BuzzSugar

On the Bubble? Where TV Shows Stand Now

BuzzSugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:30:52 -0700

By this time next month, the Fall TV schedule will be set. Starting with NBC in a couple of weeks, each network will piece together its programming slate, including which current series will return and which new pilots will get a shot at success. That means it's crunch time for shows that are "on the bubble," with equally good chances they'll get renewed or canceled. The Hollywood Reporter broke down which series have a good shot at returning and which look dead, and a few tidbits jumped out to me as I read its take:

Good news, bad news at the CW. This line set off a rollercoaster of emotions: "Over at the CW, Reaper is gone, while the prospects for Privileged have improved, and the show is now considered for a possible midseason order." Reaper had been holding its own against American Idol, so I'm surprised the CW would dismiss it so quickly, but at least we've gotten two seasons of it. Privileged definitely seems like it deserves another shot - especially if it could air during one of these extended breaks from Gossip Girl.
A bunch of shows are really 50/50. Among the ones considered true toss-ups: Chuck (whose chances are said to be hurt by Southland's early success but whose fans are vocal), Dollhouse, and CBS's Without a Trace and Cold Case - of which only one is expected to return.
Good news for some midseason shows. Even though none of ABC's midseason shows have been blockbuster hits, Better Off Ted, Castle, and The Unusuals are all considered possibilities to return next year. (Cupid, however, seems dead already.)
Say farewell to . . . In addition to Cupid and Reaper, things are reportedly not looking good for Life, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, or Eleventh Hour.

Check out the full story and tell me what you think. How are things looking for your favorites?

Photo courtesy of The CW

Privileged Rundown: Episode 18, "All About a Brand New You"

BuzzSugar — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 09:30:51 -0800

It wasn't among the CW's early renewals yesterday, but creator Rina Mimoun is presenting the season two storyline to CW execs this week. So, bottom line: Cross your fingers.

This finale - which even ended with the hopeful words "to be continued" - doesn't leave me with the kind of cliffhanger that I desperately need to have resolved, but it does set up lots of great material for a second season, if not beyond. I really hope this show gets picked up for another season!

Did you catch the finale? To chat about it, read more.

This episode turned on the waterworks for me - I couldn't help it! It's so sweet when Sage and Marco have their heart-to-heart about Luis, ending with Marco telling Sage, "I love you, too." And then there's the actual wedding itself which, come on, it's a wedding! Even Sage cried! And finally, when Sage calls Rose "Rosie" at the end and tells her how brave it is to do her big wilderness trip - tear!
Speaking of which: Rose's decision to grow up and become independent clearly wasn't all talk and no action, to the point that she gets a big box with a knife delivered to her (you can ship that?) for her upcoming Outward Bound survival trip. Not only is she skipping out on Spring Break with Sage in Aspen for it, but she's also alienating her friends with her questionable outdoorsy fashion choices and bug spray scent.
I'm glad we got to see at least a little tutoring in this episode, because it definitely hasn't been the focus for a while. Megan is sweet with Sage, suggesting that maybe she actually try hard on something rather than just squeaking by with minimal effort. Also love this exchange:

Megan: "I'm surprised at how quickly you came to that conclusion."
Sage: "I'm a big fan of Blink."
For that matter, this episode is one of the quippiest we've had in a while. Sage's "I don't need bullet points to get people to agree with me; I have a black AmEx card for that," "I think it might be too moist for love," and "Fleece, Rose? Seriously? Why not get a perm and call it a day?" are a few of my favorites.

Kathy Griffin as the guys' wedding planner - what did you think? I think she was perfectly cast, though at the same time I'm glad she didn't have any more lines than she did.
With all the growing Rose is doing, it's nice to see some from Sage as well. Dumping Luis must be hard - it's her first real breakup - but she wants someone who's open to new ideas, and Luis's opposition to Marco and Keith's wedding means he's not that guy for her.
All this "personal growth stuff," as Rose puts it, is actually really inspiring! I now have an urge to go on a big outdoor adventure . . . or something else spontaneous and challenging.
The dancing scene at the wedding is adorable! I want to believe they just basically turned on some good music, told the cast to dance, and let the cameras roll.
I liked that the episode seems like a very final finale - wrapping up some storylines, including having Laurel love the book Megan's writing about her - but with a fun twist at the end. As Megan talks to Will on the phone and invites him over to talk I was so relieved that she didn't go out with that new guy . . . except she did! Having him sit up in her bed and grin, followed by her cute little "Holy crap!"? Super awesome ending.

Photos courtesy of the CW

Privileged's Will and Gilmore Girls's Logan: A Theory

BuzzSugar — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 06:30:25 -0800

I recently received a message from Team member syako in which she put forth a theory about a connection between Privileged (which, sadly, ends tonight!) and Gilmore Girls. The theory is this: Viewers of both shows who like the character of Will on Privileged (Megan's hunky but perhaps a little spoiled neighbor) were probably also fans of Logan on Gilmore Girls. So far we are proving this theory correct: She likes both Will and Logan, and I don't care very much for either of them!

Where do you fall? Did you like Logan during the Gilmore Girls days? Do you care for the handsome Will, despite his occasional whining?

Privileged has, in some ways, filled the hole that was left when Gilmore Girls ended - I just find it so refreshing to see a TV show about teens and an early 20-something girl that isn't, well, trashy. Tonight's season finale is titled "All About a Brand New You!" and features Kathy Griffin as the wedding planner for Marco and Keith's wedding. There's a ton of other drama, including (but not limited to) issues with Megan's dad, a Spring break-related tiff between Rose and Sage, and Luis's refusal to attend a gay wedding.

Tune in tonight and then come back tomorrow and chat with me about the finale! To watch a clip from tonight's episode, read more.

Privileged photo courtesy of the CW and Gilmore Girls photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Privileged Rundown: Episode 17, "All About Betrayal"

BuzzSugar — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:31:07 -0800

Wow, this week's Privileged has a lot of fallout from last week's big confessions. We finally learn Sage's big secret, and Rose starts to realize that all her life people have kept secrets from her in an effort to protect her. She no longer wants to be protected, though, and it's interesting how much more grown-up Rose seems by the end of this episode. Meanwhile, Megan and Will are fighting about career issues and Marco longs to get back together with Keith.

Did you watch this second-to-last episode of Privileged? To talk about it, read more.

So Sage's big confession is out, and no, it doesn't turn out that she somehow murdered her parents or anything like that. But she does believe she caused their deaths by whining and crying so much (about not being able to go to a birthday party with a petting zoo!) that they missed their plane, instead boarding the one that crashed and killed them. Obviously, a lot of other people had a hand in that accident, but I can understand why Sage feels responsible.
Rose's reaction to the confession's super-interesting to me: She's mad, but she's not mad about what Sage did when they were 6 years old. Instead, she's mad that Sage protected her from that - and who knows what else? - over the years. It's a little sad to see her packing up her suitcase at the end of the episode, but she's not going far, just down the hall. There are lots of reasons why I want this show to get a second season, but one is definitely that I want to see how Rose acts when she's less under Sage's wing.
Robert Buckley is hot, but as the magazine editor, he's also kind of a jerk. He gives Megan a hard time with all of her pitches while making Will photo editor (at his dad's request), then tells Megan he can't deal with having a conflict of interest down the line with his employees dating.

I find it a little disorienting to see Megan so flustered by David. Not that she should be sassy with him, but it's startling to see someone (other than Laurel) shoot her down and talk down to her - and to watch her just take it. I like it more when Megan's all bubbly and overtalk-y. The addition of David is throwing me for a loop.
But the part that got a real reaction from me in this episode was Will's behavior! My gosh, he's so unfair to Megan, jumping down her throat when she says she doesn't want his dad to get her a job. Projection much, Will? Sheesh.
Is this curtains for Will and Megan? I can't remember the last episode that went by without them fighting, and the magazine issue pokes at one of their central conflicts: Megan wants to earn everything, and Will's more or less OK with using his wealth and contacts to his advantage. Not to be a Negative Nancy or anything, but I kind of hope they do break up - or at least take a little breather.
In other love story news: Marco proposes! "Platinum doesn't lie"!
Overall, I'm glad that they're using Marco more and more - and not just for a punny quip here and there. His storyline is actually moving forward and I like it.
Since Keith turned Marco down the first time, does that mean Megan got to eat the turtles?

Photos courtesy of the CW

TV Tonight: Robert Buckley Gets Privileged

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:30:38 -0800

If you've been missing Robert Buckley ever since Lipstick Jungle went off the air, there's good news: Buckley will be hobnobbing with Megan, Will, and the rest of our Privileged friends starting tonight!

Buckley plays David, the editor Will's father hires to work on a new magazine based on Megan and Will's idea from a few episodes back (the one that may or may not still be named Ripple). Megan's ready with lots of ideas to pitch, but it seems like David is going to be a pretty tough editor to please. Also, as I understand it, David wears a shirt a little more than Kirby did - you know, office job and all.

Meanwhile, we'll see the start of the fallout from Sage's big confession and the repercussions of what Rose now knows about their real grandfather. Sounds like it should be a packed episode! To watch a video of Buckley talking about his character, joining the show late in the season, and the differences between playing David and Kirby, just read more.

Photo courtesy of The CW

Privileged Rundown: Episode 16, "All About Confessions"

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 10:30:41 -0800

This week's episode of Privileged really is all about confessions! Big reveal-y ones, too, from Charlie to Megan, from Rose to Zach (and Zach to Rose!), from a strange blond woman to Rose, and from Sage to a Catholic priest. Lots going on this week in lush Palm Beach - and none of it has to do with Megan's family. Are you glad to get a reprieve from her family drama? Or did they just replace one kind of drama with another?

If you want to talk about this week's episode (spoilers ahead!), read more.

Last things first: Just as actress Ashley Newbrough promised, Sage reveals a big secret at the end of the episode - that she feels like she caused her parents' deaths. Yikes! I'm anxious to find out what she means by this.
One of my favorite lines of the episode also comes from Sage as she nervously walks to church with Luis: "It's been a long time since God's seen me. I mean, should I change my outfit?"
Rose's storyline went from sweetly adorable to mega-drama right quick. I love that Zach is touched by Rose stalking his ex-girlfriend (who, to Rose, seems "really lovely"), and that Rose then wants to hurry home so she can watch Battlestar Galactica while talking to him on the phone. But then that blond lady approaches Rose and reveals that Miles is her grandfather. The big drama seems like it's coming next week: Rose getting on a plane, all serious-like, with Sage pleading with her not to leave "like this."
But before the drama kicks in, how cute is it that Zach met his ex at space camp? I also loved Rose saying that she expected her sexual experience would "bend the whole gender-power dynamic" and then confessing that Megan had made her read Backlash.
I couldn't be more grateful for the lack of Lily problems in this episode. I just have such a hard time with that character sometimes. But this week she was practically likable. And I got a kick out of Charlie's line: "So I meant to ask you: How was jail?"
Could've used a lot more Marco, though the image of him wearing um, just a bow, and singing "Would You Light My Candle?" from Rent definitely cracked me up. A dash of Marco in the episode is always better than no Marco at all.
It felt to me like the Charlie-Megan kiss was way rushed, but I guess it was going to have to happen sometime, and it's still up in the air whether or not Privileged will get a second season so might as well speed up the action. I guess?
Will's behavior in this episode infuriated me. What did you make of all of that? The macho posturing that both men exhibit at the bar is just ridiculous. I get that Will feels like he plays second fiddle to Charlie, but the whole beer pong thing is so unnecessary. Then again, I can't believe I'm making an impassioned point about beer pong.
Also, where do you fall on Mandy's statement about Megan? "You play all sweet and adorable, but the truth is, you're completely selfish." I'm generally inclined to take Megan's side over Mandy's, and I don't think Megan intentionally caused anyone harm, but I do think she can be naive.
It's refreshing - though bittersweet - to see Megan and Charlie finally have a frank discussion about their feelings and the nature of their friendship. It seems so real and honest when Megan tells Charlie that he's the most important person in her life because that really has always seemed to be the case. She's not just saying it to make him feel better.
Man, I'm going to miss Charlie.

Ashley Newbrough on Living the Privileged Life

BuzzSugar — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 15:41:18 -0800

As Sage Baker on the CW's Privileged, Ashley Newbrough plays a snarky ice queen with a good heart buried somewhere deep inside. On tonight's episode, titled "All About Confessions," many of the characters reveal something major they've been hiding - and Sage's secret is one of the biggest of all. Earlier this week, Newbrough hopped on the phone with some reporters to chat about playing Sage, working on Privileged, and getting comfortable with her TV twin. Here are highlights:

On Sage's big confession: "Sage reveals this secret, the secret that will explain why she's so guarded, and it's a pretty heavy deal, it's something she's been carrying her entire life - well, since she was 6, since her parents died. She's been carrying this secret for so long, and it's the first time she lets it off her shoulders and says it out loud, really. And I think it's good because it lets the audience in on her darkest secret, so it kind of shows you what really damaged her. You get to see the softer side of Sage. She's very, very vulnerable, which is something that never happens."
On how having a love interest has changed Sage: "It's forced her to sort of be a little bit more sensitive and sort of watch what she says a little bit more . . . especially when it's Luis, because he doesn't put up with her crap, and he doesn't back down from any of her mean remarks or anything like that. It's definitely made her reevaluate what she says and how she treats people. . . Just kind of dealing with the feelings of having a crush on someone has just made her grow up a little bit and accept the fact that she's going to let him in and be a little bit vulnerable with him, which are all things that she's never experienced before, because as she says, she's never liked someone this much."
On what attracted her to playing Sage: "I felt like you could tell she was damaged, and underneath all that ice and meanness she was a good person somewhere. Being only 16 and having lost her parents when she was 6, I think that all forced her to grow up really fast and sort of made her different than all the other regular mean girls on television shows or in life, because I think she has all these reasons for why she is so mean and guarded and why she hates letting people in so much. . . I also liked how she was so protective of her sister. She can be mean to everyone in the world but as long as Rose is happy, she didn't care."

To find out what she thinks makes Sage likable beneath all the nastiness, what it's like being the taller twin, and what surprised her about working in LA vs. working in Canada, read more.

On making her mean girl character likable: "Whenever I have these lines where I'm calling people, you know, 'pear-shaped' or 'effeminate' or 'fat and deaf,' I feel so bad, and I always feel the need to go up to the actors and hug them or something, because I feel so mean about it. I think the likability comes from the comedy of it, because I've actually had a lot of people tell me that Sage is the character that says what everyone's thinking but they're too afraid to say it."
On bonding with her TV twin, Lucy Hale: "The first thing we did was we went out to Pinkberry, because in the pilot they have Pinkberry moments, and I had just moved to LA so I had never had it before. So we had a Pinkberry moment, and then we got pedicures and went shopping and we honestly clicked so well right off the top. I couldn't have asked for a better twin sister costar, because Lucy is awesome. We actually are roommates now. We get along very well, we go shopping all the time, we do a lot together, so it's very easy to play twins on camera."
On playing the taller twin: "Sometimes they have me not wearing shoes, if I'm off-camera, and then they'll have Lucy wearing her heels, or sometimes they'll build her up a little ramp - it's really cute, it's red, and they've got stars on it, so she gets a little bit of a height boost, and they take off my heels."

On one big difference between Canadian and US shows: "One thing that's very different is the wardrobe - the wardrobe fittings, not the clothes really . . . In Canada you go in your own separate changing room, and you come out and they assess whether or not they're going to use the outfit and whatnot, but in LA, it's just like, 'OK, and change! And strip!' And you're just like 'What?' I was so thrown off at first because I was like, 'Is there somewhere I'm supposed to go?' and the lady looked at me like I was crazy, and I was like, 'Oh! Or not, I can change here, that's cool too.'"
On the show's messages for young women: "There's a lot that Megan teaches Rose and Sage throughout the season that can apply to young girls everywhere - it's not just the rich and glamorous that can learn from each episode, it's the average girl, and I think that's awesome. I think they deal with some topics that maybe some girls don't want to discuss with their parents, and it's great, because then you get to watch Megan and the twins kind of go through it all. I think that's really good for young teens who are looking for any kind of guidance and maybe don't know where to go for it."

Photos Source and courtesy of The CW

Reaper's Back Early, 90210 Moves Later, and More From the CW

BuzzSugar — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:31:40 -0800

The CW revised its midseason schedule just a bit today, bringing Reaper back early (yay!) while putting it directly in the path of American Idol (boo!). Meanwhile, Privileged has a finale date. The big stuff:

Reaper will be back a couple of weeks earlier than originally planned, with a new premiere date of March 3. It's also switching times, moving to 8 p.m., which is noteworthy because it will put it directly up against That Which Cannot Be Defeated, American Idol.
The other part of that announcement is that 90210 will move to 9 p.m. starting March 3. It makes more sense there, I think. That also means it will be protected from Idol, which might give it a better chance at good ratings and renewal for next season.
Meanwhile, the finale of Privileged will air Feb. 24. That seems so soon!
All 13 episodes of Reaper will air in a row, ending May 26.
90210 will basically take the month of March off. It'll be in repeats starting Feb. 17, but it will be back March 31 with eight new episodes in a row. The first-season finale is set for May 19.

What do you all make of the moves? Is there more good news or bad news for Reaper? And can you believe we only have a few weeks left of Privileged?

Photos courtesy of The CW

Privileged Rundown: Episode 15, "All About the Big Picture"

BuzzSugar — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 09:37:24 -0800

Soooo much family drama in this week's episode of Privileged. Too much family drama? Hmm. There is also some fun Marco stuff (having to do with his dream to open up his own place!) and the twins grapple with the old conundrum: Fame or boys?

Did you watch Privileged this week? To see some of my thoughts on this episode and chat about it all, read more.

There's a lot of interesting stuff in this episode, like Will and Megan fighting over Will's role in the whole Lily/mom debacle and Lily and Megan's minor reconciliation. But I'm not watching the show to find out whether Megan's dad starts drinking again. Is that bad to say?
"You're a billionaire! Isn't there a special hotline for you guys?" Also love Megan's response to Will's cheesy crack about what said hotline would be ("1-800-IM-RICH?"): "That's not enough numbers!"
Rose's relationship with Zach is still adorable, even if it's baffling her friends. "You're dating a mathlete! And you won't even make fun of him!"
Sage's continued giddiness over her new relationship with Luis is also pretty cute. And for some cheesy reason, I find it endearing that the young chef falls in love with a girl named Sage because, you know, Quiche Sage actually makes sense no matter how you mean it.
Marco's stress-organizing post-breakup. Megan wants him to channel his energy into other things, like changing his hair. His response: "I'm not 16, or a girl, or white."
Will's mom cooks?

I love that Pete Wentz shows up and then gets totally overshadowed by gross Max. Max first acts all squicky and intimate with Rose, then Sage tells him that Hugh Hefner wants his nasty plaid jacket back.
Ack, Lily is just nothing but trouble. She raises hell over not knowing her mom was in town, then about her mom skipping town, and then she has to go and kiss Will! I have such a hard time sympathizing with her. At all.
Even the heartwarming scene between Megan and Lily toward the end did very little for me. I think I'm getting sick of Megan feeling responsible all the time and apologizing and Lily never feeling responsible or apologizing.
Oh, so much drama with Marco's restaurant! Obviously I don't want him to leave the show, but I was so happy for him when he thought he was going to be moving on and opening his own place. And I absolutely loved the part with Marco and Megan squealing and jumping up and down over the news that Laurel is giving him the money.
Dear CelebStyle, please find me that dress that makes Megan look "respectably hot-cute," 'k? Thanks.
Wait, after Megan leaves Will's place for dinner, does she not go back to her dad's like she said she would? Or did that just get cut? It was bizarre to see her go from that emotional scene to a happy, chipper moment with the twins.
Apparently the Baker twins' big moment as celebutantes has passed. It's kind of funny to see them so wiped out from nights of nonstop parties. Also funny? Rose's ho-hum line as she's putting on jewelry: "OK. I'm ready to help cure cancer."
"Driver Dave" will probably never stop being a funny name to me.
Coincidentally, I also wanted the Reality Bites Ethan Hawke to marry me.
Ha! Megan says Miley Cyrus already looks older than she does.
Aaaaaack! Will loves Megan! And Megan loves Will, but he still said it first!

Photos courtesy of The CW

Privileged Rundown: Episode 14, "All About Tough Love"

BuzzSugar — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 09:43:43 -0800

Holy drama, Privileged fans! Last week's episode was all synchronized swimmers and sex in hospital supply rooms. Now in this episode we've got jail visits and arguments about posting bail and agonizing thoughts on what sisterhood truly means - and that surprising and totally sad ending! Well, we also got some shirtless Will and snarky Marco, so it's not all high drama. There's also the Luis-Sage romance that continues to be adorably entertaining.

Did you catch this episode? To see some of my favorite moments and to share your own, read more.

I love jaded Marco in this episode, always supplying the droll comedic relief. "Young love," he scoffs at Luis and Sage. "Makes me sick." Later he sums up why their young romance won't last: "One of them will choose MySpace, the other one will choose Facebook and they'll never speak again."
So, Lily's in jail for drug possession, though she says she "didn't do it." Will offers to pay the $25,000 bail but Megan tells him not to, and Megan's dad decides that nobody should post Lily's bail. This is a tough one for Megan who's having trouble just leaving her sister in jail. I could see their dad's point about Lily needing to hit rock bottom, but it did seem a little harsh to leave her there. What do you think about this storyline?
Sage and Rose's classmate says that Sage is dating "a domestic!" Wow. My favorite part of the school scenes, however, is the dig they get in at the CW's new 90210 when Sage says the rich/poor love story is so lame "they did it on the first 90210."
Oh, gratuitously shirtless Will? Why, thank you. Don't mind if I do.
I love dorky little Zach (with a "chah," not a "kah")! When he delivers a poem to Rose (because, as he overheard Rose saying, "it's a nice way to show someone you care about them"), she thinks he wrote it and he doesn't correct her. Problem is, Rose can't understand the poem! I love that she goes to "WordyWord.com" to look up the words she doesn't know so she can figure out "Zach's crazy hard poem about our sublimary love!"
Charlie's super down on the whole Luis-Sage thing, thinking that it will lead to Luis getting fired. But Luis says you "always gotta follow your heart."
For some reason, I always forget that Megan is older than Lily. She feels sympathetic toward Lily, thinking about how alone she was growing up. I sort of love the moments when Megan sees the kind of sisterly relationship in Rose and Sage that she wishes she had with Lily. "If Rose was a serial killer, Sage would stay in jail just to braid her hair."
Marco tells Rose that Zach's poem was actually written by John Donne, and then tells her to go find Zach because "no one tries to pull a fast one on my Rose Baker." Also, what is that delicious-looking berries-and-cream parfait thingy Marco is preparing in this scene? Between the shirtless Will and the desserts, this show is like my TV soul mate.
I love how much Luis has gotten to Sage. It's like she doesn't know what to do with all the feelings. She buys him the knives he's been saving up for and he's a little sad because he wanted to earn them for himself. At first Sage freaks out (she yells "Blah, blah, blah!" at him!), but after chatting with Megan she tries to see Luis's side of things. "I get your knife dream. We're not so different. End of fight." Awww!
Also: Sage actually allowed Megan to give her advice! That's new. And really sweet.
Meanwhile, Rose confronts Zach about the poem because lying is something you do in week two of a relationship, "when things get really hard!" Zach tells her she's smarter than she thinks and Rose says that as far as nerds go, he's "even cooler than Michael Cera."
Wow. Megan's mother asks Will to help her post the bail for Lily but then she just takes his money and runs. I feel sorry for Megan in this episode but I feel almost as badly for Will. He's trying so hard to do the right things for her, and it's a complicated situation with a family he's just now getting to know.

What did you think of this week's episode of Privileged?