Anna Torv

After last week's super-sized premiere of Fringe, Tuesday's episode was the first chance to see what the show might look like on a weekly basis. Well, sort of. There was a lot of clunky recap in this episode, most of it crammed into the first 10 minutes. ("And now we're working with Walter Bishop, a scientist with questionable ethics who up until recently was institutionalized in a mental facility." "Yes, and also with his son, a college dropout with an IQ of 190.") It's a problem a lot of second episodes run into, but I still did a lot of eyerolling at the beginning.

The episode picked up after that, though, moving to the next case in The Pattern and some revelations about Walter Bishop's science and Peter Bishop's very being. To see what I made of it all and add your thoughts, just read more

In this weird TV season, Fringe has been one of the few shows to get any buzz — partially because of the talent involved, partially because it leaked online, and partially because it's one of the only pilots critics got to see. With the 95-minute first episode out of the way, I can't wait to hear what you all made of it. Is it the next great sci-fi show — or a ripoff of The X-Files and all others that came before it?

A couple of nonspoilery thoughts first: I think Fringe would have been fine with a regular hour-long pilot. Parts of this supersized episode dragged for me — though, granted, the draggy parts were sandwiched between a strong opening and a ridiculously action-packed ending. Also, if there's a hero of the episode for me, it's Joshua Jackson. His character, Peter, is a genius with a gambling problem, daddy issues, and a sarcastic attitude. And he's also a total badass! He takes down a key suspect by punching him in the face, then elicits a confession by crushing the dude's hand with a coffee mug. He's the most fun character to watch so far.

Now, to talk about the mysteries of Fringe, just read more

From the overall lack of new shows to the low number of pilots the networks have sent out (thanks again, writers' strike), it's been a weird Fall TV season when it comes to recommending new series. Tonight, though, marks the premiere of two shows I can speak highly of for very different reasons: Fringe on Fox and Privileged on The CW.

Let's take Fringe first. This is Fall's big, high-concept, much-anticipated series from JJ Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci — you know, the guys behind little projects like Lost and Transformers and Star Trek. It also had one of the more expensive pilots of the year (rumored to be $10 million for about 90 minutes), and it shows, with explosions, science-y effects, and cattle (yes, cattle). As I wrote earlier, Fringe focuses on three characters — an FBI agent (Anna Torv), a genius mad scientist (John Noble), and his slacker-genius son (Joshua Jackson) — who get sucked into the mysteries of fringe science, aka cloning, mind reading, etc. Abrams has said he wants the show to be less all-consuming than Lost or Alias while still telling interesting stories, and though the pilot didn't click 100 percent for me, I'm hooked enough to want to see more.

Privileged, on the other hand, is just cute. JoAnna Garcia oozes charm as Megan Smith, the tutor to two Palm Beach heiresses (Ashley Newbrough and Lucy Kate Hale), and her sparkle is reason enough to tune in. The pilot wasn't perfect, and it left a lot of things up in the air (like why a Yale grad would take a tutoring job without even laying eyes on the kids), but since I first watched it, it's settled into my mind like a pleasant memory. It's not the funniest show on TV this Fall, or the most clever, or the best written — but it's undoubtedly the sweetest, and that should count for something.

Fringe starts at 8 p.m. tonight (though it will regularly air at 9), and Privileged premieres at 9 p.m. Will you be watching either? To check out trailers for both, just read more

Joshua Jackson didn't seem to mind the Summer temperatures as he posed for photos in NYC on Sunday before putting on layered cardigans for last night's Fringe premiere party with his costars. He looked great both ways, though Joshua is more than happy to let his girlfriend Diane Kruger take credit for his stellar style even when she's not by his side. He opened up to InStyle about his newfound appreciation for clothes and his recent immersion in the world of high fashion. Here's more:

• On how Diane has affected his wardrobe: "When you're dating a European woman, the slovenly way of dressing will not do. But the reality is, I've also grown up a lot in the last five years, and not getting dressed up is partly teenage rebellion. I obviously held on to that for too long. But I don't want to get into wearing the uniform of the thirty-year-old actor either: the beanie guy, the scarf guy. It defeats the purpose of individual expression. If I ever have a fashion relapse, Diane lets me know."
• On awkward celebrity run-ins: "My first Cannes experience was my first true fashion moment. The tradition is that the director escorts his leading lady up the stairs — which left me dateless. So my 'date' for the evening became Karl Lagerfeld. There's little Canadian me sitting next to Karl Lagerfeld for four and a half hours. It was pretty comical."

For more of Joshua's thoughts on style, his childhood, and his new show Fringe, just read more

The networks have announced their Fall schedules, but which of the series will actually be worth watching? This Summer, as the networks release their pilots, I'll be posting my first impressions. A lot can change before a show makes it to air — especially this year, when the writers' strike severely gummed up the production of pilots — so consider these just some quick thoughts on how the shows look now. Today's installment: Fox's Fringe, which will air Tuesdays this Fall after House.

What's it about? After a creepy incident on an airplane (creator JJ Abrams seems to like those), an FBI agent ends up getting sucked into the world of fringe science, which essentially uses humankind as one large laboratory for exploring cloning, mind reading, and the like.

Who's in it? Joshua Jackson, Anna Torv, John Noble, Lance Reddick, Blair Brown

The good: The first episode does quick work of establishing the premise, the characters, and their central conflicts while also dropping some hints as to the mythology (and cool science-y plot twists) that will likely develop later. Jackson and Noble are great as a dysfunctional father-son team, grudgingly interacting again after years of silence. Two actors in relatively smaller roles — Lance Reddick as a Department of Homeland Security agent and Blair Brown as the head of science corporation Massive Dynamic — carry a lot of the weight of setting up the series' framework and do an outstanding job with it.

The bad: The pilot is super-sized (just under 90 minutes), and I'm not sure it needed to be. Some of the middle section dragged, which prevented me from being as completely wowed by the show as I'd hoped. I'm still not sure I completely understand Noble's character (he was borderline deranged at the start, then just kind of quirky by show's end), but that could have been intentional, since part of the premise is that he is a bit of a wild card.

Will I watch? Absolutely. A lot goes down in the final 15 minutes, and it was enough to make me want to see where the story leads.

To check out a preview and see a gallery of photos, just read more

Joshua Jackson had a big smile on his face hanging out with a pretty blonde yesterday, but it wasn't his usual companion Diane Kruger. He was all dressed up for a photo shoot in NYC with his newest co-star, Anna Torv, who will be appearing with him on Fringe in the Fall. With a few months to go before pilot season, we can't wait to see if Josh and his adorable smirk can turn another TV show into a classic.

Ramey

Fox just revealed its Fall and mid-season schedules, including the addition of big new sci-fi dramas, the return of 24 (complete with that two-our prequel airing in November) and a new comedy. Now that I've had a chance to think about the schedule and watch some clips, here are my thoughts:

• In the Fall, Tuesday night will be pretty darn cool with the return of House followed by the new J.J. Abrams thriller Fringe. I'm excited about this new Abrams series — based on the clips I've seen it looks like The X-Files meets Lost with a tiny bit of Alias sprinkled in. Plus a lot of needles. The mood is dark and tense but the oh-so-adorable Joshua Jackson is back to his wise-cracking ways.
• Joss Whedon's Dollhouse will not arrive until mid-season and will be paired up with 24. Between that and their big Tuesday night, Fox is going to be dishing out a ton of sci-fi dramas. I'm OK with this since the sci-fi genre lends itself to great characters and gives us a bit of everything: romance, intrigue, mystery, action, even comedy. I think it's a smart type of show to stock up on, especially from the folks who do it best (Abrams, Whedon).
• One interesting thing to note for Dollhouse and Fringe is that they are both what Fox is calling "remote free TV." They promise to have significantly fewer commercials through the entire run of their seasons. Also, both dramas are introducing what they described as "ingénues" in Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse) and Anna Torv (Fringe). Who knows? Maybe these ladies will become the next Jennifer Garner or Gillian Anderson.
• I really love Niecy Nash and think the premise of the new comedy Do Not Disturb is cute (as is Jerry O'Connell). I'm not totally sold on whether or not it's built to last, but I'll cross my fingers. I did see some clips of Mitchell Hurwitz's first animated comedy, Sit Down, Shut Up, and wiped away some tears from laughing. The cast of voices is great, though we've got a while before that one's on the air.

I've got some clips and photos from both new shows this fall, and you can check them out if you read more

Remember how excited we were when Joshua Jackson got a guest-starring role on Grey's Anatomy? Well, brace yourselves for this news: Soon, you'll be able to see him every single week.

Jackson — that's Pacey Witter to you, or at least to me — will play one of the leads in Fringe, the new series that JJ Abrams is producing for Fox. He'll play Peter Bishop, the estranged son of the brilliant but crazy research scientist — he's been described as Frankenstein meets Einstein — at the center of the show. The father role will be played by John Noble of The Lord of the Rings movies, and Australian actress Anna Torv will star as the third main character, an FBI agent who helps reunite father and son. Together, the three form an elite unit investigating paranormal mysteries.

Ghosts, Abrams, family drama, and Pacey? This is better than I could have hoped for! The show is currently filming its two-hour pilot with a rumored budget of $10 million, and it's already been given a series order for next season.

By the way, that Grey's stint only didn't happen because of the writers' strike. If the show goes back into production at the end of the strike — which is seeming more and more likely — will we get to see him after all? Cross your fingers!

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