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Chenoweth, Garber Bring Even More Joy to Glee

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:30:51 -0800

After I saw the hilarious and joyful pilot for Fox's upcoming musical series Glee back at January's TCA press tour, I decided it just might be my favorite new series of this whole season. And now, it turns out there's something that could make me love it even more: Kristin Chenoweth and Victor Garber are both joining the series in recurring roles.

Chenoweth's role is apparently so super-secret, Entertainment Weekly wouldn't give out any details, but the report is a little less tight-lipped about Garber's part: He'll play the father of Matthew Morrison's character, Will, the teacher who takes over a ragtag high school glee club and tries to turn it into a championship-winning singing and dancing machine.

They're just the latest two Broadway stars in a cast that's already overflowing with singing talent, including Morrison and Spring Awakening's Lea Michele. The show, from Nip/Tuck's Ryan Murphy, reminds me of Freaks and Geeks with musical numbers, and I can't wait till Fox puts out a video promo so I can share it with you.

In the meantime, tell me: Does the presence of these two stars pique your interest? And does it help make up for the loss of Pushing Daisies and Eli Stone to know that these two will be singing on our TV screens again soon?

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TV Tonight: Eli Stone

BuzzSugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 07:30:04 -0700

Eli Stone, which premiered last Spring in the aftermath of the writers' strike and begins its second season on ABC tonight, is a warm, cozy blanket of a TV show. It doesn't get a lot of buzz - a fact it's trying to change with guest stars; more on that in a second - but it never fails to leave me with a smile on my face.

If you missed it the first time through or need a refresher, Jonny Lee Miller plays the title character, an attorney who begins having strange visions - either as the result of a brain aneurysm or because he's a modern-day prophet. The aneurysm was removed through a risky surgery at the end of the first season; what happens to the visions now remains to be, er, seen. The only certain thing is that there will be more singing and dancing, featuring supporting cast members like the wonderful Victor Garber.

Like a few other under-the-radar shows (Chuck comes to mind), Eli Stone has reeled in several high-profile guest stars for this new season, including Sigourney Weaver on tonight's premiere and Katie Holmes, whose appearance we've already gotten to glimpse, on next week's episode. Will these guest stars win any new viewers over to Eli's charming ways? Time will tell. For now, you can check out a preview of the new season if you read more.

Movie Preview: Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch in Milk

BuzzSugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:30:09 -0700

One of the movies I'm most looking forward to this Fall is Milk, which filmed in my fair city of San Francisco last Winter. Directed by Gus Van Sant, the movie follows the true story of Harvey Milk, the nation's first gay official of any major American city, who was assassinated shortly after his election to office. The story has already been covered by a moving documentary, and in Milk, Sean Penn steps into the title role.

Now, I've said before that I can be a bit of a crybaby, and this trailer got me all teary. Penn seems like a great fit as Milk, letting the right amounts of warmth and passion through. The overall look of the film also seems spot-on, capturing the '70s style without seeming costumey. And the cast - oh, the cast! Some of the most wonderful actors in Hollywood appear alongside Penn in this one, including Josh Brolin, James Franco, Diego Luna, and a totally transformed Emile Hirsch.

Milk premieres at the end of October in San Francisco and will be in wide release starting Dec. 5. To watch the trailer, get your tissues ready and read more.

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Victor Garber on Katie Holmes, George Michael, and Being a Spy Daddy

BuzzSugar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 05:45:27 -0700

How fantastic is it that Eli Stone has brought Victor Garber back to our TV sets on a near-weekly basis? Garber's been a favorite of mine since his Daddy Warbucks days - though I loved him most as Sydney's dad on Alias - and his role on Eli combines the best of his Broadway background with another tough-as-nails personality. At the TCA press tour, I chatted with Garber for a bit about being back on TV, working with Katie Holmes, and acting alongside George Michael. Check out some highlights:

What inspired you to take the role on Eli Stone?
This came just after Justice was finished, and I wasn't intending to go back to television, but I really loved the script, and I love [Executive Producer] Greg Berlanti, who - I was told by at least three different people, 'You've got to work with him.' So I met with him, and I read the script and I thought, 'This is so great.' That's what inspires me to do anything, is what's on the page. So I was very happy to get involved. Then it turned out to be one of the best experiences I've had. I'm very lucky. I've had three [series] - Alias, and then Justice, which was short but I loved that, and then this. So I feel like I won the lotto, I really do.

Are there any sort of musical numbers that you're just aching to do? Do you ever go to the producers and say, please, let me do this?
I never ever think that, I honestly don't. I was stunned when they threw "Freedom" at me, and "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" - stunned. I really didn't expect anything, and - my background is Broadway, pretty much, and I used to be a folk singer, so this was very very different for me, and I was very nervous, frankly. I'm just thrilled that they threw them at me and I was able to pull them off on some level.

Did you talk to Katie Holmes at all about going to Broadway?
No, we actually didn't. We talked about, oddly enough, Annie, because she said she's seen it 60 times because of her daughter. I just loved that that is a part of their life because it is so special to me.

To hear Garber's take on the twists and turns of Alias, just read more.

JJ [Abrams] was here a few days ago, and he was talking about coming across an episode of Alias and saying that even he didn't understand what was going on in that episode. Can you relate to that?
Uh-huh. Jennifer [Garner] and I joke about that all the time. I texted her - I was in Morocco, shooting, and she said, "We were in Morocco all the time on Alias!" I said, "Were we?" Alias was such a challenge in terms of being able to follow it. We used to joke about it all the time, you know, [we'd be] delivering lines, and then I'd say, "I have no idea what I'm talking about right now. None." Fortunately, the fans could explain it all to me when they would run into me and say, "This is what this is about."

We heard your character is going to go in a bit of a different direction this season. Could you talk a little bit about that?
We saw a little bit at the end of last season about how he's obviously seen something in Eli that's awakened something in him. And that's such a wonderful thing to play. It's sort of a reminder of who he used to be, and I think that just continues in this season.

If you had your druthers, what musical guest would they land?
You know, I was so in awe of George Michael. I could not believe that they got him. When we read the pilot, I thought, "Oh, nice try, but you'll never get him." You know, it's like, this will never happen. And then, cut to, I'm acting with George Michael. It was fantastic. He was so willing and nervous and sweet. He didn't realize, you know, you have to sort of like stand in one spot? Like on my close-up, he'd be covering the camera. But he was so sweet. It was a great thrill to work with him.

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Mira Sorvino, Victor Garber Join Knights Templar Miniseries

BuzzSugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 10:29:50 -0800

Mira Sorvino has just signed on to join Victor Garber in an NBC miniseries based on the bestselling Raymond Khoury novel, The Last Templar. Variety continues:

Romantic adventure-themed mini stars Sorvino as Tess Chaykin, a Manhattan archaeologist searching for the medieval Knights Templar. Garber plays Monsignor De Angelis, who helps find the artifact.

Sure, it sounds like some kind of wannabe Da Vinci Code, but the story of the Knights Templar might be intriguing enough to make this production different and interesting. Also: Victor Garber and Mira Sorvino? Sign me up.

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Eli Stone: Love It or Leave It?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 07:30:00 -0800

ABC's quirky legal dramedy, Eli Stone, premiered last night. Did it win you over with its charm and heart? Or was it too cheesy and contrived for your tastes? Sound off in the comments below.

Pilot Watch: Eli Stone

BuzzSugar — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 08:30:13 -0800

With several new series set to premiere this Winter, I'm resurrecting my occasional pilot watch feature to share my first impressions of the upcoming shows. Up today: Eli Stone, which premieres after Lost this Thursday.

What's it about? A ruthless San Francisco attorney starts seeing visions of George Michael and learns that he's either 1) a prophet, or 2) dying of a brain aneurysm.

Who's in it? Jonny Lee Miller, Victor Garber, Loretta Devine, Natasha Henstride

The good: Eli Stone is the comfort food version of TV: easy to watch, not too challenging, and ultimately satisfying. The show's executive producer - Greg Berlanti of Brothers & Sisters and Dirty Sexy Money - knows how to make good television, and it shows in the way the first episode of Eli balances its weighty moments, comedy, and bizarre musical fantasies. Jonny Lee Miller, cleaned up since his Trainspotting days, is a total charmer as the conflicted main character having to face both his own mortality and the fact that he might need to do something besides screw the little guy out of millions.

The bad: Eli is pretty quirky - though not Pushing Daisies or even Ally McBeal quirky - and it won't be everyone's cup of tea. The show has the potential to get cheesy fast, though at least for now, the way it acknowledges its own cheesiness (part of the pilot revolves around Eli's stereotypical visits to a Chinese acupuncturist who later turns out not to be Chinese at all) is part of the fun. It's also a weird show to pair with Lost, though that isn't the show's fault.

Will I watch? Definitely. It's purely enjoyable: the TV equivalent of a nice, heaping plate of mashed potatoes or a hot grilled cheese on a cold night, which is just what I need in the midst of the writers' strike.

To check out a gallery of photos and clips from the premiere, just read more.

View 9 Photos ›

Link Time! 1/29

BuzzSugar — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 13:31:29 -0800

Cinematical found the poster and some behind-the-scenes footage from the next James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace.
Check out Stereogum for the new Erykah Badu video for "Honey."
Speaking of music videos, Spinner makes me happy by premiering the new Mountain Goats video.
TV Filter has the video of Craig Ferguson taking his citizenship test.
Meanwhile, YouAintNoPicasso has an MP3 of Belle and Sebastian covering David Bowie's "Space Oddity."
Television Without Pity wonders: Why isn't Victor Garber more famous?
Pop Candy wants to know what random TV shows you've discovered during the strike.
Popwatch learned a whole load of information about No Country for Old Men, straight from the Coen Bros.' mouths.
Give Me My Remote has the new strike video that's making the rounds, starring Josh Radnor.
Desperate for Desperate Housewives, TV with MeeVee has turned to Amas De Casa Desperadas.

First Look: Eli Stone

BuzzSugar — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:41:31 -0800

One of the most intriguing shows of the Winter TV season is ABC's Eli Stone, which will premiere Jan. 31 immediately after the season premiere of Lost. The show, about a ruthless, soulless attorney who starts having visions of dead relatives and George Michael, is the latest from TV producer extraordinaire Greg Berlanti, who counts Brothers & Sisters and Dirty Sexy Money among his hits.

Jonny Lee Miller of Trainspotting and the short-lived Smith stars as Eli, who is either a spiritual prophet or the victim of a destructive brain aneurysm - take your pick. The chief symptom, from the clips I've seen so far, seems to be that Eli constantly hears George Michael's "Faith." (Watching said clips has led to a condition in which I also constantly hear "Faith," but I'm pretty sure I'm no prophet.) Eventually, though, Eli will start using his visions - and his newfound soft side - for good, taking on his own law firm and working for the little guy instead.

I'm not sure how well this show will match with Lost, but it's a quirky enough premise that I'm planning to give it a shot. Plus, I have a hard time saying no to anything with Victor "Jack Bristow" Garber. What about you? To watch the trailer and a couple of clips from the premiere episode, just read more.

The Results Are In: Recast Say Anything

BuzzSugar — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:31:13 -0800

Every Wednesday on BuzzSugar, I post a Recast challenge, where I ask you to choose new actors for a classic TV show or movie. The reader who submits the best cast wins a BuzzSugar T-shirt!

Yes, I recognize that to some of you it is sacrilege to recast a movie as beloved as Say Anything, but that didn't stop many others from submitting their recast lists! My personal favorites were the actors selected to play Diane's father, James Court. I loved that kateaustin456 kept it in the Frasier family with Kelsey Grammar, and dollymama's pick of David Duchovny is great, as he plays morally ambiguous rather well.

I also liked that many of the James Court ideas were drawn from current TV shows, from Steve Carell (Jean_Metro's pick), to Kyle MacLachlan (leeluvfashion) to Alec Baldwin (pistonsjenny) to Lost's Terry O'Quinn (WhiplashGirlchild).

I found the ideas for Lloyd's sister Constance Dobler to be really thoughtful, like EmPaige's nod to the original with Lily Taylor, and, most especially BellaCalla's idea of Jenna Fischer.

Overall, however, my favorite recast list this week comes from bhilb! To see who bhilb chose along with a new cast photo, read more

bhilb's cast:
Lloyd Dobler - Shia LaBeouf
Diane Court - Rachel Bilson
James Court - Victor Garber
Constance Dobler - Zooey Deschanel