The TV Addict 

Because it’s never too early to start the hype, theTVaddict.com is thrilled to present a first look at the new season of GOSSIP GIRL. And as if that weren’t enough. Our friendly neighborhood CW mole reveals that, “I’ve read the first two scripts and they are packed full of scandal and fun.” Adding, “Bad Blair really the best Blair.” We couldn’t agree more. Which begs the question. How many days until the show’s September 1st premiere?

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Vanity Fair’s inclusion of the cast of GOSSIP GIRL as part of their upcoming “Bright Young Hollywood” issue is an oxymoron if this TV Addict has ever seen one. I mean hello!? Four out of seven cast members prefer a BlackBerry to an iPhone? Bright Young Hollywood, I think not!

But seriously folks, To discover which of your favorite members of the Young Hollywood elite made the list, not to mention their individual smart phone preferences click here.

And just for fun, feel free to place your bets as to which members of the GOSSIP GIRL cast will go the way of Lindsay Lohan in five years and which will have the smarts to choose the Emily VanCamp, Amanda Bynes, Evan Rachel Wood career path.

I’m thinking iPhone = career, while BlackBerry smells trouble. You?

Even though there may not be that much to talk about on screen — behind-the-scenes — network execs, actors and agents have never been busier. And keeping track of it all is your very own TV Addict, with the latest news on which actors and actresses will soon be popping up on your favorite shows come the Fall 2008.

The News: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA’S Paul Campbell [Billy] will be joining the cast of KNIGHT RIDER as the head research tech at Knight Industries.
The Lowdown: Finally giving us a reason to tune in after February’s uber-disappointing two-hour car commercial.
[Source]

The News: Ex-FRIEND Matthew Perry has signed on to headline Peter Tolan’s [RESCUE ME] Showtime pilot THE END OF STEVE. A dark comedy revolving around Perry, who will play a local TV anchor who’s real-life personality is somewhat different than his cheery on-camera one.
The Lowdown: Could we BE anymore excited for the return of Matthew Perry to television? Umm… no.
[Source]

The News: Madchen Amick is returning to Central Park West, or more accurately, the Upper East Side to play a possible MILF for Nate [Chace Crawford].
The Lowdown: Already spoiling May’s finale tease that ‘S’ and ‘N’ might have lived happily ever after, at least for a little while. Way to go EW.
[Source]

The News: ALL MY CHILDREN’s Leven Rambin will join TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES this season as Riley, a new school friend of John Connor.
The Lowdown: And by friend, we naturally assume love interest. So place your bets now, Riley is (a) an undercover Terminator sent from the future, or (b) Terminated by a Terminator, thus kick-starting John’s transformation from brooding teenager to leader of the revolution!
[Source]

The News: Television icon Mary Tyler Moore will be joining NBC’s LIPSTICK JUNGLE for a multi-episode arc next season, playing Brooke Shields’ mother.
The Lowdown: Casting coup yes. But in all seriousness, how many fans in the younger demographic NBC so dearly covets really has an attachment to 70’s TV icon Mary Tyler Moore?
[Source]

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Chuck Who?

The TV Addict is showing off his photo with GOSSIP GIRL’S Leighton Meester from the recent CW UpFront because…

a) He likes to perpetuate the idea that he’s best friends with Blair Waldorf! [Umm.. what do you mean she’s not real?]

b) To remind my fellow Canadians that GOSSIP GIRL returns to CTV at 9PM tonight.

c) To shamelessly thank CTV for inviting this TV Addict to their 2008 UpFront event on Monday. And remind readers of theTVaddict.com to be sure to check back all next week for the great photos, news and interviews from both the CTV [Monday] and GLOBAL [Wednesday] UpFronts.

d) All of the above.

Photo Credit: Casey Fatchett

Did you know that Monday’s season finale of GOSSIP GIRL was not supposed to go down the way it did?

According to GOSSIP GIRL Background Casting Director Renee Godbout, the shocking finale was originally goin to end with the surprising death of Chuck’s Dad. For all the deets on what could have been, simply click here. And on a totally unrelated note, we have a feeling Casting Director Renee Godbout will soon me looking for new employment after leaking this highly classified information, so if you happen to be a showrunner looking for a casting director, please email whydidiruinmycareerbyleakingthisscript@15minutesoffame.com at your earliest convenience.

Thanks to the LA Times via TVTattle for the Tip!

If last night’s slew of season finales had all the trappings we’ve come to expect from your standard season ender, why exactly does this TV Addict feel so let down the morning after?
Is it possible that the writers of GOSSIP GIRL, THE BIG BANG THEORY and HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER purposely want to depress us. So that the interminably long summer hiatus wouldn’t be so hard to endure.

Starting off with GOSSIP GIRL. Would it have killed the writers of television’s most addictive new drama to leave fans with a glimmer of happiness to hold onto over the summer? Was it really necessary to break up the awesome manipulative force that was Chuck and Blair mere minutes after they professed their love for one another? Could Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage not have taken a page from the BEVERLY HILLS 90210, DAWSON’S CREEK and/or EVERWOOD playbook? Who doesn’t remember the elation we all felt knowing Amy and Ephram were spending two weeks together in New York. Or that Pacey and Joey were off sailing the Atlantic. At the very least, GOSSIP GIRL could have given fans the summer to ‘pretend’ that Chuck and Blair were having the time of their life in Italy. Only to hit us with the harsh reality in September when ‘C’ and ‘B’ return to New York and reveal to ‘S’ and ‘N’ what Dylan and Kelly taught us decades ago [OMFG I’m old]. Traveling plus relationships equal a recipe for disaster!

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At yesterday’s CW Up Front, GOSSIP GIRL star Blake Lively could not have been more accommodating to the hundreds thousands of fans, reporters and media buyers wishing to pose with her. And yes, I know what you’re thinking, “Who needs Penn Badgley!?!”

Photo Credit: Casey Fatchett

Dan Humphrey and Dan The TV Addict, Separated at Birth? You decide!

Before I board a plane for home, this TV Addict wanted to leave you all with a few candid photos from this afternoon’s CW UpFront Party. Be sure to check back tomorrow [Wednesday] afternoon for even more gossip and great photos [including some of yours truly!] from the event. XOXO, theTVaddict.

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GOSSIP GIRL
Forget the reveal of Serena’s shocking secret, the tornado of trouble that is Georgina Sparks, Eric’s unexpected trip out of the closet and Little J’s downfall. The real ‘OMFG!—worthy’ news is that for once, a television show has lived up to the marketing hype. Now the only question remains is how on earth will GOSSIP GIRL avoid the dreaded second season sophomore slump [try saying that five times fast]

NETWORK SCHEDULING
Here’s an idea for TV networks concerned with shrinking viewership. How about not putting all of your must see shows on two frakkin’ nights. Just how jam—packed are Monday and Thursday’s? ONE TREE HILL and SUPERNATURAL are officially being saved on this TV Addict’s PVR for the dark days known as summer rerun hell.

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Afford me a moment of clarity: A woman who slept with a married man while also sleeping with another lover and then assumed — and, more importantly, allowed everyone else to assume — that her child belonged to the wealthier of the two somehow reacts to her daughter finally learning the facts of (her) life by kicking her out? What in the world has BROTHERS & SISTERS done to Holly Harper? Granted, she was never the most moral of women, but now, she’s been turned into a lying slut with a persecution complex! Worse, Holly then swooped in and basically took over the Walker family biz before anyone could find out about the fraud she’d perpetrated upon them via her daughter. Frankly, Rebecca should run as far from this dynasty of dysfunctional drunks (and take Scotty with her). I mean, Justin reacts to finding out that she’s not his sister by going off on the poor girl? This show frustrates me like no other… I love the actors, love the fun aspects, but when it comes to storylines it is as unsatisfactory as sex with a blow-up doll. Um, from what I hear.

I have so many mixed feeligns where this weeks GOSSIP GIRL installment is concerned. Plot wise? Great episode with a lot of fun stuff going on. Man, are they making great use of Georgina. But here’s where I get slightly disturbed: I get that in the end, GG sent a very nice message by having Serena and, eventually, Lily accept Eric’s homosexuality, having Asher toss around words like “queer” and “faggot” was a little unsettling for a show aimed at a teen audience. It might have felt different had we seen the self-loathing Asher brought down, but the social humiliation fell on the shoulders of his “hag”, Jenny. Meanwhile, what the hell has happened to Chuck? Remember when he was our nefarious nasty? These days, he’s Eric’s off-screen confidante and a background player. And why no Nate and Vanessa? Would it have killed the show to have them show up at — and utter a few lines during — Asher’s party?

Another week, another subpar DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES. If the networks want to know why their shows aren’t doing so well, they might want to consider the fact that despite the fact that shows have fewer episodes (thanks to the strike) and we were told a heck of a lot of story would be crammed into them, what we’re actually getting feel like filler. Quick, name a major plot-point from this weeks DH. Were there some snappy lines? Sure. (Thank God for Gaby.) But most of the episode revolved around Kayla’s bad girl act (a retread of the routine she pulled upon first arriving), Susan’s trying to impress her ex-husband (yawn) and Bree refusing to forgive Orson. But again, and you’ll notice this is a recurring theme with me: Do we need yet another recurring regular (Gaby’s housemate) when so many interesting ones exist but are never used? Where is Bree’s son, Andrew? How about Susan’s nephew, Tim? Or maybe Rick, whose restaurant Lynette’s boys burned down? Why is Tuc Watkins (gay nabe Bob), one of the funniest actors to come out of daytime (where he plays ONE LIFE TO LIVE’s David) being completely wasted? Maybe it’s my completion issues, but it annoys me when shows introduce us to characters and then let them sit there doing nothing.

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