Nurse Made: An Advance Review of the First Two Episodes of Showtime's "Nurse Jackie"

"I think one's feelings waste themselves in words; they ought all to be distilled into actions which bring results." - Florence Nightingale

Every once in a while a television series comes along in which it's impossible to imagine the lead being played by anyone other than the actor in question.

Showtime's gripping and darkly hilarious Nurse Jackie, which launches next month, is the perfect example of this. Edie Falco (The Sopranos) is so pitch perfect as the deeply flawed Jackie Peyton, a strong-willed and caustic ER nurse at Manhattan's All Saints Hospital who has no compunction about arguing with the know-it-all doctors... or of snorting some Vicodin in order to help her push past the pain of her busted back. In the gifted hands of Falco, it's inconceivable to imagine that Jackie Peyton isn't a real person, so totally does Falco embody the role.

Created by Liz Brixius, Linda Wallem, and Evan Dunsky, Nurse Jackie is midnight-dark comedy at its very best, offering a glimpse into the life of a woman who cares so deeply for her patients and yet does so much harm to herself and those around her. I had the opportunity to attend a select press screening of the first two episodes of Nurse Jackie at Showtime's offices last night and instantly fell in love with the warped world that Jackie inhabits.

In the hands of a lesser actor, I don't know that Jackie Peyton would be a sympathetic character. After all, she's a ballbuster at work, completely reliant on prescription painkillers to get her through the day, an addict and a cheat, and she doesn't suffer fools gladly. Yet Falco imbues her with a hidden vulnerability, a tenderness that comes out when she deals with her patients and their loved ones. A philosophical discussion between Jackie and her best friend, the ultra-glamorous British doctor Eleanor "Ellie" O'Hara (Eve Best), over lunch yields a key to understanding Jackie. While Ellie claims that she wanted to be a doctor because as a child she took a butter knife and cut open a dead rabbit to see "how it worked," Jackie wants to help people... even though she can't help herself most of the time. (I won't spoil for you just what Jackie does to a certain dismembered body part as it's the first episode's most shocking and triumphant moment.)

Whether it's the way that she fakes a dead bike messenger's organ donor status or steals the cash from a diplomat to give to the messenger's grieving (and broke) girlfriend, it's clear that Jackie's compassion for the people around her is both her greatest asset and her biggest hindrance. The sadness which falls over her tired face when peppy nursing student Zoey Barkow (Merritt Wever) calls her a "saint" reveals the true battle raging inside her, especially as it coincides with Jackie nearly killing a patient due to exhaustion. Is Jackie really a fraud? No, she's just a woman trying to do her job under impossible circumstances as she tries to do good and be good. And we can't help but feel for her situation.

Her attempts to heal also pit her against the often incorrect diagnoses of the arrogant doctors on her ward, especially young hotshot Dr. Fitch Cooper (Peter Facinelli) with whom Jackie seems to tangle on an almost daily basis. Cooper--or "Coop" as he prefers to be called--wears his white coat and Bluetooth like a badge of honor, though he's, much to Jackie's disappointment, as fallibly human as the other doctors around her. When Cooper's misdiagnosis results in the death of the aforementioned bike messenger, it leads to a showdown between the two... and results in Cooper grabbing Jackie's breast, a Tourette's-like condition Cooper claims compels him to make inappropriate sexual advances under stress.

While I've already raved about Edie Falco, I have to stop and say that the entire cast of Nurse Jackie is perfectly cast in their respective roles. Eve Best radiates the confidence of the upper class as the literally well-heeled Ellie; despite coming from different economic and professional worlds, the duo have a clear respect for one another that shows in their interactions. Merritt Wever is absolutely adorable as the naive Zoey, a young nurse in way over her head whose cheerfulness is counterbalanced by Jackie's own darkness. Haaz Sleiman is hilarious as gay nurse Mohammed "Mo Mo" de la Cruz, Jackie's confidante and partner in crime.

Peter Facinelli perfectly embodies the drive and arrogance of a physician who thinks he knows better than the nurses... even as he fears that he isn't really a good doctor. As Jackie's hospital boyfriend, Paul Schulze gives pharmacist Eddie Walzer a quiet tenderness that's a sharp contrast to to the chaos of the emergency room. Anna Deavere Smith is terrifying as brusque hospital administrator Gloria Akalitus, a woman who plays the game of hospital politics even as she expects Jackie to fall in line. (In fact, my only complaint about the series so far is with actor Dominic Fumusa, whose Kevin Peyton is sadly the least believable character in the group.)

Ultimately, Nurse Jackie is a reminder of why pay cable networks like Showtime remain a bastion of intelligent and compelling programming. It's hard not to fall for the charms of the sublime Edie Falco as she invites us into Jackie Peyton's helter-skelter world. And, after seeing just a single sensational episode of Nurse Jackie, I think you'll be hard pressed to want to leave.

Nurse Jackie premieres Monday, June 8th at 10:30 pm ET/PT on Showtime.

Alpha Male: Talking to Alan Tudyk about FOX's "Dollhouse"

Despite the identity of Dollhouse's malevolent Active, codenamed Alpha, leaking over the internet a few months ago, the reveal in last Friday evening's episode of Dollhouse ("Briar Rose") that Alpha had managed to infiltrate the Dollhouse with the help of Paul Ballard... in the guise of Dollhouse designer Steven Kepler, left many viewers' jaws on the ground.

Dollhouse's Alpha and the faux Steven Kepler were, of course, played by frequent Joss Whedon collaborator Alan Tudyk, best known as Wash on Whedon's short-lived FOX series Firefly (and the subsequent big screen adaptation Serenity).

Tudyk participated in a conference call on Monday with press to discuss his role on Dollhouse, what a potential Season Two could mean for Alpha, and how on earth Wash got to play Dollhouse's "god-like" Big Bad, who Tudyk says is comprised of 43 different personalities. (Just don't expect one of them to be Steve the Pirate.)

So was waltzing off with Echo into the sunset in "Briar Rose" really Alpha's game plan all along?

"I think that’s Alpha’s plan, sure," said Tudyk. "Everything that Alpha has done has been to get Echo. Whenever you see Alpha, he’s screwing with the dollhouse and it’s always around Echo and his obsession with Echo. It was his plan all along to come get Echo and that’s what it was all about. So now he has her and he gets to fulfill his plan now, which is to make her like him. Alpha isn’t really Alpha. He is Alpha, but what Alpha is this composite of people. We understand that he’s a bunch of people crammed into one. He’s 43 people at once. He’s ascended in his mind to a god-like place."

As for what a second season of Dollhouse would mean for Alpha, Tudyk was playing his cards close to his chest. "I think, the second season for Alpha--wow, I want to be able to say this without giving away," said a sly Tudyk. "I can’t say because Alpha may not make it through the next episode. He does have Echo and Alpha is a formidable person to deal with, but he has Echo and that’s playing with fire. It could blow up in his face."

As for how Tudyk landed the role, it all came down to a game of Pictionary at Nathan Fillion's house, apparently.

"[Joss] set me up really well because he didn’t tell me he was offering it to me or that he wanted me for the role when he first described it," said Tudyk. "He laid it out like the role does this, and he does this and he’s this composite of these people. He gave me a full scope of the guy that he was this person who was obsessed with Echo and was 43 people at once and has all of these skill sets crammed into one, but because he’s 43 people at once, he’s mad. But he can do many things, because he is also 43 people at once and he’s sort of godlike in his own mind. I was like, 'Oh, my God, that’s sounds so amazing. Who’s playing that?' [Joss:] I want you to play it.'"

"It was really cool. It wasn’t like we were in his office discussing work. We were over at Nathan Fillion’s house for Pictionary," he continued. "We were on a Pictionary break when he said, 'I want to talk to you about' – I was asking, I brought it up. 'What’s going on with the show? I want to hear about your new show,' because it had yet to start and we were just getting into the strike time. I was really blown away that he wanted me for it and I was excited to get to play it. [...] I don’t get to play bad asses very often."

But Whedon did give Tudyk some room to create his own take on Alpha, though Tudyk says that he was definitely relying on Whedon's own take, given how integral Alpha has been to Dollhouse's overarching plot.

"I think I had space to create him, but I was hungry for anything he gave me," said Tudyk. "Any idea he had or any information he could fill in with his vision of Alpha because it’s been shaped by all these other episodes, these different things of what other people have said about him. So I’m adding up everything people have said about him and then going to him and saying, 'Are all of these impressions of Alpha true because they’re saying that’s who he is, but are they right? What is your vision of Alpha?' I was really dependent on his vision because it’s definitely, he’s had this guy in mind since the beginning. "

"In the playing of it, in the actual shooting of it, we got to have fun and there was a lot of little bits," he went on. "But the main thing for the last episode is he wanted... that stakeout as much as possible, although it wasn’t a very well kept secret, but they created a really great role in Steven Kepler. He wanted that to be a full person that people could believe in before he flipped into one of those other personalities."

Tudyk says that he believes that Alpha has the ability to become the most perfect human specimen. "I think he has the ability to be," mused Tudyk. " I don’t think that he—like any of us, experience because in a lot of ways when you’re downloading a bunch of people, you’re downloading perspective and his experience. Somebody can go through one experience and have a conclusion about that and another person could have the same experience and have a different conclusion. Somebody can end up enlightened and somebody else could end up a villain. I think he takes the wrong lessons from his downloaded experiences. He is certainly evolved, but I don’t know, the swine flu is evolution, isn’t it? In a way, it’s an evolution of flu, that’s sort of him... I bet Alpha believes that there won’t be anybody [in the future]. Heck, no, there will be Alpha. Alpha will be there. Alpha is a god. He is forever now. He can live forever. He has the ability to live forever."

In the meantime, look for Tudyk to get to showcase some of Alpha's numerous personalities. "There’s sort of a Mickey personality that I like a lot," said Tudyk. "He’s fun, good old boy. He’s fun. He’s one of the more distinct ones that you’ll see. He has a little more room to breathe, yes, him. And then just sort of the overall Alpha, the composite guy, because there is a basic, there is a center. There is a center that when he’s in control of things, which is egomaniacal and he believes he’s God. Maybe there’s a Gar, but it’s very subtle. Actually there’s a great dodge ball player in there. He was just never given a shot. It doesn’t get a chance to do that. If he survives this episode and there’s a new season, hopefully we can flesh that out."

As for whether Alpha and Tudyk will turn up in the bonus episode of Dollhouse ("Epitaph One"), Tudyk isn't saying. "You’ll never know until you buy the DVD," he joked. "I don’t want to comment on my state beyond this episode, or Alpha’s state, my fate beyond the episode totally alive, living a healthy life in Venice, California. But Alpha’s fate, it’s uncertain."

Meanwhile, Tudyk is sworn to secrecy on his next project, ABC's pilot for a remake of sci-fi series V, written by The 4400 creator Scott Peters. "I can say this, it’s really good," said Tudyk. "I hope that they pick it up. If you’re a fan, which I was at the beginning, of the first one this is kind of everything that you remember without going back and watching because if you go back and watch the original V, you’re like, oh, I thought this was great. It looks really kind of cheesy. It fills in your memory as it should be. It’s like really awesome effects. The effects are done by [Firefly's] Zoic [and they do] all the spacecrafts and anything requiring digital enhancement... and they do a great job. And then, of course, Morena Baccarin is in it and she’s the leader of the aliens, so you can’t get any better than that."

What can viewers expect to see Alpha get up to in Friday evening's season finale of Dollhouse ("Omega")?

"I love how 'Briar Rose' ends. It was that whole Sleeping Beauty thing and you knew somebody was going to get kissed at the end. I’m glad it was Alpha kissing her, but you see that, both of us together. 'Oh, my God, yes, I know who you are. Yes, I know who you are. Come on, let’s go,'" said Tudyk. "We take it on the road. There’s maybe a kidnapping or two in the episode, but [...] for Alpha it’s about fulfilling his plan, which is just the last step. Getting Echo was the second to the last step of his ultimate plan. He’s got one more thing in place before they can really go on their worldwide domination killing spree, ruling the world spree. It’s about making her in his own image really, as far as he is this, he’s a god. In his mind he’s a god. He’s ascended and he wants to bring her up to his level of multiple personality person. So it’s cool, you’ll see."

"Tim Minear directed the next episode," continued Tudyk. "Tim was part of Firefly. He did 'War Stories.' He did my favorite episode and he’s one of my favorite directors on Firefly. The next episode he wrote and directed and I really like this next episode coming up. I think it really shows off Tim and he gets to play with all the elements, it’s such a heightened episode, as far as Echo has been kidnapped by Alpha. There’s so much to play with and he does a great job."

Dollhouse's season finale airs Friday at 9 pm ET/PT on FOX.

TV on DVD: "Gavin & Stacey Season One"

Oh, what's occurrin'? If there's one word that comes to mind when thinking of British comedy series Gavin & Stacey it's bittersweet.

Created by James Corden and Ruth Jones, Gavin & Stacey is a comedy series that's just as likely to make you laugh as it is to make you cry. It's a romantic comedy that never turns maudlin or melodramatic and finds humor in the awkwardness and beauty of young love, overbearing families, and national differences.

The first season of Gavin & Stacey, now available on DVD after a run last year on BBC America, tells the story of the romance between Essex lad Gavin (Matthew Horne) and Welsh lass Stacey (Joanna Page), the most adorable duo to hit the small screen since... well, ever. These two lovebirds instantly hit it off over the phone and finally agree to meet face to face in London and bring along their respective best friends Smithy (James Corden) and Nessa (Ruth Jones). Falling head over heels in love, Gavin and Stacey decide to get married as soon as possible, throwing their families into more chaos than usual.

I've written about Gavin & Stacey since it first came to these shores last year on BBC America and I can't say enough wonderful things about this hilarious and heartfelt series. All of the actors from the series' four amazing leads to its dynamo supporting cast--including Alison Steadman, Rob Brydon, Larry Lamb, and Melanie Walters--are not only top-notch but inhabit their roles with a dedication that makes them appear to be actual, off-their-rocker people.

Presented as a whole, Season One of this genuinely touching series depicts the rapid path from first meeting to exchanging of vows, all over the course of six sensational episodes. Unlike most American series, which would have dragged out their courtship over several seasons, Gavin & Stacey accelerate this time with wild abandon and yet it's never anything but clear how perfectly made for each other Gavin and Stacey really are, as they face the trying circumstances facing any young couple. They argue, they misunderstand, they make up, and they face the world together. (My only complaint to this day is that there seems to almost be an episode missing between the fifth and sixth installments as a row between Stacey and Gavin gets paved over with uncharacteristic lack of detail.)

All six episodes of the first season of Gavin & Stacey are presented here along with some fantastic bonus material including audio commentaries with writers/co-stars Ruth Jones and James Corden and director Christine Gernon, outtakes, a behind the scenes featurette on Gavin and Stacey's first meeting in Leicester Square, and "How It Happened," a look at the making of the series.

Ultimately, Gavin & Stacey: Season One is a must-have for any fan of whip-smart British comedy or romantic comedy in general and will undoubtedly become a frequently viewed DVD in your own household. Or as Nessa herself might say, fair play.



Gavin & Stacey Season One is now available for purchase on DVD. Own it today for the suggested retail price of $24.98 or get it for $17.49 in the Televisionary shop.

Channel Surfing: Mindy Kaling Gets Universal Deal, Josh Schwartz Talks "Chuck," HBO Goes to New Orleans with "Treme," and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

The Office co-star/writer Mindy Kaling has signed an overall deal with NBC and Universal Media Studios under which she will continue to write for and star in The Office as well as develop a new comedy project which will be a vehicle for the actress. "This is my first step in a Transformers-style way to take over the whole world," joked Kaling. "I've only ever worked for NBC, and I've felt an enormous amount of support from the executives there." Kaling says she is drawn to workplace comedies as well as buddy series such as HBO's Flight of the Conchords or projects focusing on women. (Variety)

There's still no news on the fate of NBC's Chuck, despite a massive fan-based initiative to create buzz for a third season of the action-comedy. The Hollywood Reporter's Matthew Belloni talks to Chuck co-creator/executive producer Josh Schwartz about the series' rabid fan base, Lily, the 1980's-set Gossip Girl spin-off, X-Men: First Class, Bright Lights, Big City, and more. (Hollywood Reporter)

HBO has given out a series order to New Orleans-set drama Treme, from The Wire creator David Simon and Eric Overmyer, which follows the residents of the Big Easy as they adjust to life post-Katrina. It's unclear yet how many episodes HBO has initially committed to as the pay cabler was still working out specifics of the pickup. "We don't intend to make The Wire twice," said Simon of Treme. "This is about people reconstituting their lives after their town was mostly, effectively destroyed... It's not entirely a political show. We're trying to be very intimate with people. And New Orleans is completely unique, there's nothing in the world like it." Treme, which stars Wendell Pierce, Khandi Alexander, Steven Zahn, Kim Dickens, Clarke Peters, Melissa Leo, and Rob Brown, is slated to begin production in the fall for a spring 2010 berth. (Variety)

Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent) will direct HBO fantasy pilot Game of Thrones, based on George R.R. Martin's novel series "Songs of Fire and Ice," which is slated to shoot later this year in Belfast. Joining the cast of Game of Thrones is Peter Dinklage (Nip/Tuck), who previously worked with McCarthy on The Station Agent. Dinklage will play Tyrion, the outcast brother of the queen who is shunned because of his small stature. (Hollywood Reporter)

Production has begun on three new feature-length installments of mystery series Wallander, starring Kenneth Branagh as Swedish police officer Inspector Kurt Wallander, based on a series of best-selling novels by Henning Mankell. The three new installments will be shot this summer in Ystad, Sweden, and will air on BBC One in 2010. (Meanwhile, the first three will launch this Sunday on PBS' Masterpiece Mystery.) "I'm delighted to be back in Kurt Wallander's shoes for three further adaptations," said Branagh. "The character's story becomes ever more complex in these next films. Our entire team relishes the privilege of bringing them to the screen, and to an audience who proved so loyal last time out." (BBC)

Lifetime will launch the third season of drama series Army Wives on June 7th. (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks with How I Met Your Mother co-creator/executive producer Carter Bays about Monday night's shocking twist. "We freaked out a ton of people," said Bays. "We've never really kept a big secret from the audience. And what secrets we do have we usually tell people and there are usually spoilers floating around. And this kind of felt like, 'Let's try and do something that takes everyone by surprise and really blow people's minds.' And I think we did it." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

CBS is said to be considering handing out pilot orders to revivals of classic game shows Let's Make a Deal and The Dating Game, which are being viewed as possible replacements for the daytime slot being vacated this fall by the cancellation of soap Guiding Light. (Hollywood Reporter)

FOX has cancelled Talkshow With Spike Feresten, which won't be returning for a fourth season this fall. The network is currently in the process of making over its Saturday late night lineup, having ordered a latenight series starring Wanda Sykes at 11 pm, which replaces the cancelled MadTV. (Variety)

Nickelodeon has renewed live-action comedy series True Jackson, VP, which stars Keke Palmer as the teenage exec at a fashion label, for a second season, with 20 episodes on tap for the sophomore season. (Hollywood Reporter)

Bravo has resigned its development deal with Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List producer Picture This Television, under which the shingle will produce unscripted series and specials for the cabler. (Variety)

NBC will air two-hour documentary Farrah's Story, depicting actress Farrah Fawcett's battle with cancer, on May 15th. "This film is very personal," said Fawcett. "At the time, I didn't know if anybody would ever see it. But at some point, the footage took on a life of its own and dictated that it be seen." (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Sneak Peek at Melora Hardin's Directorial Debut, "YOU"

Viewers might know Melora Hardin best from her recurring role as Jan Levinson, the sometimes lover of Michael Scott, on NBC's The Office but Hardin, set to star next in FX pilot Lights Out, has gone behind the camera for her directorial debut.

The film, YOU, is slated to be released on iTunes and Amazon this weekend... just in time for Mother's Day.
Hardin stars in the film alongside Hardin's real-life husband Gildart Jackson, who also wrote the script. YOU also stars Brenda Strong, Allison Mack, Amy Pietz, Don Michael Paul, Joely Fisher, and Kate Flannery.

The trailer and official description of the film can be found below.

"Miranda (Melora Hardin) and Rawdon (Gildart Jackson) bask in the bliss of a perfect family moment as they cuddle in bed with their infant daughter Quincey. When their family dreams are shattered, Rawdon is left to raise Quincey alone, struggling to overcome the loss of his soulmate in the hopes of finding love again."



YOU will be released online on May 8th.

Plot By Numbers: Cons, Bibles, and Lilies on "Gossip Girl"

Is it just me or has Gossip Girl become one of the most illogical series ever?

Last night's episode ("The Wrath of Con") featured the gang attempting to enact revenge against Gabriel Serrano (Armie Hammer) and Poppy Lifton (Tamara Feldman) after the duo engineered a scheme to defraud investors--including, of course, Rufus who unwisely invested Dan's college savings--out of their money by using a Madoff-style Ponzi scheme. Serena seems to think that she can handle this imbroglio on her own rather than calling in the police or FBI, a sentiment echoed by Lily but for very different reasons.

Which brings me to my original thought: in what world is it less of a scandal to have your daughter wrongly arrested for theft than for her to be connected to a high society thief, even though she had no involvement in any wrongdoing? I'm not quite sure what the hell Lily was thinking having Serena arrested (in an effort to remove her from the playing field at the Russian Tea Room), other than it's a convenient plot point to echo her own past, which will be played out in glorious 1980s tints in next week's flashback episode (itself a backdoor pilot for a Lily-centric period series).

Surely, even a spun-up Lily would see that landing Serena on the front page of every tabloid newspaper isn't exactly the best spin for this situation? I understand that she wants to teach her daughter a lesson but, by claiming to want to keep Serena's reputation intact, doesn't this rather defeat the purpose? Sure, the charges can be dropped later and Serena has time to cool off while Lily handles the "return" of the stolen funds but really?

Meanwhile, the gang turns for help to Georgina Sparks (Michelle Trachtenberg), the now reformed bad girl who now only has eyes for Jesus and whose behavior is wholly at odds with her former self. I can accept that Georgina would turn to religion for salvation after all of the awful things she did but the writers were lazy with her new characterization, turning her into a pious and pathetic choirgirl that is diametrically opposed to what we've seen of her so far and isn't at all earned. (A better and more believable twist would have been to let Georgina keep her bitchy streak but infuse it with religion, making her the poster girl for a holier-than-thou attitude.)

I can accept that Georgina would go to Manhattan to try to make amends with Blair as part of her need for forgiveness but the ludicrous plot point with the bible camp's money (for Georgina to buy bibles... because her bible camp doesn't already have enough?) rankled me beyond belief. Not sure why any bible camp would entrust this girl with money and I thought that she took off from her camp rather than was given permission to go to New York. Color me confused.

But that's the problem with last night's plot-by-numbers approach: all of the twists in the road can be seen from a mile off. As soon as Rufus made his intention to propose to Lily known, I instantly knew that (A) Lily would have to find a way to secretly pay Rufus' investment back, (B) Rufus would discover what Lily was up to and his pride would be wounded, and (C) he would call off the proposal. Yawn.

And that's just what happened, along with Eric appearing for what might be the first time in half a season, a heaping of Dan stirring up trouble on more than one occasion (really, is Dan perhaps the biggest stick-in-the-mud on television these days?), and the Chuck/Blair/Nate love triangle taking yet another outing to Snoozeville. If the writers can't come up with plausible reasons to keep Chuck and Blair apart, then they might as well put them together because the thought of Blair and Nate as a couple is like televised Ambien to me. (The entire moving-in scenario was completely over the top to me. They've been dating again for how long? Two weeks?)

All in all, I found myself screaming at the television... and not in a good way. Gossip Girl used to be a slick and smart little trifle, a guilty pleasure that showed some well-heeled teens acting like something out of Les Liaisons dangereuse. But now Gossip Girl isn't giving me any pleasure, just making me feel guilty about watching.

What did you think of last night's episode? Has Gossip Girl lost its way and its edge amid barely believable plots and mundane characterization? Discuss.

Next week on Gossip Girl ("Valley Girls"), Lily reminisces on her past as we're treated to a flashback to the 1980s, where 17-year-old Lily Rhodes (Brittany Snow) gets kicked out of boarding school and runs away to Los Angeles, where she reconnects with her black-sheep sister, Carol (Krysten Ritter); Blair and Nate attend prom together, but the evening doesn't go as planned thanks to Chuck; Serena and Lily don't see eye-to-eye over Serena's recent run-in with the law.

Tycoons and Tantrums: An Advance Review of BBC America's "The Apprentice UK"

I had long since given up watching the US version of The Apprentice, which had come to feature more finger-waggling and The Donald's bizarro hairstyle than I really liked, so I was curious to see just what the Brits had managed to accomplish with Mark Burnett's reality format.

BBC America is launching the UK version of The Apprentice, known here as Mark Burnett's The Apprentice UK, tonight with two back-to-back episodes. While these are channel premieres, astute viewers will remember that CNBC aired a batch of these episodes a few years ago before they vanished into the ether. BBC America will reair those introductory episodes as well as the entire first season of The Apprentice UK, marking a US premiere.

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised to discover that The Apprentice UK is a more slick and enjoyable format than its Yankee namesake, offering an overall more taut and polished performance than the ghastly trainwreck (ahem, Celebrity Apprentice) that the US original has become.

Adding to this rich patina is the program's host, self-made billionaire Sir Alan Sugar who reminds us repeatedly that he (A) doesn't suffer fools gladly and (B) should never be underestimated. He's the perfect Machiavellian villain for the piece and lords over the contestants with the sort of bearing typically reserved for feudal landowners or warlords. One can't shake the feeling that he's volatile, unpredictable, and dangerous.

Sir Alan is assisted in keeping an eye on the fourteen contestants (more on them in a bit) by his trusted advisers, Margaret Mountford and Nick Hewer. Mountford and Hewer are Sir Alan's eyes and ears in the field and they keep a watchful eye over the assembled wannabe apprentices, each vying for the opportunity to gain the sage advise (and a hefty paycheck) from Sir Alan. So far, Mountford and Hewer are far more reserved than their American counterparts and they remain professionally detached from the teams they are supervising. No showboating here.

The contestants themselves are the sort of mix of reality contestants that one would expect to find in a financial competition: young upstarts, egomaniacs, icy power brokers, and the truly bizarre. The contestants live together in a posh flat, though the men and women are segregated into gender-based teams for the first two challenges, which involve selling flowers and creating a pitching a new toy, after which the teams are reshuffled.

So far, it's too early to tell who will emerge the strongest but the first two episodes already show friction forming between the fourteen competitors, especially between headstrong sales manager Saira and Adele... and between Saira and Adenike... and between Saira and Miranda. I think you get my drift: loads of leaders and not too many followers here, a trend that is especially felt in the second episode when project manager Lindsay quickly makes some enemies by not being proactive enough when it comes to selecting a product to pitch. And, as we all know from watching the original format, no one likes an indecisive leader. The men's team has its own troubles as well, most notably in the form of mature student Matthew, a former stockbroker and one-time Conservative Party parliamentary candidate.

All in all, Mark Burnett's The Apprentice UK is a well-crafted reality series that furthers the franchise and gives it its own identity, ably aided by the superb Sir Alan Sugar, a sharp-clawed tiger in a Saville Row suit. And while it seems somewhat familiar, thanks to the overplayed US original series, the British accent and slick suiting give it the sheen of something new and exciting.

Mark Burnett's The Apprentice UK premieres tonight with two back-to-back episodes at 8 pm ET/PT on BBC America.

Channel Surfing: Jared Harris Suits Up for Season Three of "Mad Men," ABC Offers "Christine" a Fallback, FOX Renews "Fringe," NBC Infront, and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

Jared Harris (Fringe's David Robert Jones) has been cast in a ten-episode story arc on Season Three of AMC's period drama Mad Men, which is expected to launch in August. Harris will play Lane Pryce, the financial officer of Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency, in the series, which stars Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, January Jones, Vincent Kartheiser, Christina Hendricks, and "guest star" John Slattery. (Hollywood Reporter)

Should CBS opt not to renew comedy The New Adventures of Old Christine for a fifth season, ABC is willing to give the Warner Bros. Television-produced series, which stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, a bailout, guaranteeing it a full 22-episode season on ABC. Move marks the second time ABC has organized a deal like this on behalf of Old Christine (network head Steve McPherson is said to be a huge fan), but it's thought rather likely that CBS will renew it in the end. (Hollywood Reporter)

FOX has officially renewed sci-fi drama series Fringe, from Warner Bros. Television, for a second season. (Televisionary)

NBC unveiled some of its plans for the 2009-10 season to advertisers yesterday, which include new programs such as Parenthood, "event" series Day One, Mercy, Trauma, and comedies 100 Questions and Community. Still no official word, however, about the fate of Chuck, My Name is Earl, Medium, or Law & Order, though the Peacock will make further announcements and share its primetime schedule on May 19th. (Televisionary)

... And NBC also shared the fact that it had canceled crime drama Life and would not be bringing it back for a third season. (Televisionary)

SCI FI Wire talks to Fringe co-star Jasika Nicole, who plays Agent Astrid Farnsworth on the FOX sci-fi drama. Nicole promises that the writers will explore Astrid's past, just not this season. "They've been working on that for a really long time, and they want to make sure that it's perfect," Nicole told SCI FI Wire. "That's why we haven't seen it yet. So I'm hoping that it's going to come in Season Two. We will not get that episode in Season One, but I'm pretty sure that it will happen in Season Two, and I can't wait to find out what's in it, let me tell you." (SCI FI Wire)

Once again, CW is looking to get out of programming Sunday evenings, traditionally the netlet's lowest rated night of the week. At this time last year, the netlet had unveiled an unconventional plan to hand over its Sunday night block to Media Rights Capital, a deal which did not work out. Now CW is said to be in discussions with its affiliates to give up five hours of network time on Sundays so that it can focus on programming the rest of the week. Most of these affiliates are rumored to be talking with MGM about a movie package "on a barter advertising basis." (Variety)

SPOILER: Many Heroes fans are wondering whether Zachary Quinto will be leaving the ensemble drama now that he's donned those rubber ears to play Spock in J.J. Abrams' new Star Trek. Rest assured though that Sylar isn't going anywhere. "We can absolutely assure you that Zachary Quinto is coming back next season," writes Team Watch with Kristin. "We're hearing that Sylar is present in what's described as 'a very Fight Club-esque way.' Care to interpret what that means?" (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Paul Iacono (Human Giant) has been cast as the lead in MTV comedy pilot Hard Times, about a well-endowed geek who becomes popular after accidentally exposing himself during a sporting event. Pilot is written by Seth Grahame-Smith and will be directed/produced by David Katzenberg. (Hollywood Reporter)

Lionsgate Television has tapped Amazing Race creators Bertram Van Munster and Elise Doganieri to serve as executive producers on its new reality series Instantly Rich, described as "a lottery-style game show in which contestants enter to play via text message," which is being pitched to networks now as a one-hour primetime reality series. (Broadcasting & Cable)

Spike has now closed a deal for off-network rights to all 78 episodes so far of HBO's Entourage, as well as the sixth and any future seasons of the series for roughly $600,000 per episode. The cabler also negotiated the right to create a second window for the series on a sister network, most likely Comedy Central. (Hollywood Reporter)

Six Fox Television Stations will offer an eight-week test-run of half-hour reality series Beyond Twisted, a user generated content series from Telepictures Prods. and Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution that will feature commentary from the series' production staff. Unlike the studio's TMZ, it will steer away from celebrity-based clips. (Variety)

Mark Burnett has signed a deal to create programming based on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame. The first project under the deal will be a special celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Hollywood institution, which will be pitched to networks very soon. Burnett, meanwhile, is getting his own star on the Walk of Fame later this year. (Hollywood Reporter)

Disney XD has renewed action series Aaron Stone for a second season and handed out a series order to live-action comedy Viper Slap, starring Logan Miller as a teen who gets to lives his dream when he lands a gig as the new lead guitarist of his favorite 80s band and helps them step back into the spotlight. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

DOA: NBC Kills "Life"

While NBC made several high-profile announcements this morning at their infront presentation to advertisers, one piece of news wasn't included in the press release that the Peacock sent out to press.

Drama series Life, starring Damian Lewis, Sarah Shahi, Adam Arkin, Donal Logue, and Brent Sexton, is definitely dead.

Many held out hope that the Universal Media Studios-produced drama series, created by Rand Ravich, would have landed a midseason slot on NBC's 2009-2010 schedule, despite not garnering a mention in the press release that went out this morning.

Alas, that's not the case.

"It will not be coming back," said NBC Entertainment President Ben Silverman at today's presentation in New York of Life, which wrapped its second season last month.

Wish I had better news for Life fans but it does seem like any hopes for a third season of Life are now officially dead.

Continuing The Pattern: FOX Renews "Fringe" for Second Season

The Pattern will continue to unfold this fall.

In a move that's hardly surprising (but also about time), FOX has ordered a second season of Fringe.

The J.J. Abrams-created series was widely expected to make a return this fall on FOX (given news that Leonard Nimoy is to reprise his role as William Bell this autumn on Fringe) but the announcement marks the official pickup from FOX concerning the Warner Bros. Television-produced series.

"Fringe proved to be a notable addition to our schedule all season and it really has fans buzzing as it builds to a fantastic season finale," said FOX Entertainment President Kevin Reilly. "J.J. and the whole Bad Robot team have been phenomenal partners, and we look forward to years of making great television with them.”

“Fringe continues to gain momentum, creatively and with viewers," said series co-creator J.J. Abrams. "We couldn't be more thrilled that Fringe will continue to freak people out for at least another season!"

The full press release about the renewal can be found below.

FOX PICKS UP SECOND SEASON OF FRINGE

No. 1 New Series Among Adults 18-49 Renewed for Full Season Season Finale Guest-Starring Leonard Nimoy Airs Tuesday, May 12, on FOX

FOX has renewed FRINGE, the No. 1 new series among Adults 18-49, with a full second season, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, President, Entertainment for Fox Broadcasting Company.

“FRINGE proved to be a notable addition to our schedule all season and it really has fans buzzing as it builds to a fantastic season finale,” said Reilly. “J.J. and the whole Bad Robot team have been phenomenal partners, and we look forward to years of making great television with them.”

“FRINGE continues to gain momentum, creatively and with viewers,” said J.J. Abrams, series co-creator and executive producer. “We couldn’t be more thrilled that FRINGE will continue to freak people out for at least another season!”

FRINGE has captivated audiences this season, winning its Tuesday time period weekly among key demographics and ranks as the No. 1 new series in primetime among Adults 18-49.

Questions will be answered when the first season of FRINGE wraps up with two all-new episodes. First, on Tuesday, May 5 (9:01-10:00 PM ET/PT), Olivia experiences “awake dreams,” Walter divulges key information about the Z.F.T. manifesto and Peter reveals a secret that yields unexpected results in a disturbing case. In the climactic finale airing Tuesday, May 12 (9:04-10:00 PM ET/PT), discoveries are made, loyalties are tested, otherworldly origins are discovered and guest star Leonard Nimoy debuts as a pivotal person of interest.

Created by J.J. Abrams & Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci, FRINGE stars Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Lance Reddick, Kirk Acevedo, Blair Brown and Jasika Nicole. The series is produced by Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Abrams, Jeff Pinkner, Bryan Burk and J.H. Wyman serve as executive producers, while Kurtzman and Orci are consulting producers. Additionally, Pinkner and Wyman serve as the series’ showrunners.

Fringe airs Tuesday nights at 9 pm ET/PT on FOX.

NBC Announces Six New Series, Renews Four Returning Series... But No News for "Chuck"

NBC unveiled part of its plan for the 2009-2010 season just a few hours ahead of its infront presentation to advertisers in New York.

The Peacock ordered six new series including dramas Trauma, Parenthood, Mercy, and Day One (described as an "event series") and comedies 100 Questions and Community.

NBC also officially announced that it had renewed dramas Heroes and Southland and comedy Parks and Recreation, as well as ordering six new installments of Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday.

As expected, there was no mention of on the bubble series like Chuck, Law & Order, and My Name is Earl, although the network was quick to acknowledge that additional renewals and pickups will be announced May 19th, when NBC announces its full 2009-2010 schedule. (Also missing: Medium, which some news outlets had reported as already being renewed.)

It's a rather full offering (with the potential for further orders), considering that NBC has lost its 10 pm hour during the week. Just how all of these series, along with the slew of programs that the Peacock had already renewed ahead of its infront presentation (including The Office, 30 Rock, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Biggest Loser,Celebrity Apprentice, and Friday Night Lights), will fit into the complicated rubric that is NBC's primetime schedule remains to be seen.

The full press release from NBC, along with descriptions, photos, and featurettes about the new series, can be found below.

NBC ANNOUNCES AMBITIOUS LINEUP OF PROGRAMMING DOMINATED BY NEW SCRIPTED SERIES FOR 2009-2010 PRIMETIME SEASON THAT EXTENDS THE NETWORK'S QUALITY BRAND

New Series Include Four Dramas: Trauma, Parenthood, Mercy and the Event Series Day One as Well as Two Comedies: Community and 100 Questions

Returning Series Pickups Include Heroes, Southland, Parks and Recreation and Six New Episodes of Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday

NEW YORK CITY – May 4, 2009 – NBC unveiled today a strong lineup of broad and diverse quality programming for the 2009-2010 television season announcing the pickups of six new series featuring four new dramas including Trauma, Parenthood, Mercy and the event series Day One, as well as two new comedies including Community and 100 Questions. Four returning series pickups were also announced today including Heroes, Southland, Parks and Recreation and the addition of six new episodes of Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday skewering today's top stories in live half-hour primetime shows.

The new and returning series will launch next season and the epic event series Day One is slated to premiere out of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

The Jay Leno Show will be broadcast Monday-Fridays, 10-11 p.m. ET beginning in the fall. Previously announced series pickups include The Office, 30 Rock, The Biggest Loser, The Celebrity Apprentice, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Friday Night Lights, and new alternative series The Marriage Ref, Breakthrough With Tony Robbins and Who Do You Think You Are?

Additional series pickups will be announced May 19, when NBC announces its 2009-2010 schedule.

NBC unveiled pickups for the upcoming broadcast season in the first of a series of presentations today and tomorrow to key advertisers from Studio 8H-the home of NBC's Saturday Night Live-at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. Presentations will continue in Chicago on May 7 and Los Angeles on May 12.

"We are thrilled to be announcing such an awesome slate of new series that build on our existing quality brand and deliver emotional, human stories," said Ben Silverman, Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios. "NBC will strive to make viewers feel and our shows represent the full range of human emotion from laughter to tears. We can't wait to share these concepts with our audience and our advertising partners."

"These new series will showcase fresh talent and bold, original concepts that are extremely well executed," said Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios. "We are grateful to the producers, casts and crews -- and our team -- who have delivered incredibly compelling and entertaining new series."
In response to an evolving media marketplace and the changing needs of advertisers, NBC has created a more innovative, client-centric approach to its traditional Upfront with a series of one-on-one client presentations, which began today in New York City. These presentations are interactive and, unlike other networks' Upfront presentations, will include a Q & A with advertisers and NBC sales and entertainment executives.

NBC will also host advertisers and affiliates at a "Night of Comedy" featuring appearances by some of its biggest comedy stars including Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Rainn Wilson and Tracy Morgan on Tuesday, May 19 in New York City.

2009-2010 NEW SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

New Dramas:

PARENTHOOD

From the executive producers of the box-office hit Parenthood -- Ron Howard and Brian Grazer (Oscar winners for "A Beautiful Mind"), and writer/executive producer Jason Katims ("Friday Night Lights") -- this contemporary re-imagining of the blockbuster film depicts the colorful and imperfect Braverman family -- four grown siblings sharing the headaches, heartaches and joy of being parents. The star-studded cast includes Peter Krause, Maura Tierney, Craig T. Nelson, Dax Shepard, Bonnie Bedelia, Monica Potter, Erika Christensen and Sarah Ramos. When Sarah Braverman (Tierney, "ER"), a financially strapped single mother, returns home to her parents and siblings in Berkeley, Calif. after packing up her Fresno apartment and uprooting her two inconvenienced kids, Amber (Mae Whitman, "In Treatment") and Drew (Miles Heizer, "ER"), she is greeted by her opinionated father, Zeek (Nelson, "Family Stone," "Coach"), and strong mother, Camille (Bedelia, "Heart Like a Wheel"), who are privately dealing with their own marital issues. As Sarah is reunited with her siblings -- sister, Julia (Christensen, "Traffic"), and brothers Crosby (Shepard, "Baby Mama") and Adam (Krause, "Six Feet Under") -- all struggling with issues of their own, it's clear that the Braverman reunion is just what they need to face the everyday challenges of modern family life. "Parenthood" is a production from Imagine Entertainment and Universal Media Studios. Emmy winner Thomas Schlamme ("The West Wing") directs the pilot.



TRAUMA

Executive producer Peter Berg (NBC's "Friday Night Lights") delivers "Trauma," the first high-octane medical drama series to live exclusively in the field where the real action is. Like an adrenaline shot to the heart, "Trauma" is an intense, action-packed look at one of the most dangerous medical professions in the world: first responder paramedics. When emergencies occur, the trauma team from San Francisco General is first on the scene, traveling by land, by sea or by air to reach their victims in time. From the heights of the city's Transamerica Pyramid to the depths of the San Francisco Bay, these heroes must face the most extreme conditions to save lives -- and give meaning to their own existence in the process. Starring in "Trauma" are Derek Luke ("Notorious"), Cliff Curtis ("10,000 B.C"), Anastasia Griffith ("Damages"), Aimee Garcia ("George Lopez"), Kevin Rankin ("Friday Night Lights") and Jamey Sheridan ("Law & Order: Criminal Intent"). "Trauma" is a production of Universal Media Studios and Film 44. Berg, Sarah Aubrey ("Bad Santa," "Friday Night Lights"), Dario Scardapane and Jeffrey Reiner ("Friday Night Lights") serve as executive producers. The pilot was written by Scardapane and directed by Reiner.



MERCY

"Mercy," a new medical drama with a unique point of view, portrays the lives of the staff at Mercy Hospital as seen through the eyes of those who know it best -- its nurses. Nurse Veronica Callahan (Taylor Schilling, "Dark Matter") returns to Mercy from a military tour in Iraq -- and she knows more about medicine than all of the residents combined. Together with fellow nurses Sonia Jimenez (Jamie Lee Kirchner, "Rescue Me") and Chloe Payne (Michelle Trachtenberg, "Gossip Girl"), Callahan navigates through the daily traumas and social landmines of life and love both inside the hospital and out in the real world. The cast also includes: James Tupper ("Men in Trees") as Dr. Chris Sands, a new doctor at the hospital who complicates Veronica's life; Diego Klattenhoff ("Supernatural") as Mike Callahan, Veronica's husband; and Guillermo Diaz ("Weeds") as Nurse Angel Lopez. "Mercy" is a production from Universal Media Studios and Berman Braun. Joining writer/executive producers Liz Heldens (NBC's "Friday Night Lights") and Gretchen Berg & Aaron Harberts ("Pushing Daisies," "Pepper Dennis") are executive producers Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun. Emmy Award winner Adam Bernstein (NBC's "30 Rock," "Rescue Me") is the director.



DAY ONE

From executive producer/writer Jesse Alexander ("Heroes," "Lost," "Alias") and director Alex Graves ("Fringe," "Journeyman"), "Day One" tells the story of life on earth following a global catastrophe that has devastated the world's infrastructures. Beginning with the immediate aftermath of the cataclysmic event, an eclectic band of survivors -- played by Adam Campbell ("Date Movie"), Catherine Dent ("The Shield"), Julie Gonzalo ("Eli Stone"), David Lyons ("ER"), Derek Mio ("Greek"), Carly Pope ("24"), Thekla Reuten ("Sleeper Cell") and Addison Timlin ("Cashmere Mafia") -- strives to rebuild society as they unravel the mysteries of what happened and face their uncertain future. The group, all residents of one apartment building in suburban Van Nuys, Calif., embarks on a quest for survival and discovers that hope is found in small victories -- and heroes are born every day. "Day One" is a Universal Media Studios production.



New Comedies:

100 QUESTIONS (fka 100 Questions for Charlotte Payne)

Emmy winner James Burrows ("Will & Grace," "Friends") directs "100 Questions," a new comedy series written and executive-produced by Christopher Moynihan ("For Your Consideration") that provides hilarious answers to 100 questions about love. Charlotte Payne (Sophie Winkleman, "Peep Show") is looking for love and has rejected multiple marriage proposals -- but she has yet to meet Mr. Right. When she joins a popular online dating site, she gets a little help from her dating counselor Ravi (Amir Talai, "The Ex List") – who requires her to take a 100-question compatibility test. The questions aren't easy for Charlotte to answer, and each one requires her to recount a poignant and humorous time in her life with friends Leslie (Elizabeth Ho, "Women's Murder Club"), Jill (Joy Suprano, NBC's "Law & Order"), Mike (Christopher Moynihan "For Your Consideration") and Wayne (David Walton "Quarterlife"). The test becomes a journey of self-discovery for Charlotte who begins to realize what she truly wants in a relationship. Ron West ("Psych"), Kelly Kulchak ("Psych") and Michelle Nader ("King of Queens") join Moynihan as executive producers. The series is produced by Universal Media Studios and Tagline.



COMMUNITY

From Emmy Award-winning directors Joe and Anthony Russo ("Arrested Development") comes "Community," a smart comedy series about higher education -- and lower expectations. The student body at Greendale Community College is made up of high-school losers, newly divorced housewives, and old people who want to keep their minds active. Within these not-so-hallowed halls, "Community" focuses on a band of misfits, at the center of which is a fast-talkin' lawyer whose degree has been revoked (Joel McHale, "The Soup"), who form a study group and end up learning a lot more about themselves than they do about their course work. In addition to McHale, the series also stars: Gillian Jacobs ("The Book of Daniel"); Yvette Nicole Brown ("Rules of Engagement"); Danny Pudi ("Greek"); Alison Brie ("Mad Men"); and comedy legend Chevy Chase ("Saturday Night Live"). "Community" is a Krasnoff Foster Entertainment, Harmonious Claptrap and Russo Brothers production in association with Sony Pictures Television and Universal Media Studios. Russ Krasnoff ("The Soloist"), Dan Harmon ("The Sarah Silverman Program"), Joe Russo ("Arrested Development"), Anthony Russo ("Arrested Development") and Gary Foster ("The Soloist") serve as executive producers. Joe and Anthony Russo directed the pilot that was written by Dan Harmon.



Stay tuned.

A Pebble on the Beach: An Advance Review of Season Two of "Ashes to Ashes"

Those of you hooked on Life on Mars sequel series Ashes to Ashes (well, those of us in the States, anyway) are going to have to wait a little while longer to check in with DI Alex Drake (Keeley Hawes).

BBC America was meant to launch the second season of the Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharoah-created series this past weekend but opted to push the start of Season Two of Ashes to Ashes until later this year. Which left many of the series' US-based fans in the lurch. Rather like Alex Drake herself.

Luckily for me, I have friends in the UK with access to BBC One, so this weekend I sat down with feverish anticipation to watch the first two episodes of Ashes to Ashes' darkly seductive second season. So what are the fictional constructs up to this time around? Let's discuss. (Beware: there are spoilers below for the first two episodes.)

Set six months after the events of Ashes to Ashes' freshman season, Season Two finds Alex Drake adapting to life in her new reality. It's 1982 and Maggie Thatcher's England is about to be plunged into a conflict with Argentina over the Falklands. As Alex contends with the bullish behavior of her supervisor DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) and discovers a seething nest of corruption within the Metropolitan Police, she also makes a shocking discovery that makes her question the very nature of her predicament.

While it's been fairly certain that Alex didn't in fact travel back in time to the year 1981 at the start of the series, Alex has been operating under the assumption that this world is wholly of her creation, a series of puzzles that her subconscious has created for her to solve in order to stay alive after being shot at point blank range in the present day. While her body, clinging to life, is discovered in 2008, Alex learns that she's not alone in this world: there's another "time traveler" with her in 1982, one who is not sure whether he can trust Alex to become his partner or whether they're slated to be enemies.

This figure, whom I'll refer to as The Stranger, has an agenda of his own and it's a sinister one, to boot. In the first episode of Season Two, he drugs and kidnaps Alex and holds her against his will while he interrogates her about what she is doing in this world. It's an eerie and terrifying scene that presages some new terrors ahead for Alex. The mystery surrounding the Pierrot Clown might be solved (and the Clown is missing from Season Two) but The Stranger presents some major complications for Alex.

For one, The Stranger seems to be three or four steps ahead of her and is patently aware of her presence in this dystopia. He seeks her out, kidnaps her, and looks to get some answers but isn't at all pleased with her answers. And he's not only got information about Alex (as well as access to her flat and a penchant for leaving red roses and creepy notes), but also about the future: he knows that Princess Diana is going to die at Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris. In fact, he claims that he was on the scene of the Princess' death... and his words seem to indicate that he could be a police officer as well.

While some could argue that The Stranger is just another fictional construct that Alex's dying brain has built for her, a speed bump on the road back to consciousness in the present day, there's a major clue in the season's opening scene that would seem to indicate otherwise. Season Two opens with two nurses watching a television news report about Alex Drake's disappearance while a comatose man lays in a hospital ward bed. One nurse claims that they shouldn't be talking about these things in front of him as he can likely hear what they are saying. Hmmm... Which would explain just how The Stranger knew about Alex's presence in the world and when the police discovered her wounded body in the present day as well. He's the comatose man in said hospital bed and he is receiving information about the present day, just like Sam Tyler did in Life on Mars, by processing it through his unconscious body.

Which, if it's true, is a rather fantastic, original, and unexpected twist. It would mean that Alex Drake isn't the only "time traveler" in this world and that it's not a figment of her imagination, but another reality that the fatally wounded can access: a purgatory between life and death in which the traumatic and critical events from their own lives are jumbled up into a specific time period. And it could mean, as Alex suspects in the second episode, that Gene Hunt could even be a real person himself and not just a construct that she and Sam have encountered.

Likewise, as Alex seeks to solve the mystery of The Stranger and find a way home, she finds herself enmeshed in battling corruption within the Metropolitan Police, a Herculean feat since it has taken hold of Superintendant "Supermac" Mackintosh (Roger Allam) and several other officers... and which involves a Masonic Lodge. How widespread this corruption goes is unclear but it seeks to involve Gene Hunt, who receives an invitation to join the secret society from the sinister Supermac himself. Whether it's this fraternal order that was behind the murder of a police officer in Soho (investigated by Drake and Hunt in the first episode) remains to be seen but from the way that the suspect, another officer, whisperers to Alex that "we are everywhere, like pebbles on the beach," one can't shake the feeling that the conspiracy is growing.

It's likely going to be a while before US viewers get the opportunity to catch the second season of Ashes to Ashes, which is already shaping up to be a real treat, but I can say that it is going to be worth the wait. Season Two forces Keeley Hawes' Alex Drake into a much more proactive position as she seeks to unmask the conspirators within the Met and tangles head-first with Gene Hunt himself. Likewise, the subplot involving The Stranger gives the sophomore season a strong throughline and a slick aura of menace.

All in all, the first two episodes of Ashes to Ashes' second season kick the Quattro into top gear, presenting a series of tantalizing new possibilities for Alex Drake, new enemies for Drake and Hunt, and an intriguing overarching plot that increases the tension and danger for our New Wave heroes. I just can't wait to see what happens next.

Ashes to Ashes will return to BBC America later this year.

Channel Surfing: NBC Renews "Southland," Zachary Levi Teases Season Three of "Chuck," Rob Thomas Talks "Party Down," and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing. All eyes are on NBC today as the net plans to unveil to advertisers a slew of new and returning series at its "infront" in New York. Loads of rumors are flying around about the fate of several projects so please take any reports with a grain of salt until they are officially confirmed by NBC.

NBC has renewed freshman drama Southland for a second season of thirteen episodes, despite the fact that the series came in third place on Thursday. However, execs are said to be high on the John Wells-executive produced drama from Warner Bros. Television and believe it has the potential to become a hit... though it will have to do so in a timeslot other than the 10 pm hour as NBC will be handing over that timeslot to Jay Leno this fall. Freshman comedy Parks and Recreation is also expected to get a second season order today as well, though it's thought that NBC may delay decisions on such series as Chuck and such pilots as David E. Kelley's legal dramedy Legally Mad and Katee Sackhoff-led Lost & Found until after the infront. (Hollywood Reporter)

Chuck star Zachary Levi hinted at what a third season of the series might look like (should it get renewed, that is) after the game-changing reveal of last week's season finale, though Levi believes the "chances are good" that NBC will pick it up for a third season. "Chuck now has the new version of the Intersect in his head and not only does that one allow him to flash on information, it also allows him to get physical powers and techniques," Levi told Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. "Like he might need kung fu for an assignment and then he uses it and it goes away. The powers are fleeting. That would be the third season." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan talks to Rob Thomas, co-creator of Starz's Party Down about the comedy series, its chances for a second season ("All signs are saying that we will get another year"), Kristen Bell turning up for the season finale, and the actors themselves. "All the actors had a really good time, and it's a pretty happy place to work. I'm hopeful we can sign them up for another year," Thomas told Ryan. "The chances are good." (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Chuck star Zachary Levi also admitted over the weekend that it's possible NBC won't decide the fate of Chuck until several weeks after today's infront presentation. "I thought we were going to hear about it this Monday because NBC's announcing a bunch of its schedule, but I just got an email from [Chuck executive producer] Josh Schwartz, and he said stay positive, [but] we're not going to find out on Monday," Levi told E! Online. It could be another week or two. They're making their final tallies and decisions." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Among the announcements NBC is expected to make today are several series orders on both the drama and comedy sides. Looking likely for pickup are dramas Parenthood and Trauma (with Legally Mad and Lost & Found still in the mix) and comedies 100 Questions for Charlotte Payne and Community, while Off Duty is also looking like a strong contender as well. (Variety)

The Peacock also reportedly renewed Medium for a sixth season. While NBC hasn't officially announced the renewal, sources have indicated that NBC had signed a deal with CBS Paramount for somewhere between thirteen and eighteen episodes of Medium next season. (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks to Dollhouse's Alan Tudyk about Alpha, muscle, and his character's relationship with Eliza Dushku's Echo. "I've always been a raving lunatic in front of Joss," said Tudyk about the darkness in his role. "He saw that side of me the time I trashed his house because I was crazy that day. [Laughs] I was really happy he saw me as that. It's quite a compliment to offer me a role like this, because it's not easy." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Despite the fact that it hasn't even launched yet, FOX has gone ahead and ordered a second season of Family Guy spin-off series Cleveland, ordering thirteen additional episodes that will bring the pre-launch total to 35 installments for the series. Cleveland is set to launch this fall with 22 episodes and the additional 13 episodes are set for fall 2010; move was made to ensure continuous production on the animated comedy. (Hollywood Reporter)

Jeffrey Dean Morgan has confirmed to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello that he will reprise his role as Denny on ABC's Grey's Anatomy one last time before the end of the season... but that's it. "I can confirm that I will be coming back one more time," said Morgan. "I think it will be done after that. I think I have been on the Grey's Anatomy set for the last time." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Joseph Morgan (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World), Emily VanCamp (Brothers & Sisters), and Stephen Campbell Moore (Ashes to Ashes) have joined the cast of Alchemy's four-hour mini-series Ben-Hur, joining the previously cast Ray Winstone, Kristen Kruek, Hugh Bonneville, Alex Kingston, Lucia Jimenez, Miguel Angel Munoz, Marc Warren, Art Malik, and James Faulkner. (Hollywood Reporter)

June Whitfield (Absolutely Fabulous) and David Harewood (Robin Hood) are set to appear in this year's Doctor Who Christmas special, part of David Tennant's two-part swan song on the series. "This is another classic piece of casting from Andy Pyor and his team," said Doctor Who producer Tracie Simpson. "June is practically television royalty! The entire crew's been having so much fun filming with her, and her presence gives the whole story that extra sparkle, just in time for Christmas." (Digital Spy)

Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Prods. has signed a multi-year overall deal with Jenny McCarthy to develop projects on various platforms, including a syndicated talk show that McCarthy would host and a blog featured on Oprah.com, the latter of which launched on Friday. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Beyond Here Lies Nothing: HBO Unveils "True Blood" Season Two Trailer

Ready to sink your teeth into something sweet?

True Blood might not return for another month and a half but HBO has just tonight unveiled a lush new trailer for the vampire drama's second season, which kicks off next month on the pay cabler.

Besides for the glimpse into True Blood's sophomore season, the gorgeously shot trailer also features Bob Dylan's new song "Beyond Here Lies Nothing."

So what are you waiting for? Go on and take a bite.





Season Two of True Blood launches Sunday, June 14th on HBO.

The Second Flower is Yellow: A Look Back and a Look Ahead at FOX's "Dollhouse"

With only two episodes left of FOX's Dollhouse, the pressure is on for Agent Paul Ballard (Tahmoh Penikett) to locate the Dollhouse while Echo (Eliza Dushku) and the other Actives deal with their own growing self-awareness.

What better time than the present then to take a look back at the last ten or so episodes of Season One of Dollhouse... and take a look into the future with a glimpse at some of the action from the next two episodes, thanks to the good folks at FOX?

But beware: there are spoilers for the penultimate episode and the season finale lurking in the below video. You've been warned.



Dollhouse airs tonight at 9 pm ET/PT on FOX.

"Death Doesn't Change Us More Than Life": An Advance Review of PBS' "The Old Curiosity Shop"

“Nobody ever did, or ever will, escape the consequences of his choices.” - Alfred Montapert

In this case, it's not just our own choices that we need fear the consequences from but those of others as well.

In Masterpiece Classic's The Old Curiosity Shop, an adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel that aired in the UK on ITV in 2007, a young girl and her gambling addict grandfather must flee from the titular shop after they are ruined from his debts and are relentlessly pursued by one of Dickens' most loathsome and terrifying villains, the evil and sadistic (not to mention grotesque) Daniel Quilp.

The girl in question is The Old Curiosity Shop's eternally patient and tragic Little Nell (Becoming Jane's Sophie Vavasseur), a candidate for sainthood if there ever was one who bears the indignities of her situation with an almost ethereal distance from the grubbiness of the situation at hand. Certainly not helping matters is her self-serving grandfather (Diamonds' Sir Derek Jacobi), a degenerate gambler who is burning through their meager savings at an alarming rate and who puts Nell's entire future in jeopardy by borrowing money from the hideous and inhuman Daniel Quilp (Frost/Nixon's Toby Jones).

To say that Quilp is a monster is an understatement; e ranks as one of the most loathsome of Dickens' rogues gallery. Jones imbues Quilp with all of the malice and depravity one could expect from this awful human being: he terrorizes his poor young wife Betsey (The Outsiders' Anna Madeley) and intends to send her to an early grave (hell, he makes clear his intent to woo 14-year-old Little Nell when she comes of age), conspires to jail an innocent boy for theft in an effort to keep him from assisting a mystery man also looking for Nell and her grandfather.

But one wishes that The Old Curiosity Shop, written by Martyn Hesford and directed by Brian Percival, had been significantly longer than its meager 100-minute running time. Forced to cram in the story's most significant plot points into this one-of format, Hesford has missed much of the plot's nuance and the relationship between Nell and her grandfather remains sadly one note. We glimpse Nell's devotion to her grandfather in spite of his selfishness but we never actually see any tenderness or devotion of the man towards his granddaughter. Likewise, the plot speeds along at such an alarming rate that the many high-profile actors performing the supporting roles become little more than flashes of color, what one might glimpse as they soar through the countryside on a speeding carriage.

The actors who round out the cast are The Office's Martin Freeman, Atonement's Gina McKee, My Family's Zoe Wanamaker, Blackpool's Bryan Dick, Skins' Josie Lawrence, and Lewis' Geoff Breton. All manage to provide memorable performances in their brief span on the screen but the shortness of the piece doesn't allow for much use of Dickens' trademark labyrinthine plots, where multiple characters' storylines intersect with delicious coincidence.

All in all, The Old Curiosity Shop is a serviceable adaptation of one of Dickens' lesser known works but coming on the heels of the far superior adaptation of Little Dorrit as it does, its faults are glaringly obvious. Still, devotees of Dickens would be wise to tune in if only to see Jones' fascinating portrayal of Quilp... and would be wise to try and put the memory of his performance out of their heads before bedtime.

The Old Curiosity Shop, part of Masterpiece Classic, airs Sunday night on PBS. Check your local listings for details.

Channel Surfing: Lindelof on "Lost" Finale, Olyphant Not Leaving "Damages," "Southland" Cast Feeling Positive About Renewal, and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Just shortly after the airing of Lost's 100th episode, The New York Times' Dave Itzkoff recalls a recent interview with showrunner Damon Lindelof about he and the writing staff are preparing for the end of Lost in May 2010. "I think one of our biggest concerns is reaching the climax of the story too soon – you have to time it right, you have to walk that line between giving a steady supply of story and character pathos and mysteries being answered along the way, so that the audience doesn’t feel like it all comes in one big chunk," said Lindelof. "But then if you do it too soon, they kind of feel like, 'I got everything that I cared about halfway through the season, so why am I still watching?' And it’s terrifying. Finally, we’re going to do it. There’s no excuses, we don’t get to say, 'We didn’t get to end the show on our own terms. They kept us on the air three years longer than we wanted to be. Blah blah blah.' It’s like Galactica, you have to say, 'Here it is, do you like it? I hope you like it.' There’s a lot of second-guessing going on. I think the show will end exactly as it began. There’ll be people who love it, there’ll be people who hate it. There’ll be people who’ll be confused by it, there’ll be people who love being confused. It’ll end on its own terms." (New York Times' ArtsBeat)

Despite landing the lead role in an FX drama pilot, Timothy Olyphant won't be leaving the cast of FX's Damages, says series co-creator Todd Kessler. "We had a fantastic time working with him, and he’s expressed interest in wanting to come back," said Kessler. "And that pilot that he’s in is actually for FX and for the same studio that does our show, Sony, so it couldn’t be more conducive to bringing him back for our season as well." Later, Kessler also added that, while they hope that Olyphant's pilot gets ordered to series, they would love him to return for Season Three of Damages, should the scheduling work out. (Business Insider)

The cast of NBC's new drama series Southland are certain that they'll be getting renewed for next season. "We are feeling positive," said Southland's Regina King. "We're getting really great feedback. The reviews have been good, but it's not the reviews that make us feel confident. It's the fact that all of us have had at least nine or 10 instances each where we've been in the grocery store or the car wash and someone has been like, ‘Oh my God, I love that show!' "(E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Signs meanwhile are looking promising for a potential third season order for NBC's Chuck and a second season renewal for Parks and Recreation, while ABC is gearing up to order sci-fi series Flash Forward, for which the network launched a viral campaign this week during Lost. NBC is also said to be high on dramas Parenthood, Trauma, and Mercy while Legally Mad and Lost & Found received mixed responses but could still be in the mix. (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks to Ugly Betty showrunner Silvio Horta about what to expect next season on the ABC drama, Justin's sexuality, Betty's braces, and Ashley Jensen's departure from the series. Of the latter, Horta said, "It was mutual. She's amazing. From the get-go, we found some really good stories for her, but we never found enough to service her character the way we wanted to and the way she wanted to. She wanted to do more, but it was [difficult] with a large ensemble like this to give her more. I hope in the future she'll come back. She's an important part of the show. [...] Next week's episode will [set things in motion] with Wilhelmina's baby – or her supposed baby – and it's going to lead to a lot of complications." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick will guest star in the upcoming third season of Showtime comedy Californication, where he will play Balt, a vampire lit-obsessed student of Hank Moody (David Duchovny). He's slated to appear in the season's second episode. (TVGuide.com)

HBO will launch new comedy series Hung, which stars Thomas Jane, Anne Heche, Jane Adams, Charlie Saxton, and Eddie Jemison, on June 28th at 10 pm ET/PT behind the Season Two premiere of drama True Blood. (Futon Critic)

Disney Channel has ordered a third season of The Wizards of Waverly Place, starring Selena Gomez, and has announced an original Wizards telpic, following the Russo clan as they go on a vacation to the Caribbean resort where their parents met, set to debut in August. (Hollywood Reporter)

Showtime drama series Dexter won't return until the fall but Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks to executive producer Sara Colleton about what to expect for Season Four. "This season, we're going to deal with: Can a serial killer juggle a personal life, work, and his 'dark passenger'?" said Colleton. "In other words, can Dexter have it all? Which is something all of us grapple with every day of our lives. So we're taking something that is a very human dilemma and putting it through the prism of Dexter's special needs." Ausiello has more specific detail about what to expect for Season Four, but beware: it's very spoilery. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Mark Burnett Prods. has acquired international remake rights for Starz comedy Head Case, marking the first time that the company has attempted to sell a scripted series format outside of the US. (Variety)

NBC Universal executive Nora O'Brien died unexpectedly on the set of NBC pilot Parenthood on Wednesday evening after complaining of dizziness and then collapsing. "Our hearts go out to the family and friends of our beloved colleague Nora, who was respected and cherished by so many people in the entertainment community," said NBC Universal in a statement. "She'll truly be missed by all of us." [Those of you who knew Nora knew her warm and generosity. She'll definitely be missed.] (Hollywood Reporter)

ITV has denied reports in The Sun that it had canceled sci-fi series Primeval, which launches its third season Stateside on May 16th on BBC America. "It's not true - it's not going to be axed," said an ITV spokesperson. "It just hasn't been recommissioned and it is not unusual to wait for a series to run before considering recommission." (Digital Spy)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has offered up a cheat sheet for the statuses of all new and returning series on broadcast networks. Take a quick look at the list, organized by network, to see which of your favorite series are tipped to return, guaranteed a renewal, or guaranteed a swift cancellation. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Stay tuned.

Killing Time: Calculating the Variables on "Lost"

A mother's love or the icy logic of a woman doomed to know how events will unfold?

Last night's 100th episode of Lost ("The Variable"), written by Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis, forced the audience to see the strained relationship between Daniel Faraday and his mother Eloise Hawking in a very different light.

Providing the audience with the first scenes of the duo together, this week's installment cast a light on Daniel's complex backstory, giving us a glimpse into his childhood, his time at Oxford with doomed lover/lab assistant Theresa, and his memory loss... as well as revealing what many of us have suspected for some time now: Daniel Faraday's true parentage.

So what did I think of this week's episode of Lost? Put on your Dharma jumpsuit, grab your journal, turn off the pylons, and let's discuss the 100th episode of Lost, "The Variable."

Daniel Faraday. I was beyond thrilled to see Faraday back in the mix this week, having arrived back on the island after a stint doing research at Dharma HQ in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The reason for his sudden return? A fax showing the new Dharma recruits--namely Jack, Kate, and Hurley--posing for that photograph which keeps seeming to pop up all over the place. Arriving via the sub, Faraday tells Jack that Eloise had made a mistake: this isn't their destiny. In fact, Faraday wants to undo everything from happening: prevent the release of electromagnetic energy at the Swan... which will prevent them from concreting the structure and devising the pressing of the button every 108 minutes... which Desmond would then never have to press... which means that he won't ever fail to press the button that one time... which means that Oceanic Flight 815 won't ever crash on the island. (Whew.)

How utterly heartbreaking was the scene where Faraday tells Young Charlotte that she needs to leave the island with her mother? Repeating Charlotte's dying words ("I'm not supposed to have chocolate before dinner"), Young Charlotte receives the message that she was always meant to have from the "scary man." And she does leave the island but in doing so she will return in the future, regardless of how much Faraday would seek to alter the timeline and save her life. Some deaths can't be prevented.

In fact, Faraday has now changed his opinion about their relationship to the past; whereas before he claimed that they couldn't change anything (whatever happened will still happen), he now believes that they are the variables in the equation. Their free will can alter events. He can save Charlotte and get her off the island, he can prevent the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 from ever arriving on the island, he can change his destiny... Except that he can't. After escaping the Barracks, Daniel arrives at the hostile's camp and demands to see Eloise but is rebuffed by Richard Alpert, following a moment of frisson between the two of them in which Richard seems to recognize Daniel (from their 1954 encounter with Jughead)... and then Faraday is shot by Ellie herself. Just why did Richard lie about Ellie not being there? And why did Ellie shoot even though Richard had the situation under control?

So is Daniel Faraday dead? It certainly seems that way. I'm not sure how that jibes with the infamous Comic-Con video, in which Daniel Faraday compels Pierre Chang to film a message that predicts the destruction of the Dharma Initiative during The Purge and is a call to arms to reform the Dharma Initiative, thanks to some knowledge from the future. Given that this event had to take place after Faraday's encounter with Chang at The Orchid (which, yes, did take place after his return from Ann Arbor and not before). So does it mean that Faraday somehow manages to survive Ellie's gunshot? Is there time for Richard to take Faraday to The Temple to be healed, just as he did Benjamin Linus? Hmmm... Or is it curtains for Faraday after all? (I'm thinking he's a goner.)

We now know just what happened to his memory and why he was so visibly shaken by the footage of the faked crash site of Oceanic Flight 815. Before testing his experiment on Theresa (and sending her consciousness reeling through time), he tested it on himself, causing his short-term memory to become jumbled. And yet there's a sense that he's also able to recall future events as well, realizing just what significance the crash will have. And, as predicted by Widmore and Eloise, the island does heal him, allowing him to realign his consciousness, exert control of his memory, and regain the ability to calculate complex equations.

Eloise Hawking. Aristotle in his "Poetics" mentions the Greek word hamartia, which isn't easily defined in English. It means something akin to sin, often ascribed to an error in judgment, a tragic flaw within a character's makeup that leads to their downfall. Watching last night's episode of Lost, I was struck by the notion that Eloise Hawking is trapped by her own hamartia: the second she picked up that gun and shot Daniel Faraday in the back.

Eloise has known since 1977 that she would kill her son and yet everything that she has done to push Daniel towards his destiny has been a series of actions to propel him towards his inevitable death at her hands. She's always known that he would end up on that island and formed him into the very person he needed to be in order to get there, with full knowledge of the harm she would inevitably cause him. Is it a sacrifice, as Widmore tells her? Is it an inevitable end to Daniel's life, one that can't be stopped, just as the man with the red sneakers will die regardless of whether she prevents his death? Why does her belief in inexorable fate counteract that of Daniel's belief in free will? Is it that the variables can change but the outcome is always the same?

Charles Widmore. We now know for certain that Widmore was behind the faked crash of Oceanic Flight 815 and that he is Daniel Faraday's father (a hunch many of us had after learning that he was bankrolling Faraday's research and knew Ellie on the island). I'm still unclear as to why Daniel's last name is Faraday and not either Hawking or Widmore but I absolutely loved the scene between Faraday and Widmore when the latter visits an addled Faraday and offers him an assignment: to be part of his research team and travel to the island. I'm still not clear what Widmore and Eloise's endgame is: to ensure that everything that has happened does come to pass? That everything plays out the way it always has? That 1977 happens as it always has? Widmore claims that he sacrificed his relationship with Penny just as Eloise will sacrifice their son. Are they both so cold-hearted that the lives of their children are as disposable as paper dolls? Or do their lives matter less in comparison to that of the greater good?

Penny and Desmond. I'm thrilled that Desmond managed to survive Ben's shooting and wasn't a "casualty" as Eloise predicted. His survival marks the first time that Eloise doesn't know what will happen next, a twist that leaves her visibly shaken. Could it be that Faraday was wrong: they're not the variables but Desmond himself is The Variable? After all, Faraday was able to send a message to the future Desmond on the island. We know that Desmond is special and has played a role in Eloise's machinations but what if his continued presence on the chess board has unforeseen consequences?

Jughead. There's no way for Jack and Kate to be able to detonate Jughead and prevent The Incident from occurring. If they did somehow manage to prevent this event, it would create a divergent timeline where they never arrived on the island; but they do arrive on the island because they have to travel back to 1977 in order to be a part of these very events. As I've indicated before, they are not there to prevent these events from occurring but to ensure that they do... before they are returned to the present day. The Incident will occur, The Purge will occur, and the crash will occur as well.

It's not that they can't change the past, it's that they can't change the future: the outcome will always remain the same. The variables might change but the two sides of the equation will always balance out in the end. Sometimes you just have to push a little harder to get them to line up the way they should.

What did you think of this week's episode? Is Faraday dead or will he live to write in his journal another day? (And how shocking was Ellie's murder of Faraday?) Were you surprised by the reveal about Daniel's parentage? Just what does Eloise Hawking want? And how on earth will the castaways return to their rightful time? Discuss.

Next week on Lost ("Follow the Leader"), Jack and Kate find themselves at odds over the direction they must take to save the castaways; Locke solidifies his role as the leader of The Others; suspicion falls on Sawyer and Juliet from the Dharma Initiative.

Social Suicide: An Advance Review of BBC America's "The Inbetweeners"

Imagine if you will the cult British teen series Skins with less melodrama, more acne, and a hell of a lot more laughs and you might come close to describing BBC America's latest comedy import The Inbetweeners, which airs in the UK on E4.

Created by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris, The Inbetweeners tells the story of four sixth form college students--nerdy Will (Simon Bird), lovelorn Simon (Joe Thomas), sex-obsessed Jay (James Buckey), and gawky Neil (Blake Harrison)--as they attempt to navigate the perilous mine field that his high school, laced as it is with the lure of girls, cheap booze, and mischief.

Thanks to the good folks at BBC America, I had the opportunity to watch the first three episodes of The Inbetweeners' two-season run (so far, anyway), which the digital cabler plans to air back-to-back beginning later this year. As a former teenage boy myself (fortunately since recovered), I found this series boisterous and painfully funny, often at the same time. But one needn't has to be a teenager to enjoy this series which takes a look back at the awkward, illogical, and frustrating time in everyone's lives.

The Inbetweeners begins with the arrival of Will McKenzie (Simon Bird), whose parents have split, arriving at the local comprehensive school after his mother is unable to continue paying his fees at a posh private school. There Will immediately falls in with the losers, thanks to his suit and tie, his "actual briefcase," uptight hairstyle, and his general lack of social skills.

But Will is looking to be upwardly mobile, at least to move beyond the four-eyed geeks and into the painfully average crowd populated by Simon Cooper (Joe Thomas), Jay Cartwright (James Buckley), and Neil Sutherland (Blake Harrison)... all of whom immediately shun him, knowing that even being seen with a kid with a "Hello, My Name is Will!" badge is pure and utter social suicide on the first day of term. And so an unwitting friendship is formed between the three friends and Will, who manages to wear the trio down far enough that they will at least tolerate his presence... which immediately leads them into all sorts of trouble. (The second episode, in which the gang play hooky from school is especially painful to watch, especially when Will launches into a tirade against Neil's sexually ambiguous father.)

Complicating things is the fact that none of these lads have an actual girlfriend, though all they talk about--in graphic and hilarious detail--is sex itself, though none of them will admit that they are virgins. Jay in particular refuses to acknowledge his inexperience, talking about his alleged sexual adventures as part of the, ahem, caravan club, while Simon waxes romantic for his true love, the beautiful and unattainable Carli (Emily Head), who is Simon's first love and a family friend since they were both eight. (Unfortunately for Simon, she has an older boyfriend with a car, a situation not helped when he drunkenly spray paints "I love Carli D'Amato on her driveway.)

The dialogue on The Inbetweeners is raw, realistic, and beyond risque, unlike anything on US television today, save maybe on pay cable. It's also completely over the top hilarious and I wonder just how much of the individual episodes airing on BBC America will be comprised of bleeped out swear words. Sexual situations and nudity also play a large role, as you would expect from such a hormonally-charged series and I can't help but hope that BBC America leaves some of this intact. Besides for the fact that it's handled in a hilarious fashion, it also creates a truthful and naturalistic portrayal of teen life in Britain today.

Assisting the creators in this end are the talented actors here, all of whom embody their roles with a vividness that makes it hard to separate the actors from the roles they're playing. All four of the leads seem like such genuine artifacts and that's shocking to learn that all four of the actors aren't actually teens themselves but in their twenties. Simon Bird's Will is so deliciously awkward, so unaware of his social ineptness, that it's hard not to root for him even as he tosses out bon mots without realizing just how hard they'll explode on contact. Joe Thomas' Simon tries to go through life without being ostracized by his peers but his romantic feelings for Carli place him in trouble time and time again (look for his, uh, new nickname in the first episode after an encounter with Carli leaves him aroused) and his efforts to land a girl by getting car backfire with hilarious results. James Buckley's Jay is a whirling dervish of unfulfilled sexuality, his hormones crackling in the air like roman candles. Blake Harrison's Neil is the sloth-like member of the group, his affable nature shining out just as much as his inherent slowness. All of them seem completely and at times shockingly real.

Any teen series worth its salt (or at least lager) has to have a fantastic soundtrack of the latest hot bands and The Inbetweeners features music from such acts as The Fratellis, Arctic Monkeys, Lily Allen, The Feeling, Kate Nash, The Wombats, The Cure, and Feist, among others in its few episodes alone.

All in all, The Inbetweeners is the perfect antidote to nostalgia for your teen years, reminding you just how lucky you are to have outgrown that traumatic time in your life, even as you roar with laughter at just how much things never really change.

The Inbetweeners will launch on BBC America later this year.

First Look: NBC Previews Summer Offerings "Merlin," "The Listener," "Meteor," and "The Storm"

With summer just around the corner, I've got some first looks at NBC's offerings for the sweltering season, including British fantasy series Merlin, Canadian co-production The Listener, and mini-series Meteor and The Storm.

Merlin is a 13-episode series that shines a light on the backstory of the Arthurian sorcerer as a teenager and novice in the mythical city of Camelot. The series premieres Sunday, June 21st at 8 pm ET/PT and stars Colin Morgan, Bradley James, John Hurt, Anthony Head, Richard Wilson, Katie McGrath, and Angel Coulby.

The Listener, launching Thursday, June 4th at 10 pm ET/PT, follows Toby Logan, a 25-year-old paramedic who is telepathic and tries to help people in need. It stars Craig Olejnik, Ennis Esmer, Colm Feore, Lisa Marcos, Mylene Dinh-Robic, and Anthony Lemke.

Additionally, NBC's schedule this summer will also include two mini-series, Meteor and The Storm.

In Meteor, airing Sunday, June 7th and June 14th at 9 pm ET/PT, two massive rocks -- tumbling debris older than the solar system itself -- collide in space, form a massive meteor the size of Mount Everest, and head straight towards Earth. Meteor stars Christopher Lloyd, Marla Sokoloff, Stacy Keach, Billy Campbell, Michael Rooker, and Jason Alexander.

Meanwhile, in The Storm, billionaire Robert Terrell has fulfilled a lifelong obsession and made history with "weather creation" technology though his Atmospheric Research Institute. But during a test run, a blast of energy is sent into the ionosphere with unexpected results. The Storm, starring Treat Williams, James Van Der Beek, David James Elliott, Teri Polo, Luke Perry, John Larroquette, and Marisol Nichols, will air Sunday, July 19th and Sunday, July 26th at 9 pm ET/PT.

Trailers for each of these projects can be found below.

Merlin:



The Listener:



Meteor:



The Storm: