MODERN FAMILY: ‘Halloween’

When is a Halloween episode better than your typical TV trick-or-treat? When it’s a MODERN FAMILY Halloween episode, of course!

Claire’s favorite holiday is Halloween, and it had to be perfect – right down to assigning everyone costumes for her annual haunted house. She and Phil were a corpse bride and groom, Luke was Dr. Frankenstein with Manny playing his monster, Jay was a gargoyle (or, as Gloria pronounced it, a “gargle”), Gloria was a witch and Haley finally settled on being a sexy Mother Theresa (ay yay yay) after her two previous costumes — a sexy cat and a sexy nurse — were rejected by Claire. Their next door neighbor was supposed to participate too — playing the scarecrow who frightens trick-or-treaters as they leave, but with his marriage falling apart — the wife left him — he wasn’t feeling up to it, so Mitchell filled in.

After talking with his heartbroken neighbor, who was apparently blindsided by the separation, Phil began to worry that his own marriage could be on the rocks. He attempted to show Claire how spontaneous and loving he can be, but she just thought he was being annoying and getting in the way of her Halloween preparations.

Meanwhile, Mitchell — who heard two guys at work talking about how everyone at the law firm dresses up for Halloween — decided to get decked out as Spider-Man, since he’s new and wants to fit in. Of course he got to work and the only other people in costume were the two guys (whom he then overheard his colleagues calling “the tool” and “the douche”). He called Cam who reminded him that he had dry cleaning in the trunk of his car, thank God. So Mitchell put a suit on over his bulky SpiderMan costume, because he didn’t have time to take it off, and was then hilariously — and literally — dragged from meeting to meeting all day long. His co-workers thought he’d been hitting the gym a lot because his clothes were so tight. When he finally got a free moment to go to the bathroom and change, he dropped his pants in the toilet. Again he called Cam who told him that Spider-Man is, ironically, exactly who he needed in this moment of distress. Mitchell, clearly in a fit of panic, proceeded to make an interesting move — climbing down the side of the building, so he could fish more clothes out of his trunk. Though he made it to solid ground safely, he sadly set off all the car alarms in the parking lot and looked up to find the entire firm staring out their windows with a bird’s eye view of him and his secret Spidey identity.

Back at the patriarchal Pritchett home, Gloria became distraught because Manny and Jay both make fun of her Colombian accent. Her unhappiness turned to anger when a package of the “baby cheeses” that she ordered for Jay arrived — It was a box full of baby Jesus figurines.

And so, when the entire family finally arrived at the Dunphy house for Halloween, all was not well. Gloria was making a bitter attempt to talk like a “proper American” — which pretty much ruined the scary part she was supposed to play in Claire’s haunted house. Cam didn’t want to participate because of a “childhood Halloween trauma” that he couldn’t stop talking about. Alex wanted to study more than she wanted to be festive. And Mitchell tried to bow out too, still feeling the embarrassment of his day. Claire tried desperately to rally the troops though and the haunted house was opened for trick-or-treating business.

However, it didn’t exactly go off without a hitch. Jay missed his thunder, lightning and fog cues. Cam continued to talk about his childhood trauma — something about a Quasimodo costume, getting stuck in a bush and subsequently wetting his pants. The kids were less than enthusiastic in their roles and Gloria was still talking like a “proper American” instead of a witch.

Claire got very upset with everyone, saying she just wants one holiday to stay the same, since they now set off fireworks on Christmas — because that’s Gloria’s thing — and the gays have overtaken Thanksgiving with their Food Network experiments. She stormed out of the house. Phil followed her and, after letting each other know that they are stuck with one another and won’t end up like the neighbors, they began to overhear the family inside, running Claire’s haunted house as it was planned.

Sweet.

What did you think of last night’s MODERN FAMILY? What were some of your favorite lines/moments that I may have forgotten to mention? Comment below!

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Laura Prepon to Guest on CASTLE

CASTLE’s Beckett is about to meet her match.

ABC has confirmed to Give Me My Remote that former THAT ’70s SHOW star Laura Prepon has been cast as Natalie Gray, the actress who will play Nikki Heat — the character based on Beckett — in the upcoming movie adaptation of Castle’s best-selling book “Heat Wave.” She will first air in January.

According to EW.com — who first reported the casting news — sparks could be flying between Natalie and Castle.

Uh oh.

What do you think, CASTLE fans? Is Prepon who you imagined playing Nikki Heat? What other dream casting do you have for the movie?

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Syfy Cancels CAPRICA

CAPRICA has been canceled, Syfy announced this afternoon.

According to a statement from the network, new episodes of the show will be pulled from the schedule immediately and the final five hours of the series will air in early 2011.

There is good news for BATTLESTAR GALACTICA fans, however, as Syfy recently announced that they ordered BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: BLOOD & CHROME, a 2-hour backdoor pilot focusing on a young William Adama to debut in late 2011/early 2012. So the BSG universe lives on.

Will you miss CAPRICA?

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BORED TO DEATH, EASTBOUND & DOWN Renewed for Season 3

As Deadline.com first reported, HBO has given their Sunday comedies BORED TO DEATH and EASTBOUND & DOWN the green light on a third season.

Freshman drama BOARDWALK EMPIRE has been picked up for season 2, so HBO is looking solid on that last night of the weekend.

BORED TO DEATH — starring Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson and Zach Galifianakis — has been averaging around 1 million viewers an episode, while EASTBOUND & DOWN has been pulling closer to 1.4 million.

Have you been watching?

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FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: The Final Season Debuts Tonight

Talk about a series that makes me proud to be in the business of writing about TV…

The final season of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS — a show I’ve been in love with since, well, probably its second or third episode if I’m being honest — debuts tonight on DirecTV.

I’m pleased to say that fans will not be disappointed with these last hours of a show that may have hobbled through its five year run from a ratings standpoint, but scored consistently high marks with its writing, acting and overall heart — well, you know, except for that whole Landry-murder misstep way back when, but they recovered quickly!

Take a quick look at a preview for tonight’s premiere…

If you don’t have DirecTV, don’t fret… the episodes will of course air on NBC next year.

RELATED:
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS Stars Derek Phillips and Stacey Oristano on Emmy Love and the Final Season

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THE WHOLE TRUTH: ‘When Cougars Attack’ Preview

ABC may have decided to film just 13 episodes of THE WHOLE TRUTH, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it while it’s on, right?

There’s a brand new hour tonight at 10 p.m. and professional lines are getting crossed in this sneak peek…

Oh Jimmy…not your smartest move.

Will you be watching tonight?

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Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Wednesday, October 27, 2010

What up, Wednesday!

We’re halfway there, friends.

And ABC has a Halloween comedy block built to frighten tonight.

Also, for the lucky few who have DirecTV, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS returns for its 5th season premiere this evening.

Lots to enjoy.

Peep the episodes on tap…

The Middle | 8pm on ABC
“Halloween”
Frankie is excited over being invited to an adult neighborhood Halloween party. But will she be able to get Mike to dress up in a costume, or will he have his own idea of fun? Meanwhile, a melancholy Sue’s spirits are lifted when she discovers that Reverend TimTom is back in town and hosting a Halloween church event; things don’t go quite as planned for Axl, his friends or their dates as they head out to an exclusive haunted house party; and Brick chooses a unique Halloween costume that is not easily defined.

Survivor: Nicaragua | 8pm on CBS
“What Goes Around, Comes Around”
A public display of emotion causes one castaway to doubt the intentions of an old rival whom she suspects has been lobbying for sympathy.

Undercovers | 8pm on NBC
“Xerces”
After renowned weapons dealer, Xerxes, hides the formula to a dangerous and lethal biological weapon in a painting, Shaw (Gerald McRaney) assigns Steven (Boris Kodjoe) and Samantha (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) the task of traveling to Tuscany to secure the painting and capture Xerxes. When the assignment requires Samantha to assume a previous cover and partner with Steven’s enemy, Clive (guest star Sean Maguire, “Meet the Spartans”), the Blooms learn that teaming together is not as easy as they thought. Meanwhile, Hoyt’s (Ben Schwartz) attraction to Clive’s assistant proves to be instrumental in finding the culprit.

Read more

GLEE: ‘The Rocky Horror Glee Show’

Hey, fellow Gleeks! Kath is out of town, so I’ll be handling the GLEE recap this week.

Before we start, I want to say that I was familiar with THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW before last night’s episode, but I’m not an uber die-hard fan. If I missed any winks to the die-hards during the hour, I apologize, and please feel free to let me know in the comments section.

So, with that disclaimer out of the way, let’s get to it…

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Friday Night Lights | 9pm on DirecTV

Season Premiere: In the Season 5 opener, Landry prepares to leave for college; Julie spends some quality time with Coach; Billy Riggins enjoys a serious job prospect.

GLEE: Whet Your Appetite for Tonight’s ‘Rocky Horror’ Hour

Happy Halloween, Gleeks…

Excited for tonight’s highly-anticipated ‘Rocky Horror’ GLEE hour?

It’s just a jump to the left and then a step to the right, yo.

If you’re a fan of the ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, you know what I’m saying.

If not, that’s okay, because you’ll still enjoy this evening’s episode of GLEE, just as I did, attending a midnight showing of it at a theater in West L.A. last week.

Props to Fox for putting on such a fun event, which fans showed up to, dressed in full ROCKY HORROR regalia.

There was jumping and stepping at the screening, lots of singing and dancing in the aisles. Great stuff and just what I needed to catapult myself into the Halloween spirit.

I suspect that the episode will do the same for you, as I said, whether you’re into ROCKY HORROR or not.

As you may already know, the show’s version of ROCKY HORROR’s “Touch-a Touch-a Touch Me” — featuring Emma Pillsbury singing to a practically naked Will Schuester — has leaked online and it’s worth noting to you that this is not a dream sequence.

I think Will-Emma — aka “Wemma” — fans will be both pleased and possibly saddened by what the hour has in store.

Yes, there will be highlights.

There will be hijinks.

And there will be heartbreak moments.

To whet your appetite further, a print preview of what you can expect this evening…
Read more

Melissa & Joey | 8pm on ABC Family | Mid-Season Finale

Joe wants to get back into the business world, so he creates his own web series giving out financial tips, with Ryder as his cameraman. Joe asks Mel to become an investor to help get the series off the ground, but she is not the silent partner he hoped for.

Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Tuesday, October 26, 2010

GLEE and RAISING HOPE are back tonight — both with their own special nods to the horror of Halloween.

NCIS is getting into the spirit too…

No Ordinary Family | 8pm on ABC
“No Ordinary Quake”
Jim goes into search mode to discover the cause of some recent earthquakes; Stephanie begins to suspect that JJ may be lying about his lack of super powers; and Daphne struggles with morality issues when she reads the minds of a fellow student and teacher and suspects they may be having an affair.

Glee | 8pm on Fox
“The Rocky Horror Glee Show”
Will decides to have the glee club perform “The Rocky Horror Show” for the annual school musical after learning of Emma’s newfound love for the cult classic. Despite Sue’s usual scheming, the members of New Directions inject their distinctive style to the show’s timeless tracks. [GMMR: Check our special preview of the ep]

The Biggest Loser | 8pm on NBC
“1006”
The contestants start their week hearing surprising news from host Alison Sweeney that at this week’s weigh-in, only one person’s weight will count for the blue team and the black team. It will be up to the opposing team to decide whose weight will count and the two contestants chosen won’t be revealed until the weigh-in, leaving the blue and black teams busy strategizing on whom they should choose. Then the players get a visit from celebrity chefs Curtis Stone and Lorena Garcia.

NCIS | 8pm on CBS
“Cracked”
Delving into the mind of a brilliant Naval Scientist, Abby becomes fixated on solving her murder, while DiNozzo’s latest fling leads to an interesting Halloween.

Melissa & Joey | 8pm on ABC Family | Mid-Season Finale
“Joe Knows”
Joe wants to get back into the business world, so he creates his own web series giving out financial tips, with Ryder as his cameraman. Joe asks Mel to become an investor to help get the series off the ground, but she is not the silent partner he hoped for and has several suggestions, some of which do not sit well with Joe. Meanwhile, Lennox gets tutored by a geeky kid from school who she develops feelings for.

Read more

CHUCK: ‘Chuck vs. The Aisle of Terror’

Hey, CHUCK fans! Kath is traveling this week, so I’m covering the show in her absence, in addition to my usual SUPERNATURAL gig. And although I’m not on regular CHUCK duty, I’ve been religiously watching the show since day one, and bought five dollar footlongs along with everyone else at the end of season two, because I couldn’t bear to see one of my favorite series yanked from TV after that amazing “Chuck Fu” finale. So, now that I’ve established a bit of my history as a fan, let’s get into last night’s episode, shall we?

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ABC Cancels THE WHOLE TRUTH

Just hours after ABC picked up several freshman shows for a full season, THE WHOLE TRUTH producer Kristieanne Reed has tweeted her drama’s dismal fate: “ABC gave us the word. We will only make 13 episodes of #thewholetruth.”

Hopefully all 13 episodes of the show will air since series creator Tom Donaghy just announced that Mandy Patinkin will be in the 10th hour.

Any thoughts? Will you miss THE WHOLE TRUTH next year?

Follow @GiveMeMyRemote and @marisaroffman on Twitter for the latest TV news. Connect with other TV fans on GIVE ME MY REMOTE’s official Facebook page.

And to be the first to see our exclusive videos by subscribing to our YouTube channel at youtube.com/givememyremotetv

CASTLE Creator Andrew Marlowe on ‘3XK’ Resolution, Beckett’s Mother’s Murder

CASTLE fans, don’t read this unless you’ve seen tonight’s episode. If you haven’t, GO WATCH IT NOW!

If you have, let’s chat about “3XK.”

It was good, right?

When I spoke with Seamus Dever a couple weeks back and he teased that something physical was going to happen to Ryan, he wasn’t kidding. Poor Ryan got the brunt of 3XK’s physical attack, but Castle wasn’t let off easy either. 3XK inflicted a verbal lashing on him that could take some time to heal.

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