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TV Tonight: The Finale of Samantha Who?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:45:36 -0700

From Pushing Daisies to Dirty Sexy Money to Kings, this Summer has been a time for networks to show the final episodes of shows they canceled. The latest in that string is Samantha Who? which airs its final two episodes tonight.

I didn't expect to be writing something like that about Samantha Who? after just two seasons. The show was one of the strongest debuts of the year back in '07, getting a plum slot after Dancing With the Stars and capitalizing on it with the story of Samantha Newly (Christina Applegate) developing amnesia and slowly learning about her bad-girl past. The show nabbed two Emmy nominations for Applegate (including this year, after the show had already been canceled) and a win for supporting actress Jean Smart. And at least at first, its ratings were solid.

But then the writers' strike happened, and then Samantha had trouble drawing viewers without Dancing With the Stars, and then came the final blow: apparently the show could have been renewed if it slashed its budget, but in the end, a deal couldn't get done.

So Samantha joins the ranks of the other Summer burn-offs with its final two episodes tonight. The finale is set on Andrea's wedding day, with Samantha feeling torn between Todd and Winston Funk. Will you be watching? To check out a clip from one of the episodes (with guest star Angie Harmon), just read more.

Charlie Day, Christina Applegate Are Going the Distance With Drew and Justin

BuzzSugar — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:30:13 -0700

Two of TV's funniest comedic actors (in my opinion) are joining up with Drew Barrymore and Justin Long for the romantic comedy Going the Distance. The movie focuses on long-distance relationships, with Drew and Justin playing the main duo. Christina Applegate and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Charlie Day will play supporting characters: Day will take the role of "Long's best friend while Applegate is Barrymore's sister." Barrymore and Applegate as sisters is a little hard to buy, but OK. I like all these actors and can't wait to see how they interact.

I'm especially interested to see Charlie Day on the big screen. Due to Always Sunny's demanding schedule, none of the main actors on the FX comedy have done much film work. Day explained, "I couldn't just up and take [the role]. I had to sit down with the guys and work out a schedule and say, 'If you're comfortable, I'm going to be doing a bit of flying back and forth.' . . . It has to be very interesting for us to bow out of our responsibility and pass the buck." So I'm going to go ahead and assume that if Going the Distance qualifies as "very interesting" by Charlie Day's standards, it's gotta be pretty dang good. Right?

Rainn, Teri, and More Serenade the Independent Spirits

BuzzSugar — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 09:30:40 -0800

Some of my favorite parts of the Independent Spirit Awards are the parody songs the show's writers whip up for each of the Best Feature nominees. I still can't hear Colbie Caillat's "Bubbly" without hearing the jokey lyrics poking fun at The Diving Bell and the Butterfly last year ("I can't move my toes/and I can't move my nose . . . ").

This year, Teri Hatcher took the stage to pay a special kind of tribute to Wendy and Lucy, Rainn Wilson donned spandex and grabbed the mike for a homage to The Wrestler, Christina Applegate retold Frozen River to the tune of "Proud Mary," and Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson broke it down for Ballast. Unfortunately - or fortunately, depending on your perspective - Rachel Getting Married didn't get a parody, but Robyn Hitchcock showed up to sing "Up to Our Nex" from the film's soundtrack.

In case you missed it, I've clipped all the videos together, and you can check out all the celebrity parodies if you read more.

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First Look: Mary-Kate Olsen on Samantha Who?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 05:30:17 -0800

We've already seen Nicole Richie on Chuck and Katie Holmes on Eli Stone, and next week, it'll be Mary-Kate Olsen's turn. The actress is popping up on ABC's Samantha Who? as Natalie, a troubled young woman whose life Samantha decides to turn around.

In the episode, Samantha has an altercation with a police officer that ends with her getting community service, where she meets Natalie, who's apparently an unrepentant thief. Samantha tries to help her by arranging a job interview, but that looks to be something of a disaster, at least judging from the clips below. It's nice to see Mary-Kate back on TV after her Weeds stint last year. To check out a couple of clips from the episode, just read more.

The Rocker: Major Points For Trying

BuzzSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 05:45:22 -0700

There is this undeniable, crazy-intense talent that I think Rainn Wilson has yet to unleash on us, that goes beyond his hilarious and iconic portrayal of Dwight Schrute on The Office. Thanks to smaller roles that he's had, including his creepy character on Six Feet Under, I've had faith that Wilson is not a one-note actor, and that he possesses the tools to take part in a variety of genres. So, I was looking forward to his first time out as a comedic lead in The Rocker. And while the movie is far from perfect and not the laugh-riot that will launch him into major stardom, it's an excellent start.

What strikes me most about this movie is how good-natured it is underneath its gimmicky concept. If I had some teenagers to entertain this weekend, this is the kind of movie I'd love to watch with them. It's hard not to compare the overall spirit of this funny high school tale with that of other recent Summer comedies, and the biggest difference to me is that it has a warm and fuzzy center (despite the groin pain it causes the main character).

To see what I mean by "groin pain" and why I think The Rocker is a pleasant addition to this Summer's comedies, read more.

The Rocker is a feel-good movie, and I think some people might take that as code for lame. But I was actually relieved to leave a comedy in an emotional space that was, well, good. The movie opens in the '80s at a concert where the heavy metal band Vesuvius is bringing down the house. Robert "Fish" Fishman (Wilson) is the drummer whose performance high is quickly killed when the band's label insists that they replace him. His buddies in the band, including lead singer Lex (played by the always hilarious Will Arnett in giant hair and eyeliner) and bassist Trash (Bradley Cooper doing an amazing Slash impression) don't bat an eye before kicking Fish out and then, to Fish's dismay, rocket to mega-stardom.

Years later, the out-of-work Fish is persuaded to join his nephew Matt's high school band, and it's not exactly smooth sailing. Fish is middle-aged, unhinged, and more interested in being "rock stars" than his teen bandmates. As the movie progresses, Fish actually helps the band make a name for itself, and though he is an unlikely source of wisdom, Fish ends up coming to terms with his own failures and immaturities by helping his bandmates through their teenage issues.

Here's the bad news: there is often way too much time that goes by without a good laugh. But when they do score one, it's genuinely funny. Christina Applegate is especially believable as a single mom, and despite the fact that Fish is such a spaz, I was cheering for these two to get together. Fish's little heart-to-hearts with the kids are mostly contrived, but all the actors are so freaking likable it's hard not to forgive the script a little. Wilson also takes one for the team and endures a steady stream of physical assaults - including many hits to the groin - and it's funny about two-thirds of the time, I'd estimate.

Most of all, however, I realized about three-fourths of the way through The Rocker that there had been zero blow job jokes. No - seriously. And then I noted that no one had said "mangina," not once. And while those kinds of jokes have their place and have made us all chuckle at some point, I have to say it was refreshing to see a whole other group of comedians with a whole new set of jokes attempting to make us laugh.

I can't give this movie a whole lot of stars, but I genuinely appreciate the effort and left the theater with a smile.

Photos courtesy of 20th Century Fox

The Results Are In: Recast Who's the Boss?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 14:25:49 -0800

Every Wednesday on BuzzSugar, I post a Recast challenge, where I ask you to choose new actors for a classic TV show or movie. The reader who submits the best cast wins a BuzzSugar t-shirt!

Most of all, I loved the suggestions put forth this week for recasting the role of Angela Bower's mom, Mona Robinson. I would love to see all these fantastic actresses play this role! Check out some of my favorite Mona ideas:

Goldie Hawn (WhiplashGirlchild)
Kate Flannery (mamaseacat)
Sissy Spacek (Amanda-La)
Swoosie Kurtz (sfmastiffmom)
Jane Fonda (leeluvfashion)
Marlo Thomas (psterling)

Fierce ladies, all! I also like the idea of Felicity Huffman playing Angela, as suggested by jlynn122, and I think Ellen Page would make a very cool Samantha, which kersalli cleverly thought up. Overall, though, my favorite recast list this week comes from audreystar! To see who audreystar picked along with a new cast photo, read more

audreystar's cast:
Tony Micelli - Matt LeBlanc
Angela Bower - Christina Applegate
Samantha Micelli - Miley Cyrus
Jonathan Bower - Cole Sprouse
Mona Robinson - Shirley Maclaine

TV Tonight: Samantha Who?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 05:30:00 -0700

Samantha Who? has the distinction of being the only show on TV this fall with a name change imposed by Dr. Seuss. But I'm actually glad for the change, because the new name does a better job than the original Sam I Am at conveying the show's central idea: What would happen if you woke up and had no idea who you were or how you became that way?

The show's main character, Samantha Newly (Christina Applegate), finds herself in just that situation after a car crash that erased her longterm memory. Thanks to her friends and family, she begins piecing together bits of her history - and she discovers that she's actually been a pretty terrible person. Other than the fact that "Newly" is a bit overly precious a name for someone who's starting life anew, I thought the pilot was pretty OK, mostly thanks to Applegate's appealing personality and strong comic timing. The plot lines and supporting characters will have to be more interesting if it's going to earn a longtime spot on my watch list - and I can't see how the premise can last for longer than a season - but I'll check it out a few more times at least.

To watch a couple of clips from tonight's episode, which airs between Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor, just read more

Pilot Watch: "Samantha Who?"

BuzzSugar — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 23:50:00 -0700

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. A lot can change before a show makes it to air, so these aren't comprehensive reviews, just quick thoughts on how the shows look now. Today's installment: The show of many name changes, ABC's "Samantha Who?"

What's it about? Samantha Newly wakes up her coma after a hit-and-run accident with no personal memories - which means she has no idea what a horrid person she's always been.

Who's in it? Christina Applegate, Jean Smart, Jennifer Esposito, Melissa McCarthy, Barry Watson

The good: Somewhere between "Married with Children" and here, Applegate has grown up into a funny, appealing leading lady who knows how to sell the show's little moments. The interplay between Samantha and her mother, played by the always-awesome Jean Smart, got a few chuckles out of me. It's a single camera comedy with no laugh track, which automatically makes it less annoying than three-quarters of the comedies on TV.

The bad: The rest of the supporting characters were weak and fairly uninteresting. If the show just has Samantha discovering a new horrible thing about herself every week, it's going to get old very quickly.

Will I watch? I'm not setting a season pass just yet, but I'm planning to check out a few more episodes.

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

View 16 Photos ›

Christina Applegate's Comedy Renamed Again

BuzzSugar — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 13:04:19 -0700

Remember when ABC's "Sam I Am" had to change its name because of Dr. Seuss-related issues? Well, it's now been renamed again, from "Samantha Be Good" to "Samantha Who?"

I still think ABC should have just marketed the show using the question marks, playing up the main character's whole amnesia thing (and playing down the fact that it didn't, you know, have a name). Still, I admit that "Samantha Who?" is a better name than "Samantha Be Good" - though I wonder what all the Whos in Whoville are going to have to say about it.

ABC Sitcom Gets New Name Because of Dr. Seuss

BuzzSugar — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 15:50:45 -0700

Recently, I was over on ABC's fall preview site, and I noticed that the logo for the network's new Christina Applegate comedy had changed:

"How clever!" I thought. "The show's about amnesia, so they're acting like they forgot its name!"

Not so. As it turns out, ABC no longer had a name for the series because the estate of Dr. Seuss was angry about the original title. See, "Sam I Am" drew on the first lines of Green Eggs and Ham, and apparently the Seuss folks didn't appreciate the allusion (or, as Variety speculated, they wanted too much money for its use).

So ABC is changing the title to "Samantha Be Good" - which I suppose should be lawsuit-free unless Samantha Bee decides to get involved.

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