About Last Night: SWINGTOWN, MY BOYS and More…

I hope you’ll forgive me for this blog and dash post, but this is my last official day off before I start my new job on Monday, and I all think we can agree that it is best spent at the beach. Right?

But I know there was a lot of TV on last night and I really wanted to hear what YOU thought about the TV you watched. So here’s the part where you blog about what you watched. Anything interesting to share?

MY BOYS…
So now we know. PJ invited Bobby along to Italy. Who called it? Sadly Ms. PJ didn’t really set the proper expectations with the boy who thought he was along as a buddy. Hate when that happens. And with Stephanie ditching her man on day one how could she not pick up on the fact that she was seriously Bobby-blocking her best friend?! I’m not convinced that’s the end for PJ and Bobby though. I could see these two giving it another shot down the line. That is if one of them doesn’t get married soon (d’oh).

SWINGTOWN…
That sexy little episode is still sitting on my DVR just waiting for me to ‘swing’ my way over to it. Maybe I’ll get to it later tonight. What did you all think of the second episode. There seemed to be a few mixed feelings after the first, but most seemed to be on board for giving it another shot. Was it worth it? Was it still as smarmy? Not that it’s a bad thing necessairly.

KATHY GRIFFIN: MY LIFE ON THE D-LIST…
Could sister-friend do anything more to put herself (and everyone she meets) in an uncomfortable situation. She’s dead funny but man she can make for an awkward conversation. It was good to see her back on TV though and just as sassy as ever. I think she’d be on the short list of people that I’d love to share a scone with at Starbucks. Can you imagine a girls night out with Kathy Griffin? Too fun!

The best (or worst) of the rest…

Bravo’s A-List Awards (with only the tackiest of reality TV stars) were on. Did you watch? The red carpet arrivals was treacherous. Tim Gunn looked awkward as all get out, and I can’t say that he made it work. I didn’t catch the name of the other guy working the red carpet but he was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I need to find out who he is. He was rude, offensive but completely honest. Lauren Hutton should be brought out back and shot. Ok, maybe that’s harsh but seriously who let her out in public acting like such a crazyass?

The Bill Engvall Show….Does anyone here watch? Please drop me a line if you do because I need to know if you want me to cover the show on GMMR or not.

Fear Itself got great reviews for its first feature. I didn’t watch…to scary. But did anyone catch it? Was it any good? I wanted to watch only for Cynthia Watros, but even Libby isn’t enough to get me tuned into the scary.

Congratulation to the Celtics for scoping a mayjah upset over the Los Angeles Lakers. What was that? Crazy good, that’s what it was!!

Ok, I’m out. Talk to me people. Tell me what you watched and what you thought of last night’s TV!!

Finally Some Real News on THE OFFICE Spinoff

The blogs were all a buzz last night with rumors of Rashida Jones joining THE OFFICE spinoff. But this morning, courtesy of Variety, we have the first real news about the show including the first cast member to officially sign on as well some news about the new writing staff.

Aziz Ansari, best known for his work on the MTV comedy show “Human Giant” is the first official cast member for the yet to be named OFFICE spinoff. No word yet on who he will be portraying, we only know that he will be part of a larger ensemble cast.

THE OFFICE showrunner Greg Daniels and current OFFICE producer/writer/guest star, Michael Schur, will be the EP’s on the spinoff. The producers said they’re “excited about the message they hope Ansari’s casting sends to the comedy community and “Office” fans”.

About Ansari, Daniel tells Variety,”We met him pretty early on and thought he was very funny. We loved his work in ‘Human Giant,’ which I’m a huge fan of, as is Mike, and we have a good character for him.”

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SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Podcast: Season 4, W1

Last night was the first elimination episode of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Season 4 and our Top 20 quickly became our Top 18.

This being the first week of competition, I’ve realized I have to figure out next week how to better consolidate my SYTYCD posts. There’s just so much to talk about. And talk about the show is just what Ducky and I did last night. Check out our latest SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Podcast and hear our thoughts on all the routines from Week 1 , our early favorites, last night’s eliminations and more.

Listen to our NEW! SYTYCD Podcast Week 1 Results

• And if you missed it, check out our SYTYCD Podcast Top 20 Reveal

Feedback?
We’ve had an influx of new listeners to our podcast over the past few weeks, so if you are a newbie…Welcome! We would LOVE to hear YOUR feedback on SYTYCD, the podcast…whatever you want to talk about. If you’ve got a comment about the show feel free to leave you comment on this post. But if you have general feedback on the SYTYCD podcast, click here and share your thoughts with others over at TV Talk with GMMR & Ducky Podcast Page at iTunes.

Who Went Home on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE?

[For those of you who don’t watch SYTYCD….I’d apologize for all the posts, but I’m not going to. I told you that you should be watching.]

It was the first elimination of the season. The Top 20 performed and one guy and one girl were sent home. It’s a bit of a shame. The dancers only had one performance to show the voting audience their talent as dancers and their winning personalities. Not an easy task with a routine that was less than two minutes.

But thems the breaks, and two people were sent packing.

I’m going to make this one short and sweet because tomorrow you can hear my thoughts on this week’s performances as well as the results show on our SYTYCD podcast. So let’s get down to it.

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Guillermo & Edward Norton Star in ‘The Hulk’ – Jimmy Kimmel Live

First Guillermo took on Matt Damon in ‘The Bourne Identity’ and now he shows Edward Norton just how bad ass he really is when he assumes duties as the all new ‘The Hulk’. You may have been tough in films like ‘Fight Club’ and ‘American History X’ but you’ve never gone against the 5’4 green midget named Guillermo. Don’t get Guillermo mad…he may just cry.

Have I mentioned I love Jimmy Kimmel?

Will Rashida Jones Star in THE OFFICE Spin-Off?

Everyday their seems to be a new rumor about THE OFFICE spin-off premiering next year but this one might have some credence to it. Our friends over at Watch With Kristin tell us that their sources (and they are good ones) have spilled that former OFFICE star Rashida Jones may be joining the cast of the new show. No? Yup.Ms. Jones supposedly has a talent development deal with Universal Media Studios which may be playing into the new gig. But let’s not forget that Rashida was also a very popular character during her one season on the show. I don’t think anyone ever expected Jim Halpert’s new girlfriend, the one keeping him from his true love Pam Beesly, to have fans, but Rashida’s portrayal of Karen Filipelli was endearing enough to have plenty of people on TEAM KAREN.

Until something is written up in a press release approved by Greg Daniels I refuse to believe anything when it comes to this spin-off. But I gotta say, I wouldn’t mind seeing the return of Rashida Jones or Karen Filipelli…as long as they both stay away from my Jim Halpert.

For more on the Rashida rumors, visit WWK.

I suppose it’s way too early to speculate, but what the hell…that’s what we do. What do YOU think about Rashida Jones possibly joining THE OFFICE spinoff.

Watch the SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Routines (Week 1)

There seems to be a C-O-N-spiracy happening. Why else would so many of you emailed me today complaining that your DVRs failed to record last night’s kick off to SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE? I apologize for taking this long to get the routines up, but here they are none the less.

In case you missed them, here is your chance to get caught up before tonight’s W1 elimination.

Rayven Armijo and Jamie Bayard

Susie Garcia and Marquis Cunningham

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SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Recap: Top 20 Perform

Last night the Top 2o performers took the stage to officially kick off Season 4 of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. There were some interesting pairings and some really inspired routines. Of course there were some missteps along the way, but I think the good outweighed the bad last night. I’m excited for the promise of this season based on the level of talent we saw in Week One.

I wasn’t able to see the show until this afternoon and it’s killed me not to read anyone else’s reviews of the performances, but I know I would have be swayed so I had to wait to see it all for myself.

So here’s my take on last night’s performances. Check back tomorrow for more on tonight’s performances and our thoughts on who got eliminated – yes, there will be another TV Talk Podcast: SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Edition coming your way in the morning.

Rayven Armijo and Jamie Bayard kicked off Season 4 with a Hip Hop routine choreographed by Napoleon and Tabitha. I think Dan Karatay said it best when he commented that is was “not bad, but not great”. And with that you know they’re in trouble because it’s not often that I agree with Karatay. But he’s right. For the first week it wasn’t horrible. But really there was just no connection between the two dancers. I found it a bit too theatrical and their facial expressions a bit distracting. They were both dancing as individuals out there. And yeah, I really didn’t need to see Jamie in his undies. Not at least during the first week.

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The Return of Kathy Griffin and Her D-List Life

You either love her or you hate her…and then there’s people like me who worship her. Perhaps one of the most polarizing women on TV, Kathy Griffin, is back tonight with a new season of her EMMY award winning (yes, I saw EMMY award winning) reality show, KATHY GRIFFIN: MY LIFE ON THE D-LIST.

Kathy’s desperation to become a A-list celeb puts her in the most precarious situations, and she loves every minute of it. The more desperate the act the bigger the laugh. And it’s all documented for us to enjoy every week. But what can we expect this season, well let’s see what Ms. Griffin has to say about it:

So excited. KATHY GRIFFIN: MY LIFE ON THE D-LIST premiers tonight at 9pm on Bravo and will move to its regular 10pm ET/PT timeslot on Thursday, June 19th.

Here’s a sneak peak at some of Kathy’s signature uncomfortableness (is that a word?) tonight!

Is anyone else as excited as I am?

Tonight it’s Me and MY BOYS

For fans of MY BOYS it’s the answer we’ve all been waiting for…who is the mystery man PJ invited along to Italy? Well I know, and I’ve known for about a month and it’s been killing me not to share it with all of you. I can tell you that it’s someone that PJ knows well, and they get along great…someone who makes PJ feel like just she’s one of the guys. Do you want to know? Do you want me to spill it? Nah, why bother? You’re going to find out later tonight anyway, right? Yes you will, and in the first few minutes none the less. I think you can wait.

Yes, the second season of MY BOYS starts tonight at 9:30pm on TBS and the show picks up right where it left off, with PJ smiling at her male companion in first class. But will her Italy trip go as planned? Will it be all kisses and amore or like much of PJ’s dating life to date…kind of a disaster? Maybe a girl just needs to leave the boys behind to find out what she really wants. Read more

McCormack and Olsen to Join BROTHERS & SISTERS

In case you were startled by the headline, I’m happy to say that former BRADY BUNCH star Maureen McCormack will not be joining the cast of BROTHERS & SISTERS.  Neither will either of the Olsen twins. Now that we have that cleared up, I will tell you that Will McCormack and Eric Christian Olsen will be joining the cast in recurring roles next season.

According to The Hollywood Reporter McCormack and Olsen will play new business associates of Sarah (Rachel Griffiths), and one of them — the show’s producers wouldn’t say which — is being groomed as a potential love interest for her.

While we welcome Eric and Will to the show, the casting news we are all really waiting on is who is going to play new brother Ryan Walker.  No news yet from that department.  I’ve heard some rumors, but to be honest with you, the names I heard (Gregory Smith, Jason Dohring, etc) were more wishful thinking of behalf of fans.

Fun, Game Show, Regis Philbin: MILLION DOLLAR PASSWORD

If you’re looking for something a little more interesting in your game shows than say, perhaps opening a suitcase, then you should definitely give CBS’s MILLION DOLLAR PASSWORD a shot. Regis Philbin returns to prime time as host of this modern update of one of television’s classic game shows.

If you’re not familiar with the show, it’s easy to catch on. Contestants are paired with celebrities and the two rely on each other to give one-word clues to help their partner figure out the ‘password’. So if I were to say: ‘flat screen‘, ‘HD‘, ‘shows‘, I would hope my partner would guess ‘TV’. And I hope my partner would be Will Arnett, so Will Arnett and I would run around the studio and hug and be happy because I just won a lot of money. See? Isn’t it fun?

Tonight’s celeb contestants are Betty White and Susie Essman, and I expect both to be a lot of fun. Check out a sneak peek at tonight’s MILLION DOLLAR PASSWORD.

And if you’re looking to waste time today, here’s the first full episode of the show featuring Neil Patrick Harris and Rachel Ray:

What to Watch…Thursday, June 12, 2008

Thursday night is for TV lovers. I’m brimming with excitement about what we have in store for us tonight. So much good TV that I actually had to go to my second DVR to handle some of tonight’s recording duties. That’s what I call a good night.

There’s a lot to discuss on all of tonight’s shows and I think you all are going to need a little more that just a simple synopsis to help you decide. I’ll be posting more information on most of these shows throughout the day, but for now let’s just start with the highlights of tonight’s schedule.

NBA Finals (Lakers vs. Celtics) | 9pm on ABC
The Boston Celtics are taking on the Los Angeles Lakers tonight in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. The Celts are up 2 games to 1. They’ve been horrible on the road in the post season so let’s hope they can pull off a big win tonight. I’ll be watching…the sidelines to see what celebs are in the house. GO CELTS!!

So You Think You Can Dance | 8pm on Fox
The first results show of the season reveals the three couples with the fewest votes. After the six dancers perform solo routines, one male and one female will be eliminated. Also: The Pussycat Dolls sing “When I Grow Up.

Million Dollar Password | 8pm on CBS
I had a blast watch the first two episodes of this fun revival of a classic game show. Tonight’s celebrity contestants are the always sassy Betty White and the funny star of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” Susie Essman. Regis Philbin hosts.

Last Comic Standing | 8:30pm on NBC
The audition process continues with “Cheers” alumni George Wendt and John Ratzenberger appraising comedic talent in Nashville. Meanwhile, Kate Flannery and Brian Baumgartner, both from “The Office,” evaluate hopefuls in Minneapolis.

The Bill Engvall Show | 9pm on TBS | Season Premiere
“But That’s Not Fair”
The kids revolt when they are asked to clean the garage, so Bill fights back by stripping them of their privileges; after Bill and Nancy are plagued with cell phone problems, they try unsuccessfully to get their issues fixed at the store. [Win Season 1 of THE BILL ENGVALL SHOW on DVD from GMMR]

Kathy Griffin: My Life of the D-List | 9pm on Bravo | Season Premiere
Kathy is invited to co-host CNN’s New Year’s Eve Countdown alongside veteran anchor Anderson Cooper; Kathy attends the Producers Guild Awards to present an award and see if her show, “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-list,” will win anything.

My Boys | 9:30pm on TBS | Season Premiere
“The Transitioning”
PJ and Stephanie vacation in Italy with their men, but the romantic atmosphere evaporates when Stephanie finally learns who PJ’s mystery date is; the boys create trouble without PJ around to control them, causing them to get kicked out of Crowley’s.

Swingtown | 10pm on CBS
Bruce celebrates a great day on the trading-room floor by attending a party with Susan and the Deckers at the Playboy Club; Janet entertains her new neighbors and realizes how important her friendship with Susan is.

Bravo’s A-List Awards | 10pm on Bravo
Bravo pays tribute to the creative people who have left their mark in the arts and popular culture as it presents the A-list nominees and winners in the worlds of television, acting, reality shows, fashion, cooking and more.

Fear Itself | 10pm on NBC
“Spooked”
A private investigator (Eric Roberts, Heroes) on a stakeout in a haunted house is tormented by his past. Jack Noseworthy and Cynthia Watros (Lost) also star.

Late Night TV…

• The Late Show with David Letterman | 11:35pm on CBS: Emmylou Harris
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | 11:35pm on NBC: Dana Carvey, Spencer Breslin, Priscilla Ahn
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | 11:00pm on Comedy Central: Richard Engel
• The Colbert Report | 11:30pm on Comedy Central: Dixon Despommier
• Chelsea Lately | 11:30pm on E!: Ashanti, Owen Benjamin, Jake Sasseville, Arden Myrin
• Jimmy Kimmel Live | 12:05am on ABC: Tim Roth, Kenny Mayne, Carolina Liar
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson | 12:35am on CBS: Jenna Fischer, Wolfgang Puck
• Late Night with Conan O’Brien | 12:35am on NBC: Randy Jackson, Forever the Sickest Kids
• Last Call with Carson Daly | 1:35am on NBC: Verne Troyer, Chris Osgood, Nicklas Lidstrom

Seriously, there’s a lot to watch tonight. What to watch? Hmmm. To help make this very important decision a bit easier, I’m going to be posting information throughout the day about some of these shows, so check back soon.

What to Watch…Wednesday, June 11, 2008

TiVo don’t fail me now. Tonight is the first round of competition on SYTYCD and I won’t be home to watch it.  I know, I know but I have a good excuse.  I’m going to be high atop the Green Monster seats at Fenway Park watching my Red Sox play.  I”ll be sure to watch as soon as I get home, no doubt about there.

Here’s a little taste of what’s on tonight.

So You Think You Can Dance | 8pm on Fox
Tonight the Top 10 girls and the Top 10 guys are paired up for the first round of competition.  We’re going to see some great genres tonight including Broadway, Hip Hop, Contemporary, (the dreaded) Disco, a little Cha Cha and some Jazz. If you want to know who the partners are and what they danced, head over to Ducky’s site where he’s got all the scoop.

• Supernanny | 9pm on ABC: JIn the fourth-season premiere, Jo comes to the rescue of the parents of three young children, including 3-year-old twins, who drive their grandmother crazy when she helps care for them.

• Celebrity Circus | 9:30pm on NBC: Celebs learn and perform circus acts in the opener of this reality-competition series hosted by Joey Fatone. The contestants are Antonio Sabato Jr., Blu Cantrell, Christopher Knight, Janet Evans, Jason “Wee Man” Acuña, Rachel Hunter and Stacey Dash.

• Men in Trees | 10pm on ABC: As the series finale begins, Elmo’s talent show is approaching and Annie is rehearsing the dance number she’ll perform with Ivan. But Patrick plans drastic action to win her back. And Marin gets a hefty check for her latest book, which pleases Jack.

• She’s Got the Look | 10pm on TV Land: After facing six modeling agents, the 10 finalists prepare for their first elimination challenge: a nude photo shoot.
• On the

Late Night TV…

• The Late Show with David Letterman | 11:35pm on CBS: Zooey Deschanel, Jakob Dylan
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | 11:35pm on NBC:  Dana Carvey, Spencer Breslin, Priscilla Ahn
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | 11:00pm on Comedy Central: Rick Shenkman
• The Colbert Report | 11:30pm on Comedy Central: David Hadju
• Chelsea Lately | 11:30pm on E!: Brad Wollack, Loni Love, Al Madrigal, Illeana Douglas (R)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live | 12:05am on ABC: Kathy Griffin, Josh Peck, Esperanza Spalding
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson | 12:35am on CBS: Stockard Channing, Bill Engvall
• Late Night with Conan O’Brien | 12:35am on NBC: Mark Wahlberg, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
• Last Call with Carson Daly | 1:35am on NBC: Emmanuelle Chriqui, Tristan Prettyman

Are you in a sharing mood?  What will YOU be watching tonight?

A Note from Me to You…

Hi everyone! If you’re in the middle of a heat wave like we are here in Boston, I hope you’re staying cool. It’s scorching hot here and I’m doing my best to not be a hot sweaty mess, but it ain’t easy.

June is a bizarre time in TV world and in the quirky little world that is TV blogging. All of our favorite regular season shows have ended. Reality TV has taken over the tube – some worth talking about, but most not worth the time. And while the kind folks over at USA, TBS, TNT, etc are offering up some fantastic scripted summer shows (some of which start later this week), there’s not a ton to talk about. Yes, there’s the Fall season to discuss, but personally I like to wait at least until the middle of July to get into all that stuff because to be honest, things change daily – pilots are recasted, showrunners change, pilots are reshot – and I like to wait until there’s something worthwhile and interesting to really talk about.

But the lack of TV isn’t the only reason that GMMR has been a little quiet as of late. Not to make excuses, but I didn’t want you to think this is how we were going to roll all summer. Nope, let’s just call June our ‘lull time’. That being said, I thought I would give you guys a heads up on what’s going on in my world that might creep into GMMR-land.

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