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What's Your Favorite JJ Abrams Series?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 11:43:07 PDT

Tonight's premiere of Fringe got me thinking about creator/executive producer JJ Abrams and his pretty stellar track record on television.

In the past decade, Abrams has created or co-created four shows (Felicity, Alias, Lost, and now Fringe) and executive-produced two others (Six Degrees and What About Brian). Many of those shows had ratings success and/or significant buzz, and all of them (well, except maybe Six Degrees) had vocal fan followings. While we wait to see how Fringe will stack up, which is your favorite of Abrams's series so far?

Source

TV Tonight: "Six Degrees"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 06:58:18 PDT

The story of ABC's "Six Degrees" could really be a metaphor for this whole sorry TV season. The show had the right pedigree ("Lost" creator J.J. Abrams) and the right time slot (right after "Grey's Anatomy"), yet it never gained traction with viewers. So ABC yanked it from the schedule before the holidays, revamped it, and trotted it back out in March, only to pull it again two episodes later. The final chapter of the saga starts tonight, when the first of five unaired episodes will arrive where so many canceled shows have gone this season: the network's online video player.

I'm glad that the episodes starring Josh Charles (Dan Rydell of "Sports Night") will end up somewhere besides the editing room, but I have to wonder if anyone will be watching. Will any of you "Six Degrees" fans see the show through to its conclusion online? Or has ABC moved it around so much that you're beyond caring now? To watch a clip of the first few minutes of the series,

Spring Cleaning Sends Heap of TV Shows to the Dump

BuzzSugar — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 11:14:00 PDT

Hope you weren't getting too attached to "The Wedding Bells" or "Six Degrees." They were two of the shows axed this week as the networks reshuffled their schedules. Among the other casualties: "The Black Donnellys," which might only get to air two more episodes, and "7th Heaven," which is being canceled (supposedly for real this time). According to Variety, the networks said low ratings were behind all of the decisions.

Here's a summary of the changes:

"The Wedding Bells" will air this Friday but is unlikely to be back after that.
"The Black Donnellys" will get bumped from its time slot on April 23 to make way for "The Real Wedding Crashers." It's unclear if NBC intends to pull "Donnellys" completely before the 23rd or air the remaining episodes at another time; it only will have aired eight of its 13 episodes by then.
"Six Degrees" is done, effective immediately, and - for the moment, at least - it will be replaced by episodes of "Wife Swap" (hey, at least it's not more "George Lopez").
"7th Heaven" is scheduled to air its finale on May 13.

There's some good news for fans of "October Road": The show was only going to get to air four of its six episodes, but it's doing well enough that ABC is planning to let it finish out the season on Thursdays at 10. It will take a one-week break April 12 to make way for the premiere of "Notes from the Underbelly," but then "Notes" will move to Wednesdays at 8:30.

The CW's "Hidden Palms," which sounds like "Desperate Housewives" crossed with "Dawson's Creek," also finally got a time slot, and it will start May 30 at 8 p.m.

Photos courtesy of ABC, Fox, and NBC

TV Tonight: "Six Degrees"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 05:30:46 PDT

"Six Degrees" was supposed to be the new hit show of the season. It had pedigree - stars Hope Davis and Campbell Scott; executive producer J.J. "Lost" Abrams - and the plum post-"Grey's Anatomy" time slot. Instead, the show about six New Yorkers discovering their connections to each other faltered in the ratings, and ABC yanked it from the schedule in early November.

Tonight, it's back with the first of a batch of previously unaired episodes - and, potentially, a shot at another season. Dumping the show in the TV wasteland of Friday nights isn't exactly a vote of confidence, nor is the fact that "Six Degrees" wasn't among the many that ABC already promised to renew. Still, a chance to finish out the season on TV is more than many of this season's yanked shows got (I hear you, you other three "Day Break" fans).

If you want to refresh your memory of the show (or, like me, check it out for the first time), you can watch four of the six episodes at ABC's video site. For a clip that will give you a sense of what it's all about,

What's Your Favorite New Show?

PopSugar — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 10:47:40 PST

Now that we are deep into the fall season, it's time to find out what you are watching. We are crazy about Heroes, Bathazar Getty from Brothers and Sisters and Ms Betty. We have already added them to our season pass. We know what the Nielsen ratings say, but what do you think? What's your new favorite show?

Fall TV Preview: Six Degrees

PopSugar — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 10:20:35 PDT

From Executive Producer J.J. Abrams (Lost, Alias) comes this somewhat original drama based on six New Yorkers who don't know each other, but are all connected in different ways. There is Laura, a grieving widow, Whitney, a high powered PR Executive, Steven, an artist who has hit rock bottom, Damian, destined to be a criminal but trying desperately to live an honest life, Carlos, the young Assistant DA and finally Mae, a runaway hiding something mysterious. The show takes place in Manhattan and is a clever play on the "Six Degrees of Separation" theory. Notable cast members include Bridget Moynahan (Sex and The City) as Whitney, Erika Christensen (Traffic) as Mae and the adorable Jay Hernandez (Crazy/Beautiful) as Carlos. While it's definitely no Lost or Alias, I was thoroughly entertained and will definitely be tuning in for the rest of the season. Six Degrees premieres tonight at 10/9c on ABC.

Wee! A Total-Body Playground Circuit Workout

Jenny Sugar — Mon, 07 May 2012 02:58:20 PDT

Playgrounds aren't just for the kiddos. Why not use the equipment to do a little strength training after you run or bike ride through the park, or while your children are playing (might as well tone your tush rather than just sitting on it)? Check out this five-minute circuit workout to target your entire body from head to toe. For a full workout, repeat the circuit six times through for a total of 30 minutes. Note that some cities have rules about adults using playground equipment, so double check before doing this workout.

Triceps dips on a bench: Sit on a bench and place the heels of your palms next to your hips. Walk your feet away from you about six or so inches and hop your tush off so you're hovering in front of the bench. Slowly bend at your elbows and lower your upper body down toward the floor until your arms are at about a 90 degree angle. Be sure to keep your back close to the bench. Once you reach the bottom of the movement, slowly push yourself straight back up to the starting position. Repeat for one minute.
Push-ups with both feet on a swing: Stand two feet in front of a swing and place your hands on the ground. Step onto the swing so the tops of both ankles are resting on the middle of the swing. Walk your hands out as needed so your body is in the top of a push-up position. Slowly bend your elbows, lowering your chest toward the ground, and then straighten them, coming to the starting position. Do as many push-ups as you can for one minute (it's OK to do them slowly).

Keep reading for the rest of moves in this circuit workout.

Amp Up Your Workout With These Balance Exercises

Susi May — Thu, 03 May 2012 02:37:25 PDT

If you're looking to amp up your fitness routine, you need to get unstable. Performing classic single-leg exercises while standing on a foam pad, like the one pictured above by Aeromat, is simple way to do this. The squishy surface forces your core and legs to work harder, increasing your strength gains and caloric burn. Standing on the soft surface also strengthens your feet and ankles, which is important if you're flirting with the barefoot running trend or plan to spend lots of time hiking hilly terrain this Summer.

To get started, try this three-exercise progression I learned from my Equinox trainer Lauren. Once you've mastered a variation, try the next level up. As you experiment with these moves, you will feel your weight shift from side to side on your foot, which means the muscles that support your arch and ankle are working. If you find your feet cramping, spread your toes wide in your shoes or try the exercise in just socks.

Learn the moves after the break.

5 Exercises to Ditch Arm Flab Forever

Shape — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 03:07:15 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to celebrity trainer Jay Cardiello for some help!

Ah, that infamous area along the back of your arms, the nemesis of so many women. How do you tackle the jiggle? First, I want to tell you what not to do, as people are often tempted to take the wrong course of action. And that is the concept of spot reducing, or lowering fat stores in one specific area of the body. It is essentially impossible to accomplish and should not be a part of your fitness regimen. Fighting arm flab requires more than just spot treatment!

In order to tone the backs of your arms, which is where your tricep muscles are, you have to remember this: specific exercises to increase your lean muscle mass will get you results, but you must also decrease your fat intake without risking too much muscle loss. (Sound familiar? Have you managed to lose fat, but still carry some extra bulk around the tricep?) So, to lose the wiggle and jiggle, be sure to eat a healthy balanced diet with proper nutrients; get at least six to eight hours of sleep so that your body can repair, recover, and build muscle; and consistently maintain your exercise program. And be sure to incorporate these five flab-fighting exercises into your workout routine.

The Ultimate Abs and Arms Workout

See Jay's arm workout after the break!

How Supermodel Miranda Kerr Got Her Prebaby Body Back

Self — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 04:17:28 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Self here on FitSugar!

Sure, your chances of becoming a Victoria's Secret model may be as remote as winning the lottery, but looking like one is an entirely different story. When Miranda Kerr needed to tone up fast after giving birth to son Flynn with actor Orlando Bloom, she turned to FITiST celebrity trainer Andie Hecker to whip her back into supermodel shape.

"She came to me shortly after Flynn was born so we needed to I focused on pulling her abs back to Victoria's Secret model-flat and strengthening and toning her arms so she could easily and safely tote her growing baby around," says Hecker, founder of LA-based dance studio Ballet Bodies.

Their workout routine consists of Pilates fused with ballet techniques, a fat-blasting combo that burns 300 to 500 calories per workout. "Ballet Bodies is a classical ballet-based workout," she explains. "It's actually a workout that utilizes true ballet fundamentals placed atop Pilates, traditional personal training, and various cardiovascular activities such as jumping and kicking."

To do Kerr's postbaby arm workout at home, incorporate these four moves into your regular workout four to six times a week. Add one- or two-pound hand weights for "optimum muscle exhaustion and results." Get the workout after the break!