The Office

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 15 ‘The Invention of Lying’ Chicago Passes With Jennifer Garner

HollywoodChicago.com — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:14:55 -0600

CHICAGO – In our latest comedy edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 15 admit-two passes up for grabs to the Chicago screening of “The Invention of Lying”!

“The Invention of Lying” stars Jennifer Garner, Ricky Gervais, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., Rob Lowe, Tina Fey, Jeffrey Tambor, Fionnula Flanagan, Martin Starr, Jimmi Simpson and Nathan Corddry from writers and directors Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson. Ricky Gervais is the award-winning creator and star of the original BBC series “The Office”.

To win your free pass to the Chicago screening of “The Invention of Lying” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, all you need to do is answer our trivia question below. That’s it! This screening will be held on Monday, Sept. 28, 2009 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. Directions to enter this Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.

“The Invention of Lying” stars Jennifer Garner, Ricky Gervais, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., Rob Lowe and Tina Fey.
Image credit: Warner Bros.

Here is “The Invention of Lying” plot description:

From Ricky Gervais – the award-winning creator and star of the original BBC series “The Office” as well as HBO’s “Extras” – comes the new romantic comedy “The Invention of Lying”.

“The Invention of Lying” takes place in an alternate reality in which lying – even the concept of a lie – does not exist. Everyone – from politicians to advertisers to the man and woman on the street – speaks the truth and nothing but the truth with no thought of the consequences.

But when a down-on-his-luck loser named Mark (Gervais) suddenly develops the ability to lie, he finds that dishonesty has its rewards. In a world where every word is assumed to be the absolute truth, Mark easily lies his way to fame and fortune.

But lies have a way of spreading and Mark begins to realize that things are getting a little out of control when some of his tallest tales are being taken as gospel. With the entire world now hanging on his every word, there is only one thing Mark has not been able to lie his way into: the heart of the woman he loves.

“The Invention of Lying” stars Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner (“Juno”), Jonah Hill (“Superbad”), comedian Louis C.K., Jeffrey Tambor (TV’s “Arrested Development”) and Fionnula Flanagan (“Yes Man”) with Rob Lowe (TV’s “Brothers & Sisters”) and Tina Fey (“Baby Mama,” TV’s “30 Rock”).

The comedy is written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson. The film is produced by Lynda Obst (“How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” “Sleepless in Seattle”), Oly Obst, Gervais and Dan Lin (“Terminator Salvation,” upcoming “Shorts”) with Ted Field, Paris Kasidokostas Latsis, Terry Dougas and Sue Baden-Powell serving as executive producers.

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Tim Suhrstedt (“17 Again”), editor Chris Gill (“28 Weeks Later”), production designer Alexander Hammond (“Flightplan”), costume designer Susie DeSanto (“13 Going on 30”) and composer Tim Atack (“Among Giants”).

“The Invention of Lying” movie trailer can be watched now below.

To secure your free tickets now, make sure you’re logged into your HollywoodChicago.com account. If you don’t yet have one, you can quickly register here. Having an account with a valid e-mail address is required. Then, simply add a new comment in the form below. In your comment, include an answer to this trivia question:

In “The Invention of Lying, Ricky Gervais’ character is a screenwriter. Name one of the real-life projects for which Gervais serves as a writer.

Like all Hookups here, this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup is simple: Just submit your comment below and we will award 15 people randomly via e-mail. Winners needs to arrive early as seats are consumed on a first-come, first-served basis.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief/Publisher
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray, TV Review: ‘The Office’ Never Better With Amazing Blu-Ray, Season Premiere

BrianTT — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:22:27 -0600

CHICAGO – The Blu-Ray release of the fifth season of “The Office” is a thing of beauty. It is one of the best comedy on Blu-Ray releases to date, not only because the show has arguably never been better but because everything about the season set has been crafted with the fan’s best interests in mind. After you watch the very funny season premiere tonight, go back and pick up a must-own Blu-Ray set.

Television Rating: 4.5/5.0

Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0

I’m a huge “30 Rock” fan but going back over the best of the fifth season of “The Office” on Blu-Ray and watching the sixth season premiere, it’s definitely a close call as to which one has been more consistent in the last twelve months or so. There were SO many highlights in the fifth season of “The Office” that I don’t think the show has ever been better.

The Office
Photo credit: Universal

With great guest turns by Amy Ryan and Idris Elba book-ending the season, what I truly loved about the fifth season of “The Office” was the effort to turn the show away from being just “The Jim and Pam Story”. Of course, everyone’s favorite workplace love birds were still a major part of the show but Ed Helms, Mindy Kaling, B.J. Novak, and, honestly, the entire ensemble cast worked with better comic chemistry than ever before.

All of the arcs of season five including the Michael & Holly affair, the Angela/Andy/Dwight triangle, and the founding of The Michael Scott Paper Company worked perfectly and stand among the funniest plotlines in the history of the show.

It doesn’t hurt that the Universal Blu-Ray release of “The Office” is perfectly designed for comedy fans. Just the commentary tracks alone make it so. Every single episode includes a commentary track by writers, cast members, and directors, including a great one with Stephen Merchant, who discusses the differences between the original British show and this one on an episode he directed. “One-Liner Soundboard” allows viewers to string together one-liners and quotes from the show in a Soundboard to create their own character audio mix to be shared with friends via BD-Live.

Deleted scenes, a gag reel, promos, webisodes, “100 episodes, 100 moments,” and “Academy of Television Arts & Sciences presents The Office” round out a perfect collection of special features. The episodes themselves look even better than their original HD broadcast. It’s a flawless TV on Blu-Ray release.

The Office
Photo credit: Chris Haston/NBC

“Gossip,” the sixth season premiere of “The Office” does nothing to suggest that the perfection of season five is going to falter any time soon. It’s not as gut-busting as last year’s “Weight Loss” or the best of season five, but it is consistently clever and important to the arc of the show.

Last season ended with the revelation that Pam (Jenna Fischer) is pregnant and the sixth season opens with Jim (John Krasinski) and his baby mama trying to keep it a secret from a gossip-crazy office. Michael (Steve Carell) becomes obsessed with gossip after being the last one to know a few juicy office rumors and so he starts to invent a few of his own to share. In a hilarious twist, a few of the rumors that Michael makes up might even be right, including a tale about a bun in the oven and a guess that Andy (Ed Helms) might struggle with his heterosexuality.

A lot of sitcoms struggle by their sixth season, having pounded the same character tics and jokes for years. You start to get the feeling that even the writers don’t find their characters interesting any more. “The Office” shows no signs of such comedic exhaustion. With pitch-perfect writing and one of the best ensembles in the history of the form, we should consider ourselves lucky that “The Office” is not only as good right now as it’s ever been but arguably better.

The sixth season premiere of ‘The Office,’ which airs on NBC, stars Steve Carell, Ed Helms, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Mindy Kaling, Angela Kinsey, Phyllis Smith, Oscar Nunez, Creed Bratton, Paul Lieberstein, B.J. Novak, and Ellie Kemper. The show was created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. The series returns on Thursday, September 17th, 2009 at 8PM CST.

‘The Office: Season Five’ is released by Universal Home Video. It was released on September 8th, 2009. It is not rated.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

DVD, TV Review: ‘Parks and Recreation’ Delivers on Early Promise With Great Premiere

BrianTT — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:35:02 -0600

CHICAGO – Improving with every episode of its short first season, now available on DVD, “Parks and Recreation” returns tonight with the best episode of comedy in tonight’s much-hyped cavalcade of premieres. Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Paul Schneider, and the rest of the cast and writers of “Parks and Recreation” are doing everything they can to turn their comedy into the next NBC must-see show. Do your part and tune in.

Television Rating: 4.0/5.0

DVD Rating: 4.5/5.0

Very few comedies come out of the gate without a few flaws. The first month of “30 Rock” didn’t have nearly the comic timing that made the third season an Emmy darling. It takes time to develop pacing, comic chemistry, and characters that the audience care about. Watching the first season of “Parks and Recreation,” you can see those essential ingredients start to click by roughly episode four, “Boys Club”.

Parks and Recreation
Photo credit: Universal

What happened by episode four? The team behind “Parks and Recreation” found the heart of the show. Just as Michael Scott on “The Office” needs to be more than a drooling moron and Jim and Pam bring a necessary emotional, relatable core to that hit show, “Parks and Recreation” suffered at the start for a lack of characters worth caring about. Not any more.

Poehler stars as Leslie Knope, an ambitious and hopeful small-town government worker in Pawnee, Indiana who dreams big but lives small. Most of the first season centered around Leslie’s attempts to turn an abandoned construction site into a park after meeting the lovely local nurse Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones) and her moronic boyfriend (Chris Pratt).

Like “The Office” set in the world of small-town politics instead of paper production, “Parks and Recreation” features a cast of unusual workplace characters including Leslie’s odd colleague Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari), gruff boss Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman), and a cute city planner named Mark (Paul Schneider).

“Parks and Recreation” features the same dry wit, workplace humor, and awkward pauses of “The Office,” but it started to develop its own identity over the course of the first season and opens the second one truly feeling like its own series.

Parks and Recreation
Photo credit: Dean Hendler/FOX

Written by Norm Hiscock and directed by the great Paul Feig, the premiere of “Parks and Recreation” is the best episode of the series to date, entitled “Pawnee Zoo”. In a series of publicity events for the local zoo, Leslie decides that she’ll stage a wedding for a pair of penguins after hearing that they mate for life. The small problem is that the two penguins at the local zoo happen to both be male and Leslie becomes the local poster child for gay marriage. Celebrated at the local gay bar The Bulge (which features a hilarious dance scene with Leslie) and asked to resign by the conservatives in town, Leslie is stuck in an awkward situation. Meanwhile, Ann faces an uncomfortable decision after Mark asks her on a date.

It feels like the renewal of “Parks and Recreation” has reinvigorated the writers and actors on the show. Next week’s episode, “The Stakeout,” directed by the great Seth Gordon, is just as good as the premiere and arguably even funnier.

Parks and Recreation
Photo credit: Dean Hendler/FOX

Poehler’s timing has never been better than it is in the premiere and the supporting cast is becoming more likable every single week. It’s way too early to say that “Parks and Recreation” is the best show on Thursday nights, especially with the great “The Office” and “30 Rock” in the conversation, but it’s much closer to those already-classic comedies than anyone thought it would be after the premiere. Much like Leslie Knope, “Parks and Recreation” could surprise you.

Very surprising is the excellent season one DVD, which includes commentaries and deleted scenes on every single episode, along with an extended cut of the season finale.

Commentary participants on season one include creators Greg Daniels & Micke Schur, Rashida Jones, Nick Offerman, Paul Schneider, Chris Pratt, Amy Poehler, and more.

Check out the season two premiere and then go back and catch up with life in Pawnee. Not only will you see a few very good episodes but you’ll see the development of a series from good to great.

The second season premiere of ‘Parks and Recreation,’ which airs on NBC, stars Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Paul Schneider, Aziz Ansari, Aubrey Plaza, and Nick Offerman. The show was created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. The series returns on Thursday, September 17th, 2009 at 7:30PM CST.

‘Parks and Recreation: Season One’ is released by Universal Home Video and stars Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Paul Schneider, Aziz Ansari, Aubrey Plaza, and Nick Offerman. The show was created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. It was released on September 8th, 2009. It is not rated.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

NBC Fall 2009 Premiere Dates Including ‘The Office,’ ‘30 Rock,’ ‘Heroes,’ More

BrianTT — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:04:19 -0600

CHICAGO – NBC has announced their fall premiere dates and it all kicks off with the highly anticipated premiere of “The Jay Leno Show” at 9pm CT on Monday, September 14th. The network has scheduled two new dramas - “Mercy” & “Trauma” - and one new comedy - “Community”.

“The Jay Leno Show” will begin its nightly rotation on the 14th, joined by a two-hour premiere of “The Biggest Loser” on the next night, September 15th, 2009. Tuesday nights will be all reality TV on NBC.

The network’s most critically-acclaimed night returns on September 17th, 2009 when the network kicks off its Thursday night lineup with “Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday,” followed by “Parks and Recreation,” “The Office,” and “Community”. “30 Rock” premieres on October 15th, at which point “SNL” will leave the schedule and “Community” will kick off the night, leaving “30 Rock” in its traditional timeslot.

Community
Photo credit: Mitchel Haaseth/NBC

Monday, September 21st sees the premiere of the fourth season of “Heroes” with a two-hour episode.

The new medical drama “Mercy” debuts on Wednesday, September 23rd at 7pm followed by “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” which begins its eleventh season.

On Friday, September 25th, “Law & Order” returns for a 20th season, followed by the sophomore drama “Southland”.

Saturdays will consist of “Dateline NBC” and encore presentations of a new drama and “Law & Order: SVU”.

Sundays are reserved for football, starting on September 13th.

Monday, September 28th, “Heroes” is back to its normal one-hour size and “Trauma” debuts in the slot between Sylar and Jay Leno.

NBC Fall 2009 Schedule
Sunday, September 13th - “Football Night in America” & “NBC Sunday Night Football”
Monday, September 14th - “The Jay Leno Show”
Tuesday, September 15th - “The Biggest Loser”
Thursday, September 17th - “Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday,” “Parks and Recreation,” “The Office,” & “Community”
Monday, September 21st - “Heroes”
Wednesday, September 23rd - “Mercy” & “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
Friday, September 25th - “Law & Order” & “Southland”
Saturday, September 26th - “Dateline NBC” & “Saturday Night Live”
Sunday, September 28th - “Trauma”
Thursday, October 15th - “30 Rock”

Read our full review of the 2009 “Trauma” premiere!
Read our full review of the season-six 2009 “The Office” premiere!
Read our full review of the season-two 2009 “Parks and Recreation” premiere!
Read our full review of the “Community” premiere!

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

The 10 Biggest Emmy Snubs of 2009

BrianTT — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 09:00:57 -0600

CHICAGO – The 61st Annual Emmy Award Nominations were an interesting melting pot of smart, brave, new choices and old-fashioned, predictable, stale selections.

It was fantastic to see a few first-time nominees from our own “Dream Emmys” piece including Jim Parsons for “The Big Bang Theory,” Jack McBrayer for “30 Rock,” Kristen Wiig for “Saturday Night Live,” Aaron Paul for “Breaking Bad,” Hope Davis for “In Treatment,” Toni Collette in “United States of Tara,” and Cherry Jones for “24”. Those are great choices that hint at an organization willing to think outside of the box when it comes to handing out awards.

Now, that doesn’t mean some people weren’t totally screwed. For every great choice this year, there was one that could politely be called a head-scratcher. In my humble, TV-critic opinion, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences failed to nominate what should have WON the top three dramatic categories - “The Shield” for Best Drama, Michael Chiklis for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series, and January Jones for Best Actress in a Dramatic Series. So, it’s not as if they missed a minor nominee here and there. They missed some biggies. And it’s time to name names.

Note: The overall snubs of “Friday Night Lights” and “Battlestar Galactica” is ridiculous but who knows where to start with those shows, a pair of beloved series that have NEVER gotten the Academy recognition that they deserved. We’re trying to stick with specific acting snubs and both “FNL” and “BSG” are snubs in multiple categories. We could do a top ten of just those two shows. To keep the list from getting too specific, consider them overall snubs, not specific ones on the list.

The Ten Biggest 2009 Emmy Snubs

Photo credit: FX

10. Denis Leary for “Rescue Me”

This is a questionable one but it indicates something deeply flawed about the Emmy system - its link to the standard, broadcast calendar year. The 2009 Emmys were for shows that aired from the first of June in 2008 to the last day of May in 2009. What happens if a show straddles (gasp) both May and June?!? How daring! The fifth season of “Rescue Me” started in April and runs until September. I’d like to think that Emmy voters will remember what Denis Leary is doing this season at NEXT year’s Emmys, when the bulk of the season is eligible, but I want to plant the seed now - what Leary is doing this season far outweighs anything he has delivered before. He has really grown comfortable in the role of Tommy Gavin and he’s doing more subtle work than he has in any of the previous seasons. I guess with only a few eligible episodes this snub isn’t that egregious but don’t let it happen again next year.

Photo credit: ABC

9. Anna Friel for “Pushing Daisies”

The Academy missed out on a chance to nominate the final season of ABC’s brilliant-but-canceled “Pushing Daisies” in multiple categories but no exclusion was more shocking than leaving the charming and delightful Anna Friel out of a category that, let’s be blunt, is hard to fill with six nominees. When you get past the deserving Christina Applegate, who displayed perfect comic timing in the very imperfect “Samantha Who?,” the obvious choice of Tina Fey, and the one-two punch of Showtime heroines in Toni Collette in “United States of Tara” and Mary-Louise Parker in “Weeds,” the pool gets awfully shallow (at least until Edie Falco walks home with this award next year for “Nurse Jackie”). That’s why relatively stale choices like Julia Louis-Dreyfus in “The New Adventures of Old Christine” and Sarah Silverman for her Comedy Central program get in. I love both actresses and think they’re very talented but they’re getting nominated more for their overall ability than the actual program. The overall quality of “Pushing Daisies” and how Friel contributes to it should have prevailed over better-known actresses on inferior shows.

Photo credit: NBC

8. Jenna Fischer and Ed Helms for “The Office”

“The Office” had an inspired, creative season that easily ranks with their best to date but it’s getting a little tiring of seeing the same-old nominees every year. Yes, Steve Carell and Rainn Wilson are talented people but can’t we spread the wealth? Both Ed Helms and Jenna Fischer had arguably better seasons. (Fischer was nominated once before in 2007, but she was even better this year.) Helms’ plotline involving the dissolution of his engagement to Angela was priceless and Fischer’s involving Pam breaking off and joining the Michael Scott Paper Company allowed the actress to display her best comic timing to date. Helms should have snuck in over Wilson (or maybe even Tracy Morgan or Jon Cryer…both are good, neither are Emmy-worthy) and Fischer deserved the spot over Vanessa Williams for the tired “Ugly Betty”. A lot of people deserved the spot over Vanessa Williams.

Photo credit: ABC

7. Elizabeth Mitchell for “Lost”

It took a few years, but I think it is now widely recognized that “Lost” is a truly ensemble-driven show and, consequently, perhaps it doesn’t deserve that many acting nominations. I said “that many”. It still deserves a few and, thankfully, the Academy did pick out one - the great, show-stealing Michael Emerson for Best Supporting Actor. And I can’t even say for sure that Elizabeth Mitchell had that amazing a season. It’s more of the fact that this excellent actress has never been nominated. At least Locke, Said and Ben got their shot at glory. (Terry O’Quinn won in 2007, Naveen Andrews was nominated in 2005). But no woman has ever been nominated for “Lost”. And I doubt that the final season of the show is going to be very character-specific, once again leaving voters at a loss as who to single out of the ensemble. This was possibly their last chance. Elizabeth Mitchell should have been the first.

Photo credit: NBC

6. Regina King for “Southland”

Regina King is the main reason that “Southland” is on NBC’s fall schedule. She is easily the best thing about this intriguing-but-flawed show and it would have really displayed a willingness to look outside of the usual candidates if her name had been called on nomination morning. As Detective Lydia Adams, King displays a perfect combination of human vulnerability and the veins of steel required to be an L.A. cop. King has stolen scenes in major films for years and now she’s doing it on NBC. I think her exclusion is due to a slightly understandable lack of exposure to the show. After all, only seven episodes have aired and I bet most Emmy voters don’t even know that the on-the-bubble show was renewed. However, if “Southland” makes it through another season, I would bet money that King gets nominated next year. Sally Field, Mariska Hargitay, and Holly Hunter might want to prepare for some disappointment.

Photo credit: HBO

5. Anna Paquin for “True Blood”

Speaking of “Best Actress in a Dramatic Series” mistakes (and this won’t even be the last time). The general exclusion of “True Blood” this year was tragically disappointing. Based on years of snubs for the amazing “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and now the exclusion of “True Blood” from Best Drama and Best Actress, it’s crystal clear that the Academy has something against vampire fiction. (The team behind The CW’s upcoming “Vampire Diaries” probably don’t need to clear mantle space for Emmys.) Paquin is perfect on “True Blood,” bringing a harder-than-it-looks blend of southern innocence, primal sexuality, excellent comic timing, and true emotional core to the role of Sookie Stackhouse. She’s so good on “True Blood” that most people don’t even notice how good she is. It is a FAR less flashy role than Holly Hunter on “Saving Grace” or Sally Field on “Brothers and Sisters” and no one can ever explain to me how (outside of her status as Hollywood royalty) Mariska Hargitay keeps getting nominated. The show’s good popcorn entertainment, but really?

Photo credit: HBO

4. Danny McBride for “Eastbound and Down”

How amazing and subversive of the generally-safe Emmy Awards would it have been to see a clip of Kenny Powers on the broadcast? The racist, sexist, drug-using, and basically insane Kenny Powers might have sent some of the older Academy members running for the exit doors. And, to be honest, that’s probably why the excellent Mr. McBride didn’t get nominated. It’s a shame because “Eastbound and Down” has a growing, thriving fan base, one that gets bigger with every viewing of the season one DVD. What McBride does on “Eastbound and Down” is comic brilliance, the best thing that the star of “Pineapple Express” and “Tropic Thunder” had done to date. With guest appearances on the show from Will Ferrell and Craig Robinson and a growing fan base, a major nod for “Eastbound and Down” might have brought in a whole new audience for the Emmy Awards. I’m sure that Jemaine Clement for “Flight of the Conchords” will do some of that, but McBride is just a bit better.

Photo credit: The CW

3. Ray Wise for “Reaper”

Like “Pushing Daisies” (and my next choice), this was a case of the Academy having only one more chance to correct an omission from last year and they blew it again. Yes, you could fit the number of people who watched “Reaper” into a Dodge Caravan but that shouldn’t matter when it comes to awards. It’s the responsibility of voters to catch up on every eligible performance. And I don’t believe they did. Because if you see Ray Wise as the Devil on “Reaper,” you would vote for Ray Wise. I think there may have been some category confusion with “Reaper”. Is it a comedy? A drama? The fact is that most modern shows that have straddled the line between the standard definition of the categories - “Buffy” is a great example - have struggled to get major nominations. “Reaper” was eligible in comedy and Ray Wise was better than at least half of the supporting actor nominees.

Photo credit: FX

2. Michael Chiklis and Walton Goggins for “The Shield”

How are critics and Academy voters SO far apart? “The Shield” was the most nominated show by the Television Critics Association for their final, brilliant season. It was nominated for Best Drama, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor. Don’t you think ONE of those nominees might have been mirrored by the Emmy Awards? ONE?!? The final season of “The Shield” was the Best Drama of 2008 and Chiklis and Goggins were the main reason why. Watching Vic Mackey and Shane Vendrell reach the apex of the dance they’ve been doing with destiny since the series premiere was riveting television and the final scenes of both characters merited nomination on their own. The fate of both characters was beautifully, perfectly written by one of the best writing staffs of the ’00s and Chiklis and Goggins knocked it out of the park. They both should have won. Neither were nominated. Shameful.

Photo credit: Lionsgate

1. January Jones for “Mad Men”

I honestly didn’t think there would be a more shameful omission than Chiklis and Goggins (who I kind of expected to get screwed considering how much the Academy has ignored “The Shield” over the years), but that’s because I couldn’t fathom the Academy missing the Best Actress performance of 2008. Sure, they missed January Jones last year, but this season of “Mad Men” was all about the female characters in the world of Sterling/Cooper, none more prominently than Jones’ Betty Draper. Jones did something amazing this year, subtly portraying the unraveling of a woman who has worked hard to keep up a perfect front. Jones’ work on “Mad Men” is so just-below-the-surface that I think Emmy voters must have missed it. I love Kyra Sedgwick and Holly Hunter too, but even those actresses would admit that their characters are a bit more scenery-chewing. Jones didn’t have a “big moment” to sell in an Emmy clip and probably lost out because of it. Don’t let it happen again next year.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

‘Flight of the Conchords,’ ‘Family Guy’ Lead Surprising 2009 Emmy Nominees

BrianTT — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 07:58:53 -0600

CHICAGO – The 61st Annual Emmy Nominations were announced today and there were a few surprises, a few disappointments, and a variety of unusual choices. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences displayed a desire to move forward with some first-time nominees, mostly ignoring some tired staples like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Desperate Housewives,” but also missed some arguably deserving choices.

The Best Drama and Best Comedy categories expanded to seven nominees this year, which allowed for a wide variety of networks to claim a “Best” nominee.

Family Guy
Photo credit: FOX

The nominees for Best Drama are “Big Love,” “Breaking Bad,” “Damages,” “Dexter,” “House,” “Lost,” and “Mad Men”. The refusal to give in to pressure to nominate the last season of “ER” is nice and its hard to argue with too many of their actual choices, but HBO’s great “In Treatment” needed to be in that seven and “True Blood” would have been a more inspired choice than “Damages” or “House”. Even fans of those shows admit the past seasons were down a notch in quality. Finally, the Academy missed the Best Drama of 2008-2009 - the final season of “The Shield” in Best Drama and the acting categories. Shameful.

The nominees for Best Comedy are “30 Rock,” “Entourage,” “Family Guy,” “Flight of the Conchords,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “The Office,” and “Weeds”. The selections here may not be perfect but they are an undeniably unpredictable bunch and, once again, it’s nice to see the Academy ignore predictable staples like “Two and a Half Men” in favor of more risky choices like “Family Guy” and “Flight of the Conchords”.

The rest of the major nominees:

Best Actor in a Dramatic Series
Simon Baker in “The Mentalist”
Gabriel Byrne in “In Treatment”
Bryan Cranston in “Breaking Bad”
Michael C. Hall in “Dexter”
Jon Hamm in “Mad Men”
Hugh Laurie in “House”

Best Actress in a Dramatic Series
Glenn Close in “Damages”
Sally Field in “Brothers and Sisters”
Mariska Hargitay in “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
Holly Hunter in “Saving Grace”
Elisabeth Moss in “Mad Men”
Kyra Sedgwick in “The Closer”

Best Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin in “30 Rock”
Steve Carell in “The Office”
Jemaine Clement in “Flight of the Conchords”
Jim Parsons in “The Big Bang Theory”
Tony Shalhoub in “Monk”
Charlie Sheen in “Two and a Half Men”

Best Actress in a Comedy Series
Christina Applegate in “Samantha Who?”
Toni Collette in “United States of Tara”
Tina Fey in “30 Rock”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus in “The New Adventures of Old Christine”
Mary-Louise Parker in “Weeds”
Sarah Silverman in “The Sarah Silverman Program”

Best Supporting Actor in a Dramatic Series
Christian Clemenson in “Boston Legal”
Michael Emerson in “Lost”
William Hurt in “Damages”
Aaron Paul in “Breaking Bad”
William Shatner in “Boston Legal”
John Slattery in “Mad Men”

Best Supporting Actress in a Dramatic Series
Rose Byrne in “Damages”
Hope Davis in “In Treatment”
Cherry Jones in “24”
Sandra Oh in “Grey’s Anatomy”
Dianne Wiest in “In Treatment”
Chandra Wilson in “Grey’s Anatomy”

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Jon Cryer in “Two and a Half Men”
Kevin Dillon in “Entourage”
Neil Patrick Harris in “How I Met Your Mother”
Jack McBrayer in “30 Rock”
Tracy Morgan in “30 Rock”
Rainn Wilson in “The Office”

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Kristin Chenoweth in “Pushing Daisies”
Jane Krakowski in “30 Rock”
Elizabeth Perkins in “Weeds”
Amy Poehler in “Saturday Night Live”
Kristin Wiig in “Saturday Night Live”
Vanessa Williams in “Ugly Betty”

The Emmys will be broadcast on September 20th, 2009 and hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. Stay tuned to HollywoodChicago.com for more Emmy coverage in the next few months.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

If We Had an Emmy Ballot: The Best TV of 2008 to 2009

BrianTT — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:57:05 -0600

CHICAGO – Ballots for the 61st Annual Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Emmy nominations are due on Friday, June 26th, 2009, and we’re here to offer some advice for all of you Emmy voters still holding a ballot in your hands and trying to make those tough TV decisions.

And, like the large majority of us, if you’re not a card-carrying Emmy voter, let this serve as your populist guide to who really SHOULD be winning Emmys this year. There’s sometime a disconnect between who actually wins the awards and who viewers KNOW should win the awards - i.e., the almost total lack of Emmy love for “Buffy,” “Battlestar Galactica,” etc. - so, in a fantasy world, our fantasy ballot hopes to heap some recognition on the shows and creative types who really, truly knocked our socks off in the 2008-2009 season. But, if you ARE an Emmy voter, be a pal and give some of these guys the nods they deserve.

(Note: While there are five nominees per category, voters nominate six per ballot, so that’s how many we suggest.)

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy

Jack McBrayer on 30 Rock
Photo credit: NBC

Neil Patrick Harris, “How I Met Your Mother”
Ed Helms, “The Office”
Justin Kirk, “Weeds”
Jack McBrayer, “30 Rock”
Jeremy Piven, “Entourage”
Ray Wise, “Reaper”

There are a number of very strong, mostly male ensembles in comedy television nowadays and it can be tough to pick a favorite. Would you nominate Tracy Morgan or Jack McBrayer from “30 Rock”? Kevin Dillon or Jeremy Piven for “Entourage”? Justin Kirk or Kevin Nealon from “Weeds”? And which of the guys from the criminally underrated “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” would you pick if you wanted to really take a chance on something new?

We picked our favorites, but they’re also representatives for the show’s supporting casts in general and, if Dillon makes it in over Piven or you want to choose Nealon over Kirk, it’s an understandable alternate. And any of the three guys on “Philadelphia” are deserving even if they don’t quite make our top six cut.

All we know for sure is that Emmy voters really need to take the last chance they’ll get to nominate the show-stealing Ray Wise from “Reaper” and Neil Patrick Harris had his best year to date as “How I Met You Mother” really started to click this season.

As for what “will” happen, Jon Cryer is likely to get in over several of our choices for the always-nominated “Two and a Half Men” and you can expect a nod for someone from “The Office”. If they do go with a Dunder Mifflin employee, here’s an idea - jump on the “Hangover” band wagon and nominate Ed Helms. We love Rainn Wilson as much as the next guy, but Helms was more inspired this year as he watched his doomed engagement to Angela fall apart.

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy

Jenna Fischer on The Office
Photo credit: NBC

Kristin Chenoweth, “Pushing Daisies”
Rosemarie DeWitt, “United States of Tara”
Jenna Fischer, “The Office”
Elizabeth Perkins, “Weeds”
Cobie Smulders, “How I Met Your Mother”
Kristin Wiig, “Saturday Night Live”

Last year was the first that the cast of “Saturday Night Live” was eligible in this category and, rightly so, they nominated the deserving Amy Poehler. Amy only worked half of this season, one of the best in many years for the show, so why not spread the wealth to one of the most talented comediennes in the history of the show - the sublime Kristin Wiig?

Like Ray Wise, there’s also a great opportunity here to nominate another amazing supporting star on a canceled show, the awesome Kristin Chenoweth for “Pushing Daisies”. She made the cut last year. Emmy voters - nominate her whenever you get the chance.

Meanwhile, Showtime continues to excel and should earn more nods this year than any before. While “Weeds” has gone downhill a bit, Elizabeth Perkins’ perfect and often episode-stealing arc last season in which she had to go to rehab earns her a spot. Showtime should earn a few nods for “United States of Tara” and the first should come for Rosemarie DeWitt (who deserved and was snubbed already this year for an Academy Award nod for “Rachel Getting Married”).

“The Office” is something of a boy’s club, but Jenna Fischer did her best work to date as she joined the ill-fated “Michael Scott Paper Company” on “The Office,” so just like Pam, it’s time that Jenna gets a little more recognition this year.

Finally, Alyson Hannigan turned her real-life pregnancy into something hysterical (and difficult to cover up) on “How I Met Your Mother,” but her lack of screen time in the second half of the season should allow room for her increasingly funny co-star Cobie Smulders to get a nod. Like most of the cast, she did her best work of the series to date this season.

Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Danny McBride on Eastbound and Down
Photo credit: HBO

Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”
Steve Carell, “The Office”
Zachary Levi, “Chuck”
Danny McBride, “Eastbound and Down”
Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory”
Tony Shalhoub, “Monk”

There are a few nominees here that are virtually guaranteed and for good reason. Alec Baldwin, Steve Carell, and Tony Shalhoub continue to drive the success of their very well-liked shows and, while it may be predictable to suggest them, they deserve the nominations that they can almost count on.

So why not make the other nominees a little more out of left field instead of a safe (but more likely) choice like Charlie Sheen in “Two and a Half Men”? (Does anyone really gather around the watercooler to talk about how awesome the Ma-sheen was following a very special episode of “Men”?)

Zachary Levi has really developed a strong comic timing on the underrated “Chuck” and he’s the main reason the show has earned such a strong cult following (and won itself a last second cancellation reprieve). An unexpected Emmy nomination could do that show a world of good in its struggle for ratings and survival.

“The Big Bang Theory” is one of the funnier shows on television and the perfect performance by Jim Parsons as Sheldon is one of the main reasons. He might have had a better shot in supporting but he’s eligible in lead, so vote for him there. His comic timing is amazing.

And then there’s the performance for which it will be most difficult to find a clip that they can air on network TV - the hysterical work by Danny McBride on HBO’s “Eastbound and Down”. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should. If you have seen it, you know he deserves to be nominated.

Best Lead Actress in a Comedy

Toni Collette on United States of Tara
Photo credit: Showtime

Christina Applegate, “Samantha Who?”
Toni Collette, “United States of Tara”
Kaley Cuoco, “The Big Bang Theory”
Tina Fey, “30 Rock”
Anna Friel, “Pushing Daisies”
Mary-Louise Parker, “Weeds”

We know this can be a tough category to fill but, please, let’s not resort to America Ferrera and Julia Louis-Dreyfus again. There are simply more deserving actresses out there.

Christina Applegate, Tina Fey, and Mary-Louise Parker deserve to return to the dance and duplicate their nominations from last year for “Samantha Who?,” “30 Rock,” and “Weeds,” respectively. They’ve all had better years but they’re still more than good enough to make the big six.

As for the other three, the lovely and charming Anna Friel deserves consideration for her pitch-perfect work on “Pushing Daisies” and Toni Collette is absolutely flawless on “United States of Tara”. We wouldn’t be surprised to hear either of their names on nomination morning.

More surprising but just as deserving would be a nod for the underrated Kaley Cuoco of “The Big Bang Theory”. In the show’s excellent second season, Cuoco really proved she could play with the boys in this very male-driven ensemble and more than held her own in multiple episodes.

Best Comedy

The Office
Photo credit: NBC

“30 Rock”
“The Big Bang Theory”
“Eastbound and Down”
“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”
“The Office”
“Pushing Daisies”

Last year it was “30 Rock,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Entourage,” “The Office,” and “Two and a Half Men”. The two NBC shows deserve to repeat and remain the best comedy hour on television.

As for the rest? “Curb” isn’t eligible (there hasn’t been a new episode since 2007), “Entourage” had a slightly down year (although it wouldn’t be that horrible if it was nominated), and we’ve never understood the massive acclaim for “Men,” a decent show but not an award-worthy one in the slightest.

What’s ironic is that there are two CBS sitcoms that DO deserve nomination although my jaw will drop if they both make the Emmy cut - “The Big Bang Theory” and “How I Met Your Mother” - an hour of television that often out-delivered NBC this past year for the funniest hour on television. “Mother” was a bit too hit-and-miss at times, so let’s go with “Big Bang Theory” if we have to pick only one.

“Pushing Daisies” is the most tragically canceled shows of the last several years and the Academy often jumps at a last chance to nominate a show that they will never be able to again. If you can, voting members of the Academy, please take this opportunity to give The Pie-Hole some well-deserved post-cancellation love.

Nothing was as sublimely ridiculous in 2008-2009 as HBO’s unbelievable “Eastbound and Down” with its spectacular direction by the great David Gordon Green (“Pineapple Express”) and Jody Best (“Observe and Report”). If you haven’t seen “Eastbound,” catch up with it on DVD next week (and watch for a full review soon).

Finally, very few shows make us laugh out loud like FX’s inspired “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”. It’s one of the top-rated shows on Hulu for a reason and is developing a growing following with every episode. Emmy voters, try and jump on a bandwagon before its come to a stop for a change.

Go on to the next page for the five drama categories…

NBC Renews ‘Chuck,’ ‘Law & Order’; Cancels ‘Medium,’ ‘My Name is Earl’

BrianTT — Wed, 20 May 2009 07:27:03 -0600

CHICAGO – We told you a few weeks ago that “Heroes,” “Parks and Recreation,” and “Southland” had been renewed by NBC but the peacock network made it official today and made the call on the bubble shows, renewing “Chuck” and “Law & Order” and pulling the trigger on “Medium” and “My Name is Earl” although there are rumors of both shows being eyed by other networks.

With “The Jay Leno Show” taking up five nights of the week, there were very few spots on the fall schedule, but NBC was more creative than some expected with their programming, refusing to play it safe and knowing that they need a radical shake-up.

Photo credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBC

They’ll get that shake-up as only Tuesday and Sunday will remain unchanged in the fall (except, of course, for Leno). “The Biggest Loser” returns on Tuesday nights for two hours and football dominates Sunday nights.

Mondays will launch with “Heroes” and lead in to a new show called “Trauma”. Official new show descriptions are available at the bottom of the article.

Wednesdays start with another TV take on the Ron Howard show “Parenthood,” followed by “Law & Order: Special Victims Units.”

Thursdays are a little complicated. “30 Rock” comes back late, usually in October. So, until it does, “SNL Weekend Update Thursday” will start the night, followed by “Parks and Recreation,” “The Office,” and the new “Community”. When “30 Rock” comes back, it gets the 8:30 CST slot and “Community” jumps back to 8pm.

“Southland” moves to the middle slot on Fridays, led in by the original “Law & Order,” tying “Gunsmoke” for the longest-running show with the announcement of its 20th season.

The wasteland of Saturday consists of “Dateline NBC” and encore broadcasts of “Trauma” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”.

“Chuck” will return mid-season and reportedly got a 13-episode order. New shows “Day One,” “100 Questions,” “Mercy,” and “The Marriage Ref” will also premiere mid-season and “The Celebrity Apprentice” will return then as well. No word on when or if the network will air “Friday Night Lights” in its post-DirectTV run this year as it was reported earlier that they would.

New fall show descriptions:

Photo credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBC

“Community”

From Emmy Award-winning directors Joe and Anthony Russo (“Arrested Development”) comes “Community,” a smart comedy series about higher education…and lower expectations. The student body at Greendale Community College is made up of high-school losers, newly- divorced housewives, and old people who want to keep their minds active as they circle the drain of eternity. Within these not-so-hallowed halls, “Community” focuses on a band of misfits, at the center of which is a fast-talkin’ lawyer whose degree has been revoked (Joel McHale, “The Soup”), who form a study group and, in “Breakfast Club” fashion, end up learning a lot more about themselves than they do about their course work.

In addition to McHale, the series also stars Gillian Jacobs (“The Book of Daniel”); Yvette Nicole Brown (“Rules of Engagement”); Danny Pudi (“Greek”); Alison Brie (“Mad Men”); and comedy legend Chevy Chase (“Chuck”). “Community” is produced by Krasnoff Foster Entertainment, Harmonious Claptrap and Murray Hill in association with Sony Pictures Television. Russ Krasnoff (“The Soloist”), Dan Harmon (“The Sarah Silverman Program”), Joe Russo (“Arrested Development”), Anthony Russo (“Arrested Development”) and Gary Foster (“The Soloist”) serve as executive producers. Joe and Anthony Russo directed the pilot that was written by Dan Harmon.

“Parenthood”

Photo credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBC

From the executive producers of the box-office hit “Parenthood,” Ron Howard and Brian Grazer (Oscar winners for “A Beautiful Mind”), and writer/executive producer Jason Katims (“Friday Night Lights”), this contemporary re-imagining of the blockbuster film depicts the colorful and imperfect Braverman family - four grown siblings sharing the headaches, heartaches, and joy of being parents. The star-studded cast includes Peter Krause, Maura Tierney, Craig T. Nelson, Dax Shepard, Bonnie Bedelia, Monica Potter, Erika Christensen and Mae Whitman.

When Sarah Braverman (Tierney, “ER”), a financially strapped single mother, returns home to her parents and siblings in Berkeley, Calif., after packing up her Fresno apartment and uprooting her two inconvenienced kids, Amber (Whitman, “In Treatment”) and Drew (Miles Heizer, “ER”), she is greeted by her opinionated father, Zeek (Nelson, “Family Stone,” “Coach”), and strong mother, Camille (Bedelia, “Heart Like A Wheel”), who are privately dealing with their own marital issues. As Sarah is reunited with her siblings — sister, Julia (Christensen, “Traffic”), and brothers Crosby (Shepard, “Baby Mama”) and Adam (Krause, “Six Feet Under”) — all struggling with issues of their own, it’s clear that the Braverman reunion is just what they need to face the everyday challenges of modern family life. “Parenthood” is a production from Imagine Entertainment and Universal Media Studios. Emmy winner Thomas Schlamme (“The West Wing”) directs the pilot.

“Trauma”

Photo credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBC

Pictured: Billy Lush as Bailey, Anastasia Griffith as Nancy, Cliff Curtis as “Rabbit”, Aimee Garcia as Marisa, Kevin Rankin as Tyler, Derek Luke as Boone — NBC Photo: Mitchell Haaseth

From executive producer Peter Berg (NBC’s “Friday Night Lights”) comes “Trauma,” the first high-octane medical drama series to live exclusively in the field where the real action is. Like an adrenaline shot to the heart, “Trauma” is an intense, action-packed look at one of the most dangerous medical professions in the world: first responder paramedics. When emergencies occur, the trauma team from San Francisco General is first on the scene, traveling by land, by sea or by air to reach their victims in time. From the heights of the city’s Transamerica Pyramid to the depths of the San Francisco Bay, these heroes must face the most extreme conditions to save lives — and give meaning to their own existence in the process. Starring in “Trauma” are Derek Luke (“Notorious”), Cliff Curtis (“10,000 B.C”), Anastasia Griffith (“Damages”), Aimee Garcia (“George Lopez”), Kevin Rankin (“Friday Night Lights”) and Jamey Sheridan (“Law & Order: Criminal Intent”). “Trauma” is a production of Universal Media Studios and Film 44. Berg, Sarah Aubrey (“Bad Santa,” “Friday Night Lights”), Dario Scardapane and Jeffrey Reiner (“Friday Night Lights”) serve as executive producers. The pilot was written by Scardapane and directed by Reiner.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

NBC Shakes Up Schedule With Six New Scripted Series

BrianTT — Tue, 05 May 2009 09:36:01 -0600

CHICAGO – NBC held a special “in-front” announcement yesterday, two weeks in front of the standard upfront presentations and revealed six news series for the fall while leaving some beloved programs up in the air. On the bubble shows “Southland” and “Heroes” were renewed, but the jury is still out on “Chuck,” “Medium,” “Law & Order,” and “My Name is Earl”.

Of course, the focus of the peacock network in yesterday’s presentation was on “The Jay Leno Show,” which will air five nights a week in primetime, reducing time slots for new and returning programming. Consequently, if your favorite show doesn’t make it to the fall, blame Jay.

The NBC event did not unveil the actual complete schedule, just making a few announcements about new programming, so there are still a few question marks about some of its bubble shows but struggling “Southland,” “Heroes,” and “Parks and Recreation” did get the reprieve for the fall. They said they would decide soon on the other four.

Southland
Photo credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBC

With six new shows and half of the bubble programs already returning, along with five hours of programming gone to Leno, one has to wonder where all the shows will go. Don’t expect all four bubble shows to come back. Industry insiders are placing bets on “Chuck” and “Medium,” with the latter probably returning mid-season. Yes, this means that the original “Law & Order” may finally be done. However, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” has already been renewed.

Even though they touted six new shows, only three will premiere in the fall with the others serving both as mid-season replacements but also clearly as back-up in case “The Jay Leno Show” bombs.

Chuck
Photo credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBC

We did find out a bit about the schedule. “Heroes” stays put on Mondays with a new show between it and Leno. “The Biggest Loser” kicks off Tuesdays and could be two hours long or launch new programming in between. “SVU” is probably going to be on Wednesdays with another drama. Thursdays will stay largely unchanged unless a new comedy replaces the faltering “My Name is Earl”. Finally, two reality shows will precede Leno on Fridays. Woohoo.

“SVU” may have been renewed but the return of its stars is still in question with negotiations still ongoing with stars Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay. Marc Graboff, co-chariman of NBC Entertainment and Universal Music Studios said to the LA Times, “Our offer is on the table and we hope they accept it. The show’s coming back with or without them.”

Official NBC renewals include “Southland,” “Heroes,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Parks and Recreation,” “30 Rock,” “The Office,” “The Biggest Loser,” “Friday Night Lights,” “Celebrity Apprentice,” and “Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update Thursday,” which will return for six episodes.

Official NBC cancellations tragically include the underrated “Life”. Also gone are some of the more lackluster new shows of the last few years including “Lipstick Jungle,” “Kath & Kim,” “Knight Rider,” “Kings,” “My Own Worst Enemy,” and “Crusoe”.

Official descriptions of the new NBC programming, courtesy of Mediaweek:

Day One
Photo credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBC

DRAMA

“Mercy”
The daily events inside a hospital are seen through the eyes of three nurses. Taylor Schilling (Dark Matter), Jamie Lee Kirchner (Rescue Me) and Michelle Trachtenberg (Buffy, the Vampire Slayer) star.

“Parenthood”
Based on the 1989 Ron Howard theatrical, four grown siblings share the “headaches, heartaches and joy” of being parents. Peter Krause, Maria Tierney and former Coach star Craig T. Nelson lead the ensemble cast. (Footnote: Parenthood, a failed half-hour comedic version of the movie aired briefly on NBC in the fall of 1990).

“Trauma”
First responder paramedics are the focus of this medical drama set in San Francisco. Derek Luke (Notorious), Cliff Curtis (10,000 B.C.), Anastasia Griffith (Damages) and Jamey Sheridan (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) star.

“Day One”
A diversified group of survivors strive to rebuild society after a global catastrophe has devastated the world. The cast includes Adam Campbell (Date Movie), Catherine Dent (The Shield), Julie Gonzalo (Eli Stone), Carly Pope (24) and Addison Timlin (Cashmere Mafia).

Community
Photo credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBC

COMEDY

“100 Questions”
A woman (Sophie Winkleman) looking for love joins an online dating site and revisits various times in her life as she takes a 100-question compatibility test. Directed by Emmy winner James Burroughs (Cheers, Will & Grace).

“Community”
A band of misfits is the focus of life at fictional Greendale Community College. Chevy Chase and Joel McHale (The Soup) star.

NON-SCRIPTED

“The Jay Leno Show”
The soon-to-be former host of The Tonight Show heads to prime-time in a nightly hour featuring comedy skits, big stunts and well-known segments like “Headlines” and “Jaywalking.”

“The Marriage Ref”
Comedy Legend Jerry Seinfeld is the creator and producer of this non-scripted look at marriage as celebrities, comedians and sports stars decide who is right…and who is wrong…in real-life disputes between real-life spouses.

“Breakthrough With Tony Robbins”
Best-selling author and philanthropist Tony Robbins attempts to inspire people to search out the tools to forever change their lives.

“Who Do You Think You Are?”
A different celebrity each week embarks on a journey of self discovery, revealing stories that are often linked to events in American history.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Interview: Writers/Directors Zach Cregger, Trevor Moore on Playboy-Centric Film ‘Miss March’

PatrickMcD — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:41:18 -0600

CHICAGO – Zach Cregger and Trevor Moore – best known as members of the TV comedy troupe “The Whitest Kids U’ Know” (now on the Independent Film Channel) – make their directorial feature-film debut with the release of “Miss March”.

Rating: 2.5/5.0

“Miss March,” which opens on March 13, 2009, is a sex comedy that also stars Cregger and Moore as Eugene Bell and Tucker Cleigh, a couple of high school goofs who are looking to score. Tucker is the rampant horny boy in the scenario, while Eugene is a purer soul, hoping to lose his virginity on prom night with his girlfriend Cindi (Raquel Alessi).

HollywoodChicago.com sat down with Zach Cregger and Trevor Moore to talk about doing feature films versus sketch comedy world and where the horny boy sex comedy fits in the internet age.

Zach Clegger (left) as Eugene Bell and Trevor Moore (right) as Tucker Clegh in “Miss March”
Photo credit: © Twentieth Century Fox

“I don’t think our audience come to these movies because they want to see boobs,” said Cregger, “we know they can see them whenever they want to.”

“If anything,” Moore added, “seeing that our movie has a hard ‘R’ rating, that’s a signal that no punches will be pulled. It’s more for the outrageous stuff, that it’s going to offend some people. I want our audience to say, ‘that’s the movie for me.’”

Just before entering into carnal knowledge with his true-love girlfriend, Eugene falls into a coma that lasts four years. When he awakes, Tucker shows him that sweet Cindi has become Playboy magazine’s Miss March.

“I was raised in a super conservative household, I was very much like Eugene.” said Cregger. “Eugene’s attitude about sex is very damaging to his relationship with his girlfriend and is really unhealthy.”

“I felt Tucker was based on an amalgamation of characters from ‘The Whitest Kids U Know’,” added Moore. “There was sketch called ‘Tattoo Parlor’ and I felt Tucker was a sweeter, more innocent variation on that character. You can access the clip on YouTube.”

Patrick McDonald (left), Trevor Moore (center) and Zach Clegger (right) in Chicago on February 5th, 2009
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

Eugene and Tucker embark on a road trip to the Playboy Mansion in California to find Cindi and fulfill Eugene’s destiny. Along the way they hookup with rapper Horsedick.MPEG (Craig Robinson of “The Office”) and are also pursued by Tucker’s avenging girlfriend Candace (Molly Stanton) and a bunch of angry firefighters.

“Firemen sort of becomes law enforcement in the story,” said Moore. “In a time where they are America’s heroes, and rightly so, we thought that untouchable image would be funny if we made them bad guys. They are the authority.”

“The film does have the idea of consequence to action, which paralyzes Eugene,” said Cregger, “but Tucker is oblivious he just does unlawful things and nothing happens to him.”

Moore added: “Every single sexual act comes with disastrous consequences.”

Cregger and Moore also discussed writing a film for the first time, and harnessing their particular brand of sketch humor in “Whitest Kids” to the big screen.

“With sketch comedy, you get in, you tell the funniest joke you can and then you get out,” said Cregger. “You don’t have to worry about continuity or character development. When you’re writing a film comedy, it has to be funny, but also every scene has to move the story along.”

“There are some advantages between the movie and the sketch work, Moore said. “We really get to know the characters in writing a script. And when something works for that character, it’s immediate. That doesn’t happen with sketch work.”

“If anything we were explaining the scenario was ‘past reality’. It wasn’t the real world, and there is an element of cartoon in it,” he added.

Zach Clegger and Trevor Moore concluded with predictions for their characters beyond the film.

“In my head Eugene and his girlfriend get together for a little bit and then they break up because their relationship becomes different, said Clegger. “Tucker doesn’t get a job as a Playboy photographer.”

“I figure that Tucker doesn’t realize his life doesn’t end up great,” concludes Moore. “He’s just in the moment. And I figure Eugene goes into another coma for thirty years (laughs). His girlfriend has kids with another guy and he has to murder her family (laughs).”

“Miss March” opens March 13th at area theaters. It features Zach Clegger, Trevor Moore, Craig Robinson, Raquel Alessi and Hugh Hefner.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com