The TV Addict 

By: Aleks Chan

After 18 months of strike-ridden delay, RESCUE ME, FX’s smart and funny series following a ragtag team of New York firefighters, is finally back after a doozy of a fourth season – one that I feared may have spelled the end for Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary, who just might have the most multi-facetious sneer on television) and the men of 62 Truck. But as they say: time can heal even the deepest wounds.

Focus has been diverted away from the eternally melodramatic Gavin family and back to the firehouse, where a French journalist (Karina Lombard of THE 4400) is interviewing the team for her book about the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, thereby bringing RESCUE ME’s emotional core back to the foreground, hearkening back to where the show started creatively: ripping open old wounds of tragedy while juxtaposing those moments with those of inspired humor. RESCUE ME is once again the show that can make you laugh, cry, and twist your stomach into knots all at the same time.

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By: Amrie Cunningham [My Take on TV]

Hey gang, did you miss me? It’s been a long time since I’ve done the Tuesday column thing and for that I absolutely apologize and promise we’re all back on track! This week, I want to spend some time with you all, with the hopes that by the end of the next few paragraphs or so, you’re as pumped about Season 3 of 30 DAYS as I am.

First things first, I think Morgan Spurlock is a genius. He isn’t preachy. He doesn’t force you to care, but somehow, after spending an hour with him or one of his weekly participants, you start thinking about changing things in your life. What he tries to do is show another side of things, the part of life you wouldn’t normally get to see and it’s some of the best television I’ve ever watched.

I was lucky enough to view all 6 episodes of the new season, starting June 3 at 10PM on FX, and, to be honest, my only complaint is that I wish there was more. Everything we love about seasons past is there – the raw emotion, the intriguing stories. This season, I feel like Morgan and Co. stepped it up a notch.

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By: Amrie Cunningham [My Take on TV]

FX continues to crank out the good shows as they get set to roll out seven new episodes of THE RICHES, starting with the Season 2 premiere, Tuesday, March 18.

If you didn’t watch Season 1 or need more enticement to watch Season 2, here are some reasons to tune into the premiere:

Eddie Izzard – the man of the house, Wayne Malloy (Doug Rich). He is ridiculously intelligent, terribly loyal, and constantly trying to get out of a bad situation that only gets worse as it goes. He is funny, yet painfully good at playing a father saddened by the need to fix things for his family. And he can give a monologue that makes you want to rise up with fists.

Minnie Driver – the matriarch, Dahlia Malloy (Cherien Rich). I was not convinced she had it in her until I started watching this show. She is powerful, and devastating and inspiring, all rolled into one. Watching the now-clean Dahlia try to keep her family together is really interesting. In Season 1, it was all about the family staying together once Mama got out of jail. In Season 2, it’s about getting the family back together after everything that they went through.

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By: Amrie Cunningham [My Take on TV]

Since FX was kind enough to send me the first two episodes of the second season of DIRT, I have to say that I’m pretty excited / interested in what they’re doing this year. Here are four reasons to check out Season 2 of DIRT, premiering tonight at 10PM on FX.

1. Courteney Cox is really great as magazine editor Lucy Spiller. We’re used to seeing her as a loveable “Friend” or as a cutthroat news reporter in the Scream movies. She is something else in the role of the editor who was stabbed at the end of season 1. She’s back with a bit of a vengeance, trying to make her magazine succeed. I’d be afraid to work with her character, for sure.

2. I feel more invested in the relationships this season. The friendship of Lucy and Don Konky (Ian Hart) is really celebrated. He’s on his meds to treat schizophrenia, and she’s really there to help take care of him. Holt McLaren (Josh Stewart) still loves Lucy and you get the feeling in the first two episodes that there might be hope for them. And Lucy and Willa (Alexandra Breckenridge) have reached a détente, and they seem to work better this year.

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By: Amrie Cunningham [My Take on TV]

Recently I had the great opportunity to interview one of my personal favorites, Courteney Cox, star of DIRT [and that little show about six friends and a coffee shop]. In anticipation of DIRT’s second season, premiering this Sunday March 2 at 10PM on FX, Monica, umm… I mean Courteney was kind enough to spend a half an hour chatting it up with some of the sleazy and underhanded brilliant and good-looking reporters that DIRT so easily loves to dish about.

I was wondering, this season feels a little bit more ripped from the headlines, and we were just curious to know if that was something of a conscious choice, just following the past year of what’s gone on, or if it was just accidental?
Courtney Cox: No, it’s absolutely a choice. We thought that would be a good way to just start the season, and it is absolutely ripped from the headlines. We usually do a hybrid of celebrities and then add to the story like maybe what happened to cause this to happen to them or sum it up in a different way just for fun. But yes, it’s definitely relatable this year and I think it makes for just a more exciting television show.

Are there any other celebrities, because right now we have some story lines that are a little bit a la Nicole and Paris and David Hasselhoff, are there any other celebrities that we can expect to see something from? Any little tidbits you can give us on that?
Well, there is definitely going to be, in almost every episode you’ll see something that you will recognize, and that’s kind of hopefully the fun of it that you’ll be able to guess who this person we might be talking about, even though it’s not really about them. It could be about, like I said before, just a couple of people or a couple of situations. But yes, every episode there is that relatable kind of relatable story line.

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After one week of endless strike news, TV fans finally have something to cheer about.

FX has renewed DAMAGES for not one, but two seasons. Which equals 26 episodes of suspense filled, head-scratching fun.

“FX is proud of our status as a leader in fostering bold, high-quality scripted programming,” said FX Networks President John Landgraf. “We commend [creators] Todd A. Kessler, Glenn Kessler, Daniel Zelman and their magnificent cast, headed by Glenn Close, with pulling off this hugely ambitious series and establishing ‘Damages’ as one of the best dramas on American television.”

Season 2 of DAMAGES will begin filming early next year in New York with Glenn Close, Tate Donovan and Rose Byrne all signed on for the ride. Giving fans one more reason to hope this strike ends soon.

While I realize this is a week late, the TV Addict finally found the time to watch the incredible first season finale of DAMAGES. Emphasis on ‘first season,’ because I’m fully expecting FX….

[Commence shameless sucking up]

… the world’s coolest cable netlet. The network famous for shepherding little watched, yet critically acclaimed dramas like DAMAGES and THE RICHES….

[End shameless sucking up]

… to renew DAMAGES for a second season.

That said, the season finale has left my head spinning with questions. And if I have any hope of getting to bed in order to wake up for my [shameless plug] 8AM TV Addict radio spot on Flow 93.5 in Toronto, I’m enlisting the help from YOU, my far smarter and better looking readers. So here they are, a few questions with regards to first season finale of DAMAGES.

1] Is Arthur Frobisher really dead? If BATTLESTAR GALACTICA’S William Adama and 24’s Tony Almeida can survive, we have a feeling Frobisher can.

2] What’s the deal with Patty’s deceased child? Does she have any connection to Frobisher? The accident in Arlington?

3] What was the unexplained mystery surrounding Patty’s son. Clearly he’s up to no good.

4] Why is Patty being investigated by the FBI?

5] Lastly, when will FX end the suspense and officially pick-up DAMAGES for a second season? Lord knows if DIRT received a second season, surely there’s room for Patty Hewes.

When Nip/Tuck premiered on FX 5 seasons ago, I was immediately hooked. In love with the totally over the top way it approached every subject. It’s crazy, sure, but I always found some way to relate. These characters, as much as they sometimes hate each other, love each other to the core, and prove that they would do anything for each other. And the story lines in the beginning? Sure, they were nuts, but at the end of the day they were truly fabulous and ground breaking.However, I almost feel like the show lost its way a bit over the past few seasons. There was The Carver storyline, the Scientology storyline, the Julia falls for the nanny storyline (okay, that one was pretty awesome because I love Peter Dinklage). It hasn’t been as grounded in truth as it was in the beginning.I’m thrilled beyond belief to let you all know that Season 5 is back on track.

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By: Amrie Cunningham, My Take On TV

The season finale of DAMAGES airs tonight on FX and I have to tell you, I cannot wait. You know who else is excited about the finale, and this amazing show? The one and only Glenn Close, who, as the star of the show, blows me away on a weekly basis. We had the privilege of talking to Glenn as part of a conference call FX set up to gear up for what I hear is an amazing finale and she had such wonderful things to say. I could have stayed on the phone for hours!

Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule. I have so been enjoying Patty Hewes and your wonderful series on FX. I’m curious to know after the Frobisher case wraps and Ted Danson is essentially done, what actors are on your short list that you would like to invite on your series to play opposite with?

Glenn: I’m totally unprepared to answer that question, because we’ve just been so concentrated on finishing up. I have not given it any thought. There are tons of actors I would love to work with, but I’d be just randomly throwing names out at this time. I think what is exciting about Damages is that the writing is such high quality that it will attract, hopefully, a lot of really, really good top actors. That’s what makes it fun for all of us.

My question for you is, you had a very critically acclaimed turn with 13 episodes on The Shield. And I’m wondering what lured you back to TV, given your success as a feature and stage actor?

Well, when I finished The Shield, I loved working on FX a lot. I really had a lot of respect for Peter Liguori, who was the head of FX at the time and John Landgraf, who is the head right now. I like the way they take risks and they give really gifted writers a lot of creative leeway. So I kind of casually said to John, “If you ever can think of anything in New York, just let me know.” And lo and behold, I guess it was about a year later, I was told that these three guys wanted to pitch me an idea. It would be shot in New York, which was imperative for me, because I can’t go to California, because of my family.

So we sat down and talked about it and I said, “It sounds really intriguing; I’ll wait to read the pilot.” I read the pilot and I said, “Wow, this is really good.” So on the strength of that one script and the fact that I’d be working in my backyard close to my family, I said, “I think this has become a no-brainer.” I was teamed up with FX again and a really incredible cast and crew and writers.

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With season five of NIP/TUCK just around the corner [October 30], we at theTVaddict.com thought we’d share some fantastic new fifth season promo pics. Not surprisingly, FX takes NIP/TUCK’s mantra “Make me beautiful” to heart. For more great pics, click the link below.

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