30 Rock

TV Review: ‘30 Rock’ Returns With Two Perfect Episodes

BrianTT — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:03:25 -0600

CHICAGO – NBC sent over the first two episodes of the fourth season of the Emmy-winning “30 Rock” and, believe it or not, the show may actually be better than when it left the air last spring. Tonight’s premiere is good but next week’s episode is even better with some of the strongest comedy writing of the year to date and amazing work by the standard cast and one of their most talented regular guest stars, Will Arnett.

Television Rating: 4.5/5.0

Tonight’s episode, the fourth season premiere, is a clever satire of not just the show itself but the entire network. (A show-closing jab at “The Jay Leno Show” is a true gem.) “30 Rock” has never set the ratings on fire, appealing more to critics than actual viewers. It doesn’t really have that big a following or audience. And the season premiere brilliantly and subversively plays off the popularity, or lack thereof, of the show itself.

Tracy Morgan, Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer.
Photo credit: Mary Ellen Mathew/NBC

In the premiere, “Season Four,” Jack (Alec Baldwin) tells Liz (Tina Fey), Tracy (Tracy Morgan), and Jenna (Jane Krakowski) that “TGS” needs to make a few adjustments to become more relatable to the masses. Jenna decides to makeover her image, including a hilarious sports theme song a la the opening number to “Monday Night Football”. Tracy takes to the streets to get in touch with the common man again. Meanwhile, Jack sends Liz and Pete (Scott Adsit) to find a new cast member for the show, something that Tracy and Jenna are not going to take very well. At the same time, Kenneth (Jack McBrayer) leads a hysterical Page strike after accidentally seeing how much Jack makes. Steve Buscemi guest stars.

“Season Four” Episode 401 — Pictured: Jack McBrayer as Kenneth.
Photo credit: Ali Goldstein/NBC

The first episode of the fourth season of “30 Rock” is nearly perfect. Each cast member gets a scene or two to shine and the overall self-awareness is clever without being smug. The show has reached the point that it’s merely comforting to have the characters and the writer’s sense of humor back on the air like later seasons of “Cheers” or “Seinfeld”. The state of comedy on television is simply weaker when “30 Rock” is off the air.

Remarkably, the second episode is even better, standing among the best in the history of the show. “Into the Crevasse” features the return of the great Will Arnett as Devin, plotting revenge against Jack by bringing down GE and him with it. Jenna continues to work against Liz by getting a hilarious acting gig that takes her away from her work on the show and every man in town is angry after the publication of Liz’s book. Kenneth gets a job at an animal shelter.

If it’s possible, and I certainly think it is after a slightly-down third season, “30 Rock” has gotten better in season four. This is the best opening pair of episodes for any season of the show to date with rapid-fire dialogue, unpredictable plot turns, and great performances. There’s a scene between Arnett and Baldwin in the second episode that is one of my favorite of the year to date from any show.

With consecutive wins for Best Comedy Series, it seems likely that the rest of the industry is waiting for “30 Rock” to fall from its pedestal. Based on the excellent fourth season premiere and its even better second episode, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen this year.

‘30 Rock,’ which airs on NBC, stars Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jack McBrayer, Jane Krakowski, Scott Adsit, and Judah Friedlander. Season four premieres on October 15th, 2009 at 8:30PM CST.

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

DVD Review: Third Season of Emmy-Winning ‘30 Rock’

BrianTT — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:53:22 -0600

CHICAGO – Maybe you’ve heard of a little show called “30 Rock”? It doesn’t set the ratings on fire but critics and award-giving bodies go crazy for it like kids with pixie sticks. Personally, I think the third season of “30 Rock” was a slight step down from the second, but there’s no denying that this is one of the best comedies on television, as its recent major wins at the Emmys proved yet again.

DVD Rating: 4.0/5.0

Sitcom television is always about the ensemble. Think about your favorite comedies. Shows like “Seinfeld,” “Cheers,” “Arrested Development” - they were all amazing group efforts. “30 Rock” is no different. Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Jack McBrayer, Tracy Morgan, and Jane Krakowski may be the five faces peering out the front of the DVD box for the recently released third season, but even they regularly have their scenes stolen by the extended cast, one of the best on television.

Of course, when a whole cast works as well as the gang at “30 Rock,” you have to credit the writers. Headed by the unbelievably talented Tina Fey, the writing on “30 Rock” can be as good as anything on television. I think season three got a little too heavy on guest stars (a regular trick with aging NBC shows…”Will & Grace” was practically “The Love Boat” for the second half of its run it was so heavy on commercial-friendly guests) and I’ve always liked “30 Rock” more when I can relate to Liz, Jack, Kenneth and the rest of the gang.

30 Rock: Season 3” was released on DVD on September 22nd, 2009.
Photo credit: Universal Home Video

Except for the great, recurring Dean Winters (as Dennis) and Elaine Stritch (as Jack’s mom), the show should pull back on stunt casting and guest stars and let the regular stars do their thing. As for the writing, season three occasionally got a little too wacky for its own good. The show works best when the focus is on relatable comedy like Liz going to her high school reunion or Jack going to a retreat not when it’s on Telenovela characters or charity musical numbers.

Having said that, a slightly-down third season of “30 Rock” is still better than most television. If you haven’t caught up with the show, you’re missing one of the most beloved and acclaimed series of the ’00s. And Universal treats the many fans of the show who watch it on DVD well with a very nice three-disc box set. First, some episode highlights from the season to either refresh your memory or give you a preview of what to expect:

“Believe in the Stars” - On a flight back from Chicago, Liz spills her soul to Oprah Winfrey. Meanwhile, Tracy and Jenna butt heads as they try to determine whose life is harder and Jack’s morality is tested by Kenneth after an Olympics snafu.

“Reunion” - Liz is opposed to going to her high school reunion, but Jack manages to convince her otherwise. Meanwhile, Don Geiss (Rip Torn) wakes up from his coma only to shock Jack with his declaration of who will be GE’s CEO.

“Christmas Special” - Liz participates in a charity program to help underprivileged kids celebrate Christmas. Meanwhile, Jack takes his frustration out on the “TGS” staff when his plans for a dream holiday vacation away from his overbearing mother (Elaine Stritch) are crushed.

“Retreat to Move Forward” - Nervous about the corporate retreat, Jack recruits Liz to accompany him for support. Jenna decides to take up method acting to prepare for her Janis Joplin role. Kenneth must convince Tracy that diabetes is affected by his diet.

“Apollo, Apollo” - While Jack plans the perfect 50th birthday party for himself, he watches old home videos that inspire him to recreate one of the happiest moments he had as a young boy. Liz’s ex-boyfriend Dennis (Dean Winters) decides to come clean about an addiction, stirring up drama between Liz and Jenna.

The DVD set for “30 Rock” is a beauty but the original broadcast in HD is stunning, so why can’t I own the show on Blu-Ray? It’s ridiculous that a show this popular and this high-selling on DVD hasn’t made the jump to the next-gen format.

The episodes are presented in 1.78:1 widescreen and accompanied by English Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. Of course, they look and sound good, but a show should be available in at least the same quality it was originally broadcast in, arguably better.

As for bonus features, “30 Rock” includes audio commentary by Tina Fey, Jon Hamm, Alan Alda, Jack McBrayer, Jane Krakowski, and more, deleted scenes, “Behind-the-Scenes with the Muppets,” “1-900-OKFACE,” “The Making of “He Needs a Kidney,” photo gallery, and more.

Come back for our review of the fourth season premiere next week!

‘30 Rock: Season 3’ is released by Universal Home Video and stars Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer, Scott Adsit, and Judah Friedlander. The show was released on September 22nd, 2009. It is not rated and runs 486 minutes.

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

‘30 Rock,’ ‘Mad Men’ Lead 2009 Emmy Award Winners as Best Comedy, Drama

BrianTT — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 21:04:35 -0600

CHICAGO – Neil Patrick Harris hosted a joyful edition of the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday night, September 20th, 2009, at which AMC’s “Mad Men” and NBC’s “30 Rock” were the big winners with Alec Baldwin, Jon Cryer, Kristin Chenoweth, Toni Collette, Cherry Jones, Michael Emerson, Glenn Close, and Bryan Cranston walking away with the major acting awards.

Harris opened with a musical number that could have been called “Put Down the Remote”. It kicked off a show that was surprisingly buoyant and well-paced. After hosting the Tonys and now the Emmys, the Oscars may want to consider giving the best host that awards shows have seen in a long time a call. After the number, Harris spoke of his love for TV, something that served as a theme for the entire night.

For the first time (and hopefully not the last), the show was split up by genre, handing out all the awards for comedy programming first. (Although it was kind of a cheat with the big award, Best Comedy, being saved for the end of the night. Just the acting, writing, and directing awards were presented early.)

The night started on a fantastic note as the wonderful and highly underrated Kristin Chenoweth won Best Supporting Actress for “Pushing Daisies”. It’s too bad the show is off the air. Nice job, ABC. Chenoweth joked, “I’m unemployed now, so I’d like to be on Mad Men.”

Harris and Kevin Dillon were robbed for the next acting award, Best Supporting Actor, which went to Jon Cryer for “Two and a Half Men,” after several consecutive nominations and straight losses to Jeremy Piven for “Entourage,” who was surprisingly not even nominated this year. With Chenoweth and Cryer both being unpredictable winners, the stage was set for an upset in several categories.

And it continued. Justin Timberlake, who had won the Outstanding Guest Appearance in a Comedy for his work on “Saturday night Live” presented the next award, Best Actress, to another surprising winner, Toni Collette for Showtime’s “United States of Tara”. Three acting awards and no winners for multi-nominated “30 Rock” was a surprise at this point in the evening, as most critics and TV writers expected Tina Fey to win here.

Best Actor in a Comedy looked like it might be where “30 Rock” picked up its first acting Emmy for its most-nominated year, but would previous winner Tony Shalhoub or beloved newcomer Jim Parsons steal the trophy? Of course not. No one can stop Alec Baldwin, who said “I’d trade this to look like him” in reference to his award’s presenter, Rob Lowe, and then honestly thanked Lorne Michaels for believing in him.

The reality awards began with Jon Cryer and Hayden Panetierre giving the Emmy for Best Reality Host to Jeff Probst for “Survivor”. Best Reality Competition Program went to “The Amazing Race,” a consistent winner in the category.

The Mini-Series and TV Movie categories were next and Kevin Bacon & Kyra Sedgwick kicked off the section of the evening by presented Best Supporting Actress to Shoreh Aghdashloo for “House of Saddam” and Best Supporting Actor to HBO’s great “Grey Gardens”. He jokingly said “I’ll make my speech as brief as possible in the hope that it won’t be interrupted by a Congressman or a rapper.”

Other Mini-Series and Movie winners included Brendan Gleeson for “Into the Storm” and Jessica Lange for “Grey Gardens” in the acting categories. The winner for Made For Television Movie was HBO’s “Grey Gardens” and “Little Dorritt” took home the prize for Outstanding Miniseries.

The dramatic awards started with a surprising and well-deserved win by Michael Emerson as Best Supporting Actor for “Lost”. The winner for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series went to another shocking choice, Cherry Jones for “24”. That’s where the surprises stopped, as the final hour of the evening went relatively predictably.

Ellen Burstyn and Michael J. Fox had previously won awards for Best Guest Appearance in a Drama and presented Best Directing to Rod Holcumb for “ER”. The winner for writing went to, of course, “Mad Men” and its scribes Kater Gordon and creator Matthew Weiner.

Lead Actress in a Drama Series went to the fantastic Glenn Close for “Damages,” predictably repeating her win from last season. Lead Actor in a Drama Series was also a repeat from last year with Bryan Cranston taking home the Emmy again for his work on AMC’s “Breaking Bad”.

Finally, the two big awards of the night went, rather predictably, to “30 Rock” and “Mad Men”. A night that started with a few shockers finished with four winners repeating from last year. Congratulations to all the winners and good luck to everyone thinking of toppling Close, Cranston, “30 Rock,” and “Mad Men” next year.

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

‘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

Heath Ledger, Kate Winslet Win 2009 Screen Actors Guild Awards

BrianTT — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:41:34 -0700

CHICAGO – The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) gave out its coveted awards on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009 and Heath Ledger, Kate Winslet, Sean Penn and Meryl Streep walked away with the major film acting prizes. “Slumdog Millionaire” was awarded the prize for best ensemble of the year. Predictably, “30 Rock” and “Mad Men” took home the television ensemble prizes.

The 15th Annual SAG Awards
Photo credit: Turner

“Slumdog Millionaire” beat “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Doubt,” “Frost/Nixon,” and “Milk” for the main prize, often a good indication of what will win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Last year’s winner, “No Country For Old Men,” went on to win the Oscar. “Crash” also won the award on its way to a surprising Oscar for Best Picture.

Sean Penn won best actor for “Milk,” beating Mickey Rourke for “The Wrestler” and making that race for the Oscar a dead heat. Other nominees included Richard Jenkins for “The Visitor,” Frank Langella for “Frost/Nixon,” and Brad Pitt for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”.

The win for Meryl Streep for “Doubt” throws that Oscar category into complete disarray. She beat Anne Hathaway for “Rachel Getting Married,” Angelina Jolie for “Changeling,” Melissa Leo for “Frozen River,” and Kate Winslet for “Revolutionary Road”.

Winslet was nominated for the Oscar as well but for “The Reader,” a performance which she won the SAG Award, Golden Globes, and other award for this year. And many people still think Hathaway has a shot. With Streep winning last night, this is a three-lady race like none we have seen in years.

Heath Ledger took the prize for his supporting work in “The Dark Knight” and an emotional Gary Oldman accepted on his behalf. Ledger beat Josh Brolin from “Milk,” Robert Downey Jr. for “Tropic Thunder,” Philip Seymour Hoffman for “Doubt,” and Dev Patel for “Slumdog Millionaire”.

Kate Winslet won for “The Reader,” beating Amy Adams for “Doubt,” Penelope Cruz for “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” Viola Davis for “Doubt,” and Taraji P. Henson for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”.

“30 Rock” and “Mad Men” won the ensemble awards for television. Predictably, Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey took the individual acting honors for comedy series. The drama prizes were a little more surprising with Hugh Laurie winning for “House” and Sally Field taking the trophy for “Brothers & Sisters”. The male and female lead of HBO’s “John Adams” - Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney - took the awards for the television movie or miniseries categories.

Check out our 44-image gallery for the 15th-annual SAG awards.

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

The Best of What’s Out There: The TV You Should Be Watching in Early 2009

BrianTT — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:08:20 -0700

CHICAGO – We were considering looking back at the best programming of 2008 when something dawned on us - a lot of it isn’t on the air right now and not yet available on DVD. We at HollywoodChicago.com believe in being productive and helpful, so why tell you something is great when you can’t even see the show?

The final season of “The Shield,” the third season of “Dexter,” the fourth season of “Weeds,” the fourth season of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” the final season of “The Wire,” the second season of “Mad Men,” the entirety of “Pushing Daisies,” and the two best new shows of 2008 - “True Blood” and “In Treatment” - all rank among the best programming of 2008, but none of them are on the air right now and none are on DVD yet. What’s a TV fan to do?

Tina Fey, Jennifer Aniston, Alec Baldwin on “30 Rock”.
Photo credit: Nicole Rivelli

That’s why we’re here - to help. Instead of giving you another list of shows that you can’t even see on DVD yet, we’ve found some equivalent (or at least similar) shows currently on the air that we think you should give a chance. With dozens of new and returning shows hitting the airwaves every week, it can be hard to know what’s right for you. Let us guide the way.

First, there are a FEW of the best series of 2008 still on the air or returning soon. “Lost” comes back January 21st, 2009. Check out our review of the first two episodes for a sneak peek. The quick version? It’s real good.

The best comedy on television, “30 Rock,” is still kicking butt on Thursday nights even if we do slightly agree with the criticism that the show has gotten a bit too gimmicky for its own good recently. Hey Tina, cut out the revolving door of guest stars and get back to the characters we know and love.

“Battlestar Galactica” comes back on January 16th and, as for the best of reality TV, Jeff Probst and “Survivor” return on February 12th and Phil Keoghan and “The Amazing Race” start running again three days later, February 15th.

Finally, “Reaper” returns to The CW on March 17th. Yes, The CW can actually lay claim to one of the best shows of 2008. If you don’t believe me, catch up with the first season, now on DVD, and come back for more coverage in the coming months of one of the most sharply written and clever shows on television.

Bret Harrison and Ray Wise on “Reaper”.
Photo credit: Lionsgate

The rest of the “Best of 2008”? It’s all off the air, but we found relative equivalents for most of them. Of course, there will not be an equivalent for ABC’s great “Pushing Daisies” for a long time. Just watch season one again. It was brilliantly unique and left us way too soon.

One of the main reasons that HBO’s “True Blood” and Showtime’s “Dexter” were two of the best shows of 2008 was that there’s nothing on the air like them. What could we possibly compare to Alan Ball’s gothic vision of vampires or Michael C. Hall’s riveting performance as a serial killer with a moral code?

There are two shows coming up that seem to have that unique quality that separated “True Blood” and “Dexter” from the pack in 2008.

The first season of AMC’s “Breaking Bad” was hit-and-miss but the clarity of Bryan Cranston’s excellent performance on that show reminds us a bit of what Hall does as Dexter Morgan on the excellent Showtime drama. “Bad” returns to AMC in March.

As for “True Blood,” the show that has similar what-the-hell potential has to be Joss Whedon’s “Dollhouse”. The long-delayed and controversial series starts on February 13th on Fox. Rumors of reshoots and behind-the-scenes trouble have made us nervous, but Whedon is the kind of risky TV voice that always brings the potential for greatness, kind of like “True Blood“‘s Alan Ball.

Toni Collette on “United States of Tara”.
Photo credit: Nigel Parry/Showtime

If neither “Breaking Bad” nor “Dollhouse” works for and you’re still looking for something left-of-center like “True Blood” or “Dexter,” put April 9th on your calendar. That’s when “Harper’s Island” premieres. We haven’t seen much, but the preview we did see from last Summer looked like “Gossip Girl” if one of the beautiful people from that show happened to be a serial killer offing his socialite friends on a remote island. Yeah, it looks like twisted fun.

But what should fans of the other great shows from 2008 do with their time in early 2009?

One of the best comedies of the last few years, Showtime’s “Weeds,” will be back this summer, but there’s another half-hour comedy that looks at suburbia from a different angle on the same network - “United States of Tara” - that’s currently on the air.

Featuring a stunning performance by Oscar nominee Toni Collette as a mother with DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder), the Diablo Cody creation fits perfectly in the Showtime milieu of characters who may look normal but live very different lives from you and me. With a dark, black streak of humor, “Weeds” has been consistently entertaining for four seasons now and, based on the promise of the first quartet of episodes, it’s not hard to see “United States of Tara” staying on the air just as long.