60th Primetime Emmy Awards Winners; ION Adds More Warner Bros. Movies; New TV Season Begins Tonight

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)

See complete list of winners.

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!

CBS Fall Pilot Review: Gary Unmarried - Premieres September 24; Our 2008 Emmy Awards Picks

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.

Cast Details:

* Jay Mohr as Gary Brooks
* Paula Marshall as Allison Brooks
* Jaime King as Vanessa Flood
* Ryan Malgarini as Tom Brooks
* Ed Begley Jr. as Dr. Walter Crandall
* Al Madrigal as Dennis Lopez
* Kathryn Newton as Louise Brooks

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.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 4/5
Funniness: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5

-- Reviewed by Todd on 09/19/08

Discuss the show after you watch it on Wednesday, September 24 on our message board.

Related Links:

CBS.com Official Site

Gary Unmarried Fan Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

Gary Unmarried Photo Gallery

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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.

TV's Greatest Sets Recreated at Emmys; New Features at Retroality.TV Include Perfect Strangers Feature

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!

ABC Family's 10th Annual 13 Days of Halloween for 2008; Television's Most Memorable Moments Down to Top 20 Finalists

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 September 2008 Schedule; Your Memorable TV Moments At This Year's Emmys

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!

60th Annual Emmy Awards Nominations; Summer 2008 TCA Press Tour: ABC, Day 2

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. Lost wise 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!

Summer 2008 TCA Press Tour: ABC, Day 1; Our Emmy Picks

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!

Fox Fall Pilot Review: Back to You - Premieres September 19th; 59th Annual Emmy Awards Winners

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.

Cast Details:

Kelsey Grammer as Chuck Darling, Patricia Heaton as Kelly Carr, Fred Willard as Marsh McGinley, Ty Burrell as Gary Crezyzewski, Josh Gad as Ryan Church, Ayda Field as Montana Diaz Herrera, Laura Marano as Gracie Carr

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.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 4.5/5
Funniness: 4.5/5
Overall: 4.5/5

-- Reviewed by Todd Fuller on 09/17/07

Discuss the show after you watch it on Wednesday on our message board.

Related Links:

FOX.com Official Site

Back to You Online

Back to You Anchorizer

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

Back to You Photo Gallery

---

And now I'll throw it back to you, Pavan...

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

Full list of winners can be found HERE!

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.