report that "Love is Christmas" is everything one would want in a Sara Bareilles holiday ballad: jazzy and soulful as the press release describes, but also carrying the weight of Sara's trademark heartfelt lyrics and beautiful movements. I think it has a little bit of all the elements that make a great Christmas song, everything from the warm harmonies and piano to the layered "Ooos." It's very much a sit down in a fire-lit room to wrap presents type of song. I absolutely love it.

If her latest song isn't enough, you can find Sara judging NBC's acapella group competition The Sing-Off alongside Shawn Stockman and Ben Folds Monday nights at 8pm.

Quick Post: NBC Scheduling Shakeups and THG

2011-11-16T05:27:00.003-05:00

So, real life is completely getting in the way of fun things like posting here on SWTS. In other words, things be cray cray right now. But I just wanted to get on here really fast to discuss a few things:

First, the NBC midseason schedule shakeups that were announced Monday. I am none too surprised that Prime Suspect has been cancelled, albeit a little disappointed in NBC both because I, personally, was enjoying the show (what. a. cast!) and because NBC needs all the dramas it can get right now. I read an article awhile back that pointed out that when SVU decides to end its run, then Parenthood, which is only in its third season, becomes the network's longest running drama. Off the top of my head, that sounds accurate, and it frightens me. I was hoping NBC would give Prime Suspect a chance to find its footing and an audience and let it grow from there because, boy, do they need it. But I guess I was hoping for too much because they pulled the plug yesterday.

What I was surprised about was the fact that they benched, as the pros say, Community in order to make room for the late returning 30 Rock. I would've preferred they move Whitney to Wednesdays to pair it with Up All Night and left Thursdays alone. Then at least there would be two comedies in that block on Wednesdays instead of a new Up All Night and a rerun of Up All Night. Everyone is doing the, "But this doesn't mean Community is cancelled!" dance, and I really, really hope it doesn't. But with NBC, you just never know. I'm just going to put it out there: Don't be fucking stupid, Peacock.

Finally, the official movie trailer for The Hunger Games was also unveiled on Wednesday. Check it out:

The movie, set to open in March next year, is based on the popular Suzanne Collins trilogy of the same name. To find out more about The Hunger Games, click here.

I think I will need to see more of the actors playing Gale and Peeta in action, but Jennifer Lawrence definitely looks like a wonderful Katniss. I felt like this trailer gives away so much from the first half of the first book, but apparently that's what Lionsgate was going for? Trying to get people who haven't read the books interested I guess. Anyway, needless to say, I totally teared up while watching this. It looks so intense. I am actually more excited than ever to reread the books and gear up for the movie in March. This is gonna be good!

And I'm off to do real life things. I'm hoping to post more this week, but that remains to be seen. So, just in case, ENJOY! And don't forget Kelly Clarkson's VH1 Unplugged (yes) airs this Saturday at 11pm ET!

A Few Highlights from the 45th CMA Awards

2011-11-10T18:48:00.000-05:00

I almost posted something about this earlier, but then I got lazy. And now I'm looking at CMA posts on Tumblr so I figured I might as well just come on over here and share some thoughts:

- Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood did a truly fantastic job hosting for the fourth time! Their opening was flawless. The writers clearly got how they work together; they knew exactly what to do with those two and how to keep things lively for both the in-house audience and the television viewers. To put it simply, Carrie and Brad were hilarious. Were some of the jokes a little cheesy? Sure. But I was impressed with the number of topical references, the Miss Piggy appearance, and the fact that Brad was really angling for that Oscars hosting position. Unfortunately, I've heard that Billy Crystal is stepping in so I guess the Academy didn't get the message. Maybe next year! (No, but really I was hoping The Muppets would host the Oscars.)

- My top three favorite performances of the night (and there were A LOT of them, believe me), in no particular order, are Sugarland with Matt Nathanson singing "Run," Miranda Lambert performing her current single "Baggage Claim," and Eric Church singing his single "Drink In My Hand."

The Sugarland-Nathanson performance (see above) was really intense. I kept thinking about the New Directions losing at Nationals because of Finn and Rachel making out during the performance. Yeah, it was that serious. But it's a beautiful song and they put their all into the performance. It was really special.

Miranda just always brings the fire (figuratively and literally) to her awards show performances. I know this because even though I've seen her do this song on a ton of shows over the course of the last few weeks, her energy just kept me locked in. She kicked ass all over that stage.

Finally, Eric Church proved that he is one of those musicians that is meant to be on a stage. I've been reading that a lot of people who never paid any attention to him before are now Church converts (mhmm) because of his performance last night. Eric brought it, and it reminded me why he is one of the country artists that I am most desperate to see in concert.

- Luke Bryan wore glittery black jeans. I am jealous. I want a pair.

- Fun fact: Kelly Clarkson was also a winner last night. She and Jason Aldean took home the award for Musical Event of the Year for their crossover collaboration "Don't You Wanna Stay."

- Faith Hill made her much hyped up return to the stage last night, as well. Here's a funny story about that: I listened to a 30-second clip of her new single "Come Home" Wednesday morning. Didn't think anything of it. Then I watched her CMA performance of the entire song. Didn't think anything of it. A few hours after I finished watching the CMAs, I was singing the song to myself. And then I thought, "Wait. How the hell do I know all the words to a song I've heard once?" Oh. Right. BECAUSE IT IS A ONEREPUBLIC SONG FROM 2007. Why and how did it take me that long to realize that, I do not know.

- It's clear that the Country Music Association does not excel at explaining what these award categories mean. Everyone seems to be up in arms over certain artists winning or even being nominated in various categories because they aren't clear on what criteria these awards are based on. Eric Church and Chris Young being nominated for New Artist of the Year and Taylor Swift winning Entertainer of the Year seem to be the big points of contention.

I think the Tay Tay situation is too political to touch (in fact, all Taylor-related subjects are), but for Eric and Chris I will just remind everyone that they were actually nominated for the work they did on their sophomore albums (both artists released their third studio albums this past July, but those projects will not be eligible until next year). The New Artist category is based on when an artist finds mainstream success. So, while this is very subjective, it can be argued for both Eric and Chris that neither of them was widely recognized/made significant impact on country music until their second albums.

One nomination that I am still confused about, however, is how Carrie Underwood was nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year since the criteria explicitly states that the award is "based on individual musical performance on a solo album release." During this eligibility period, she performed one song on someone else's solo album release soooo I am confuuuused... But whatevs! More power to her!

- I am SO. ELATED. that BOTH Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton won Vocalist of the Year in the Female and Male categories. They are two of my favorite country artists and people so I'm very glad for their success. Plus, it is such an amazing feat that they both won two years in a row.

And I just want to mention that Miranda Lambert (who turns 28 today so a very Happy Birthday for her, yes/yes?) also broke a record this week. She is the first country music artist to have her first four albums debut at #1 on the country charts. That's an amazing accomplishment that needs to be celebrated! WOO WOO!

Alright, I think that about does it for my thoughts on the 45th CMA Awards. It was a very entertaining show. I appreciated the fact that they made it more of a concert than a presentation of awards. I can't wait for the Christmas special on December 1st!

Click here to see a full list of the winners.

My Current Jams and Music Obsessions: Part 2

2011-11-09T03:56:00.001-05:00

Following up yesterday’s post, here is the second installment as promised:

Miranda Lambert – Four the Record

As amazing as last summer was for country music, I have been pining away for the release of Miranda Lambert’s fourth studio album, Four the Record, since she announced its 11/1/11 release date back in July. And with the week of preview songs leading up to the full album, I honestly thought I was going to burst. But I made it and Four the Record is finally here and it is just as amazing as I thought it would be.

Miranda Lambert’s albums are always pretty eclectic. She often has a mix of her signature style of fierce hits, some folksy songs, and some deep down home country songs (I’m lookin’ at you, “Dry Town”). Four the Record is no exception—Miranda is definitely covering all her bases once more—but there’s a different feeling about it this time. For some reason, despite all of the experimentation and eclecticism, Four the Record sounds like Miranda’s most cohesive album to date.

And maybe that’s because this time Miranda set out to show the world exactly who she is. It’s a good time for that, too, considering that she’s country’s hottest ticket right now. Plus, she’s married to the male counterpart of that claim—“Honey Bee” hitmaker and The Voice coach Blake Shelton. And so, as Miranda explained in the interview included on the deluxe edition of Four the Record, this album shows us who she is as an artist and as a person.

Four the Record sees Miranda Lambert doing everything from exercising her sense of humor (“Fine Tune,” about which she said, “It’s funny enough that you don’t feel offended by it!”) to demonstrating her keen songwriting skills (“Diamond Ring,” “Safe”) to giving us a glimpse at very personal pain (“Over You,” a song she co-wrote with husband Blake Shelton about the death of his older brother). About her open-book songwriting style, Miranda said, “I don’t keep a journal—I write records.” That definitely shows on Four the Record, but what also shows is Miranda’s sense of family and community.

Miranda only wrote on six of the 14 tracks included on the album. The other songs that comprise Four the Record are tracks that she hand-picked to finish piecing together the big picture for the album. While she could have only included songs she had a hand in writing, Miranda set out to include songs from artists she admires, both as peers and as heroes, in order to give her album character. According to Miranda, “It took a community of things that I love to make this record what it is.” And now her fans have an album that reflects her personality as well as her tastes to enjoy.

If you’ve already heard the born-to-be-on-radio first single “Baggage Claim,” then check out “Mama’s Broken Heart” and “Over You.” I have to warn you though—I cried legit tears when I first heard “Over You” and I still tear up pretty much every time I hear it. I also have a fondness for “Safe,” which (fun fact) Miranda was inspired to write while watching her husband perform.

If you can’t tell, I love Four the Record. It is another strong effort from Miranda and I’m finding it very difficult to fit in time to listen to all of my other current music obsessions because I can’t take Four the Record out of my car stereo.

But, as great as it is to listen to the album with the wind in my hair (lies, it’s too cold for that now), I am even more excited at the prospect of hearing these songs live! Yes, I said it! I snagged myself tickets to see Miranda Lambert in concert this coming January when she makes her Charlottesville stop. And if that wasn’t awesome enough, Chris Young, whose third album Neon I absolutely adore, is touring with her. Not to sound too greedy, but I’m crossing my fingers for a Pistol Annies appearance, as well. Regardless, this is going to be one hell of a concert and I can’t wait!

Nicola Roberts – Cinderella’s Eyes

For those of you who don’t know, Nicola Roberts is a member of British pop group Girls Aloud. Cinderella’s Eyes, which was released in September, is her first solo effort, and, quite frankly, one of my favorite albums of the year.

I’ve been struggling with how to word this because I am pretty sure that this will be misunderstood, but my brain sees a close connection between Nicola’s music and Body Talk era Robyn. They don’t sound anything alike, but both artists make pop music that is danceable, accessible, and forward-thinking—but most importantly, they make pop music that people who hate pop because they think it’s vapid would enjoy.

Most people are instantly drawn into Cinderella’s Eyes because of the writing. And it’s important to note that Nicola co-wrote every song on the album, save for her envelope-pushing cover of The Korgis’ “Everybody’s Got to Learn Sometime.” Her lyrics are truly moving and inspiring in places (a notable exception being the fun yet nonsensical first single “Beat of My Drum”). Fan favorite songs like “Yo-Yo” and “Sticks + Stones” see Nicola completely baring her soul over radio-ready beats. It’s almost subversive for these artists to create these club-banging tracks that are actually telling truly compelling stories instead of reciting something about being in da club or the word “baby” repeatedly (but those songs are important—and fun—too). Those moments happen on many pop albums, but for artists like Nicola, it is more frequent than most.

In addition to the amazing lyrics and fun beats, I adore Cinderella’s Eyes because it is a canvas awash with the brightest colors I have ever heard. There is something so bright and infectious about the way Nicola melds megaphone chanting with 60s folk-pop and electronica.

As for specific tracks, I absolutely adore the second single “Lucky Day,” as well as its simple yet colorful (told ya so) music video (see above). I also have a deep love for “Porcelain Heart” and “Fish Out of Water.”

With these songs, people are drawing comparisons between Nicola and everyone from Kate Bush to Katy Perry. But honestly, if I have learned anything about Nicola Roberts from listening to Cinderella’s Eyes, it’s that she is her own person.

Lindi Ortega – Little Red Boots

Apparently, Toronto singer-songwriter Lindi Ortega has been an active independent artist for over ten years, but I just discovered her a couple months ago while watching an episode of Hart of Dixie (thank goodness I stuck with that show—Lindi was worth it and, side note, it’s actually kinda fun now). I don’t feel too bad about it though since her major label (or more major than her past self-releases) debut, Little Red Boots, just dropped back in June.

After hearing the song “Little Lie” on Hart of Dixie, I did some extensive internet research (read: Wikipedia) and moseyed over to Amazon to scope out her album. I bought it right away.

Lindi makes the kind of country/alternative folk type music that people who dislike country music but do like artists like Neko Case and Brandi Carlisle would enjoy. There are banjos and fiddles involved and her voice has that amazing wilt in it when she gets into her higher register, but Lindi also rocks (“I’m No Elvis Presley”). She can also roll with the best of ‘em with her heartbreaking ballads (“When All the Stars Align”) and soothing lullabies (“Fall Down or Fly”).

Of course, in order to get to know Lindi Ortega, it is best to start with her signature song and the title track from her album, “Little Red Boots” (see above). This song tells Lindi’s story and sends a clear message—you may not know her face or her name, but she’s got plenty to offer that the world will know her for eventually. Starting, of course, with her trademark red boots.

I am so glad that I finally found Lindi Ortega. She’s another great artist who can bridge the gap and help make country cool for people who think it’s all achey breaky hearts and saloon songs. I can’t wait until more people hear about her and hear her music! So, in conclusion, if you are remotely interested in anything I have said, please go check out her music. Click here to visit Lindi Ortega’s official website for more information.

And now I'm going to stop rambling on about all of the music I've been listening to lately. What about you? Any current music obsessions? I wanna hear about 'em! Email SWTS or post in the comments.

My Current Jams and Music Obsessions: Part 1

2011-11-08T10:03:00.005-05:00

Between a Zac Efron computer virus unlike anything my IT guys have ever seen (seriously—this is real) and other such craziness, it feels like I have been working on this post forever. So, I’m going to publish this in two parts because I am desperate to share with you all of the music I have been obsessing over for the last two months. Here’s the first batch of my current jams and music obsessions:

Kelly Clarkson – Stronger

I know I reviewed the original American Idol Kelly Clarkson’s fifth studio album Stronger when it came out a couple weeks ago, but I didn’t have my deluxe edition CD with limited edition acoustic EP at the time. I’ve since had the pleasure of listening to the three* additional Stronger tracks, as well as the Smoakstack Sessions EP, and I am now ready to say that it was worth every penny I spent to get these special items.

I will admit that I wasn’t immediately taken with the bonus tracks the way I have been with the bonuses for Kelly’s previous albums like My December (2007) and All I Ever Wanted (2009). With the All I Ever Wanted set (“Can We Go Back, “Tip of My Tongue,” and “The Day We Fell Apart”), it was unclear what made something a bonus—not worthy of being released as part of the actual album, but good enough to be released in general—versus an actual album cut. The songs were all of the same caliber. With the Stronger bonus tracks, these were songs that were clearly cut from the same cloth as some of the louder, dance-ier Stronger tracks. But because those are more like ornaments on a largely rhythmic, guitar-laden, soulful album, it is much clearer in this case why these bonuses were cut from the album. It took me a few listens to get into them, but now “Alone” is one of my favorites from this era. I even have a soft spot for “Don’t Be a Girl About It.”

Listening to the Smoakstack Sessions also helped one of the bonus tracks grow on me. On the EP, Kelly performs an acoustic version of “The Sun Will Rise” (see above) that blows the studio version out of the water. It morphs from a somewhat flat, too perfectly polished power ballad into an expressive and uplifting track that shows Kelly’s country colors better than any song of hers to date. In fact, all of the Smoakstack tracks show how Kelly’s artistry really shines during her performances. I kept thinking to myself as each song played, “Oh my GAWD! Is this what she sounds like live?!?!” I mean, I’ve heard Kelly perform her singles on television shows before, but this is a whole other level. Needless to say, I’m now more determined than ever to see her live in concert.

*Note: I’m not counting Kelly’s 2010 duet with Jason Aldean “Don’t You Wanna Stay” because it’s been out for a year and it was more a just-in-case move to include it with the deluxe album.

Florence + The Machine – Ceremonials

I don’t know why I don’t know more people who love Florence + The Machine. The second album from this critically acclaimed act, Ceremonials, is one of the most astounding albums I have heard in a very long time.

While some people complain about Florence Welch’s esoteric lyrics, I applaud her for making music that doesn’t limit how people connect with it. You can love a Florence song because of its rhythm, its words, how she sings it, anything! Each song has so many faces, and you constantly discover new meanings—both from the song and from within—which give way to new ways to appreciate the art.

If Lungs was a collection of songs put together to show that Florence was a force to be reckoned with any which way you come at her, then Ceremonials is an album meant to show that Florence can take a theme and build an entire world around it. Ceremonials is an album designed to fill a gothic cathedral, an ocean, a forest—it has this larger than life, dark sound that brings out your raw self. You can get lost in the stories and lost in the way the music makes you feel. It’s just a truly moving, inspiring collection of music.

I find it impossible to pick out favorites because each time I listen to the album, something new stands out. However, I do think that the two singles they’ve released so far from this record, “What the Water Gave Me” and “Shake It Out,” are a good place to start. They show the two ends of the spectrum (no Flo pun intended) for Ceremonials, I think.

I also need to share that I read a comment somewhere that said (paraphrasing), “I feel so sorry for people who just bought the standard edition because they are missing out on some of the best songs from this album.” I have to agree. The bonus tracks are absolutely amazing. I am completely obsessed with “Remain Nameless” (see above). It makes me think of an 80s vampire thriller, the color purple, and equilateral arches.

Cher Lloyd – Sticks + Stones

For some reason last year, I got really into X Factor UK and kept up with it online. And by “some reason,” I mean Cher Lloyd. I heard buzz about her initial audition with “Turn My Swag On” and was completely captivated from that point on.

I just love her. I love the fact that she is a completely take-it-or-leave-it performer; you’re definitely going to love her or hate her. I, for one, love her. Cher is a wonderful mixture of girliness and grit, and she knows how to take all kinds of elements—everything from dance and pop to dubstep to hip hop—and make them work together. While Florence + The Machine’s Ceremonials is one of the finest examples of a cohesive album where all of the songs flow into one another, Cher’s debut album Sticks + Stones, which was just released in the UK yesterday, is a prime example of just the opposite. It is one eclectic mix of tracks that show all the different sides of Cher.

The two singles, summer jam “Swagger Jagger” and current hit “With Ur Love” (see the super cute official video above), were already faves for me. But after hearing the album in full a few times, I’ll add “Want U Back” (I love that growl that she does) and bonus track “Talkin’ That” to that short list for those of you looking for recommendations.

I just love an artist who can do things that make it hard for people to believe they came from the same person (e.g., compare “Swagger Jagger” to Cher’s collaboration with Carolina Liar “Beautiful People”). Cher is definitely that kind of an artist, and I know her album is changing people’s opinions of her. And that’s what music is supposed to do, isn’t it? Speak for itself.

I'll post Part 2 tomorrow, but here are some hints: one artist can see through Cinderella's Eyes, one is a Toronto-based singer-songwriter with fiery footwear, and another is an Oklahoma transplant who I am going to see in concert on January 27th!

Revenge: It's Never Gonna Happen

2011-11-03T08:56:00.003-04:00

In response to a recent comment from Anony Moose regarding this post about whether or not I am watching ABC's new hit primetime soap Revenge:

OMG! It is HILARIOUS and timely that you left that comment yesterday. Earlier in the day, I found out that the one person who was the biggest champion of that show actually hasn't even watched any of it yet. So I had no reason to go back on my original instinct that it was going to be a cheesy, horribly executed, too soapy soap. I am so relieved to have your confirmation. I stand by my original claim:

Revenge? It's never gonna happen.

Catching Up with The Walking Dead

2011-11-02T07:58:00.001-04:00

As I said I would before the start of the weekend, I took the plunge and marathoned the first season and what has aired so far of the second of AMC’s original series The Walking Dead for Halloween.

For those of you who haven’t been following this most interesting saga, when the show debuted last year I said I was too scared of zombies to watch. Then I changed my mind. Now I’m watching the show. The end.

No, but seriously I am so glad that I finally put my irrational fear of zombie flicks aside because The Walking Dead is so much more than a gory horror series. After spending seven or so hours watching the show on Sunday, I was surprised when I reflected on what I’d seen later in the evening and realized that the gruesome, frightful zombies weren’t the number one image in my mind.

The Walking Dead is much more an exploration of humanity—what it’s made of, how to hold onto it and encourage it in others—and a story about finding hope in the face of hopelessness than an action-adventure series with zombies, blood, and guts. It obviously has that stuff, too, and being scared out of my wits and almost falling off of my couch a few times per episode is quite fun. But the beauty of The Walking Dead is that there is beauty in it despite its disgusting theatrical backdrop.

I shouldn’t be that surprised by how meaningful and moving the stories in the show are because this is an AMC original drama after all. Despite my up and down feelings about Mad Men, AMC has a damn good track record with dramas. Breaking Bad is clearly brilliant and, even though no one else watched it, Rubicon was a truly great understated, slow-burning thriller. I guess I’m more shocked at myself for being able to look past the seriously sickening zombies and enjoy the show. But I’m so glad that I took the chance and found that ability because this series is wonderful and worth watching.

One of the things I appreciate the most about TWD is the fact that they don’t seem that pressed to provide all of the answers. Whether they’re ignoring pressure or purposefully breaking convention, it’s working. Instead of doing things in a predictable manner (i.e., one of the many overused ways to squeeze in upfront exposition) to get all of the background information in, they’re taking their time letting the story unfold. It’s the second season and we still don’t know how this whole zombie epidemic started. We’ve heard some theories, but the audience is still in the same position as the characters—completely in the dark, floundering around just hoping the people you care about survive. It was frustrating for me at first because I had assumed there would be answers in the pilot, but once I realized what they were doing I found that I really enjoy having that equalizer of only knowing what the characters know. It adds to the intensity of each little discovery and the weight of the series as a whole—and it helps you ask the right questions as a viewer, both about the plot and about what these stories mean.

I’m looking forward to seeing what the show does with a full 13-episode season this year. It will be wonderful to see how far and wide they take the story and where we end up facing for the next season (it gets wonderful ratings so I’m just assuming it will be renewed). And what other delightful gems Daryl Dixon will bestow upon us.

A Big Thanks to DirecTV and Fox

2011-11-01T08:30:00.008-04:00

Tonight at 10pm, my DirecTV DVR will be recording the latest episode of the FX original series Sons of Anarchy.

Normally, this would be the lamest opening sentence to anything I've ever posted on the internet. But today it is the mark of VICTORY!!!

After a few weeks of fear-mongering and with the threat of a midnight blackout hanging over DirecTV subscribers' heads, the satellite cable company and News Corp finally reached an agreement that will continue DirecTV's ability to carry Fox networks with only hours to spare. No blackout occurred, enemies are friends once more (that is what I like to believe), and things are going on business as usual.

I will admit that I have avoided discussing this both in person and here on SWTS because I was determined to hold out hope that the two companies would reach an agreement before a blackout happened and that I would get to see the last five episodes of this season of SOA. I was trying to be realistic and face the fact that a blackout was a real possibility, but deep down inside I knew that both sides were really playing this up in the media and that despite what was being said in the public forum that neither side wanted to let it get that far.

This is going to seem naive to people who are much more business savvy than I am, but I personally do not care about the politics of this conflict. I didn't want to pick a side. I just wanted to be able to continue to enjoy the television shows that I have been a loyal viewer of for years with a cable company that I've been very happy with. That's all.

So, with that in mind and knowing that I can tune to any Fox channel I want and watch whatever they are offering today and in the future, I just want to say a big thanks to everyone involved—from the actual corporate players to the unbiased journalists who kept us in the know—for helping this conflict to reach a swift and peaceful resolution.

Halloween Plans: My Date with Zombies

2011-10-28T03:03:00.000-04:00

I've officially made my All Hallows Eve plans: I will be marathoning The Walking Dead season 1 and the eps that have aired so far for season 2.

I was inspired to finally face my fears and watch this AMC original about the zombie apocalypse by a bad ass picture of Norman Reedus and an anonymous SWTS reader (who I am now referring to as Anonny Mousse) who informed me that the first season was more like half a season. And I figured since Halloween is a time when you are supposed to be scared out of your wits that my deep-rooted fear of zombie movies would work in my favor for once.

I'm not going to lie: Even doing a Google image search to find a pic for this post gave me nightmares. I gagged a little at the original version of the above banner. But The Walking Dead is probably one of the freshest and most innovative genre shows television has seen in a long time so I MUST! And I will.

I'll report back next week. Happy Halloween, everyone!

Five More Days 'Til Miranda Lambert's 'Four the Record'

2011-10-27T11:03:00.012-04:00

While it has been extremely overwhelming, the beauty of the abundance of wonderful new music this fall has been that just as soon as I'm done anticipating the release of one album, another one I've been pining for is just around the corner.

In between listens of Kelly Clarkson's Stronger, which came out this week, I've been anxiously counting down the hours until the release of Miranda Lambert's fourth studio album, Four the Record. I've still got the Pistol Annies record on heavy rotation, and I just cannot wait to hear more quality country tunes from Lambert and her amazing team.

Thankfully, Lambert's camp is doing a similar promotion to what they did for the Annies' Hell on Heels back in August. The singer's official website is posting one song each day until the release of the album on partner sites. At these sites, you can stream the song and collect a digital badge to enter to win a contest to see Miranda in concert. Three songs have debuted so far, plus the first single "Baggage Claim." Oh, and I found another one on NPR this morning, though no badge is attached so I don't think it's part of the promotion. Anyway, here's the songs that you can listen to (with the associated album track number) from Four the Record so far:

3. "Fastest Girl in Town" - From EW - You might be able to tell from the sass factor, but this track was co-written by Miranda and Holler Annie, Angaleena Presley!

5. "Mama's Broken Heart" - From NPR - Miranda debuted this song at a live performance a few months back and a video of it was posted online. I fell in love with the song then and the studio version is pure perfection. I know this is going to be one of my faves from the album. (Fun fact: There is also an 7-minute radio segment that you can stream or download, which includes an interview with Miranda and a clip of another song from the album called "Fine Tune.")

8. "Baggage Claim" - From Miranda's Vevo - The lead single! I'm eagerly anticipating an official music video. *Hint hint*

9. "Easy Living" - From The Boot - The perfect combination of Miranda's kick ass brand of country and rocking on the front porch.

10. "Over You" - From Us Weekly - Read the full story behind the song at the Us link. Be careful. I made the mistake of listening to this one whilst in my cubicle at work and I started crying. Embarrassing? Perhaps...

All of these songs sound absolutely amazing, which is exactly what I expected from a Miranda Lambert album. I have to admit that though I can't believe it has been two years since Miranda released her third album, Revolution, I still cannot wait to hear Four the Record in full. Just five more days to go now! And then I'm hoping I get to see her on tour (WITH. CHRIS. YOUNG.), but I'm getting a little ahead of myself now. Album first, tickets later!

Enjoy the new tunes! Let me know what you think.

UPDATE 2:04pm:

Miranda just tweeted the link for today's song so I will add it to the list:

6. "Dear Diamond" - From Billboard - This is an absolutely beautiful song that's right up there with "Dead Flowers." In her tweet, Miranda said that she was inspired by Patty Loveless when writing this song. And then Patty sang on it with her!

I'll update this post tomorrow with the fifth and last preview song, as well.

UPDATE 11:20am 28 October 2011:

The fifth and final song for the promotion was just posted!

4. "Safe" - From Country Weekly - Miranda explains what this song, inspired by watching her now husband Blake Shelton perform, and the solo writing process means to her over at the CW link.

That's it for the promotion this week. The complete Four the Record album, which many critics are calling Miranda's best work yet, will be available for listening and purchase this Tuesday November 1st.

Ask AJ Follow-Up

2011-10-27T06:36:00.007-04:00

There were some follow-up questions to my most recent Ask AJ post and I wanted to respond:

One show I really want to get into is Revenge. I like Emily Von whatever her last name is. Do you watch it? – Anonymous

In short, no, I'm not watching Revenge. I chose not to watch this series when it premiered because the previews I saw over the summer made it look horrible and cheesy. Plus, ABC doesn't typically produce and keep the kinds of dramas that I really get into and fall in love with (pour the forties out for Eli Stone, y'all). Also, I'm scared to admit this because I know she has diehard fans from doing Everwood, but I'm not the biggest Emily VanCamp fan. I disliked her character on Brothers & Sisters and don't really know her from anything else. But since Revenge debuted, all I have heard is good things. I was going to change my mind and see if I could add it to my schedule, but at the time I had both of my DVRs (mhmm I have two. I'm that serious.) tied up with four other shows that air during the Revenge time slot of Wednesdays at 10pm. But now Luther is over and I've dropped American Horror Story. Maybe I will see if I can find reruns and eps online. If not, I've definitely got it in mind for summer watching once it's out on DVD. If it gets renewed, that is. But it seems to be a breakout hit for ABC so that seems like a given at this point.

Please give this reader some great reading selections as well. – Anonymous

Follow-up question for you: What type of reading are you looking for? Crazy, wacky novels? Genre stuff? Personally, I've been on a HUGE memoir/autobiography kick for a long while because I just absolutely adore reading accounts of other people's lives and people's reflections on their experiences. Let me know what mood you're in and I'll try to narrow it down for ya.

And about Sons of Anarchy:

I haven't watched this week's episode yet (and I'm bitter about it), but I will tonight. I'm pretty sure I heard the tree branch break last week (Inception-style sound during the credits) so I'm confident Juice did not succeed with the suicide plan. But THIS STORYLINE IS KILLING ME!!! It's breaking my heart, it's thrilling, it's frustrating, and it's exciting to see Juice in the forefront finally. This is good, good stuff. I mean, I would expect nothing less of this show, but I just love the fact that it isn't predictable in the slightest. You never have any idea of what's to come season to season and episode to episode. And all of the plot twists aren't there to purposefully surprise viewers. That is just an amazing bonus. I could rave about this show all day long. Anyway, I can't wait to see where things go.

And also I just wanted to mention that I, too, got into The Shield from watching SOA (but I watched SOA because I live with someone who watched The Shield so...chicken, egg, chicken?). I hope The Shield is still impressing you!

American Horror Story: What AJ is Not Watching

2011-10-25T07:57:00.003-04:00

I realized a few hours after I posted my thoughts on all the new fall hourlongs I've been watching this season that I completely forgot to include American Horror Story in my discussion. Since a number of people have asked me about it over the last few days, it is clear that I can avoid the sticky note on my desk that says "American Horror Story" no longer. Here we go.

I am not watching FX's new drama American Horror Story.

I was going to. I planned on it. And I tried. But I can't.

Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton star in this series about a family, the Harmons, that relocates from Boston to Los Angeles after enduring mucho family drama (stillbirth, adultery, a teenage daughter battling depression). They move into what they think is a restored mansion, but it is really a haunted house. Super freaky things ensue.

I got through twenty minutes or so of the pilot before I realized that I was not at all interested in what I was watching.

And I tried to give the show the benefit of the doubt: I thought it was me. So I continued to record the series and waited for a time when I would be open and game for watching the weirdness. I even tried to read some articles about it to pique my interest again. All that did was make me thankful that I cut the show off at the halfway mark.

American Horror Story is being lauded by some people for being the weirdest thing of all time ever to air on TV. And I'm happy for those people who enjoy that sort of thing. But I can't get into it.

I've never been able to watch and enjoy things that feel like they are being weird on purpose. Horror is one thing, but AHS feels more like a game. Like they're trying to see how many horror tropes they can fit into one series along with a ton of outlandish stuff that feels like it's there just to be racy. And I can't get behind that. Plus, I feel strongly that Grey's Anatomy is the only place for ghost sex on TV.*

I wanted to watch AHS because of Connie Britton. I don't care about Ryan Murphy as a creator, I don't care about Dylan McDermott, and I've never been any sort of a horror buff. It sounded like it could be a fun concept (horror on TV!) and I was excited for Connie to do something again so soon after Friday Night Lights ended, but once the promos started running I had a feeling I wasn't going to enjoy it. And then I read something of a rumor that indicated that the story for each season, and thus the cast, would be changing year to year. It sounded like there was a chance Connie would only be doing this one season. So, if the show gets renewed, I wouldn't have any real reason to continue watching anyway. I have no idea if this is true, but with all of these factors combined I just knew it was not a show for me.

So, that answers that question. And now I can crumple up this sticky note that has been mocking me for weeks. I feel better!

*Note: JUST IN CASE it wasn't clear that this is a joke, it is a joke.

Album News for the Other Kellie...Pickler!

2011-10-24T15:23:00.002-04:00

I think the power of Kelly Clarkson's Stronger record has made way for a gift from the other American Idol Kellie. Today, we have some breaking Kellie Pickler news! The I-E Kellie revealed her long-awaited third studio album title and release date during a performance at the Grand Ole Opry last weekend.

Kellie's next album will be called 100 Proof and is set for a January 24th release.

Just in case you were not around SWTS back in 2008, you must know that I absolutely love Kellie Pickler. And I've been obsessed with finding out this information ever since Kellie debuted her latest single "Tough" at the beginning of the summer. Though "Tough" was released only a little over a year after Kellie's last single, it was technically her first new tune since the release of her self-titled sophomore album in September 2008. That's a long, long time for fans to wait around for new material.

However, considering the fact that Kellie toured all over the place with big name country acts like Taylor Swift and Rascal Flatts and found time to get married and start a new life, plus fit some songwriting and philanthropy work in, no one can blame her for taking a break between records.

But now Kellie is back on the music scene, starting up a promo tour, and getting ready to release her third album!

In statements published on The Boot, Kellie assures her fans that her downtime was put to good use and that her new music will show how she has matured as an artist. Kellie says, "There's been a lot of changes. I've really been able to go in the studio and just play, and really find myself as a songwriter. I've been writing since 'American Idol,' but I've found more of who Kellie, artist Kellie is."

I know there's a lot of fun stuff happening between now and January 24th so I won't say that I can't wait for the end of January 2012 to be here. But I will say that I am incredibly eager to hear more new music from Kellie Pickler.

Check out the official video for Kellie's current single "Tough" above.

Kelly Clarkson is Back and 'Stronger' Than Ever!

2011-10-24T07:08:00.004-04:00

The original American Idol’s fifth studio album comes out today! Kelly Clarkson’s brand new release Stronger is now available for purchase! And, THANKFULly (see what I did there? Kelly humor!), it is also available to stream from AOL Music.

Click here to listen to the standard edition of Kelly Clarkson’s Stronger.

I have been so anxious for this album since Kelly made the big announcement over the summer. And I’ve been reading articles and watching her interviews and performances like crazy these last couple months. Every single thing she has said about the album—from it being centered around the themes of strength and empowerment to it drawing on a varied pool of influences like Prince and Tina Turner to it being a really rhythmic, guitar-driven sound—has built up my excitement even more. And now that I’m finally listening to it, I’m so overwhelmed and excited that I’m finding it hard to collect my thoughts. Bear with me.

First of all, I need to share that I abstained from listening to any of leaks. For those of you who don’t keep up with Kelly, awhile back a TON of her songs were stolen from a computer and posted online. She was disappointed about it because most of the songs were meant for other artists and are now unusable because they’re already out there with her voice on them and the artists who would’ve used them wouldn’t want to anymore. Among other things, that translates into money lost for hardworking songwriters and up and coming artists. Because it was that sort of a violation and because Kelly spoke out against it publicly, I did not want to take part in any of the leak listening. I didn’t even listen to any of the songs that Kelly herself shared before the album’s release because I felt that she was doing it in large part because people were still posting rough versions of songs from the album online without her permission. I even pre-ordered the deluxe edition CD from her website because I’m hoping she makes more money that way than if I bought it on the cheap from a store like Amazon. (Plus, I wanted that limited edition acoustic EP. I don’t mess around!) So this morning is the first I’m hearing any of these songs, aside from the lead single, “Mr. Know It All.”

I have to say that immediately upon hearing the opening notes of “What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)” (which is rumored to be the second single), I knew that Kelly had delivered exactly what she was promising during her interviews. Stronger is wholly rhythmic and guitar-driven; I can hear the Prince and the Tina Turner and even the Radiohead influences that Kelly has shared inspired her during the recording process. Her voice sounds so raw and open on these songs, but it’s definitely not a weak or vulnerable openness. These are songs that get your blood pumping from the beats and from the build-you-up lyrics. With Stronger, Kelly delivers on every single level. As a fan, I couldn’t be more pleased; as a critic, I couldn’t be more impressed.

One of the things that is so magical and special about Kelly Clarkson as a pop star is that she is kind of the anti-pop star pop star. Her music is amazing, radio-friendly, and appeals to the masses, sure. But Kelly isn’t a brand and she isn’t a persona. Kelly Clarkson is Kelly Clarkson. She’ll geek out over her crush on Kyle Chandler on the Ellen Show and joke about barbequing with Simon Cowell on British TV. I’ve always felt that there are some people who can make you like their books, movies, music whatever more if you know more about them as people. Kelly Clarkson is definitely one of those people. And the more you like her and get to know her, the more you can understand and believe the lyrics she’s singing and the way she’s singing them.

This is why Stronger is both exactly what I was expecting and more than I could have imagined. Sound-wise, I was perfectly prepared to hear Stronger. I wasn’t prepared for the power of these songs, however. Everyone was surprised and/or up in arms about the first single “Mr. Know It All” being a very un-Kelly-like first single to release. It wasn’t an in-your-face, uptempo pop anthem like some of her other first singles have been. It was “a grower,” as Kelly herself described it on Australian X Factor last month (see video above). But once your ears adjust to the Stronger-era sound laden with guitars and soulful singing, then you should be primed and ready to fall in love with the album as a whole.

I’m only on my second listen through now, but standout tracks to me so far are definitely “What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)” and “Einstein.” I am not ahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifs familiar with the second half of the album as I am with the first since I’ve listened to that batch of songs more than once already. I’m sure more favorites will emerge as the day progresses. I’ll come back and add some more recommendations later, but in the meantime by all means check out the album for yourself over at .

I have seriously been waiting for new Kelly music for over two years and Stronger is better than I could’ve ever imagined back in the spring of 2009 when I started getting antsy after listening to All I Ever Wanted nonstop for months. I applaud Kelly for putting her mind to a theme and a sound and sticking with it no matter what. I’m so glad that she got to bring this concept to life and deliver it to her fans exactly as she pictured it. I can’t wait to get my deluxe edition CD in the mail (hopefully) tomorrow!

UPDATE 8:25am 25 October 2011:

I listened to Stronger exclusively yesterday and have a few more tracks to add to my quick list of favorites. I've had "Honestly" in my head all morning. I think the melody is absolutely beautiful and the entire song is such a wonderful mix of breathy and haunting. I also love "You Love Me" because of its kick ass message (listen closely to the lyrics; the title does not say it all), "Let Me Down," and "You Can't Win."

Ugh this entire album is just so amazing! I still haven't received my copy of the deluxe edition yet (which is my fault because I waited to long to pre-order it). This means I still haven't listened to the bonus tracks. I know I could stream them from YouTube or something now, but I'd just rather wait to experience them when I have the liner notes in hand and I can jam without interruption. Siiiiigh. Soon though...soon.

Ask AJ: She Has All the Answers

2011-10-20T09:28:00.001-04:00

This is my favorite part: You asked and I'm answering! Today, I'm answering questions from delightfully inquisitive SWTS readers. Check it out:

Have you started watching The Walking Dead? – Anonymous

It is so funny that you asked me this because just hours beforehand, I had seen an article about Norman Reedus online and realized the season 2 premiere of The Walking Dead debuted the night before (this was Monday). I thought to myself how amazing that show probably is and how my (aforementioned) fear of zombies should not hold me back from experiencing such an epic television event in its present versus when it becomes a part of television history. In that moment, staring at a picture of Norman surrounded by brightly colored, blinking banner ads, I decided that YES! I need to start watching The Walking Dead. I’m recording season 2 as it airs and plan on renting season 1 from Netflix soon. I have a few other viewing projects I need to catch up on first, but The Walking Dead will be a great show to get into once the spotty scheduling of new programming typical of late fall/early winter sets in. In other words, no, I haven’t started, but I’m about to! And I will probably have nightmares.

Glee…what has the show come to?!?!?! Wow... Do you think there is any way to save it or is it too late? – Ethan

This is such a depressing question hahaha…ha. No, but really, this is a serious issue. I will be the first to exclaim that Glee is the new Heroes—a show that delivered a truly fantastic first season that was then followed up by quick deterioration into Sucksville upon the show’s return for a second season. But I think the entire cast and crew was aware of this all last year because it seems like now they are trying to right the wrongs they committed during season 2. Speaking objectively, the last couple episodes of the third season have really felt as though the writers are trying to get the story back on track—to align with the show’s Midwestern high school setting, to center on the main characters, and to tell realistic stories focused on those characters. Speaking from a subjective standpoint as a viewer, I remain soured on the show. I’m not sure if I’ve just been exposed to too much of the behind-the-scenes drama (like co-creator Ryan Murphy badmouthing artists who won’t give the show permission to use their songs) or if I was just burned too badly last year, but I’m finding it very hard to get emotionally invested in the series again. Most of the characters annoy me—even characters I once loved and quoted on the regular. I’ve even grown tired of the music gimmick and have found myself fast-forwarding through the musical numbers a few times. I feel a sense of shame and regret when I see the words “Glee Cast” as I scroll through the artists in my music library. I do truly believe the show knows what it needs to do to be good again, and I do think that they are trying. I’m just not sure if it’s enough for me or if it’s too late. I guess we’ll all find out after it comes back from its three-week baseball-induced hiatus on November 1st.

What about The Shield? I just finished season 1 and am amazed and saddened that this show is off the air. – Anonymous

YES! The Shield is an absolutely amazing series. I have possibly inappropriate obsessions with Sticky Fingaz and Kenny Johnson because of it. I actually only just watched the series in full last winter. I thought I had written more about it on here, but this was the only post I could find where I discussed it in depth (I had only watched season 1 myself when I wrote it so there aren’t any season 2 or beyond spoilers in there). I guess I never went back to do a big wrap-up post with my thoughts. Kind of like how I’ve had a sticky note telling me to do that for The Wire stuck to my notebook for almost two months.

Anyway, I’m glad to hear that people are still discovering this wonderful show and that it is living on even though its seven-year run wrapped almost three years ago. It is a ridiculously powerful, gripping series that deserves more attention and recognition than it ever got.

But don’t be sad The Shield isn’t on the air anymore. FX gave us seven flawless seasons and most of the key people involved have gone on to do absolutely astounding things (e.g., writer Kurt Sutter created Sons of Anarchy*, Walton Goggins stars in Justified as one of the greatest characters currently on television).

Final thought: I hope you continue to enjoy the series and the mad adventures that unfold. I would love to hear what you think of it as you keep watching!

*Note: If you aren’t watching Sons already, please do so IMMEDIATELY after you finish The Shield. It is an absolute must.

Britney Spears Debuts 'Criminal' Music Video

2011-10-18T04:12:00.004-04:00

Just a few hours ago when the clock struck midnight, Britney Spears debuted the music video for her latest single "Criminal." Click here to view the Living Legend's latest cinematic masterpiece.

The clip was directed by Chris Marrs Piliero, who recently worked with Britney on the Terminator-riffic video for her prior single "I Wanna Go." The Bonnie-and-Clyde-esque "Criminal" video stars Britney and her real life boyfriend Jason Trawick as The Criminals. They meet at a swanky party where the bad boy saves the girl from being attacked outside of the event. They speed off on bad boy's motorcycle and their epic romance begins. The video is full of steamy love, blazin' guns, and a whole lot of what I can only describe as some of the fiercest Britney video moves ever.

This is by far one of my most favorite Britney videos to date. It has so many elements that make it amazing, everything from Britney's look and moves to her acting intro to the silver screen storyline. I hope the ending where they escape the police shootout and ride off into the sunset on a motorcycle means that there will be more adventures for The Criminals to come in the future.

Right now, the video can only be viewed at iTunes Music, which means you need the iTunes program on your computer in order to view it. Bummer, I know. However, there are probably some crafty people out there on the interwebz who have uploaded it to other sites (YouTube, Tumblr, etc.) so try to catch it while you can. Of course, I'm sure the video will be given a wider release very soon.

In the meantime, you can start brushing up on the words to "Criminal" with this official lyric video Britney posted last night. Enjoy!

To the Unnamed Driver: A 'Drive' Review

2011-10-17T12:18:00.004-04:00

Dedicated to Anonymous

As I mentioned last week, my rural town’s behind-the-times movie theater finally got the new Nicolas Winding Refn film Drive last week. And after months and months of pining for a chance to see it, I went to a showing on Saturday night!

Drive stars Ryan Gosling as a Hollywood stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver for criminals in need. After getting involved with his neighbor, Irene, and her son, he finds himself trying to repent for what he’s done when the neighbor’s husband, Standard, returns home after a stint in jail. He volunteers his services to help Standard pull a heist on a pawnshop in order to clear some debts Standard accrued whilst in the slammer. The heist goes beyond sideways and he must go to extreme measures to keep Irene and her son safe from the mobsters that were giving Standard, and now him, trouble.

I’m feeling a little overwhelmed with the memory of how powerful this film and, in particular, Ryan Gosling’s performance are. I’m listening to songs from the soundtrack and score right now and I’m being flooded with all of those same emotions I felt while I was in the theater. Like I said, overwhelming.

Let me start by saying that Drive was nothing like what I expected. I kept hearing Refn and Gosling and reviewers describing it as “a John Hughes movie with violence” over and over again. So, I guess I was expecting something more along the lines of a bubble gum-popping Smokin’ Aces. Drive, however, is much, much more understated than that.

I was quite shocked by how smooth and subtle the film is, but it wasn’t a disappointing shock. I adjusted quickly, which I’m sure can be attributed in large part to the amazing opening sequence (one of the best in recent memory, to be honest). It does wonders to set up the Driver’s world and character. We find that, though he leads a life full of adrenaline-pumping action, he is quite subdued and only when he finds someone to love do things really start to matter.

And love Irene he does. It was so interesting to see what could have been a basic action movie filled with maybe forty minutes of story and over an hour of heart-racing action sequences turn into something of a love story. As though, had we met the Driver earlier in his story, we would’ve just seen the action sequences and maybe some anecdotal run-ins with seedy types, but because we met him just as he meets Irene, this is the story we get. When you think of the delicate timing of it, the story becomes even more beautiful.

And in a testament to how truly minimalist the film is, there are no outright sex scenes and there are only a handful of driving sequences (but, yes, lots of violence just like Refn and Gosling promised—though still not as much as I had expected). And one of the greatest strengths of Drive (and perhaps Refn’s films in general) is that sometimes you are left on your own to interpret what is going on.

For example, with the Driver and Irene, everything that transpires between them is implied and the audience must discern for themselves through the characters’ body language and minimal speech what has gone on between them. You aren’t ever really sure if they did sleep together or not. Perhaps when Shannon (Bryan Cranston) yells at the Driver, “I know a lot of guys who mess around with married women, but you're the only one I know who robs a place to pay back the husband!” he is just making an assumption. In one person's interpretation, maybe they slept together and in someone else’s, maybe they just had an “emotional affair.” Like I said, that’s just one of the beautiful things about this movie.

(Another example of this would, of course, be the ending. Does the Driver survive the stab wound Bernie gave him or not? This one is left up to interpretation in the film, but outside of the screen it looks like the director has answered this question. Click here to read a statement Refn made regarding the ending.)

And I can’t talk about this movie without taking time to applaud the brilliant performance Ryan Gosling delivered as the Driver. I’m a huge fan of Gosling so I was prone to like whatever he did in the role just because it was him in it. But after the movie ended and I had some time to think about it, I came to the conclusion that the way I can tell that Gosling—regardless of my affinity for his work—did a magnificent job is that I honestly with all my heart believe that if it had been anyone else cast in this role, the movie would not have succeeded. That is not my way of saying that everything else in the movie was awful and Ryan carried it on his shoulders. No. What I’m getting at is the fact that the role called for a certain something in a certain type of person—the ability to emote with your being, your body and presence, rather than bring someone to life through words—and Ryan Gosling has that ability like no one else. He’s an incredibly versatile actor and he knew just what to bring to the role.

I was hoping that I would get to see both Drive and The Ides of March this weekend and then do a Gosling comparison review, but we had such a bad experience while seeing Drive (there were less than 10 people in the theater and NONE OF THEM WOULD SHUT UP. It was such an unpleasant way to experience such a quietly powerful film—lots of disruptions. I’m just so relieved it didn’t color my view of the movie.) that we didn’t have the heart to go see Ides the next morning. Maybe next weekend (it will happen—I’ve been dying to see Ides almost as long as I waited for Drive).

In conclusion, Drive was fantastic, but in a completely unassuming and surprising way. It’s much more than an action film, but certainly not to be written off as a haughty art film only hipsters could enjoy. I’m so pleased that the art of film is alive and well and that Refn and Gosling have delivered something wonderfully interesting for people from all walks of life to dissect and enjoy.

UPDATE 2:13pm:

AAAAAHHHHH!!!! Describing the soundtrack as another character in the film = BRILLIANT POINT! The music was the very first thing that moved me (quite literally, in fact) and as soon as that Kavinsky song started playing I said to myself, "OMFG I need to download the soundtrack as soon as I get out of here." All of their song choices and the score just melded so wonderfully into each and every scene. Such a perfect description. I love it!

And thank you for this continued conversation about such an amazing film! I greatly appreciate it! You can tell by my liberal use of exclamation points. PS - I'm planning an Ask AJ post to answer your non-Drive questions. YAY for talkin' 'bout pop culture!

Progress Report: New Fall Hourlongs

2011-10-14T06:33:00.002-04:00

Last week, I posted a rundown of all the new comedies I've been watching. Now, it's time to tackle hourlongs.

Note that I'm using the term "hourlongs" because not all shows that are longer than half an hour are true dramas. The public gets it, but when will the Television Academy? Hmm...

I digress. Here are my thoughts on all the new fall hourlongs that I put on my fall schedule:

Terra Nova

This action-adventure series executive produced by Steven Spielberg takes us to the future and the past. In the year 2149, things are not going so well for the Earth. It is on the brink of being completely uninhabitable. Luckily, someone discovered a crack in time and the government sets up a camp in the Cretaceous period and sends select individuals back in time to start a new life. There's a lot more to it than that, but that is the most succinct explanation I can come up with. Which is actually a testament to how wonderfully rich this show has turned out to be. I was eager to see this show because anyone who knows me knows that I fucking LOVE dinosaurs and time travel. Basically, this show was tailor made for someone like moi. And I have not been disappointed in any way. These first few episodes have been wonderful. Right from the beginning, the show was on target. They did a marvelous job creating a future world that was so despicable that people would actually want to cohabitate with dinosaurs instead of living there. And when the action moved to Terra Nova, wow. I was genuinely impressed with how effectively they set up so many different subplots in the pilot without making it feel overcrowded (granted, since it was a two-hour premiere, they had twice as much room). There is something for everyone in Terra Nova from science to action to romance to mystery and myth. Fox recently announced the season finale would air December 19th, which means they aren't extending the season past 13 episodes. I'm guessing this has more to do with the series being pricy to produce than anything else since Terra Nova has gotten pretty solid ratings. I would just really like Fox to give it an early renewal so I can feel relaxed while I watch it. The moral of the story is that I highly recommend this series and I won't mind if Skye gets killed off by a pack of Slashers.

Hart of Dixie

A young doctor moves from Manhattan to a small Alabama town to learn the human side of being a doctor, but has a tough time adjusting. Oh man. The pilot for this show was the hottest of messes. Show lead Rachel Bilson’s character, Zoe Hart, was obnoxious and a complete contradiction for most of the episode. One minute, she’s a hard science, ambitious medical student (basically Bones); the next, a daughter pining for her emotionally-distant father’s love. During the last ten minutes, she got a little likable, but it was mostly because of pity. Everything else felt forced, which isn’t all that shocking considering how hard the CW has been pushing Hart of Dixie as a throwback to the glory days of wholesome WB entertainment like Everwood and Gilmore Girls. Basically, they are trying too hard to make the show’s small town location of BlueBell, Alabama a southern Stars Hollow. I wouldn’t have even made it through the pilot (and I never would’ve looked back) if it weren’t for Scott Porter. Thankfully, I’ve stuck with Hart of Dixie, and so far I would say the episodes that have aired since the pilot are a huge improvement. I’m really enjoying this show now—the most recent episode especially (“Gumbo & Glory,” 1x03). Zoe has morphed from almost unbearable to endearing (see when Zoe ate grits for the first time) and the people and town of BlueBell are starting to come into their own. In short, this show just needed to stop trying to be something else and find its footing in what it is—a show about community and cultural understanding, not to mention what look to be some juicy relationship stories. If Hart of Dixie is given room to experiment and grow, I think it could turn into a true CW staple. And since the network gave it a full season order yesterday, it looks like we’ll all get a chance to see that now.

Playboy Club

Summary wise, The Playboy Club is pretty self-explanatory. Plus, I didn’t watch any of this series. I couldn’t bring myself to watch it, and when the pilot was recording I finally admitted to myself that despite the pressure I was feeling to give this season’s possible “next big thing” a chance, I was never, ever going to watch The Playboy Club. I kept thinking that because the ratings were so horrible that it would get cancelled and I would never have to deal with it. It looks like I was right. After just three extremely low-rated episodes, NBC pulled the plug on The Playboy Club. And it looks like my new approach to television is working. No harm done taking up a bit of space on my DVR for a few weeks before decisions were made. I like my new plan!

Ringer

Heralded as the big return of Sarah Michelle Gellar to the small screen, Ringer follows twin sisters Bridgette and Siobhan who are both being hunted down by presumably dangerous individuals (because what non-dangerous person puts a hit out on someone, right?). Let me start by saying that things on Ringer are starting to get JUICY!!! I knew immediately after watching the pilot that Ringer was going to need a few weeks of slow unraveling in order for people to really dig into the complicated storylines. Of course, the downside of this is that the public’s attention span doesn’t always allow for such a buildup. I kept telling people who had recorded it to give it a few weeks, accumulate multiple episodes, and then start the series because I had this feeling that the show was about to bust wide open. And it has indeed. And the end of last week’s episode, I was shouting, “YES! YES!” and then this week’s episode just kept up the momentum and is barreling right into deeper drama. I really don’t want to give too much away because I think it is still early enough for people to jump on board with this show. Just know that I’m really very pleased with how Ringer has developed, and I’m even more pleased that the CW gave this show a full season order yesterday, as well!

I will say one thing. [SPOILER ALERT!] The ENTIRE time during this week’s ep (“A Whole New Kind of Bitch,” 1x05), I kept wishing Gemma would be murdered. By any character, I didn’t care. I just want her gone. And there were lots of opportunities for that throughout, and I kept thinking it was going to happen. But FINALLY at the end when Henry was all sweaty and weird when Andrew came to their apartment, I knew. I was so excited to see the blood on the walls. I hope she really is dead and gone, though there is a definite chance we are being mislead. This sounds like I am really morbid, but seriously, Gemma has been the one bad part of this show for me. She is so absolutely grating and I just don’t see anyone ever being best friends with her. Plus, Shivette obviously benefits from Gemma’s demise so that is a plus. Perhaps this was a purposeful move on the writers’ part—don’t make the BFF too lovable so no one gets angry when she is brutally murdered by her cheating husband? Makes sense to me. In conclusion, YAY!!!

Charlie’s Angels

A remake of the classic series puts three ladies with questionable pasts in the role of private investigators in Miami. This show is worse than I could have ever imagined in all of my wildest dreams. I wanted to watch it in part because I knew it could turn out to be so awesomely bad. And it is. (There was only a slight chance it would turn out to be a legit female-driven action series.) However, the pilot was so bad that I didn’t know if I could continue watching—I didn’t think I could bear it. But I told myself I would watch one more episode to see if it evened out after the pilot. It didn’t, but I enjoyed it more the second week because I went into it knowing it would be bad instead of trying to keep an open mind. I found myself better prepared and ready to enjoy the cheese. Example of the aforementioned cheese: Minka Kelly’s character tackles a suspect into water. Blonde Angel says, “She certainly knows how to make a splash!” Roll opening credits. This is real. This really happened. Basically, this show is hilarious, but unintentionally so. I don’t know if it will actually last, but I won’t be able to keep up with the fun. I’ve decided to drop this show so I can start recording the Thursday episodes of The X Factor instead of staying up late. I was staring at my TV schedule last night trying to find a way to work X Factor in and I realized that I can if I just drop a show I’m only recording for laughs. Sorry, Angels. I love L.A. Reid too much. (More on The X Factor later!)

UPDATE 6:12pm:

And ABC just cancelled Charlie's Angels. Damn, I've got good timing!

The Secret Circle

After losing her mother, a teen (played by Britt Robertson) moves to the small town of Chance Harbor, Washington where her mother grew up to live with her grandmother. There she finds out that there is a lot she doesn’t know about her family. Namely, that they were witches—and so is she. The Secret Circle is yet another solid series from the CW and Kevin Williamson. And, no, this isn’t The Vampire Diaries with witches. It is its own entity. It’s got some of the same elements where it can draw on small town life, a town with a rich past, the journey of someone accepting that the supernatural is real, and so on, but I’d say the comparisons stop there. I enjoy TSC because they’ve created another wonderful and interesting world to get lost in, and the mysteries and stories the characters are dealing with are very, very rich and intriguing. I was hooked immediately (if you watch the first few minutes of the pilot, you’ll know why) and have continued to maintain a vested interest in finding out what is going on. I can’t wait to see what happens when this show gets farther along and we as viewers know more of the mythology. And again, the CW also gave this show a full season so, thankfully, we’re going to get to watch more strange events transpire in Chance Harbor.

Person of Interest

Michael Emerson plays a “mysterious billionaire” who teams up with an equally mysterious veteran (Jim Caviezel) to solve and prevent crimes a government threat-finding system deems “irrelevant.” If you recall, this was a show I decided to add to my schedule in the eleventh hour of planning simply because of my love for Michael Emerson and executive producer J.J. Abrams. Plus, I was intrigued by the fact that it was created by Christopher Nolan’s brother Jonathan. And each and every week, I find myself absolutely elated that I made the decision to check it out. Person of Interest has by far exceeded all of my expectations. I imagined it would be far more in the style of other CBS crime procedurals than it actually is. I wouldn’t say it is The Good Wife style drama, but it is a much fiercer, far from laughable brand. Furthermore, Jim Caviezel has been an absolute delight. He’s a little like Jack Bauer with less emotional baggage or a less cheeky sort of Christopher Chance. I’m truly surprised by how much I’ve enjoyed him and this show in general. I really hope that CBS gives it a full season and renews it for many years. My only criticism right now is the fact that Taraji P. Henson’s police detective character is super unlikeable. But it isn’t her fault (well, maybe a little—she’s playing her really hard, but the other side of that is that this woman does not know anything about John Reese. So what else would we expect her to do?). The point is: Don’t set up a brilliant partnership between two leads and expect viewers to like someone who is only operating as a threat, something to get in that partnership’s way. Anyway, Finch and Reese are definitely an OTP and I love them like an edgier version of White Collar’s Burke and Caffrey.

Prime Suspect

Maria Bello stars as NYPD homicide detective Jane Timoney in the American adaptation of the critically acclaimed ITV series helmed by Helen Mirren. I was really, really looking forward to this show all summer. I loved Bello’s character right off the bat (even from a 30-second commercial). Honestly, I was more anxious for this series than I was for any other. I just had a feeling that it would be a powerful show, and now that I’ve seen the first few episodes, I’d say I was right. It would be easy to compare Bello’s Jane to Mary McCormack’s Mary from USA’s In Plain Sight. They’re both pessimistic, tough blonde ladies with badges, which is maybe why I loved her instantly because she felt familiar and to a character I love. But Jane definitely isn’t a carbon copy of Mary. And Prime Suspect is doing a truly brilliant job of setting up a wakeup call to viewers to say, “Hey, there are still some inequality issues between men and women in the workplace, people!” And you have to give the show props for not coming off like a cookie cutter cop show. It is far superior to many of the other shows in this genre currently on television (I’m being honest, Rizzoli & Isles and Castle). Anyway, I know the show isn’t getting the greatest ratings, but it looks like NBC believes in it. After pulling The Playboy Club, NBC put reruns of Prime Suspect in its place (similar to their show of support for Whitney by playing reruns of that during the timeslot previously occupied by the now cancelled Free Agents) so now it is getting more exposure during the week. NBC also recently ordered six additional scripts for the show, which isn’t an episode order extension, but shows they’re interested in it. Since it is the newest in a very, very small group of dramas for the network, I hope NBC gives it a chance to build its audience because it definitely deserves that.

Pan Am

This series is about 1960s stewardesses and their adventures jet-setting around the globe. Many critics have been grouping Pan Am in with the likes of The Playboy Club and comparing any show set during the decade to Mad Men. They’ve been tearing it apart based on the opinion that Pan Am promotes a false sense of what is was like for women during this time period and glorifies something or other. Honestly, Pan Am’s biggest problem is that people are taking it way too seriously. It’s a soap on ABC, no different from Desperate Housewives and Revenge. I’m going to soapbox for just a moment and say that I am absolutely tired of reading articles about female-led shows being antifeminist or offensive to women because the female characters in the shows aren’t portraying someone’s idea of the perfect, politically-correct woman or whatever they are upset about. Here’s the thing—male actors aren’t criticized for playing flawed characters. They are, in fact, awarded—literally—for it. Why does Christina Ricci have to be the Rosie the Riveter of flight attendants while male contemporaries like Jon Hamm, Bryan Cranston, and Dominic West get lauded for playing some of the most (excuse me) fucked up characters of all time? Isn’t that just enforcing yet another double standard under the guise of doing something good for womankind? If people stopped trying to make the Pan Am characters into role models and started looking at them and their stories for what they are, then everyone would see what a fun and fanciful show a talented group of people has created. I get super excited while watching this show because there is so much to attend to—espionage, sexism, politics, post-war fallout, relationships, and so on. Everything is so rich and exciting and it’s really fun to experience that time period through the eyes of these enjoyable characters. In conclusion, people aren’t looking at Pan Am for history lessons. They just want to get wrapped up in a fun story for an hour on Sunday night before bed. I don’t understand why so many people are trying to suck the fun out of that.

Britney's 'Criminal' Video to Debut Next Week

2011-10-13T13:10:00.003-04:00

Remember how I was just wondering when Britney Spears would release the music video for her new single "Criminal"? Well, ask and Britney fans shall receive! The Living Legend just tweeted that the clip will premiere next week!

Obviously, I will post all the details as soon as they are available. Get excited!!!

BREAKING NEWS: I May Finally Get to See Drive This Weekend

2011-10-13T05:35:00.004-04:00

I've been pining away to see one of Ryan Gosling's new films, Drive, for months and months. However, even after it opened in theaters, I will still unable to see if because—if you remember from this Ask AJ post—I live in a rural area with one theater for fifty miles that only likes to show Dolphin Tale and Real Steel. And ever since being asked why I haven't yet seen a movie I so desperately want to see, I have been yearning and pining harder than ever before. I was determined to find a way to see Drive while it's still in theaters.

Well, friends, a movie theater MIRACLE has happened. The aforementioned rural Real Steel-loving theater FINALLY added Drive to their movie lineup. Please see the graphic below for evidence, as well as a visual representation of my reaction to this news:

Because there is a good chance that Drive will be replaced by encore showings of Steel Tales, I plan on seeing it as soon as humanly possible this weekend.

My insides are screaming with delight! IT'S HAPPENING!!! IT'S REALLY HAPPENING!!! EEEEEEEEEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!!

UPDATE 8:29am 14 October 2011:

Hello!!! YES, I definitely will post my thoughts after I get to see it. Looks like that's what I'll be doing Saturday night WOO WOO!!! I think your question helped the Powers That Be bring it to my town so thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Jamming to Britney's B in the Mix, Volume 2

2011-10-11T18:39:00.005-04:00

I just found my copy of Britney Spears' latest release, B in the Mix, Volume 2, on my front porch and am now jamming away in my kitchen as though it is a Paris nightclub.

I say Paris because of Pan Am and a nightclub because these BEATS are FIERCE!!!!!

I know a lot of people, myself included, were disappointed when Britney's camp announced the remix album because it only includes ten songs and they are all remixes of previously released tunes. Despite the rumors that circulated before the official announcement claiming that the album would contain numerous previously unheard material, we rabid fans need to remember that Volume 2 in no way pales in comparison to Britney's first collection of remixes, 2005's B in the Mix, which was 11 tracks—only one of which was new ("And Then We Kiss").

In short, we need to be grateful for the release and look forward to the music video for Britney's fourth single from her current studio album Femme Fatale. I'm crossing my fingers for an announcement about the "Criminal" music video now that the official remix has been released. Let's get it poppin'!!!

And for those of you who are curious, B in the Mix, Volume 2, is currently streaming on AOL Music. Click here to check it out! The "Piece of Me" mix from Tiesto is my personal fave, and it just so happens it is also Britney's!

UPDATE 11:03am 12 October 2011:

Now that I've had a few hours to listen to the album repeatedly, I want to say that overall this is one HELL of a collection of remixes. I've gotten really into remixes over the last two years and I listen to all kinds of Britney remixes constantly. This is a wonderful collection. Every one of them takes the song and does a special twist with it. The remix artists aren't trying to reconfigure the song to make it their own, thus leaving it entirely unrecognizable; they all have a vested interest in maintaining the power all Britney Spears song possess. But they've just done fun things with them and found amazing, creative ways to honor the original while showing the remix artist's unique take on the things.

And I should also add that my other favorite during this first round of listens is by far the "Circus" remix from Linus Loves.

Progress Report: New Fall Comedies

2011-10-06T10:38:00.012-04:00

I wanted to share my thoughts on all the new shows I've been watching. I figured I'd start out with comedies. My plan to add more of them to my life has really paid off. Here's what's up:

2 Broke Girls

This new CBS sitcom from Michael Patrick King and Whitney Cummings stars Kat Dennings as a street smart waitress who takes an ex-rich girl (played by Beth Behrs) under her wing. The pilot was HILARIOUS, and the two subsequent episodes that have aired so far have only gotten better! I was instantly hooked on this show. It’s a different style of comedy than most other sitcoms I watch, which is incredibly refreshing. Plus, Kat Dennings is truly perfect as Max and all of the other pieces of the show fall into place around her. And Beth Behrs really holds her own against the comedic force that is Dennings. The two have impeccable chemistry together. The best part about 2 Broke Girls, however, is that I honestly laugh the entire time. This is by far one of my favorite new shows of the season. It's certainly my fave new comedy! Which is why I was ECSTATIC when CBS announced that the show will get a full season order. Dreams do come true!

New Girl

The new Fox series starring Zooey Deschanel as Jess, a girl who is moves in with three guys after a painful breakup. I know some people hate Zooey, they hate the "simply adorkable" taglines, they hate everything about it, but I don't care. I love Zooey and I enjoy this show. Jess is a hilarious kind of weird and the entire cast is really developing into a colorful, delightful bunch. The one downside of New Girl was that I was a HUGE fan of Coach, the roommate played by Damon Wayans, Jr. who was replaced after the pilot due to another commitment. Coach was the greatest part of the pilot and I was truly sad to see him go. I read a nice article that proposed new roomie Winston is the much-needed “straight man” (as in the character is dry, not quirky funny—nothing to do with sexual orientation) for the series. I definitely see the point in that, and Lamorne Morris plays that role perfectly. I just kind of hope Coach can make a few guest appearances in the future. I loved his yelling so much...

Up All Night

The breakout hit of the season for NBC, the show stars Christina Applegate and Will Arnett as new parents who find themselves struggling to grasp the reality that their nightlife has gone from Radiohead concerts to midnight feedings. Maya Rudolph also stars as an Oprah-like host of a daytime talk show where Applegate's character works. Let’s be real: Maya. is stealing. the show. And I am really only watching for her. Will, of course, is an added bonus. But I have to be honest: I probably wouldn't be interested in this show at all without those two. And remember all that press where the stars were saying it isn’t about the baby? It’s about the baby. In conclusion, the show's alright, but definitely not one I rush to watch.

Free Agents

This poor show is an American adaptation of a British "romantic black comedy" by the same name. The NBC version is not being met with much praise. The show stars Hank Azaria and Kathryn Hahn as coworkers at a PR firm who have more than just a professional relationship. I feel bad even talking about it here because it's really just a matter of time before it gets the ax. Truthfully, it’s actually alright, but certainly not great or even really worth the time. I do enjoy Hank Azaria (always) and the executive assistant character Emma (played by Natasha Leggero). But I’m far more interested in watching the original BBC series, which premieres on BBCA this Saturday October 8th.

UPDATE 1:09pm:

And just minutes ago, NBC officially cancelled Free Agents. I had a feeling it was coming today! Sorry, y'all. Better luck next time.

Suburgatory

Another standout comedy, Suburgatory follows Tessa Altman (played by Jane Levy), a New York City teenager whose father (Jeremy Sisto) moves them to the suburbs after finding condoms in her bedroom. I’ve only seen the pilot so far, but it was a great first episode! The show looks like a perfect blend of quirky and over-the-top comedy, making it just shy of completely surreal. And the entire cast is absolutely perfect, everyone from Sisto and Levy to Cheryl Hines and Alan Tudyk. I’m waiting for the inevitable comparisons of red-haired teen star Levy to Emma Stone. I hope that doesn’t happen because she is a definite star in her own right and doesn’t deserve to be written-off in that way. But, aside from that possible annoyance, I look forward to watching more Suburgatory!

UPDATE 7:29am 7 October 2011:

Just sharing. I finally got a chance to watch the second episode of Suburgatory last night and it was just as flawless as the pilot. I will forever quote Lisa's line for exiting the dinner table ("May I be excused? I'm having a terrible time."). I adore this show.

Whitney

Almost as polarizing a comedy series as New Girl, Whitney stars Whitney Cummings and Chris D'Elia as a couple in between dating and marriage. I read a lot about this show beforehand. It got a ton of bad press before it aired, and I will admit that before I saw any of the promos I assumed it would be horrible. But it isn’t. One of the articles I read explained that the aim of the show was to make a sitcom more in the style of Mad About You and Friends rather than 30 Rock and The Office. Well, they completely succeeded in that. Whitney does have that air; it cares more about the relationships between characters than it does about making jokes—which isn’t to say that it isn’t funny. It just feels like story comes first here and the jokes come out of the story. Also, I love Whitney’s two BFFs played by Zoe Lister-Jones and Rhea Seehorn. They are far superior to a lot of the other new BFFs on shows this season (I'm looking at you, Gemma Butley from Ringer). Anyway, I'm glad that despite the negative assumptions made about the show that Whitney has been doing well and that NBC ordered a full season.

All in all, fall has been great for comedies so far. And it blows my mind that some of the pilots I was most looking forward to this season aren't premiering until midseason. I can't believe there is more to come! Anyway, I'll be working my way through the new hourlongs next. Then maybe it will be time to check in with all the returning shows.

What have you been watching? Are you enjoying anything new?

Official Return of Garbage

2011-10-04T05:03:00.005-04:00

The members of alt-rock group Garbage have been in and out of the studio since the start of the year, but fans of the band have been wondering for just as long when we would get to see the fruits of their labor. Apparently, the answer is spring 2012.

Garbage released a statement yesterday evening announcing that they are putting the finishing touches on a collection of songs that will make up their fifth studio album. This will be the band's first release since the 2007 greatest hits collection Absolute Garbage. The band's last studio album, Bleed Like Me, was released in 2005, making the forthcoming as-yet-untitled LP the first batch of new Garbage music in seven years.

The will-they/won't-they back and forth over whether or not Garbage would release another album has been almost as grueling as the Arrested Development movie saga. I kid, I kid, but timely comparison, no? But really, between the confusion over whether Garbage was broken up or not and the fact that frontwoman Shirley Manson's solo project never came to fruition, this news is as miraculous as the AD limited-TV-show-then-movie news from this past weekend.

The same few excerpts from the statement are floating around everywhere, but my absolute favorite lines have to be these:

"We are making a record filled with the music we love to hear. The new songs have been inspired more by what we haven't been hearing rather than by what we have."

It gives me chills! That is such a powerful idea and something so true to the spirit of what Garbage has always represented for me as a band. I cannot wait to hear what came out of their sessions and what made it through their "four-way brain filter." The teasers they've been posting online this year are starting to come together and paint a beautiful albeit vague picture. The spring cannot come soon enough.

Sara and The Sing-Off

2011-09-27T09:47:00.000-04:00

I love NBC's a cappella group singing competition The Sing-Off. I've watched it the last two years that it has been on and absolutely loved it. But part of the reason I love it is that it comes on during December when nothing else really is going on and, being the holiday season, feelgood singing competitions really speak to me.

So when NBC announced last spring that The Sing-Off would premiere a new season in September, I was annoyed. They took away my wintertime event and are trying to make The Sing-Off compete with other big budget music-related reality competition shows like Fox's The X Factor. Not cool, NBC. Alas, I figured, I wouldn't be able to watch it this year. Maybe I could catch clips of the performances online, but I had resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't going to be able to follow the show closely. Packed schedule, you know.

But then Nicole Scherzinger left the show to be a judge on the aforementioned X Factor and Sara Bareilles was recruited to take her place. Let's be clear: I LOVE SARA BAREILLES. I knew I absolutely had to watch, no matter what. It takes some work to follow because my DVR is booked up on Mondays so I have to watch the first hour live and then watch the second hour online since 9pm is my absolute limit for weeknight bedtime (mhmm I have a bedtime).

Anyway, the point of all this is that I jumped through incredible hoops* to be able to watch the competition this year and, after just two episodes, I am SO not sorry!

Sara is an absolute asset to the show. As a UCLA student, she performed with the school's a cappella group Awaken A Cappella. Because of this, Sara has firsthand experience with a cappella and a personal connection to the art form. Plus, she hilarious and blends in nicely with host Nick Lachey and fellow judges Ben Folds and Shawn Stockman. She brings the same level of technical expertise while rounding it out with an entirely different perspective. Sara complements the other two judges very well, and she doesn't feel like she is there just so they can have a woman on the show.

In conclusion, seeing Sara Bareilles judging an a cappella singing competition on national television two hours a week has only increased my admiration and adoration for her. I'm still slightly bitter that NBC didn't save The Sing-Off for winter, but I'm sure glad I decided to stick with it this year.

*Note: Dramatic.

Ask AJ: She Has All the Answers

2011-09-22T04:36:00.004-04:00

So maybe this isn't a question-question, but I wanted to respond!

You being an avid pop watcher have not mentioned anything about Ryan Gosling's new movie "DRIVE". You totally have to watch this. Like now...like seriously now. Run to the theatres... – Anonymous

I. KNOW. I ADORE Ryan Gosling. And I have been looking forward to this movie since he took the role. Over the last few weeks, I’ve read so many amazing profiles about him and read so much about how excited he was to do this movie, how it is a John Hughes film with violence… But alas, I cannot see it. Not yet anyway.

You see, I live in a small town that has a movie theater, yes, but the movie theater only has four screens so they only show four or five movies each week. Three or four of those slots (sometimes more) are always dedicated to family films (Rio, Cars 2) and the latest big budget blockbusters (Transformers: Dark Side of Whatever). The last remaining slot could be anything from an Oscar-bait period piece to a romcom to an action film about a stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver. Basically, chances are often very slim that the movies I really want to see are coming to the sole movie theater near me. And even then, the less popular movies are only shown for one week. Thus, my Netflix (soon to be Qwikster—DON’T GET ME STARTED!) queue is huge.

But everyone once in awhile, the town theater surprises me. And there are also some rare occasions where they backtrack and get movies a couple months after they open (e.g., they just got Crazy Stupid Love last week). I hope that they get Drive because I know without seeing it or reading reviews or hearing from anyone that it is amazing. I just know. I do really want to see it, but don’t hold it against me if I don’t get to rave about how brilliant it was until it comes out on DVD.

That being said, I’m glad that you enjoyed it and I appreciate the recommendation! And props to you for supporting such a gifted actor!

My Live Blog of the 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards

2011-09-19T03:34:00.008-04:00

The idea of posting something every two seconds during the actual show seemed annoying to me, but I did keep an account while I watched and here it is! Just for you (and posterity):

Red Carpet

- My biggest question of the night: Can they top last year’s opening, and, if so, HOW?!?!?!

- I hate that this is all about fashion, but I feel obligated to watch because the television people who aren’t there for fashion say hilarious things (see Joel McHale, Jimmy Fallon, Melissa McCarthy, and Steve Carell).

- Chris Colfer saying Glee season 3 is going to be a lot like season 1 and have lots of character development—my first thought was that all of the Glee cast must’ve been coached to say that.

- For awhile, I was trying to flip between the E! coverage, which started an hour earlier than the Fox coverage. But WOW was the Fox coverage AWKWARD. I watched a total of 2 minutes over the span of a couple commercial breaks, but I reached my limit when I saw a pair of hosts singing a song to Steve Buscemi about his own last name. Ryan would never!

Live Show:

- The opening made me chuckle and it was entertaining, but not as epic as Jimmy’s opening from last year. However, the entire show overall (this is at the 22-minute mark) is making me laugh my ass off. I’m loving the rude emcee and the Emmytones and the really hilarious, light-hearted atmosphere. The meanest joke so far has been about being scared of Tom Cruise. This is great!

- I knew this was going to be a fun show the second Jimmy Kimmel tackled Jimmy Fallon during the first award presentation. I love these guys.

- Ty Burrell’s acceptance speech made me laugh AND cry, which is what Eric Stonestreet did to me last year. This is what I love about Modern Family, and it makes me love it even more because they are like this in real life. And Julie Bowen’s complete and utter shock at winning the supporting comedy actress category was charming, but mostly hilarious. This is well-deserved recognition for a great show! (Although, since they are dominating every comedy category, it seems as though no other great shows will be recognized tonight… They are turning into the Mad Men of comedy. But hey—at least it isn’t Glee!)

- The pre-recorded Ricky Gervais video was amazing. That’s all there is to say.

- Steven Levitan’s wife’s face when he revealed personal details of their life during his acceptance speech for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series was DELIGHTFUL. She made her husband’s long-winded speech worth it. Thank you to the camera crew for catching her reactions both times.

- “Welcome back to the Modern Family Awards!” – Jane Lynch back from a commercial break saying what eeeeeeveryone is thinking.

- Ohmigawd when Charlie Sheen came out and was introducing a category, you could just feel the freakin’ tension. Everyone in the audience, behind the cameras, and at home was like, “What. is he. going. to. say?!?!?!?!” But it was really totally fine and then Jim Parsons saying, “This is odd in so many ways,” when he accepted the trophy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series from Charlie just cut the tension for everyone and we all moved on. Perfection.

- Speaking of Jim winning—very well-deserved, mind you—but I am truly shocked Steve Carell didn’t win because it was his last year on The Office and voters are suckers for milestone events like that. I was honestly shocked.

- The Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy series presentation from start to finish was flawless. I’m not sure about whether it was spontaneous or planned because they did have pageant accessories ready for the winner, but I am leaning toward Amy planned it all out and the other nominees followed her lead (see Edie Falco’s “Should I do it?” face after they called her name). And Rob going with the pageant theme. Ugh so great. And I loved Melissa McCarthy winning and her speech (“I’m sorry, I’m a crier!”). I will not be surprised if this turns out to be the greatest highlight of the evening.

UPDATE 5:52am:

AH HA! I was right. Mike Shoemaker, a producer for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, tweeted confirmation that the gag was all Amy during the show. He wrote, "My brilliant friend Amy Poehler pulled that whole thing together. What a great moment." I couldn't agree more! And Yahoo has some video clips for those of you who missed.

- Also, I really wish Lauren Graham had been there so they could’ve cut to her face when Melissa McCarthy won since they worked together for so long and Gilmore Girls never got recognized in this way. (Note: Gilmore Girls was nominated for—and won—one Emmy Award during its seven-year run and it was Outstanding Makeup for a Series.)

- I really hope that montage of other characters doing The Office-style confessionals shows up on YouTube because I need to rewatch that a bagillion times. Cee Lo with his chair! Aaron Paul and Mariska! I need it!!!

- Oh, the reality categories……….break tiiiiime! Jokes! But no really…sort of is break time.

- I loved the Daily Show writers acceptance speech and the fact that the group of them who weren’t speaking were busy body slamming each other in the background.

- I’m really proud of the Emmys adding a legit musical performance in the middle of the show. This is one of the reasons why non-music awards shows can be so boring and uneventful. I don’t necessarily care about The Lonely Island, but I DO care about Michael Bolton so this is FABULOUS!

- And it. just. keeps. getting. better. JOHN. STAMOS. MAYA RUDOLPH. HOW DID THEY WORK WILLIAM H. MACY INTO THIS?!!?!? So much better than I could have ever imagined. And Will Arnett looked SUPER amused so you know it was good.

- Jimmy Fallon’s fake bitter slow-clapping for The Daily Show when they cast was making its way to the stage to accept the award for Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Series for the ninth year in a row = why I love him so much and a perfect example of how he earned his nomination in the same category.

- Drama time! Things are about to get hea-ted!!!

- I lost it when they read Jason Katims’ name for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. I am just SO happy that Friday Night Lights is not going home empty-handed tonight, but I hope there is more to come tonight for this show. And YES he ended it with “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose!” YES!!!!!!!!!

- And the same goes for Justified! Margo Martindale winning Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role on Justified! All of her fellow cast members looked so absolutely proud when they read her name out loud. And I just love seeing people who are genuinely astonished that they are being recognized for their work in this way. There are so many people who seem completely unfazed by the whole thing, which I can understand if you don’t believe it is genuine—but it’s just nice to see so many people, including Margo, feeling honored and enjoying it this year.

- Oh wow, the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category was a really tough one. I knew already, even without having seen one minute of Game of Thrones, that Peter Dinklage would have it (he’s that good), but my heart was pulling for so many people in that category (Walton Goggins and Alan Cumming in particular). But what I really want to say about this one is HA HA HA YES!!!!!! They used a clip from my most favorite Eli Gold scene of all time for Alan’s part of the reel. (Note: I actually posted something online right after that episode aired—long before Emmy voting took place—that cited that scene as the very reason why Alan deserves many awards, including the one for which he was nominated, for his portrayal of this character and I am just so happy they used it because people need to see this man in action!)

- Lead Actress in a Drama was another tough one. I wanted Connie to get it because, again, FNL deserves mad wins for an amazing five seasons of TV. But to be honest, I started crying during the ten seconds of Juliana footage so it is incredibly clear that she won for a reason. But this is making me realize something very profound: I can’t believe I have to wait another week until the premiere of The Good Wife.

- Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: I CANNOT BELIEVE KYLE WON!!!!!! I won’t lie—I screamed out loud. I think everyone was extra shocked because they thought Steve Buscemi had that on LOCK, but NO! And OMG Minka getting to hand it to him—priceless. Wow. This year is super surprising in just the best ways. And he is just as charming as himself as he is playing Coach Taylor. Love him!

- L. L. Cool. J. rapping the intro to the mini series awards sections. Wow. He was really giving it his all. Work it, LL!

- For the television movies and mini series categories: I haven’t gotten to see enough of these in advance of the Emmys so I have no stake in this portion of the game. Other than loving many of the artists nominated and knowing that they do great work (Kate Winslet, Maggie Smith) of course.

- Amy Poehler and Melissa McCarthy were truly wonderful together when they presented some of the TV movie/mini series categories. I hope comedy writers, directors, casting directors and so on were getting some ideas during this portion of the show.

- Other than those two, wow, this last hour is dragging. Since they purposefully hold the “most important” awards for the end (Outstanding Series for both comedy and drama) because they know otherwise people would stop watching, you would think the producers would try to spice things up at this point instead of just letting it be one big 50-minute downer (which can be literal at times since this is when they always stick in the in memoriam segment). We could really use another Lonely Island number right about now…

- Ugh. As depressing as the in memoriam is, I’m always grateful for it because it is a really great reminder of some of the incredible people who have made wonderful contributions to television who are no longer with us. Basicallyyyyy, I cried, yeah.

- Thank you, Guy Pearce, for lightening things up! Sex jokes in his acceptance speech woo woo! (Outstanding Lead Actor in a Mini Series or Movie)

- Kate Winslet is SO EXCITED to win for this project!! This is the kind of excitement and shock and joy I am talking about. She really is honored. It’s wonderful. (Outstanding Lead Actress in a Mini Series of Movie)

- I count three Lion King references so far this evening. First, Jimmy Fallon preparing to hold his statue like Simba should he win. Then Jon Stewart doing exactly that for the Daily Show win. And third, host Jane Lynch ending her commentary on movie actresses invading TV and the vicious cycle that stems from that trend by saying, “Hakuna matata, my friends. It’s the circle of life!” Could it be in honor of the landmark Disney film’s 3D theatrical release? Or do all of these people just reference the LK on the regular like I do?

- I am conflicted over Mad Men winning Outstanding Drama Series. My heart wanted Friday Night Lights so badly of course, but I figured if it wasn’t going to be FNL that it would for sure be Boardwalk Empire. But no. It was Mad Men. Which is annoying because its won four times in a row now, but I do have to say that the season it is being recognized for this year was its greatest season yet.

- Last award. Minutes away. Which means so is bedtime. Oh gawd. It is obviously past my bedtime. The X Factor commercials are making me tear up now. Oh goodness.

- Awww the love for Modern Family has waned since the beginning of the broadcast. No one is surprised or too excited (other than the Modern Family members that is) that the show won for Outstanding Comedy Series. I am neutral. I think any of the nominees could’ve taken it. But I wish someone besides Steven Levitan was talking though. Oh gawd I thought he was done talking at least three times already.

- And Jane Lynch has signed us off for the evening. Everyone is so freakin’ pressed that they finished on time and didn’t run over. I’m glad, too, of course. I want to go to bed. And I give them mad props for keeping the winners on a schedule without making it as awkward as the Oscars and Golden Globes cutting people off during their speeches. Good show, Emmys!

- And for real, a good show. It was worth staying up for! It was fun and energetic and it really did feel like it was more about honoring the work people do in this industry—definitely more so this year than the last few. And now we have a whole new year of TV to watch and enjoy and honor twelve months from now. Hurray!

Did you stay up to watch the Emmys? Did you record it to watch highlights today? What did you think?

*Images: Washington Post*

Additional Thoughts on Fall Shows

2011-09-16T16:18:00.003-04:00

Note: This post is an addition to my thoughts post from earlier today, which was a continuation of my latest What AJ is Watching post.

I completely forgot I wanted to share some thoughts on the Ringer pilot that aired Tuesday and I also have some news about my new favorite guilty pleasure.

Ringer

Ringer is the CW's new drama starring Sarah Michelle Gellar who plays twins in turmoil who switch places. Yes, there has been mad hype over SMG's return to TV. However, that is not the reason why I was interested in this show. I've been following Ringer since it was a developing pilot for CBS. I clapped a little when SMG became attached to it, but I didn't faint or anything. I really was just intrigued by the idea of doing a big soap opera-style noir-ish thriller. I like the idea of doing a modern day take on those big primetime soap series.

Anyway, I tried not to read too much press about the show over the summer because I like to have a clean slate before I experience new things. But of course right before the premiere I heard about bunch of lukewarm reviews. Naturally, I was really nervous going in. I didn't want it to be a flop after all my anticipation.

Immediately after I finished watching the first episode, I was relieved because I understood the lukewarm feelings people had. This was CLEARLY a pilot. It looked a little cheap during some parts and it definitely felt rushed as they tried to cram so many events and background details and introduce so many characters in about 45 minutes. But as every good TV-watcher should know, you absolutely need to look past all the typical weaknesses of a pilot in order to appreciate what the show can grow to be. Sure, the Ringer pilot wasn't the greatest first episode in television history, but it set up what could be an incredibly gripping story and it demonstrated a lot of potential. Plus, SMG, no matter what you think of her as a person, is a talented actress. She has what it takes to pull off these five different roles (if you watch, you'll see). I have faith that after a few more weeks, people are going to be completely addicted.

One final note: I am really glad that the CW is broadening its programming and trying to bring in older viewers. That can only help them and their other shows (ahem ahem Nikita) in the long run.

The Lying Game

ABC Family ordered an additional 12 episodes of The Lying Game, which is my new favorite addiction and guilty pleasure (except I'm not ashamed that I watch and enjoy the show so...). This brings the first season up to a total of 22 episodes.

I'm so excited that it is doing well and that ABC Family is supporting it because I NEED MORE!!! I get really angry when the episode ends each week, which is how I know I'm addicted. Like I said before, it's really fun and interesting and I don't feel like they are toying with viewers' emotions. The show is not tedious like Pretty Little Liars got to be (to me) after just half a season. I'm excited to continue the story.

Detailed Thoughts on My Fall Shows

2011-09-16T09:28:00.005-04:00

Note: These comments accompany my What AJ is Watching: Fall 2011 post from earlier this week.

Returning Shows (Black)

- I wish you could’ve seen me during the Sons of Anarchy premiere. I haven’t been so elated about anything since Britney released “Hold It Against Me” in January. I was beside myself with joy the entire time. That show is just so powerful and it delivers every single thing you could ever need—drama, humor, action. It’s wonderful to have it back.

- There are no words to describe my excitement over the return of Psych. All summer long without Shawn and Gus...it was one of the most excruciating experiences of my life. October 12th cannot come fast enough.

- I am not looking forward to Glee at all. Last season was truly awful. And all of the behind-the-scenes drama that plays out in the media isn’t helping to make the show seem endearing or charming still. If they can get back to the spirit they had during the first season, maybe. But right now, I’ve accepted the fact that Glee is the new Heroes.

- I’m looking forward to a new season of Gossip Girl more than I am looking forward to having to watch Glee again. That’s saying something. But really, I am excited about Elizabeth Hurley being a super bitch antagonist. At least, I hope that’s what she’s playing.

- I am genuinely looking forward to the SVU premiere. I cannot wait to see what they did with Stabler (i.e., how he exits) and to size up the new cast members. This is going to be juicy!

- I think out of all my returning shows, I was probably most excited for The Vampire Diaries to come back. But now that it is (the season 3 premiere was last night), of the remaining shows, I am DEFINITELY looking forward to Supernatural, Fringe, and Nikita the most. And The Good Wife. Oh hell, all of them except where noted above!

Sincere New Shows (Red)

- I am super pressed for Prime Suspect starring Maria Bello (NBC). I know it's a remake of a critically-acclaimed British series starring Helen Mirren. I've not seen that one yet so I really don't care about all of the hubbub surrounding that issue. I just think it looks fantastic and I adore her and I have a really good feeling about it. Plus, Kenny Johnson is going to be in it as a love interest for Bello's character and I will watch anything with him.

- I'm getting a little more excited about Terra Nova every day, despite the way Falling Skies quenched my sci-fi action-adventure thirst this summer.

- American Horror Story is barely a Red show. It is Red because that is how strong my love for Connie Britton is. The show looks super weird and I have no idea what to make of any of the promotion. I was excited for it, but now I have no idea how to feel. I’m just trying to hold onto Connie and the fact that FX greenlit it and see where that takes me.

- I can’t wait to get all of these new comedies goin’ in mah life. I hope there are some that are on par with shows like Community and 30 Rock. Judge me all you want for watching New Girl, but the trailer is hilarious and I have no problem with Zooey Deschanel. In fact, I quite like her! And I cannot believe how lucky I am to have Alan Tudyk on my TV on a weekly basis again—being funny, no less! Out of all the new comedies, I suppose I am most excited for Suburgatory and that’s because of Alan.

- A lot of people have been judging me for being excited about the Charlie’s Angels remake, but this is where I’m coming from: It is either going to be a super fun, kick ass girl power type action show OR it is going to be the hottest of messes ever created for primetime (lies—that was definitely The Cape). Either way, I win.

- I am clearly only watching The Secret Circle because Kevin Williamson is involved. And a show about witches will be a good addition for my supernatural set in the event it is awesome, which I really hope it is! I’m going to watch the pilot later today. Maybe I will wait until its dark…

- I was indifferent about Pan Am when it was announced during development season, but I have been getting more and more excited about it. I am really looking forward to it now. I love the idea of it being more about the female perspective, and the actresses involved are wonderful. This looks great, but I won’t be surprised if it ends up having a sincere dramatic edge a la The Good Wife, as well. Oh, and one more thing—I am getting so sick of the Mad Men comparisons just because the show (and The Playboy Club) take place during the same decade. Mad Men does not have a lock on the sixties and it is not the first ever show to be set in that time period. Get over it, people.

Experimental New Shows (Blue)

- I am not at all interested in The Playboy Club, but I’m scared that it will become the next big thing that everyone is obsessed with and I just want to give it a chance in case it is and in case it’s good. This is the same reason why I watched the first few episodes of The Event. And I kind of hope it turns out the same way.

- I am only watching Hart of Dixie because of Scott Porter. Period.

- I am genuinely interested in 2 Broke Girls, but CBS sitcoms are very iffy. I love The Big Bang Theory because I genuinely enjoy the subject matter, the characters, and the cast (Jim Parsons and Kaley Cuoco in particular), but if it wasn’t about super nerds I probably wouldn’t be into it because the style isn’t always my thing. I have faith that the combination of Kat Dennings , Michael Patrick King, and the sassy writers I’ve read so much about this summer are going to deliver what I think they are going to deliver. Basically, I made it blue so I could feel more okay with dropping it if it turns out I don’t like it.

- I have little to no interest in Grimm, but I live with someone who does so I have to try it out.

- I am not a fan of either Jennifer Morrison or Ginnifer Goodwin and I can’t tell if I am interested in the “fairytale characters are real people and the world is in danger!” plot. Nevertheless, I feel obligated to try Once Upon a Time because this is the baby of Lost writers and I read a lot about how long they worked to get this project off the ground. So, for them, I am willing to give it a shot.

- Person of Interest and Whitney were two last minute experiment additions. I have no idea why, but I just want to give Whitney a shot. I have a strong sense that the main character will be super grating and I won’t be able to watch it, but I am in a “TRY ALL THE COMEDIES!!!!!!” mood I guess. Person of Interest looks like it will be so. freakin’. basic. But I feel obligated to try it because it’s J.J. + a Nolan and Michael Emerson is flawless always. He might be enough!

What AJ is Watching: Fall 2011

2011-09-14T05:59:00.003-04:00

Here it is in all its glory—my 2011 fall schedule:

*Click to enlarge.*

I made this chart at least four times this summer; in the last month, I’ve checked it about ten times against four or five different sources. I’ve slaved over this schedule more than I have ever slaved over a fall schedule before. And I think I know why.

This year, I’ve broken my shows into three categories:

1. Regulars, or shows that I already watch — Black
2. New shows that I am sincerely interested in, even excited about — Red
3. Shows I am somewhat interested in/feel pressure to watch for some reason – Blue

While my newfound ability to stop watching shows I don’t like* has afforded me room to experiment (hence Category 3, or The Blue Shows), I fear it has also had an adverse effect on me. Now that I know I can stop watching something if it sucks, I am in major don’t-wanna-miss-a-thang mode. Meaning, I feel more pressure than ever before to watch every single show on television.

Obviously, that can’t happen. I wish it could. I really, really wish it could. But I have this pesky job thing and life. Ah, well. So, with that in mind, I’ve spent hours poring over the fall schedules for all the networks. Mhmm, all the networks. And I’ve whittled things down to the above 41 television shows.

That number seems overwhelming, but the fall is usually pretty easy to manage with sports and holiday interruptions, as well as other special events. Plus, some of these shows, like Psych, don’t even start until October. And, of course, the number can dwindle depending on the performance of The Blue Shows.

Here’s how I’m going to handle The Blue Shows: I will record the first few episodes and sample them at will. If I find I am constantly hearing good things about a Blue Show, it might become a higher priority. And if I watch it and don’t like it, then I will assess if I should continue watching because the world is now obsessed with it OR stop watching because I am not alone in thinking it is awful and it will most likely be canceled.

When I look at things that way, it doesn’t seem so overwhelming. And I feel pretty damn good about things.

And once I had the schedule nailed down, I was able to finally sit back and let myself be giddy about some returning and new shows. (I'm going to post lots of thoughts about specific shows ~~tomorrow~~. Just FYI.) <-- Clearly, I am a liar. I'm working on it. (UPDATED 2:50pm 15 September 2011)

For information regarding premiere dates and times, please refer to Scheduling With the Stars.

What shows will you be watching this fall? Anything new?

*Note: I used to find it IMPOSSIBLE to stop watching a television show I’d added to my schedule. And then I met Undercovers and The Cape.

Britney Spears to Release New Remix Album

2011-09-09T18:55:00.005-04:00

Britney Spears just revealed the poorly-kept secret that a second volume of remixes of her songs will be released October 11th.

The record label posted some key information a bit early, letting the cat out of the bag a couple weeks before an official announcement was made. But it's still quite exciting to finally hear the news straight from Britney herself!

The album, titled B in the Mix: Volume 2 (her first remix album from 2005 was called B in the Mix), will feature songs from Blackout, Circus, her latest album Femme Fatale. ~~as well as some previously unreleased tracks.~~ See update below.

Britney announced last month at the MTV Video Music Awards that the fourth single from Femme Fatale will be the album's closer "Criminal." The word is that the single version of "Criminal" will be an uptempo remix from the B in the Mix 2 album.

UPDATE 8:10pm:

I posted from my phone earlier so I had limited capabilities. But I've added the official cover and here is the track list straight from Britney's official website:

Britney Spears — B In The Mix: The Remixes Vol. 2

1. Gimme More (Kaskade Club Mix)
2. Piece Of Me (Tiësto Club Mix)
3. Radar (Tonal Club Remix)
4. Womanizer (Benny Benassi Extended)
5. Circus (Linus Loves Remix)
6. If U Seek Amy (U-Tern Remix)
7. 3 (Manhattan Clique Club Remix)
8. Till The World Ends (Alex Suarez Club Remix)
9. I Wanna Go (Gareth Emery Remix)
10. Criminal (Varsity Team Remix)

Ten songs is not a lot at all. Also, I don't see any previously unreleased tracks, which contradicts reports from last week about what would be included on the album. While I don't want to sound ungrateful to have two Britney releases in the same calendar year, I have to be honest: I really hope there will be a deluxe version.

Thoughts on the Series Finale of Rescue Me

2011-09-09T06:38:00.005-04:00

I sat down to watch the series finale of FX's Rescue Me last night and, after making it through all seven seasons*, I'd like to share my thoughts.

I was happily surprised by the finale. It was an honest, realistic, and fitting end for the series. It was also an interesting experience for me because I always have this huge sense of loss when a series comes to an end, even if I've watched it before. Plus, series finales are just so hard to get right; it's essentially impossible to craft something that fits the series and satisfies the entire viewership (just ask Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse). But with Rescue Me, it felt very different. I didn't feel sadness or disappointment at all. When it and therefore the show ended, I was truly content.

They did an amazing job this season with Tommy's storyline, taking it from will he be kicked out of the FDNY to will he be forced to retire by his family to finally everyone—including Tommy—coming to terms with the fact that this is just him. He's a firefighter, period. I loved that he was able to stay on and keep going because that's always been the one good thing he and everyone else knows about him—Tommy is a damn good firefighter. I especially enjoyed the full circle aspect of the last scene where he's addressing a group of new recruits and telling them about how 9/11 factors into what it means to be a firefighter and how that ties back to the pilot. I loved that.

During the Television Critics Association summer press tour, co-creator Peter Tolan discussed a few other endings they toyed with and why they went in the direction they did. Hesaid, "...ultimately, we came to realize... that the idea of the show was, will a man who has survived this great tragedy actually survive it or not? And I think in the face of... seven seasons of television, you don’t want to say no to that question. You don’t want to bring people along on a journey that long and then say, “No, he’s not going to survive.” It’s just a very negative message. So we decided to, at that point, go with something a little more hopeful."

And that is what I really loved and admired most of all about the finale. It wasn't a tearjerker story that was made to force the audience to feel something, it wasn't all about finding nice ways to tie up everyone's storylines, and it wasn't some super artsy mind game designed to show that the series had a deeper meaning (e.g., vignettes showing what it would be like for each person had he been the only one to survive and then you end up not knowing what really happened, which is what I thought they were doing at first). It was just real. Life happens, tragedies occur, friends die, and you have to go on. Rescue Me was about what it means to survive, the good and the bad, and the finale really captured that.

Rescue Me, put simply, had its ups and its downs, but it was a definite television achievement and I'm grateful that I saw it through. I'm sure there will never be another series like it.

*Note: Full disclosure, I rented the first three seasons and started watching live from season four on.

Syfy Renews Alphas for Season 2

2011-09-07T15:51:00.002-04:00

I gasped out loud and shouted, "YESSSSS!" when I read this, so I felt it necessary to have a celebration post.

Syfy has officially picked up Alphas, one of my favorite new shows of the summer, for a second season!

Alphas stars David Strathairn as a psychologist who brings together a group of ordinary people with extraordinary abilities, known as Alphas, to find others like them and prevent the misuse of their powers. The cast also includes Ryan Cartwright, who many will recognize as lovable squintern Vincent Nigel-Murray from Bones, and Malik Yoba of New York Undercover fame.

I am just so relieved and excited that there will be more Gary in my life after the season ends later this month.

Congratulations to the cast and crew of this wonderful show!

Summer TV Wrap-Up

2011-09-07T07:49:00.004-04:00

This started out as a midsummer status report and then all of a sudden it was the end of August and all of the summer finales were rolling out. I’ve had so much fun this season and a lot has happened, so I’ll jump right in! As always, click the tables to enlarge.

Returning Series

Dropped and Cut

New Gems

I'll make a separate post soon to discuss the status of my summer TV projects, but, yes, I did finish The Wire. DirecTV aired the series finale over Labor Day weekend and, yes, my mind is blown.

How did your summer go? Looking forward to the return of your fall faves? Anything new appeal to you? Sound off in the comments below! The Fall 2011 edition of What AJ is Watching is coming soon!

New Kelly Clarkson Single 'Mr. Know It All' Debuts Today

2011-08-30T13:17:00.005-04:00

In just four more hours, Kelly Clarkson will premiere her brand new single "Mr. Know It All" via a live stream from her official website.

The single is the first from her forthcoming fifth studio album Stronger, which is set for an October 25th release. Last week, Kelly previewed the lyrics to the song by posting a handwritten copy here. It's hard to measure a song without hearing it, but judging from reading the lyrics, "Mr. Know It All" will not disappoint fans who have grown to love that trademark Clarkson sass.

Click here at 5:30pm EDT to listen to the premiere of "Mr. Know It All." I'll check back here after to share my thoughts!

UPDATE 3:38pm:

I put together a Kelly-only playlist that spans her entire career in order to prepare. Ugh, the My December bonus tracks are so flawless. Less than two hours until "Mr. Know It All"!

UPDATE 6:05pm:

It's online! Click here to listen to Kelly Clarkson's brand new single from her upcoming fifth studio album Stronger, "Mr. Know It All."

Okay, so, I've been listening to "Mr. Know It All" over and over again for the last half hour. When it first started, my gut told me, "*GASP* This has all the best qualities of a great 90s female singer-songwriter track with the added benefit of modern day production." I can't quite put my finger on it, but I just really felt like the track was kin to something from Alanis Morissette's last album, Flavors of Entanglement. It's not dramatic or harsh, but it's empowering. It's also very mature and knowing. I just absolutely love it. It's like an older sister with less baggage to Demi Lovato's "Skyscraper." I just love it.

I have no idea if this is a good indication of what Stronger will sound like as a whole, but if it is, then this is going to be one huge leap for Kelly Clarkson and one damn fine album to enjoy. I know it will be great no matter what, but this is some serious growth and experimentation compared to her other albums. I am very, very pleased.

Confession: I Actually Watched the MTV Video Music Awards

2011-08-29T06:54:00.004-04:00

Sad to say, I watched last night’s MTV Video Music Awards.

I didn’t intend to stay up late on a Sunday in order to watch the awards show, but my cell phone was having an operation so I used the music festivities to distract me. I knew it was going to be a hot mess, but I wasn’t prepared for the level of disappointment I felt at the few things the show promised that actually sounded like they’d be worth watching.

I’m referring (mostly) to the two tributes MTV had planned for the evening—one for Britney Spears, who was being honored with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, and one for Amy Winehouse, who passed away last month. The Britney tribute ended up being incredibly short, consisting of many young girls wearing getups that spanned Britney’s career while dancing to a Britney megamix. It was alright, but I was expecting more. Much, much more. The same with the Winehouse tribute. It turned out the rumors about the two tributes ended up being far more exciting than the live events.

I was appreciative of the fact that MTV had Russell Brand, who was good friends with Amy Winehouse, introduce the soul singer’s tribute. Of course, his time was limited and MTV was more interested in ratings than giving someone a platform to address the serious issue of addiction. Brand actually wrote an incredibly beautiful and moving piece about his friend and this issue back in July, which you can read here if you are interested in learning more.

Outside of the tributes, I learned a few other things:

1. Now that Odd Future, specifically Tyler the Creator, is around…I don’t think Kanye West has anything to worry about.

2. Lady Gaga’s alter ego, Joe Calderone, couldn’t have been more annoying. If I try to explain my thoughts and feelings at her interrupting and overshadowing Britney’s moment during her acceptance speech for the Video Vanguard award, I fear I may go into some sort of rage blackout so that’s all I’m going to say.

3. I don’t know whose doing it was, but I was definitely slow-clapping when house band artist Jessie J launched into a random cover of TLC’s “No Scrubs” after Chris Brown’s performance (but I do have to give it to the guy—those midair moves were impressive). Also, I love Jessie, and I really hope that she gained some more fans from her commercial break performances. She broke her foot a few weeks ago, so she was just sitting and singing for most of the night. But her voice is so killer and she really uses it as an instrument. She brought the house down whilst on crutches. Mad props!

4. I might be the only person in the world who does not give one single fuck that Jay-Z and Beyonce are expecting a child.

Overall, the show was a major let down, but I’m not surprised. When I was growing up, the VMAs were the end all, be all of, well, everything. If you missed even a moment of the show, you risked missing history in the making. Now, you can just wait until the next day and catch the one or two highlights worth watching online. Every year, a part of me hopes that MTV can shake itself out of complacency and get back to what it once was. And every year, I am disappointed.

New Music from Florence + The Machine

2011-08-24T06:03:00.002-04:00

Florence + The Machine released a music video for the brand new track “What the Water Gave Me” yesterday afternoon. Check it out!

I actually saw that the song was out yesterday, but was unable to enjoy it until this morning due to the East Coast earthquake (which, for the record, was the first ever earthquake I have experienced and it scared the hell out of me and I hope to never experience that again). But enjoy it I did!

The way I’ve been describing “What the Water Gave Me” is To Bring You My Love-era PJ Harvey meets Bat For Lashes. The song features Flo’s now trademark powerful and haunting vocals layered over an equally haunting and even mysterious melody. It’s a very beautiful song, as most of her creations tend to be. I actually streamed the video without watching it several times just to hear the song at first and I liked it, but I didn’t faint due to its overwhelming perfection. That’s how I felt about the song she contributed to the Eclipse soundtrack, “Heavy in Your Arms.” I streamed that song over and over and over again just sat in front of my computer listening with my eyes closed forever. But with “What the Water Gave Me,” I just felt like it was a great song and that was it. At first anyway.

I ended up eventually focusing and watching the video in full and that actually increased my interest in the song. Not because the video is a groundbreaking visual masterpiece—it’s actually standard studio footage fare—but because I absolutely adore watching people completely lose themselves in a song. That’s one of the biggest reasons why I have been a diehard fan of both the Foo Fighters and Bush for over fifteen years because both bands have these moments where they just go completely apeshit in the middle of their music. Florence Welch has similar moments and “What the Water Gave Me” can now be included in her list.

The song is the first from her still untitled sophomore album, which is due out November this year.