A daily news blog by Pavan of SitcomsOnline.com with news scoops of sitcoms and more on TV and DVD. This blog is updated DAILY no matter what! Since August 2005 everyday--non-stop!
Action drama The Unit, which aired on CBS from 2005-09, has began airing on cable in repeats on BET since Monday (Nov. 16). The series stars Dennis Haysbert and focuses on a top-secret military unit modeled after the real-life Special Forces Operational Detachment - Delta (a.k.a. Delta Force). BET airs repeats of the series on Monday and Friday nights in primetime from 8pm-11pm ET and encores from 1-3am ET and they have rights through 2011. The Unit of course also airs in broadcast syndication on Wednesday nights in primetime from 8-10pm ET/PT on MyNetwork TV, as we all know. Sticking to BET, they will air an Everybody Hates Chris marathon on "Black Friday" (Friday, Nov. 27) from 10am-6pm. The Game will also get a marathon the following day (Saturday, Nov. 28) from 9am-8:30pm. We have more news for The Unit! It will be joining Sleuth in January. The series launches on the network on Friday, Jan. 1, 2010 and will have a three-day all-day marathon from 6am-6am through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010. Then starting Monday, Jan. 4, the series will air Mondays from 8am-4pm ET & 8pm-2am ET; Saturdays from 9am-1pm ET & 5am ET; and Sundays at 11pm ET. The Unit will get a 24-hour marathon on Martin Luther King, Jr. day on Monday, Jan. 18 from 6am-6am. In other Sleuth January 2010 news, starting Friday, Jan. 8 from 8pm-11pm ET/PT will be the "Sleuth Uncovered TV" block that features a stack of short-lived TV series that deserve to be seen. At 8pm we get Blind Justice starring Ron Eldard, at 9pm we get The Handler starring Joe Pantoliano, and at 10pm we get Twin Peaks starring Kyle MacLachlan. Other series that air regularly on Sleuth are Monk, NCIS, The Dead Zone and Bury the Lead. Airing in blocks like The Unit are series like JAG, Walker Texas Ranger, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and MacGyver. So, by January we'll have The Unit on MyNetwork TV, BET and Sleuth. Will there be more? Who knows, but stay with us as usual.
NBC will broadcast The 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards live on Sunday, August 29 (8-11 p.m. ET; other time zones delayed) in 2010. The Emmy Awards are usually the last Sunday of the summer season, but due to NBC's commitments to NFL on Sunday nights, they cannot air the Emmy Awards on that night. This is the second time that NBC has done this, as last time they had the Emmy Awards was in 2006 and they aired it on Sunday, Aug. 27, 2006. The Emmy Awards rotate each year on ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox. Nominations for The 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards will be announced Thursday, July 8 at 5:40 a.m. (PT) from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre in North Hollywood, Calif. Still a long way to go!
A few weeks back we mentioned that I Love Lucy would get a marathon on The Hallmark Channel on Sunday, Oct. 4 from 11am-3am...now we have more news for Lucy! It looks like they were planning that marathon for a comeback rather than Lucy's anniversary! Effective Monday, Oct. 5 (the very next day), I Love Lucy returns to the regular Hallmark Channel schedule and it isn't a late night/early morning slot! I Love Lucy will air weekdays from 5pm-8pm, yes that's six straight episodes, replacing M*A*S*H, which is now off the line-up. This is the second bit of bad news for M*A*S*H, as on Thursday we told you ION Television was removing it also. Not sure what is going on with M*A*S*H yet, but TV Land will still carry it. As for I Love Lucy, you people need to watch if you want it to STAY on the schedule, especially 5pm-8pm. They are giving it yet another chance...but Hallmark seems to have a short leash, so watch it this time or you'll have some splaining to do! Luuuuuuuucy!
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES Weeds (Showtime) The Office (NBC) How I Met Your Mother (CBS) 30 Rock (NBC) Entourage (HBO) Family Guy (Fox) Flight of the Conchords (HBO) WINNER: 30 Rock.
OUTSTANDING LEAD COMEDY ACTOR Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (NBC) Tony Shalhoub, Monk (USA Network) Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men (CBS) Steve Carell, The Office (NBC) Jermaine Clement, Flight of the Conchords (HBO) Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory (CBS) WINNER: Alec Baldwin.
OUTSTANDING LEAD COMEDY ACTRESS Sarah Silverman, The Sarah Silverman Program (Comedy Central) Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Old Christine (CBS) Christina Applegate, Samantha Who? (ABC) Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds (Showtime) Tina Fey, 30 Rock (NBC) Toni Collette, United States of Tara (Showtime) WINNER: Toni Collette.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTOR Kevin Dillion, Entourage (HBO) Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men (CBS) Rainn Wilson, The Office (NBC) Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother (CBS) Jack McBrayer, 30 Rock (NBC) Tracy Morgan, 30 Rock (NBC) WINNER: Jon Cryer.
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES Lost (ABC) House (Fox) Damages (FX) Big Love (HBO) Mad Men (AMC) Dexter (Showtime) Breaking Bad (AMC) WINNER:Mad Men.
OUTSTANDING LEAD DRAMA ACTOR Hugh Laurie, House (Fox) Simon Baker, The Mentalist (CBS) Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (AMC) Gabriel Bryne, In Treatment (HBO) Michael C. Hall, Dexter (Showtime) Jon Hamm, Mad Men (AMC) WINNER: Bryan Cranston.
OUTSTANDING LEAD DRAMA ACTRESS Glenn Close, Damages (FX) Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters (ABC) Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer (TNT) Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU (NBC) Holly Hunter, Saving Grace (TNT) Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men (AMC) WINNER: Glenn Close.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTOR Christian Clemenson, Boston Legal (ABC) William Shatner, Boston Legal (ABC) William Hurt, Damages (FX) John Slattery, Mad Men (AMC) Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad (AMC) Michael Emerson, Lost (ABC) WINNER: Michael Emerson.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTRESS Cherry Jones, 24 (Fox) Ross Byrne, Damages (FX) Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Hope Davis, In Treatment (HBO) Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Diane Wiest, In Treatment (HBO) WINNER: Cherry Jones
Stay tuned for pilot reviews of Modern Family, Cougar Town, Brothers, and The Cleveland Show from Tues-Fri this week...we have a sitcom pilot review each day for you! See what we think of all the sitcom pilots this season!
Accidentally on Purpose - Mondays 8:30PM ET/PT on CBS Premieres Monday, September 21, 2009 at 8:30PM ET/PT
ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE, based on the bestselling memoir by Mary F. Pols, is a comedy about a single woman, Billie, who finds herself "accidentally" pregnant after a one-night stand with a much younger guy, and decides to keep the baby...and the guy. A newspaper film critic, Billie is barely surviving a humiliating breakup with her charming boss, James, who's still trying to resume their relationship. Pregnant, after a brief fling with her "boy toy" Zack, Billie and Zack make an arrangement to live together platonically. Billie's party girl best friend Olivia, and Abby, her conventional, younger married sister, eagerly look forward to the new addition and offer their own brands of advice and encouragement. But when Zack and his freeloading friends, including Davis, start to turn her place into a frat house, Billie isn't sure if she's living with a boyfriend, a roommate, or if she just has another child to raise.
Jenna Elfman (Billie) is best known for her role as Dharma in the hit series Dharma & Greg for which she garnered a Golden Globe Award, three Emmy Award nominations and two TV Guide Awards. Elfman's other television credits include Courting Alex, and guest appearances in the series Two and a Half Men, both on CBS, and guest-starring roles on My Name is Earl and Brothers & Sisters. Elfman also has an impressive feature film resume, starring opposite Ben Stiller and Edward Norton in Keeping the Faith and Ron Howard's Edtv opposite Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. Recently, she starred opposite Elisha Cuthbert and Tim Allen in The Six Wives of Henry LeFay, and in the independent comedy Love Hurts opposite Richard E. Grant and Carrie-Anne Moss. Elfman also starred in the half-animated feature film Looney Tunes: Back in Action.
Jon Foster's (Zack) 11 feature film credits include the leading role as Eddie in The Door in the Floor starring opposite Jeff Bridges and Kim Basinger, Tenderness opposite Russell Crowe and The Informers opposite Billy Bob Thornton, among others. Foster's television credits include series regular roles in Windfall and Life As We Know It, and guest-starring roles in Judging Amy, on CBS and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He also starred in the television movie Murder in Greenwich.
Ashley Jensen (Olivia) appeared on the first three seasons of Ugly Betty playing Christina, the seamstress for the fictional "Mode" magazine and Betty's one true ally in the office. Jensen also recently starred in the BBC America series Eleventh Hour, where she co-starred opposite Patrick Stewart. Jensen's other television credits include Rebus, Clocking Off, City Central, Sweet Medicine, Two Thousand Acres of Sky, Outside the Rules and films such as A Cock and Bull Story and Topsy-Turvy. For two seasons Jensen starred opposite Ricky Gervais on the Golden Globe winning-series Extras, which originally aired on BBC 2 in the United Kingdom. Jensen reprised her role in the special Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale, for which she was nominated for an Emmy (Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie).
Lennon Parham (Abby) began her comedy career at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in N.Y. She graduated with a B.S. in Theatre from the University of Evansville in Indiana and taught French for two years with Teach for America at TL Weston High School in Greenville, Miss., before moving to N.Y. After graduating from the Second City New York program, she began attending classes at U.C.B. Eventually, she became involved in the comedy Improv shows Asssscat 3000 and Reuben Williams as well as becoming a member of the UCBT Touring Company. She has been teaching at the U.C.B. training center for two years, including a special class for improvising in character. Last year, she gained critical acclaim for her one-woman show based on a collection of comedic characters titled She Tried to be Normal.
Best known for his role as Jake Hanson on Melrose Place, Grant Show (James) recently starred in Swingtown on CBS. Show also had regular roles in Point Pleasant and the daytime drama Ryan's Hope, as well as recurring roles on Private Practice, Six Feet UnderDirtStrong Medicine and Beautiful People. Show has also starred in numerous television movies including The Natalee Holloway Story and Sex and the Single Mom. Among Show's theater credits are productions of On the Waterfront, The Glass Menagerie and the Off-Broadway hit Wit, with Judith Light.
Nicolas Wright (Davis) began his career on the stage as one of the founding members of the multi-award-winning theater company Gravy Bath Productions. In 2003, his portrayal of the title role in The Portrait of Dorian Gray at the Saidye Bronfman Centre earned him a nomination for Best Actor by the Montreal Critic's Circle. He continues his work on stage with the Montreal Based Improv/Sketch troupe Uncalled For, whose last show won several awards including 'Best of the Fest' at the Toronto Sketch Fest and the 'Just For Laughs Award' at the Montreal Fringe. Over the last few years, Wright has appeared in numerous feature films including The Greatest Game Ever Played and the thriller Whiteout. He has played leading roles in several award-winning Canadian productions including the animated series Delta State, Hatley High, which received the Best Director/Best Screenplay, Aspen Comedy Festival, Best Actor Nomination, ACTRA Awards (2006) and End of the Line (Official Selection, Toronto International Film Festival).
Pilot Plot:
#1 "Pilot" (Airs September 21) Billie, a newspaper film critic, just went through an ugly breakup with her boss, who still wishes to mend their relationship. After a fling with a much younger guy, Billie ends up pregnant and decides that she really wants to keep the baby -- and the guy she hooked up with. Directed by Pamela Fryman Written by Claudia Lonow Guest Stars: Larry Wilmore as Dr. Roland, Pooch Hall as Ryan, Andrew Caldwell as Shane, Melinda Y. Cohen as Another Woman, Nadege Auguste as Beautiful Woman, Olympia Lettry as Cosmetic Counter Girl
Analysis:
Jenna Elfman returns for her second starring role on a CBS sitcom. Her short-lived Courting Alex aired from January-March 2006 for 8 episodes (12 produced). Despite some respectable ratings when it began on Monday nights, the show suffered when it was briefly moved to Wednesdays before it was pulled from the schedule with 4 episodes unaired. It was not picked up for a second season. CBS then inked her to a new development deal to create another comedy vehicle. She has spent the last four years making pilots trying to find the right show.
The pilot was pretty decent. It begins with Billie talking to Olivia at an office party. Then we see a flashback to a month earlier when she's at the Eiffel Tower with her boss and boyfriend, James. We later meet her sister Abby at a bar and Billie goes to talk to three younger guys. Billie decides to go home with Zack to his apartment and they have a one night stand. 5 weeks later, she takes a pregnancy test and discovers that she is pregnant. Zack takes her in his van to see the doctor. Billie later invites him to move in with her.
I think this show has the potential to be a slight upgrade over her previous show, Courting Alex. I've always been an Elfman fan. She's a gifted comedic actress who had some success on Dharma & Greg for 5 seasons. She recently announced that she is pregnant in real life with her second child. I guess she will start showing by the 3rd or 4th episode.
The rest of the supporting cast is pretty good but maybe lacks some sitcom experience. Jon Foster's only major sitcom experience was on the short-lived CBS sitcom Danny in 2001. He's pretty funny and likeable in the pilot, but we'll see how his chemistry with Elfman develops in future episodes. Ashley Jensen was excellent in Ugly Betty for 3 seasons. I would expect her role to expand a bit more from the pilot. I love her Scottish accent. Lennon Parham plays Billie's sister, Abby. We will probably be seeing her husband in future episodes. Zack's freeloading friends, led by Davis, have a few funny one-liners. Since the pilot mostly focused on Billie and Zack, I would expect their roles to expand.
San Francisco is the setting for the show. There are a couple of exterior shots of trolley cars. Billie plays a movie critic, so there are a number of movie references. She also has some movie posters, including one for An American Werewolf in London, in her apartment. The sets look a little cramped and cluttered, but I guess that was the look they were going for. The newspaper office set looks similar to the Winfred-Louder Department Store set used by The Drew Carey Show I remember they also used this stage for Courting Alex. There were several songs in the pilot and the music score is composed by John Swihart. This is a multi-camera comedy that is filmed in front of a studio audience.
Conclusion:
This must be the year of the cougar with Accidentally on Purpose and Cougar Town. Will the second time be the charm for Jenna Elfman on CBS? They have been trying to find the right comedy vehicle for her for the last several years. Courting Alex had some decent ratings but was canceled after only 8 episodes aired. I think the pilot for Accidentally on Purpose is a slight upgrade over that. The pilot follows the basic premise of the movie Knocked Up but lacks the amount of funny scenes and lines. I just wonder which direction the show will take. Upcoming episode descriptions seem to indicate that Billie and Zack will be dating other people. What will they do once she has the baby at the end of the season and possibly marries Zack? This shows seems like it is set up to air for one season and then be done.
This show has a comfortable time slot between the established How I Met Your Mother and Two and a Half Men. It will be important to find an audience early because Rules of Engagement is waiting in the wings. If you are a fan of the adorable and witty Jenna Elfman or any of the other actors, the show is definitely worth checking out. It's hard to judge a show just by the pilot, which sets up the whole premise of the show and gives the necessary background details on the characters. It probably would be best to give this show a try for at least 3-4 episodes to see how it develops.
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES Weeds (Showtime) The Office (NBC) How I Met Your Mother (CBS) 30 Rock (NBC) Entourage (HBO) Family Guy (Fox) Flight of the Conchords (HBO) OUR PICK: 30 Rock. It's the favorite, but I wish something else would win.
OUTSTANDING LEAD COMEDY ACTOR Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (NBC) Tony Shalhoub, Monk (USA Network) Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men (CBS) Steve Carell, The Office (NBC) Jermaine Clement, Flight of the Conchords (HBO) Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory (CBS) OUR PICK: Jim Parsons. He is very deserving and his character of Sheldon is funny with a straight face! Sheldon never smiles or laughs!
OUTSTANDING LEAD COMEDY ACTRESS Sarah Silverman, The Sarah Silverman Program (Comedy Central) Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Old Christine (CBS) Christina Applegate, Samantha Who? (ABC) Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds (Showtime) Tina Fey, 30 Rock (NBC) Toni Collette, United States of Tara (Showtime) OUR PICK: Tina Fey will win likely, but I would give it to Christina Applegate who was outstanding.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTOR Kevin Dillion, Entourage (HBO) Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men (CBS) Rainn Wilson, The Office (NBC) Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother (CBS) Jack McBrayer, 30 Rock (NBC) Tracy Morgan, 30 Rock (NBC) OUR PICK: Neil Patrick Harris. He is hosting...so I bet he wins. If not maybe another 30 Rock winner.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTRESS Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty (ABC) Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies (ABC) Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock (NBC) Amy Poehler, SNL (NBC) Kristin Wiig, SNL (NBC) Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds (Showtime) OUR PICK: Vanessa Williams. She is hilarious as the evil character she plays.
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES Lost (ABC) House (Fox) Damages (FX) Big Love (HBO) Mad Men (AMC) Dexter (Showtime) Breaking Bad (AMC) OUR PICK:Lost. An outstanding year for the fifth season! But I think Mad Men will take it.
OUTSTANDING LEAD DRAMA ACTOR Hugh Laurie, House (Fox) Simon Baker, The Mentalist (CBS) Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (AMC) Gabriel Bryne, In Treatment (HBO) Michael C. Hall, Dexter (Showtime) Jon Hamm, Mad Men (AMC) OUR PICK: Bryan Cranston. Could he repeat?
OUTSTANDING LEAD DRAMA ACTRESS Glenn Close, Damages (FX) Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters (ABC) Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer (TNT) Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU (NBC) Holly Hunter, Saving Grace (TNT) Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men (AMC) OUR PICK: Sally Field. Nora Walker is funny, real and America's mom!
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTOR Christian Clemenson, Boston Legal (ABC) William Shatner, Boston Legal (ABC) William Hurt, Damages (FX) John Slattery, Mad Men (AMC) Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad (AMC) Michael Emerson, Lost (ABC) OUR PICK: William Shatner. One last hurrah, maybe? If not Emerson, please!
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTRESS Cherry Jones, 24 (Fox) Ross Byrne, Damages (FX) Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Hope Davis, In Treatment (HBO) Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Diane Wiest, In Treatment (HBO) OUR PICK: Chandra Wilson. Please give it to her!!
The 61st Annual Emmy Nominations were made just moments ago. Here are the nominees for the main categories:
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES Weeds (Showtime) The Office (NBC) How I Met Your Mother (CBS) 30 Rock (NBC) Entourage (HBO) Family Guy (Fox) Flight of the Conchords (HBO) SURPRISE OMISSIONS: Two and a Half Men maybe. Surprising to see Family Guy.
OUTSTANDING LEAD COMEDY ACTOR Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (NBC) Tony Shalhoub, Monk (USA Network) Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men (CBS) Steve Carell, The Office (NBC) Jermaine Clement, Flight of the Conchords (HBO) Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory (CBS) SURPRISE OMISSIONS: No one really...maybe David Duchovny. Surprised that Clement got nominated, though.
OUTSTANDING LEAD COMEDY ACTRESS Sarah Silverman, The Sarah Silverman Program (Comedy Central) Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Old Christine (CBS) Christina Applegate, Samantha Who? (ABC) Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds (Showtime) Tina Fey, 30 Rock (NBC) Toni Collette, United States of Tara (Showtime) SURPRISE OMISSIONS: No America Ferrera? Very surprising to see Sarah Silverman here. Nice to see Christina Applegate once again.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTOR Kevin Dillion, Entourage (HBO) Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men (CBS) Rainn Wilson, The Office (NBC) Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother (CBS) Jack McBrayer, 30 Rock (NBC) Tracy Morgan, 30 Rock (NBC) SURPRISE OMISSIONS: Jeremy Piven. Wow that is big. Last two on the list were sort of surprising.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTRESS Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty (ABC) Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies (ABC) Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock (NBC) Amy Poehler, SNL (NBC) Kristin Wiig, SNL (NBC) Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds (Showtime) SURPRISE OMISSIONS: Jean Smart. She won last year, too. SNL shouldn't be on this list. Nice to see Chenoweth get recognition again despite her show being canceled.
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES Lost (ABC) House (Fox) Damages (FX) Big Love (HBO) Mad Men (AMC) Dexter (Showtime) Breaking Bad (AMC) SURPRISE OMISSIONS:Grey's Anatomy. But these seven were no surprises. Cable ruling here.
OUTSTANDING LEAD DRAMA ACTOR Hugh Laurie, House (Fox) Simon Baker, The Mentalist (CBS) Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (AMC) Gabriel Bryne, In Treatment (HBO) Michael C. Hall, Dexter (Showtime) Jon Hamm, Mad Men (AMC) SURPRISE OMISSIONS: James Spader. Thought he would get nominated one last time. Can't believe Simon Baker got nominated.
OUTSTANDING LEAD DRAMA ACTRESS Glenn Close, Damages (FX) Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters (ABC) Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer (TNT) Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU (NBC) Holly Hunter, Saving Grace (TNT) Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men (AMC) SURPRISE OMISSIONS: None, but Evangeline Lilly should be here. Hargitay again?
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTOR Christian Clemenson, Boston Legal (ABC) William Shatner, Boston Legal (ABC) William Hurt, Damages (FX) John Slattery, Mad Men (AMC) Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad (AMC) Michael Emerson, Lost (ABC) SURPRISE OMISSIONS: Zeiko Ivanek. He won last year, too. Some Boston Legal final year love here.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTRESS Cherry Jones, 24 (Fox) Ross Byrne, Damages (FX) Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Hope Davis, In Treatment (HBO) Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Diane Wiest, In Treatment (HBO) SURPRISE OMISSIONS: Elizabeth Mitchell! Come on! I thought Heigl had a better year than Oh on Grey's.
Married...with Children is now getting marathon treatment on Spike TV! Starting tomorrow until at least the end of August, Spike TV will air Married...with Children marathons every Friday from 9am-7pm ET/PT! Yes, 10 hours of Bundy fun! Spike TV will still air the show weekdays 9-11am and Sunday mornings as well. Still no word if it will pop-up again on sister network TV Land, as it did very well for them there. We do have some sister network news though and it is sort of regarding Married...with Children. Viacom-owned MTV Tr3s (Spanish language network) is now airing a show the entire family can enjoy -- a Columbian remake of Married... with Children. Viewers will be engaged by the hilarious situations the Rocha (Bundy) family gets themselves into! The show is called Casado Con Hijos and airs weekdays at 4PM & 7PM ET/PT on MTV Tr3s with English subtitles! It aired from 2004-06 in Columbia on Caracol TV. Al Bundy is now Paco Rocha! The only same names we know are Kelly and Jefferson D'Arcy.
TBS, using the unique model created by Debmar-Mercury with Tyler Perry's House of Payne and Meet the Browns, is teaming with Joe Roth and Ice Cube for Are We There Yet?, a sitcom starring Terry Crews (Everybody Hates Chris) and based on the hit Revolution Studios film of the same name starring Ice Cube. TBS has ordered 10 episodes of the new sitcom, slated to premiere in June 2010, with the option for an additional 90 episodes. The series is produced by Cube Vision and distributed by Debmar-Mercury. Revolution's Joe Roth and Cube Vision's Ice Cube and Matt Alvarez serve as executive producers, along with award-winning show-runner Ali LeRoi, who has won an Emmy® for his work on The Chris Rock Show and an NAACP Image Award for Everybody Hates Chris. In addition to executive-producing, Ice Cube will have a recurring role on the sitcom version! Debmar-Mercury's association with TBS began in 2006, when the company devised a groundbreaking distribution strategy for Tyler Perry's House of Payne. Debmar-Mercury offered a 10-episode experiment in select markets that produced strong ratings, leading TBS to order a full-fledged series with an unprecedented 100 episodes. In January 2009, TBS premiered 10 episodes of Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns to strong ratings, leading the network to order additional episodes for a total of 80. So far this year, the two series have ranked as the top television programs in delivery of African-American viewers. Debmar-Mercury has also ordered 10 episodes for a Comedy Central comedy, as we mentioned, with an option to order 90 more, just like Are We There Yet? The movie Are We There Yet?, a breakout 2005 hit, told the story of Nick (Ice Cube), a smooth operator who is trying to land a date with Suzanne, a divorcee stuck working out of town over New Year's and miserable because she misses her kids. Nick gallantly offers to make her New Year's wish come true – and his own in the process – by driving her two children to be reunited with their mom. What Nick doesn’t know is that Suzanne's children, whom he's never met, hate every man their mom dates on sight. The movie grossed more than $82 million at the box office and was followed in 2007 by a sequel, Are We Done Yet? In the sitcom Are We There Yet?, Terry Crews will star as Nick, the character Ice Cube played in the film.
Today we will give our preview of what we think the nominations for the Emmy's will look like. The real nominations will be announced tomorrow (Thursday) morning at 8:30am ET, so we will give you those then. But for now...here are our predictions for the main acting categories for the 61st Annual Emmy Awards airing Sept. 20 on CBS:
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES Weeds (Showtime) The Office (NBC) Two and a Half Men (CBS) 30 Rock (NBC) Entourage (HBO) Better off Ted (ABC) MY THOUGHTS: 30 Rock has won it the last two years and is probably the favorite. The first 5 on this list are probably locks for a nomination.
OUTSTANDING LEAD COMEDY ACTOR Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (NBC) Tony Shalhoub, Monk (USA Network) David Duchovny, Califorinication (Showtime) Steve Carell, The Office (NBC) Zach Braff, Scrubs (ABC) Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory (CBS) MY THOUGHTS: Baldwin won it last year and could repeat. I think Braff will get a nomination this year for his final full year with Scrubs with Charlie Sheen not getting one as a result. Expect Jim Parsons to be nominated for his work on Big Bang Theory.
OUTSTANDING LEAD COMEDY ACTRESS America Ferrera, Ugly Betty (ABC) Eva Longoria-Parker, Desperate Housewives (ABC) Christina Applegate, Samantha Who? (ABC) Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds (Showtime) Tina Fey, 30 Rock (NBC) Toni Collette, United States of Tara (Showtime) MY THOUGHTS: Fey won it last year and is the favorite again. Eva Longoria deserves a nomination for once. She is hysterical.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTOR Kevin Dillion, Entourage (HBO) John Cryer, Two and a Half Men (CBS) Rainn Wilson, The Office (NBC) Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother (CBS) Jeremy Piven, Entourage (HBO) Michael Urie, Ugly Betty (ABC) MY THOUGHTS: Jeremy Piven wins every year. Maybe host Neil Patrick Harris will win this year?
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTRESS Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty (ABC) Andrea Anders, Better off Ted (ABC) Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock (NBC) Jean Smart, Samantha Who? (ABC) Jenna Fischer, The Office (NBC) Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men (CBS) MY THOUGHTS: Jean Smart won last year, but it will be interesting if she will be nominated this year due to Samantha Who? not getting picked up for a third year. Who cares, right? She deserves it.
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES Lost (ABC) House (Fox) Damages (FX) Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Mad Men (AMC) Dexter (Showtime) MY THOUGHTS:Mad Men won last year but seriously Lost needs to take it this year! Grey's deserves a nomination at least, for its outstanding second half of the season.
OUTSTANDING LEAD DRAMA ACTOR Hugh Laurie, House (Fox) James Spader, Boston Legal (ABC) Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (AMC) Gabriel Bryne, In Treatment (HBO) Michael C. Hall, Dexter (Showtime) Jon Hamm, Mad Men (AMC) MY THOUGHTS: Cranston surprised and won it last year. Will Emmy recognize Boston Legal one last time and give it back to Spader? My bet is on Jon Hamm.
OUTSTANDING LEAD DRAMA ACTRESS Glenn Close, Damages (FX) Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters (ABC) Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer (TNT) Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU (NBC) Holly Hunter, Saving Grace (TNT) Evangeline Lilly, Lost (ABC) MY THOUGHTS: Close won it last year. Not sure why Hargitay keeps getting nominated, but she probably will again. Evangeline Lilly needs to be nominated finally. Close or Field will take it.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTOR Zeljko Ivanek, Damages (FX) William Shatner, Boston Legal (ABC) Kevin McKidd, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) John Slattery, Mad Men (AMC) Josh Holloway, Lost (FX) Michael Emerson, Lost (ABC) MY THOUGHTS: Ivanek surprised last year with the win. I think we will have a different winner this year. Shatner one last time? Or finally Michael Emerson?
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTRESS Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters (ABC) Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Christina Hendricks, Mad Men (AMC) Elizabeth Mitchell, Lost (ABC) Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Diane Wiest, In Treatment (HBO) MY THOUGHTS: Wiest won it last year. Will Emmy give Heigl a nomination after bowing out last year? She as superb this year. But the Emmy goes to Elizabeth Mitchell!
Nominations are announced tomorrow morning. Come on back here and we will give you the official nominations and you can compare those to our picks!
Previously on "TV Land Schedule Changes," Bree wanted Orson to stop stealing, oops wrong show...we told you the changes from June 15-28, now we have June 27 through July 12! This is like a soap opera, isn't it? The weekend of June 27-28 will now have a change now. It will have a Married...with Children marathon primarily. Al Bundy and family will air from 9:30am-8pm on Saturday, June 27 and from 8am-2am on Sunday, June 28. That's a whole lotta Bundy! Encores of movies Grease and Grease 2 will also air on Saturday, June 27, with Roseanne blocks as well. Then the regular schedule starting Monday, June 29 is pretty similar to the changes that started on June 15, but just a few things. For weekdays, the 12pm hour is now back to Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, replacing Leave it to Beaver/Beverly Hillbillies. But Beverly Hillbillies will air in the 1pm hour, so that means TV Land Goes West (2 episodes of Gunsmoke & Bonanza each and one Little House) goes from approx. 1:30pm-7pm to now more on the clock from 2pm-7pm. This means Beaver is now weekends only again if they have a marathon. Mondays from 8pm-11pm will now be yet more Roseanne replacing Married...with Children, so Married is now off the regular schedule, but not to worry as it returns to Spike TV weekdays on July 6. So it looks like (for now I guess) Married (which is doing decent for them) will have its last TV Land airing during that weekend marathon (June 27-28). I expect we will see more soon as they keep bringing it back and changing the schedule, so stay tuned. Everything else on weekdays is the same as it is now, so yes, Andy Griffith is not on weekdays through July 12. On weekends we get marathon blocks ("Andy & Friends" as I'd like to call it). But first, from 6-8am on both days we now see more Roseanne, so that replaces Star Trek, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, and whatever else pops up weekend mornings usually. But remember, as of now this is through July 12 only. The weekend of July 4-5 will see Leave it to Beaver and Andy Griffith. On Saturday, July 4, we see Beaver from 11am-3pm and Andy Griffith from 3pm-8pm. On Sunday, July 5 we see Beaver from 12pm-3pm and more Andy from 3pm-8pm. As previously announced, Roseanne July 4th Feuds & Fireworks Marathon airs from 8pm-6am on both nights. The weekend of July 11-12 will see more marathons. A special SpongeBob SquarePants block will air on Saturday, July 11 from 10am-12pm, as SpongeBob is getting ready for his 10th birthday on Nickelodeon with "The Ultimate SpongeBob SpongeBash." We will have more on that during our Nick at Nite July schedule & highlights very soon, as SpongeBob will have about a 50-hour non-stop marathon on Nick/Nick at Nite from July 17-19. Back to TV Land, it's more marathons as the weekend of July 11-12 it is Hogan's Heroes and Andy Griffith. Hogan's Heroes on both days will air from 12pm-5pm while Andy will air both days from 5pm-10pm. Regular weekend schedule will air elsewhere. So is TV Land trying to phase Andy out by airing it only on weekends? Sound off on our message board and also you can view these changes in a list form. Remember TV Land keeps releasing schedules two weeks at a time, so as of now this is through July 12 only. Stay tuned for more!
The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards has been re-scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 20 from approx. 8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on CBS. That was the original date and now CBS has gone back to that after moving it to Sunday, Sept. 13. But September 13 is the same day for the MTV Video Music Awards. So CBS had to move it back to the original Sept. 20. date. CBS moved it to Sept. 13 originally because of an NFL game from 4-7:30pm ET. To present The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards as close as possible to its scheduled 8:00 PM start, 60 Minutes is planning a flexible broadcast following CBS Sports late afternoon NFL game. So we will finally see a shortened 60 Minutes or possibly preempted totally in the East if the game goes over 7:30pm ET. Remember nominations will be announced Thursday, July 16 at 5:40 AM PT from the Television Academy's Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre in North Hollywood. You can watch it live on CBS's Early Show.
Here are the winners for the main categories at last night's Emmys.
COMEDY SERIES Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) The Office (NBC) Two and a Half Men (CBS) 30 Rock (NBC) Entourage (HBO) WINNER: 30 Rock
DRAMA SERIES Lost (ABC) House (Fox) Damages (FX) Boston Legal (ABC) Mad Men (AMC) Dexter (Showtime) WINNER:Mad Men
LEAD ACTOR, COMEDY SERIES Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (NBC) Tony Shalhoub, Monk (USA Network) Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies (ABC) Steve Carell, The Office (NBC) Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men (CBS) WINNER: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (NBC)
LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY SERIES America Ferrera, Ugly Betty (ABC) Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Old Christine (CBS) Christina Applegate, Samantha Who? (ABC) Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds (Showtime) Tina Fey, 30 Rock (NBC) WINNER: Tina Fey, 30 Rock (NBC)
LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA SERIES Hugh Laurie, House (Fox) James Spader, Boston Legal (ABC) Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (AMC) Gabriel Bryne, In Treatment (HBO) Michael C. Hall, Dexter (Showtime) Jon Hamm, Mad Men (AMC) WINNER: Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (AMC)
LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA SERIES Glenn Close, Damages (FX) Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters (ABC) Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer (TNT) Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU (NBC) Holly Hunter, Saving Grace (TNT) WINNER: Glenn Close, Damages (FX)
SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY SERIES Kevin Dillion, Entourage (HBO) John Cryer, Two and a Half Men (CBS) Rainn Wilson, The Office (NBC) Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother (CBS) Jeremy Piven, Entourage (HBO) WINNER: Jeremy Piven, Entourage.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY SERIES Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty (ABC) Amy Poehler, SNL (NBC) Jean Smart, Samantha Who? (ABC) Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies (ABC) Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men (CBS) WINNER: Jean Smart, Samantha Who? (ABC)
SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA SERIES Zeljko Ivanek, Damages (FX) William Shatner, Boston Legal (ABC) John Slattery, Mad Men (AMC) Ted Danson, Damages (FX) Michael Emerson, Lost (ABC) WINNER: Zeljko Ivanek, Damages (FX)
SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA SERIES Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters (ABC) Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Candice Bergen, Boston Legal (ABC) Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Diane Wiest, In Treatment (HBO) WINNER: Diane Wiest, In Treatment (HBO)
COMMENTS: The night belonged to the mini-series John Adams, comedy 30 Rock and drama Mad Men. Too much cable stuff was winning. Surprise of the night was Bryan Cranston winning for Lead Actor in a Drama Series for AMC's Breaking Bad. Besides the 30 Rock wins (Comedy, Lead Actor, and Lead Actress) and the win for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Jean Smart of ABC's Samantha Who?, the night was all cable...AMC, FX, HBO. I liked the tributes to the memorable TV shows and moments...as the Emmys turned 60. As for the hosts, they should have just done 1 or 2...Tom Bergeron was clearly the best. 30 Rock doesn't launch its third season until October 30, so no carry over likely, however the show's second season is coming to DVD on October 7. I think it is the new Arrested Development...critically acclaimed show that no one watches. Combining the winners for the creative portion on Sept. 13, HBO had the most wins with 26, thanks to mini-seroes John Adams, which became the most-honored program ever. ABC led the broadcast networks with 12 wins. CBS, NBC and PBS tied for third overall with 10 overall wins. AMC had 8 wins overall.
ION Television, the "Positively Entertaining" general entertainment network reaching over 94 million homes, has inked a multi-year film acquisition deal with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. Extending from fall 2008 through summer 2010, this multi-year deal brings 27 critically acclaimed and Academy Award-winning films to the network's film slate. The network already had a deal with Warner Bros., now 27 more movies come and the deal gets extended through summer 2010. ION Television kicks off the first of its new Warner Bros. films on Wednesday, September 24th at 8:00 p.m. ET with the comedy favorite Grumpier Old Men (starring Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret and Sophia Loren). ION will air the movies regularly on Thursdays from 9-11PM (sometimes 8-11PM) starting October 2. Through summer 2010, blockbusters featuring some of the biggest names in Hollywood will grace ION Television in a series of cinematic favorites spanning multiple genres. Dramatic thrillers and crime sagas include classics like The Fugitive (starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones), GoodFellas (starring Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco and Paul Sorvino) and Heat (starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer and Jon Voight), as well as more recent favorites such as Deep Blue Sea (starring Saffron Burrows, Thomas Jane, LL Cool J and Samuel L. Jackson) and Training Day (starring Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke). Also in the mix are two movies from the famed Batman series, Batman Forever (starring Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman and Chris O’Donnell) and Batman Returns (starring Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer and Christopher Walken), plus Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon 1, 2 and 4. Modern comedy classics include The Mask (starring Jim Carrey), Analyze This (starring Robert De Niro, Billy Crystal and Lisa Kudrow) and National Lampoon's European Vacation (starring Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo), among many others. Rounding out the cinematic variety of ION Television's "Positively Entertaining" new movie lineup are dramas like City of Angels (starring Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan) and romantic comedies such as You've Got Mail (starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan). So that's 16 of the 27 new Warner Bros. movies, if you were counting. What about the rest? Above the Law, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Major League 2, Malice, Matchstick Men, Memphis Belle, Murder in the First, The Negotiator, The Specialist, Tango & Cash and Young Guns II! There you have it! Lots of good movies for Thursday nights.
The new season starts tonight! Expect Monday hits Dancing with the Stars, CSI: Miami, Two and a Half Men, and Heroes to be the night's highest rated shows. Other new notables tonight is the launch of the CBS sitcom Worst Week rounding out the CBS Monday sitcoms (8-10PM) and the Monday debut of ABC's Boston Legal. My bets of the night: Dancing with the Stars (ABC 8-10:00PM) and The Big Bang Theory (CBS 8:00-8:30PM). Two fun-filled shows!
Gary Unmarried - Wednesdays 8:30PM ET/PT on CBS Premieres Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 8:30PM ET/PT
Gary Unmarried stars Jay Mohr and Paula Marshall in a comedy about Gary Barnes, a recently single painting contractor, and his controlling ex-wife, Allison, who face post-divorce mayhem after 15 years of marriage as they each embark on new relationships. He's the fun parent and she's the strict one. Together, they share custody of their two children - Louise, a politically correct and environmentally conscious 11-year-old, and Tom, their socially awkward 14-year-old son who is nervous around girls.
Charming and acerbic, Gary hasn't dated since the split, but finally connects with Vanessa, a single mother whose condo he was hired to paint. He dreads telling Allison about Vanessa because it doesn't adhere to her belief in their marriage counselor's book, "Rules for the Perfect Divorce." However, when Allison tells him that she's engaged to their shrink, all bets are off and Gary decides it's time to move forward. Now, in pursuit of post-marriage happiness, Gary must juggle his eclectic world of an ex-wife, their two kids, their shrink and his gorgeous new girlfriend.
The multi-talented Jay Mohr's career has spanned over a decade. He first received audience notice with his dead-on impressions of Christopher Walken, Dick Vitale and Sean Penn on "Saturday Night Live." Soon after that, he landed his breakthrough film role as a rival sports agent in the blockbuster hit "Jerry Maguire," and followed that up in a touching good-guy turn in "Picture Perfect." Other film credits include "Playing By Heart," "Suicide Kings," "Seeing Other People," "Even Money," "The Groomsmen," "Pay it Forward," "Street Kings" and "Go," as well as comedic leads in "King's Ransom" and "Are We There Yet?" On television, Mohr created, executive produced and hosted "Last Comic Standing," now in its sixth season. Other credits include "Action" and his most recent role as Professor Rick Payne on the CBS series "Ghost Whisperer."
A native of Rockville, Maryland, Paula Marshall's big break came when she landed a guest-starring role on "Seinfeld." Marshall is an extremely busy actress with a recurring role on the current television series "Californication." Her other television credits include co-starring roles in the CBS comedy "Out of Practice," "Snoops," "Cupid," "Spin City," "Nip/Tuck" and "Veronica Mars." Paula starred in the feature films "Cheaper by the Dozen," "That Old Feeling," "A Family Thing" and "The New Age," among others.
Jaime King broke into television when she was selected to host MTV's "House of Style." Following a guest-star appearance on "The O.C.," King landed a role on "Kitchen Confidential" and was later cast in a recurring role on the CBS comedy, "The Class." King's feature film roles include "Pearl Harbor," "Blow," "Slackers," "Two for the Money," "White Chicks," "Sin City," "Cheaper By the Dozen 2," as well as the independent features "Pretty Persuasion," "The Tripper," "They Wait," "A Fork in the Road" and "The Pardon." She will be seen next on the big screen in the upcoming films "The Spirit," "My Bloody Valentine" and "Fanboys."
Ryan Malgarini caught the acting bug observing his grandmother's involvement in show biz. Tagging along one day to be an extra in one of her commercials, he was pulled out of the crowd by the director and wound up featured in the ad. Other commercials followed, including spots for McDonald's and Washington Mutual Savings Bank. Malgarini made his feature film debut in "The United States of Leland" starring opposite Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey. Shortly after, other offers kept rolling in and he got to work with another Oscar recipient, Tom Hanks, in "The Polar Express." Other film credits include "Freaky Friday" and "How to Eat Fried Worms."
Ed Begley Jr. was inspired by his father to become an actor. His father won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the 1962 film "Sweet Bird of Youth." The big break for Ed Begly Jr. came when he was cast as Dr. Victor Ehrlich on the long-running television series "St. Elsewhere," for which he received six Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nomination. Begley's feature film credits include "Pineapple Express," "A Mighty Wind," "Best In Show," "For Your Consideration," "Batman Forever," "The Accidental Tourist," "The In-Laws," and many others. On television, Begley had recurring roles on "The New Adventures of Old Christine" and "CSI: Miami," for the Network. Additional television credits include "Six Feet Under," "Veronica Mars," "7th Heaven," "Arrested Development" and "Boston Legal."
Called "dynamic" by the New York Times, San Francisco native Al Madrigal's flair for storytelling has established him as one of the nation's premiere stand-up comedians. He won the "Jury Award for Best Stand-up Comedian" at the 2004 HBO Comedy Festival. He was a regular cast member on the CBS comedy "Welcome to the Captain," and can be seen regularly on television in his own half-hour "Comedy Central Presents" special, as well as frequent guest spots on "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson."
Kathryn Newton's entrance into show business began at the age of four when she was cast as Colby Chandler on the popular soap opera, "All My Children." It was a recurring role she would end up playing for five years. Newton's other acting credits include the independent films "Bun-Bun" and "Abbie Down East." In addition to television and movies, she has accumulated a long list of commercial and print jobs to add to her resume.
Pilot Plot:
#1 Pilot Gary's ex-wife has got engaged and he finds himself trying to navigate fatherhood and his own new love interest. The series opens with a scene of Gary and Vanessa in bed. She shows him one of her tattoos. We learn that Gary owns his own painting business and has 2 kids. Allison comes to the house to talk to Gary and the kids. Gary goes to his son's room and has a few funny lines about computers. Gary talks to one of his employees, Dennis, and Vanessa at a job. Back at the house, he talks to Allison and his daughter, Louise. His son, Tommy, has a girl in his room. Dr. Walter Crandall, Gary's former marriage counselor and Allison's new fiancé, has a few words with Gary and Allison. Vanessa visits with her son, Parker. The episode closes with a scene with Gary and Vanessa where they discuss their future plans.
Written by Ed Yeager Directed by James Burrows Guest Stars: Ashley Farley as Danielle, Charles Henry Wyson (or Jackson Fox) as Parker
Analysis:
Gary Unmarried was originally titled Project Gary. The multi-camera sitcom is filmed in front of a studio audience. The pilot gives us a good introduction to all of the characters and has some funny lines. Jay Mohr returns to a sitcom. You may remember him from the critics' favorite, Action, on Fox about a decade ago. Here he plays your typical sitcom dad. He's in virtually every scene and has the funniest lines in the pilot. One of the best is when his son is talking about a computer game and he says that when he was a kid that they didn't have anything like that and they had outside. Paula Marshall plays his ex-wife, Allison, and appears frequently in the pilot. The chemistry between Jay Mohr and Paula Marshall is evident from the very beginning. Paula Marshall has often been referred to as the female version of Ted McGinley with the shows she has been on not lasting very long. Maybe this will be the right role for her. Jaime King plays Gary's new girlfriend named Vanessa. I enjoyed her on another CBS sitcom, The Class. Larry Miller was originally cast as Allison's new fiancé, but he was replaced by Ed Begley Jr. in the pilot. Larry would have been funny in the part, but maybe they were looking for somebody that looked older and Ed does have the look of a doctor. He's not given a lot in the pilot, but I expect his role to expand in future episodes. He was hilarious on Arrested Development. Ryan Malgarini does a good job as the son who is nervous around girls. Laura Marano was originally cast as the daughter, but she was replaced by Kathryn Newton and they re-taped the scenes. Poor girl was also replaced on Back to You last season. She just has had bad luck and hopefully can find the right role in the future. The pilot I was sent had Laura Marano in it, so I've not seen the reshot scenes with Kathryn Newton.
Conclusion:
This sitcom has a lot of promise. It was cast well and the pilot was funny. I also saw the pilot of Worst Week and would give a slight edge to that one because of the physical comedy and sheer wildness of it. Gary Unmarried is the more traditional, multi-camera sitcom. One of the producers also worked on Still Standing, and I can see the similarities between the two. The setup is also similar to the show that is airing right before it, The New Adventures of Old Christine. Will they be a good match? Old Christine has a large female audience, but it will be interesting to see how many stick around for it.
CBS has tried unsuccessfully to launch a second night of comedy on Wednesdays. The competition will be tough with ABC's Pushing Daisies, NBC's Knight Rider and Fox's Bones. The New Adventures of Old Christine and Gary Unmarried should greatly improve on the ratings of last season's Kid's Nation. The pilot is worth checking out. I wasn't sure how Jay Mohr would play a blue-collar guy with kids, but he manages to pull it off. It will be interesting to see how the character's relationships will play out in future episodes. Ed Begley Jr. was underutilized in the pilot, so I expect to see him more in upcoming episodes. Tune in for the pilot on September 24 and see if you crave "mohr" episodes on Wednesdays at 8:30 ET/PT on CBS.
Gary Unmarried Photo Gallery Here are our Emmy Awards picks for The 60th Primetime Emmy Awards, which will air Sunday (Sept. 21) at 8/7 central on ABC. It will be a night to remember memorable TV moments as the Emmys turn the big 6-0!
COMEDY SERIES Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) The Office (NBC) Two and a Half Men (CBS) 30 Rock (NBC) Entourage (HBO) OUR PICK: 30 Rock. I'm pissed no Pushing Daisies.
DRAMA SERIES Lost (ABC) House (Fox) Damages (FX) Boston Legal (ABC) Mad Men (AMC) Dexter (Showtime) OUR PICK: Lost. It so deserves it (sorry Mad Men).
LEAD ACTOR, COMEDY SERIES Tony Shalhoub, Monk (USA Network) Steve Carell, The Office (NBC) Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (NBC) Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men (CBS) Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies (ABC)
OUR PICK: Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies. Really anyone can win here but Sheen...one of the toughest calls.
LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY SERIES America Ferrera, Ugly Betty (ABC) Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Old Christine (CBS) Christina Applegate, Samantha Who? (ABC) Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds (Showtime) Tina Fey, 30 Rock (NBC) OUR PICK: Christina Applegate, Samantha Who? I've got a hunch. It could be Fey or Ferrera though.
LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA SERIES Hugh Laurie, House (FOX) James Spader, Boston Legal (ABC) Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (AMC) Gabriel Bryne, In Treatment (HBO) Michael C. Hall, Dexter (Showtime) Jon Hamm, Mad Men (AMC) OUR PICK: James Spader, Boston Legal. He wins it every year, but maybe Hamm can win it.
LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA SERIES Glenn Close, Damages (FX) Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters (ABC) Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer (TNT) Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU (NBC) Holly Hunter, Saving Grace (TNT) OUR PICK: Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters. Going for the two-peat, but can Sedgwick win it?
SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY SERIES Kevin Dillion, Entourage (HBO) John Cryer, Two and a Half Men (CBS) Rainn Wilson, The Office (NBC) Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother (CBS) Jeremy Piven, Entourage (HBO) OUR PICK: Jeremy Piven, Entourage.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY SERIES Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty (ABC) Amy Poehler, SNL (NBC) Jean Smart, Samantha Who? (ABC) Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies (ABC) Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men (CBS) OUR PICK: Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies. Olive is hysterical!
SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA SERIES Zeljko Ivanek, Damages (FX) William Shatner, Boston Legal (ABC) John Slattery, Mad Men (AMC) Ted Danson, Damages (FX) Michael Emerson, Lost (ABC) OUR PICK: Ted Danson, Damages. Wouldn't be surprised if Shatner won it.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA SERIES Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters (ABC) Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Candice Bergen, Boston Legal (ABC) Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Diane Wiest, In Treatment (HBO OUR PICK: Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy. She was fantastic this year and so deserves it.
To help celebrate the Emmy Awards' 60th Anniversary, some of the most iconic sets from television's greatest shows will be recreated on stage at the NOKIA Theatre as part of The 60th Primetime Emmy® Awards, airing live on Sunday, September 21 21 from 8:00-11:00 p.m., ET/PT on ABC. At certain parts of the ceremony when returning from commercials, viewers will discover some of the most beloved show sets incorporated into the overall Emmy set design. Featured shows will include Desperate Housewives, Seinfeld, The Simpsons, The West Wing and M*A*S*H, among others.
Author/writer/friend Chris Mann has some very cool new features on his website Retroality.TV, including a nice Q&A RetroZine feature on my other friend -- Linda Kay of PerfectStrangers.TV! Chris asks about a dozen or so questions with very detailed and interesting responses from Linda. Linda of course is a fan of the series since its original run and during the series she ran the fan newsletter P.S. I Love You, so she certainly knows everything about Perfect Strangers and all the behind the scenes stuff. I have some of those newsletters and I must say it is very impressive and well done and as she says in the interview, the cast and crew appreciated it. We've mentioned her website many times before, and the interview talks about her website as well. The website is probably the most interesting TV series website ever because she is loaded with information and multimedia that only she has. Every Tuesday her website is updated, and yes today is Tuesday, so you should check it out today! She has mentioned the interview today. You won't want to miss this new interview feature! In other Retroality.TV news, if you haven't seen yet, the new cover story (RetroHot) is an interview with Jaqueline Bisset, where she talks about that wet t-shirt photo! Chris is also excited to get his Quit Yer Kitschin' blog off the ground and among his blog entries include a very fun write-up on TV mushroom heads! Also, coming this week he'll have some Q&A "extras" to share from his Olivia Newton-John cover story interview for Great Health's September issue. He also recently completed interviews with Jacyln Smith and Joyce DeWitt for Great Health magazine, so you'll see something in the near future on those two classic TV stars as well! Chris is also planning to add video and "other fun stuff," as he hints, to the site later this year. Chris was recently on WGN Radio's The Nick Digilio Show for his second appearance talking about his website, you can listen to it online if you missed it. Retroality.TV is the place to be for all classic icons and newsmakers that meet today's reality!
For the tenth year in a row, ABC Family brings viewers fright-full evenings during its "13 Nights of Halloween" programming event. The ABC Family movie premieres of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III and The Addams Family will join other Halloween themed programming airing the 13 nights leading up to Halloween (October 19-October 31). Other movies and specials airing include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II, The Witches, Gremlins, The Haunted Mansion, Beetlejuice, Addams Family Values, Casper Meets Wendy, Teen Witch, Hocus Pocus, Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, Scooby-Doo Movie, Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, Clue, Godzilla, Scariest Places on Earth and on Halloween night the classic Poltergeist. You can also catch Halloween episodes of ABC Family's sitcoms such as 8 Simple Rules, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Full House, and others in their respective timeslots. Read the full press release.
Last month we announced that the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards (Sept. 21 on ABC) will honor television with the most memorable television moments! Top 40 moments (20 comedy and 20 drama) were posted for viewers to vote on and now it is down to 20! With more than 100,000 votes posted already, television fans have selected their Top 10 Comedic and Top 10 Dramatic moments in the Television Academy's first ever public vote to determine America's number one moment in each category. The voting continues at emmys.abc.com through September 15, and the results will be announced in a special segment on this year's 60th Primetime Emmy® Awards airing live on Sunday, September 21, 8-11pm ET on ABC. From the original list of 40 moments as selected by representatives from the Academy, the media and the production company, the list now includes many of television's highest rated moments, as well as some of its most emotional, funny and dramatic scenes. From The Beatles' first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show to the entire Cosby Show family singing a Ray Charles song, from hearing the Goodnights on The Waltons to the disappearance of the island on Lost, fans have been able to narrow 40 of "Television’s Most Memorable Moments" down to 20, and finally to viewers' favorite comedic and dramatic moment. The original 40 clips to vote on were chosen by Ken Ehrlich Productions (producers of this year's Emmy Awards), Television Academy leadership and a select group of the nation's top television journalists. Among the shows in the top 20 now are top moments from Ellen, Friends, I Love Lucy, All in the Family, The Cosby Show, Grey's Anatomy, Lost, Dallas, and Roots. Vote today if you haven't already!
ION Television announced their Fall 2008 schedule back at their May upfront presentation, but it seems that schedule was just tentative. Boston Legal and M*A*S*H will join the ION September 2008 line-up on Monday, September 8. Boston Legal will air Mondays at 8PM, for now. The reason I say "for now" is because their Fall 2008 schedule actually starts Monday, September 29 and we don't have details on that yet since that is considered October. I do think Boston Legal will air Mon-Wed at 8pm probably by then, but for now it will start off airing Mondays at 8PM starting Sept. 8. The legal drama is entering its last season on ABC, moving to a new night Mondays at 10pm starting Sept. 22. As for M*A*S*H, ION Television will launch it also on Sept. 8 airing it weekdays back-to-back at 4:00PM & 4:30PM and on weekends back-to-back at 6:00PM & 6:30PM ET/PT! ER will still air Mon-Wed at 10PM, but it will also air Tuesdays at 8PM and Wednesdays at 8 & 9PM...again, until at least Sept. 29. So, yes ER will air from 8-11pm on Wednesdays. Quantum Leap and The Dead Zone will be off the primetime line-up in this September schedule, but who knows they could return in that Fall October schedule, but I doubt it. Baywatch is off the Saturday line-up and 48 Hours will air on Thursdays at 10PM only now after the Thursday movie, if the movie ends at 10pm. The Drew Carey Show was originally slated to return this Fall, but it now won't. It will air however sometimes after the Thursday movie at 10:30pm, if the movie runs longer than 2 hours. Now, ION Television will launch another drama on Sept. 8 airing it Mondays and Tuesdays at 9PM, but they have not announced it yet so I cannot tell you yet. As soon as they announce it, I will post it. But it is a drama similar in style to their other recent acquisitions (Boston Legal, Criminal Minds) but more mainstream than Quantum Leap and The Dead Zone. The other slots will remain the same, with Steve Harvey Show airing weekdays 5-6PM, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper airing weekdays 6-7PM, and Family Feud airing Mon-Thurs from 7-8PM. RHI Entertainment is still Fri-Sun from 7-11PM. The Friday qubo block from 2-5pm will now be spread out to an hour each day from 3-4pm on Wed-Fri. We will let you know about that new 9PM drama as soon as they announce it and if we get any details on their Fall line-up (that starts Sept. 29). I don't expect many changes then, but probably Boston Legal will air Mon-Wed (or Mon-Thurs) at 8, that new drama Mon-Wed (or Mon-Thurs) at 9, and ER Mon-Wed (or Mon-Thurs) at 10. I think the Thursday movie will be on its way out by then, but not sure. Again, I'll let you all know when it is announced! For now, view the ION September 2008 Schedule.
The most memorable moments in television history will be revealed during the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 21, and it's up to voters to decide which bits should take top honors. 40 "moments" -- 20 dramatic and 20 comedic -- are in the running. Comedy contenders include M*A*S*H, Mork & Mindy, I Love Lucy, All in the Family, Murphy Brown, The Honeymooners, Newhart, Ellen, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Friends, Seinfeld, Sex and the City and The Cosby Show, while Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Lost, Dallas, Dynasty, Grey's Anatomy, Miami Vice, Moonlighting and The Sopranos are among the drama candidates. The television academy and Emmy show producers came up with the competition and the contenders in honor of the 60th annual presentation of the Emmy Awards. Fans can watch clips and vote for their favorite moments online until Sept. 15. The top five vote-getters in each category will be presented during the Emmy show on Sunday, Sept. 21 on ABC, and the two winning moments will be revealed just before the year's outstanding drama and comedy series are named. So head on to ABC's Most Memorable TV Moments section and vote for your favorites moments!
The 60th Annual Emmy Nominations were made just moments ago. Here are the nominees for the main categories:
BEST COMEDY SERIES Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) The Office (NBC) Two and a Half Men (CBS) 30 Rock (NBC) Entourage (HBO) SURPRISE OMISSION: Pushing Daisies & Ugly Betty. I had them in my predictions, but Curb and Men made it instead.
BEST COMEDY ACTOR Tony Shalhoub, Monk (USA Network) Steve Carell, The Office (NBC) Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock(NBC) Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men (CBS) Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies (ABC) SURPRISE OMISSION: None. I had this category all right!
BEST COMEDY ACTRESS America Ferrera, Ugly Betty (ABC) Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Old Christine (CBS) Christina Applegate, Samantha Who? (ABC) Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds (Showtime) Tina Fey, 30 Rock (NBC) SURPRISE OMISSION: Ana Friel. I had her instead of Dreyfus.
BEST SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTOR Kevin Dillion, Entourage (HBO) John Cryer, Two and a Half Men (CBS) Rainn Wilson, The Office (NBC) Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother (CBS) Jeremy Piven, Entourage (HBO) SURPRISE OMISSION: None. I was all right again.
BEST SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTRESS Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty (ABC) Amy Poehler, SNL (NBC) Jean Smart, Samantha Who? (ABC) Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies (ABC) Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men (CBS) SURPRISE OMISSION: Surprising Poehler is in this category and no Jenna Fischer this year.
BEST DRAMA SERIES Lost (ABC) House (Fox) Damages (FX) Boston Legal (ABC) Mad Men (AMC) Dexter (Showtime) SURPRISE OMISSION:None really...no Grey's Anatomy though, I had that over Damages.
BEST DRAMA ACTOR Hugh Laurie, House (FOX) James Spader, Boston Legal (ABC) Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (AMC) Gabriel Bryne, In Treatment (HBO) Michael C. Hall, Dexter (Showtime) Jon Hamm, Mad Men (AMC) SURPRISE OMISSION: None, maybe Denis Leary. 6 made it instead of 5.
BEST DRAMA ACTRESS Glenn Close, Damages (FX) Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters (ABC) Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer (TNT) Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU (NBC) Holly Hunter, Saving Grace (TNT) SURPRISE OMISSION: None, maybe no Elizabeth Moss of Mad Men. Why Hargitay again?
BEST SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTOR Zeljko Ivanek, Damages (FX) William Shatner, Boston Legal (ABC) John Slattery, Mad Men (AMC) Ted Danson, Damages (FX) Michael Emerson, Lost (ABC) SURPRISE OMISSION: None. I had this all right, but I had T.R. Knight instead of Ivanek.
BEST SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTRESS Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters (ABC) Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy(ABC) Candice Bergen, Boston Legal (ABC) Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Diane Wiest, In Treatment (HBO) SURPRISE OMISSION: I had this all right except for two...Oh and Wiest were in instead, but that is not a surprise.
View the full list of nominations by clicking HERE. The 60th Annual Emmy Awards air Sunday, September 21 at 8pm on ABC.
Today is day two of the ABC portion of the summer 2008 TCA press tour. More ABC shows will be on the panel today along with ABC Cable Networks such as ABC Family and Disney Channel. But first, I want to say a few things I missed yesterday on day one. Lost will still fulfill its final 48 episode order. Due to the strike this past season, only 14 aired, so ABC is likely to tack on an extra episode for the next two seasons so 48 episodes will be there. Also, this is Zach Braff's final season on Scrubs, no matter if ABC continues it in 2009-10. Braff did say if ABC were to bring it back for a second season on ABC, then he would guest star or direct some episodes. Anyway, today up at the panel were the cast and producers of Disney Channel's movie The Cheetah Girls One World, ABC Family's mini-series Samurai Girl, and ABC Daytime's soap opera One Life to Live, celebrating its 40th anniversary. Then after lunch it was all ABC at the panel with a great session with ABC Showrunners Greg Berlanti (Dirty Sexy Money, Brothers & Sisters, Eli Stone), Marc Cherry (Desperate Housewives), Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof (Lost), Silvio Horta (Ugly Betty), and Shonda Rhimes (Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice). Then after that it was back to shows itself with the stars and producers of Dirty Sexy Money, Private Practice, and Desperate Housewives. Finally, ABC's portion of the TCA tour concludes with the All-Star party with the stars of ABC, Disney Channel, ABC Family and SOAPnet. As for some details, ABC Family has ordered 13 more episodes of the hit drama The Secret Life of the American Teenager making its season order to 23. The current batch of episodes will conclude on Sept. 9 and the new batch will air starting in January, possibly with the return of its other hit show Kyle XY for its third season. Samurai Girl is a mini-series for now, but it could be a series in the future...Sept. 5-7 is when this three-part event will air. ABC Family will launch the second season of Greek on Tuesday, Aug. 26 and the third season of Lincoln Heights on Tuesday, Sept. 16. The Disney-ABC first run syndicated series Wizard's First Rule will appear on local stations on weekends starting the weekend of November 1. On the Showrunners panel, the big questions were for Shonda Rhimes about Katherine Heigl. No Heigl is not leaving the show. No Heigl is not going to get killed off. And no Shonda didn't think Heigl withdrawing her name out of Emmy contention was a slap to the face to the writers! End of story on that! The media needs to MOVE ON! In Desperate Housewives news from this panel, Marc Cherry said he thought of the idea of the jumping ahead 5 years during a baseball game he attended with Steve McPherson. Lostwise we learned that Daniel Dae Kim (Jin) will indeed appear this season "in some form" without revealing any details. Ugly Betty wise, it is all but confirmed that there will no Henry in the picture for Betty. Following that there were panels I mentioned for Dirty Sexy Money, Private Practice and Desperate Housewives. I can't believe some reporter asked Lucy Liu how will it feel turning 40 in January. I think that is about all that was noteworthy from today. Stay tuned for CBS tomorrow!
ABC is up today and tomorrow at the summer 2008 TCA press tour. Before the panels began, they announced their premiere dates for the Fall:
Friday, September 19 10:00-11:00 p.m. 20/20
Monday, September 22 8:00-10:00 p.m. Dancing with the Stars (special two-hour performance show premiere) 10:00-11:00 p.m. Boston Legal
Tuesday, September 23 8:00-9:00 p.m. Opportunity Knocks (new series debut) 9:00-11:00 p.m. Dancing with the Stars (special performance show)
Wednesday, September 24 8:00-9:00 p.m. Dancing with the Stars Results Show Special (special day and time) 9:00-11:00 p.m. David Blaine Special Thursday, September 25 8:00-9:00 p.m. Ugly Betty 9:00-11:00 p.m. Grey's Anatomy (special two-hour season premiere)
Sunday, September 28 7:00-9:00 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (two-hour season premiere) 9:00-10:00 p.m. Desperate Housewives 10:00-11:00 p.m. Brothers & Sisters
Tuesday, September 30 9:00-10:00 p.m. Dancing with the Stars Result Show (regular day and time period premiere)
Wednesday, October 1 8:00-9:00 p.m. Pushing Daisies 9:00-10:00 p.m. Private Practice 10:00-11:00 p.m. Dirty Sexy Money
Friday, October 3 8:00-9:00 p.m. Wife Swap 9:00-10:00 p.m. Supernanny
Sunday, October 5 7:00-8:00 p.m. America's Funniest Home Videos 8:00-9:00 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (regular time period premiere)
Monday, October 6 9:30-10:00 p.m. Samantha Who?
Thursday, October 9 9:00-10:00 p.m. Grey's Anatomy (regular time period premiere) 10:00-11:00 p.m. Life on Mars (new series debut)
Tuesday, October 14 10:00-11:00 p.m. Eli Stone
Couple of notes on the premiere dates...there will be a Presidential Debate on Friday, Sept. 26 (that is why Wife Swap and Supernanny launch Oct. 3) and a Vice Presidential Debate on Thursday, October 2 (so Ugly Betty/Grey's Anatomy will premiere on Sept. 25 then take a week off on Oct. 2 before returning Oct. 9 to help launch Life on Mars). It is unclear still what will air Tuesday at 10pm on Sept. 30 and Oct. 7, as Eli Stone won't premiere until October 14. Now let's move on to the panels for today. The casts and crews of returning hits and upcoming series will be on hand to talk about their series. After the executive session (we will discuss that below), up at the panel were Eli Stone in the morning, followed by a CMA sponsored lunch (where Julianne Hough (Dancing with the Stars) sang and promoted the special CMA Music Festival: Country's Night To Rock she is hosting Sept. 8 on ABC), then after lunch up on the panel were Life on Mars, Scrubs, Opportunity Knocks, and dinner sponsored by Dancing with the Stars where they got to eat and dance with the likes of Kristi Yamaguchi and Drew Lachey. At that executive session we found out that Katie Holmes will guest star on Eli Stone this season playing an attorney. She is slated for the second episode of the season (Oct. 21). And ABC President Stephen McPherson denied the stupid rumors about Katherine Heigl leaving Grey's Anatomy, "...she's absolutely staying with the show. There's an outstanding story for her this season." Earlier, "a reporter from Sarasota, FL" asked McPherson if ABC was 'actively courting' Jay Leno? The reporter was Jimmy Kimmel disguised in a t-shirt and baseball cap! Hilarious! McPherson said, "to me it's a question for NBC. I can't believe they're going to let this guy go at the top of his game." He added that any discussions with Leno would take place with Kimmel's knowledge and involvement, "I can't say enough about Jimmy. His show has just exploded this year." Finally in regards to the mid-season in consideration pilots. Due to the strike, most of the shows in consideration if they had gotten picked-up would have launched in the fall, but now all of them are in consideration for mid-season. The pilots have began filming last month and some still have yet to be shot or shooting now. So, if picked-up, ABC will launch them in November, January or March. We will let you know when any gets picked-up.
Coming up tomorrow is Day 2 for ABC, where more ABC shows go on the panel along with ABC Cable Networks, like ABC Family.
Today we will give our preview of what we think the nominations for the Emmy's will look like. The real nominations will be announced tomorrow (Thursday) morning on Good Morning America at 8:30am ET, so we will give you those then. But for now...here are our predictions for the main acting categories for the 60th Annual Emmy Awards airing Sept. 22 on ABC:
BEST COMEDY SERIES Pushing Daisies (ABC) The Office (NBC) Ugly Betty (ABC) 30 Rock (NBC) Entourage (HBO) MY THOUGHTS: 30 Rock won last year, but Pushing Daisies might win this year. Two and a Half Men, Weeds or Curb Your Enthusiasm could sneak in. It's a shame Desperate Housewives won't get in after a great season.
BEST COMEDY ACTOR Tony Shalhoub, Monk (USA Network) Steve Carell, The Office (NBC) Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock(NBC) Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men (CBS) Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies (ABC) MY THOUGHTS: Ricky Gervais won it last year, but who will win it this year? Will the love for Pushing Daisies continue and Lee Pace can win it? Jim Parsons of The Big Bang Theory could sneak in over Sheen maybe.
BEST COMEDY ACTRESS America Ferrera, Ugly Betty (ABC) Anna Friel, Pushing Daisies (ABC) Christina Applegate, Samantha Who? (ABC) Marcia Cross, Desperate Housewives (ABC) Tina Fey, 30 Rock (NBC) MY THOUGHTS: Ferrera won last year. Mary-Louise Parker or Julia Louis-Dreyfus could sneak in over Cross. Personally I'd have Eva Longoria instead, as she was a riot this season....one of the F's will win, Ferrera, Fey or Friel.
BEST SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTOR Kevin Dillion, Entourage (HBO) John Cryer, Two and a Half Men (CBS) Rainn Wilson, The Office (NBC) Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother (CBS) Jeremy Piven, Entourage (HBO) MY THOUGHTS: Jeremy Piven won it last year. This list will be relatively the same as last year, but I'm surprised Chi McBride of Pushing Daisies will be snubbed...he had the funniest lines.
BEST SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTRESS Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty (ABC) Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds (Showtime) Jean Smart, Samantha Who? (ABC) Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies (ABC) Jenna Fischer, The Office (NBC) MY THOUGHTS: Jamie Pressly won last year but will not be nominated this year. Chenoweth should win this, as her character is hysterical.
BEST DRAMA SERIES Lost (ABC) House (Fox) Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Boston Legal (ABC) Mad Men (AMC) MY THOUGHTS:With The Sopranos out of the picture, a new winner will emerge this year. Damages could get in this list. Lost deserves to win it.
BEST DRAMA ACTOR Hugh Laurie, House (FOX) James Spader, Boston Legal (ABC) Patrick Dempsey, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Denis Leary, Rescue Me (FX) Michael C. Hall, Dexter (Showtime) MY THOUGHTS: James Spader won it last year and will be the favorite once again, but personally I'd want Dempsey. Kyle Chandler of Friday Night Lights or Jon Hamm of Mad Men could make this cut, too. Matthew Fox deserves to be on this, but won't.
BEST DRAMA ACTRESS Glenn Close, Damages (FX) Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters (ABC) Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer (TNT) Minnie Driver, The Riches (FX) Elizabeth Moss, Mad Men (AMC) MY THOUGHTS: Sally Field won it last year and will win it again I bet. Past nominees like Patricia Arquette and Mariska Hargitay could make the cut, but sadly Evangeline Lilly and Ellen Pompeo won't. Why do they keep going for cable stars instead of broadcast?
BEST SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTOR T.R. Knight, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) William Shatner, Boston Legal (ABC) John Slattery, Mad Men (AMC) Ted Danson, Damages (FX) Michael Emerson, Lost (ABC) MY THOUGHTS: Terry O'Quinn won it last year but it looks like he won't even make it this year, which is crazy. Naveen Andrews can sneak in this list I think, but I don't have him in the top 5. Danson, Shatner or Emerson are my bets for the win.
BEST SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTRESS Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters (ABC) Christina Hendricks, Mad Men (AMC) Candice Bergen, Boston Legal (ABC) Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Rose Byrne, Damages (FX) MY THOUGHTS: Katherine Heigl won it last year, but she removed herself from the running this season. I would have had Yunjin Kim in this race as she was excellent in the Lost season finale. Sandra Oh could sneak in. It's anyone's game as far as a winner is concerned, but give it to Chandra!
Nominations are announced tomorrow morning. Come on back here and we will give you the official nominations and you can compare those to our picks!
Back to You - Wednesdays at 8:00PM ET/PT on Fox Premieres September 19th at 8:00PM ET/PT
In the ‘90s, the local TV news scene in Pittsburgh was dominated by one team: CHUCK DARLING (Kelsey Grammer) and KELLY CARR (Patricia Heaton). They had that elusive quality all news teams need: chemistry ... at least on-screen. Off-screen, Chuck was a bit of a self-centered womanizer, Kelly a bit of an uptight know-it-all. When Chuck grabbed the chance to move up to a larger market, no tears were shed.
But after an embarrassing on-air tirade ended up on the Internet, Chuck found himself on the downswing career-wise. He even questioned whether his lifestyle of chasing women and living in hotels was as exciting as it used to be. So when he got the call to return to Pittsburgh, to reunite with Kelly and try to take the newscast back to No. 1, it was an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Back in Pittsburgh, Chuck and Kelly reteam with familiar faces including MARSH McGINLEY (Fred Willard), the affable, endlessly inappropriate sports anchor, and GARY CREZYZEWSKI, pronounced Kre-shoov-ski (Ty Burrell), the perennially put-upon field reporter who always seems to get left out in the cold; and they have a few new coworkers: RYAN CHURCH (Josh Gad), the under qualified, overstressed news director, and MONTANA DIAZ HERRERA (Ayda Field), the perky, sexy, somewhat inept weather anchor. But perhaps the biggest change is that Kelly is now single mom to 10-year-old GRACIE (Laura Marano).
There was magic between Chuck and Kelly once. Can they find it again?
BACK TO YOU is created, written and executive-produced by Steven Levitan (“Just Shoot Me!,” “Frasier,” “Wings”) and Christopher Lloyd (“Frasier,” “The Golden Girls”). James Burrows is executive producer and director. The series is from Levitan/Lloyd Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television.
Kelsey Grammer (Chuck Darling) - Kelsey Grammer played the celebrated character "Dr. Frasier Crane" on three different television series ("Frasier," "Cheers" and "Wings") for 20 years, tying James Arness of "Gunsmoke" for the record of longest-running television character. He has won four Emmys, two Golden Globes and a Screen Actors Guild Award for the role, and has received an unparalleled total of 16 Emmy award nominations, eight Golden Globe award nominations and 16 Screen Actors Guild award nominations.
Patricia Heaton (Kelly Carr) - A talented actress whose career spans television, theater and film, Patricia Heaton has been honored with two consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and has been nominated for 11 Screen Actors Guild awards for her portrayal of "Debra Barone" on the top-rated series "Everybody Loves Raymond."
Fred Willard (Marsh McGinley) - Willard has received three Emmy Award nominations for his role as Martin Mull's lover on "Roseanne" and his recurring role on "Everybody Loves Raymond." He also co-starred with Martin Mull in Norman Lear's innovative cult classic talk-show satire, "Fernwood 2Night." Willard had recurring roles on "Ally McBeal," "The Simpsons" and "Mad About You." In addition, he has made more than 50 appearances on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
Ty Burrell (Gary Crezyzewski) - Through his ability to play roles ranging from classical Shakespeare to contemporary film, Ty Burrell is quickly establishing himself as a talented and versatile actor who has carved out a diverse career in movies, television and theater. On television, Burrell recently starred in the sitcom "Out of Practice" opposite Stockard Channing and Henry Winkler.
Josh Gad (Ryan Church) - Josh Gad began his career in theater, graduating from the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. He then turned his sights to comedy, joining the famed Groundlings Improv troupe and later founding his own group, the Lost Nomads Comedy Troupe. Previous screen credits include a guest role on "ER" and the independent feature "Watching the Detectives" with Lucy Liu.
Ayda Field (Montana Diaz Herrera) - Once she decided upon acting as a career, things happened very quickly for Los Angeles native Ayda Field. On her way home from attending Duke University, she landed an audition on the daytime drama "Days of Our Lives." The audition blossomed into a recurring role on the series that ran over the course of a season. Field's additional television credits include the cable series "Arli$$," "Will & Grace," "Eve," "Blue Collar TV" and a recurring role on "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip."
Laura Marano (Gracie Carr) - Marano has recurring roles on the television show "Without a Trace," in which she plays Kate, the daughter of Emmy-Award winning actor Anthony LaPaglia's character, and in "Dexter" and "The Sarah Silverman Program." She has guest-starred on television shows including "Ghost Whisperer," "Medical Investigation," "Huff" and "Joan of Arcadia."
Pilot Plot:
1. Pilot (09/19/07) - After an embarrassing newscast tirade ends up on the internet on YouTube, Chuck returns to Pittsburgh to reunite with Kelly at the local network. The show opens with a funny flashback to 1996 where we see Chuck Darling leaving the station for greener pastures. He returns 10 years later and meets the young news director, Brian Church, and the rest of the team and his former co-anchor, Kelly. They swap anchor seats and shoot a promo. We are introduced to Kelly's daughter, Gracie.
Written by: Steven Levitan & Christopher Lloyd Directed by: James Burrows Guest Stars: Spencer Knowles (Mail Boy), Adam Busch (Production Assistant), Michael Richard Robinson (Weatherman), Erin Ross (Darcy), Ayda Field (Montana Diaz Herrera)
I also had the opportunity to view the second episode.
2. Fish Story (09/26/07) - There's something fishy going on when Chuck tries to convince a dubious Kelly that he has a responsible, nurturing side. Meanwhile, Gary tries to regain his credibility in the field. He doesn't want to do a segment on tasers.
Analysis:
After watching the first two episodes, I think the show has a lot of potential. It is impossible to compare it to great newsroom sitcoms such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show or Murphy Brown with such a small sampling, but all of the pieces are here for a long and successful run. Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton are a dynamic duo that have instant chemistry. It is hard to believe they had never worked together before or that they had only met each other once prior to being cast. After playing Frasier Crane for 20 years, Kelsey Grammer gets the chance to play another character in the media. It is somebody who has a different personality than Frasier, but he's not 100% opposite that viewers won't recognize him. Patricia Heaton is beautiful and funny and gets to play a character that is the opposite of Debra Ramone. The supporting cast is very good. Fred Willard is hilarious as the zany and political incorrect sports anchor. He has some of the funniest lines, such as "I'm off - I still throw up before every show." I enjoyed Ty Burrell on "Out of the Practice." He has a funny scene in a taser segment in the second episode. Newcomer Josh Gad plays the young, sweaty news director. He reminds me a little bit of Chris Farley and his character is similar to the enthusiastic and neurotic Miles Silverberg character on Murphy Brown. As if we needed more of it with Patricia Heaton already on board, Ayda Field brings a lot of sex appeal as the weathergirl. She has some funny exchanges with Fred and Ty. Overall, the show just has some very funny writing and a good pace. The pop culture references to YouTube and ringtones in the first two episodes are hilarious. Back to You is filmed before a live studio audience with multiple cameras. There is no canned or added laughter here.
There are a few things that they probably could improve on for future episodes. Although the show is set in Pittsburgh, you would hardly know it. There is the Pittsburgh skyline behind the anchor's desk, but there are very few references to the city. Marsh does mention the Penguins in a news story in the second episode. It would be nice to see some exterior shots of Pittsburgh in the transitions between scenes. The newsroom set looks like a real set, but it appears to be very tiny. Maybe newsrooms are like that in real life, but people are always bumping into each other on the set. Kelly's home is shown in the pilot, but it is not as nice as I would expect a lead anchor to own. The office that Kelly and Chuck share is featured in the second episode, but it doesn't look very big or as elaborate as I expected. I guess with the high salaries of the cast, they didn't have a lot of extra money to furnish those sets with props and items on the walls.
Conclusion:
Back to You will likely be one of the top two highest rated new sitcoms of the fall season. It would be very hard for me to see it failing with such an all-star cast and crew. It may not mark the full return of the multi-camera sitcom format, but it is a step in the right direction. Hopefully we will start to see more in this format that was so popular for the last 40-50 years. Many networks wanted it for their fall schedule. Fox gave it a blind thirteen-episode commitment in February after seeing the script.
Can Grammer and Heaton find the magic of Frasier and Everybody Loves Raymond? It looks to be a funny show. When the cast looks like they are having fun and enjoy filming before a live audience, I think that will translate into a show that people will want to watch. Back to You should score an impressive debut. Fox has heavily promoted it, and there is a lot of buzz about it. It will be interesting to see how many viewers they can hold onto for the second episode and in week three when ABC's enchanting Pushing Daisies premieres. Hopefully Back to You is the start of a new golden era of the multi-camera sitcom.
Here are the winners for the main categories at last night's Emmys.
COMEDY SERIES 30 Rock Entourage The Office Two and a Half Men Ugly Betty WINNER: 30 Rock
DRAMA SERIES Boston Legal Grey's Anatomy Heroes House The Sopranos WINNER: The Sopranos
LEAD ACTOR, COMEDY SERIES Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock Steve Carell, The Office Ricky Gervais, Extras Tony Shalhoub, Monk Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men WINNER: Ricky Gervais, Extras
LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY SERIES America Ferrera, Ugly Betty Tina Fey, 30 Rock Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine Mary Louise Parker, Weeds WINNER: America Ferrera, Ugly Betty.
LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA SERIES James Gandolfini, The Sopranos Hugh Laurie, House Denis Leary, Rescue Me James Spader, Boston Legal Kiefer Sutherland, 24 WINNER: James Spader, Boston Legal
LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA SERIES Patricia Arquette, Medium Minnie Driver, The Riches Edie Falco, The Sopranos Sally Field, Brothers and Sisters Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer WINNER: Sally Field, Brothers and Sisters
SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY SERIES Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men Kevin Dillon, Entourage Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother Jeremy Piven, Entourage Rainn Wilson, The Office WINNER: Jeremy Piven, Entourage.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY SERIES Jenna Fischer, The Office Conchata Ferrell, Two and a Half Men Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds Jaime Pressly, My Name is Earl Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty WINNER: Jaime Pressly, My Name is Earl
SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA SERIES Michael Emerson, Lost Michael Imperioli, The Sopranos T.R. Knight, Grey's Anatomy Terry O'Quinn, Lost Masi Oka, Heroes William Shatner, Boston Legal WINNER: Terry O'Quinn, Lost.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA SERIES Lorraine Bracco, The Sopranos Rachel Griffiths, Brothers and Sisters Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy Aida Turturro, The Sopranos Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy OUR PICK: Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy
COMMENTS: The surprises of the night was James Spader for Lead Actor in a Drama and Katherine Heigl for Supporting Actress in a Drama. Both were underdogs, but won! And it was nice that Sally Field got Lead Actress in a Drama and Terry O'Quinn for Supporting Actor in a Drama. Comedy wise, no surprises really, but Shalhoub didn't win finally for Lead Actor in a Comedy. Actually, Jamie Pressly of My Name is Earl was a bit of a surprise. It was a huge night for ABC. 5 wins for ABC in the above main categories. The Sopranos won for Best Drama, but didn't get any of the acting wins, which is a surprise.
Saturday mini-DVD reviews will be pre-empted today so we can bring you our Emmy Awards picks for the 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, which will air tomorrow (Sun., Sept. 16) on Fox. Solomon's Weekly Rant will still be on today, see below.
Here are our picks:
COMEDY SERIES 30 Rock Entourage The Office Two and a Half Men Ugly Betty OUR PICK: Ugly Betty. What a tough category, 30 Rock and The Office can also win, too.
DRAMA SERIES Boston Legal Grey's Anatomy Heroes House The Sopranos OUR PICK: Grey's Anatomy. I think The Sopranos will not win like how Cheers didn't win in its final season.
LEAD ACTOR, COMEDY SERIES Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock Steve Carell, The Office Ricky Gervais, Extras Tony Shalhoub, Monk Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men OUR PICK: Tony Shalhoub, Monk. Really anyone can win here but Sheen.
LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY SERIES America Ferrera, Ugly Betty Tina Fey, 30 Rock Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine Mary Louise Parker, Weeds OUR PICK: America Ferrera, Ugly Betty. Huffman or Parker can win, but Ferrera is a huge favorite here.
LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA SERIES James Gandolfini, The Sopranos Hugh Laurie, House Denis Leary, Rescue Me James Spader, Boston Legal Kiefer Sutherland, 24 OUR PICK: James Gandolfini, The Sopranos.
LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA SERIES Patricia Arquette, Medium Minnie Driver, The Riches Edie Falco, The Sopranos Sally Field, Brothers and Sisters Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer OUR PICK: Edie Falco, The Sopranos. I'd want Sally Field, but no chance I think. Sedgwick can win, too.
SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY SERIES Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men Kevin Dillon, Entourage Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother Jeremy Piven, Entourage Rainn Wilson, The Office OUR PICK: Jeremy Piven, Entourage.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY SERIES Jenna Fischer, The Office Conchata Ferrell, Two and a Half Men Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds Jaime Pressly, My Name is Earl Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty OUR PICK: Jenna Fischer, The Office.
SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA SERIES Michael Emerson, Lost Michael Imperioli, The Sopranos T.R. Knight, Grey's Anatomy Terry O'Quinn, Lost Masi Oka, Heroes William Shatner, Boston Legal OUR PICK: Terry O'Quinn, Lost. Imperioli can also win, but give it to O'Quinn!
SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA SERIES Lorraine Bracco, The Sopranos Rachel Griffiths, Brothers and Sisters Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy Aida Turturro, The Sopranos Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy OUR PICK: Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy. This is Oh's year, unless the Emmy people give Bracco one last hurrah.
Solomon's Weekly Rant Saturday, September 15, 2007 "Nick at Nite's Double Airings of Its New Shows; The Unclassy Addition to The View" By Solomon Davis
Since the beginning of this month, Nick at Nite wanted viewers to know that they have added two new sitcoms by overloading the programming schedule with back-to-back episodes of Home Improvement and George Lopez everyday of the week. You would think that since these shows are currently in the introduction phase on Nick at Nite's schedule, that one airing a night would be the proper way to present the shows to new viewers. But the word "balanced" has never been a part of Nick at Nite's programming vocabulary just "overload." And let's say viewers started liking one of the new shows on the schedule, I'm sure they don't want to keep watching them over and over and lose the opportunity to see the shows they were already watching on Nick at Nite before September. That's why there should be a balance between the new shows and older shows on Nick at Nite's schedule so that a new viewer of the new additions can gradually get into the show. Seven airings a week is a nice way for someone to get into a new show instead of 27 airings which quickly leads to "STALE CITY." Nick at Nite's primetime schedule actually has the look of a closet filled with clothes with the two newest outfits in the front and the older outfits pushed to the back so that the newer outfits can be worn on more frequently during the week.
The View, which airs on ABC's daytime schedule every Monday to Friday at 11am, has added a new person to the show which appears to be the biggest mistake of this television season. The unclassy addition to the show is Sherri Shepherd, a comic who loves to tell inappropriate jokes and has yet to show any kind of intelligence. I thought the purpose of her addition was so she could blend in with the other ladies during discussions not try and make everyone laugh every time she opens her mouth. Her most unlcassy moment was on Monday when she said that she took pole dancing lessons in the past because she had a dream of being a stripper. Now would an intelligent comic want to generate laughs from that kind of humor? Only a comic who is comfortable with looking like a fool would tell inappropriate jokes like that to hear laughs from the crowd. And what makes it so sad is that no one laughed at that ridiculous joke which made her look very stupid. Also it's obvious that Sherri is bored when the discussion is serious because she can't tell jokes and never adds anything to the conversation. Sherri should learn from Whoopi and Joy because she has yet to show the ability to be intelligent and funny in the same hour. Just because you are a comic doesn't mean you have to be silly all the time and not show your intelligent side. Which is why I feel The View should have added a woman who could contribute to intelligent conversation instead of adding a woman who is nothing but an unfunny clown who lacks class and intelligence.
My TV Highlight of the Week: Monday, September 10, 2007 - Patricia Heaton saying to Kelly Ripa on Regis and Kelly, "I wonder what you did to get this job?" My TV Lowlight of the Week: Thursday, September 13, 2007 - As I mentioned, Sherri Shepherd's statement about taking pole dancing lessons because she had dreams of being a stripper when she was younger.
DISCLAIMER: Remember, Solomon is not the voice of SitcomsOnline. He is just stating his opinions and does not reflect what SitcomsOnline says or thinks. It is just his 'View' but it is always quite entertaining.
The 59th Annual Emmy Nominations were made just moments ago. Here are the nominees for the main categories:
BEST COMEDY SERIES Two and a Half Men (ABC) The Office (NBC) Ugly Betty (ABC) 30 Rock (NBC) Entourage (HBO) SURPRISE OMISSION: Desperate Housewives. I had this category all right except for that.
BEST COMEDY ACTOR Tony Shalhoub, Monk (USA Network) Steve Carell, The Office (NBC) Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock(NBC) Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men (CBS) Ricky Gervais, Extras (HBO) SURPRISE OMISSION: None. I had this category all right, except Gervais was in and not Zach Braff.
BEST COMEDY ACTRESS America Ferrera, Ugly Betty (ABC) Julia Louis-Dreyfus, New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS) Mary Louise Parker, Weeds (Showtime) Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives (ABC) Tina Fey, 30 Rock (NBC) SURPRISE OMISSION: None, though I had Teri Hatcher instead of Dreyfus.
BEST SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTOR Kevin Dillion, Entourage (HBO) John Cryer, Two and a Half Men (CBS) Rainn Wilson, The Office (NBC) Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother (CBS) Jeremy Piven, Entourage (HBO) SURPRISE OMISSION: None. Again I had only one wrong, I had Michael Urie over Neil Patrick Harris..
BEST SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTRESS Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty (ABC) Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds (Showtime) Jamie Pressly, My Name is Earl (NBC) Conchata Ferrell, Two and a Half Men (CBS) Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men (CBS) Jenna Fischer, The Office (NBC) SURPRISE OMISSION: No Nicolette Sheridan again???
BEST DRAMA SERIES Boston Legal (ABC) House (Fox) Grey's Anatomy (ABC) The Sopranos (HBO) Heroes (NBC) SURPRISE OMISSION:No Lost or Friday Night Lights?
BEST DRAMA ACTOR Hugh Laurie, House (Fox) James Spader, Boston Legal (ABC) James Gandolfini, The Sopranos (HBO) Denis Leary, Rescue Me (FX) Kiefer Sutherland, 24 (Fox) SURPRISE OMISSION: None, but Michael C. Hall is sort of.
BEST DRAMA ACTRESS Edie Falco, The Sopranos (HBO) Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters (ABC) Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer (TNT) Minnie Driver, The Riches (FX) Patricia Arquette, Medium (NBC) Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU (NBC) SURPRISE OMISSION: None. Why Hargitay again?
BEST SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTOR Terry O'Quinn, Lost (ABC) William Shatner, Boston Legal (ABC) Masi Oka, Heroes (NBC) Michael Imperioli, The Sopranos (HBO) Michael Emerson, Lost (ABC) T.R. Knight, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) SURPRISE OMISSION: None. I had this all right, but I chose only 5. Knight was the 6th pick.
BEST SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTRESS Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters (ABC) Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Lorraine Bracco, The Sopranos (HBO) Aida Turturro, The Sopranos (HBO) SURPRISE OMISSION: None, though Patricia Wettig over Turturro would be better.
View the full list of nominations by clicking HERE. The 59th Annual Emmy Awards air Sunday, September 16 at 8pm on Fox.
Today is also Day 2 for CBS at the TCA 2007 Summer Press Tour. Not much news to report, but CBS did release a few things. In a first for network television, CBS today announced a new viewer-centric marketing initiative to keep audiences informed if their favorite television show is delayed due to sports or news overrun. CBS Eye-lert, which launches this fall, will enable viewers to be notified via email and text message if the start time of a program will be delayed. Through the coordination of CBS Interactive, broadcast operations, email and phone systems, viewers can subscribe to CBS Eye-lert by registering on CBS.com, CBSNews.com and Sportsline.com. This fall, when an NFL game runs beyond 7PM ET, thus causing a delay on the Network, viewers will be notified by email or text message prior to primetime and again once the specific start time of the primetime show has been determined. That way they can adjust their viewing or recording plans. At the session panels today, cast & crews of Jericho, Power of 10, Viva Laughlin were up. There was a nice Survivor: China themed lunch for the media. And no Drew Carey said in the Power of 10 panel that no decision has been made yet for him to be the new host of The Price is Right.
It is now CBS's turn at the TCA Summer Press Tour. The session panels for today were: Executive Session, Cane, Shark, How I Met Your Mother, Kid Nation, Moonlight, Big Bang Theory. They also have released their fall premiere dates. CBS today announced plans for the premieres of its new and returning series which includes the early debut of its freshman reality series Kid Nation, as well as Survivor: China and most of its Sunday lineup during the week of Sept. 17. The network will launch the remainder of its schedule beginning Monday, Sept. 24, the official start of the 2007-2008 season. Viva Laughlin, the new mystery drama with music, will have a special preview on Thursday, Oct. 18 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) following CSI before moving to its regular Sunday (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) time period on Oct. 21 to take advantage of a two-week window in the schedule without football overruns.
Sunday, Oct. 21 8 p.m. Viva Laughlin (time period premiere)
TBS will add the hit '90s sitcom Just Shoot Me to its afternoon line-up starting August 6. It will air weekdays at 1:00 & 1:30pm, shifting the Steve Harvey Show hour to 12 & 12:30pm. Thus, NewsRadio will be leaving the line-up. In addition, it looks like TBS will not renew the contract for The Drew Carey Show, because starting August 27, an extra Cosby Show episode will air at 6:30am weekday mornings. Anyway, I'm not sure how long TBS will run Just Shoot Me. It is coming to TV Land in January and then it will also come back to local channels next June. TBS could share it with TV Land, so who knows, Discuss these pre-fall schedule changes, by clicking HERE. Sticking with TBS, last night's premiere of the new sitcom The Bill Engvall Show scored big. The series' debut telecast last night delivered 3.9 million viewers and 2.8 million households, securing a place among ad-supported cable's Top 3 sitcom telecasts (original or acquired) of all-time among households and Top 5 original sitcom telecasts of all-time among key adult demos and viewers. The premiere garnered a 3.0 coverage household rating/2.5 national rating. It ranked as ad-supported cable's top program for the entire day in delivery of adults 18-49, adults 25-54, viewers and households. Set in a Denver suburb, The Bill Engvall Show casts the Blue Collar Comedy headliner as Bill Pearson, a family counselor whose own family is unpredictable, somewhat absurd and a little mixed up themselves. Nancy Travis plays his wife, Susan, who is trying to make sure their three children turn out all right. Filling out the rest of the family, Jennifer Lawrence plays Bill and Susan’s teenage daughter, Lauren, while their sons are played by Graham Patrick Martin as Trent, a sports and video game enthusiast, and Skyler Gisondo as Bryan, a musically talented neat freak with a pet snake. Tim Meadows and Steve Hytner co-star as Bill's best friends.
Today we will give our preview of what we think the nominations for the Emmy's will look like. The real nominations are tomorrow (Thursday) morning, so we will give you those then. But for now...here are our predictions for the main acting categories for the 59th Annual Emmy Awards:
BEST COMEDY SERIES Desperate Housewives (ABC) The Office (NBC) Ugly Betty (ABC) 30 Rock (NBC) Entourage (HBO) MY THOUGHTS: Two and a Half Men, Weeds or Scrubs could sneak in. The winner will be Ugly Betty or The Office, I think.
BEST COMEDY ACTOR Tony Shalhoub, Monk (USA Network) Steve Carell, The Office (NBC) Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (NBC) Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men (CBS) Zach Braff, Scrubs (NBC) MY THOUGHTS: Braff could be left off again and maybe Jason Lee will be in. Eric Mabius is a long shot.
BEST COMEDY ACTRESS America Ferrera, Ugly Betty (ABC) Teri Hatcher, Desperate Housewives (ABC) Mary Louise Parker, Weeds (Showtime) Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives (ABC) Tina Fey, 30 Rock (NBC) MY THOUGHTS: Marcia Cross could be in here. Look for this category to be almost totally different than last year. Ferrera will be the favorite.
BEST SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTOR Kevin Dillion, Entourage (HBO) John Cryer, Two and a Half Men (CBS) Rainn Wilson, The Office (NBC) Michael Urie, Ugly Betty (ABC) Jeremy Piven, Entourage (HBO) MY THOUGHTS: Tough category. HBO and NBC stars will rule this list. Urie will be the huge underdog.
BEST SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTRESS Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty (ABC) Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds (Showtime) Jamie Pressly, My Name is Earl (NBC) Nicollette Sheridan, Desperate Housewives (ABC) Jenna Fischer, The Office (NBC) MY THOUGHTS: Nicollette better get nominated this year! She was great again. Other ladies who can get nods are Becki Newton, Conchata Ferrell and the great Kathryn Joosten.
BEST DRAMA SERIES Lost (ABC) Friday Night Lights (NBC) Grey's Anatomy (ABC) The Sopranos (HBO) Heroes (NBC) MY THOUGHTS: Tough category. House could get snubbed this year. Brothers & Sisters could be in here over FNL. 24 had a bad year.
BEST DRAMA ACTOR Hugh Laurie, House (FOX) James Spader, Boston Legal (ABC) James Gandolfini, The Sopranos (HBO) Denis Leary, Rescue Me (FOX) Michael C. Hall, Dexter (Showtime) MY THOUGHTS: Kyle Chandler and Kiefer Sutherland would not be surprises if they get nominated. Patrick Dempsey and Matthew Fox are long shots.
BEST DRAMA ACTRESS Edie Falco, The Sopranos (HBO) Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters (ABC) Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer (TNT) Minnie Driver, The Riches (FX) Ellen Pompeo, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) MY THOUGHTS: I think Pompeo will make it this year. Connie Britton, Calista Flockhart or Patricia Arquette could also sneak in.
BEST SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTOR Terry O'Quinn, Lost (ABC) William Shatner, Boston Legal (ABC) Masi Oka, Heroes (NBC) Michael Imperioli, The Sopranos (HBO) Michael Emerson, Lost (ABC) MY THOUGHTS: Please give the nomination and win to O'Quinn. He deserves it.
BEST SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTRESS Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters (ABC) Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Patricia Wettig, Brothers & Sisters (ABC) Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Lorraine Bracco, The Sopranos (HBO) MY THOUGHTS: ABC will rule this category. Chandra Wilson and Elizabeth Mitchell could also be here.
Nominations are announced tomorrow morning. Come on back here and we will give you the official nominations and you can compare those to our picks!
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