The TV Addict 

ABC’s much-hyped premiere week had a whole lot more highs than lows — perhaps due in part to the fact that someone wisely — and not-so-inconspicuously — opted to keep the premiere of CAVEMEN out of the much-hyped period. Sunday night capped the week of debuts with the return of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES as well as BROTHERS & SISTERS, both of which did pretty much what they do best. (Yes, I’m aware that EXTREME MAKEOVER was back as well, but even a reality-whore such as myself has limits, and that’s a show I’ve just never gotten the appeal of.) HOUSEWIVES avoided what might be called Alfre syndrome by immediately connecting the new kids on the block to our main characters. And how cute is Lyndsy Fonseca (ex-Colleen, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS) as the girl around whom the new mystery revolves? It seems a little soon to be having Susan be pregnant, and I was a little uncomfortable with how casually the gals reacted to Edie’s attempted suicide. Yes, we know it was fake, but they don’t. Then again, Edie’s always been something of an outsider for the ladies. As for B&S, by the time the Walkers were throwing back shots of tequila, it hit me that if there’s one thing this show isn’t, it’s subtle. Everything is played big… whether its the laughs or the drama. I wanted to feel the families pain as they worried about off-in-Iraq Justin, but Nora’s “I-can’t-leave-the-house-in-case-someone-calls” just felt a little forced to me. Then again, not having a loved one fighting overseas, I could be completely wrong on that one. I do kinda wish the show would be a little less schitzophrenic. By playing every emotion so big, the smaller moments filled with genuine emotion wind up having less impact. In the end, however, I still believe there’s no better way to end the week than by hanging with the Housewives before downing a few with the Walkers.

I’ll admit I was a little worried about my beloved UGLY BETTY. I can’t even say exactly why… perhaps because the freshman season was so brilliant that I feared there was nowhere to go but down. But the premiere put all my fears to rest. Yes, there were a few awkward leaps in logic (were we really to believe that Betty, whose modus operandi is to look out for everyone, wouldn’t warn Henry that he might not be Charlie’s babydaddy?), and it was hard to believe that Justin was so cavalierly bounding about while his mom was upstairs endlessly mourning his dad’s death. But by the time Wilhelmina pulled a switch on Claire and Alexis woke up thinking she was still a he, all was forgiven. My one request is that Tony Plana’s papa Suarez be brought home ASAP, as his balancing presence in the household over which he rules is much missed.

Finally caught the second episode of GOSSIP GIRL last night, and I’m happy to report that the pilot wasn’t a fluke. For those thinking this is simply THE OC transplanted to New York’s Upper East Side, think again. Penn Badgley’s Dan is no Ryan Atwood, and while Blake Lively’s Serena van der Woodsen (God, I love that name!) could probably be mistaken for poor-little-rich-girl Marissa Cooper, where THE OC occasionally tried pretending it was more than it was by infusing itself with a social conscience (albeit a really, really shallow one), GG doesn’t bother. This show is as superficial as it comes, and that’s exactly why it works. Who wouldn’t want to be these rich, pampered little snots? Yes, they’re obnoxious and self-absorbed, but heck, they can afford to be! DIRTY SEXY MONEY wants to be an adult version of this, and just misses the mark by playing every character and situation as larger than life. Where DIRTY asks us to look at the core characters with a sense of superiority as if to say, “there but for millions of dollars go I”, GG knows that the key to a true guilty pleasure is wanting to step into the lives unfolding on screen. We want to protect Jenny, beat up Chuck and push Serena right into the arms of Dan… all while getting invited to those fantastic parties. In other words, GG is the kind of TV that the word “escapism” was invented to describe. It won’t make you smarter, it won’t enrich your life… but man, are you gonna have fun.

Read the rest of this entry »

I know things are looking bleak.

To have spent all summer reveling in your first stable relationship, only to discover that the love of your life is being sent off on a mission to Asia Malaysia for eight months to a year. Talk about a downer.

But before you drown your sorrows in another WICKED matinee, consider this. Jason McCallister isn’t really off to Malaysia. He’ll simply be spending a few months in Laughlin Nevada. And while the ‘bishop’ said that his ‘mission’ would be lasting around eight to twelve months, we have a feeling that you’ll be reunited with Jason just in time for February Sweeps [trust us, we’ve seen VIVA LAUGHLIN].

So grab a Tequila, cheer up and send the Walker Family our love.

Thrilled you’re all back,

Sincerely,

theTVaddict

It’s events like this that make theTVaddict.com worth the effort. Yes, you heard me. Watching television is serious ‘work’ and today was no exception. This morning, the TV Addict reported live from the 2007 GLOBAL TV UpFront, and believe you me, it was no treat. Especially when I had to suppress an audible groan when HEROES stars Masi Oka and Adrian Pasdar were asked — no doubt the millionth time — who their personal hero was!

Okay, who am I kidding? Stupid questions aside, the Global TV UpFront were as exciting as one would imagine. After-all, it’s not often that I get to sit front row and question HEROES stars Masi Oka and Adrian Pasdar, drink coffee while congratulating BROTHERS & SISTERS star Balthazar Getty on all his success and get the opportunity to chat with the hardest working guy in show-business — Ryan Seacrest.

Now onto the festivities.

The event started off with a Q&A featuring HEROES stars Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura) and Adrian Pasdar (Nathan Petrelli). Not surprisingly, Pasdar was tight-lipped on what fans can expect come season two explaining, “When the show first started, the network wanted us to talk to anyone who wanted to talk to us. But now that we’re a hit, we can’t say anything.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Was anyone else genuinely surprised by last night’s episode of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES? And no, we’re not referring to that disturbing final scene, or the fact that Susan and Mike FINALLY tied the knot. We’re talking about the fact that Victor Lang’s entire Gubernatorial campaign strategy revolves around marrying Gabby in order to court the Latino vote. Latino vote? In Wisteria Lane? Okay, perhaps we’re missing something, but as a loyal DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES viewers, we’re pretty confident in saying that Gabriel is the only Latino woman we’ve ever seen on Wisteria Lane (also known as the “Whitest City in America”). Mayor Lang, a little unsolicited campaign advice if we may: considering changing your strategy before September ‘07.

Greg Berlanti’s fond of saying that the best season finales call back to a moment from the show’s season premiere. Not surprisingly, last night’s season ender of BROTHERS & SISTERS did not disappoint, as this TV addict gleefully watched the entire Walker clan (Holy and Rebecca included) jump into the family pool fully clothed. A stark contrast to the show’s series premiere, when the Walker clan surrounded the pool for an entirely different reason — the death of patriarch William Walker. Who’d have thought that almost a year later, William’s death would lead to an even stronger Walker family? So in the traditional Walker way, please join theTVaddict in raising a virtual glass. Cheers to our newest favorite television family. Thanks for the laughter, memories and endless of bottles of Chardonnay. See you in September.

Did anyone else find Zach Braff’s stint as SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE host incredibly disappointing? Memo to Zach, we get it. GARDEN STATE made you an indie star, your music tastes are impeccable, and you have a great voice (yes, the SCRUBS musical episode is still saved on my PVR). But here’s the thing. SNL isn’t an informercial for everything Zach (he sings! he directs!). Amidst all the shameless self promotion on Saturday’s season finale you forgot the most important rule of SNL — BE FUNNY. Career advice if we may, don’t quit your day job.

Two addicts. One conversation.  Let the games begin!

CouchTater: Wouldn’t BROTHERS & SISTERS have gotten a lot more mileage out of the off-screen kiss between Walker-clan newbie Rebecca and her brother-in-law Joe by having him deny the accusation or perhaps say that she’d been the one to kiss him? What could have been an intriguing “he said/she said” plot forcing the family to take sides and reverberating for weeks to come was instead reduced to an easily-digestable morsel. But perhaps that’s part and parcel of this show’s bigger problem: It’s seeming determination to burn through three years worth of storyline in a single season. Are our collective attention spans so short that we wouldn’t be able to make it until season two without meeting Holly and William’s daughter? How about giving Balthazar Getty’s character a little airtime instead of introducing new characters every few episodes? Why ditch Nora’s relationship with the charming handyman played by Treat Williams in favor of having her get involved with the smarmy teacher? B&S needs to slow down and let us enjoy the ride.

TheTVAddict: “Are our collective attention spans so short that we wouldn’t be able to make it until season two without meeting Holly and William’s daughter?” In a word — Yes. The unfortunate reality of modern-day television is that viewers all too often have demonstrated their willingness to move onto something new when a series fails to give them answers. (See: LOST losing five million viewers this season).

The introduction of Rebecca not only brought the remarkable Emily VanCamp back to television, its propelled B&S from a good show to a potentially great one. Since her arrival on the scene, the ‘other’ Walker has helped tear apart a marriage, pit brother against brother and create more drama than a month of alcohol-fueled game nights. Sure, the whole “he said/she said” thing sounds intriguing — but I’ll take an awkward weekend at the Vineyard any day. Who didn’t get chills listening to Holly’s final warning to Nora: “You don’t want my daughter living in your house!”

Read the rest of this entry »

There are two types of actors in Hollywood: Those who cringe at the very mention of the role that made them famous (see ANGEL’s David Boreanaz) and those who embrace it. Not surprisingly, EVERWOOD grad Emily VanCamp falls into the latter camp and is only too happy to reminisce about the show that put her on the map.

“It was devastating for all of us,” admits the actress — who spent the better part of four years in Utah while shooting the family-friendly saga, but has now returned to Los Angeles to join the ranks of the dysfunctional Walker clan on ABC’s BROTHERS & SISTERS— of EVERWOOD’s cancellation. “Right up until the 7th HEAVEN series finale, we all really believed we were coming back.”

Perhaps VanCamp took a bit of comfort upon hearing the collective groan issued by millions of fans when Dawn Ostroff, president of the fledgling CW network, announced that 7th HEAVEN would be moving to the new network, but EVERWOOD’s four-year run would perish along with the WB network.

Read the rest of this entry »

Last night’s episode of BROTHERS & SISTERS was the reality check this TV Addict needed. Cleary we’re no longer in EVERWOOD. Could Rebecca (brilliantly portrayed by EVERWOOD’s Emily VanCamp) be more different from our beloved Amy Abbott? Is anyone else a little curious as to what really went down between Joe and Rebecca?

At the risk of being attacked by woman’s rights activists everywhere, I’m just going to come out and say it. I think Rebecca is lying about Joe kissing her. While I don’t deny the kiss happened, I believe Rebecca initiated the kiss and has concocted this entire story to create a family crisis (did she not learn anything from the recent Duke Lacrosse scandal?). After-all, Joe himself said it best when he told Rebecca that the Walker family really comes together in a crisis (see: Paige’s diabetes). Rebecca sees the ‘Joe’ situation as an easy way into the hearts of her fellow brothers and sisters.

[Naturally, if my theory is wrong, I was on ‘Team Rebecca’ the entire time]

On a lighter note, how much did you love Walker Family Game Night. Was it not great to spend an evening away from an alcohol fueled dinner table? That said there definitely were enough drinks to go around and Rebecca losing the game for ‘Team Walker’ ensured the night, like most evenings on the show, ended badly. Again, I’m going to have to question Rebecca’s motives with this as well. Did anyone else notice her smirk after losing the game? I’m pretty sure that was payback for Kitty’s rudeness earlier in the episode.

Frankly, it’s a wonder Rebecca still shows up at the Walker house. Has an episode gone by when she hasn’t walked into the room unexpectedly to hear one of her new brothers and/or sisters talking poorly about her? Like it’s her fault she is William’s secret love child.

Finally, since you know you want to be on ‘Team Walker’, I took the liberty of designing a new t-shirt. Now you too can be part of television’s most dysfunctional family (family issues and alcohol dependancy not included!). You can check out the latest addition to theTVaddict Swag Shop by clicking here (or click the tshirt above).

I’m beginning to get a little concerned for my new favourite television family. Watching last night’s episode of BROTHERS & SISTERS it has become apparent that the Walker family may have some serious issues with alcohol.

Is it just me, or does anyone else notice that every-time a Walker member has a bad night (Nora), relationship troubles (Sara, Kitty, Kevin), sibling issues (Justin) or simply a night out partying (Rebecca) — their answer is to hit the bottle. Was there a single segment in last night’s episode that didn’t contain alcohol?

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got no problem with my fictional family enjoying an adult beverage or two. I simply can’t believe how dependent each brother and sister has become on alcohol. Does the Walker clan realize that when they buy that winery, they actually have to sell the wine to make money, not drink it!

Read the rest of this entry »

OCTOBER ROAD
Knowing full well that this may destroy my TV addict street cred, I’m just going to go ahead and admit that I really enjoyed Thursday’s episode of OCTOBER ROAD. Call me a sucker for the guy getting the girl (or simply a big fan of air bands) but I really want to see Donna and Eric… I mean Hannah and Nick become a family. I’ll even go as far to say that I enjoyed agoraphobic Phil’s crush on the pizza delivery girl. With only one more episode scheduled to air on ABC, this TV addict can’t help but wonder what lies ahead for the cast of OCTOBER ROAD.

BROTHERS & SISTERS
Rebecca, we tried to warn you! (Clearly you don’t frequent theTVaddict.com). Walker family dinners never end well and last nights ‘meet Rebecca’ dinner was no exception.

That said even we didn’t foresee Kevin turning all ‘CSI’ as he awkwardly attempted to pull out a strand of your hair. Did he really think you wouldn’t feel a hair being pulled out of your head?

So there’s what you’ve been missing for twenty one years, one really crazy family. It’s somewhat perplexing that even after you were put on display like an adorable zoo animal, you’re still angry at your mother for not letting you grow up with the somewhat nutty Walker clan.

Moving on to another brother, Tommy, what’s the deal with you wanting to know who the bio-dad of your twin’s really are? How exactly will it make you feel better if you know that either Justin or Kevin’s ‘little guys’ made it to the finish line? I say just wait a few years and watch closely to see if either twin has an addictive personality

And finally, Nora. It’s about time you stopped blaming Holly, Rebecca and the rest of the family for William’s indiscretions. Your final scene as you tossed William’s wedding ring into the water was one of your strongest this season. Emmy voters take note.

BROTHERS & SISTERS returns to ABC tonight with an all new episode at 10PM (est). Tonight Nora finally decides it’s time to meet ‘the other Walker’ for herself, inviting her late husband’s illegitimate daughter Rebecca (Emily VanCamp) to a classic Walker dinner. And by ‘classic’ we of course are referring to the fact that almost every Walker family dinner ends in either tears or family members storming off from the table in anger. Here’s hoping someone warns Rebecca before it’s too late!

Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing Emily VanCamp about her newest role and while the article isn’t completely ready, I thought I’d offer up a preview of what Emily had to say with regards to joining one of the most talented ensemble casts on television.

Read the rest of this entry »