usa-related stories
Posted Nov 7th 2009 2:01PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S08E12) Well, after the past couple of shows -- especially
Monk's reunion with Sharona -- I was imagining that the final season of
Monk was sprinting to the finish line, delivering some final hours that would be up there with the best ever for the series.
Then Adrian went camping. This might be one of the weakest
Monks of all time. The funniest thing was the title, which was where the inspiration began and -- sadly -- ended. Nothing worked. Monk and children? No. Monk in the woods? No. Monk and the grizzly bear? Do you even have to wonder? More after the jump.
Continue reading Review: Monk - Mr. Monk Goes Camping
Posted Oct 31st 2009 12:32PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, OpEd, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S08E11) All the people involved in
Monk know that this is the last season. They've promoted it as such, and clearly they've planned it that way. That could explain why Monk is evolving in these last episodes. I was truly encouraged by last week's Sharona episode, which was one of the best
Monks I've seen in a long time.
Could the next episode possibly be that good? Well, not quite, but it was wonderful. I'm giving anything away -- it's in the title -- but this was all about Mr. Monk and a dog. Yes, Adrian and a dog. More after the jump.
Continue reading Review: Monk - Mr. Monk and the Dog
Posted Oct 6th 2009 4:27PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Late Night, Video, Watercooler Talk, Talk Show, Reality-Free
I don't usually watch the Olympics, so it wasn't too devastating to me that Chicago lost out to Rio De Janiero in the bid to host the 2016 games. But that doesn't mean I was rooting
against Chicago, like some people were, as this clip from last night's
Colbert Report shows.
Posted Aug 31st 2009 3:02PM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Sports, Industry, Programming, Music and Variety, Reality-Free
Before it became all cooking, gossip, fashion and interior decorating, Bravo used to be a fine arts network that aired classic drama, music, opera, etc.
TV viewers everywhere are hoping such sophistication returns to television with the news that World Wrestling Entertainment chairman
Vince McMahon wants to create his own cable network.
McMahon wants to launch the WWE-dedicated channel for basic tier rates within the next two years. While a return to fine arts TV is unlikely, McMahon's wrestling product has been greatly softened in tone over recent months -- looking to attract a more family-based audience.
Continue reading Vince McMahon wants to muscle in his own cable network
Posted Aug 29th 2009 1:30PM by Mike Moody
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Industry, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free, Burn Notice
Summer Glau isn't the only
Terminator alum heading to a high-profile show next season. The cool and creepy Garrett Dillahunt has
landed a role on USA's Burn Notice. Dillahunt will play Simon, Michael's super smart new client, when the show returns in the winter.
It's unclear whether this is a guest stint or a recurring role, but chances are good that Dillahunt will be sticking around for a while. The actor has made memorable guest stints on
Life,
CSI,
and
Law & Order: SVU, and critics praised his recent big screen performance in
The Last House on the Left.
Continue reading Terminator's Garret Dillahunt lands role on Burn Notice
Posted Aug 28th 2009 11:29AM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Reality-Free, Burn Notice
If a show is good enough to get nominated for an Emmy, why not watch it for hours on end while you forget forever what the sun looks like?
USA Networks has announced that it's reaching around and patting itself enthusiastically on the back for its Emmy nomination collection with a marathon event of
Monk,
House and
Law & Order: SVU. The chain of would-be red carpet winners runs Friday, September 4 through Sunday, September 6 and includes the episodes of each show up for awards.
Monk is all USA's baby and garnered 16 total Emmy nominations including seven nominations and three wins for Tony Shalhoub (Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series).
House is Fox and
SVU is shared with NBC. But it's one big happy Emmy family for USA.
Continue reading USA gives itself props with Emmy-nominated show marathon
Posted Aug 28th 2009 9:29AM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Ratings, Reality-Free, Burn Notice
Lost in all the news of the
major networks' summer decline and the struggles of the pay channels and the ongoing soap operas of the endless reality shows is the news that
Burn Notice is very quietly becoming a major ratings player on cable.
What originally looked like a silly, self-referential genre show tucked in after wrestling on the USA Network,
Burn Notice is one of the biggest hits on cable. It doesn't get the critical love of
Mad Men, but it has a lot of fans.
According to a USA press release, the show's August airings are burning down nine million viewers at a pop -- making it the period's most watch scripted episodic on cable.
It's now USA's most-watched original series ever with 9.1 million viewers during August episodes -- the first time a USA original series has broken the nine million viewers benchmark.
Continue reading Burn Notice quietly catches fire in the ratings
Posted Aug 13th 2009 5:03PM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Reality-Free
With USA Network's
Monk entering its final season, this is as good a time as any to explore how its title character developed his obsessions and ticks.
According to a network press release, USA Network and Sleep Inn Hotels (No, I don't get the connection, either...) teamed up to launch USA's first live-action original web series on usanetwork.com,
Little Monk.
The web series seeks to explore the origins of the anal-retentive and obsessive Monk's chronic conditions.
Continue reading Little Monk web series to explore big Monk's problems
Posted Aug 8th 2009 1:00AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S08E01) Somewhere Sherwood Schwartz was smiling if he watched this season premiere of
Monk. Or else he was calling his attorney to sue for copyright infringement. I think it was more likely the former, because the tribute to
The Brady Bunch was sweet. More on that and the rest of Mr. Monk's return -- for his last season -- after the jump.
Continue reading Monk: Mr. Monk's Favorite Show (season premiere)
Posted Aug 1st 2009 2:02PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, OpEd, Casting, Emmys, Reality-Free, Burn Notice
Based on the previews showing Strickler asking Michael to turn on Fiona, the summer season finale of
Burn Notice promises to be a bang-up episode. Especially after Fiona walked out on Michael last week because of his obsession with getting back in the intelligence community, i.e. getting the burn notice lifted. However, amid all those hijinks will be a reunion that many, many fans will be tuning in to see --
Cagney and Lacey. That's right,
Tyne Daly is guesting on Burn Notice with her former partner
Sharon Gless, a.k.a. Michael's mom.
It's taken more than a year for the powers that be to swing this casting coup, and not surprisingly, they've saved it for the season finale. I'm just hoping that they've found a way to weave it into the main story and not make it just a silly subplot, because Daly and Gless deserve a showcase.
Continue reading Burn Notice reuniting Cagney and Lacey this week - UPDATE
Posted Jul 31st 2009 2:32PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Sports, Celebrities, Reality-Free
They've had Seth Green, Shaq, and ZZ Top already, and now
Monday Night RAW has another special guest this Monday. Guess who.
a. Jeremy Piven
b. Jeffrey Donovan
c. Dule Hill
d. Jeff Goldblum
e. Anthony Bourdain
The answer.
Posted Jul 31st 2009 2:00PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Pickups and Renewals, Casting, Reality-Free
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.
Posted Jul 31st 2009 3:02AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Episode Reviews, Reality-Free, Burn Notice
(S03E08) In the latest Michael adventure, our hero was hell-bent on getting back into intelligence work – nothing new, really. However, that meant dancing with Strickler, a foxtrot that Fiona was reluctant to take part in ...
More on Fiona's vulnerabilities after the jump. Meanwhile, another job popped up when Barry, money launderer and occasional member of the Michael troupe of operatives, called in all his favors and became the client.
Continue reading Burn Notice: Friends Like These
Posted Jul 24th 2009 10:02AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Episode Reviews, Reality-Free, Burn Notice
(S03E07) Burn Notice usually stays on the fun side of spying. This episode was all about getting back to doing a Robin Hood job, and since it tapped into Michael's psychology so perfectly, it added a good dollop of emotion to the fun.
And there was also that preview from last week that left fans gasping. Was one of the gang of three going down? Fortunately, in the world of spoilers and such, if that were true it would have been all over the net. Fortunately, it was all part of the con. More on that after the jump.
Continue reading Burn Notice: Shot in the Dark
Posted Jul 17th 2009 7:55AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Episode Reviews, Reality-Free, Burn Notice
(S03E06) It seems like this season of
Burn Notice has been all about friends and family. You know, like the cell phone deal. Michael has been relying more and more on family -- and yes, that means Fiona and Sam to me -- and picking up new friends week in and week out. As Michael has pointed out a few times, he's more valuable as a friend than an enemy. By the time we reach the end of the summer, Michael may have to throw a party to celebrate the new friendships he's made.
We also now know what can stop Michael Westen in his tracks; a Taser to the neck. Yes, for one of the few times, bad guys got the jump on Michael and he was snatched.
Continue reading Burn Notice: The Hunter
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