There was a time when you were my favorite country in the world. Sure, you invented the Snuggie and insisted on airing multiple shows about making cakes for some reason, but you were always pretty stable. Well, that's changed and I think I know why.
You're addicted, America. You're addicted to something more insidious than nicotine or cocaine or Pokémon: you're addicted to Opinion Based News Shows.
Don't deny it! I've seen the signs! What started as an innocent attempt to have more talking points at parties has begun to rage out of control. Sometimes it seems you can't even make a move without a little taste of Keith or Glenn just to get you "right".
Well, I'm not going to watch my friend go down without a fight. This is your wake-up call America. This is your intervention.
A&E is bringing back its award-winning documentary series Intervention for a fifth season. The series follows people who are estranged from the friends and family and in personal crisis because of their addiction to drugs, alcohol or other compulsive behaviors. At the end of each episode, the addict is surprised with an intervention led by family, close friends and one of these experts: Jeff VanVonderen, Candy Finningan or Ken Seeley.
The season premiere will profile Chad, a gifted athlete who suffers from an addiction to crack cocaine. Chad, once a part of Lance Armstrong's cycling team, now spends his days panhandling, abusing drugs, and drinking. Also on the slate for later this season is Intervention: After Treatment. This one-hour special will feature a panel of past addicts brought together in a Los Angeles studio for a candid discussion about how the intervention changed their lives.
Intervention returns on Monday June 16th at 9 pm. ET/PT on A&E.
This summer, A&E will launch its first scripted drama series in six years. The Cleaner stars Benjamin Bratt (Law and Order, Miss Congeniality), Amy Price-Francis (Californication), Grace Park (Battlestar Galactica), Kevin Michael Richardson (Knights of Prosperity), Esteban Powell (Dazed and Confused, Powder), Brett DelBuono (Balls of Fury) and Liliana Mumy (Cheaper by the Dozen).
Bratt will play William Banks, a recovered drug addict who helps others kick their habits. After hitting rock-bottom because of his own problems with addiction, Banks makes a deal with God when his daughter is born. He vows to help others. However, his means of intervention are unconventional and unrelenting to say the least. In the series premiere, Banks helps high school meth addict Zach, a once-promising young athlete. Along the way, Banks discovers the cause of Zach's addiction, a fracture in the family after Zach's father died. He also uncovers a drug-fencing operation.
The Cleaner premieres Tuesday July 15th at 10 p.m. ET. Will you be watching?
So, the redemption tour of former teenage star turned uncontrollable addict Lindsay Lohan begins on network television, does it? According to an article in The New York Observerthat may certainly be the case. And, I guess there's no better place to get back in the public's good graces then on a high-profile show like Ugly Betty.
According to unidentified sources on the set of Betty, Lohan's people are in serious talks to have her appear in a three-episode arc. She would portray the assistant manager of the fast food restaurant where Betty's father currently works. Our darling Betty would take pity on the hapless manager, who would be a former high school beauty queen who has hit hard times, and get her a job at Mode.
If you've got kids or have spent any time babysitting, you know what a joy it can be to see a little face smiling. You also probably know how much children love watching their favorite cartoons or movies. Over and over again. And over again.
Watching Peter Pan 6 times in one sitting is one thing. But if you've got a TiVo, here's a cautionary tale:
The moral of this story? Don't teach your child how to use the TiVo remote control. At least not until they're 21 and able to handle it responsibly.
At 8, PBS has a new NOW, followed by a new Washington Week.
NBC has a new 1 vs. 100 at 8, then the return of Identity.
CBS has March Madness all night.
The CW has a new Smackdown! at 8.
AMC has Cool Hand Luke at 8, with Paul Newman.
Also at 8: HBO has a marathon of new episodes of Addiction.
At 9, FOX has a new episode of The Wedding Bells.
TLC has a new What Not To Wear at 9.
At 9:30, Food Network has a new Giada's Weekend Getaways (in Napa/Sonoma), then a new ep of Paula's Party.
At 10, ABC has new 20/20.
A&E has a new Intervention at 10.
At 11, HBO has a new Real Time With Bill Maher, with guests Jason Alexander, Chris Rock, Dan Rather, Martha Raddatz, and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee.
HBO is doing a multi-platform launch for The Addiction Project, which will focus on various addictions as a treatable brain disease. The 14-part documentary Addiction premieres tonight at 9:00 p.m., which also happened to coincide with HBO's free weekend preview that runs through this Sunday, so you may be able to catch it even if you don't normally receive HBO.
In addition, Lost Remote writes that all fourteen parts will be made available online for free, so keep an eye on the official site.
The Riches (Mon., 10PM ET, FX) With its provocative premise, deep characters and balance between drama and comedy, this new show is reminiscent of Six Feet Under. The Malloys are your average, loving, dysfunctional family -- except they're itinerant con artists who scam people for a living. Even the three kids get in on the act. But when a car accident gives them the chance to live the American Dream, father Wayne (Eddie Izzard) and mother Dahlia (Minnie Driver) decide to take it.
American Idol (Tue., 8PM ET, Fox) Is Votefortheworst.com affecting the outcome of Idol? Because I can't figure out how else Sanjaya is still in the competition. Either the tween set can't get enough of the shaggy-haired singer, or the web site has truly achieved its nefarious goal. Hopefully, as the top 12 start performing, talent will prevail. There are some truly gifted singers, like Lakisha and Melinda. But the most successful Idols also had unique styles, so that's why I'm betting on Blake. Disagree? Take our poll!
Maybe it's our culture's litigiousness that inhibits American tabloids. Don't get me wrong. American tabloids, paparazzi and reality shows will definitely be held up by future archaeologists as evidence of the rapid decline of our civilization, but it is the British equivalent of these outlets that get the high marks for tastelessness. Case in point, the producers of the UK's Big Brother have announced plans for another reality outing - Rock Stars in Rehab. (Technically, it's the Dutch company Endemol producing the show, but it's being made for British TV.)
The company has approached high profile heroin addict Pete Doherty, the crack-addicted Dominic Masters of The Others and ex-Celeb Big Brother contestant Donny Tourette to appear in the series. The show would essentially lock all these addicts in a house together and film them 24-7. Critics have chastised Endemol for "using drug problems as entertainment and treating addiction like a joke." Really, if you want to be entertained by a bunch of recovering heroin addicts, rent Trainspotting.
(S01E04) I really enjoyed Tom Nicholson's (Kerr Smith) storyline in this episode. We get to see his weaknesses as he loses sight of his job when his relationship with a client clouds his judgment. Plus, someone else gets to try a case for once.
The episode opens with a man falling from a skyscraper and then the shaky camera work begins. This week's victim is Daniel Benson, son of legendary studio head Scott Benson. The victim's girlfriend, Molly Larusa, is missing. The two were dating in rehab, which is where Benson plummeted to his death. TNT&G fits into the equation because the missing girl's father is their client, Frank Larusa.
Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank spoke in very general terms during an interview with Vanity Fair magazine about her soon-to-be ex-husband, Chad Lowe. She actually dropped a bombshell: saying he struggles with addiction. She doesn't mention what he's addicted to (drugs? alcohol? sex? video games?), but says that his "substance addiction" played a minor role in their break-up. She says, "When I found out, it was such a shock because I never thought he'd keep something from me. And yet, on another level, it was a confirmation of something I was feeling that was keeping us from being completely solid." Sad. Lowe, who works primarily in television, did not give any comment.
And we thought we'd be hearing about this from one of the Olsen twins first...
Jodie Sweetin, who played middle child Stephanie on Full House, discussed her addiction to methamphetamines on Good Morning America yesteday morning. Apparently, after the show ended in 1995, she wanted to go back to being a normal kid, but found the "normal life" a little boring. She married a police officer at 20, and by 22 had a raging meth habit that got so bad she needed an intervention from John Stamos, Bob Saget, and yes, the aforementioned Olsens to straighten her out (I wonder if they then turned the tables and had an intervention for Mary-Kate about her eating disorder).
She's sober now, in the process of divorcing her husband, and wants to pick her acting career up again at the ripe old age of 24. We wish her luck.
Can we take bets on the next child star to either get arrested or go to rehab? I'll take Jonathan Lipnicki if no one else wants him.
After Oprah tore James Frey
apart on her show last week, I was left to wonder what would be next for the author.
I should've
known.
A Manhattan social worker was the first to file a lawsuit against Random House, the publisher of
Frey's fictitious memoir about overcoming drug and alcohol addiction. The plaintiff, Jennifer Cohn, said she
recommended Frey's book to a number of clients who were struggling with the same addiction. Another New York reader
filed a class action lawsuit, asking for her $14.95 back. There are also lawsuits in state and federal courts in
Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle.
So...what's worse? Ripping apart the author on nationwide television or
suing an author because his memoir is packed with lies?
America, we need to talk.
A&E is bringing back its award-winning documentary series 
This summer, 
So, the redemption tour of former teenage star turned uncontrollable addict Lindsay Lohan begins on network television, does it? According to an article in 
At 8, PBS has a new NOW, followed by a new Washington Week. 
At 8, ABC has a new Ugly Betty, followed by a new Grey's Anatomy and the premiere of October Road. 
HBO is doing a multi-platform launch for The Addiction Project, which will focus on various addictions as a treatable brain disease. The 14-part documentary Addiction premieres tonight at 9:00 p.m., which also happened to coincide with HBO's free weekend preview that runs through this Sunday, so you may be able to catch it even if you don't normally receive HBO.
The Riches
Maybe it's our culture's litigiousness that inhibits American tabloids. Don't get me wrong. American tabloids, paparazzi and reality shows will definitely be held up by future archaeologists as evidence of the rapid decline of our civilization, but it is the British equivalent of these outlets that get the high marks for tastelessness. Case in point, the producers of the 
Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank spoke in very general terms during an interview with Vanity Fair magazine about her soon-to-be ex-husband, Chad Lowe. She actually dropped a bombshell: saying he struggles with addiction. She doesn't mention what he's addicted to (drugs? alcohol? sex? video games?), but says that his "substance addiction" played a minor role in their break-up. She says, "When I found out, it was such a shock because I never thought he'd keep something from me. And yet, on another level, it was a confirmation of something I was feeling that was keeping us from being completely solid." Sad. Lowe, who works primarily in television, did not give any comment.
And we thought we'd be hearing about this from one of the Olsen twins first...
After Oprah 
The TV Squad Podcast: New Shows, Conan Tour, 'Breaking Bad' and More!
'Breaking Bad' Tidbits from Cranston, Paul and Odenkirk
Andy Cohen on Jersey Housewives, 'Top Chef,' and Being the Face of Bravo
