Biography: The New Mickey Mouse Club | 9pm on Bio

In 1989, the Disney Corp. brought back “The Mickey Mouse Club,” which ended up being a breeding ground for young entertainment talent, including Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling, Keri Russel and more.

Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Monday, July 13, 2009

It’s Monday. Ready to tackle another week? Me? Not so much. So I’m not going to…at least for now. I’m continuing my weekend into today and tomorrow – so, my apologies if things are a little quiet around here. But between my nieces being in town and the sun shining down on my pool, I hope you’ll forgive me for not being in front of the TV or computer.

Later tonight or tomorrow I’m going to be posting my thoughts on ENTOURAGE, BIG BROTHER, and more. So stay tuned.

As for tonight’s TV…there’s a few shows to choose from.  What does YOUR TV lineup look like tonight? Let me know by leaving a comment below or sent me a tweet at twitter.com/GMMR

The Secret Life of the American Teenager | 8pm on ABC Family
“Ciao”
Amy needs assistance with her chaotic schedule, so her dad and sister lend her a hand. Meanwhile, Ben makes plans for the summer.

Make it or Break It | 9pm on ABC Family
“Sunday, Bloody Sasha, Sunday”
Sasha puts the girls through a grueling day of practice as punishment for attending a party. Meanwhile, a power play develops among the parents as a decision is made about who will manage the gym.

The Closer | 9pm on TNT
“Tapped Out”
A popular online “hook-up king” is shot to death; a police impersonator causes the case to go awry; Pope does a rotation as a member of Brenda’s squad to get a firsthand look at how the team works.

Raising the Bar | 10pm on TNT
“I’ll Be Down to Get You a Taxi, Honey”
Jerry defends a man charged with running over his crooked lawyer with a car; Richard rushes through a case without getting the full story; Bobbi’s final divorce papers are ready to be signed

My Life on the D List | 10pm on Bravo
“Rosie and Gloria and Griffin…Oh My”
Kathy heads to Miami’s Star Island to look for a second home; Kathy pals around with entertainers Rosie O’Donnell and Gloria Estefan before working front-desk duty at a hotel.

Weeds | 10pm on Showtime
“A Modest Proposal”
Esteban’s proposal to a very pregnant Nancy comes with a surprise string attached; Celia discovers that being a working stiff at the mall isn’t in her makeup; and Shane’s eventful day with Ignacio proves to be most revealing. Meanwhile, Silas and Doug’s medical-marijuana business gets up and running, but Deputy C.P. Jones (Larry Joe Campbell) won’t stay quiet on the issue.

Nurse Jackie | 10:30pm on Showtime
“Tiny Bubble”
An old friend of Jackie’s checks into the hospital with terminal lung cancer; Dr. Cooper’s mother has a gall bladder attack and reveals a family secret.

Also playing…

• The Bachelorette | 8pm on ABC: The final three men join Jillian in Hawaii; while cruising a beautiful cove, one of the bachelors has a surprise for Jillian to convince her of his feelings; one of the men is sent home after a tearful rose ceremony.

• Great American Road Trip | 8pm on NBC: The families leave St. Louis and head for Branson, Mo., where they must perform skits for singer Andy Williams and comic Yakov Smirnoff.

• Here Come the Newlyweds | 10pm on ABC: All the couples reunite to decide which of the final two couples will win the grand prize.

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: Jonah Hill, Gar Ryness, Kelly Clarkson
• The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien: Bill Engvall, the cast of “Hair”
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Selma Blair, Connie Schultz
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Dylan McDermott, Wendy Williams
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher and additional team members from the L.A. Lakers, 3OH!3 (R 6/19/09)
• Chelsea Lately: Florence Henderson, Chris Franjola, Loni Love, Janet Varney (R 7/9/09)
• Last Call with Carson Daly: Josh Flitter, Kid Cudi (R 3/18/09)
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Rep. Barney Frank
• The Colbert Report: Paul Rieckhoff, Paul Krugman

Talk to me people…what will YOU be watching tonight? For the latest TV from GMMR, follow me on Twitter.

TRUE BLOOD: Shake and Fingerpop

Hello, all. I hope that your two-week break from “True Blood” was eventful and fantastic. But, alas, the gang from Bon Temps was back this week in an episode that set up a lot of things for the rest of the season.

Sookie, Bill and Jessica

Bill kicks Hoyt out of his house. Jessica defends herself by saying that, essentially, she’s being a teenage girl first and a new vampire second. Sookie suggests that Jessica come with them to Dallas as a way for her to learn more about her new lifestyle and get out of the house a bit.

When they arrive, the limo driver attempts to abduct Sookie. After being glamoured by Jessica, Bill glamours him and finds out that he was hired by the Fellowship of the Sun to abduct the human with the Compton party.

Bill goes to meet Eric later (see below). While gone, Jessica orders a prostitute for her to feed upon. Sookie finds out that Barry, the hotel worker who brought the prostitute to the door, can read minds as well. Sookie leaves to chase him down.

Bill, Eric and Lafayette

Lafayette stays holed up in his house, even rebuffing Tara on her birthday. Eric shows up and offers his blood so Lafayette’s leg will heal. Eric explains that Lafayette is important to Sookie, which means that he is important to Eric, or at least interesting. Lafayette feeds and feels better. Eric departs for Dallas.

In Dallas, Eric sheds a little light on his relationship and concern with Godrick’s disappearance. Eric worries that if a vampire as powerful as Godrick can be captured, anyone can be and if the Dallas vampires don’t get answers soon, he fears that they will start to attack humans to get answers.

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Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Sunday, July 12, 2009

It’s Sunday. Last day of the weekend. Make the most of it.  And that includes what you watch on television tonight.  If you have HBO then you’re night is all set with TRUE BLOOD, HUNG and the big news – the season premiere of ENTOURAGE!! Welcome back to Vinnie  and the boys!

There’s certainly plenty to choose from.  Big decisions my friends…what will YOU be watching?

Big Brother 11 | 8pm on CBS
Jesse, the current head of household, reveals his two nominations for eviction. [GMMR: Oops, just realized I never wrote up my thoughts on the BIG BROTHER premiere.  Sorry about that. With three shows a week I’m sure we’ll have plenty to talk about soon enough.]

Merlin | 8pm on NBC
“A Remedy to Cure All Ills”
Enchanted flowers make Morgana ill and Gaius is unable to find a cure; Merlin finds that he and Edwin have more in common than he’d thought.

True Blood | 9pm on HBO
“Shake and Fingerpop”
Bill and Sookie travel to Dallas to carry out Eric’s mission; Jason falls victim to a practical joke; Maryann throws a birthday party for Tara. [GMMR: Not going to be able to watch TRUE BLOOD until later tonight.  Note to self – stay off Twitter to avoid spoilers.]

Drop Dead Diva | 9pm on Lifetime
“Pilot”
A superficial model (Brooke D’Orsay) who met an untimely death returns to the living in the body of a plus-size attorney (Brooke Elliott) in the pilot episode of this comedy-drama. Margaret Cho also stars.

Gene Simmons Family Jewels | 9pm & 9:30pm on A&E
“The Night from Hell” & “Who Dunnit”
Sophie puts a cheating boy through the wringer; Gene volunteers Carrot Top to crash a Vegas bachelorette party. Shannon guilts the family into throwing a themed party.

Hammertime | 10pm & 10:30pm on A&E
Hammer and his family head to Las Vegas for Grandma Betty’s 70th birthday party. Hammer tries to find his mother a house; A’Keiba tries to share her vegetarian lifestyle with the family. [GMMR: Is anyone watching?]

Hung | 10pm on HBO
“Great Sausage or Can I Call You Dick?”
Tanya’s former law firm colleague agrees to take Ray for a test ride; Jessica’s obsessive behavior grates on her children; Ray mismanages his money.

Entourage | 10:30pm on HBO
“Drive”
Vince prepares for his driving test and an appearance with Jay Leno; Eric considers moving into his own house; Lloyd confronts Ari with an ultimatum.

In Plain Sight | 10pm on USA
“Jailbait”
The barely legal daughter of Mary’s witness, a Miami racketeer, is in a dangerous romance; Raph’s mother visits to prepare an engagement feast for surprised Mary.

Army Wives | 10pm on Lifetime
“Family Residence”
Joan and Roland prepare for Sarah Elizabeth’s christening; Lucky, the dog, finds his way to Fort Marshall; Terrance and Roland help a young Iraqi orphan.

Told ya there was a lot to choose from. Help a sista out…let me know what YOU are going to be watching. (I know I ask everyday, but finding out what y’all are watching helps me get a better sense of what we should be covering here on GMMR)

Hung | 10pm on HBO

Tanya’s former law firm colleague agrees to take Ray for a test ride; Jessica’s obsessive behavior grates on her children; Ray mismanages his money.

Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Saturday, July 11, 2009

Tonight we say goodbye to two special shows.  A sleeper hit with a passionate fanbase, HARPER’S ISLAND proved to be a fun summer ride for viewers. In tonight’s finale all will be revealed.  Are you excited?

Selfishly, I’m not ready to say goodbye to ELI STONE. One of the most delightful and original shows to come along in quite some time, ELI was another tragic victim of the writer’s strike and poor promotional support from ABC.  At least we got to see these finale episodes.  It was fun while it lasted, and I’m glad I have the DVDs on hand for rainy days in the future.

KINGS still has a few episodes left…thank goodness.

Kings | 8pm on NBC
“Javelin”
David faces treason charges as Silas hands control of the trial over to Jack. Elsewhere, Michelle contends with medical problems that bring her closer to her mother.

Harper’s Island | 9pm CBS | 2-hour Series Finale
“Gasp” & “Sigh”
John Wakefield continues his murderous rampage on the island, as the survivors attempt to find and kill him before he wipes them all out.  And tonight the mystery is solved as the series concludes. [GMMR: In case you missed it, check out: HARPER’S ISLAND: Are You Ready for the Killer Finale? Our spoiler-free speculation about the season finale.]

Eli Stone | 10pm on ABC | Series Finale
“Flight Path”
In the series finale, Eli and Keith help a woman in need of a heart transplant who clashes with the family of a potential donor because of her religious views. Meanwhile, Eli’s visions of a plane crash cause concern for his loved ones, and Taylor and Matt take another step in their future together.

What else should be added to tonight’s TV spotlight? Leave a comment below or send me a message via Twitter.

Eli Stone | 10pm on ABC

Series Finale: In the series finale, Eli and Keith help a woman in need of a heart transplant who clashes with the family of a potential donor because of her religious views. Meanwhile, Eli’s visions of a plane crash cause concern for his loved ones, and Taylor and Matt take another step in their future together.

Harper’s Island | 9pm on CBS

Series finale: John Wakefield continues his murderous rampage on the island, as the survivors attempt to find and kill him before he wipes them all out.  And tonight the mystery is solved as the series concludes.

Kings | 8pm on NBC

David faces treason charges as Silas hands control of the trial over to Jack. Elsewhere, Michelle contends with medical problems that bring her closer to her mother.

HARPER’S ISLAND: Are You Ready for the Killer Finale?

The following contains NO SPOILERS for the finale; this is all pure conjecture on my part. Please DO NOT reveal any spoilers in the comments. They will be deleted. Thanks!

I admit it. I’ve been completely sucked into the Harper’s Island. I don’t know one other person in my day-to-day life that watches HI, and yet, as we get close to the final episode of CBS’s summertime miniseries I’m noticing a lot of people online are theorizing and chatting about the show. So…I figured there might be a GMMR reader or two that’s following the series and getting excited for the big two-hour finale just like me.

The show aired last night in Canada, where I live, but I’m saving it to watch tonight and avoiding any spoilers like crazy since I want to be surprised at the big payoff. I suggest to those of you who can’t watch until it airs on Saturday in the US that you proceed with caution on the ol’ internets because the cat will be out of the proverbial bag (I’m going to forgo reading even the headlines on any entertainment sites and avoid Twitter altogether until after I’ve seen it…gulp).

In preparation for the big finale I thought that I’d recap who we have left and the chances of each of the survivors being a part of the evildoings. [I have to preface the rest of the post by saying that I am going into the finale assuming two things: that we’ll learn that one of the survivors is Wakefield’s child and that this person has played a large part in the murders so far. This could of course turn out to be incorrect, but that’s what I’m working with for now.] At this point, we are down to a small group of eight unlucky members of the original group still stuck on the island, along with John Wakefield who made a surprising entrance to the show after many, many assertions that he’s been dead for the past seven years. Abby’s dad the Sheriff did not kill Wakefield as we had all thought, and we’re not sure where he’s been hanging out all this time (it’s hard for me to imagine that he’s been on the relatively small island undetected for seven years). At first I was completely disappointed to learn that he was alive, thinking that the big mystery was now over. However, there is much more to the story that has yet to be revealed…and we’re finally going to be rewarded with all of the answers (I like this mini-series concept for this reason – unlike Lost, which I’m a fan of, it won’t drive me crazy for five plus years!).

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Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Friday, July 10, 2009

Super quick spotlight post this morning.  I fell asleep before the end of last night’s BIG BROTHER and I need to get to it before I leave for work.

Here’s what you need to know about tonight…there’s really hardly anything worth watching. Well, I shouldn’t say that – if you are a fan of EUREKA, then I’m sure you’re excited.  THE SOUP is always a good bet.  Then there’s Cat Deeley on with CONAN.  But on the whole…not an exciting TV night.  Just you wait.  Fridays in the Fall are going to be cramazing!

Surviving Suburbia | 8pm on ABC
“Nothing for Money”
Steve encourages Anne to quit volunteer work and get a job; Henry accuses Jenna of stealing something from the house.

The Goode Family | 8:30pm on ABC
“A Goode Game of Chicken”
Gerald protests a restaurant after discovering there is meat in their “meatless” chili; Che disappears.

Eureka | 9pm on Syfy
“Welcome Back, Carter”
Following his termination as sheriff, Carter interviews for a job with the Department of Homeland Security. Deputy Lupo resigns when she learns the new sheriff is a very personable robot.

Mental | 9pm on Fox
“Obsessively Yours”
Veronica discovers that a former patient’s obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette’s syndrome have become worse than ever; Jack falls for a neurosurgeon.

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.

Also playing…

• The Chopping Block | 8pm on NBC: The final three teams compete to impress Marco and the diners by re-creating one of Marco’s signature dishes.

On the late night couch…

• The Late Show with David Letterman: Rainn Wilson, Larry Miller, Maxwell
• The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien: Bob Newhart, Cat Deeley, Ray LaMontagne
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Ray Romano, Michael Buble
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Magic Johnson, Jack Black, Michael Cera (R)
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Will Ferrell, Kyra Sedgwick, Mos Def (R 6/9/09)
• Chelsea Lately: Brooke Hogan, Michael Yo, Josh Wolf, Natasha Leggero (R 6/29/09)
• Last Call with Carson Daly: Tom Green, Mishka (R 3/17/09)

Who Went Home on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE?

Looking to find out who went home on tonight’s SYTYCD? Check out the results from tonight’s show here: Who Went Home on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE? (July 16, 2009)

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It’s about that time.  Tonight we’re going to say goodbye to two more dancers.  But who will it be? We’ve got a lot of dancing before we know that.

Before we get into tonight’s show, if you are a regular (or a new ) listener of our weekly SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE podcast, be sure to send us your thoughts on the podcast!  Thx!

9:01pm: The 12 remaining dancers kick off things with a Cold War vibe hip hop number by NappyTabs. It was good enough but it wasn’t all the jumping to me. A little too dark, but performed well. Did you like it?

9:04pm: Cat lets us know that today is Nigel’s 60th birthday. Happy Birthday, Dizzy Feet!

9:05pm: Nigel addresses the rumors that the show was planning a big Michael Jackson tribute featuring all the genres of dance.  It was in the works.  The choreographers were on board – Wade, Mia, NappyTabs.  But unfortunately Sony (or whomever it was) won’t give clearance for the music. How disappointing.  Such a well respected dance show, and they can’t honor Michael. Very disappointing.  You are robbing me from a Wade Robson routine to Michael Jackson? How dare you?

9:07pm: Memo to Tyce Diorio – it’s not about you. Shut it already!

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TOP CHEF MASTERS Recap: Neil Patrick Harris & Max!!

Oh, Top Chef Masters. I WANT to love you.

That kind of says it all, right?

It’s not that I don’t LIKE TCM, because I do, it’s that I don’t love it, because I want the contestants to stick around so I can get to know them (even though I know it’s impossible), and I don’t love the bobble-headed host, and I don’t love the critic who dresses like a fancy bag lady, and I miss Padma’s puke faces, and I like when the contestants get all tired and beaten down and bitchy. So, in short, WAAAAHHHH!

But on the other hand, we do get to see some pretty ingenious stuff, and this was a cool challenge, what with the Neil Patrick Harris and the magic and whatnot. And did you guys realize that we got a TWO FOR ONE celebrity episode? Please tell me that you all recognized Ed Alonzo—he’s Max, as in THE Max, as in Saved by the Bell! I was excited.

Okay, and one last note on the magic castle before we really get into the food—did anyone else catch that little vignette in the middle of the commercials where a guy pulled a rabbit out of his hair? That was awesome, I loved Ed Alonzo’s face and no one having any idea how he did it. And that floppy-eared bunny was SUPER cute, although I’m not sure I would’ve held it since I’m pretty afraid of holding bunnies. They’ve got those teeth … But it was still really cute to see everyone having a good time and enjoying the show.

The challenges this week were so great. I love the egg challenge because after several years of waiting tables and doing the breakfast shift at two different places, I can absolutely say without question that eggs are every bit as difficult as they were making them out to be. I worked at a national park in Virginia one summer during college, and we all lived in cabins with roommates. One of the guys got moved to the breakfast shift the summer before I was there, and one of his roommates told me that he must have cooked over a thousand eggs, just practicing. They’re just really finicky.

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SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Podcast – The Top 12

Another week of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, another week of the SYTYCD podcast – a special edition of The TV Talk Podcast. Head over to our new TheTVTalkPodcast.com site to listen in.

With only 6 couples left to perform, each pairing was given 2 dances to master. Some rose to the occasion, some crashed and burned under the pressure but one thing remained consistent… the Judges are out of their minds and way off base this season.

Dan and I recap each of the 12 routines, comment on the lack of criticism from the Judges, risk another late night Police raid and flip out over having Wade & Mia choreography in a single episode!

Find out who we think should make the Top 10 for Season 5, the injustice that’s surely upon one of the male dancers and even GLEE(k) out over the newest McKinley High Glee Club promo.

Sit back and take it all in kids, we’ve got plenty to say this week! Thanks again for listening and if you like what we’re doing, please tell a friend.

Click to listen to TV Talk Podcast (with Chapter Markers): So You Think You Can Dance Top 12 Performance Show

You can also find us on iTunes by searching: “TV Talk Podcast”.

Leave your comments over on the new home of The TV Talk Podcast. Dan and I will read and respond to the comments over on the site.

And as always, you can follow The TV Talk Podcast on Twitter.

P.S. If you’re looking for the listener Q&A TV Talk Podcast, stay tuned…that one should be coming your way soon!

Sound Stage | 10pm on PBS

The indie rockers of Death Cab for Cutie serve up songs from their 2009 EP “The Open Door,” their 2008 CD “Narrow Stairs” and favorites from earlier releases. Included: “Cath…”; “I Will Possess Your Heart”; “The Sound of Settling.”

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