The TV Chick

“This is not a story about forgiveness” are the hauntingly chilling words that Emily Van Camp’s character Emily Thorne/Amanda Clark says at the end of the pilot episode of “Revenge.” And it perfectly sums up the premise for the new amazing ABC Drama. Amanda Clark (Van Camp) grew up with her loving dad and new puppy in a picturesque Hamptons town, until her life was stripped away from her. At the time, she was just a child, forced to get by on her own and come to terms with her father’s downfall. When she’s eighteen, she meets quirky Nolan Ross (played by Gabriel Mann) as she gets out of some sort of prison. Her father has since passed away and Nolan gives her a box full of things that her father left for her. In Amanda’s mind, her father was a bad person who did horrible things, but what she comes to find out is a very different story.

In present day, Amanda moves to the Hamptons, to the same house she grew up in, and changes her identity. Her purpose is this: to get revenge on those who wronged her family. But there’s a hierarchy in the Hamptons. There are wealthy people with a lot of power who clearly can take anyone down. Amanda takes on the persona of Emily Thorne, and she does a damn good job covering her tracks. The beginning of the episode starts with a death (I won’t tell you who dies) and Emily’s engagement party. Then it flashes back to show us the story of the summer and Amanda/Emily’s master plan. We throw into the mix her love interest Daniel Grayson (played by the super good looking Josh Bowman), Daniel’s mother Victoria (the “Queen” played by Madeline Stowe) and her mischievous sister Charlotte (played by Christa B. Allen). There’s also the Porter family Declan (played by “Gossip Girl’s” Connor Paolo) and Jack (played by Nick Wechsler) who are helping to keep the family bar/restaurant afloat.

The pilot of Revenge is absolutely phenomenal. It was one of my favorite dramas of the fall season and it continues to hold up through episode two. Emily Van Camp is an absolute treasure and she fits perfectly into this role. The supporting cast is also fantastic and it is just such an intriguing story. There’s only so much we learn about her family in the pilot and there is so much more we need to find out. And how does Nolan factor into the whole equation? Will anyone figure out her secrets? Will anyone figure out her true identity? Only time will tell. If you choose one drama to watch this season, watch Revenge. You won’t regret it.

Be sure to tune in tonight at 10 PM to ABC for the series premiere of Revenge!

New Girl was one of the last of a huge pile of screeners that I decided to watch. I very much enjoy Zooey Deschanel, but I just hadn’t heard much about New Girl and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Let me just tell you, I was blown away. The crop of new comedies this fall season is very weak. There is one fantastic mid-season show and I did enjoy 2 Broke Girls and Up All Night, but other than that, there weren’t any real stand-outs for me. New Girl completely stood out. Zooey Deschanel plays Jess, who suffers through an unexpected and big breakup and moves in with three guys: Nick (played by Jake Johnson), Schmidt (played by the super charming Max Greenfield), and Coach (played by Damon Wayans, who will be written out after the pilot because of Happy Endings).

Jess is super quirky, makes up her own theme song, often sings to herself (welcome to my world) and FOX is describing her as “adorkable.” I think she is a fantastic lead. It’s great to see a strong woman character who is not afraid to just be herself. She’s not afraid to sing at the top of her lungs, cry while watching “Dirty Dancing” over and over and move in with three strangers to start her life over. I found myself relating to Jess because she is such a grounded, quirky character. Zooey Deschanel is a wonderful actress, and it is nice to see her comedy chops, as we have seen her mostly in dramatic roles. The guys are equally as great as Zooey. Schmidt means well but often finds himself having to put money in the “douchebag jar.” Nick is often the voice of reason but is also trying to get over an ex. And Coach has no clue how to talk to women. They all have a lot to learn from each other, which makes for a very interesting pilot. They might be unlikely friends but they are all navigating the world together.

The show is well-written and hilarious. Despite the upcoming absence of Damon Wayans (and the addition of a new character), I am very excited to see what’s to come. I highly recommend this show. I think you will find it charming and lovely. And you will probably find yourself laughing out loud a whole lot.

Be sure to tune in tonight at 9 PM to FOX (right after Glee!) for an the series premiere of New Girl!

In a field of rather weak new comedies across multiple networks, 2 Broke Girls was one that stood out to me. The show centers around two waitresses living in New York City, trying to make ends meet. Max (played by the charming Kat Dannings) comes from a working-class family and Caroline (played by Beth Behrs) comes from a family who has recently been financially ruined — think Bernie Madoff. The show is from the brilliant mind of Michael Patrick King (“Sex and The City”) and Whitney Cummings (who I much prefer in this role than her role on “Whitney”). Caroline obviously has no work experience at all and is hired at the diner where Max works, for her good looks. Max is not thrilled about the situation but somehow this unlikely duo becomes roommates and friends.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with 2 Broke Girls. I generally am not a huge fan of laugh tracks and that was my real one complaint with this show. The laugh track was distracting but I’m sure it can be toned down in future episodes. I thought the acting was great. Dennings has been a star for a while but hasn’t had a real break out role. I hope 2 Broke Girls serves that purpose. And Behrs, who is a relative newcomer to television, is charming and has great comedic timing. I found myself laughing out loud several times during the pilot and that to me, is a sign of a good comedy. There’s a hilarious bit about a horse (let’s just say Caroline still has one despite having no money) and some cute moments between Max and Caroline. I also thought the two characters were relatable. Obviously, I don’t come from a Bernie Madoff type family but both Caroline and Max’s struggles and relationships are common things that people go through in their 20s. As long as the show gets past the laugh track limitations, I think it’s going to be a good new comedy for CBS. I recommend tuning in!

2 Broke Girls premieres tonight at 9:30 PM on CBS.

Up All Night premieres tonight on NBC and it centers around Reagan and Chris (played by Christina Applegate and Will Arnett) who have to figure out a way to balance their former (partying) lives with their work and their newborn baby. It co-stars Maya Rudolph as Ava, Reagan’s confidant, who is the host of a talk show that Reagan produces. Nick Cannon plays Calvin, Ava’s co-host. The pilot was significantly re-shot to change Reagan and Ava’s workplace, to add Calvin and increase Maya Rudolph’s presence. I adore Maya Rudolph and thought she was the best part of the original pilot and she’s still great as an Oprah-type character. However, they cut a few characters (Reagan’s assistant, for one) who I liked, so the reshoot was a mixed bag for me.

The concept is funny and original. The actors are fantastic. But it was missing something. Christina Applegate and Will Arnett are both hilarious in their own rights, I just wanted to see a little more chemistry. Both of them have babies in real life so the show definitely mirrors what they are going through at home. And I would love to see more of Applegate and Arnett’s true personality shine through. We saw a bit more of Arnett’s as he has a hilarious scene in a grocery store that one of my favorite parts of the pilot. Up All Night has a ton of potential. As I said, it has a phenomenal cast and I really think once the show finds its voice, it’s going to be great. Pilots generally don’t tend to be the best episode of a show, with a few exceptions, so I am hopeful that this one will capitalize on the talent that they have. The pilot made me laugh a few times and that’s more to be said for some other new comedies this season, so I am looking forward to seeing how it develops.

Up All Night premieres tonight at 10 PM on NBC.

So the Upfronts are coming to a close, and one network I am particularly enamored with (as I always have been) is the CW. They have announced three new scripted series for the fall season: The Ringer, Hart of Dixie and Secret Circle. I will definitely be checking them out. There is one in particular though that stands out that I am ridiculously excited for. Read on to see which one!

Continue reading “CW Network: New Show Trailers & Clips” »

The Upfronts are almost upon us! For those not aware, Upfronts take place every spring, and each network makes presentations to advertisers and the media regarding their new shows that have been picked up to series, and old shows that are returning in the fall or mid-season. One of my new guest writers, Andrea Towers (please welcome her), put together a comprehensive look at some new pilots that might be picked up (and some that have gotten early pick-ups). She shares which ones she’s excited about (or not so much) and predicts which ones she thinks will get picked up. Check it out:

As a lover of television, May brings about feelings of both sadness and happiness. I get sad because shows I love are over (some for good, some for just a few months) but I also get excited because there tends to be some new and awesome stuff to look forward to. This year is no exception. Personally, I’m amped for a bunch of pilots that are on deck, both because of their potential stories and because of the actors that are involved.

If you’ve been overwhelmed with trying to keep up on the many shows hoping for a spot in their network’s line up next season, fear not – I’ve compiled a helpful list what you might be able to look forward to come September. As there are over 50 pilots currently vying for pick-up, I won’t talk about all of them…but I’ll try to give as thorough a run-down as possible on the ones you should definitely (in my opinion) keep an eye on, as well as information on what has garnered early pick-ups from the networks.

Continue reading “PILOT WATCH: 2011 Pick-ups/Hopefuls/Pre-Upfronts” »

Fall TV is a magical time. Old shows are back and better than ever, and there are new ones to capture my attention. However, with Fall TV comes inevitable cancellations (some surprises, some not so much) and shows that are in danger of getting the axe. This TV Chick invests a lot of time into television, and sometimes, her favorite shows are on the bubble of renewal and cancellation. This year, I only picked up a small handful of new shows. In my opinion, it was a rather weak freshman pack, but there are a few that I want to stick around. There are also a couple of shows in their second season that I want to be given a back 9. So without further ado, here’s my list of what I want to be renewed. Feel free to weigh in with your choices as well!

Continue reading “FALL TV: What I Want To Be Renewed” »

I usually don’t do any sort of posts about what’s on TV. I figure there are lots of other sites that do the trick and also your good old fashioned menu on the TV. But tonight there is just so much amazing stuff on TV, I wanted to share everything I’ll be watching and my thoughts on one new show premiering that I think is most certainly worth watching.

Continue reading “Tuesday Night TV is EPIC! (New shows, Old shows, GLEE!)” »

For all intents and purposes, Blue Bloods is just another procedural drama about cops. And it has no real competition on a Friday night at 10 pm. However, this show about a family in the police force in New York City is quite intriguing. Tom Selleck stars as Frank Reagan, the chief of police which was a position once held by his father, who left for perhaps some shady reasons. The oldest son is Danny (played by Donnie Wahlberg), a detective with some interesting methods of solving cases. Adding a much needed female voice to the show is Bridget Moynihan (of Sex and the City fame) who plays Erin, a prosecutor in the district attorney’s office who often finds herself mixed up in the family business. And then there’s the youngest son Jamie (played by Will Estes from American Dreams), who in the pilot episode decides to forgo taking the bar exam and become a police officer. There is also the mysterious death of an older brother which seemingly inspires Jamie to join the force.

Continue reading “FALL PREVIEW: Blue Bloods” »

Traditional multiple camera sitcoms with laugh tracks seem to be few and far between these days. Most shows tend to stray away from these 90s mainstays, leaning more towards documentary style filming or at the very least single camera. However, the sitcom is what started this TV Chick on her TV loving journey. Friends is one of my all time favorite shows and it is as sitcom as they come. This is not to say that the recent trend in the comedy format isn’t a welcome and wonderful change, but I still see the merit in a laugh track (as long as it’s not too distracting) and multiple cameras.

Continue reading “FALL PREVIEW: Better With You” »