The Jury Room

by **Dunnyman** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 3:51 pm

What are we all planning to see? What can't you wait for to come back?
In the "Can't wait for it to get back" category, the gut wrenching cliffhanger on Castle has made this a long summer. Also eagerly awaiting more hi-junks with everyone's favorite nerds on Big Bang Theory. Raising Hope and Modern Family will continue to be excellent I'm sure, and fall will of course feature my Oakland Raiders taking the next step towards domination of the NFL...
"Planning to see", yes, I know it's going to a glorified soap, but Pan Am looks like it could be a lot of fun if they don't take themselves too seriously. I imagine Mr. Kile will be watching this one as well (actually, didn't they have height requirements for stewardesses back then, Mr. Kile, and wouldn't Christina Ricci have not been qualified to do the job?) The combination of 60's glamor and the retro setting should be kind of fun. Revenge looks kind of neat, if they don't kill the mystery right off the bat, and Ringer looks interesting in that vein as well (couldn't resist the SMG joke). 2 Broke Girls looks funny with James Burrows on board as a director and How To Be A Gentleman brings back Dave Foley, so I'm there.

by **Mach6** » Sat Aug 06, 2011 8:03 am

“Can’t wait for it to get back”: Of all the shows this Fall, #1 has to be South Park’s second half of its’ 15th season starting in mid/late October. I really want to see how they conclude the “You're Getting Old” finale from the first half. There are so many ways they can go with it.

Will Stan still be a cynical A-Hole & think everything is crappy? Will Stan’s parents still be separated? Will Matt & Trey shake up the show & replace Stan with Butters or Token as the 4th kid? I just don’t think Matt & Trey will take the easy way out & have everything back to normal. I’m also looking forward to the 2nd seasons of Nikita & The Walking Dead. I hope they can avoid the sophomore jinx.

“Planning to see”: From what I read & seen, none of the new shows interests me, not even Ringer with Gellar. I’ll have to take a wait & hear the reviews approach with them.

by **molly1216** » Tue Aug 09, 2011 12:36 pm

since i only watch tv time shifted via the internet, i am not really attached to the week to week stuff
especially on non cable stations...i am more fond of the shows that air on the alternate schedule...the Closer, In Plain Sight, Breaking Bad etc...
but i am keeping up with Big Bang Theory and Raising Hope of course
I was very surprised that after years of L&O over expose that i was very fond of the L&O LA show.
aside from that all i can think i would miss is the Walking Dead
I still catch up with Castle, House (sometimes) and Bones but if any of them got cancelled i wouldn't cry.
However i WAS saddened to hear that Eureka wasn't renewed for S6. Sniff.

aside from that I love to see more episodes of Mythbusters, Dirty Jobs and RIVER MONSTERS!

by **J.M. Vargas** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 1:16 pm

molly1216 wrote:I was very surprised that after years of L&O over expose that i was very fond of the L&O LA show.

You HAVE to see Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" then. Corey Stohl (unrecognizable at first; I watched every "LOLA" episode and didn't know it was Corey until after I checked the credits on IMDB) steals the movie doing a Hemingway so effin awesome is the standout performance of the flick (per me and every person or critic that has seen it).

In other news, TBS CANCELS "LOPEZ TONIGHT" (two weeks after BET cancelled Mo'nique's own late night show). Bad week for minority late night hosts (all four of them... Byron Allen somehow still has work but Tavis Smiley continues to rock it).

by **JoshRode** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 3:58 pm

J.M. Vargas wrote:
molly1216 wrote:I was very surprised that after years of L&O over expose that i was very fond of the L&O LA show.

You HAVE to see Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" then. Corey Stohl (unrecognizable at first; I watched every "LOLA" episode and didn't know it was Corey until after I checked the credits on IMDB) steals the movie doing a Hemingway so effin awesome is the standout performance of the flick (per me and every person or critic that has seen it).

In other news, TBS CANCELS "LOPEZ TONIGHT" (two weeks after BET cancelled Mo'nique's own late night show). Bad week for minority late night hosts (all four of them... Byron Allen somehow still has work but Tavis Smiley continues to rock it).

His Hemmingway was the best part of the movie, but since all the main characters from our time were unlikeable, I didn't really enjoy the film.

by **J.M. Vargas** » Thu Aug 11, 2011 3:50 pm

Who's Being Paid Big - 2011 Edition
By Stephen Battaglio, TVGuide Magazine/TonightOnTV.blogspot.com - August 10th, 2011

DRAMA (Upcoming Series)

Kiefer Sutherland (Touch) - $225,000 an episode
Maria Bello (Person of Interest) - $125,000 an episode
Christina Ricci (Pan Am) - $125,000 an episode
Eddie Cibrian (The Playboy Club) - $100,000 an episode
Michael Emerson (Person of Interest) - $100,000 an episode
Sarah Michell Gellar (Ringer) - $100,000 an episode
Poppy Montgomery (Unforgettable) - $85,000 an episode
Jason O'Mara (Terra Nova) - $75,000 an episode
Minka Kelly (Charlies Angels) - $50,000 an episode
Britt Robertson (The Secret Circle) - $30,000 an episode

DRAMA (Returning Series)

Hugh Laurie (House) - $700,000 an episode
Mark Harmon (NCIS) - $500,000 an episode
Mariska Hargitay (Law and Order: SVU) - $395,000 an episode
David Caruso (CSI: Miami) - $375,000 an episode
Marg Helenberger (CSI) - $375,000 an episode
Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer) - $350,000 an episode
Simon Baker (The Mentalist) - $300,000 an episode
Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy) - $275,000 an episode
Kate Walsh (Private Practice) - $275,000 an episode
Ted Danson (CSI) - $225,000 an episode
Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife) - $180,000 an episode
Kathy Bates (Harry's Law) - $175,000 an episode
Jon Hamm (Mad Men) - $175,000 an episode
Dana Delany (Body of Proof) - $150,000 an episode
Jon Mantegna (Criminal Minds) - $130,000 an episode
Tom Selleck (Blue Bloods) - $130,000 an episode
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) - $125,000 an episode
William H. Macy (Shameless) - $125,000 an episode
Jared Padalecki (Supernatural) - $125,000 an episode
Cote de Pablo (NCIS) - $120,000 an episode
Thomas Gibson (Criminal Minds) - $120,000 an episode
Alex O'Laughlin (Hawaii Five-0) - $115,000 an episode
Nathan Fillion (Castle) - $100,000 an episode
Angie Harmon (Rizzoli and Isles) - $80,000 an episode
Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire) - $75,000 an episode
Danny Pino (Law and Order: SVU) - $75,000 an episode
Blake Lively (Gossip Girl) - $60,000 an episode

COMEDY (Upcoming Series)

Tim Allen (Last Man Standing) - $225,000 an episode
Christina Applegate (Up All Night) - $125,000 an episode
Zooey Deschanel (The New Girl) - $90,000 an episode
Kevin Dillon (How to Be a Gentleman) - $80,000 an episode
Will Arnett (Up All Night) - $75,000 an episode
Jamie Pressly (I Hate My Teenage Daughter) - $75,000 an episode
Whitney Cummings (Whitey) - $60,000 an episode

COMEDY (Returning Series)

Ashton Kutcher (Two and a Half Men) - $700,000 an episode
Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men) - $600,000 an episode
Julie Kavner (The Simpsons) - $400,000 an episode
Marcia Cross (Desperate Housewives) - $375,000 an episode
Tina Fey (30 Rock) - $350,000 an episode
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) - $300,000 an episode
Angus T. Jones (Two and a Half Men) - $250,000 an episode
Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory) - $250,000 an episode
Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory) - $250,000 an episode
Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) - $250,000 an episode
David Duchovny (Californication) - $225,000 an episode
Patricia Heaton (The Middle) - $225,000 an episode
Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) - $200,000 an episode
James Spader (The Office) - $125,000 an episode
Ed O'Neil (Modern Family) - $105,000 an episode
Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory) - $100,000 an episode
Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory) - $100,000 an episode
Jane Lynch (Glee) - $60,000 an episode
Joel McHale (Community) - $60,000 an episode
Matthew Morrison (Glee) - $55,000 an episode
Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - $30,000 an episode

LATE NIGHT

David Letterman (CBS) - $28 million a year
Jay Leno (NBC) - $25 milion a year
Conan O'Brien (TBS) - $10 million a year
Jimmy Kimmel (ABC) - $8 million a year
Jimmy Fallon (NBC) - $5 million a year
Steve Colbert (Comedy) - $4 million a year
Chelsea Handler (E!) - $3.5 million a year
George Lopez (TBS, until tonight) - $3 million a year
Carson Daly (NBC) - $1 million a year

DAYTIME/TALK SYNDICATION

Judy Sheindlin (Judge Judy) - $45 million a year
Joe Brown (Judge Joe Brown) - $20 million a year
Kelly Ripa (Live! with Regis and Kelly) - $20 million a year
Regis Philbin (Live! with Regis and Kelly) - $15 million a year
Phil McGraw (Dr. Phil) - $15 million a year
Mario Lopez (Extra, H8R, America's Best Dance Crew) - $3.5 million a year
Billy Bush (Access Hollywood) - $3 million a year
Nancy O'Dell (Entertainment Tonight) - $3 million a year

REALITY / NEWS

Scott Pelley (CBS) - $15 million a year
Anderson Cooper (CNN and Syndication - $11 million a year
Keith Olbermann (Current TV) - $10 million a year + equity in Current TV

Click Here for the 2010 Edition
Click Here for the 2009 Edition

http://tonightontv.blogspot.com/2011/08/whos-being-paid-big-2011-edition.html

by **molly1216** » Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:49 pm

Ashton is overpaid and john hamm is underpaid

by **J.M. Vargas** » Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:10 am

^^^ And yet Ashton's puling about a million dollars less per episode than Sheen was. If "Two and a Half Men" keeps its ratings the same or a little lower than it was getting before the Sheen meltdown CBS will actually be making more money than when Sheen was. Also, if Danny Pino works out as Meloni's replacement in "Law & Order: SVU" his paltry $75k an episode will make-up for the difference compared with the almost $400K salary Chris was getting.

by **JoshRode** » Sat Aug 13, 2011 5:01 pm

Nathan Fillion deserves a raise. And where's Stana Katic?

by **molly1216** » Sun Aug 14, 2011 9:47 am

i haven't watched any trailers yet
but PLEASE dear god Fox don't murder this infant
http://www.fox.com/terranova/

by **Steve T Power** » Sun Aug 14, 2011 9:50 am

molly1216 wrote:i haven't watched any trailers yet
but PLEASE dear god Fox don't murder this infant
http://www.fox.com/terranova/

From what I understand, Spielberg doesn't get out of bed for anything less than a full season order.

EDIT: Trailers make it look like a cross between Jurassic Park and Avatar.

by **molly1216** » Sun Aug 14, 2011 9:32 pm

http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/08/14/break ... al-season/

Breaking Bad is getting its renewal — for a final season.
AMC has picked up 16 episodes to conclude series. That will bring the award-winning show to a close sometime either next year or in 2013 — depending on how the network and AMC and Sony decide to divvy up the final hours, whether they split them into two more shortened seasons or one (Bad usually runs 13 episodes per season).

by **Dunnyman** » Thu Aug 18, 2011 12:38 pm

It was a late summer replacement, but check out The Nine Lives Of Chloe King, in ten episodes it went from Buffy clone to first rate mystery/thriller with red herrings, people supposedly dead showing up, unbreakable alliances being shattered and a whole host of loose ends with a great cliffhanger!

by **Dunnyman** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 9:42 am

Ringer started off with a bang last night and I'm glad to see Sarah Michelle Gellar back on TV. It's odd to see her playing someone who's weak and terrified, but she does great in playing both roles, making sure to carry herself differently in each character, etc. Lots of mystery right off the bat, and just a hint of the ol' Buffy smart-assery shows up from time to time, the big flaw was not one of the co-stars showed anything that made them unique. Hopefully they'll be given a chance to develop some as I figure CW will give this one some time to find it's legs if it can deliver even modest ratings.
Then it was a preview of New Girl, and yep, Zooey Deschanel delivers charm, goofiness and general adorable-ness in spades, but the guys were kind of bland including Damon Wayans. Very odd that he's on both this AND Happy Endings? Stranger yet, I'd swear some of the jokes were written by the same writers, just not as funny here. If given a chance this could work well though as she's got the stuff to be a big star.

by **cdouglas** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 12:12 pm

Dunnyman wrote:Then it was a preview of New Girl, and yep, Zooey Deschanel delivers charm, goofiness and general adorable-ness in spades, but the guys were kind of bland including Damon Wayans. Very odd that he's on both this AND Happy Endings?

I understand that he's only in the first few episodes of The New Girl, as he had to depart after Happy Endings got picked up.

by **J.M. Vargas** » Fri Sep 16, 2011 6:25 am

Dunnyman wrote:It was a late summer replacement, but check out The Nine Lives Of Chloe King, in ten episodes it went from Buffy clone to first rate mystery/thriller with red herrings, people supposedly dead showing up, unbreakable alliances being shattered and a whole host of loose ends with a great cliffhanger!

ABC FAMILY CANCELS "THE NINE LIVES OF CHLOE KING"; ORDERS MORE "LYING GAME" EPISODES: http://www.deadline.com/2011/09/abc-family-cancels-nine-lives/. Sorry dude!

Also, A REBOOT OF "BEAUTY AND THE BEAST" FOR THE CW IS IN THE WORKS: http://www.deadline.com/2011/09/cw-to-reboot-1980s-series-beauty-and-the-beast/.

Website · by **azul017** » Fri Sep 16, 2011 1:08 pm

Castle and Big Bang Theory for sure.

Joyce, I'm shocked you're not hooked on Castle. It's easy watching, but the serious turns give it that extra oomph. Plus Nathan and Stana are sexy as hell.

by **molly1216** » Sun Sep 18, 2011 2:51 pm

azul017 wrote:Castle and Big Bang Theory for sure.

Joyce, I'm shocked you're not hooked on Castle. It's easy watching, but the serious turns give it that extra oomph. Plus Nathan and Stana are sexy as hell.

i watched for a while..but i moved it to the list of things i will watch when they hit dvd.
it was the same plot everyweek very 80s in construction - very moonlighting..will they wont? got tired back then

by **mkiker2089** » Sun Sep 18, 2011 3:46 pm

molly1216 wrote:
azul017 wrote:Castle and Big Bang Theory for sure.

Joyce, I'm shocked you're not hooked on Castle. It's easy watching, but the serious turns give it that extra oomph. Plus Nathan and Stana are sexy as hell.

i watched for a while..but i moved it to the list of things i will watch when they hit dvd.
it was the same plot everyweek very 80s in construction - very moonlighting..will they wont? got tired back then

Most TV does better in Marathon form. I think Castle is one of those. As much as it may seem counter productive for a monster of the week it just seems to work better with DVD style viewing. Hulu has the last season by the way.

Of course I like shows that are somewhat formula based. Without a formula they often turn into soap operas. The X Files springs to mind.

As for the "moonlighting" vibe, I wish they'd tone that down a bit also. It works best to me if Castle is hitting on her without actually expecting anything. Part of why Moonlighting got old (as most shows that play on the will they won't they cliche) is that Bruce Willis was just so irritatingly persistent. Remington Steele plays it better in that it's just a side story. If Castle would take it further back and make it sort of a platonic flirting thing then it would be funny, sort of their thing but without too much meaning. The more they have them linger at doors and look longingly at each other the weaker it gets.

However I still give the show high marks. It gets it right most of the time.

by **HGervais** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 9:55 pm

Terra Nova pilot....how can something so ambitious be so.....boring? Granted the second hour was better than the first but the amount of cliches the show ran through in 84 minutes was kind of impressive and mind numbing. Jason O'Mara & Stephen Lang were both rather good and the mythology the show started to develop will probably get me back for at least another couple of weeks but if it can't break away from it's paint-by-the-numbers execution, I won't stick around for long.

by **molly1216** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 4:45 am

HGervais wrote:Terra Nova pilot....how can something so ambitious be so.....boring? Granted the second hour was better than the first but the amount of cliches the show ran through in 84 minutes was kind of impressive and mind numbing. Jason O'Mara & Stephen Lang were both rather good and the mythology the show started to develop will probably get me back for at least another couple of weeks but if it can't break away from it's paint-by-the-numbers execution, I won't stick around for long.

wow..that's usually what i say about stuff...coming from you it must be really unimpressive.
remember the days when shows were let to grow until their 2nd seasons where they blossomed.
now if they don't reach their peak by november sweeps they get axed..
i will try to catch terra nova..but i'd rather not get attached if it is going to get axed

by **HGervais** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 12:29 pm

I am usually more understanding about shows dealing with cliches. There are only so many original ideas out there, so more often than not I want to the storytelling to at least be creative in the way the cliches are presented, subvert the common expectation of how the cliches unfold or at the very least, tell a great yarn cliches & stock characters be damned. Terra Nova did none of that and they used enough genre cliches to last most shows half a season in the first two hours. Like I said, impressive feat that. That said, there was at least enough stuff to get me to DVR it next week. After that, who knows?

by **Dunnyman** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 1:19 pm

So far on new shows:
2 Broke Girls-The first episode was razor sharp and witty, the second was nowheres near it. OK, Kat Dennings is sarcastic, but making her character a total bitch isn't going to make me like the show. They also seem to be putting the whole show on the backs of the two leads, and that'll never work in the long run.
Free Agents-Hank Azaria is funny, and he and Kathryn Hahn have superb chemistry already. Let's get some fine tuning of the supporting cast and please remove Anthony Stewart Head as his character is repulsive and useless. Given time, this could be excellent.
Up All Night-Nothing new to see here, and we're back to smarmy jackass Wil Arnett, who isn't funny. Sadly, they killed Running Wilde just as it was hitting it's stride last year, so I'll give it a chance to get better. The tough part is that so far Christina Applegate is bringing nothing to this and Mya Rudolph's character isn't funny either.
New Girl-Deschanel has tons of charisma and if the supporting cast gets better this can be good. There's some good funny stuff in a rather tired formula (girl with broken heart makes new start in different city/apartment/friends/etc) but she's just so damned adorable that I'll keep watching.
Ringer-Up and running at full speed already! Just what the hell is going on here? SMG is back with a vengeance and there's mystery galore, murders, lies, etc. Gonna be a fun ride.
Secret Circle-Teenage witches? Some are good, some are bad, and their parents used to be/still might be? Despite some pretty faces, this is your typical CW stuff. If it gets a full season I'll be surprised. Makes the Twilight series look like freaking Buffy.
The Playboy Club-Aside from the boatload of bunny beauties (Oh yeah, Amber Heard is something special), they've got some good stuff here. Nice little mob tie-in, some civil rights drama, and so far one rocking little soundtrack as we see the various talents that hit the stage back in the day. I'm hip, I'll stick with it.
Pan Am-Glossy, glamorous, and about as soapy as I'd expect. It's kind of fun though, if one doesn't take the idea of spy/stewardesses all that seriously.

by **J.M. Vargas** » Wed Sep 28, 2011 5:24 pm

Fox renews "New Girl" for a full 24-episode season (1st show of the new season to get full-season pick-up): http://www.deadline.com/2011/09/foxs-breakout-comedy-new-girl-gets-full-season-pickup/.

by **J.M. Vargas** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 2:12 am

NBC cancels "The Playboy Club" after three low-rated episodes; renews "Whitney" and "Up All Night" for the rest of the season: http://www.thewrap.com/tv/article/nbc-orders-full-seasons-all-night-whitney-31532.

by **J.M. Vargas** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 5:20 pm

CBS renews "2 Broke Girls" for rest of the season: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118043986?categoryid=14&cs=1&cmpid=RSS%7CNews%7CTVNews. Whitney Cummings is 2-0 for the year.

by **J.M. Vargas** » Thu Oct 06, 2011 8:26 am

Hank Williams Jr. fired from ESPN's "Monday Night Football" for comparing President Obama to Hitler on Fox News. Hank claims he quit.

And just like that, the "Laserblast" episode of "MST3K" is ruined forever.

by **J.M. Vargas** » Thu Oct 06, 2011 12:22 pm

NBC cancels "Free Agents": http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/nbc-cancels-free-agents-243753.

by **HGervais** » Thu Oct 06, 2011 12:36 pm

J.M. Vargas wrote:Hank claims he quit.

Of course he does because making a stupid, boneheaded and wildly offensive remark means never having to say you are sorry.

by **Polynikes** » Thu Oct 06, 2011 3:00 pm

HGervais wrote:I am usually more understanding about shows dealing with cliches.

The mention of cliches made me think of one of my favourite comic exchanges between CJ and Reggie Perrin from one of the later original Reginald Perrin series (the Leonard Rossiter series in the 1970s not the recent misguided remake with Martin Clunes). It is a comedy that does not spring to mind as quickly as Fawlty Towers or Blackadder, but it is well remembered in Great Britain. Top quality writing and acting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBm-2-Hy ... ure=relmfu

Got to love "Jimmy's Secret Army" most of all, though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ-9R6NC ... re=related

by **Dunnyman** » Fri Oct 07, 2011 10:50 am

HGervais wrote:
J.M. Vargas wrote:Hank claims he quit.

Of course he does because making a stupid, boneheaded and wildly offensive remark means never having to say you are sorry.

Not having heard it as it happened, from his explanation he was simply trying to make a complete opposites comparison and simply picked a poor choice. If he'd said "It's like Snoop Dog hanging out with Toby Keith" it wouldn't have made a big splash.
Having said that, any time you use the word "Hitler" in public though, you'd better be ready for the fallout.

by **J.M. Vargas** » Fri Oct 07, 2011 6:27 pm

CBS moves "How to Be a Gentleman" to Saturday nights after two airings; halts production of more episodes: http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/10/07/cbs-pulls-how-to-be-a-gentleman-from-thursday-slot-moves-it-to-saturday/. Basically it's dead although with CBS it's never official until May of the following year. "Rules of Engagement" takes over the post-"Big Bang Theory" time slot in mid-October.

Fox renews "The Simpsons" for two more seasons; cast takes 30% pay cut.

by **molly1216** » Sat Oct 08, 2011 1:37 pm

J.M. Vargas wrote:CBS moves "How to Be a Gentleman" to Saturday nights after two airings; halts production of more episodes: http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/10/07/cbs-pulls-how-to-be-a-gentleman-from-thursday-slot-moves-it-to-saturday/. Basically it's dead although with CBS it's never official until May of the following year. "Rules of Engagement" takes over the post-"Big Bang Theory" time slot in mid-October.

Fox renews "The Simpsons" for two more seasons; cast takes 30% pay cut.

actually i saw the 1st episode and couldn't figure out what drugs the executive was on who greenlighted anything after the pilot.
it was hideous

by **J.M. Vargas** » Tue Oct 11, 2011 11:12 pm

Neal McDonough and Mykelti Williamson cast as heavies for season 3 of "Justified" (coming in January).

by **J.M. Vargas** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 10:10 am

The CW renews "Ringer," "Hart of Dixie" and "Secret Circle" for full season.

by **J.M. Vargas** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 2:47 pm

ABC gives the back-9 order to "Revenge" and "Suburgatory"; orders six additional scripts of low-rated "Happy Endings.".

by **Dunnyman** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 10:10 am

J.M. Vargas wrote:ABC gives the back-9 order to "Revenge" and "Suburgatory"; orders six additional scripts of low-rated "Happy Endings.".

What the heck happened to Happy Endings? It showed up out of nowhere and was fresh, funny and had a seemingly great cast. They took a few weeks off and came back sloppy, unfunny and as bland of a Friends clone as one could dread.
Additional new stuff I've been digging:
Whitney: If this lady can deliver two good shows every week, she's freaking brilliant. 2 Broke Girls has settled in nicely, and her self titled show is extremely funny, with her making her long time partner take her out on their official first date and watching him fumble it was comic gold. The supporting cast is great, especially Rhea Seehorn as the cold hearted and utterly callous Roxanne, and while it's a bit on the raunchy side, it's pretty damn funny.
Suburgatory The kid nails it with her bitingly sarcastic observations of the her new neighbors, and as long as they don't make her blend in too quickly, it'll still be good.
New Girl, the wedding episode was both extremely touching and hilarious at the same time. The IT girl of the moment is taking the world by storm, the cast is coming together, just for the love of god, don't hook her up with any of them.
aaaand a new treat I snagged online:
Grimm, with former Buffy people helming it, it's good, as our hero discovers from his aunt that he is a Grimm, and can see the things the rest of us can't and he has to destroy them. Problem is, he's already a cop and about to be engaged as she tells him he must do it alone and he refuses. Bonus points for a hilarious Silas Weir Mitchell as a, well, you gotta watch it to see it.
Returning shows:
Mike & Molly, smooth sailing as they bicker and deal with wedding plans, etc. As a person of, um, extra poundage, I'm a little pissed that they've completely given up on the pair attending OA. It added a very human dimension to the show that we rarely see in TV.
Two and A Half Men, wow, the first episode was hilarious with the snotty comments about Charlie's death, etc, but it sure fell off fast. Walden wants his wife back, she won't budge, Alan's a conniving weasel, and....this is it every week? As we have no actual body of Charlie Harper, and he married Rose, Sheen, Lorre and CBS may patch up their differences yet and try to save it because it's going to croak quickly as is.
Modern Family ah, comic brilliance. "Do we book the spa packages through you?" Still hilarious, still fresh, and the cast only gets better as the kids get a little older and some more chops under their belts. In particular, Ariel Winter is becoming an actress to be reckoned with. The kid's got mad skills. The producers though are smart in letting a different cast member shine in each episode. Best sitcom since Frasier.
Are you freaking kidding me?
Last Man Standing "I'm Tim Allen, I think jokes about an absolute idiot with the brains of a fruitfly are funny! My new show is about an insensitive clod who's a complete utter moron. It's funny as he's stupid and his wife and daughters are ten times smarter than he is!" Um, no, Tim, it ain't. It's a boring-ass retread of Home Improvement without the good writing or good cast.
Man Up Oh, wimpy, whiny guys that realize they're not the tough guys their fathers were? Um, no. Not really funny.

by **molly1216** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 2:10 pm

did anyone else that Raising Hope was broken? they only ran 4 episodes but they basically were of a low quality.

by **Dunnyman** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 11:16 pm

molly1216 wrote:did anyone else that Raising Hope was broken? they only ran 4 episodes but they basically were of a low quality.

Respectfully disagree. Jimmy as a musical prodigy only to discover his idiot father ruined it was Seinfeldian in it's tying together of the storylines. Finding out Sabrina has money brought an excellent Stephen Root guest spot as we finally learned a bit more about Sabrina (who was underused in season one) and the kidnapping episode was just twistedly funny. They got bonus points for having semi-regular Kate Micucci sing us the new season updates as the first episode got rolling. My only nitpick is that they listed Cloris Leachman as a "guest star" last year so as to give her a clean shot at an Emmy and now it's "Introducing Cloris Leachman as Maw-Maw". C'mon, her rep is outstanding, don't play games to get awards, let her just be her brilliant self.

by **molly1216** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 8:36 am

Dunnyman wrote:
molly1216 wrote:did anyone else that Raising Hope was broken? they only ran 4 episodes but they basically were of a low quality.

Respectfully disagree. Jimmy as a musical prodigy only to discover his idiot father ruined it was Seinfeldian in it's tying together of the storylines. Finding out Sabrina has money brought an excellent Stephen Root guest spot as we finally learned a bit more about Sabrina (who was underused in season one) and the kidnapping episode was just twistedly funny. They got bonus points for having semi-regular Kate Micucci sing us the new season updates as the first episode got rolling. My only nitpick is that they listed Cloris Leachman as a "guest star" last year so as to give her a clean shot at an Emmy and now it's "Introducing Cloris Leachman as Maw-Maw". C'mon, her rep is outstanding, don't play games to get awards, let her just be her brilliant self.

i agree with what you say, but there is still something different from last year..the characters are suffering from their naivete instead of benefiting from it. That smacks of more broadcast sitcom than it did last year. as far as Ms Leachman..i like having her lucid for longer periods of time, it gives you a better sense of her personality. and i can never get enough of her.

by **Dunnyman** » Tue Nov 01, 2011 10:36 am

New Gem: Once Upon A Time, ah, "trapped fairy tale characters who don't know who they are", well, this could have been horrible, but Jennifer Morrison hits the "are you kidding me/maybe this stuff IS real" mix nicely, the kid is pretty good, and Lana Parilla as the Evil Queen/Mayor is off the charts in "the bitch you love to hate" category. In two episodes she's established her character as a mass of contradictions, that while she's as arrogant as it gets, the flashbacks show her vulnerability. Good show...only complaint is that the producers once again insist on Ginnifer Goodwin looking like a boy with short hair.

by **J.M. Vargas** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 6:57 pm

ABC gives the back-9 order to "Once Upon A Time," "Last Man Standing" and "Happy Endings.". "Pan Am" also gets a token 5-script order but no back-9 (yet?).

by **Polynikes** » Sat Nov 12, 2011 2:59 pm

Merlin

I have plugged this elsewhere, but this is a recommendation for anyone looking for a programme for the whole family.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2011/sep/29/merlin-works-magic-series-four

by **J.M. Vargas** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 7:34 pm

NBC gives "Grimm" the back-9; will air at 10PM on Thursday Dec. 8th to test it outside Fridays.

by **Attrage** » Thu Nov 24, 2011 10:25 pm

J.M. Vargas wrote:Who's Being Paid Big - 2011 Edition
By Stephen Battaglio, TVGuide Magazine/TonightOnTV.blogspot.com - August 10th, 2011

DRAMA (Upcoming Series)

Kiefer Sutherland (Touch) - $225,000 an episode
Maria Bello (Person of Interest) - $125,000 an episode
Christina Ricci (Pan Am) - $125,000 an episode
Eddie Cibrian (The Playboy Club) - $100,000 an episode
Michael Emerson (Person of Interest) - $100,000 an episode
Sarah Michell Gellar (Ringer) - $100,000 an episode
Poppy Montgomery (Unforgettable) - $85,000 an episode
Jason O'Mara (Terra Nova) - $75,000 an episode
Minka Kelly (Charlies Angels) - $50,000 an episode
Britt Robertson (The Secret Circle) - $30,000 an episode

DRAMA (Returning Series)

Hugh Laurie (House) - $700,000 an episode
Mark Harmon (NCIS) - $500,000 an episode
Mariska Hargitay (Law and Order: SVU) - $395,000 an episode
David Caruso (CSI: Miami) - $375,000 an episode
Marg Helenberger (CSI) - $375,000 an episode
Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer) - $350,000 an episode
Simon Baker (The Mentalist) - $300,000 an episode
Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy) - $275,000 an episode
Kate Walsh (Private Practice) - $275,000 an episode
Ted Danson (CSI) - $225,000 an episode
Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife) - $180,000 an episode
Kathy Bates (Harry's Law) - $175,000 an episode
Jon Hamm (Mad Men) - $175,000 an episode
Dana Delany (Body of Proof) - $150,000 an episode
Jon Mantegna (Criminal Minds) - $130,000 an episode
Tom Selleck (Blue Bloods) - $130,000 an episode
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) - $125,000 an episode
William H. Macy (Shameless) - $125,000 an episode
Jared Padalecki (Supernatural) - $125,000 an episode
Cote de Pablo (NCIS) - $120,000 an episode
Thomas Gibson (Criminal Minds) - $120,000 an episode
Alex O'Laughlin (Hawaii Five-0) - $115,000 an episode
Nathan Fillion (Castle) - $100,000 an episode
Angie Harmon (Rizzoli and Isles) - $80,000 an episode
Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire) - $75,000 an episode
Danny Pino (Law and Order: SVU) - $75,000 an episode
Blake Lively (Gossip Girl) - $60,000 an episode

COMEDY (Upcoming Series)

Tim Allen (Last Man Standing) - $225,000 an episode
Christina Applegate (Up All Night) - $125,000 an episode
Zooey Deschanel (The New Girl) - $90,000 an episode
Kevin Dillon (How to Be a Gentleman) - $80,000 an episode
Will Arnett (Up All Night) - $75,000 an episode
Jamie Pressly (I Hate My Teenage Daughter) - $75,000 an episode
Whitney Cummings (Whitey) - $60,000 an episode

COMEDY (Returning Series)

Ashton Kutcher (Two and a Half Men) - $700,000 an episode
Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men) - $600,000 an episode
Julie Kavner (The Simpsons) - $400,000 an episode
Marcia Cross (Desperate Housewives) - $375,000 an episode
Tina Fey (30 Rock) - $350,000 an episode
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) - $300,000 an episode
Angus T. Jones (Two and a Half Men) - $250,000 an episode
Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory) - $250,000 an episode
Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory) - $250,000 an episode
Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) - $250,000 an episode
David Duchovny (Californication) - $225,000 an episode
Patricia Heaton (The Middle) - $225,000 an episode
Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) - $200,000 an episode
James Spader (The Office) - $125,000 an episode
Ed O'Neil (Modern Family) - $105,000 an episode
Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory) - $100,000 an episode
Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory) - $100,000 an episode
Jane Lynch (Glee) - $60,000 an episode
Joel McHale (Community) - $60,000 an episode
Matthew Morrison (Glee) - $55,000 an episode
Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - $30,000 an episode

LATE NIGHT

David Letterman (CBS) - $28 million a year
Jay Leno (NBC) - $25 milion a year
Conan O'Brien (TBS) - $10 million a year
Jimmy Kimmel (ABC) - $8 million a year
Jimmy Fallon (NBC) - $5 million a year
Steve Colbert (Comedy) - $4 million a year
Chelsea Handler (E!) - $3.5 million a year
George Lopez (TBS, until tonight) - $3 million a year
Carson Daly (NBC) - $1 million a year

DAYTIME/TALK SYNDICATION

Judy Sheindlin (Judge Judy) - $45 million a year
Joe Brown (Judge Joe Brown) - $20 million a year
Kelly Ripa (Live! with Regis and Kelly) - $20 million a year
Regis Philbin (Live! with Regis and Kelly) - $15 million a year
Phil McGraw (Dr. Phil) - $15 million a year
Mario Lopez (Extra, H8R, America's Best Dance Crew) - $3.5 million a year
Billy Bush (Access Hollywood) - $3 million a year
Nancy O'Dell (Entertainment Tonight) - $3 million a year

REALITY / NEWS

Scott Pelley (CBS) - $15 million a year
Anderson Cooper (CNN and Syndication - $11 million a year
Keith Olbermann (Current TV) - $10 million a year + equity in Current TV

Click Here for the 2010 Edition
Click Here for the 2009 Edition

http://tonightontv.blogspot.com/2011/08/whos-being-paid-big-2011-edition.html

Kind of puts in perspective what a huge thing it was that Jerry Seinfeld was offered $1 million an episode to stay on for a 10th season and he turned it down...that was 1996 dollars...whoah. Gotta hand it to the guy...I mean he’s not exactly hurting for money these days...but saying no to that cash back then must have taken some serious thought....

Website · by **azul017** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 9:39 pm

Am I the only one who's enjoying The League? I think they've finally nailed the approach of the show, which varies between funny sex jokes, ad-libbed hilarity, and scripted nuttiness. They've amassed a lot of guest stars this past season, including Eliza Dushku and Jeff Goldblum.

FX is carving out a solid niche for itself. American Horror Story, The League, Justified and Sons of Anarchy. Makes me wish they'd abandon the numerous movies they've licensed and focus on a lot more original programming.

by **J.M. Vargas** » Tue Dec 20, 2011 3:00 pm

HBO Renews 'Enlightened'... Cancels 'Hung,' 'Bored to Death,' 'How to Make It In America': http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/hbo-renews-enlightened-cancels-hung-275734.

by **Mach6** » Fri Dec 23, 2011 8:47 am

Did anybody else’s jaw dropped when they saw the promos for Rob & Napoleon Dynamite: The Animated Series? Which idiot executives at Fox & CBS decided to greenlight these shows?

In 2012, Rob Schneider the obnoxious hack & star of such “classics” like The Hot Chick, The Animal, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, & The Carrot (sorry, I couldn’t resist a South Park reference) gets a self-titled prime time comedy. Really! Schneider hasn’t been funny since he was on SNL over twenty years ago. I’m convinced the “Copy Machine Guy” has some dirty pictures on some big name executive. The show’s premise about a stupid, bumbling white guy trying to adapt to his Hispanic relatives looks wretched. I’m a big Cheech Marin fan & he deserves not to be in this garbage. I expect this type of stupidity from Fox or NBC but CBS was the guilty party. CBS seems to have the golden touch in the last few years (Person of Interest, Unforgettable, Hawaii Five-O remake, 2 Broke Girls) but I hope this ends up on the scrap heap as quickly as How to be a Gentleman did.

As for Napoleon Dynamite, I did like some of the dry humor of the movie & thought it was a decent rental (I certainly didn’t hate it as much as Bromley did in his F This Movie Podcast). However, I never it saw it again completely & never got the whole cult classic status it got. I can’t see how that style of humor or the movie’s characters can sustain a show for more than a few episodes. Was there that big of a demand for this or is Dynamite’s cult audience bigger than I thought?

by **J.M. Vargas** » Fri Dec 23, 2011 9:04 am

Mach6 wrote:Did anybody else’s jaw dropped when they saw the promos for Rob & Napoleon Dynamite: The Animated Series? Which idiot executives at Fox & CBS decided to greenlight these shows?

Probably the same Fox executive that thought it'd be a great idea to give Jonah Hill his own animated show, "Allen Gregory." Bet you this executive (as well as "A.Gregory") are deep-sixed before "Napoleon Dynamite" premieres.

In 2012, Rob Schneider the obnoxious hack & star of such “classics” like The Hot Chick, The Animal, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, & The Carrot (sorry, I couldn’t resist a South Park reference) gets a self-titled prime time comedy.

To me Rob Schneider will always be (cue the generic announcer South Park voice, i.e. Trey Parker) 'THE STAPLER.'

by **Polynikes** » Sat Dec 24, 2011 4:36 pm

Just enjoyed a really good Christmas Eve on BBC1 tonight. Last episode in the fourth series of Merlin and a one-off Outnumbered.

The Jury Room

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