TV Buzz: DOLLHOUSE Given Eviction Notice; SyFy Goes for Laughs; GLEE Star Gets Romantic…and more

Hear that? That’s the sound of the random TV news buzzzzzzzing around in my head. In this week’s TV Buzz we’re talking about bringing the funny to SyFy. The romance of a GLEEker. The demise of HANK, EASTWICK and DOLLHOUSE. More vampire news and much more.

Move over NPH, it’s Taylor Swift’s turn to host. The ratings for last night’s Country Music Awards were 24% higher than Emmys this year. 16.8M viewers tuned in to the CMAs. That’s just about the same amount of Kanye jokes told since the VMAs.

A BUFFY faithful is getting back into the vampire business.  Marti Noxon, a well respected writer/producer on series such as BUFFY, ANGEL, GREY’S ANATOMY, and most recently MAD MEN, has been hired by Dreamworks to write a remake of the 1985 horror comedy, “Fright Night” which is about a teenager who discovers his neighbors are vampires. At least Ms. Noxon knows her subject matter well.  BUFFY fans should be delighted. Now if Noxon could only find herself some underwear. (Cinemablend)

Since we’re already on the subject of vampires, unless you’ve been living under a rock you probably have heard that “New Moon“, the second movie in the “Twilight” saga is opening on November 20th. Whether you’re Team Edward or Team Jacob, you’ll probably dig the full “New Moon” coverage over at EW.com. Oh wait, this is a TV column. Ok, then I guess I should tell you that Stephenie Meyer, the author of the “Twilight” books will be doing her only “New Moon’ related interview on Friday…with Oprah. I’ve already set the DVR. Go ahead and judge me. I can take it.

Are you a fan of MY BOYS?  Well, I got a Twitter message yesterday from Jamie Kaler (who plays Mike Callahan) letting me know that he’ll be sending me updates from the set of MY BOYS when they start shooting again in January. I know I’m not the only MY BOYS fan around here, so who else is excited?! If you want to follow Jamie on Twitter, check him out at @jamiekaler.  And tell him @gmmrtv sent you!

More TV buzz after the break…
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Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Welcome to Tuesday my little chickadees! Other than SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, Tuesday night TV is a little blah for me. I’m still kind of liking THE GOOD WIFE but I’m not die hard about it in the least, and even that’s a repeat tonight.  But of course SYTYCD makes up for it all.

If you’re a horror, sci-fi, comic genre fan then you might want to check out the 2009 Scream Awards tonight at 10pm on Spike TV. Vamps galore my friends.

And I’m not one to usually go out of my way to encourage you to watch Carson Daly, but CHUCK fans should know that Yvonne Strahovski will be one of his guests tonight. We all need out CHUCK fix, right?

I still have some Sunday night shows to catch up on as well and tonight I’m going to start catching up on FRINGE. So I’ll keep myself busy.

Spill it. What will YOU be watching?

So You Think You Can Dance | 8pm on Fox
“The Competition Begins”
Last night you met the contestant competing in this season’s show.  Tonight the top 20 dancers are paired up as couples and perform for the first time; the judges eliminate two dancers.

It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown | 8pm on ABC
The classic 1966 holiday special is back. Linus waits in the pumpkin patch for the elusive Halloween symbol to appear; a bonus cartoon, “You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown,” features Linus in a run for class president.

The Biggest Loser | 8pm on NBC
Derek Jeter talks to the contestants about teamwork before they take part in a baseball challenge; Curtis Stone prepares a healthy meal for the challenge winner; a contestant breaks a Biggest Loser record.

The Forgotten | 10pm on ABC
“Canine John”
The team investigates a John Doe buried at a popular vacation destination; a stray dog standing vigil over the grave is the only clue in the case.

Sons of Anarchy | 10pm on FX
“Potlatch”
SAMCRO takes extreme measures to procure weapons for a customer; revenge is sought following a theft at Caracara Studios that puts one diva at risk; Tara’s professional and personal lives begin to collide.

Also Playing…

• Dancing with the Stars | 9pm on ABC Taylor Swift performs; two couples are eliminated.

• Sheri | 10pm on Lifetime: Trouble begins to brew when the subject of trick-or-treating as a family comes up.

• Scream 2009 Awards | 10pm on SpikeTV: Celebration of creative talent in horror, sci-fi, fantasy and comic genres; awards for “The Ultimate Scream” and “Scream Queen and King.” [GMMR: From what I hear there are TRUE BLOOD and TWILIGHT peeps there. You had me at Vampire.]

• Flipping Out | 10pm on Bravo: Season 3 reunion special

On the late night couch…

• The Late Show with David Letterman: Courteney Cox, Florence and the Machine
• The Jay Leno Show: Ewan McGregor, Tina Fey, Tim McGraw & Gregg Allman
• The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien:  Garry Shandling, Paula Deen, Julian Casablancas
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Alicia Silverstone, Salman Rushdie
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Artie Lange, Olivia Munn, David Chang
• Jimmy Kimmel Live:Dr. Mehmet Oz, the latest “Dancing with the Stars” castoff, Morningwood
• Chelsea Lately: Katey Sagal, Loni Love, Josh Wolf, Jo Koy
• Last Call with Carson Daly: Yvonne Strahovski, Kris Belman, Mike Posner
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Steven D. Levitt
• The Colbert Report: Randall Balmer, Gail Collins

What will YOU be watching? Leave a comment or send me an update on Twitter (new: @gmmrtv).

Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Monday, June 8, 2009

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend!  I’m a little sunburned, but I guess that means I had a great time poolside, right?

Tonight feels like the kick off to summer TV. Some of the reality shows got a head start, but tonight scripted programming is back in a big way on the cable networks.  If you’ve never seen these shows, give them a shot tonight.  Maybe you’ll have a new favorite.

Here’s some of the shows worth talking about tonight…and there’s a lot.

Greek | 8pm on ABC Family
“Tailgate Expectations”
Rusty and Ashleigh work to ensure a victory in the Homecoming Week float competition; Evan may lose his trust fund following a conversation with his father. [GMMR: The second to last episode. I hope some of you took my advice and watched GREEK this season.  If not you're missing out!]

The Closer | 9pm on TNT | Season Premiere
“Products of Discovery”
Season 5 opens with Brenda and her squad digging for clues into the murder of a family of four, but the case changes course when Brenda unwittingly tumbles into an FBI investigation. Elsewhere, Provenza’s usually zesty mood suddenly turns downcast.

Jon & Kate Plus 8 | 9pm on TLC
“BAM! 100th Episode”
Chef Emeril Lagasse visits the Gosselin home to give the entire family cooking lessons in celebration of their show’s 100th episode; the children create a meal. [GMMR:Have you guys ever heard of this show?  It's about two loving parents and their 8 kids.  It's really flown under the radar despite its 100 episodes.]

Raising the Bar | 10pm on TNT | Season Premiere
“Hair Apparent”
Season 2 begins with Jerry advocating for a barber accused of permitting a relative to sell drugs out of his barbershop. Meanwhile, Roz begins working on cases again; Bobbi’s divorce case lifts off; and Jerry celebrates his birthday. [GMMR: Zack Morris but his hair. If he had done that last year I might have watched. Oh well.]

My Life on the D List | 10pm on Bravo
“Place Your Bette”
Kathy hopes a little bribery will earn her comedy album a Grammy nomination; entertainer Bette Midler offers Kathy a cameo in her lavish Las Vegas stage show. [GMMR: So glad this bitch it back!]

Weeds | 10pm on Showtime | Season Premiere
“Wonderful Wonderful”
Nancy shows Esteban proof of her baby, but is unsure of her fate; Celia is held hostage in Mexico; Andy, Silas and Doug discuss growing plans.

Nurse Jackie | 10:30pm on Showtime | Series Premiere
“Pilot”
A veteran nurse bends the rules to create something good from a patient’s death, while hiding an addiction to pain killers. [GMMR: I'm a few episodes into this show and I am loving it. If you have Showtime you don't want to miss NURSE JACKIE.  If you want to check out the first episode, I've posted it to GMMR for your viewing pleasure: "Early Screening - Watch NURSE JACKIE right now"]

Neil Patrick Harris ‘Top Ten Signs You’ve Hired a Bad Tony Awards Host’ on Letterman

Neil Patrick Harris will be helping out David Letterman tonight by sharing the ‘Top Ten Signs You’ve Hired a Bad Tony Awards Host’. As you’ve probably heard, NPH will be hosting the Tony Awards on Sunday night on CBS.  I can’t wait!

As for tonight’s Top Ten list, here’s a sneak peek.

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Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Thursday, June 4, 2009

Just when you were really starting to miss scripted TV…it’s back!  Tonight three summer series are kicking off. BURN NOTICE is already a favorite of many, but will new shows THE LISTENER and ROYAL PAINS be? Maybe.

Tonight’s highlight for me will be finding out who made the Top 20 on SYTYCD.  That and seeing NPH read a special Top 10 list on Letterman. Doogie!!

Which shows will YOU be checking out tonight?  Leave a comment here or send me a message via Twitter.

Jimmy Kimmel Live | 8pm on ABC
“Game Night”
Jimmy has a special prime time show leading into the NBA finals.  Tonight’s Jimmy welcomes guests Will Ferrell (”Land of the Lost”) and rapper Eminem.

The Listener | 9pm & 10pm on NBC | Series Premiere
“I’m and Adult”; “Emotional Rescue”
A telepathic paramedic uses his special skill to help others while also trying to uncover the truth about his past. In tonight’s episodes:Toby rescues a woman who has been in a car accident and uses his abilities to solve a kidnapping. | Toby tracks down an arsonist after saving a childhood friend from a burning building.

Burn Notice | 9pm on USA | Season Premiere
“Friends and Family”
Michael gets out of prison with help from an old friend, who wants Michael to extradite a thug who is displacing landowners in Latin America.

So You Think You Can Dance | 9pm on Fox
During the final day of Vegas week, the judges see the dancers perform one last solo routine before deciding who will be in the Top 20 of this year’s competition.  One by one the dancers will take the stage and find out just who will be competition in Season 5 of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE.

Royal Pains | 10pm on USA
“Pilot”
When he loses his job fighting for a patient’s life, Dr. Hank Lawson escapes to the Hamptons with his brother and inadvertently becomes the area’s newest on-call doctor. (Note: the episode runs from 10pm until 11:17pm.  Set your DVRs accordingly)
On the late night couch…

• The Late Show with David Letterman: Howard Stern, Mos Def
• The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien: David Duchovny, Anna Friel, Bill Burr
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Kevin Bacon, Michael Irvin
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Kelly Ripa, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Amadou & Mariam
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Adrien Brody, the Airborne Toxic Event (R 5/14/09)
• Chelsea Lately: Ricki Lake, Chris Franjola, Bai Ling, Loni Love
• Last Call with Carson Daly: Idris Elba, the Ting Tings (R 4/27/09)

Told ya there was a lot to choose from.  Talk to me people…what will YOU be watching tonight?

John Krasinski and Amy Poehler Present at the SAG Awards

Despite being just a stone’s throw away from Sunday’s SAG Awards I sadly wasn’t able to see them as they don’t air live on the West Coast.  However, thanks to ALL* of you who emailed me, I was able to see what I can only guess would have been my favorite moment of the night.

Here’s John Krasinski and Amy Poehler’s bit before presenting Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

*I would normally post the names of the fine GMMR readers who sent along the link but since I received 26 emails about this same topic, I thought I would say a collective ‘Gracias’.

BROTHERS & SISTERS: “A Father Dreams”

Happy New Year GMMRers!! Jamie here with ya and I’m back after a long winter hiatus and so are our favorite Walkers. I hope you all had a wonderful break but let’s jump right in to last night’s episode.

I have to say this was my favorite episode so far this season, loved it. Kevin’s liver transplant recovery and crazy dreams caused a volatile and emotional confrontation between Kevin and Tommy and a minor quarrel between Nora and Scotty. Meanwhile, Saul reintroduced a man from Nora’s past and Justin finally decides to leave the nest. No Holly or Rebecca sighting at all in this episode but we got a lot of wonderful Scotty and Saul scenes, heck even Julia played an interesting role this week.

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THE WIRE & 30 ROCK Big Winners at the WGA Awards

The winners for the 2008 Writers Guild Awards were announced this week and some of the best of television was honored. Here are the WGA Awards winners in the television category.

DRAMATIC SERIES - THE WIRE
Written by Ed Burns, Chris Collins, Dennis Lehane, David Mills, George Pelecanos, Richard Price, David Simon, William F. Zorzi; HBO

COMEDY SERIES - 30 ROCK
Written by Brett Baer, Jack Burditt, Kay Cannon, Robert Carlock, Tina Fey, Dave Finkel, Daisy Gardner, Donald Glover, Matt Hubbard, Jon Pollack, John Riggi, Tami Sagher, Ron Weiner; NBC

NEW SERIES - MAD MEN
Written by Lisa Albert, Bridget Bedard, Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, Tom Palmer, Chris Provenzano, Robin Veith, Matthew Weiner; AMC

EPISODIC DRAMA -THE SECOND COMING (THE SOPRANOS)
Written by Terence Winter; HBO

EPISODIC COMEDY - THE JOB (THE OFFICE)
Written by Paul Lieberstein & Michael Schur; NBC

COMEDY/VARIETY -THE COLBERT REPORT
Written by Bryan Adams, Michael Brumm, Stephen Colbert, Rich Dahm, Eric Drysdale, Rob Dubbin, Glenn Eichler, Peter Grosz, Peter Gwinn, Barry Julien, Jay Katsir, Laura Krafft, Frank Lesser, Tom Purcell, Allison Silverman; Comedy Central

For a full list of WGA award winners, click here.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA Annouces Premiere Date

Sorry for the quick and informal posting of the press release, but I wanted to pass on the info that BATTLESTAR GALATICA will be returning for its final season on April 4th - probably not a surprise to most. But plans for two BSG specials have also been announced. Here’s the new straight from the Sci Fi Channel.SCI FI’s Emmy and Peabody-Winning Series Returns March 28
With Two Back-To-Back Half-Hour Specials

The wait is finally over for Battlestar Galactica fans. SCI FI’s Emmy and Peabody Award-winning original series returns for its fourth original season on Friday, March 28 @ 10pm ET/PT with two back-to-back half-hour specials. The first new episode will premiere the following week, Friday, April 4 @ 10pm ET/PT.

Battlestar Galactica: Revisited (10pm) will serve up the essential information on the series’ past three seasons, providing the uninitiated with an introduction to the characters, relationships and spine-tingling drama that have captured the imagination of audiences around the world. Galactica’s executive producers, Ronald D. Moore and David Eick serve as guides, providing insights and revelations about the critically-acclaimed series.

Battlestar Galactica: The Phenomenon (10:30pm) is a celebrity-studded celebration of the show’s impact on pop culture. Interviewees, including Seth Green, country music’s Top Male Vocalist of 2007 Brad Paisley, and Talk Soup’s Joel McHale, and others, wax poetic about why Battlestar Galactica is one of the best frakkin’ shows on television.

As season 4 opens, the last remnants of humanity continue their search for a new home, the thin line that separates them from the rapidly evolving Cylons is being redrawn. Galactica’s crew, rocked by Starbuck’s sudden and mysterious return from the dead – and her claims that she has been to Earth and can lead them there – attempts to make sense of the inexplicable. Meanwhile, four members of the fleet are still reeling from the revelation that they are Cylons and have been all along.

Battlestar Galactica is the gripping saga of humanity’s last remnants and their struggle to find a new home while fleeing from their deadly Cylon enemies. Redefining the space opera with its gritty realism, Galactica’s intensity, issues-driven topicality, and command performances have garnered it numerous awards, including an Emmy and the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award. The show was recognized by the American Film Institute (AFI) as one of the most outstanding programs of the year two years running. The series is from Universal Media Studios and is executive produced by Ronald D. Moore and David Eick. The outstanding ensemble cast is led by Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Tricia Helfer and Grace Park.

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