Channel Surfing: "Deadwood" Vet Gets "Lost," Syfy Expands "Warehouse," Shelley Long Gets "Modern Family," "Party Down," and More

August 20, 2009 by Jace Lacob

Welcome to your (very early) Thursday morning television briefing.

John Hawkes (Deadwood) has been cast in Season Six of ABC's Lost, where he will play Lennon, described by The Hollywood Reporter's Nellie Andreeva as "the scruffy, edgy and charismatic spokesperson and translator for the president of a foreign corporation who is far more powerful than it seems from his position." Just what that means remains to be seen... (Hollywood Reporter)

Syfy has ordered a second season of sci-fi dramedy Warehouse 13, with thirteen episodes currently on order for next year. However, Syfy was quick to point out that that number could increase in later seasons. "We took a look at doing 20 episodes, but for logistic and financial reasons," Syfy's Dave Howe told Variety, "it didn't make sense to do that right now, but I wouldn't rule it out." (Variety)

Holy comedy casting news! The Wrap's Joe Adalian is reporting that comedy legend Shelley Long has been cast in ABC's Modern Family, where she will play the ex-wife of aged newlywed Jay (Ed O'Neill). Modern Family, created by Steve Levitan and Christopher Lloyd, is already one of the most buzzed about new fall series. Long's casting comes on the heels of the recent announcement that Elizabeth Banks will guest star on the 20th Century Fox Television-produced comedy. (The Wrap)

Starz has quietly announced via Twitter that Season Two of comedy Party Down will launch in April. (Twitter)

Cabler FX has handed out series orders to two half-hour comedies: The League and Louie. The League, about a group of suburban male friends who participate in the same fantasy football league, received a six-episode order. Louie, about a single dad who attempts to raise his two daughters in New York, is a vignette-style comedy series starring Louis CK and was picked up for thirteen episodes. Both projects hail from FX Prods. and pilots for the two series were shot quietly under the radar. It's believed that The League may be paired this fall with the new season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and share its timeslot with the already ordered comedy Archer. Louie is expected to be held under 2010. (Variety)

The Los Angeles Times' Denise Martin is reporting that, despite reports to the contrary, Paula Abdul is definitely not in talks with FOX or American Idol producers about returning to the series. Abdul's manager David Sonenberg told LA Times' Show Tracker exclusively that there have been "no discussions whatsoever about Idol" and that Abdul's plans for the future do not involve the FOX musical competition series and the former host is fielding multiple offers. "She loves Idol," Sonneberg told Martin about his client. "She feels she was a large part of the reason it is what it is. I can tell you her focus right now is speaking to all the other networks. The only one we haven’t talked to, because of recent events, is FOX. But perhaps we would be speaking to FOX about shows in the near future." (Los Angeles Times' Show Tracker)

Nick Zano (The Final Destination) has been cast in a recurring role on ABC's upcoming comedy series Cougar Town, where he will play Courteney Cox's first boyfriend. Elsewhere, Gal Gadot (Fast & Furious) has been cast in CW's modeling drama The Beautiful Life. (Hollywood Reporter)

Jenna Dewan (Step Up) has been cast in a multiple-episode story arc on the CW's Melrose Place next season. According to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, she'll play "a young movie studio exec who takes a liking to wannabe Tarantino, Jonah (Michael Rady)" and is slated to appear in at least two episodes. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Lifetime has ordered a second season of dramedy series Drop Dead Diva, with thirteen episodes on tap for 2010. (Hollywood Reporter)

In other Diva-related news, Devon Gummersall (My So-Called Life) will guest star on the October 11th season finale of Drop Dead Diva, where he will play "a man from Jane's past whose unexpected arrival throws Jane for a loop." (USA Today's Pop Candy)

Michael Mosley (The Proposal) and Kerry Bishe (Virtuality) have been cast as series regulars on ABC's Scrubs next season opposite Dave Franco. Mosley will play Drew, an older medical student who is attempting to complete his training after a meltdown ten years earlier at Harvard Medical School. Bishe will play first-year med student Lucy who hails from a family of fishermen. (Hollywood Reporter)

20th Century Fox Television has signed an exclusive deal with (500) Days of Summer director Mark Webb to direct a pilot in the upcoming development season. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Follies of Youth: An Advance Review of Seasons One and Two of "The Inbetweeners"

August 19, 2009 by Jace Lacob

Back in April, I had the opportunity to watch the first three episodes of British teen comedy series The Inbetweeners, created by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris, and instantly fell in love with the series' quirky charms.

Since then, I've had the opportunity to watch the entire first and second seasons of this side-splitting teen series, which will air Stateside later this year on BBC America. Thanks to some Region 2 DVDs picked up in London, I was able to blaze through the painfully hilarious twelve episodes that exist thus far. (It's worth noting that digital channel E4 recently announced that it had commissioned a third season.)

Over the course of twelve half-hour episodes, Morris and Beesley manage to paint a painfully precise picture of a group of four teenage social rejects teetering on the edge of adulthood. They might not be the most popular kids (far from it) or the basest of pariahs, but they're miserably average in every respect, belonging to a group hovering somewhere in the middle of the teenage social hierarchy. Along the way, they get into all manner of mischief that's as shockingly absurd as it is terrifyingly realistic.

The result is akin to a more comedic take on the mordantly excessive youths of Skins. While Skins excels at exposing the dark angst of teenagers' inner lives, The Inbetweeners relishes in the squirm-inducing uncomfortableness and awkwardness of teens who are having far less sex than their Bristol-based counterparts.

Bringing their remarkably maladjusted characters to life are Simon Bird, Joe Thomas, James Buckey, and Blake Harrison, who together ooze the sort of easy camaraderie that American producers would desperately love to harness. It's apparent from watching this talented quartet that their friendship isn't limited to their on-screen antics and that bond is clearly reflected in the rapport they share in scenes together.

It's no easy feat to bear witness to (or, hell, participate in) some of the most embarrassing aspects of male teenagerdom but this group manages to pull off some of rather deft comedy that leaves the audience groaning, gasping, and recalling their own experiences in equal measure.

Though hopefully those experiences don't extend to some of the more absurd and mortifying incidents that these four are involved in. Which over the course of the two seasons extends to such topics as sex, self-love, drinking, test anxiety, driving mishaps, flirting, raging hormones, public nudity, vomiting, bullying, overbearing parents, exchange students, and wig theft. (Yes, you read that last bit correctly.)

But the real charm of The Inbetweeners is that beneath its tart exterior lies a genuine nugget of sweetness. Despite the off-color antics of its group of guys, The Inbetweeners remains one of the most nuanced and realistic portraits of the highs and lows of male friendship on the small screen.

Ultimately, in the hands of Morris and Beesley and ably aided by the delightful cast, The Inbetweeners becomes a comedy that's both painfully hysterical and hilariously cathartic in equal measure. It will make you wistful for your own teen years while making you feel especially lucky that you've left them behind for good.

BBC America will air the first two seasons of The Inbetweeners this autumn.

Foodie Tune-In Reminder: "Top Chef: Las Vegas" Premiere, "Top Chef Masters" Finale, New Episode of "F Word"

August 19, 2009 by Jace Lacob

Tonight is more or less a perfect storm of food-oriented television programming for foodies.

Just a quick reminder to tune in to tonight's season kick-off of Bravo's brand-defining culinary competition series Top Chef: Las Vegas, which joins the schedule at an earlier-than-usual time of 9 pm ET/PT before relocating to its normal timeslot at 10 pm ET/PT next week. (In the meantime, you can read my advance review of the first episode here.)

Plus, the super-sized season premiere of Top Chef leads right into the final showdown on Top Chef Masters at 10:15 pm as finalists Hubert Keller, Michael Chiarello, and Rock Bayless square off in the kitchen to see just which one of them will walk away with title of Top Chef Master. Just which of these master chefs will emerge the ultimate champion? Find out tonight.

And if that weren't enough culinary cravings for you, BBC America's own fascinating foodie magazine program F Word is brand new tonight as well, with an episode at 9 pm ET/PT (or 6 pm PT if you're on the West Coast) in which hotheaded chef Gordon Ramsay goes to work in a Chinese restaurant, soul singer Mica Paris brings her brigade into the F-Word kitchen, and comedian Jo Brand faces off with Ramsay in the recipe challenge.

So prepare yourself something delicious, settle down on the sofa, and be prepared to salivate for the three hours tonight. Your stomach will thank me in the morning.

Rising Tempers and Falling Houses: The Season Premiere of Bravo's "Flipping Out"

August 19, 2009 by Jace Lacob

It's a good day at Jeff Lewis' office.

Longtime readers know that I have an indelible love for the kooky cast of Bravo's addictive and hilarious docusoap Flipping Out, which returned last night after a far-too-long hiatus.

The season opener of Flipping Out ("Beware of Falling Houses") featured a strangely calm Jeff (well, calm for Jeff Lewis, anyway) struggling to stay afloat in the sinking real estate market by taking renovation jobs (rather than his typical speculation-based business) yet continued to expand his entourage to include another assistant (poor, doomed Rachel), clown-haired house assistant Jett, and a design intern Trace, who appears to be a mini-Jeff in the making.

And let's not forget about the aforementioned Zoila, who continues to keep Jeff on his toes with her hysterically haughty put-out attitude and who wants to find a boyfriend for herself... leading her to inadvertently flirt with a married man working on the Valley Oak property. (Meanwhile, Jeff ribbed his maid/non-sexual life partner about her need for hangers and hoarding of pillows.)

Yet this wouldn't be Flipping Out without a major blow-out from Jeff and once again it was directed at oft put-upon executive assistant Jenni, who was ill prepared for the day (she didn't have a crucial phone number with her), leading her to call the contractor at Valley Oak and asking him to look for the contact info among Jeff's belongings. A decision which then turned into a major battle royale between the duo, in which Jeff dragged up the still-biting betrayal of Jenni's now ex-husband Chris.

While Jenni should have had that number in her Blackberry or on her person (we all know how Jeff Lewis feels about precise preparation and his need for absolute privacy), I thought it was absolutely galling that he threw Chris' betrayal in her face almost a year after the incident occurred. As you might recall, Jeff's use of hidden cameras caught Chris in the act of going through Jeff's personal belongings and revealed a side of her husband that Jenni didn't know about... leading to the breakup of their marriage. That Jeff would, a year later, continue to throw this in Jenni's face as she attempts to get her life back on track and re-enter the dating scene after ten years of marriage is not only wrong, it's outright callous.

Now I'm someone who finds Jeff Lewis incredibly funny--his deadpan sense of humor is right up my alley--but even he admits that once he gets to this point in an argument, he "sees red." And that was definitely the case here. Yes, he apologized to Jenni afterward (and I'm amazed that she kept it together as well as she did) but he shouldn't have gone there in the first place. You do need to have a hide as thick as a rhino's in order to work for Jeff.

Which brings us to Rachel, Jeff's longtime friend/new office assistant, a lethal combination that is likely to bring many, many tears in the near future. Jeff is a perfectionist and a demanding boss... and has a tendency to mix friendship and business in a way that's rather like mixing dynamite and matches. Someone is bound to get hurt and I have a feeling that Rachel is not destined to stick around Jeff Lewis' office for long.

However, Jeff seems to have discovered a slight simpatico with his new male design intern Trace (whom he calls "Tracy" and "she"), who might just be as much of a perfectionist and obsessive as Jeff himself. (Witness the iPhone checkers conversation, which resulted in Trace being 15 minutes late to work.) Last season, Chris Kesslar attempted to win Jeff over and be taken under his wing only to encounter resistance from Jeff who wanted to "groom" Chris over several years. However, Trace seems to be fitting in quite nicely in the Lewis menagerie, even sharing Jeff's appetite for dry humor. Could it be that Jeff has found a protege?

All in all, a hilarious episode that points the way toward future plot developments between the cast members and loads of stress ahead for Jeff as he attempts to keep his emotions in check while working for other people. I can't wait to see just how explosive things get over the next few episodes.

Next week on Flipping Out ("Pajamas and Other Games"), Jeff attends a pajama party; new assistant Rachel struggles to keep up with Jeff's numerous and precise demands; Jeff and Ryan's friendship hits a rough patch when Jeff accuses him of not sharing clients.

Car Fight:

Don't Turn Down Booty Calls:

Taco Tuesday in Pyjamas:

Channel Surfing: James Marsters to Spike "Caprica," ABC Checks into "Hotel," Davies Has Plan for "Torchwood" Season Four, and More

August 19, 2009 by Jace Lacob

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

Buffy and Angel's James Marsters--who appeared last year in Season Two of Torchwood to boot--has been cast in a multiple-episode story arc on Syfy's upcoming Battlestar Galactica prequel series Caprica. Marsters, who is slated to appear in at least three installments, will play Barnabus Greeley, a dangerous terrorist leader who is described as being "driven by desires both moralistic and carnal" and is "as lethal as he is unpredictable." Caprica premieres January 22nd on Syfy. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

ABC has given a script order to Clive Barker's Hotel, described as a "series of ghoulish incidents at a haunted hotel," from writers Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton. Project, from Warner Bros. Television and Wonderland Sound and Vision, will be executive produced by Clive Barker and McG, who could direct the pilot episode if the network moves forward with the project, which had drawn attention from FOX and several other networks before landing at ABC. (Hollywood Reporter)

Torchwood creator Russell T. Davies has indicated that he has a direction in mind for the fourth season of Torchwood, whose format is under discussion at BBC One. "I could write you scene one of Series Four right now. I know exactly how to pick it up," he told Torchwood Magazine. "I've got a shape in mind, and I've got stories. I know where you'd find Gwen and Rhys, and their baby, and Jack, and I know how you'd go forward with a new form of Torchwood... If the BBC asked for another 13 one-part stories, that's what we'd do. I'm ready for anything, but I think it works well as one continuous story. But if the BBC decide they want 13 one-offs, I'll suddenly decide that's the best format in the world!" (Digital Spy)

Casting alert: Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break) has been cast in NBC's Southland, where he will play a rowdy new partner to Detective Lydia Adams (Regina King). Elsewhere, Joy Bryant (Virtuality) has been added to the cast of NBC's midseason drama series Parenthood as single mom Jasmine, who moves to the Oakland in order to introduce her five-year-old son to his father. And Jurnee Smollet (The Great Debaters) has joined the cast of Friday Night Lights, where she will play Jess, described as "he daughter of a onetime NFL hopeful who knows the game and helps raise her siblings with the help of her father." (Hollywood Reporter)

Gina Torres (Firefly) has been cast in at least two episodes of CW's Gossip Girl, where she will play Gabriela Adams, a.k.a. Vanessa's mom, according to TVGuide.com's Mickey O'Connor, who describes her character as "a free spirit, a former Brooklynite who lives 'off the grid' in Vermont and has definite opinions about things, especially concerning her daughter." (TVGuide.com)

Cabler TNT has announced that it has extended the run of its drama series Leverage this summer, adding two additional episodes to the series' summertime run. (Televisionary)

ABC Studios has signed a two-year overall deal with writer Michael Seitzman (Empire State, House Rules) under which he will develop new series concepts for the studio. Seitzman, according to Variety's Cynthia Littleton, "said he intends to pen two pilots in the coming development season, and he's in the process of winnowing his candidates from a host of ideas that he's been kicking around to develop under his Michael Seitzman's Pictures banner." (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Amy Aquino (ER, Felicity) and Peter Gerety (The Wire) have been cast in multiple-episode story arcs on ABC's Brothers & Sisters, where Aquino will play a "doctor treating a member of the Walker clan who shall remain nameless," while Gerety will play a "surprising outsider." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Showtime has ordered ten episodes of Oliver Stone-narrated documentary series Oliver Stone's Secret History of America, which will air on the pay cabler next year. (Televisionary)

Shania Twain, Kelly Clarkson, and Joe Jonas are said to be among the guest judges on tap for next season of FOX's American Idol. (Hollywood Reporter)

On the eve of the anniversary of the investment bank's breakdown, BBC Two has commissioned The Last Days of Lehman Brothers, a 24-style "dramatization" of the collapse of Lehman Brothers that will star James Cromwell, James Bolam, Ben Daniels, Michael Landes, and Corey Johnson. Slated to air around September 12th, the one-year anniversary of the bank's collapse, the one-hour drama is directed by Michael Samuels. (Broadcast)

Actress and fashion icon Nicole Kidman will make a cameo appearance on Thursday evening's Project Runway: All-Star Challenge, which airs on Lifetime just prior to the series' sixth season premiere. (via press release)

Penelope Ann Miller (Vanished) will appear in at least five episodes of TNT's upcoming drama series Men of a Certain Age, where she will play the ex-wife of Ray Romano's character. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

ABC soap All My Children will transition to 720p high definition production in 2010, following a long-term deal reached between the network and Broadcast Facilities, Inc. at the company's satellite transmission and post facility in LA, with the first HD episodes expected to air in February. (Broadcasting & Cable)

Stay tuned.

TNT Extends Summer Drama Series "Leverage" for Two Additional Episodes

August 18, 2009 by Jace Lacob

Cabler TNT has announced that it has extended the run of its drama series Leverage this summer.

Leverage will air two additional installments on Wednesday, September 2nd and Wednesday, September 9th. The latter episode, which features guest star Jeri Ryan (Shark) will serve as the series' so-called "summer finale." The two additional episodes are entitled "The Ice Man Job" and "The Lost Heir Job."

The full press release from TNT, announcing the two additional episodes, can be found below.

TNT Adds Two More Episodes of Hit Series LEVERAGE to Summer Lineup

Summer Finale, Guest-Starring Jeri Ryan (Star Trek: Voyager),
Scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)

TNT has added two episodes to the summer run of its hit series LEVERAGE, starring Academy Award® winner Timothy Hutton (Ordinary People), Gina Bellman (Coupling), Christian Kane (TNT’s Into the West), Beth Riesgraf (Alvin and the Chipmunks) and Aldis Hodge (Friday Night Lights). The summer finale, guest-starring Star Trek: Voyager’s Jeri Ryan in a new recurring role as Tara, a grifter who helps the team out, will air Wednesday, Sept. 9.

The following is the schedule for the two episodes added to LEVERAGE’s summer lineup:
“The Ice Man Job” – Wednesday, Sept. 2, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Summer Finale: “The Lost Heir Job” – Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT).

In LEVERAGE, Hutton stars as Nate Ford, a former insurance investigator determined to bring down the kind of corrupt bigwigs whose neglect led to the death of his son. His highly skilled team includes Sophie Devereaux (Bellman), a grifter who uses her acting skills to corner her marks; Eliot Spencer (Kane), a “retrieval specialist” with bone-crunching fighting skills; Alec Hardison (Hodge), a gadget and technology wizard who keeps the team connected and informed; and Parker (Riesgraf), a slightly off-center thief adept at rappelling off buildings or squeezing into tight places.

LEVERAGE is executive-produced by Dean Devlin (Independence Day, TNT’s The Librarian) and creators John Rogers (Transformers) and Chris Downey (The King of Queens). It comes to the network from Devlin’s Electric Entertainment.

TNT, one of cable’s top-rated networks, is television’s destination for drama and home to such original series as the acclaimed and highly popular detective drama The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwick; Saving Grace, starring Holly Hunter; Raising the Bar, with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben and Jane Kaczmarek; Leverage, starring Timothy Hutton; HawthoRNe, with Jada Pinkett Smith; and Dark Blue, starring Dylan McDermott. TNT also presents such powerful dramas as Bones, CSI: NY, Cold Case, Law & Order, Without a Trace, ER and Charmed; broadcast premiere movies; compelling primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards®; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR and the NBA. TNT is available in high-definition.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

Showtime Unveils Docuseries "Oliver Stone's Secret History of America"

August 18, 2009 by Jace Lacob

Pay cabler Showtime has announced that it has pacted with filmmaker Oliver Stone on a new ten-episode documentary series that will air next year.

Entitled Oliver Stone's Secret History of America, the ten-hour docuseries--narrated by Stone himself--will investigate crucial human events that were "under-reported" at the time of their occurrence, with Stone and his team of researchers sifting through national archives of several countries in order to amass a more detailed view at certain events. Topics explored in the series will include the US bombing of Japan during WWII, the Cold War, America’s national security complex, the Kennedy administration, and the Vietnam War, among others.

"We are very happy that Oliver Stone has chosen Showtime as the home for his provocative series about key unknown moments of American history," said Showtime's President of Entertainment Robert Greenblatt. "Not only has his name become synonymous with visionary filmmaker, but Oliver is also a fascinating storyteller always striving to shed new light on the human experience. His continuing curiosity about real events of the 20th Century has now led him to a documentary series unlike any other, which is why it's perfect for our premium audience."

The full press release from Showtime, announcing the ten-episode documentary series, can be found below.

SHOWTIME AND OLIVER STONE UNCOVER
AMERICA’S SECRET HISTORY

New 10-Episode Documentary Series From Academy Award®-Winning Director Oliver Stone Entitled
OLIVER STONE’S SECRET HISTORY OF AMERICA
To Debut On SHOWTIME in 2010

LOS ANGELES, CA – (August 18, 2009) – As Americans, do we really know and understand our shared and complicated history? How do we recall the small details and forgotten players that influenced some of the biggest events from America’s past? Will our children actually get the “real” or whole story from reading history books? And how will it affect the future of our country?

Academy Award®-winning director Oliver Stone is creating and executive producing a new, ten episode documentary series entitled OLIVER STONE’S SECRET HISTORY OF AMERICA, which will premiere on SHOWTIME in 2010. The announcement was made today by Robert Greenblatt, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc.

"We are very happy that Oliver Stone has chosen SHOWTIME as the home for his provocative series about key unknown moments of American history,” said Greenblatt. “Not only has his name become synonymous with visionary filmmaker, but Oliver is also a fascinating storyteller always striving to shed new light on the human experience. His continuing curiosity about real events of the 20th Century has now led him to a documentary series unlike any other, which is why it's perfect for our premium audience."

Narrated by Stone, the new one-hour series will feature episodes that focus on human events, that at the time went under-reported, but crucially shaped America’s unique and complex history over the last 60 years. Stone and a small group of historians and archivists have meticulously combed through the national archives of the U.S., Russia, South Africa, England, and Japan in search of papers, letters, memoranda, film, and photographs to assist in their documentation of unknown historical figures and events that have rarely, if ever, been revealed. Topics range from President Harry Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan to the origins and reasons for the Cold War with the Soviet Union, to the fierce struggle between war and peace in America’s national security complex. Newly discovered facts and accounts from the Kennedy administration, the Vietnam War, and the great changes in America’s role in the world since the fall of Communism in the 1980s will be presented.

Oliver Stone, who has worked on the series for almost 2 years, said today, “Through this epic 10-hour series, which I feel is the deepest contribution I could ever make in film to my children and the next generation, I can only hope a change in our thinking will result.”

Savoring Sin City: An Advance Review of the "Top Chef: Las Vegas" Season Opener

August 18, 2009 by Jace Lacob

Sharpen your knives and prepare for the main course.

While there's still one last showdown on Top Chef Masters, tomorrow night brings the season premiere of Top Chef: Las Vegas ("Sin City Vice") as seventeen new contestants square off in the ultimate culinary competition.

I had the opportunity a few weeks back to watch the sensational season opener and found myself just as addicted as ever to the tension, imagination, and sheer deliciousness of original flavor Top Chef.

So what did I think of the first episode of Top Chef: Las Vegas? Sharpen your knives and let's discuss. (Though, I promise no spoilers about who wins, who goes home, or who wilts in the heat.)

This being the first Las Vegas-set edition of Top Chef, expect lots of twists and turns along the way, most notably some--shall we say--even greater incentives to winning the Quickfire Challenges. Yes, there's a sizable amount of cash on the table with each round and there's also an element of chance at play with some unexpected consequences.

Just how far the producers will take the luck element remains to be seen but in the first episode alone, there's a gold chip up for play in the Quickfire Challenge, which brings immunity from elimination AND allows one player to sit out of the very first challenge at hand.

As for the contestants, they are your typically motley group of talented, arrogant cheffing types, some of whom have some real vision and skill and some of whom, well, won't be destined for long in this cutthroat competition. As usual, there's a mix of executive chefs, chefs de cuisine, and caterers; classically trained chefs and those self-taught; arrogant bastards and coolly composed visionaries.

This season, there's only one chef from New York (a major shocker) and several from Atlanta, one chef who wears a jaunty red scarf, and one who might just have the most single irritating speaking voice on television. But what they have in common is that they all seem to be hungry for the top prize.

Among my favorites, there are already two major contenders emerging: Jennifer Carroll of Philadelphia who worked under Eric Ripert and is now Chef de Cuisine of Ripert's 10 Arts and Kevin Gillespie, executive chef and partner at Woodfire Grill in Atlanta. But let's not count out warring brothers Bryan and Michael Voltaggio, who might be brothers in blood but who are polar opposites in terms of temperament. So far, I've been mightily impressed with these four chefs and hope they each stick around for quite some time in the competition.

There are some interesting challenges at foot in this premiere installment, most notably the return of the mise-en-place relay race, a timed cook-off, and a vice-laden Elimination Challenge that has the chefs competing not against the larger group but among four- to five-person teams, with each team landing someone in the top scores and someone among the bottom scores.

And it's a real pleasure to see Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, and Padma Lakshmi return to the judging table. While I love Top Chef Masters, there's something heartening and exciting about seeing their faces (and hearing their cutting critiques) once again; it's the television equivalent of haute comfort food.

All in all, I've been starving for the return of Top Chef and this season opener managed to sate my appetite while making me crave even more. Yes, there might be festooned Vegas showgirls this time around but don't mistake the playfulness for softness: the high-stakes pressure of Top Chef is back in full force. One of these contestants will have the skill, the drive, and--yes--the luck to pull off a win in the classiest culinary competition series on television.

Expect Twists and Turns:

It's Time for the First Quickfire:

Top Chef: Las Vegas launches Wednesday evening at 9 pm ET/PT on Bravo.

Channel Surfing: David Anders Clocks in for "24," ABC Developing "Time Traveler's Wife" Series, Matt Lauria to Shine "Lights," and More

August 18, 2009 by Jace Lacob

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

David Anders (Alias, Heroes) has been cast in a recurring role on Day Eight of FOX's 24 and Zap2It's Rick Porter has managed to obtain some further information about Anders' villainous character. Anders, who is slated to appear in a handful of episodes next season, will play Josef Bazhaev, the son of an Eastern European mobster, who is described in casting breakdowns as being the "heir apparent to an Eastern Promises-style godfather. Josef is a dangerous man but is cautious and worries about things more than his father." (Zap2It)

Just a few days after the opening of feature film The Time Traveler's Wife, ABC has announced that it is teaming up with Friends creator Marta Kaufman and Warner Bros. Television to develop a drama series based around the film (itself an adaptation of Audrey Niffenegger's novel). Kaufman will write the pilot script and executive produce. "ABC executives believe the complex plot of the original novel will work well in series form," writes The Wrap's Joe Adalian, "since Kauffman will be able to explore the romantic relationship at the core of the story over the course of several seasons." However, the potential series won't strictly be serialized and will also be comprised of episodic storylines. (The Wrap)

Matt Lauria (Lipstick Jungle) has been cast as a series regular in Season Four of Friday Night Lights, where he will play Luke, described as "a charming yet cocky junior who reluctantly finds himself playing for Coach Taylor’s East Dillon squad," by Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. Season Four of Friday Night Lights kicks off on October 28th on DirecTV before airing next summer on NBC. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Canadian viewers desperate to catch Season Three of period drama Mad Men will have to turn to iTunes for their next fix. Lionsgate Television via its affiliate Maple Pictures has made a deal with iTunes Canada to carry Season Three of Mad Men for download in both standard definition and HD. (Hollywood Reporter)

E! Online's Jennifer Godwin has a fantastic interview with Nurse Jackie's Merrit Wever, who plays innocently addled nurse Zoey on the Showtime dramedy series. "I think it would be a huge deal," said Wever when asked what Zoey's reaction would be upon learning about Jackie's darker side. "I could see Zoey staging an intervention, thinking she should take it upon herself to sober Jackie up. I could see her thinking this is why she was sent to the hospital. I think she would get all of the pamphlets and literature she could possibly find on drug addiction, and Zoey would annoy Jackie sober. And I say annoy lovingly. She would care Jackie sober, because she does think she's the best thing since sliced bread. Zoey adores Jackie. She thinks she's a great lady." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Michael B. Jordan (The Wire) has been cast as a series regular in Season Four of Friday Night Lights, where he will play troublemaker Vince, who is described by Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello as "charming at times, the junior running back can be dangerous and menacing—a result of his crime-riddled upbringing. He quickly finds himself at odds with the team’s new pretty boy Luke." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

NBC has given a script order to an untitled multi-camera comedy project from writer/executive producer Gary Janetti (Will & Grace) about two men--one straight, the other gay--who are best friends. Project, from 20th Century Fox Television, "marks the first major deal between NBC and 20th TV since the network's May cancellation of the 20th TV-produced My Name Is Earl after four seasons," writes The Hollywood Reporter's Nellie Andreeva. (Hollywood Reporter)

BBC One have commissioned a 90-minute adaptation of Henry James' supernatural classic The Turn of the Screw. Adapted by Sandy Welch (Jane Eyre) and directed by Tim Fywell (The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency), the action of the spine-tingling novella is moved to post-WWI. The drama, which begins shooting later this month, will star Michelle Dockery (Cranford), Sue Johnston (Waking the Dead), and Mark Umbers (Mistresses). (BBC)

PBS will launch a new culinary-themed travel series Gourmet's Adventures with Ruth, which will follow Gourmet editor-in-chief and author Ruth Reichl as she travels the world visiting cooking schools with celebrities. The ten-episode series will debut on PBS on October 17th and will also be available via Gourmet's TiVo channel and on American Airlines flights. (Hollywood Reporter)

Cabler Style will begin airing repeats of ABC's Supernanny in September every evening at 7 pm ET/PT. (Variety)

Natasha Henstridge (Eli Stone) has been cast opposite Harry Hamlin in Hallmark Channel telepic Family Gathering, from writer Kevin Commins and director John Bradshaw. Pic is slated to air in 2010. (Hollywood Reporter)

Former CBS executive Lisa Leingang has been hired as SVP of original programming and development for Comedy Central's East Coast operations. She will report to Lauren Carrao. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

The Price of Bliss: Life, Death, and What Lies in Between on "True Blood"

August 17, 2009 by Jace Lacob

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become." - Buddha

You had the chance to read my advance review of this week's episode of True Blood ("I Will Rise Up"), written by Nancy Oliver and directed by Scott Winant, but now that the episode has aired, we can finally talk specifics about this heartbreaking and profound installment of the Southern Gothic series.

It's rare that a series can manage to surprise you, much less make you laugh, cry, and shudder all in the same episode. Yet that's just what True Blood managed to do this week, pulling off a death-defying blend of sex, sacrifice, and salvation.

The notion of sacrifice has lurked beneath the surface of Season Two of True Blood in several forms: we see both the frenzied need for human sacrifice from maenad Maryann and her crazed disciples, the misguided zealotry of Luke which leads to his silver-laden suicide bombing at Godric's nest, and the sacrifice that Godric makes not once but twice.

I had a feeling there was something going on between Godric and the Fellowship of the Sun. I never imagined, however, that Godric willingly offered himself up as a target for their hatred and fanaticism. He claims that he did so because the humans would come for one of them eventually and that he made the first move, turned the other cheek, was willing to die for their sins and blood-lust.

But that's not entirely true either: Godric had a death wish. Or rather, he wished for a way out of his eternal prison, an opportunity to cast off the final remnants of his mortal coil and join the infinite. His immortal existence had become a burden to onerous to carry any longer, a cross too heavy to bear.

Godric's self-sacrifice standing in the first rays of morning light was exquisite and in keeping with his role as a Christ figure in the story. That he would be redeemed by Sookie's tears and her human presence at his very end was as touching as it was gut-wrenching. Several characters alluded to being alone in this episode yet Godric wasn't alone at the end as Sookie was there to see him burst into blue flames and become one with the universe.

That it was a human who witnessed his final moments was important and spoke to the message of love and compassion that Godric understood towards the end: there is more to life than kill and survive, there is a higher morality, a sense of right and wrong. There is the potential for love and understanding between these two ancient enemies. That Eric would want to die with his maker underscores the bond between them but it's not his time to "die," and so Godric commands him to leave. But it's Sookie's rather than Eric's tears which symbolize his final benediction.

I knew he would likely die by his own hand before the season was out but never imagined that I'd care for Godric as much as I did after just two episodes (and one dialogue-less scene). Credit goes to Danish newcomer Allan Hyde for turning Godric into a painfully human and complicated figure whose ultimate end is shockingly memorable.

The scene on the roof between Eric and Godric was absolutely heartbreaking. Despite his duplicity earlier in the episode (more on that in a bit), it proved in no uncertain terms that Eric does have a heart, is capable of love, and does feel something other than malice. When Godric said, "Father. Brother. Son," I lost it and I knew that Eric would as well. How does one go on when one's maker cannot? What does immortality matter, if you are alone? Suffice it to say, Alexander Skarsgard was sensational and this scene between he and Allan Hyde should be included on next year's Emmy nomination reel. To say that Skargard's performance was heartrending is a massive understatement.

Contrast this heartbreak with Eric's mercenary behavior after the bombing at Godric's nest. Despite the fact that he willingly shields Sookie with his own body (perhaps even knowingly sacrifices his own safety for hers), he uses the chaos and confusion to take advantage of Sookie's good-nature, compelling her to literally suck the silver out of his chest as he claims to be dying. But it's all just a clever ruse: he was never in any real danger and could have healed himself and pushed the silver out of his wounds. Instead, it's a manifestation of the threat he poses to Bill, an excuse to get Sookie to unwittingly drink his blood and forge a connection between the two of them.

Those stolen moments--which represent a real evolution of Eric's designs on Sookie--forever transform their relationship. As Bill promises, there are sexual feelings developing between Eric and Sookie as a result of her drinking his blood... desires which become all too clear during a haunting dream in which she and Eric lay in bed naked together. Just what will this development mean for Sookie and Bill's romantic relationship? And for Sookie's own future? Just how long can she fight these feelings?

Sam escaping Maryann by transforming into a fly? Genius. Sam Trammel is playing Sam Merlotte pitch perfectly, managing in a look, a shudder, a turn of the head, to convey a palpable sense of absolute mortal terror every time he is on screen. More than anything, it's his morality that's betrayed when he finds Daphne in the walk-in and he can't come to grips, despite his own preternatural abilities, that he lives in a broken world where callous and brutal murder would be possible.

That Sam would have to turn to Andy Bellefleur as his only possible ally in the battle against Maryann (and turns up at his motel stark naked)? Brilliant. I can't wait to see just what this twisted partnership leads to... but I am very worried for Sam Merlotte. After all, a god's vengeance is raining down upon his head and there seem to be very few who can withstand Maryann's spell. Do he and Andy have a snowball's chance in hell of stopping Maryann? I shudder to think.

I loved the scene between Sookie and Jason at the hotel, in which they finally expressed their love and support for one another. These two siblings have been through so much in the last two seasons yet haven't ever sat down to talk about the death of Gran, what happened with Eddie and Amy, and their own recent, uh, troubles with the Fellowship of the Sun. Anna Paquin and Ryan Kwanten effortlessly pulled off a completely genuine sense of sibling camaraderie in their touching scene together, infusing it with the deep sense of familial love and also a sense of humor. (Kick his head in a bucket around the yard indeed.)

As for Hoyt and Jessica, there is another huge speed bumps to their relationship this week in the form of the spiteful Maxine. I couldn't believe that Hoyt stood up to his bigoted mother (and walked out with half of his grilled cheese and potato chip sandwich) and that he still wanted to introduce Jessica to her even after her reaction. While the encounter at Merlotte's could have been stereotypical--overbearing mother, eager-to-please girlfriend, and Hoyt in the middle--the end result was brutally blunt as poor Jessica, egged on by Maxine, comes to the depressing realization that she can't give Hoyt babies. Deborah Ann Woll's plaintive expression when Jessica realizes this was profoundly agonizing.

The Lafayette-Tara-Lettie Mae-Eggs confrontation had me on the edge of my seat. I love Tara and I hate seeing her being pulled deeper and deeper into the darkness by Maryann. I'm hoping she finds the strength to throw off her influence, though judging from this week's episode, Maryann has her claws sunk pretty deep into Tara. That she could push Tara into a frenzy so easily, send her strangling Lettie Mae without blinking an eye is terrifying. And I'm more than a little worried about what it means that Lafayette and Lettie Mae took Tara... and don't really have a means of calming her down. There's going to be hell to pay... and from the terrifying visage of Maryann at Merlotte's--"a god demands his sacrifice"--there's one hell of a showdown in store for Bon Temps.

Best line of the evening: "I hate your hair." - Sarah Newlin (Anna Camp) to Nan Flanagan (Jessica Tuck)

Ultimately, I thought that this week's installment of True Blood not only ramped up the tension and set in motion a final showdown in Bon Temps but also transformed this seductive supernatural series into something deeper and more profound, pushing it from the darkness into the territory of the divine.

Next week on True Blood ("New World in My View"), Sookie, Bill and Jason return to Bon Temps; Sam and Andy find themselves attacked by a group of bloodthirsty revelers at Merlotte's; Bill discovers that traditional vampire techniques don’t work on Maryann; Hoyt and Jessica try to keep a lid on Maxine’s madness; Sookie tries to push through the darkness consuming Tara.

Next on True Blood: Episode 22:

Limit Your Exposure: Truth and Consequences on Season Premiere of AMC's "Mad Men"

August 17, 2009 by Jace Lacob

Don Draper has been an enigmatic figure throughout the two seasons of Mad Men that have aired so far.

He's taken the approach in his life that his identity is a fluid construct that he can shift at will. Don Draper himself is a front, a mask appropriated by Dick Whitman that has become somewhat comfortable to wear. But still, there are echoes from the past, ghostly reminders of his life before his transformation into the stylish and slick ad man that he appears today.

On the third season premiere of Mad Men ("Out of Town"), written by Matthew Weiner and directed by Phil Abraham, several truths bubble up to the surface over the course of a few days in the life of Don Draper. Secrets have a way of spilling out in the most unexpected ways and Don is no exception to this rule, facing some hard truths on the occasion of his (real) birthday. But he's not the only one who's exposed in this installment of the lush period drama.

You read my advance review of the third season opener last week, but now that the episode has aired, we can get down to talking about specific plot points in the gorgeous, evocative, and gripping season premiere. So pour yourself a Manhattan, slip off your London Fog raincoat, settle down in front of the ant farm, and let's discuss "Out of Town."

I think it extremely wise of Matthew Weiner and Co. not to immediately address some of the shocking plot points glimpsed in the second season finale, most notably Betty Draper's one-off affair with a handsome stranger in the back room of a bar (after she learned she was pregnant with her third child) and Peggy's decision to tell Pete that she secretly bore his child and gave it away. Both were two of the most surprising developments in a season overflowing with them but rather than deal with these head-on, Weiner smartly pushes them into the darkness for now to let them marinate for a while.

What is immediately clear is that several months have passed since we last saw the staffers of Sterling Cooper. Joan Holloway, raped on the floor of Don's office by her golden boy doctor fiance last season, is pushing certain occurrences out of her mind. Despite the time jump of several months, nothing has outwardly changed for Joan in her engagement. She's still planning to wed her rapist, still wearing her engagement ring, and still looking forward to leaving Sterling Cooper behind in a few months' time.

Elsewhere, Betty Draper is now far along in her pregnancy, with a daughter, she believes and she and Don seem to have forged some sort of rapprochement between them. At least for now. But despite things being relatively calm on the home front, Don is tormented by some inner demons on the eve of his actual birthday (or more precisely Dick Whitman's birthday). The third season opens with a waking dream sequence in which Don, boiling a pot of milk for Betty, envisions the circumstances of his birth: the childless frustration of his father and his adoptive mother, a trip to a prostitute for his father which leads to his conception, and his actual birth, in which we learn that Dick's name is in fact not a blessing but a curse offered up by his dying mother in her final breaths, in which she promises to boil her former client's, uh, genitals in hog's fat.

It's a distressing development that's at odds with the homey environment of the Drapers' kitchen and Don standing at the hob warming some milk for Betty. But he quickly puts aside his dark thoughts with the ease with which he removes the "skin" atop the heated milk. It's nothing but detritus to be stripped away and cast off.

It's a lesson that we've previously seen Don teach to Peggy: it's so easy to forget sometimes, to put the darkness out of your head. But these things have a nasty way of coming back to bite you later on. But compartmentalization is Don's specialty; just look at the way he tells an engaged flight attendant to forget her fiance for the night. "I've been married a long time... You get plenty of chances."

It's Sal who nearly takes one of those chances. On a business trip to Baltimore with Don, Sal is tempted into acting upon his true nature and fulfilling his homosexual desire, despite his marriage to the saintly Kitty. After complaining about a broken air conditioner, Sal is wordlessly propositioned by a bellhop and the two begin a dance of desire that's cut short by a fire alarm.

This encounter would have shaken Sal enough (he's excited and nervous at the same time) but he's spied with the half-dressed bellhop by Don as he comes down the fire escape with his inamorata. The look of shock and horror on poor Sal's face as he realizes he's been brutally, unexpected exposed in front of Don is tangible. This is, after all, the 1960s and his exposure as a homosexual would have had horrific consequences on his career and his public life.

What Don witnessed through the window seems to be destined to remain a secret. Following their meeting with London Fog in Baltimore, Don and Sal jet back to New York when Don says that he has something to ask Sal. Thinking it's going to be about what he saw, Sal swallows nervously. But Don knows better than to expose another man's private life, instead pitching Sal a concept for a London fog campaign with the tagline "limit your exposure."

It's a firm reminder for them both of the secrets they keep and the need to be discrete. Is this the end of Sal's dalliances with men? Or just the beginning of a new direction for his life? Only time will tell, but the encounter seems to have--for the time being--united these two disparate men in a bond. What happens on business trips would seem to remain on business trips.

Back at Sterling Cooper, the staffers are attempting to adapt to a new way of life in a new regime, overseen by the officious British financial officer Lane Pryce (Jared Harris) and his oily right-hand man John Hooker (Ryan Cartwright), symbols of their new British overlords back in London. It's clear that Pryce has his own management style, pitting Pete Campbell and Ken Cosgrove against one another for the now-vacant head of accounts position, a rivalry that looks to only get uglier as the season progresses.

Joan has her own vendetta to contend with, one that pits her against Pryce's "personal secretary" John Hooker. It's an opportunity for her to demonstrate her power in the office (in a way she was unable to do with her attacker) and put Hooker in his place, reminding him of who is truly in charge at Sterling Cooper. The way that she positions him into place to take a beating--after offering up Burt Peterson's deserted office as a place for London superiors to use whilst they're in town--is a thing of beauty. Joan hasn't lost any of her sparkle or dangerous wit in the time since we last saw her and I can't help but feel some sexual tension brewing between her and John Hooker, despite their animosity towards one another. Hmmm...

As for Peggy, she's settling into her new role as Sterling Cooper's sole female executive. She now has her own office, her own secretary, and has kept her new hairstyle and wardrobe in place. While she doesn't share a scene with Pete, there's bound to be a major reveal of just what went down between them between Season Two and Season Three at some point. But Peggy has studied at the feet of Don Draper himself and the secrets that lurk in her past remain buried deep underground while she continues to climb upwards, remaking herself into a female version of Draper himself.

Peggy's baby daddy Pete would seem to have resolved the differences in his marriage to Trudy, given their difficulties last season. But the two seem happy... That is, until Pete realizes that he hasn't been made Head of Accounts (not quite anyway) and will have to share this position with Ken. His venom upon realizing this is a clear indication that Pete hasn't really changed. He wants what he wants when he wants it. And his serpentine nature will likely win out over Ken's easy charms. The drink he shares at the end of the episode with Roger and Cooper speaks volumes about whether or not he'll fit into the new world order at Sterling Cooper. Which leaves me very worried about poor Ken Cosgrove...

The episode itself is structured around two births: Dick Whitman's and Sally Draper's. As Don, Betty, and Sally settle into the cozy, comfortable confines of the bedroom, Don recounts the circumstances surrounding Sally's birth as he's haunted by his own. But Don is first and foremost a consummate liar and a master rationalizer: asked whether the stewardess' pin in his luggage is for her, Don tells Sally that it is and then promises her that no matter what, he will always come home.

Is it the truth that Don speaks or is it a subtle foreshadowing for a future in which Don won't actually come home to Betty and the kids? That remains to be seen but we're left with the indelible image of a man living a double life, one that can't withstand the harsh glare of exposure. And one which he'll seem to protect with all of his heart.

Best line of the evening: "She's taking to your tools like a little lesbian." - Betty re: Sally Draper.

Next week on Mad Men ("Love Among the Ruins"), Betty's father pays a visit to the Draper residence; Sterling Cooper staffers field a highly specific request from a client; Roger makes arrangements for his upcoming nuptials; Peggy is personally affected by an ad campaign.

Sneak Peek Mad Men Episode 302 "Love Among the Ruins":

Channel Surfing: Patton Oswalt Lands on "Caprica," NBC to Attend "Midnight, Mass," January Jones Talks "Mad" Betty Draper, and More

August 17, 2009 by Jace Lacob

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

Patton Oswalt (United States of Tara) has been cast in a recurring role on Syfy's upcoming Battlestar Galactica prequel series Caprica, where he will play Baxter Sarno, the comedian talk show host of a Caprican-based television series on which Eric Stoltz's Daniel Greystone and Paula Malcomson's Amanda Greystone appear. Oswalt is no stranger to genre-based series; he did a memorable guest turn on FOX's Dollhouse last season in the game-changing episode "Man on the Street" (pictured here). Caprica is slated to launch in January 2010 on Syfy. (Hollywood Reporter)

NBC has ordered a pilot script for Midnight, Mass, a series adaptation of DC Comics/Vertigo title about Adam and Julia Kadmons, a married couple who travel the world solving mysteries and tackling bizarre supernatural crimes. Pilot script will be written by Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts, who will executive produce along with Pushing Daisies producers Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen. Project hails from Warner Bros. Television and Jinks/Cohen. Berg and Harberts, meanwhile, are showrunners on NBC's upcoming medical drama Mercy. (Hollywood Reporter)

E! Online's Watch with Kristin has a new video interview with Mad Men star January Jones, in which the actor--who plays the frustrated Betty Draper on the AMC drama series--reveals that Betty's affair at the end of Season Two has been deeply divisive among the audience, with many male viewers feeling betrayed by her one-night stand with the handsome stranger (Ryan McPartlin) while women felt that Betty was "finally getting hers." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Looks like Paula Abdul won't be turning up on Ugly Betty, after all. The Los Angeles Times' Denise Martin is reporting that talks between Abdul and the network have "fallen apart" and she "will not be guest starring on Ugly Betty." Abdul, as previously reported last week, had been in talks to guest star on Betty as a Mode magazine temp who develops a friendship with Amanda (Becki Newton). (Los Angeles Times' Show Tracker)

ABC has announced the sixteen new celebrities participating in Season Nine of Dancing with the Stars, which include: Aaron Carter, Olympian Natalie Coughlin, actor/martial artist Mark Dacascos, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Macy Gray, actor/songwriter Ashley Hamilton, Melissa Joan Hart, Kathy Ireland, former Dallas Cowboy Michael Irwin, actress Joanna Krupa, mixed martial arts icon Chuck Liddell, Debi Mazar, Mya, Kelly Osbourne, Donny Osmond, and pro snowboarder Louie Vito. (via press release)

Jay Leno has revealed that his first guest on his new 10 pm nightly talk show The Jay Leno Show will be Jerry Seinfeld, who is expected to "do standup on Leno and possibly race cars in the NBC parking lot -- a bit the show will probably go to often," writes Variety's Stuart Levine. (Variety)

Dave Franco (Superbad) has been cast in ABC's Scrubs as a series regular next season. Franco will play Cole, "a charming, conservative, confidently stupid and incredibly entitled medical student whose family donated a wing to the school. With his arrogance and erroneous medical decisions he becomes an enormous irritant to Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley)," according to the Hollywood Reporter's Nellie Andreeva. Scrubs is seeing the focus shift from Sacred Heart Hospital to a medical school next season; Franco will be among the new cast members helping to carry this new direction. (Hollywood Reporter)

HBO has optioned two volumes of Andrew Loog Oldham's biography "Stoned" and "2Stones," about his experiences as the producer and manager of the Rolling Stones. Pay cabler is developing a comedy series that will be loosely based on Oldham's life set in 1960s London. Wesley Strick will write the pilot script and will executive produce with Oldham and Lou Adler. (Variety)

UK audiences will finally get to see HBO's psychotherapy drama In Treatment: digital channel Sky Arts has acquired rights to the 43-episode series and plans to air episodes weeknights at 10 pm beginning in October. Sky Arts will also air an omnibus edition of In Treatment on Sunday evenings as well. (Broadcast)

Former NBC drama executive Lauren Stein has been hired at Peter Chernin's nascent production shingle, where she will oversee television drama development, a move that reunites her with her former boss at NBC, Katherine Pope. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Link Tank: TV Blog Coalition Roundup for August 14-16

August 16, 2009 by Jace Lacob

Televisionary is proud to be a member of the TV Blog Coalition. At the end of each week, we'll feature a roundup of content from our sister sites for your delectation.

This week, I had an exclusive interview with Bones showrunner/executive producer Hart Hanson about what to expect from Season Five of Bones, Booth's mental state, Brennan's Guatemalan trip, Angela's celibacy vow, a possible return to London, Stephen Fry, and much more.

I also offered up advance reviews of the next episode of True Blood and the third season premiere of Mad Men, my thoughts on the season finale of ABC's Better Off Ted, and recounted my personal experiences with the new Lost ARG (which included the reveal of the Season Six premiere episode title).

Elsewhere in the sophisticated TV-obsessed section of the blogosphere, members of the TV Blog Coalition were discussing the following items...

It's summer, it's hot, and Vance's brain can no longer think in more than 140 characters. He hasn't blogged much lately, but he's twittered the summer away. (Tapeworthy)
Design Star -- it's no Project Runway, but it'll do during the summer doldrums. Also, Nathan and Dan are good enough eye candy to keep tuning in. (TiFaux)
Dr. Gregory House trying to actually connect with people?!? Matt is excited to see if this House spoiler become a reality. [TV Fanatic]
Buzz geared up for Mad Men's third season with a little quiz about the first two years of the show. (BuzzSugar)
Sandie interviewed Michaela Conlin, who plays Angela on Bones. (Daemon's TV)
For those that need some new music to discover, check out the debut album Bible Belt by Diane Birch. (Scooter McGavin's 9th Green)
The TV Addict starting counting down to Fall with previews of PRIVATE PRACTICE, THE BIG BANG THEORY and CHUCK (The TV Addict)

Weekend Telly Reminder: "Mad Men," "True Blood," "Being Human"

August 14, 2009 by Jace Lacob

Ladies and gentlemen, start your TiVos.

Just a few reminders about some television this weekend that you should be sure to check out, come hell or high water.

The third season of Mad Men kicks off on Sunday night at 10 pm ET/PT on AMC. Fans of the period drama are in for a real treat as one of the very best programs on television returns for a triumphant third season that kicks off with a hell of a bang. (You can read my advance review of the Mad Men season opener here.)

Also on Sunday evening, is a brand-new episode ("I Will Rise Up") of HBO's supernatural soap True Blood, which transforms the series from being merely slickly seductive into something profound and gut-wrenching. If there's such a thing as one must-see episode of True Blood (and really, aren't they all are worth watching?), this is the one. You've been warned: miss this one at your peril. (You can read my spoiler-free review of Sunday night's True Blood here.)

And, finally, there's a heartbreaking new installment of BBC America's haunting Being Human on Saturday night that is a complete game-changer for the supernatural drama series. I had the opportunity to watch it a few weeks back and was mesmerized by how far the writers took the characters to their breaking points in this installment, in which Mitchell and George are forced to face the derision and rage of the human community over a misunderstanding which turns into a harrowing reminder of their true natures.

What are you most looking forward to watching this weekend? Discuss.

Talk Back: "Skins" Episode Two

August 14, 2009 by Jace Lacob

While I was out last night at Digital LA's entertainment media goes social panel at the Writers Guild, I'm hoping that many of you stayed in to watch the latest installment of Skins on BBC America.

(BTW, astute viewers may have noticed the gorgeous new Skins Season Three promo currently running on BBC America which features a host of pithy quotes about the series from yours truly. Pretty flattering, to be honest.)

Given that this is the second week of the third season--and, given the cast changes, essentially a new series in and of itself--I'm extremely curious to see what you thought of last night's episode. Are the new characters growing on you more this week or are you still missing Sid, Cassie, Tony, and the rest of the original gang? Does Effy anchor the new cast? Are you intrigued by Cook or turned off by his bluster? Are the twins adorably mismatched or just misunderstood?

And, most importantly, are you going to tune in again next week?

Talk back here.

Next week on Skins ("Thomas"), Thomas arrives from the Congo homeless and penniless and lands himself in trouble with Johnny White; the gang discover that Thomas may be the answer to their problems when they realize he has one advantage over the sinister gangster.

Channel Surfing: "Fire" Sale at ABC, Winslet Cops to "Mildred Pierce," Mr. Eko Wants to Get "Lost" Again, and More

August 14, 2009 by Jace Lacob

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

ABC has given a script order with a sizable penalty to a contemporary series take on 1985 feature film St. Elmo's Fire. Project, which comes from Sony Pictures Television, will be written/executive produced by Dan Bucatinsky and executive produced by Topher Grace, Jamie Tarses, and Joel Schumacher. The series would revolve around a group of six friends--three men, three women--who hang out together at a Georgetown restaurant called St. Elmo's Bar & Grill. "I feel it is time to re-create Friends in the hourlong genre and feel like this is the perfect opportunity," said Bucatinsky. ""More than anything, the movie evokes a feeling that doesn't go away, the feeling of bonding with your friends who become your surrogate family." (Hollywood Reporter)

Could Kate Winslet be headed for the small screen? HBO is said to be in the running to pick up a mini-series adaptation of 1945 feature film Mildred Pierce that would star Kate Winslet (The Reader) and be written and directed by Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven). The original film, which starred Joan Crawford, revolved around a murder investigation that ensnares a bored housewife-turned-restaurant-mogul, her spoiled daughter, and her vicious husband. (Editor: I'm a huge fan of the original and would love to see Winslet and Haynes work their magic on a remake, which I hope would remain period-set.) (Variety)

Could Mr. Eko be returning to Lost? If actor Adawale Akinnuoye-Agbaj has his way, he will be. "I loved playing that character," Akinnuoye-Agbaj told Entertainment Weekly. "I loved working with that team and the reception I got from people was phenomenal. Even at Comic-Con this year I went to sign my action figure for G.I. Joe and people had tons of questions about Lost. It makes you feel good that you could be off a show for more than a year and still have people thinking about your character. It was a great part. I’m here for them. Adewale is open for business. We have had talks about some things they might do for the final season and there are other dead folks coming back allegedly but at the moment it is still a maybe. A strong maybe but I have not shot anything yet or signed any contracts. But I’m hoping." Lost's executive producers, meanwhile, declined to comment. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Reporter)

TNT has confirmed that drama series Saving Grace will wrap its run next summer with a final batch of nine episodes. According to the Hollywood Reporter's Nellie Andreeva, the cabler offered studio Fox Television Studios a full fourth season order, but the studio "declined to accept it for financial reasons." Instead, an additional three episodes have been tacked on to the six that were meant to run next year in an effort to tie up any dangling plot lines. "It's been a fantastic beacon for the network, which has both challenged and entertained viewers in ways few other shows on television ever dare," said TNT's programming czar Michael Wright. (Hollywood Reporter)

In other cancellation news, Comedy Central has confirmed that it has cancelled Reno 911! after six seasons. News of the axe was originally made by co-creator/star Thomas Lennon over Twitter. (Hollywood Reporter)

HBO has signed a deal with writer/producer Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files) to develop two new drama series. First up: Humanitas, a futuristic drama that Spotnitz has written and will executive produce with Gavin Polone, about a potentially threatening pandemic stemming from major advances in medical science and genetic manipulation. Spotnitz and co-writer Adam Rapp will also adapt Robert Silverberg's sci-fi novel "The World Inside," about a future where, following massive overpopulation, the planet's inhabitants live inside "carefully controlled urban centers where frustration and anger are eliminated, sex is rampant and fertility is the most prized human attribute." Meanwhile, Spotnitz is writing a drama pilot Arc for FX about a former spy who tries to leave behind the espionage game and settle into normal life. Based on a true story, it will be produced by Scott Free Prods. and CBS Television Studios. (Variety)

Reveille has acquired US remake rights for Italian drama series About My Brother, about a Manhattan lawyer who returns home to Italy and forms an unconventional partnership with his autistic brother, who has become a dogged investigator. (Hollywood Reporter)

Cartoon Network has ordered additional installments of animated series The Marvelous Adventures of Flapjack, which will now run throughout the remainder of 2009, and has ordered two new series: Regular Show, about groundskeepers and the animals who live on the ground who try to keep themselves busy, and Horrorbots, about two teenage robots who attend high school. (Variety)

A&E and Tony Danza (Who's the Boss) are developing reality series Teach, in which the actor would serve as a co-teacher of a 10th grade English class at a high school in Philadelphia. Production will commence if and when Philadelphia school board officials approve the cameras to enter the school. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Masters of Disaster: Buffets, Frayed Nerves, and Close Encounters of the Dale Kind on "Top Chef Masters"

August 13, 2009 by Jace Lacob

Just when you thought the atmosphere couldn't get anymore heated on Top Chef Masters, the arrival of some extremely talented Top Chef former contestants stirred up even more trouble.

On last night's penultimate episode of Bravo's Top Chef Masters, the master chefs had to work with three sous chefs culled from the legions of past Top Chef participants in order to execute their vision for a sumptuous buffet at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills (a favorite haunt of mine, if I'm being honest).

This was an opportunity for the masters to position themselves into the role of mentor, chief, and motivator. To prove, in other words, that they were a true master chef in every sense of the words. Chef, after all, means chief and in the kitchen being the leader means being able to effectively communicate with your team, harness their abilities, and work together as a single organism moving in unison.

Which isn't quite what happened last night. At least not on chef Michael Chiarello's team.

So what happened and how did the four remaining master chefs do? Let's dicsuss.

I've been a huge supporter of Chiarello throughout this competition but his behavior last night left me speechless, particularly his "auditioning" of the former Top Chef competitors and his staggering queries of "What's my name."

These are, after all, established and committed chefs in their own right and aren't applying for a commis job in the kitchen. For Chiarello to grill them about the correct way to address him in the kitchen didn't earn him much love or admiration (or, well, respect) from the cheftestants, none of whom particularly wanted to be selected by him as sous chefs.

Here's a clip:

And that's to say nothing of the altercation between Chiarello and Dale, who turned a comment referring to him as "young man" into a full-blown battle royale in which the former Top Chef contestant seemed to want Chiarello to punch him. For a season that has been remarkably low-key about dramatics, this was the single moment in Top Chef Masters where I could not believe what was unfolding before my eyes.

I understand that Chiarello is a seasoned chef worth his whites, but his wanton disregard for any semblance of respect towards these chefs left such a sour taste in my mouth that I am now actively rooting against him at this point in the competition.

Whew.

That said, let's move onto the food. The master chefs this week had to pull off a huge buffet-style presentation for 200 "Hollywood insiders" at the SLS Hotel and had to roll with the punches as they were given the opportunity to select three sous chefs from among the Top Chef returnees and then had to rethink many of their dishes when they learned that the buffet was now being set up outside in the sun on the terrace at the SLS.

Anita Lo created an Asian buffet with "an array of sauces and condiments," with dishes that included a noodle salad, a raw bar, dumplings, and pork-stuffed pork spare ribs. Lo was let down by the fact that a sun-drenched terrace is not the ideal location for serving raw seafood, the noodle salad seemed a bit pedestrian, and there wasn't a lot of wow factor going on here. Sadly, Lo was in a little over her head and couldn't quite get the logistics and organization under control.

Michael Chiarello offered up a rustic Italian-style buffet, which included three kinds of risotto, prawns, swordfish, and an olive oil cake. Complaints from the critics included that the swordfish was "doughy" and "mealy" and seemed "old," the olive oil cake was far too soaked in oil, and the prawns were overbrined. His presentation seemed more messy/rustic than some of the others and didn't look all that appetizing outside in the heat.

Rick Bayless served up a flawless Mexican buffet that included traditional tortilla soup, a "luxury guacamole bar," pork, a quick sautee of shrimp with figs and nuts, and liquid nitrogen-frozen avocado ice cream.

And then there was Hubert Keller, who offered up an exquisite eighteen-dish buffet that the judges decreed was more like "a million dollars" than the $1000 total budget. And I have to agree. Keller and his team, working in concert, pulled off a daring and incredible array of complex dishes including a Vietnamese-spiced gazpacho with scallops, roasted beets with Cantal cheese, oysters with citrus and coriander seeds, rack of lamb, a selection of elegant desserts, and so much more. It seemed as though they had been working for weeks to pull off an execution that was so polished, so poised, and so confident. Rather like the magnanimous Keller himself, in fact.

Ultimately, I knew that Keller and Bayless (whom I've grown to admire more and more each passing week) would land in the top spots. While I was blown away by the artistry of Bayless' offerings (and the fact that he took a chance by letting the incomparable Richard Blais work his culinary magic with the liquid nitrogen), it was Keller would truly embodied the spirit of this competition and this challenge, wowing the critics (though oddly not the diners, who crazily only awarded him three and a half stars) and the audience with a luxurious and complex feast.

I had a sinking feeling that Lo would be the one to be cut from the competition this week, which is a real shame as I love Anita Lo. But she really did seem out of her element and didn't quite have the vision and organization necessary to adapt to each of the new speed bumps introduced. Which is a shame as I'd have loved to have seen her take on Keller and Bayless in the final round. But alas, the critics seemed to think that Chiarello performed better overall and sent Lo off to pack her knives and leave.

So who will win the final showdown? Will it be Keller, Bayless, or Chiarello taking home the ultimate title of Top Chef Master and a sizable donation for their sponsored charity? Who do you think will walk away the victor and who will walk away empty-handed? Discuss.

Next week on the season finale of Top Chef Masters ("Top Chef Master"), the final three remaining master chefs must delve into their pasts to create a four-course meal; the ultimate master chef is crowned.

Televisionary TCA Summer Press Tour Wrap Up

August 13, 2009 by Jace Lacob

Trailer Park: FX's "Lawman" Sneak Peek

August 13, 2009 by Jace Lacob

One of the more memorable series teased at the recent Television Critics Association Press Tour in Pasadena was FX's Lawman, which stars Timothy Olyphant (Damages) and is based on an Elmore Leonard novel. (More information about the project, announced last month, can be found here.)

The Sony Pictures Television-produced series, from writer/executive producer Graham Yost, is expected to launch in the spring of next year. Lawman was among the projects touted at FX's executive session and we were treated to an extraordinary clip from the pilot episode of the twice-yearly critics' gathering.

I had been hoping to share with you this clip from Lawman but was unable to do so until now. Thanks to the generosity of FX, I've now been given the go-ahead to share this sneak peek at the staggeringly great Lawman with you.

So what are you waiting for? Check out Timothy Olyphant in this clip from FX's gripping Lawman below.

Lawman will debut in Spring 2010 on FX.

Channel Surfing: Anne Dudek Gets "Covert," Aaron Paul to Return to "Big Love," Emmy Reversal, and More

August 13, 2009 by Jace Lacob

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

Ubiquitous actor (and Televisionary fave) Anne Dudek (House, Big Love, Mad Men) will star opposite Piper Perabo and Christopher Gorham in USA's drama pilot Covert Affairs, where she will play the siter of Perabo's Annie Walker, a polyglot CIA trainee. (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Emmy nominated Breaking Bad actor Aaron Paul will appear in Season Four of HBO's Big Love next year, though Paul doesn't know quite what's in store for Scott next season now that he and Sarah (Amanda Seyfried) are engaged. "The only thing they’ve told me," Paul told Ausiello, "is that something big will happen to my character this season." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Variety's Cynthia Littleton is reporting that the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has bowed to public outrage over its decision to time-shift eight awards of the September 20th Emmy telecast and has announced that it will instead present all 28 categories live on the air. "This decision was made to mend relationships within the television community and to allow executive producer Don Mischer to focus his full attention on producing the creative elements in the telecast," said Academy of Television Arts and Sciences chairman-CEO John Shaffner in a prepared statement. "Our goal is to celebrate the year in television, honor excellence and this year's great achievements with the support of our industry colleagues and our telecast partner, CBS."(Variety's Emmy Central)

Add executive producer to his growing list of credits. Denzel Washington is in talks to come on board FOX cop drama pilot Billy Stiles, about a "genius gang member-turned-cop." Washington would serve as an executive producer on the 20th Century Fox Television-based project alongside Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Steve Tisch. Project was written by Virgil Williams (24) and was originally pitched as a cable series before landing at FOX. (Hollywood Reporter)

Lifetime has announced that its twelve-episode comedy series Sherri, which stars Sherri Shepherd (The View) as a single mom who begins dating after a divorce, will launch on October 5th at 10 pm. Series will be paired in the Tuesdays at 10 pm timeslot with the second season of Rita Rocks. (Variety)

Joe Morton (Eureka) has signed on for a recurring role on ABC's Brothers and Sisters, where he will play a Justin's "tough but nurturing anatomy professor," according to Hollywood Reporter's Nellie Andreeva, in roughly seven to ten episodes next season. (Hollywood Reporter)

Comedy Central has ordered six mores installments of Tosh.0, which will return with new episodes on October 8th. (via press release)

BBC One has ordered a third season of sketch comedy series The Armstrong and Miller Show, despite the fact that the second season--already on order--has yet to launch. Season Two is expected to premiere this fall, with the third season likely to debut in 2010. (Broadcast)

Apatow Productions' Nicholas Weinstock has been hired by Peter Chernin to oversee comedy development at his nascent shingle. Weinstock will report to Katherine Pope and Dylan Clark. (Hollywood Reporter)

Notorious reality star Katie Price (a.k.a. Jordan) is starting her own production company. Pricey Media, which Price will run with Mark Wagman, will co-produce reality series What Katie Did Next with ITV Studios. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.