RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT: A PREVIEW OF NEW SHOWS & RENEWALS

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Television

May 14, 2007

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This week, the television industry is participating in what is called the Upfronts.

We will find out which of our favorite shows have been picked up for another season, and also hear about new series’ that may or may not be given the green light.

Here is a tentative preview, followed by news about existing shows.  Keep in mind that at any moment, the cast and plot of any given show below might change before debuting in the fall.  

NEW SHOWS

Babylon Fields
CBS
Joan of Arcadia’s Amber Tamblyn plays a woman that went to heaven and came back from the dead. Pilot directed by Michael Cuesta (Dexter, Six Feet Under).  

Back to You
FOX
Kelsey Grammer (Frasier) and Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) play news anchors that have a love/hate relationship. Was called Action News until recently. Pilot written by Christopher Lloyd (not the actor, the Frasier scribe) and Steven Levitan (Just Shoot Me), and directed by James Burrows (Will & Grace).

Big Shots
If the women of Sex and the City were top male execs, this would be that show.  With Michael Vartan (Vaughn from Alias) and Dylan McDermott. Was called Perfect Gentleman until recently. Pilot written by Jon Harmon Feldman (Reunion) and directed by Charles McDougall (The Office).

Bionic Woman
NBC
British actress Michelle Ryan stars an athlete with super strength. With Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica). UPDATE: Click here to watch a preview on YouTube.

Cashmere Mafia
ABC
Does this sound familiar – four friends, set in NYC, created by Darren Star?  It is Sex and the City, but this time the four women are executives.  Lucy Liu, Miranda Otto (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), Bonnie Somerville (Kitchen Confidential ) and Frances O’Connor (AI).  Pilot written by movie scribe Kevin Wade (Maid in Manhattan, Working Girl) and directed by movie director Peyton Reed (The Break-Up).

Chuck
NBC
Computer geek with spy secrets implanted in his brain becomes a government agent. From the writer and director of The O.C.  UPDATE: Click here to watch a preview on YouTube.

Dirty Sexy Money
ABC
This is the one, mark my words. From the mind of Craig Wright, the man who wrote for Six Feet Under AND Lost. Stars Six Feet Under’s Peter Krause stars as the lawyer to a rich, scandal-prone family. Pilot directed by Peter Horton (Brothers & Sisters ). With Samaire Armstrong (Entourage, The O.C.), Donald Sutherland, Jill Clayburgh, William Baldwin and Brooke Smith (a.k.a. the girl in the well in Silence of the Lambs).

Eli Stone  
ABC
From Everwood creator/Brothers & Sisters producer Greg Berlanti, who describes it as follows: “a Field of Dreams-type drama set in a law firm where a 30-something attorney begins having larger-than-life visions that compel him to do out-of-the-ordinary things.” With Jonny Lee Miller (a.k.a. the ex Mr. Angelina Jolie), Loretta Devine (the chief’s wife on Grey’s Anatomy) and Victor Garber (Alias).

Journeyman
NBC
A reporter time-travels to help people in trouble. UPDATE: Click here to watch a preview on YouTube.

Life
NBC
Detective serves prison term for crime he didn’t commit and is given a second chance on the force after being released. UPDATE: Click here to watch a preview on YouTube.

Lipstick Jungle
NBC
A show about 3 of New York’s 50 Most Powerful Women. From the writer and producer of Sex and the City. Brooke Shields, Kim Raver (24, The Nine) and Lindsay Price (Pepper Dennis).

Los Duques
CBS
Being billed as the Latin version of Brothers & Sisters. With Jimmy Smits, Nester Carbonell (a.k.a. Richard Alpert on Lost), Hector Elizondo, and Rita Moreno. UPDATE: This show has been officially named Cane.

The IT Crowd
NBC
Adaptation of a British comedy about geeks in the IT department of a large corporation. Stars Joel McHale (who hosts The Soup on E!) and Rocky Carroll (Chicago Hope). Pilot written by Just Shoot Me alum David Guarascio and Joe Port.  

Miss/Guided
ABC
Comedy about woman who returns to work at her high school as a guidance counselor. It’s about time that Judy Greer (Arrested Development) got her own show! An Ashton Kutcher production. Pilot directed by Todd Holland (Malcolm in the Middle, Wonderfalls).

Nurses
FOX
Grey’s Anatomy, but with a focus on nurses rather than interns. Starring Sara Rue (Less Than Perfect) and Eliza Dushku (Tru Calling), with Carlos Bernard (24) and Lynn Redgrave. Pilot written by Return to Me screenwriters Samantha Goodman and Andrew Stern.

Private Practice
ABC
This is the Grey’s Anatomy spin-off, following Addison (Kate Walsh) to LA. Written by series creator Shonda Rimes and Buffy scribe Marti Noxon.

Pushing Daisies
ABC
Everyday guy has the power to bring people back to life. From Heroes/Dead Like Me/Wonderfalls writer and producer Bryan Fuller.  Pilot directed by Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black).

Sam I Am
ABC
A psychiatrist coming out of a coma doesn’t remember that she wasn’t a nice person. Starring Christina Applegate, with Jean Smart (24) and Jennifer Esposito (Related ).

The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Follows the life of Sarah and John Connor after Terminator 2.  Starring Lena Headey (300) and Thomas Dekker (a.k.a. Claire’s not-gay friend Zach on Heroes). Pilot written by film scribe Josh Friedman (War of the Worlds) and directed by David Nutter (The X-Files).

Swingtown
CBS
Swinging couples in the 70’s [and I don’t mean dancing]. With Molly Parker (Deadwood), Grant Show (Melrose Place) and Jack Davenport (a.k.a. Norrington from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies). Pilot written by Mike Kelley (The O.C.) and directed by Alan Poul (Six Feet Under).

Them
FOX
Aliens who fall in love with humans (only on FOX). But at least the pilot was directed by Jonathan Mostow (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines) and co-written by David Eick (Battlestar Galactica).

Viva Laughlin
British import is about a family that runs a casino. Stars Hugh Jackman! With Melanie Griffith. Pilot directed by Gabriele Muccino (The Pursuit of Happyness).

CURRENT SHOWS

Friday Night Lights
NBC
Has been renewed (sweet!), and will air next season on…Friday nights. UPDATE: Unfortunately, the show will air at 10pm on Friday nights. WTF?? Why renew it if just to bury it in a dead zone of viewership?!

Heroes
NBC
In addition to the show being renewed, there will be a spin-off called Heroes: Origins. We will meet a new set of characters that discover their special abilities. The difference is that we will get to choose our favorite new hero (a la American Idol), and the winner will then join the cast of Heroes during the 2008-09 season.

The Office
NBC
Has been renewed, and there will 5 hour-long episodes next season. UPDATE: NBC is killing me. They’ve moved The Office to 9pm on Thursdays…opposite Grey’s Anatomy.

Scrubs
NBC
Has been renewed.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
NBC
Has not been renewed. Such a damn shame.

More later this week, after other networks present the new and renew the old….

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(WALK)OFF THE CUST; HOMERUN HERO IN OAKLAND

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Sports

May 13, 2007

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There’s nothing more beautiful than a walk-off homerun on a Sunday afternoon.

The A’s have a new man in town, Jack Cust. He’s so new to the team that there isn’t even an official team photo of him in an A’s uniform online yet.

Cust won the game today by hitting a homerun in the 9th inning with two out and two on. Not only was it his first walk-off homerun, it was his 6th homerun in only 26 at-bats as a member of the Oakland A’s; almost one for every game he’s played on this team. Who does that?? The most infuriating part is that no one is talking about it outside of Oakland. Not ESPN, not MLB. Unbelievable. 

The guy was just acquired to replace Mike Piazza at DH while he’s on the DL. Even if just for the week, it’s nice to have a new hero in the green & gold.

Now hopefully that mojo will transfer across the parking lot into Oracle Arena as the Warriors begin Game 4 in a few minutes…

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BEN IS BANANAS, B-A-N-A-N-A-S: MORE THOUGHTS ABOUT LOST, EPISODE 3.20

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LOST, Television

May 11, 2007

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I had a rare afternoon off. But did I go out and enjoy the sunshine? Hell no. I headed right to my laptop to post additional thoughts about Wednesday night’s insane episode of Lost.  

Hello, my name is Jo, and this is my life.

Sigh.

I’d like to give credit to my friend Sara B, who pointed out yet another Wizard of Oz reference. Both Locke and Ben had mothers named Emily…as in Auntie Em (which was short for Emily). Nice catch!

I believe that Locke will survive. The man donated a kidney, was thrown out of an 8-story window, survived a plane crash and was spared by the Black Smoke Monster. What’s a little gun shot to the gut, especially when you have the island on your side?

Back in Season One, Locke was captured by the Black Smoke Monster, but it didn’t kill him. He said he had wanted to face the Black Smoke because he felt like it was testing him…just like Ben and/or Jacob are.   

Since Alex knew to give Locke a gun before his journey with Ben, does that mean that she’ll be the one to find/rescue him? Or will it be her LLM (Long Lost Mommy), Rousseau?

When Ben’s mom appeared to him in the jungle, was that yet another manifestation of the Black Smoke Monster?

Does Juliet know about Ben’s past, about what he did to his people?

If Jacob really is in charge, and Ben reported to him, how were his orders communicated? Did Ben hike up to his cabin every week? Does Jacob manifest himself into a familiar form to contact him?

Just what was Ben doing for 10 years in between meeting Richard and killing off the Dharma folks?

Are the whispers those of the deceased Dharma inhabitants, trying to communicate with/warn the living?

Why couldn’t Ben hear what Jacob said to Locke if he was just having a conversation with the man? I think Ben was only pretending to talk to Jacob, was surprised and pissed that Jacob spoke to Locke, and thus panicked and shot him.

It can’t be a coincidence that Jacob had a painting of a dog and Vincent is the only dog that we’ve seen on the island. After all, his owner, Walt, is ‘special.’

Did the Others know that Locke was going to be shot and/or killed? When Locke told them that Ben was taking him to see Jacob, they all seemed to freeze in fear. Perhaps others have tried to meet or speak to Jacob and never returned. But then why did they always refer to the infamous HIM as a ‘great man?’

The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that it was a line of gunpowder up near Jacob’s cabin. And Rousseau had just retrieved a fresh batch of dynamite from the Black Rock…

Then again, if it was dynamite gunpowder, Ben didn’t seem surprised to see it there…which would indicate that he is working with Rousseau…who could have informed him that someone other than Locke killed his father in the Black Rock…which could be why Ben shot Locke. The problem with this theory is that Rousseau would know about Alex if she was working with Ben. And I don’t believe they’ve interacted…yet.

I didn’t even notice this when I wrote it last night…Peter Pan’s LOST Boys are immortal. Those producers are quite well-read and clever.  

THE HOSTILES

How did the Hostiles get through the sonic barrier when they attacked the Dharma village during that school day?? Ben wasn’t working with them at that point, so either someone else from Dharma provided the daily code or they went up and over it.

Where did Ben and the Hostiles get the teargas and masks? Obviously Dharma stocked them in bulk. But why? Did they use it to fight the Hostiles and the Black Smoke Monster?

Was Jacob the de facto leader of the island in the pre-Dharma days? Is he a Hostile? Why is it that Richard and the Others have never seen him?

If Richard was an original island Hostile, why is it that he’s Ben go-to guy for traveling back and forth to the real world? He would have to have some serious training in the ways of the world and technology. If Ben was the only leftover Dharma person, did he really train Hostiles to operate a submarine and communications station, among other things?

At what point did Ben and Richard create Mittelos Bioscience? That was the front that they used to recruit Juliet. Is that how they rebuilt the new team that is currently known as the Others?

Not all of the Hostiles became Others under Ben’s regime. Eko and Jin spied the dirty feet of a few of them, including the kid dragging the teddy bear behind him. How is it that they avoid assimilation into Ben’s new world and now roam freely and separately from the Others?

Did Ben sarcastically say to Richard, “You do remember birthdays, don’t you?” because he knows that birthdays are irrelevant to the immortal Hostiles?

Obviously Dharma teams were on the island long before Ben and his dad arrived. They built the hatches, housing, and security system. How is it that they were able to do this without any trouble from the Hostiles?

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BIRTHDAY BOY & THE BOGEYMAN: LOST, EPISODE 3.20 – “THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN”

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LOST, Television

May 10, 2007

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Holy…

What the?! Seriously?

Get yourself an espresso, this is going to be a long one…

I know that people are going to freak out about the supernatural element and complain about Jacob, but I’d like to remind everyone that we’ve been religiously following a show featuring an unknown, murderous smoke being…so this isn’t as out there as it might seem.

Let’s get this out of the way. There have been numerous Wizard of Oz references on Lost, none more obvious than the title of this episode, ‘The Man Behind the Curtain.’

And now we have several nods to Alice in Wonderland.
 
1. Look at the outfit that Ben’s mom was wearing in the jungle; a blue dress and headband (much like both the Dorothy and Alice characters).

2. The wooden doll that Annie made for Ben is also wearing a similar blue dress.


[SIDENOTE: I realize that I switched the episode numbers; 3.20 should be on the left, and 3.04 should be on the right. But I'm entirely too lazy to open PhotoShop, so I'm just acknowledging the error instead.]

3. Remember that in Season One, Locke told Jack to follow the white rabbit (his dead father)….Ben was following his dead mother. Carrying a white rabbit. The same rabbit, mind you, that Ben used to show Sawyer the effects of a rapid heart beat.
 
BEN

Ben and Locke both have mothers named Emily. I immediately jumped to the conclusion that Ben and Locke were brothers…but then I remembered that we met Locke’s mom in a Season 1 flashback and saw Ben’s mom die last night.  Entirely different actresses and women. Doh! Still, it’s an interesting coincidence.

Why couldn’t Ben hear what Jacob said to Locke?  

We were led to believe that Ben was a leader, that he was self-righteous about who was ‘good’ and who was ‘bad.’ And now we know that he is a psychopath who organized the genocide of an entire village with no remorse. That is one dark corner to turn. The man eradicated his own people.

So now we know that Ben wasn’t born on the island. That is why he healed quickly from the spinal surgery, and not because of his proximity to Locke. But why didn’t the island heal his tumor in the first place?

Ben’s mom died giving birth to him…but they weren’t on the island. They were in Oregon. So…

Is Ben the reason that women on the island die during childbirth? Did he bring in a new team who injected them with something that actually killed the mothers rather than saved them? Does he want other kids to feel how he did, responsible for the death of their mothers? It might sound crazy, but we did just learn how evil he really is.

So Ben killed his dad and challenged Locke to do the same. Was he testing him to see if he too was capable of killing his own people for the sake of the island?

Does Ben know that Locke didn’t actually kill his dad, that he had Sawyer do it?

Both of Ben’s parents died on his birthday; his mom on the day he was born, and his dad when he killed him as part of The Purge.

Was Ben really surprised to a) see that Mikhail was alive, b) hear about Naomi’s arrival via parachute and c) find out that his tape recorder had gone missing?

JACOB

Someone (with a LOT more time on their hands) captured a brief screen shot of the infamous Jacob. So he IS real…and his profile kind of resembles John Locke with hair. Or John Malkovich.

Jacob said ‘help me’ to Locke. I don’t think he was asking, I think he was offering. Jacob knows all about Locke’s bond with the island and his healing powers, so he wants to join forces. Which, of course, would put Ben out to pasture. Thus, Ben shot Locke.

Did Jacob ever make that list? Knowing what we know now, I believe that Ben created it based on his knowledge and research about the survivors of Flight 815.

Is Jacob the Black Smoke Monster? He can be invisible when he wants to, which would make him an easy shape shifter. He and Ben are both trying to rid the island of those they deem unworthy, and the Black Smoke Monster has certainly done its part.

What the hell was in Jacob’s Unabomber shack? What was the red substance in the jars? What’s with the painting of the dog?

RICHARD

Besides Richard, are there any other former Hostiles among Ben’s current group of Others?

What’s the deal with Richard? He hasn’t aged much. Is the island a fountain of youth too?  This has shades of the Lost Boys from Peter Pan…

Why isn’t Richard the leader of the current Others? Was he actually born on the island? Was he the leader of the Hostiles? Why are they still in hiding? Did any or all of them convert to Dharma along with Richard? Is he waiting for the right moment to supersede Ben’s waning power?

Did Richard take Ben in because he found out he was special, that he could see his deceased mother on the island? Sounds just like Ben, who took Locke under his wing once he discovered that the island healed and spoke to Locke.

LOCKE

Did Ben shoot Locke with the gun that Alex gave to Locke, or did he have his own?

Will Locke survive the gunshot wound because the island heals him?

If Ben truly wanted to kill Locke, he would have shot him in the head. Is he just testing the island to see if it will heal Locke?

ROUSSEAU

What happened to little Annie? Did evil Ben kill her too? Is/was she Alex’s mom, or is Rousseau? Could Annie be Rousseau?

Rousseau talked about ‘the sickness’ in Season One. Could it have been the teargas?? Either she was an Other or her crew stumbled upon the island right as Ben was gassing the village.

QUESTIONS

Were women on the island able to give birth and live BEFORE the Purge?

Could teargas, even in mass quantities, really kill that many people over such a wide area in an open space like that? How was the gas dispersed to those outside of their homes? Most of the deceased were lying in positions which seem to indicate that it was very quick, with no time to think or struggle.

Why would Ben and/or the Hostiles leave the Dharma bodies lying in an open grave? You would think that the current Others might stumble upon it and start asking questions or figure it out.

Why did it seem like there was an earthquake when the Hostiles were attacking the Dharma village? What shook the ground? They were creating a fake volcano in the Dharma classroom. Are we to now believe that there is a dormant volcano on the island?

Was that ash (from the alleged island volcano) or gunpowder (from the dynamite in the Black Rock) surrounding Jacob’s cabin? Who put it there?

At the end of last season, Ben sent Michael and Walt away on a small boat with coordinates to be rescued. Could they be anywhere near the location where Naomi’s ship is supposedly stationed? Have they been rescued by her crew?

So, Ben and Richard oversaw the extinction of the Dharma folks on the island. And yet the Dharma supplies and food drops continue? Were the Dharma people back in the real world suspicious of this new leadership or even know about it?

Last season we saw Eko discover a few Dharma bodies in the polar bear cave. Were they killed separately from the mass gas? Did the Hostiles seek out and kill every single Dharma person except for Ben? Did they let the Dharma animals loose to help rid the island of their caretakers?

When the tape was played on the beach, why was there so little reaction from Sun (who found out that the Others were coming to kidnap her) and Kate (who found out she might be pregnant)?  

REPEAT THEMES

Add another to the growing list of those on the island with serious daddy issues: Ben.

Oh look, another dead relative made an appearance: Ben’s mom.

And Dr. Candle/Dr. Wickman and his one good arm were in yet another Orientation video.

THEORY NOT RELATED TO THIS EPISODE

Stay with me here…

Juliet was sleeping with Goodwin. Goodwin was dispatched to the Tail Section after the crash to infiltrate the survivors. Ana Lucia killed Goodwin when she discovered that he was an Other. Juliet found out that Ana Lucia killed her lover boy. When Michael was captured by the Others, Juliet made sure that one of the conditions of Walt’s return was that he had to kill Ana Lucia. Which would mean that Michael shot and killed Ana Lucia on purpose, and not just because she was guarding Ben in the hatch.

Phew. Not sure where or when that one came to me.

CRAZY THEORY OF THE WEEK

I know I always refer back to this scene, but it has remained a large mystery throughout this season…when Kate was handcuffed and forced to eat breakfast with Ben on the other island, she was told that the next two weeks were going to be very difficult. Ben and Juliet are now convinced that Kate is pregnant. So either they forced her to get vertical with an Other (that might explain the red wrists that resulted from her struggle in handcuffs), or they forced her to choose Sawyer or Jack during that time period, knowing full well that for men on the island, their ‘boys’ swim at five to ten times the normal rate. If this raid on the beach to take the remaining women was Ben’s plan the entire time, then he calculated the time it would take for Kate to get pregnant.

POP CULTURE ASIDES

Ben’s mother was played by his real life wife. Michael Emerson is married to Carrie Preston. Kind of creepy, even though the two never appeared in the same scene.  

Oh, and Ben’s dad and Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite are one in the same.

I’m sure I missed many details, but I had a restless night and a busy day. So send me your thoughts and theories!

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I’M SUCH A GUY SOMETIMES; I LOVE GADGETS, SCI-FI & SUPERHEROES

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General Pop Culture, Heroes, LOST, Television

May 9, 2007

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While I wait for Lost tonight, I thought I’d babble on about various topics.

CELL PHONE

I got a new one…a serious upgrade from my sorry little flip-phone (which was so 2004). I am a smidge geeky, so 24/7 access to email and the Internet is kind of exciting. It’s the black Motorola Q (Verizon), and it’s my new baby.

I definitely need to add some ringtones, and I’m on a search for The Office theme. Do any of you know where I can find it?

HEROES vs. LOST

I truly believe that the freshman year of Heroes might be the best first season of any show on television that I’ve ever watched from start to finish.  Of course Lost is the love of my pop culture life, and they win for Best Pilot Episode Ever, but the entire season of Heroes has been stellar. I don’t actually yell at the TV, or feel confused and/or frustrated each week when I watch that show.  As much as I enjoy obsessing over Lost, I find Heroes to be a refreshing and quite satisfying change of pace.

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