Allison Waldman
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'NCIS' - 'Jack Knife' Recap
(S07E15) Interesting episode of 'NCIS,' one that was somewhat fun, somewhat lighthearted, and even a little playful. Of course, there was still a dead body, and a chance for Gibbs to interact with an old adversary. We're a few weeks out from the Paris trip, but Tony and Ziva remain as cagey as ever about what happened... if anything happened at all in that hotel room. More on that and the 1971 Plymouth Barricuda hemi after the jump.
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Eric Braeden Marks 30 Years on 'The Young and the Restless'
Well, as Victor Newman might say: "That's a hell of a thing." Eric Braeden celebrated his 30th anniversary on 'The Young and the Restless.' It's not just three decades that makes it a memorable mark, it's that it has come after a very rough year in which Braeden quit the soap in a contract dispute and was brought back into the fold in part thanks to the influence of the head of the network, Les Moonves.In honor of Braeden's tenure on the soap, there was a big party to commemorate the anniversary. As this picture reveals, Peter Bergman was in attendance and posed with Eric. True, on screen as Jack Abbott and Victor Newman, the two men would like to rip each other to bits, but off screen they're very civil and appreciative of each other's talents. They have had occasional dust-ups, but generally, they get along well.
After all, their characters' on screen feud has been the stuff of soap legend. Victor and Jack have shared wives, corporations, but mostly, unabashed hatred. They despise each other.
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Alan Alda's Take on the Super Bowl Besting 'M*A*S*H' Record
You gotta love the feisty attitude of former 'M*A*S*H' stars Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers about Sunday's Super Bowl broadcast being a record-breaker. Alda was gracious about the 'M*A*S*H' finale being topped by the Super Bowl broadcast. The New Orleans Saints victory over the Indianapolis Colts had more total viewers than the 1983 'M*A*S*H' finale. But Alda and Rogers both added a shot of vinegar to their honey coated responses. Alda said in a statement to the L.A. Times, "If they broke our record, I'm happy for New Orleans and I hope it gives even more to cheer about to a city I love." However, he did wonder about how Nielsen measured the audience. It's a good question and one many people ask.
Continue reading Alan Alda's Take on the Super Bowl Besting 'M*A*S*H' Record
Review: 'Two and a Half Men' - 'Aye, Aye Captain'
(S07E15) Remember how Charlie and Chelsea's relationship was drifting into the danger zone last week? You know that 'to be continued' we were left with... well, we picked up with the story as Charlie and Alan had cleaned up at home after their sojourn in the woods -- Jake, too -- only to find that Chelsea was pulling a 'Charlie.' That's right, she was coming home in the wee small hours of the morning and hadn't bothered to call. More on that and Alan's topiary below the belt after the jump.
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Review: 'Chuck' - 'Chuck Versus the Mask'
(S03E07) This was the last 'Chuck' until after the Winter Olympics, so it was important that we made some progress with the intersect -- natch -- and also the Hannah and Sarah situations. Ever since she flew into Chuck Bartowski's life, Hannah has seemed too good to be true. Is she really? And what of Chuck and Sarah's on/off relationship? Fortunately, we got a good take on it all, as well as some edge-of-the-seat thrills. More after the jump.
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Christopher Lloyd Will Be a Doc on 'Chuck'
The February 8th episode of 'Chuck' will be the last until after the Olympics, so here's a bit a news that should keep all 'Chuck' devotees panting for the return. Christopher Lloyd will be guesting on 'Chuck' in the spring. He's playing a psychiatrist/therapist/shrink who Chuck consults with when the rigors of morphing into a spy starts to get to Agent Bartowski. This will hopefully be a case of the right actor in the right role and the writers rise to the occasion to create something memorable. There's every reason to hope for big things because executive producer Josh Schwartz has admittedly being a geek when it comes to anything related to 'Back to the Future.' Having Doctor Emmett "Doc" Brown in the house should be an inspiration, don't you think?
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Lauren Graham in 'Parenthood,' More Than Lorelai Gilmore 2.0?
Maybe it's just me, but in every promotion for NBC's upcoming family dramedy 'Parenthood,' the images of Lauren Graham has a 'Gilmore Girls' vibe. Will Lauren be able to convincingly play a new character, divorced mom Sarah Braverman, and erase the nostalgic shadow cast by her performance as single mother Lorelai Gilmore? Or are we to believe what the NBC ads are showing us -- that Sarah B. is really just Lorelai 2.0.According to Joel, who saw the pilot, Sarah is no Lorelai. She's not chummy-chummy with her children. She's a lot tougher and more of a mom than a buddy. That would definitely be different from 'Gilmore Girls.' Lorelai and Rory's relationship was unique because they were really best friends... most of the time.
Continue reading Lauren Graham in 'Parenthood,' More Than Lorelai Gilmore 2.0?
Six Reasons Why '24' Has Jumped the You-Know-What
What is going on with Jack Bauer? Have you been watching '24' this season, the first time set in New York City? There were high expectations that this might be the best season yet for '24' because we'd be seeing a lean, mean, older Jack who has been through the wringer and knows all the tricks and turns of the business. Comparisons were made to Jason Bourne, but with the Bauer edge.
Unfortunately, we're not seeing the vim and vigor of 'The Bourne Identity' or any of the other Bourne pictures. We're not even seeing the quality of '24' from seasons past. Instead, '24' has turned into something else entirely -- an empty shell of its former self. It's time to call it a day for '24.' The show has definitely jumped the you-know-what.
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'Lost's' Daniel Dae Kim tapped for 'Hawaii 5-0' remake
CBS's new incarnation of 'Hawaii Five-0' to a huge step towards becoming a reality with one casting move. Daniel Dae Kim will be playing one of the 'Hawaii Five-0' team. The 'Lost' veteran, who is available for work because the ABC drama ends on May 23, will be a cop on 'Five-0.' No, they're not making Steve McGarrett, the lead detective. Kim has been cast as Detective Chin Ho Kelly, the second or third guy, depending on the episode. In the original series, Kam Fong played the role, and James MacArthur as Dano was perceived more of the second guy on the team. But in today's more diverse era, Kim may have a more prominent role than Fong did.
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Stouffer's Should Be Doing Product Placement in 'The Middle'
How's this for an odd occurrence of non-product placement? On Wednesday night, during the ABC sitcom block -- actually during 'Modern Family' -- there was a commercial for Stouffer's Family Size dinners. The commercial referred to 'The Middle,' making the case for how positive it is for families to sit down and share a meal together.
It was a great idea for a commercial, but did anybody at Stouffer's realize that with the exception of Thanksgiving, the Hecks don't actually cook dinner? They're usually bringing in bags of take out from a burger joint. You see hamburgers and fries and lots of paper products, but it was only for Turkey Day that anybody actually fixed dinner.
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Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on 'Faces of America' and the Beer Summit
Six Reasons Why '24' Has Jumped the You-Know-What
The Super Bowl Commercials: The Best
