tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88658920144616003522023-11-16T03:09:04.635-08:00Rabbit EarsA blog about TV shows that interest me, and some that don't. Featuring news, reviews and musings.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-89294403012756186982013-12-30T13:00:00.000-08:002014-01-04T22:20:27.717-08:00New shows in January<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUlHo8mvcDEqbkGGVdxIqowucHkoTvwUTT8ywwHA1j6u_Py1cdI-27YV7ai7xwcw2GCMvRtCeGPWqBtnbtjnQUn2TtWEBlKMjP5K77DdLEG3vVGkhgtpGzsnC5173Mn2ECE5eygDwQQ64n/s1600/te_10-angelique-flag_1408_kva2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUlHo8mvcDEqbkGGVdxIqowucHkoTvwUTT8ywwHA1j6u_Py1cdI-27YV7ai7xwcw2GCMvRtCeGPWqBtnbtjnQUn2TtWEBlKMjP5K77DdLEG3vVGkhgtpGzsnC5173Mn2ECE5eygDwQQ64n/s1600/te_10-angelique-flag_1408_kva2.jpg" height="200" width="165" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carmel Valley's Angelique Cabral<br />
in "Enlisted." (Tommy Garcia/Fox)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Some of your fall shows may be taking a break, some may be over. Either way, there's room for more.<br />
<br />
Below is a list of new shows (and returning favorites) premiering in January. One new show I'd like to single out is "Enlisted," a sitcom premiering Friday, Jan. 10 on Fox and starring Angelique Cabral, who grew up in Carmel Valley. (Read my interview with her <a ci_24843635="" entertainment="" former-carmel-valley-kid-enlisted-fox="" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8865892014461600352" http:="" www.montereyherald.com="">here</a>.) The show surrounds three brothers in a unit of misfits at a Florida Army base; Cabral plays Sgt. Jill Perez, leader of another unit on the base. The pilot has a few chuckles but a lot of heart, and the cast chemistry is solid. In other words, give it a try.<br />
<br />
Now, to the rest!<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<b><span style="color: red;">THURSDAY, JAN. 2</span></b><br />
<b>The Assets (10 p.m., ABC)</b> -- An eight-part miniseries about real-life CIA agents who tried to find a mole at the end of the Cold War.<br />
<br />
Community returns for its fifth season at 8 p.m. If you thought it lost a little something last year, critics have said it's back to form with the return of creator Dan Harmon. (NBC)<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">SUNDAY, JAN. 5</span></b><br />
Downtown Abbey returns for season 4 at 9 p.m. (PBS)<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">TUESDAY, JAN. 7</span></b><br />
<b>Intelligence (9 p.m., CBS)</b> -- Josh Holloway is an intelligence operative with a microchip in his brain that lets him access all sorts of stuff. Marg Helgenberger is the leader of the team that supports him. (It will regularly air at 10 p.m. Mondays starting Jan. 13.)<br />
<br />
<b>Killer Women (10 p.m., ABC)</b> -- Tricia Helfer is the lone female Texas Ranger. The show is from "Modern Family's" Sofia Vergara.<br />
<br />
Justified (FX) and Cougar Town (TBS) start their fifth seasons at 10 p.m.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">WEDNESDAY, JAN. 8</span></b><br />
<b>Chicago PD (10 p.m., NBC)</b> -- The cop spinoff off "Chicago Fire."<br />
<br />
Psych (USA) starts season 8 at 9 p.m.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">FRIDAY, JAN. 10</span></b><br />
<b>Enlisted (9:30 p.m., Fox) </b>-- Support your local talent.<br />
<br />
<b>Helix (10 p.m., Syfy)</b> -- From Ronald D. Moore. CDC scientists investigate a possible disease outbreak in a high-tech research facility in the Arctic.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">SUNDAY, JAN. 12</span> (aka, premium cable night)(also, Golden Globes at 8 p.m., ABC)</b><br />
<b>True Detective (9 p.m., HBO) </b>-- Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey star as two Louisiana detectives who revisit a homicide case from 1995. Good early buzz from critics.<br />
<br />
Shameless, season 4 (9 p.m., Showtime); season 3 premieres of Girls (10 p.m., HBO), House of Lies (10 p.m., Showtime) and Episodes (10:30 p.m., Showtime).<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">MONDAY, JAN. 13</span></b><br />
<b>Bitten (10 p.m., Syfy)</b> -- Based on the "Women of the Otherworld" novels, the show surrounds the only female werewolf in existence.<br />
<br />
<b>Chozen (10:30 p.m., FX)</b> --An animated comedy about a gay white rapper.<br />
<br />
Season 4 premieres of Syfy's Lost Girl (9 p.m.) and Being Human (10 p.m.); season 5 premiere of Archer (10 p.m., FX).<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">WEDNESDAY, JAN. 15</span></b><br />
Suburgatory returns for its third season (8:30 p.m., ABC).<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">THURSDAY, JAN. 16</span></b><br />
<b>Under the Gunn (9 p.m., Lifetime)</b> -- Tim Gunn has his own show! "Project Runway" alums mentor their own groups of designers.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">SUNDAY, JAN. 19</span></b><br />
<b>Looking (10:30 p.m., HBO)</b> -- The life of gay thirtysomethings in San Francisco.<br />
<br />
The Following's second season premieres after the NFC Championship (Fox). Its real-night run starts Jan. 27.<br />
<br />
Sherlock season 3 starts at 10 p.m. on PBS.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">THURSDAY, JAN. 23</span></b><br />
<b>Rake (9 p.m., Fox)</b> -- Greg Kinnear as an effed-up lawyer for effed-up people.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">SATURDAY, JAN. 25</span></b><br />
<b>Black Sails (9 p.m., Starz)</b> -- Pirates!<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/BdPoVqXEkEM?rel=0" width="640"></iframe>Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-53781362046544057752013-10-27T22:00:00.000-07:002013-10-27T22:00:09.366-07:00"The Good Wife" is on fire<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9UUVAowp4On4e7WYLe3nLs_KV2gg82kRc1sMVmZW-O0KjqUVuG3C1HLZAHWdUtRSbhrY3KjzuzsgtKLzn0iLgU41q_vBxgSz6Mz0l1wvyuuo458kouqj7FuM6h8s1nXW7S5jAXVVWTGa/s1600/103743_0401b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9UUVAowp4On4e7WYLe3nLs_KV2gg82kRc1sMVmZW-O0KjqUVuG3C1HLZAHWdUtRSbhrY3KjzuzsgtKLzn0iLgU41q_vBxgSz6Mz0l1wvyuuo458kouqj7FuM6h8s1nXW7S5jAXVVWTGa/s1600/103743_0401b.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will (Josh Charles) is not happy -- at all -- that Alicia (Julianna Margulies)<br />is leaving the firm. (David M. Russell/CBS)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This Sunday's episode of "The Good Wife," "Hitting the Fan," was billed as the series' Red Wedding, a reference to a particularly decimating and heart-wrenching event in "Game of Thrones." Though it didn't pack the same emotional punch (for me at least), it certainly lived up to the body count.<br />
<br />
And it continued a string of stellar episodes that have been as perfectly orchestrated as the show's score.<br />
<br />
In many ways, the first five episodes have functioned as their own sort of mini-season, with the one from two weeks ago, "Outside the Bubble," acting as the finale and "Hitting the Fan" as the premiere of something new. I was more emotionally torn by "Outside the Bubble," with so many feelings of betrayal surrounding Will pushing out Diane (I hate it when mom and dad fight) and both of them learning of Alicia's plans to jump ship. And while this week's Will/Alicia confrontation stung a bit -- does any show do a better job of the hallway walk? -- Sunday's episode as a whole was more of a fun look at what's to come in the Great Death Match of Florrick-Agos vs. Lockhart-Gardner.<br />
<br />
Sunday's episode showed the new firm's lawyers are still on a learning curve but not necessarily outmatched, having picked up a fair amount of trickery from Will and Diane. Plus, they've got the heft of the governorship on their side. It's going to be a pleasure watching them go toe-to-toe.<br />
<br />
There are a lot of big questions going forward, but the biggest to me is what all these characters are going to think/feel once they finally take a moment to breathe. The events of the past few episodes happened at a break-neck pace, and Will especially has been acting in knee-jerk fashion. (Though we did start to see him take stock in his sit-down with Kalinda -- an ever-growing friendship I can't wait to see more of.) Will Alicia have a "Holy crap, what have I done" moment? How long will it take for Peter's interference to bite him in the ass?<br />
<br />
If Diane loses her judgeship, which seems likely (damn you, Peter), will Will take her back? Would she join Florrick-Agos if he doesn't? And will Lockhart-Gardner crumble as Kalinda predicted?<br />
<br />
The only storyline I'm not looking forward to is whatever happens with Peter and Ms. Ethics (Melissa George) -- I'm even interested in Grace this year -- but everything else has been so ridiculously fun that I have little room to complain.<br />
<br />
Keep it up, "Good Wife." You're on fire.Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-59466179735282203482013-10-09T16:13:00.002-07:002013-10-09T16:26:55.826-07:00Food Network looking for home cooksThe Food Network is holding an open casting call in San Francisco this Saturday, Oct. 12, for a new competition series, "America's Greatest Home Cook."<br />
<br />
The open call is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Jordan's Kitchen, 3210 22nd St. (inside the Mission Market).<br />
<br />
Get cookin'! And if you or someone you know (from Monterey County) plans to go for it, email me at jevers@montereyherald.com.<br />
<br />
Info: <a href="http://rrcastinghomecooks.weebly.com/">http://rrcastinghomecooks.weebly.com</a><br />
<br />
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<br />Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-48943618756755064612013-09-13T13:00:00.000-07:002013-09-13T14:35:58.969-07:00Figuring out Fall TV - Fridays and SaturdaysIt's fall TV season again, which means decisions! How ever will you keep up with your old favorites while packing in a bunch of new shows that may or may not have a chance of making it? I'm here to help, breaking down each day hour by hour, letting you know what you should watch, what you should avoid, and how exactly you're going to fit it all in.<br />
<br />
In general, I'm focusing on the four main broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) as well as HBO, Showtime and a few other pay cablers. New shows are in bold.<br />
<br />
It's Friday and Saturday. If you're not out for a night on the town, you've got a couple of new things to choose from. Or, you can use this time to catch up on what you couldn't get to the rest of the week.<br />
<br />
<b>Friday</b><br />
<b>8 p.m.</b><br />
Last Man Standing/The Neighbors (Sept. 20, ABC)<br />
Undercover Boss (Sept. 27, CBS)<br />
<b>Masterchef Junior </b>(Sept. 27, Fox)<br />
<br />
Regarding "Masterchef Junior": Who doesn't want to see Gordon Ramsay yell at kids?<br />
<br />
"The Neighbors" starts its sophomore season on a new night. It picked up steam with critics last year.<br />
<br />
<b>9 p.m.</b><br />
Hawaii Five-O (Sept. 27, CBS)<br />
Grimm (Oct. 25, NBC)<br />
<br />
<b>10 p.m.</b><br />
Blue Bloods (Sept. 27, CBS)<br />
<b>Dracula</b> (Oct. 25, NBC)<br />
<br />
"Dracula" stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers ("The Tudors") as the vampire, here posing as an American entrepreneur with revenge on his mind.<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday</b><br />
<b>11:30 p.m.</b><br />
Saturday Night Live (Sept. 28, NBC)<br />
<br />
The sketch show adds <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/saturday-night-live-get-know-625783" target="_blank">five new cast members</a>, including that guy who interviews kids in the AT&T commercials. Tina Fey is host and Arcade Fire is the musical guest for the season premiere.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<b>Related:</b><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-sundays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Sundays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-mondays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Mondays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-tuesdays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Tuesdays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-wednesdays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Wednesdays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-thursdays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Thursdays</a>Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-4824230593986654102013-09-12T13:30:00.000-07:002013-09-13T14:36:17.052-07:00Figuring out Fall TV - ThursdaysIt's fall TV season again, which means decisions! How ever will you keep up with your old favorites while packing in a bunch of new shows that may or may not have a chance of making it? I'm here to help, breaking down each day hour by hour, letting you know what you should watch, what you should avoid, and how exactly you're going to fit it all in.<br />
<br />
In general, I'm focusing on the four main broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) as well as HBO, Showtime and a few other pay cablers. New shows are in bold.<br />
<br />
Thursdays offer another packed night, mostly with new comedies.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>8 p.m.</b><br />
<b>Once Upon a Time in Wonderland</b> (Oct. 10, ABC)<br />
Big Bang Theory/<b>The Millers </b>(Sept. 26, CBS)<br />
Parks and Rec (Sept. 26)/<b>Welcome to the Family</b> (Oct. 3, NBC)<br />
The X Factor results (Sept. 12, Fox)<br />
<br />
If you watch "Once Upon a Time," chances are you'll watch the spinoff. As for the comedies, I have no sixth sense about either "The Millers" or "Welcome to the Family." Reviews for both seem to be all over the map. "The Millers," about a guy whose recent divorce inspires his parents to do the same, has a solid cast in Will Arnett, Margo Martindale and Beau Bridges. The premiere is full of fart jokes, but that doesn't seem to deter a lot of critics. "Welcome to the Family," available now on Hulu, is about two disparate families who have to learn to get along after they find out their kids are having a baby. It features Mike O'Malley, who's always good for something. This bloc is going to be trial and error.<br />
<br />
<b>9 p.m.</b><br />
Grey's Anatomy (Sept. 26, ABC)<br />
<b>The Crazy Ones</b>/Two and a Half Men (Sept. 26, CBS)<br />
<b>Sean Saves the World</b> (Oct. 3)/<b>The Michael J. Fox Show </b>(Sept. 26, NBC)<br />
Glee (Sept. 26, Fox)<br />
White Collar (Oct. 17, USA)<br />
<br />
Big-name actors vying for your attention. "Sean Saves the World," with Sean Hayes, is getting the least love. "The Michael J. Fox Show" will be hard to say no to, because it's Michael J. Fox. Plus, it's already guaranteed a full season. "The Crazy Ones" sees Robin Williams' return to television as an ad man teamed with his ad-woman daughter Sarah Michelle Gellar. This one will depend entirely on your Williams threshold -- i.e., how well you can handle mania. (Times two, actually, because the show is created by David E. Kelley.)<br />
<br />
"Grey's Anatomy" fans: It's Sandra Oh's last year. Soak it up.<br />
<br />
<b>10 p.m.</b><br />
Scandal (Oct. 3, ABC)<br />
Elementary (Sept. 26, CBS)<br />
Parenthood (Sept. 26, NBC)<br />
Covert Affairs (Oct. 17, USA)<br />
<br />
You should watch "Parenthood." That is all.<br />
<br />
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<b>Related:</b><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-sundays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Sundays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-mondays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Mondays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-tuesdays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Tuesdays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-wednesdays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Wednesdays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-fridays-and.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Fridays and Saturdays</a><br />
Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-6202880017853746662013-09-11T13:00:00.000-07:002013-09-13T14:36:32.413-07:00Figuring out Fall TV - WednesdaysIt's fall TV season again, which means decisions! How ever will you keep up with your old favorites while packing in a bunch of new shows that may or may not have a chance of making it? I'm here to help, breaking down each day hour by hour, letting you know what you should watch, what you should avoid, and how exactly you're going to fit it all in.<br />
<br />
In general, I'm focusing on the four main broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) as well as HBO, Showtime and a few other pay cablers. New shows are in bold.<br />
<br />
There's nothing really exciting on Wednesdays until "Ironside" premieres in October. Catch-up night?<br />
<br />
<b>8 p.m.</b><br />
The Middle/<b>Back in the Game</b> (Sept. 25, ABC)<br />
Survivor (Sept. 18, CBS)<br />
Revolution (Sept. 25, NBC)<br />
The X Factor (Sept. 11, Fox)<br />
<br />
The "Bad News Bears"-esque "Back in the Game" didn't make much of an impression, though it did get a few chuckles out of me. It stars Maggie Lawson ("Psych") as a divorced mom who becomes the reluctant coach for a baseball team of misfits, including her son. James Caan is her father who tells her how she's doing it wrong. If you don't like the competition at 8, it's worth a watch. It's also on Hulu and elsewhere right now.<br />
<br />
<b>9 p.m.</b><br />
Criminal Minds (Sept. 25, CBS)<br />
Law & Order: SVU (Sept. 25, NBC)<br />
Modern Family/<b>Super Fun Night </b>(Oct. 2)<br />
<br />
"Super Fun Night" is being called a super dud, in part because star Rebel Wilson, who's Australian, adopts an American accent, which takes away half of the funny. Best stick to what you know.<br />
<br />
<b>10 p.m.</b><br />
CSI (Sept. 25, CBS)<br />
Nashville (Sept. 25, ABC)<br />
<b>Ironside</b> (Oct. 2, NBC)<br />
Top Chef (Oct. 2, Bravo)<br />
American Horror Story (Oct. 9, FX)<br />
<br />
(Sexy) Blair Underwood is getting good reviews as the wheelchair-bound detective in the "Ironside" remake, but the show as a whole is reportedly lacking. The premiere is available online now, so give it an early try to see if you'd rather spend time with the other shows in this time slot. "CSI" is hitting a milestone 300 episodes this season (and Marg Helgenberger is coming back for it).<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
<b>Related:</b><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-sundays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Sundays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-mondays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Mondays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-tuesdays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Tuesdays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-thursdays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Thursdays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-fridays-and.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Fridays and Saturdays</a><br />
Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-69707530013567019292013-09-10T13:30:00.001-07:002013-09-13T14:36:47.282-07:00Figuring out Fall TV - TuesdaysIt's fall TV season again, which means decisions! How ever will you keep up with your old favorites while packing in a bunch of new shows that may or may not have a chance of making it? I'm here to help, breaking down each day hour by hour, letting you know what you should watch, what you should avoid, and how exactly you're going to fit it all in.<br />
<br />
In general, I'm focusing on the four main broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) as well as HBO, Showtime and a few other pay cablers. New shows are in bold.<br />
<br />
Tuesdays, like Sundays, are going to be brutal. For starters, ABC has scheduled a full night of new shows.<br />
<br />
<b>8 p.m.</b><br />
<b>Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.</b> (Sept. 24, ABC)<br />
NCIS (Sept. 24, CBS)<br />
The Biggest Loser (Oct. 8, NBC)<br />
<b>Dads/Brooklyn Nine-Nine</b> (Sept. 17, Fox)<br />
<br />
If you're a superhero geek, or even a casual fan like yours truly, "Agents of SHIELD" is a no-brainer. For the Fox comedies, Seth MacFarlane's "Dads" is being lambasted for being racist, sexist, ageist and generally not funny, while "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" (a cop comedy with Andy Samberg and Andre Braugher) is catching many critics by surprise, in a good way. "NCIS" is about to have a big year with the departure of Cote de Pablo after the first two episodes of the season.<br />
<br />
This is a classic case of watch one and record the others. And I do mean record. You won't be able to catch "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" online or On Demand until eight days later.<br />
<br />
<b>9 p.m.</b><br />
<b>The Goldbergs/Trophy Wife </b>(Sept. 24, ABC)<br />
NCIS Los Angeles (Sept. 24, CBS)<br />
The Voice results show (Sept. 24, NBC)<br />
New Girl/Mindy Project (Sept. 17, Fox)<br />
<br />
ABC has made the first episodes of its sitcoms available online (on the network site and on Hulu). "The Goldbergs" -- a "Wonder Years"-esque take on an angry family in the 1980s -- was so painful I couldn't even make it halfway through. On the flipside, I really enjoyed "Trophy Wife," which stars Bradley Whitford as a guy with a new wife (Malin Akerman, getting a great reception from critics) and two exes (Marcia Gay Harden and Michaela Watkins) who are very much still a part of his life.<br />
<br />
<b>10 p.m.</b><br />
<b>Lucky 7</b> (Sept. 24, ABC)<br />
Person of Interest (Sept. 24, CBS)<br />
Chicago Fire (Sept. 24, NBC)<br />
Sons of Anarchy (Sept. 10, FX)<br />
<br />
I haven't seen much about "Lucky 7," about lottery winning co-workers who learn mo' money means mo' problems, but the trailer doesn't make much of a case for it. You could roll the dice, or just stick with what you know. Tuesday is a new night for both "Chicago Fire" and "Person of Interest."<br />
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<b>Related:</b><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-sundays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Sundays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-mondays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Mondays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-wednesdays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Wednesdays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-thursdays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Thursdays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-fridays-and.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Fridays and Saturdays</a><br />
Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-90921751197986778902013-09-09T13:30:00.001-07:002013-09-13T14:37:06.743-07:00Figuring out Fall TV - MondaysIt's fall TV season again, which means decisions! How ever will you keep up with your old favorites while packing in a bunch of new shows that may or may not have a chance of making it? I'm here to help, breaking down each day hour by hour, letting you know what you should watch, what you should avoid, and how exactly you're going to fit it all in.<br />
<br />
In general, I'm focusing on the four main broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) as well as HBO, Showtime and a few other pay cablers. New shows are in bold.<br />
<br />
Mondays are pretty light, although you're going to run into trouble at 10 p.m.<br />
<br />
<b>8 p.m.</b><br />
How I Met Your Mother (Sept. 23)/<b>We Are Men</b> (Sept. 30, CBS)<br />
Dancing with the Stars (Sept. 16, ABC)<br />
The Voice (Sept. 23, NBC)<br />
Bones (Sept. 16, Fox)<br />
<br />
In "We Are Men," Tony Shalhoub, Jerry O'Connell, Kal Penn and Chris Smith are four guys in various states of broken relationships who all live in the same apartment complex. If you're a dude, this one's for you. Be warned, though: Early reviews have not been great.<br />
<br />
<b>9 p.m.</b><br />
2 Broke Girls/<b>Mom</b> (Sept. 23, CBS)<br />
<b>Sleepy Hollow</b> (Sept. 16, Fox)<br />
<br />
"Mom" stars Allison Janney, which earns it an automatic try. But the sitcom from comedy vet Chuck Lorre -- about a newly sober single mom (Anna Faris) who blames her problems on her formerly estranged mother (Janney) -- is getting lukewarm reviews. A common theme is that the pilot isn't great, but there's potential. So give it a few episodes.<br />
<br />
The word on "Sleepy Hollow" -- about a resurrected Ichabod Crane teaming up with a modern-day police officer to fight the Headless Horseman -- is that it's so bonkers it just might work.<br />
<br />
<b>10 p.m. </b>(All shows premiere Sept. 23)<br />
<b>Hostages </b>(CBS)<br />
Castle (ABC)<br />
<b>The Blacklist</b> (NBC)<br />
<br />
Given the gusto with which NBC is promoting its James Spader-starring "Blacklist," I'm going to assume you already know what's what and will plan accordingly. You may be less familiar with "Hostages," starring Toni Collette (!) as a doctor whose family is held hostage by Dylan McDermott to try to force her to kill the U.S. president. I'll definitely try out both; "The Blacklist" is likely to be more of a talker, so watch that one first.<br />
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<b>Related:</b><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-sundays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Sundays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-tuesdays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Tuesdays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-wednesdays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Wednesdays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-thursdays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Thursdays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-fridays-and.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Fridays and Saturdays</a><br />
Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-8251411685155620432013-09-09T13:00:00.000-07:002013-09-13T14:37:23.479-07:00Figuring out Fall TV - SundaysIt's fall TV season again, which means decisions! How ever will you keep up with your old favorites while packing in a bunch of new shows that may or may not have a chance of making it? I'm here to help, breaking down each day hour by hour, letting you know what you should watch, what you should avoid, and how exactly you're going to fit it all in.<br />
<br />
In general, I'm focusing on the four main broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) as well as HBO, Showtime and a few other pay cablers. New shows are in bold.<br />
<br />
Let's start this soiree with Sunday. Most shows are premiering Sept. 29, the same day as the "Breaking Bad" finale. If you're not watching football (go Broncos!), this is what you have to look forward to:<br />
<br />
<b>8 p.m.</b><br />
Once Upon a Time (ABC)<br />
The Amazing Race (CBS)<br />
The Simpsons/Bob's Burgers (Fox)<br />
<br />
All of these are established, so you're going to watch the one you've been watching. There's unlikely to be any overlap in tastes anyway.<br />
<br />
<b>9 p.m.</b><br />
Revenge (ABC)<br />
The Good Wife (CBS)<br />
Family Guy/American Dad (Fox)<br />
Boardwalk Empire (HBO)<br />
Homeland (Showtime)<br />
The Walking Dead (AMC, season premiere Oct. 13)<br />
<br />
Good luck guys! This is the moment you fire up your DVR or hang tight till after midnight to watch online or On Demand. My advice: Watch the talkers live -- the shows you like to gab with your friends about the next day, or the ones that get the most play in the media (most likely "Homeland" and "The Walking Dead.") Record the rest and save them for down times throughout the week.<br />
<br />
If your DVR runs into conflict issues, it's better to record the network shows, where you'll want to fast-forward through commercials, and save the premium cable ones for online or On Demand, where that's not a problem.<br />
<br />
<b>10 p.m.</b><br />
<b>Betrayal </b>(ABC)<br />
The Mentalist (CBS)<br />
Eastbound and Down/<b>Hello Ladies </b>(HBO)<br />
<b>Masters of Sex </b>(Showtime)<br />
<br />
I haven't seen many reviews yet of "Betrayal," targeted toward the "Revenge" folks, but what I have seen is not positive. "Masters of Sex," on the other hand -- starring Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan as pioneering sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson -- is being almost universally praised. And you probably can't go wrong with "Hello Ladies," a half-hour comedy from Stephen Merchant (i.e., the tall half of Ricky Gervais) about a bloke just looking for love in L.A.<br />
<br />
<b>Wild card</b><br />
The last couple of years have seen a steady stream of big-name movie actors coming to play leads on the small screen, and at 10 p.m. on Sundays, Julia Ormond joins their ranks -- on, of all networks, Lifetime. She's starring in "<b>Witches of East End</b>" (premiering Oct. 6) as the head of a family of witches. Even if it's not your batch of brew, aren't you at least just a little curious?<br />
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<b>Related:</b><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-mondays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Mondays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-tuesdays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Tuesdays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-wednesdays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Wednesdays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-thursdays.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Thursdays</a><br />
<a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/09/figuring-out-fall-tv-fridays-and.html" target="_blank">Fall TV Fridays and Saturdays</a><br />
Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-82924055070380229272013-08-31T12:00:00.000-07:002013-08-31T12:00:02.504-07:00Is "The Bridge" tumbling down?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihSKqvQ0gH_hwbZt99qDb7iOJFEBDzFaB2qvVEMyBhas5MfNPo9vCj_bCHmC0744RLNZriYxmj6Y8i699VM-MtQZ038mQj3MbhbAX8WSx5MKZd9Gb9yc0_o7Hf3EX35gSlTH2gUaB0lYEB/s1600/thebridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihSKqvQ0gH_hwbZt99qDb7iOJFEBDzFaB2qvVEMyBhas5MfNPo9vCj_bCHmC0744RLNZriYxmj6Y8i699VM-MtQZ038mQj3MbhbAX8WSx5MKZd9Gb9yc0_o7Hf3EX35gSlTH2gUaB0lYEB/s1600/thebridge.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Demian Bichir and Diane Kruger in "The Bridge" episode "Vendetta." (Credit: Byron Cohen/FX Network)</td></tr>
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A few weeks ago, TV critic Alyssa Rosenberg wrote a <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/alyssa/2013/08/08/2432981/the-bridge-the-beast-fx/" target="_blank">post</a> about "The Bridge" in which she said the FX drama had earned her trust. The episode that sealed it, "The Beast," featured a seemingly disconnected storyline about a young white girl being stupid in Juarez, just sort of wandering about and going up alone to a stranger's apartment. But by the end of the episode, she was connected to the main story in a big way, when her therapist father was murdered by the cross-border serial killer known as "The Beast" -- a name appearing for the first time in that episode.<br />
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Like Rosenberg, I've been watching from week to week confident that whatever random stuff gets brought up in the beginning of an episode will pay off by the end. But as "The Bridge" builds more and more connections, my long-term trust is starting to wane.<br />
<br />
There are an insane amount of threads weaving through "The Bridge." There's the main serial killer mystery, the journalists writing about it, the drug/human trafficking/gun tunnel, the creepy smuggler, the Mexican drug lords, the weirdness going on with Marco's son, the thing with Marco's wife, and a number of smaller subplots that no doubt will end up important to everything. Each of these threads shares at least one character with another, in a very "Lost"-ian way. The problem is that the tapestry is getting so thick that every connection is starting to feel like a convenience -- less part of a master plan and more like, "You know what would be cool..." (Example: The creepy smuggler's newest assignment, the daughter of his Mexican connection who also happens to be the girlfriend of the drug lord who just beat the crap out of him.)<br />
<br />
Part of my feeling stems from the revelation in the most recent episode, "Vendetta," that the whole serial killer thing is not about making a political and social statement, as the show up till now has been built around (and which set it apart from other serial killer dramas), but about an old colleague exacting revenge on Marco for a) having an affair with his wife and b) being the reason his wife was crossing the bridge when she and her daughter were killed in a car accident.<br />
<br />
There are at least two possible ways this can play out:<br />
<br />
1) The colleague, a former FBI agent named David Tate, is responsible for some, but not all, of the murders. In which case, shame on "The Bridge" for creating such a big red herring.<br />
<br />
2) Tate is the serial killer. In which case, the killings are a bit of an overreaction.<br />
<br />
Let's think about all the things Tate had to go through to get his revenge. He faked his suicide, killed a guy to steal his identity, buried him on the land of a crazy person whose writings he then stole to fan this goose chase, set up shop at the school where Marco's wife works and got started on a long con to woo her. He decapitated his former partner, killed his therapist (the father of the girl in "The Beast") and slit the throat of the guy driving the car that hit his wife and daughter (the guy who was partying with reporter Daniel Frye before the accident). He also for some reason killed a judge and poisoned a bunch of migrants.<br />
<br />
To be fair, all this points to motives other than getting back at Marco for sleeping with his wife. But I'm not confident it will all make sense, at least not in a satisfying way. Even if Tate brings social issues into it -- the hypocrisy of his old partner using underage Mexican prostitutes, for example -- the statement is still all about him. Making it personal shrinks the world. And it undercuts what the show has so far been about -- shining a light on the cross-border divide.<br />
<br />
Another effect the revenge revelation had on me was that, fairly or not, I blame Marco for the murders. He's not carrying them out, obviously, but he's part of the reason for it. (Can't you keep it in your pants, man?) After one early episode, two fellow watchers used the word "disappointed" to describe how they felt about seeing seemingly upstanding Marco cheat on his wife. Well, I too now feel that disappointment. And I don't like it.Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-83357565072202976412013-08-22T09:00:00.000-07:002013-08-22T14:59:21.302-07:00Catching up with summer TVWhat, you forgot about me already? Fair. Nothing has graced this fine blog since mid-July. I'm calling the hiatus a summer vacation, though that's a bit of a euphemism. The Herald is a busy beast these days, and I haven't found much extra time for this endeavor.<br />
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But I've sorta been keeping up with summer TV. <br />
<a name='more'></a>A summary:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Orange is the New Black:</b> Unlike "Arrested Development," which took me more than a month to get through, I happily breezed through this Netflix original in a matter of days. The true delight of this dramedy set in a women's prison is the fully realized group of side characters who populate it. Crazy Eyes, Red, Nicky, Poussey, Taystee, Yoga Jones -- even, I'll admit, Methmouth for a moment -- come alive with only the briefest of story. They make the central duo of Piper and Alex almost secondary. Season 2 is shooting now.</div>
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<b>The Killing:</b> The AMC drama really turned things around this year, mostly because it dropped the plot-driven model of the first two seasons and allowed the characters to take the story where it needed to go. The kids grew on me -- especially Bex Taylor-Klaus as Bullet -- and Peter Sarsgaard was devastating.</div>
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The finale came close to totally blowing it. (Spoilers ahead.) Making Skinner the killer was an obvious choice, even if it wasn't well-telegraphed, and the way the episode unfolded was pretty trite. In short, it felt out of place in the season. But the final moments, when Linden executes Skinner, come from a believable place and open up an array of opportunities for a potential fourth season.</div>
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<b>The Bridge:</b> This FX cross-border murder mystery is the first show in a long time that I'm eager enough to watch on the night it airs (as a worker on the late shift, pretty much all of my viewing is time-shifted). I love that it's about more than just a serial killer -- among other things, it's about the divide between the U.S. and Mexico in how we see, react and deal with crime. I love that Sonya's Asperger's means she can be blunt, and I love that Marco -- morally gray Marco -- just sort of rolls with it.</div>
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It's not without its flaws, though. The mystery unfurls at a near-perfect pace, but it sometimes feels like too many threads are being brought in, even if somewhere down the line they will end up connected. Past episodes are online and On Demand. We're about halfway through. Airs Wednesdays.</div>
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<b>The Newsroom:</b> Sigh. I keep watching, because, Sorkin. But it's also driving me crazy, because, Sorkin. The bottom line is that I'm finding it hard to care about anyone this season, especially Will, whose "woe is me" storyline is basically just a reflection of Sorkin himself. (Read this interview: http://bit.ly/1d3R8SZ.) I am, however, curious about how Genoa will unravel (although moderately savvy viewers who like to watch basketball may already have an idea how), so there's that.</div>
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<b>Broadchurch:</b> A BBC America murder mystery that startles me everytime something high-tech comes along, because everything in the British countryside is not modern, right? It unravels at a slow and steady pace and knows how to end an episode. Another Wednesday-nighter. Past episodes On Demand.</div>
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<b>Breaking Bad:</b> Only two episodes into the final run, but oh my. I fully appreciate that the Walt-Hank showdown is happening right away, and that the show is dealing with the family fall-out first and foremost. What will Walt use the ricin for? What's Jesse gonna say, if anything, to Hank? What the hell is the point of Lydia? I'm on tenterhooks here.</div>
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<div>
<b>Etc.:</b> I tried watching CBS's "Under the Dome," but found the first episode too ridiculous to carry on with (it's been renewed, naturally) ... I finally watched some "Duck Dynasty," and now I get it. It's a weird reality show/sitcom hybrid, but so, so funny. That Si is a character ... Speaking of reality shows, the real housewives are stressful. New Jersey is really showing heart this year, though ... HBO knocked it out of the park with comedies "Veep" and "Family Tree" ... I started the summer with a little "Moonlighting." Got to the first few episodes of the second season, but haven't gone back. Someday, though. I'll report on my findings.</div>
Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-1811771146175896212013-07-19T12:17:00.000-07:002013-07-19T12:17:07.345-07:00Video: "Arrested Development" season 4 reviewHaving season 4 of "Arrested Development" on Netflix should have been a beautiful thing. The streaming service resurrected one of my favorite all-time sitcoms, and made it so I could binge watch the heck out of it. So I knew something was off when I stopped after a few episodes, then begrudgingly, over a span of weeks, picked off the rest one by one.<br />
<br />
In the video below, where I'm joined by Herald sports reporter and fellow "AD" fan Tommy Wright, I talk about why the season disappointed me so. The highlights:<br />
<br />
-- It's clever, but not funny. One way to explain this is to say that the payoffs were not worth the setup. Mitch Hurwitz did a fine job of writing to the Netflix format -- where shows are meant to be watched in quick succession -- but seeing George Sr. act weird in episode X, then understanding why he acted that way is episode Y, does not retroactively make X's events funny.<br />
<br />
-- Maybe the characters aren't likable enough to have a whole episode to themselves.<br />
<br />
-- Longer episodes = more unnecessary stuff.<br />
<br />
-- Too much narration.<br />
<br />
It's nice that Jason Bateman was nominated for an Emmy, but this was not the season for it.<br />
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Jump to 13:14 below for more of my thoughts.<br />
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Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-86395953789713133802013-07-09T14:51:00.001-07:002013-07-09T14:51:27.004-07:00Big week for new showsA week before our Big Week in Monterey County, summer TV is having a big week of its own. New series/movies/seasons to watch out for (check your listings for times):<br />
<br />
<b>Wednesday:</b><br />
Series premiere of "Camp" on NBC, a comedy-drama about life at a family summer camp starring Rachel Griffiths of "Six Feet Under." In general, <a href="http://variety.com/2013/tv/reviews/camp-review-nbc-1200504670/" target="_blank">reviews</a> have been pretty lukewarm, so your better bet would be for ...<br />
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The series premiere of FX's "<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/07/arts/television/the-bridge-fx-series-is-set-on-us-mexico-border.html?_r=0" target="_blank">The Bridge</a>," a serial killer thriller that spans the U.S.-Mexico border and digs into bigger issues like immigration, human trafficking and the drug war. Starring Demian Bichir ("A Better Life") and Diane Kruger ("Inglorious Basterds").<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday:</b><br />
Series premiere of NBC's "Hollywood Game Night," the celeb-filled fun-fest that I initially scoffed at but am now excited for. Hosted by <a href="http://m.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/jane-lynch-glee-hollywood-game-night-578711" target="_blank">Jane Lynch</a>.<br />
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"Orange is the New Black," the women's prison dramedy from "Weeds" creator <a href="http://collider.com/jenji-kohan-orange-is-the-new-black-interview/" target="_blank">Jenji Kohan</a>, drops on Netflix.<br />
<br />
And Syfy presents its original movie "<a href="http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2013/07/sharknado-sharks-plus-a-tornado-plus-tara-reid-equals-an-actual-tv-movie.html" target="_blank">Sharknado</a>." No explanation needed.<br />
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<b>Sunday:</b><br />
"The Newsroom" starts its second season on HBO. Though its fluffery and needless love pentagons drove me to eye-rolling at times, Aaron Sorkin made some <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/aaron-sorkin-hbo-drama-newsroom-570176" target="_blank">changes </a>-- including hiring consultants and writing a season-long storyline that doesn't have to do with two-year-old news -- that make me optimistic for a better year.Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-63814923445061908672013-06-23T09:00:00.000-07:002013-06-23T10:32:39.512-07:00ABC's "Whodunnit?" ridiculous, but funYou know those people in the '90s who totally got into those "How to Host a Mystery" dinner games? They're the contestants on ABC's new reality competition show "Whodunnit?" which premieres tonight.<div>
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The show, from "CSI" creator Anthony Zuiker, is essentially a mix of those games with a dash of "Clue." It's hammy and campy, and more staged than most reality shows. But it's also surprisingly fun.</div>
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Thirteen people arrive at a mansion called Rue Manor knowing only that they're there to play a game for a chance to win $250,000. Little do they know that the game is -- BUM Bum bummm -- murder! Not long after their arrival, one of their group "dies," and their job is to piece together a string of clues to solve the murder. He who doesn't will meet his own demise, and fuel the investigation in the next episode. Throughout, the contestants are ushered along by their host, a slow-talking, twinkle-eyed, uber-dramatic butler named Giles, played by British actor Gildart Jackson. (Fun fact! He's married to "The Office's" Melora Hardin.)</div>
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The contestants seem a little too into it -- they act like their lives literally depend on staying in the game -- but then again, who wouldn't be excited to put those years of watching "CSI" to use? In fact, we get a lot more information than the contestants do, because they get to choose just one of three areas to investigate and hope their peers will share the rest. When some of them are left in the dark, it makes for an entertaining "Murder, She Wrote" moment where people lay out their theories for their mysterious killer -- and some of them are way, way off base.</div>
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Should you watch "Whodunnit?" Absolutely. Accept the ridiculousness and play along. It's the perfect light summer fare.</div>
Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-5856376953464749532013-06-12T08:00:00.000-07:002013-06-12T08:00:03.743-07:00Belated thoughts on the Game of Thrones finale<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2K_cr0V6JN-HE6R1uC5DRLSFSzTdeQFW-XNKa8uxTpt7CejlDUlIKj4n0H4yZBc5cFDyVC57vUpkq1IjkOjdtUtlsxhyJS8GbgHs7PcX1T5fUGTPMH60Q2OSAwzljnmtfMXyzSo5lq5iR/s1600/gameofthrones13_103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2K_cr0V6JN-HE6R1uC5DRLSFSzTdeQFW-XNKa8uxTpt7CejlDUlIKj4n0H4yZBc5cFDyVC57vUpkq1IjkOjdtUtlsxhyJS8GbgHs7PcX1T5fUGTPMH60Q2OSAwzljnmtfMXyzSo5lq5iR/s1600/gameofthrones13_103.jpg" height="300" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister. (Helen Sloan/HBO)</td></tr>
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Still riding the emotional wave of the Red Wedding, I went into the "Game of Thrones" season finale with a fair amount of anxiety. I came out of it feeling not much of anything -- not even a burning eagerness for season 4. Part of the reason is that the finale had no hope of matching the visceral impact of "The Rains of Castamere." And part of it is that two of the stories the show wants us to anticipate most -- Theon's and Stannis' -- have been the season's most troublesome.<br />
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The resolution to a season of inexplicable Theon torture wasn't much of one. We know who's doing the torture -- Roose Bolton's bastard son Ramsay. We know it came with a military advantage -- leverage over Theon's father to pull out of the North. And it appears to have been building up to Theon's transition into "Reek." But for what purpose? The payoff hardly seems worth the effort of watching episode after episode of random bits of torture. It's noble that Theon's sister is sailing to his rescue when their father won't -- a scene that plays to one of the finale's themes of what parents will or won't do for their children -- but I can't say I'm excited for it.<br />
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At Dragonstone, where a frustratingly weak Stannis has spent the season bending to the whims of Melisandre, events turned around too quickly. One turn of the key and Gendry is broken out of prison (although his ineptitude in the boat was pretty funny). One glance into the fire, and Melisandre and Stannis are shifting their entire focus north of the Wall. This, seconds after Davos was sentenced to be executed for screwing up a strategy they were dead set on. Like Davos, I'm tired of the Lord of Light, and I want to call Melisandre on her b.s., shadow baby or no shadow baby. And the problem with sending Stannis and his army off to fight the White Walkers is that I don't care about Stannis. Let him be defeated. And let Bran and his band take care of the zombies.<br />
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The other plot-driven thread meant to stir us up for next season is Dany's steadily growing army. That final shot was impressive, and a great indication of just how powerful she's becoming. The crowd's embrace of her as "mother" shows she's more than a leader -- she's a caretaker and a liberator. But for me, the scene lacked impact because there was no momentum; it was just something tacked on the end of a 70-minute episode. Had last week's battle been saved for the finale, the effect would have been different. (Although, logistically, I see how that wouldn't have worked.)<br />
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While the larger-scale scenes did little to stir me, there were plenty of small character moments that did:<br />
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-- Jaime's return to King's Landing took up just a few moments, but it said all that needed to be said. He at last made it back to the woman he loves, though he has changed so much as to be unrecognizable. Has too much changed for him and Cersei to recover what they had? As much as my head was crying out "incest!" my heart was urging them to run into each other's arms.<br />
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-- Arya is heading down a dark, dark path. She has seen way too much in her short lifetime -- capped by the gruesome image of Robb's body being paraded around with his direwolf's head as his own. The calculating and detached way she killed one of the men involved was chilling, if understandable. Even as her story gets darker, the prospect of her spending time with The Hound has me hoping they will be next season's Jaime and Brienne.<br />
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-- Jon's tense encounter with Ygritte was the first bit of proof that the Red Wedding has done its duty. As he fled with three arrows in him, I really thought it was a possibility he could die. I'm glad he didn't, and that he's back at the Wall with Sam.<br />
The finale as a whole dealt with the Red Wedding well, with characters debating what's fair in war. "Explain to me why it is more noble to kill 10,000 men in battle than a dozen at dinner," Tywin says (although it was much, much more than that). Bran tells the ghost story of what happens when you kill your guests. Tyrion said he's not above cheating. The one that struck me most was Stannis pointing out to Davos, who is against magic, that the much-vaunted dragons are their own form of magic. If Dany ever makes it across the ocean, will her dragons make her battles just as unfair?<br />
But the best post-Red Wedding moment by far was the simple image of two women cleaning up blood stains at the Twins as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. Just another day in this violent world.<br />
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-- I always eat up scenes between Cersei and Tyrion, especially when they get to be frank with each other. Lena Heady somehow always brings me around to Cersei's side, if only for a few moments. If my son were an uncontrollable monster, I'd want to hang on to the memory of him as a sweet innocent too. Her hopelessness is palpable.<br />
Tywin has a similar ability to make me love him and hate him in the span of a few minutes. Him treating Joffrey like a tired infant throwing a tantrum was absolutely perfect. I actually cheered. But then he had to go and tell Tyrion one more time just how unwanted he is. Ass.<br />
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So there are some things to look forward to next season. How will my favorite (and least favorite) people change next?Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-50865655972862673532013-06-03T12:41:00.001-07:002013-06-04T13:28:43.915-07:00Game of Thrones review: The Rains of Castamere<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6kPeSdOh4t8zqoeugOjHrgfeIOtAl3qgqy-nxClok_Hd29_JlO6QU40NgjOn2NneuUhH5dgKgvJx4BKrwmjndu_zcN4LT4YTHZeyzQQq1sYu6UatFVc7caXC_qr9jnELg_I07B3Ub49t/s1600/robb+and+cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6kPeSdOh4t8zqoeugOjHrgfeIOtAl3qgqy-nxClok_Hd29_JlO6QU40NgjOn2NneuUhH5dgKgvJx4BKrwmjndu_zcN4LT4YTHZeyzQQq1sYu6UatFVc7caXC_qr9jnELg_I07B3Ub49t/s1600/robb+and+cat.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard Madden and Michelle Fairley as Robb and Catelyn Stark. (Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)</td></tr>
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If there's one thing we should already know about George R.R. Martin's world, it's that anyone can be killed. But that doesn't make last night's events any less shocking.<br />
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The final 15 minutes -- like the massacre itself -- was masterfully executed. All was well. Catelyn's brother got a beautiful bride. Walder Frey seemed satisfied. Catelyn and Robb were in good graces again. Robb and Talisa were imagining their future with baby Ned.<br />
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As Catelyn watched her brother and his bride get carried off for the bedding ceremony, she reminisced about her own wedding night with Ned, who refused the same ceremony because he didn't want to mar their special day by punching someone in the face. That story was greeted with, in retrospect, a tell-tale smirk from Roose Bolton, who no doubt was thinking, "How quaint." Because then came the solitary guard to close the hall's massive doors, and bit by maddeningly suspenseful bit, the pieces of the ambush fell into place until it was too late to be stopped.<br />
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And while everyone was being butchered inside, the steady march of troops past Arya and The Hound to the camps outside provided the first clue as to just how extensive and well-planned this massacre was. They even thought to kill the direwolf (not cool).<br />
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The deaths of Robb and Catelyn are a blow. I wouldn't necessarily list them as among my favorite characters, but I liked and admired them. Robb was a brilliant tactician, and noble and fair like his father. Catelyn was strong-willed and fiercely protective of her children. They spent much of the series together, so it's poetic -- if unfair -- that they should die together.<br />
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Strangely, what got to me most was not their deaths, but their reactions to the deaths of their loved ones. I felt for Robb as he held his dying wife (the attack on her was brutal). And I especially felt for Catelyn, who first pleaded desperately for Frey to spare her son's life and then watched helplessly as he was killed calling out to her. Robb was the last child she knew for certain she had left. Without him ... well, the catatonic silence that choked off her brief wail says it all: She died before her execution.<br />
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What really makes their deaths such a gut-punch is that the Red Wedding, as the massacre comes to be known, signals the end of something much bigger. With the inevitable destruction of their unsuspecting army, the Starks are now essentially extinct. They are the Castameres of the episode's eponymous <a href="http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/The_Rains_of_Castamere_(song)" target="_blank">song </a>-- a family that thought it could rise to the top, but lost everything. All that's left now are the children, scattered to the four winds.<br />
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My heart aches most for Arya, who came so close to being reunited with her mother and brother that she kept looking toward The Twins, terrified that she would be too late to see them again. She was. And for the second time in her young life, she was dragged away at the last minute from the scene of a family tragedy.<br />
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It's tempting to be mad at Martin for putting us through this ringer, but the Red Wedding was a logical outcome to a story set in motion back in season 2, when Catelyn struck a deal for Robb to marry one of Frey's daughters in exchange for safe passage across the river. When Robb broke that pledge by marrying Talisa, Frey was humiliated and slighted. His response was shocking, but not surprising. Of course he wouldn't be satisfied with a Tully for a son-in-law in place of a king. And of course he would give no credence to an unwritten rule of war that says no harm will come to those who break bread together. Most importantly, because Frey is not one to pick sides until he knows which way the wind is blowing -- and because an increasingly fed-up Bolton switched allegiances -- he had nothing to lose by annihilating the Stark army, and at the same time he could satisfy his taste for revenge.<br />
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<b>Meanwhile, back at the farm...</b><br />
Hard as it may seem, there was more to this episode than the last 15 minutes. In other cloak and dagger developments:<br />
-- Jon could pretend to be a wildling no longer. When faced with the prospect of executing an innocent man, he turned on his fake brothers and high-tailed it out of there -- with a little help from a Bran-possessed direwolf. In his haste to escape, he even left Ygritte behind. (And she. Is. Pissed.)<br />
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-- Speaking of Bran -- who was as tantalizingly close to Jon as Arya was to their mother and brother -- his special ability is getting cooler and cooler. Although others can willingly possess animals, Bran appears to be the only one who can willingly possess people as well. (To be fair, Hodor's is a simple mind.)<br />
On a more grounded note, I was sad to see Bran and Rickon part, even though I'd forgotten the little brother was part of their merry band. Why can't anyone stay together in this stupid show?!<br />
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-- Daario, Jorah and Grey Worm are pretty bad-ass, holding off a stream of guards after sneaking into Yunkai on what was supposed to be an easy mission. Grey Worm was particularly impressive with his spear, and Jorah still moves like a young warrior. I was a tad disappointed not to see more, but I suppose their blood-covered faces told the tale well enough. Their victory means Dany has yet another city, and another potential army of former slaves.<br />
(Side note: I felt bad for Jorah, who returned triumphant to his beloved queen only to realize she was more concerned about Daario.)<br />
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Just one more episode left. What did everyone else think?Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-38551591764753087502013-05-29T16:36:00.001-07:002013-05-29T16:37:00.595-07:00Amazon picks its original seriesStart thinking about whether you want to sign up for another online streaming service, because Amazon has picked its original series. It chose only two of its eight comedy pilots -- "Alpha House" and "Betas" -- and three of its kids pilots. The shows were chosen based on feedback from customers, among other factors.<br />
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Strangely, the two Greek-letter <a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/05/ranking-amazon-comedy-pilots.html">comedies </a>were my favorite and least favorite of the bunch. I quite enjoyed "Betas," about four Silicon Valley guys looking to make it big with their new app. On the flip side, I really did not like "Alpha House," which stars John Goodman as one of four Republican senator house-mates in Washington.</div>
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The kids shows are "Annebots," about a girl scientist and her robots; "Creative Galaxy," about an alien artist; and "Tumbleleaf," about an adventure-seeking fox. I didn't check out any of these, seeing as I have no children, but their existence in Amazon's crowd-sourcing scheme commanded my thoughts for a while.</div>
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If you're going to pick shows based on the opinions of viewers, children's shows make way more sense than comedies, whose success can be reliant on taste and other intangibles. But from what I gather from friends and family who have kids, parents seem to want more specific things -- educational, moral, age-appropriate -- from the shows they allow their children to watch. They put a lot of thought into this kind of stuff. My dog-sitter recently told me about the trail of movies he and his wife were going through trying to find a replacement for some sort of mildly violent penguin show that their daughter loved. Is it the penguins she likes, or the movement on screen? "Happy Feet" fell flat; let's try "Wall-E."</div>
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Which is all to say, crowd-sourcing kids shows is a fantastic idea. Parents are picky, so let them choose.</div>
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The shows will be available on Prime Instant Video starting later this year and in early 2014.</div>
Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-13685612843723043842013-05-25T16:30:00.001-07:002013-05-26T09:19:07.134-07:00A look at the new fall scheduleThe broadcast networks recently unveiled their fall lineups. Here are some things I noticed:<br>
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<b>1. There are a ridiculous number of stars.</b> Many of them are TV staples, like James Spader (NBC's "Blacklist"), Sean Hayes (NBC's "Sean Saves the World"), Michael J. Fox (NBC's "The Michael J. Fox Show"), Sarah Michelle Gellar (CBS's "The Crazy Ones"), Bradley Whitford (ABC's "Trophy Wife") and Andre Braugher (Fox's "Brooklyn Nine-Nine).<br>
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There are some typically movie-types, like Greg Kinnear (Fox's midseason drama "Rake"), Toni Colette (CBS's "Hostages"), Durmot Mulroney (NBC's "Crisis") and Giovanni Ribisi (Fox's "Dads").<br>
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And finally, some prodigal sons/daughters, like Robin Williams ("The Crazy Ones") and Gillian Anderson ("Crisis").<br>
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My memory is terrible and I haven't always been paying attention, but it seems to me the star power for the 2013-14 season is unprecedented. It means the to-watch calendar is going to be much fuller than usual.<br>
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<b>2. If shows look familiar, it's because they are.</b> TV is no stranger to remakes, which is why many critics were shocked that CBS passed on a new "Beverly Hills Cop." But there are still plenty of remakes/reimaginings on the way.<br>
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NBC is remaking "Ironside" with Blair Underwood as the wheelchair-bound cop played in the 1960s-70s by Raymond Burr. It's also got "Dracula," in which everyone's favorite vampire (played by "The Tudors'" Jonathan Rhys Meyers) turns up in 19th century London to take revenge on those who made him the way he is.<br>
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Over at Fox, "Sleepy Hollow" is being adapted with a resurrected Ichabod Crane teaming up with a modern-day police officer.<br>
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ABC has "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D," self-explanatory (and title unwieldy), plus the spinoff "Once Upon a Time in Wonderland."<br>
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Also at ABC are two shows that aren't straight remakes, but still feel familiar. They are "Back in the Game," with James Caan and Maggie Lawson, which has a "Bad News Bears" vibe to it, and "The Goldbergs," which has been described as a "Wonder Years" set in the 1980s.<br>
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<b>3. Parents are all the rage.</b> Sitcoms about families will outnumber sitcoms about swinging singles. And many of the family sitcoms are parent-centric.<br>
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In "Sean Saves the World," Hayes plays a divorced gay dad whose daughter moves in with him. In "Dads," Ribisi and Seth Green are two successful guys whose dads (Martin Mull and Peter Riegert) move in with them.<br>
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On NBC, "Welcome to the Family" seems to focus on two dads who dislike each other but have to deal with it because their young kids are getting married.<br>
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On CBS: In "The Crazy Ones," Williams and Gellar are a father-daughter ad team. "The Millers" features Will Arnett as a man whose parents (Margo Martindale and Beau Bridges) split up after they learn he's had a divorce. And "Mom" is about a newly sober single mom (Anna Faris) who's trying to regroup while her formerly estranged mother (Allison Janney) is back in her life.<br>
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<b>Get a look</b><br>
Three of the networks have previews for many of their fall shows for you to check out.<br>
NBC: <a href="http://www.nbc.com/upcoming-shows/">http://www.nbc.com/upcoming-shows/</a><br>
ABC: <a href="http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/new-shows">http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/new-shows</a><br>
CBS: <a href="http://www.cbs.com/shows/new-season-central/">http://www.cbs.com/shows/new-season-central/</a><br>
Fox just has a calendar: <a href="http://www.fox.com/programming/">http://www.fox.com/programming/</a><br>
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I'll leave you with a preview for "The Michael J. Fox Show," which I'm most looking forward to.<br>
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Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-78625447700898786162013-05-20T12:24:00.000-07:002013-05-20T12:25:10.855-07:00Game of Thrones review: Second Sons<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4BuPEVc7FRNDb0ewL7uNvPUaWmC1OMoaYCFzR8o-dDHFsoQkM1RaHMxPEtu3TgWNqfrn-a_YE73vHNc4hf9kM4gfHFpOATn04bmAHfjjHRbH4hPqkswN0rPKQDe2cpgkIEVb0Uk2id62v/s1600/gameofthrones13_75.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4BuPEVc7FRNDb0ewL7uNvPUaWmC1OMoaYCFzR8o-dDHFsoQkM1RaHMxPEtu3TgWNqfrn-a_YE73vHNc4hf9kM4gfHFpOATn04bmAHfjjHRbH4hPqkswN0rPKQDe2cpgkIEVb0Uk2id62v/s1600/gameofthrones13_75.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peter Dinklage and Sophie Turner. (Photo by Helen Sloan, HBO)</td></tr>
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"Second Sons" opens on Arya's eye, a fitting image for an episode largely playing to the adage that seeing is believing. It's also fitting for an episode that, after weeks of packed-in storylines, set its sights mainly on just three of them.<br />
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<b>Yunkai</b><br />
Dany is parked outside of Yunkai, trying to convince an army of 2,000 sellswords called the Second Sons to join her cause. Its leader, the Titan's Bastard, is a total pig and sees Dany as just another woman to screw -- and screw over, as he hatches a plan to have her killed in the night.<br />
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Other arrogant men have underestimated Dany's strength, but the Bastard also underestimated her draw. While he was seeing only her flesh during their first meeting, his lieutenant, Dario, was sizing up all of her -- and apparently liking what he saw. Dario "fights for beauty," and Dany's beauty inside and out meant more to him than money. So instead of killing Dany as ordered, he beheaded his captains and joined her. Time will tell whether he remains on her side.<br />
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<b>Dragonstone</b><br />
Stannis at last becomes interesting again, thanks in no small measure to his reunion with Davos. Their partnership has always bordered on friendship -- a relationship Davos apparently continues to honor, despite his imprisonment -- and it was nice to see them awkwardly reconnect. More importantly, as Stannis once again seeks Davos' opinion, he stops being just a mope and a blind follower of Melisandre, and becomes a man conflicted.<br />
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Stannis does appear uncomfortable with Melisandre's plans to sacrifice innocent Gendry for his king's blood -- "Is there a difference between 'kill' and 'sacrifice'?" Davos asks -- but he's beholden to what he's seen of her religion (the visions in the flames) and what he perceives to be his destiny. And when Davos tries to say all gods are bedtime-story creations meant to comfort children, Stannis points out that Davos, too, has seen the apparent proof of the Lord of Light's existence (the shadow baby) -- and how can he deny what he's seen with his own eyes?<br />
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For further proof, Melisandre does a little demonstration for Davos, drawing out Gendry's blood with leaches and throwing them into the flames. (What they show, we don't yet know.) Her little dance with Gendry reminded me of Theon's last hurrah last week. Like keeping a lamb calm before slaughter, she distracts Gendry with riches and sex before drawing his blood. Who knows what true power king's blood has, and whether it will stop darkness from enveloping the world, and what other disturbing creature Melisandre will give birth to. But from what I can see, she's the thing to fear. (Her lamb metaphor almost feels like a warning to Stannis, as well. He's getting a little too trusting.)<br />
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<b>King's Landing</b><br />
As Sansa was being escorted down the aisle to Tyrion, I couldn't help thinking that they were the only two decent people in the room. Which is what made their wedding so heartbreaking.<br />
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Joffrey, the little prick, is intent on embarrassing them and taking what he thinks should be his. Tywin is intent on squashing Tyrion as a bonus to political gain. Cersei is intent on keeping the upper hand over Margaery, who is intent on climbing that final rung of the power ladder.<br />
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All the while, Tyrion and Sansa are just two people trying to hold on while their lives are being tossed around by others. Peter Dinklage and Sophie Turner knocked it out of the park on this one, especially in the after-reception bed chamber as the gut punches kept stacking up. How tragic that Sansa, just 14, was prepared to do her duty -- as always -- and consummate the marriage, methodically and almost robotically starting to undress until Tyrion stopped her. And how tragic that Tyrion, despite his decency and tenderness in telling her he wouldn't share her bed until she wanted him to, still feels the sting of rejection when she replies, "What if I never want you to?" Yet, how sweet the look that passes between him and Shae the next morning, when she realizes he didn't touch Sansa.<br />
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These are the people who deserve to win.<br />
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<b>The bookends</b><br />
-- Arya opened the episode. All I have to say is, how cute were she and The Hound as they rode toward the Twins?<br />
-- Sam closed the episode, in a sequence that easily rivals "The Birds" in creepiness. I loved that the sound of the crows amassing outside steadily built up as Sam and Gilly were talking about boys' names inside. It was also very cool when the white walker disintegrated after Sam stabbed it with his obsidian blade -- although he fled without it. Dangit Sam!<br />
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What did everyone else think?Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-43186246771403438292013-05-16T10:46:00.003-07:002013-05-16T10:46:49.193-07:00Video: "Office" talk"The Office" is ending its nine-year run tonight on NBC, which is making my heart sink a little. To mark its end, I talked to Herald sports writer and fan Tommy Wright about the brief struggle after Steve Carell left, the joy of other characters, and the fate of Jim and Pam. Skip to 8:20.<br />
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For more of my thoughts on the last couple of seasons, click <a href="http://www.montereyherald.com/entertainment/ci_23235465/jeannie-evers-office-still-boss-finale-nears">here</a>.Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-2020585943722998372013-05-12T15:26:00.001-07:002013-05-13T03:59:43.432-07:00A note about this weekFor reasons various and sundry, this blog is taking a back seat to my normal duties on the print side this week. That means no "Game of Thrones" recap and a backpedal on my vow to keep up with upfronts week -- although I'll be passing along as much news as I can on Twitter (@emdashje).<div>
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Be on the lookout, however, for a roundtable discussion of "The Office" on Thursday as part of our weekly "GO! Live" video.</div>
Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-59331193891620636672013-05-09T21:31:00.000-07:002013-05-09T21:31:27.799-07:00NBC orders three comedies, two dramasSeries orders are coming fast and furious now. In addition to announcing the renewal of "Parks and Recreation" and the <a href="http://bit.ly/12i66wp">cancellation </a>of several comedies, NBC on Thursday announced it has picked up three comedies and two dramas for the 2013-14 season.<br />
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COMEDIES<br />
<b>About a Boy</b>, based on the Nick Hornby novel and 2002 Hugh Grant movie, starring David Walton, Minnie Driver and "1600 Penn's" Benjamin Stockham. From "Parenthood" creator Jason Katims, who will be pulling double duty because "Parenthood" also was renewed for another season.<br />
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<b>The Family Guide</b>, starring J.K. Simmons as a blind man who is actively raising his kids with his ex-wife, played by Parker Posey. Jason Bateman narrates.<br />
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<b>Sean Saves the World</b>, starring Sean Hayes, about a gay dad whose teenage daughter comes to live with him.<br />
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DRAMAS<br />
The ambitious <b>Crisis</b>, in which the children of top Washington families, including the president's son, are kidnapped and held for ransom by a "vengeful mastermind." The premise sounds like it'll be a little hard to keep up, but you never know. Starring Gillian Anderson and Dermot Mulroney. From the creator of the too-short-lived "Life."<br />
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<b>Believe</b>, about a 10-year-old orphan girl with special powers who is protected by an escaped and wrongly accused death row inmate. From J.J. Abrams, who's a busy guy, and the dark-skewing Alfonso Cuaron.Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-65331301619532739432013-05-09T19:48:00.001-07:002013-05-09T19:48:59.965-07:00NBC cancels Pacific Grove actress' show "1600 Penn"NBC has canceled "1600 Penn," which featured Pacific Grove's Amara Miller as a member of the first family.<br />
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Miller, who just turned 13 on Saturday, seemed to take the news in stride. "Onto new projects!" she said on Twitter. "Will miss all the people of 1600 Penn."<br />
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She recently wrapped filming on the holiday movie "A Friggin' Christmas Miracle," starring Robin Williams, Joel McHale and Lauren Graham.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaO52WUAdNYIVccYEGNvsMI5f7FRsgfUXgsyi3qlVkyi5u7dlCM0nhYX0puGtqBmdGQyCnteSB2Y_HyiTsdkZJ283GD5qOnI7n12ZP8loz9I4uhY-0hQG3pjzZ067PU2dkCI_CX91ws_u4/s1600/amaramiller1600penn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaO52WUAdNYIVccYEGNvsMI5f7FRsgfUXgsyi3qlVkyi5u7dlCM0nhYX0puGtqBmdGQyCnteSB2Y_HyiTsdkZJ283GD5qOnI7n12ZP8loz9I4uhY-0hQG3pjzZ067PU2dkCI_CX91ws_u4/s1600/amaramiller1600penn.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Byron Cohen/NBC</span></td></tr>
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The network also canceled comedies "Guys with Kids," "Up All Night" and "Whitney."<br />
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On the super-exciting plus side, it renewed "Parks and Recreation."Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-88438509234302516792013-05-09T09:16:00.001-07:002013-05-09T09:16:42.170-07:00YouTube women's channel WIGS worth a look"Lauren," an original online drama series about rape in the military, is proving to be especially relevant this week, as the Pentagon on Tuesday released a <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-military-sexual-assaults-20130508,0,3779279.story">report </a>that shows a rising trend of unreported sexual assaults in the military. The show, which follows a servicewoman wanting to report a rape but learning just how heavily the deck is stacked against her, tracks even more closely to revelations earlier this year that the man who shot and killed two Santa Cruz police officers was twice accused of sexual assault while serving in Hawaii, but was allowed to be discharged in lieu of a court-martial.<br />
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The YouTube channel that "Lauren" is a part of, WIGS, is also on the relevance wagon this week. The channel's purpose is to offer original series, short films and documentaries, all with female leads. Although there are a few such shows on network TV -- "The Good Wife" and "Parks and Rec" come immediately to mind -- it's still very much a man's medium. Case in point: Fox just announced <a href="http://heraldrabbitears.blogspot.com/2013/05/fox-orders-four-dramas-four-comedies.html">eight </a>new shows for the 2013-14 season that skew very heavily male. (Ironically, Fox recently entered into a partnership with WIGS.)<br />
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The men (yes, men) who dreamed up WIGS wanted to tap into the growing number of women who are watching online programming. If it sounds like just an online version of Lifetime, at least think of it as more "Army Wives" than "Terrible Movie of the Week."<br />
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There are 13 shows, all named after their main character. Episodes run about 8 to 10 minutes, and the number of episodes in a series varies. (The first season of "Lauren," for instance, consists of just three episodes. Compare that with the second season of "Blue," which has 26.) The production value is high, and the stories run deep. And the list of actresses is astounding: Jennifer Beals, Julia Stiles, Maura Tierney, America Ferrera, Virginia Madsen, Kathleen Quinlan, Rosanna Arquette, Catherine O'Hara and Jena Malone, to name just a few. You'll also recognize a lot of the men: Gary Cole, William Petersen, Eric Balfour, Michael C. Hall, Sydney Poitier and on and on and on. In other words, this is some serious business.<br />
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WIGS only recently came onto my radar, so I'm still exploring. But from what I can tell, "Lauren," which is kind of the flagship show for the 1-year-old channel, appears to be the only real "message" show. The others just offer good stories. "Blue" so far is the one that's grabbed me most. Julia Stiles plays a mom who sometimes works as a prostitute to make ends meet. The heart of the show deals with her relationship with her teenage son, who's especially bright but is growing troubled with the secrets he knows his mom is keeping. (The actor who plays her son, Uriah Shelton, is going places.) And Blue is just trying to keep it together as she's confronted with a past that clearly damaged her.<br />
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Another one worth checking out is "Christine," starring America Ferrera as a woman at a speed dating event. As the men rotate through her table, it's slowly revealed that her presence there is not what it seems. I was less impressed with "Audrey," a quirky but substance-free comedy starring Kim Shaw as an unapologetic foodie who gets a chance to rise in the world of culinary TV.<br />
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A fair amount of the shows are written and directed by the creators of WIGS: Jon Avnet, director of "Fried Green Tomatoes" and "Up Close & Personal," and Rodrigo Garcia, whose experience writing and directing HBO's "In Treatment" translates well to the one-act-play-type format of these series. But importantly, a lot of the shows on WIGS are written and directed by women, who continue to struggle to find a place behind the camera in Hollywood.<br />
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You can check out WIGS -- which stands for Where It Gets Silent, or Spicy, or Sassy, etc., depending on the show -- at www.watchwigs.com. For more of my thoughts on WIGS, jump to 11:39 in the video below.<br />
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Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865892014461600352.post-14187463517292720682013-05-09T02:16:00.000-07:002013-05-09T02:17:20.694-07:00Fox orders four new dramas, four comedies for next seasonFox on Wednesday announced that it has picked up four new dramas and four new
comedies for next year.<br />
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DRAMAS<br />
<b>Almost Human</b> (working title), starring Karl Urban, Michael Ealy and Lili Taylor, is a police drama set 35 years in the
future, when cops pair up with human-like androids. It has uber-producer J.J.
Abrams' prints on it.<br />
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<b>Gang Related</b>, starring a goatee'd Terry O'Quinn (!), Ramon Rodriguez and RZA, follows a rising star in a Los Angeles gang task force that goes after the city's three most dangerous gangs, including one he has ties to.<br />
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In <b>Rake</b>, Greg Kinnear becomes the latest movie star to jump to the small screen, as a self-destructive defense attorney who takes on cases no one else will touch. Based on an Australian series. Sam Raimi directed the pilot.<br />
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<b>Sleepy Hollow</b>, proof that adaptations are never as beaten to death as you think they are. From Deadline: "Ichabod Crane is resurrected and pulled two and a half centuries through time to find that the world is on the brink of destruction and that he is humanity's last hope, forcing him to team up with a contemporary police officer to unravel a mystery that dates all the way back to the founding fathers." So there's that. Stars Tom Milson and Nicole Beharie. Co-created by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (Transformers, new Star Trek, Fringe).<br />
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COMEDIES<br />
<b>Brooklyn Nine-Nine</b>, from "Parks and Rec" producers Dan Goor and Michael Schur and starting Andy Samberg and Andre Braugher. About a detective who doesn't take anything seriously and his new by-the-book boss. Sounds like it's pretty by-the-book itself.<br />
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<b>Enlisted</b>, about three brothers getting to know each other again on a small Florida Army base. Starring Geoff Stults, created by Kevin Biegel (Cougar Town, Scrubs).<br />
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Rom-com <b>Us & Them</b>, based on the British series "Gavin and Stacey," starring Jason Ritter and Alexis Bledel.<br />
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<b>Surviving Jack</b>, based on author Justin Halpern's book "I Suck at Girls." Starring Christopher Meloni as a dad to a teenage son in 1990s Southern California.<br />
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Plus there's <b>Dads</b>, previously ordered, a live-action, multi-camera show from Seth MacFarlane that stars Seth Green and
Giovanni Ribisi as two successful guys whose dads (Martin Mull and Peter Riegert) move in with them.<br />
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This news comes as a precursor to next week, when the networks hold their "upfront" presentations for advertisers and the media, unveiling new series for the 2013-14 season and announcing renewals and such. I'll do my best to collate the big/important stuff each day. I'll be especially on the lookout for the fate of NBC's "1600 Penn," which stars Pacific Grove's Amara Miller. NBC presents Monday.Jeannie Evershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00557634855354116246noreply@blogger.com0