The TV Chick

Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence are back on my TV? I must be dreaming, right? Quite amazingly, ABC Family has brought together two of my favorite actors from my youth and put them together to star in a sitcom. Melissa Joan Hart plays Mel, Congresswoman extraordinaire whose sister went to prison and now she has to take care of her niece and nephew. Joey Lawrence plays a guy who crashes one of her press conferences, and then crashes into her life. He’s an unemployed former commodities broker who becomes her “manny.” Sounds a bit familiar right? Who’s The Boss (another childhood favorite) had a very similar plot, but I am totally in favor of a reboot. Plus Mel is a lot more likeable than Angela, and so far I haven’t seen a nosy mother like Mona. But I digress.

Melissa and Joey is a throwback to the sitcoms I know and love. Sitcoms are what solidified my love for TV, and they have changed so much in the last ten years or so. I think Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence are charming and have great chemistry. And neither of them look like they’ve aged one bit. I think the concept and plot work, and the laugh track is unobtrusive. ABC Family has a really good track record of making quality hits and I think Melissa and Joey will fit right into their lineup. In fact, I think a lot of viewers will be the ones who grew up with these actors just like me. Melissa’s acting is genuine and I can’t wait to see where the relationships go with her niece and nephew. Joey Lawrence is very funny, and I keep waiting for him to bust out a “whoa!” I would probably jump for joy.

The show reminds me of my youth and is a very fun way to spend a half hour. I remember I was a bit skeptical about Huge at first and it got really, really good. I feel like this show has the same potential. Pilots are very rarely the best episode of the series, but I really enjoyed this one. Perhaps we can see a cameo of one of Sabrina’s aunts? Or a Lawrence brother make an appearance? Whatever the future holds for Melissa and Joey, I am very happy to see both of them back on my TV again.

Melissa and Joey premieres tonight at 8 PM on ABC Family. Be sure to tune in!

The Big C is a comedy about cancer. You read that right. The new Showtime show stars Laura Linney who is determined to kick cancer’s ass. Linney plays Cathy Jamison, a teacher, a mom, and a possible ex-wife, with stage 4 melanoma. However, she hasn’t had the courage to tell anyone yet. The most important person in her life is her son Adam, who she wants to spend more time with, much to his teenage chagrin. There’s her husband Oliver Platt who doesn’t understand what he did wrong. There’s Andrea, her overweight sassy student who she wants to help. Gabourey Sidibe plays Andrea, someone so opposite of Precious, you wouldn’t even guess she’s played an abused teen. Sidibe definitely has some comedy chops. There’s Cathy’s screwed up brother Sean (played by John Benjamin Hickey) who is homeless and an extreme environmental activist. And naturally, there’s the grumpy old neighbor Marlene (played by the hilarious Phyllis Somerville) who has an adorable dog that loves Cathy, but she doesn’t want to give Cathy the time of day.

This interesting cast of characters form an unlikely support group, whether Cathy wants it or not. Linney is absolutely fantastic in this leading role. She plays Cathy without a hint of pity, which I think is necessary for a show like this. I adore Oliver Platt as well and he fits the role of the slightly unaware husband very well. It’s an odd subject to create a comedy about (albeit a dark comedy) but it works well. There’s a lovely balance of hilarious and heartwarming moments. And there’s even a hot doctor thrown in the mix. The comedy itself isn’t necessarily about the cancer, but more about her life and circumstances. I definitely think the show has the ingredients for a hit, and I am interested to see where it goes. Linney will definitely keep me tuning in week after week and I think others will be captivated by her as well. If you are curious about the show, you can watch the first episode on my site — right here!

The Big C premieres tonight on Showtime at 10:30 PM, and I would definitely recommend checking it out!

USA Network has created many hit shows over the past couple of years. In fact, I’d say their lineup is one of the strongest on television (network or cable). They focus on shows with interesting premises, strong acting and good drama. Whatever they are doing, they are doing it right. Last year, White Collar premiered and I was instantly hooked. If you haven’t watched this show, the 2nd season premiere is tonight — what are you waiting for? The newest show to become a part of the USA Network family is Covert Affairs. I recently had the chance of visiting the set of the show and speaking with the lovely cast. I had an amazing time, but it was great because everyone was so excited about the show (including me!)

Piper Perabo plays Annie Walker, a new CIA agent who is brought into the line of duty to the Domestic Protection Division earlier than expected because of her language skills. She has an interesting past (one that is only touched upon in the premiere), a very caring sister (played by great Anne Dudek) and an ability to change her persona at the drop of a hat. Annie soon meets Auggie (played by the super talented Chris Gorham), a blind CIA agent/tech guru who takes her under his wing. A blind CIA agent is an interesting choice, but it is done in an extremely respectful way (Gorham even worked with the National Institute for the Blind) and there is no pity party going on here. He is Auggie — a charming womanizer who is a tech whiz — not blind Auggie. Their boss is Arthur Campbell (played by my favorite TV Dad Peter Gallagher), who is tough and has to deal with his equally tough CIA wife Joan (played by Keri Matchet). Let’s just say it’s not easy being in the same agency as your spouse, but it is encouraged by the CIA.

I thought the premiere was fun, action-packed and had the makings of a hit. Perabo is a great leading lady, and Gorham is a fantastic co-star. The pilot set up a lot of overarching themes and plots, and I can’t wait to see where they go. It also had Valerie Plame as a consultant and everything on the set looks very genuine. There aren’t garbage bags, there are burn bags for confidential documents. Little details like that, and the fact that the Executive Producer is Doug Liman (best known for his work on The Bourne Trilogy) makes this show feel very authentic. Granted, not everything you see on TV is going to be real, but the creative team clearly did their research and it shows.

I highly recommend Covert Affairs to anyone. It isn’t like any other spy show out there (although it’s being compared to Alias), and I predict it will have a ton of success. I certainly can’t wait to see what’s coming up next.

Be sure to tune in tonight at 10 pm to USA Network for the series premiere of Covert Affairs, which immediately follows the 2nd season premiere of White Collar.

And check out some pictures from the set of Covert Affairs:

The Rock girls are back, and better and more rebellious than ever! After their rogue meet with China in the season finale, the girls are dealing with the repercussions and waiting to be invited to a new qualifier for the World Championships. Payson is back in the gym but struggling to regain her skills. Emily is agonizing over her dwindling scholarship and her relationship with Damon. Lauren is still Lauren…the bitch of the beam and in love with Carter. Of course Kaylie is still kept in the dark about this and trying to figure out why Carter won’t return her call from the end of last season (the one where she professed her love for him).

But the real issue at hand when the season picks up is what did the meet against China do to their careers. The girls star in a photo shoot about “The Rock Rebels,” (see picture) and Sasha has to get them to focus on training. Sasha may be all calm and collected on the outside, but inside he’s scared for his team. Kim Keeler (Payson’s mom) is back co-running the gym with Summer, which I think is a nice touch to get her more involved with Payson’s gymnastics. Without spoiling any more, I have to say I really enjoyed the season premiere. The Rock Rebels is a good twist, and while the girls have certainly matured in their gymnastics and as people, there still is the underlying drama that makes for a very entertaining show.

Of course, the issue of trust is still a big factor. Should the girls trust their coach or the National Gymnastics Organization? In elite gymnastics, there is a ton of politics, questionable decisions and hierarchy. As much as I love the sport, it has its flaws (as any sport does). I’m happy to see Make It Or Break It take on a legitimate issue in the elite gymnastics community. It also seems as if Sasha may be taking on a bigger role this season, which I also enjoy. And Holly Sorensen, the creator, teased on twitter that there might be more boys this season. In the premiere, all of the girls are focused on dethroning Kaylie, so I imagine that might be a general theme. Payson wants to be at the World Championships, since she insists a gymnast has to be if they want to make the Olympic Team. Lauren just wants to be number 1 and beat Kaylie at something besides relationships. I think Kaylie really proved herself at the end of season 1, and I’m rooting for her this season as well. I hope to see more of the Summer/Sasha relationship as well as some more competition. I always love when the girls are in the gym. Whatever the case may be, I am very excited for the upcoming season.

Make It Or Break It has its second season premiere tonight at 10 pm on ABC Family. Be sure to tune in!

The basic premise of Huge, a new offering from ABC Family, is simple: kids go to fat camp. However, the story is anything but simplistic as we learn the reasons why everyone is there and why they want to change their lives (or why they don’t). Huge stars Nikki Blonsky as Willamina (Will for short), the bad-ass who claims she is comfortable in her own body and plans to gain weight at fat camp. Her co-star, Hayley Hasselhoff, plays Amber, the skinniest one at fat camp who still thinks she isn’t skinny enough. Raven Goodwin plays Becca, the “invisible” one who befriends Nikki on the first day, and who has gained all of her weight back from the summer before. Rounding out the cast is Gina Torres, who plays Dr. Rand, the leader of Camp Victory.

In the series premiere, we learn that at Camp Victory there is a black market for food, major crushes, campers with eating disorders, intense friendships, and much more. I love ABC Family programming, as you all already know by now. I was a bit skeptical of this series, just because of the premise. I was pleasantly surprised for the most part. I didn’t love Nikki Blonsky as a leading lady. I think she is a good actress but I don’t know that this role suited her so well. I don’t really buy her as this unhappy bad-ass. Perhaps that’s because in Hairspray she was just the opposite but who knows. I did think the other actresses were brilliant though. Hasselhoff plays Amber so convincingly and with many layers we don’t even delve into in one episode. She has fantastic facial expressions that imply there is much more than meets the eye. I also really loved Goodwin’s portrayal of Becca. She is soft spoken but sarcastic, funny, loyal and sweet. I like that her and Amber might have a budding friendship. There is also the requisite trainer who is totally a Jillian Michaels knock off and tells everyone that there is no “I can’t.” I love Jillian, so I have no problem with this trainer on Huge, I just liked that it was a little throwback to one of my other favorite shows about weight loss.

In the IMDB description of the plot of the show it says two girls fall for the same guy. While I didn’t see anything like that in the first episode, it definitely set up the possibility. As Becca explains in the premiere, there are hookups every year. And the stage is definitely set for future relationships. The shining stars of this show are definitely Hasselhoff and Goodwin. I am still a bit unsure about the longevity seeing that it centers around a summer camp which can’t last forever. Also, do they lose weight? Do they gain it all back? Where does it go from here? What does it mean for the actors of the show?

Despite all my questions, I still plan on watching it. The series premiere kept me interested enough to want to know more. I think it’s definitely worth checking out.

Huge premieres tonight at 9 pm on ABC Family.

The day is finally upon us! True Blood season premiere day! The wait has been rather long, and it certainly sucks but it’s over. When last we left our favorite vampires (and humans alike), Bill had been kidnapped after Sookie left him to think about his marriage proposal. We pick up right where we left off in “Bad Blood.” Of course, I can’t tell you who kidnapped him or why…but some of you might have an idea if you read the books. However, it’s quite riveting, I will say that. Sookie thinks Eric kidnapped Bill and is quick to accuse him.

Shortly after, The Queen returns. I didn’t hate her as much as some of my other True Blood loving friends, but regardless, she’s back and as commanding as ever. The Queen is worried about the selling of V and gives very specific orders to Eric. The only other person who knows about Eric and the V is Bill, so of course it is in Eric’s best interest to find Bill.

One of the characters I love the most — Pam — is taking on a bigger role this season, and I am so excited about that. There is an amazing scene between her and Sookie that made me laugh out loud. I just love her subtlety. Kristin Bauer van Straten is such a brilliant actress and I can’t wait to see more shining moments with her.

And in the world of one of my other favorite characters, Jessica is dealing with the aftermath of biting that trucker from the season finale. She also feels Bill’s “call,” something we have never seen or heard about thus far, but that’s all I’m going to say about that. Sookie goes to Jessica to help her look for Bill. She’s a little harsh with her in my opinion, but maybe that’s just me. I suppose if my super good looking Vampire boyfriend had just been kidnapped, I’d probably be the same way. Tara is struggling with Egg’s death, and her mom returns to help her. I’m not going to spoil anymore but Tara continues to be her semi-crazy Tara self. In this episode we are also introduced to wolves! They use real wolves which is pretty unbelievable. I will leave the mystery of in what capacity we are introduced to them, but it’s pretty great.

And what about the others? Sam is looking for his family and probably has one of the best scenes of the whole episode…with someone you would hardly expect him to have a scene with. Arlene is feeling guilty from all the madness that went on last season and tries to make it up to her kids. And Tara isn’t the only one dealing with the death of Eggs, so are Jason and Andy. And not to worry, you will see plenty of Jason. I’m pretty positive it’s in his contract.

Overall, I thought it was a fantastic premiere. Some people you hope get naked do indeed get naked and all our favorite characters are back. One thing I really liked about the premiere is that it resumed right where the season finale left off. Often times with premieres, the show picks up 6 months later or even years later. I love that True Blood treats its audience like they are intelligent (which we are) and fills each episode with subtle nuances that are just brilliant. Alan Ball is a genius, and I love being transported into his world (and Charlaine Harris’) week after week. Despite going a bit off the handle with all the Marianne stuff last season, I still think that it is consistently one of the best shows out there. I can’t wait to see what the rest of season 3 brings, because it’s bound to be crazy and amazing.

Be sure to tune in tonight at 9 pm to HBO for the 3rd season premiere of True Blood.

In the small town of Rosewood (just outside of Philadelphia), secrets abound. Four girls (Aria Montgomery played by Lucy Hale, Hanna Marin played by Ashley Benson, Spencer Hastings played by Troian Bellisario and Emily Fields played by Shay Mitchell) were the best of friends, brought out of their unpopular status by it girl Alison DiLaurentis to become queen bees. During a sleepover in middle school, Alison goes missing, and nothing is ever the same. The girls drift apart, but Ali is always in the back of their minds. The series premiere of Pretty Little Liars (based on the amazing book series by Sara Shepard) takes places years after Ali has disappeared. Aria returns from Iceland to find her friends have changed. Hanna is now the most popular girl in school, with Mona Vanderwaal by her side (Mona used to be a huge nerd). Spencer and Hanna are friendly with each other, but not friends. And Emily seems the most unchanged, but she still thinks about Ali all the time. Maya St. Germain (played by Bianca Lawson who is kind of too old for this part), moves into Ali’s old house and she and Emily become fast friends.

But nothing is ever as it seems in Rosewood, and throughout the episode, each girl gets mysterious forms of communication from “A.” Is it Alison? Who knows! (Well, I do since I read the books but I won’t be sharing that info) Each note or text contains a secret that only Alison knew, and she threatens to tell all. The girls are admittedly freaked out, but don’t come together until the end of the episode where they all get a text from “A” at the same time. What lengths will the girls go to in order to keep their secrets? Is Alison alive? Was there more to their old friend’s disappearance than they could have imagined? And then there’s the Jenna thing…a secret they have all sworn not to tell anyone.

Pretty Little Liars is full of drama, mystery and intrigue with a dash of high school thrown in there. But it isn’t just the girls with secrets, their parents hold some secrets of their own. Byron and Ella Montgomery (played by Chad Lowe and Holly Marie Combs), and Ashley Marin (played by resident TV bad-ass Laura Leighton) are hiding some things of their own. I have been dreaming of a TV series since I picked up the books years ago, and the series premiere of Pretty Little Liars did not disappoint. It followed the first book pretty closely which sets my hopes and expectations high for the rest of the season. The only flaw I saw was the age of Bianca Lawson, who plays Maya St. Germain. But since the show mainly focuses on the girls, and she’s just a guest star, I don’t see it being a huge issue. Of course with any book series, you have visions in your mind of what the characters look like (especially since Shepard is such a descriptive writer), and I’d say that Hanna and Aria fit their roles perfectly. Emily and Spencer are great as well but I think Ashley Benson and Lucy Hale are Hanna and Aria personified. Sasha Pieterse plays Ali (mostly in flashbacks of course) and I enjoyed her too.

I applaud ABC Family for picking up Pretty Little Liars, because it’s not a show you would typically find on their network. It certainly has the same demographic as their shows but in general, it’s a bit more risque than their usual choices. If I had to compare it to another show, I would say it has shades of Veronica Mars in it (which is a huge compliment). The girls aren’t solving new crimes on a daily basis but they are trying to get to the bottom of a big secret that has been haunting them for years.

Be sure to tune in tonight at 8 pm to ABC Family for the series premiere of Pretty Little Liars. And remember, never trust a pretty girl with an ugly secret.

Shannen Doherty (of 90210 fame) is the voice of two polar opposite characters on FearNET’s new web series called “Mari Kari.” It launches today, and it’s dark, twisted and highly entertaining. Here is what the network has to say about the series:

“Mari-Kari” begins with Mari’s return to school after the recent and unexplained death of her sister, Kari.  Calamity and hilarity ensue as the revenge-minded Kari unleashes her wrath on everyone who torments and teases her sweet-natured sister. Set in the ordinary world of Mari, viewers see how her supernatural sisterly bond affects her life at home, at school, on the bus, at the mall – and how her life and her sister’s lack of one makes them a very scary pair. Their close relationship has a dire effect on anyone who has the ill fate of coming between them. The animated series’ tongue-in-cheek action unfolds over eight, 1-2 minute episodes built in flash and inspired by Japanese anime.”

I recently had the chance to speak with Doherty about the project. She said it was very interesting to play two polar opposites and would love it if it became a full series. This project is different from anything she’s ever done before. She has never played anyone like Kari before, not even Brenda is as dark. She wants to see what happens to both of them…will one move on? Will the other become less optimistic? She is new to the internet, to webisodes specifically and is still learning.

Anime and short cartoon series’ are usually not my thing, but these were just the right length and I was pleasantly surprised. It’s definitely worth checking out here. And check out a little bit about the making of Mari Kari here.

Now that The Biggest Loser has ended for the season, I am so excited that there’s a show to fill its void. Losing It With Jillian stars my favorite trainer going into people’s homes and getting them back on track health-wise. The series premiere focuses on the Mastropietro family, each one of them struggling with obesity in their own way. The daughter had gastric bypass surgery and looks just fine, but she still had the mentality that she was a fat girl. While the show is marketed as a softer side of Jillian, those who love her screaming ways won’t be disappointed either. She really delves deep into the issues causing these weight problems. She is forced to wear many hats: trainer, friend, and even therapist. I was half expecting her to bring her mom into the show (maybe later on in the season?) because she’s a psychologist and has been on The Biggest Loser before. In any case, Jillian still screams a lot (and gets other family members to scream too) and really becomes a part of the family in a way. She moves into their house and takes over their lives for a week, but her impact will be there forever.

Since the advanced copy I saw didn’t have the follow up visit, I am anxious to see what the Mastropietro’s look like now. What I liked a lot about this show, is that at the end, Jillian gave them a realistic weight loss goal. Unlike The Biggest Loser where the contestants are exercising all day, on Losing It, they have to fit it into their daily schedules. There isn’t any game play here or any immunity challenges. It genuinely is all about becoming healthy. For those that love challenges and Jillian’s partner in crime Bob Harper, this show may not be for you. However, I really enjoyed it. I think it’s truly a new take on weight loss and I can’t wait to see the other families. I know that later on in the season there will be some familiar faces from The Biggest Loser: Curtis Stone, and Dr. H (he won’t be on camera though), which will be fun to see. Jillian is an amazing trainer and this show is her chance to train people and change their lives without the stressful Biggest Loser ranch.

Check out a video preview for the show:

And be sure to tune in tonight at 10 pm to NBC for the series premiere of “Losing It With Jillian.”

Happy Glee day! Tonight’s episode titled “Home” is the last one I have seen in advance, so from now on, look for my reviews on Wednesday. In any case, “Home” centers around what that word means to some of the characters. Kurt’s dad is back for this episode, and he sets him up with Finn’s mom. (I know this isn’t super spoilery because I have definitely read it before). Of course, Kurt’s motivations are complicated, but he shares some rather intense moments with his dad, played by Mike O’Malley.

Will grapples with this idea of home as well, and show-stopper Kristen Chenoweth is back reprising her role of April Rhodes. Of course there is always hilarious moments with April, and some amazing duets. She and Will sing “Fire” by Bruce Springsteen and “One Less Bell To Answer” by Burt Bacharach. (The track listing has already been released so this is not exactly a surprise).” One Less Bell To Answer” is probably one of my favorite musical numbers Glee has done, and it doesn’t even involve the vocal talents of Lea Michele. Kristen Chenoweth is an incredible talent and this song has such resonance for both characters. I won’t share the context of the song, but just know that I was floored.

The episode also involves the new members of the Cheerios (Kurt and Mercedes) and Sue’s unrealistic requirements for them. Amber Riley has an amazing moment to shine, and she rocks Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” out of the park. I may or may not have cried. There is also a super touching and sweet moment between Quinn and Mercedes, which is not something you see very often. The characters don’t generally interact but when they do, it’s really special.

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