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Piper Perabo to Star in Spy Series on USA

BuzzSugar — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:30:48 -0700

The USA Network has nabbed Piper Perabo to play the broken-hearted CIA agent at the center of its upcoming spy thriller series. Titled Covert Affairs, the series will follow "Annie Walker (Perabo), a CIA trainee who speaks six languages and excels at any endeavor she undertakes. Walker joins the CIA while still reeling over a mysterious ex-boyfriend who appears to be of particular interest to her new bosses. She vows never to let herself be hurt again, but that proves to be a tall order." Still to be cast is Auggie Anderson, "a blind tech expert who assists Walker in her assignments."

Not an exceptionally original concept for a show, but I'm excited to see Perabo on a TV series. She may have had some movie roles here and there since 2000, but in my heart she'll probably always be Violet Sanford from the lovably cheesy Coyote Ugly. It'll be interesting to see what she can do on a weekly spy show.

The Starter Wife: Molly Gets a New Love Interest

BuzzSugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:30:01 -0700

I don't think I'm alone in saying that one of the few things I truly disliked about last Summer's The Starter Wife miniseries was the ending, when Molly (Debra Messing) chose to hook up with the (formerly?) homeless Sam rather than strike out on her own for a while. It wasn't just that I wanted Molly to flaunt her "single and fabulous" status - it was that Sam wasn't a great character, and the actor in the role, Stephen Moyer, lacked a certain . . . oomph.

So it's music to my ears that Molly might - just might - be kicking Sam to the curb when the series version of The Starter Wife begins this Fall. Some casting news has been announced for the 10-episode series, including Hart Bochner joining the show as a love interest for Molly. Bochner will play Zach, a character who starts out as Molly's writing teacher and then moves on to other, presumably more personal entanglements.

Molly's also getting a new sidekick: Liz Marsh, played by Danielle Nicolet. She might be taking the place of Molly's friend Cricket, as Miranda Otto is yet to sign on to the series (though at least we know she's not busy with Cashmere Mafia). Judy Davis will be back as Joan, though, and Chris Diamantopoulos will return as Rodney. Joe Mantegna will be back in a limited capacity as a "special guest," too. Several other folks will be making guest appearances, including Alia Shawkat of Arrested Development. We'll also see a new actress in the role of Molly's daughter, in addition to the new Kenny Kagan.

The show is currently slated to start in October on USA. Do you think you'll be revisiting this story?

USA Renews Its Vows with The Starter Wife

BuzzSugar — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 10:36:39 -0700

USA's miniseries The Starter Wife isn't so mini anymore. The network is turning the show into a weekly series, with Debra Messing reprising her role as Molly Kagan.

USA is on board for 10 hourlong episodes of the series, which will start airing in early summer 2008. No word on whether the rest of the cast will be back (Joe Mantegna, who played Lou, Peter Jacobson, who played Kenny, and Miranda Otto, who played Cricket, are now starring in other series) or what the proposed story line for these 10 episodes will be. Network executives said they're bringing the show back thanks to the creative team's chemistry, the show's commercial success, and its 10 Emmy nominations, including an acting win for Judy Davis.

I enjoyed The Starter Wife when it aired over the summer, but I thought it came to a natural end. I was also hoping we'd never have to actually deal with the fallout from Molly ending up with Sam, which was one of the few things I truly hated about the miniseries. Starter Wife fans, are you on board with this becoming a series? And what do you think happens next?

Photo courtesy of USA

USA to Make "Thank You for Smoking" TV Series

BuzzSugar — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 11:25:46 -0700

So, this is weird.
According to Variety, USA has picked up the rights to create a TV series based on the 2006 movie Thank You for Smoking - which was based on the novel by Christopher Buckley. The TV version will have a different title and will pick up where the movie left off: "Nick Naylor, having kicked some of his more evil lobbyist habits, will use his rhetorical skills to help people more deserving of aid." As USA programming chief Jeff Wachtel puts it, "He'll live somewhere between the morally ambiguous character of the movie and Robin Hood."

Apparently, this has been in the works for a long time.
Wachtel and Smoking author Buckley went to college together and originally Wachtel wanted the novel to be a series on USA but "the challenge was how to make that character live successfully in our network." Writer James Dodson who is spearheading the TV script has apparently solved this problem.

I don't get it.
To me, this seems random and pointless. There's already been a movie based on the novel... how much further can they stretch out this story? And why are they continuing to try? I'm casting a wary eye on this project. What do you think?

The Starter Wife Author to Write NBC Show About Divorce

BuzzSugar — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 12:29:09 -0700

Gigi Levangie Grazer, author of the novel-turned-USA-miniseries The Starter Wife, will be writing a pilot for NBC all about divorce. The untitled dramedy is "about a couple in their 30s who are going through a divorce. But since neither has enough money to move out, they keep sharing their house while trying to disentangle their lives."

According to Levangie Grazer herself, "The theme of it can be summed up as, 'I hate you, hold me.' It's taking on the idea that divorce is the new marriage." The assumption here is that this project, like The Starter Wife, will most likely incorporate bits of Levangie Grazer's own experiences, as she and her husband, producer Brian Grazer, are in the process of divorcing (though curiously the two showed up together to the premiere of "The Starter Wife," which just seems ironic to me).

I love that this woman has taken the disastrous parts of her life and used them to create successful projects. In addition to the NBC pilot, Levangie Grazer's novel Maneater will be made into a miniseries for Lifetime, so I guess I should get to reading that one soon!

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TV Tonight: "Monk" and "Psych"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 09:30:00 -0700

USA is making quite a name for itself this summer, between the success of "The Starter Wife" and the strong premiere of "Burn Notice." Tonight, two of its more established shows - "Monk" and "Psych" - return to start their new seasons, with a special appearance by Sarah Silverman on "Monk" as Monk's biggest fan.

This is the sixth season of "Monk," a consistent if not always spectacular drama that has delivered a boatload of well-deserved award nominations for star Tony Shalhoub. But now, Shalhoub has started to wonder if it's time to move on; his contract is up in November, and if he doesn't sign a new one, this season could be the show's last. "Psych," meanwhile, gained itself a strong following in its first season, mostly thanks to the silly interplay between stars James Roday and Dule Hill; it's even gotten some Emmy buzz, though it wasn't on the leaked list of comedy series finalists. To watch previews for both shows - the "Monk" one, in particular, perfectly showcases Shalhoub's charms while making me crave a Monk bobblehead - if you read more

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Are You Watching "Burn Notice"?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 07:30:00 -0700

A while back, I told you about "Burn Notice," the new USA show about an exposed spy trying to figure out who let his name be known, starring Jeffrey Donovan and Bruce Campbell. It got a commercial-free premiere after the final episode of "The Starter Wife" and ended up pulling in 4 million viewers, even more than the "Starter Wife" finale.

It's normal for a show to drop some viewers after its premiere, but not "Burn Notice." Last week - a holiday week, no less - "Burn Notice" stayed steady. I haven't been watching the show, but numbers like this, plus some strong reviews, make me think it must have something good going for it. Tell me: Are you watching "Burn Notice"? And, if so, why should I check it out?

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"The Starter Wife" Recap: "Hour 5"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 13:34:59 -0700

Okay, watchers of "The Starter Wife," we're getting down to the wire here for Molly and the rest of the Malibu gang. Next week's episode is the last one for the summer miniseries, and this week's was a decent enough second-to-last chapter. They went back to Molly chatting herself up in the bathroom while using another Pond's product, though at this point, with only one more episode left, I just had to roll my eyes and chuckle when she used those facial wipes to, I think, wipe off her lipstick repeatedly.

Check out some noteworthy moments from this week's episode:

I love how bullheaded Molly's divorce lawyer is. Apparently wanting to end the marriage amicably is "what people say when they want to lose." I also liked how Molly later says quietly that they should have figured out a signal for when the lawyer really does want her to sign something. Moments like those reassure me that Debra Messing was perfectly cast in this show.
Another such moment: While whispering sweet nothings to one another in bed, Molly trips and bumbles over her own "turning the page of a book" metaphor. When Sam goes with it and mentions dyslexia, Molly seems genuinely worried that Sam is dyslexic.

Several more points if you read more

I loved the shell-shocked looks everyone gives Sam when he doesn't know what "American Idol" is. It's like Sam not knowing his reality TV is the ultimate shameful result of homelessness.
Sam: "How do you vote for a TV show?"
Someone mumbles, baffled, "You... y-you text..."
My amusement with that scene quickly turned to annoyance and disgust with Sam. For someone who has neither a home nor a job, he's extraordinarily judgmental of others. He snaps at Joan for still drinking, and I haven't forgotten his "let's see if it's a life worth saving" line from when he pulled Molly to shore. Who are you to judge, Sam? Sheesh!
How many people would love to attend his/her own funeral? Not only was it funny seeing Lou dressed in drag at his own memorial service, but that's a common fantasy he actually got to live.

I am completely perplexed as to what Molly sees - at all! - in Sam. So whatever leads her into Lou's arms is fine by me, but I simply can't get on board for her "relationship" with Sam and her consequent sadness over him being weird. It doesn't make any sense.
I love the previews for next week's episode with Lou and Sam trying to outdo each other. Lou: "I live in a house!"

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"The Starter Wife" Recap: "Hour 4"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 12:23:17 -0700

This week's episode of "The Starter Wife" was my favorite yet - there were some very funny moments, some plot twists and some really great one-liners. I even enjoyed the strange fantasy moments (the "Lover! Killer! Lover!" slapfest between Molly and Joan had me chuckling) and the integration of the Pond's brand was slightly more subdued for once, which I appreciate. Here are some of my favorite moments from the episode:

Lavender's grandmother would probably be annoying in real life, but she makes for a fantastic character.
Ditto on the character of Joan, who is fast becoming my favorite person on "The Starter Wife." Best lines from Joan: "Lies are the lubricant of relationships. 'I've got a headache.' 'Your ass looks great in that.' 'I'm still in rehab.'"

More favorite things (spoiler alert) if you read more

Bonus points for the several references to Silence of the Lambs, which shouldn't be so funny, but it is. I especially enjoyed how Molly reasoned that Sam couldn't be sewing a vest out of women's skins because he doesn't have electricity for the sewing machine. Then she decides he could be sewing them by hand.
Really, Cricket? The husband who betrayed you sings a couple goofy lines from a made-up "I'm sorry" song and suddenly you're making out with him again in the hot tub? The same hot tub, let's note, where Jorge did it with the nanny. Gross.
Shoshana's music video was Marie Antoinette-themed, and the dancers were actually in her hair.
Lavender: "I think we're done here."
Detective: "Hey, I'm supposed to say that!"
That Sam the homeless man (or, as Joan calls him, "residence-challenged") is getting on my last nerve. He's so intense and overly dramatic it's annoying.
Oh, hey, Lou's back! I'm so glad that was not a fantasy moment, nor was Lou coming to her to deliver some magic Pond's face cream or something. He's really still alive! Gotta say, I loved that little twist. I'd really thought he was a goner.
Molly, to Joan: "Your face looks like it was hit with a Prius and your Prius looks like it was hit with a telephone pole!"

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"The Starter Wife" Recap: "Hour 3"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 13:03:47 -0700

Last week's two-hour premiere of USA's summer series "The Starter Wife" seriously brought in the viewers and I definitely thought it got off to a great start. Thus, I tuned in again last night for "Hour 3" of the series, and while I wasn't disappointed, per se, I was somewhat perplexed. Check out my thoughts on this week's "Starter Wife" episode:

Anyone else think it was totally out of left field to suddenly start featuring Molly's dream and fantasy sequences? I actually really liked the black-and-white fantasy scene in which she and the detectives spoofed an old-fashioned noir film - I also think Debra Messing looks smashing in black-and-white film, just as an aside - but I was baffled by it. That kind of playfulness is fun in certain shows, but in this week's episode it struck me as simply bizarre because it wasn't set up at all in the previous episodes.
I understand having to feature shots of Pond's products, but this whole Molly-gabbing-to-herself-in-the-mirror thing is going to get old at some point. Should be pretty interesting to see what kinds of creative ways they figure out to incorporate the brand in the future.

Several more thoughts if you read more

Nothing says romance like a homeless man in Starbucks huskily offering to make love to you.

Two times when I laughed out loud: 1) When Rodney is going through his bills, separating them into the "Can Pay" and "Can't Pay" piles, he sighs, "Can't pay... Guess I didn't need two piles," because it was actually funny; and 2) When Sam says to Molly on the beach "Something's about to ignite, and I want to be there when it does," because who says stuff like that?
Debra Messing's forte seems to be playing campy over-the-top characters, so it was a lot of fun watching her pretend to be Joan's crazy sister Bambi.
Hooray for Cricket kicking over the snotty lady during yoga! "She's worth 20 of you." Sounds like a girl-power song lyric to me.
I gotta say, I'm a sucker for stories in which an unlikely gang of characters all end up living together, and I thought Molly's response to Lavender was actually really sweet: "I'm not lonely anymore."
Aaaaand then she found out her homeless lover was also a potential murder suspect.

What are your thoughts on this week's episode of "The Starter Wife"?

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