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High on "Weeds"

amanda — 2008-06-17T12:15:32-05:00

Sometimes, it takes me a long time to get on board with a show. Take the Showtime sitcom "Weeds," about a drug-dealing widow (Mary-Louise Parker) and her struggle to balance her family life and her life of crime. For a long time, I didn't watch the series, mainly because I didn't subscribe to Showtime.
But a series of events led me to realize that I could no longer avoid this series. For one thing, I interviewed series co-star Elizabeth Perkins last year for a story on film actress who moved to television. For another, I became an ardent fan of AMC's new series "Breaking Bad," about a dying chemistry teacher who becomes a meth dealer. The show was compared to "Weeds" but, having never seen the Showtime series, I had no grounds for comparison.
Also, another co-star is Bridgeport native Kevin Nealon.
Clearly, this was a show I needed to watch.

Little zing in "Swing"

amanda — 2008-06-03T14:19:19-05:00

A young stewardess stands in the back of a plane, clearly upset, and trying futilely to scrub a coffee stain out of a uniform shirt. Pilot Tom Decker, the shirt's owner, saunters over to the young woman. She regards him with sadness and embarassment. "Your wife is going to kill me," she whines.
He suavely responds: "My wife is going to LOVE you."
So begins "Swingtown," CBS's new drama about the 1970s, which premieres 10 p.m. Thursday. The show features drugs, tastefully rendered group sex and mate-swapping. Edgy stuff for a network once dubbed the Codger Broadcasting System.
But despite a valiant attempt at spiciness, something is missing from "Swingtown," at least in the pilot episode I saw.

Checkmate, Mr. Eko

amanda — 2008-05-30T11:04:46-05:00

Ok so, the "Lost" season finale aired Thursday night and, admittedly, my mind is pretty blown. So, so, so many things happened and, while the episode-ending twist wasn't quite as revolutionary as last season's flash-forward reveal, the whole thing was pretty freakin' epic.
Let's recap, shall we? And there are major plot developments revealed in this blog, so if you haven't seen the episode, go no further.

"Gossip Girl" and dirty packages

amanda — 2008-04-22T16:32:23-05:00

So, "Gossip Girl" finally returned last night after a strike-induced hiatus and it was about DAMN time! Oh how I missed this show, its sleazy characters and kooky fashions. Here's a recap. There are spoilers, so, if you've not seen the ep, do so now (I'll wait) then come back and read.

NBC news

amanda — 2008-04-03T17:28:22-05:00

So, NBC revealed its plans for next season this week, including the renewal of critcally-acclaimed, yet low-rated "Friday Night Lights."
In addition to that heartening bit of news (about which I have a column running on Sunday), here are some highlights from the announcement.

A treat for TV fans

amanda — 2008-03-31T12:10:31-05:00

Those still reeling from the loss of HBO's recently concluded drama "The Wire" might want to pick up "Another Thing to Fall," the latest book by the fantastic mystery writer Laura Lippman. Lippman, as some might be aware, is married to "Wire" mastermind David Simon. She's also the author of a successful line of mysteries featuring strong-willed PI Tess Monaghan (as well as several excellent stand alone novels).

FX serves up more "Riches"

amanda — 2008-03-17T11:53:24-05:00

One of the surest signs that 2007 was an exceptional year for television was that I didn't have room for the superb FX drama "The Riches" on my year-end top 10 list.
Any other year, the series -- which stars Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver as the heads of a con-artist family who steal the identities of a wealthy deceased couple -- would have been near the top of the list.
The show's second season start 10 p.m. Tuesday.

"Wire" ends on an elegant note

amanda — 2008-03-07T16:33:19-05:00

I've spent a lot of time and energy praising HBO's goregeous drama "The Wire," which depicts criminals, cops and various others in the city of Baltimore. And, there's a good chance I'll still be talking about the show long after its last episode airs this Sunday at 9 p.m.

I've got a secret...

amanda — 2008-03-03T17:08:47-05:00

Well, no, not really. But I wanted to let you all know that the CW's trash-tastic freshman series "Gossip Girl" has been renewed for a second season.
Woo. Hoo.

Note to SNL: Politician cameos have lost their novelty

amanda — 2008-03-03T14:28:27-05:00

There was a time when it was something of a coup to land a big-time politician on a sitcom or sketch comedy show. It was, for example, a milestone when Nixon appeared on "Laugh-In" and it was, at the very least, a kitschy novelty when First Lady Nancy Reagan showed up on "Diff'rent Strokes."
But in these media-savvy times, appearing on television is practically a necessity for anyone running for national office. Presidential candidates in particular pop up on whatever show will have them. Thus a candidate's mere presence on a TV show like "Saturday Night Live" isn't enough to make him or her seem hip. Particularly when said candidate brings nothing to the table, humor-wise.

"The Wire" loses another iconic character

amanda — 2008-02-25T12:39:28-05:00

WARNING: If you didn't see this week's episode of "The Wire," please don't read this post. It includes a MAJOR spoiler.

Ewwwwwwwwwww!!!!

amanda — 2008-02-13T10:28:47-05:00

Ok, "Nip/Tuck." I have stuck by you through a lot of stuff. I stuck with you when Sean and Christian had a threesome with a prostitute. I was with you when Matt started dating a woman old enough to be his mother...and then it turned out that she was a transsexual.
I was with you through the Carver storyline, the organ-stealing storyline. I stayed with you through every stupid, boring plot involving Sean's imploding marriage to Julia . I was even with you during Sharon Gless's recent turn as a nut who poses as a talent agent, and murders someone by stuffing him like a teddy bear.
But now, you've gone too far. Now, you've journeyed to a dark place from which I don't think you'll be able to return.
I must ask ... was it entirely necessary to incorporate an incest plot into the show?

I have faith in "Eli Stone"

amanda — 2008-02-05T15:22:19-05:00

So, I got so swept up in the new season of ABC's twisty drama "Lost," that I forgot to talk about the other show that premiered on the network last Thursday, the nutty, charming dramedy "Eli Stone."

Nooooo!!!!!

amanda — 2008-01-29T16:23:25-05:00

As you might recall, last year I ran a poll that allowed Connecticut Post readers to vote on which current TV show they'd most like to see canceled. The winner by an overwhelming margin was NBC's Donald Trump fronted reality show "The Apprentice."
I wrote a letter to NBC telling the network that our readers wanted to pink slip the Donald and his. And, for a while, it looked like "The Apprentice" might actually get the axe. Then, it was saved at the last minute, when it was announced that NBC would produce a "celebrity" version of "The Apprentice."
Ok, I thought. That probably won't last for more than season.
Well, I've been proven wrong yet again. Today, NBC announced that "The Celebrity Apprentice" was picked up for a second season.

"Lost" is worth the wait

amanda — 2008-01-28T12:36:19-05:00

Some of you might be wondering why the story I wrote on Sunday about the new season of "Lost" didn't contain a review of the new episodes. Well there was a good reason for that -- I hadn't SEEN the new episodes yet. ABC, perhaps wishing to conceal details of the fourth season premiere for as long as possible, delayed sending screener DVDs out to the press. Thankfully, the network posted the episodes to its media site over the weekend, so I finally got a chance to see them yesterday.
First, the bad news: ABC is STRONGLY advising the media to refrain from discussing pretty much anything about the eps. So pretty much all I can reveal is whether the season premiere, which airs Thursday at 9 p.m. is any good.
Here's the revelation: It's awesome, as is the ep that premieres the following week.