The TV Chick

Elementary premieres tonight and it is a lovely new twist on the Sherlock Holmes story. Watson is female (played by Lucy Liu), Holmes (played by Jonny Lee Miller) is a recovering cocaine addict, living in New York City. Of course there are crimes to solve, but Elementary is not your every day procedural. The focus of the show is the relationship between Holmes and Watson (strictly platonic, for now and probably for a while), which is refreshing. The acting is great, the writing is sharp and I’m excited to see how the season evolves. I recently had the chance to talk with the stars of the show (Liu and Miller) as well as the Executive Producers (Rob Doherty and Carl Beverly), at Comic Con. They discussed the Watson/Holmes relationship, the iconic characters, casting a female Holmes and much more.

Continue reading “INTERVIEW: Jonny Lee Miller (Sherlock Holmes) and Lucy Liu (Watson) from Elementary & Executive Producers Rob Doherty and Carl Beverly” »

In a lineup full of new, weak comedies, Partners was a very pleasant surprise. It’s one of two comedy pilots (The Mindy Project being the second) that I legitimately liked and that made me laugh out loud. The show, from the creators of Will and Grace, focuses on two polar opposite best friends, Louis and Joe. One is gay, one is straight, and both are incredibly involved in each other’s professional and personal lives. Louis is played by the very funny Michael Urie and Joe is played by the lovely David Krumholtz. As strong as they are as actors, the supporting cast is just as strong. One Tree Hill fans will rejoice at Sophia Bush’s return to TV as Allie (Joe’s fiancee) and adorable Brandon Routh plays Wyatt, Louis’ boyfriend.

Continue reading “FALL PREVIEW: Partners” »

It’s just about 2012, so it’s time for The TV Chick to reflect on the Best Television of 2011. And there was some amazing TV. Just when I thought I wouldn’t adopt a ton of new shows, a handful came along that just completely sucked me in. I was enthralled with a red sharpie and a plan, engrossed in the crazy world of a CIA agent and a rescued prisoner of war, laughed at the lovable antics and wonderful relationships in Pawnee, taken back to my awkward high school years, and rooted for an insane hybrid vamp-wolf who had no friends. Oh, and that only scratches the surface. I decided that instead of just a Top 10 list, I’d use fun categories. Make sure you weigh in with your favorites too!

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I sing the praises of The Good Wife every week, and it’s a show that continues to surprise me as it shatters the procedural mold. It’s full of wonderful twists and turns and phenomenal acting and writing. I also love that it tackles issues that are extremely relevant and topical. I recently had the chance to talk to Robert and Michelle King (creators of The Good Wife) at an event for Human Rights First, where they were receiving the Sydney Lumet Award to for the show’s coverage of various human rights issues. We talked about how human rights factors into the show, the balance between procedural and character and what’s coming up this season (including some exciting guest stars).

Continue reading “EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Robert and Michelle King (Creators) from The Good Wife” »

Person of Interest isn’t your average CBS procedural drama. It will presumably center around a case an episode but it has an air of mystery that will inevitably be the focal point of the season. The show centers around Mr. Finch (played by Michael Emerson — so happy he is back on TV in an equally creepy role), who has developed a computer program that can predict the identity of people who will be involved with violent crimes in the future. The only big flaw in the system is it can’t tell whether the person will be committing the crime or a witness to the crime or the victim of the crime. Because Mr. Finch has physical limitations and can’t stop the crimes himself, he hires John Reese (played by Jim Caviezel). Reese is a former CIA agent who has presumed dead, which ups the stakes even more.

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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.

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” »

The 22nd season of Survivor premieres this Wednesday, and a few surprising twists are bound to make it the most exiting one yet. We had the chance to chat with Executive Producer Mark Burnett about Redemption Island – check out what he had to say here!

Continue reading “REALITY CORNER: Everything You Need To Know About Survivor: Redemption Island” »

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” »

A lot of shows are premiering in the next few weeks, and I’m here to preview many of them for you. On Monday, a new offering from Chuck Lorre (Two and A Half Men and The Big Bang Theory) will premiere on CBS. Mike & Molly follows two people looking to lose weight. Mike Biggs is a police officer and Molly Flynn is a fourth grade teacher who meet at an Overeaters Anonymous group. Both Mike and Molly are charming and funny, and find love in a very unlikely place.

Continue reading “FALL PREVIEW: Mike & Molly” »