Wow. It looks like season 4 of Torchwood is really happening. After the initial news of an American version of Torchwood, I put it out of my head, fearing the worst about changes to beloved Captain Jack (the scrumptious John Barrowman) and where the storyline could possibly go after the tragedies of Torchwood: Children of Earth. Those reporting the news weren't actually sure it was going to gel after all, so I didn't want to get my hopes up.
Torchwood: The New World is a go, however, and the news is a little brighter. Firstly, Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello reported on casting for Torchwood that included a call for a male actor to play intimate scenes with Captain Jack. So it seems that the American broadcaster of Torchwood, Starz, won't be dialing back Jack's fluid sexuality for puritanical US audiences. Huzzah to that.
Secondly, Eve Myles is returning, as well as Gwen's hubby Rhys (Kai Owen). Wales Online reported that Myles recently bought a vintage 60s home in Hollywood, where she and her family will live during filming in the US for Torchwood. The actors will be on set in January, and Torchwood: The New World is expected to air its new ten episodes in the summer--presumably on BBC and Starz simultaneously.
Thirdly, Deadline just reported that Lie to Me and ER actor Mekhi Phifer has been cast in Torchwood as CIA agent Rex Matheson. Spoiler TV has a detailed description of the character, who sounds like a smooth, sexy overachiever. I am beyond excited to see how Phifer and Barrowman interact on the show.
I wasn't sure I'd ever get over the cruelty that was Torchwood: Children of Earth, but the fact is that Captain Jack is just too good of a character to abandon, and I'll be happy to see Jack and Gwen together again. There's a two year gap between the storyline of Children of Earth and this new season 4, no doubt to give a reasonable amount of time for healing after the fatal events the duo endured. For my part, I'd prefer to just erase the whole last season, because the writers tainted Jack with their attempts at "drama".
So, I'm being cautiously optimistic about the return of Torchwood. Here's hoping the writers will treat us fans a bit better on this go around.
PHOTO: Mekhi Phifer in Lie to Me, screencap c2010, FOX.
Looking for the perfect Christmas gift for your favorite Doctor Who fan? Do they love the Tenth Doctor, sonic screwdrivers, or Daleks? If you've overheard them arguing about the virtues of Rose over Martha, or what Bad Wolf really means, then these are the Christmas gift ideas you need.
Doctor Who Gifts Under $20
How cute is this? This little rotating Cyberman keychain is on sale for only $2.90! It's the perfect Christmas stocking stuffer gift for your Doctor Who fan.
Click here to buy your Cyberman keychain for $2.90 from Entertainment Earth.
Does your Doctor Who fan prefer David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor? Then they'll love a Christmas gift of this little Doctor action figure, complete with trademark pinstripe suit and sonic screwdriver.
Click here to buy your Tenth Doctor action figure for $15.99 from Entertainment Earth.
No Doctor Who fan feels complete without the Doctor's signature tool/weapon/gizmo, the sonic screwdriver. Get this--the sonic screwdriver replica lights up, has sound effects, and writes in invisible ink. It also comes with a wallet with "psychic paper." Totally the perfect sci-fi Christmas gift.
Click here to buy the Doctor Who sonic screwdriver gift for $19.99 from Amazon.com!
Doctor Who Gifts From $25 to $35.99
Does your Doctor Who fan prefer the Eleventh Doctor? Gift them this Christmas with two little Matt Smith action figures--one in his raggedy Tenth Doctor clothes after he crash lands in Amelia Pond's yard, and one in his new genius professor duds of tweed jacket and bow tie.
Click here to buy a double Doctor Who gift for $25.99 from Entertainment Earth.
The diehard Doctor Who fan must have a Dalek in their Christmas stocking. Gift them with this striking Dalek wall clock, that illuminates when the room is dark. How cool is that?
Click here to buy the Dalek wall clock gift for $25.99 from Entertainment Earth.
Last, but certainly not least, we have the most beloved icon of Doctor Who fandom. This little blue box is the perfect Christmas gift for your favorite sci-fi geek; on TV it's a time traveling space ship--on your Doctor Who fan's desk it's a Tardis USB hub.
Click here to buy the Tardis USB hub for $35.99 from Amazon.com.
Please enjoy these Doctor Who fan gift ideas. I have personally shopped with both Amazon and Entertainment Earth, and received quality products and good service. Thank you for shopping--your purchases help support this blog, at no extra cost to you!
In an interesting move by the Glee showrunners, CBS news anchor Katie Couric will be turning up as a guest star on Glee. Will she be joining a Cheerios pyramid? Interviewing Sue Sylvester for a special report on Cheerleading Coach of the Universe?
Fan reaction so far has included plenty of "Bzuh?" responses, but Katie could be a surprise on Glee. I give you all the scoop about the appearance and Katie's glee club credentials over on Yahoo! omg! with "Katie Couric to Appear on 'Glee' with Coach Sylvester".
Katie Couric's Glee guest starring role should take place on FOX February 6, after the Super Bowl.
PHOTO: Katie Couric making her entrance on Jon Stewart's The Daily Show last year, screencap c2009 Mad Cow Productions, Comedy Central.
I've recently started re-watching the excellent-but-canceled series Life, the occasionally flawed but usually brilliant, unique, and entertaining cop show starring Damian Lewis and Sarah Shahi. Shahi was amazing in this series, strong and smart and and one of the few petite women I've actually believed could be a detective in real life. No blank-eyed starlet here; Shahi was able to be tough, aggressive, clever, sarcastic, quick with her gun, and of course, just a bit damaged. She and the equally talented Lewis (Band of Brothers) had a striking chemistry on Life, and it's a shame that the writer's strike, and audience confusion over a show that defied labeling, killed this stellar TV series well before its time (though it did at least have a beautiful and satisfying final episode).
Now Shahi has a new series, called Fairly Legal. The show debuts on USA on Thursday, January 20, 2011, at 10pm ET (9pm CT). Formerly titled "Facing Kate", Fairly Legal will focus on top lawyer Kate Reed, who leaves the corruption of the legal system behind to "actually help people" by becoming a mediator. Kate will also be dealing with the sudden death of her father, the "evil step-mother" who now runs his law firm, and her on-again off-again relationship with ex Justin (BSG alum Michael Trucco).
The trailer isn't quite selling me on the show; it's trying a little too hard to be "quirky" and "funny". The moment I like best in the trailer is the exchange with Kate's assistant Leonardo (Baron Vaughn)--and Leonardo's evil laugh. USA shows tend to have great banter and a sly sense of humor, so I'm hoping that Fairly Legal will be as quick with the wit as White Collar, Burn Notice, and even the fairly fluffy Covert Affairs.
Fairly Legal will follow USA's surprise hit Royal Pains, and that's probably a good match in tone. Shahi definitely has talent, and she was adept at handling the absurd in Life, so she could make it work in Fairly Legal. USA has been churning out plenty of successful series of late, so Fairly Legal is worth a look for a few episodes to see how the series is going to pan out. Especially since TVSquad reports that Richard Dean Anderson (Stargate SG-1, MacGyver) is set to appear in a 5 episode arc.
Now, if they could just get Damian Lewis to guest star...
Fairly Legal will air on USA, Thursdays at 10/9c.
PHOTO: Sarah Shahi as Kate Reed in USA series Fairly Legal, screencap c2010 Universal Cable Productions, USA Network.
I have to say, I liked the pilot of The Defenders more than I thought I would. This Jim Belushi/Jerry O'Connell buddy lawyer show was feisty and fun, and smarter than expected. There are wisecracks and testosterone-y posturing, but the court case was handled seriously, with some good detective work by Morelli (Belushi) and lawyer newbie Lisa Tyler (Jurnee Smollett). It's nowhere near as wacky as Boston Legal, but it finds a similar balance between drama and comedy that's enjoyable.
Belushi is great here, with a combo of seasoned, smartass Vegas lawyer and broken-hearted man devastated by an impending divorce. Jerry O'Connell once again finds a way to make being a sleazy arrogant jerk somehow adorably charming. The two have a good rapport, and it'll be fun to watch the bromance develop on The Defenders as they work through cases and personal issues together.
Jurnee Smollett (Friday Night Lights) is also likable in The Defenders, though her role felt a little underdeveloped. O'Connell's scenes with her felt like he was doing a drive-by on the way to getting back to the good stuff with Belushi, and I'm hoping that changes.
For the other women characters on The Defenders, we have 80s-eyeshadowed receptionist Zoe (Tanya Fischer, who you may remember as free spirit Windy on the excellent Life on Mars). Zoe is a bit flaky and hands everyone their messages on heart-shaped post-it-notes, but she's got it together--enough to even scam the wily Kaczmarek (O'Connell) out of hard-to-get show tickets.
Kaczmarek also has a hate/sex relationship with D.A. Meredith Cramer (Natalie Zea), which was the weakest aspect of the show. Cramer is a cliche hardass woman character, a Barbie doll lawywer with vacant eyes, and so thin she looks like she might break in half. The only plus for this male-centric show is that she's at least not a teenager, but they're going to have to make Cramer a lot more interesting for me to accept this part of The Defenders plot.
All in all, The Defenders is definitely worth pursuing if the pilot is indicative of the rest of the series. It looks like it might be a nice breezy antidote to the rougher, gorier procedurals that are the norm these days. If Smollett gets more action, the bromance flourishes, and the court cases stay sharp, this will be a fun mid-week guilty pleasure.
Watch The Defenders on CBS, Wednesdays at 10/9c.
PHOTO: Jerry O'Connell as Pete Kaczmarek and Jim Belushi as Nick Morelli in The Defenders pilot, screencap c2010 CBS Paramount Network Television.
A highlight of successful series "The Mentalist" is watching the developing relationship between by-the-book CBI Agent Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney) and irreverent, eccentric consultant Patrick Jane. With a constant exchange of heated banter, wry looks, and friendly competition, Lisbon and Jane gradually show us their mutual respect and affection for one another. Lisbon's professionalism and Jane's tortured past prevent this from developing into a true romance, but if you watch carefully, these five episodes of "The Mentalist" give us tantalizing moments of both sweetness and flirtation between our two heroes.
Season 1, Episode 6: "Red-handed"
While investigating the death of a casino owner on "The Mentalist," Jane manages to rake in a fortune by counting cards at blackjack. His newfound wealth and generosity leads to a fun scene at a bar, with the casually dressed agents sporting a quarter million dollars worth of jewelry. The practical Lisbon has an attack of conscience over the extravagance, but Jane smoothly protests: "I know those emeralds look lovely with your eyes." Lisbon blushes like a schoolgirl but relinquishes the necklace, gently laying a hand across Jane's back in thanks before she takes off.
Season 1, Episode 11: "Red John's Friends"
When a convict with a link to Red John is discovered dead at the serial killer's hands, Jane is devastated by both the loss of life and the loss of a lead to his wife and child's killer. As he sits on a hotel room bed near the crime scene, staring vacantly, Lisbon visibly struggles with how to comfort him. With the look in her eyes and just the slightest brush of her hand against his arm, we sense the tenderness she feels for the emotionally walled-off Jane.
Season 1, Episode 16: "Blindness"
Lisbon and Jane barely escape a car bomb with their lives, and the explosion blinds Jane temporarily. Fearing the disability might be permanent, Jane lashes out at everyone and insists on working despite orders to rest. It becomes evident how close Lisbon and Jane are becoming, as Lisbon is able to maneuver through the minefield of Jane's personal boundaries to take care of him. We get rewarded with a pure moment of Lisbon and Jane affection on "The Mentalist," with a sweetly sensual scene where the blinded Jane reaches out to gently trace the smile on Lisbon's face.
Season 2, Episode 1: "Redemption"
Jane takes his bluntness about the futility of police work too far this time, and Lisbon's angry enough to take off in the SUV and leave him behind at a crime scene. Jane later apologizes with a conciliatory gift of fresh strawberries, and a desperate plea to work: "I have nothing else to do." Moved by the intensity of his declaration, Lisbon concedes. "The Mentalist" viewers, and Lisbon, get a pleasant surprise as Jane warmly embraces her with heartfelt thanks.
Season 2, Episode 11: "Rose-colored Glasses"
While investigating a case at a high school reunion, Jane tries to guess what sort of girl Lisbon was -- and what instrument she played. Lisbon is amused that Jane keeps getting it totally wrong. At the end of the reunion, Jane asks Lisbon to dance, and urges her to pretend he was the boy she crushed on back in high school. Lisbon won't give in to his baiting, but she agrees to the dance. It's the sweetest and most romantic moment between the pair yet on "The Mentalist," as the two hold each other close and sway to the music. "Trombone?" Jane asks, his final guess. "Nope," Lisbon replies, and then she closes her eyes and nestles into the crook of his neck.
Yeah, I'm not sure about Raising Hope. I suspect I'm not the target audience for FOX comedies. I'll be honest--I only tuned in to watch because there was nothing else on that I wanted to watch, and I LOVE Martha Plimpton.
When I first saw ads online for Raising Hope, I actually thought Martha Plimpton was going to be the mother of baby Hope. I was a bit taken aback that the 40 year old Plimpton was actually playing the mother of the very very grown-up Jimmy (Lucas Neff)--until they explained she'd been 15 when she gave birth to him.
I can't really imagine the writing room that came up with Raising Hope. It's part Rosanne/The Middle lower class family drama and part absurdist comedy from Planet WTF? Jimmy is driving down the street and picks up a screaming woman who's being chased down the street by an angry man. Grateful for her rescue, the woman promptly has sex with Jimmy in the van. The next morning, the family is enamored with Jimmy's new girlfriend--until they discover she's a murderous fugitive. Then Mama Chance hits her over the head with a TV and they turn her into the police.
Hilarious, right? It gets better. Jimmy visits murderer girl in prison and finds out she's pregnant with his child. He brings the baby to her execution--but don't worry, he covers the baby's eyes as its mother is electrocuted. Are you rolling on the floor yet?
I was ready to write off Raising Hope as Not For Me, but the second half picked up. Neff brings sweet charm to the hapless Jimmy, who has some warm and funny scenes with a grocery store clerk played by Shannon Woodward. Plimpton also brings her excellent wry delivery and comic timing to scenes with the baby and Neff, and there's actually a really sweet moment when Mom and Dad Chance sing 70s tunes to baby Hope to quiet her.
(I suspect there are also quite a few people out there who appreciated the nostaligic humor of riding in cars as a kid--in the days before you were supposed to be strapped in like an astronaut--and avoiding the rusted hole in the floor. Good times.)
The sweet and charming moments in Raising Hope, and the truly funny slapstick, make it all the more jarring when the show veers into gross-out or whack job territory. It doesn't need to try so hard to be "kooky" or "wild". A scene involving vomiting was actually funny--when it happened off screen. Once it actually hit the screen, it ceased to be funny.
On the strength of Neff and Plimpton, I may give Raising Hope the two episode test to decide if it's worth pursuing. On the other hand, the new show Running Wilde with Will Arnett and Keri Russell couldn't even get me to the opening credits--or Keri Russell. After a few minutes of watching Will Arnett in painfully awkward and "look how funny we are!" scenes, including some weird photoshop disaster, I had to turn it off. Maybe there was something entertaining farther along, but I just couldn't wait.
Raising Hope and Running Wilde air on FOX, Tuesday nights at 9/8c.
PHOTO:Raising Hope pilot screencap, c2010 20th Century Fox Television.
Okay, I have to admit, I was pleasantly blown away by elements of tonight's pilot episode of The Event: "I Haven't Told You Everything". In today's world of spoilers and commercials that give away too much, it was nice to know I had some preconceptions of the plot that turned out to be completely wrong. There was one out-and-out gasp moment and the big end surprise which I had a suspicion of only slightly before it actually happened. Despite some irritating flaws in character development, all in all, The Event pilot made for good, dramatic TV.
My reservation about The Event pilot early on was in Jason Ritter, who plays Sean Walker, a man who hijacks a plane for reasons other than the ones we initially suspect. Ritter is paired up with fresh-faced beach beauty Leila Buchanan (actress Sarah Roemer), and something about that pairing just felt off to me. Though only four years apart, my immediate impression was that Roemer was way younger than Ritter. I suspect Ritter is supposed to be playing a younger character than his real life 30 years of age, so they gave him some college boy facial hair to try and make him seem like a casual free spirit type--but oddly, Ritter looks a lot younger without the scruffiness.
*SPOILER ALERT* It was a relief as the plot of The Event pilot progressed, and Ritter and Roemer got some more time to develop their characters. As we got another view of Leila's family and another angle on the story, I started to care more about the fate of the characters as well. Once the action heated up on the plane, and in the flashback when Leila goes missing, Ritter also seemed to hit his stride on the dramatic level. It may just be a lack of chemistry between the actors throwing off the earlier scenes, which is a problem when it's an extremely important relationship in the plot of The Event.
Also difficult to overlook in The Event pilot were some boneheaded moves by the characters. After diving off a cliff into the ocean and saving a drowning woman's life, Sean ends up spending his romantic cruise with Leila as a foursome with the woman and her boyfriend. Leila and Sean justifiably find the couple a little creepy, but Sean still decides to go snorkeling with the woman--without his girlfriend or her boyfriend. Who would do that? He's getting ready to propose to the woman he loves on a love boat, and so he spends the morning with some strange woman he met on the beach? I don't think so.
Even more boneheaded is Leila's parents at home. A big point in the plot is that Leila's parents are overprotective, and keep phoning her on her trip to check on her and what she's doing. Then they send their 7 year old daughter outside in the driving rain--without a coat--to retrieve her bicycle, and they don't accompany her or even watch her out of the window. Who is writing this stuff?
It was also a bit annoying to watch The Event pilot scene where the President (Blair Underwood), his family, and all of the Secret Service sit and stare at an airplane barreling towards them instead of trying to get the hell out of there. While I can buy being paralyzed by fear for some of the characters, I have to think that at least one of the agents would be shoving the President into the car and at least attempting to peel out of the driveway at 200mph.
That said, the mystery elements of The Event pilot were intriguing, and I liked the way that shifting the point of view and replaying an earlier scene created all sorts of cool revelations. It was a surprise to realize Sean wasn't a crazy hijacker, but someone who was actually trying to save everyone on the plane. My big gasp moment came when we discovered that murderous pilot behind the locked door was actually Leila's father--no doubt coerced with threats against his family.
I'm also curious about the secret facility with detained folks working in labs, who have a "leader" in Sophia (ER's Laura Innes). Sophia knows more than she's telling, hence The Event's pilot title: "I Haven't Told You Everything". As Sophia and the President and everyone else stood and watched the plane on its death run, I suddenly suspected something Dramatic was about to happen. Though I don't think I was prepared for the plane vanishing into some sort of time warp/shift/black hole/vortex. Pretty cool stuff.
Questions about The Event abound now, which is a good way of getting us to tune in to the next episode. Where is the plane, and who saved the people on the ground? Who kidnapped (or killed) Leila, and is the rest of her family alive? What was the point of wiping Sean and Leila's existence from the cruise merely for a kidnapping? Were they hoping to take Sean out of play as well?
And, of course, what is "The Event" that Sophia mentioned?
The Event has an intriguing premise, but I think it will have to keep up the spectacular surprises to keep me on board. I'm feeling gun-shy after elaborate serials like Battlestar Galactica and Lost failed to answer all of those cool questions they asked along the way. It's not enough to set up mind-boggling mysteries--you've got to include a payoff.
Word is that The Event will give us some big answers next week. Hopefully the answers will make us want to tune in again, rather than tune out.
The Event airs on Mondays, at 9/8c on NBC.
PHOTO: Jason Ritter as Sean Walker in "I Haven't Told You Everything", The Event pilot screencap c2010 NBC.
Kim Kardashian and Justin Bieber work together on the set of their Elle photoshoot.
Never in a million years did I think I'd be defending reality star, famous-for-being-famous, Kim Kardashian. But the latest uproar over her Elle photoshoot and mild flirtations with 16 year old Justin Bieber have gotten completely out of hand. Besides making a mountain out of a molehill, the world apparently still thinks that older men/younger women is hot, and younger men/older women is "gross".
It's always amazing to me how thoroughly people can live with blinders on, never paying attention to those teenage female models in sexy photoshoots and young girls in films with men decades older than them--but the moment Demi Moore ogles a man 15 years her junior, all hell breaks loose.
Now we have Kim Kardashian, a 29 year old who's being called a "cougar" at best, and pedophile at worst. All this for basically standing in the proximity of a teenager and not acting like a nun. Perhaps we can forgive the insulting tweets from hormonal teens and crazy pre-teens, but the rest of the world definitely needs to grow up.
Want all the scoop on the Justin Bieber and Kim Kardashian "courtship"? Want to know what Chelsea Handler thinks about her boy Bieber's "betrayal"? You can check out the full story in "Kim Kardashian Is Not a Pedophile; Justin Bieber Is a Flirt."
PHOTO: Screencap from behind the scenes video of the Elle photoshoot, c2010 Elle.com.
I have to say, as much criticism as I have for the ending of Lost, I was hoping the actors would get a little Emmy love. I expected Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn to cancel each other out for the best supporting actor Emmy, but I thought Matthew Fox really had a shot of grabbing a much-deserved award. Elizabeth Mitchell unfortunately didn't have a chance against the heavyweights in the guest actress category, though she certainly had just as much right to the Emmy.
Ricky Gervais, how I love thee. You just never know what he's going to say, or how naughty it's going to be, and you're always waiting for that trademark giggle of his to escape. He's just full of so much glee--his exuberant joy at discovering that Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony director Bucky Gunts actually DID win the category after his riff on the guy's name was absolutely priceless.
Alex Skarsgård in all his lofty gorgeousness made True Blood costars Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin look like tiny elves--and then Al Pacino came out and somehow was even tinier. Serpico's not quite so scary now...
Jimmy Fallon's musical numbers on stage and with audience guests like Julianna Margulies, Tom Hanks, and Stephen Colbert were made of win. The Twitter comments Fallon read out--not so much.
Julianna Margulies, Mariska Hargitay, Susan Sarandon, and Christina Hendricks win the Classy and Gorgeous awards.
I'm thrilled that Jim Parsons won a much deserved Emmy award for his role as Sheldon on Big Bang Theory. I also loved that he said he was grateful just to be working, but even more grateful to get to play such an outstanding character. Modern Family gets tons of deserved buzz (yeahy for the Emmy!) but Big Bang Theory is consistently and inventively hilarious.
The In Memoriam was heartbreaking--we lost a lot of wonderful people this year. I was shocked and saddened to see Caroline McWilliams from 80s series Benson; she lost her battle with cancer earlier this year. Jewel's tribute song was lovely, and for once it seemed to deter some of the clapping favoritism--though not all of it.
Over all the Emmy Awards was fast-paced, mildly amusing, and some of the "little people" gave great speeches. As is typical of awards shows, many of the programs that won were series or specials that I haven't seen--which definitely dampens the whole enjoyment of the Emmy Awards. However, the awards do their job in enticing us to check out some of these award winning shows we've missed. I'm definitely curious about Temple Grandin now.
Let's be honest: MTV and videos haven't really had much to do with one another lately, and the VMAs can often be the crudest and lamest show out there. But there's a big feeling of hope this year, with crazy creative types like Lady Gaga landing 13 nominations, and a group of performers that should make things a heck of a lot more entertaining than usual.
On the expected side, you've got sexy Usher and adorable Bieber--but then you've also got Swedish dance pop eccentric Robyn and the fiery and innovative Florence + the Machine. And with Chelsea Handler at the helm, there's a good chance the sex, rock'n'roll and mayhem of the MTV VMAs will actually be entertaining this year.
These are long overdue, but hopefully you'll still enjoy these Covert Affairs Pilot episode screencaps. There's plenty of sexy, luscious-lipped Piper Perabo here, plus lovely Christopher Gorham, and a taste of the rest of the Covert Affairs "Pilot" cast.
It should be said: SPOILER ALERT!
We begin our Covert Affairs screencaps with Annie Walker (Perabo) and her first day at the CIA, where she meets schmoozer agent Conrad Sheehan III (Eric Lively) and blind tech guru Auggie Anderson (Gorham).
Here we have some CIA office shots, of Annie working with Auggie, and Annie finding out from boss Joan Campbell (Kari Matchett) that she can easily pass for a high class hooker for her next assignment:
Here we have Annie dealing with the slimy contact, whose hoping she'll take that hooker role to heart:
Next on the Covert Affairs pilot is Annie flying through the air to avoid a hail of bullets from a sniper:
Next, Annie has to play her part well enough to fool suspicious (and sexy) FBI agent Vincent Rossabi (Noam Jenkins):
After the job goes bust, Annie, Auggie, and Conrad go out for some much needed R&R. Auggie uses his blindness as pick-up material:
Suspicious about the identity of her contact, Annie gets some translation help from her former university Russian professor Dr. Mark Ramsay (Clarke Peters):
After an eventful trip to the morgue with Auggie, Annie finds herself facing the interrogation of agent Rossabi once again:
Annie works the call girl angle hard, and Rossabi can't help but be affected by her sensual pout and seductive moves:
He's still not falling for it, however, even when Annie continues to feign innocence.
Auggie is just as obnoxiously unhelpful and Rossabi is annoyed:
But after a phone call from the right person, Rossabi has to let Annie go. This may not have worked in her favor, as she runs into the real Russian operative Stas (George Tchortov):
Annie's not going down without a fight, however:
Realistically, she wins the battle but loses the war. A mystery gunman kills Stas, and saves her butt, before disappearing onto the train. Boss Campbell tells Annie the mystery man isn't who she thought it was:
Confused and overwhelmed by her first day, Annie absorbs a little family time with her concerned sister Danielle Brooks (Anne Dudek).
While outside sits the mystery gunman, Annie's ex-lover Ben Mercer (Eion Bailey). Cue suspenseful music...
Hope you enjoyed the Covert Affairs "Pilot" episode screencaps. Watch Covert Affairs every Tuesday night on USA at 10/9c.
PHOTOS:Covert Affairs Pilot episode screencaps, c2010 Dutch Oven, Universal Cable Productions, USA Network.
Auggie (Christopher Gorham) gets lucky with an ex on Covert Affairs.
Good news for Piper Perabo, Christopher Gorham, Kari Matchett, Peter Gallagher, and Sendhil Ramamurthy fans--Entertainment Weekly reports that USA newbie hit Covert Affairs has been granted a second season. If you haven't checked out the entertaining CIA drama (with the usual USA blend of wit and sex appeal), definitely give it a look. It's not Shakespeare, but the characters are worth spending time with, and there are some good action elements. You can read my review of the Covert Affairs pilot for more info.
Speaking of action, yummy Christopher Gorham (Auggie) gets his shirt off for a love scene in the upcoming August 24 Covert Affairs episode. EW's Michael Ausselio has the sexy shirtless Gorham pic, as well as the clip to go along with my screencap above, on his blog.
Watch Covert Affairs on USA, Tuesday nights at 10/9c.
Keep up to date with all the latest TV News & Reviews plus more by following @ValerieDavid on Twitter!
What do Lost, The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Monk, and The Tudors have in common? We won't see any of these shows next year, despite the fact that they've been rewarded for outstanding elements by the Emmy Awards.
Some programs, like Lost, had a planned demise. Others, like Conan O'Brien's Tonight Show and Old Christine, had more surprise endings. Conan O'Brien is going to be laughing all the way to the Emmy Awards, considering his 7 month stint on the Tonight Show got him a Best Variety Show Emmy nod--and rivals Leno and Letterman were left out in the cold. (Letterman's program is nominated in a couple other categories, for directing and technical direction).
Lost racks up an impressive four acting nods, for Matthew Fox (Jack), Terry O'Quinn (Locke), Micheal Emerson (Ben), and Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet). Mitchell is the first and only Lost gal to get an Emmy nod, and it's in the guest actress category. Whatever works--Mitchell deserves the honors. She's been turning in an amazing and nuanced performance from the moment she appeared on screen.
I'm sure Lost aficionado MsTerri would agree, it's a questionable move by the Emmy Awards voters to bestow a writing nomination for the Lost finale. (Vote in the love-it- or-hate-it Lost finale poll here.) I can argue for best drama Emmy Award, considering how we were all glued to the screens every week, but I'm still feeling immensely let down by the ending.
The big news today is that the newest American Idol judge, Ellen DeGeneres, is leaving the show after just one year on the panel. AC's May Monten has all the details on Ellen's departure, and Ellen's declaration that it just wasn't the "right fit". I always thought it was something of a surprising decision on Ellen's part to join American Idol, considering her current success as both a comedian and talk show host--not to mention her lack of professional music knowledge and experience.
MSNBC has a great article by Craig Berman on why Ellen's reign failed. Despite all the criticism that Ellen received before the American Idol season even began, I had thought there was a chance she'd bring a lot of life to the party. In early interviews, she seemed ready to spar with Simon, and also determined to offer the contestants constructive criticism.
Unfortunately, as Berman points out, Ellen never lived up to her potential. There may have been behind-the-scenes drama, because Ellen seemed like a different person once she was up there on the American Idol panel. Though she started fairly strong, eventually her appearances were reduced to repetitive one-liners and bizarre flirtations with Simon. (Shouldn't she have been flirting with Kara? That might have gotten the ratings up.)
Ellen also seemed excited about doing the show with Simon, so her enthusiasm for the venture no doubt waned once he announced he was jumping ship. Most critics also agree that AI had one of its worst seasons so far, so it's not surprising that Ellen wants to leave. There've been some rumblings on the Web that it was a mutual break-up, since Ellen's popularity still didn't hold off the substantial ratings slip AI suffered this year.
ETA: News flash!MTV reports that Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler might be the next American Idol judges!
ETA2:TMZ reports that Kara is out, and Jennifer and Steven are in!
(previous conjecture continues:)There have been countless rumors floating around about possible new American Idol judges: People magazine lists Justin Timberlake and Elton John as possibilities, along with Shania Twain, Harry Connick Jr., and Chris Isaak. I'd be happy with any of these choices, though I think Justin is the least likely due to his current pop icon schedule. Shania and Harry have already proven themselves as entertaining guest judges and mentors on American Idol, and I suspect Sir Elton wouldn't be afraid to speak his mind to the contestants. Chris Isaak is talented, successful, respected in the industry, and has a fabulous dry sense of humor. (He's also pretty darn cute.)
Recent rumors also point to Jessica Simpson as a possible American Idol judge. I could only tolerate this if she would tone down the stupid act that she's played up in the past to fit her "airhead blonde" persona.
It will be interesting to see if American Idol sticks with the somewhat crowded four-person panel or goes back to a trio. Apparently Kara DioGuardi's contract hasn't yet been renewed, so there's still no official word on if she'll be returning. Will we get an all-new panel for next year's American Idol? Who would you vote for?
ETA: News flash!MTV reports that Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler might be the next American Idol judges!
ETA2:TMZ reports that Kara is out, and Jennifer and Steven are in!
PHOTO: The 2010 American Idol panel, Simon Cowell, Ellen DeGeneres, Kara DioGuardi, and Randy Jackson ; c2010 Michael Becker, FOX.
