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Buzz News Roundup, 4/13

BuzzSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:30:56 -0700

Regina Spektor's latest album is headed to stores in June. - Billboard
William Hurt will join the cast of Ridley Scott's Robin Hood as William Marshall, the Earl of Pembroke. - The Hollywood Reporter
TNT won't renew Trust Me for a second season. - TV.com
It's confirmed: Zac Efron has signed on to play the title role in the planned live-action version of the '60s Hanna-Barbera cartoon show Jonny Quest. - ComingSoon
Ray Winstone, David Thewlis, and Anna Friel are set to join Keira Knightley and Colin Farrell in the crime drama London Boulevard. - Variety
Showtime has passed on the Tim Robbins drama Possible Side Effects, which may still be shopped to other networks. - TV Guide
Maggie Gyllenhaal will star opposite Emma Thompson in the Nanny McPhee sequel, titled Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang. - ComingSoon
Spoiler alert: Is George leaving Grey's Anatomy or not? - Entertainment Weekly

TV Tonight: Trust Me's Finale

BuzzSugar — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:30:45 -0700

You know what? I like Trust Me. So what if the ratings are low? So what if it doesn't get much buzz? So what if nothing much ever really happens? I like it. I like grabbing a blanket and some popcorn and watching Mason McGuire (Eric McCormack) and Conner Too-cool-for-a-last-name (Tom Cavanagh) snark at each other and eventually make some ads. I even like Sarah Krajicek-Hunter (Monica Potter), even though I think the whole point of her character is to be unlikable.

So - even if I'm the only one - I'm sad that Trust Me is airing its final two episodes tonight. While nothing's been set in stone about the show coming back, McCormack himself says it's not looking good - and he has the role in another pilot to prove it. Since tonight will probably be the end of our time inside RGM, then, I'm determined to enjoy it.

Tonight's two episodes, "You Got Chocolate in My Peanut Butter" and "The More Things Change," start airing at 9 p.m. (EDT/PDT), with the Mink Group still struggling to make up the missing money from losing Arc Mobile and Mason and Conner growing further apart. I hope that something brings them together by the end of the finale, though; this is one bromance that should go out on a high note. Will anyone else be watching? To check out a scene from tonight's episodes, just read more.

Photo courtesy of TNT

Eric McCormack Lands Lead in ABC Pilot

BuzzSugar — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:30:17 -0700

I'm still enjoying Trust Me, but I have a feeling I'm one of the only ones - and so, apparently, does Eric McCormack. The star of the TNT show has just taken a leading role in a new ABC comedy pilot.

It's probably bad news for Trust Me - worse because The Hollywood Reporter actually calls the show by its old name, Truth in Advertising, in the story! The ratings were never great, but I was holding out some hope that they'd pick it up. This new ABC show is technically McCormack's second priority (if Trust Me gets renewed, he'd back out of this one), but it sounds like that's unlikely.

He's not straying far from Trust Me's buddy comedy roots, though: This show, which is still untitled, centers on "two friends who embark on very different lives." Dean, McCormack's character, is a heart surgeon whose wife (played by Jolie Jenkins) has just given birth to a baby; his friend, Seth (Reno Wilson), is a contractor with a newly empty nest.

What do you make of the news? Sad for Trust Me? Curious to see McCormack in a more traditional comedy again?

Source

Eric McCormack and Tom Cavanagh Want You to Trust Them

BuzzSugar — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 05:45:07 -0800

Tonight marks the beginning of Trust Me, TNT's new series about two friends working at a modern-day Chicago ad agency. There's Connor, the free-spirited wild guy played by Tom Cavanagh, and then there's Mason, the slightly more uptight and career-driven man who gets a big promotion in the first episode - to be Connor's boss. It's not a particularly deep show, but I greatly enjoyed the two episodes I saw; one even sent me into a giggle fit on an airplane. So, that alone gives it the Buzz stamp of approval.

A few weeks back, McCormack and Cavanagh chatted with reporters about the show, which premieres at 10 p.m. after a new episode of The Closer. Here are highlights:

McCormack didn't want to be, say, the next CSI guy: Post-Will and Grace, "I didn’t want to be a cop, I didn’t want to say the word forensics, I didn’t want to be a lawyer or a doctor. I wanted a new, fresh setting. I wanted it to be real. I didn’t want to do a science fiction show. This setting, this script, these words, these characters and particularly this relationship, this friendship, just was just totally right up my alley," he said. "It’s written by guys that lived in this world and are very much living a friendship like this one."
They always knew who'd be Mason and who'd be Connor. "I was like, 'I know Connor’s got funny lines,' but - in terms of bringing myself to a series day after day, week after week, I’m just more drawn to Mason," McCormack said of playing the more serious of the pair. As for Cavanagh, "You kind of feel that this is exactly how it was supposed to have played out," he said, "because you know I like playing the guy I’m playing."
They both got their start in ads - and didn't hate it. Cavanagh said one of his first big jobs was starring in beer ads in Canada. "I think we shot something close to 11 spots, which was a blast because all I had to do was get the tag line out which was simply, 'If I wanted water I would ask for water,'" he said. "I got to improvise and I had a man's best friend - a dog that I riffed with." McCormack, too, did some beer commercials: "I did five spots with a girl and in every commercial I was trying to hit on her, but in every commercial we were different characters," he said.
They're thrilled to be working on cable. "This is not a knock on the networks," Cavanagh said. "One of the reasons that we’re here right now is because of what we did at the networks. At the same time . . . some of the best comedy of my generation - you know Friends, Seinfeld, Cheers - these are shows that didn’t fare well early on and then became the blockbuster shows of our time. [Knowing that] you’re at a place where you’re going to get your say is extremely comforting."

To check out a preview from tonight's episode, just read more.

Photo courtesy of TNT

First Look: Trust Me

BuzzSugar — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 08:30:48 -0800

Thanks to a little show called Mad Men, ad men have stepped into the TV spotlight, bigtime. Next month, the Don Drapers of the world will be getting a little competition from their modern-day counterparts when TNT launches Trust Me, a show about a Chicago ad agency starring Eric McCormack and Tom Cavanagh.

McCormack plays Mason, a creative director who's quick on his feet but occasionally insecure. He's a nice guy in a ruthless world, waiting for his inner go-getter to take over. Cavanagh plays Conner, Mason's more impulsive, unpredictable professional partner. Their relationship takes a crazy turn early on in the series, when Mason is promoted and becomes Conner's boss.

From the preview, I'm liking the relationship between Conner and Mason already - and McCormack, especially, looks adorable as always. Maybe it's just my inner Will and Grace fan talking, but I'm really rooting for this show to be good. To check out the clip, just read more.

Photo courtesy of TNT

"Truth in Advertising" Series Comes to TNT

BuzzSugar — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 06:30:00 -0700

It's not "Mad Men" but it's pretty darn close.
According to Variety, TNT is in the process of creating a "pilot of ad-world drama" titled "Truth in Advertising." The story will focus on "a powerful agency in contemporary Chicago. [Eric] McCormack will play Mason McGuire, an exec who is better at the corporate side of the biz but is unexpectedly promoted to creative director. [Tom] Cavanagh is cast as Conner, described as McGuire's more emotional and creative counterpart."

Product placement will play a big role.
I was wondering about this project which sounds suspiciously like it might be simply trying to ride on the successful coattails of AMC's "Mad Men," until I read that there will be "commercials-within-the-show." These will fit within the story but also "offer opportunities for a new kind of product placement." Greeeeat.

Well, at least Eric McCormack is back at work on the small screen!
I love ~~Will Truman~~ Eric McCormack! I can't wait to see him on TV again. And it will be interesting to see if Tom Cavanaugh can be seriously serious on a regular basis in this drama.

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90210 vs. Melrose Place: Which Was More Scandalous?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:30:22 -0800

This week's 90210 and Melrose Place combo don't have a ton of shocking moments, but it's obvious both shows are gearing up for major stuff to go down. (Like a drug bust, murder arrest, and Heather Locklear, for instance?!) We do, however, get some nice moments between the characters. Teddy, for one, is acting like an angel - although I can't tell if it's sincere, because I've made it a rule not to trust a guy who ties sweaters over his shoulders. And the gang from Melrose have a nice come-together moment around the pool, which I'd like to see more of.

Not that everything is warm and fuzzy. Hardly. There's still scandal to go around, so ready to decide which gave us more gossip-worthy material? Just read more.

90210 point: Navid discovers Jasper selling Adrianna drugs in her car in the school parking lot. Navid calls Adrianna to confront her, but she of course denies his accusations. Jasper also says the story isn't true and threatens Navid in a "hypothetical" way. Like, "hypothetically if I was a drug dealer, you wouldn't want to mess with me, because I know bad people." Real discreet stuff.
Melrose Place counterpoint: The blood tests from last week's discovery of Sydney's murder weapon come back - and Auggie is the guilty party. Auggie might as well be off the show already, because he is nowhere to be found, supposedly on a trip in Mexico. Ella's relieved, Riley has doubts, and Violet continues to defend him, seeing as how they slept together and she's crazy. When she told Riley that she and Auggie were "intimate" with each other, I nearly ralphed.

90210 point: Debbie is in the doghouse with Dixon. He tries to go comfort Sasha after her "miscarriage," and Debbie admits that Sasha faked the pregnancy - and that she hid the truth. Dixon's unreasonably angry with Debbie, telling her "you're not my real mom anyway." Come on, Dixon. Deb doesn't deserve that.
Melrose Place counterpoint: David sneaks over to Michael's house while he's at work and borrows Noah. He takes his little bro to a fair, but things go amiss when Noah climbs a wall and falls. David rushes him to Lauren at the hospital, and she administers treatment - but not before Michael gets wind of everything. He's understandably furious but later tells David that he's glad he cares about Noah. Could this be the start of an actual relationship between the father and son?!

90210 point: Liam is on the rampage after he tells Mr. Matthews that Jen is psycho and Ryan doesn't believe him. He takes his attitude out on Ivy, Teddy, and an entire group of surfers. Later, Liam explains his behavior, opening up to the guys (and Ivy) about his history with Jen, and the entire thing culminates in a cheesy friend speech to take Jen down, complete with a high-five. [eye roll]
Melrose Place counterpoint: Violet is back to blackmailing Michael. This time, we find out that she's wanted for a court trial for previously resisting arrest. She enlists Michael, suggesting that he find her a lawyer in return for her discretion about their one-night stand. He, in turn, threatens her back, telling her that he can make the sentencing go against her unless she erases the sex video. Which she does . . . or so it seems. I'm still not 100 percent sure that it won't pop up later, but the power play between the two of them was an episode highlight for me.

90210: With Silver's half birthday approaching, her mom decides to make up for years of missed celebrations and throw her multiple parties at once, dressing up their entire house in different themes. The whole thing seemed like a stretch - really, Teddy called his dad's set designer friend to rig up the ambiance? - but it was still nice to see her and her mom get their moment together. Unfortunately, at the end of the episode, Silver goes to wake her mom in the morning and realizes that her mom has passed away.
Melrose Place counterpoint: Whoa, whoa, whoa - Ella makes a move on Jonah that's bold even for her. It all starts when she needs him to pose as a publicist at a lunch with a hot new indie director. The director comes on to Ella, and Jonah swoops in to put off his advances by pretending to be her fiance. They share a steamy kiss to be extra-convincing, and sure enough, once the director is out of sight, Ella suggests that the two of them go to a nearby hotel, so Jonah can see what he's been missing. He angrily tosses Ella's advances by telling her he's in love with Riley. You could tell part of her feels hurt by his words - and that part of him doesn't actually mean them.

90210 point: Annie is falling hard for Jasper. Their back and forth "I love yous" were pretty sickening, and she even gets in a sting at Dixon, defending Jasper and telling Dixon he's a bad judge of character because of Sasha. But the most cringe-worthy part is Annie tells Jasper that she wants him to be her first - and they start tossing on the bed as the episode wraps. Oh, Annie - you're so gonna wish you had given it up to Ethan instead.

Melrose Place counterpoint: You saw it coming: Lauren and David finally kiss! David's actually a standup guy this episode by taking care of Noah, but his speech to Lauren about how he wants her to see the best in him was unexpected - and welcome, in my opinion. Lauren of course is hesitant due to her call girl lifestyle, which David still doesn't know about. I just hope they don't let that hold her back too long, so we can explore these two as a couple.

This is tough one to call, since neither show packed a ton of drama, relatively speaking. I'm going to go with Melrose Place though, since we find Auggie's blood on the murder weapon, Ella propositioning Jonah, and David and Lauren locking lips. But would you argue for 90210 instead? I'll agree that it did include some pretty nasty lines, and obviously Silver's storyline with her mom carries some weight.

Let me know your pick in the comments, then head over to the 90210 Superfans group in the Buzz Community to discuss the show in more detail.

Photos courtesy of The CW

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

The Holiday: Frothy and Fun As a Cup of Cocoa

BuzzSugar — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 07:38:44 -0800

Holiday romantic comedies are bound to be a bit cheesy. When the movie is actually called The Holiday, cheesiness is almost guaranteed. But this latest romp from director Nancy Meyers, which hits theaters tomorrow, rises to the top of its frothy, feel-good genre. The self-aware storyline centers on two women-movie-trailer producer Amanda (Cameron Diaz) and British weddings columnist Iris (Kate Winslet)-who swap houses for the holidays to get away from their less-than-satisfactory love lives. Amanda, who sleeps with her Blackberry and has just ruined another relationship with her workaholism, goes to live in Iris's quaint Surrey cottage, while Iris takes up residence at Amanda's palatial LA haunt to forget her three-year unrequited love.

In the beginning, that scenario lends itself to too many scenes of lonely women talking to themselves; the ones featuring Diaz's high-strung Amanda are nearly intolerable. But when a trio of men enter the picture-including Iris's sexy, suntanned brother Graham (Jude Law)-things get a lot more interesting, so read more

Shortly after arriving in LA, Iris meets two very different men: a witty film-score composer named Miles (played with rare and refreshing subtlety by Jack Black) and Arthur (Eli Wallach), her octogenarian neighbor who also happens to be a legendary screenwriter. Back in England, Amanda makes the acquaintance of the hunky Graham when he shows up drunk at his sister's cottage, not knowing that she's gone on holiday.

To add drama to many of Amanda's scenes, the director employs a clever device: voice-over narration by that ubiquitous movie-trailer guy. Iris and Arthur, meanwhile, spend lots of time discussing the common conventions of script writing. That film-centric subplot on both continents gives the movie a sort of cheeky self-awareness about its own filmic-ness. That way, when the inevitable romantic-comedy cliches and convenient plot twists sneak in, it's more amusing than annoying.

I don't know what's gotten into me: maybe it's the holiday spirit or that my viewing of "The Holiday" comes on the heels of watching one of the worst romantic comedies I've even seen, Trust the Man, on a recent plane ride. (It wasn't even mentioned in the in-flight magazine, which makes me suspect that we were being subjected to a bizarre social experiment.) But implausibly neat and tidy plot aside, the way the characters interact in this movie rings very true to life. Particularly in the Iris/Los Angeles subplot, The Holiday addresses some very universal relationship truths in a clever way. I can't really say the same for the somewhat silly Amanda/Graham romance back in England, but at least there I had the Jude Law eye candy to keep me interested.

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