DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES: Bargaining

One of the best things about Desperate Housewives is that it’s able to seamlessly balance ordinary, everyday stories with melodramatic, over-the- top ones. Tonight, Gabby was trying to show Juanita that beauty is on the inside, not the out, while, at the same time, Susan is dangerously close to being ensnared by Dave.

After being bullied by some girls at school Juanita decided to wear makeup to school. One little problem with this; she’s only six. What follows is the classic confrontation between mothers and daughters over how old is old enough to wear makeup. Gabby, of course, says that Juanita is too young and, after some pressure from Carlos, agrees to go makeup less to a big dinner. It’s then that she realizes how hard it is to have enough confidence to go out without makeup. She’s finally able to reach out to Juanita. I thought the acting and writing for this plotline was great. For something so ordinary and almost cliché, Desperate Housewives really stepped up its game and made it compelling.

Tom and Lynette have decided to try to have sex everyday for 30 days. At first, it’s working great until work starts to catch up with Lynette and she’s falls asleep during sex. Tom freaks out, of course, and confides to Lynette that the only reason he wants to do this is because the only thing he has in his life that he’s passionate about is Lynette. I was annoyed with Tom until he made this confession. I can see how staying at home while your spouse works insane hours would wear someone down. Add that to the fact that he just had to give up his dream when he sold the pizzeria. Tom and Lynette need to work this out before Tom acts out and does something that he’ll regret.

Karl was back tonight as Bree’s new divorce attorney. Bree’s worried about her business and needs a lawyer as shady as Karl to help hide her assets. I’ve been hearing rumors that Bree will share a kiss with someone from the past before the end of the season and I’m curious as to whether or not that certain someone is Karl.

Jackson was also back tonight with a surprising proposal for Susan. It turns out he’s about to be deported back to Canada and needs to get married ASAP. Susan, of course, manages to humiliate herself by confessing that she’s still in love with him before he makes it clear that this is just business. I think Susan is just going to end up getting hurt by this. There’s nothing in it for her but heartbreak. And to top it off, Dave is trying to lure her and MJ away from Fairport so he can get revenge either by hurting her, MJ, or both of them.

Mike and Katherine are at a point in their relationship where it would be logical for them to take the next step. Katherine gets MJ to bring up marriage, which leads to Mike’s declaration that he doesn’t intend to marry again. Katherine is hurt, of course, and where they’re going from here up in the air.

Tell me what you thought of tonight’s episode below!

Tricia is your Desperate Housewives girl this year. She’s from upstate New York and is currently a freshman in college. She’s also a hardcore TV fan; check out her homemade TV schedule: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27093551@N08/2782207387/

Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Monday, May 4, 2009

Bleery eyed but ready to face another Monday. How about you? It’s a solid line-up once again tonight. With CHUCK’s final episode of the season airing last Monday, the schedule is just a little bit more manageable for those of us who watch a majority of the Monday night shows. (For more on the CHUCK renewal rumors click here.)

If CHUCK was your one and only show at 8pm on Monday night and you’re looking to fill that void, might I suggest GREEK on ABC Family.  I was a late comer to this show (caught up on 1.5 seasons online in one week…that’s how good it is), but now it’s can’t miss TV.  Book yourself to be in front of the internet at 8pm watching GREEK.  And if GREEK isn’t your thing, you can NOT go wrong with the one-two punch of THE BIG BANG THEORY and HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER.  They make Monday legen…wait for it, wait for it…well, you know how this one goes.

Here are a few highlights from tonight’s TV lineup.  Share with us what YOUR TV schedule looks like tonight.

Greek | 8pm on ABC Family
“Dearly Beloved”
Max decides to take his relationship with Casey to the next level; Jordan and Rusty share an unexpected common bond; a party game leads Rebecca into new territory. [GMMR: Ohhh. Good episode tonight.  More later, but you don’t want to miss this one. Especially Rebecca Logan fans.]

The Big Bang Theory | 8pm on CBS
“The Classified Materials Turbulence”
Penny makes a surprising revelation about Leonard while on her date with Stuart; Wolowitz finds a critical design flaw in his NASA project.

Gossip Girl | 8pm on The CW
“The Wrath of Con”
Blair pressures Georgina into helping her with a scheme; Chuck and Nate’s rivalry comes to a head; Lily comes up with a secret plan. [GMMR: D’oh. Just realized that I never watched last week’s episode. Must catch that one online tonight before tonight.]

House | 8pm on Fox
“Under My Skin”
House and the team treat a ballerina whose lungs collapse during a performance; House is desperate to find a cure for his insomnia.

How I Met Your Mother | 8:30pm on CBS
“Right Place Right Time”
Ted ponders how being in the right place at the right time can impact a person’s life; Barney celebrates his 200th female conquest.

Medium | 9pm on NBC | 2-hours
“How to Make a Killing in big Business”
Allison leaves the district attorney’s office to work for one of the world’s largest corporations; Ariel tries to stop her visions of a young girl’s ghost. [GMMR: Really? We need a 2-hour episode of MEDIUM tonight?]

24 | 9pm on Fox
“Day 7: 4:00AM – 5:00AM”
The pathogen is still in dangerous hands, and the White House is divided. Meanwhile, Chloe gets emotional as conditions decline.

One Tree Hill| 9pm on The CW
“Show Me How to Live”
Haley and Brooke plan a baby shower for Peyton; Sam gets closer to Victoria; Lauren and Skills go on a date that doesn’t go as planned.

Castle | 10pm on ABC
“Little Girl Lost”
Castle finds himself vying with an FBI agent for Beckett’s attention when she is called in to help the agency after a little girl disappears from her hom

Also playing…

• Dancing with the Stars 8pm on ABC | Celebrities compete with their professional dance partners.

• Two and a Half Men | 9pm on CBS: Alan finds there is not much room for him left in the house when Charlie reluctantly lets Chelsea move in.

• Rules of Engagement | 9:30pm on CBS: Russell challenges Adam and Jeff to a contest.

• CSI: Miami | 10pm on CBS: A seemingly normal family is targeted in a brutal grenade attack, leaving Horatio and the team to figure out why.

Certainly a lot to choose from. As long as you’re watching CHUCK live it’s all good to me. Share YOUR Monday night TV lineup in the comments below.

CHUCK vs. The Rumor Mill

Today is NBC’s ‘infront’ presentation.  This is when they will be announcing their ’09-’10 schedule….or at least part of it.  I was basically not to freak if there was no CHUCK news on Monday.  Not seeing CHUCK on the schedule doesn’t necessarily mean doom. So please keep on talking up CHUCK and supporting the show — if NBC is on the fence let’s make sure they come down on the right side of it.

There’s been a lot of rumors and speculation about the renewal of CHUCK the past few days, everyone wanting to be the one to break the news. I find it rather annoying.  Me? I’m waiting for solid confirmation either from NBC or Josh Schwartz before I announce anything either way.  Deal?!

One another thing to note — CHUCK finished the season early and it being replaced with yet another hour of Howie Mandel.  ‘Deal or No Deal’ is a show you won’t be finding in our GMMR TV spotlights. With NBC going to just two hours of scripted primetime TV next season I don’t want to be bombarded with this reality show stuff.  But people watch, and until they stop it’s going to be quality shows like CHUCK that pay the price.

Subway Success…
Finally, I wanted to pass on a letter from Wendy, the CHUCK fan who was the originator of the Subway/CHUCK campaign. Other sites have tried to claim the idea as their own, but it was Wendy who came up with the concept and reached out to this site and many others. Congrats Wendy for being one fan who made a difference!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! My deepest gratitude to all the wonderful Chuck fans out there who helped me nurture the Finale and Footlong campaign and who worked so hard to spread the word and took the time to participate. A special thank you to Zac Levi for being AWESOME and believing in the idea. It’s one thing to see an idea take shape on the net, but it was one of the most special experiences of my life to see my idea come to fruition with all of those Chuck fans in Birmingham last weekend, with Zac leading the charge. (I’ve attached a couple pictures from that day.) I’m not an overly emotional person, but when I saw that crowd lined up outside Subway on Sunday, I had to struggle to compose myself…so thank you all.

I truly feel that the various Save Chuck campaigns were really helpful in getting the show some additional press and exposure at a critical timeframe. As for the Finale and Footlong thing, it was all really last minute and thrown together, but Chuck fans stepped up and made it happen. You all took one crazy girl’s idea and made it into a statement…and I think they heard us, so again…THANK YOU! I am exceedingly proud to be a part of such a wonderful and dedicated fandom. Cheers and here’s to another wonderful season of Chuck…hopefully!

“Hey Jude” Sing Along in Trafalgar Square for T-Mobile

They did it again.  After their brilliant “flash mob” dance at Liverpool station earlier this year, T-Mobile came through this weekend with another awe-inspiring commercial concept.  This time around 13,000 people (including Pink) came together unwittingly for an impromptu sing along of The Beatles “Hey Jude” in Trafalgar square.  As with their “dance” ad, the commercial will be edited down within 48 hours and aired in British television.

I can’t stop watching it.  I think it’s just lovely!

And in case you missed it, here was the dance ad that took place in January.

Jon Stewart is No Comedy Shmuck

Jon Stewart will go to his grave insisting that THE DAILY SHOW is just for laughs and not a real, legitimate news program. Personally, I don’t buy it. Under the guise of comedy, Jon Stewart has become one of the most important and influential purveyors of news in today’s 24/7 gotta-have-it-now news landscape. If all of our so called “journalists” would hit as hard as Stewart I think the conversation would be elevated above the paid pundits and brought to a level that the average American would be able to understand the nuisances of and weigh in accordingly. It’s not about dumbing down the conversation for America as much as it is breaking through all the nonsense in order to address the serious question at hand.

Jon Stewart recently sat down with Cliff May (The Foundation for Defense of Democracies) to discuss the issue of torture in this country.  The entire debate didn’t make it to the show but the three-part interview can be found on TheDailyShow.com (and later in this post).

The conversation between these two intelligent men was informative and yes, sometimes a bit annoying.  There were times when Stewart would have been better served by actually listening to his guest rather than insisting on talking over him. And Stewart took his position a bit too strong at times* but my point being, it was a fascinating conversation because it was honest and open.  Under the cloak of Comedy Central Jon Stewart is allowed to take the conversation further than traditional journalists on other cable news shows.  Because of that and despite their view points, Cliff May thanked Jon for the”the best conversation I’ve had on this subject anywhere, and I’ve had it on CNN; I’ve had it one Fox, but this is the best one.” To which Stewart quipped: “…those places suck.” Ha!

Please note, the point of this post is not to discuss the US policy on torture or Stewart’s view vs. that of Mr. May.  I just thought it was interesting to point out that debate and discussions of this magnitude are taking place on Comedy Central. This is not the place to discuss my opinion of torture or yours, so let’s just keep that in mind in the comments.

Cliff May, Unedited Interview (Part I)

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M – Th 11p / 10c
Cliff May Unedited Interview Pt. 1
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis First 100 Days

The remainder of the interview can be found after the jump…
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SOUTHLAND Picked Up for 13 Episodes

Despite a slip in the ratings since its debut, NBC has picked up their new cop drama SOUTHLAND for at least 13 episodes in the 09-’10 TV season.  I’ve been watching SOUTHLAND and really liking what I’m seeing.  This pick-up news delights me.

GMMR readers were feeling pretty good about SOUTHLAND after the premiere. Are you still watching?

Source

John Krasinski a ‘Scene-Stealer’ in AWAY WE GO

You know we don’t talk movie that much here on GMMR. But when our faves hit in the big screen, there’s always an exception. For all you OFFICE/John Krasinski and SNL/Maya Rudolph fans, I wanted to share an excerpt from the New York Times piece: “Five Scene-Stealers to Watch“. It seems the Times really liked the performances from John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph in their upcoming movie “Away We Go”. I can’t wait to see it!!

“It’s a fascinating performance, because, like her character, she doesn’t come to us: we have to read her. By contrast, Mr. Krasinski’s shaggy Burt is a warm enthusiast, hoping for the best. At one point, he explodes at some truly terrible people, and Mr. Krasinski shows us a man so angry it makes him inspired, but, true to his character, never mean.

Most of all, though, Mr. Krasinski and Ms. Rudolph show us how they mesh — he buoys her, she grounds him. The result is one of the most credible couples ever to grace a movie screen. In the few scenes where Burt and Verona are apart, we wait to see them together because that’s when they each seem most whole.” Read the entire article here.

“Away We Go” will be opening in limted release beginning on June 5th but check in your area for other showtimes.  Visit the official site for more information.

Related Posts:

• AWAY WE GO Trailer: John Krasinski & Maya Rudloph

I Want to Marry Ryan Banks | 9pm on Lifetime

An actor and his manager fall for a beautiful contestant on a reality-television show. Jason Priestley, Bradley Cooper, Emma Caulfield, Mark L. Walberg, Paige Jones

Once | 8pm on HBO Signature

An Irish street musician and a Czech immigrant collaborate on a number of songs that reflect the story of their blossoming love. Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova, John Carney, John Carney, Martina Niland

Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Saturday, May 2, 2009

Up bright and early on a Saturday morning playing a little TV catch-up.  Starting off the morning with a little PARKS AND RECREATION, then I’ve got to tackle the second half of LOST and a re-watch of this week’s THE OFFICE. And at some point today I need to get in at least one episode of FRINGE (still trying to get caught up).

Tonight’s TV spotlight is just a bunch of shows and movies that I adore. If you haven’t seen any of these, fire up the old DVR and record them — it will be worth it.

But first, a reminder that HARPER’S ISLAND is now on Saturday nights, so tune in tonight to find out whodunit who gets is.

Harper’s Island | 9pm on CBS
“Bang”
A gruesome discovery disrupts the festivities when the groomsmen take Henry fishing for his bachelor party; the bridesmaids celebrate Trish’s final days as a bachelorette with a psychic who reacts strongly to Abby.

The Replacements | 6:15pm on Max
A football coach and his team’s owner recruit a ragtag band of has-beens and wannabes after failed negotiations lead to a strike. Keanu Reeves, Gene Hackman, David Denman, Jon Favreau [GMMR: “Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory… lasts forever.” — Plus a young David Denman from THE OFFICE.]

Once | 8pm on HBO Signature
An Irish street musician and a Czech immigrant collaborate on a number of songs that reflect the story of their blossoming love. Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova, John Carney, John Carney, Martina Niland [GMMR: If you haven’t seen ONCE then you are in for a special surprise tonight.  I adore this movie.  The only movie of the past few years that I actually went out and bought on DVD just so I could watch it whenever I fancied a look …or listen. For you AMERICAN IDOL fans, this is the movie from which Kris Allen’s “Falling Slowly” comes.]

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle | 8pm on Comedy Central
After smoking marijuana, two roommates scour New Jersey to satisfy their hunger for hamburgers.
John Cho, Kal Penn, Paula Garcés, Neil Patrick Harris, David Krumholtz [GMMR: The movie that brought Neil Patrick Harris back into our lives.  Oh and it stars that guy who now works in the White House. GO USA!  Ha!]

Forgetting Sarah Marshall | 8pm on HBO
In Hawaii struggling to get over a bad breakup, a musician encounters his former lover and her new boyfriend. Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, Bill Hader [GMMR: “Die. Die. Die….I can’t”]

Legally Blonde | 9pm on ABC Family
A sorority queen enrolls in Harvard to prove to her former boyfriend that she has more than good looks. Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis, Victor Garber [GMMR: Whatevs! You know you love it too.]

I Want to Marry Ryan Banks | 9pm on Lifetime
An actor and his manager fall for a beautiful contestant on a reality-television show. Jason Priestley, Bradley Cooper, Emma Caulfield, Mark L. Walberg, Paige Jones [GMMR: Aw, I love this made for TV movie. It’s based on THE BACHELOR but it has a ton of heart…and Bradley Cooper.]

*NOTE: THE 40-YEAR OLD VIRGIN is on tonight.  Classic movie. The only reason it didn’t make the cut is because it’s on at 5:30pm on USA. Sorry, but that movie is at its best when it’s raunchy and dirty, the way God intended.

Any other shows YOU think should be added to the list? Will you be watching any TV tonight? What do you have going on this weekend?

Latest SAVE CHUCK Update (and Giveaway)

Are you keeping the Save CHUCK faith alive?! Good. You should be. Monday will be NBC’s announcement about their fall schedule but DO NOT freak if you don’t hear anything about CHUCK. Time will tell. The Save CHUCK efforts really took hold the past few weeks and maybe that forced some rethinking on NBC’s part. Who knows. But again, I know we were all thinking Monday was the due or die date. I don’t think it will be. I’m sorry to be so vague but that’s all I can really say at this point int time.

Just as the season finale of CHUCK ended, I will end this post: TO BE CONTINUED…

Keeping talking up CHUCK. Keeping Twittering about it and keeping watching it online. Continue to contact NBC (http://www.nbc.com/Footer/Contact_Us/. Just keep keeping on.

I’m proud to report that I just received the following Facebook update from my big sis: “5 episodes into season 1 and ADDICTED TO CHUCK!” — see it’s not too late to get new eyes watching our show!

UPDATE: AMAZING! Just got an email from GMMR reader Reina who did her part to Save CHUCK by buying three copies of S1 of CHUCK on DVD (from her local Best Buy no less).  She is gifting GMMR with two of her copies to giveaway to you!!!  Thank you, Reina!

To enter to win S1 of CHUCK…

• Follow @gmmr on Twitter and post the following message: “Bored? Watch CHUCK on NBC.com or Hulu. Enter to Win S1 of CHUCK on DVD from @gmmr. Find out how: http://tinyurl.com/dan5u6 #savechuck“

PARKS & RECREATION: Boys’ Club

Though we say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, there are a substantial number of viewers who feel that Parks & Recreation has borrowed too liberally from the successful template of The Office. Each week, our discussions here at GMMR delve into the noteworthy moments of each episode, along with any possible links to the Scranton playbook for sitcom success. With mixed reviews and passable ratings, the Pawnee crew appears to have taken a fall into an underwhelming pit of expectations.

Here’s a little secret about P&R. It has come a LONG way since the premiere episode, and I strongly encourage anyone who dismissed the show after its maiden voyage to take a peek at episodes 3 and 4 on Hulu or at NBC.com. The laughs have been bigger, the actors have stretched their creative muscles, and the seeds for a number of long-term storylines have been planted. If you can embrace the comedic sensibility that guides both The Office and P&R, I think you will be pleasantly surprised with how much fun you can have being stuck at City Hall.

This week’s cold open was a perfect showcase for the duality of Leslie Knope. As the woman who is unabashedly committed to public service, she is appalled that local teenagers would be hurling bags of dog droppings at each other. Once engaged in the conflict, however, it was easy to see how quickly Leslie became the girl who is still learning how to have fun. As the transformation took place, Amy Poehler’s talent for unearthing the childlike qualities in a character took center stage, all while armed with a garbage can shield.

Chris Pratt has a good life. As a veteran TV actor, best known for his roles on “Everwood” and “The O.C.,” Pratt spends his down time with his fiancé, Anna Faris. That is what I call upward mobility! Andy is a lovable loser, and this week’s storyline gave Pratt the chance to “expose” his comedic instincts. In the best streaking scene since Will Farrell took to the streets in “Old School,” Andy was the world’s fastest naked man on crutches, all for the sake of saving the twelve new batteries in his stolen boom box. In his softer moments, the injured hero expresses his love for Ann by saying, “I seriously love her….hard!” Week after week, Andy’s role as boyfriend, band leader, and poorly chosen human interest story have generated positive responses from GMMR readers. Regardless of Ann and Andy’s future, I believe that Chris Pratt must become a series regular in order for P&R to hit its creative zenith.

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THE OFFICE: “Cafe Disco” Promo – I Will Not Be Fooled, NBC!

Dear NBC Promo Department,

I’ve fallen for your trickery before. I will not be fooled again. I’ll watch THE OFFICE this week because I have been a loyal fan since Season 1. My watching has nothing to do with this promo so don’t go patting yourselves on the back.

Sincerely,

Kath
Editor,GiveMeMyRemote.com

P.S. You are cruel and you were probably never hugged as children.

SUPERNATURAL Meets CHUCK

No, the SUPERNATURAL boys won’t be joining the Buy More anytime soon, but in this very cool video, we get a glimpse of what it would look like if the Winchester brothers took over the CHUCK opening credits. I appreciate creative endeavors like this!

No word on the fate of CHUCK yet, but if you believe the rumblings, things are looking good. I’ll be waiting on the official word from NBC and/or Schwartz & Fedak before I start jumping for joy. Meanwhile keep up the CHUCK chat. NBC is down to its last days and we still need to keep reminding them that we are here and not going away!

Thanks to @TeeVeeGal on Twitter for the link.

30 ROCK: Natural Order

Oh how the worm turns, as we start the ball rolling toward the season finale with Jack realizing Jimmy Donaghy, that wily old con artist, isn’t his real father. Obviously this will upset the natural order of quite a few things: Jack Donaghy is who he is because of both mommy and daddy issues, and he’s got 35 years of hurt and resentment wrapped up in Jimmy’s abandonment of the family. He’s also been sitting on a pretty good kiss-off speech, which he delivers to his mother’s unsuspecting married boyfriend instead, with only the slightest of edits: “I am not afraid of you, you’re just a big bully, like Simon Cowell! That’s right—I just called you a Communist.”

The possibilities of this little thread are lined with comic gold, and not only did we get the return of Steve Buscemi’s weirdo PI—who rides his bike to a meeting with Jack and admits he’s wearing a child’s Halloween costume beneath his clothes—every line coming out of Elaine Stritch’s mouth was divine (“I’ll call the restaurant, see if they can seat a third wheel.”). They didn’t skimp on the heart this time, either, bringing a tear to even my jaded eye when Colleen consoles Jack and tells him, “You’re my good boy, and I just love you to death.”

The Liz/Tracy power play also had some nice twists (“Twist!”), starting with the detailed steps everyone’s taken to hide the actual time from Tracy, which have overlapped a bit: “I took my son to his cello recital this morning at what turned out to be midnight yesterday!” All of this naturally leading him to shout “Irregardless!” before handing his race card to Liz which, to Pete’s dismay, she accepts.

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