‘The Office’ Countdown to Super Bowl XLIII
January 30, 2009 by Chandra

As we sitcom fans already know, the NBC comedy The Office has scored the post-Super Bowl XLIII time slot, which happens to be this very coming Sunday, February 1st.
Follow the jump for a slew of videos featuring various Office people involved with the special two-part, hourlong-episode “Stress Relief,” including guest stars Jack Black and Cloris Leachman in the fourth clip. Actress Jessica Alba is also slated for an appearance and is shown briefly in the fifth video.
Although I reiterate how refreshing it would have been if NBC had given the coveted spot to a struggling yet worthy show like Chuck (which has its own very special 3D episode coming up on Monday, February 2nd) or Life instead, there’s little doubt The Office will do a mighty fine job entertaining viewers come Sunday around 10:30pm EST.
The official network description for the episode teases: “After Dwight’s fire safety seminar goes awry, he must make amends to the stressed-out office. Michael tries a number of ways to get his employees to relax before discovering that he is the number one stressor at work. So that people won’t feel afraid of him, he insists on a no-holds-barred roast of himself. Also, while watching a pirated movie, Andy is convinced that Jim and Pam are film gurus.”
Sneak a few peeks at what’s in store after the cut. NBC has released six videos that I’ve been able to find.
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.
‘Meet the Browns’ Gets Enormous Episode Order
January 28, 2009 by Chandra
Well, there’s no doubt how much TBS loves Tyler Perry, the man responsible for one, going on two now, of the network’s most popular original series.
Yesterday, the basic-cable network announced that it has ordered an additional 80 — yes, eighty — episodes of Perry’s second sitcom, Meet the Browns, based on premiere ratings that are only surpassed by those that Perry’s first sitcom, House of Payne, earned when it debuted in June 2007. I must say I’m happy about this news because Meet the Browns has proven to be a funny and engaging comedy so far.
Variety reports that Meet the Browns, now nearing the end of a ten-episode trial run, will return in the summer to team up with House of Payne. Obviously, this is a match made in heaven, so Perry fans have a whole lot to look forward to on TBS in a few months.
And the 15th SAG Awards Comedy TV Winners Are…
January 26, 2009 by Chandra
30 Rock! 30 Rock! 30 Rock!
Honestly — if you haven’t yet heard, Tina Fey’s masterful NBC sitcom 30 Rock is on an awards-show roll, and January 25th’s 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards was no different than all of the other ceremonies in recent memory.
The NBC sitcom positively swept the comedy television awards in all three categories: Best Actress, Best Actor, and Best Series. I don’t even have to specify the names of the first two winners because savvy viewers already know.
The biggest loser among the nominees? Ugly Betty, which dropped out of two categories all together. Last year, Vanessa Williams was up for Best Comedy Actress, alongside her co-star America Ferrera, and the series was also nominated for Best Comedy Series then.
Two-Hour ‘Actors Studio’ for Conan O’Brien
January 25, 2009 by Chandra

Late-night talk-show superstar Conan O’Brien is so huge right now, he’s getting a double-length, two-hour block of time devoted all to him during his appearance on next week’s new edition of Bravo’s Inside the Actors Studio.
When the episode airs on Monday, January 26 at 8pm EST, host James Lipton will ask the NBC staple numerous questions about his showbiz career, ranging from his early days at the Harvard Lampoon to his current gig, and even his stint as a congressional intern. They also cover the stuff in between, such as O’Brien’s tenure writing for Fox’s never-ending cartoon The Simpsons and working with movie star Tom Hanks.
Follow the jump to preview the in-depth interview with a clip featuring O’Brien as he shares the significance of NBC’s long-running sketch-comedy series Saturday Night Live in his life.
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.”
No New ‘Samantha Who?’ Until Spring
After conducting a few logical analyses of upcoming programming details, the Futon Critic has determined that Samantha Who? fans will be left out in the cold until at least the end of March.
The 2009 premiere of Christina Applegate’s entertaining sitcom has already been delayed three times as ABC continually bumped episodes originally scheduled to air on January 12, January 19, and January 26.
Now, with the reality series The Bachelor airing extended two-hour episodes and Dancing with the Stars expected to do the same when it returns in March, there’s no room for Samantha Who? on ABC’s Monday-night roster during the next couple of months.
Consequently, unless the network changes the show’s air date, Samantha fans will have to wait all the way until March 30, at the earliest, to get their next fresh Christina fix. A time swap could happen, of course, but I definitely wouldn’t hold my breath.
‘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.


