Next on ‘Burn Notice’: Hot Spot
January 29, 2009 by Chandra
On the next episode of Burn Notice, tonight’s “Hot Spot,” Michael, Fiona, and Sam pretend to be a gang of ruthless car thieves.
The undercover work is for their latest case targeting a thug who has been threatening a local high school football star. When they’re not busy with that, Michael and Fiona also manage to locate the person responsible for trying to murder Michael by setting up the bomb that torched his loft.
Michael Irving guest stars as Coach Sean Martin on this one. And, unless my eyes are deceiving me, that’s former Blade: The Series star Kirk Jones, also known as Onyx hip-hopper Sticky Fingaz, playing the lead bad guy in the promo video after the jump. Very nice.
Follow the cut for a few “Hot Spot” photos and the promo clip just mentioned.
‘Chuck Versus the Third Dimension’ Preview
NBC is rolling out the sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes clips for next Monday’s Chuck, “Chuck Versus the Third Dimension,” the first fresh episode of the sophomore series in 2009.
This is the one in 3D where Lost alum Dominic Monaghan drops by to reprise his role as Charlie Pace play a rock star who causes Chuck Bartowski some serious headaches after the team rescues him from certain death.
Take a look at the earlier post “Preview: Dominic Monaghan in ‘Chuck Versus the Third Dimension’” to see the guest star in action, and follow the jump for a couple of video clips that provide an in-depth look at the episode.
I can’t wait for Chuck to get started again, especially since the show has so many great guest stars and plotlines coming up. If you’re a fan, make sure to begin tuning in on February 2 to help raise the ratings as high as possible and encourage NBC to reward the series with a third season.
Now on to the videos after the jump, the first of which features guest Monaghan among the cast members interviewed.
Trust Me: Sneak a Peek at Monday’s Premiere
January 22, 2009 by Chandra
As Comedy Centric has noted previously, TNT has a new dramedy coming up this season called Trust Me, starring Will & Grace alum Eric McCormack and Ed alum Tom Cavanagh.
The two comedy veterans play happily married, mature art director Mason and happily single, immature copywriter Conner, respectively, two advertising professionals and best friends whose relationship is rocked when Mason gets a promotion that makes him Conner’s boss at their Chicago agency.
Considering that the series is executive-produced by the same creative minds responsible for giving the world TNT’s hit crime drama The Closer, Trust Me has oodles of potential. Airing in the post-Closer time slot certainly helps, as well, although I do find the procedural-comedy combination a bit unappealing. I’m sure the shows will make it work, though.
Both make their 2009 debut next Monday, January 26, with Trust Me airing the series premiere “Before and After” at 10pm EST. Sneak a peek at what’s in store beforehand in the two-minute preview clip after the jump. I definitely can’t complain after watching it.
NOTE: If you haven’t already, you can also meet the cast of the series in the earlier post “Eric McCormack and Tom Cavanagh Want Us to Trust Them.”
‘Burn Notice’ Returns to ‘Do No Harm’ Tonight
January 22, 2009 by Chandra
Burn Notice fans are in for a huge delight tonight when the USA Network crime dramedy returns to resume its second season at 10pm EST with the premiere “Do No Harm.”
Longtime viewers will remember that the midseason hiatus began with a bomb waiting for Michael in his apartment. Well, I’m happy to say the former spy survives the disastrous explosion, but it does leave a noticeable mark on his attitude.
As a result, when he decides to help a father with a dying son who has been scammed by a shady drug company, Michael’s approach gives the series a fresh new feel. Yes, it’s darker and moodier, but at the same time, it also has the welcome potential to create more explosions as the season progresses.
I’ve seen the episode, so trust me: If you’re a Burn Notice fan, you won’t want to miss this one. It’s what some folks who like fancy words tend to call “seminal.”
Also coming up tonight on comedy television are new episodes of all four Thursday-night NBC sitcoms and ABC’s Ugly Betty. Synopses follow the jump.
Preview: Dominic Monaghan in ‘Chuck Versus the Third Dimension’
January 20, 2009 by Chandra
If you haven’t heard yet, Lost alum Dominic Monaghan has an upcoming guest-star gig on the very special February 2 episode of Chuck called “Chuck Versus the Third Dimension.”
The episode’s not just a big deal because of Monaghan, of course, but also because (1) it’s the first new Chuck of 2009 and (2) it will supposedly be broadcast in exciting 3-D. I say supposedly because I’ve tried watching 3-D TV and movies before, and neither ever did a thing for me. Maybe this time will be the charm.
Monaghan plays — surprise … not! — a rock star, this one named Tyler Martin. When the international sensation becomes the target of deadly crooks, Team Chuck steps in and saves his butt. Dear old Chuck then has second thoughts about that turn of events when he and Tyler have all kinds of problems during a night hanging out.
Chevy! Bakula! Three Is the Magic Number for ‘Chuck’
January 16, 2009 by Chandra
Yeah, I know — I only mentioned two names in the title. However, the magical number three refers to the number of Chuck episodes that upcoming top-notch guest stars Chevy Chase and Scott Bakula will each be appearing in, according to current reports.
Quantum Leap and Enterprise star Bakula has come onboard to play Chuck and Ellie’s oft-mentioned yet never-before-seen daddy. Considering his huge background and following in the science-fiction television genre, I’m sure fans everywhere are feeling all kinds of thrilled about his casting.
Says series creator Josh Schwartz to E! Online: “They [the Bartowski kids and their estranged dad] haven’t seen each other for a long time. His dad is a little bit of an eccentric. He’s a sweet man, but has been off the reservation for a while. Chuck promised Ellie he would find him for the wedding, and when he finds him, he may not actually want to be found.”
Fans Must Wait for Dirty Sexy, Eli, Pushing Daisies Finales
January 16, 2009 by Chandra
This news truly sucks.
E! Online’s Kristin and tons of other TV industry insiders in the know all report pretty much the same dismal development: ABC is holding off on airing the final episodes of canceled gems Dirty Sexy Money, Eli Stone, and Pushing Daisies until the summer.
For those of us who remember the vastly boring wasteland the summer TV season used to be before basic cable swooped in and made it a legitimate occasion for new stuff, waiting isn’t such a big deal. But, for fans who wanted closure as soon as possible, it’s a whole ‘nother story I’m sure.
The reason for the delay is very simple, of course. Chalk it up to money, meaning ratings too low to have a large enough positive impact on the network’s bottom line. As Kristin points out, the shows that replaced the three series in their former time slots, including repeats of other series, have been bringing in much more Nielsen bacon — often twice as much or more.
Q&A Fun with ‘Burn Notice’s Bruce Campbell
Thanks to his unforgettable work in enduring cult movies like Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead and Army of Darkness, Burn Notice star Bruce Campbell was mega popular long before the USA Network series took off and became the huge hit it is now.
Ever gracious and entertaining, the star of film and television recently answered questions to help spread the word about the return of Burn Notice next Thursday, January 22, at 10pm EST. The first of seven remaining episodes out of the midseason stable is the medical-scam caper “Do No Harm.”
If you weren’t already salivating to pick up where the current sophomore season left off last September and to see what happens to Sam Axe (Campbell) and his fellow spies Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) and Fiona Glenanne (Gabrielle Anwar) next, maybe the following fun interview will help get you in the proper mood.
Do you have a most memorable moment from filming the series?
BRUCE CAMPBELL: For me, I’m just convinced one day that some bystander’s going to shoot me with a gun. And the reason why I say that is because my character Sam has a rifle with a scope and often he’s up on high rises and overpasses taking potshots at people.
‘How I Met Your Mother’ Goes to ‘The Hills’ Tonight
January 12, 2009 by Chandra
Fans of CBS’ Monday-night comedy lineup can rejoice right now because the two-hour block resumes tonight with all new episodes from all four sitcoms.
The gimmick casting of note is the appearance of The Hills cast members Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt on How I Met Your Mother, along with additional guest stars Kendra Wilkinson, the Playboy Playmate from The Girls Next Door, and Kim Kardashian of Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
CBS is billing all of the guests as reality stars, but considering the female cameos, I thought the casting was going to have something to do with a wet-dream sequence for Barney. Turns out, Marshall comes down with a case of reality-star haunts, which is much less predictable and likely funnier.
The rest of tonight’s new comedy programming follows.
The Big Bang Theory
The Killer Robot Instability
Penny’s observations about Wolowitz’s romantic life (or lack thereof probably) depress him enough to cause him to lose interest in a future fighting robot competition. Fighting robots actually sound fun. [8pm, CBS]
‘Reaper’ Promo Alert: Getting Back in the Groove
January 10, 2009 by Chandra
The CW has just released a new promo clip for Reaper, and all I have to say is, “It’s about %$#&in’ time!”
Clocking in at a measly 21 seconds, the video still manages to give fans a taste of what’s coming up — boozing, boxing, and frying-pan fights, from the look of it — as well as confirm the previously publicized Tuesday, March 17 second-season premiere date.
Episodes will air at 9pm EST, and there are a total of thirteen ordered. Now, take a look at the super-short “Beatbox” promo below and get excited for the demon-hunting days ahead.