BuzzSugar

Buzz News Roundup, 12/19

BuzzSugar — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:30:21 -0800

Aretha Franklin is set to sing at Barack Obama's inauguration. - Billboard
Director Adam Shankman (Hairspray, Bedtime Stories) has two more movie projects lined up: Bob the Musical and a new take on the epic adventure Sinbad. - ComingSoon
HBO has picked up three comedies, including Bored to Death starring Jason Schwartzman and Hung starring Thomas Jane. - Zap2It
Barry Sonnenfeld will direct and produce the action-comedy The How-To Guide For Saving the World. - ComingSoon
Rainn Wilson and Jenna Fischer are both executive-producing new pilots at NBC. - Variety
United Artists will turn Fritz Leiber's 1952 supernatural thriller novel Conjure Wife into a feature film. - Variety
The Shield's Michael Chiklis is developing a series about a bad investment scheme - after becoming a victim of one himself. - The Hollywood Reporter
Frank Miller may direct a Buck Rogers movie. - Zap2It

Buzz In: What Are the Best TV Series Finales?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:30:30 -0800

The Shield, the show that opened the door for so many of today's great basic cable TV series (Damages, Mad Men, and The Closer, to name just a few), will come to an end tonight. The Vic Mackey era closes with this 88th and final episode, "Family Meeting."

The episode is being described as "brilliant," and a few writers have already called it their favorite drama series finale ever. That's a pretty big statement, especially because several other series have set the bar so high. My favorite is still the sob-inducing finale of Six Feet Under, but this Spring's finale of The Wire is up there as well, and on a sentimental note, the bittersweet finale of Gilmore Girls will always get to me.

What about you? Which series finales are on your list of the best?

Photo courtesy of FX

The Shield Roars Into Its Final Season

BellaSugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 08:15:02 -0700

Hey everyone. BellaSugar here. Buzz has let me guest-blog because, well, I won't shut up about The Shield. I know what you're thinking: "Another cop drama? Yawn." Yeah, that's what I thought, too, but trust me: This is easily the best show on TV. The first episode of the seventh and final season airs tonight at 10 p.m. on FX, and if you aren't watching, you're missing out. The Emmy-winning acting is marvelous, the writing is tight (seriously, no plot line is left unfinished) and you'll be amazed by how much drama is packed into each episode.

A little background: Inspired by the real-life story of a corrupt anti-gang unit in the LAPD, the show focuses on the Strike Team, a group of dirty cops. When I say dirty, I mean filthy: They've killed fellow officers, knocked over the Armenian mob, and aren't above a little police brutality on the side. When we catch up with Detective Vic Mackey, the team leader, he's fighting to keep his badge - and plotting against his partner, Shane Vendrell, who murdered another member of the Strike Team. Oh, and did I mention that his teenage daughter is getting involved with some illegal dealings of her own, that he's the baby daddy of another cop's child, and that he's stolen a list of files used in an elaborate blackmail scheme? Juicy stuff.

I've checked out the first eight episodes of season seven in advance, and for you fellow fangirls (and fanboys) who are already hooked, I've got a few thoughts if you read more.

Caution! There be very mild spoilers ahead.

I'm only eight episodes into the 13-episode season, but here's what I can tell you: The Shield does not disappoint. The writers roar into the first episode, packing every word, every action, with meaning. This show isn't going to go out with a whimper, or even a bang: I'm confident that loyal viewers will be rewarded with an amazingly explosive ending to the show. Here are a few thoughts on the action thus far. I won't give away any big spoilers, just hints - but trust me, you won't want to miss a minute!

Vic has trouble. Big trouble. Retaining his badge should be the least of Vic's worries at this point. The Armenians didn't take too kindly to finding out that he ripped off the money train, and his deal with Aceveda is uneasy at best. And wait until you see how Vic's knowledge of the drug trade comes close to home. Vic's starting to realize that you can't outrun your past - but that doesn't mean he won't try.
Claudette is hangin' tough.You think Lupus would keep a tough cookie like Claudette down? She's working twice as hard to prove her mettle, and we get a glimpse into the pressure she puts on herself to get the Barn into fighting shape. She's playing the part of a take-no-guff captain, even accompanying the Strike Team on some intense busts, but her health problems trip her up in a way nobody could see coming.
Ronnie is large and in charge. Ronnie is leading the Strike Team - in name, at least. No spoilers, but let's just say that if you thought Shane was ruthless, you ain't seen nothin' yet.
Shane's making nice. Man, does Shane have his tail between his legs. (Or does he?) Keep an eye on Mara, too; it seems that her tolerance for Strike Team shenanigans is much lower than that of Corinne.
A few familiar faces return. That's all I will tell you!
Other characters' development is solid. Mostly. When we last saw Dutch's dorky partner Billings, he had hit the city with a meritless $3.4 million dollar lawsuit; his laziness threatens to derail the Dutch-man's detective work. Officer Tina Hanlon isn't the rookie she used to be, but let's just say you wouldn't want her watching your back. Julian is the only underedeveloped character so far; he's hangin' with the Strike Team, but there doesn't seem to be any real reason for his presence. Let's hope the writers give his story line the attention it deserves.
Overall: William Faulkner once said, "The past is not dead. In fact, it's not even past." That sums up this season of The Shield. Even if you want to repent for your sins, can you? And what kind of price do we pay for our transgressions - if we realize them at all? As always, the characters' rubbery morality raises these questions, and as we speed to the end of the series, we might just find out.

Any other Shield fans out there want to chat? Let me know - like I said, I'm obsessed.

Photo courtesy of FX.

TV Tonight: "The Shield"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 05:00:06 -0700

I'm a latecomer to "The Shield," the FX cop drama that starts its sixth season tonight. So I'll defer to those who have been following the series from the beginning when they say it's an intense and hypnotic show. One TV Guide critic even put it on par with "The Sopranos" as some of the year's best TV.

The premise of this season is strong: Tough cop Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) is driven by a desire to find out who killed Lem, a member of his Strike Team. Viewers, meanwhile, already know the killer: Lem's best friend and fellow Strike Team member Shane. As a bonus, Oscar winner Forest Whitaker will be around for several episodes as an investigator trying to expose Vic as a dirty cop. It makes me want to hurry up and get those previous seasons off my Netflix queue. To see a promo for the episode, read more

Photo courtesy of FX