There really isn't much to say here except wow. It feels real now, doesn't it? With only 18 hours left in the series' run, there are still so many questions left that need answering and hopefully we'll get some serious debriefing come 2/2/2010.
I love hearing stories about how certain stars auditioned for certain roles and didn't get them. What would the show/movie have been like if they were cast in it instead of the person who eventually got the role? For example, did you know that Danny DeVito was almost cast as Serena on Gossip Girl?
Here's another tidbit: Ugly Betty star Eric Mabius auditioned for the role of Peter Petrelli on Heroes. It's not really clear whether he didn't get the role because Milo Ventimiglia got it or if producers of Ugly Betty grabbed him for the role of Daniel Meade before Heroes producers could sign him up. Whatever happened, he's now playing the head of Mode magazine while Ventimiglia is absorbing people's superpowers.
The interview above is rather interesting. Mabius has moved back to Massachusetts with his family (he met his wife here while in college and wants to raise his kids here). He says he doesn't have a plan for his future, though he might have to get one. I have a feeling this might be the last season for Ugly Betty.
(S01E08) I don't know if enough credit is being given to the child actors on this show. All four are doing top-notch work... five if you count Lily. We already knew that Rico Rodriguez is amazing as Manny, but so little is being said about the Dunphy children. They haven't had as much screen time, yet, as really anyone else on the show, but who can deny how funny it is watching Ariel Winter as middle daughter Alex just torturing her dimmer siblings.
Sarah Hyland is channeling her best Mila Kunis in the role of eldest daughter Haley, who's just so tortured by how mean and horrible her family is. This week, she matched wits with her grandfather, only he'd been down this road so many times with his own daughter, and to a lesser extent his son, that he knows all the tricks by heart.
I was laughing so hard I had to rewind and watch the whole scene again when Haley got up from the table and stepped outside, only to find Jay out there already changing a light bulb.
(S01E07) Right from the beginning, The Middle had me in familiar territory. I remember rushing around the house gathering trash and trying to get it out to the curb before the trash truck finished at the neighbor's house. And I remember just missing it; what a horrible feeling that was.
From there, while I was still able to enjoy the episode for the laughs it offered, I was just as equally terrified. As a parent, I've often wondered just how close we are to having the state take our children away. How innocent a comment or statement would it take before these agencies swoop down on our lives with all their self-righteous glory and scare the living crap out of us that they're going to tear our families apart?
From the moment when the police officer told Mike he wasn't even allowed to touch Brick in the principal's office, to the social worker refusing to tell Frankie and Mike how the evaluation went until she filed her report, it just seems like way too much power for some outside entities to have over our families.
When you think of Brooke Shields, you think glamor and fashion and high style... Well, I do anyway. She's Suddenly Susan and one of the hot ladies on Lipstick Jungle. I do not think of her as a suburban mother of four in Orson, Indiana. However, that's exactly what she's going to be on an upcoming episode of ABC's sitcom The Middle.
As oxymoronic as it seems, I love the idea of Brooke on The Middle. She'll be going deep into the heart of the heartland to play a character who's supposed to be like Fran Heck, Patricia Heaton's character on The Middle. There's nothing as liberating for an actor as the chance to let loose and break the mold.
I watched Martha Stewart on Rachael Ray last week and then Rachael on Martha the following day, and both shows were interesting. I noticed that Rachael had Martha sit down and talk and take questions, but Martha got Rachael in the kitchen baking right away with little small talk. The funniest moment came from Rachael's show: when both came out of the elevator, Rachael tried to grab Martha's hand but Martha pulled it away quickly. Ha!
Anyway, they talked about the so-called "feud" that had been reported everywhere, and both dismissed it. I don't know how you can dismiss something that Martha herself said on her own show (among other things) but they said there was no truth to any feud rumors. I wonder what they'll say after Martha's appearance on Nightline tomorrow night.
There's an old adage in show business that says something to the effect that casting is half the battle. If you cast a part well, you're sure to have a winning finished project. If that's true, then the casting of Fred Willard on Modern Family is sure to be a hit. I won't reveal what role Fred will be playing til after the jump, so if you don't want to know, don't read on. Suffice to say, the very funny Mr. Willard is being given a great opportunity to shine.
Willard, who was terrific on Everybody Loves Raymond, not to mention all the Christopher Guest films like Best In Show and A Mighty Wind, was on sitcom TV just last season on Fox's Back to You. In fact, it was on that show that Fred worked with Modern Family's Ty Burrell. Now they get to do it again.
A lot of people have already given up on ABC's FlashForward. I think I understand why. Maybe it's not moving along the way that some viewers want, maybe it's not as compelling as the pilot was, or maybe people have been spoiled by Lost. I get all that, but I'm sticking with it. I think they've made some terrible choices (the Bob Dylan song used in the parking garage shootout was just goofy, and the card game last week was pointless and boring), but there's enough going to hold my interest.
Josh Friedman, the creator behind Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, is now getting behind another movie franchise to bring to ABC. This time it's Charlie's Angels. Okay, this one started as a television franchise then moved to the movies and now is moving back to TV. Well, you get the idea.
Also involved would be Leonard Goldberg, who worked with Aaron Spelling to produce the original series, and Drew Barrymore, who produced and starred in the movie versions. My guess is that this new version would something like Charlie's Angels: The Next Generation. Will John Forsythe return as the voice of Charlie? I hope so.
Revival-mania continues strong on network television. Success has been a mixed bag. For every Battlestar Galactica there are several Bionic Womans. A new version of Charlie's Angels certainly has a shot in today's market and the movies did well. Aaron Spelling tried to revive the franchise in '88 and that didn't work. Now could be a better time. What do you think?
There's reason to be hopeful about All My Children's move to Hollywood. Oh, yes, Thorsten Kaye has decided not to go -- bye, bye Zach -- but there's a list of stars lining up for the anniversary that's pretty spectacular.
Julia's return is a big get because she was such big part of the soap for so long. The two-time Emmy winner was on AMC from 1976 to her exit in 2006. This anniversary show will be a chance for fans to hear what Brooke -- Erica's rival for all those years -- has been up to.
Next in line is Eva LaRue. She's become a prime time star with CSI: Miami. She did two stints with AMC as Dr. Maria Santos Grey.
(S01E08) You mean I'm going to have to start paying attention to this show? What do they think they are ... Lost or something? Yes, I made sure to mention Lost in my article about FlashForward, and yes I did it because I know it bothers some of you. I'm a bastard that way.
There was a lot of forward motion in a lot of important ways. Last week's Al-dying, Tracy-returning finale was a huge set-up for the next few weeks' worth of story. As expected, Al's death became big news when Celia went public with the letter he'd sent to her (so I guess that means the FBI found her?). But it was Tracy's return that added layers to the complex onion we're trying to peel here.
In the middle of it all, we got to contemplate the significance of what bra Olivia might choose to wear in the future. See, everything's important!
I remember when Wipeout premiered on ABC there was a lot of talk about what sort of contract the contestants had to sign because there was a very good chance that someone could get seriously injured getting punched in the face or sliding off of giant balls and ramps. Turns out they have to sign a pretty extensive contract.
And now comes word that a contestant that was taping an appearance on the show has died.
First off, thanks to ABC for canceling Hank, because I love it when headlines rhyme.
Second, yes, the network has canceled the struggling Kelsey Grammer comedy. It never really clicked with TV viewers or critics, and when ABC gave full season orders to all of the other Wednesday night comedies (The Middle, Modern Family, and Cougar Town) you knew the writing was on the wall and this show just wasn't going to be around for a second season. Of course, it's not going to be around for a full first season either. ABC is replacing the remaining episodes with holiday specials and repeats of their other sitcoms.
This might be a silly question to ask but ... is anyone out there going to miss this show? I have a high tolerance for sitcoms, even mediocre ones. But this show was mediocre, with a capital ocore. It just wasn't funny and the characters/premise just weren't interesting enough.
If you're an Ugly Betty fan, you might be wondering why ABC has been treating the show like a stepchild lately. I know I've wondered why the Peabody-award winning, Emmy-winning, universally hailed, feel-good show was getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop. Instead of a big, splashy Season 4 premiere, Ugly Betty was sort plunked onto the schedule on Friday night at 9 p.m. in mid-October. There was little fanfare and the ratings were underwhelming.
Well, things might be changing for the better for Betty -- like her gradual on screen makeover. With the cancellation of Eastwick, ABC has confirmed to AfterElton.com that Ugly Betty will move to Wednesday at 10 p.m. It won't happen right away, but if ABC is smart, the sooner they can shift Eastwick out of that slot and hand it over the Betty, the better.
A lot of shows on the list won't surprise us: Hank, The Forgotten, Numb3rs, Gary Unmarried, and 'Til Death (each either gets low ratings or has been on for a while), but there are several that I think will actually make it to a another season, including The Good Wife and Parks and Recreation.
Looks like the island wasn't the only thing that got moved.
I love hearing stories about how certain stars auditioned for certain roles and didn't get them. What would the show/movie have been like if they were cast in it instead of the person who eventually got the role? For example, did you know that Danny DeVito was almost cast as Serena on Gossip Girl?
(S01E07) Right from the beginning, The Middle had me in familiar territory. I remember rushing around the house gathering trash and trying to get it out to the curb before the trash truck finished at the neighbor's house. And I remember just missing it; what a horrible feeling that was.
When you think of 
I watched Martha Stewart on Rachael Ray last week and then Rachael on Martha the following day, and both shows were interesting. I noticed that Rachael had Martha sit down and talk and take questions, but Martha got Rachael in the kitchen baking right away with little small talk. The funniest moment came from Rachael's show: when both came out of the elevator, Rachael tried to grab Martha's hand but Martha pulled it away quickly. Ha!
There's an old adage in show business that says something to the effect that casting is half the battle. If you cast a part well, you're sure to have a winning finished project. If that's true, then 
Josh Friedman, the creator behind Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, is now 
There's reason to be hopeful about 
(S01E08) You mean I'm going to have to start paying attention to this show? What do they think they are ... 
I remember when Wipeout premiered on ABC there was a lot of talk about what sort of contract the contestants had to sign because there was a very good chance that someone could get seriously injured getting punched in the face or sliding off of giant balls and ramps. Turns out they have to sign a 
First off, thanks to ABC for 
If you're an 
A couple of weeks ago, I did a post about the shows that were "on the bubble," the ones in danger of being canceled. Now AOL TV has 
The TV Squad Podcast: The Prisoner, '80s TV, soap news and more
Let's talk about spoilers ...
The Prisoner -- An early look
