1. Shakira.
2. Edith Bowman.
3. Er... that's it.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The Under Siege Review Post.
One thing I never like to do with my soundtrack collection is dispose of albums - by which I mean sell or trade them. Even if I don't like them.
Which brings us to Under Siege (Varese Sarabande), still Steven Seagal's biggest hit to date; Die Hard on a battleship but nowhere near as good, not even with Erika Eleniak topless and later plugging one of the baddies. Scored by Gary Chang, it's an ajbect lesson why I ought not to buy albums based on its opening title, said opening is a nice straight-ahead piece that then takes a long break, not coming back until the last track - most of the album is made up of suspense, sneaking-around music... but boring suspense, sneaking-around music. Adding to the general suckage is Chang swiping the terrorists' theme ("The Takeover") from John Williams's conspiracy theme from JFK, and it's all capped with action music that's notably non-thrilling. Only the final track, credited to Chang and orchestrator-conductor Todd Hayen, really enlivens things - but by then it's too late. At least it's short. (Thankfully, Basil Poledouris scored the sequel.)
1. Main Title (4:05)
2. Fanfare (:59)
3. The Takeover (1:32)
4. Casey Gets In Touch (2:58)
5. Casey Saves Jordan (1:31)
6. Reveal Sub (:48)
7. Sub Splits (2:05)
8. They Sink The Sub (3:53)
9. Casey Rescues The Laundry (1:50)
10. Sitting Ducks (2:08)
11. The Broadway Shootout (1:46)
12. Casey Meets Strannix (:48)
13. Casey Saves Hawaii (2:48)
14. Epilogue (2:29)
Which brings us to Under Siege (Varese Sarabande), still Steven Seagal's biggest hit to date; Die Hard on a battleship but nowhere near as good, not even with Erika Eleniak topless and later plugging one of the baddies. Scored by Gary Chang, it's an ajbect lesson why I ought not to buy albums based on its opening title, said opening is a nice straight-ahead piece that then takes a long break, not coming back until the last track - most of the album is made up of suspense, sneaking-around music... but boring suspense, sneaking-around music. Adding to the general suckage is Chang swiping the terrorists' theme ("The Takeover") from John Williams's conspiracy theme from JFK, and it's all capped with action music that's notably non-thrilling. Only the final track, credited to Chang and orchestrator-conductor Todd Hayen, really enlivens things - but by then it's too late. At least it's short. (Thankfully, Basil Poledouris scored the sequel.)
1. Main Title (4:05)
2. Fanfare (:59)
3. The Takeover (1:32)
4. Casey Gets In Touch (2:58)
5. Casey Saves Jordan (1:31)
6. Reveal Sub (:48)
7. Sub Splits (2:05)
8. They Sink The Sub (3:53)
9. Casey Rescues The Laundry (1:50)
10. Sitting Ducks (2:08)
11. The Broadway Shootout (1:46)
12. Casey Meets Strannix (:48)
13. Casey Saves Hawaii (2:48)
14. Epilogue (2:29)
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
The One Kiss Post.
Named after the necklace she's wearing in this picture (taken at the launch party for When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead: Useful Stories from a Persuasive Man by producer Jerry Weintraub, who may have produced The Avengers but also did The Karate Kids and Emma Roberts' debut vehicle Nancy Drew). It's part of her JCPenney line One Kiss. Named, in turn, after what a lot of us would give her.
Friday, May 21, 2010
The Further Adventures Of The Alttiere Guide To The New US Shows Post.
In spite of being heartbroken over being denied weekly presence of Hayden Panettiere for the foreseeable future, duty calls... meaning it's time to have a look at the new season's shows, wonder which ones'll be shown here and gauge their Alttiere factor. (Meaning their looker status... Alttiere is in honour of Miss Panettiere and Jessica Alba.) As ever, we're not counting unscripted shows, those moving to another network, or cable series (although a moment of silence, please, to mark the passing of 10 Things I Hate About You, Nip/Tuck, Ruby And The Rockits, The Sarah Silverman Program, Rita Rocks, The Tudors, Monk, The Cleaner, Brotherhood, Lincoln Heights, Reno 911!, Raising The Bar, 10 Items Or Less, Ben 10: Alien Force and Saving Grace).
In order of their announcement:
NBC
The Event
From The Good Folks At: Steve Stark Productions and Universal Media Studios (they'll come up a lot in this section).
What's It About?: Jason Ritter looking into the disappearance of his fiancee and unearths a massive international conspiracy.
Will I Check It Out? I may well do so.
Alttiere Factor: So far, only Sarah Roemer (Laura Innes? Er, no).
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Reasonable.
Chase
From The Good Folks At: Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Warner Bros. Television.
What's It About? "(A) team of U.S. marshals" going after "America's most dangerous fugitives."
Will I Check It Out? Probably not. The presence of Jesse Metcalfe doesn't help.
Alttiere Factor: I'm not familiar enough with Kelli Giddish and Rose Rollins to judge.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Pretty good.
Undercovers
From The Good Folks At: Bad Robot Productions and Warner Bros. Television.
What's It About? Husband-and-wife ex-spies are called back into the field.
Will I Check It Out? I seem to give anything from J.J. Abrams a go (Six Degrees notwithstanding).
Alttiere Factor: With the exception of Fringe, Bad Robot has a good track record in this department. Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Jessica Parker Kennedy, come on down!
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Better than my chances of having sex with Blake Lively. Much better. In fact, pretty much guaranteed considering past series.
Law & Order: Los Angeles
From The Good Folks At: Wolf Films and Universal Network Television/Universal Media Studios.
What's It About? What do you think it's about?
Will I Check It Out? Depends on who's on board.
Alttiere Factor: No idea as yet.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Considering Hallmark, Five and Sky, it's not if but when.
Outsourced
From The Good Folks At: In Cahoots and Universal Media Studios.
What's It About? The manager of an American company who's sent to India to run its call center (where it's been... well, see the title).
Will I Check It Out? Unlikely. I didn't watch the similar-sounding ITV sitcom Mumbai Calling (though the two shows have pretty different basic premises).
Alttiere Factor: I have to do some research on Rebecca Hazlewood and Jessica Gower.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Not that high, I'd say.
Love Bites
From The Good Folks At: Working Title Television and Universal Media Studios.
What's It About: It's "an hour-long romantic comedy anthology series featuring three loosely connected, modern stories of love, sex, marriage and dating." Basically it's Love, American Style for the 21st century, with two regular characters.
Will I Check It Out?: I don't seem to be part of the target audience for Working Title comedies, but maybe.
Alttiere Factor: Becki Newton and Jordana Spiro are our stars. Sexy Amanda from Ugly Betty? I'm sold.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Very good.
Outlaw
From The Good Folks At: Conaco Productions and Universal Media Studios.
What's It About? A Supreme Court justice (Jimmy Smits) who quits and starts to fight for the little man. Because there aren't enough lawyer shows out there.
Will I Check It Out? Created by John Eisendrath (WIOU, Alias) and exec produced by Conan O'Brien. So yeah.
Alttiere Factor: Not bad; Carly Pope from Popular is one of the lawyers.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Could happen.
The Cape
From The Good Folks At: BermanBraun and Universal Media Studios.
What's It About? A cop who's framed for murder and becomes a superhero to battle crime. Hmmmm...
Will I Check It Out? I may, or may not.
Alttiere Factor: Two words - Summer. Glau.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Good.
Friends With Benefits
From The Good Folks At: Imagine Television and Twentieth Century Fox Television.
What's It About? Twentysomething singles in the dating game. But as Bruce Geller said, nothing is original except in how it's done...
Will I Check It Out? You never know.
Alttiere Factor: Danneel Harris and Jessica Lucas do you? They do? Good.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Do not count it out.
Harry's Law
From The Good Folks At: David E. Kelley Productions and Warner Bros. Television.
What's It About? Kathy Bates (the Harry of the title), Ben Chaplin and Aml Ameen opening a law practice in a shoe store (well, this is a David E. Kelley show).
Will I Check It Out? Not out of the question.
Alttiere Factor: Brittany Snow, ladies and gentlemen.
Chances Of Coming To The UK? All of his previous shows about the bar (with the exception of girls club) did...
Next
From The Good Folks At: Nuance Productions and Warner Bros. Television.
What's It About? The day-to-day life of an ex-television star and family man, played by ex-television star and family man Paul Reiser.
Will I Check It Out? Having avoided Mad About You, I may do the same for this. Especially if he does the theme song again (he's no Greg Evigan).
Alttiere Factor: Not immediately apparent.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Not great, Omid Djalili notwithstanding.
Perfect Couples
From The Good Folks At: Universal Media Studios.
What's It About? Three couples seeking the perfect relationship.
Will I Check It Out? My viewing history does not have such shows high on my list of must views.
Alttiere Factor: Olivia Munn is one-half of one of the couples, so for some she'll make it a must.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Not out of the question - I mean, Rules of Engagement and 'Til Death did...
FOX
Raising Hope
From The Good Folks At: Amigos de Garcia Productions and Twentieth Century Fox Television.
What's It About? The "Hope" of the title is a baby, who the white-trash main character fathered with a convicted felon and who he now has to bring up with the "help" of his less than perfect family.
Will I Check It Out? After yes, dear and My Name Is Earl, Greg Garcia knows his way around comedy that stays around for a bit.
Alttiere Factor: With Cloris Leachman and Martha Plimpton in the cast, Shannon Woodward may be your best bet.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: As Possible Possum always put it, "It's possible - it's possible..."
Running Wilde
From The Good Folks At: Tantamount Studios, Five Hole Pictures, Principato-Young Management and Lionsgate Television (a rare non-cable production for the last named).
What's It About? A playboy named Steve Wilde determined to win over the temperamentally opposite woman of his dreams.
Will I Check It Out? It stars Will Arnett and comes from Mitchell "Arrested Development" Hurwitz, so that's a yes.
Alttiere Factor: Keri Russell plays the lady he loves.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Considering the pedigree, very good.
Lonestar
From The Good Folks At: Depth of Field Productions, Keyser/Lippman Productions and Twentieth Century Fox Television.
What's It About? A man who lives two lives - he's not a spy or anything, he's got a wife in one part of Texas, a girlfriend in another, and is a lying, cheating scoundrel in both. Until things start getting hot...
Will I Check It Out? I don't know.
Alttiere Factor: Executive producers Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman previously did Party Of Five (with Neve Campbell, Lacey Chabert and Jennifer Love Hewitt) and spinoff Time Of Your Life (with JLH and Jennifer Garner). Adrianne Palicki and Eloise Mumford have much to live up to.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: It just might.
Bob's Burgers
From The Good Folks At: Twentieth Century Fox Television.
What's It About? An animated series about a man who runs a burger joint with his family.
Will I Check It Out? Not out of the question.
Alttiere Factor: It's a cartoon, idiot.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Not out of the question.
Terra Nova
From The Good Folks At: Kapital Entertainment, Chernin Entertainment, DreamWorks Television and Twentieth Century Fox Television.
What's It About? A family going back in time to prehistoric Earth as part of a bid to save the planet in the year 2149.
Will I Check It Out? Brannon Braga is one of the executive producers, but fortunately his colleague this time isn't David S. Goyer - he's working with two much more trustworthy people, David Fury and Steven Spielberg (not that Spielberg's track record in producing television is flawless - for every Animaniacs or Band of Brothers there's a High Incident or Taken - but it's Steven freaking Spielberg!).
Alttiere Factor: No cast yet, but fingers crossed.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Other than Invasion America, there are very few Spielberg TV productions that haven't come to the UK.
Ride-Along
From The Good Folks At: MiddKid Productions and Twentieth Century Fox Television.
What's It About? A cop show set in Chicago (the title refers to a civilian passenger being along with a cop on his or her shift in the squad car). From Shawn Ryan of The Shield and The Unit.
Will I Check It Out? Despite bailing on The Shield very, very early on, yes.
Alttiere Factor: Jennifer "hotter now than in her Flashdance days" Beals for the win!
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Three words - Ex. Cell. Ent.
Mixed Signals
From The Good Folks At: Keshet Broadcasting Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Television.
What's It About? Three friends trying to "balance their relationships with their need for freedom."
Will I Check It Out? Very unlikely...
Alttiere Factor: It's all up to you, Alexandra Breckenridge and Liza Lapira.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: One of the three friends is Kris Marshall from the long-running BBC sitcom My Family, so I'd say pretty good.
ABC
Body Of Proof
From The Good Folks At: ABC Studios.
What's It About? A neurosurgeon turned medical examiner-cum-detective. Essentially, a female Quincy, M.E. (hang on, wasn't that Crossing Jordan?).
Will I Check It Out? I did so with Dr. Quincy and Dr. Cavanaugh, so I'll likely be here as well...
Alttiere Factor: ...especially as the good doctor is played, in this case, by Dana Delany.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: In its favour. Sounds right up Hallmark's or Alibi's alley.
Detroit 1-8-7
From The Good Folks At: Mandeville Films and ABC Studios.
What's It About? We've had documentary crews in sitcoms (The Office, Modern Family) and now they invade the cop show, going with a Homicide Unit in Detroit.
Will I Check It Out? I don't seem to watch many cop shows nowadays, but not out of the question.
Alttiere Factor: I'll assume that's Natalie Martinez's job.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Given that it stars Michael Imperioli from The Sopranos, I'd say so.
My Generation
From The Good Folks At: Stockholm-Copenhagen Productions, The Littlefield Company and ABC Studios.
What's It About? Ten years ago, a group of high schoolers graduated; the series follows them today.
Will I Check It Out? I don't know...
Alttiere Factor: Kelli Garner, perhaps?
Chances Of Coming To The UK: E4 or Fiver, maybe...
No Ordinary Family
From The Good Folks At: Oh That Gus! Inc., Berlanti Television and ABC Studios.
What's It About? A family who suddenly gets superpowers. Expect this to be compared to The Incredibles. A lot.
Will I Check It Out? Maybe; Jon Harmon Feldman didn't do badly with Roswell and Tru Calling.
Alttiere Factor: Julie Benz and Autumn Reeser. Result! (Unfortunately Kay Panabaker, getting a chance to play a superpowered person at last after her sister Danielle did in Sky High and whose appeal has always eluded me, is here as well.)
Chances Of Coming To The UK: I'd bet on it.
Off The Map
From The Good Folks At: ShondaLand Productions and (you guessed it) ABC Studios.
What's It About? Young doctors stationed in a clinic in the South American jungle. Not thought up by Shonda Rhimes, so unconnected to Grey's Anatomy or Private Practice.
Will I Check It Out? Undecided at press time.
Alttiere Factor: Caroline Dhavernas is one of the doctors, making her ABC's second fanciable medico of the new crop.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Living, anyone?
The Whole Truth
From The Good Folks At: Bonanza Productions Inc., Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Warner Bros. Television.
What's It About? Unlike most law series, which focus on either the defense or prosecution (but usually on the defense - Equal Justice and Shark are among the few exceptions), this looks at both sides.
Will I Check It Out? It's not out of the question.
Alttiere Factor: The main female role is Joely Richardson, so it's down to newcomer Christine Adams.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Most lawyer shows do. As long as the programme buyers don't remember Justice...
Better Together
From The Good Folks At: Bonanza Productions Inc., Silver and Gold Productions and Warner Bros. Television.
What's It About? Two sisters, both in a relationship but one rather more free-spirited than the other.
Will I Check It Out? Yes...
Alttiere Factor: ...because the sisters are played by JoAnna Garcia and Jennifer Finnigan.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: It might.
Happy Endings
From The Good Folks At: FanFare Productions, Sony Pictures Television and ABC Studios.
What's It About: When a couple breaks up (amicably), what happens to the friends they made as a couple?
Will I Check It Out? That's actually a good question.
Alttiere Factor: One of the friends - and the toplined star - is none other than Kim Bauer herself, Elisha Cuthbert!
Chances Of Coming To The UK: I think it might, you know.
Mr. Sunshine
From The Good Folks At: Shoe Money Productions, Barnow and Firek Productions, FanFare Productions and Sony Pictures Television.
What's It About? Matthew Perry is a sports arena manager whose 40th birthday is the cue for self-examination...
Will I Check It Out? Not likely.
Alttiere Factor: Andrea Anders and Portia Doubleday, maybe? Not really Allison Janney, however.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Chandler Bing and CJ Gregg? Count on it.
CBS
$#*! My Dad Says
From The Good Folks At: KoMut Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television
What's It About? The first television show to be based on a Twitter feed, Justin Halpern's Bleep My Dad Says (to use the CBS working title) comes to TV with William Shatner as the remarkably unrestrained Jeremy Clarkson-esque dad.
Will I Check It Out? The Shat can be value for money, but David Kohan and Max Mutchnick have been slipping since Will & Grace (and arguably during).
Alttiere Factor: Nicole Sullivan (also good for numerous laughs) and Stephanie Lemelin.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: I'd say pretty good.
Mike & Molly
From The Good Folks At: Chuck Lorre Productions and Warner Bros. Television.
What's It About? Two somewhat ample people meet at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting and fall in love.
Will I Check It Out? Well, Chuck Lorre does have a good track record in making sitcoms that just want to make you laugh and often succeed. Plus The Big Bang Theory doesn't exactly traffic in thin characters. So to speak.
Alttiere Factor: Well, Melissa McCarthy is cute and her character, it says here, has a hot older sister (Katy Mixon).
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Living or Comedy Central, I bet.
Hawaii Five-O
From The Good Folks At: CBS Television Studios.
What's It About? Thirty years after the classic original series ended - and 13 years after a previous pilot was made, which turned out to be so bad that it has never been shown to this day - Steve McGarrett returns, looking less like Jack Lord and more like the guy from Moonlight and The Back-up Plan (and last season's Three Rivers). Shepherded by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.
Will I Check It Out? I fear I might, although I suspect I'll be retreating to the original show's DVDs. It is, after all, shepherded by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.
Alttiere Factor: Unlike the original show, which avoided having major female characters until the final season, the revival casts Kono as Chin Ho's beautiful and notably slimmer cousin. And she's played by Grace Park.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: It'll be here. Aloha.
The Defenders
From The Good Folks At: CBS Television Studios.
What's It About? Nothing at all to do with the old TV show starring E.G. Marshall and Robert Reed - it's Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell as Vegas defense attorneys.
Will I Check It Out? Maybe; it's a comedy-drama, and O'Connell's likeable.
Alttiere Factor: I'm unfamiliar with Jurnee Smollett and Tanya Fischer, but...
Chances Of Coming To The UK: It might have to be a hit first.
Blue Bloods
From The Good Folks At: Mandy Films and CBS Television Studios.
What's It About? A family of cops in New York City, with Tom Selleck as the head of the family and the chief of police - that's right, the big boss is Magnum! And one of his sons is Donnie from New Kids On The Block! (I know Donnie Wahlberg played a cop before in Boomtown, but let me have my fun.)
Will I Check It Out? Possibly. Even if the family's name is Reagan.
Alttiere Factor: Bridget Moynahan do you?
Chances Of Coming To The UK? A cop show starring freakin' Magnum and Donnie Wahlberg, from graduates of The Sopranos (Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess) and Leonard Goldberg, who used to make some of the most famous TV shows ever in partnership with Aaron Spelling? I'll be surprised if this doesn't come over.
Criminal Minds Spinoff
From The Good Folks At: The Mark Gordon Company, CBS Television Studios and ABC Studios.
What's It About? It's a spinoff of Criminal Minds, focusing on another team of agents - Forest Whitaker is the man in charge.
Will I Check It Out? No, because I never watch the original show.
Alttiere Factor: Beau Garrett would seem to be your lot.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Unless Living and sister channel Virgin1 lose their minds, good.
The CW
Hellcats
From The Good Folks At: Bonanza Productions Inc., Tom Welling Productions, CBS Television Studios. and Warner Bros. Television.
What's It About? A student who loses her pre-law scholarship and has to (and does) become a cheerleader to stay in school. You heard me. Executive produced by Clark Kent (see From The Good Folks At) and by the pilot's director Allan Arkush, who has prior experience with cheerleaders from his years on Heroes. Traitor.
Will I Check It Out? I'm not sure. It's appealingly cast, and I do like my cheerleaders, but so soon after losing Claire-bear? Quinn, Santana and Brittany from Glee aren't in the same league, and neither are... well, see below.
Alttiere Factor: Aly Michalka is the main character, Gail O'Grady is her mother, and Ashley Tisdale is her roommate. So pretty good, but...
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Gimme an E! Gimme a 4!
Nikita
From The Good Folks At: Wonderland Sound & Vision and Warner Bros. Television.
What's It About? You know La Femme Nikita? And its Hong Kong remake Black Cat? And its American remake Point Of No Return? And the US/Canadian La Femme Nikita TV series? Well, this sort of follows on with Nikita wanting to expose them and the people who turned her into an assassin/spy working on new recruits.
Will I Check It Out? Having experienced all but the HK version, I probably will.
Alttiere Factor: Maggie Q is Nikita. Lyndsy Fonseca is the new recruit who may want out. Melinda Clarke is also in this. I am sold.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Sky One? Syfy? Virgin1? Five?
In Memory Of (series in italics have aired in the UK at the time of posting):
Accidentally On Purpose
The Beautiful Life
Better Off Ted
Brothers
Cold Case
Day One (which never even seems to have aired!)
The Deep End
Dollhouse
Eastwick
FlashForward
The Forgotten
Gary Unmarried
Ghost Whisperer
The Goode Family
Hank
Happy Town
Heroes
Law & Order
Legend Of The Seeker
Lost
Melrose Place
Mercy
Miami Medical
The New Adventures Of Old Christine
Numb3rs
Past Life
The Philanthropist
Romantically Challenged
Scrubs
Sit Down, Shut Up
Sons Of Tucson
Three Rivers
'Til Death
Trauma
24
Ugly Betty
And the CW pilot HMS. So close to seeing the credit "Co-Executive Producer: Hayden Panettiere"...
In order of their announcement:
NBC
The Event
From The Good Folks At: Steve Stark Productions and Universal Media Studios (they'll come up a lot in this section).
What's It About?: Jason Ritter looking into the disappearance of his fiancee and unearths a massive international conspiracy.
Will I Check It Out? I may well do so.
Alttiere Factor: So far, only Sarah Roemer (Laura Innes? Er, no).
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Reasonable.
Chase
From The Good Folks At: Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Warner Bros. Television.
What's It About? "(A) team of U.S. marshals" going after "America's most dangerous fugitives."
Will I Check It Out? Probably not. The presence of Jesse Metcalfe doesn't help.
Alttiere Factor: I'm not familiar enough with Kelli Giddish and Rose Rollins to judge.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Pretty good.
Undercovers
From The Good Folks At: Bad Robot Productions and Warner Bros. Television.
What's It About? Husband-and-wife ex-spies are called back into the field.
Will I Check It Out? I seem to give anything from J.J. Abrams a go (Six Degrees notwithstanding).
Alttiere Factor: With the exception of Fringe, Bad Robot has a good track record in this department. Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Jessica Parker Kennedy, come on down!
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Better than my chances of having sex with Blake Lively. Much better. In fact, pretty much guaranteed considering past series.
Law & Order: Los Angeles
From The Good Folks At: Wolf Films and Universal Network Television/Universal Media Studios.
What's It About? What do you think it's about?
Will I Check It Out? Depends on who's on board.
Alttiere Factor: No idea as yet.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Considering Hallmark, Five and Sky, it's not if but when.
Outsourced
From The Good Folks At: In Cahoots and Universal Media Studios.
What's It About? The manager of an American company who's sent to India to run its call center (where it's been... well, see the title).
Will I Check It Out? Unlikely. I didn't watch the similar-sounding ITV sitcom Mumbai Calling (though the two shows have pretty different basic premises).
Alttiere Factor: I have to do some research on Rebecca Hazlewood and Jessica Gower.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Not that high, I'd say.
Love Bites
From The Good Folks At: Working Title Television and Universal Media Studios.
What's It About: It's "an hour-long romantic comedy anthology series featuring three loosely connected, modern stories of love, sex, marriage and dating." Basically it's Love, American Style for the 21st century, with two regular characters.
Will I Check It Out?: I don't seem to be part of the target audience for Working Title comedies, but maybe.
Alttiere Factor: Becki Newton and Jordana Spiro are our stars. Sexy Amanda from Ugly Betty? I'm sold.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Very good.
Outlaw
From The Good Folks At: Conaco Productions and Universal Media Studios.
What's It About? A Supreme Court justice (Jimmy Smits) who quits and starts to fight for the little man. Because there aren't enough lawyer shows out there.
Will I Check It Out? Created by John Eisendrath (WIOU, Alias) and exec produced by Conan O'Brien. So yeah.
Alttiere Factor: Not bad; Carly Pope from Popular is one of the lawyers.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Could happen.
The Cape
From The Good Folks At: BermanBraun and Universal Media Studios.
What's It About? A cop who's framed for murder and becomes a superhero to battle crime. Hmmmm...
Will I Check It Out? I may, or may not.
Alttiere Factor: Two words - Summer. Glau.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Good.
Friends With Benefits
From The Good Folks At: Imagine Television and Twentieth Century Fox Television.
What's It About? Twentysomething singles in the dating game. But as Bruce Geller said, nothing is original except in how it's done...
Will I Check It Out? You never know.
Alttiere Factor: Danneel Harris and Jessica Lucas do you? They do? Good.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Do not count it out.
Harry's Law
From The Good Folks At: David E. Kelley Productions and Warner Bros. Television.
What's It About? Kathy Bates (the Harry of the title), Ben Chaplin and Aml Ameen opening a law practice in a shoe store (well, this is a David E. Kelley show).
Will I Check It Out? Not out of the question.
Alttiere Factor: Brittany Snow, ladies and gentlemen.
Chances Of Coming To The UK? All of his previous shows about the bar (with the exception of girls club) did...
Next
From The Good Folks At: Nuance Productions and Warner Bros. Television.
What's It About? The day-to-day life of an ex-television star and family man, played by ex-television star and family man Paul Reiser.
Will I Check It Out? Having avoided Mad About You, I may do the same for this. Especially if he does the theme song again (he's no Greg Evigan).
Alttiere Factor: Not immediately apparent.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Not great, Omid Djalili notwithstanding.
Perfect Couples
From The Good Folks At: Universal Media Studios.
What's It About? Three couples seeking the perfect relationship.
Will I Check It Out? My viewing history does not have such shows high on my list of must views.
Alttiere Factor: Olivia Munn is one-half of one of the couples, so for some she'll make it a must.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Not out of the question - I mean, Rules of Engagement and 'Til Death did...
FOX
Raising Hope
From The Good Folks At: Amigos de Garcia Productions and Twentieth Century Fox Television.
What's It About? The "Hope" of the title is a baby, who the white-trash main character fathered with a convicted felon and who he now has to bring up with the "help" of his less than perfect family.
Will I Check It Out? After yes, dear and My Name Is Earl, Greg Garcia knows his way around comedy that stays around for a bit.
Alttiere Factor: With Cloris Leachman and Martha Plimpton in the cast, Shannon Woodward may be your best bet.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: As Possible Possum always put it, "It's possible - it's possible..."
Running Wilde
From The Good Folks At: Tantamount Studios, Five Hole Pictures, Principato-Young Management and Lionsgate Television (a rare non-cable production for the last named).
What's It About? A playboy named Steve Wilde determined to win over the temperamentally opposite woman of his dreams.
Will I Check It Out? It stars Will Arnett and comes from Mitchell "Arrested Development" Hurwitz, so that's a yes.
Alttiere Factor: Keri Russell plays the lady he loves.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Considering the pedigree, very good.
Lonestar
From The Good Folks At: Depth of Field Productions, Keyser/Lippman Productions and Twentieth Century Fox Television.
What's It About? A man who lives two lives - he's not a spy or anything, he's got a wife in one part of Texas, a girlfriend in another, and is a lying, cheating scoundrel in both. Until things start getting hot...
Will I Check It Out? I don't know.
Alttiere Factor: Executive producers Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman previously did Party Of Five (with Neve Campbell, Lacey Chabert and Jennifer Love Hewitt) and spinoff Time Of Your Life (with JLH and Jennifer Garner). Adrianne Palicki and Eloise Mumford have much to live up to.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: It just might.
Bob's Burgers
From The Good Folks At: Twentieth Century Fox Television.
What's It About? An animated series about a man who runs a burger joint with his family.
Will I Check It Out? Not out of the question.
Alttiere Factor: It's a cartoon, idiot.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Not out of the question.
Terra Nova
From The Good Folks At: Kapital Entertainment, Chernin Entertainment, DreamWorks Television and Twentieth Century Fox Television.
What's It About? A family going back in time to prehistoric Earth as part of a bid to save the planet in the year 2149.
Will I Check It Out? Brannon Braga is one of the executive producers, but fortunately his colleague this time isn't David S. Goyer - he's working with two much more trustworthy people, David Fury and Steven Spielberg (not that Spielberg's track record in producing television is flawless - for every Animaniacs or Band of Brothers there's a High Incident or Taken - but it's Steven freaking Spielberg!).
Alttiere Factor: No cast yet, but fingers crossed.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Other than Invasion America, there are very few Spielberg TV productions that haven't come to the UK.
Ride-Along
From The Good Folks At: MiddKid Productions and Twentieth Century Fox Television.
What's It About? A cop show set in Chicago (the title refers to a civilian passenger being along with a cop on his or her shift in the squad car). From Shawn Ryan of The Shield and The Unit.
Will I Check It Out? Despite bailing on The Shield very, very early on, yes.
Alttiere Factor: Jennifer "hotter now than in her Flashdance days" Beals for the win!
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Three words - Ex. Cell. Ent.
Mixed Signals
From The Good Folks At: Keshet Broadcasting Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Television.
What's It About? Three friends trying to "balance their relationships with their need for freedom."
Will I Check It Out? Very unlikely...
Alttiere Factor: It's all up to you, Alexandra Breckenridge and Liza Lapira.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: One of the three friends is Kris Marshall from the long-running BBC sitcom My Family, so I'd say pretty good.
ABC
Body Of Proof
From The Good Folks At: ABC Studios.
What's It About? A neurosurgeon turned medical examiner-cum-detective. Essentially, a female Quincy, M.E. (hang on, wasn't that Crossing Jordan?).
Will I Check It Out? I did so with Dr. Quincy and Dr. Cavanaugh, so I'll likely be here as well...
Alttiere Factor: ...especially as the good doctor is played, in this case, by Dana Delany.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: In its favour. Sounds right up Hallmark's or Alibi's alley.
Detroit 1-8-7
From The Good Folks At: Mandeville Films and ABC Studios.
What's It About? We've had documentary crews in sitcoms (The Office, Modern Family) and now they invade the cop show, going with a Homicide Unit in Detroit.
Will I Check It Out? I don't seem to watch many cop shows nowadays, but not out of the question.
Alttiere Factor: I'll assume that's Natalie Martinez's job.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Given that it stars Michael Imperioli from The Sopranos, I'd say so.
My Generation
From The Good Folks At: Stockholm-Copenhagen Productions, The Littlefield Company and ABC Studios.
What's It About? Ten years ago, a group of high schoolers graduated; the series follows them today.
Will I Check It Out? I don't know...
Alttiere Factor: Kelli Garner, perhaps?
Chances Of Coming To The UK: E4 or Fiver, maybe...
No Ordinary Family
From The Good Folks At: Oh That Gus! Inc., Berlanti Television and ABC Studios.
What's It About? A family who suddenly gets superpowers. Expect this to be compared to The Incredibles. A lot.
Will I Check It Out? Maybe; Jon Harmon Feldman didn't do badly with Roswell and Tru Calling.
Alttiere Factor: Julie Benz and Autumn Reeser. Result! (Unfortunately Kay Panabaker, getting a chance to play a superpowered person at last after her sister Danielle did in Sky High and whose appeal has always eluded me, is here as well.)
Chances Of Coming To The UK: I'd bet on it.
Off The Map
From The Good Folks At: ShondaLand Productions and (you guessed it) ABC Studios.
What's It About? Young doctors stationed in a clinic in the South American jungle. Not thought up by Shonda Rhimes, so unconnected to Grey's Anatomy or Private Practice.
Will I Check It Out? Undecided at press time.
Alttiere Factor: Caroline Dhavernas is one of the doctors, making her ABC's second fanciable medico of the new crop.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Living, anyone?
The Whole Truth
From The Good Folks At: Bonanza Productions Inc., Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Warner Bros. Television.
What's It About? Unlike most law series, which focus on either the defense or prosecution (but usually on the defense - Equal Justice and Shark are among the few exceptions), this looks at both sides.
Will I Check It Out? It's not out of the question.
Alttiere Factor: The main female role is Joely Richardson, so it's down to newcomer Christine Adams.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Most lawyer shows do. As long as the programme buyers don't remember Justice...
Better Together
From The Good Folks At: Bonanza Productions Inc., Silver and Gold Productions and Warner Bros. Television.
What's It About? Two sisters, both in a relationship but one rather more free-spirited than the other.
Will I Check It Out? Yes...
Alttiere Factor: ...because the sisters are played by JoAnna Garcia and Jennifer Finnigan.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: It might.
Happy Endings
From The Good Folks At: FanFare Productions, Sony Pictures Television and ABC Studios.
What's It About: When a couple breaks up (amicably), what happens to the friends they made as a couple?
Will I Check It Out? That's actually a good question.
Alttiere Factor: One of the friends - and the toplined star - is none other than Kim Bauer herself, Elisha Cuthbert!
Chances Of Coming To The UK: I think it might, you know.
Mr. Sunshine
From The Good Folks At: Shoe Money Productions, Barnow and Firek Productions, FanFare Productions and Sony Pictures Television.
What's It About? Matthew Perry is a sports arena manager whose 40th birthday is the cue for self-examination...
Will I Check It Out? Not likely.
Alttiere Factor: Andrea Anders and Portia Doubleday, maybe? Not really Allison Janney, however.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Chandler Bing and CJ Gregg? Count on it.
CBS
$#*! My Dad Says
From The Good Folks At: KoMut Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television
What's It About? The first television show to be based on a Twitter feed, Justin Halpern's Bleep My Dad Says (to use the CBS working title) comes to TV with William Shatner as the remarkably unrestrained Jeremy Clarkson-esque dad.
Will I Check It Out? The Shat can be value for money, but David Kohan and Max Mutchnick have been slipping since Will & Grace (and arguably during).
Alttiere Factor: Nicole Sullivan (also good for numerous laughs) and Stephanie Lemelin.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: I'd say pretty good.
Mike & Molly
From The Good Folks At: Chuck Lorre Productions and Warner Bros. Television.
What's It About? Two somewhat ample people meet at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting and fall in love.
Will I Check It Out? Well, Chuck Lorre does have a good track record in making sitcoms that just want to make you laugh and often succeed. Plus The Big Bang Theory doesn't exactly traffic in thin characters. So to speak.
Alttiere Factor: Well, Melissa McCarthy is cute and her character, it says here, has a hot older sister (Katy Mixon).
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Living or Comedy Central, I bet.
Hawaii Five-O
From The Good Folks At: CBS Television Studios.
What's It About? Thirty years after the classic original series ended - and 13 years after a previous pilot was made, which turned out to be so bad that it has never been shown to this day - Steve McGarrett returns, looking less like Jack Lord and more like the guy from Moonlight and The Back-up Plan (and last season's Three Rivers). Shepherded by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.
Will I Check It Out? I fear I might, although I suspect I'll be retreating to the original show's DVDs. It is, after all, shepherded by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.
Alttiere Factor: Unlike the original show, which avoided having major female characters until the final season, the revival casts Kono as Chin Ho's beautiful and notably slimmer cousin. And she's played by Grace Park.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: It'll be here. Aloha.
The Defenders
From The Good Folks At: CBS Television Studios.
What's It About? Nothing at all to do with the old TV show starring E.G. Marshall and Robert Reed - it's Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell as Vegas defense attorneys.
Will I Check It Out? Maybe; it's a comedy-drama, and O'Connell's likeable.
Alttiere Factor: I'm unfamiliar with Jurnee Smollett and Tanya Fischer, but...
Chances Of Coming To The UK: It might have to be a hit first.
Blue Bloods
From The Good Folks At: Mandy Films and CBS Television Studios.
What's It About? A family of cops in New York City, with Tom Selleck as the head of the family and the chief of police - that's right, the big boss is Magnum! And one of his sons is Donnie from New Kids On The Block! (I know Donnie Wahlberg played a cop before in Boomtown, but let me have my fun.)
Will I Check It Out? Possibly. Even if the family's name is Reagan.
Alttiere Factor: Bridget Moynahan do you?
Chances Of Coming To The UK? A cop show starring freakin' Magnum and Donnie Wahlberg, from graduates of The Sopranos (Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess) and Leonard Goldberg, who used to make some of the most famous TV shows ever in partnership with Aaron Spelling? I'll be surprised if this doesn't come over.
Criminal Minds Spinoff
From The Good Folks At: The Mark Gordon Company, CBS Television Studios and ABC Studios.
What's It About? It's a spinoff of Criminal Minds, focusing on another team of agents - Forest Whitaker is the man in charge.
Will I Check It Out? No, because I never watch the original show.
Alttiere Factor: Beau Garrett would seem to be your lot.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Unless Living and sister channel Virgin1 lose their minds, good.
The CW
Hellcats
From The Good Folks At: Bonanza Productions Inc., Tom Welling Productions, CBS Television Studios. and Warner Bros. Television.
What's It About? A student who loses her pre-law scholarship and has to (and does) become a cheerleader to stay in school. You heard me. Executive produced by Clark Kent (see From The Good Folks At) and by the pilot's director Allan Arkush, who has prior experience with cheerleaders from his years on Heroes. Traitor.
Will I Check It Out? I'm not sure. It's appealingly cast, and I do like my cheerleaders, but so soon after losing Claire-bear? Quinn, Santana and Brittany from Glee aren't in the same league, and neither are... well, see below.
Alttiere Factor: Aly Michalka is the main character, Gail O'Grady is her mother, and Ashley Tisdale is her roommate. So pretty good, but...
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Gimme an E! Gimme a 4!
Nikita
From The Good Folks At: Wonderland Sound & Vision and Warner Bros. Television.
What's It About? You know La Femme Nikita? And its Hong Kong remake Black Cat? And its American remake Point Of No Return? And the US/Canadian La Femme Nikita TV series? Well, this sort of follows on with Nikita wanting to expose them and the people who turned her into an assassin/spy working on new recruits.
Will I Check It Out? Having experienced all but the HK version, I probably will.
Alttiere Factor: Maggie Q is Nikita. Lyndsy Fonseca is the new recruit who may want out. Melinda Clarke is also in this. I am sold.
Chances Of Coming To The UK: Sky One? Syfy? Virgin1? Five?
In Memory Of (series in italics have aired in the UK at the time of posting):
Accidentally On Purpose
The Beautiful Life
Better Off Ted
Brothers
Cold Case
Day One (which never even seems to have aired!)
The Deep End
Dollhouse
Eastwick
FlashForward
The Forgotten
Gary Unmarried
Ghost Whisperer
The Goode Family
Hank
Happy Town
Heroes
Law & Order
Legend Of The Seeker
Lost
Melrose Place
Mercy
Miami Medical
The New Adventures Of Old Christine
Numb3rs
Past Life
The Philanthropist
Romantically Challenged
Scrubs
Sit Down, Shut Up
Sons Of Tucson
Three Rivers
'Til Death
Trauma
24
Ugly Betty
And the CW pilot HMS. So close to seeing the credit "Co-Executive Producer: Hayden Panettiere"...
Friday, May 14, 2010
The So How Did I Do? Post.
Whenever I post what the new shows on FTA US TV are for the upcoming season, I like to guess which ones might come over to the UK. So...
ABC
Copper
What I said: "Not something I'd bet on."
Was I right? So far, yes. (Did ABC even show this?)
Cougar Town
What I said: "Very good. Fiver, Five US, Living and the ilk."
Was I right? Yes; Living bought it.
The Deep End
What I said: "Not out of the question."
Was I right? So far, it is out of the question.
Flash Forward
What I said: "Extremely good."
Was I right? Definitely. Five snapped it up for both regular Five and cable sister FiveUSA.
The Forgotten
What I said: "Detective show, Bruckheimer... I'd say it'll get a home."
Was I right? No.
Happy Town
What I said?: "Not out of the question."
Was I right? It hasn't happened. Yet.
The Middle
What I said: "Doesn't immediately say "Buy me," but Living..."
Was I right? It didn't say "Buy me" at all.
Modern Family
What I said: "This sounds like it'll get a home."
Was I right? Yes - it's a welcome addition to Sky's lineup.
V
What I said: "This WILL come to the UK. Sky and Virgin1 (and possibly ITV's digital channels) are airing their chequebooks as we speak."
Was I right? I was half right - it did come over here, but it's airing on Syfy. I should have taken their slogan to heart and imagined greater.
CBS
Accidentally on Purpose
What I said: "It might happen."
Was I right?: It hasn't.
The Bridge
What I said: "If Flashpoint is any indication, good."
Was I right? No.
The Good Wife
What I said: "Dunno. But never discount the involvement of Ridley and Tony Scott. Or David Zucker."
Was I right? The Scotts, plus Julianna Margulies, may have helped it come to More4 (and Channel 4 late nights).
Miami Medical (formerly Miami Trauma until a name change to avoid confusion with, well, Trauma)
What I said: "High. Medical shows sell well."
Was I right? Not so far...
NCIS: Los Angeles
What I said: "NCIS is a reliable performer for both FX and Five. This'll come over."
Was I right? Yes... but it went to Sky One.
CW
Melrose Place
What I said: "Likely to."
Was I right? Yes - but while E4 (and Channel 4's T4) bagged 90210, the show the EPG calls New Melrose Place went to Five's other digital sister Fiver.
Life UneXpected (formerly Parental Discretion Advised)
What I said: "Not great - it doesn't sound like something they'll be keen on."
Was I right? Unfortunately yes.
The Vampire Diaries
What I said: "I bet it does."
Was I right?: Yep - it's on ITV2.
FOX
The Cleveland Show
What I said: "Very good. FX and BBC3 have done well with both Family Guy and American Dad!"
Was I right? Well...
Glee
What I said: "I sure hope so; this sounds just the thing for me. Or Hallmark. Or Channel 4."
Was I right? Definitely - it's doing great business for E4 and Channel 4.
Human Target
What I said: "Excellent. Even Birds Of Prey made it to UK screens."
Was I right? Yes; it's on Syfy.
Past Life
What I said: "Not massive. But you never know."
Was I right? It hasn't turned up.
Sons of Tucson
What I said: "If it does well for Fox, Sky here it comes."
Was I right? It didn't, so it isn't.
NBC
100 Questions
What I said: "Anything with a UK link seems to get bought, so..."
Was I right? The series hasn't even been screened by NBC yet!
Community
What I said: "Not bad, I'd say."
Was I right? Not yet.
Day One
What I said: "This has Sky One, Virgin 1, BBC2 or Sci-Fi written all over it."
Was I right? So far, not on any of them. Or any other UK broadcaster.
Mercy
What I said: "See Miami Trauma."
Was I right? See Miami Trauma.
Parenthood
What I said: "Hallmark, or More4. Maybe even Channel 4."
Was I right? No sign yet.
Trauma
What I said: "Could well find a home."
Was I right? Yes, it went to Virgin1.
ABC
Copper
What I said: "Not something I'd bet on."
Was I right? So far, yes. (Did ABC even show this?)
Cougar Town
What I said: "Very good. Fiver, Five US, Living and the ilk."
Was I right? Yes; Living bought it.
The Deep End
What I said: "Not out of the question."
Was I right? So far, it is out of the question.
Flash Forward
What I said: "Extremely good."
Was I right? Definitely. Five snapped it up for both regular Five and cable sister FiveUSA.
The Forgotten
What I said: "Detective show, Bruckheimer... I'd say it'll get a home."
Was I right? No.
Happy Town
What I said?: "Not out of the question."
Was I right? It hasn't happened. Yet.
The Middle
What I said: "Doesn't immediately say "Buy me," but Living..."
Was I right? It didn't say "Buy me" at all.
Modern Family
What I said: "This sounds like it'll get a home."
Was I right? Yes - it's a welcome addition to Sky's lineup.
V
What I said: "This WILL come to the UK. Sky and Virgin1 (and possibly ITV's digital channels) are airing their chequebooks as we speak."
Was I right? I was half right - it did come over here, but it's airing on Syfy. I should have taken their slogan to heart and imagined greater.
CBS
Accidentally on Purpose
What I said: "It might happen."
Was I right?: It hasn't.
The Bridge
What I said: "If Flashpoint is any indication, good."
Was I right? No.
The Good Wife
What I said: "Dunno. But never discount the involvement of Ridley and Tony Scott. Or David Zucker."
Was I right? The Scotts, plus Julianna Margulies, may have helped it come to More4 (and Channel 4 late nights).
Miami Medical (formerly Miami Trauma until a name change to avoid confusion with, well, Trauma)
What I said: "High. Medical shows sell well."
Was I right? Not so far...
NCIS: Los Angeles
What I said: "NCIS is a reliable performer for both FX and Five. This'll come over."
Was I right? Yes... but it went to Sky One.
CW
Melrose Place
What I said: "Likely to."
Was I right? Yes - but while E4 (and Channel 4's T4) bagged 90210, the show the EPG calls New Melrose Place went to Five's other digital sister Fiver.
Life UneXpected (formerly Parental Discretion Advised)
What I said: "Not great - it doesn't sound like something they'll be keen on."
Was I right? Unfortunately yes.
The Vampire Diaries
What I said: "I bet it does."
Was I right?: Yep - it's on ITV2.
FOX
The Cleveland Show
What I said: "Very good. FX and BBC3 have done well with both Family Guy and American Dad!"
Was I right? Well...
Glee
What I said: "I sure hope so; this sounds just the thing for me. Or Hallmark. Or Channel 4."
Was I right? Definitely - it's doing great business for E4 and Channel 4.
Human Target
What I said: "Excellent. Even Birds Of Prey made it to UK screens."
Was I right? Yes; it's on Syfy.
Past Life
What I said: "Not massive. But you never know."
Was I right? It hasn't turned up.
Sons of Tucson
What I said: "If it does well for Fox, Sky here it comes."
Was I right? It didn't, so it isn't.
NBC
100 Questions
What I said: "Anything with a UK link seems to get bought, so..."
Was I right? The series hasn't even been screened by NBC yet!
Community
What I said: "Not bad, I'd say."
Was I right? Not yet.
Day One
What I said: "This has Sky One, Virgin 1, BBC2 or Sci-Fi written all over it."
Was I right? So far, not on any of them. Or any other UK broadcaster.
Mercy
What I said: "See Miami Trauma."
Was I right? See Miami Trauma.
Parenthood
What I said: "Hallmark, or More4. Maybe even Channel 4."
Was I right? No sign yet.
Trauma
What I said: "Could well find a home."
Was I right? Yes, it went to Virgin1.
Sunday, May 09, 2010
The A Conversation About Soundtracks With A Sane Person Post.
(References to wrestling and Chuck from other participants edited out. Link to Victoria Justice not edited out, obviously.)
Me: Since Stephen Lang from Avatar's in the country, I'd say no.
Damn, that volcano erupted bigger than I expected. What's he doing in the UK?
Promoting the DVD/Blu-Ray release of said movie (selling like hotcakes, needless to say).
Can't blame the buyers.
I'd rather get this, to be honest.
You gotta go deep into the Internet to find that.
Not that deep; it's a legitimate release.
I thought it was rare and hard to find.
That was a promo. This is a legit commercial release and long overdue. Especially after NCIS managed to get TWO double-disc albums.
When did this come out?
Literally a few hours ago.
I didn't know that.
That's understandable; you're not a soundtrack fan (or on Intrada's mailing list for new releases).
JAG or NCIS? (And) you're right, but I know a good one when I hear one.
I've seen more episodes of JAG than NCIS although over here NCIS is the Rhoda to the parent show's Mary Tyler Moore (i.e. has had a more successful FTA run).
I was too young for JAG when it started and ended, but it was a good show, And Katherine Bell, meow!
It should have come out long ago, but Paramount has been very tight with its releases music-wise until they got a new music head.
But NCIS is smart, adventurous, and funny at times.
(I always preferred Andrea Parker; never understood why she was replaced after the pilot. Maybe she was too sexy for some NBC suits.)
How long has Paramount been looking for a head, eight years?
(Or not, given The Pretender.)
What's The Pretender?
I don't know... I do know that since their new music executive arrived some OSTs have come out fans have been begging for for years - Airplane!, Black Sunday etc.
There was never an Airplane! soundtrack?
NBC series about a guy who can pretend to be anyone he wants to be; ran for four years.
Evil: Victoria Justice on iCarly.
No, there wasn't. Not at the time (and not legally).
*THUD!* Well somebody call "Weird Al" Yankovic and get him on that project!
Nice and tight. A bit late; the Airplane! CD came out late last year via La-La Land. Already OOP.
Well, damn! What do you think about AC/DC doing the entire Iron Man 2 soundtrack?
(Aside: Why was I not informed until a few minutes ago that Victoria Justice and her hot little body are in the UK?) Not really the entire soundtrack, for two reasons.
Don't look at me, I didn't know. Not the whole thing? I call false advertisement.
1. Angus and co. seem to have basically given us a Greatest Hits collection rather than scoring the thing (a la the Grateful Dead on the '80s Twilight Zone). And 2. There is actually a proper score to the film from Jon Favreau regular John Debney (you can hear clips on the film's site and it's getting a release via Sony Classical, which I find pretty ironic).
What's so ironic about it?
It features rock guitar. On a label with "Classical" in the title. (Apologies to the rest of you for being sidelined, by the way. You now know how I feel when you guys are talking about wrestling or Lost.)
That is what I call irony.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
The Scarlett Johansson's Ass Kicks Kick-Ass's Ass Post.
You can try saying that five times fast or you can just look at her. I'd go for option two.
Monday, April 26, 2010
The Oranges Are Still Not The Only Fruit Post.
Barbados is the most easterly of the Caribbean islands, and it's often referred to by a lot of the locals as "Little England." Said locals apparently have a Daily Mail mentality based on the two main newspapers, the Barbados Advocate and the Nation. The latter's running a three-part series about that evil activity, same-sex feelings between girls.
The second part, about how the subject of the story "reformed" through the Church, is here. Now I do not believe that same-sex love = irredeemably wicked, so this is sad to read (especially given the first article in the series, which you can find on the site - I can't bring myself to link to it); my distaste for this piece is really brought out by a lot of the comments below. It seems that a lot of people haven't noticed that it's not the 19th century any longer - true, you get homophobia all over the planet, but in a country that likes to trumpet itself as being a developed place it's like "WTF?"
If Nicole Hinkson (that's her name) is happy the way she is, then good for her. But you have to feel for those lesbians (and gay men, let us not forget) who still have to hide.
For fuck's sake, grow up.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
The Did They Mention The Music? Post.
The TV Academy has put the final nail in the TV theme song coffin, quoth Variety.
Now that the once vibrant slice of pop culture -- who doesn't still know the words to the themes from Gilligan's Island or The Brady Bunch? -- has mostly disappeared from primetime, the Emmy category honoring main title songs is following suit.
The Academy announced Monday that the main title theme category would be eliminated effective next year, and replaced by the new "music composition for a non-fiction program" award.
"This change was made due to the decreasing number of traditional television main title theme music," the org said.
Indeed, TV themes virtually disappeared in the late 1990s, as networks experimented with ways to keep viewers from flipping channels. Just as they squeezed out closing credits, played with start and stop times (like last week's 9:28 p.m. scheduling of Glee) and worked to seamlessly blend from one show to the next, webheads also dramatically reduced opening credit segments -- or got rid of them all together.
The main title theme category ax was one of several rules changes announced by the Academy. But...
...the one with the music is the one under the spotlight here. To be honest, this isn't terribly surprising - increasing contempt for openings aside, the Emmys have had difficulties with theme tunes for a long time (ever since ATAS was founded, in fact) - in the book Inside Star Trek Robert H. Justman and Herbert F. Solow relate how the 1967 Emmys decided that Lalo Schifrin's work on Mission: Impossible wasn't worthy of a statuette (although Schifrin has won an Emmy, it wasn't for this), and indeed they didn't even give awards out for themes until 1993! So in "honour" of this occasion, and as another lament for the time when network TV shows had decent opening and closing tunes (it was not uncommon, for instance, for The A-Team to give Mike Post and Pete Carpenter's theme a lengthy workout, and the next time the pilot for Moonlighting is shown have a look at how the end credits give you a chance to hear the whole song!), all the Emmy-winning themes so far. I only wish The Simpsons or Twin Peaks could have been among the following...
1993: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Dennis McCarthy)
1994: seaQuest DSV (John Debney)
1995: Star Trek: Voyager (Jerry Goldsmith, his fifth and final Emmy)
1996: Murder One (Mike Post, his only Emmy to date - and why this is set to scenes of Gillian Anderson, I don't know)
1997: EZ Streets (Mark Isham - his end title music doesn't seem to be online anywhere, dammit)
1998: Fame L.A. (Robbie Buchanan, Maribeth Derry, Richard Barton Lewis and Tom Snow)
1999: Trinity (Martin Davich - no video available, apparently)
2000: The West Wing (W.G. Snuffy Walden)
2001: Gideon's Crossing (James Newton Howard)
2002: Six Feet Under (Thomas Newman)
2003: Monk (Jeff Beal)
2004: Monk, again (Randy Newman) - yes, this won for both its themes. Amazing.
2005: Desperate Housewives (Danny Elfman)
2006: Masters of Horror (Edward Shearmur)
2007: The Tudors (Trevor Morris)
2008: Pirate Master (Russ Landau)
2009: Great Performances (John Williams)
Now that the once vibrant slice of pop culture -- who doesn't still know the words to the themes from Gilligan's Island or The Brady Bunch? -- has mostly disappeared from primetime, the Emmy category honoring main title songs is following suit.
The Academy announced Monday that the main title theme category would be eliminated effective next year, and replaced by the new "music composition for a non-fiction program" award.
"This change was made due to the decreasing number of traditional television main title theme music," the org said.
Indeed, TV themes virtually disappeared in the late 1990s, as networks experimented with ways to keep viewers from flipping channels. Just as they squeezed out closing credits, played with start and stop times (like last week's 9:28 p.m. scheduling of Glee) and worked to seamlessly blend from one show to the next, webheads also dramatically reduced opening credit segments -- or got rid of them all together.
The main title theme category ax was one of several rules changes announced by the Academy. But...
...the one with the music is the one under the spotlight here. To be honest, this isn't terribly surprising - increasing contempt for openings aside, the Emmys have had difficulties with theme tunes for a long time (ever since ATAS was founded, in fact) - in the book Inside Star Trek Robert H. Justman and Herbert F. Solow relate how the 1967 Emmys decided that Lalo Schifrin's work on Mission: Impossible wasn't worthy of a statuette (although Schifrin has won an Emmy, it wasn't for this), and indeed they didn't even give awards out for themes until 1993! So in "honour" of this occasion, and as another lament for the time when network TV shows had decent opening and closing tunes (it was not uncommon, for instance, for The A-Team to give Mike Post and Pete Carpenter's theme a lengthy workout, and the next time the pilot for Moonlighting is shown have a look at how the end credits give you a chance to hear the whole song!), all the Emmy-winning themes so far. I only wish The Simpsons or Twin Peaks could have been among the following...
1993: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Dennis McCarthy)
1994: seaQuest DSV (John Debney)
1995: Star Trek: Voyager (Jerry Goldsmith, his fifth and final Emmy)
1996: Murder One (Mike Post, his only Emmy to date - and why this is set to scenes of Gillian Anderson, I don't know)
1997: EZ Streets (Mark Isham - his end title music doesn't seem to be online anywhere, dammit)
1998: Fame L.A. (Robbie Buchanan, Maribeth Derry, Richard Barton Lewis and Tom Snow)
1999: Trinity (Martin Davich - no video available, apparently)
2000: The West Wing (W.G. Snuffy Walden)
2001: Gideon's Crossing (James Newton Howard)
2002: Six Feet Under (Thomas Newman)
2003: Monk (Jeff Beal)
2004: Monk, again (Randy Newman) - yes, this won for both its themes. Amazing.
2005: Desperate Housewives (Danny Elfman)
2006: Masters of Horror (Edward Shearmur)
2007: The Tudors (Trevor Morris)
2008: Pirate Master (Russ Landau)
2009: Great Performances (John Williams)
Monday, April 19, 2010
The V Post.
Maybe it's not fair to judge something based on two episodes, but improved effects aside the new V is pretty weak compared to the two miniseries (and arguably the followup TV series).
That said, Laura "never saw her on Smallville because I never watch the thing" Vandervoort... Holy shit.
That said, Laura "never saw her on Smallville because I never watch the thing" Vandervoort... Holy shit.
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