Austin360 blogs > TV Blog
New hope for troubled ‘Life on Mars’
It’s never a good sign when a new series changes producers, writers and cast, so ABC’s “Life on Mars” is riddled with bad signs.
Originally developed by David E. Kelley (“Ally McBeal,” “The Practice,” “Boston Legal”), the series languished in limbo for so long that ABC pried the BBC-inspired drama away from the Hollywood mogul and gave it to Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec, writing partners for a dozen years with “Alias’ and “October Road” among their credits.
ABC screened clips for reporters in Los Angeles recently, and I have to admit, the show looks appealing. But it just can’t seem to get itself together. Kelley didn’t even get as far as casting the lead.
First, some background: The BBC series (and the American series) focused on a present-day cop who finds himself transported back to 1973 after he’s hit by a car. Suddenly the poor bloke finds himself trying to solve murders without DNA tests or even the use of a cell phone.
The basic plot remains, and Irish actor Jason O’Mara, pictured here (most recently a creepy pyromaniac on “The Closer”), signed on as the time-warped detective. Kelley had written the story set in Los Angeles; the new creative team is moving it to New York.
As if to reinforce the New York ambience, “Life on Mars” will be filmed in the Big Apple and a couple of quintessential New York actors recently have been signed: Michael Imperioli (“The Sopranos”) and Harvey Keitel (“Reservoir Dogs,” “Bugsy”). The series will be Keitel’s first time as a series regular.
We’ll explore TV’s fascination with the 1970s at a later date, but right now we’re wondering what all this means for the troubled “Life on Mars” — which has a talented leading man, a rich New York locale and two terrific supporting players.
Might this troubled show turn out to be terrific in the end? We hope so, because the new show slate is pretty slim now.
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KEYE news guys hit by Dolly
Covering a hurricane is exciting duty, especially for TV folks (Dan Rather launched his career that way), but Austin’s KEYE news team found themselves in a little too much excitement on South Padre Island on Wednesday when Dolly struck.
Gregg Watson reported island damage from the storm on the 10 p.m. newscast, adding the personally scary stuff after anchor Judy Maggio asked him about it. Seems Watson and photojournalist Pedro Garcia got caught in some high winds when they scampered out of the Radisson Hotel to make sure their satellite truck was secured.
In the parking lot, glass started blowing out of cars and hotel windows, including two windows from the KEYE truck. Garcia took glass in his hand and knee; Watson had a few scratches but nothing that required medical attention. They rode out the worst of the storm for two hours in the truck, rocking and swaying in the wind.
“They’re both OK now,” said Deke Jones, KEYE’s news assignment manager back at the station. “But the truck is out of commission for now. We’re hoping to bring everybody home today.”
The guys on the ground for Dolly duty lucked out after their flying-glass attack because several doctors were staying at the Radisson and helped remove glass from Garcia’s knee. He later went to the hospital for stitches.
Dangerous duty, hurricanes, even when they’re relatively weak (Category 2) like Dolly. We’re glad the KEYE guys are safe and sound.
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Net chiefs embarrassed by reality shows? Absolutely not!
Anyone expecting a network chief to be embarrassed by the influx of cheap reality shows is going to be disappointed.
As long as the show is cheap to produce and grabs a few million viewers, cheesy reality apparently remains a genre to be proud of — even something as low-class as the marriage-busting, polygraph-dependent “Moment of Truth.”
“You know, this is Fox,” shrugged the network’s entertainment president Kevin Reilly in Los Angeles last week. “We never give up on our DNA. I have no excuses for it.”
Stephen McPherson, ABC’s president of entertainment, was equally sanguine about one of his network’s seedier summer entries.
“ ‘Wipeout’ is just a really fun summer show,” McPherson told skeptical TV critics. “It’s pure escapism.”
McPherson said more episodes of “Wipeout” (that’s the one with the huge balls that an assortment of sad and usually overweight people bounce off of and into a mud pool) likely will be ordered, but probably only for airing in summer. In the most recent Nielsen ratings, “Wipeout” attracted more than 8.5 million viewers, making it seventh on the Top 20 list for that week in July.
It’s hard to argue with the success of some of these show, even though you’ve got to wonder about the appeal. Ranking up there along with the odious “Whipeout” in last week’s Top 20 were NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” (No. 2), Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance” (5), NBC’s “Celebrity Family Feud” (12), Fox’s “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader” (15) and CBS’s “Greatest American Dog” (19).
Let’s just hope viewers will refine their tastes a bit when the really good scripted comedies and dramas return.
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“SNL” revs up for the election
Lorne Michaels, the longrunning brain-trust behind “Saturday Night Live,” told TV critics in Los Angeles that he was “seriously frustrated” being off the air during a huge chunk of the presidential primary season. The writers’ strike couldn’t have come at a worse time for the show.
So to make up for lost time, “SNL” will be leaping headlong into the general election with enough political satire to choke a horse.
The new season will start earlier than ever, on Sept. 13, and churn out four consecutive weeks of new episodes (surprisingly, that is rare).
In addition, three live “Weekend Update Thursday” specials will air beginning Oct. 9, and the traditional “SNL Presidential Bash” will air Nov. 2, the night before the election.
Michaels, who has contributed to Republican John McCain’s campaign, said he didn’t see a conflict because he’s also given money to Democratic candidates in the past.
During the early Democratic primaries, “SNL” was accused of being pro-Hillary Clinton, but Michaels disagrees. He did acknowledge that the show has found it difficult to parody Barack Obama.
“It’s hard to satirize him because he’s still defining himself, and he’s been cast as sort of a heroic figure,” Michaels said. “Sooner or later he’ll do something that annoys us, but so far he’s been dealt with rather cautiously and reverently.”
Fred Armisen, the white dude who plays Obama, has been criticized for his lame portrayal, as well as for not being black.
“I grew up in a hippy commune,”Armisen deadpanned. “My dad told me he didn’t really know who my mother was, so I could be any race.”
Yeah, and that’s about as funny as Armisen’s Obama has ever been. Let’s hope he does better come September.
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‘Friday Night Lights’ returns to Austin on Aug. 6
Got DirecTV? If so, you’ll see the third-season premiere of “Friday Night Lights” on Oct. 1.
If not, you’ll have to wait until February. But will loyal fans be willing to wait four months for more Dillon drama?
Probably not. Hard-core “FNL” fans (and, really, is there any other kind?) are likely to steal the episodes off the Internet. We live in a viral video world after all. And if that happens, who will be left for the NBC run?
“Go ahead and download, but out of good conscience, wait and see them on NBC,” offered Zach Gilford, aka Panther quarterback Matt Saracen.
Nobody seems to know how this strange new arrangement will work for “FNL.” On the brink of being canceled due to low ratings, the Austin-based show was saved in the spring when satellite company DirecTV stepped up to the plate to help finance the new season in exchange for an exclusive first-run in the fall.
Executive producer Jason Katims told TV critics at lunch Sunday that the 13 new episodes may be slightly different from the ones that will air on NBC. Without some of the content restrictions of broadcast TV, the stories may have racier content and dialogue, and they could run longer.
Presumably NBC would then have to whittle and edit them for the February premiere. Nobody seems to know exactly how it’s going to work.
“FNL” begins shooting in Austin on Aug. 6, so we can expect to see most of the cast back in town at their usual hangouts. Many of them live in South Austin, and South Congress Avenue is a frequent destination during downtime. Be sure to wave and say hi.
Gilford and Jesse Plemons (Landry) insist they’re not worried about shooting Panther football scenes in 100-degree heat. They say they’re looking forward to getting back to Austin.
As reported earlier, two cast members will be part-timers in the new season. Last year’s seniors Smash Williams, played by Gaius Charles, and Jason Street, played by Scott Porter, will have graduated and moved on to new lives. But both actors will have recurring roles.
And what about Tyra, Lyla and Riggins, who seem to be the same age as those graduates? They’re still at Dillon High.
“We blurred the lines a little bit,” Katims said. But if the show continues beyond the third season, another wave of seniors will graduate, and new kids will arrive at Dillon High.
Kyle Chandler, who stars as Coach Taylor, provided a few plot teases:
“I’ll continue to have marital problems and problems with my teenage daughter,” Chandler said, prompting Connie Britton, who plays his wife, to roll her eyes and mutter, “Yeah, that’s for sure.” (These two may have the most genuine chemistry of any married couple in TV history.)
Plemons said he hopes Landry doesn’t commit any more murders but joked that maybe he and Tyra (Adrianne Palicki) should “start robbing stuff.” And Minka Kelly, who plays Lyla, says her character’s born-again Christian phase is over, and she and Riggins (played by Taylor Kitsch) will be “out” as boyfriend-girlfriend.
“FNL” has lived on the brink of cancellation almost since its debut, in spite of glowing reviews and a devoted (but small) fan base. When the writers’ strike prematurely ended their second season in December, after only 15 episodes out of 22 were finished, the end seemed certain.
But then DirecTV tossed NBC a lifeline. You’d think all the stops and starts would be devastating to morale of this close-knit group, but they just keep plugging along.
“Maybe it’s the advantage of shooting in Austin,” said Connie Britton, who plays Tami Taylor, “because once we’re there and filming, we don’t pay attention to what’s going on. We’re just down there in our little Texas heaven and not worried about the future.”
Welcome home, Panthers. We can’t wait to see you.
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TV Awards: Starry, starry night
The 24th Annual Television Critics Association Awards last night turned out to be a starry, starry affair.
If you missed the first blog with all the TCA Award winners, check it out here.
But that was posted before the actual ceremony happened, so I thought maybe you’d like some details. We don’t televise our awards - the few times we let E! carry it live, we were all mortified by how terrible it was. We are 200-plus print grubbies who WRITE about TV. We’re definitely not TV-ready.
Anyway, the Smothers Brothers opened the show with a look back at the anti-Vietnam War and anti-Nixon cracks that got them yanked off CBS back in 1969. The mixture of sibling silliness (Tom is the goofy guitar player, Dick is the smart, patient bass-player) and political folk music earned them a sustained standing ovation.
Among those cheering the loudest were Tom Hanks and Lorne Michaels.
Hanks, one of the nicest most level-headed guys in show biz, came rather unexpectedly (we invited him, but with TV folks turned movie moguls, you never know) as a representative of the HBO miniseries “John Adams,” which received multiple nominations and actually won best miniseries. Hanks executive produced the project and began pestering HBO to take it on about a decade ago.
One of his goals for “John Adams,” Hanks cracked, was to promote “the senseless and unnecessary use of walking canes.” And he said he was surprised and gratified that viewers actually came to “John Adams,” which featured a mind-boggling performance by Paul Giamatti as the former prez, “probably because ‘American Idol’ is only on three nights a week. That left a few nights for us, mostly on the weekends.”
Good guy Hanks could not have been nicer, hanging out with us grubbies after the ceremony and happily recalling his time on the ABC sitcom “Bosom Buddies.” At the post-party, when reporters stop reporting for a minute or two to shove brownies and coffee down our throats, Hanks seemed to enjoy himself immensely.
Other TCA Awards starlights:
Paul Giamatti, who won for “John Adams,” was so excited and hyper that he nearly knocked over the podium. He explained that he quit smoking two days ago after starting during filming of the miniseries because the role was “such a (bleeping) nut-buster.”
Tina Fey, “Saturday Night Live” alum and current creator/star of “30 Rock,” said she was seriously considering changing the name of her NBC show to “Ratings-Challenged 30 Rock.”
“We’re the most popular show on cable,” she added, “which, if we were on cable, would be like being in vaudeville in the 1960s.”
Fey, who won an individual award and one for her show, said the rest of the “30 Rock” cast was unable to attend “because NBC is broke.”
Finally, silver-haired John Slattery of multiple award-winner “Mad Men,” bounded onto the stage to tell TV critics “how happy I am that the message of smoking, drinking and whoring has registered with the TCA!”
A rocking good time was had by all. But now it’s back to work … Sunday’s going to be a busy day, so check back later.
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‘Mad Men’ big winner at TV Critics Awards
All aboard the “Mad Men” train!
The Television Critics Association bestowed three awards on AMC’s freshman series “Mad Men” on Saturday night, including program of the year, best new program and best drama. These accolades coming on the heels of an Emmy nomination last week for best drama series.
In a ceremony hosted by the legendary Smothers Brothers, AMC, HBO and NBC earned three trophies apiece, while PBS came away with two.
NBC’s series “30 Rock” won best comedy, with star Tina Fey also winning for individual achievement in comedy.
The HBO miniseries “John Adams” was honored in the movies and miniseries category, with star Paul Giamatti recognized for individual achievement in drama.
HBO’s “The Wire,” passed over by the Emmys, received the TCA’s “heritage award,” given to shows with “lasting cultural or social impact.” And “Saturday Night Live” creator Lorne Michaels received the lifetime achievement award.
Here is the complete list of 2008 TCA Award recipients:
PROGRAM OF THE YEAR: “Mad Men” (AMC)
OUTSTANDING NEW PROGRAM: “Mad Men” (AMC)
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY: “30 Rock” (NBC)
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA: “Mad Men” (AMC)
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NEWS & INFORMATION: “The War,” a film by Ken Burns (PBS)
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING: “WordGirl” (PBS)
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIES & MINISERIES: “John Adams” (HBO)
INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY: Tina Fey, “30 Rock” (NBC)
INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA: Paul Giamatti, “John Adams” (HBO)
HERITAGE AWARD: “The Wire” (HBO)
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT: Lorne Michaels
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‘90210’ and other hot CW news
How to describe the new “90210,” a CW spinoff of the ‘90s Fox hit “Beverly Hills, 90210?”
Without a show to see, it’s not an easy task. TV critics this morning were given a binder with pretty pictures and presented with a bunch of pretty people who will star in the show when it debuts Sept. 2.
We were told that bad girl Shannen Doherty will briefly reprise her role from the original, bringing Brenda back to direct a musical for the new group at Beverly Hills High.
Also returning from time to time will be Tori Spelling as Donna, who now owns a clothing store, and Jennie Garth as Kelly, now the school’s guidance counselor. Oh, and the Peach Pitt is back, although now it’s a cool coffee house, and Joe Tata still plays the owner of the teens’ hang-out.
“Our show is a completely original invention with an homage to the original series,” said executive producer Gabe Sachs, whose credits include the late-great “Freaks and Geeks” and “Undeclared.”
The focus of “90210” will be on the Wilson family: daughter Anne (Shenae Grimes), adopted son Dixon (Tristan Wilds), mom Debbie (Lori Laughlin) and dad Harry (Rob Estes). These heartland folks move from Kansas to the gold-paved streets of Beverly Hills to keep an eye on Harry’s alcoholic mother Tabitha (Jessica Walter).
Unlike the original series, the spinoff boasts a teensy bit of diversity in adopted son Dixon. He’s African American, and the actor who plays him just finished up a stint on HBO’s much-lauded series “The Wire.” Talk about whiplash.
Stop. We interrupt this ”90210” report for potentially better news:
Jessica Walter, the wacky matriarch of “Arrested Development,” confirmed that a big-screen movie version of “Arrested Development” is in the works. No word on what the bizarre Bluth family will be doing, but we can’t wait for the finished product.
Okay. Back to “90210.”
Asked what the difference between tipsy Lucille Bluth and Tabitha might be, Walter replied: “Lucille liked vodka; Tabitha likes Scotch.”
It is worth noting that most of the young spinoff actors were too young to remember the original series.
“I was 1 year old when the show came on, but my mom raised me on it,” said Grimes, the top star of the new version. “I loved it, and I still watch reruns today. I’m a dork. What can I say?”
More CW stuff
The network obviously loves wealth and high society. Joining the glitz of “Gossip Girl” and “90210” in September will be another teen drama called “Privileged,” previously titled “How To Survive the Filthy Rich.”
It’s not a reality show. “Privileged” takes place in Palm Beach, Fla., where money is even bigger than Beverly Hills, and people are way more status conscious. JoAnna Garcia, previously of “Reba,” plays a middle-class girl hired to tutor a couple of spoiled-rotten 16-year-old twin girls.
Again, no show was screened, so that’s about all we know. And Anne Archer plays the twins’ super-rich granny.
And then there’s the CW’s latest reality entry, “Stylista,” which follows 11 young people competing for a junior editor’s job at Elle magazine. Editor Anne Slowey abuses the poor kids, sending them on silly errands like getting her iced coffee “with a small straw, not a big straw” and cleaning up after someone’s dog.
“I’m just being myself,” Slowey said this morning. “We live in a very rarified world in fashion, but we work very hard and we’re very smart. … I do tend to overcomplicate things, though, and I’m particular about my iced coffee.”
Critics’ awards tonight
I’ll be heading off to the annual Television Critics Association Awards tonight, so check back here later to find out who won.
(Actually, I already know the outcome, but the results are embargoed - probably because the losers wouldn’t show up if they knew.)
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CBS struts slapstick, Showtime touts new (Edie Falco) and old (‘Dexter’)
Among the handful of new shows that critics have actually seen before the summer press tour, the CBS comedy “Worst Week” ranks at the top.
Not only is it funny — rare with comedies these day — but it’s rib-cracking, guffaw-producing funny. A hapless fellow named Sam strives fruitlessly to impress his future in-laws only to sink himself further and further into disaster.
Kyle Bornheimer, one of those actors you think you’ve seen in everything but can’t quite pinpoint what, is the star. He’s been in the movies “She’s Out of My League” and “Blades of Glory” (smaller roles) and more recently a T-Mobile ad.
But in “Worst Week,” Bornheimer stars and shines. He’s a doofus you can’t help but love, but whose constant disasters clearly are cringe-worthy. In the pilot, his girlfriend’s parents’ lights go off in their home, and Sam mistakenly relieves himself in the kitchen, thinking it’s the bathroom, and he does so in a large pot where a goose is waiting to be cooked.
Gross and hilarious.
“You know, when you’re presented with a pot of urine, the improvisational possibilities are endless,” Bornheimer said, shrugging off compliments on his superb slapstick skills.
The show is loaded with what appears to be improv but is not - it’s scripted and filmed rather than taped - and the slapstick elements are uncommonly plentiful.
“It’s a weird creative bubble, but to me it’s a gleeful experience,” Bornheimer said. “It’s about life’s folly. You make a plan and watch the universe laugh at you.”
More new CBS stuff
Among the scores of Brits and Aussies playing American characters this fall will be Rufus Sewell in CBS’s “Eleventh Hour,” described by producers as a “science fact show as opposed to science fiction.”
Sewell plays a government-employed biophysicist who investigates scientific crises and oddities. He’s on the trail of rogue cloners in the pilot. Asked why he didn’t just play the character as a Brit, Sewell said:
“I wouldn’t have wanted to play him as a Brit. I love doing accents, and this helps me feel like someone else.”
And like Simon Baker, an Aussie who will star in another CBS drama this fall (“The Mentalist”), perfecting an American accent means better chance for series work in America. Well-known for playing Americans in America, Baker is best-remembered for the drama “The Guardian” but also was recently seen in “The Devil Wears Prada.”
No wonder there are so many unemployed actors in Hollywood! Maybe they should work on their British accents and try their luck overseas.
Showtime struts its stuff
With the departure of “The Sopranos” and “The Wire” from HBO, Showtime is locking down all the really good, edgy premium cable shows.
“Dexter” raked in Emmy nominations, including one for star Michael C. Hall, and David Duchovny’s “Californication” did well, too, along with Mary-Louise Parker’s “Weeds.”
Yesterday Showtime execs announced that Edie Falco (multiple Emmy winner from “The Sopranos”) will star in a new comedy-drama called “Nurse Jackie,” about a deeply committed and religious New York nurse who also happens to be addicted to cocaine.
The show won’t be ready until spring of 2009, but clips shown to critics looked highly promising.
Also coming, possibly in January, is an oddly attractive half-hour show called “The United States of Tara,” created by Steven Spielberg and starring Toni Collette as a suburban mom with a multiple personality disorder. John Corbett plays her incredibly patient and understanding husband.
Oh, and “The L-Word” will have a spinoff, but no word yet on which character will get to spin and when the show will arrive. Very fuzzy.
‘Dexter’ news
Last season Keith Carradine was a new foil for serial killer/cop Dexter. In the new season, Jimmy Smits comes on board as a new assistant district attorney.
We assume the relationship will deteriorate into something adversarial, but in the early going, Dex and the ADA become close friends.
Michael C. Hall said he was glad Smits was joining the cast but joked that he worried that he’d “look really short” next to the 6-feet 4-inch tall Smits.
Hall, who comes from a middle-class North Carolina family, was asked what his relatives thought when they found out he’d be playing a serial killer.
“They said, ‘As long as you’re not kissing a black man!’ “ Hall said, setting off hysterical laughter among reporters.
The reference, of course, was to Hall’s previous role as the gay undertaker in love with an African American on “Six Feet Under.”
“My family is weirdly comfortable with me playing a serial killer,” he added.
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This week’s TV highlights
Sunday
“High School Musical: Get in the Picture,” 7 p.m. on ABC — A new reality show the just might be worth watching. Fresh-faced singers and dancers will compete for roles in the next edition of Disney’s wildly popular movie. Nick Lachey hosts.
“Mad Men Marathon,” 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on AMC — A week ahead of the new season premiere, AMC serves up all 12 of last season’s episodes of the fabulous 1960s drama set in a New York advertising agency. A whole day of Jon Hamm? Heaven.
Monday
“Batman Begins,” 4 p.m. on FX — You really ought to see the first in this superior superhero sequence before venturing out for “Dark Knight.” Both are near-masterpieces.
“Batman Tech,” 8 p.m. on History Channel — Batman has been dazzling the world with high-tech wizardry since the DC Comics debut in 1939. In this hourlong documentary, experts check out the Batcave and compare the Dark Knight’s gadgets to real technology.
Tuesday
“Deadliest Catch,” 8 p.m. on Discovery — It’s not really the final hour, but “The Final Hour” is the title of tonight’s episode of the most popular series on Discovery. As the captains wind up a particularly dangerous fishing expedition, ominous weather and human error threaten. If you’ve never caught this documentary show, it’s surprisingly suspenseful.
“South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut,” 7:30 p.m. on Showtime — Set aside the offensive factor, magnified in the movie version of the madly popular cartoon. It’s a musical! “Blame Canada!”
Wednesday
“Project Runway,” 7 p.m. on Bravo — Just in case you missed the season premiere last week, catch up with America’s favorite reality design show in its last spool-out before moving to Lifetime.
Thursday
“Camp Rock,” 6 p.m. on Disney — Singing teens and tweens are crawling all over TV these days, thanks in part to the “High School Musical” phenomenon. This Disney original movie is set at a rock camp.
Friday
“Training Day,” 7 p.m on Bravo — Denzel Washington is not afraid to shed his goody-two-shoes image in this intense 2001 police drama. Ethan Hawke also turns in one of his sharper performances.
Saturday
“American Soundtrack: Doo Wop’s Best on PBS,” 6 p.m. on PBS — A reunion show that revives highlights from “Doo-Wop 50,” “Doo-Wop 51” and “Rock, Rhythm, and Doo-Wop.”
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Grissom out, serial killer in on ‘CSI’ … huh?
Wait a second … let me get this straight. William Petersen’s Grissom will be replaced on “CSI” by — a serial killer?
“We’ve created a new character who is an outsider, a doctor-scientist who has the same DNA, the same genetic profile as some serial killers have,” explained CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler today.
Hmmmm. Does that make this guy a crime solver or a suspect? Unclear. Tassler said the role has yet to be cast, and there’s probably no hurry since Petersen’s swan song won’t occur until the 10th episode of the new season.
The departure remains somewhat mysterious since Petersen will remain an executive producer on “CSI” and, according to Tassler, will pop back into the Las Vegas crime lab from time to time.
“He’s still passionate about the show, but it’s the artist’s choice to change his life right now,” Tassler said.
Didn’t Mandy Patinkin do the same thing on “Criminal Minds” last year? He did, although his was a clean if unhappy break. And Joe Mantegna came in and replaced him without even the slightest adverse affect on the show. Supporting cast was said to be somewhat relieved by the mercurial Patinkin’s departure.
At least on the surface, there’s no such nastiness involving Petersen.
Among the names bouncing around as possible replacements are Laurence Fishburne and John Malkovich as the crime-solving possible serial killer. Either would be an interesting addition.
I’ll be checking out some new CBS series and stars (it’s the only network that actually sent preview DVDs to critics) next, so stay tuned.
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Couric says she’s staying with CBS News
Drumbeats to the contrary, CBS News anchor Katie Couric told TV critics this morning that she is NOT stepping down. Absolutely, positively … but with one slight caveat.
“I have no plans to part company with CBS News any time soon,” Couric said in a news conference via satellite from New York.
The “any time soon” part seems to fudge a bit, but her boss, CBS News president Sean McManus, was more definitive.
“I can say that it’s not true that Katie is leaving, either after the election or after the inauguration,” McManus said, also via satellite.
Rumors have been swirling around Couric almost from the get-go. “The Evening News” remains stuck in third place, behind NBC and ABC, and many critics believe Couric was hopelessly miscast in the role after being such a hit as the perky morning host on NBC’s “Today Show.”
We’ll see how things develop. Maybe CBS News waved this show of support because, heading into the political conventions and elections, they didn’t want people to think they had a lame duck at the helm. Or maybe Couric really is ensconced as anchor for the long haul.
At least for now, the speculation is on hold until after the January inauguration.
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‘Housewives’ leaps ahead five years, Gabriella gets frumpy
Remember in the May season finale for “Desperate Housewives,” when that quick little flash-forward showed Gabriella looking frumpy and chasing two mischievous little girls?
That wasn’t a dream. It really happened, and the show plans to stay five years in the future when it returns in September.
Bree is a successful businesswoman, Susan has a new man in her life (no word on the disposal of James Denton’s Mike Delfino), Lynette has survived cancer and is dealing with out-of-control teenage sons and Edie will be back on Wisteria Lane after being banished previously.
Why make such a bold plot shift on one of TV’s most popular shows?
“I was bored and thought the ‘soap’ had built up too much in the stories and just wanted to pare that down,” said creator Marc Cherry at a session with the glamorous cast - all decked out in five-inch heels, full makeup and fancy dresses and looking, well, mostly bored.
Except for bubbly Eva Longoria Parker, the little sprite from Corpus Christi who is famous among family and friends in San Antonio (she’s married to Spurs star Tony Parker) for her killer enchiladas. Parker, in a new chin-length bob, seemed thrilled about Gabby’s new frumpiness.
“I love it because it lets us explore something other than glamour,” she said. “And I love it because now I spend about 10 minutes in hair and makeup instead of two hours.”
And yes, the diminutive Parker has put on some weight. She won’t say how much, but let’s just say she no longer looks like a tiny, fragile doll and more like a real, healthy person. The producers still had to give her hips and tummy pads to give Gabby the fuller figure of a woman who has had two kids in five years and let herself go, in part, because hubby Carlos is still blind.
Cherry said there will be a few flashbacks and conversations in the present to explain what happened during the missing years, but he said it wasn’t just a cliffhanger trick. The show will stay five years in the future, and he really does plan to end the show, now heading into Season 5, after seven seasons.
“This show is my baby,” Cherry said. “I want to take it off while people still like us.”
ABC entertainment chief Steve McPherson could be heard shouting “No!” in the back of the interview room. We’ll see.
Bits and pieces from the ABC Star Party
Teri Hatcher, always sweet and gracious to reporters, swooped into the party at the Beverly Hilton, perched on a velvet sofa and was promptly mobbed. Smiling, laughing and talking, she stayed probably longer than her agent wanted her to, personally greeting folks she couldn’t possibly have remembered from previous press tours. The girl can work a room, let me just say.
She said she didn’t mind the time-leap in “Desperate Housewives” and is glad to find Susan “not quite so searching and needy for love.”
Kate Walsh, who stars as Addison on “Private Practice,” said her sexy Cadillac commercial might have brought a bigger audience of men to the female-driven medical drama. She’s probably right, especially because the ad ran almost continuously during football and basketball season.
Silvio Horta, executive producer on “Ugly Betty,” is thrilled his show is moving to New York to film the new season. The show is set in the Big Apple, and New York offered the production juicy tax-breaks and other incentives to come there. Horta said the show will re-focus away from Betty’s romantic life next season and get back to her career and family.
Executive producer Craig Wright of “Dirty, Sexy Money” promised “more dirt, more sex and more money than ever before” on the new season. Sounds thrilling, no?
Party talk produced at least one little-known fact: Marcia Cross (Bree on “Desperate Housewives”) has a master’s degree in clinical psychology and was actually seeing patients when she auditioned for her role on the ABC sudser. … something to fall back on, I guess.
Coming this afternoon …
ABC is gone, CBS is here, and a quick look at the schedule had one semi-shocker.
Katie Couric, rumored to be heading out the door as anchor of “CBS Evening News” after the election, will be in a CBS News panel today. She’s appearing via satellite from New York, but she’s going to face the barking hordes.
You wouldn’t think CBS would serve her up like that if the third-rated newscast really planned to ditch her by the end of the year. But who knows … we’ll try to dig beneath the surface on this one and report back later today.
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Cheetah Girls Go Bollywood, Katherine Heigl locked into ‘Grey’s’
If the only thing you know about the Cheetah Girls is that Sabrina Bryan was on “Dancing with the Stars,” well, you haven’t been listening to the high-pitched squeals of millions of tween girls.
The Cheetahs — Dorinda, Chanel and Aquanetta — are bona fide superstars and not just on the Disney Channel, where their two movies reign. These singing/dancing hip-hoppers tour in sold-out concerts all over the world. Ask any girl with a sparkly pink cell phone, and she’ll tell you.
Next stop for the Cheetahs? Their third Disney Channel movie, “Cheetah Girls: One World,” coming in late August. Filmed in India, the story finds the trio of best friends pursuing their dream of starring in a Bollywood musical.
In real life, Sabrina (Dorinda), Adrienne Bailon (Chanel) and Kiely Williams (Aquanetta) are best friends who giggled, talked over and in unison with each other and seemed totally unaffected by hordes of reporters trying to interview them at a midday gathering today.
“The best part of this movie is that we got to go to India together,” bubbled Sabrina. “Our friendship is so incredible, and to be able to travel the world with your two best friends is just so awesome.”
Adrienne and Kiely happily acknowledge that Sabrina, thanks to her “Dancing with the Stars” stint, is the better dancer, and they’re “like so incredibly excited” (shrieked in unison) that she can pick up new choreography so quickly and help them.
Bouncing up and down in their chairs, the girls rattled off their favorite things about filming in India - “like crashing five weddings and dancing in the streets,” according to Adrienne. (Actually, I think they all three said it at the same time.)
Sabrina said the hardest part was climbing up on an enormous elephant and then staying on for the ride.
“She’s like super-super big, and when you get up there you’re on this roller-coaster with no tracks because she rocks and sways from side to side when she walks,” she said as her friends giggled and added their own squeals of delight and horror.
If the energy flying off the Cheetah Girls could be harnessed, the need for electricity would be like sooo yesterday.
ABC exec dishes on returning ABC shows
Stephen McPherson, ABC’s entertainment president, concedes that an overhaul is needed in the “Grey’s Anatomy” spinoff “Private Practice.” The show debuted last fall with high expectations as Kate Walsh’s character left Seattle Grace for a high-end private clinic in Los Angeles.
Before the strike interrupted, the show had decent ratings, but the initial buzz quickly fizzled.
“The best episodes were the real medical dramas,” McPherson said. “There was too much talking about angst in the characters’ personal lives. This season, Kate will go back to doing actual surgery.”
And speaking of “Grey’s,” McPherson dubbed Katherine Heigl’s complaints “unfortunate” but insisted that she’s not leaving the show and that her character, Izzie, will have a prominent story line in the new season.
Heigl, you might recall, declined to submit herself for Emmy consideration (she won a supporting actor Emmy last year) because she said the writers didn’t give her good enough material. Speculation has been rampant ever since that she would leave “Grey’s” and concentrate on her movie career. But apparently not - a contract is a contract, and she’s staying.
McPherson seemed less than thrilled with the latest season of “Dancing with the Stars,” acknowledging complaints that winner Kristi Yamaguchi was just too much better than her competitors from the get-go, thanks to her Olympic figure-skating skills. He also implied the contestants were just too nice.
“They were all nice, sweet personalities,” he said. “I think we need more conflict, more edge and a better casting mix.”
Last night, by the way, some of the pros from “Dancing” attempted to lure clumsy, left-footed critics onto a dance floor to cha-cha. I’m proud to say I resisted, but the guys who wound up with stunning Edyta Sliwinska, draped in fabric the size of a washcloth, have memories to last a lifetime.
Next up: The “Desperate Housewives” arrive tonight, which practically guarantees a paparazzi war in the hotel lobby. Maybe I’ll wind up on the cover of Star by accident.
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Emmys ignore ‘Friday Night Lights’ … again!
A best drama series Emmy nomination didn’t happen for Austin’s own “Friday Night Lights,” but at least we were in good company. HBO’s much-heralded drama “The Wire,” which ended its run last season, also got snubbed. (Well, except for one tiny nod for casting.)
When the Emmy nominations were announced before dawn here in LaLa Land, “Mad Men,” AMC’s super stylish saga set in the 1960 advertising world, and FX’s taut thriller “Damages,” raked in best drama nominations - a first in basic cable history.
The biggest winner of all, however, was HBO’s historical miniseries “John Adams,” which stacked up 23 nominations, including best mini and best actor for stars Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney.
As expected, cable dominated the drama series nominations, which included Showtime’s “Dexter,” Fox’s “House,” and ABC’s “Boston Legal” and “Lost.”
Why “Lost” made it and “Friday Night Lights” didn’t is a head-scratcher, but Academy members must prefer sci-fi over heartfelt drama.
And seriously, if anybody had bothered to watch the performances, Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler from “FNL” would have been nominated. Britton surely topped the perpetually sobbing Sally Field in “Brothers & Sisters,” and Chandler trumps Gabriel Byrne in HBO’s “In Treatment” any day. Robbed, I tell you. They were robbed.
At least one Austin citizen is in contention for an Emmy: Mike Judge’s animated comedy “King of the Hill” received a nomination, along with “The Simpsons,” “Creature Comforts,” “Robot Chicken” and “SpongeBob SquarePants.”
The big comedy honoree was NBC’s “30 Rock,” with 17 nominations. That’s no surprise. But the good news here is that “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Entourage” and “The Office” got nods. The bad news? Nothing for HBO’s quirky “Flight of the Conchords” and more unwarranted praise for the creaky, standard-fare “Two and a Half Men.”
It must really gall comedy writers when Larry David can stay away from TV for two years, return with only a handful of episodes and come away with an Emmy nomination for “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences tends to pick nominated actors to announce the Emmy list, and today was no exception. Kristin Chenoweth, recognized in the supporting actor category for “Pushing Daisies,” and Neil Patrick Harris, nominated for his supporting role in “How I Met Your Mother,” stumbled through the list.
When will the Academy realize that it’s too early in the morning for even the most gifted actors to do this.
The Emmy Awards ceremony will be telecast Sept. 21 on ABC.
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‘Scrubs’ scrubs in on ABC, ‘Sopranos’ star flies to ‘Life on Mars’
After seven seasons in limbo, not to mention dozens of time slots, “Scrubs” comes to ABC in September — and it may or may not be the actual, final end to the medical slapstick show.
“We thought every year was our last year on NBC, so we’ve basically already got our finale written,” said chief creator and perpetual jokester Bill Lawrence. “We just have to change a few pop culture references.”
And what if “Scrubs” actually becomes a hit on ABC? It will have to go on without star Zach Braff, who has made other commitments for 2009.
“We really thought we were over last year, but I would love to come back and visit if the show goes on for another season on ABC,” Braff said.
Perhaps in anticipation of new life on ABC (“This will be the year we’re a hit! Mark my words,” said Lawrence, who rarely if ever is serious), the writers are introducing young characters as bumbling interns. Hoping for the best …
And they’re lighting up the marquee with guest stars. Former “Friends” star Courteney Cox has a three-episode arc as the hospital’s chief of medicine.
“She’s hilarious,” Lawrence said. “She’s what we call a ‘gamer.’ She’s up for anything. We’d love to have her come back for more.”
Now that “Dirt” has been canceled, maybe she can.
And in an episode filmed in the Bahamas, the Janitor will get married. But his name is not spoken, a running joke on the show. Neil Flynn, who plays Janitor, has decided to call him Zanzibar Buck-Buck McPhee.
Nobody on this show is NOT joking.
From ‘The Sopranos’ to ‘Life on Mars’
Michael Imperioli, who made a name for himself on “The Sopranos,” returns to TV this fall in ABC’s American version of the BBC hit “Life on Mars.”
“I was looking for something juicy and challenging,” Imperioli said, sporting hair so long he looks like Beethoven. “Most of the stuff I’ve done I’m either a cop or a robber, but that’s OK. It pays the bills.”
“Life on Mars,” starring Irish actor Jason O’Mara,” finds a New York cop waking up in 1973 after a car accident in 2008. Inexplicably, the 1970s are very popular in 2008. Go figure.
PS: In an ever-changing world, some things never change. ABC’s cute young pages still sport huge white Mickey Mouse gloves.
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Katie Holmes to guest star on ‘Eli Stone’
Quick update:
ABC entertainment chief Stephen McPherson announced this morning that Katie Holmes will make a guest appearance on the new season of “Eli Stone.”
Holmes has a history with “Eli’s” creative producer, Greg Berlanti: Holmes launched her career on Berlanti’s teen sudser “Dawson’s Creek.”
No word on when Mrs. Tom Cruise’s spot will appear, but we do know that she’ll “do a little singing and dancing,” according to McPherson.
“Eli Stone,” for those who don’t know, is a fanciful lawyer show starring Jonny Lee Miller as a guy with a brain aneurysm who hallucinates — or maybe he’s a prophet. Truth unknown.
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How to end ‘The Shield’
The seventh and final season of “The Shield’s” award-winning run on FX begins Sept. 2. The gritty, often foul-talking L.A. cop show with the morally compromised Vic Mackey at the helm has shocked, amused, intrigued and, well, disgusted us unlike any crime drama in TV history.
So the question on everyone’s mind, when the principal cast and creator Shawn Ryan met with reporters, was this: How do you conclude a character like Vic Mackey? The steely-eyed, bullet-headed guy would be difficult if not impossible to redeem. I mean, he killed a fellow cop in cold blood in the pilot, and he hasn’t exactly been an angel in the subsequent six seasons.
“We are concerned with ending it properly,” Ryan said. “This feels like a graduation where you know you’ve done well in school, so we’ll strive to have a strong finale. It will stay true to the show and will feel like ‘The Shield’ universe.”
Actual filming on the finale ended a few months ago, so if Ryan is still tinkering with the outcome, his cast doesn’t believe any major changes to the last scripts will happen.
Beamed in by satellite from a movie production in his native Boston, Michael Chiklis danced around specifics but said, “You will not see this coming. One bomb after another is dropped that you can’t take back. Vic is plagued by regret, and he understands now that there are tremendous consequences for himself and those around him. But you can’t change the spots on this leopard.”
CCH Pounder, who plays Mackey’s often frustrated captain in the squadron, couldn’t hold back: “This finale is what Vic Mackey deserves,” she bellowed with a big grin. “It blew my socks off.”
I think we can all figure out the fate that Detective Mackey won’t see coming. Can’t wait!
Bonnie’s back
After multiple failed sitcoms, including the most recent talk-show-within-a-sitcom “Life With Bonnie,” Bonnie Hunt has decided to go the true talk show route this time.
Described by Jay Leno, David Letterman and others as “the best talk show guest on television,” Hunt will premiere her new syndicated day-time talker Sept. 8 nationwide. In Austin the show will air on KNVA, our CW station, but no time slot has been announced yet.
Yet another daytime talker? Is this a good idea? Jane Pauley failed and so have dozens of other smart women. Marie Osmond is taking a stab at hosting one too this fall.
But Hunt just might make it work. She’s an intellectually witty woman in a girl-next-door package. Born into a blue-collar Catholic family in Chicago, she was working as a nurse in an oncology ward when she joined up with famed comedy troupe Second City.
“The most important thing is to be a good listener and have genuine interest in the guests,” Hunt said over lunch. “You want your guests to feel safe and comfortable and have a good time.”
Hunt says she was offered the late-night spot occupied by Craig Kilborn but turned it down.
“I just didn’t want to do late-night,” Hunt shrugged. “It was a personal decision because the timing was wrong. I had just gotten divorced, and my (sitcom) show had been canceled. It was a tough time. Plus, my mom watches daytime TV and I want to please her.”
Like her good friend Letterman, Hunt remains close to her mother and plans to have her pop into the show from time to time.
“My mom is so funny,” Hunt chuckled. “She still thinks the computer can see her, so she puts duct tape on the little camera.”
Next up … the ABC army invades. Entertainment president Stephen McPherson will try to convince us that he planned all along to introduce only two new series this fall. That press conference revs up in an hour.
But after the exec gets out of the way, ABC has a parade of big stars, concluding very late in a very long day with the entire cast of “Desperate Housewives.”
Has San Antonio’s own Eva Longoria Parker, who has been roughly the size of a firefly her entire life, really packed on the pounds since she married Spurs star Tony? I’ll be front and center to check it out. According to the Hollywood tabs, this is a big story, so I’ll be on the case.
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‘Hellboy’ Ron Perlman on TV, ‘Damages’ preps for return
He’s currently starring in the box office smash “Hellboy II,” but Ron Perlman doesn’t have to worry about being recognized when he’s out and about in Hollywood.
Without his red rubber face, sawed off horns and huge fake jaw, he more or less blends in with regular folk.
The same was true when he starred in the cult favorite “Beauty and the Beast” on TV years ago. As the beast, he worked beneath many layers of fur and makeup, so nobody recognized the actor.
Now, starring in FX’s new drama “Sons of Anarchy,” Perlman is makeup-free, showing off his regular mug and feeling free at last.
“It’s a relief for me, but I don’t know about the rest of American society,” he quipped this morning.
In the new FX drama, Perlman plays the leader of a notorious motorcycle club in California. The series seeks to explore the subculture that began when disenchanted veterans came home from Vietnam and subsequently became known for their outlaw ways.
“I’m still learning how to ride,” Perlman said. “It’s not going very well, and basically I’m terrified. The bike is 1,000 pounds with no small amount of torque, and I’m the biggest tin horn.”
“Sons of Anarchy” premieres Sept. 3. But before he hits the small screen, Perlman just might get the call for more big screen action.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a sequel to ‘Hellboy,’ “ he said. “But I’m just spit-balling. I’m not privy to those conversations.”
Sneak peek at ‘Damages’
FX’s mystery thriller “Damages” doesn’t return until January, but we’re already getting a hint of things to come.
For one thing, UT grad Marcia Gay Harden will join the cast as a worthy legal adversary to powerhouse attorney Patty Hewes, played by Glenn Close.
Also we know that evil corporate jerk Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson) didn’t die after he was shot at the end of last season … at least we think we know that. Danson is still in the cast, but hinted this morning that he might be seen mostly in flashbacks. I’m guessing he’s being less than truthful, however, because spies have said several scenes have been shot with Frobisher in a hospital.
Patty’s young protege Ellen (Rose Byrne), who was betrayed by her boss and framed for the murder of her fiance last season, will be cooperating with the feds in an investigation of Patty’s law firm. Byrne says Ellen becomes “a warrior” in the new episodes, no doubt out for revenge on several levels. No more quivering and crying.
“Patty is going through her own post-traumatic stress disorder now,” Close said. “She’s fragile and loses control, so she’s going to be dealing with a lot of unresolved issues.”
Close says she’s happy to be working in TV these days.
“I think we are pioneering a new art form with these serialized stories,” she said. “This is sort of another golden age of drama on television. You don’t get this kind of writing in feature films.”
Later today I’ll be checking out some hints about the final season of “The Shield,” which begins Sept. 2. … Now I’m going to see what Bonnie Hunt has to say about her new daytime talk show, which will air on KNVA in Austin come September.
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‘24’ prequel, Karl Rove, Mike Judge and other Foxy stuff
It’s been a long, long haul since “24” fans got their weekly dose of blood-pumping thrills, but the end is in sight … or at least it’s out there in the distance with a Nov. 23 date on it.
That’s when we’ll get a little two-hour tease to the seventh season, dubbed “Day 7,” which will debut in January.
The fall prequel, “24: Exile,” just wrapped production after filming in South Africa and Washington, D.C., and judging from the clips screened for critics Monday, the appetizer movie should be a humdinger.
The real-time action will find Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) in the throes of an international crisis in Africa on the day the U.S. is celebrating the inauguration of its first female president (played by Cherry Jones).
At the time the script was written, before the writers’ strike, it must have seemed all but certain that Hillary Clinton would be our real first lady prez, but now the plot line is pure fiction.
In the midst of a crush of reporters poking tape recorders in his mouth and firing off flashbulbs inches from his eyes, Sutherland talked about the new season and said the prequel plot represents the beginning of last the new season that had to be scrapped last January after the strike.
“We all loved that story, but time-wise it didn’t make sense to start the new season after an 18-month gap, so this way we get to use it as our prequel,” Sutherland said.
When the full 24-episode season begins in January, Jack will be in Washington D.C., The action also will set up the regular 24-episode season beginning in January, by which time Jack will be back in Washington.
Fox News touts Karl Rove
It might have seemed like a good idea at the time, although I can’t imagine why, when Fox News decided to trot out former Bush Administration biggie Karl Rove for a gaggle of the nation’s TV critics.
Rove joined Fox News as an analyst during the primary season in early spring - not long before he was subpoenaed to testify before Congress on the White House’s role in firing federal prosecutors with perceived Democratic leanings.
Not surprisingly, the questions came fast and furiously about whether Rove’ decision to ignore the subpoena might adversely affect his credibility as a political analyst just a teensy bit. Not to mention the fact that Rove is a financial contributor and occasional consultant on Sen. John McCain’s Republican campaign.
“A lot of people beat up on me,” Rove said calmly. “I’m not the myth I’ve been developed into … But this is not between me and Congress. I have not asserted any personal privilege. This is between the White House and Congress and centers on the ability of the president to receive advice from senior advisers and for those advisers not to be at the back-and-call of Congress for testimony.”
John Moody, Fox News’ chief executive, energetically defended his guy: “Karl Rove is a certified authority on politics. His current difference of opinion with Congress is between him and Congress.”
Fox anchor Chris Wallace hastily suggested TV writers live by a biased double-standard when it comes to Fox News and insisted we would never ask anyone on MSNBC about credibility or liberal leanings. Wallace was not amused by the grilling of Rove, but Rove seemed unfazed.
“For details, you’ll have to wait until January ’09, when my book comes out,” Rove said with a sly smile. “You can pre-order it on Amazon for $29.95.”
More Fox tidbits
Lena Headey, the slender Brit who plays Sarah in Fox’s “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” says she was briefly rattled last season by all the “terrible comments” made by fans of the movies.
Apparently those folks are die-hard fans of the original Sarah Connor, played by Linda Hamilton and her bulging biceps. These people couldn’t see how a slim, elegant-looking Brit could possible take over this iconic role. Headey has her well-manicured fingers crossed that fans will change their minds when the show returns for a full season in September.
By the way, Summer Glau, who plays a “good robot” on “Terminator,” says she’s often recognized in her native San Antonio now.
“I am surprised and thrilled how many people watch our show, but they always recognize me in the pharmacy, produce section of the grocery store or in an airport,” Glau said. “It’s strange.”
Finally, Austin’s own Mike Judge, creator of “King of the Hill” and voice of Hank and Boomhauer, says he’ll “keep doing the show as long as it’s still good.”
Fox has canceled or threatened to cancel the show many times in its long history, but the upcoming 13th season will be a full batch of episodes.
At a panel devoted to Fox’s popular Sunday night animation lineup, Judge also said he prefers “doing realistic stuff. I would have considered doing this as a live-action comedy, but Fox wanted me to do an animated comedy to go with ‘The Simpsons’ on Sunday nights.”
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‘Prison Break’ leaves Dallas for L.A. and other Foxy news
Good news: The “Prison Break Breakfast” featured coffee and actual food, no rocks and water. And there were plenty of cast members circling around to hype the new season, scheduled to launch Sept. 1 on Fox.
In case you’ve already forgotten about “Prison Break,” it got hit hard by the writers’ strike, was pulled off the air prematurely and thus has been gone forever. When last we saw them, brothers Michael (Wentworth Miller) and Lincoln (Dominic Purcell) were finally free from that Panamanian hell hole of a prison.
The new season finds the brothers out to completely expose the conspiracy that originally framed Linc for murder and to seek revenge at the highest levels. All cleaned up and citified, Michael heads to Los Angeles where, shock of shocks, he learns that his lady-love Sara is alive - not decapitated, as previously shown. Whose head was that in the box anyway? Maybe we’ll find out.
Acclaimed director Kevin Hooks, who started life as a kid TV star on “The White Shadow,” remains at the helm, as he was when the second season was filmed in Dallas and Fort Worth.
“We’re moving to L.A. now, but filming in Texas was a gift in spite of 20 straight days of 100-degree weather,” Hooks said, slurping coffee this morning. “Filming there was a tremendous asset to the show.”
Purcell and Miller were so swamped by reporters and paparazzi that I barely caught sight of them, but I’m happy to report that Robert Knepper, who plays the super-creepy Southern bad guy T-Bag on the show, cleans up really well. He’s surprisingly buff and doesn’t have a Southern accent after all.
The transition from PBS to Fox presentations today couldn’t have been more jarring … rock music blaring by 8 a.m. in the presentation room, gorgeous young pages hopping all around and not a single bald eagle in sight.
After the “Prison Break” critics were treated to a couple of performances by contenders on Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance.” Matt and Kourtni were terrific in their two-step, but Thayne, poor guy, was clunky … probably why he was voted off last week. No idea why he was here today.
Creator/judge Nigel Lythgoe insisted the show isn’t mean-spirited and “nobody is voted out … You just don’t get as many votes as the next person.” Mmm hmmm.
Judge Mary Murphy, known for screaming “You’re on the hot tamale train!” at dancers she likes, conceded that she’s “louder than a vacuum cleaner, a rock band and a small jet,” but she seemed surprised that some folks find her annoying.
Choreographer Mia Michaels, rounding out the defense team, added, “I’m not mean. It’s just tough love. They know I only want them to be brilliant.”
‘Fringe’poised to be the next ‘X-Files’
J.J. Abrams, whose TV credits include “Lost” and “Alias,” has the new sci-fi buzz show coming this fall on Fox. It starts off with a plane landing in Boston filled with dead people. FBI agent, played by Aussie newcomer Anna Torv, is called to investigate.
She is assisted by an aging genius (John Noble), who’s been institutionalized for nearly two decades and the deranged scientist’s son, played by former “Dawson’s Creek” guy Joshua Jackson.
Too confusing? Has Abrams learned anything from the head-scratching over “Lost?”
“Yes, I’m sometimes confused by my own shows,” he said laughing. “This one is an experiment - an overall story with an end game. There’s a bigger arc about the mystery, but you won’t have to watch Episodes 1 through 4 to ‘get’Episode 5. There are separate stories.”
More Fox stuff to come, including a sure-to-be-bizarre appearance by Fox News analyst Karl Rove, so stay tuned.
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