Watching The CW

So we’re finally up to the last week and get to find out who is the new America’s Next Top Model. It will be either McKey, Analeigh or Samantha. Personally, I like Analeigh best.

I wonder, when these girls watch the show afterwards if they are completely embarrassed by how they behaved? Just thinking.

They start out this week shooting a commercial and a print ad for CoverGirl and some of the lines are Dutch! Also, they have to kiss a guy. The prize is amazing, though, their picture in Times Square and in every Walmart across the country. Sam and McKey both seem to have done just OK in the commercial, but not spectacular from what we see. Analeigh forgets her lines immediately. And we never see her get too much better. As for the photo shoot, they don’t get to have Jay there helping them to pose.

Analeigh and Samantha seem to be worrying more than McKey, but maybe that’s just all they are showing us. Or maybe it means something. Maybe McKey’s being more calm means she has this in the bag.
(more…)

The next time you think television is all about entertainment, think again. It’s not. Hardly at all, actually, cause it’s all about money. Yes, money is the driving force behind television and broadcasting.

How do I know this?  Well, gather round, my children, and I’ll tell you a little story. As I believe I may have mentioned a few days ago, LIN Broadcasting, the parent company of the CW (and CBS) has decided to pull their stations from my cable provider, Time Warner.  LIN Broadcasting would like everyone to believe that this is all Time Warner’sfault.  But it most empathetically is not.  When the contract expired, LIN had the ability to allow their stations to keep playing on Time Warner during the negotiating process, but they instead chose to pull the stations.  This is evil. 
(more…)

This Sunday, October 5, 2008, the CW has a whole new line up of shows. At 5 pm ET 4Real, at 6:00 pm ET In Harm’s Way, at 8:00 pm Valentine, and at 9:00 pm Easy Money.

4Real is a reality show in which celebrities are taken around the world on adventures by host, Sol Guy, to meet with young leaders who are making a change in their communities. In the first ep, Cameron Diaz visits a 27-year old medicine man and tribal leader in Peru. The point appears to be showing young people that they can make a difference. Other season 1 guest celebrities include Mos Def, Joaquin Phoenix, Eva Mendes, Casey Affleck and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

In Harm’s Way is another reality show with host Hunter Ellis about people with high risk jobs. The first episode is about US Coast Guard rescue units in Alaska.
(more…)

I just can’t keep quiet anymore. I have to say something. This whole deal about the presidential debate between Senator McCain and Senator Obama is making me crazy. And I’ve been trying to not pay attention to it.

I’m not much for current events, but I do have some strong political opinions. Honestly, I’ve been avoiding the news of the last few days about the financial crisis that the US is facing, mostly cause I think a lot of times, the networks don’t report news, they manufacture it. They want to get everyone all up in arms about something that may or may not even happen.

But all that aside, I got my dander up today when I heard some person talking about the debate and saying that there should be no question and that they should go ahead with it. She went on to say other non-complimentary things about Sen. McCain, which I won’t repeat, because I’d only be paraphrasing anyway. Also, they were stupid. She basically said that he should be able to multi-task. I say its better to have priorities so that important things are handled by someone with a clear head and focused determination.

I think its silly for Sen. Obama to insist on having the debate. I believe it goes to show that he’s really just all about how things look and he realizes his strengths are in talking, rather than doing.  Personally, I think most people, whether they will admit it or not, already know who they are going to vote for and all the debating in the world doesn’t really change that many opinions.

Here’s an example. If your child was in the hospital dying and you were supposed to speak at the PTA meeting that night, would you say you could do both, cause you can multi-task? Only if you’re an idiot. If you have priorities, you realize that you need to be with your child and that there will be other PTA meetings. Well, the US is the child and financially we may be dying.

John McCain is choosing to stay with his child and be sure that we’re OK. He’s showing himself as a man of action, not just rhetoric, and he’s putting the US ahead of his own political ambitions. Obama is not.

Yes, I’m still on vacation (although we haven’t played any Beach Blanket Bingo yet), but I did manage to catch a bit of a couple of shows this week. I saw about 5 minutes of Gossip Girl, and I just put together that Blake Lively, Serena van der Woodsen on Gossip Girl, is Monica from Accepted. I’m not sure why that never clicked before, cause I love that movie and I’ve seen it like ten times. We just happened to watch Accepted earlier that night, and then I saw that little bit of Gossip Girl and suddenly I realized it was her.
(more…)

Another new show airing on the CW is Valentine, which premiers on Sunday, September 21, 2008 at 8:00 pm. I have to admit that I’ve read the info on this one, and it sounds a little strange. The press release calls it a “one-hour romantic comedy” and I don’t quite get that. The only reason I’m gonna give it a chance at all is cause I like Kristoffer Polaha, who is in the cast, along with Jaime Murray, Autumn Reeser, Patrick Fabian, Greg Ellisand Robert Baker.

The premise is that a family of Greek Gods, the Valentines, are here on earth to assist people who are falling in love. Or maybe they are supposed to make people fall in love. Something like that. The press release says, “Valentine looks at love, fate and the work it takes to make romance happen.” Yikes!
(more…)

Hard to believe, but I guess I never mentioned Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog in this blog. That’s just weird. I know I did several (dozen) blogs about it over at my FanaticSpace blog, but its possible most people who read this blog don’t read that one. Probable, even.

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog was created by Joss Whedon and his completely insane family. No, really. It came to be during the writers strike and was first presented online in July as a web only serial in three acts. It stars Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day, with an assorted cast of sidekicks, including Simon Helberg, Drew Goddard, David Fury, Marti Noxon, Jed Whedon and his fiancee, Maurissa Tancharoen.
(more…)

In my web searches to find fun and interesting things to share in this blog, I came across some stuff.

First off, here’s a fun little widget I made up with some shows from the CW available at Amazon.com:

I was kinda surprised that not every show I looked up had DVDs available there. I’ll keep looking for other shows and stuff relating to the shows and make up other widgets for you. I especially like the carosel, cause it’s just fun to spin around and around, isn’t it?

Oh, and while I’m thinking about TV shows, I also wanted to mention something else I found out. My husband works some strange hours, so we don’t see each other too much during the week. When he does see me, he complains that I’m either watching TV or on the computer. Of course, that’s pretty true. I suaully am either watching TV, on the computer, watching TV while on the computer, or even watching TV on the computer. I think it’s really a lifestyle choice.

So, to add to the other sites I’ve mentioned where you can watch TV shows online, hulu.com and surfthechannel.com, I want to add a couple more. There’s veoh.com and fancast.com. I’ve checked them both out, and although they don’t have huge selections, yet, they did have some shows that I didn’t see on the other sites. One was Beauty and the Beast, and as much as I know it was silly and sappy, I loved that show. I had every ep on video, but then a friend borrowed them, like 20 years ago, and I haven’t seen them since.

This could keep me busy for the next several years. Maybe longer.

Another new show this season on the CW is In Harm’s Way, a reality series that premiers on Sunday, September 21, 2008 at 7:00 pm ET. The show is an hour long and showcases people who are employed at dangerous jobs. It’s unscripted and is hosted by Hunter Ellis, with Craig Piligian as executive producer.

What types of life-threatening jobs will the show deal with? They will include war photographers, oil well cappers, avalanche hunters, hurricane chasers, Coast Guard divers and minesweepers. I’m not sure I understand why people risk their lives at some of these types of jobs. I know, I know, you’re saying someone has to do it. But why, exactly? I’ll bet there will be some jobs on there that are completely unnecessary, but someone does them anyway. I guess we’ll find out.

In Harm’s Way will - for some as yet unknown reason - move to Sundays at 6:30 pm ET beginning November 2. Possibly to make way for some other half-hour show that will fill the 7:30 time slot?

According to Dawn Ostroff, the CW president, the network’s partnership with Media Rights Capital (MRC) was a “strategic move” which will allow them to “give viewers more original programming on Sunday nights.” Maybe so, but is another reality show what we really want to see?

Boy, I have lots of questions about this show, don’t I? And there’s another one. In all honesty, I very much doubt I’ll be watching, but if anyone of you out there does watch it, please come on back here and tell us al what you think.

I’ve seen the new show Easy Money described as simply a drama, but elsewhere as a dramedy, which hopefully means it just won’t take itself too seriously. I’m not sure how it can be too serious, considering the cast includes Laurie Metcalf, Roseanne alumn, as the martriach in a family of loan sharks.

The premise of Easy Money reminds me a little of Arrested Development, where one family member has to take over running the family business, in a family full of eccentrics. In this case, Morgan Buffkin (played by Jeff Hephner) ends up in charge of Prestige Payday Loans, a successful short-term loan business. Not only does Morgan have doubts about his ability to run the business, and about the business itself, he also has to start dealing with all the craziness of his family members.
(more…)

I thought I’d do something a little more in depth about each of the new shows airing on the CW this Fall. 

The first show is 90210, which I’ve already discussed before, but things have changed, so here’s the update.

The CW site calls 90210 an edgy and contempory spin off of Beverly Hills, 90210, the 90’s hit teen soap opera, which is told through the view of siblings Annie (Shenae Grimes) and Dixon Mills (Tristan Wilds), who have just moved to the famous zip code and are starting their first day at West Beverly Hills High School, where their dad has just become the principal. 

The show, which premieres on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at 8:00 pm (ET), also features Lori Loughlin, Jessica Walter, Ryan Eggold, Rob Estes, Dustin Milligan, Michael Steger, Jessica Stroup and guest stars Jennie Garth and Shannen Doherty.
(more…)

We’ve already had a peek at the and chatted about some of the new and returning shows, so the question now is what are the exact dates and times when the shows I care about are coming back. Well, The Futon Critic has an amazing list that you should check out here. It’s an incredible list, which includes every show, new and returning (and even cancelled), when it airs, what network its on, and how many eps there are. Awesome!

As for the CW, returning this Fall are America’s Next Top Model, Everybody Hates Chris, The Game, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, Smallville and Supernatural, with Reaper coming back as a mid-season show in 2009.

Cancelled shows from last season include Aliens in America, Beauty and the Geek, Crowned: The Mother of all Pageants, CW Now, Girlfriends, Life is Wild, Online Nation and Pussycat Dolls: Girlicious. Farmer Wants a Wife is listed as on hiatus or fate to be determined.

As mentioned, there is a full slate of new shows for Fall, which are 90210, Easy Money, In Harm’s Way, Privileged, Stylista, Surviving Suburbia and Valentine, Inc., plus one new show, 13: Fear is Real, scheduled for 2009.
(more…)

Also starting on Monday, September 1, 2008 at 9 pm ET is the sixth season of One Tree Hill.  The first promo is up on the CW site, and has surfaced on youtube.  It takes us back to the end of Season 5, when Lucas Scott (Chad Michael Murray) has called one special young lady, asking her to meet him in Las Vegas to get married.  Who did he call?  Peyton Sawyer (Hilarie Burton), Brooke Davis (Sophia Bush), or Lindsey Strauss (Michaela McManus)? 

We catch a glimpse of each in the promo, having a moment with Lucas, and then we see Lucas running towards someone at the airport. Odds are not on it being Lindsey, as Michaela McManus has snagged a new job, on Law and Order: SVU as the new A.D.A. Pietta O’Mara, and most likely won’t be available for a protracted story line on One Tree Hill.

When One Tree Hill came back for it’s fifth season, they had actually carried the story liine four years into the future, ending Season 4 with the characters graduating from high school, and starting Season 5 with them having finished college. So who knows what they have in store for us this year.

The series also stars James Lafferty as Nathan Scott, Bethany Joy Galeotti as Haley James Scott, Lee Norris as Mouth McFadden, Antwon Tanner as Skills and Paul Johansson as Dan Scott.

Also, Chad Michael Murray was born in Buffalo, New York.  I only mention that, cause I live in Buffalo.  You know who else? Dossett March is also from Buffalo, and I know this, cause he’s my cousin.  Check him out (he’s the little one in the hat), he’s a doll, too!

Lots has been happening about 90210 this week. Some of it is a little disappointing. Well, no Luke Perry. How do they expect to have a show without Dylan McKay?? Apparently, Luke doesn’t want to get involved without Aaron Spelling, which make sense, and also, he doesn’t see how it can help his career, since he’s already been there, done that. But, honestly, Luke, what have you been doing since those days? I mean have you become a big international star and I missed it.

Also not returning, at least for a while, apparently, will be Tori Spelling’s Donna Martin. Its not lack of her daddy’s involvement that’s stopping her, but her recent C-section.

We will, however, be seeing Shannen Doherty and Jennie Garth, though, as well as Joe E. Tata (Nat of the Peach Pit). Also new to the cast are Meghan Markle, who you may know as a case model from Deal or No Deal, as the school’s sexy vixen, and Kellan Lutz, as the star lacrosse player. (I remember him from Accepted, but that’s just cause I’ve seen the movie like a dozen times).

On the more bad news front, Horizon Media, in their annual report, has speculated that 90210 won’t have the zip (pun intended) to pull up the CW’s ratings and made it a real contender. Its possible that means the show itself won’t last, but maybe the CW will give it a chance. Either way, it will be fun to see the whole gang again, even if it’s just for a little while.

The CW has posted their 2008-2009 season primtime schedule:

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM GOSSIP GIRL
9:00-10:00 PM ONE TREE HILL

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM 90210 (New Series)
9:00-10:00 PM SURVIVING THE FILTHY RICH (New Series)

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL
9:00-10:00 PM STYLISTA (New Series)

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM SMALLVILLE
9:00-10:00 PM SUPERNATURAL

FRIDAY
8:00-8:30 PM EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS
8:30-9:00 PM THE GAME
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL (Encore Presentation)

Notably missing from this schedule are Aliens in America, Beauty and the Geek (just when I started watching it!), Farmer Wants a Wife, Girlfriends, Pussycat Dolls, Life is Wild and WWE Friday Night Smackdown.

It may appear that Reaper is also missing, but don’t worry, it’s coming back mid-season. So we are losing seven shows, and only gaining three, but I think these are good decisions. Maybe annoying reality TV is on the way out, which is a good thing. And apparently, at least on the CW, it’s being replaced with young adult soaps, which can also be a good thing. I guess we’ll find out.

Here’s a link back to the CW blog, where they have lots more info on the shows and what’s happening, as well.

I was surprised to see that they are reviving everyone’s favorite zip code in 90210. I wasn’t a huge fan of the original series, but I was certainly aware of it and I think it will be interesting to see how they have updated and modernized the show. I’m also interested cause I heard Rob Estes is in it and I’m in love with him. And I mean, really.

In any case, it looks like the CW has a great season set up for us and I’m looking forward to checking out the new shows. As for this summer, I plan to also try to catch up on some of the shows from this season that I just didn’t get a chance to watch the first time around. When I do, I’ll let you know all about. You count on that!