What I'm Watching Tonight: Monday's are for Spies

There is so much good TV on Mondays: Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill for my teen drama loving heart, Samantha Who? and How I Met Your Mother for my comedic pleasure, Heroes for coolness, awesomeness and hotness and of course the topic of today's blog: Chuck and My Own Worst Enemy for the part of me that always wanted to be a spy.

Chuck, 8pm NBC

Last season I wrote off this spy dramedy, only to find myself at their panel during Comicon wondering why I'd never bothered to watch it. I've since discovered that it is actually quite excellent, though I do note that it is necessary to watch through a humorous lens, because taking it too seriously would probably ruin it.

The humor isn't over the top ridiculous, rather it's more like cute sweet awkward guy (I seem to keep comparing him to Seth from the O.C.) keeps getting caught in all sorts of crappy situations and then handling them in his geeky barely makes it out alive kind of way.

The main story focuses on Chuck, who had the contents of the government super computer downloaded into his brain, and is now a very valuable asset to the gov, protected by two real spies Sarah and Casey (played by Adam Baldwin i.e. Jayne from Firefly, whom I love love love!!) But besides tugging at my nostalgic Alias heartstrings, the main reason I watch is for Chuck and Sarah's budding (and tragic yet amazing) love story.

I was able to just start watching without feeling lost, but just in case, you can get a taste of the show and catch up on last season in just four minutes:



My Own Worst Enemy, 10pm NBC

To be honest, I was pretty hesitant about this show from the get go, which may have stemmed from my lack of love for Christian Slater, but since watching it, I have to say the show did manage to impress me.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't over the top fantastic but I am very intrigued/fascinated by the premise, though I have no idea how it is going to hold up for a whole season. Also, if the episodes are riddled with as many plot holes as the pilot, I am not going to be a happy camper. I did quite enjoy bad boy Edward, but I fear most of the stories will focus on the less interesting Henry, although I do have to say, them talking to one and other kind of blew my mind. I think it's definitly worth a dedicated try, plus if anything it too makes me Alias nostalgic, which (if not done horribly) is never a bad thing. You can watch the pilot on Hulu.

Or check out this 3 minute replay to get caught up for tonight:




Watch Chuck at 8pm and My Own Worst Enemy at 10pm tonight on NBC.

Sarah Palin on Saturday Night LIve

If you missed it last night, Sarah Palin did an excellent job of smiling on SNL as they made fun of her. It was pretty hilarious, check it out:

Opening Skit



Maybe it's my new found 30 Rock obsession, but I loved the reference and Alec Baldwin's appearance. I didn't get that he was watching the TV though (and not just looking off into space) and thus wished he had looked at Sarah Palin more when confusing her. Also he could have said Tina a few less times, we got it. But I really liked the Stephen Baldwin burn, "you look much hotter in person," and the "I've hosted this show 175 times" line, although the best part: Tina Fey, "The real one?" Haha.

Weekend Update



I'll be honest, I was a little concerned about Amy Poehler gangsta rapping that much pregnant, but did find it absolutely hilarious! Todd's portrayal, the backup eskimos, and Sarah Palin "raising the roof" were all sooo good. OMG though shooting the moose!! That was fantastic!!

I have to say the whole thing was very well handled, considering the precarious line that could have been crossed with Sarah Palin being in such close proximity to her own mockery. I'm no fan of the woman, but that could have been really awkward, instead watching that fake moose fall over has been the highlight of my day :D

The End is Officially Upon Us

Get frakking excited (or possibly depressed), because Sci Fi just announced that Battlestar Galactica is returning on Friday, January 16th at 10pm and after just 10 glorious episodes the series will end on March 20th.

The mid-season premiere will pick up from June's cliffhanger (Dear Sci Fi: You're killing me, June to Jan is far too long...) where we left the Colonial fleet and their Cylon friends on a barren nuclear wasteland called Earth. (Did everyone see that rusting Brooklyn bridge in one of the final shots? Freaky.)

If you have no idea what I am talking about then you have less than three months to get caught up on the best show on television, seriously, put those netflix to good use and start watching!

On the Verge: Sanctuary

Synopsis: Sanctuary follows the adventures of the beautiful, enigmatic and always surprising Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping), her new recruit, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne) and her fearless daughter Ashley (Emilie Ullerup). Together they track down, study and protect the strange and often terrifying creatures that secretly populate our world and live among us.

The show, which stars Stargate SG-1/Atlantis' Amanda Tapping and is written by two fellow Stargate alums, Damian Kindler (creator) and Martin Wood (director), debuted as a web series in 2007. From its inception, the show pledged to stay closely connected with fans through an interactive website, SanctuaryForAll.com, and thus created a large following that lead to Sci Fi's decision to pick up the series for a 13 episode season that premiered October 3rd.

But this show's jump from the web is just the beginning, the most intriguing part of this series is that it is the first show ever, as far as I know, that is filmed almost entirely, roughly 90% of the shots, in front of a green screen (using the new RED Camera). I had the privilege
of attending the NYC premiere at the Paley Center a few weeks back, and while my unrealistically high expectations were not met, the visual effects were still surprisingly stunning. No, it's not a perfect mirror of reality, and there are definitely times (several wide shots in particular) where the CGI is very obvious, but then there were all the other moments where I was constantly debating what was real and what wasn't. Overall I'd say most of the work is subtle and convincing, and noting that this analysis is from someone who was intently looking, it makes you wonder how much the casual viewer would even notice?

At the panel after the premier, the cast and creators discussed the creative freedom they now have because of the green screen. Essentially they can film anywhere, the catacombs under Rome? No problem. (Keep an eye out for that location in one of the upcoming episodes.)

So is Sanctuary a pioneer of things to come? Sounds like it, NBC has recently acquired a script based on the Greek myth "Jason and the Argonauts" and the rumor is, if this goes to series, NBC is considering shooting entirely on green screen. Read about it from the Hollywood Reporter

For more on Sanctuary, check out this preview, it's for the October 3rd premiere, but it gives you a nice sense of the series:



On the story side, the show has a lot of potential but definitely needs time to mature. The pace could be quickened a bit and the writing sharpened, but it's very close and after two weeks I continue to want more. Does the lack of sets affect cast performance? I've been impressed thus far, but you'll have to decide for yourself.

If you are a sci fi fan, or just intrigued by a new wave in television production, check out Sanctuary tonight at 9pm on Sci Fi.

For a special look at the Sanctuary's use of green screen check out this video:

Find more videos like this on www.truveo.com.

Grey's Anatomy Wrap Up - "Brave New World"

Grey's Anatomy is back!!

I don't care what's been said, this show is still going strong and last night was just one fine example of why I'm a loyal "Grey's Addict."

I absolutely loved the episode, tons of laughs, medium on the melodrama while still advancing overarching plot lines (Don't get me wrong I love me some melodrama, and I'm always a fan of more, but the occasional fluff ep without mer-der collapsing or the world ending is always appreciated, and this episode had a nice balance/pace of dramatic moments.)

I also enjoyed the Hospital not flooding or exploding (why did I totally not care at all about that little debacle last week?) and the lack of surgeries (in a good way) allowing us to finally delve into some of the new realtionships more like Callie and Hahn, who are soooo awkward but also adorable and fun. I like them but I worry, Grey's and awkward relationships seem to always ended badly (George and Izzie anyone?) I really hope the writers successfully get these two un-awkward quickly before it kills the whole thing.

I did want more George (who btw was so cute with the scared little kid, awwww) and Lexi. George needs to get his head out of his ass, ugh, the end killed me. And where is Sloan? He needs a plot line. It's times like these when I miss Addison, but am then reminded of my love for Private Practice, although more crossovers would be nice...

And though it took me a couple minutes to get, I loved the end when Derek gave Meredith and Christina the trailer, he's so McDreamy...*sighs* If you couldn't tell already, overall I was very pleased.

My favorite moment was a tough call because I really loved all of the dermatology scenes. Though I should note one flaw from last night's ep: Christina's patient story line made very little sense and got lost in the shuffle, but I think all is forgiven by this fantastic scene: Callie is talking to Bailey about her date with Hahn...Bailey's expression is absolutely priceless, I could not stop laughing!




If you missed it, you can watch last nights episode at Abc.com or check out a Recap on EW.com

Grey's Anatomy airs Thursday's at 9pm on ABC.

Reality TV Confessions: Project Runway

I'm a bit of a fictional TV snob, but I have to admit there are some reality shows that I find quite entertaining. While I am not an avid viewer of any particular show, occasionally I will catch a marathon or some reruns and become quite invested in a season of show.

So what did I turn on instead of the debate Wednesday night, because let's face it, nothing on this earth is going to make me vote for John McCain: the Season 5 Finale of Project Runway!

My Review: I have to say I was happy Leanne won, from everything I've seen of hers, throughout the show, I think she deserved it. Plus that blue dress was my absolute favorite piece out of all of the collections. Though I'll admit, at the end I was rooting for Korto, I think her line was my favorite at Bryant Park, although perhaps not as well polished as Leanne's. And while I was impressed by Kenley's clothes, even though half the time I personally don't understand them, I think she squanders her talent when she's so stubborn and arrogant. But overall the show was quite entertaining and definitely succeeded in making my feel very lame lounging around my apartment in an old t-shirt and jeans.

To see the winning clothes, check out this 40 second recap of Leanne's runway show at Bryant Park:



For more on this, read Entertainment Weekly's Recap and Interviews with Leanne Marshall, Korto Momolu, and Kenley Collins.

Retro UPN Moment of the Week

In 2003, UPN launched Veronica Mars, one of the best shows ever to grace the small screen, but unfortunately, despite its brilliance, is still relatively unknown even after its three season run on UPN and the CW.

I aim to change that, this will not be the last time I attempt to convince the world that Veronica Mars is the best thing since sliced bread. Just eeking ahead of Battlestar Galactica and Buffy, Veronica Mars has managed to land at the top of my all time favorite TV list. With it's amazing funny, witty, and intelligent dialogue, incredibly complex story lines, and realistic portrayal of teen angst and our class society, I'm a total sucker for this teen show slash detective drama thats been called "a little bit Buffy and a little bit Bogart" by USA Today. Number one fan, Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel, Firefly) called it "the funniest and most romantic show on TV" in his review of the season one dvd box set which can be read at EW.com

I ask for a measly 3 minutes of your time to check out the following preview, though taped off the screen at Comicon, it is the best trailer I've ever seen for the show and if this doesn't make you the slightest bit intrigued then I'm not sure what's wrong with you:



Alright, alright, I'm done, but I implore you to check out the pilot and see what you think for yourself, I promise you won't regret it.

Don't Waste Your Time: Eleventh Hour

It's been quite the year of X-Files copy cats, and while I am not one to eviscerate fledgling shows, I have to say watching the pilot of Eleventh Hour was verging on painful.

Within the first five minutes my friends and I were already asking "What!?" and giving each other confused looks. I am all about complex TV that challenges the viewer, but in a pilot I prefer to understand where I am and who I am watching before you go off and complex me. I also felt very little attachment to the characters and their stereotypical behavior, Rufus Sewell is hot but beyond that I really wasn't impressed. And adding to the confusion was my inability to figure out exactly which characters would be recurring and thus who I should care about. All of which could be forgiven if I had been watching a gripping, kick ass pilot, however, in my opinion, this was not that by any means.

I will say that I've never been a huge CSI fan myself (I lean towards Law and Order) and episodic dramas without overarching plot lines usually do not grab me (unless I'm in the midst of some epic marathon) so I would take my opinion with a grain of salt.

Decide for yourself: Eleventh Hour airs Thursdays at 10pm on CBS

Retro WB Moment of the Week

I was doing some research for a CW presentation and came across some old WB Ad Campaigns.

I hope these elicit the same nostalgia in you that they did in me:

The WB's 1999 Promo



The WB's 2000 Promo



Embedding was disabled, but this was fascinating, and if you loved the WB you really should check out this video as well: The 1999 WB Upfront

My favorite of the bunch, a video montage of various WB show promos for the fall season in September 2000. Best part: At 1:14, James Van Der Beek (Dawson's Creek) and Scott Foley (Felicity) in the car, trust me it's awesome...Also note the super creepy voice on the Roswell, Buffy, and Angel voiceovers, I was not a fan.



And finally, the last WB Promo ever, as the network says goodbye:



There were so many great ones, it was hard to pick just a few, but for more information, history on the wb, and videos check out this article at Television Obscurities.

Tina Fey as Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live 2

I apologize for that lack of updates, a week of sickness left me a little behind on life, but I'm back with a whole list of TV Updates for everyone.

Starting with Tina Fey's hilarious portrayals of Sarah Palin on SNL that past couple weeks, if you missed them watch below, and don't forget to tune in to SNL October 25 to see a special guest appearance by Sarah Palin herself!!

The VP Debate:



The Katie Couric Interview:



The REAL Katie Couric Interview:



Enjoy :D (Check out the video that started it all here)