TRUE BLOOD: Scratches

Ahh, another week, another wonderful episode of “True Blood.” Before we get started, a quick reminder that if you want to catch up on the season or get started if you haven’t yet, HBO will be showing the first three episodes of the second season next week in lieu of a new episode. So, if you’re up-to-date you get a week off to watch some fireworks, have a beer (or bottle of Tru Blood) and enjoy Independence Day.

Sookie, Bill and Eric

Bill spared the lives of Jessica’s family, but didn’t let up on Sookie on the way home. After a long fight in which Bill called Sookie a child, Sookie leaves. While in the woods, she is attacked by a big, horned…umm…thing. Bill’s blood won’t cure her, so he takes her to Fangtasia. We find out that the poison is similar to a Komodo Dragon’s venom, but works much more quickly. After being healed, Sookie wakes up and finds out about Lafayette in the basement. She makes a deal: Lafayette’s release in exchange for Sookie, along with Bill, to go with Eric to Dallas to investigate the disappearance of Godrick, another sheriff who has disappeared…as well as $10,000. After all, Sookie needs a new driveway.

This part of the season is a mixed bag for me, honestly. I LOVE the fact that Eric is taking a bigger role in things and that perhaps the mystery of Godrick will be a constant thread and the prospect of a road trip with Bill, Sookie and Eric in a car together would be pretty fantastic. Does anyone else smell a road trip?

A giant horned beast running through the woods of Bon Temps pushes the limits of what I love about the show. While it can be cheeky and campy and sexy, “True Blood” has always been, to me, a look at outsiders in America and how all parts of a society deal with them. Where does a big giant beast play into that? I hope it becomes clearer in the week ahead.

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Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Monday, June 29, 2009

Happy Monday!  It’s another gorgeous sunny day here in Boston.  I can’t get over just how much sun we’ve had this June.  I’ve hardly been able to take my sunglasses off. [/sarcasm]

The rain isn’t the only reason for the doom and gloom I’m feeling.  At some point today yours truly is going to be without TV and internet.  And at this point in time I’m not sure when I’ll have the services back.  Tomorrow is the big move and my TV watching and blogging is going to depend on how quickly Comcast can get over to the new place to hook me up. to  Hopefully we won’t be out of touch for too long. But if I’m MIA for a few days, at least you’ll know why.

Since time is of the essence, let’s get talking about tonight’s TV, ok? Here’s just a few shows you might want to check out. If there are others I”ve missed, leave a comment below or sent me a tweet at twitter.com/GMMR

The Secret Life of the American Teenager | 8pm on ABC Family
“What’s Done is Done”
Grace believes her actions are responsible for her father’s death; Ben searches for a place in Amy’s life.

Make it or Break It | 9pm on ABC Family
“Where’s Marty?”
The parents try to prepare the girls for Nationals; Payson, Kaylie and Emily travel to Denver to confront Marty and Lauren about their defection.

The Closer | 9pm on TNT
“Walking Back the Cat”
Brenda and her squad are deputized by the FBI to help investigate a murder involving drug trafficking at gay dance parties.

Jon & Kate Plus 8 | 9pm on TLC
“The First Ten Years”
The story of Jon, Kate and their two sets of multiples unfolds through video footage, including newly discovered home video footage that predates their television series.

Raising the Bar | 10pm on TNT
“No Child’s Left Behind”
Jerry defends a father against Balco’s aggressive prosecution; Bobbi considers finding another job with better pay.

My Life on the D List | 10pm on Bravo
“Paris is my new BFF”
Kathy hopes to expand her fan base by appealing to a younger demographic; Kathy shops trendy Robertson Boulevard with socialite Paris Hilton.

Weeds | 10pm on Showtime
“Super Lucky Happy”
Rogue DEA agent Roy Till pays a surprise visit to Nancy; Celia returns from Mexico and takes residence in Nancy’s garage; Andy uncovers an old bank account of his brother’s and tries to come up with a way to gain access to it; Silas and Doug seek a lease for their medical-marijuana dispensary and use their new law-enforcement connection to lean on a potential landlord.

Nurse Jackie | 10:30pm on Showtime
“School Nurse”
Jackie and Kevin consider enrolling Grace in private school; Dr. O’Hara must endure a boy’s emotional thanks; Zoey loses a patient. [GMMR: Tonight’s episode is already available for viewing On Demand with Comcast here in Boston. Another great episode worth checking out. Jackie is definitely like Carmela Soprano when it comes to protecting her children.]

Also playing…

• The Bachelorette | 8pm on ABC: Each of the bachelors takes Jillian to their hometown; two bachelors have a confrontation; one bachelor is sent home.

• Here Come the Newlyweds | 10pm on ABC: The remaining four couples must decorate an empty room, transforming it into a stylish space that reflects their combined tastes; contestants meet with a licensed hypnotherapist who helps them let go of their inhibitions

On the late night couch…
Most of the late night shows are on vacation this week, but here’s the lineup in case you missed some of these guests.

• The Late Show with David Letterman: Jessica Biel, Zach Galifianakis, Steve Earle (R 6/3/09)
• The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien: Tom Hanks, Green Day (R 6/2/09)
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Michael Douglas, Carrie Ann Inaba (R 4/30/09)
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Ice-T, Elmo, Morgan Webb, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (R 4/15/09)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Paris Hilton, Ken Jeong, Blink 182 (R 6/9/09)
• Chelsea Lately: Brooke Hogan, Michael Yo, Josh Wolf, Natasha Leggero
• Last Call with Carson Daly: Melanie Fiona (R 3/2/09)
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Dr. Oliver Sacks
• The Colbert Report: Neil DeGrasse Tyson

Talk to me people…what will YOU be watching tonight?

For the latest TV from GMMR, follow me on Twitter.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey – What Did Danielle Do?

Here’s to hoping that the insatiable appetite of gossip bloggers is finally put to good use.

For fans of THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW JERSEY the big question this morning is “What did she do?!” The “she” would be Danielle Staub, the cougar-tastic housewife (but not really since she’s not even married) who was the center of most of the drama on this season of Bravo’s hit reality show.

As for what she did, that’s the big mystery.

Self proclaimed “hard as balls” housewife, Caroline Manzo, became emotionally enraged towards the end of last night’s two part HOUSEWIVES reunion when she alluded to something that Danielle did to Caroline’s sister, and co-HOUSEWIFE star, Dina. Caroline wouldn’t come out and say exactly what she was accusing Danielle of because Dina asked her specifically not to bring it up. But clearly it was something big or else I don’t think Caroline would have had the emotional collapse that she did.

Whatever the drama, it seemed that all the housewives knew exactly what Caroline was talking about. And although Danielle claimed to be in the dark, she wasn’t. She knew.

So what could it be? What could have Danielle done to Dina to set Caroline off like that? My inner drama queen has let my imagination run wild on this one. Was it Danielle spreading more rumors? Did she hit on Dina’s husband? Did she put a hit out on Dina? Try to kidnap Dina’s daughter Lexi? (What, it’s not like it would be the first time someone has accused Danielle of kidnapping.)

Well, today we have some insight to what the drama was all about, but we definitely don’t have the full story. On her blog, Danielle has this to say about Caroline’s outburst:

“As for the end of the Reunion, when Caroline said such horrible things to me, I had no idea at the time what “disgraceful” acts she was referring to. I only found out later what she was talking about, from someone in her own family. I simply gave a phone number to her ex brother-in-law to contact proper people with questions that he had concerning something that was absolutely none of my business. I was asked to give this information to him. If I had to do it again, I would have declined and preferred not to get involved.”

The only other person to address the issue, in a very vague way was Dina. She said,

“Yes, it is true that Danielle did something recently, actually two things that were harmful to innocent people that didn’t sign on for the show. Nothing ever became of it, she may have tried to do something, but it held no merit so it went nowhere.”

Let the speculation begin! Seems like Danielle maybe had something kind of interaction with Dina’s ex-husband. Maybe something to do with Lexi? Inquiring minds want to know….so spill it!

Virtuality | 8pm on Fox

A spaceship from Earth is equipped with a virtual-reality device to help those aboard cope with their 10-year mission. But when the system malfunctions, it puts the Phaeton’s crew—and the fate of their planet—in jeopardy.

Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Friday, June 26, 2009

A Note from Me to You!
Hey GMMRers.  I wanted to give you a heads up that things might be a little quiet on the site over the next few days and into early next week.  On Tuesday I’m going to be relocating the headquarters of GMMR (doesn’t it sound so official)?  Yes, I’m moving into a new place, and as excited as I am, there’s a lot to get done between now and then. And since I’m the world’s biggest procrastinator, I’m not kidding when I say I have a LOT to get done.  But moving also means a disruption in life’s basic necessities – cable and internet. Fingers crossed that Comcast can minimize the time I’ll be without my TV and online life, but only time will tell.

Wish me luck…the next few days are just going to suck!

-Kath

Speaking of sucking, check out tonight’s TV lineup (sorry, THE SOUP…I’m not talking about you). The highlight of tonight’s schedule may be VIRTUALITY, a 2-hour science fiction thriller movie produced by Ron Moore. (Check out more on VIRTUALITY a bit later today)

Surviving Suburbia | 8pm on ABC
“The Good Life”
The family’s dwindling finances worry Steve as Anne tries to convince Henry of the importance of attending college.

Virtuality | 8pm on Fox
A spaceship from Earth is equipped with a virtual-reality device to help those aboard cope with their 10-year mission. But when the system malfunctions, it puts the Phaeton’s crew—and the fate of their planet—in jeopardy.

The Goode Family | 8:30pm on ABC
“Freeganomics”
Helen invites a famous recycler to town to garner support for the Eco festival, but once he arrives, the family has a hard time getting him to leave.

The Soup | 10pm on E!
“The Week in Review”
A weekly recap of various pop culture and television show moments of the week. The show is hosted by Joel McHale, who provides sarcastic and biting commentary on the various clips.

On the late night couch…

• The Late Show with David Letterman: Martin Short, Regina Spektor
• The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien: Snoop Dogg, Adele
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Lisa Kudrow, Alan Furst, Chairlift
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Megan Fox, David Cross, Phoenix
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Cameron Diaz, Universal Record Database, Grizzly Bear
• Chelsea Lately: MC Hammer, John Caparulo, Ross Mathews, Sarah Colonna (R 6/16/09)
• Last Call with Carson Daly: Tom Green, Pete Wentz

The IDOL Are Gleeks – Don’t Stop Believin’

During a practice session for their upcoming tour, the AMERICAN IDOLS proved themselves to be GLEEks. Check out their performance of “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey.

Adam handles the song with such ease. Scott, yikes.

Chelsea Handler Takes on THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW JERSEY Reunion

If you watched THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW JERSEY this season then you’ll probably have a good laugh at this spoof of the reunion ep by Cheslea Handler and friends. Hilarious! I can’t wait for S2. I already miss these crazy Jersey bitches!

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RIP Michael Jackson

Despite the bizarre behavior and controversy…he was perhaps the single most important musical influence of my generation. I’m going to leave the tributes to others. For me, I’ll just share some special Michael Jackson moments.

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Who Went Home on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE?

UPDATE: Click here to find out who went home on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (August 5th)

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Updated Results: Looking to find out who got voted off SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE tonight? Find out here: Who Went Home on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (July 9, 2009)

PREVIOUS POST:

I really have no idea what to expect from tonight’s SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE results show. With the passing of Michael Jackson just hours ago, I have to assume that some time will be spent dedicated to a man who was so influential to the art of dance. But the results shows usually don’t leave much time for anything but the results and the musical act. And short of bumping The Veronica’s, I don’t know that they’ll have much time for a proper tribute. I guess we’ll soon find out.

As I do each week, I’ll be live blogging the highlights from tonight’s episode. If you’re watching on the East Coast I hope you’ll share your thoughts throughout the show in the comments below.

9:00pm: Now that’s an opening number.  Talk about sultry and hot, hot, hot! Well done Dmitry and NappyTabs!  And how about Cat Deeley popping up from behind the dancers? God I love this woman!

9:04pm: As expected, Nigel addresses the death of Michael Jackson.  But he also pays tribute to Ed McMahon and Farrah Fawcett. To MJ – “I don’t know where you even begin to describe a global superstar like Michael Jackson.”

Let’s not forget the personal connection Wade Robson has had with Michael Jackson his whole life.  Jackson discovered Wade. Despite the controversy surrounding their personal connection there was no denying that it was because of Michael Jackson that we’ve had the pleasure of knowing the artist that is Wade Robson.

Here’s a young Wade on Star Search, paying homage to his idol.

And here he is later in life, still honoring his mentor.

9:12pm: It’s results time. Read more

Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Thursday, June 25 ,2009

There’s a lot of great scripted shows for you to check out tonight.  Quality TV. Real entertainment.  And I don’t watch any of them.  My loss, I’m sure.  For me, it’s all about the SYTYCD results show.  I’ll be live blogging starting at 9pm, so I hope you’ll make plans to join in on the conversation.

And if you’re in NYC today, you might want to avoid the area around The Ed Sullivan Theater.  David Letterman’s guests tonight are Johnny Depp and Megan Fox.  It’s possible that the building might spontaneously explode from that level of hotness. And CHUCK fans be sure to tune into Carson Daly as Zachary Levi will be a guest.

Which shows will YOU be checking out tonight? Leave a comment here or send me a message via Twitter.

Samantha Who? | 8pm on ABC
“The Rock Star”
Samantha starts dating rock superstar Tommy Wylder (John Taylor); Regina fondly remembers Howard’s early days as a musician.

In the Motherhood | 8:30pm on ABC
“Shepfather”
Jane starts to feel inadequate as a parent when her boyfriend quickly bonds with the kids; Emily loses her status as head car pool driver to another neighbor.

Burn Notice | 9pm on USA
“Fearless Leader”
Michael tries to deal with one of the city’s most wanted criminals on his own in an attempt to get the police off his back; Sam must contend with an IRS agent who turns out to be the son of an ex-flame.

So You Think You Can Dance | 9pm on Fox
One guy and one girl are eliminated from the competition. The couples with the three lowest votes will dance for their lives. Then it’s up to the judges to decide which two go home tonight. A special performance by The Veronicas. [GMMR: I’m going to be LIVE blogging tonight’s result show. If you’re watching, come on over and watch with me at 9pm EST]

The Real Housewives of New Jersey Reunion| 9pm on Bravo
“Watch What Happens, Part II”
The ladies sit down for a first-season wrap-up with host Andy Cohen. [GMMR: Part I of the reunion was ok, but the promos for Part II look juicy.  Caroline in tears? Oh this is going to get ugly. YAY]

Royal Pains | 10pm on USA
“TB or Not TB”
After the owner/head chef of a trendy Hampton’s restaurant suffers a stroke, Hank attempts to save her from potential long-term damage, but she goes missing before treatment is administered.

The Listener | 10pm on NBC
“Lisa Says”
When Toby saves a troubled teen from a gang beating, he stumbles upon a hidden group of runaways. [GMMR: I haven’t come across one person yet that likes this show.  If you are that person, speak up.]

On the late night couch…

• The Late Show with David Letterman: Johnny Depp, Megan Fox
• The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien: Bruno, Cirque du Soleil Zumanity
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Larry David, Wolfgang Puck
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Shia LaBeouf, June Diane Raphael, Eric Hutchinson
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Tiger Woods, Evan Rachel Wood, Dinosaur Jr.
• Chelsea Lately: Holly Williams, Bryan Callen, Chris Franjola, Ken Baker (R 6/18/09)
• Last Call with Carson Daly: Zachary Levi, Joel David Moore, Ken Block, Bat For Lashes
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Cameron Diaz
• The Colbert Report: Jim Fouratt

Which shows will YOU be checking out tonight? Leave a comment here or send me a message via Twitter.

The Real Housewives of NJ | 9pm on Bravo

The ladies sit down for a first-season wrap-up with host Andy Cohen in the conclusion of a two-part reunion.

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE: Top 16 Performances

In the words of Ms. Whitney Houston, ‘ohhh, I wanna dance with somebody’. And that somebody is Wade Robson. But sadly that’s not going to happen, so I guess I’ll settle for watching the sixteen remaining dancers compete on tonight’s SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE.

My DVR wasn’t recording (what?!) so I missed the first 15 minutes.  Hopefully that’s only going to amount to one, maybe two routines.  And hopefully by the time I finish watching and blogging I’ll be able to find those routines online. [UPDATE: I missed only Jonathan and Kayla’s routine. But I did catch the judges’ comments and it seems I didn’t miss much of anything.]

Joining Mary and Nigel tonight is Toni Basil.  ‘Oh Mickey’ herself has been a judge in the past. I do remember her being overly loquacious and quite grating, but we’ll see how she does tonight. Sadly my favorite judge, The Shankman, won’t be back until the finale.  And my other favorite judge, Debbie Allen, hasn’t been on yet.  Where you at Debbie?

Since I have no witty banter about an opening I wasn’t able to see, let’s just right into the dancing. As always, I’ll be sharing my thoughts as I watch and then listen in on what the judges have to say.

Vitolia & Auska | Jazz by Mandy Moore

Mandy Moore was giving us some thrash, rocker jazz. I’m not sure what Auska and Vitolio were giving us. I really wasn’t a fan of the performance at all.  I would love to see the choreography the way it was designed because it was clear that these dancers didn’t do it justice.  Of the two, I thought Vitolio was stronger, but that’s not saying much.  Auska was especially bad.  She was always anticipating the next move. She was in her head the whole time.  Not a big fan at all.

The Judges: Nigel thought it was fantastic. Really? Ok, I guess it might be one of those night where the judges and I aren’t on the same page.  Mary thought it was really good but not great. She expected a little bit more. Toni didn’t say much about the dance.  She talked to them about focusing more on the emotion.  And with that, I’m officially over Toni Basil as a judge. (That didn’t take long).  She should stick to cheerleading. Toni’s hat told the couple to Be Aggressive. Be. Be. Aggressive.

Ade & Melissa | Rumba by Tony Meredith

I’m not sure what makes a good Rumba, but if it’s sensuality and sexiness then I think this one will get some high praise from the judges.  There were a few slightly off moments, but on the whole I thought it was beautiful to watch.  There’s something about Melissa that I’m just not on board with yet. I can’t quite pin it down but she irks me. I think Ade is a beautiful dancer.  I haven’t been a big fan of these two to date, but I thought this was a great performance.

The Judges: “What a difference Ade makes” – good one Nigel.  Mr. Lythgoe was a big fan of this dance. He complimented both Ade and Melissa on their performance. Mary thought it was beautiful. She gave the pair a few big screams. Toni said it was beautifully done. But unfortunately her hat hated it.

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NYC Prep – GOSSIP GIRL Gone Bad

I’m not going to waste my time or yours by talking too much about NYC PREP. If you tuned into last night’s premiere on Bravo then you know why. It was nauseating, and let’s be honest, I’m not all that particular about the TV I watch. It’s one thing for the characters on GOSSIP GIRL to traipse around New York City like they own it, but it’s very different to see it actually happens in real life. Where are the parents? Where are the boundaries? Where are the scissors (because I need to cut Sebastian’s hair before I watch one more annoying hair flip). And more importantly, where is Chuck Bass because he owes PC a serious ass-whopping for ripping off his identity.

Thanks but no thanks, Bravo. If I’m going to watch make believe, I’d rather do it over on The CW…where at least the teens on the Upper East Side are at least easy on the eyes.

And with that…I’m done with NYC PREP.

Jimmy Fallon – Head Swap

I’ve had this tune in my head all day. Jimmy Fallon you make me laugh.

AMERICA’S GOT TALENT….I Think?

Like most of the other millions of people who tuned into last night’s premiere of AMERICA’s GOT TALENT, I was waiting for the red, white and blue version of Susan Boyle to take the stage.  Would there be one shining star that took us all by surprise to renew our faith in humanity? (Ok, maybe that’s not what happened with Boyle, but with all the hoopla surrounding her, it often felt like that).  No, we didn’t see that act last night, but there were a few worth talking about today.

In full disclosure, I didn’t watch the full episode of AMERICA’S GOT TALENT.  I fast forward through most of it.  If you pay attention while fast forwarding you’re able to see which acts get a lot of screen time.  Those who have more than a few seconds on air are either really awful (resume fast forwarding) or surprisingly good. It’s the only way I’m going to watch, sorry.

I will say this…I like Nick Cannon, kind of.  Mr. Mariah Carey seems hopped up on something, but it might actually might be the excitement of it all.  I thought he brought a lot more energy to the show than Jerry Springer did when he was host.  He won me over when he got teary eyed after the performance of the Eriam Sisters. Oh Mr. Carey.

Speaking of tears – I’m a sucker for some serious talent, and by the end of the last act, I was sobbing like…well, like Sharon Osborne. Too much reality TV has made me jaded to the sob story, but when the sob story involves kids, all bets are off. Such was the case last night with “Voices of Glory” –  two brothers and a sister who started singing together while their mother was recovering from a coma.  (I can’t watch again because I’ll probably cry, but you should check it out.)

My second favorite act of the night was also a family affair.  When the Eriam Sisters took the stage, I wasn’t expecting much outside of some cutesy, family room singing.  But damn, was I wrong.  All three of those girls can sing, but the 11 year old has some serious talent.

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