The TV Chick

I absolutely adore everything about The Good Wife — from the tremendous acting to the amazing writing to all the characters with such great backstory and storylines. One of the greatest things about the show is that they bring on such amazing guest stars. Some become regulars (Alan Cumming) and some return for more in another season. Carrie Preston played Elsbeth Tascioni in season one and she is back recurring her role in tonight’s episode. I recently had the chance to chat with Carrie and we talked about what Elsbeth is up to this time around, season five of True Blood and some of her upcoming movie projects.

Continue reading “INTERVIEW: Carrie Preston talks returning to The Good Wife, True Blood and More” »

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It’s that time again! Some of my favorite supernatural beings are back in Bon Temps for another exciting season. Season four picks up where it left off. When we last left Sookie, she learned from Eric that Bill’s intentions for her were not pure, and she wanted to get the heck out of town. She goes to faerie land in the premiere, which is very surreal and very un-True Blood. She meets her granddad and realizes that time is not what it should be in this “magical land.” While she wants to learn more about herself and her family, she realizes that this might not be the place to do it.

Continue reading “ADVANCE REVIEW: Season 4 Premiere of True Blood” »

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.

Continue reading “EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Lauren Bowles (Holly Cleary) from True Blood” »

Are you as excited for tonight’s episode of True Blood as I am? Last week’s episode ended on an absolutely amazing note. In fact, so amazing, that Russel’s super creepy quote has been part of my household. It’s been a great season so far, and it just keeps getting better.

In anticipation for tonight’s big episode, here are a couple of great preview clips. Not too spoiler-y, don’t worry!

Pam questions Eric:

Jessica confronts Arlene:

Be sure to tune in tonight at 9 pm to HBO for “I Smell A Rat”

True Blood is well into its third season, and it has been fantastic so far. It’s probably the craziest and wildest season yet, and I am enjoying every minute of it. One thing creator Alan Ball doesn’t shy away from is the introduction of new characters. This season we’ve seen new (and sexy) werewolves (ahem Alcide), a new Merlotte’s waitress, and a wolf pack who are into drugs and vampire blood. Crystal Norris (one of those new characters) is a love interest for Jason, but there’s still an air of mystery surrounding her. She comes from the Norris family, who are involved with drugs and she appears to have a fiancee. But what is the real deal with Jason’s new crush? I recently had the chance to chat with Lindsay Pulsipher, who plays Crystal, about the mysterious role, what’s coming up for Crystal and what draws her character (besides the obvious) to Jason Stackhouse.

What originally drew you to the role of Crystal Norris?
I haven’t read the books, but after I got to know her through the writers of True Blood — through their eyes — I was just fascinated with her mystery. She was written with a lot of mystery, and she has several layers going on. And as we’ll soon see later in the season, she’s got a lot of things that she’s trying to cope with and deal with in her life, and I just loved the aspect of being able to play such a complicated, mysterious character. It was really exciting for me.

Definitely. Crystal also has a very interesting background. Can you tell us a little bit more about her family and where she came from?
Little things are revealed throughout the season — more and more about her past and her history — but she’s from this family that cooks meth and they’re meth heads basically (laughs). She’s never really left this compound. It’s all she’s ever really known. She doesn’t really have a social life outside of the compound, so the world outside of that is just so big and intimidating to her I think.

For those who have read the books, or picked up on hints in the show, know that Crystal has some supernatural or non-human elements to her. How are you able to relate to a character that might not be entirely human?
There’s some instincts that Crystal might have that might be a bit foreign to normal folk. (laughs) In the books, she definitely has some supernatural powers. And I think that she has the instincts which myself as a normal person might not have and it was really fun to explore — I’m getting into dangerous territory (laughs).

Don’t worry, I know you can’t spoil too much! What has it been like working so closely with Ryan Kwanten? I’ve heard he’s a bit of a prankster, so are those scenes filmed seriously or is there a lot of joking around?
Oh my God, Ryan is absolutely a practical joker, and very spontaneous in his acting. So we could be doing the most serious, heartfelt scene, and he could pull some little trick or some little Jason-ism out of his hat, and completely throw me off (laughs), which I completely appreciate as an actor — to keep it fresh and funny and spontaneous. And he definitely does that. He’s a great actor, and he really knows his character well, so that is really refreshing to act opposite somebody that is so in tune with his inner Jason. (laughs) It was so much fun.

That’s good to hear. And what do you think draws Crystal to Jason?
I think that it’s his — obviously, he’s a very charismatic person, and when he approaches her truck and she seems him without a shirt (laughs) [like] “Who is this? And what is this guy doing?” so there’s that element of charm, and he’s very funny. But I think on a deeper level, she’s been locked up on the compound, and I think that she might see a little bit of an escape for her, and a way for her to maybe put her past life behind her, and she kind of looks at him and thinks “Could he be the one to help me do this?”

Right. And on the alternate side, why do you think Jason is so drawn to Crystal? She’s different from any other girl he’s been with before.
It’s a hard question for me to answer. I’ve been asked that before. It’s hard for me to answer for Ryan, but I think she’s kind of mysterious and maybe he’s picking up on some things that Crystal has going on in her life that other girls in the past haven’t really had. And I think that there’s that air of mystery that he’s intrigued by.

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As you all know, I am in San Diego for Comic Con. Last night was preview night, or as I shall call it: Freebie Night. I got a bunch of awesome bags, some tee shirts, and other fun swag. Comic Con isn’t just about comic books any more, it has become the nation’s premiere arts and entertainment convention. Yesterday marked the beginning of events, and I started my day off with Charlaine Harris. She is the author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels which were turned into True Blood. I am a big fan of the books, so I was excited to see her.

Spotlight on Charlaine Harris: The event started with Harris being presented the Ink Blot award for Achievement in Sci-Fi and Fantasy, which is so well deserved. The woman who walked out on stage didn’t seem anything like the sultry heroines she writes about. She is demure, humble, and very sweet. The first words out of her mouth were thanking us for being here, because she knows Angelina Jolie is at the convention as well. She began by talking about how originally a lot of editors didn’t get the mix of blood, sex and tears in the Sookie Stackhouse books as well as the humor mixed in. She reveres Anne Rice, who she said is so original and innovative. Harris eventually signed up for Facebook and got a message from Anne Rice saying she was a big fan of the show. Harris quite fittingly told her she should read the books, and now they message each other from time to time. Vampire writer love! For those wondering, her grandmothers’s best friend’s nickname was Sookie, and she didn’t realize how hard it would be for people with fangs to say. She even has a pair herself! Someone asked her if she was ever going to intergrate anything Alan Ball wrote into her books and she quite appropriately answered no, they are separate entertainment vehicles. She did however concede that she loves the character Jessica and wishes she thought of her first. When asked about Alan Ball, she said she had total control over picking the person she gave her book rights to, and she knows she made the right decision. Her next Sookie book is due out in May and there will be a short story in another book with Sookie, Pam and a stripper pole that is due out in August. (Alan Ball, I’d be totally cool if you wanted to take this idea!) She also has a contract for three more Sookie books. When asked about if there were any characters on True Blood that looked exactly like she pictured, she said that Kristin Bauer van Straten (Pam) and Chris Bauer (Andy Bellefleur) look like she wrote them. She said that she loves Anna Paquin, but Sookie is curvier. She didn’t meet Anna Paquin until after they were done filming the first season. Throughout the whole panel, her genuine, down to earth nature along with her infectious personality truly shined. You could tell she was very touched by all her fans and loved what she did and talking about her writing. She was a pleasure to listen to!

Dexter Panel: The cast and Executive Producers of Dexter were out in full force, and Michael C. Hall looked fantastic. He is clearly as one fan astutely pointed “f”-ing cancer. They screened the new Dexter animated webisode (see below) and showed clips from the upcoming season. The moderator started by asking if Rita’s death frees the show up creatively, which was met with an overwhelming yes. Michael C. Hall talked about Julie Benz and how he loved working with her, and now she is on a new show with Michael C. Hicklis (ha!). She was such a huge part of the team and moved Dexter towards having human emotions. Jennifer Carpenter said that Deb will step up but might not be great at it. She admitted she hasn’t dropped the baby yet…on camera. Hall said it was a testament to the writing staff that Dexter finds new ways to go to uncharted territories. Someone in the crowd asked him if Dexter can be compared to Batman, and he said he was reminded of the scene in Batman Begins when Batman surrenders to all the bats. Dexter and his ways surrender to his darkness which is sort of like Batman in that way. I thought that was a clever and interesting comparison. When asked about their favorite twist, Michael C. Hall said the end of last season. Jennifer Carpenter said the twist hasn’t happened yet: it’s how Deb is going to react to finding out about Dexter. The producers then talked about the guest stars they have lined up for this season: Julia Stiles (who apparently is making her TV debut), Johnny Lee Miller, and Peter Weller. When asked about their favorite guest stars, Michael C Hall said “I’ve enjoyed everyone that I’ve killed.” Jennifer Carpenter said “Keith Carradine.” Another crowd question was about the rationale behind killing of Rita. Sara Colleton (EP) replied that it wasn’t necessarily a rationale but the question if Dexter can have it all. He was playing fast and loose, and the  moment he thinks he has it all is when punishment comes. When asked if Julie Benz would ever come back (in a dream or conscious), the answer was no. I was a little surprised at how short the moderated portion of the panel was compared to the audience questions, but as I was reminded by my traveling companion and partner in crime, it is a fan convention. I thought the cast provided interesting insights into the show and the upcoming season. I am looking forward to a lot more panels in the upcoming days!

I was planning on going to the panel for White Collar but the line was so long that it seemed like an impossibility. I did however chat with the whole cast (Tiffani Thiessen was there and I was so thrilled to meet Kelly Kapowski!) and will be posting the interviews in the upcoming weeks. Tomorrow, I will be at The Walking Dead, The Cape, possibly The Big Bang Theory and True Blood. I am excited, if not a bit tired from the full day. Onward and upward as they say, I’m excited for what’s to come!

In the meantime, check out the clip from Dark Echo, the animated webisode from Dexter:

First of all, I wanted to say, it’s been a little over a year since I started this site and I have met some of the most wonderful people. I am so thankful for all the readers out there who have made it so worthwhile. I have spoken to some amazing people, had some amazing opportunities, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next. Tomorrow, I leave for Comic Con in San Diego. Despite it’s monicker, Comic Con is actually a huge arts and entertainment convention. There are many great TV panels (my schedule is packed), so I wanted to give you an idea of what panels and press rooms I will be attending. If you have questions for the cast or producers of these shows, you can leave me a comment, email, or reply on twitter.

* Panels marked with an asterisk are ones where I will also be doing press interviews

• White Collar *
• Dexter *
• True Blood
• Glee *
• V *
• The Cape *
• The Vampire Diaries *
• Chuck *
• The Big Bang Theory
• The Walking Dead

I can’t wait!

After a week off for the holiday (hey, even vampires need some time off), True Blood returns tonight for what is sure to be some amazing blood-sucking action. The third season has gotten off to an amazing start with the introduction of werewolves, a King, and some vampires with questionable motivations (ahem, Franklin Mott). One of my favorite characters on the show, Pam, is taking on a bigger role this season. The fabulous, sassy, preppy, powerful vampire has had some of my favorite scenes so far. I recently had the chance to speak with Kristin Bauer (who plays Pam), about her character, working very closely with Alexander Skarsgard (her maker Eric Northman), and environmental causes that are very close to her heart.

Continue reading “INTERVIEW: Kristin Bauer (Pam) from True Blood” »

The third season of True Blood is officially upon us and it’s off to a fantastic start. Tonight’s episode picks up the steam even more (wolves!) in what is sure to be an amazing season. Vampires are certainly the focal point of the show, but it’s the people in Bon Temps that make the show interesting. One of those people is Arlene, the take-no-prisoners waitress at Merlottes who loves her kids, hates vampires and just realized she is pregnant with Terry Bellefleur’s child. I recently had the chance to talk to Carrie Preston (who plays Arlene) about how she relates to her character, her favorite moment from filming the show and working with Alan Ball. I also had to throw in a question about her husband Michael Emerson as well now that Lost has just ended.

What originally drew you to the project?
I had the great fortune of working with Alan Ball on his feature film “Towelhead”, and he’s the one who told me about “True Blood.” He said he had a part for me in it, but when I read the script I didn’t know what he was talking about. Arlene was so different from me, and I didn’t think I was physically right for the role. But when the offered me the part, I couldn’t resist it. It was a chance to play a real character and to transform, which is something you don’t usually get to do on television.

How do you relate to Arlene? Are you anything like her?
I’m not as outspoken as she is. I’m also not narrow minded like she is. But I can understand where she is coming from. I grew up with women like Arlene, and I take it as a responsibility to find the humanity in her. On the page sometimes, Arlene runs the risk of being ridiculed by the audience by coming off as a stereotypically racist, ignorant southerner. Yet I think she expresses a much needed viewpoint on the show, which is this: Vampires might be seductive and mysterious and sexy, but they are also killers by nature, so maybe we shouldn’t trust our children with them!

Arlene is a heavily influenced character, as she showed last season with Marianne. However, she is strong at the same time. What has it been like playing her?
I like to find the balance between the humor and the pathos with Arlene. On the page, I get a lot of one-liners or jokes, but I try to find the truth behind them. I always try to build a three dimensional woman with responsibilities and cares and woes that are similar to the concerns of our audience. She’s grounded in the real world, which is a nice balance with the supernatural stuff going on around her.

Is there more to Arlene that we don’t know yet? Will we meet her children’s father?
The audience is going to see a deeper, more emotional side of Arlene this season. However, it’s not the familiar histrionics that she displayed in the first two seasons.  I don’t know if you will ever meet the father of her first two children — I like to think they are two different fathers, actually.

Arlene has had some bad luck with men. Do you think Terry Bellefleur will be different?
Terry is by far the sweetest and most vulnerable man Arlene has ever dated. He’s the first guy who seems willing to drop everything to make her and her kids happy, so even if he’s got some emotional issues due to the war, it seems like she wants to make things work with him.

Read more…

Summer is finally upon us! (Well not quite technically, but almost). There is always a big lull in TV over the summer, but there are definitely more exciting shows this summer. There are also some new ones I am looking forward to. Here’s my summer show list, in no particular order. Feel free to chime in!

Pretty Little Liars:  This show premiered last week on ABC Family and has it’s second episode tonight. The show centers around four girls — Hanna, Spencer, Aria and Emily — whose best friend went missing. The show is based on a Young Adult book series of the same name, which I loved. Secrets abound in Rosewood, PA and I can’t wait to see what comes next. It airs every Tuesday night at 8 pm.

True Blood: The third season premiere kicked off on Sunday with a killer (no pun intended) episode. I am so excited this show is back and can’t wait to see more Eric, Sookie, Jessica, Pam and werewolves! Alan Ball has created one of the best vampire shows out there (based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris) and I look forward to being transported into Bon Temps week after week. True Blood airs Sunday nights at 9 pm on HBO.

Secret Life of the American Teenager: This show returned last week on ABC Family, and while the storylines have gone a bit off the handle (Adrian getting pregnant with Ben’s baby…seriously?) the show is still very entertaining week after week. It airs every Monday night at 8 pm.

Burn Notice had its 4th season premiere a couple weeks ago and it was pretty great. The lighthearted spy show is focusing this season on helping a spy that Michael accidentally burned. Color me intrigued! It airs on Thursday nights on the USA Network.

White Collar: My favorite boys of the summer are back! White Collar returns on July 13th and the premiere is fantastic. There’s mystery, humor and of course as Hilarie Burton describes him “one of the 7 wonders of the world,” Matt Bomer.

Make It Or Break It: A television show about gymnastics is like my dream come true. The girls of The Rock return to TV on June 28th on ABC Family at 10 pm. When we last left our favorite elite gymnasts, Payson finally got the courage to get back on the bars and there was a lot of relationships budding or coming to a close. I can’t wait to see more!

The Closer: Brenda Lee Johnson (Kyra Sedgwick) and her priority homicide team will be back soon. The Closer returns July 12th at 9 pm to TNT and I’m sure hilarity will ensue. Well that and um, lots of crazy deaths and cases to solve.

The Gates: Let it be known that I love vampires. If there is a show involving vampires, I will at the very least give it a chance. The Gates is about a gated community where there is a lot more going on than meets the eye. It’s quite dark, with vampires and werewolves, but I enjoyed it. I don’t know if it would succeed as a fall show but I’ll give it a few more episodes before I decide if I am hooked. The Gates premieres on June 20th on ABC at 10 pm.

Rizzoli & Isles: A new offering from TNT, Rizzoli & Isles stars Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander as a Boston detective and medical examiner respectively. From what I’ve seen of the previews, it looks like a show that I will enjoy. I like that there are two strong female leads and I think it will be a great summer show paired with The Closer. It premieres July 12th at 10 pm.

Covert Affairs: A brand new spy dramedy from USA Network is premiering on July 13th paired with White Collar. It stars Piper Perabo, Christopher Gorham and Peter Gallagher as members of the CIA. I have seen the premiere and it is really original and had me on the edge of my seat. Perabo makes a great leading lady and I can’t wait to see more.

Losing It With Jillian: Since The Biggest Loser can’t be on all year, Losing It With Jillian (which premiered a couple weeks ago) gives me my Jillian Michaels fix. She moves in with a family for a week to get them back on track with their weight and health. Unlike The Biggest Loser, there are no immunity challenges or game play…which I like a lot. But there’s still Jillian and her screaming, motivating, inspirational ways. Losing It airs Tuesday nights at 8 pm on NBC.

What are you watching? What are you looking forward to?