Is it bad that some of my favorite moments during The Secret Life of the American Teenager come when ABC Family airs the promos for the upcoming new season of Greek? I've made no secret of my love for this show, and the first season ended on such a high — and suspenseful — note that I'm more excited than ever for it to return this month.
Could my ever-growing Greek obsession have anything to do with the news that Lauren Conrad's joining the show for an episode, or the fact that the cast was absolutely adorable partying together each other at the TCA press tour? Possibly. But mostly I just think Greek has a lot going for it: a great mix of humor, drama, self-awareness, and on-point pop culture references deployed at exactly the right moments. I can't remember the last time I got invested in a show so fully and so fast — and I watch a lot of TV.
Plus, this is just a great promo. There are boys in cheerleading skirts. There are hugs and tears. And there's a boy — but who? — opening the door at the end for one very nervous-looking Casey. Anyone else have a big circle around Aug. 26 on your calendar? To watch the promo, just read more
Variety has issued its annual Women's Impact Report, highlighting women who have made an impression at all levels of entertainment. Just like last year, the list includes executive powerhouses, household-name performers, and lesser-known talents. Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be spotlighting some of the women whom I find particularly noteworthy. Today's pick: producer Stephanie Savage.
Josh Schwartz gets most of the credit for The OC and Gossip Girl, but Savage, his co-producer, should get a ton of credit for Schwartz being a phenom in the first place. As the Variety profile points out, she was working for McG's production company when she "plucked Josh Schwartz from obscurity" and gave him a chance to run The OC.
That move made Schwartz a household name, but Savage has stayed more behind the scenes. Still, it gave her a boost as well: With Schwartz's help, she segued into writing, and now she carries a lot of the weight for Gossip Girl when Schwartz is looking after Chuck. She told Variety she loves writing about teens; to see what she had to say about them, just read more
Apparently, this is really going to happen: ABC plans to make a TV series based on the Jennifer Lopez movie Maid in Manhattan. The Hollywood Reporter has more details:
The hourlong dramedy, which is getting a put pilot commitment, is not a remake of the hit feature. . .The lead in the TV version will still be a young Latina from the Bronx working at a Manhattan hotel who tries to make it in the world. But the series will focus mostly on her relationships with co-workers.
Writer Chad Hodge apparently connected with the idea for the show, saying, "I imagine being a writer in Hollywood is often very similar to being a maid in Manhattan." Somehow. . . I doubt that.
Jennifer Lopez has been "very involved, providing 'a fountain of ideas,' Hodge said. 'She will be very integral in the pilot and series.'" The network figures this series will be a good one to pair up with Ugly Betty because, as the article puts it, Betty "also centers on a hardworking young Latina in New York with big dreams."
I'm all for the hardworking young Latina-driven TV shows, but Maid in Manhattan? Seriously? Huh.
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Some of the best comedy provocatively pushes the envelope, and when done well, it can allow us to not take life too seriously. But sometimes it can go really wrong, and feel less like a keen observation and more just mean-spirited. There is a thin line that certain comedic movies walk between hilarious and offensive. As
Tropic Thunder, with
all its controversies, hits the theaters, I was reminded of other comedies in recent years that were met with some protest. Controversy doesn't always affect ticket sales, though sometimes over-the-line comedy seems to influence the way a movie is received. To see some examples, just hit "Start."
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One of my saddest moments at Sundance this year was not being able to get into a screening of Phoebe in Wonderland, which looks like a darkly whimsical, adorably bizarre film all about the incredible imagination of a little girl. The girl at the heart of it is Phoebe (played by Elle Fanning), who is talented, gifted, and obsessed with a powerful fantasy life. She has trouble with her rule-filled world, and finds relief and inspiration in her quirky teacher (Patricia Clarkson). Felicity Huffman and Bill Pullman play Phoebe's frustrated parents.
We already got a tiny taste of the movie, which opens in limited release Sept. 12, and this new trailer for it makes me a little weepy (perhaps it's the use of both "Everybody Hurts" by REM and "Imagine"). To see it for yourself, read more
Temperley London
Christine Bec
Just Cavalli