Bionic Woman

• MTV Movie Blog's Josh Horowitz makes his very own Oscars opening montage, and it's rather hilarious.
• Popwatch wants to know: What are the greatest duets of all time?
• The TV Addict jokingly (I hope) imagines what Friday Night Lights might look like on various other networks.
• Cinematical wonders if Jon Stewart will rock the Oscars. What do you think?
• Rolling Stone's Rock & Roll Daily says brace yourself: There's much, much more on the way from Paula Abdul.
• TV with MeeVee wonders who's to blame for the demise of Bionic Woman.
• Stereogum has us take a listen to Janet Jackson sampling Daft Punk in her song "So Much Betta."
• TV Squad weighs in on whether the presidential election is shaping up like The West Wing's final season.

• USA Today is featuring some of the new, vibrant, candy-colored photo stills from the Speed Racer movie.
• TV Bloggin has a steamier version of the Bones-Booth kiss.
• Jason Bateman continues to talk to MTV Movies Blog about the possibility of an Arrested Development movie, and this time he sounds quite hopeful.
• Stereogum has the Michel Gondry-directed video for Bjork's "Declare Independence."
• Need a laugh? Check out some bloopers from the British version of The Office, courtesy of Give Me My Remote.
• FilmExperience brings up a good point: If Juno is nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, it will be "the most youth-skewing entry" in a long time.
• TV Squad explains why things don't look good for Bionic Woman.
• Idolator has a new candy-colored video from The Pipettes.

Michelle Ryan — she's "Bionic Woman" if you don't know her face — has been spotted doing some serious working out at the gym with her trainer. From weight training, to hitting the elliptical to boxing, this girl sure has a well rounded workout, but I guess that is what it takes when you're the "Bionic Woman."

Take it from Ryan and try to switch it up at the gym. Your brain and your muscles will be a lot less bored and you should see results from the variety. Besides, who doesn't love to show that punching bag who's boss from time to time?

While I don't really have a point of reference as to how Ryan looked prior to "Bionic Woman," the girl looks super fit and healthy now!

My girl BuzzSugar got an exclusive interview with Ryan recently, and Ryan gave her the scoop on her exercise and diet. To check the interview out, just read more

All summer long, I've been giving you my first impressions of the networks' new shows. Now, with fall TV upon us, it's time to tell you which shows are deserving of space on your TiVo and which ... well, aren't. Yesterday, I told you about five shows I'll be skipping this fall, and on Monday, I'll be revealing my top five picks for the season. But today, I'm focusing on the shows that could go either way, just as likely to become megahits as they are to sink like stones.

5. "Bionic Woman" — "Bionic" has seen quite a bit of upheaval since the pilot I saw was filmed. One supporting part (the bionic woman's younger sister) has been recast and reconceived, and — just within the past couple of weeks — one of the executive producers left the show. In the version of the pilot I saw, lead actress Michelle Ryan didn't seem to have the sort of fearless toughness you'd want in an action star, and the whole thing seemed surprisingly low-energy. But now, "Friday Night Lights" producer Jason Katims will be consulting on the show, and NBC has ensured a steady stream of publicity by hiring Isaiah Washington for a guest spot. I'm still not confident about this remake, but I think it has an equal chance of being a breakout hit and a flop.

4. "Carpoolers" — I'm really of two minds about "Carpoolers." On the one hand, the whole idea of inane car banter is why I try not to catch rides with casual acquaintances. On the other hand, this pilot made me laugh surprisingly hard, and I'm finding myself rooting for it. The writing may not be completely there yet, but the comic timing from funny guys like Jerry O'Connell, Jerry Minor, Fred Goss, and potential breakout star TJ Miller gives me hope — as does that Phil Collins video. I'm not sure if I see it getting more than a "Knights of Prosperity"-sized following, but if enough people give it a chance, maybe it will be a small hit.

Three more tossups — plus a brand-new clip of the first few minutes of one of them — so read more

Apparently, I would not be a very good candidate for obtaining bionic body parts and saving the world. I've already spent more time than I should probably admit taking the Bionic Aptitude Test NBC has set up to promote its fall series "Bionic Woman." (Side note: How cool is the URL bat-test.com? Seriously.)

Anyway, lest you think that being bionic is easy, I should warn you that these tests are tough. Five short games make up the overall test, and my scores on them ranged from pretty good to completely helpless. The one testing reaction time and hand-eye coordination was my forte, as was the one where you have to memorize a key sequence and type it back (I guess the endless rounds of Simon I played as a kid have paid off). The one that tested how well I processed details in a series of photographs was OK, too. But the other two tests were a bit more disastrous; one involved doing a lot of math quickly (it's only addition and subtraction; I'm just that bad at math), and the other involved typing words using a baffling, non-standard keyboard layout.

In the end, I finished my first round at 49 percent bionic. After several more tries, I've finally edged over 50 percent. But I think it's probably best for everyone if I remain a mere mortal.

Source

If you love TV, and you read Phasekitty's reports from Comic-Con with envy, then here's some good news: NBC filmed the Comic-Con panels for returning favorite "Heroes" and new shows "Chuck" and "Bionic Woman," and highlights from them are now available online.

Even people at Comic-Con couldn't get into the "Heroes" panel, where it was announced that Kevin Smith will direct an episode of "Heroes: Origins." The line wrapped all the way around the convention center — several times. Luckily, the whole thing is available on NBC's video site; start here with part one.

The "Chuck" crew also showed up, and you can watch an interview with Zachary Levi (aka Pop's crush) showing off his Nintendo Wii scar.

Still want more? The TV Addict has rounded up fan videos of many of the other panels — and while they're pretty shaky, they get the job done. You can also watch highlights from the "Heroes," "Chuck" and "Bionic Woman" panels if you read more

The networks have announced their fall schedules, but which of the series will actually be worth watching? Throughout the summer, as I watch the pilots, I'll be posting my first impressions. Note that a lot can change before a show actually makes it to air, so these aren't comprehensive reviews, just quick thoughts on how the shows look now. Today's installment: NBC's "Bionic Woman."

What's it about? A remake of the 1970s classic, the show focuses on a bartender named Jaime who is nearly killed in a horrible car crash and is rebuilt with superhuman technology that gives her incredible strength, amazing vision and a whole slew of other powers. With the technology comes a whole slew of new responsibilities — and new enemies.

Who's in it? Michelle Ryan, Miguel Ferrer, Chris Bowers, Will Yun Lee, Molly Price. Katee Sackhoff of "Battlestar Galactica" will also star in several episodes, as will Isaiah Washington.

The good: The show is well-paced and slick-looking, and — though I'm admittedly not a special effects junkie — the effects looked cool to me. For a remake of a '70s show, it feels modern. Ryan makes an appealing main character.

The bad: Ryan might not be enough of a badass to be believable as a woman on a mission to save the world; Sackhoff comes off so much tougher in all the scenes the two share. The entire story line about Jaime's deaf sister has been reconceived since the pilot was shot, so there's a lot I can't judge yet.

Will I watch? I'm curious to see how the show works with a new actress in the sister role and a little time for Ryan to grow into her tough-chick persona.

To watch a preview for the show and see a gallery of photos, read more

The attention at the TCA press tour shifts to CBS today, but there are still a few great NBC tidbits to share from the network's two days at the press tour:

• "Chuck" star Zachary Levi (above), Pop's new favorite person, took first place in a live version of "The Singing Bee" at NBC's all-star party on Tuesday night, beating out Scott Porter of "Friday Night Lights", an Us Weekly writer, and a tone-deaf TV critic. The highlight: Levi's perfect rendition of the chorus from "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Oh, the mid-'90s. Check out Pop for more great pictures of the party.
• "Bionic Woman" producers answered several questions about their casting of Isaiah Washington as a guest star for several episodes early this season. The character existed before Washington was brought on board, but the role was changed slightly to fit the number of episodes Washington was signed for. NBC entertainment co-chairman Ben Silverman brought Washington to the producers, rather than the producers going after Washington on their own. And they said they believe in giving Washington a chance to make amends. "Rather than excommunicate someone," executive producer Jason Smilovic said, "we felt that it was better to give him a second chance."

Two more bits, so read more