Wednesday This N That

I’m not sure who has garnered more of my ire lately – Mother Nature or the tv schedulers.

Last week, Mother Nature blessed us with a couple inches of snow. Yes, SNOW – in the first week of October, for goodness sake. Thankfully, it melted in a day, but temps are still a bit cooler than normal around here. I’m not amused.

Another thing that doesn’t amuse me is the current tv schedule. I thought my Tuesday schedule was bad enough with Parenthood and Sons of Anarchy airing at the same time (not to mention TNT airing Rizzoli and Isles reruns at that time as well. UGH). Beginning tonight, the Wednesday tv schedule is unamusingly jam-packed and stuffed-to-the-gills in the 9pm hour here (Central Time).  Yes, that’s the normal time slot for CSI, which isn’t a major concern for me these days because I’ve lost quite a bit of interest in the show and have only become a ‘casual’ watcher lately. The problem comes with the two new shows that premiere tonight in that time slot – Chicago Fire on NBC and Nashville on ABC.

I’ve watched the pilot episode for Chicago Fire and loved it. It reminded me a lot of LA Firefighters, a short-lived show from 1996 with Jerrod Emick, Christine Elise, Alexandra Hedison, and Brian Smiar, and even had a few of the same storylines (colleague’s death, blaming co-workers, taking care of the widow, etc) as well as Emergency (from the 1970s) as it follows both the firefighters and paramedics. The character I was most intrigued with is Monica Raymund as paramedic Gabriela Dawson. She has a great storyline in the pilot episode where it’s her actions vs consequences. And of course, Taylor Kinney (Rizzoli and Isles fans may know him as evil baseball player Jesse Wade) and Jesse Spencer are some nice eye candy. I guess stories/shows about firefighters always intrigue me. Back in the mid-80s, a relative of mine was a volunteer firefighter in a small town, and was killed after falling off a fire truck when responding to a call. How appropriate that Chicago Fire premieres during National Fire Prevention Week.

As for Nashville, I guess I’m not expecting to enjoy the show. All of the promos have made it seem too soapy instead of about the music and the struggle to "become a name." I’m hoping to be proven wrong. I'm hoping that it turns out to be something like the movie, "The Thing Called Love" with River Phoenix, Samantha Mathis, Sandra Bullock and Dermot Mulroney. But I'm not holding my breath on that. However, the absence of Nashville from my over-cluttered schedule would probably be a relief. That would leave only Chicago Fire and CSI in that time slot.

Speaking of CSI – I had a brilliant thought last night that a perfect role for Marg as a guest star would be on Rizzoli and Isles as one of Korsak’s ex-wives. We’ve already seen one of them (Lolita Davidovich as Melody) and during the upcoming winter episodes of season 3, we get to meet another of his ex’s. That leaves one more available, and it would be great to have Marg & Bruce McGill reunited again.

Lest I forget – ‘Arrow’ also premieres tonight on CW. Thankfully, not in the same timeslot as the others. However, I’m not putting much hope into keeping this on my ‘to watch’ list, but I will at least check it out.

Strangely enough, I’ve still got three shows on my Monday night schedule. Of course, two of them have to overlap as well – 2 Broke Girls & The Mob Doctor. 2BG is basically the only comedy show that I actually still watch. I seem to like Mob Doc more every week. I like how Grace seems to learn how to ‘play the game’ more each week, but that also means she’s getting herself deeper into debt as well. How long will Constantine let her keep playing both sides?

Revolution keeps growing on me as well. I actually didn’t mind that they killed off Maggie this week. I can only hope that would mean more screen time for Nora (I love Daniella Alonso) but I have my doubts. I’m guessing it just means more screen time for Elizabeth Mitchell’s character, with whom I’m not impressed.

And finally, there’s Downton Abbey. God, I love this show. There are so many different subplots, that it’s hard to keep up with everything, but they somehow manage to keep it all so intertwined and flowing smoothly. Bates/Anna is so heartbreaking to watch. Matthew Crawley, you’re really going to open a big can of worms now, aren’t you. Yikes. However, I’m not so keen on having them bring Ethel back into the storyline.

I’ve also realized that NCIS:LA can be a great show if there’s enough Kensi/Deeks banter throughout. Those two have such an old-married couple vibe, with a bit of brother/sister one-upmanship.

There will be no new episode of Elementary this week because of the political debate crap that will pre-empt regular programming. As if politicians weren’t high enough on my ‘avoid at all costs’ list, they have to take away more of my regular shows as well?  Assholes.

Now that we’ve caught up on the current tv stuff, let’s take you back a couple decades to some great movies – starting with one of my favorites – Eric Stoltz & Mary Stuart Masterson as Keith & Watts in Some Kind of Wonderful – such a great love story.

And a little bit of insight to A League of Their Own with Penny & Gena.

Thursday TV Roundup

I think we can almost call Thursday nights "Badass Bitches" nights these days. Or maybe we’ll call Jane Timoney the "Badass Bitch" and the 'Angels' as the "kickass ladies". Either way, they all seem to fit in the same "have gun : will kick your ass" club – you know, the one that includes Jane Rizzoli, Ziva David, Gemma Teller, Catherine Willows, Nikita, Helen Magnus, Sam Carter, Lindsay Boxer, Grace Hanadarko, Annie Frost, Olivia Benson, and even Harriet Korn, who’s not afraid to pull a gun out of the drawer on a whim - although her best 'gun' is probably her sarcasm.

1. The third go-round for Charlie’s Angels premiered tonight. It was an interesting beginning with one of the ‘Angels’ being killed off within the first 10 minutes. Enter a new rogue badass, who decides to take the ‘high road’ and become an "Angel for Justice" instead of "Angel for Revenge" (is there really a difference?)

I was expecting to see Dina Meyer in this episode, but I guess she’ll be in the next one instead. Bummer.

The one thing that really bugs me is the younger, more suave Bosley (teeny-bopper bait) instead of the more curmudgeonly Bosley that they had in the original series. However, it was cute when they first mention Bosley and we see a brief glimpse of a David Doyle lookalike. A bit of an homage to DD maybe?

In all, it might be a nice addition to my weekly tv lineup. Seeing some of the reviews & tweets as the show was airing, it looks like ladies like the show & guys hate it. (yeah. go figure)

2. Person of Interest with James Caviezel took over the regular CSI Thursday night time slot. I really gave it a shot. Seriously. But 15 minutes was all I could take of this drab, lifeless drivel before I turned the channel to catch the rest of The Secret Circle. Maybe I’ll try again next week, but I’m not hopeful that P.o.I. will continue on my list.

As for The Secret Circle – as expected the episode didn’t have nearly as much Ashley Crow as the pilot did last week (just a tiny bit at the beginning, and at the Sea Fair). I really should dig out my old vhs tapes of "Champs" or even the dvd of "Little Big League". She was great with Timothy Busfield in both. There was even a guest appearance by Tom Butler. I was even telling the tv – "Hey, it’s Trofsky from Stargate SG1"

There was also a bit of a new Uh Huh Her song in this episode. I can’t wait to hear the new album.


3. The evening wrapped up with the premiere of the Prime Suspect reboot, starring Maria Bello as Jane Timoney. Yes, they went quite overboard on the “woman in a man’s world” stereotype in this, but I’ve heard that’s going to be toned down quite a bit in coming episodes.

Jane Timoney rocks. She’s kind of a cross between Jane Rizzoli, Grace Hanadarko and Ziva David. I loved how she ran after a suspect, then got the crap beaten out of her by that suspect until a fellow cop arrived. They didn’t make her a superhero and all of a sudden come back and beat the guy. They allowed her to be vulnerable. They also allowed her to come back to the apartment later on, crying and asking her boyfriend (or is it hubby?), for some comfort: “I know you’re still mad at me, and you can be mad at me again tomorrow, but can you talk to me for a minute, please?” and have him envelop her into a hug while lying on the bed. Awwww.

It was great to see the scene with Jane & her dad. She lugged all of her rifles to his house. The greatest scene in this episode was Jane with the kid, Caleb, and talking about guns, even pulling out hers, clearing it, and putting it on the table for him to touch. Caleb said he would like to kill the man with her gun, and Jane says "I would help you." That. Was. Damn. Cool.

What had me reeling most with this show is all of the recognizable faces that I wasn’t expecting. Yes, I knew Aidan Quinn and Kirk Acevedo would be part of the main cast. I always identify Aidan as the cop with Madeleine Stowe’s blind witness in “Blink”, and Kirk has been in many shows. I mainly know him from Oz . Another Oz alum here was Brian O’Byrne as Duffy. Tim Griffin was on Women’s Murder Club, NCIS and ER; Kenny Johnson has been on CSI, Sons of Anarchy and Saving Grace, while James Martin Kelly was on NYPD Blue back in the day. The one face that I recognized the most is the one that I also couldn’t remember the name for, until I looked in the opening credits – Jason Beghe. He was on CSI, for goodness sake, and I still couldn’t place him. He was also in a great tv movie with the incredible Maureen O’Hara back in 1998 called "Cab to Canada". If you haven’t seen that one, I encourage you to check it out.

In all, I’m hoping that Prime Suspect can help ease my need for a Rizzoli & Isles fix these days. It doesn’t have the humor of R&I, but it certainly has the ‘badass cop’ part of it.


So that brings a wrap to the Thursday lineup.

Friday seems to be an even lighter schedule (thank goodness!) with the season premiere of Nikita and series premiere of A gifted Man.

I was trying to play catch-up and didn’t get very far, but did get a glimpse of the premiere of Revenge, with Madeleine Stowe. Kind of looks intriguing, but it’s probably a bit too soap opera-ish for me at this time. I guess we’ll see when I get a chance to watch the whole thing.

There are still two more weeks until the return of Sanctuary for season 4. After seeing all of the behind-the-scenes tweets & pics while filming, I’m anxious for this show to return.

Wednesday This N That

Got the new issue of TV Guide in today’s mailbox. It featured many of the returning shows. Some will be featuring many changes.

One of my shows returned last night.

1. Parenthood was back for a new season. I loved last night’s episode that featured Sarah’s 40th birthday bash. It was great to see the small mother/daughter moment with Sarah & Camille towards the end. Any chance to get screen time for Bonnie Bedelia is great!

I agree with the “Cheer” for MBJ. He was great in last night’s episode. He brings a quiet, powerful presence and lots of internal conflict.

2. The Secret Circle – I got a chance to watch the pilot for this last night (It premieres tomorrow night) and I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Maybe that’s because Ashley Crow had a bigger role than I was expecting. I hope they keep her in the show as much as she was in the pilot.


3. CSI begins its switch to Wednesdays when Season 12 premieres next week. I’m looking forward to seeing the return of feisty Catherine. We know how the woman can hold a grudge. She is, after all, Sam Braun’s daughter. I’m also looking forward to seeing how Ted Danson’s character fits in. His “family man” and more upbeat character is what this show should have had when Grissom left, instead of going down the dark & mysterious road with Ray Langston.



4. NCIS returns next week as well! As much as I love Mark, my first thought on seeing the pic with just him & Michael was – “they’re missing the best part of the show!” Where are Cote, Pauley, Sean, David, & Brian? Come on people! We wanna see the whole team!


5. Body of Proof is on the way again for a new season. I’m hoping that season 2 brings more of the rest of the cast. Season 1 had more of a focus on Dana and establishing the main character. By the end of last season, I grew to enjoy much of the rest of the cast as well.


6. Harry’s Law – speaking of changes: it looks like this show is going through major ones for the new season. I’ve heard there’s going to be more emphasis on the cases this time around. I don’t think that will sit well with me, however. I’m not a big fan of “boring legal shows”. That’s why the first season of this show was fun to watch. It was almost satirical at times, but could be serious when it needed to be (like at the end when Harry was on her soapbox and giving her final statements to the jury)


7. Nikita returns. Thankfully it’s in a different time slot than CSI this time around. I think I’m going to like the changes for the new season. Anything that brings more opportunities for Melinda Clarke to be on the tv screen is a plus in my book!


8. Maria Bello is back on tv (YAY!) in the reboot of Prime Suspect. Yes, I’m one of the few who LOVES the hat!


9. Mariska Hargitay & Kelli Giddish on the same show. That might actually get me to watch. Too bad that it’s on at the same time as CSI, because you know Marg rules over all else…at least until she leaves in January. After that, who knows.

I love Mariska's comment that it's "Like having a new boyfriend when you're not over the old one". And Kelli's character's name is Amanda Rollins? This coming after Kelli just finished working with Rose Rollins on Chase? Coincidence?

10. House & Castle – two other shows I don’t really watch. The House promo poster is just too darn cute. And I find it strange that my mother actually watches Castle (and DWTS, but that’s a whole other story!). Yes, it’s the same mother whose favorite is The Weather Channel. Oy!



11. Raising Hope gets underway for another season. Unfortunately, this show kind of became my “I’ll watch if I’ve got nothing else going on…and actually remember that it’s on” show.



12. Terra Nova – As with the rest of the new shows, I’m hoping this show isn’t a let-down considering the hype



13. Let’s wrap things up today with a little bit of Angie Harmon – who was featured in the Horoscope section.

And if you haven't seen one of her latest pictures on twitter - this one's great! A photographer with a gun & badge! Love it. Check it out here

Mid-Week This n That

It’s almost hard to believe that we’re nearly done with August. We even had our first high school football game broadcast for the fall sports season last night. I totally could not get into that. I’m not ready to give up my “easy” nights at work, where I can work at my own pace, in exchange for actually doing something and having to pay attention to what’s on the air.

One thing I am ready for is the fall tv season.

- In less than two weeks (Sept 6th), Sons of Anarchy will kick off my list of premieres, with a 90 minute season opener.

I really should do a SoA season 3 marathon to get myself reacclimated with the series, but I can bet lots of money (that I don’t have) that won’t happen.

- A week after that (Sept 13), Parenthood returns for a third season.

I really hope that they can give a bit more screen time to Bonnie Bedelia, or I think I will be totally losing interest in this series.

- Another week later, I’m bombarded with a flurry of both new & returning shows:

NCIS (a 200th episode? Yay!), Body of Proof, and Unforgettable all start up for the season on Tuesday, Sept. 20th. Coincidentally, on that same day, the Body of Proof Season 1 dvd is available to purchase. Yes, it’s already on my pre-order list.

Wednesday, September 21st brings the returns of Harry’s Law and CSI.

I've heard that there are some changes for Harry's Law, so hopefully it should improve things a bit. This is REALLY going to take some adjusting to the CSI switch to Wednesdays at a later time, but I think it’ll work out well for my schedule, since work is a bit quieter on Wednesday nights compared to Thursdays.

On the subject of CSI:

Congrats to George Eads, as well as Billy & Gina Petersen as it was announced yesterday they became the proud parents of twins via a surrogate. As for Billy coming back for Marg’s exit – I’m so glad he’s doing this at Marg’s request. However, I can only hope his appearance doesn’t come with a side of Gil/Sara regurgitation (GSR)

Thursday, September 22nd has the debut of Maria Bello’s Prime Suspect remake.

I’m a bit conflicted on this because I really love Maria and am glad she’s returning to television, but I’m not sure how the remake will hold up with the “woman in a man’s world” gender issues that the original series did so well. It was believable back then. Will it still be believable today, considering all of the other tv shows these days that have women in the police force who seem to have easily conquered that stereotype? I can only hope so.

Also that day brings the series premieres of the Charlie’s Angels remake (does no one ever do original things these days?) as well as Person of Interest.

As for the Angels, I’m not sure how much I’ll watch since I don’t really know any of the main actors. However, I know I have to watch the first couple episodes as Dina Meyer is to be making appearances in them. Person of Interest sounds interesting, but this seems to be another of those where I’ll watch the premiere with low expectations and hope that I’m pleasantly surprised. (The Catherine Willows theory at work again)

The week will round out on Friday with the season premiere of Nikita (on Friday’s this time?) and series premiere of A Gifted Man.

I just realized that I don’t think I ever got around to fully watching the season finale of Nikita last time. However, if I remember correctly, Amanda has the power now and I’ll definitely have to watch this season if there’s going to be more of Melinda Clarke on this show. Oh, and FYI - Season 1 of Nikita will be out on dvd next week!

- It’s great to see Kelli Giddish back on the tv screen (and even flashing a badge again too), but not sure how much I’ll actually watch SVU, since I’m only an every-now-and-then viewer to begin with. Plus, SVU will be on at the same time as CSI this season. Maybe I’ll start watching after Marg leaves CSI in early 2012.


- Not quite sure about Terra Nova. It looks interesting, but might be a bit over-the-top for me with all of the CGI.


They should consult with the Sanctuary gang about doing great vis-effects that don’t go overboard.

Some other dates of note:

The wonderful world of “abnormal” life that is Sanctuary returns for season 4 on October 7th. It’s been great getting all of the behind-the-scenes pics and info from this wonderful cast on Twitter. It makes the show even that much more fun, knowing the cast & crew (yes, there are numerous Sanctuarians on twitter!) enjoy interacting with the fans on that level. (don’t get me started on how the CSI gang is the total opposite! Grrrrr!!) Don’t forget that the Season 3 dvd set of Sanctuary is available on September 13th.

It was also announced yesterday that my favorite new show, Rizzoli and Isles, returns for another season on November 28th. (Yes, I know. This season isn’t even completed yet. At least we don’t have to wait a full year this time!)

I kind of agree with the Jeer for the lack of Jacquie Bissett usage on that episode. And looks like somebody forgot the memo that Jane & Maura are not just BFF’s. They’re LLBFF’s, or L-Biffs! (Life-Long Best Friends Forever) Come on, people! Pay attention to those major details!!!

Random This n That:
This Christine Baranski quote was cute:


It’s fun to see Daddy’s and their kids. It’s still strange to see “Zach Morris” all grown up.


Music notes:
Usually, most of my music information goes on KayLyne’s Jukebox. However, here are some This N That-worthy music items to chat about here.
Things to know about the Gold Dust Woman:


Notes from Blake Shelton and Kristin Chenoweth


New music from the Pistol Annies


And at home with Jewel & Ty’s new addition