BROTHERS & SISTERS is a Downer Despite Being an Upper

I set my alarm at 6:15 this morning so I could get up and watch BROTHER & SISTERS before I had to start my workday. Had I known it was going to be so depressing I would have just slept in. Sunday night’s episode wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t exactly how I like to see my Walker family. Yeah, they were all still a bit neurotic and crazy, but there was no fun. I was left feeling a little down…too bad the same could not be said about Justin.

Justin is back from Iraq and is in major pain from the multiple leg surgeries he had. He’s been refusing any kind of pain medication because as a recovering addict he doesn’t want to go down that path again. A commendable choice, but not a realistic one. This may come as a shock but Nora was overbearing and annoying while trying to convince Justin (and anyone that would listen) that Justin needed to take his meds. I wish someone would put Nora on some meds…she needs to chill out. In the end, after an outing with Rebecca during which he re-injured his knee (the sound effect of which made me want to hurl) Justin begrudgingly decided to take the meds. By the end of the episode we saw his glassy eyes and vacant expression – all which we and the Walker family know too well. Uh oh.

I’m interested to see where this is all going. My prediction – Justin once again becomes addicted tot he drugs which leads Nora into a downward spiral herself for pushing the meds on him in the first place. Prove that you can do better than that writers!!

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Patrick Swayze is a “Beast”

Quick! Somebody go grab Baby from the corner and let her know that Johnny Castle is back. Yes, Patrick Swayze has a new project but it has nothing to do with dancing (sad for me, good for him). Swayze has just been cast in the upcoming A&E original series, “Beast“.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Beast” centers on an unorthodox but effective FBI veteran (Swayze) who trains a new partner (Travis Fimmel, “Tarzan”) in his hard-edged, psychologically clever style while being pursued by a secret Internal Affairs team.

“This is a very smart show, and with these actors, it should definitely be something our viewers would really gravitate toward,” A&E senior vp drama programming Tana Nugent Jamieson said. “Patrick plays a tough, darker character that needs some likability, and he definitely has that.”

No word yet on when the show will premiere, but shooting will commence before the end of the year.

What to Watch…Monday, October 15, 2007

How about a little TV tonight? You’ve got a lot to choose from…too much as always. Me? I’m screwed – all these great shows just happen to be up against the playoffs. I’m going to be watching baseball tonight so most of these shows will have to wait until tomorrow. Well, who am I kidding, I won’t wait until tomorrow to watch CHUCK or HEROES, but the others will have to wait.

Red Sox vs. Indians | 8pm on Fox
The Red Sox and Indians face each other tonight in Game 3 of the ALCS. Each team has taken one game so who knows what’s going to happen tonight. After staying up until past 1am watching my Sox choke on Saturday night they best bring their game tonight. And so help me God if I see Eric Gagne warming up in the bullpen…well, let’s just say Francona and I will have words. GO SOX!!!

How I Met Your Mother | 8pm on CBS
“Little Boys”
Robin dates a single dad, and to her surprise, bonds with the man’s son, which causes her to worry that the relationship is too serious. Wait, I thought Robin didn’t like kids. Hmm, I wonder if Ted will pick up on it. I hope he’s cut his hair.

The Big Bang Theory | 8:30pm on CBS
“The Luminous Fish Effect”
Faced with a life without physics when he gets fired, Sheldon resorts to weaving ponchos, forcing a worried Leonard to call Sheldon’s mother for help.

Chuck | 8pm on NBC
“Chuck Versus the Wookie”
Sarah’s fetching CIA colleague arrives, and Chuck joins forces with the two lady spies for a mission involving a million-dollar diamond and a terrorist-funding operation. Meanwhile, Morgan has eyes for Sarah’s coworker.

Heroes | 9pm on NBC
“The Kindness of Strangers”
Matt asks Molly to find the man haunting her dreams, but the outcome is not pleasant; H.R.G. suspects Claire has a new boyfriend; Angela has shocking news; and Micah’s cousin Monica (Dana Davis) finds herself with some unanticipated new abilities.

Samantha Who? | SERIES Premiere | 10pm on ABC
Christina Applegate stars in this sitcom about a woman who wakes up from an eight-day coma with amnesia and learns that she wasn’t a nice person before the coma. First up: Samantha learns that she is a cheater and an alcoholic.

Journeyman | 10pm on NBC
“The Year of the Rabbit”
Dan goes to 1998 to track a software-company cofounder, who is threatened by her fiancé when she discovers he was cooking the books. Meanwhile, Dan’s trips disrupt Katie’s fund-raiser gala.

Also playing…

• Dancing with the Stars | 8pm on ABC
• Two and a Half Men | 9pm on CBS
• Rules of Engagement | 9:30pm on CBS
• CSI: Miami| 10pm on CBS

Mondays…they aren’t for TV amateurs! What will you be watching tonight?

Cocktail Party Primer (Episode #9)

Prêt-à-Field Earth: The Last King of Species

Warning Prison Break fans who live under rocks: the following contains the least spoilery spoiler in the history of spoilers. But first, Internet Movie Database thinks you’re very easily amused, NBC thinks you need more exposure to classic literature, and Fox plans on bribing you to tell all your most sordid secrets. If you want to be one of the cool kids at all the hottest shindigs, box socials, and hootenannies this weekend, I’m here to tell you everything you need to know.

• Academy award winner Forest Whitaker has just signed a deal to produce and star in a FX drama about an arms dealer. Between this, The Last King of Scotland, and his turn on The Shield, we’ve all come to think Whitaker as a serious and accomplished thespian who commands high profile roles. It won’t be long until his success triggers the automatic ‘Tom Hanks Clause’ wherein an actor becomes so respected that all the embarrassing flops in the past (I’m looking at you, Turner and Hooch) are scrubbed from his resume. I mean, if nobody looks at Hanks and thinks of Bonfire of the Vanities, there’s no reason we can’t forget Whitaker’s cinematic gems Prêt-à-Porter, Battlefield Earth, and Species.

• Have you ever wished there was a resource where you could find out every single smidgen of information about such classic characters as The Skipper from Gilligan’s Island or Carlton Banks from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? Of course you haven’t! You’ve got a life, a job, and a World of Warcraft account. You don’t have time for such useless diversions. But assuming you become an agoraphobic shut-in who spends 17 hours a day online and you suddenly discover you’ve just about exhausted the content that the World Wide Web has to offer, IMDB will now allow you to fulfill that very non-existent desire with their new character pages. And if learning that Allison Parker appeared in 160 episodes of Melrose Place (one of which was titled Peanut Butter and Jealousy) doesn’t while away your last few minutes of boredom, there’s always that site where you watch cheese age via webcam.

• On a Columbian game show called Nothing But the Truth, contestants hooked up to lie detectors had already ‘fessed up to indiscretions like drug smuggling and homosexual prostitution in front of an audience of friends and loved ones. On October 2, a woman admitted to having hired a hitman to murder her husband who ran away before the hit could be carried out. The woman was awarded $25,000, but the show ended up cancelled when producers realized they might be charged accessories after-the-fact for the failed murder plot. It shouldn’t surprise you at all to learn that Fox is working on a U.S. version. Ever conscious of building buzz, I expect that they will sensibly save their version of that blockbuster revelation for sweeps.

• So I was watching Heroes the other night and I thought, “NBC really has some great prime time programming on these days. But you know what would make it a million times better? If they would finally figure out a way to meet the public’s almost obsessive desire to see adaptations of the dull, early 18th century novels we had to read in high school!” I guess that the network must be monitoring my thoughts with some kind of creepy brain implant, because they’ve just announced that next year they’ll debut a 13 episode adaptation of Daniel Defoe’s 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe. It should be just like Lost, but with colonialism, cannibalism, and if we’re very lucky, monkey butlers. English teachers everywhere just wet their pants.

• When I found out about the rather shark jumpy decapitation that happened on Prison Break this week, Se7en jokes started swirling around in my mind. I mean, having something awful happen to the love interest is basically fiction’s oldest and cheapest way of motivating a hero and giving him some easy pathos, but, um, guys? Somebody used this particular gruesome method of dispatching the pretty lady already. I couldn’t get over the comparison until someone mentioned Justin Timberlake in my presence. Then the following sprang up fully formed, and dislodged any thoughts of Brad Pitt from my mind (a tricky thing to do indeed):

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To all the networks out there with viewers to distress

It’s easy to do; just follow these steps:

1: Cut off the love interest’s head

2: Stuff her head in a box

3: Make Linc open the box

And that’s the way you dooooooooo it.

It’s her head in a box!

Martha Smith is a San Francisco-based freelance writer and editor. She writes mostly about food, TV, and other things that can be enjoyed while sitting down.

GREY’S ANATOMY Redux: Let the Truth Sting

I didn’t get around to watching GREY’S ANATOMY until about 1am this morning. I don’t know if it was me being overtired or what but I think I really liked last night’s episode. There wasn’t anything really that stood out about the characters or the storylines last night, but I liked the episode as a whole.  Is that even possible?

Here’s a little of what went down in Seattle Grace last night…
Well, well, well it looks like perhaps Meredith Grey listened to my advice and eased up on her sister just a bit.  Way to be mature Meredith, even if it was only for a second. It was nice to see that it wasn’t all about Meredith, again…even if it was only for a second. This time around it was Lexie being a bit self absorbed (and Mere claims they aren’t really sisters…ha).  The scene with Meredith going over Lexie’s mother’s death notes and telling Lex that she was very fond of her mother was touching.  It’s a scene that should have happened in the first episode of the season, but hey, you can’t win ’em all.

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Ed Helms “Take a Chance on Me”

The best moment of last night’s episode of THE OFFICE…Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) serenading Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey) with ABBA’s “Take a Chance on Me”. I can’t stop watching this scene. Perfect!!

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MOONGLIGHT…A Sneak Peek

Are you loving MOONLIGHT? I find myself really looking forward to it on Friday nights. Want a sneak peek at tonight’s episode?

(Please let me know if you are having any trouble viewing the clips)

Moonlight Clip #1
Moonlight Clip #2

What to Watch…Friday, October 12, 2007

It’s Friday night so it’s all about the lights, the vampires and baseball.

Red Sox vs. Indians | 8pm on Fox
The Sox and the Indians kick off Game 1 of the ALCS tonight at Fenway Park. I’m going to be at a wedding shower but I’m thinking they’ll find a way to show the game, especially since the groom is a die hard Sox fan. GO SOX!!!

Friday Night Lights | 9pm on NBC
“Bad Ideas”
The start of the school year finds Tami struggling without Eric’s parenting help. Elsewhere, Matt and Landry have difficulty adjusting to new lifestyles. Smash, on the other hand, basks in accolades from coaches, scouts and fans.

A special thank you to all of you who checked out FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS for the first time last week. The show needs all the viewers it can get so I hope you all are loving it as much as I am. Tell your family, friends, and complete strangers on the street to check it out.

Moonlight | 9pm on CBS
“Dr. Feelgood”
Still reeling from Mick’s revelation about his identity, a cautious Beth struggles as she helps him track down a blood-thirsty, renegade vampire who doesn’t know how to deal with his killer urges.

30 ROCK Recap: Jack Gets Back in the Game

Before we get into the recap of last night’s 30 ROCK, I just want to say that I’m a late comer to the show and I’m so glad I listened to all of you that were raving about it all last year.  I’m almost all caught up on last season and I think this show is hysterical, just brilliant stuff. Oh and bring Will Arnett on full time please.

Title: Jack Gets Back in the Game
Original airdate: Oct. 11, 2007
GMMR recapper: Brian
It was a night of redemption for the crew at 30 Rock, something you wouldn’t expect from the season’s second episode.

Then again, you wouldn’t expect Liz to be a steak fiend, Harvard to publish a Gay Business Review or “Me Want Food” to be the catchphrase of the year. But the truth is the truth, as sure as the alien living inside Stan Lee founded the Church of Practicology.

But before you can have redemption, you’ve got to hit bottom. And that’s where Liz Lemon resides these days. Jack always sees it, but so does Jenna this time. It’s tough to take life lessons from a single woman who uses their treadmill as a coat rack for a wedding dress. Like Liz is supposed to put it in the closet with ham fat all over it. Read more

THE OFFICE Recap: “Launch Party

WARNING! The following contains spoilers for tonight’s episode of THE OFFICE. Read at your own risk.

Tonight’s episode of THE OFFICE was like putting on a pair of old comfy pajamas…um, really, um funny pajamas? I don’t know where I was going with that exactly but what I was trying to say is that I really loved tonight’s episode of THE OFFICE. There were so many moments that reminded me why this is my favorite show on TV. It’s not like I forgot, but I’ve been a little iffy with the first two eps of this season and I don’t like being iffy when it comes to The Office.

In tonight’s episode, technology is still trying to inch its way into Dunder Mifflin. But technology can’t stand up to the mad selling skills of Dwight K. Schrute. Did you know that he was salesman of the month for 13 out of the last 12 months? Yeah, he’s that good. So when DB!Ryan launches Dunder Mifflin’s new corporate website it’s no match for Dwight. Despite being distraught and distracted over his breakup with Angela, he still manages to kick the computers ass.

Angela is back to her old bitchy self and I loved it. With the virtual launch party to plan, and dealing with the death of Sprinkles and her break with Dwight Angela was being bossy, judgmental and downright rude to anyone that got in her path (which was mostly Phyllis). It was great.

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TV Podcast #15: Fall TV’s Hit & Misses

Ducky and GMMR are neck deep in Fall TV but we finally had some time to do another TV Podcast.In TV Podcast #15, we discuss the fall television season and all of its overwhelming glory. We go day by day and talk about the shows that are on, what we’re watching, what we’ve already dropped, and what we hope to catch in reruns (networks willing).

New Shows We’re Talking About:

• Pushing Daisies, Chuck, Dirty Sexy Money, Gossip Girl, Journeyman, Big Bang Theory, Aliens In America, Reaper, Private Practice, Bionic Woman, Moonlight

And Returning Faves:

• How I Met Your Mother, Heroes, Prison Break, House, Bones, Top Model, Grey’s Anatomy, The Office, Supernatural, Friday Night Lights, Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters

Subscribe and Listen via iTunes

Listen Online: Podcast #15

Interested in catching up on our past podcasts? Head on over to the podcast page where you can listen to all of our previous episodes. Please comment on duckydoestv and givememyremote’s TV Podcast at iTunes.

Veronica Mars: The Complete Third Season Giveaway

VERONICA MARS may be gone but she’ll never be forgotten. If you’re missing a little Veronica in your life, fear not because I have just what you need – Veronica Mars: The Complete Third Season.

In celebration of the October 23rd release of Veronica Mars: The Complete Third Season, GMMR has 3 copies of the special DVD to giveaway.

The six-disc DVD set features all 20 episodes of S3 as well as all-new behind-the-scenes special feature which include:

• Pitching Season 4 – An in-depth interview w/ Creator Rob Thomas discussing a new direction for the series presented to network executives that picks up years later, with Veronica as a rookie FBI agent.

• Going Undercover with Rob Thomas – Show Creator Rob Thomas walks us through some of the most memorable moments from Season 3

• Webisode Gallery with cast interviews and various set tours

• Unaired Scenes with introductions by Rob Thomas

• Gag Reel

Enter to Win

To enter, just leave a comment and share with us your favorite Veronica Mars moment of all time. If you’re a fan it’s easy (or maybe because it’s hard to just pick one moment).

Three winners will be chosen at random from all comments received. Please make sure you include a valid email address when leaving a comment so we can contact you directly if you win.

So Say We All: Gossip Girl, Dirty Sexy Money, & Private Practice

I’m a selfish girl.  Although some of you may be dying to talk about last night’s TV, I refused to post today’s “So Saw We All” until I got all caught up with last night’s TV shows.  I know myself and I would be too tempted to read your comments and be all kinds of spoiled.  So I waited until my lunch break and got caught up on the shows I didn’t get to finish last night.

I’m done, and now it’s YOUR turn to tell me all about what YOU watched on Wednesday night.

First up…

Private Practice

I’m glad this show is something different than it was in the pilot.  Each week’s episodes seem to be getting a little bit better.  Addison and her new friends still seem a bit bizarre to me and I’m not sure I would want them as my doctors but I can deal, for now.  I really like Cooper (Paul Adelstein) when he’s doing something besides talking about bedding women.  The scene with him in a tutu and crown with pink lip gloss was too cute for words – but he was doing what he needed to for those kids.  Addison needs not to be so self-absorbed, but I love her all the same.  What I don’t buy at all is Dell’s infatuation with Naomi.  There is no chemistry there.  Get Dell a girl his own age – there’s more that can be done with him. Still not finding a use for Amy Brennanman’s character who I’m guessing is the worst shrink on the planet.  Overall I’d say that I’m in a relationship with Private Practice now and I don’t think we’re going to be breaking up any time soon despite our differences.

Dirty, Sexy, Money

My twin-tuition is telling me that you all should at least give this show a shot.  Ducky and I were podcasting last night and neither of us could figure out why this show isn’t a smash hit.  I find The Darlings darling in their own sick and twisted way.  The storylines are limitless when you are dealing with these freak shows. The things Nick George has to deal with! You gotta love that there was a sex tape featuring one of the Darlings and no one knows which one it could be since any one of them (well except for Juliette, the virgin?  What?!) My favorite scene had to be the throw down between Juliette and Nicole which landed them both showing their undies during a red carpet brawl.  Why are the girls fighting?  Well, one of the got bangs and the other followed…the horror!!

Gossip Girl

XOXO Gossip Girl…yes hugs and kissed all around for this fabulous show.  The minute I hear Kristen Bell’s campy voice over I know I’m in for a good 40 minutes of fun TV.  Last night’s episode was no exception.  S and B were BFFs and then mortal enemies and then BFFs again within the course of one episode…so high school. The photo shoot was s o much fun.  I mean you gotta love the direction Serena was giving to Blair: “be Britney with the umbrella” CLASSIC!!  Dan Humphrey is still all kinds of adorable, and if he wasn’t playing a HS boy he’s probably make it to the TV boyfriend list.  Maybe I should start a list of Inappropriate TV crushes…hmmm.

That’s all I got to last night, but tell me what you thought of these show and anything else you watched last night.  Time to dish.

XOXO,
GMMR

THE OFFICE Thursday on Give Me My Remote

A girl can really get used to this whole new episode of THE OFFICE every Thursday thing. After a summer without, I feel almost spoiled. Counting down the hours go a bit easier when I can talk about my favorite show with all of you, so let’s get to it.

Tonight on THE OFFICE….
“Launch Party” | 9pm on NBC
Michael gleefully anticipates attending the company’s Web-site launch party in New York. Meanwhile, Angela arranges a bash in Scranton, while tight Dwight gets wrapped up in a real paper chase: He tries to sell more paper than the Web site. (Promos at OfficeTally.com)

From the Desk of Meredith Palmer…
In this week’s TV Guide blog, Kate Flannery gives us a little scoop on just how plastered she got for tonight’s episodes and fills us in on why she’s so excited to attend The Office Convention in Scranton later this month. Read Kate’s updates for all the latest news, but be warned, there are a few spoilers for tonight’s episode. Leave her a comment – I know she reads them all. (Kate’s Blog)

LIVE Office Chat Tonight…
Looking forward to watching The Office with some of you tonight. If you’re around and want to watch The Office along with us, stop by the GMMR/Buddy TV LIVE Office chat tonight beginning at 8:30pm EST. Newbies are welcome! Go ahead and set a reminder so you don’t forget. (GMMR’s The Office/TVj sessions)

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PUSHING DAISIES Redux: “Dummy”

I wish I could properly convey just how much I love PUSHING DAISIES. I love it so much I want to marry every single second of it. Only two episodes in and it’s already in the Top 5 of my favorite shows of all time (and that’s not a category that I take lightly). Now that’s love.

I’d tell you about last night’s episode but I wouldn’t know where to begin. There was so much going on from the visuals, to the dialogue to me obsessing over just how close Ned & Chuck came to touching that I was left feeling overwhelmed…but the good kind of overwhelmed.

Listen, I know that Pushing Daisies is not everyone’s cup of tea. A show this distinctively different is not going to appeal to everyone. Some are going to be put off by the whimsical nature of the show and just not get it…or just not like it. But that’s ok. I’m not sure there is a show on TV today that everyone loves without question, am I right? It was interesting to read comments about last night’s episode on various sites this morning. Some were commending the second episode for living up to the promise of the “pie-lette” while others thought it failed miserably. Some loved some of the quirky moments like the Dandelion powered car and Olive Snook bursting into song while others wrote it off too out there. We were all watching the same show so it really comes down to a matter of personal opinion I guess.

Personally, I am so happy that I didn’t commit to writing a weekly recap of this show because it would be way to difficult. Even deciding which of my favorite moments to share is not an easy task…but I’ll give it a whirl:

• Young Ned bringing the dead frogs back to life in Science class to freak out the school bullies…only to have dear pigeons pay the ultimate price

• Ned & Chuck having bed chat in the morning. How often do we get to see our favorite TV couples sharing a bedroom after only one episode? Ok, they were twin beds which ensured they didn’t touch, but still.

• Emerson’s love for knitting – who knew it would save their lives?

• Olive’s rendition of “Hopelessly Devoted to You” (which can be seen here). Has a dog ever been serenade’s so sweetly?

• The kissing in the car through the body bags!! Ned & Chuck’s second kiss – it was a little conventional, but I’ll take it.

• …and many, many more

If you’re already a fan of PUSHING DAISIES, I hope you’ll check out ThePieMaker.com where it’s Pushing Daisies all the time.

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