(S01E11) "You turned Fed?" - Alex
"I was force Fed." - Neal
I'm happy to see Diahann Carroll with a larger role in 'White Collar.' I don't know if it's going to be a regular thing (probably not), but there were many episodes where we either didn't see her at all or in just a quick cameo, so having her actually be part of the case (such as last week with Neal helping her in the case involving a relative) is welcome.
(S01E01)'Past Life' is not a bad show, but I don't know if it will stand out enough to make it past the first few episodes. But who knows, it might strike a chord with viewers and find a spot on the DVR schedules. It's a little bit 'House,' a little bit 'Medium,' and a little bit 'Fringe.'
The story follows Dr. Kate McGinn (Kelli Giddish), a psychologist specializing in past life regression -- memories of past lives or incarnations. In the pilot episode, a teenager named Noah has flashes where he remembers something that never happened to him. He sees visions of a kidnapping and murder, and we eventually learn that he's actually remembering something from someone else's life.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, 'Bones' creator Hart Hanson is now attached to the pilot for 'Pleading Guilty,' a drama on Fox that already has an impressive roster of names. Hanson will serve as an executive producer on the show, which is based on the Scott Turow novel of the same name.
Turow's books have been adapted before -- the big screen adaptation of 'Presumed Innocent' starred Harrison Ford and Brian Dennehy, 'Reversible Errors' was adapted for TV with William H. Macy and Tom Selleck, as was 'The Burden of Proof' with Hector Elizondo and Brian Dennehy.
(S01E04) I am so excited for the return of the infamous bong lamp, but wow, does it cause some major trouble. Last week, we saw Lux sell Baze's pride and joy to help cover his bar rent. Two weeks ago, the offending lamp was also one of the reasons Baze was denied full custody of Lux. This week, it's the reason she gets suspended from her fancy-pants public school. Stupid lamp, can't do anything right.
We're ratcheting up the drama here this week. Lux's illusions of family life crumble a bit more as she and Cate, in the grand traditions of mothers and daughters everywhere, clash something awful.
If you're one of the fortunate few who make it big in the television biz, shouldn't you take the opportunity to use that cushy cushion you have built for yourself and take a big risk on something exciting and new? Not if you're one of these big television producers.
For instance, Ryan, creator of the groundbreaking FX cop drama 'The Shield,' has another cop drama premiering with Fox called 'Ridealong.' Kelley, the writer/producer behind 'The Practice' and 'Boston Legal,' has created a reality drama for NBC called 'Kindred.' Even Rhimes, the woman behind ABC's 'Grey's Anatomy,' has another medical drama show for ABC called 'Off the Map.' Is ABC looking to create an all-medical soap opera cable channel in the coming year?
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.
It's great to see A&E getting into more scripted shows and not just concentrating on reality shows and documentaries. But they're not just taking everything. This week they're passing on one drama but going ahead with another one.
The drama 'Sugarloaf' has been given the green light. It's about a Chicago cop who gets accused of something he didn't do so he decides to move to a small Florida town and become an officer there.
The drama the network passed on? 'The Quickening.' No, it wasn't another version of 'Highlander,' it was actually about a homicide detective who is bipolar. Sounds a bit like 'Monk' only maybe a little bit more serious? Anyway, we probably won't be seeing that one.
Like a lot of people who live in New England, every single time I hear the name 'Sugarloaf' I'm going to think of a cold ski resort, not a warm small town in Florida.
The season finale of 'Heroes' is on NBC tonight (yup, in February), and no knows yet if the show is coming back for another season or not (though Greg Grunberg is hopeful). If the show is canceled, there are a couple of shows that are rushing to fill that hole in the superhero genre. One is an NBC show titled 'Cape,' and another is 'No Ordinary Family.' a pilot that ABC has picked up.
This one is a drama from Greg Berlanti ('Brothers & Sisters,' 'Eli Stone,' 'Dawson's Creek,' 'Everwood,' and 'Dirty Sexy Money') and focuses on a family (headed by dad Chiklis) who finds that they have super powers. And by "super powers" I'm sure they mean things like strength, speed, and invisibility and not other powers a family could have, like being a great cook, being able to fix leaky faucets, and organizing closets like no ordinary human.
(S04E05) In his campaign to win the State Senate seat, Bill's slogan is Build With Bill, but based on the perfect storm of disaster surrounding his every move, that doesn't seem to be working out too well, does it? It's amazing that Bill's ambition -- this calling he claims he has to get into politics -- has yet to please anybody in his life. More on the big doings on 'Big Love' and the Utah State Republican convention after the jump.
Fan reaction from the news differed a lot. Some fans were glad at the idea of one of the Jonas brothers to be part of the series as Joe not only shared physical features with actor Balthazar Getty, which would have helped making this younger version of Tommy be believable, but also because the Jonas Brothers' following could have tuned in the show and help boost the ratings.
Other fans were outraged at the idea that Joe Jonas could land the role. Comments ranged from fans claiming that Joe did not look like Getty at all to them wondering if Joe Jonas had the needed acting skills to play such a role.
No matter what's your opinion, Jonas did not get the part after all. A young actor from 'Make It or Break It' was offered the role instead.
Somebody wise once said that when it comes to movies and television (theater, too), casting is essential. If you get it right, you're half-way home. Recently, that proved true on CBS's 'NCIS' with the casting of Robert Wagner as Tony DiNozzo's dad. Perfect casting.
In fact, in a case where the casting was off, on the CBS sitcom 'Out of Practice,' he was Stockard Channing's ex and the father of Christopher Gorham, Paula Marshall and Ty Burrell. It never quite worked.
ABC is shifting gears in their Wednesday, 10pm slot. They're going from a comedy about the fashion world to a serial killer thriller. 'Happy Town' is going to replace 'Ugly Betty' on April 28.
The question is, will 'Happy Town' be another 'Twin Peaks,' a spooky, moody drama set in a small town that got a cult following and remains popular today, or will it be 'Harper's Island,' which was a long mini-series that came and went and probably won't be remembered that much in 20 years. 'Happy Town' is also about a killer in a small town. It stars Sam Neill, Geoff Stults, Steven Weber, and Amy Acker.
(S01E04) Just like Chuck Bartowski, Christopher Chance seems able to access any type of fighting skill, foreign language, or Bible verse necessary to nudge his way out of a tight spot. But unlike Chuck, or Echo from 'Dollhouse', his super skills don't come courtesy of some dubious sci-fi technology. So where did Chance get his awesome abilities? Who knows? We'll probably never learn the answer to that question. Despite the show's small attempts to get a larger arc moving, 'Human Target' is more concerned with delivering fun, action-packed self-contained episodes than with building a rich mythology.
Surprisingly, 'Sanctuary' offered some valuable intel about Chance's past, courtesy of Guerrero's latest "side job." We learned that he's wracked with guilt over his involvement in a woman's death -- a woman he was probably in love with. The same woman might've been the reason he turned things around and started working for the good guys, mirroring this week's client, John Gray ('Fanboys' star Sam Huntington). I'm looking forward to seeing these plot elements finally pay off somewhere down the line, but I don't expect the payoff to be huge.
The television gods have spoken. Okay, not really. But the people in power at HBO have had their say and 'Big Love' will be back for a fifth season. Ten more episodes have been ordered as the fourth season continues to unfold. Hallelujah! The story of the Hendricksons goes on and on.
Unlike some other HBO drama series, 'Big Love' has not been a sky-rocket. It's been more a slow boil, gradually picking up fans and followers as the show evolves. Perhaps it was the very nature of the situation, a polygamist family living in plain sight in modern day Utah while keeping their way of life a closely guarded secret.
Bill and his three wives and passel of children try to keep to the principle while blending with suburbia, but they're continually pulled into controversy based on their individual pasts and the choices they've made. It all adds up to great drama.
(S02E13) "He who sells miracles will have the devil knocking at his door."/"What's that? A proverb?"/"A fortune cookie." - Alec to Parker
Probably the most interesting aspect of 'Leverage', other than Parker's wonderful taste in form fitting dresses, is the way it manages to top itself in small areas.
Not every episode is a home run in every category on the checklist, but it does find new ways to heighten the action, increase the twists and broaden their stories give or take an episode.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, 'Bones' creator Hart Hanson is now attached to the pilot for 'Pleading Guilty,' a drama on Fox that already has an impressive roster of names. Hanson will serve as an executive producer on the show, which is based on the Scott Turow novel of the same name. 
(S01E04) I am so excited for the return of the infamous bong lamp, but wow, does it cause some major trouble. Last week, we saw Lux sell Baze's pride and joy to help cover his bar rent. Two weeks ago, the offending lamp was also one of the reasons Baze was denied full custody of Lux. This week, it's the reason she gets suspended from her fancy-pants public school. Stupid lamp, can't do anything right. 
If you're one of the fortunate few who make it big in the television biz, shouldn't you take the opportunity to use that cushy cushion you have built for yourself and take a big risk on something exciting and new? Not if you're one of these big television producers. 
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.
It's great to see A&E getting into more scripted shows and not just concentrating on reality shows and documentaries. But they're not just taking everything. This week they're passing on one drama but going ahead with another one. 
The season finale of 'Heroes' is on NBC tonight (yup, in February), and no knows yet if the show is coming back for another season or not (though Greg Grunberg is hopeful). If the show is canceled, there are a couple of shows that are rushing to fill that hole in the superhero genre. One is an NBC show titled 'Cape,' and another is 'No Ordinary Family.' a pilot that ABC has picked up.
Earlier this week, we informed you that 'Brothers & Sisters' was considering casting Joe Jonas to play a younger version of Tommy in a special two-hour episode filled with flashback sequences and set to air in April. 
Somebody wise once said that when it comes to movies and television (theater, too), casting is essential. If you get it right, you're half-way home. Recently, that proved true on CBS's 'NCIS' with the casting of Robert Wagner as Tony DiNozzo's dad. Perfect casting.
The television gods have spoken. Okay, not really. But the people in power at HBO have had their say and 'Big Love' will be back for a fifth season. Ten more episodes have been ordered as the fourth season continues to unfold. Hallelujah! The story of the Hendricksons goes on and on.
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