Author: John Paulsen (Page 21 of 79)

CW renews six shows

February 25, 2009 /

Good news for fans of several CW shows.

The CW network has picked up six series to return in the fall: “Gossip Girl,” “One Tree Hill, “90210,” the Thursday combo of “Smallville” and “Supernatural” and the reality hit “America’s Next Top Model,” which has been green-lighted for its 13th and 14th seasons.

The ninth-season renewal for “Smallville” came after producing studio Warner Bros TV was able to secure a new deal with star Tom Welling.

The last couple seasons of “Supernatural” have been great, and “Smallville” has been really strong this year as well, so I’m happy to see that both will be returning for another season. The same goes for “Gossip Girl,” which is a guilty pleasure.

There are a few other CW shows that are still in limbo…

Awaiting a decision regarding its fate is freshman drama “Privileged,” which has developed a strong fan base but has been a modest ratings performer.

Renewal chances are slim at best for “Reaper,” whose second season begins Tuesday, and for the CW’s only two remaining comedy series, “The Game” and “Everybody Hates Chris,” since the network has abandoned the genre.

I gave up on “Privileged” after a couple of episodes because the two daughters were pretty annoying. The show’s star — Joanna Garcia — is charming, so I’m not surprised that the show has developed a strong fan base. “Reaper” isn’t getting much help from its network, but it still needs to perform well in its second season to have a shot at renewal.

External Entertainment, External TV, Gossip Girl, News, Reaper, TV, TV Action, TV Comedies, TV Dramas, TV Sci-Fi

“Leverage” finishes strong

February 25, 2009 /

I wrote back in early January that “Leverage” seemed to be getting better, and then Will Harris had a chance to spend 10 minutes interviewing Christian Kane (who plays Elliot Spencer on the show), just before the two-part season finale aired.

After watching the finale, I think it’s safe to say that the show finished strong. The two-parter focuses on Nathan Ford (Timothy Hutton) and his obsession with taking down the head of the insurance company (that he used to work for) that failed to pay a claim that might have saved his son’s life. We meet Nathan’s ex-wife, Maggie (Kari Matchett), and Nathan’s rival at the insurance company, Sterling (Mark Sheppard), makes for a good foil.

Sure, the gang relies on a house-of-cards type progression to get through most of their jobs, but if you don’t spend too much time thinking about how ridiculous some of these plot points are, the show can be quite enjoyable. (I especially like the budding romance between Parker and Hardison.)

The series definitely has an “Ocean’s Eleven” and “Hustle” (BBC) feel to it, though I think that it would work better as the occasional two-hour movie than it does as a television series. (However, I do applaud TNT for limiting the season to 13 episodes — I would be frightened to see what kind of filler we’d get if it ran 22+ episodes.) TNT already greenlit a second season, so new viewers can dive in without fear that it will be canceled.

Actors, Actresses, External Entertainment, External TV, Interviews, Movies, TV, TV Comedies, TV Dramas

Don’t write off “The United States of Tara” just yet

February 25, 2009 /

I don’t really know how positive or negative the reviews have been for Showtime’s new half-hour dramedy, “The United States of Tara.” The score over at TV.com is 6.5, which isn’t particularly good. (“Weeds” and “Entourage” both scored an 8.9.)

The series stars Toni Collette as Tara, a mother of two teenagers and the owner of no fewer than three other personalities. Tara and her patient husband Max (John Corbett) decided that she would no longer take Xanax to suppress the personalities. Why? We don’t really know — other than Tara’s statement that she wants to “feel something.” (I’m paraphrasing.) The series feels like it’s trying to recreate what makes “Weeds” so great — how a suburban mother’s unique characteristic/career has such a drastic effect on her family.

Anyway, the first few episodes were funny in spots, but high on the uncomfortable meter as Tara’s “alters” would emerge at inopportune times. For its comedy, the series relies too much on how Tara’s other personalities embarrass the rest of the family. And it was starting to get tiresome, especially since it could all be avoided if she only stayed on her meds.

But the sixth episode — “Transition” — was funny as hell. We saw two of Tara’s alters but it was only for a brief moment. The episode revolves around a visit by Tara’s parents for her sister’s birthday party. Her parents want the kids to live with them, and Tara just tries to get through the weekend without transitioning.

But the funniest part of the episode was the daughter’s interaction with her boss, Gene (Nathan Corddry). Gene manages an Applebee’s-type restaurant chain and his character is starting to steal the show. The writers would be wise to utilize Patton Oswalt’s comedic delivery as well. He is hilarious as Max’s co-worker and friend but he’s only appeared in two episodes.

I’m not saying that “The United States of Tara” should be renewed or that it deserves an Emmy. But I was thoroughly impressed with this episode and, unless they really drop the ball over the next couple of installments, I’m going to watch the rest of the season. Those that gave up on the series early might want to check out the sixth episode to see if it blows up their proverbial skirts.

External Entertainment, External TV, Reviews, TV, TV Comedies

Adam Carolla, Joel McHale to star in pilots

February 24, 2009 /

Los Angeles radio station 97.1 switched from an all-talk format to top 40, so Adam Corolla (who replaced Howard Stern when he moved to Sirius) was out of a job. It turns out that his unemployment only lasted about a day…

Carolla will star in CBS’ pilot Ace in the Hole as a family man who works days as a driving instructor, reports Variety. He’s re-teaming with former Man Show writer Kevin Hench on the comedy.

Joel McHale (right, host of “The Soup”) also looks to get into the sitcom game…

After being pursued by networks for some time now, McHale has finally settled on a project. He’ll star in Community, a comedy pilot over at NBC, as a lawyer who goes to community college after learning he needs more credits for a real college degree, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

As host of E!’s The Soup, McHale–a favorite around these parts–had been courted by networks as a talk-show host but instead was looking for an acting gig. If this works out, E! will have a heck of a time finding a replacement.

I’ve been watching “The Soup” for a while now, and there’s no doubt that McHale has talent. I understand the networks’ desire to give him a talk show, but he may use that as a backup plan if he can’t make it as an actor. The premise of the show — a lawyer who has to return to community college — does show some promise.

Actors, External Entertainment, External TV, Humor, Stand-Up Comics, TV, TV Comedies

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