Experimentation. It’s the buzz word of this year’s Television Critics Press Tour.
Will SCRUBS jumping ship from NBC to ABC pay off? Will the CW really shake things up by shifting the start of their Fall season to mid-summer next season? And will satellite provider DirecTV’s gamble to pick up the critically acclaimed yet ratings anemic football series [that’s not really about football!] be hailed as a brilliant programming move or, a grand experiment that was ahead of its time?
Place your bets. Because the only thing we know for sure is what one audience member inappropriately [yet accurately!] yelled out at this morning’s FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS TCA Panel. “FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS will quickly become the most downloaded show on television!” Which in case you’re wondering, star Zach Gilford full endorses, stating, “Well, if you’re a loyal fan I say you download it, and then out of good conscience just switch on NBC when it comes on the air.”
So what else did we learn. Well, Jason Street (Scott Porter) and Smash Williams (Gauis Charles) will be doing four-episode story arcs this season and aren’t signed on as series regulars. Which according to executive producer Jason Katims makes sense because they’ve both graduated from school on the show and FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS has always strived to be “as realistic and true to real life” as possible. [With the notable exception of Tyra and Landry’s ridiculous murder story-line! But let’s not get too nit-picky here]
On the REEL Addict:
Not only were we thrilled that moviegoers didn’t bother to MEET DAVE, we wrote an open letter to DC and Warner Bros, and went a little trailer crazy by posting trailers for TWILIGHT, CHOKE and TERMINATOR: SALVATION.
ABC’s new show HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: GET IN THE PICTURE starts tonight and I had the chance to speak with one of the “Faculty Members”, Montre Burton, about his role as mentor, and how you can live life to the fullest just by being you.
Tell me about HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: GET IN THE PICTURE!?Montre Burton: So I am a faculty member and what I do is mentor, encourage, challenge, nurture the students and what happens is I went across the country. There were six of us cohosts and I am one of the cohosts. We actually went across the country discovering new talent and ultimately looking for the next star. I would go to the southeast region, so went to Virginia, which is great because that’s where I’m from, North Carolina, Tennessee, Orlando, I went to Wisconsin, so I go to all these little different small obscure towns where it’s literally population 1, and it’s like Montre, and that’s it. I would go to these small towns and go to the high schools and see them perform, or go to their dance recitals or go to open mike night and find the talent and send them to the semifinals in Orlando. Then from there we have the open calls, where we saw literally thousands of kids. Plus we also saw the people I discovered in small towns. From the best of the best, the people we saw at the open calls and the people we found on the road, we sent them to Utah, which is where we are right now. And then literally, every day, acting singing, dancing, all trying to be the next star.
I didn’t realize that you were searching for the talent; I didn’t realize that it wasn’t just the open call, so it seems like there is a better possibility for an undiscovered talent.?
Oh yeah, we have been all over this country! The six of us, they took 3 for the west and 3 for the east and they split the three of us across the entire region. We went to about 9-10 different states a piece.
Because it’s never too early to get to know the next group of tabloid fodder CW stars, this TV Addict thought you’d all enjoy a first look at the new Cast of 90210: THE NEXT GENERATION. Or Version 2.0. Seriously, can we get an official title already!
If you had told me a few years ago that 90210 would be getting the BATTLESTAR GALACTICA re-imagination treatment. I probably would have responded with a, “whatcha frakin’ talkin’ about willis?”
However, with the CW in desperate need of a mammoth sized hit to help propel them out of the ratings cellar, here we are in. Saturday morning at the 2008 Television Critics Association Press Tour, getting introduced to the cast and creative team of 90210 Version 2.0.
Yet rather than dismiss this last ditch effort to save a struggling network, I’m going to surprise you all by thinking positive. For one, the CW has entrusted the 90210 re-boot to Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah. Two of the brains behind the brilliant-but-cancelled FREAKS AND GEEKS. And two, Jessica Walter, otherwise known as the drink-swilling, acid-tongued Bluth matriarch from ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT has been cast as, you guessed it — the Mills family matriarch. The difference, according to Walters, “Well, Lucille liked vodka, and Tabitha likes scotch.”
The little network that could, or as we around theTVaddict.com are now calling it — HBO 2.0 — decided to pull out all the stops my rolling up the WEEDS, CALIFORNICATION, DEXTER and BROTHERHOOD panel into one enormous joi…. ummm fantastic panel.
Heck, even one of the executives joked, “This is the Showtime mixer!” Granted, I’ve never seen Brotherhood, but at least I hear it’s good. The other shows I can vouch for. And I admittedly had a chill go up my spine when Michael C. Hall walked onto the stage. How can people not be afraid that this guy is going to stick a knife in their backs?
What’s really impressive was how much everyone looked like they had tried to dress like their characters, except Michael C. Hall who wore a sharp suit. David Duchovny was wearing a black button up shirt with a wrinkled black sportcoat, and Mary Louise Parker had on a sharp little cocktail dress and looked radiant in her gleaming white skin. How she’s lived in California all this time and not become tan, I’ll never know. She’s sitting on the far left, right next to David Duchovny, who’s sitting next to Michael C. Hall, who’s sitting next to Jason Clarke in an awesome row of Showtime star power.
Friday marks the (long-awaited in my house!) season premieres of Monk & Psych on USA starting at 9/8c. Click here for some casting info on both shows! Hector Elizondo is joining the cast this season as Monk’s new shrink, since the untimely death of Stanley Kamel. Also, Brad Garrett is guesting on tonight’s episode. Meanwhile, on Psych, Cybill Shepherd is going to be playing Shawn’s mom!
Also on tonight:
*Season Premiere* - Monk - USA @ 9/8c
*Season Premiere* - Psych - USA @ 10/9c
*New* - Ashley Paige: Bikini or Bust - TLC @ 10/9c & 10:30/9:30c (2 New Episodes)
*New* - Country Fried Home Videos - CMT @ 9/8c
*New* - Dance Machine - ABC @ 8/7c
*New* - Degrassi: The Next Generation - The N @ 8/7c
*New* - Doctor Who - SciFi @ 9/8c
*New* - Duel - ABC @ 9/8c
*New* - Flashpoint - CBS @ 10/9c
*New* - Meerkat Manor: The Next Generation - Animal Planet @ 8:30/7:30c
Minutes ago, CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler filled us in — and by ‘us’ I mean the hundred or so journalists attending the 2008 Television Critics Association Press Tour — with regards to what fans can expect from the character replacing William Peterson’s Gil Grissom on CSI this upcoming season. According to Tassler, Grissom’s replacement will be a doctor, who not only is a bit of an outsider and must work his way onto the team, but has somewhat of a complex dual identity. One that DEXTER fans might be intimately [or is it eerily] familiar with.
In other news, Tassler pretty much put a final stake into MOONLIGHT’s chances for survival by revealing that she stands by her decision to cancel this season’s JERICHO. Said Tassler, “We love Alex and the rest of the cast, but we’re okay to let the show go.” Adding that most of the comments she received from viewers were aimed at the actors and not the show itself.
Which naturally got us thinking. If Alex O’Loughlin is currently unemployed and the gang from CSI are on the look out for a dark and mysterious investigator. It doesn’t take THE BIG BANG THEORY’s Sheldon and/or Leonard to connect the dots here! Match made in television heaven? You be the judge.
If you’re one of those listeners who detest when Ari and Daniel [theTVaddict] go off on random tangents that have absolutely nothing to do with TV. We should probably mention, this week’s podcast may not be for you. Of course if you enjoy off topic subjects like Starbucks new highly addictive Vivanno Smoothie, Ari’s promiscuity and Daniel’s uber-TV-nerdiness, by all means press play below or head on over to iTunes. As per usual, comments are greatly appreciated, as well as reviews on iTunes. Got a question? Feel free to email it to info@thetvaddict.com
By: Amrie Cunningham
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