(S02E03) I don't watch Castle because I really need another New York-based police procedural in my life. I watch it because it's funny, quirky, and because Nathan Fillion is dreamy. So while I would be hard-pressed to ever find a bad episode of Castle, this one wasn't my favorite. It just wasn't fun enough.
I'm not really enthralled with models, so the whole "behind the scenes at Fashion Week" thing really doesn't appeal to me very much. However, I do like how the theme of youth and beauty plays itself out throughout the show; first with the obsession over these qualities inherent in the modeling world, then with Castle's realization that he is at the age in which the beautiful young woman he meets isn't someone he met at a party, but rather the gawky girl who babysat his daughter and watched High School Musical with her. All the while, Castle's mother is dealing with the fact that she is no longer getting the ingenue parts, but is instead being offered that of the the crazy granny who dies offstage.
Every week I see tons and tons of TV DVDs released, and the only thing I can think of is "when is _______ going to be released?" Sure, I'll get The Office this week (but borrow someone else's Fringe), but I don't really see anything else that cries out "buy me for your collection!" I'm still waiting for Spenser: For Hire and Ed.
Piper Perabo's most recognizable roles have been in the Cheaper by the Dozen films, as well as a turn in Coyote Ugly. And yet, hers is one of those names unique enough to remember. Someone at USA recalled Perabo well enough to cast her in Covert Affairs, a pilot about a young CIA trainee abruptly called up as a field operative. While she thinks it's because she's so awesome and all, it turns out that it has more to do with some secret in her past.
In other words, she may be woefully unprepared for the cases she finds herself involved in. At least she'll have Christopher Gorham (Harper's Island) on hand to help her navigate, though I wouldn't trust him. Plus, he's blind which limits his abilities in the field.
For those of you tracking which of the Harper's Island alumni would be the first to land regular work elsewhere, it looks like it was the most unstable of the bunch. I guess that means Gorham won't be available for that Weekend at Bernie's style reunion special.
How would the remaining cast of CBS' Harper's Island like to die? That's one of the things you'll see in this video below. There's also footage of the two-hour series finale, which airs this Saturday.
And I'm sorry to fans who question my using the term "series finale" when it's the season finale and the show could always come back. Well, I'm basing it on the fact that this was meant to be a limited series and that CBS quickly moved the show to Saturday nights because of low ratings.
I know Harper's Island has been panned by everyone from television critics to deranged psychopathic killers with a penchant for islands, but I don't care. For eleven weeks now, I've followed along on this silly ride, and I've been enjoying the hell out of it. It's the horror-mystery aspect of it. Sure, I'm a little disappointed that the killer (so far) isn't one of the main cast members, but I'm having fun watching the cast get taken out "one by one," as creepy-little-girl says each week in the intro.
I was always a huge fan of Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians/And Then There Were None. Plus, I'm a sucker for a long-form story in television. I think this is one of those things television has over the movies. You can't take thirteen hours to tell a mystery in the theaters. That's one of the reasons I'm never as impressed with the done-in-one shows. You have this format that allows for these massively detailed long stories so why not use it? I don't care if you don't think Americans have the attention span for it; I do. And aren't you supposed to be programming for me?
CBS is moving their new murder-mystery series Harper's Island to Saturday nights. Guess the ratings just weren't what the network wanted, so starting next week the show will air on the night of reruns and movies. But don't worry that this is a sign that the show will vanish from the schedule altogether. This was created as a limited-run series and CBS says they'll show all of the episodes, just on another night (though I wouldn't bet on a second season).
I know what these networks are doing. It's all part of their master plan to make Saturday nights a "must-see" night of television again, an attempt to recapture of the glory years of shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Carol Burnett Show, and The Bob Newhart Show. Someday all of the best show will be on Saturday nights and we'll be home in our Slankets watching them.
Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.
Piper Perabo's most recognizable roles have been in the Cheaper by the Dozen films, as well as a turn in Coyote Ugly. And yet, hers is one of those names unique enough to remember. Someone at 
I know 
At 8, NBC has a new Kings.
HBO2 has a True Blood marathon all night.
CSPAN2 has new episodes of Book TV all night.
FOX has the Sprint Cup: Southern 500 race all night.
Oh, fans of this show are going to be ticked.
The TV Squad Podcast: Vik Sahay of Chuck, Oprah talk, brutal timeslots, and more!
TV Squad Ten: Top Ten ESPN shows from worst to first
Andy Richter: The TV Squad Interview
