The TV Chick

Pretty Little Liars returns in just a few short days and I am very excited about it. If you don’t know already (Seriously? You should be watching!), the show centers around four girls who are trying to solve the mystery of their best friend who went missing. The show tackles a few controversial subjects (a murdered friend for instance) and one of my favorite “scandals” is the relationship between Aria and her teacher, Mr. Fitz. They got together before she was aware of his profession, and as taboo as it might be, I (and many others) found myself really rooting for this relationship. There’s something about it that is so sweet and innocent that makes you forget about the rather minimal age difference and the fact that he’s her teacher. I recently had the chance to visit the set of Pretty Little Liars, where I chatted with everyone’s favorite teacher Mr. (Ezra) Fitz about the complexities and innocence of the Aria/Fitz relationship, the big premiere and whether he might be tempted by someone his own age.

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The Pretty Little Liars mid-season premiere is just days away, and I am beyond excited. This ABC Family show based on the book series took the TV world by storm, and exceeded even my lofty expectations. The show centers around a group of friends in a perfect looking suburban town whose best friend Alison DiLaurentis goes missing and they grow apart. Years later, they are forced to reunite and try to solve the mystery of their presumably dead friend. I recently had the chance to visit the fictional town of Rosewood (aka the Pretty Little Liars set), and caught up with the actress behind everyone’s favorite “dead?” girl. Sasha Pieterse talked about Alison’s role in shaping the little liars, what challenges her, and what we might see coming up in the second half of the season.

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I adore “Parenthood.” Any show that puts Lauren Graham back on my television on a weekly basis will automatically win me over. But what started as a show with an enormous cast and too many stories to tell has really blossomed into something I love and look forward to every week. It has found its voice and perfect balance of drama and comedy, and week after week, The Braverman clan touches my heart. One thing I really love about this show is that the kids have a presence on the show and they don’t necessarily fit into the typical kid mold. Max (played by Max Burkholder) has Aspbergers (a form of Autism) which affects his entire family in different ways. His sister Haddie (played by Sarah Ramos), appears to be well-adjusted for someone going through her family life, but there’s a lot of dimension to her as well. I recently had the chance to chat with Sarah Ramos who talked about what drew her to the role, being a big “Friday Night Lights” fan and what she wants to see from her character going forward. She even teased what’s coming up for her and her new love interest.

Continue reading “EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Sarah Ramos (Haddie Braverman) from Parenthood” »

Superhero shows have been done before to relative degrees of success. When I heard about “No Ordinary Family,” everyone was describing it to me as a TV show version of “The Incredibles.” I’m a big fan of that movie, but I think the show has really set itself apart from anything we’ve ever seen before. It’s on a tough night at an even tougher timeslot but has managed to maintain decent ratings, which is a heroic feat in and of itself. Julie Benz and Michael Chiklis star as Stephanie and Jim Powell, a couple struggling to make it work. They have two kids, JJ and Daphne who fill the unhappy teenager roles very well. And then something incredible happens — they all get superpowers after their plane crashes. Sounds a little hard to believe right? But this show is at its core about the family and their friends and figuring out how to cope with life and powers. Daphne Powell gets the power to hear people’s thoughts which could be a teenager’s worst nightmare. I recently had the chance to chat with Kay Panabaker, who plays Daphne, about her “new-found powers,” working with TV veterans Michael Chiklis and Julie Benz and what she would do if she were put in Daphne’s situation. We even talked about her new Twitter BFF Chloe Moretz (star of the movie “Kick Ass”).

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The CW could put just about anything on its network and I would give it a chance. Hellcats attracted me from the moment I heard cheerleading and college drama. I love Ashley Tisdale and the rest of the cast was strong as well. I think it has only gotten stronger from the pilot and I am so glad it will be coming back for a second season. One of my favorite storylines has been the development of Alice — the co-captain and the squad mean girl, if you will. I recently had the chance to chat with Heather Hemmens, who plays Alice, about why she wanted to play the bitch, how she relates to Alice and what sets Hellcats apart from other dramas.

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Last year, Glee quickly grabbed my attention. It combines my love of music with my love of television in a format that truly has never been done before. If you haven’t seen it by now, I’m not sure where you have been living for the past year. I recently had the chance to chat with the absolutely wonderful Jayma Mays, who plays Emma Pillsbury — the quirky, slightly OCD guidance counselor at McKinley High School. You can read (and listen to) part one of my interview here. However, many of you submitted questions via Twitter, of the more fun and personal variety. She was very touched by this, so without further ado, here are five things you didn’t know about Jayma Mays.

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In my mind, Glee changed the face of television as we know it. I know that musical episodes have been done before (Buffy The Vampire Slayer set the bar high) but never has there been a show like this. If you don’t know by now, it centers around McKinley High School’s show choir New Directions which features students from all over the social spectrum. This unlikely group of people came together last season to form a singing powerhouse. But the show’s not just about the incredibly talented kids. The faculty at the school are just as amazing and talented. Jane Lynch’s portrayal of Sue Sylvester has become a pop culture icon, and everyone fell in love with quirky Emma Pillsbury (the guidance counselor, played by Jayma Mays) and Will Schuester (the tireless leader of Glee Club, played by Matthew Morrison). Their on again/off again relationship is slowly becoming the modern day Ross and Rachel. From the very beginning, Emma was one of my favorite characters. Her incredible sense of style, her desire to keep everything clean and her expressions that light up the screen caused me to take notice from episode one. I recently had the chance to chat with Jayma Mays about everything from the Emmys, to the reason why Emma didn’t go running back into Will’s arms in the season finale last year, to the upcoming Rocky Horror episode where she sings and of course her new love interest played by John Stamos. She is one of my absolute favorite people to talk to ever and I know I’m not the only one who hopes she’s in a ton of episodes in season two. Also, in a TV Chick FIRST (of many I hope), there is a link after the interview to download a (very long) portion of the audio from the interview!

Continue reading “EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Jayma Mays (Emma) from Glee (and Audio from the Interview)” »

Melissa & Joey stars two of my favorite sitcom actors from my youth: Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence. It’s a quirky show about a “manny” who comes into Mel Burke’s (a former wild child now local politician) family and shakes things up a bit. Burke’s niece and nephew moved in because their mom got sent to jail and it makes for an interesting family dynamic. I recently had the chance to chat with Taylor Spreitler, who plays Lennox (the niece). The former daytime television star is having a blast working with Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence and she talked about working in front of a live studio audience, some funny fan encounters and what makes this show unique.

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Life Unexpected quickly earned a place on my TV and in my heart when it premiered last year. When I saw it as a pilot (with a different title), I was instantly reminded of the WB days of my youth. It made me laugh, cry and become a part of this little wonderful world for an hour. The show centers around Lux, a 16 year old who decides to emancipatcase herself from foster care and in the process, finds a family in her real parents — Cate and Baze. Baze lives in a loft above a bar that he owns with friends Jamie and Math, and Cate lives with her now husband Ryan. Their stories are poignant, and week after week intertwine in an incredible way. Last year there was a risk of the show not being renewed, and every review I wrote or mention of the show that I posted, I pleaded with Dawn Ostroff (head of programming over at CW) to renew this show. A lot of fans and critics and bloggers alike did the same, and it worked! Life Unexpected has its second season premiere tomorrow night and I could not be more excited. The season premiere is amazing, and I can’t wait for everyone to see it. I recently caught up with Austin Basis, who plays Math, and we talked about just how great the show is, the chemistry between the cast and what he hopes is in store for Math this season. Also, I will have a lot more coverage tomorrow and throughout the season so look out for that.

Continue reading “EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Austin Basis (Math) talks about the greatness of Life Unexpected” »

The big season finale of True Blood is tonight and I am so excited about it. The season has had a lot of crazy twists and turns, including more supernatural beings and the introduction of witches. I think this season is probably overall the strongest of the three, although I could have done without crying Tara and bad-ass Sam. However, I have really enjoyed all the new characters that have been introduced. One in particular, Holly Cleary, drew my attention the minute she appeared. She has a very strong presence in the books, and I look forward to seeing what direction Alan Ball takes her in. I recently had the chance to chat with Lauren Bowles, who plays Holly, about relating to her wiccan counterpart, what makes this show so special for her (hint: she’s a big fan!) and what’s coming up in the big finale.

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