Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Friday, October 16, 2009

Welcome to Friday! Everybody was working for the weekend, and kudos to you because it paid off.

Thank you so much for all your kind words over the past few days.  And thanks for your understanding about the lack of updates on GMMR.  I’m still in more than a fair amount of pain, but the meds are kicking in enough that I figured I could at least send up today’s TV Spotlight.

I did want to point out that tonight is the 2-hour season premiere of UGLY BETTY on it’s new night.  UGLY BETTY was a show I had to sacrifice last season when Thursday night’s got to be too much for my DVRs to handle.  But now that it’s back on Friday, I’ll be watching once again.  Any BETTY fans out there?  Stand up and be counted!  As for tonight’s episode, it’s quite delightful.  The Mode stuff still bores me to tears, but there’s a lot of really great moment with the Suarez family, Daniel, and of course my favorites – Marc and Amanda.  Tune in!

So let me know what you’ll be watching tonight. Sadly, I’m still catching up on TV from Wednesday.(Lowers head in shame.)

Ugly Betty | 8pm on ABC | 2-hour Season Premiere
“The Butterfly Effect”
Betty starts her new job as associate features editor and deals with resentful co-workers; bullies prey on Justin; Wilhelmina harbors a secret; Daniel’s distress takes its toll, while Betty tries to run her own Mode photo shoot.

Smallville | 8pm on The CW
“Echo”
The Toyman takes Oliver hostage at a Queen Industries gala; Clark is given the ability to hear other people’s thoughts. [GMMR: I really need to hear from SMALLVILLE fans today.  There doesn’t seem to be much of a discussion happening.  Should we continue covering the episodes here on the site? Let me know.]

Monk | 9pm on USA
“Happy Birthday Mr. Monk”
Natalie tries to arrange a surprise birthday party for Monk while he probes the mysterious death of an office building’s maintenance man.

Stargate Universe | 9pm on SyFy
“Darkess”
When the Destiny’s power reserves drop to a critical level, the crew is ordered to use power for essential services only, but the rationing isn’t enough to keep Rush from announcing that all on board will die within days.

Medium | 9pm on CBS
“The Medium is the Message”
Allison starts having visions of strange symbols that may hold the key to learning the identity of a serial killer.

Psych | 10pm on USA
“Shawn Takes a Shot in the Dark”
While working on a case involving an ice cream truck, Shawn stumbles into something much bigger and deadly.

Sanctuary | 10pm on Syfy
“End of Nights: Part II”
Magnus demands information from Kate; Tesla and Henry try to create a weapon that can stop attacks on Sanctuaries without killing Ashley.

Numb3rs | 10pm on CBS
“Where Credits Due”
Don and the team investigate murders that they realize are being copied from scenes in a soon-to-be-released movie; Larry embarks on a personal adventure.

Crash | 10pm on Starz
“You, I’ll be Following”
Ben and Anthony lean on a lawyer (Michael Nouri) to get information on Ben’s daughter’s murder; Seth relocates to an eco-friendly loft and announces his latest plan to benefit L.A.; Kenny befriends a woman (Jenny Mollen) who runs a homeless shelter; Bo goes overboard in his efforts to impress pitching phenom Tyler and his pal Eddie.

Also playing…

• Ghost Whisperer | 8pm on CBS: In the hospital morgue, Melinda investigates a haunting — involving the death of a surgeon.

• Law & Order | 8pm on NBC: While searching for the murderer of the adoptive mother of 10 disabled children, detectives uncover a reality-show offer and an affair.

• Secrets of the Lost Symbol | 9pm on NBC: Author Dan Brown discusses his new book, the power of the human mind, the beliefs of Freemasonry, whether people can become gods, and an obscure science that might tie them all together; he also talks about the nation’s founding fathers.

On the late night couch…

• The Jay Leno Show: Rachel Griffiths, Sen. John McCain
• The Late Show with David Letterman: Uma Thurman, Tim McGraw
• The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien:Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Max Records, Dashboard Confessional
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Toby Keith, Michelle Monaghan
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Serena Williams, Dr. Drew Pinsky, Eric Church
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Eddie Izzard, Gina Gershon, Amy Schumer
• Chelsea Lately: Karissa & Kristina Shannon, Crystal Harris, Dan Levy, Chris Franjola, Loni Love (R 10/6/09)
• Last Call with Carson Daly: Ron Artest, Eva Amurri

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

BONES: Night in the Bones Museum

Hello BONES fans. I think we might agree that this week’s episode was all about Brennan’s loves. By loves of course I mean: ancient remains, Boris Karloff movies, and sex.

This episode felt like a mash up of a lot of other BONES episodes, didn’t you think? Take Intern in the Incinerator and Double Death in the Dearly Departed, mash in a bit of Conman and Man in the Mansion, and you’ve got Night at the Bones Museum.

Can we talk Brennan this week? Please excuse me if I don’t spend as much time on the squint squad or the case, although they are deserving of discussion.

I find it incredibly interesting that the writers chose to use an episode where Brennan was seeking a sexual partner to also be one where she was giddy with excitement over her job. This was a Brennan we haven’t really seen much of, if any.

The CASE:

We also get two bodies in this case. One bloodied legit mummy on a fence, and one innocent doctor in a mummy case (insert your own sounds and words of horror here). The mysterious mummy has been on loan from Egypt to the Jeffersonian, which begins a series of events of historic proportions. I wasn’t sure who the murderer was going to be until it was revealed, so that was nice. Mozhan Marno was fantastic as Azita Jabbari. I would not complain if we saw her again, maybe with Brennan in Egypt.

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Mia Michaels Resigns from SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE

I’m beyond disappointed. Although no official statement from SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE has been made, and my inquiries to Fox amounted to a ‘no comment’, it’s been revealed through Facebook and Twitter that Mia Michaels has resigned from SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE.

Fans started to worry after Mia posted the following on her Twitter page last night:

I AM OFFICIALLY AN ADORING FAN OF SYTYCD….THANK U FOR 5 WONDERFUL YRS

TO CREATE MOMENTS AND MOVEMENT FOR THE WORLD TO SHARE WITH ME WAS A GIFT…..

THANKS SYTYCD AND LOOK FORWARD TO WHATS AHEAD FOR ME…LOOKOUT WORLD!!!!!

On her Facebook page, Mia wrote…

ITS BEEN AN AMAZING 5 YEARS ON SYTYCD……I THANK THEM FOR ALL THE GREAT MEMORIES AND MOVEMENT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CREATE FOR THE WORLD…..TODAY WAS MY OFFICIAL RESIGNATION OF THE U.S SHOW AND LOOK FORWARD TO WHATS AHEAD FOR ME.

The amazingly talented choreographer was one of the biggest stars of the show, and her routines have been by far some of the most memorable dances ever performed on live TV. Michaels even won an Emmy for her work.

Update: Statement from Nigel Lythgoe – Executive Producer and Judge, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE:

“We are thrilled to have given a talent such as Mia Michaels a platform to create Emmy Award-winning choreography. During the auditions this season she has helped choose the best, most diverse top 20 we have ever had. She knows that she is always welcome to return later this season or next. She’s chosen to move on to new challenges and we will continue to support her and wish her all the best.”

SYTYCD will not be the same without Mia Michaels. As a fan of the show and of Mia’s work, I’m shocked and deeply saddened.

Look for an official statement from the show of Fox coming soon.

TOP CHEF: Pigs and Pinot

I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, watching Top Chef at 6 a.m. OnDemand (which I give another shout out to for being awesome) after going to bed at 2 a.m., or my grumpy mood I’ve been in all week, or maybe it’s just how the last episode went, but I really expected Top Chef to be more douchey than it was this week. Not that I’m complaining, I’m just saying I didn’t yell at my TV this week.

Also, this really wasn’t my week because I am just not into wine. And I don’t know if I know anyone less into wine than I am. And people are always like, “But you just haven’t had gooooooood wine!” and I’m all, “False.” (And yeah, that’s totally Dwight-style.) I HAVE had good wine, only because I worked in nice restaurants where we were forced to taste it (and because I once had a roommate who had a stalker and he brought her some stolen wine from his job at the country club and you know how college is—you’ll drink anything if necessary), and you know, in a pinch I could drink some white wine, like a pinot grigio or a riesling or something, but I wouldn’t enjoy it that much. I’d rather have a Diet Coke, frankly. Although I am a connoisseur of cheap beers, ALSO thank you college—give me a blind taste test of Natty Light, Busch Light and Keystone Light, and I will blow your mind.

ANYWAY. I’m totally bored with the wine thing and I wish it would just die already, and I hated the movie Sideways, but apparently we’re still doing this so whatever. And I didn’t really understand the whole pairing thing, either—I mean, I understand the general idea, just not HOW it works or what they were looking for. I usually feel like I leave Top Chef learning something, and this week I was just vaguely confused but not interested enough to look stuff up later on my own. Also, I can’t spell the names of probably at least half of the dishes, I just know they sounded French.

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Calling Dr. House, Dr. Shepherd…

Hey GMMRers – A quick note from me to you. Unfortunately due to some back issues, it looks like I might have to take a mini-break over the next few days. Between the pain medication they gave me at the hospital and the instruction that sitting in the same position for more than a few minutes could cause more damage I see very little TV watching in my immediate future, and even less blogging.

I’ll do my best to continue to post the updates from Team GMMR (who rock now more than ever!), but I wanted to explain why things might be a little quiet on my end.

Sorry, it’s the Fall TV season and I think my now you know how much this bums me out.

You’re in good hands with Team GMMR though so make sure they feel the love (and by love I mean comments).

Here’s to hoping I’m back up and blogging soon.

XOXO
Kath

HOUSE: Instant Karma

On the eve of the 1992 Presidential election, political strategist James Carville shared a simple message with the Clinton campaign staff assembled in Little Rock:

“There’s a simple doctrine. Outside of a person’s love, the most sacred thing they can give is their labor…and anytime that you can combine labor with love, you have a merger.”

If we are lucky, the workplace can bring us a second family. People who accept us for our shortcomings and help celebrate our successes. Corporations spend millions of dollars trying to manufacture this type of camaraderie. Sadly, there is no magic formula. We have to be in the right place at the right time.

The staff at Princeton Plainsboro has rarely been mistaken for a Norman Rockwell painting. Their world is driven by competition, petty jealousies, and oneupsmanship. Since House’s return from Mayfield Psychiatric Hospital, however, the first signs of togetherness have emerged. Against the backdrop of a father’s uphill battle to save his son, the diagnostic department took their first steps toward a true merger.

Hugh Laurie was able to add a new responsibility to House’s resume this week, that of protector. Though the caustic wit and subtle charm remains, I feel that we are seeing the “House 2.0″ version that was foreshadowed in the standout season premiere. By nurturing Foreman on how to become a better leader, stepping in when Thirteen was attempting to throw her life away, and saving Chase from the consequences of his actions, House was taking care of his family. I am thrilled to see this forward momentum. There’s even a chance I might not mind seeing House and Cuddy move toward an adult relationship, considering the new energy Laurie has brought to the character.

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Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Poof…it’s Wednesday. When did that happen?

Tonight is a TV lover’s dream (well I suppose only if you like the shows on tonight…which I do). It’s one of those nights where you can’t complain that there’s nothing on.

Hank | 8pm on ABC
“Drag Your Daughter to Work Day”
Hank tells Maddie he wants her to get a job because he was working at her age, and, thinking it will help, he gets a gig working with her at the mall.

So You Think You Can Dance | 8pm on Fox
“Vegas Week”
It’s Vegas Week. All those that made it to the semi-finals will have to make it through the grueling Vegas week if they want a shot at being in the Top 20.

Mercy | 8pm on NBC
“Pulling the Goalie”
Veronica must decide if her affair with Dr. Sands is really over when Mike pressures her to start a family; Sonia winds up acting as a marriage counselor for two feuding patients; Chloe considers taking her crush on Dr. Sands to the next level.

The New Adventures of Old Christine | 8pm on CBS
“For Love or Money”
Christine hires an aggressive divorce attorney (Corbin Bernsen) who convinces her that Barb owes her alimony.

Gary Unmarried | 8:30pm on CBS
“Gary Shoots a Fish in a Barrel”
Gary, Mitch and Curtis go to a single’s bar, and Gary sets out to prove he can have a one-night stand without becoming emotionally attached.

(More of tonight’s lineup after the jump)
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About Last Night…GOSSIP GIRL, BIG BANG THEORY and more…

I think it is only fitting that I watched Monday night’s HOUSE as well as all of my other Monday night shows hopped up on Vicodin. What can I say? I’m a method viewer. It wasn’t easy but I watched almost all my show on my Monday night agenda.  I said almost…

While I share some quick thoughts on my Monday night shows, I wanted to open up the forum for you to let us know what YOU watched last night.

Jen already shared her thoughts on last night’s HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, but may I just add that the high school version of me flipped out with the appearance of Nuno Bettencourt playing alongside Marshall in the music video found on www.itwasthebestnightever.com. For those of you who don’t know (or are just too young to remember), Nuno was the guitarist for the rock band Extreme.  The video was a spoof on Extreme’s big hit “More than Words”. But long before “More than Words” became a hit, Extreme was our hometown band, with some of the guys coming out of my hometown of Malden, MA. Lots of good memories of high school friends and my sister whenever I see one of the guys from the band. Oh and the episode was pretty great too. Not my favorite, but enough laughs to keep me entertained.

I know many of you have given up on GOSSIP GIRL but I’m sticking with it.  It’s flawed, for sure, but it’s still my Monday night guilty pleasure. In perhaps the most bizarre wedding episode ever, Lily and Rufus finally got married. Finally.  The event was overshadowed by the revelation that Scott was their long lost son. It was ridiculous how quickly everyone adjusted to the situation, but since I look to GG for pure fluff and not real storylines, I easily overlooked it.  The subtle ways in which the writers are maturing Chuck Bass are really working for me.  Has Blair really changed him all that much?  I’m not sure, but I like him.  Nate continues to bore. Serena continues to be pointless (although Carter makes her that much more interesting), and the writers/producers continue to show us that they are clueless on how to write storyarcs that last more than 3 episodes.  Bree Buckley is already gone? Hilary Duff as Dan’s new gf Olivia disappears after only one episode? Scott is revealed as the brother and then heads back to Boston right away? I know the show was built for the ADHD generation but give us all a little credit. But yet I keep watching. I just don’t know how to quit you. Oh, and can someone please explain to me how Serena kept that strapless dress on last night?  Seriously, it defied gravity.

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HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER: Sexless Innkeeper

Hey HIMYM fans, it’s Jen here, not at all ready to talk about last night’s episode. Please be advised that I would like to have “more than words”** with the writers of this episode.

I read a few articles and Tweets before this episode aired, raising my excitement for what was to come. After watching this episode, I felt like Ted, the episode’s titular sexless innkeeper – used. This is the one show I praise for keeping up with the mythos of the series and always delivering but tonight’s episode left enough plot holes for Whiskers the cat to lose many of his nine lives and left me unable to sit still.

The majority of the episode centered on Marshall and Lily being the over-eager couple during double dates. While this doesn’t totally ring untrue, I have two major issues with this. First. We know that Lily and Marshall had a wine and cheese double date at the apartment they shared with Ted and they were actually the ones annoyed and bored by the other couple (S1 “Okay Awesome). Second, how could Robin never have experienced a double date with them during her entire relationship with Ted? That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

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Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Hey GMMRers. Happy Tuesday. I’ve got a quick update for you before we get into tonight’s TV spotlight. If you follow me on Twitter then you might know I tweaked my back last month. With 12 weeks of PT ahead of me I was on the mend. Unfortunately I had a bit of a set back this weekend. The doc gave me some good meds to manage the pain, but I might be a little MIA from GMMR over the next few days until I’m feeling better.  Team GMMR will still be covering shows so we’ll still be updating, but if things are quieter than usual, I wanted you to know why. Oh joy.

But enough about that. Here’s some TV for you to check out tonight. What will YOU be watching?

The Biggest Loser | 8pm on NBC
“Someone Goes Home”
A challenge winner gets to divide the contestants into two teams; one contestant gives another a special gift; a difficult elimination results in another player being sent home.

90210 | 8pm on The CW
“Wild Alaska Salmon”
Silver and Kelly deal with shocking news about their mother; Adrianna turns Navid’s world upside down; Jen asks Naomi to loan her a large sum of money; Jasper saves Annie from a bad date.

NCIS | 8pm on CBS
“Good Cop, Bad Cop”
When a Marine’s body surfaces halfway around the world, the investigation forces Ziva to dig up a lost chapter of her life.

NCIS: Los Angeles | 9pm on CBS
“Search and Destroy”
When an Iraqi businessman is murdered, the team searches for the former Marine who was hired to protect him.

(More of tonight’s TV spotlight after the jump)

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DEXTER: Blinded by the Light

While we didn’t have a Dexter-caused death this week, we definitely dealt a lot with Dex’s personal life and how the edges of it might be cracking in certain spots.

This week we were introduced to a lot of the members of Dexter and Rita’s community. Apparently, there’s been a vandal in the area, and, what do you know he comes to hit Dexter’s home. Dexter’s paranoia comes in the form of Harry, who doesn’t want Dexter having any questions raised about him. It’s a good point, I suppose, but it seems to be the behavior of someone with something to hide…which Dexter is, so my entire point is both valid and invalid at the same time.

Anyway, I was very interested to see the tug of war that is taking place between the Vacation and Trinity Killers right now. LaGuerta is getting pressure to solve the Vacation Murders quickly, but Deb is stubborn and won’t let Trinity, and Lundy, go. I like the character of Anton, so I hate to see him get pushed to the side by Deb, but Lundy and the Trinity case are so intriguing, it just might be worth it.

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DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES: Never Judge a Lady by Her Lover

Last night’s episode of Desperate Housewives is all about the past and how it comes back to haunt you. Gabby’s former lover John is back to cause some problems between Gabby and Carlos and the Bolens are desperately trying to hide their problematic past.

John Rowland is back in town and now owns a restaurant. And who applies for a hostess job there? Ana, of course. John goes to visit Carlos to ask for his permission to hire his niece and he gets it, albeit reluctantly. John’s reemergence immediately causes tension for Carlos and Gabby. Carlos thinks Gabby still has some semblance of feelings for John based on her reaction to the news that John hired Ana to work in his restaurant. In typical Gabby style she proves her point by making a scene; her speech to Carlos in the restaurant was dramatic but she proved her point. And I believed her- until she whipped out a hidden photo of her and John later on. I’m hoping she doesn’t end up back in bed with John but I have a feeling that I’m going to be disappointed.

Carlos offered Lynette a new job as senior vice president; a job that comes with a company car, an expense account, and a 50% salary bump. Lynette of course accepts, only for Carlos to immediately reveal that he chose her because the other candidate was pregnant. Lynette now has no choice but to hide her pregnancy from both Carlos and Gabby until she can prove that she’s able to handle her new position. There’s no way this is going to end well. Carlos is certainly going to find out sooner rather then later but I don’t think he’ll be legally able to fire her. Lynette’s decision to keep this a secret from Gabby is also likely to cause tension.

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Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Sunday, October 11, 2009

It’s Sunday morning. I hope wherever you are it’s as beautiful outside as it is here in Boston today. It’s the perfect Fall day.  And as for Fall TV, let’s take a look at some of the highlights of tonight’s TV schedule.

What will YOUR Sunday night TV lineup look like? Definitely leave a note in the comments so I know which Sunday night shows you are most interested in.

The Amazing Race 15 | 8pm on CBS
“Sean Penn Cambodia Here We Come”
Teams scramble to spot royalty in Cambodia’s jam-packed streets; one team loses its passport while monkeying around.

The Simpsons | 8pm on Fox
“The Great Wife Hope”
The men of Springfield become obsessed with mixed martial arts; Marge and her friends decide to stage a protest.

The Cleveland Show | 8:30pm on Fox
“The One About Friends
Afraid that Cleveland Jr. has no friends, Cleveland invites his neighbor’s son, Ernie, to the house; when Ernie gets too attached to the family, Cleveland has trouble getting him to go home.

Family Guy | 9pm on Fox
“Spies Reminiscent of Us
When Stewie and Brian discover that the guys who moved into Cleveland’s old house are spies, they follow them on a mission to Russia.

Desperate Housewives | 9pm on ABC
“Never Judge a Lady by Her Lover”
A chance encounter reunites Gaby with her ex-lover and gardener, John; Bree contemplates a weekend getaway with Karl; Lynette and Tom tell their children that she is pregnant; Susan believes that Angie’s son is responsible for her daughter’s attack.

Three Rivers | 9pm on CBS
“Ryan’s First Day”
The team struggles to save an 18-year-old in need of a double-lung transplant but runs into an obstacle that may prevent her from being eligible for the procedure.

More of tonight’s lineup after the break…

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SMALLVILLE: Rabid

Is it me or is Smallville slightly more violent this season and loaded with graphic scenes? It’s strange I didn’t pick up on it until tonight when I saw Tess killing off zombies with a sword or Zod finishing off the doctor in the end of the episode. I’m not complaining or anything but the series has definitely matured and is darker than the season’s before. Lois’s daydreams even seem more risqué and vivid for Smallville! I guess this change is just proof that the characters have really left the innocent Clark Kent farm days behind.

Rabid was a great episode either way! The gang somewhat pulled it together to save the human race from the airborne virus floating through the atmosphere with Clark’s blood as an anecdote. Chloe and Dr. Hamilton seem to be the new team in Smallville as well as Lois and Clark. There was a lot of chemistry between the pair in this episode. I wasn’t really loving Erica Durance and Tom Welling on screen together in the beginning. When they would argue back and forth it seemed natural but when things began to heat up between them it just didn’t seem to click for me.

Now after a couple of seasons they seem to have a smoother interaction on screen with a believable scenario. The extra long gazes and Lois’ face when Clark picked her up tonight to bring her to safety after she was bitten by a crazy zombie really seemed to pop out and show their feelings for one another. Lois actually has a softer side and admits that she doesn’t want to be alone anymore now that she has shared so much with the Blur. And while where on the topic of confessions. The whole Oliver/Lois pining storyline I didn’t seem coming. It was surprising to hear Oliver confess his love to Lois. Luckily she was passed out on the floor becoming a full fledged zombie right in front of him while he continued to pop pills.

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FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS Season 4 Promos

I wish I had DirecTV. The idea that some people are just a few weeks out from the return of the best show on television and I have to wait months and months just makes me sad.

If you just need a little FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS fix any way you can get it, check out these new FNL promos for S4, premiering October 28th only on DirecTV. The premiere date for S4 on NBC has not yet been released.

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