TV Guide Pre-Emmy Preview

Joey Fatone takes you inside the Emmys incl exclusive interviews w/ nominees Ali Larter & Milo Ventimiglia from HEROES, and Jenna Fischer from THE OFFICE.

GMMR’s EMMY Wishlist

Forget about who SHOULD win and who WILL win…it’s all about who I WANT to win!! Yeah, THE SOPRANOS was probably the best drama on TV last year but I didn’t watch it so what do I care (see how this works?). Here are my completely selfish Emmy picks (some of which need a wee bit explanation).

BEST DRAMA SERIES
“Sopranos”
“Grey’s Anatomy”
“Heroes”
“House”
“Boston Legal”

GMMR WANTS “Heroes” to win. Well, actually I wanted “Friday Night Lights” to win, but since the Emmy voters clearly have they heads up their asses I guess I’ll go with “Heroes”. I’m not going to be heartbroken if it doesn’t (because I think some NJ mobsters have this one in the body bag.) It pains me not to pick “Grey’s Anatomy” but the show was inconsistent all year and it just didn’t stand up to the first two seasons. “House” is another favorite but it tends to be formulaic and wouldn’t really be a hit if it weren’t for Hugh Laurie. I don’t watch “Boston Legal” or “The Sopranos” so it’s not any fun for me if either of them win.

BEST COMEDY SERIES
“Ugly Betty”
“The Office”
“Two and a Half Men”
“30 Rock”
“Entourage”

GMMR WANTS “The Office” to win. I’m really not going to both writing much here. It’s my favorite show on TV – hands down. Let’s hope the Dunder Mifflinites take home the win for being consistently funny and smart from week to week.

BEST DRAMA ACTOR
James Gandolfini, “The Sopranos”
Hugh Laurie, “House”
Denis Leary, “Rescue Me”
James Spader, “Boston Legal””
Kiefer Sutherland, “24″

GMMR WANTS Hugh Laurie to win. Again, I think this one is going to Tony S., but it would be great to see Hugh Laurie take this one home. This guy is “House”. Although we’ve known Dr. Gregory House for a few years now we still don’t really know him. Laurie continues to reinvent this character in almost every episode, and he does it effortlessly. Go Hugh!

BEST DRAMA ACTRESS
Sally Field, “Brothers and Sisters”
Mariska Hargitay, “Law & Order: SVU”
Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer”
Edie Falco, “The Sopranos”
Minnie Driver, “The Riches”
Patricia Arquette, “Medium”

GMMR WANTS Sally Field to win. Ok, I’ll admit it…I don’t watch many of the shows these actresses are on, but I still think Sally should win. If you watch “Brothers & Sisters” then you know how crazy good Field is an Nora, the matriarch of the rather insane Walker family. Sally has to explore so many emotions within the confines of this show. There’s drama, there’s comedy and she handles both with such ease and grace. And if she didn’t have you catching your breath in the finale when she was sending her son Justin off to Iraq then you should go to Oz and visit the wizard because you don’t have a heart.

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Fall Preview: LIFE

Premiere Date: Wednesday, September 26 2007
Airs: Wednesdays @ 10pm on NBC

After serving time for a crime he didn’t commit, Detective Charlie Crews (Damian Lewis) returns to the very police force and officers that worked so hard to get him convicted. He gets a cool reception from his new police partner and their tough minded boss. Constance is the attorney who finally manages to get Charlie sprung from prison but is she looking for more from her client? Will Charlie’s new lease in life be in conflict with his quiet pursuit to unravel the conspiracy that put him in prison in the first place?

I had pretty low expectations for LIFE based on the previews I had seen, and while I can’t say that I loved the pilot, I definitely enjoyed it more than I thought I would.  That’s something, right?.  Like other new Fall shows K-VILLE and WOMEN’S MURDER CLUB, LIFE just isn’t my type of television. It’s got an interesting plot but it wasn’t different or interesting enough for me to commit to watching it week in and week out. That being said, I’m a big fan of Damien Lewis and have been since his days on BAND OF BROTHERS (I just found out that he is British…who knew?) and want to see him do well with this show.  I think you’re going to either love or hate the quirkiness of his character, Charlie Crews. I found his little idiosyncrasies rather annoying, but Lewis is good enough of an actor that I quickly got over it.

The show lends itself to some really sweet moments juxtaposed with some gritty crime drama, and we can expect to see some issues of sexual tension between Charlie and his partner which is always a plus.  I can say this about LIFE – if you’re going to give it a shot, then make sure you watch until the very end.  There’s a twist in the last few minutes that I found really interesting.  Almost interesting enough to keep this one on my schedule…almost.  My gut is telling me that unless LIFE has huge numbers tonight it’s not long for this world.  NBC put all of it’s advertising dollars into CHUCK and BIONIC WOMAN and if LIFE isn’t really getting much love from the network – never a good sign.. LIFE has tough competition against ABC’s DIRTY SEXY MONEY but crime dramas always seem to find an audience so you never know.

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Fall Preview: Reaper

Premiere Date: Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Airs: Tuesdays @ 9pm on The CW

For the first 20 years of his life, Sam (Bret Harrison) wondered why his parents went so easy on him. Whether it was school, sports or career choices, Sam’s mom (Allison Hossack) and dad (Andrew Airlie) always let him get by with the least possible effort. As a result, Sam skipped college, took a dead-end job at the local Work Bench home improvement store and now wastes endless hours playing video games. Everything in his slacker world changed the day Sam turned 21 and discovered the ungodly reason his parents let him slide: they sold his soul to the devil before he was even born.

When Satan himself (Ray Wise) drops by to personally explain that Sam must now serve as his bounty hunter, tracking down evil souls that have escaped and returning them to Hell, Sam refuses to accept his bizarre fate. After getting just a glimpse of Satan’s temper, however, Sam realizes that breaking a deal with the devil has consequences that are very, very bad. Still, Sam is fascinated by the devil’s charm and his flattering insistence that Sam is full of untapped potential.Though his life has suddenly turned weird and scary, Sam is surprised to find that he somehow feels good about his newfound “mission” — removing evil-doers from the world and sending them back where they belong. Back when nothing was expected of him, Sam never had to push himself to achieve. Now, with his friends and his trusty vessel-of-the-week at his side, Sam is ready to face his destiny as the Reaper.

REAPER is getting some pretty rave reviews and has landed near the top of many critics picks for the Fall season. It didn’t land in my top five but I’m certainly not writing it off just yet. Let me start off by saying that if I were giving this show a yay or a nay I would definitely give it a yay – but maybe not an enthusiastic yay. I liked REAPER enough but I didn’t fall in love with it as some TV critics I respect did. The premise is funny, the actors are great, and there was a lot of hilarious stuff in the pilot but I was left feeling a little underwhelmed. Maybe by the time I finally saw it at Comic-Con my expectations were a bit to high. I guess the good news is that I can’t really point out anything bad with the show. I think you will all love Bret Harrison as the reluctant hero and his best friend Sock (played by Tyler Labine) is going to be perhaps the biggest scene stealer of any show this Fall season. Ray Wise is the perfect choice to play The Devil – his deadpanned approach will have you rolling – I thought he was the best part of the entire pilot. So yeah, how about that for a mixed review. REAPER is on my watchlist. I think it has potential. I’m going to rewatch the pilot again when it premieres on the 25th to see if my opinion changes. I can’t wait until you all see it and to hear what you think.

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Fall Preview: PUSHING DAISIES

Premiere Date: Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Airs: Wednesdays @ 8pm on ABC

From Bryan Fuller (“Heroes,” “Wonderfalls”) and Barry Sonnenfeld (“Men in Black”) comes a new series with an unprecedented blend of romance, fantasy and mystery. “Pushing Daisies” is a forensic fairytale about Ned, a young man with a very special gift. As a young boy Ned discovers that he can return the dead briefly back to life with just one touch. But his random gift isn’t without deadly consequences… as he soon finds out.

Grown up Ned (Lee Pace) puts his talent to good use by touching dead fruit and making it ripe with everlasting flavor. He opens a pie shop. His life as a pie maker gets more complicated when private investigator Emerson Cod (Chi McBride) finds out about Ned’s secret. Emerson convinces Ned to help him solve murder cases (and collect the hefty reward fees) by raising the dead and getting them to name their killers.

Then Ned is handed the case that changes his life forever. His childhood sweetheart, Charlotte “Chuck” Charles (Anna Friel), is murdered on a cruise ship under strange circumstances. Her death brings him back to his hometown of Coeur d’ Coeur to bring Chuck back to life, albeit briefly, and solve the crime. But once reunited with Chuck, Ned can’t bring himself to send her back. He helps her escape after her grieving aunts, Lily and Vivian (Swoosie Kurtz, Ellen Greene), former synchronized swimmers Darling Mermaid Darlings, think they’ve buried her forever.

Chuck becomes the third partner in Ned and Emerson’s PI enterprise, but she encourages them to use their skills for good, not just for profit. Ned is overjoyed to be reunited with Chuck, the only girl he’s ever loved. Life would be perfect, except for one cruel twist — if he ever touches her again, she’ll go back to being dead, this time for good.

If you are a reader of GMMR then you know that I am beyond smitten with PUSHING DAISIES. It’s my favorite new show of the Fall season. PUSHING DAISIES is like nothing you have seen on TV before and it will make you fall in love with TV all over again. The show will satisfy your senses with its vibrant look and its decidedly delicious, distinctive and daring dialogue. There is not one moment wasted in this incredible pilot – the best one I have seen since LOST.

If you love a little romance then you are going to love this show! TV romance will never be the same again after you meet Ned & Chuck. This couple will quickly be up there with the best of the best – Sam & Diane, Dave & Maddie, Joey & Dawson Pacey, Jim & Pam. Ned & Chuck go beyond ‘will they/wont’ they’ – they can’t!!! And ladies…Lee Pace – just wait and see – you’ll know what I’m talking about within the first 15 minutes of the pilot.

The show is being hailed by critics as one of the best of the season, but all seem to say it might not find an audience because it’s too quirky. I don’t think quirky is a bad thing when quirky also means smart and interesting. I hope my love for the pilot has made at least a few of your excited for the show. I promise I’m not ‘pushing’ you in the wrong direction.

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Fall Preview: GOSSIP GIRL

Premiere Date: Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Airs: Wednesdays @ 9pm on The CW

At an exclusive prep school on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, students addictively follow text-messaged scoops on scandals and heartache among their peers as reported by Gossip Girl, a shadowy presence whose identity is known to no one. Gossip Girl’s dispatches kick into high gear as Serena Van Der Woodsen ends her self-imposed boarding school exile and returns to Manhattan, surprising even her closest friend, Blair. As Gossip Girl continues to stir the pot and feed any potential scandals, student buzz sifts through any available clues to the hottest topic of all: Who is Gossip Girl, anyway?

I didn’t want to like GOSSIP GIRL. Honestly, I didn’t. A show about rich, overpriveledged teenagers – yeah I saw it the first time when it was called 90210 and then again when it was called THE OC. But GOSSIP GIRLS is different than its predeccesors in dark, naughty…naughty way. These teens drink, have crazy sex and there is no apologizing for it – which I find refreshing. You’ll have to leave your moral judgement at the door for this one and just go with it. Fans of THE OC will feel creator Josh Schwartz’s influence in the humor and pop culture references in the show. The pilot alone features some of the hottest songs out there today by artists like Justin Timberlake. VERONICA MARS fans will love Kristen Bell’s role as the infamous voice of Gossip Girl – the teenage Perez Hilton of the Upper East Side. This show is definitely this season’s guilty pleasure and it makes my Top 5 of the Fall season.

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Fall Preview: CHUCK

Premiere Date: Monday, September 24, 2007
Airs: Monday @ 8pm on NBC

When computer geek Chuck Bartowski opens an email subliminally encoded with government secrets, he unwittingly downloads an entire server of sensitive data into his brain. In doing so he is catapulted into a new career as the government’s most vital secret agent. Now, the fate of the world lies in the unlikely hands of a guy who works as the head of the Nerd Herd at Buy More Electronics store. Instead of fighting computer viruses, he must now confront assassins and international terrorists. With the government’s most precious secrets in Chuck’s head, the John Casey of the NSA and Sarah Walker of the CIA (and also Chuck’s first date in years) come together to protect Chuck. They’ll try to keep him safe by trading in his pocket protector for a bulletproof vest. Chuck has to keep his new life with the government a secret from his best friend Morgan, his sister Ellie and her boyfriend, Captain Awesome.

CHUCK is by far my favorite new comedy of the Fall season. And next to PUSHING DAISIES, it’s my new favorite show of the Fall. This adventure comedy has been described as ALIAS meets THE OFFICE – a pretty worthy comparison as those are two of my favorite shows of all time – but I don’t disagree. It’s funny, it’s charming and pretty damn exciting. The boys will fall for Chuck’s CIA handler Sarah and the girls will be swooning over CHUCK star Zach Levi. Expect him to be this year’s John Krasinski (again, another worthy comparison). I’ve seen this pilot about 7 times now and I’m still loving it…that’s got to say something, right? We’ll be following CHUCK on GMMR so I hope you’re watching with us.

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Fall Preview: ALIENS IN AMERICA

Premiere Date: Monday, October 1, 2007
Airs: Monday @ 8:30 on The CW

Justin Tolchuck is a sensitive, lanky 16-year old just trying to make it through the social nightmare of high school in Medora, Wisconsin, with the help of his well-meaning mom Franny, aspiring-entrepreneur dad Gary and his beautiful and popular younger sister Claire. Although he’s bright and funny, Justin is also shy, socially awkward and pretty much resigned to the fact that he’ll never be one of the cool kids.

Eager to help her son adjust, Franny signs up for the school’s international exchange student program. Picturing an athletic, brilliant Nordic teen, Franny is sure this new friendship will bestow instant coolness on her outsider son. However, when the Tolchuck’s exchange student arrives, he turns out to be Raja Musharaff, a thoughtful and responsible 16-year-old Muslim from a small village in Pakistan. To the Tolchucks and everyone else in Medora, he’s also just about as foreign as a foreigner can be.

After the initial shock wears off, Justin is quickly won over by Raja’s humor, gestures of friendship and by their common status as outsiders. Despite the cultural chasm between them, Justin and Raja develop an unlikely bond that just might allow them to navigate the minefield that is contemporary high school.

A surprisingly heartwarming comedy that is sweet, a tad bit snarky and over the top (in a good way) all at the same time. Dan Byrd masters the awkwardness of a teenage outcast and seems almost normal especially considering the mother that raised him. The show is a little non-PC at times, but I found it funny and refreshing – especially coming from The CW. My one concern is the recasting of the father, once played by Patrick Breen and now played by Scott Patterson of Gilmore Girls fame. Breen fit in perfectly as the quirky and unusual father, Gary, and I just can’t see Patterson bringing the same goofiness to the role. Then again, I only know him as Luke Danes so maybe I’m not giving him enough credit. Cheers to The CW for bringing this fresh comedy to the air.

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2007 Fall Schedule – Plan Your TV Schedule

The first step in planning your Fall season is seeing what the competition is like. Those of you without a DVR of some kind (oh the horror) have some pretty touch choices. Even those of us with a DVR are screwed as sometimes there are three or four great shows on at the same time (yeah, I’m talking to you Monday, Wednesday & Thursday nights). Looks like I’m going to have to get a 2nd TiVo (desperate times call for desperate measures). And yes, I realize I haven’t included a schedule for Saturday yet…it’s coming. I’m still waiting to see exactly what the networks are planning on airing during that time.

If a show has a next to it, then it means that I’m planning on watching it and probably talking about it on GMMR.

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Download GOSSIP GIRL for Free on iTunes

One of my favorite Fall pilots was GOSSIP GIRL.  It’s salacious and hot and everything you want in a guilty pleasure.  I’ll be posting more of GOSSIP GIRL later today when I launch my GMMR Fall preview, but for now head over to iTunes and check out an early premiere of GOSSIP GIRL.  I think you’re going to love it!!

If you do watch it, be sure to come back and let me know what you think.

Thanks to The TV Addict for the tip. 

And On His Farm He Had a Blog…

I’m busy, busy, busy today so it’s a good thing I have some friends who just happen to be some of the top TV bloggers around. Check out what my peeps are talking about today (did I just say peeps?):

• I missed S1 of DEXTER because I don’t have Showtime. But The TV Addict is giving you the chance to win your own copy on DVD. (The TV Addict)

• Is TV getting worse? Head over to BuzzSugar and take their poll. Not to bias you but I’m firmly in the ‘no’ column – I think TV is fantastic these days. (BuzzSugar)

• Seat42F just launched a brand new website. It’s huge…check it out. (Seat42F)

• Hayden Panettiere and Stephen Coletti are dunzo. Stephen has got to STOP dating women hotter than him. LC, K-Cavs, Hayden…date me Stephen, I won’t dump you. (Fatback and Collards)

• Want to get some TV theme songs stuck in your head all day? Rae has some of the best in recent memory – so fun!! (Ramblings of a TV Whore)

• Talk about an odd couple! These two guys have become unlikely friends and even performed a hilarious duet on Jimmy Kimmel earlier this week. Find out who I’m talking about. (Seriously? OMG!)

• This is the first year I’m going to try to watch AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL. I know that Ducky loves it and will want to talk about it on the podcast, so I better be able to keep up. For more on this season including a new promo vid, head over to Ducky’s site. (Ducky Does TV)

• It wouldn’t be GMMR if I wasn’t out there pimping my favorite new Fall show, PUSHING DAISIES. I’ve been getting a ton of email from readers saying that they’re going to check it out based on what I’ve said about it – how awesome it that?! The biggest compliment ever! If you’ve seen the show already, or just want to get excited about what’s to come, check out all the interviews, pics, and more over at the ultimate PUSHING DAISIES fansite. (The Pie Maker)

More Ways to See NBC Fall Shows Early

Yesterday we reported that Blockbuster was renting the NBC Fall pilots for free, but why go all the way to the video store when you can just use your remote. Some cable companies are offering CHUCK, BIONIC WOMAN and LIFE through their On Demand feature for free. I’m watching CHUCK right now (just to make sure it works, not because I need to see it for the 8th time…really). Not sure if your cable company is offering JOURNEYMAN, mine oddly is not.

If you cable company is offering it, leave a comment and let us know!!  And once you watch the shows, provide you mini-review in the comments (with no spoilers).  I might be posting some of your thoughts the day after the premiere.

 

BIG BROTHER Finalists…Breaking News (SPOILERS)

Ladies and gentleman, tonight the two BIG BROTHER 8 finalists were named.  These two people will go head-to-head in the finals for the grand prize of $500,000 and the crown of BB8 winner.  The second place winner will walk away with $50,000.  Deciding who win will be their six former houseguests who since eviction have been living in the Big Brother jury house.

So which two houseguests will be facing each other in the final?

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THE OFFICE Live Chat…Shall We?

Every Thursday during this past TV season I would gather with anywhere from 20 to sometimes up to 60 or so friends to watch THE OFFICE. No, my apartment isn’t that big (I wish)…we all met over at BuddyTV.com where I hosted a live OFFICE chat for viewers on the East Coast. During the show we would all chat LIVE about the the craziness that is Dunder Mifflin.Last May, during the Upfronts, former NBC president Kevin Reilly announced that NBC would be running their own live chats during the show. With that news, I officially retired the GMMR/Buddy TV OFFICE chats…or so I thought. Fast forward to…well…now, and there’s yet to be an announcement about any NBC live chats. I guess they’re not doing them after all.

So I’m trying to decide whether or not to reinstate the BuddyTV chats. To be honest, I wasn’t planning on it. There are a ton of places to chat about THE OFFICE online and I just figured people would be heading there. But over the past few weeks I’ve had a bunch of emails from folks saying they were looking forward to getting back to their routines of watching THE OFFICE and chatting on Thursday nights. I don’t know what to do. Do I bring the chats back or not. Will there be enough people attending to make it worthwhile? Ugh..what’s a girl to do?

If you are a fan of THE OFFICE, would you mind taking the poll below so I can figure out what I should do.

GMMR Flashback: Doogie Howser, M.D.

Every once in a while it’s important to look back at our history and understand how the events of those who came before us affected life as we know it today. These events shaped who we are and we must pay them the proper respect they deserve. In order to properly honor our forefathers (or two fathers in the case of Nicole Bradford), GMMR will start to look back at those whose influence made us the people we are today.

Doogie Hower, M.D. – An important show of my youth. Watching this show I felt like I could tackle the world. I mean, if Doogie could be a doctor at 14 then there wasn’t anything I couldn’t do. The show had important place in TV history. Without it, the world would never know Barney Stinson, and I don’t even want to imagine a world without Barney Stinson. Suit up!! And do you think Joey Potter would really be climbing through Dawson Leery’s window if Vinnie Delpino didn’t do it first? I think not.

Bonus:
– Did anyone recognize Vinnie & Doogie’s co-worker? I’ll give you a hint…his show has been on the air longer than he has been alive.

– Raise your hand if you knew exactly who “Nicole Bradford” was without looking it up.

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