Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Friday, July 31, 2009

I won’t lie. Friday’s TV Spotlight is always a little depressing. It will be better soon. I promise.

Hey Dad – If you’re reading this, Jimmy Buffett is on Jimmy Fallon tonight…just in case you wanted to record it.

Check out a few of the shows that are new tonight. Anything of interest to YOU? Let me know.

Surviving Suburbia | 8pm on ABC
“Desperate Housewife”
Anne questions the strength of her marriage when a neighbor starts flirting with Steve; Henry and Courtney vie for control of the downstairs television.

The Goode Family | 8:30pm on ABC
“Trouble in Store”
Helen is accused of stealing what she thought was a free sample of wheatgrass at One Earth, and the store bans her for life. The timing couldn’t be worse: She was planning a dinner party to help advance Gerald’s career.

Eureka | 9pm on Syfy
“It’s Not Easy Being Green”
Long-term rivals from Area 51 visit Eureka for a bowling tournament; Carter probes an escalating series of pranks.

Mental | 9pm on Fox
“Do Over”
Carl and Jake take on the case of a construction worker suffering from psychological and physiological symptoms after an accident at work; Rylan makes a decision that jeopardizes his relationship with Veronica.

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: Regis Philbin, Ted Alexandro, Dave Matthews Band
• The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien: Adam Richman, Ben Harper & Relentless7
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Saffron Burrows
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Anne Heche, Aubrey Plaza, Diane Birch
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Adam Sandler, Jimmy Buffett
• Chelsea Lately: Kristin Cavallari, Josh Wolf, Jen Kirkman, Ross Matthews (R 7/23/09)
• Last Call with Carson Daly: Tom Lennon, Crystal Antlers (R 4/22/09)

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Top 6: ‘Send in the Clowns’

A little distracted during last night’s results episode of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, I wasn’t able to fully appreciated the beauty of this week’s stunning opening number, choreographed by Tyce Diorio.  This might be my favorite group number all season.  Everything just worked perfectly.  The song, the concept, the dancing, the costumes, the acting. So beautiful.

Of course I can’t find a good version online, but I’ll share what I could find.

Bravo Tyce!

(NOTE: This was the only version I could find. Every time I hit ‘play’ a pop-up appears. Only then am I able to hit the green button that will play the video. Please don’t play if you are not comfortable with this. Play at your own RISK.)

Mental | 9pm on Fox

Carl and Jake take on the case of a construction worker suffering from psychological and physiological symptoms after an accident at work; Rylan makes a decision that jeopardizes his relationship with Veronica.

Who Won HOH on BIG BROTHER?

Want to know who won tonight’s all important HOH competition? Click here to find out: Who Won HOH on BIG BROTHER? (July 22, 2010)

PREVIOUS POST

Endurance competitions that last well after the CBS broadcast can be quiet frustrating for those of us without the 24/7 live feeds. But, at least we at GMMR have someone who is kind enough to share updates from the live feeds.

After the jump, find out who is out in this week’s competition and who still has a shot at HOH.
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Who Went Home on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE?

Cat Deeley – So You Think You Can Dance

People – next week is the finale of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE! Is it just me or did this season absolutely fly by? At least we know we have Season 6 starting on the heels of this season ending. But before I get too ahead of myself, let’s see who is going home tonight and who ultimately will be the final four heading into next week.

If you listed to the SYTYCD Podcast then you probably know my faves as well as who I want to go home. The way I see it, I’m ok with anything really as long as Brandon and Kayla stick around. They both deserve to perform in next week’s finale.

I’m going to be live blogging tonight’s show starting at 9pm est. I hope you’ll watch along with me and join in on the conversation in the comments.

(Note: Having some issues with GMMR tonight, so I’ll do my best to live blog. But if I’m absent for a bit it’s just tech difficulties being worked out.)

9:01pm: Cat welcomes us to Oz in a stunning green sequined dress. Fierce.

9:03pm: Tyce Diorio brings us an AH-MAH-ZING group routine to ‘Send in the Clowns’. Interesting, gorgeous. Just lovely. But um, it’s going to prove to be especially insightful if Evan goes home tonight. The only clown left behind, with a sad tear coming down his face.

9:06pm: OH SNAP! How did I not know about this? More of the SYTYCD alums are going to be back performing the Emmy nominated routines. Twitch, Katee, Chelsie, Joshua and MARK!! My MARK!! This is going to be amazing. (I swear if GMMR goes down tonight I’m going to go Ms. Hanigan on some oprhan’s ass.)

[More…] 9:10pm: The ladies are up first on the chopping block. Who will be safe and who will be going home tonight. The first girl in next week’s finale is Jeanine. (WOO HOO!) and uh oh…I’m pulling for you Kayla!

9:15pm: Jessica and Will are back to perform the Emmy nominated “Silence” by Tyce Dioro.

9:20pm: And we’re back. It’s time to let one guy know that he’ll be competiting for the title of America’s Favorite Dancer in next week’s finale. That guy is…Brandon!! (YES! YES! YES!)

9:26pm: Twitch and Katee are back to perform “Mercy” aka the Door Dance. One of the highlights of last season. Well done to the two of them and Mia Michaels who choreographed this killer routine.

9:37pm:: I’m going to have to skip right ahead to the Jabbawockeez. The winner’s of the first AMERICA’S BEST DANCE CREW took over the stage with their sick talent! Glad to see the dance show crossover love. Tonight e had them representing ABDC, Chelsie Hightower from DANCING WITH THE STARS performed a routine choreographed by her DWTS fellow dancer Dmitry Chaplin. It’s all kind of lovely in here tonight.

9:39pm: With all the site drama tonight, it just hit me that Mark Kanemura is back because we’re going to see the Briefcase Dance! Perhaps my favorite from last season! (Please site stay live!)

9:44pm: So good to see Mark & Chelsie back. And it looks like they were the only ones performing live tonight. Love that dance!!

9:54pm: It’s time to send a girl home. That girl is Melissa. That means KAYLA is in next week’s finale! YES! Kayla FTW next week!!!!!!

9:57pm: And for the guys, the dancer moving on to the finale is Evan! A fond farewell to Ade.

This is an all around awesome night. I knew I would be fine with either Ade or Evan. But I’m especially excited for Evan right now.

So your final four are KAYLA, EVAN, JEANINE and BRANDON. How are we feeling about this foursome?! I’m pretty excited. I think Jason should be there rather than Evan, but bygones…I’m looking forward to next week.

Sorry tonight’s blog was a major fail. Thanks for reading!!

See you next week for the SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE finale!

Who Went Home on BIG BROTHER?

In tonight’s episode of BIG BROTHER another houseguest was evicted from the BIG BROTHER house. Was it Jordan from the “Popular” clique or Casey from the “Off Beats”? And who is the new HOH (please please let it be Jeff!).

Find out after the jump.
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Before They Were Tivo’d: THE OFFICE’s Jenna Fischer

Welcome to the first installment of ‘Before They Were Tivo’d’ – a new feature on GiveMeMyRemote.com in which we look back at the roles of some of our favorite TV stars…before they were our favorite TV stars. Today, we’re going to check out what Jenna Fischer was doing before she was wooing Jim Halpert (and us) as Pam Beesly on “The Office”.

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When I discovered GMMR in 2006, it was because of The Office. Like so many who discovered the Dunder Mifflin team while filling their video iPods to capacity, I was insatiable in my thirst for information about the cast and crew of this addictive new show. By searching out other fans online, I felt like we were all in on a giant secret, one that we could not wait to share with our friends, neighbors, and coworkers.

Much like the infatuation that we feel toward a new crush, viewers can become very territorial about their favorite characters, and the people who bring them to life. Outside of Steve Carell, it was easy to pretend that the talented men and women who inhabited this unique workplace were “overnight successes.” In truth, most of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces have passed through our HDTVs in far less prominent roles.

In the weeks ahead, I will be traveling down memory lane to the parts that helped pave the way to stardom for some of GMMR’s favorites. In addition to providing a nostalgic jolt to their fans, I am curious to see how each actor’s onscreen presence has evolved. Are there similarities between their early work and the higher paying gigs they landed in subsequent years? Did our favorite comedic actors fare well in dramatic roles, and vice versa? I have a few candidates in mind, but I would love to hear your feedback about who to tackle in the coming weeks.

Jenna Fischer is a gifted comedic actress, who made me fall in love with Pam Beesly the moment she fell from a Chili’s bar stool in “The Dundies.” As one half of America’s favorite TV love story, and with a host of film roles to choose from, Fischer’s star in Hollywood is ascending rapidly. With a whirlwind of buzz around her, this St. Louis native is keenly aware of the hard work that led to her newfound fame.

In 2001, just as Ricky Gervais was opening “The Office” for business, Jenna appeared in two episodes of Judd Apatow’s “Undeclared”. Like its predecessor, the ratings-challenged cult favorite “Freaks & Geeks”, “Undeclared” was filled with members of Apatow’s troupe of talented young actors, such as Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and Jay Baruchel. In this all too brief scene from the series’ pilot, Baruchel’s character asks Fischer (officially billed as “Sorority Girl” in the credits) to attend a dorm party:

While there was no inkling of Pam Beesly in that exchange, I think Jenna would have been a great addition to the cast of Mean Girls or Clueless!

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SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Podcast: Top 6 Perform

The Top 6 from SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Season 5 performed which means Kath and Dan are back for another podcast. With each contestant performing 4 routines, there’s plenty to talk about.

There’s a quickstep, some disco action, a cramazing contemporary routine, some not so amazing hip-hop and some banoodles solo numbers.

We spy on Kath’s new neighbor; we ponder the likeness of a certain contestant to a certain vampire on TRUE BLOOD; we complain about some choreographers; we forget some choreographers names and probably put our feet in our mouths more than once!

A week from the finale, we also discuss how this season has played out, our feelings about the results so far and declare who the winner of SYTYCD Season 5 should be.

To listen to TV Talk Podcast (with Chapter Markers) head on over to our iTunes page and subscribe! It’s the fastest and easiest way to listen to The TV Talk Podcast from week to week.

Listen to So You Think You Can Dance Top 6 Performance Episode Recap

Get the latest news on the podcast by following us on Twitter (@tvtalkpodcast) and as always you can follow me (@gmmr) and Dan (@duckydoestv) too.

Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Thursday, July 30, 2009

I see the date, and it’s not like I think the calendar is lying, but it’s July 30th??! Donde esta this month? People, the TV pressure is on. The fall pilots not yet watched are stacking up on my desk. Project SUPERNATURAL is haunting me (get it? haunting?). Yikes. I’m going to have to buckle down and do some serious TV watching soon.

Oh and let me know if I should be watching THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ATLANTA that premieres tonight.

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

Big Brother 11 | 8pm on CBS
In tonight’s episode, the second houseguest will be voted out of the house in a live eviction ceremony. Jordan from the “Popular” clique and Casey from the “Off Beats” are on the block. A new Head of Household will be named.

So You Think You Can Dance | 9pm on Fox
One guys and one girl goes home as two of the top eight dancers are eliminated. The final four remaining will compete in next week’s SYTCD finale.  Sean Paul performs; JabbaWockeeZ performs. [GMMR: Check out our SYTYCD Podcast recapping last night’s Top 6 performance show.]

Burn Notice | 9pm on USA
“Friends Like These”
Barry enlists Michael’s help in tracking down his money-laundering client list, which has been stolen; Fiona disagrees with Michael’s attempts to reconnect with the intelligence community.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta | 10pm on Bravo
Sheree plans to celebrate her recent divorce by throwing an “Independence Day” party; Lisa and her husband consider having another baby; Kim wants to design a line of wigs. [GMMR: The NJ Housewives was my first season watching. Should I watch these ATL wives? Who is with me? I’m not watching alone.]

Royal Pains | 10pm on USA
“The Honeymoon’s Over”
Hank unexpectedly takes on a children’s book illustrator with a serious heart condition; Divya treats a newlywed with a hard-to-diagnose ailment that takes the fun out of his honeymoon plans.

On the late night couch…

• The Late Show with David Letterman: Adam Sandler, Cage the Elephant
• The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien: Paul Giamatti, Jack Dagger, Tonya Kay, Regina Spektor
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: James Spader, Rose Byrne
• Jimmy Kimmel Live:Seth Rogen, Melissa Sagemiller, Jack’s Mannequin
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Ashley Tisdale, Tim Meadows, Jarvis Cocker
• Chelsea Lately: Eric Winter, Eliot Chang, Gary Valentine, Greg Proops
• Last Call with Carson Daly: Cassidy Freeman, Ben Harper & Relentless7 (R 4/17/09)
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Judd Apatow
• The Colbert Report: Kathryn Bigelow

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

BONES Comic Con Panel

Hey BONES fans, this one is for you. Check out the BONES panel from Comic Con.

GLEE Summer Tour Dates Announced!

I’m proud to be a GLEEker! I’m not sure if I can wait until September for this show to come back. I need my GLEE..now! Lucky for me it was announced just today that Boston is the first stop on the ten city GLEE summer tour. Next month I’ll be able to see and hear my favorite GLEEkers live and in person. Hot damn!

You can bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be there that day, and that I’ll do my best to get whatever access I can to get you as much GLEE scoop as possible. You think I can convince Fox to let Ducky and I take the GLEE kids out for a little karaoke here in Boston (I only ask because that’s the very conversation Ducky & I had this morning before we knew about the tour…I kid you not!)

Could I be more excited?! (In case you were wondering, the answer is NO!)

From Fox…

The cast of the new fall comedy GLEE is hitting the road this summer in search of “Gleeks” at a mall near you! Cast members Cory Monteith, Lea Michele, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer, Jenna Ushkowitz, Kevin McHale, Dianna Agron and Mark Salling will make appearances exclusively at Hot Topic stores in select cities across the country to sign autographs, hold Q&A sessions and give fans a sneak peek at the new season of GLEE. The tour kicks off Monday, Aug. 17 at the Natick Mall Hot Topic in Boston. For more information, go to fox.com/glee.

“The 2009 Gleek Tour” stops are as follows:

Boston, MA
Monday, Aug. 17, 2009
Natick Mall
2:00- 5:00 PM 1245 Worcester St.
Natick, MA 01760

New York, NY
Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009
Garden State Plaza
3:00-6:00 PM 1228 Garden State Plaza
Paramus, NJ 07652

Philadelphia, PA
Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009
King of Prussia Mall
3:00-6:00 PM
160 N. Gulph Rd.
King of Prussia, PA 19406

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The TV Talk Podcast: TRUE BLOOD, BIG BROTHER, TORCHWOOD & More…

If you’re not a fan of our SYTYCD podcasts (how dare you), then you’re in luck! This week we’re back with a regular TV Talk Podcast with GMMR and Ducky. We decided to dedicate a lot of time to our other favorite summer obsession, TRUE BLOOD. We talk all things vamptastic and if you’re a fan of the show we’ve got questions we need answers to so pay attention and leave comments.

Next up is BIG BROTHER 11. After that, we talk a little bit about the amazing return of TORCHWOOD: CHILDREN OF EARTH and its shocking 5 night mini-series.

Last, we talk about all things COMIC-CON 2009. What panels we missed (CHUCK, BIG BANG THEORY, GLEE, LOST, DOLLHOUSE, SUPERNATURAL and more), which shows had the most impressive online presence and all the news/gossip that came out of the con.

To listen to TV Talk Podcast (with Chapter Markers) head on over to our iTunes page and subscribe! It’s the fastest and easiest way to listen to The TV Talk Podcast from week to week.

Listen to The TV Talk Podcast (7/29/09)

As always, thanks for listening and please follow us on Twitter, leave comments on iTunes and spread the word to your fellow TV lovers.

P.S. If you like our SYTYCD Podcast, then be sure to check back tomorrow as we discuss tonight Top 6 performances.  We hear it’s going to be a doozy of a night.

WAREHOUSE 13: Claudia

Hmmm…..….I wish we were sitting around talking about this episode together, because I’m more anxious to hear YOUR thoughts than to share mine. I will share them, but I hope you will too, in the comments.

This week’s episode felt a little more intense than the others, and it starts out by Artie being kidnapped for a mistake he may have made with an experiment years ago. His kidnapper is our title character, Claudia. It’s up to Pete and Myka to help save him. If he WANTS to be saved, that is!

She’s an orphan, feisty and funny and smart, and through flashback, we learn that her older brother, Joshua was some sort of student of Artie’s.

Speaking of Joshua, was anyone else surprised when he also came back alive? That felt kind of ANTI-climactic for me, actually. Not that I wanted him to die, but that kind of seemed to be where the plot was moving, right? Sacrifice the brother for the sister, and then she becomes part of their ragtag operation. But since Joshua is still alive, will he also be part of the group? Will he turn evil and turn against the warehouse team? Is he going to age all of a sudden? You see, these are questions I need answers to.

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Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Wednesday, July 29, 2009

We made it half way through the week. Give yourselves a round of applause! Not much to say on this Wednesday morning other than it’s SYTYCD night so that makes me happy!

Let’s jump right in, shall we?

Here are a few highlights from tonight’s TV lineup. If I missed anything leave me a comment or tweet me at twitter.com/gmmr.

So You Think You Can Dance | 8pm on Fox
Tonight the guys and the girls are paired up and the Top 6 dancers will take the stage for the second week of competition. Tonight’s guest judge is Lil C…I think. I’ll be posting spoilers for the pairings as well as their dancers and respective choreographers soon.

Leverage | 9pm on TNT
“The Order 23 Job”
The team goes after a shady hedge-fund manager; the mark is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals and is being hunted by the Armenian mob.

Dark Blue | 10pm on TNT
“K-Town”
Ty and Dean team up to crush a rough-hewn Korean mob boss, but tension grows between the two undercover men when Ty works cautiously and Dean adopts a rash, less careful approach. [GMMR: Raise your hand if you are watching!]

The Philanthropist| 10pm on ABC
“San Diego”
Dax and Teddy search for an identity thief when charitable donations are fraudulently charged to Teddy’s credit card; Philip and Olivia make an upsetting discovery.

Top Chef Masters | 10pm on Bravo
“Champions Round Begins”
The top six chefs get a surprise as they prepare to cook their signature dishes. [GMMR:Uh Oh! Totally forgot that SB sent along a little note about last week’s TOP CHEF MASTERS. She’s not loving this season and can’t wait for the return of the good ‘ol TOP CHEF.  Where are you with this season?]

On the late night couch…

• The Late Show with David Letterman: Adam Sandler, Cage the Elephant
• The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien: Rainn Wilson, Rachel Maddow
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Toni Collette, Rodney Carrington
• Jimmy Kimmel Live:  Jonah Hill, Ryan Sheckler, the Sounds
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Leslie Mann, Passion Pit
• Chelsea Lately: Chris Kattan, Big Boy, Arden Myrin, Chris Franjola
• Last Call with Carson Daly: Liz Hatch, Kevin Hart, Lykke Li (R 4/16/09)
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart:  John Bolton
• The Colbert Report: TBD

What will YOU be watching tonight? Anything other shows you want to let people know about?

This Week in TV Blog Banter

It’s your weekly round-up of the best in TV blogs. What were bloggers bantering about last week? Check it out for yourselves and weigh in.

• After watching the long-awaited DVD release of The State: The Complete Series, Marisa was pleasantly surprised to see how well the show stood the test of time. (TiFaux)

• For us, the summer is all about SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. If you’re a fan, check out the latest SYTYCD Edition of The TV Talk Podcast with GMMR & Ducky. We talk performances, the 100th ep & why we love/hate Katie Holmes. (The TV Talk Podcast)

• After Mischa Barton’s mental and physical issues, Matt is glad the CW working on a contingency plan for The Beautiful Life. (TV Fanatic)

• It is the battle of the covers with American Idol‘s Brooke White, singing Kings of Leon’s Use Somebody, taking on newcomer Aimee Allen who puts her spin on Santeria by Sublime. (Scooter McGavin’s 9th Green)

• Vance wanted no hate for the remaining Top 8 dancers, but he felt the Cancer Dance was a little manipulative on So You Think You Can Dance (Tapeworthy)

• Buzz wondered if TV series reboots like 90210 and Melrose Place are better or worse off for bringing back old characters. (BuzzSugar)

• Follow the TV Addict as he braves 120,000 costumed crusaders at San Diego Comic Con 2009 (The TV Addict)

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