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Buzz News Roundup, 11/17

BuzzSugar — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:30:27 -0800

Monk has been renewed for an eighth - and final - season. - Variety
ABC's official midseason schedule adds Scrubs and The Unusuals to Wednesdays - and drops Life on Mars and Pushing Daisies. - The Futon Critic
Aaron Eckhart will star in the action film Battle: Los Angeles. - ComingSoon
CBS has ordered more episodes of Gary Unmarried and Worst Week. - The Hollywood Reporter
Maya Rudolph will guest-star on Kath and Kim. - TV Guide
50 Cent's album release has been pushed to January. - Billboard
Nigel Lythgoe and Michael Flatley are bringing a new dance competition show to NBC. - Zap2it
NBC is developing a comedy based on the life of Criss Angel. - Variety

Photo courtesy of USA

TV Tonight: How I Met Your Mother

BuzzSugar — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:30:37 -0700

The end of the Emmys means the true start of the TV season, as networks start rolling out new episodes left and right (are you using my Fall TV calendar to keep track?). Up tonight: the CBS comedy block, which includes newcomer Worst Week and the delightful How I Met Your Mother.

A brief note about Worst Week: I didn't like the pilot very much, mostly because I found the main character unsympathetic and the pratfalls predictable. It's an interesting concept, though, and pretty different for CBS, so I'm curious to see how it does.

Meanwhile, How I Met Your Mother starts its fourth season by resolving the legendary (sorry, couldn't help it) cliffhanger of Ted's proposal to Stella. The show doesn't keep us waiting long for Stella's answer: After a montage of several possible reactions (played perfectly by Sarah Chalke), we see her real response within the first few minutes of the episode. Other things we see over the following 20 minutes or so: Star Wars references, Barney's struggle with having actual feelings for Robin (er, well, having actual feelings at all), a bored and troublemaking Marshall, and a rather amusing exploration of the art of the late-night hookup call. I'm just going to leave it there because anything else would spoil the fun. To check out a clip from tonight's episode, just read more.

Photo courtesy of CBS

Pilot Watch: Worst Week

BuzzSugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:30:34 -0700

The networks have announced their Fall schedules, but which of the series will actually be worth watching? This Summer, as the networks release their pilots, I'll be posting my first impressions. A lot can change before a show makes it to air - especially this year, when the writers' strike severely gummed up the production of pilots - so consider these just some quick thoughts on how the shows look now. Today's installment: CBS's Worst Week, which is set to anchor the Monday night comedy lineup.

What's it about? A guy, Sam, turns into a bumbling idiot anytime he's around his girlfriend's parents.

Who's in it? Kyle Bornheimer, Erinn Hayes, Kurtwood Smith, Nancy Lenehan

The good: It's interesting to see the most traditional network try a half-hour comedy without a laugh track. If you like slapstick, there's a lot of physical comedy in this episode. The actors do their best to sell some ridiculous situations, and there's a great cameo from Aziz Ansari, who was recently cast in The Office spinoff.

The bad: The funniest moment in your pilot shouldn't come from a guest star. It's hard to feel sorry for Sam when he does so many idiotic things; I like the idea of a guy becoming a human disaster around the people he's trying hardest to impress, but Sam chooses the least-logical option time and time again. I wanted to slap him, not laugh at him. The chain of disasters is assembled well, but it's also pretty predictable. I can't see the show being anything but that, week after week - and considering it's called Worst Week (as opposed to, say, month or year), it's as though CBS already knows its limitations.

Will I watch? Doubtful. I'm curious to see if later episodes change the format, though.

To see a gallery of photos and watch a preview, just read more.

View 3 Photos ›

Photos and video courtesy of CBS

The CBS Fall Schedule: My Take (Plus Video!)

BuzzSugar — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:30:06 -0700

CBS revealed its plans for Fall at the upfronts this morning, including more comedy and a few high-profile drama series. Now that I've had the chance to mull the schedule over, here are some of my thoughts:

CBS' decision to expand into a second night of comedy has to be good news for fans of traditional sitcoms, which CBS already did more of - and arguably does better - than any other network at this point. While the descriptions for Project Gary (pictured above) and Worst Week didn't wow me on paper, I'm curious to check out the full shows for myself.
I wouldn't have pegged CBS as a network for remakes of shows from other countries (that tends to be more NBC's bag), but that's what three of their new series are: The Ex List is imported from Israel, Worst Week is based on a BBC comedy, and Eleventh Hour was originally a BBC miniseries starring Patrick Stewart.
Hooray for How I Met Your Mother! Looking back at my coverage of last year's upfronts, I realized the show followed exactly the same pattern then: Things looked bleak for a while, but then the show went on a big upswing and made the schedule without trouble.
Which of the canceled series will you miss most? Cane never got a lot of buzz, Moonlight had a big fan following but not big ratings, and Shark . . . well, I'm not really sure what the issues were with Shark, to be honest.
Speaking of which, I assume the failure of Jericho to gain an audience after the peanut campaign pretty much puts the kibbosh on any chance of Moonlight returning no matter what fans use to bombard the network, right?

I've got some clips and photos from all the new CBS shows, and you can check them out if you read more.

Eleventh Hour

The Ex List

Worst Week

Project Gary

The Mentalist

Harper's Island

The CBS Fall Schedule: Five New Series, No Vampires

BuzzSugar — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:35:31 -0700

CBS took its turn at the 2008 upfronts this morning, revealing a slate that boasted five new shows - and the cancellation of a couple of fan favorites. Chief among them: Moonlight, the network's Friday night vampire drama, which in recent weeks had fans organizing a blood drive in its honor. I wonder if stakes and cloves of garlic will soon be arriving at CBS' door?

The schedule also has the network opening up a new comedy night on Wednesdays, with The New Adventures of Old Christine and a new half-hour comedy called Project Gary filling the night's first hour. How I Met Your Mother is indeed back - and keeps its 8:30 p.m. slot on Mondays. As for new shows, they include the Jerry Bruckheimer project Eleventh Hour, the buzzed about drama The Mentalist, and a dramedy called The Ex List starring Elizabeth Reaser, aka Ava/Rebecca/Jane Doe from Grey's Anatomy.

Shark, Cane, Jericho, Kid Nation, and Welcome to the Captain were other series that didn't make the cut for the new season's schedule. Here's the official CBS press release, and to check out the full schedule and descriptions of the new shows, just read more.

All caps = new show (except NCIS and CSI)
** = new time slot

MONDAY
8 p.m. The Big Bang Theory
8:30 p.m. How I Met Your Mother
9 p.m. Two and a Half Men
9:30 p.m. WORST WEEK
10 p.m. CSI: Miami

TUESDAY
8 p.m. NCIS
9 p.m. THE MENTALIST
10 p.m. Without a Trace**

WEDNESDAY
8 p.m. The New Adventures of Old Christine**
8:30 p.m. PROJECT GARY
9 p.m. Criminal Minds
10 p.m. CSI: NY

THURSDAY
8 p.m. Survivor
9 p.m. CSI
10 p.m. ELEVENTH HOUR

FRIDAY
8 p.m. Ghost Whisperer
9 p.m. THE EX LIST
10 p.m. Numb3rs

SATURDAY
8 p.m. CBS Crimetime
10 p.m. 48 Hours Mystery

SUNDAY
7 p.m. 60 Minutes
8 p.m. The Amazing Race
9 p.m. Cold Case
10 p.m. The Unit**

Midseason: HARPER'S ISLAND, Rules of Engagement

Here's how CBS describes the new shows:

Worst Week
Worst Week is a comedy about Sam Briggs, an entertainment magazine editor who will do anything to please his girlfriend's parents . . . but instead becomes a one-man wrecking crew whenever he's around them. Sam (Kyle Bornheimer, Jericho) and his girlfriend, Melanie Clayton (Erinn Hayes, Kitchen Confidential), have only one hurdle left to clear as they start their life together: breaking the news to Mel's conservative parents that they have a wedding in the works and a baby on the way. Dick (Kurtwood Smith, That '70s Show), a stern Judge, and his wife Angela (Nancy Lenehan, My Name is Earl), are protective of their daughter, and are really trying to let go of the anger they feel toward Sam ... after all, disaster follows whenever he visits their house. But despite his best efforts, every time Sam takes one positive step forward in winning over his future in-laws, he inevitably takes two crushing steps back. But with support and love from Melanie who stands up for him despite his knack for making himself look bad, Sam will hopefully charm his way into her family.

Project Gary
Project Gary stars Jay Mohr (Ghost Whisperer) and Paula Marshall (Nip/Tuck) in a comedy about Gary Barnes, a recently single painting contractor, and his controlling ex-wife, Allison, who face post-divorce mayhem after 15 years of marriage as they each embark on new relationships. He's the fun parent and she's the strict one. Together, they share custody of their two children - Louise (Laura Marano, Without a Trace), a politically correct and environmentally conscious 11-year-old, and Tom (Ryan Malgarini, How to Eat Fried Worms), their socially awkward 14-year-old son who is nervous around girls. Charming and acerbic, Gary hasn't dated since the split, but finally connects with Vanessa (Jaime King, The Class), a single mother whose condo he was hired to paint. He dreads telling Allison about Vanessa because it doesn't adhere to her belief in their marriage counselor's book, Rules for the Perfect Divorce. However, when Allison tells him that she's engaged to their shrink, all bets are off and Gary decides it's time to move forward. Now, in pursuit of post-marriage happiness, Gary must juggle his eclectic world of an ex-wife, their two kids, their shrink and his gorgeous new girlfriend.

The Mentalist
The Mentalist stars Golden Globe Award nominee Simon Baker (The Devil Wears Prada) as Patrick Jane, a detective and independent consultant with the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI), who has a remarkable track record for solving serious crimes by using his razor sharp skills of observation. Within the Bureau, Jane is notorious for his blatant lack of protocol and his semi-celebrity past as a psychic medium, whose paranormal abilities he now admits he feigned. Jane's role in cracking a series of tough high-profile cases is greatly valued by his fellow agents. However, no-nonsense Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney, Prison Break) openly resists having Jane in her unit and alternates between reluctantly acknowledging Jane's usefulness and blasting him for his theatrics, narcissism and dangerous lack of boundaries. Lisbon's team includes agents Kimball Cho (Tim Kang, Rambo), Wayne Rigsby (Owain Yeoman, The Nine), and rookie member Grace Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti, The O.C.), who all think Jane's a loose cannon but admire his charm and knack for clearing cases.

Eleventh Hour
Eleventh Hour from acclaimed producer Jerry Bruckheimer follows Dr. Jacob Hood (Rufus Sewell, The Illusionist), a brilliant biophysicist and special science advisor to the government, as he investigates scientific crises and oddities. His jurisdiction is absolute and Hood is dogged in his pursuit of those who would abuse and misuse scientific discoveries and breakthroughs for their own gain. His passion and crusade is to protect the substance of science from those with nefarious motives. He is called in at the eleventh hour and he represents the last line of defense.

The Ex List
The Ex List is a comedic drama about Bella Bloom (Elizabeth Reaser, Grey's Anatomy) - a single, 30-something, successful business owner who is surprised to learn from a psychic that she's already dated her future husband AND there's a catch: if she doesn't find him in the next year, she'll remain alone forever. During a bachelorette party for her sister, Daphne (Rachel Boston, American Dreams), Bella learns from the psychic she must revisit her past relationships and sort through the mistakes to find her soul mate. Skeptical, Bella begins to analyze every past liaison and failed romance with her close circle of friends, Augie (Adam Rothenberg, Mad Money), an endearing guy who has listened to Bella's love woes since college, Vivian (Alex Breckenridge, Dirt), Augie's long-term girlfriend, and Cyrus (Amir Talai, Campus Ladies), who's chronically unemployed and full of wry observations. Once Bella witnesses proof of the psychic's other predictions, her cynicism disappears and she begins her search. Along her trip down break-up lane, Bella is determined to remain optimistic and receptive, believing that when destiny reopens doors to the past, every relationship can matter in the future.

Photos courtesy of CBS

Buzz Interview: Eric Stonestreet on Playing Modern Family's New Dad Cam

BuzzSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:30:49 -0800

Freshman comedy Modern Family has filled a void in my life - I find myself laughing out loud each week, and I'm not the only one digging it. A huge part of the show's greatness can be attributed to its amazing cast; one of my favorites is Cameron - one half of a same-sex couple adjusting to life with a new baby. Eric Stonestreet, who plays Cam, sat down with me to talk about the show's crazy success and the real-life experience he used to portray a clown in next week's episode, "Fizbo."

On whether he expected the show to be so successful: No. I had a very, very good idea that based on the writers’ history and their very extensive careers that we had a really, really good shot at being something great. Anybody that tells you in this business they knew it was going to be this well-received is crazy. Actually, being this well-received makes you a little nervous.
On whether the success is a surprise: It’s a bit of a surprise with how outwardly supportive the critics have been, but by the same token, how outwardly supportive and sort of in love with the show fans have been. I think that’s the thing that really feels like lightning in a bottle - when you have both of those things in place. Typically, you have huge fan support and the critics tell you it’s the worst thing they’ve ever seen, or you have critical acclaim and the fans are like, 'what is this show, we don’t get it.' So I think the fact that we have both is rare and exciting.

To hear Eric spilling about upcoming episodes of Modern Family and his clown college rejection, just read more.

On his real-life clown experience: I, as a kid, have early documented pictures of me being very intrigued by clowns. The circus came to town in Kansas City every year around my birthday, so naturally my parents took me for my birthday. Once I saw that clowns were people with makeup and funny wigs and costumes, I was in. By nine, I was getting clown suits made for me by my Grandma Louise, at 11 there were articles written about me in Kansas City about how I wanted to become a one-man show performing for senior citizens and kids forever. You’ll see that article in the episode "Fizbo" that was written about me then. I didn’t want to be an actor; I always wanted to be a clown, and acting sort of found me when I was in college. So to be able to bring back what inspired me to act as a kid to prime time is more than I would have ever imagined possible for myself.
On whether he'd be a clown now if he weren't an actor: No. I auditioned for Barnum and Bailey Clown College and they denied me twice. They did not let me in, those clowns.
On what's next for Cameron, Mitchell, and baby Lily: We have an episode coming up where we’re Ferberizing the baby when she won’t go to sleep, and Mitchell is very much committed to letting her cry it out, and Cameron of course can’t for the life of him imagine why you would let a baby cry it out like that, so there’s drama there. It’s what’s great about the show - yeah, they’re a couple of guys raising a baby, but the focus really on that relationship is the challenges of a relationship, the challenges of parenthood, and just trying to find the happy medium of keeping up a relationship while raising a kid.
On the holiday episode: We have the Christmas episode coming up, where you find out that Cameron had created a choir group, a caroling group, a few years back and he was removed and kicked out of his own caroling group by one of the carolers. That episode is really about forgiveness and the Christmas spirit. It’s a very sweet episode.
On his dream guest stars: I can’t imagine who else they’re going to get. That’s the brilliance and awe-inspiring aspect of this show, that people are watching it and people are enjoying it and willing to participate. I can’t wait to see who they find for Cameron’s parents. I have some ideas of who I want, but I’ll be excited to see who’s coming.

90210 vs. Melrose Place: Which Was More Scandalous?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:30:12 -0800

This week's CW drama block may have its share of cool guest stars like N.E.R.D. and Samantha Ronson, but, on the whole, it's a total mess. On the one hand, you've got the unstable girls of 90210 having emotional breakdowns at the drop of a hat; on the other, the Melrose Place residents are busy sneaking around to cover up their crimes. Personally, I was a bit annoyed by all the over-the-topness - especially you, Annie. Oh, and you, Ivy. But hey, at least it gives us a few surprising moments.

Ready to dissect each show and decide which packed more punch? (Warning: major spoilers!) Take a peek at my arguments and then weigh in with your own when you read more.

90210 point: Sasha is officially a nut job. First she tells Dixon that she's pregnant, but when Debbie gets wind of it, she questions Sasha even further to catch her in her baby lies. But the best part? When Debbie says the line, "It starts with you're not pregnant, and it ends with stay away from my son." Oh, snap! Congrats Debbie, you just went up a notch on the list of cool TV moms. Sasha backs off, telling Dixon she had a "miscarriage."
Melrose Place counterpoint: Did David kill Sydney? They sure try to make it seem that way. David tells Ella that he was blackout drunk that night after finding out that Syd was sleeping with his father - and then he has a flashback where he wakes up with blood all over himself and a knife in his hand. I gasped a little over the big reveal, but I'm not entirely convinced that David wasn't set up by someone else.

90210 point: Annie is getting in way over her head with Jasper, and unfortunately, she seems much too insecure to dig herself out. When Navid hears that Jasper is a dealer, he tells Annie and she confronts Jasper about it. Jasper wigs out, making Annie cry and beg forgiveness. Later, we see Jasper selling drugs to someone, so we know the rumors are true. For more on his buyer, keep reading.
Melrose Place counterpoint: Jonah makes out with Kendra, the hot movie producer, literally within the first five minutes of the episode. (That didn't take long.) He stops things from going further, but when he comes clean to Riley, he gets on her case again for her kiss with Auggie. She apologizes profusely, but the damage has already been done. By the end of the episode, I was thinking, Wait, did they actually just break up?! I don't think so, but if you stuck around for next week's promo, things do not look good for the engaged couple.

90210 point: Jen is back, throwing around her prima donna wicked attitude. She walks in on Ryan during his date with the bartender from the previous episode and goes into attack mode with the verbal jabs. ("You look older closer up.") Ryan is actually turned on by her jealousy, and the two become exclusive. But what I can't understand is why, after he knows that she lies, does he actually trust her story about Liam coming on to her? He totally buys it!
Melrose Place counterpoint: Auggie finally gives his a-hole boss Marcello a piece of his mind, er, fists. Marcello passes off one of Auggie's recipes as his own, and then he makes a few lewd comments about Riley - and you know how Auggie feels about Riley. He starts swinging, knocking Marcello out. Back at the apartment later, Violet shows up, and in a moment of what I can only blame on Auggie's emotional distress, the two finally knock boots. I'm guessing this means we'll be seeing Violet's worst kind of crazy very soon (right before she and Auggie say sayonara).

90210 point: Adrianna is inching closer to her previous life of drug use. It starts when she plays a song asking for Navid's forgiveness. (So cheesy!) He turns her down, so she continues sulking in bed, sobbing. Silver and Naomi want her to go to a meeting so she can stay clean, and with due concern - at the end of the episode, we see her buying from none other than Jasper.
Melrose Place counterpoint: Ella's squeaky-clean client, Jessie, is hospitalized with major cocaine in his system, so she begs Lauren to write a fake report citing an allergy as the cause of his stay. Lauren refuses. (Anyone else confused about why Lauren continues to take the high road, despite her side prostitution gig?) Ella then discovers a wad of cash in Lauren's room and realizes her Pretty Woman secret. Of course Lauren denies the accusations, but no matter - Ella decides to let her star take the fall anyway and promises to never question Lauren again.

90210 had way more melodramatic outbursts, but those ladies were so crazy that it kind of turned me off. (You girls give women a bad name. Even Violet seemed normal this week compared to you.) So I'm giving this week to Melrose by default: I was genuinely shocked at David's bloody flashback and the fact that Jonah has suddenly broken out of his perfect-fiance persona. I expect scandal from someone like Auggie or Ella, but from Jonah? Come on!

Do you disagree? Were you actually loving all of the melodrama on 90210?

Don't forget that you can also keep the conversation going over in the 90210 Superfans group in the Buzz Community. Check it out!

Photos courtesy of The CW

America's Next Top Model Quiz: "Let's Go Surfing"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:29:43 -0700

While it wasn't the most dramatic episode, this week's America's Next Top Model sure was beautifully picturesque. The models flew to the Hawaiian islands, tried out a little surfing, and then posed as a mix of different races. While Bella ranked the high fashion shoot as one of her 15 worst, I thought it was a nice hour of entertainment nonetheless. (Plus, Tyra stepped behind the camera a second time - a first in ANTM's history!) Do you remember everything that went down?

Dying to speak your mind about this week's episode? Don't forget to check out America's Next Top Model group in the BuzzSugar Community!

Photo courtesy of The CW

Take the quiz

Box Office: Paranormal Activity Spooks Its Way to No. 1

BuzzSugar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:30:00 -0700

Talk about a shocker! The low-budget underdog Paranormal Activity has been riding its growing popularity all the way to the top - even upsetting the reigning king of horror, the Saw franchise. Paranormal took in $22 million in its first weekend with a wide release, which has execs talking about a possible sequel. Saw VI trailed at No. 2 with only $14.8 million - the worst opening ever for a Saw film.

Completing the rest of the top five was last week's biggest moneymaker, Where the Wild Things Are, which dropped to No. 3 with $14.4 million, followed by Law Abiding Citizen at No. 4 with $12.7 million, and Couples Retreat at No. 5 with $11 million. (The box office newcomers Cirque du Freak and Amelia placed No. 8 and No. 11, respectively.)

Link Time! Jim Sturgess and Kirsten Dunst Cast in Upside Down

BuzzSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:38:51 -0700

Jim Sturgess and Kirsten Dunst will star in Upside Down, a romantic sci-fi fantasy - Coming Soon
Lisa Kudrow is developing TV comedy Rapture for Showtime - Variety
Dollhouse is being pulled during sweeps, which could signal its cancellation - The Ausiello Files
Check out these new stills of Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, and Emily Blunt in The Wolfman - MTV Movies Blog
An Education originally had a different ending - Movieline
Watch Rainn Wilson's funny new commercials for the NBA - Best Week Ever
Ryan Murphy is writing an episode of Glee that mocks the show's real-life denial for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade - The TV Column
Bravo has picked up a second season of Top Chef Masters - YumSugar
Before the release of Saw VI, here are six terrible sixth sequels - Rotten Tomatoes
A list of TV's memorable dumb jocks - TV.com
20 of the worst horror movies ever made - Moviefone