Life Unexpected’: Step up and step out

Posted on February 9, 2010 by Vlada

Photo Credit: Jack Rowand / The CW

This week’s episode was brought to you by Drink a Date, hosted by radio personalities Cate (Shiri Appleby) and Ryan (Kerr Smith). Drinking and dating? What could possibly go wrong? Before we get to that, Baze (Kristoffer Polaha) had to score the event to save his bar and pay Lux (Brittany Robertson) back for the rent. So how does one steal an event from the bar across the street? By calling in an anonymous tip on underage drinking, of course. Being the good citizen that he is, Baze then stepped up and offered to host the event at his bar.

What else is required for Drink a Date, you might be asking? An outfit, of course. Cate takes Ryan shopping and asks him, “What do you think I have a better chance of pulling off? These high waisted jeans or a zip-up jumper?” One word: Neither! Also, asking a straight male for fashion advice? You’re going to get nowhere. Ryan called the former mom jeans, but at least he later joked they turned him on. Another outfit made him happy because it had easy access. Is it just me or were Ryan and Cate feeling particularly frisky this episode? Between the almost sex in the dressing room to relieve that infamous “sexual tension” – or just “tension,” as Cate calls it – and the almost bedroom sex, which were both interrupted by a call from Baze, there sure were a lot of sexy times in this episode. And I appreciated that after Cate went shirtless in the dressing room, Ryan took his shirt off in the bedroom. I’m glad the show provides for equal opportunity ogling.

Read the rest of my recap at the Los Angeles Times Show Tracker blog.

Filed under: l.a. times show tracker, life unexpected | Leave a Comment »

‘How I Met Your Mother’: Quack, quack

Posted on February 9, 2010 by Vlada

Photo Credit: Sonja Flemming / CBS

It’s tough out there for a single person, especially on Valentine’s Day. The single life even takes a toll on Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) this week. He’s overwhelmed with buxom beauties calling him after he holds up a sign with his phone number that says “Call Barney Stinson” during the Super Bowl. The image actually ran Sunday during the Super Bowl. From all the tweets, it sounds like everyone got a recorded message from Barney asking them to meet him at 3:45 a.m. on Oct. 12, 2016, at MacLaren’s. But in the episode, Barney picks up the phone and meets up with the callers. How fun would it have been if CBS had run a contest, giving one of the real callers a walk-on role as one of Barney’s conquests?

Barney gets together with the ladies, but can’t help wondering if the grass breasts are bigger on the other side. He picks up the phone and leaves behind the girl before he can close the deal each time. How can he sleep with a “hot lady bullfighter” if there’s a gold medal Japanese figure skater out there? Then there was the girl with the really flexible leg, but the best bit of physical comedy in that scene came when Barney shook his head and said, “Aiy, aiy, aiy.” It was great to see Barney finally overwhelmed by his own insatiable quest for sex as he barked at Ranjit (Marshall Manesh) – a welcome return! –  with escalating levels of stress. It got so bad he even started to twitch and hear the phone even after he threw it in a dumpster behind the bar.

Read the rest of my recap at the Los Angeles Times Show Tracker blog.

Filed under: how i met your mother, l.a. times show tracker | Leave a Comment »

‘Being Erica’s’ Erin Karpluk Makes Her ‘Unexpected’ Debut

Posted on February 3, 2010 by Vlada

Updated 2/5/10 – Added two more previews behind the cut, the first of which features Erin Karpluk as Alice.

Being Erica’s Erin Karpluk joins the cast of the CW’s Life Unexpected next Monday. She plays Alice, the previously vacationing boss at Cate and Ryan’s radio station. It’s a much smaller part than her role on Being Erica, but she’ll be in five or six episodes, Karpluk told me when we talked in January.

Check out a preview of Karpluk on Life Unexpected below and then watch Cate and Ryan get frisky in the second preview.

Read more »

Filed under: being erica, life unexpected | 1 Comment »

‘Lost’ Returns, But I’m Watching ‘The Good Wife’

Posted on February 2, 2010 by Vlada

So there’s something about a group of people on an island premiering tonight. I think it’s called Lost. But this twentysomething, cult TV fan is more excited about another show airing tonight: CBS’ The Good Wife.

Yes, I’m as surprised as you are. I haven’t exactly watched a lot of the network over the years, but this solidly crafted, well-written and subtley well-played series has completely won me over and it looks like I’m not the only one who’s impressed. Julianna Margulies recently won the Golden Globe and SAG Awards for playing wronged woman Alicia Florrick, easily her best role since E.R. The rest of the cast is not too shabby either: Christine Baranski, Josh Charles, Archie Panjabi and Matt Czuchry (beating Lauren Graham to punch in finding a classy new series post-Gilmore Girls). Some were surprised that the series picked up a Best Ensemble nomination at the SAG Awards, but with a solid supporting cast like this, I half-expected The Good Wife to walk away with the award in a surprise upset.

So tonight, while everyone else is watching the season premiere of Lost, I’ll be happily watching The Good Wife after several weeks of reruns. The episode, simply entitled “Bad,” finds Peter’s trial about to begin. Titus Welliver (also the Man in Black on Lost) returns as the new District Attorney and continuing the series’ tradition of great guest stars, Meryl Streep’s daughter Mamie Gummer plays a “bumbling prosecutor Nancy Crozier.”

Are you looking forward to The Good Wife tonight? Will you be watching something else instead of Lost?

Filed under: the good wife | 1 Comment »

‘Life Unexpected’: Home sweet home

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Vlada

Photo Credit: Jack Rowand / The CW

“House Inspected” was in many ways about what makes a home. The feeling it gives you. The people you fill it with. And for Cate (Shiri Appleby) and Baze (Kristoffer Polaha), making it a proper home environment for a teenager, as well as having working smoke detectors. Everything has to be up to code because they’re getting a visit from a social worker, who will give her recommendation to the judge about whether or not Cate and Baze are fit foster parents for Lux (Brittany Robertson).

Cate takes this very seriously. She’s trying to learn how to cook — don’t flip the french toast on your first try, Cate! — and having Saint Ryan (Kerr Smith) get her home ready for the inspection. She’s worried that someone who can’t cook for their own daughter won’t get approved, but she’s rightly more worried about Baze passing the inspection. While Cate’s taking an early morning run — and it must be really early if it’s before her morning radio show — Baze is still up playing beer pong. She warns Baze, who has the “parental skills of a banana,” to take the lotion off the nightside. Ick. Turns out that should have been the least of her worries. Putting away the bong lamp, blowup dominatrix sheep — I’m willing to bet money that was Jamie’s (Reggie Austin) — and putting some batteries into the smoke detector might have been a better idea. Hey, at least  Baze put on a nice button-down shirt, right? Let’s just remember how nice he looked in that shirt when he lets Lux drive his truck without a learner’s permit.

Read the rest of my recap at the Los Angeles Times Show Tracker blog.

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Behind the Curtain With ‘Being Erica’s’ Michael Riley: Part 2

Posted on January 20, 2010 by Vlada

Apologies for the delay in getting this posted, but hopefully, you’ve seen the season two premiere by now and we can dive right into discussing it. In the first half of my Q&A with Being Erica’s Michael Riley, we discussed the mysterious Dr. Tom. In this part, Riley talks about playing his genesis, Tom Wexler, working with his own therapist, his favorite episodes and what’s ahead for Dr. Tom.

Note: While season two has already aired in Canada, this Q&A is intended for U.S. viewers who have not seen season two yet. Please put a spoiler warning if you are going to leave a comment about something that happened in season two. Readers, please be aware that there may be spoilers in the comments section.

The season two premiere is very Dr. Tom heavy. How would you describe the Dr. Tom that Erica meets when she goes back in time?

When she goes back in time, she meets Tom Wexler. That’s what was so interesting to play as an actor and goes back to what we were talking about at the beginning. I knew that “Dr. Tom” had come from. His genesis was Tom Wexler. I knew that for a whole season. It’s like Tom Wexler having gone through his entire list of regrets with Dr. Naadiah, who is his doctor. He’s now what Erica knows as Dr. Tom. It was just so fun to go back and finally play who that was. He’s obviously completely a different person. There’s some anger issues. He’s kind of whirlpooled down into his own kind of dark psychology. It seems like before doctors show up in this paradigm, the patient has to be at the end of their proverbial rope. Whether it’s Erica at the beginning of season one with her whole life falling around her ankles, ending up at the hospital after the allergic reaction. Dr. Tom had possibly an even darker time where Naadiah shows up and they begin their process. But it was fascinating to go back and play him. And to play both sides of that person in the same show was really great. It was fun.

Read more »

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When Trying to Win a ‘Burn Notice’ Giveaway…

Posted on January 20, 2010 by Vlada

You didn’t think the White Collar prize pack was the only giveaway at Staying In this week, did you? My favorite USA Network show, Burn Notice, returns this Thursday, Jan. 21 at 10 p.m.

Get ready to get BURNED! The #1 show on cable returns with all new episodes. Don’t miss Tyne Daly & Clayne Crawford guest-starring in the Burn Notice winter premiere – “A Dark Road” – airing Thursday, January 21 at 10/9C. Become a Fan on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, and visit the Official Site to play Covert Ops: Vegas Heist (beginning 1/21) for a chance to win an all-new Hyundai Genesis Coupe!

I’m so excited to learn new methods of creating bombs and listening devices out of household appliances, Staying In is giving away a Burn Notice prize pack valued at $100. It includes:

  • (1) Set of Season 1 & Season 2 DVDs
  • (1) Burn Notice Branded Flashlight
  • (1) Burn Notice Book: The End Game
  • (1) Burn Notice T-Shirt

To enter the contest:

1.) Submit a comment below answering the following question: What’s your favorite Michael Westen cover?

2.) Your comment must be submitted by Thursday, Jan. 28 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Please note: Comments must be approved before they appear on the site, so don’t freak out if you don’t see your comment right away.

3.) Only one entry per person.

4.) You must be 18 years of age or older and a U.S. resident.

5.) A winner will be chosen at random Jan. 28 and contacted by email for their mailing address.

Filed under: burn notice, contests & giveaways | 53 Comments »

Behind the Curtain With ‘Being Erica’s’ Michael Riley: Part 1

Posted on January 20, 2010 by Vlada

Tonight’s the night. Being Erica’s second season debuts in the states at 10 p.m. on SoapNet. The season premiere, entitled “Being Dr. Tom,” represents a shift to a much more ambitious show. The tables have turned and Erica must now help Dr. Tom as viewers finally learn about the mysterious therapist’s past. Earlier this month, I got to interview Michael Riley, who will break your heart in this episode. Riley was so passionate about the character and the show that I’ve split up the interview into two parts. Check back tomorrow to hear what Riley thought of the season premiere and what’s ahead for Dr. Tom. And if you haven’t read them yet, here are my Q&As with creator Jana Sinyor and Erin Karpluk.

Note: While season two has already aired in Canada, this Q&A is intended for U.S. viewers who have not seen season two yet. Please put a spoiler warning if you are going to leave a comment about something that happened in season two. Readers, please be aware that there may be spoilers in the comments section.

You’ve done your fair share of TV shows. What was it about this character that attracted you?

Jobs kind of arrive when they’re meant to arrive, I suppose. And it’s not like there was this big menu of what should I choose? Definitely when Being Erica came up, there was something about the mystery of who Dr. Tom was. The enigma about the character that I liked. Most of the time when you play anyone, they’re grounded in very terrestrial origins and all of that. The show had an interesting supernatural aspect to it. It was always grounded in some kind of reality. Dr. Tom, as a character, was clearly going to represent a lot of that mystery. The more I talked to Jana [Sinyor], the creator, about the show before we started, the more I just became intrigued about who he was and the chance to explore a character like that. It’s something I hadn’t done before.

Did you and Jana discuss who or what he is and where he comes from?

Definitely. Before we shot a stitch of film, before the beginning of season one, those were all my questions that I felt I needed to answer before I could even step in front of a camera. To really pick her brain about the paradigm of the show and who and, as you say, what he was. It was an interesting meeting. I got a lot of my questions answered, which was the good news. The bad news was you’re not going to get to show those kind of things until the end of the first twelve episodes. One thing that excites me about the second season is that’s when I officially started to be able to show some of the things Jana and I discussed a year previous about what he was, what his backgrounds were, where he came from and things like that. Although I knew a lot of those things in shooting the first season, I knew that I wasn’t going to get to really show an audience what they were. I kind of just made myself busy planting little clues about that, but knowing that I wasn’t actually going to be able to reveal what was behind the wizard’s curtain until a little later on. But we definitely talked all that stuff out in the beginning.

Read more »

Filed under: being erica | 4 Comments »

PaleyFest 2010 Lineup High on Newbies

Posted on January 20, 2010 by Vlada

The complete PaleyFest 2010 lineup is here! The annual event, which gathers the cast and creative teams behind some of television most popular shows for a screening and Q&A session, will be moving to the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills.

The lineup this year includes a lot of breakout freshmen series. Take a look:

Feb. 26 – Modern Family
Feb. 27 – Lost
March 1 – NCIS
March 3 – Community
March 4 – Dexter
March 5 – Cougar Town
March 6 – The Vampire Diaries
March 9 – Seth MacFarlane and Friends
March 10 – Breaking Bad
March 11 – FlashForward
March 12 – Men of a Certain Age
March 13 – Glee
March 14 – Curb Your Enthusiasm

All the evenings will start at 7 p.m.

Premium packages are currently sale. Individual tickets will go on sale to members on Friday, Jan. 22, while non-member individual tickets will go on sale Jan. 24. Individual ticket prices will be tiered: $60/$35/$25/$15 per event for members and $75/$45/$35/$25 per event for non-members. Go to PaleyCenter.org for more ticket information.

Which events will you be attending?

Filed under: around town, breaking bad, community, cougar town, curb your enthusiasm, dexter, family guy, flashforward, glee, lost, modern family, ncis, paley center, the vampire diaries | Leave a Comment »

‘Life Unexpected’: It’s a wonderful life

Posted on January 19, 2010 by Vlada

Photo Credit: Michael Courtney / The CW

I consider myself a child of the WB. I grew up on the network and still hold many of its shows close to my heart. “Life Unexpected” is the first show since the departure of the WB that feels to me like it could be on that network. That’s not just because two of its stars – Shiri Appleby (“Roswell”) and Kerr Smith (“Dawson’s Creek”) – got their big breaks on WB shows. Creator Liz Tigelaar’s scripts follow normal people navigating the world with warmth, good-natured humor and heart-on-your-sleeve emotion. I guess what I’m saying is that I’m predisposed to like “Life Unexpected” and its makeshift family, so let’s get to know them.

Meet the daughter: When we first meet Lux (Brittany Robertson), her pervy foster brother, who “puts the ‘ew’ in Stewie,” walks in on her as she’s naked and just stands there staring. Her foster mom looks like she couldn’t be less interested in Lux. Between these folks and the Scope-drinking foster moms and dads who try to hit on her – how are these people allowed to be foster parents?! – I can totally understand why Lux wants to get emancipated from the foster care system. Lux goes searching for her biological father to the sounds of a pleasantly mellow pop song – yet another element of the show that is very WB – and Cate’s (Appleby) and Ryan’s (Smith) morning radio show. Yes, it’s a little “what are the odds?” that Lux has been listening to her mother her whole life unbeknown to either of them. But it’s also sweet that Cate has had this role in her daughter’s life without her knowledge. Lux is more like Cate than she thinks.

Read the rest of my recap at the Los Angeles Times Show Tracker blog.

Filed under: l.a. times show tracker, life unexpected | 1 Comment »

‘How I Met Your Mother’: But, um’s the way

Posted on January 19, 2010 by Vlada

Photo Credit: Eric McCandless/Fox

“How I Met Your Mother” likes to introduce its own lingo for relationships, friendship and life. There was the Lemon Law. The Crazy/Hot Scale. The Bro Code. And now we have the reacher and the settler, which almost sounds like the name of an indie movie like “The Squid and the Whale.”

The reacher and the settler comes into play after Marshall (Jason Segel) reveals that all the crazy stories he’s been telling about his co-worker Jenkins are actually about a woman. Unfortunately, the sight gag of having a man perform the stories, which included downing a jar of maraschino cherries and going topless, and then a woman was kind of lessened by the news that Amanda Peet was guest starring in the episode. From the start, I figured, as I’m sure many of you did, that Jenkins was actually Peet.

Given the slightly scandalous nature of the stories, Marshall avoided pronouns and just let Lily (Alyson Hannigan) continue to assume that Jenkins was a he. After hearing how Marshall had bonded with Jenkins over the Vikings and some town that Marshall’s dead grandpa haunts, Ted (Josh Radnor) was a little angry.

Read the rest of my recap at the Los Angeles Times Show Tracker blog.

Filed under: how i met your mother, l.a. times show tracker | Leave a Comment »

‘White Collar’ Giveaway: Con in Style

Posted on January 19, 2010 by Vlada

After quite the cliffhanger, White Collar returns tonight at 10 p.m. on USA Network for the second half of its first season.

Is Peter a bad guy? What’s going on with Kate? Is Neal still gorgeous? Can’t tell you, can’t tell you, and yes. Here’s some more information about the episode:

USA Network’s new hit series is back with all new episodes on an all new night. Don’t miss the return on Tuesday, January 19 at 10pm/9c! The season premiere picks up after December’s cliffhanger as Neal must infiltrate a company of corrupt Wall Street brokers to preserve his deal with the FBI. When Peter is forced to go undercover alongside him, a discovery is made that could change their partnership forever. Become a fan on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, Visit The Official Website for your chance to WIN a new Taurus (beginning 1/19).

To celebrate the show’s return and, hopefully, some answers, Staying In is giving away a White Collar prize pack valued at $250. It includes:

  • (1) Cashmere Scarf
  • (1) Links of London Leather Credit Card Case
  • (1) Thomas Pink Custom Collar Stays
  • (1) Stainless Steel Flask
  • (1) White Collar T-Shirt

To enter the contest:

1.) Submit a comment below answering the following question: What’s your favorite con movie or TV show?

2.) Your comment must be submitted by Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Please note: Comments must be approved before they appear on the site, so don’t freak out if you don’t see your comment right away.

3.) Only one entry per person.

4.) You must be 18 years of age or older and a U.S. resident.

5.) A winner will be chosen at random Jan. 26 and contacted by email for their mailing address.

Filed under: contests & giveaways, white collar | 66 Comments »

‘Being Erica’s’ Erin Karpluk Goes Back in Time

Posted on January 19, 2010 by Vlada

Yesterday, Being Erica creator Jana Sinyor shared her inspiration for the show and the qualities that make Erica so great. But Erica wouldn’t be Erica without the show’s very talented leading lady, Erin Karpluk. Staying In’s Being Erica U.S. Premiere Week continues with a Q&A with the actress. In a chat earlier this month, Karpluk discussed what it’s like switching places with Dr. Tom, going back in time and whether she’d like to step behind the camera. We also talked about her role on another charming show, The CW’s Life Unexpected.

Being Erica season two premieres Jan. 20 at 10 p.m. on SoapNet. Catch up on season one on Hulu. And don’t forget to check out Erin Karpluk on The View this Wednesday, Jan. 20!

Note: While season two has already aired in Canada, this Q&A is intended for U.S. viewers who have not seen season two yet. Please put a spoiler warning if you are going to leave a comment about something that happened in season two. Readers, please be aware that there may be spoilers in the comments section.

First of all, congrats on winning the Gemini Award. What was it like to be recognized for the show?

It was great. We were nominated for nine and it was cool to be there, representing the show. I was there with all my producers. It was a really, really exciting experience. A little bit overwhelming.

When you first read the Being Erica script, what made you decide this was the TV show for you?

You know what I loved about it was the fact that she was so flawed. I find sometimes that even if a character on TV is flawed, they’re not really flawed. It’s kind of beautified, whereas Erica is just very human is the only way I can think of to describe it. And very relatable. I was also excited to do the show because it’s shot in Toronto, which is on the other side of the country for me. That was kind of one of the reasons why I wanted the show, as well. And the story. The time travel element… I think anyone can relate to wanting to go back in time and relive regrets. Certainly go back to that period in high school because I’m roughly the same age as Erica. To go back and listen to Guns N’ Roses again and Nirvana and Pearl Jam.

The show’s gotten a great response here in the U.S.. Have you gotten a taste of the reception? And why do you think people are responding to it so strongly?

I think some of the feedback that I’m getting is people are responding because of, again, how relatable the show is and the fact that regardless of who you are – your sex or your age or your class – everybody makes mistakes. Everyone has regrets. Even a lot of men. A lot of my girlfriends, they’ll get their boyfriends or their husbands to watch the show to support me in it, but then the next week, the guys will be like, “Hey, babe, you going to watch that ‘Erica’ show?” Everyone’s getting into to it, so that’s exciting.

Read more »

Filed under: being erica | 3 Comments »

‘Life Unexpected’: Kristoffer Polaha previews the CW’s new drama

Posted on January 18, 2010 by Vlada

Photo Credit: Jack Rowand / The CW

You may not recognize Kristoffer Polaha’s name, but chances are you’ve seen his face on TV. The actor was a regular on Fox’s “North Shore,” ABC’s short-lived comedy “Miss Guided” and the CW’s even more short-lived “Valentine.” He’s also graced many series, guest starring on “House,” “Bones,” “Better Off Ted,” “Dollhouse,” and “Mad Men.”

But 2010 promises to be Polaha’s biggest year yet with a starring role in the CW’s “Life Unexpected,” premiering tonight at 9. The new series hearkens back to the network’s WB roots and many are already putting their cheerleading pom-poms behind it.

The new year also promises to be a big one for Polaha’s character, Nate “Baze” Bazile, a one-time high school football hero for whom life hasn’t gone exactly as expected. He’s a 32-year-old bar owner who spends his time drinking and slacking off. Then Lux (Brittany Robertson), the 15-year-old daughter he never knew he had, reenters his life after being bounced around the foster care system. The family reunion is made complete when Baze helps Lux track down her biological mother, Cate (Shiri Appleby of “Roswell”), the high school hookup he hasn’t talked to in 16 years. After failing to get legally emancipated, Lux is put into the joint custody of her birth parents.

Last month, I talked to Polaha about his other TV connection to Appleby, what it’s like playing Baze as a father of two himself, the positive buzz surrounding the show and going up against Cate’s fiancé, Ryan (played by another WB alum, Kerr Smith of “Dawson’s Creek”).

Read my Q&A with Polaha at the Los Angeles Times Show Tracker blog.

Filed under: l.a. times show tracker, life unexpected | Leave a Comment »

What It’s Like ‘Being Erica’ With Creator Jana Sinyor

Posted on January 18, 2010 by Vlada

Welcome to Being Erica U.S. Premiere Week! To celebrate the show’s second season premiere on SoapNet this Wednesday, Jan. 20, at 10 p.m., I’ve got a trio of interviews. First up is creator Jana Sinyor, who after chatting with me earlier this month about the prospects of a third season, revealed how the show came to be, why Erica is so relatable, Jewish and awesome, and what’s ahead in season two.

If you haven’t caught this Canadian obsession of mine import yet, the entire first season can be found on Hulu.

Note: While season two has already aired in Canada, this Q&A is intended for U.S. viewers who have not seen season two yet. Please put a spoiler warning if you are going to leave a comment about something that happened in season two. Readers, please be aware that there may be spoilers in the comments section.

How did you come up with the idea for the show?

I’m thirty-three now. At the time, I was about thirty when I started thinking about the show. I was hitting a stage in my life where I looked around and I noticed that a lot of my friends were very accomplished in terms of their education. They were attractive and funny and intelligent and yet, there was this feeling that I saw all around. They felt like they were failing if they hadn’t achieved certain things by the time they hit thirty or by the time they were in their late twenties. If they hadn’t found a partner or if they hadn’t found a career that they loved or if they weren’t starting to buy a house or have children, there was a feeling that you’re supposed to be at a certain spot in your life by the time you hit thirty. I just started to really question that. Of course, everybody gets where they get in their own time.

I thought it was interesting and I thought it was something I was seeing a lot of. These women were talented and beautiful and wonderful and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with them except that they put all this pressure on themselves to have achieved these things by this drop dead date. That was really the beginning of how the character of Erica Strange came to be. She’s really based on people I know and trying to make her feel really real is extremely important to me.

The whole idea of the time travel is just something I’ve always really been interested in. Why does time have to go one way? What if we could go back and relive stuff that we’ve done? What would we do differently? It was a marriage of those two areas of interest for me.

Read more »

Filed under: being erica | 3 Comments »

‘Glee’ Dream Guest Stars: Welcome to the Club, Amy Adams!

Posted on January 17, 2010 by Vlada

Amy Adams has officially joined Neil Patrick Harris and Kristen Bell on my list of dream guest stars for Fox’s Glee.

(Check out what Harris had to say on the subject matter here.)

Thanks to the Disney film Enchanted, we already know that Adams can sing. But watching her do a karaoke medley with Jimmy Fallon on Late Night, the already plenty talented Adams proved that she can sing without the help of cartoon rodents and cockroaches. She’s also capable of belting out something more than a Disney tune. Take the clip below of her and Fallon tackling a trio of songs.

Their rendition of Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On A Prayer” is fun, but it’s her half of Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond’s “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” that really impresses and even gets a look of surprise from Fallon.

Sure, their take on Young MC’s “Bust A Move,” which is having the greatest year ever with play on Glee (Adams even tells Fallon they have to “Glee it out”), Up in the Air and The Blind Side, is not so great. Only one in every ten words is actually discernible, proving that Matthew Morrison only makes it look easy. But it’s not like Adams would have to rap if she guest starred on Glee – those numbers are reserved for Morrison’s Mr. Schuester – so I’m still hoping Adams makes a return to the small screen (she last appeared in a TV role during season 2 of The Office).

Do you like the idea of Adams guesting on Glee? Which song do you think she should sing on the show? And who should she play? I’m thinking a relative of the similarly redheaded, mildly tempered Emma (Jayma Mays).

Filed under: glee | 2 Comments »

Peter Horton to guest star on the CW’s ‘Life Unexpected’

Posted on January 13, 2010 by Vlada

The CW’s “Life Unexpected” has yet to premiere, but it has already enlisted a recognizable TV talent.

Peter Horton will guest star as the father of Shiri Appleby’s character, the CW has confirmed. Creator Liz Tigelaar tweeted the news Tuesday night. His character appears in the show’s 12th episode, Tigelaar told Show Tracker.

“Life Unexpected” revolves around Lux (Brittany Robertson), a foster-care teen who comes back into the lives of her biological parents, Cate (Appleby) and Baze (Kristoffer Polaha). The first 10 minutes of the series are currently streaming online via the CW’s Facebook page.

Horton, best known for playing Gary Shepherd on “thirtysomething,” has more recently made a living executive-producing and directing television shows such as “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Philanthropist” and “The Shield.” He also has ties to the CW, which passed on “Body Politic,” the D.C.-set pilot he executive-produced last year.

Read the rest of my post at the Los Angeles Times Show Tracker blog.

Filed under: l.a. times show tracker, life unexpected | Leave a Comment »

‘How I Met Your Mother’: A suitacular episode

Posted on January 11, 2010 by Vlada

Photo Credit: Cliff Lipson/CBS

I feel like there should be virtual confetti at the beginning of this recap to celebrate the show’s 100th episode. And what a fantastic 100th episode it was. “Mother” is always strongest when it’s more than a joke. The best episodes are the ones that are not only funny but also find a way to move the story forward or give us an emotional slice of life that makes viewers feel like they’re watching their friends, not a TV show. “Girls vs. Suits” was very much that. There were a couple of big things going on, so let’s break it down into parts.

Are you my mother?: Rachel Bilson is not the mother! Her character, PhD candidate Cindy, first catches Ted’s (Josh Radnor) eye on campus as Future Ted says, “Kids, you never know when you’re about to meet someone really important.” Cindy may not be the mother, but she is important. Ted comes over to her place for a date and picks up a school bus, which also resides behind his kids in 2030. Then Cindy comes in and tells Ted the bus belongs to … her roommate! I was a little surprised that the show told us so early  in the episode that the mother is Cindy’s roommate, but it made for great comedy as Cindy went on and on about how horrible her roommate is (“She’s a whore. I think she’s a dominatrix.”), while Ted pretended that she didn’t sound completely awesome. Turns out Cindy has a roommate complex because everyone falls in love with the roommate. Here’s an idea: Why doesn’t she move out? It’s too late for her to save Ted for herself – he’s already been charmed by the roommate’s taste in books and music, as well as the fact she plays bass in a band – but she might want to consider it before she becomes the crazy roommate.

Read the rest of my recap at the Los Angeles Times Show Tracker blog.

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Preview the CW’s new drama ‘Life Unexpected’ right now

Posted on January 11, 2010 by Vlada

Photo Credit: Michael Courtney / The CW

The CW’s “Life Unexpected” is one of the most promising series debuts this winter, but you don’t have to wait until its premiere Jan. 18 to see why.

The CW is currently streaming the first 10 minutes of the show’s premiere episode on Facebook. The preview will tell you everything you need to know about the series, including that Lux (Brittany Robertson, “Swingtown”) is a 15-year-old foster kid who goes in search of her biological parents to get emancipated from the foster care system. The series also stars Kristoffer Polaha (“Mad Men”) as her slacker dad, Baze, Shiri Appleby (“Roswell”) as her radio talk jockey mom, Cate, and Kerr Smith (“Dawson’s Creek”) as Cate’s co-host/fiance. The first 10 minutes give you a glimpse of Cate and Ryan, but you’ll have to wait until the episode airs to see Lux come face to face with her mom.

Read the rest of my post and check out a 10-minute preview of Life Unexcepted at the Los Angeles Times Show Tracker blog.

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‘How I Met Your Mother’ gets musical as it zones in on the mother

Posted on January 11, 2010 by Vlada

Photo Credit: Kevin Parry / The Paley Center for Media

Nothing marks a celebration quite like singing and dancing. That’s exactly what CBS’ “How I Met Your Mother” will be doing when it airs its 100th episode tonight.

The big musical number that closes out the episode has been long in the making. With several musically leaning cast members — Neil Patrick Harris, Jason Segel and Cobie Smulders have all performed songs on the show before — it was only a matter of time before “Mother” put on an even bigger production number than “Let’s Go to the Mall.” But one cast member was not overly thrilled about the idea of singing.

“They’ve been threatening it for years. They finally came through,” said Alyson Hannigan, who also  found herself in the middle of a musical episode as Willow Rosenberg on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

Hannigan shared her trepidation about having to sing again with Show Tracker at a Paley Center for Media panel last Thursday celebrating the show’s 100th episode.

“I’m just not a singer, so it’s a little bit like torture,” she said. “They were very nice and gave me a small, little bit. The dancing was a lot of fun even though I was not very good at that either.”

Read the rest of my post and check out a video of the cast’s favorite moments at the Los Angeles Times Show Tracker blog.

Filed under: how i met your mother, l.a. times show tracker | Leave a Comment »

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