December 17, 2011

THE GOLDEN GLOBES AND THE SCREEN ACTORS GUILD NOMINATIONS 2011-12


Earlier this week, the 69th annual Golden Globe and 18th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations were announced, and TV TALK is back after a brief hiatus, to comment on the nominations, as the award season 2011-12 begins

To view the complete lists of nominees of both the sets of awards, click on the links below:


So let’s face it… the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, both play it a little safe when it comes to recognizing TV shows and performances, unlike the Emmys, where they make it a point to award the breakthrough performances. The Globes and the SAGs, on the other hand, award the same people consistently, albeit for performances that are consistent with past work, but still without that new, ‘wow’ factor in them. Which is why, last year, the SAGs went on to honor Alec Baldwin for the fourth consecutive time for his role in 30 ROCK. The Globes did do things right by finally acknowledging Jim Parsons’ outstanding work in THE BIG BANG THEORY. That being said, it feels like this year, both these sets of awards feel like they’ve done their bit with Parsons, in a way, saying that it’s time to move on, having not even nominated him.

The SAGs have an excuse, one could think, given that they don’t have any categories for supporting performances in television, so they have to squeeze in leading as well as supporting roles into five spots, making it impossible to do justice to all those who deserve a place. Moving on, I still think that nominating Johnny Galecki was a bit of a saving grace, since the guy has done more than his bit on THE BIG BANG THEORY. But the major plus points in this year’s nominations are the first time nominees, whether it comes to series, ensembles or actor nominees. All but one Globe nominees for Series Drama are new, and while we all knew that GAME OF THRONES is going to be there, it was still refreshing to see that the list didn’t just have the usual suspects.

While many say that this has been completely unfair to shows like SONS OF ANARCHY and BREAKING BAD, I still think it’s a good sign. However, while GAME OF THRONES shows great promise, BOARDWALK EMPIRE did win the last time, and we know how much the Globes like to repeat series winners (remember MAD MEN’s hat-trick?). Moreover, GAME… didn’t even win at the Emmys in September (even there it was MAD MEN that won, even though FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS was going strong till the final win of the evening). Even in the comedy/musical category, besides GLEE and MODERN FAMILY, the list of Globe nominees is completely new, with a new hit like NEW GIRL making its mark, and EPISODES being recognized after recognition from the Emmys.

On the other hand, the SAGs have all repeat nominees, except for GAME… However, we do have to realize that they award the ensembles, and even if the two awards do have common patterns at times, the series/ensemble awards, and hence nominees, aren’t necessarily even close to common between the two. So with the SAGs, the ensemble award can go anywhere. I think 30 ROCK’s winning streak was over last year, so again it’s a battle between GLEE and MODERN FAMILY, unless they decide to finally award the great work of the ensemble in BIG BANG…

Moving on to individual performances, like both sets of awards did their bit for Jim Parsons last year, I think they feel like they’ve already done their bit for Michael C Hall (DEXTER), who’s only got a SAG nomination this time, as is the case with Kyle Chandler, who won the Emmy for FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS. In general, I feel like the nominees in common categories are quite different between the two sets of awards. Very few common names between the two lists and new nominees like Jessica Lange (AMERICAN HORROR STORY), Kelsey Grammer (BOSS), Kathy Bates (HARRY’S LAW), Patrick J Adams (SUITS), etc, will make the build-up to these award shows so much more exciting because of their unpredictability. 

Another positive aspect was how refreshing it was to see some recognition given to newly popular shows like REVENGE and NEW GIRL, especially Madeleine Stowe’s performance in the former. I, for one, think that she deserves nominations simply for being in front of the camera and letting her eyes talk! Moreover, while we do have a lot of popular shows in the comedy categories, for the Globes to nominate someone from a popular, new drama (which isn’t a period drama or set in some fantasy world) is quite commendable.

So there we have it. A lot of new names, a lot of new shows; some popular, some emerging and showing promise… It’s going to be an unpredictable wait for the next month or so, as we wait to find out whether the Globes and SAGs play it safe again or all the wins end up being for new shows and performances!



The 69th annual Golden Globe Awards will be presented on Sunday, January 15, 2012
18th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be presented on Sunday, January 29, 2012



October 16, 2011

GREY’S ANATOMY CONTINUES WITH THE FUTURE UNCERTAIN

As the TV season 2011-12 progresses, TV TALK analyzes how GREY'S ANATOMY is doing so far



Shonda Rhimes said that the eighth season of GREY’S ANATOMY would focus on the stories of the original cast, whatever’s left of it, that is. Out of the nine actors that the show began with in 2005, only six are left, and with their contracts expiring at the end of this season, there is little certainty as to who will return to the show in its ninth season, especially with the lead actors Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey having hinted at leaving the show, there was probably a sudden need to focus entirely on the original five. And what foundation for that could be better than Meredith and Christina starting out all dark and twisty! With Christina’s pregnancy, Meredith’s marriage in trouble, and Alex being hated by many, there was plenty of room to develop the season around three of the five original interns. Additionally, with Webber’s career on the line, Derek’s complicated marriage situation and Bailey seeing her original interns in their fifth year of residency, there was even more.

I liked how the season began, with the road cave-in and turmoil in the lives of Meredith and Christina. It was interesting to see the twisted sisters bonding again as they even shared a room. I thought that Christina might have kept the baby since she already lost one with Burke, but thankfully, the writers stayed consistent with her character and made her have the abortion. The way Owen comes through for her and holds her hand while she goes through the procedure was very well handled. Meredith’s role in the situation was crucial and seemed like the only way out of it. At the same time, it was heart wrenching to see Meredith and Derek losing their new daughter to social services, and to see Alex getting flak from every corner. I was especially touched when Christina goes to pull him out of his hospital bed so they can help Meredith out of a situation with the adoption person, and Alex begs for forgiveness for what he did wrong. What made it special was that he showed emotion, without getting sappy about it, staying true to who we know Alex to be. Of the other fifth-year residents, I was happy to see Avery getting some recognition for his abilities as a surgeon. Misunderstood pretty-boy turned out to be ‘the gunther’ in the OR! On the other hand, April’s role as Chief Resident is making for an interesting storyline, even though it was a quite a bad choice on Owen Hunt’s part to pick her just because she’s organized.

Moving on, the next two episodes had their own surprises. Each of them was significantly important, what with the fifth-year residents taking on surgeries in the lead, and then seeing all the men of Seattle Grace Mercy West (SGMW) bonding over all that they felt was wrong in their lives. Richard Webber having himself fired from the Chief’s position and putting Hunt in his office wasn’t handled all that well, I thought. I mean Webber went around acting like an unsure resident, which didn’t make too much sense, because all that had changed was that he didn’t have to do a Chief’s job; he was still an attending. Moreover, he had briefly been a regular attending back when Derek was Chief too. Besides that, it was funny to see how the residents handled their surgeries, and how almost all of them failed to take care of entire procedures. The residents bonding in April’s office, which has already become like the fifth-years’ lounge, was also fun.

The first few episodes also saw a very powerful Meredith and Derek moment, when Derek expresses his despair over how the unfortunate situation they were in. It was strange yet refreshing to see Derek admitting such things, as Patrick Dempsey performed the part so well. Moreover, with the breakthrough they made, by pinpointing their real problem was constructively good and I was impressed by the way it was carried out. The SGMW men episode was like a breath of fresh air. It was nice to see the six men, and Dr Ben being focused on, with the women on the show almost always getting the prominence. Scenes like Mark fighting with Derek over Avery were hilarious. At the same time, Owen watching baby Sofia made me sure that there would be more for him and Christina to deal with soon.

So there you have it—GREY’S ANATOMY S8 sees a refreshing start, and shows a lot of promise for our original six characters, with the exception of Bailey, who still seems to be in the background as she has been for quite a while now. Nevertheless, I look forward to the rest of the season!


What are your thoughts on how GREY'S ANATOMY S8 began. Share your views here, on TV TALK

October 1, 2011

THE 'RINGER' PILOT


Having just seen the pilot of RINGER so far, I’m putting down my thoughts on what I liked, didn't like and what this series might turn into


TVseason201112


Sarah Michelle Gellar’s back on the small screen, and with quite a bang, I must say. Having read only a few good reviews of the beginning of this show, I was not expecting all that much, despite the promos, which looked really promising. However, I found that the pilot was quite interesting, and almost lived up to the promo. In fact, the promo very aptly summarized the pilot, which added the necessary details, and gave us a little more about the obviously mysterious lives of the twins Bridget Kelly and Siobhan Martin would progress.


WHAT I LIKED
The basic premise of the show is gripping, definitely, and makes us want to know what Bridget has stepped into, having assumed her twin sister Siobhan’s identity. I think there’s going to be a lot at Siobhan’s end as well, as she seems to have escaped from whatever Bridget will now have to deal with. I like the mystery and the level of intrigue brought about by twists like Siobhan running away to Paris, Bridget shooting a man who was looking for Siobhan and also finding out about Siobhan’s pregnancy. In all of that, I enjoyed watching Sarah Michelle Gellar again, even though I expected a little more from her performance. However, her part in the pilot at least wasn’t all that demanding, so I am hoping for more intensity as the show progresses. The casting of the show is quite impressive. Besides the leading lady, Ioan Gruffudd and Nestor Carbonell make for a strong, known acting presence in the series. Other elements like the background score, the costumes, the art direction, as well as the general packaging, by way of the opening and closing title/credits, also seem to be in the right direction, and that’s important, as these elements form a solid background for any series.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
The way the premise was set was a little too abrupt. I believe the series prologue should have been done in a little more detail, even if it had to take an entire episode to reach the point where Bridget becomes Siobhan. The editing in this regard was less than impressive, with exceptions of scenes like the one in which Bridget is on the phone with Malcolm, telling him how she’s assumed Siobhan’s identity, with the interspersed clips of her in The Hamptons house after Siobhan’s disappearance. As for other developments in the pilot, since the writers decided to squeeze so much into it, I thought that maybe a stronger foundation should have been set for the supporting characters and the side storylines. Another detail that should have been dealt with a little better was how Bridget eases into Siobhan’s life. I think that details of people and social engagements in Siobhan’s life seemed to be discovered by Bridget rather conveniently. I think there should’ve been more of a challenge. Moreover, there should have been more of Bridget learning Siobhan’s mannerisms and behavior, etc. They may be twins and may have grown up together, but as we know, for the last six years, they lived apart and lived very different lives. Maybe we’ll see such factors becoming more of a challenge later.


So there it is. To sum it up, there were some negatives and some positives about the pilot. I am very much looking forward to watching the next couple of episodes, to discover more about the mystery and to hopefully see the writers and actors exploring the potential they have to turn this into a fantastic mystery drama.  


What have you thought of RINGER so far? Is it a keeper for you? Share your views here on TV TALK...

COMING SOON: MODERN FAMILY & GREY'S ANATOMY

September 18, 2011

AS THE 63rd ANNUAL PRIMETIME EMMYS UNFOLDED...



As the 63rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards draw to a close, TV TALK discusses the highlights of the show, which, somehow, went above my expectations

To view all the nominees and winners, CLICK HERE

Whoever thought that Jane Lynch would not do a good job as host of the 63rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards, must have been crazy! Lynch was fantastic, right from the word go. The opening sequence was innovative, funny, and most importantly, so special, because it brought together all those elements from TV shows that create the ‘magic of television’, making the medium such a ‘vast wonderland’. Following that, MODERN FAMILY stole the first thirty minutes of the show, with four Emmys in the Comedy categories, for Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell (Supporting Actress and Actor), along with Emmys for Directing and Writing. Lynch even went on to say, “And this just turned into the MODERN FAMILY awards!” That was absolutely hilarious!

Charlie Sheen presented Lead Actor Comedy, calling it his ‘old category’. He did a fantastic job out there, holding his head high, yet subtly snubbing TWO AND A HALF MEN, saying, “From the bottom of my heart, I wish TWO AND A HALF MEN nothing but the best for this TV season!” Moving on, Jim Parsons took away that category, with his second well-deserved win for THE BIG BANG THEORY. And then there were Rob Lowe and Sofia Vergara presenting Lead Actress Comedy as though they were announcing the runners up at a beauty pageant. Seeing the funny ladies up there was lovely, and the act was dropped suddenly, as Melissa McCarthy was announced as the winner in that category.

In drama, while Margo Martindale and Peter Dinklage won in the supporting acting categories for their roles in JUSTIFIED and GAME OF THRONES, respectively, it came as no surprise that Martin Scorsese won Outstanding Directing for BOARDWALK EMPIRE.  That was followed by Julianna Margulies’ second win for her role in THE GOOD WIFE. And the race for Outstanding Series Drama heated up, when FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS won the Emmy for Writing in a Drama Series, and one for Kyle Chandler in the Lead Actor Drama category.  

However, MAD MEN took away the Emmy for Outstanding Series Drama for the fourth consecutive time, ending the suspense. And that was followed by the big win of the night—MODERN FAMILY winning Outstanding Series Comedy for the second consecutive time, aptly concluding the show on a very high note.

The innovative presentation of awards, and videos of nominees, presenters, host, players in categories, made for some exciting recall of all those moments that makes television magical. Adding value to that were the in-set appearances in the videos and the montages that even honored the shows that weren’t nominated. The ‘Emmy Tones’ singing team to introduce the genres, including Zachary Levi (CHUCK), Cobie Smulders (HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER) and Joel McHale (COMMUNITY), was entertaining. And I thought that the abundance of backstage shots, as a part of the telecast, made the awards experience a lot more wholesome. Another plus point for the show was that the presenters had adequate material to keep their work fresh and exciting. And with that, I can safely say that the Emmys 2011 were nowhere close to being a disappointment. It was a great show, with a lot to write home about!


What did you think of the Emmys 2011, the show, the winners, the presentation and all? Share your views here and comment below.

MIGHT WIN, SHOULD WIN: PRIMETIME EMMYS 2011


Hours away from the presentation of the 63rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards, TV TALK delves into a few top categories to predict who might win and who should win.

To see the complete list and the TV TALK analysis of the nominees, CLICK HERE 


Outstanding Comedy Series
The Big Bang Theory
Glee
Modern Family (Both)
The Office
Parks And Recreation
30 Rock

Outstanding Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Game Of Thrones
The Good Wife
Mad Men

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
Laura Linney, The Big C (Both)
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Amy Poehler, Parks And Recreation
Martha Plimpton, Raising Hope
Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series
Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Kathy Bates, Harry's Law
Mireille Enos, The Killing
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Louis C.K., Louie
Steve Carell, The Office
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Michael C Hall, Dexter
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Hugh Laurie, House
Timothy Olyphant, Justified
Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
Jane Lynch, Glee
Betty White, Hot In Cleveland
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife (Both)
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Margo Martindale, Justified
Michelle Forbes, The Killing
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
Chris Colfer, Glee
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Ed O’Neil, Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Jon Cryer, Two And A Half Men

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
Peter Dinklage, Game Of Thrones
Josh Charles, The Good Wife
Alan Cumming, The Good Wife
Walton Goggins, Justified
John Slattery, Mad Men
Andre Braugher, Men Of A Certain Age

Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series
How I Met Your Mother • Subway Wars • Pamela Fryman
Modern Family • Halloween Michael • Alan Spiller
Modern Family • Slow Down Your Neighbors • Gail Mancuso
Modern Family • See You Next Fall • Steven Levitan
30 Rock • Live Show • Beth McCarthy-Miller

Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire • Pilot • Martin Scorsese (Both)
Boardwalk Empire • Anastasia • Jeremy Podeswa
The Borgias • The Poisoned Chalice/The Assassin • Neil Jordan
Game Of Thrones • Winter Is Coming (Pilot) • Tim Van Patten
The Killing • Pilot • Patty Jenkins


Who are your picks for the winners tonight? Share your views here and comment below...

September 5, 2011

FIRST LOOK OF DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES S8, AND MORE...

tvTALKsnips


A SNEAK-PEEK OF DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES' FINAL SEASON
Here, we see the housewives burying the body of Gaby's evil-stepfather, who was killed accidentally by Carlos when we last saw the housewives in S7. This marks the beginning of the end and the beginning of the keeping of a secret that will define how, at least, the first half of the final season will be. It comes as no surprise that Bree offers no resistance and has no second thoughts about hiding the murder, because she knows better than the rest (except for Gaby, who thought she killed her previous husband Victor Lang, back in S4) how people one love need to be protected when they make such mistakes. 
Even so, I think it's completely natural for Susan and Lynette to have doubts about what they're doing. All I can say is that this clip has got me really excited about the season that will end the show. 




EDDIE MURPHY TO HOST THE 84th ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS
Courtesy: AMPAS
At the end of the day, the Oscars are a television event--a show that's put up to make the presentation of the awards more exciting. Hence, the host matters a lot. And the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)  announced on September 6 that Eddie Murphy host the 84th annual Academy Awards. This announcement indicates that they are going back to having established comedians in the role that they experimented with last year, putting Anne Hathaway and James Franco there. That being said, the prior success of a host doesn't assure us that they'll be great on that stage in the Kodak Theater. Examples of the same are as follows... Ellen De Generes, an otherwise very funny woman, was less than impressive as host. Franco and Hathaway are great actors, but they got so much flak for the job they did. Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, both known for their comedy, were quite disappointing. And then there was Hugh Jackman, who wasn't considered much of a comedian, but did a fabulous job as host in 2009. Beyond that, given the criticism last year's hosts got, I think the Academy really should have chosen someone like the fantastic Jon Stewart, who literally made the show at the 80th annual Academy Awards.




NEW BONES VILLAIN REVEALED, AND A SNEAK PEEK
It was announced earlier that the next season of BONES would see Booth, Brennan and team tracking down another major villain. That means that the drama of major season-long serial-killing cases won't die with with the death of The Gravedigger and Broadsky. What has now been revealed is that the tech-savvy villain will be called Pelant and the Department of Defense will have him under house arrest, with a tracking device, but he still manages to arrange murders. Now that is sure to get Booth and Brennan into a mind-game, posing as a real challenge even for Brennan. 
In the meantime, a sneak peek of S7 has been released, and it shows a pregnant Brennan arguing with Booth over the baby's safety. While watching the video, I realized that maybe we should have seen this coming. All said and done, I think Brennan's pregnancy is going to be way more entertaining than we imagined.

August 28, 2011

SEPTEMBER—COMING VERY SOON


We’re less than a month away from the new TV season (2011-12) to begin, around the Primetime Emmys on September 18, and the promos and spoilers of all the new seasons keep pouring in. I recently watched the promos of the forthcoming seasons of HOUSE MD, CASTLE and PARENTHOOD, and here’s what I thought of them…


SEASON 8: HOUSE IN PRISON!
We’ve heard earlier that House will be in prison in the beginning of S8, for driving his car into Cuddy’s house. What we didn’t know, until recently, is that he’s not going to be liked by people in jail. In an environment where it truly is about the survival of the fittest, this promo leaves us with so many questions about whether House is fit enough to survive. On the one hand, his arrogance and his bad attitude towards everyone else on the planet could be his downfall, but on the other hand, we also know that his superior intelligence will help him through his days in prison. Still, this promo just teases us, making us desperate to know how things will go down in jail, especially since they will pick up a few months after the last season left off. What will prison do to House? Will it be similar to what an asylum did to him (his temporary turning-over-a-new-leaf), or will it be more lasting? The only way to find out is to wait for the season to start in the first week of October!  
 


SEASON 4: CASTLE WAITS AS BECKETT FIGHTS FOR HER LIFE
Writers kill off protagonists only when the lead/s get/s fired (read: TWO AND A HALF MEN). Otherwise, it’s not much of a cliffhanger to show a protagonist being shot dead. But then again, a lot of times, it’s not so much about the ‘what’, but more about the ‘how’ in certain situations. So even though we know that Beckett will survive after being shot, the S4 premiere or CASTLE will explore the ‘how’. That’s exactly what this promo tells us. It’s tense and frightening, as Lanie and Castle watch Beckett being rolled into the OR. Not only does this offer us a lot of drama from the pilot, it also keeps us in sync with things, as they pick up right from where they left off last season. Besides, we still have to find out if Beckett will remember what Castle said to her in the last scene we watched—‘I love you!’ So while we wait for that, this promo is all we have!


SEASON 3: ADAM AND KRISTINA TAKE ON PARENTHOOD AGAIN
We know that PARENTHOOD won’t pick up from where they left off, because in this promo, Kristina has a baby bump that suggests that she’s at least eight months pregnant. We also know that Adam is preoccupied with something, from whatever little they’ve teased us with. Whether it’s just the fact that there’s another baby on the way, with him being unemployed; or it’s something entirely else, we don’t know just yet. Also, we have to consider what the passage of time means with respect to the rest of the family. There’s word out there that before the S3 premiere, there will be more promos with the other Bravermans in the picture, but so far, we can only wonder what Julia’s reaction to Kristina’s pregnancy will be, considering that she herself can’t have more children. Beyond Julia, would Kristina’s pregnancy have had any unforeseen reactions from anyone else, maybe Max, for instance? That is something we just can’t know yet. Here’s looking forward to PARENTHOOD’s return!

August 27, 2011

SHONDA RHIMES'S NEW SHOW AND MORE...

tvTALKsnips



SHONDA RHIMES TO DEVELOP A PERIOD DRAMA
Shonda Rhimes, with actress Ellen Pompeo 
who plays the lead in GREY'S ANATOMY
Shonda Rhimes, the enterprising TV producer is developing a new show—a period drama set in the 1890s, called GILDED LILLYS. The show will be set in New York City, based on the (fictional) first luxury hotel in the city. It will revolve around the employees of the hotel and will explore the drama of their lives and profession, involving even the guests of the hotel. It seems as though, with the success of shows like MAD MEN and BOARDWALK EMPIRE, and the upcoming ambitious project PAN AM, period dramas are becoming quite the trend on television. I think that despite having seen so many facets of Shonda, she’s out to surprise us all over again, with GILDED LILLYS. The 1890s setting offers her a great opportunity to present a show with the impeccable cinematography and storytelling that she is known for. I think this is going to be an exciting addition to ABC’s line-up next year. Rhimes, who already has two hit shows, GREY'S ANATOMY and PRIVATE PRACTICE on air, is also set to start the new legal/political drama SCANDAL very soon on ABC.


HEATHER GRAHAM SIGNED ON FOR NEW FOX COMEDY PILOT
Actress Heather Graham has been signed on for a new comedy pilot being developed by Rob Thomas, the creator of VERONICA MARS, who was also involved in developing 90210. The comedy pilot, called LITTLE IN COMMON, has been ordered by Fox. The premise of the show is the story of a group of adults who become unlikely friends because of the connections that they discover through their children. With Sarah Michelle Gellar returning to television, with The CW’s RINGER and Christina Ricci to appear on ABC’s PAN AM, it seems like big screen actresses heading for major roles on television is quite the trend this season. I, for one, am quite excited about Graham’s new pilot. I’ve always found her to be a nice actress and a great pleasure to watch. And we haven’t seen much of her lately, except for a few short appearances like the one in The Hangover, so I look forward to seeing her on TV soon.


SANDRA BULLOCK AND RYAN REYNOLDS ALSO HEAD TO TV

There’s another big-screen actress heading to television, in a way. Oscar winner Sandra Bullock, will be teaming up with her The Proposal co-star Ryan Reynolds yet again for a television project, an animated series, for which the two actors will be lending their voices. Called AND THEN THERE WAS GORDON, the show has only been ordered by Fox, as of now. However, if this project, about an ordinary child with several prodigy siblings, goes to series, Bullock will also be an executive producer. She will be otherwise lending her voice to the kid’s brilliant, but neurotic mother, while Reynolds has co-written the pilot. Even though I’m not a major fan of animation series, I still look forward to this one, not only because of the big Hollywood names attached to it, but also because of the premise, which sounds rather interesting.

WHITE COLLAR RENEWED FOR SEASON 4
In other news, the USA Network recently renewed its hit series WHITE COLLAR for a fourth season. The show, which could be called a ‘summer show’, is currently seeing new levels of success in its third season, with more than satisfactory ratings. Currently taking a mid-season break, the show will return in January, for the final few episodes of this season. I am still to catch up on S3 of WHITE COLLAR, but I can definitely say that this is a show I’d really like to see a lot more of, so it pleases me to know that we will be seeing a S4 next year.

August 15, 2011

HOW DO YOU THINK IT’LL END?


tvTALKcelebratesONEyear

With the announcement of the end of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES last week, I got thinking about how all my favorite shows would end, whenever it’s time for them. Therefore, in the third and final installment of tvTALKcelebratesONEyear, I look at five of them and explore what their series finales might have in store for us…


HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
This one comes with the big question: Who will the mother turn out to be, and how will we find out? 
When we were introduced to Zoey last season, the more I watched her with Ted, the more I felt like this relationship had almost as much potential as Ted’s relationship with Robin had. I actually thought that Ted and Zoey’s relationship would become serious, and that she might just be ‘the mother’. I know that as the relationship would get serious, the suspense would be dead, but do we actually believe that Ted’s eventual announcement of a wedding to ‘the mother’ would end the show? I think not. I think that there might be several episodes, maybe an entire season, which will be like an epilogue after we find out who ‘the mother’ is. That epilogue could explore how Ted gets married, while simultaneously, winding up everyone else’s stories. A strange twist would be to have Ted meet ‘the mother’, subsequently have kids and then end up with someone else altogether. That’s where there’s still hope for him and Robin! Now I’ve previously mentioned here that I would love for Ted to end up with Robin, because, for me, it would be perfect for them to be together. Whether or not any of the above happens, it’ll be a tricky job for the writers to end the show well, because they could very easily just end it very predictably.

And while we take that trip with the writers, as they decide on a fitting end, I would really like to see Barney actually getting married, eventually. Who knows! With how seriously [we know] he feels about Nora, maybe they might get serious, and a couple of seasons later, after a series of ups and downs and back-and-forth, they might get married. Barney’s already in an emotional transformation, with the whole reconnecting with his father, and having true feelings for a girl, so you never know; a marriage that sticks might just happen for him before the show ends. As for Lily and Marshall, they’re already living their happily ever after, so besides exploring the travails of raising a family together, there probably won’t be anything drastically different happening in their story. Whatever happens, I wonder if they’ll show all of them with Ted’s grown-up kids in the end, in the time-frame during which he’s telling them the story. What do you think?


DEXTER
Will he get caught? 
As a fan of happy endings, I would love to see Dexter walk at the end. But that’s the extent of happiness I see in his future; I mean, with the alternative being him getting caught. I don’t really expect to see him having that happily ever after, which would entail a happy marriage, family, and possibly, him having finally left his ‘dark passenger’ behind. That could happen, after a major emotional meltdown, triggered by a situation that forces him to deal with the baggage from his past and his ‘sins’. We know that in the forthcoming sixth season, he will be revealing his secret to Debra. It makes me wonder if that will affect the final outcome of the show. We know that the show’s not ending anytime soon, so it’s most likely that she’ll keep his secret, but whether she will understand it is another story. In fact, when it does, the series could possibly end with Debra finally understanding and accepting that side of Dexter. All said and done, there are way too many possibilities of how the show could end. For all we know, they might just leave us with a vague climax, not revealing anything about where the characters would go from there.

Another possibility would be that of an epilogue, probably one that jumps ahead a few years after the final climax. Picture this: Debra accepts Dexter’s dark side, while he, over the years, moves on from his need to kill, or not. Harrison’s a little grown up, and Debra’s married to some guy she met, with Quinn being a distant memory. Astor and Cody have become a major part of their lives, and they’re visiting Dexter from college. With all that established, and everyone having gone their separate ways, Dexter begins his final voice-over. He walks into his apartment, takes off the air-conditioner cover and opens his box of ‘trophies’, the glass slides with his victims’ blood, one last time, and it ends on a sinister note, with us never knowing whether or not he’ll kill again.



HOUSE MD
Will he fade into oblivion, or is there still hope for a happy ending for House? 
I can safely say that the end of his relationship with Cuddy was more than ugly, with her actually instructing the cops to throw him in jail. We know that Cuddy’s going, and some theories about the opening of the forthcoming season suggest that we might actually see House in jail. Some are also speculating over whether S8 will be the last one. Whatever may be the case, this is another show, for which an ending cannot be predicted; the writing is way too edgy for that. After so many years of being miserable, and jeopardizing almost every chance at happiness, all by himself, I don’t really see House getting a happily ever after. And that wouldn’t even be in keeping with the nature of the show. I think we’re more likely to see House fade into oblivion, while sinking into dementia, all alone in his apartment; or worse, die. As morbid as that thought may be, there’s nothing else that would be a fitting end to the show that HOUSE has been.

However, a happy ending could come in the form of House retiring, and moving off to some exotic place, not much unlike the beach where we saw him last, at the end of S7. After having had enough of his life at the hospital, he could finally hand over the reins of the Diagnostics department to Foreman, and go off to lead a happy retirement. On the other hand, we might just see the other characters have their happy endings. Foreman could meet someone and settle down, while I wouldn’t mind so much if Chase and Thirteen ended up together. Even Taob could end up in a happy relationship with one of his ‘baby mommies’. Wilson should ideally get back with his ex-wife, who’ll finally take him back, with House not being a factor in their lives. What do you think? Can you see any of the above happening?


GREY’S ANATOMY
Is it just a matter of who will end up with whom?
It may not be, but just for the heck of it, let’s start with that! Now, I think we can safely assume that Meredith and Derek, Callie and Arizona, and Christina and Owen will all stick with each other, even though there may be several rough patches that they might have to overcome in their relationships. That leaves us with the rest of the doctors. Let’s not think about any characters that are going to be introduced in the future, even though we know that some of the current ones will hook up with the new ones, knowing how people hook up on the show. With the existing set of characters, I can probably see Mark eventually getting back with Lexie, and Avery ending up with April. That leaves us with Karev, but I don’t see anyone else whom he might be suited for. Who knows! Maybe PRIVATE PRACTICE will end before GREY’S and Addison might come back. We know she has a history with both Mark and Karev! On the other hand, something tells me that Teddy Altman and Henry won’t last the long run, and that he might probably die, given his poor health. But when it comes to Bailey, I think her relationship with Nurse Eli is going to be explored, and it will eventually become something that’ll stick; and they might even get married by the end.

Speaking of the end, I don’t want this show to end any time soon. But be that as it may, it will eventually, because it’s not a soap opera and I don’t want to see Meredith and Derek playing with their grandchildren! That being said, I really hope we at least get to see the fifth-year residents in dark-blue scrubs, as each of them becomes an attending, after completing their seven-year residency (in what would be season 11). It would be great to see them all specializing in their fields—Christina in cardio, Alex in pediatrics, Meredith in neuro, and so on. By that time, probably a few of the current attendings could have gotten into extensive research, conducting heavy-duty medical trails, etc. At the same time, maybe the Chief should finally retire to be with his wife, who we now know, is suffering from Alzheimer’s. With that, I would really like to see Bailey as Chief of Surgery eventually, since Webber did tell her that she would, one day, run the hospital. Who would you like to see ending up as what and with whom?


DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
Will the series finale be as explosive as a disaster episode? How will everyone say goodbye?
This is one show for which we know that the end is near. With just one more season to go, creator Marc Cherry has suggested that he would like to pay tribute to the show, by having everyone, who has been associated with the show, come back to Wisteria Lane, in some way or another, during S8. Now while Nicolette Sheridan (Edie Britt) has said that she won’t be returning [they could have had her in a dream sequence or in a flashback], Dana Delany (Katherine Mayfair) has said she’d love to revisit the lane. But for now, let’s just consider how the show will end next year. I think there should be the backdrop of a big event, like a wedding perhaps. It could be Bree’s. However, I doubt they’d be able to have her establish a relationship deep enough to marry that person in one season. Moreover, given the current scenario on Wisteria Lane, her relationship with a detective won’t last too long. Maybe it could be Julie who gets married. That, we know would be a big deal for everyone. That would also be reason enough for people like Danielle Van de Kamp to visit the street.

As for those whose stories remain unfinished, I think the one person who should get their happy ending is Paul Young. Paul did return last season, and he finally had that showdown with Felicia Tillman, but he ended up going back to jail, and after losing his second wife at that. Now while Felicia is shown to have possibly died in a car crash, I think Paul deserves a happy ending, because he’s been wronged and misunderstood, and him killing Martha Huber was only to avenge Mary-Alice’s death. Cherry has said that they would revisit the original premise of the show—Mary-Alice’s suicide, so it would be a great time to have Paul get out of jail, return to Wisteria Lane, to his old home, and even reunite with his son Zach, who neglected him and let him rot in jail in S3. A crazy thought—what if Bree were to end up with Paul? Like I said, it’s crazy, but when you think about it, Bree is the one housewife who’s most like Mary-Alice, and Paul, the well-mannered and dignified gentleman that he is, would suit Bree perfectly. And if Bree could have had a relationship with Carl Mayer, why not Paul! Maybe the two could date secretly till the end, when they decide to tell everyone that they’re engaged or something.

Among other people who have unfinished business on the street, there’s Dave Williams (Edie’s husband), who was thrown into an asylum, after he tried to kill Susan and MJ, to avenge his wife and daughter’s death in the accident that eventually ruined Susan and Mike’s first marriage. I don’t know how, but if they could bring him back, it would surely be interesting. Kayla, Tom’s other daughter, who was sent off to live with her grandparents after her malicious deeds against Lynette, could also return. She’ll be all grown up now, so there might be some exciting story opportunities there. In the midst of it all, I hope they can pay some kind of a tribute to housewives from the past, like Betty Applewhite and Angie Bolen, who made quite a mark in seasons two and six, respectively.

As for the current housewives, we know Tom and Lynette will eventually get back together; Gaby and Carlos will establish a stronger bond, for sure; and Susan and Mike should have some strong storyline that doesn’t include any kind of threat to their marriage, because that’d old. I hope Renée finds someone nice to settle down with, and even Bree, whether or not it’s Paul.
How do you think DESPERATE HOUSWIVES should end, when it does next May?


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