Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Monday, January 25, 2010

Want the good news or the bad news first?

The bad news? Two of our Monday night favorites, How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory are both repeats tonight.  But the good news is that means that the crazy Monday night schedule is just a tad bit lighter tonight…kind of. HIMYM and BBT might give us a bit of a break but two new shows are joining the already crowded Monday night.  ABC Family’s GREEK is back with a new semester – one that can’t be missed. Over on FX is the new season of DAMAGES with Glenn Close.  So much for that lighter load.

Check out highlights from tonight’s schedule.  Below I’ll give you a peak at to how I’m planning to take it all in on Monday night.  What about YOU? Leave a comment here or tell me about it on Twitter (@gmmrTV)

Chuck | 8pm on NBC
“Chuck vs. First Class”
Chuck goes on his first solo mission to Paris, despite Sarah and Casey’s objections; on the flight, Chuck flashes on another passenger (Steve Austin); Casey helps Morgan battle Jeff and Lester for control of the Buy More.

House | 8pm on Fox
“Remorse”
The men on the team are charmed by an attractive female executive experiencing random bouts of excruciating pain; House tries to make amends with a former colleague.

The Bachelor | 8pm on ABC
“Nine Women Left”
Jake and the remaining nine women take a trip up the coast of California; one woman snags a date with Jake at a winery; Jake makes a surprising decision.

24 | 8pm on Fox
“Day 8: 8pm-9pm”
Jack and Renee track dangerous leads; Dana faces tense circumstances; President Taylor learns that a larger threat is jeopardizing the peace accord with President Hassan.

The Secret Life of the American Teenager | 8pm on ABC Family
“Just Say Me”
Adrian and Amy start a trend when they decide to take care of themselves and not worry about others.

One Tree Hill | 8pm on The CW
“Family Affair”
Taylor and Quinn’s ex-husband show up at Haley and Nathan’s house; Brooke turns to Alexander for support; Clay tries to prove his commitment to Quinn.

(the rest of tonight’s TV spotlight is after the jump)

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Emma | 9pm on PBS

Part 1 of 3. A handsome production of Jane Austen’s “Emma,” starring Romola Garai as the somewhat clueless title character, who sets out to make a quality match for a pretty orphan (Louise Dylan). Mr. Knightley (Jonny Lee Miller, “Eli Stone”) has his doubts, however.

Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Sunday, January 24, 2010

Most of our shows took a big break around Thanksgiving thru New Year’s. Does it drive anyone else crazy that we’re in rerun mode again? So much for Sunday night TV.

Not all is lost. I’ve pulled together a few highlights that you might be interested in checking out. Let me know what YOU will be watching tonight.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition | 8pm on ABC
“Powell Family”
Singer Ashanti volunteers to help rebuild the Buffalo, N.Y., home of a Jamaican immigrant who has done extensive work on the domicile over the past few years.

The Notebook | 8pm on ABC Family
A man tells a story to a woman about two young people who become lovers in 1940s North Carolina. Based on a book by Nicholas Sparks.
Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner, Gena Rowlands, James Marsden

Big Love | 9pm on HBO
“Strange Bedfellows”
Bill, Nicki and Cara Lynn travel to Washington, D.C.; Margene finds on-air triumph with her line; Joey goes to extremes to safeguard a secret.

Masterpiece Classic | 9pm on PBS
“Emma”
Part 1 of 3. A handsome production of Jane Austen’s “Emma,” starring Romola Garai as the somewhat clueless title character, who sets out to make a quality match for a pretty orphan (Louise Dylan). Mr. Knightley (Jonny Lee Miller, “Eli Stone”) has his doubts, however.

Say Anything | 10:30pm on Fox Movie Channel
A high-school senior (John Cusack) falls in love with an honor student (Ione Skye) bound for studies in England, but her father (John Mahoney) doesn’t approve. John Cusack, Ione Skye, John Mahoney, Lili Taylor, Amy Brooks

Jimmy Fallon & The Roots Bid Conan a Fond Farewell From Studio 6A

Conan Addresses NBC, Fans in Final TONIGHT SHOW

Conan O’Brien ended his all too short tenure as the host of THE TONIGHT SHOW last night with style, class and of course, humor. Guests included Tom Hanks, Neil Young, Will Ferrell and a surprise cameo by Steve Carell. If you were wondering if Conan’s last show would be full of bitterness or sadness, it wasn’t. He’s better than that. As Conan said himself last night “I hate cynicism- it’s my least favorite quality and it doesn’t lead anywhere”.

Before he picked up his electric guitar and joined Will Ferrell and friends in a rousing rendition of “Free Bird”, Conan shared his final thoughts to NBC, his staff, the crew and his fans.

“Before we end this rodeo, a few things need to be said. There has been a lot of speculation in the press about what I legally can and can’t say about NBC. To set the record straight, tonight I am allowed to say anything I want. And what I want to say is this: between my time at Saturday Night Live, The Late Night Show, and my brief run here on The Tonight Show, I have worked with NBC for over twenty years.

Yes, we have our differences right now and yes, we’re going to go our separate ways. But this company has been my home for most of my adult life. I am enormously proud of the work we have done together, and I want to thank NBC for making it all possible.

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GMMR’s Online Picks

Never say there’s nothing to watch. Check out my list of some hilarious, funny, sweet, and borderline vulgar shows you can check out anytime online. Click here for my recommendations: http://bit.ly/88J227

Screen Actors Guild Awards | 8pm on TNT

Actors honor their peers in the annual ceremony, which takes place this year from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center. TV shows nominated include “Glee”, “The Office”, “Modern Family”, “True Blood” and more.

Tonight’s TV (& Online) Spotlight…Saturday, January 23, 2010

Congratulations! You’ve made it to the weekend. Now reward yourself with some quality TV tonight. Wait, what? There’s nothing on? I find that hard to believe. I’m going to go check.

…ok there’s not a ton on tonight, but I wouldn’t say there’s nothing on. Sometimes it’s about quality over quantity.  The night might not be chock full ‘o TV, but  hello – TWILIGHT is on Showtime.  That’s about all I need.  And yes, I can feel you judging me. I don’t care.

Besides Twilight there are some awards shows and some cheesy made for TV movies. But if that’s not floating your boat I’ve also included a bunch of shows you might want to try out online. Give them a whirl.

Twilight | 8pm on Showtime
A high-school student is caught up in a romance with a vampire, whose family has renounced the drinking of blood. Based on the first book of a series by Stephenie Meyer. Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser

Screen Actors Guild Awards | 8pm on TNT
Actors honor their peers in the annual ceremony, which takes place this year from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center. In the TV categories, the casts of “The Closer,” “Dexter,” “The Good Wife,” “Mad Men” and “True Blood” are up for outstanding ensemble performance in a drama series, while “30 Rock,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Glee,” “Modern Family” and “The Office” are nominated for that award’s comedy counterpart.

The Pregnancy Pact | 9pm on Lifetime
Did a group of teenage girls in Gloucester, Mass., set out to get pregnant at the same time? Depends on whom you ask. In this new drama based on the story, it’s a young journalist (Thora Birch) who’s asking. She returns to her old high school to investigate the pregnancy spike.

Modern Family | on Hulu
Six episodes of this year’s best new comedy can be found online. If you’ve never seen the show start with the side-splitting “Pilot” and you’ll quickly find out why everyone is loving this show. Other episodes include this week’s “Fifteen Percent”, “Not in My House”, “Up All Night”, “En Garde” and “Coal Digger”

Caprica |on  Hulu & Syfy
This new show from Syfy premiered last night, but if you missed it, be sure to watch online. Caprica is thought provoking and complex in its exploration of religious freedom, the responsibility of technology and the sustainability of human life.

Life Unexpected | on The CW
What I believe to be the best new show of the Winter TV season, Life Unexpected takes a different look at what it means to be a family. This sweet and funny dramedy is reminiscent of old school WB shows like Everwood, Felicity and Dawson’s Creek.

Chelsea Lately | on Hulu
I’m not always able to stay awake to watch Chelsea Handler’s last night talk show, but I love exploring clips online. Handler doesn’t hold back…ever. It’ so refreshing. She’s vulgar and crude, just how I like me comediennes. Hulu is packed full of clips, but here are a few to get started with. Chelsea interviewing: GLEE star Cory Monteith,  the cast of Jersey Shore, MODERN FAMILY stars Sophia Vergara (Hilarious!) and Julie Bowen, and CHUCK star Zachary Levi.

Arrested Development | on Hulu
You really can never go wrong with one of the funniest comedies of all time.  I’ve yet to find anyone that has watched the antics of the Bluth family and not laughed their ass off.  Right now on Hulu you can watch 18 full episodes of the series

Any other suggestions of what your fellow TV addicts should check out tonight?  What will YOU be watching?

Twitter Chat with GREEK Creator Sean Smith

Are you read to get your GREEK on?  It’s time to head back to CRU on Monday night when GREEK returns to ABC Family at 10/9c with all new episodes.

I don’t know about you but I’ve missed Cappie!

In honor of the return to Greek Row, ABC Family will be hosting a Twitter chat with GREEK Creator Sean Smith on Monday, January 25th at 4pm PST/ 7pm EST. Sean will be taking over the official Greek Twitter (@ABCFgreek) handle to answer questions fans submit through the social network. The ABC Family handle will be moderating the chat, selecting questions for Sean to answer.

Twitter users can submit questions for Sean by publicly messaging the @ABCFgreek handle and using the hashtag #greekchat.

Greek on Twitter:

• @ABCFgreek: Greek Twitter Handle
• @ABCFamily: ABC Family Twitter Handle
• Office Greek hashtag – #greekchat
• @GMMRTV – Me on Twitter 🙂

If you are going to be checking out GREEK for the very first time (which I highly recommend) or you are a returning CRU student/alum, check out some of our favorite GREEK posts here at GMMR.

NOTE: Before this year’s season premiere we dedicated an entire week to GREEK. Unfortunately the contests and giveaways mentioned in the following posts have now closed. Sorry.

• GREEK Rush Week: Notable Quotables
• GREEK Rush Week: Getting to Know Greek Row
• Confessions of a GREEKaholic – Praise from other Greek fans that urge you to watch

SUPERNATURAL: Sam, Interrupted

It’s been a long, long time since we last saw the Winchesters and at last they are back on our televisions. Let me preface this by saying that I really enjoyed the episode – it had a unique feel to it and some amazingly funny moments – but I have to say that I found it a bit jarring to go into such a standalone, light episode after the devastation of the fall finale. I know that the issues of the finale were acknowledged in this episode, but I guess I just felt like the first episode back would be a really, really heavy one after Jo and Ellen’s sacrifice and the implications of Lucifer and Sam’s discussion. Having said that, this was a solid hour of television that managed to both freak me the eff out and crack me up. Just how I like my Supernatural.

Well, we might as well get this out of the way, because I’m sure it’s what we’re all thinking: PUDDING!!! I mean, come ON. That was so out of left field and so funny that I think that the first time I saw it, my jaw just dropped. And then I laughed for about five minutes. I think it was the sound effects as Jensen was swinging to and fro that particularly got to me. It’s the small details like that that really show they care. In case anyone missed that scene:

Essentially, we had a monster of the week (a Wraith) that’s passing as human and has set up shop in a mental institution – a perfect ground zero for a monster that feeds on brain juice and needs a constant supply of crazies (because nobody questions a rash of suicides in a mental hospital). How disgusting was her extraction method?? It was like a unicorn horn gone evil. Things got even more disgusting when Sam broke the thing off and it was spurting blood and the Wraith started shrieking. Actually, things got really gross when Sam inspected the body in the morgue by inserting a probe into the neck hole (technical term) to find that the hole extended all the way to the brain – gah! For a minute I thought I was watching Bones or something.

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@GMMRTV’s #Follow Friday: VAMPIRE DIARIES Edition & YOU

For those of you not in the Twitterverse, #Follow Friday is a weekly event during which Twitter users suggest other people to follow via Twitter. It’s a great way to share people you enjoy following and an equally fantastic way to be introduced to new, fun people to check out.

So I thought that maybe we can bring #Follow Friday into GiveMeMyRemote.com as a way to say thank you to all of you who take the time to share the @GMMRTV love on Twitter.

Each week we will be featuring some of our favorite TV lovin’ peeps who are on Twitter and we’ll also be showing the love to some of YOU who take time to retweet (RT) articles from our site during the week.

This week I thought it might be nice to give a shout out to one of the best new shows on The CW ( @CW_network). So if you are a fan of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES then you might want to follow these find folks on Twitter. 

• @kevwilliamson – (Kevin Williamson) Co-Creator & Executive Producer
  
• @julieplec – (Julie Plec) Co-Creator & Executive Producer
• @cmollere – (Christopher Mollere) Music Supervisor
• @ninadobrev – (Nina Dobrev) “Elena Gilbert”
• @iansomerhalder – (Ian Somerholder) “Damon Salvatore”
• @KaterinaGraham – (Katerina Graham) “Bonnie Bennett”
• @M_Trevino – (Michael Trevino) “Tyler Lockwood”
  
• @zgeorge222 – (Zach Roerig) “Matt Donovan”
  
• @xomalese – (Malese Jow) “Anna”
  
• @robpralgo – (Robert Pralgo) “Mayor Charles Lockwood”

If you know of anyone related to THE VAMPIRE DIARIES that’s on Twitter, let me know.

Now on to more important things…a few of YOU! Thanks for the RTing and being such great friends of the blog. I know I didn’t get everyone, but check back next week to see if you made next week’s #Follow Friday.

• TVWatchtower
• SnoWhiteSally
• forg9587
• lkate07
• rovonne
• KayLhota
• tvinaflash
• sizzlemaker
• kyool

(More wicked pissah Twitter peeps after the jump.)
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FRINGE: What Lies Below

When I was kid, my sister used to get a lot of nose bleeds. I don’t remembering my mom panicking about it. She would just tilt my sister’s head back and hold her nose closed with a towel until the bleeding stopped. This would SO not happen in my house today. If one of my little ones ever randomly started bleeding from the nose, particularly from just one nostril, I’d be calling 911 or rushing them to the ER. I won’t deny that I have the unlucky combination of an over-active imagination and a healthy dose of hypochondria, but anyone who watches even half the TV that I do, knows that bleeding from one nostril surely spells doom. Tonight’s episode completely reinforced this message. Peter, bleeding from one nostril, equals bad — VERY BAD!!!!

How to Treat a 75,000 Year Old Virus

A man is visiting an oil company, with the purpose of selling competitive secrets to one of its executives. He shares an elevator with a bike messenger on the way up to his meeting. As he exits the elevator, he begins to look ill. Blood begins to run from his nose and he falls to the floor. The bike messenger tries to revive him, but cannot. The man’s face takes on a cracked appearance and some sort of red mist sprays from his mouth as he dies.

Peter and Olivia are called to the scene. Walter and Astrid arrive a short while later, just in time to see the bike messenger die at the front door, in the same manner as the man from the elevator. Walter immediately recognizes the potential spread of a harmful virus and calls for the building to be quarantined, even though Peter and Olivia will be trapped inside. Shortly afterwards, the CDC arrive and begin to take over the investigation, but Walter will have no part of being excluded, especially once Peter becomes infected (by accidentally coming into contact with the dead man’s blood).

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30 ROCK Goes to Boston…Now Get The ‘F’ Out!

Last night I wrote the most insightful inspired review of this week’s 30 ROCK, but then Dale Snitterman made me erase the entire post…one character at a time. Move over John Hancock, Dale Snitterman is the new white devil!

I really wasn’t going to say much of anything about this week’s episode of 30 ROCK, but then they had to bring it home to Boston and it couldn’t be ignored.  Talk about adding insult to injury. 30 ROCK has making the ears of Bostonian bleed this season by featuring the insanely horrible accent of Julianna Moore, and then they have to go and remind us of the Patriot’s post-season woes. How dare you bring that to my house!

My parents, my friends, they have Boston accents (although I somehow avoided it despite growing up 4 miles north of the city) but none of them sound as ridiculous as Moore. I’m not saying there isn’t a version of the Boston accent that is similar to what Moore is trying to pull off, but she fails at every turn. Nails on a chalkboard.

Despite the liberties they took with my hometown, they got a few things right…

• Most Bruins fans are mean and named Sean.
• It’s not possible to sit behind a news desk and not feel like Chet Curtis and Natalie Jacobson.
• John Hancock does have the most hilarious last name ever.
• You really don’t want to mess with Patriots fans. Especially after this season. Honestly, just don’t go there.
• You haven’t lived until you’ve had some roast beef from Kelly’s (although I’m partial to their chicken fingers & onion rings)

I wish that you could have read my original review. My analysis of the intellectual prowess of Tracey Jordan and how Jenna’s hair defines her as a person was probably the best post I’ve ever written. Damn you, Snitterman!

BTW, am I the only one loving the addition of Cheyenne Jackson to the cast?!

Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief | 8pm

A star-studded two-hour telethon aimed at raising money for the devastated people of Haiti. In addition to A-list stars, the telethon will feature musical performances from Los Angeles, New York City and London, plus live reporting from CNN’s Anderson Cooper in Haiti. Learn more here: http://bit.ly/87Xrnh

Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief

Tonight at 8 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. CT), “Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief” will air across almost all major networks. Hollywood A-listers will join forces with some of music’s biggest names to raise funds for Haiti after the devastating earthquake hit the nation last Tuesday.

Brad Pitt, Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Clint Eastwood, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jon Stewart, Julia Roberts, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Nicole Kidman, Robert Pattinson, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hanks and Will Smith are among the many participants joining George Clooney (in Los Angeles), Wyclef Jean (in New York) and CNN’s Anderson Cooper (reporting from Haiti) for the event.

“You got about 130 to 140 actors, athletes, singers and television hosts, and they’re all coming up not to be on TV, but simply to answer the phones,” Clooney told MTV News on Thursday. He added that the telethon’s main goal is to “raise money, period. That’s it. … Just first and foremost that we can raise a lot of money. If I thought that we could all pick up shovels and go in there and not be in the way, I think a lot of people would do that.”

The musical performances will include ones by pop legend Madonna (in New York) and Haitian artist Emeline Michel (in Los Angeles) as well as Wyclef Jean, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Shakira and Sting in New York. In L.A., Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift will take the stage, plus there will be a group performance by Keith Urban, Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow. London will feature Beyoncé, Coldplay, and a collaboration between Bono, The Edge, Jay-Z and Rihanna.

“Hope for Haiti Now” will begin accepting donations at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT on Friday. “Hope for Haiti Now” will benefit Oxfam America, Partners in Health, the Red Cross, UNICEF, United Nations World Food Programme, Yele Haiti Foundation and the newly formed Clinton Bush Haiti Foundation. Proceeds from the telethon will be split among each organization’s individual funds for Haiti earthquake relief. With the exception of the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, each partner organization was selected for its history of operation and collaboration within the NGO community in Haiti.

“Hope for Haiti Now” will air across ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, BET, The CW, HBO, MTV, VH1, CMT, PBS, TNT, Showtime, Comedy Central, Bravo, E! Entertainment, National Geographic Channel, Oxygen, G4, CENTRIC, Current TV, Fuse, MLB Network, EPIX, Palladia, SoapNet, Style, Discovery Health, Planet Green, CNN en Español, HBO Latino and Canadian networks, including CBC Television, CTV, Global Television and MuchMusic. The event will be live streamed online globally across sites including YouTube, Hulu, MySpace, Fancast, AOL, MSN.com, Yahoo, Bing.com, BET.com, CNN.com, MTV.com, VH1.com and Rhapsody, and on mobile via Alltel, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and FloTV.

[SOURCE: MTV News]

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