NBC is new with The Chopping Block and Life and has a repeat of Law and Order
CBS is new with I Get That A Lot and has repeats of Criminal Minds and CSI: NY
ABC is new with Scrubs, Better Off Ted, Lost, and Life on Mars
The CW is new with America’s Next Top Model and has a repeat of 90210
FX is new with the season finale of Damages
TBS has Tyler Perry’s House of Payne
MTV is new with Pedro: The Movie
Bravo is new with Make Me a Supermodel
Comedy Central is new with The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report
Late-night highlights include Michael Caine, Dennis Rodman, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on NBC; Marg Helgenberger, Francisco Palacios, and Ray LaMontagne on Late Show with David Letterman on CBS; and Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Stevie Nicks, and Nick Thune on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on NBC
We’re down to nine on American Idol, and on Tuesday, the remaining singers put their spin on songs from among the top 100 iTunes downloads. So, who made a splash – and who’s struggling to stay around? Cast your vote for which contestant is headed home!
It’s not like TV remakes are anything new (holla, 90210!). But a show’s creator getting another shot at his or her own failed series is practically unheard of. That’s why I’m curious about Cupid, the new – well, and old – series from Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas that starts tonight on ABC.
The first Cupid, starring Jeremy Piven and Paula Marshall, aired 10 years ago on ABC but only lasted 14 episodes. Thomas said back at the TCA press tour in January that he hadn’t even talked about the show in almost a decade. “There was no reason to,” he said. “It was an idea that I had gotten on the air. There was no reason to believe anyone would want to do it again.” Then ABC approached him about a remake (as did the CW, which ended up making the short-lived Valentine, Inc. instead), and soon he was jumping back into Cupid’s world.
This version of the story stars Bobby Cannavale in Piven’s old role and Sarah Paulson in Marshall’s. The premise is essentially the same: Cannavale believes he’s Cupid sent down from heaven to match up lovelorn singles; only after 100 successful love matches can he return to Mt. Olympus. Paulson is a well-regarded relationship therapist and skeptic assigned to Cupid’s case (though she calls him by his human name, Trevor).
I wasn’t a fan of the original series (nor was I a detractor – I somehow missed the whole thing entirely), but I saw enough in the first episode of this Cupid to keep me watching for a while. Specifically, Cannavale is a lot of fun as the goofy Trevor, and while I’m less a fan of Paulson, she plays well off of him. What I didn’t like was the dull couple-of-the-week story, and those are going to have to get better in a hurry if Cupid wants to keep me around. But I’m most curious to see what fans of the original have to say about this one, so if that applies to you, come back here and tell me, OK? In the meantime, to watch a couple of clips from tonight’s premiere, just read more.
From the director of The Devil Wears Prada comes a hilarious and heartwarming comedy based on the No. 1 New York Times best seller Marley & Me.
Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson unleash huge laughs as John and Jenny Grogan, a young couple contemplating the decision to start a family. Then comes Marley, an adorable Labrador pup who flunks obedience school and quickly turns his new home into a disaster area. But with a heart as big as his appetite for trouble, Marley sees the Grogans through the ups and downs of life and love, and they ultimately realize that “the world’s worst dog” truly brings out the best in them.
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Tuesdays are big in entertainmentville: not only do all the new DVD releases hit Netflix, but new music also pours into stores. So I take a spin through each week’s music releases and pick out some albums and tracks worthy of a download. If you’re anywhere near a Target, Prince’s new albums (a three-CD project) are now available exclusively at the retailer. Here are today’s selections:
Jazz it up: I really love Diana Krall, and on many occasions, her deep, gorgeous voice is exactly what my life needs to have playing in the background. Today she’s released a new collection that includes covers of songs by artists like Al Green and jazz standards once tackled by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald. I’m really enjoying her versions of “Walk on By” and “Too Marvelous For Words.”
Now that “Young Folks” just got out of your head: Here comes Peter Bjorn & John with more catchy tunes! This new release by the Swedish trio isn’t as folksy as the previous album and has a lot of synthesizer going on instead. I’m liking it but not totally in love yet – just need to take more listens. Check out “Nothing to Worry About,” and “It Don’t Move Me” for a taste of what PB&J’s sound is all about these days.
One more to come, so read more.
Piano man: Gavin DeGraw has been promoting his new album as a stripped-down version of the kind of commercial hits that have made him so successful. From what I’ve listened to so far, that does appear to be the case, with many of the tunes including only his voice and the piano. Tracks like “Dancing Shoes” and “Stay” demonstrate his ability to pour real emotion into his lyrics – and they’re pretty, to boot!
Being in love with his handler has often made things a little more difficult for Chuck Bartowski – but what if she were to be taken away for good? That’s the question in this week’s episode of Chuck, which finds Sarah being replaced by a new agent (Battlestar Galactica’s Tricia Helfer). It turns out to be a particularly bad time for that, though, as the mission of the week comes dangerously close to Chuck’s family. Also, there are strippers. To chat about this episode, just read more.
I’m not sure I totally buy the logic of the government bringing in Alex Forrest and immediately having her step into Sarah’s role. Wouldn’t Beckman have wanted her to observe Sarah for a while? Furthermore, wouldn’t they already have all the evidence they need to have Sarah reassigned just from those schmoopy videos? Nevertheless, it’s interesting to see how having Forrest around changes Chuck’s life immediately. She doesn’t care about Chuck or his family; she’ll do whatever it takes to complete the mission, even if it’s seducing Chuck’s soon-to-be brother-in-law and then shooting him with a tranq dart. Sure, Sarah’s feelings for Chuck have made her do things that are against protocol; we know there are shots she didn’t take and moments when she’s hesitated. But she’s kept Chuck alive – and with less disruption to his personal life than what Forrest causes in just one mission. I wouldn’t have minded seeing this plot go on a bit longer, as it seemed obvious that Forrest would be out and Sarah in by the end of the episode. But it’s good to have a reminder that as bad as things are for Chuck, they could be much worse.
I’d be remiss to go further without talking about the last few moments of the episode. Thinking she’s off the case, Sarah runs Chuck’s father’s name through the government computer system. And that’s how the two of them find themselves in the middle of a field, staring at an airstream trailer. The last things we hear are the sounds of Bon Iver’s “Blood Bank” and Chuck’s semisurprised “Dad?” I can’t wait to see them together next week.
Meanwhile, poor Captain Awesome, dragged into Chuck’s secret spy life at his own bachelor party! It’s nice to have confirmation that Devon is a good guy after all, and it’s such a shame that nobody sets Ellie straight. I mean, Awesome doesn’t look like he’s enjoying himself in the stripper pictures; he barely looks conscious. Really, nobody could have said, ” Devon wasn’t into it, but they took some pictures anyway?” I don’t care what kind of bro code you have; one of its tenets should be “Don’t let the fiance believe you got it on with a stripper if you actually did not.” That aside, watching Jeff and Lester be lecherous is pretty amusing.
Some other thoughts:
OK, I know we accept a certain amount of sexism in this show -Â Sarah’s skimpy outfits, etc. – but the guys making poo faces at the plus-sized strippers bugged me. Cheap shot.
Of all the things Chuck’s been asked to do in service of the government, he’s extraordinarily bad at pretending to be a doctor.
Loved watching Forrest and Casey flirt in their hardcore-spy kind of way. As Chuck said: “Wow. You two are a match made in a very frightening part of heaven.”
For a while there, I thought there might have been laughing gas in my living room, too. “Ladybugs can’t all be ladies” isn’t even that funny, and yet, I was in stitches.
There’s really no government surveillance at Sarah’s place?
Also, Beckman being piped into Chuck’s bedroom seems like a recipe for blowing his cover.
Ready to meet Chuck’s dad? Wish you could have seen Sarah and Chuck try to be 100 percent professional for a little longer?
I may have disliked this show at first (waaaaaay back in ‘06!) but I ended up tuning in for its second season and somehow the characters on My Boys grew on me like barnacles. The cast members seem to be more comfortable with each other, making for a relaxed playfulness that I think was missing from this gang of buddies in season one. The last season ended with a great cliffhanger (not to mention some episodes set at a gorgeous winery that gave me total travel envy) and I’m excited to see what season three has to offer.
Plus, I’ve missed Jim Gaffigan on my TV every week.
I recently took part in a conference call with Jordana Spiro, who plays PJ on the show, and she promised big changes for PJ, Stephanie, and each of the “boys.” She also talked about the major change we can expect to see in PJ’s life – real, steady relationship with a guy.
Will you tune into My Boys tonight? To check out a clip from tonight’s premiere and a four-minute video recap of the last season, read more.
Season premiere sneak peek:
If you didn’t see all of the second season, or would like a quick refresher, here’s a four-minute recap:
