tenny talks.

suck it, nbc.

i actually can't be bothered to comment on nbc and the jay leno show fiasco, that has only somewhat ended, even though i claimed interest in how it would play out. it failed. is anyone surprised? no. does nbc have a mess on its hands? yes. do i miss quality dramas? yes.

on that note, i am to happy to report that one of my favourite new dramas from last year, southland, was picked up by tnt after it got cancelled in the jay leno show drama massacre. tnt will be tinkering with the format, so it may not be the exact show we came to love- but i'm still eager to see. what this all means for canadian viewers, je ne sais pas. hopefully one of the canadian broadcasters will pick it up so we can finally see where things go post last season's cliffhanger finale.

• the jay leno show no longer airs every damned day at 10 pm on nbc.

a salute to sidekicks.

     

a few people have mentioned the noticeable absence of posts of late. honestly? this television season has been a tad lackluster (aside from the fabulously shocking dexter finale). if it hasn't been uninspired writing making me yawn, it's been shows like grey's wrapping for the holidays nearly a month in advance. i mean, come on. thankfully, new shows i thought showed promise (accidentally on purpose, the good wife, cougar town), haven't failed me- all three were picked up for the rest of the season. i realise they're not everyone's favourites, but these shows managed to figure out what works for those tuning in, and have delivered each week, their first season in.

i've decided to toast their success by celebrating the interesting thing they all have in common: fabulous sidekicks. so often these women get the short end of the stick in terms of credit, so i'm making sure to recognize their talent and contribution.

accidentally on purpose features two gal pal costars to jenna elfman's billie. the first, most will recognize as scottish christina from ugly betty. played by ashley jensen, i find that she's somewhat funny, but not quite in that effortless way you'd prefer in a sitcom. that honour goes to sidekick numero dos, lennon parham, who plays billie's sister. her lost in suburbia monotone yet bubbling over with anxious excitement tone renders lines hilarious to the point of rewinding. often a whole episode will be made by something she said and the way she said it. so while elfman delivers, it's parham who brings the comic sensibility i look forward to every week.

on the more dramatic side is archie panjabi who plays toughie kalinda on the good wife. while panjabi's muted english accent drove me crazy at first, i've really come to adore her take on her hard-nosed law firm investigator character. kalinda is cynical and shrewd, intrusive in all the right ways, and fantastic at her job, all while remaining a total enigma (though they have hinted at her liking the ladies on a few occasions...) but it's panjabi's style in playing kalinda that makes this supporting character one that intrigues and serves as the perfect complement to julianna margulies' alicia florrick- making the good wife that much more compelling to watch.

the last on the list, busy philipps, is most known for her sidekick role eons ago on dawson's creek. she annoyed the hell out of me then, but playing laurie keller, courtney cox's young ditzy real estate assistant, she now entertains the hell out of me on cougar town. it's a character that so easily could have gone the way of irritating, but you instead grow to adore laurie's silly antics because you believe how dedicated she is to her best friend jules. this is owed to phillips' ability to strike the balance between silly and sincere, leaving us rooting for her and her bestie (and even plastic face, christa miller, who hilariously makes fun of laurie at every turn).

a hearty congratulations to these three sidekicks. it's a tough job supporting the main player without any of the glory, but each of these women have had a substantial hand in giving their shows an extended life this season. well done, ladies- someone is taking note.

• accidentally on purpose airs monday nights at 8:30 pm on cbs, the good wife airs tuesday nights at 10 pm on cbs, cougar town airs wednesday nights at 9:30 pm on abc.

ms. beals.

oh how i love me some jennifer beals. i can't help but miss her since the l word came to an end, so i'm very happy to catch her guest appearances on fox's lie to me. she plays lying expert dr. cal lightman's attorney ex-wife zoe landau, giving us more of that authority in a pantsuit we've come to adore on her. the show itself is almost interesting enough to watch for an hour, but beals makes her episodes worth my while. so just in case you need the essence of bette porter back in your life- you now know where to find it.

• lie to me airs monday nights at 9 pm on fox.

two more.

two more new shows from last week...

hank - big business dude loses his job and moves his family back to its small town roots. sitcom number two post frasier for kelsey grammer- and it's another dud. basically like watching a less sympathetic frasier in a small town, with kids. i say: no.

• hank airs wednesday nights at 8 pm on abc.

the middle - mother struggles to balance working as a car salesperson with being a wife and mother of three pretty strange kids. patricia heaton's last failed sitcom was with grammer, so it's ironic their new shows air back to back. heaton's fares slightly better. i liken the middle to a similarly named malcolm in the middle- both about loopy but loving families. this show had its moments, though i'm not sold just yet. the best part so far has been the odd duck son brick- really funnily written and even better played by talented little atticus shaffer. if this show finds its groove, it could very well find its audience. i say: try it out if you're home on a wednesday night and see if it takes.

• the middle airs wednesday nights at 8:30 pm on abc.

happy birthday, l&o.

'in the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups- the police who investigate crime, and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders. these are their stories.'

how i love that intro followed by the unmistakable 'dun-dun.' tonight's season premiere of law & order marks the start of its 20th season. that's right- twenty seasons. that makes it the longest running primetime drama currently on television, and ties it with gunsmoke for longest running primetime drama in american history. no small feat. some say this will be the last season for the show. with a move to friday nights as well as airing at 8 pm (the jay leno show is wreaking havoc on the usual primetime schedule at nbc), they could be right. it's been a memorable 20 years of dramatic storylines, a revolving door of actors and guest stars and a format that has spawned many a franchise- let's hope they celebrate tonight with a classic knockout episode.

• law & order airs friday nights at 8 pm on nbc.

new shows, thus far.

it's fall which means  my pvr is loaded to the brim. returning shows and entirely new ones dominate my free time. i won't bore you with thoughts on shows i already love- for now. instead, my take on new shows i found time to check out this week...

accidentally on purpose - woman dumps her commitment-phobe boss then gets pregnant after a one night stand with a much younger man, and decides to keep the baby. jenna elfman actually made me laugh a bunch in this pilot. the chemistry between her and costar jon foster is palpable and the setup interesting enough to warrant a second viewing. i do wish ashley jensen's olivia was toned down just a bit- her wry style in playing christina on ugly betty is missed. also? not sold on grant show being able to pull off comedy. but...we'll see. i say: check it out if you're a fan of cbs' monday night comedy lineup.

• accidentally on purpose airs monday nights at 8:30 pm on cbs .

the good wife - woman returns to work and readjusts much of her family's life after her powerful state's attorney husband is caught with a hooker and thrown into jail. julianna margulies isn't the most emotive actress around and law & order will always have my vote as most interesting legal drama...but i'm curious to see where this one goes, both in terms of character development as well as layers in storylines. i'll give it a few more episodes and see if it nabs me. i say: worth a viewing if you are free on tuesday nights.

• the good wife airs tuesday nights at 10 pm on cbs.

modern family -  the story of the everyday lives of three untypical families who just happen to be related. has gotten some buzz and a lot of pr push. but honestly? i laughed twice. fine, fine- the ed o'neill family also made me smirk a few times. but there's something about the performances and/or writing that makes the effort to be clever or edgy too obvious to my eye. i could give it another shot next week...but for this genre, i'd rather revisit arrested development or wait for the new season of united states of tara- both do it better. the irony here is that most every reviewer has loved this show. makes me wonder if their screeners had enough episodes to give a better impression than the pilot did. they all say: you'll love it! i say: i'm not sold on why you would- just yet.

• modern family airs wednesday nights at 9 pm on abc.

cougar town - 40 year old recently divorced woman hits the dating scene (or as one reviewer aptly described it: 'friends in 10 years, minus chandler').  this show isn't thaaat bad, but it's another example of how network shows come across as a little try hard while cable gets the subtle nuance of writing that is both out there and believably entertaining. courteney cox does well here, with her crazy energy bringing much to her character, but she could do with dialing it down a smidge at times. i'll definitely give cougar town a few more tries and see where it goes. (i will, however, still cringe at christa miller's face every time i see it- she can barely smile she's had so much work done.) i say: give it a go and see if you like it- it won't be the biggest waste of your time this season.

• cougartown airs wednesday nights at 9:30 pm on abc.

eastwick - basically a tamer the witches of eastwick, on television. so nice to see rebecca romijn back again, with her always underrated pepper dennis costar lindsay price in tow. eastwick though, isn't a big winner. it has its merits such as romijn's ability to deliver and stories that could excite in that cheesy charmed sort of way, if the writing gets just a little less hokey. it does have its drawbacks, one of which is a miscast paul gross as darryl. few can muster jack nicholson's charisma, and gross just sounds ridiculous (and reallllly canadian) trying. that being said, this show and all its mystical mysteries could very well work on the ghost whisperer crowd. so i say: if that's you, check it out. and if it's not, don't bother and rent the flick instead.

• eastwick airs wednesday nights at 10 pm on abc .

an end note: i have to say how much i'm enjoying the actors being cast as the kids on all these new shows and the dialogue that's being written for them. this ain't the days of 80s sitcoms with syrupy sweet innocent children whose biggest moral dilemmas are whether to drink at the school dance or not. oh no, these are kids who are damn witty and miles ahead of their parents, in the best of ways. this is making television incredibly funny and refreshing to watch.

nurse jackie.

unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard a thing or two about nurse jackie, the fabulous new show from the people at showtime. edie falco plays a nurse with her own brand of wonky morals who manages to keep you in her corner no matter what iffy things she does. (fyi: from what i've read, this season will reach new depths with an unravelling of sorts for our robin hood in scrubs.)

falco demonstrated her incredible talent on the sopranos for six seasons, but playing jackie peyton has allowed her to go in a whole new direction, and it's a complete joy to watch. this in part due to a dedicated supporting cast and i wanted to make special mention of one of these supporting players, because she keeps grabbing my attention every week.

merritt wever plays jackie's protégé zoey barkow- a sweet and shy but smart and earnest nurse, desperately trying to get a handle on how things work. all reviews i've read thus far have deservedly praised falco and the show as a whole, but wever's work is also worthy of note. she plays zoey with an original charm and winsome quirkiness, making what could have been a terribly irritating character the underdog you love watching. she's caught this television lover's eye, and i can't help but look forward to seeing her work the rest of this season and beyond.

and if you still haven't seen nurse jackie, take this as your official cue to tune in.

• nurse jackie airs monday nights at 10 pm on the movie network, or you can catch it on TMN on demand.

the jay leno show.

the upcoming television season brings one of the biggest changes television programming has seen in eons: the jay leno show will air every weeknight at 10 pm on NBC.

this is an epic timeslot, known for housing adult dramas such as er and law & order for 10 years plus. while pvr and timeshifting are making timeslots somewhat inconsequential in this day and age, they aren't completely obsolete just yet. so this move indicates the current state of television and the push towards cheaper tv vs. expensive one hour dramas. the prevalence of reality television on network schedules was the first step in this direction, then came the strength of cable dramas such as six feet under, the sopranos and mad men. TJLS marks the continued demise of quality one hour dramas as a priority for networks.

to be fair though, NBC really didn't have much choice in the matter. with the threat of leno moving to ABC and going head to head with the tonight show, it was facing losing viewers and valuable ad revenue. with er off the schedule and law & order underperforming, the network made the best move it could by cutting potential competition and eliminating a costly dramatic structure. so even if TJLS pulls 2nd or 3rd place in the ratings, NBC will still win when compared to the alternative it was facing.

but looking at TJLS timeslot, NBC will now have talk shows running from 10 pm to 2 am. this likely means NBC will split its viewership with some jumping ship from the tonight show to the jay leno show, while losing drama viewers who have no interest in TJLS at all.  so no matter how prudent this move, three plus hours of talk television is risky, despite jay leno's draw.

if the show succeeds, prime time network television will be changed forever.  if it fails, however, NBC will need to replace it with not one show, but five prime time programs- making it that much more of a gamble. i'll be staying tuned come fall to see how this one plays out.

• the jay leno show will air every weeknight at 10 pm on NBC commencing september 14th, 2009.

seasonal changes.

hello my sweet readers- it's been a while! as the traditional television season has come to a close, i've had less to watch and report on, saving all my viewing energy for its kickoff again in fall. there are a few shows that will be enjoying summer runs (nurse jackie and hung, to name a few), so look out for new write ups in the coming months.

for now, i will report on what to expect next season, as the word has come down on cancellations and changes in network timeslots.

-the cancelled list-

samantha who?, my name is earl, privileged - funny enough, but just never found their audience.
according to jim - how it ran as long as it did is beyond me, and still will live on in syndication. 
prison break, lipstick jungle, dirty sexy money, without a trace - had their merits but faltered in delivery/schedule/with time. 
kath&kim - the most satisfying category: the terrible show that shouldn't have been picked up in the first place.

-the rescheduled list-

fringe - moved to thursdays at 9 - a high profile slot, which shows fox has faith here.
lie to me - mondays at 9 - shows do well on mondays, so fox is giving this one a fair chance. (let's hope that means more jennifer beals!)
ugly betty - fridays at 9 - friday nights are a death zone, and this move comes as no surprise after the reshuffling UB got late last season. don't expect it to stick around much longer than this year.
southland - fridays at 9 - a sad move as the show had much promise and a coveted spot on thursdays at 10 pm (er's old timeslot). chances are it won't do all that well on friday, but here's hoping i'm wrong.
law & order - leaving its long held wednesday night for a move to fridays at 8 - while dick wolf always wanted to see L&O beat gunsmoke as the longest running network drama series, the move to fridays may be to allow it a kind death in its 20th record tying season.
law & order: SVU - moved to wednesdays at 9 -  the original L&O has been seeing ratings troubles, and seems SVU has officially surpassed it in popularity.

most changes are not surprising though some are sad to note. there's one that has got me most curious, however. but it deserves a post of its own, so that's exactly what it will get...

no. 1, indeed.

once in a while, a series comes along that immediately grabs your attention, delights your senses every second of every minute, and leaves you smiling from ear to ear as the credits roll. 'the no. 1 ladies' detective agency' would be one of those.

the story centers around precious ramotswe, a woman who uses her inheritance after her father's death to open the only woman run detective agency in botswana. grammy award winner jill scott does a tremendous job bringing precious to life with a warm and natural charm. she is joined by an infallible supporting cast, my favourite being precious' incredibly loyal secretary, mma grace makutsi. played masterfully by anika noni rose, she is an absolute joy to watch, especially when paired with the talented scott.

based on the popular series of books by alexander mcccall smith, the series started off as a two hour movie produced and directed by anthony minghella and exec produced by sydney pollack. HBO then picked it up as a 7 episode series, but sadly, minghella and pollack passed away before that evolution. having left us with this visually, creatively and socially enthralling project, it only serves to show how much their enormous talents will be missed.

• 'the no. 1 ladies' detective agency' aired its two hour premiere tonight on HBO canada, with repetitions throughout the week. subsequent episodes will air on HBO canada sunday nights at 8 pm.