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Grey's Anatomy Rundown, "Push"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:30:00 -0800

Just when you thought Seattle Grace couldn't possibly be more overrun with paired off doctors, this week's episode of Grey's Anatomy offers up a new potential couple: Teddy and Mark. I have to admit that I can't believe I hadn't thought of these two together before! Only time will tell if Mark will be more than just a "candy bar" to Teddy, but I'm excited to see what happens here (especially with Owen getting green-eyed so quickly).

Mark and Teddy aren't the only ones contemplating their love lives: Bailey preps for her third date with Ben, with a little help and words of wisdom from Callie. On the medical side, Owen and Webber square off for surgical rights, with Cristina changing loyalties by the hour. For more on all the night's happenings, just read more.

The episode kicks off on a good note with some shirtless McSteamy as he tries to distract himself from thinking about hooking up with Seattle Grace randos. He admits to himself (and to Callie) that he's lonely and finally ready for a grown-up relationship - very big of him, I must say. I love the idea of Teddy as his new love interest; she has just the right amount of sass to keep him in line. That said, she's still in love with Owen and he's still in love with Lexie; will this just be a blip on their way back to old lovers?
Meredith sees the whole interaction between Teddy and Mark go down, but more importantly, she sees the jealousy in Owen's eyes. Love that she just lays all the cards on the table at the end of the episode, warning Owen not to hurt Cristina while she's in a happy place. Mere may not be the center of the drama this season, but I'm totally digging her turn as a supporting character (complete with snarky banter). I do have one complaint with her though - would it have been so hard for her to give Lexie a hug or a pat when she collapses in the bathroom over Mark?
Best one-liners this week go to Bailey. She's so adorably nervous about her big third date, especially as Callie continues to raise her expectations about sex and more. We learn quite a bit about uh, their grooming preferences (or "surgical fields" if you will), and I wouldn't expect anything less from stubborn Bailey. Of course, the best part is at the end of the episode when Ben gets to lecture her for once. Love scenes are rare to non-existent for Bailey, and it's a refreshing change to see her loosen up with someone who suits her.
Everything seems to be sunshine and rainbows for Callie and Arizona - they even take the attention off their own relationship to try to get Mark and Teddy together - and Callie starts fantasizing about their future together. Unfortunately, she gets a big wake up call when Arizona admits that she never wants kids. I have to say I was just as shocked as Callie is since Arizona is so sweet with her patients. By the way, this is the second time that children have become a factor in the future of a Grey's relationship. They're growing up so fast!

How'd you like the episode? Can you see Mark and Teddy as a couple? Are you liking the competition between Derek and Webber around the hospital?
Photo copyright 2010 ABC, Inc.

Lil Wayne, Coldplay Top Grammy Nominations

BuzzSugar — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:15:57 -0800

Lil Wayne took top honors Wednesday night when the Grammy nominations were announced in primetime, followed closely by Coldplay, Jay-Z, Ne-Yo, and Kanye West. Lil Wayne nabbed eight nominations, while Coldplay had seven and Jay-Z, Ne-Yo, and Kanye each had six.

Lil Wayne's most prestigious nomination came in the Album of the Year category, where he'll face off against Coldplay, Ne-Yo, Radiohead, and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. (Both Radiohead and the Plant/Krauss duo nabbed five nominations overall.)

Among the nominations that made me smile: MIA's "Paper Planes" for Record of the Year, Kylie Minogue's X for Best Electronic/Dance Album, and the Flight of the Conchords album for Best Comedy Album. The Grammy site has the complete list of nominations, and to see the nominees in many major categories, just read more.

RECORD OF THE YEAR
"Chasing Pavements," Adele
"Viva La Vida," Coldplay
"Bleeding Love," Leona Lewis
"Paper Planes," M.I.A
"Please Read The Letter," Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends, Coldplay
Tha Carter III, Lil Wayne
Year Of The Gentleman, Ne-Yo
Raising Sand, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
In Rainbows, Radiohead

SONG OF THE YEAR
"American Boy," Estelle
"Chasing Pavements," Adele
"I'm Yours," Jason Mraz
"Love Song," Sara Bareilles
"Viva La Vida," Coldplay

BEST NEW ARTIST
Adele
Duffy
Jonas Brothers
Lady Antebellum
Jazmine Sullivan

BEST FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"Chasing Pavements," Adele
"Love Song," Sara Bareilles
"Mercy," Duffy
"Bleeding Love," Leona Lewis
"I Kissed A Girl," Katy Perry
"So What," Pink

BEST MALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"All Summer Long," Kid Rock
"Say," John Mayer
"That Was Me," Paul McCartney
"I'm Yours," Jason Mraz
"Closer," Ne-Yo
"Wichita Lineman," James Taylor

BEST POP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
"Viva La Vida," Coldplay
"Waiting In The Weeds," Eagles
"Going On," Gnarls Barkley
"Won't Go Home Without You," Maroon 5
"Apologize," OneRepublic

BEST POP COLLABORATION WITH VOCALS
"Lesson Learned," Alicia Keys & John Mayer
"4 Minutes," Madonna, Justin Timberlake & Timbaland
"Rich Woman," Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
"If I Never See Your Face Again," Rihanna & Maroon 5
"No Air," Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown

BEST POP INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE
"Love Appetite," Steve Cropper & Felix Cavaliere
"I Dreamed There Was No War," Eagles
"Fortune Teller," Fourplay
"Steppin' Out," Stanley Jordan
"Blast!" Marcus Miller

BEST POP INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM
Sax For Stax, Gerald Albright
Greatest Hits Rerecorded Volume One, Larry Carlton
Jingle All The Way, Béla Fleck & The Flecktones
The Spice Of Life, Earl Klugh
A Night Before Christmas, Spyro Gyra

BEST POP ALBUM
Detours, Sheryl Crow
Rockferry, Duffy
Long Road Out Of Eden, Eagles
Spirit, Leona Lewis
Covers, James Taylor

BEST DANCE RECORDING
"Harder Better Faster Stronger," Daft Punk
"Ready For The Floor," Hot Chip
"Just Dance," Lady Gaga & Colby O'Donis
"Give It 2 Me," Madonna
"Disturbia," Rihanna
"Black & Gold," Sam Sparro

BEST ELECTRONIC/DANCE ALBUM
New York City, Brazilian Girls
Alive 2007, Daft Punk
Bring Ya To The Brink, Cyndi Lauper
X, Kylie Minogue
Last Night, Moby
Robyn, Robyn

BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM
Still Unforgettable, Natalie Cole
The Sinatra Project, Michael Feinstein
Noël, Josh Groban
In The Swing Of Christmas, Barry Manilow
Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall, Rufus Wainwright

BEST SOLO ROCK VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"Gravity," John Mayer
"I Saw Her Standing There," Paul McCartney
"Girls In Their Summer Clothes," Bruce Springsteen
"Rise," Eddie Vedder
"No Hidden Path," Neil Young

BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
"Rock N Roll Train," AC/DC
"Violet Hill," Coldplay
"Long Road Out Of Eden," Eagles
"Sex On Fire," Kings Of Leon
"House Of Cards," Radiohead

BEST HARD ROCK PERFORMANCE
"Inside The Fire," Disturbed
"Visions," Judas Priest
"Wax Simulacra," The Mars Volta
"Saints Of Los Angeles," Mötley Crüe
"Lords Of Salem," Rob Zombie

BEST METAL PERFORMANCE
"Heroes Of Our Time," DragonForce
"Nostradamus," Judas Priest
"My Apocalypse," Metallica
"Under My Thumb," Ministry
"Psychosocial," Slipknot

BEST ROCK INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE
"Castellorizon," David Gilmour
"Suicide & Redemption," Metallica
"34 Ghosts I-IV," Nine Inch Nails
"Hope (Live For The Art Of Peace)," Rush
"Peaches En Regalia," Zappa Plays Zappa

BEST ROCK SONG
"Girls In Their Summer Clothes," Bruce Springsteen
"House Of Cards," Radiohead
"I Will Possess Your Heart," Death Cab for Cutie
"Sex On Fire," Kings of Leon
"Violet Hill," Coldplay

BEST ROCK ALBUM
Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends, Coldplay
Rock N Roll Jesus, Kid Rock
Only By The Night, Kings Of Leon
Death Magnetic, Metallica
Consolers Of The Lonely, The Raconteurs

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM
Modern Guilt, Beck
Narrow Stairs, Death Cab For Cutie
The Odd Couple, Gnarls Barkley
Evil Urges, My Morning Jacket
In Rainbows, Radiohead

BEST FEMALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"Me, Myself And I," Beyoncé
"Heaven Sent," Keyshia Cole
"Spotlight," Jennifer Hudson
"Superwoman," Alicia Keys
"Need U Bad," Jazmine Sullivan

BEST MALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"You're The Only One," Eric Benét
"Take You Down," Chris Brown
"Miss Independent," Ne-Yo
"Can't Help But Wait," Trey Songz
"Here I Stand," Usher

BEST R&B PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
"Ribbon In The Sky," Boyz II Men
"Words," Anthony David Featuring India.Arie
"Stay With Me (By The Sea)," Al Green Featuring John Legend
"I'm His Only Woman," Jennifer Hudson Featuring Fantasia
"Never Give You Up," Raphael Saadiq Featuring Stevie Wonder & CJ Hilton

BEST TRADITIONAL R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"A Change Is Gonna Come," Wayne Brady
"You've Got The Love I Need," Al Green Featuring Anthony Hamilton
"Baby I Know," Linda Jones with Helen Bruner and Terry Jones
"Love That Girl," Raphael Saadiq
"In Love With Another Man," Jazmine Sullivan

BEST URBAN/ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE
"Say Goodbye To Love," Kenna
"Wanna Be," Maiysha
"Be OK," Chrisette Michele Featuring will.i.am
"Many Moons," Janelle Monae
"Lovin You (Music)," Wayna Featuring Kokayi

BEST R&B SONG
"Bust Your Windows," Jazmine Sullivan
"Customer," Raheem DeVaughn
"Heaven Sent," Keyshia Cole
"Miss Independent," Ne-Yo
"Spotlight," Jennifer Hudson

BEST R&B ALBUM
Love & Life, Eric Benét
Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA, Boyz II Men
Lay It Down, Al Green
Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Hudson
The Way I See It, Raphael Saadiq

BEST CONTEMPORARY R&B ALBUM
Growing Pains, Mary J. Blige
Back Of My Lac', J. Holiday
First Love, Karina
Year Of The Gentleman, Ne-Yo
Fearless, Jazmine Sullivan

BEST RAP SOLO PERFORMANCE
"Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)..." Jay-Z
"A Milli," Lil Wayne
"Paris, Tokyo," Lupe Fiasco
"N.i.*.*.e.r. (The Slave And The Master)," Nas
"Sexual Eruption," Snoop Dogg

BEST RAP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP
"Royal Flush," Big Boi Featuring Raekwon And Andre 3000
"Swagga Like Us," Jay-Z & T.I. Featuring Kanye West & Lil Wayne
"Mr. Carter," Lil Wayne Featuring Jay-Z
"Wish You Would," Ludacris Featuring T.I.
"Put On," Young Jeezy Featuring Kanye West

BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION
"American Boy," Estelle Featuring Kanye West
"Low," Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain
"Green Light," John Legend & Andre 3000
"Got Money," Lil Wayne Featuring T-Pain
"Superstar," Lupe Fiasco Featuring Matthew Santos

BEST RAP SONG
"Lollipop," Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major
"Low," Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain
"Sexual Eruption," Snoop Dogg
"Superstar," Lupe Fiasco Featuring Matthew Santos
"Swagga Like Us," Jay-Z & T.I. Featuring Kanye West & Lil Wayne

BEST RAP ALBUM
American Gangster, Jay-Z
Tha Carter III, Lil Wayne
The Cool, Lupe Fiasco
Nas, Nas
Paper Trail, T.I.

BEST FEMALE COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"For These Times," Martina McBride
"What I Cannot Change," LeAnn Rimes
"Last Name," Carrie Underwood
"Last Call," Lee Ann Womack
"This Is Me You're Talking To," Trisha Yearwood

BEST MALE COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"You're Gonna Miss This," Trace Adkins
"In Color," Jamey Johnson
"Just Got Started Lovin' You," James Otto
"Letter To Me," Brad Paisley
"Troubadour," George Strait

BEST COUNTRY PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
"God Must Be Busy," Brooks & Dunn
"Love Don't Live Here," Lady Antebellum
"Every Day," Rascal Flatts
"Blue Side Of The Mountain," The SteelDrivers
"Stay," Sugarland

BEST COUNTRY COLLABORATION WITH VOCALS
"Shiftwork," Kenny Chesney & George Strait
"Killing The Blues," Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
"House Of Cash," George Strait & Patty Loveless
"Life In A Northern Town," Sugarland, Jake Owen & Little Big Town
"Let The Wind Chase You," Trisha Yearwood & Keith Urban

BEST COUNTRY INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE
"Sumatra," Cherryholmes
"Two Small Cars In Rome," Jerry Douglas & Lloyd Green
"Sleigh Ride," Béla Fleck & The Flecktones
"Is This America? (Katrina 2005)," Charlie Haden, Pat Metheny, Jerry Douglas & Bruce Hornsby
"Cluster Pluck," Brad Paisley, James Burton, Vince Gill, John Jorgenson, Albert Lee, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert & Steve Wariner

BEST COUNTRY SONG
"Dig Two Graves," Randy Travis
"I Saw God Today," George Strait
"In Color," Jamey Johnson
"Stay," Sugarland
"You're Gonna Miss This," Trace Adkins

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
That Lonesome Song, Jamey Johnson
Sleepless Nights, Patty Loveless
Troubadour, George Strait
Around The Bend, Randy Travis
Heaven, Heartache And The Power Of Love, Trisha Yearwood

BEST CONTEMPORARY FOLK/AMERICANA ALBUM
Day After Tomorrow, Joan Baez
I, Flathead, Ry Cooder
Sex & Gasoline, Rodney Crowell
All I Intended To Be, Emmylou Harris
Raising Sand, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

BEST COMEDY ALBUM
Anticipation, Lewis Black
Flight Of The Conchords, Flight Of The Conchords
For Your Consideration, Kathy Griffin
It's Bad For Ya, George Carlin
Songs Of The Bushmen, Harry Shearer

BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK ALBUM FOR MOTION PICTURE, TV, ETC
American Gangster
August Rush
Juno
Mamma Mia!
Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street

BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK ALBUM FOR MOTION PICTURE, TV, ETC
The Dark Knight
Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
Iron Man
There Will Be Blood
Wall-E

BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURE, TV, ETC
"Down To Earth" (From Wall-E), Peter Gabriel
"Ever Ever After" (From Enchanted), Carrie Underwood
"Say" (From The Bucket List), John Mayer
"That's How You Know" (From Enchanted), Amy Adams
"Walk Hard (From Walk Hard - The Dewey Cox Story), John C Reilly

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR (NON-CLASSICAL)
Danger Mouse
Nigel Godrich
Johnny Karkazis (Johnny K)
Rick Rubin
will.i.am

BEST REMIXED RECORDING
"Closer (StoneBridge Radio Edit)," StoneBridge (Ne-Yo)
"Electric Feel (Justice Remix)," Justice (MGMT)
"4 Minutes (Junkie XL Remix)," Junkie XL (Madonna Featuring Justin Timberlake)
"Just Fine (Moto Blanco Remix)," Moto Blanco (Mary J. Blige)
"The Longest Road (Deadmau5 Remix)," Deadmau5 (Morgan Page Featuring Lissie)

BEST SHORT FORM MUSIC VIDEO
"Honey," Erykah Badu
"Who's Gonna Save My Soul," Gnarls Barkley
"Another Way To Die," Alicia Keys & Jack White
"House Of Cards," Radiohead
"Pork And Beans," Weezer

BEST LONG FORM MUSIC VIDEO
Where The Light Is - Live In Los Angeles, John Mayer
Runnin' Down A Dream, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Good Girl Gone Bad Live, Rihanna
Respect Yourself - The Stax Records Story, Various Artists
Amazing Journey: The Story Of The Who, The Who

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The Office Rundown: Episode 24, "Heavy Competition"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:30:05 -0700

The Michael Scott Paper Company has gone from something that seemed extremely sad to a place that seems almost kinda fun. There are certainly days I wish I could spend throwing and catching cheese puffs. And once again, though we know Michael's a little slow on the uptake, he still manages to show that he can be a pretty solid paper salesman when need be. At the same time, Dwight grapples with remaining loyal to his personal "hero" while the new boss, Charles, starts to not seem that bad. And Jim messes with Andy's head for funsies.

Are you rooting for the Michael Scott Paper Company to truly succeed? To check out some of my favorite moments from this week's episode of The Office, read more.

Andy's demo of his acapella group doing "You Can Call Me Al" (with a slow, churchy beginning) as a wedding song is hilarious and a little painful. Jim explains that after Andy and Angela's wedding has been completely canceled, "we are going bargain hunting in the haunted graveyard of their love."
Dwight: "When Michael was in charge, this place was like the Roman empire. And the Wild West. And war-torn Poland. And Poland. There was just, a lot going on, so what you wore to work was the least of anyone's worries. And in that chaos, I soared."
Andy: "I know a few things about love. Horrible, terrible, awful, awful things."
Charles tells Dwight to take a seat. "I prefer to stand. Less blood clots."
Charles: "No. That's weird. You're gonna sit." Then Charles asks Dwight out for a drink and Dwight is amazed.
Yay, Mose reference! On the phone, Dwight tells Michael something's come up. Michael: "Is it Mose? Did you put the cover on that well?"
Dwight: "No, Mose is fine, I roped it off. It's not about Mose."
Michael says he has dibs on Dwight. "You respect dibs, don't you?"
Dwight: "I'm not a barbarian."
Andy wants Jim to break up with Pam, but Jim says she gets him through the day. "I'm pretty emotionally needy." So Andy says he'll be there for him. "Let me be your traveling pants."

Charles wants Michael to stop squeezing Dwight for information. Michael just feels betrayed that Dwight led him into a confrontation with Charles. "It's like a girl says she'll make out with you, but then her boyfriend is waiting around the corner with a pee-filled balloon."
Trying to prove how emotionally needy he really is, Jim pretends to freak out about doing poorly on a sales call. "When I look in the mirror I don't like the face that looks back!"
Andy: "Well, so what? Your body's a 10!"
Dwight offers to take out Michael's staff for lunch, and then goes to their office and throws a fish up into the vent, while claiming that he's late to lunch because he hit a bear. "He's technically fine. I imagine the true horror will be when he wakes up in a zoo."
I love that Pam holds up notes explaining to Michael what's actually going on when Michael doesn't get subtext.
Dwight finds his contact card in Michael's rolodex. On the back it simply says "tall" and "beets."
I can't decide if I think the stuff with Andy and Jim is funny and cute (especially when Jim promises Andy that he will find someone else) or just a bunch of filler.
Dwight rushes down to Scoffield's office as Michael is persuading Scoffield to change paper companies, but Michael smoothly readjusts the power balance in the room and isn't flustered by Dwight's desperate attempts to usurp him. Pretty impressive for Michael Scott.
Ha! Michael color-coded his rolodex contacts. "Green means 'go,' so I know to go ahead and shut up about it. Orange means 'orange you glad you didn't bring it up?' Most colors mean 'don't bring it up.'"

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This Week in TV Blogs

BuzzSugar — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 10:30:58 -0800

I've already given you some of my highlights from the week, but today, I wanted to check in with some of the web's best TV bloggers to see what they were buzzing about. To see what was making headlines this week, just read more.

This week Team GMMR shared our TV on DVD wish list. What TV series are on your list? Here's to hoping Santa likes TV as much as the rest of us. (Give Me My Remote)

Every day from now until the end of the year Scooter is unveiling a new Best of 2008 list. And in spirit of the holidays, Scooter is giving away a couple of iTunes or Amazon gift cards to mark the occasion. (Scooter McGavin's 9th Green)

Which EW 2008 Pop Culture moment photo, recreated by the gang at How I Met Your Mother, do you love best? Vance wants you to vote on it! Vance thinks it's a toss up between the Michael Phelps Olympics one and The Jonas Brothers one. Either way, Neil Patrick Harris is hot. (Tapeworthy)

This week, Jace once again took a look into the future, offering advance reviews of season three of HBO's Big Love and the Skins season finale on BBC America. (Televisionary)

Amy Poehler's send-off on Saturday Night Live was bittersweet - Jesse was sad to see her go, but glad that she left on what could be the best episode of the season thus far! (TiFaux)

This week, the TV Addict poked fun at NBC's latest attempt to cut costs. (The TV Addict)

This Week in TV Blogs

BuzzSugar — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 10:30:19 -0800

Rae took an early look at TNT's The Librarian 3: Curse of the Judas Chalice. (RTVW)

Scooter takes a look back at the first season of Raising the Bar, or as he likes to call it, The Zach Morris and His Hair Hour. (Scooter McGavin's 9th Green)

Vance wrote some limerick reviews about Ugly Betty, 30 Rock, The Office, Bones, Grey's Anatomy, Survivor, and more, just because he felt like it. (Tapeworthy)

This week, Jace offered up some tantalizing spoilers as he took an advance look at the next three episodes of NBC's Chuck, including Monday's episode, which he says is the best of the series to date. (Televisionary)

How was your election night? Dan mainly focused on Anderson Cooper, the fancy electronic maps on CNN, and those crazy holograms that Wolf Blitzer was talking to. (TiFaux)

This week, the TV Addict interviewed newest Terminator cast member and Battlestar Galactica fan favorite Stephanie Jacobsen (The TV Addict)

Kate interviewed Megan, Stylista's villain, and was surprised by how down-to-earth she was about the whole reality-star thing. (TV Filter)

Who would win a fight between Heroes and Smallville? With apologies to Harry Hill, there’s only one way to find out . . . It’s the Heroes vs. Smallville superheroes trump cards smackdown! (TV Spy)

Shopping at the Buy More . . . I Mean, Visiting the Set of Chuck

BuzzSugar — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 06:30:00 -0700

My first instinct upon stepping into the Buy More was to reach for the brochure for the store credit card. Hey, maybe I could get even better deals at the green-and-yellow big-box store if I just got one of the store-branded pieces of plastic . . .

I pulled my hand back just in time - the brochures, like everything else, were props on the set of Chuck during my visit on the TCA press tour. But it was hard to convince myself we were on a set, not just a Best Buy or CompUSA that had given the Warner Bros. TV crew the go-ahead to film there that day. As much as the set of ER felt like a real hospital, the set of Chuck felt even more like a place I might go to pick up some new DVDs and an extra controller for my Wii.

"We went to a lot of Best Buys, a lot of CompUSAs," said Paul Marks, the Chuck producer who oversees the set. "Just so it looked as real as possible."

There aren't a lot of signs that the 17,000-square-foot store isn't real, so to hear more about it, just read more.

The walls are lined with 50 TVs of various size and screen quality, all on. Every computer is functional, as are the video games. Even the DVD racks are full of real movies - "If you have so many choices, it doesn't feel like you're favoring one thing," said executive producer Josh Schwartz. When the show was first getting started, the producers needed an entire sound stage just for shipping and receiving, painstakingly cataloging each product for three weeks. To film the season one episode where there's a shootout at the Buy More, the crew took the entire store apart, transported it wholesale to a hangar at the Santa Monica Airport, and reassembled it in exactly the same layout.

Chuck embraces the geek love for Hello Kitty, with one whole end shelf dedicated to pink-and-white Sanrio products. There's also a big display for the RoboSapien and another with various guitars for Guitar Hero and Rock Band. It doesn't look like it would be a soul-sucking place to work. In fact, it looks . . . kinda awesome.

"We don't want it to feel like a bummer every time you go to the Buy More," Schwartz said. "For us, we go into a Best Buy and it's really fun - there's lots of cool new stuff you can buy, there's video games, there's music. It's a fun world. That's what we wanted to reflect here."

It certainly worked for this busload of critics, who wandered around flipping through CDs, checking out the HD TV displays, and reading the rules for deployment of a Nerd Herd car. I leaned in to read the fine print on one sign, which listed a special deal where you could have your own personal Buy More nerd set up your computer, and came across this little gem: "Additional Charges May Apply. Like Felony Possession of a Really Lame Computer."

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. TV

Rendition: Seeing Both Sides of the Coin

BuzzSugar — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 13:10:21 -0700

As it happens, Rendition was recently voted the audience favorite (best narrative feature) at the Mill Valley Film Festival. And yet, the movie hasn't exactly been embraced by critics. This is not unusual, and most times when there is a division between audience and critical opinion, I lean toward one side or the other. In this case, however, I can see both sides of the coin.

The film is either a suspenseful, mysterious drama, or it's a pithy, just barely skin-deep examination of a real-life issue that deserves a closer look than Rendition provides. The somber issue at the heart of the story (the U.S. condoning the seizure and torture of suspected terrorists without allowing them their normal legal rights) is either an important and thorny debate that people should know about no matter what, or it's something that is upsettingly trivialized when used like this, as shallow entertainment. The "twist" at the end is either a clever device that works well to make viewers gasp and feel smart, or it's a last-ditch attempt to make a not-great movie more interesting. To see more of what I mean, read more

The story follows the Egyptian-born Anwar El-Ibrahimi (Omar Metwally), who has lived in the U.S. for 20 years, was educated in the U.S. and has a green card. Returning to the U.S. from a business trip to South Africa, Anwar is seized, questioned and ultimately flown to an unidentified country in Northern Africa, where he is brutally tortured for information. Anwar's cell phone is apparently linked to a known terrorist who is suspected in a recent suicide bombing that killed a CIA officer. The torture is overseen by both a young, green analyst Douglas Freeman (Jake Gyllenhaal) as well as a seasoned interrogator Abasi (Igal Naor).

Meanwhile, Anwar's very pregnant wife Isabella (Reese Witherspoon) is growing frantic because of her husband's disappearance and solicits the help of an old flame (Peter Sarsgaard) who works for a senator. He informs her that Anwar was taken in on account of "extraordinary rendition," a U.S. policy by which suspected terrorists can be sent to other countries and tortured without legal consequences. Meryl Streep plays the official who oversees such processes with a callous self-righteousness. Adding to this American political drama is a star-crossed love story between Abasi's daughter and her dangerous lover. All storylines ultimately intersect.

Interestingly, that there are two drastically different ways to view this movie is in keeping with the issue itself. Many folks justify rendition as a way to weed out the bad guys, send a message to their friends and crack down on the few to save the many. The idea is that it "protects America" at the expense of a few bad apples (and some innocent apples that fall through the cracks). Or, rendition is an unfair process, and if you can imagine one of your loved ones being ripped away from you for no apparent reason, tortured and stripped of his rights, it wouldn't seem like such a noble thing. Both sides think they're right. I understand why the filmmakers may have wanted to make this movie. At the same time, I have zero desire to ever see it again, and I'm not quite sure that I would recommend it as a great film. If you're curious, see the movie and decide for yourself.

Photos courtesy of New Line

The CW Dishes on New Reality Shows and More

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 11:29:09 -0700

It's The CW"s turn at the TCA press tour today, with panel discussions with the casts of each of the CW's new shows. Network Entertainment President Dawn Ostroff took the stage this morning to chat about what's coming up for the network, which is entering its second year. Here were a few of the highlights:

The two-hour "Beauty and the Geek" premiere will kick off the CW's season on Sept. 18, and this time around, there's a twist: One geeky girl and one hot guy will also be in the running. "The experiment has evolved," the promo voiceover intoned, getting a chuckle from the crowd.
Remember "Crowned," the mother-daughter beauty pageant? It's on. Oh boy, is it on. We watched a promo for the eight-episode reality show that toed the line between hilarious and horrifying, with one daughter crowing about how she and her mom are the thinnest team in the competition and another saying she'd do a mother-daughter pose if Hugh Hefner came calling. The campy, over-the-top elements include a "desashing" ceremony, where the losing teams have their team sashes cut off with bedazzled scissors, and Carson Kressley.
A few remarks on some of the CW's recent cancellations: Ostroff said she has no regrets about "Veronica Mars," saying "I feel like we gave 'Veronica Mars' every chance." The "Gilmore Girls" situation was portrayed as a collaborative decision where neither the network nor the show's stars wanted to see the show come back for another season and have the ratings slip again. And "Hidden Palms" was originally seen as an eight-episode miniseries that the network could have ordered more of had it caught on - which, obviously, it did not.

More bits, including "One Tree Hill" and "Gossip Girl," so read more

Asia, the "Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll" winner, has decided to do a solo career instead. Heh. For this season, the show will be searching for members of a new girl group called Girlilicious, apparently bringing a whole legion of new Dolls into the world.
Like NBC, the CW is also planning to do green themes in all of its programs this season. Apparently, the "Everybody Hates Chris" episode will be called "Everybody Hates Earth Day."
"One Tree Hill" has a full-season order at this point, and the network sees the four-year jump in timeline as a way to get the characters out of college, where story lines can be stagnant and dull.
"Gossip Girl" is going to be getting its own online alternate universe, with the ability to shop in the characters' stores and go to their parties (and, apparently, do some really awkward digital dancing).
Remember "Farmer Wants a Wife," the dating show the network announced in the spring where urban women will compete for the affections of one tractor-driving country guy? It's going forward and has apparently already been cast. Someone asked how many farmers they talked to. Ostroff: "I saw quite a few farmers." Hee.
The CW is very proud of itself for being the youngest of all the broadcast networks, with a median age of 32. They have an executive whose sole job is to track trends among the target 18-34 demographic. In between sessions, they're explaining some of those trends on the big screen, among them Twittering, Female Fantasy Leagues, and Moo Cards. Moo Cards?