TV Squad

More pilot and casting news from the major networks

Adam Finley — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 16:02:00 EST

Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Other Comedy Shows, ABC, FOX, Celebrities, The CW, Documentary

Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter, here's some pilot and casting news from the major networks:

First of all, the FOX drama pilot NSA Innocent is now Company Man, and has cast Jason Behr in the lead as a man hired by the NSA to spy on his own company. Annie Wersching of General Hospital will play his wife.

Heather Locklear has been cast in the title role for the ABC comedy pilot See Jayne Run, about a tough career woman trying to balance work and motherhood.

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Top Model's marriage under a microscope

Elizabeth Chan — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 15:41:00 EST

Filed under: OpEd, Watercooler Talk, The CW, America's Next Top Model

There is a fine line between completely deluded and a wicked gut instinct.
Many women have problems distinguishing between the two when it comes to analyzing the relationships of themselves and others. Thank god we have the cameras on 24/7 on America's Next Top Model to further investigate this.

On reality shows there seems to be a bully mentality, where the majority of the cast members focus on one person of interest to berate and mentally annihilate. On America's Next Top Model, this person has become Natasha. We have visited this situation before when she first revealed that she married her husband at 18, nearly 21 years her senior.

I am starting to have more compassion for Natasha and am going to change my tune out of principle. Maybe I'm a different blogger lately.

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America's Next Top Model: The Girl Who Takes Credit

JJ Hawkins — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 12:22:00 EST

Filed under: Other Reality Shows, OpEd, Animation, The CW, America's Next Top Model

(S08E06) Renee was playing some serious mind games with the large figured models this episode when she dropped the comment saying "there would never be a plus-sized model on the cover of Vogue."

The worst part is, Diana and Whitney seemed to have consumed the bait as they both performed pretty poorly this week.

Renee is either utlizing a very clever strategy or she's just plain rude and happens to be the beneficiary of the results. I'd be willing to wager on the latter.

I'm seriously running out of ways to call Renee evil and we're only six episodes into the season. I thought Satan was appropriate but somehow it doesn't quite do her justice. I think I'm just going to start calling her Lord Voldermort and be done with it. From now on Renee, who remains my pick to win this thing, will be referred to as Lord Voldermort or "she who we do not name". I think it's a better fit for her.

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More folks join new pilots

Adam Finley — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 16:03:00 EST

Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, ABC, Celebrities, The CW, Pickups and Renewals

Sorry, gang, I've been away for awhile so everyone stand back while I dump a big pile of casting news all over the floor (try not to get any on you):

John Michael Higgins will star in the new ABC comedy pilot The Thick of It, and by "new" I mean it's yet another remake of a British sitcom. It's being helmed by Arrested Development creator and will also star Oliver Platt, Alex Borstein (Family Guy) and Michael McKean. The pilot is being directed by Christopher Guest.

Also, on ABC, Mark Moses of Desperate Housewives has joined a comedy pilot as a senator whose daughter (Michelle Trachtenberg) falls in love with a staff member (Eric Christian Olsen) of his rival.

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Everybody Hates Chris: Everybody Hates Baseball

Adam Finley — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:47:00 EST

Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, OpEd, Everybody Hates Chris, The CW

(S02E18) This wasn't the funniest episode of Everybody Hates Chris, but I did like how it explored the dynamic between Chris and his father.

Kurt Vonnegut once told McSweeneys that a male writer should never write about his father: "you learn about life by the accidents you have, over and over again, and your father is always in your head when that stuff happens."

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Talk Talk: Quentin Tarantino, Rainn Wilson, Joss Stone, Newt Gingrich

Bob Sassone — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 17:41:00 EST

Filed under: ABC, NBC, Cable, Late Night, TV Royalty, Programming, PBS, Celebrities, The CW, Comedy Central, Talk Show

Charlie Rose: Newt Gingrich and Bill Bradley
The Daily Show: Senator John Kerry
The Colbert Report: John Perry Barlow
The Late Show With David Letterman: Will Ferrell and Kings of Leon
Jay Leno: Quentin Tarantino, Pete Rose, and Mika
Jimmy Kimmel Live: Andy Dick, Ivanka Trump, and Nas (repeat - wait a second, they're showing this for the third time in a month??)
Tavis Smiley: Ice Cube and Eddie Glaude
Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Robin Williams, Christian Slate, and Panic! At The Disco (repeat)
The Late, Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Rainn Wilson and Joss Stone
Last Call With Carson Daly: Lizzy Caplan and Taking Back Sunday (repeat)

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Smallville: Combat

Kevin Kelly — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 07:34:00 EST

Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, OpEd, Smallville, The CW

(S06E17) You know you're in for a very special Smallville when it starts out with a WWF-style cage match, an extremely gratuitous shot of some very large boobs, and an all-out brawl between Clark and a Zoner who seems stronger than he is. It's like a Bizarro world version of the show starring everyone's favorite Kryptonian. Zowie.

Basically, it's Fight Club meets Smallville meets ... well, Superheroes Gone Wild. Toss in Lois chomping at the bit for a story, and you've got half the makings of a regular old episode of Lois & Clark, or is it just me? Although I don't remember Teri Hatcher donning red leather and claiming to be a wayward stripper from down the street who has a penchant for loving the ladies. Plus, did you catch the way Lois claimed she does a killer "Stars and Stripes" routine? Hello throwback to an old episode.

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Supernatural: Heart

Brett Love — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Supernatural, The CW

(S02E17) I was looking forward to this episode for two reasons, only one of which panned out. First, like Dean said, "Werewolves are badass." From American Werewolf in London right up to the recent Dresden Files episode "Hair of the Dog," I like stories involving werewolves. "Heart" can now take a well deserved spot in that long line of lycanthropic entertainment.

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America's Next Top Model: The Girl Who Changes Her Attitude

JJ Hawkins — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 12:05:00 EST

Filed under: Other Reality Shows, OpEd, The CW, America's Next Top Model

(S08E05) I mentioned that I thought the title to this week's episode was in reference to Renee. I know, it wasn't too much of a stretch considering she is the body in the house who could most benefit from an attitude adjustment.

Turns out my premonition was right. Renee made a concentrated effort to be nicer to the girls in the house this week. Sure the drawing she lovingly gave Jael looked liked it was doodled by a mentally challenged chimpanzee with no arms, but it was a move in the right direction, and I can't fault her for that.

What I can fault her for is reverting from "the girl who changes her attitude" back to "the girl who wants to bleeping beat them all bleeping down" -- all by minute 24 of the show. Really Renee? You can go from being nice to the girls to wanting to do physical harm to them that quickly? I think a more appropriate title for this episode would have been, "The Girl Who is Bipolar."

Of course, I'm still picking her crazy ass to win.

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Everybody Hates Chris: Everybody Hates DJs

Adam Finley — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 22:04:00 EST

Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Everybody Hates Chris, The CW

(S02E17) Remember when I said I couldn't review this show anymore? Well, I have the CW again, so it's all good. Hopefully it won't be removed from my cable again.

My love for this show may have just increased ten fold. This episode was not only well-written and well-acted as usual, but it actually contained a reference to Night of the Lepus, probably the best movie ever made about gigantic killer bunnies. I'm not sure I believe Chris' real father actually had an irrational fear of rabbits, but it provided a nice B story about how willing Julius is to be there for his kids, even if it means passing out at a magic show.

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More pilots, more casting

Adam Finley — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 13:02:00 EST

Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Other Comedy Shows, ABC, CBS, Celebrities, The CW

Jaime Ray Newman has been cast as the lead in the new CW drama pilot I Am Paige Armstrong. Newman plays a congressional aide who decides to run against her crooked boss.

The comedic drama Babylon Fields, about a town where the dead have come back to life, recently added Kathy Baker to the cast. Baker will play a housewife who must contend with her zombie husband, whom she killed with an ax.

Kevin Dunn has been added to the ABC comedy pilot Sam I Am, about a woman (Christina Applegate) suffering from amnesia who must piece her life back together.

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Supernatural: Road Kill

Brett Love — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 08:33:00 EST

Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Supernatural, The CW

(S02E16) The Supernatural team brought us something a little different this week. We got under way in much the same manner as we usually do for a monster of the week episode, but I don't think the episode ended up where most of us thought it was going. High marks for Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) in her heavily promoted guest starring role. Take away the blond wig and the red dress and she's a completely different woman.

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Smallville: Promise

Kevin Kelly — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 00:34:00 EST

Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, OpEd, Smallville, The CW

(S06E16) The wedding bells that have been ringing in the promos for this episode also sound like funeral bells ringing, is that a coincidence? We may never know. Anyhow, it's finally here, the Lex & Lana wedding that we've all been dreading/waiting for.

Did that scene of Lex and Lana watching the ultrasound creep anyone else out? It's scary to know what might come ripping out of that womb. I keep picturing that scene from Alien over and over in my head. I also hope that the photo Clark whipped out the window didn't end up decapitating someone in Malaysia. He really put some heat behind it.

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Veronica Mars cancelled?

Isabelle Carreau — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 23:07:00 EST

Filed under: Veronica Mars, The CW, Cancellations

The axe has fallen. Well, sort of. The network still has to confirm it but many solid sources have told E! Online's Kristin Veitch that Veronica Mars would not be coming back for a fourth season.

The CW show has been struggling in ratings since its premiere on UPN. However, a good fan base helped get the show renewed up to a third season even though it moved around the schedule a bit. Many fans and TV critics were optimistic that the Gilmore Girls/Veronica Mars pairing would work well for both shows and bring in enough ratings. However, it seems it wasn't enough to secure a fourth season for this gem of a show featuring Kristen Bell.

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America's Next Top Model: The Girl Who Cries All the Time

JJ Hawkins — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 12:40:00 EST

Filed under: Other Reality Shows, OpEd, The CW, America's Next Top Model

(S08E04) Looking at the title of this week's show I was 100% positive the girl who cried all the time was going to be Renee.

Although she's my controversial pick to win the entire competition, I couldn't agree more with some of the comments in my previous posts that called Renee "a whiny, bitchtastic pain in the butt who thinks she's tough, but in reality, cries too much and needs therapy." I'm paraphrasing.

Instead, the title was in reference to Brittany, which came as a bit of a surprise to me since she's been pretty nondescript until this episode.

In my opinion, Brittany had a pretty decent reason to be crying and complaining. Being a guy, I can't claim to know the distress that accompanies having fake hair stitched into your scalp, but it sounds about as appealing as being beaten repeatedly in my nether regions with a meat tenderizer, which is the exact opposite of awesome.

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TV Squad lists your season and series premieres and finales

Richard Keller — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 10:31:00 EST

Filed under: ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, HBO, Showtime, Programming, The CW, USA, FX, Sci Fi, Comedy Central, TNT

Hola, mi muchachos and muchachoettes! It is I, Schedule Boy, back from wherever the hell I was. I'm here this time to present a comprehensive list of upcoming season and series premieres and finales for you, my adoptive TV Squad family.

What a crazy season its been! Shows that had so much potential (The Nine, Studio 60) struggled to stay on the air, while others (Ugly Betty, Friday Night Lights, Jericho, 30 Rock) surprised us with their growing fan bases and popularity. Then there were shows like ER that made a sudden comeback and ones like Gilmore Girls and Scrubs that didn't seem to find their way for the first half of the season. Well, at least we could be confident that hits like Grey's Anatomy, American Idol, 24 and Lost would carry us through the season. Then again, maybe not. Like I said, crazy season.

So, sit back, relax, and enjoy this fine presentation, presented in color with limited commercial interruption. You can find the list of premieres and finales (as well shows returning from hiatus) after the jump. Remember, dates are subject to change, so we'll be updating as time moves forward.

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The Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll: Welcome to the Dollhouse

Paul Goebel — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 15:41:00 EST

Filed under: Other Reality Shows, The CW

(S01E02) As I watched this week's episode, I could only think one thing...thank goodness there are only nine finalists, cause I really can't take much more of this show, in fact, in deference to the people who like this show (both of them) this is going to be my last review.

The first big event of the show is when the girls move into their new house. After the required fifteen minutes of screaming and running with their hands in their air, they finally choose their beds. Was I the only one aroused by the girl who licked her pillow?

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America's Next Top Model: The Girls Who Go To Prom

JJ Hawkins — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 12:54:00 EST

Filed under: Other Reality Shows, OpEd, The CW, America's Next Top Model

(S08E03) So when this episode's first piece of "Tyra mail" made its way into the model mansion it read, "Babies learn how to do it, can you?"

Call me a prophet, but somehow I knew the answer to this question was not "bite, masticate, and digest".

I know skinniness is all the rage in the modeling industry, but holy crap! Some of these girls look like it's day 30 of Survivor and they're part of the downtrodden tribe, sustaining themselves solely on a diet of coconut husks, sea cucumbers, and bark.

I always halfway expect to see Jeff Probst pop out from behind something and offer one of these girls a hamburger in exchange for immunity.

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Gilmore Girls: Gilmore Girls Only

Joel Keller — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 22:34:00 EST

Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Other Comedy Shows, OpEd, Gilmore Girls, The CW

(S07E17) When Dawn Ostroff, the CW's president of entertainment, was doing her "state of the network" press tour session in January, she said this about Gilmore Girls: "(David Rosenthal) was painted into a corner into with a storyline that he got out of. The second half of the season is much stronger, and I think viewers will be surprised."

I scoffed a little when she said that; nothing about the season to that point had suggested that the show was going to improve. But I've got to hand it to Rosenthal and company; the show has been on an upward trend, giving us about a month's worth of entertaining episodes that, while not quite up to the level of the show's creative peak, certainly give me hope that the show won't go out with a whimper, whether it's this season or next.

The key? Keep the Gilmore girls together. All three of them.

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Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll: Pilot (series premiere)

Paul Goebel — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 22:01:00 EST

Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Music and Variety, The CW

(S01E01) Are you the only person on earth who isn't sick of the song "Don't Cha?" Well, you're in luck. You can hear it over and over again on the newest reality show from the CW.

Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll is the perfect show to audition for if you are too slutty for American Idol, too untalented for America's Next Top Model and too stupid for The Apprentice.

You may remember the host of the show, Mark McGrath as the lead singer of the band Sugar Ray. Personally, I have a hard time respecting someone who quits being one of the handsomest lead singers around to become a poor man's Chris Harrison.

Also, on hand, is the founder of the Dolls herself, Robin Antin. For you Blow Out fans, Robin is Jonathan Antin's more masculine sister. In the opening, Robin says the Pussycat Dolls are "always evolving." Sadly, that statement does not apply to Robin herself.

Continue reading Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll: Pilot (series premiere)