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Posts tagged as “FX”

Crème de la crème

A few new stuff announced in the last couple of days.

First up, some HBO stuff.
The cable net has renewed The United States of Tara for a second season.

Continuing on pilot season, Boardwalk Empire keeps on casting peeps, with the addition of Aleksa Palladino, Brotherhood‘s Paul Sparks, Pride and Glory‘s Shea Whigham and Anthony Laciura.
David Simon’s new HBO drama, Treme, has also another casting announcement, with Rob Brown joining the cast (in addition to The Wire‘s Clarke Peters).

Let’s not forget our usual “adaptations”, with this time ABC offering us the remake of a recent ITV show named No Heroics about the “normal lives” of lame superheroes. The pilot was co-wrote by Desperate Housewives‘ Jeff Greenstein and the original creator of the show, Drew Pearce.

Over at NBC, we have Community, written by The Sarah Silverman Program‘s Dan Harmon, about a loser joining community college just for kicks.

FX has also its fair share of greenlighting, with two new pilots.

First, Lights Out, centered around a former heavyweight boxing champion with pugilistic dementia (a disorder slowly leading to complete memory loss) struggling to support his family, including his wife, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. The boxer is also forced to become a debt enforcer.
The pilot was co-written by The Bucket List‘s Justin Zackham and Phillip Noyce and the show described as more family-centered à la Sopranos than The Shield.
And, no, it’s not gonna be re-named The Boxer.

There’s also another pilot in town, a yet-unamed show based on Elmore Leonard’s Fire in the Hole and adapted to screen by Raines/Boomtown‘s creator, Graham Yost, about Raylan Givens’ life as a Kentucky U.S. Marshal with his ex-wife, dying father, and cases. The pilot will be shot by Sons of Anarchy/The Beast‘s Michael Dinner.

And last but far from least, two new major cast announcements regarding some FOX pilots:
Fringe‘s Mark Valley will be playing the male lead in Human Target.
Crossing Jordan‘s Kathryn Hahn will play Eddie in the Absolutely Fabulous remake next to Kristen Johnston’s Patsy.

TV Mid-Season '09: The Complete Review – What is coming back

As we know, who says new year, says new schedule.

Time for The Complete Review’s awesome second part about the mid-season.
Let’s get it on and start things off with what is coming back.
I am not here talking about shows that premiered in fall, rather shows from last year that we have all been waiting for (or not?).

They’re back again. With a full stomach.


– Flashpoint – Season 2 (premieres Jan. 9): As previously reported, including the last 4 episodes from Season One, the second season should be comprised of 22 fresh episodes. Can it still be the hit it was last year? Only time (and Nielsen) will tell.


– Friday Night Lights – Season 3 (premieres Jan. 16): The season that has already been shown on DirecTV. I’m waiting for the HD release to watch it. Has it refound its Season One epicness?


– Scrubs – Season 8 (premieres Jan. 6): If you still haven’t heard, don’t be confused; Scrubs has moved to ABC due to shitty programming by NBC (amongst other things). If you want to get spoiled on the season/series-finale, there’s an interview with Bill Lawrence (the show’s creator) talking about that and what will happen once he and Zach Braff leave at the end of this year (yes, the show will probably continue in some form).
– Lost – Season 5 (premieres Jan. 21): They got off it. Now how do they go back?


– 24 – Season 7 (premieres Jan. 11): 24: Redemption was crap, and so were the first 15 minutes of the Season 7 premiere. Mix that with Tony Almeida coming back from his grave as a villain, and you’ve got another crappy 24 season on your hands. Or perhaps not?


– Reaper – Season 2 (premieres March 17): Cool first season, although I preferred Chuck to it.


– Big Love – Season 3 (premieres Jan. 18): Never saw the point of this show.
– Flight of the Conchords – Season 2 (premieres Jan. 18): I am told it is awesomely great.


– The L Word – Season 6 (premieres Jan. 18): Haven’t watched the show since Season 3 so can’t really comment on it.

The Big Unknown
The Tudors – Season 3 (Spring): How can a historical show continue to reinvent itself? By changing History.


– Battlestar Galactica – Season 4 (or rather 5) (premieres Jan. 16): This show has disappointed me so much since the third season, I just want to get it over with.


– Damages – Season 2 (premieres Jan. 7): The first season was epic and the second is supposed to begin where we last left off our awesome characters. Unfortunately it is quite probable that this second season will be less formidable than the first, though still quite entertaining nonetheless.

The Big Unknown
Rescue Me – Season 5 (Spring): The latest season was just okay with completely useless mini episodes. Let’s hope Rescue Me can wake up (I was about to do a Rescue Me play on word but waaaaay too easy). Michael J. Fox is coming back to TV with a role as Janet’s new love interest.

Now that we’ve seen new seasons, we’ll get a good look at the fresh new shows coming our way for this mid-season.
My guess is: awesomeness is coming.

America needs a prune (Emmys 2008)


Probably the best line of the night next to Piven’s diss of the opening.

I like Survivor but man did that Emmy hosting suck.
Even Probst was bad, and he was the one to win the Emmy.

When you precede Tinay Fey/Amy Poehler and follow Ricky Gervais/Steve Carell, it’s time to GTFO ASAP.

I would love to be in the office of the Emmy guy on the day he decided who was going to host the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Maybe they wanted to avoid waves and anything politically incorrect.

I guess that’s why thoses bastards decided to cut Kirk Ellis when he was talking about the Founding Fathers!


Yeah, let’s show some respect to the writers who make the medium what it is by minimizing to the extreme their speeches (Ellis was told to “wrap it up” just as was getting on stage!).

I also find ironic that for a show that celebrates TV and coming on the heels of a writers’ strike, they chose five reality hosts for the Emmys.
Nice touch.

Regarding the actual results, I’m really happy for Brian Cranston and Breaking Bad, great show, great actor.
Happy also for Ivaneck, the guy deserves to finally win!
I like a lot Mad Men but I still feel as though it is over-hyped, especially considering the other shows nominated (except Boston Legal).
And Tina Fey still rocks.

It’s also interesting to note the downfall of the networks (and HBO). 10 wins for HBO (long is gone the 3-digit), 4 for NBC, 3 for AMC (!) and ABC, 2 for FX (!) and CBS as well as Comedy Central, and finally 1 little Emmy for FOX and PBS.

And how weird was that Forrest Gump/Punchline reunion?