Torchwood, American Style?

Erm, quoi? The Hollywood Reporter has stated that Russell Davies is working to bring the UK's sci-fi series Torchwood to America. As an American reboot. On Fox. Let me cut off your screams of protest by saying that John Barrowman may star as Captain Jack. Now you perhaps have the same quizzical look I do.

It's not just us. Cinema Blend is just as confused, as it's not clear whether the American version will replace the UK version, or if they'll run simultaneously. The American Torchwood is supposed to give the extra-terrestial "outside-the-gov't" team a more international edge, rather than being so Welsh-centric.

I've just had an idear. If they run both versions simultaneously, it's an idea that could work. Captain Jack could get the American Torchwood team up and running, and then could travel between the two locations, making appearances on both shows. The American version could then be played on its own terms, without diminishing or trying to "remake" the British one. Here's hoping.

The biggest obstacle is Captain Jack himself. Part of the beauty of the character is his wonderfully flirtatious omnisexual behavior--he'll do anyone, regardless of color, gender, or planet of origin. American TV has a tendency to sanitize characters like this, and taking the openness away from Captain Jack will be just as bad as the character assassination Davies already did to Jack in last season's Torchwood episodes.

And I agree with Cinema Blend, the idea of Americanizing Doctor Who? That's just sci-fi blasphemy people. There is no way, NO WAY that would ever fly right. You can do American shows that reference or spin-off of Doctor Who, but you can't mess with the original Time Lord. It just isn't done. Seriously.

*slams door to Tardis and thoroughly secures lock*

I'll post more news on this as I find it.




PHOTO: John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, Torchwood "Children of Earth" screencap, c2009 BBC.

American Idol Chicago Auditions -- Shania Goes Googly

There were one or two bright spots in the dismal Chicago American Idol auditions tonight, and one of them was during Northbrook honey John Park's segment. Guest judge Shania Twain, who up until this moment had been calm, professional, and respectful, went all googly-eyed over the handsome Asian crooner.

Watch the vid for yourself to see Park's excellent American Idol performance, and hear what Shania has to say about his "bottom end". You go, girl!



For more on the largely disastrous night, you can read my full American Idol Auditions -- Chicago Recap over at AC. Don't forget to bookmark my previous post to keep up with all of my American Idol recaps.

Watch American Idol on Fox, every Tuesday and Wednesday night at 8/7c.




PHOTO: Guest judge Shania Twain at the American Idol Chicago auditions, screencap c2010 Fremantle, Fox Television Network, thanks to IdolForever.com.

Golden Globes 2010

The Golden Globes tonight just wasn't the rowdy, gleeful event that we're used to. This obviously had a lot to do with the tragedy in Haiti being on everyone's minds, with occasional mentions by presenters about donating to the cause or taking part in George Clooney's telethon later this week.

As with all of the charity programs and telethons, it makes for an awkward combination of levity and comedy, leaving everything feeling off kilter or inappropriate. Should we laugh at the jokes? Should we feel guilty if we do?

Meryl Streep had a lovely speech when she won (against herself) for best actress, for her role as Julia Child in Julie and Julia. She humbly spoke of her wonderful career, and how she'd played so many great ladies, she'd begun to be confused for one. She then talked of playing Child, a woman with endless enthusiasm, and how she'd drawn on her mother's sunny disposition for the role. Streep also remembered how her mother would react to attending an awards show at this time: she would say, give to the charity that helps the cause and then put on your nice dress and go.

See Meryl's speech below, and click for Mo'nique's and Michael C. Hall's heartfelt acceptances:



Sandra Bullock was also very emotional when she won for The Blind Side, and I was so happy to see her get some recognition. It took a different kind of role for her to get it, but that's how the system works. It never seems fair that actors in lighter material who are a joy to watch, with great comedic timing and sweet sincerity, don't win any awards until they're in "serious" dramas.

Hence the beauty of the Golden Globes, which at least separates comedies out from dramas and gives them a chance to win something. The Hangover, the true definition of broad comedy, is never going to win an Oscar against Avatar--but it can win a Golden Globe in the comedy category.

It was also nice to see some of the multiple winners staying in their seats while deserving newcomers to the Golden Globe categories got their props. I was extremely excited to see Julianna Marguiles win for The Good Wife, an interesting and intelligent show with multiple female characters that have actual depth. Marguiles got in one of the night's many jabs at NBC, when she thanked CBS for having faith in the "10 o'clock drama".

Ricky Gervais also poked at NBC, saying he wasn't used to performing in front of so many people--and neither was the network. He added that if he didn't do well they were going to replace him with Jay Leno. While Gervais had some funny lines, with jabs at Angelina Jolie, Colin Farrell, and Mel Gibson amongst others, I have to admit his hosting was a little disappointing. I can't point to anything particularly wrong, except that he seemed to be going for safer jokes more often than his usual biting wit. It may well be that the overall somber mood of the crowd wasn't as conducive to his irreverent style, though his meaner stuff did still get plenty of laughs. He may also be better at shooting from the hip than he is when he labors over his jokes.

There were a lot of fashion highlights on the Golden Globes--it was big time Hollywood glamour with shapely dresses with cut-outs and draping skirts and ruffles and beading galore. Both Sandra Bullock and Chloe Sevigny looked stunning, until one of the ushers tripped over the train of Chloe's dress, that is. Whoops! I also loved the pairing of Cher and Christina Aguilera as presenters, Cher in a sweeping black number with lace on one side of the bodice, and Christina in a strapless shimmery white dress. The contrast of their gowns and their heights was striking, and they both looked elegant and played off of each other well.

While the gowns were lovely, however, it would be so much better if more of the actresses had some body weight to fill them out. The utter skeletal frames of many of the women present was actually shocking at times--Cameron Diaz actually had sunken lines in her cheeks, she's so gaunt. I know it may be fruitless, but I'm not going to stop writing about this every chance I get. It has gone too far. Being mere skin and bones is not healthy, and it's not attractive. Women should be allowed to eat and still be considered beautiful.

For more on the Golden Globes, check out the great and thorough round-ups on Yahoo! and NPR.




PHOTO: Meryl Streep accepting her best actress award at the 2010 Golden Globes, c2010 NBC, courtesy of CelebTV.com.

What Not to Wear -- Leanne the Salem Witch

Tonight on What Not to Wear, Stacy and Clinton headed to Salem, Massachusetts, to meet Leanne. Often taking part in the town's witch trial reenactments, Leanne had adopted an extreme type of witchy wear for her everyday life.

Leanne was definitely one of What Not to Wear's more interesting characters. With a sideline business as a psychic, Leanne loved wearing tall, lace-covered witch hats, laced-up bodices, and long ruffled skirts. She also referred to non-witchy people as "Muggles", just like in the books and films of Harry Potter.

Leanne seemed confident in her witchy style, but when watching the What Not to Wear secret footage and answering Stacy and Clinton's pointed questions, some chinks in the armor showed through. Apparently Leanne had frightened some of the mothers at PTA meetings, and she'd also failed to be invited to a friend's baby shower and some other events. Stacy and Clinton vowed to help her choose clothes that showed her personality without overpowering it or alienating others. Leanne was game to try.


Leanne was a perfect example of two of the most common issues with women buying clothing. First was the bra fitting shown on What Not to Wear. The extremely busty Leanne had been squeezing herself into a 38DD, then tying up the straps to try to offer herself more support. Turns out she's a 34HH. As is often the case, women are wearing too large a band size, and two small a cup size.

However, most busty women out there know why she was wearing a 38DD--because it's often the largest size a store will carry, especially when they carry pretty bras, like Victoria's Secret. If you can find a "plus size" bra section, you'll notice everything is giant, white, polyester, and with 6 inch wide straps. On What Not to Wear, however, Leanne got to visit a specialty store that hooked her up with a black lace number that fit her perfectly and suited her sexy witchy style.


The second issue covered on What Not to Wear was the fit issue. Women who have a curvy figure and/or large bust are often extremely limited in the clothing available to them. An entire store with thousands of clothing options may only have ten pieces that will work. This leads to immense frustration and a feeling of worthlessness. Trying on clothes that don't fit or are extremely unflattering can kill even the strongest ego.

Once Stacy and Clinton arrived on What Not to Wear day 2 to help Leanne, things looked up. They helped her find the right sorts of pieces to try on, to help avoid those negative experiences in front of the dressing room mirror. So...if you never try that unstructured tunic top on, you'll never know just how bad it looks on you!

The best illustration of what Stacy and Clinton do was shown by the cardigan they'd put on Leanne's What Not to Wear mannequin. Leanne found the cardigan on day 1, and tried it on with a tee shirt top and jeans. She hated the way it looked, and felt defeated. On day 2, Stacy and Clinton paired it with a ruffled button-down top and wide-leg trousers, and then buttoned it underneath her bustline. Leanne was stunned to discover how much she now loved the cardigan, because paired with structured pieces that balanced out her frame, it enhanced her figure.

Once again hairdresser Ted Gibson gave the What Not to Wear participant a fabulous, long, sexy hairdo. He did cut off some excess lengthy and added in layers, giving her voluminous curls. Carmindy gave Leanne a nice smoky eye and false eyelashes, and Leanne was absolutely thrilled with her makeover.

I applaud What Not to Wear for showing us a curvy girl with curly hair, and giving her vavoomy outfits that highlighted her figure instead of covering it up. I also repeat my constant wish for designers and stores to carry a variety of fits and sizes, including lingerie, so that more than 15% of the population can feel good about themselves when they go shopping. And when a woman feels good about herself in clothes, she buys more of them, so it's a win-win for everyone!

Watch What Not to Wear on TLC, Fridays at 9/8c. Check your local listings for encore showings and repeats of older episodes.




PHOTOS: Stacy, Clinton, and Leanne on What Not to Wear, c2010 TLC. Used with permission.

American Idol 2010 Recaps

Amadeo Diricco belts out "Hoochie Coochie Man" at the American Idol Boston auditions.

It's time for season nine of American Idol, and I'll be putting recaps and reviews up on AC, with links here and in the sidebars for your easy clicking and viewing pleasure. Tonight's premiere episode took place at the Boston auditions, with judges Simon, Randy, Kara, and sweet guest judge Victoria Beckham.

While the ascerbic wit was still in place, I feel compelled to say that it seemed a kinder, gentler Simon. Perhaps the knowledge of it being his last season has made him a bit mushy, but he didn't quite go for the jugular in cases where he usually does. Or perhaps it was Victoria's kind temperament that mellowed him out.

Decide for yourself about Simon's behavior, and how the contestants are shaping up, in my recap of the American Idol Boston auditions. See below for all of the season 9 recaps and reviews:

American Idol Season 9 Auditions

Boston Recap -- 1/12/10
Atlanta Recap -- 1/13/10
Chicago Recap -- 1/19/10
Orlando Recap -- 1/20/10
Los Angeles Recap & Review -- 1/26/10
Dallas Recap & Review -- 1/27/10
Denver Recap & Review -- 2/2/10
Road to Hollywood Recap & Review -- 2/3/10

American Idol Season 9 Hollywood Week

Day One Recap & Review -- 2/9/10
Day Two Group Performances Review -- 2/10/10
Seven Finalists in Hollywood -- Recap & Review -- 2/16/10
Final 24 in Hollywood -- Recap & Review -- 2/17/10

American Idol Season 9 Top 24

Top 12 Girls Competition -- Recap & Review -- 2/23/10
Top 12 Boys Competition -- Recap & Review -- 2/24/10
Top 24 -- First Four Eliminations -- 2/25/10

Top 10 Boys -- Recap & Review -- 3/2/10
Top 10 Girls -- Recap & Review -- 3/3/10
Top 20 Results Show -- Four More Go Home -- 3/4/10

Top 8 Girls -- Recap & Review -- 3/9/10
Top 8 Boys -- Recap & Review -- 3/10/10
Top 16 Results Show -- Top 12 Revealed -- 3/11/10

American Idol Season 9 Top 12

Top 12 Murder Rolling Stones -- 3/16/10
Top 12 Results Show -- Rolling Stones Week -- 3/17/10

Top 11 Waste Billboard Number One Songs -- 3/23/10
Top 11 Results Show -- Billboard Number Ones Week -- 3/24/10

Top 10 -- R&B Soul Week Snoozefest -- 3/30/10
Top 10 Results Show -- Tim Urban Safe Again -- 3/31/10

Top 9 Tackle Lennon/McCartney Songbook -- 4/6/10
Top 9 Results -- Judges Use Save -- 4/7/10

Adam Lambert Schools American Idol Top 9 on Art of Performing -- 4/13/10
Top 9 Results (Again) -- Adam Lambert and Brooke White Perform -- 4/14/10

Even Alicia Keyes Can't Inspire American Idol Top 7 -- 4/20/10
Idol Gives Back and Top 7 Results Show -- Highs and Lows -- 4/21/10
American Idol Season 9 Top 6

Shania Twain Whips American Idol Top 6 Into Shape -- 4/27/10
Surprise Elimination on Top 6 Results Night -- 4/28/10

Harry Connick Jr. Tries to Liven Up Top 5 Snoozefest -- 5/4/10
Top 5 Results -- Lady Gaga and Harry Connick Jr. Perform -- 5/5/10

Jamie Foxx Challenges Top 4 -- Artist or Contestant? -- 5/11/10
Top 4 Results -- The Cheese Stands Alone -- 5/12/10

Top 3 Need More Cowbell -- 5/18/10
American Idol Mutes Casey James on Top 3 Results Night -- 5/19/10
American Idol Season 9 Top 2

Final 2 -- Wake Me When It's Over -- 5/25/10
Finale -- Season 9 Has Its Moment -- 5/26/10
Watch American Idol on FOX, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Check local listings for exact start times, as FOX likes to change them!




PHOTO: American Idol Boston auditions screencap, c2009 Fremantle, Fox Television Network.

Cake Boss -- "Apples, Arguments, & Animal Prints"

Tonight on Cake Boss, "Apples, Arguments, & Animal Prints", Buddy made our mouths water at the same time he and his Cake Boss crew wowed us with their mad sculpting skills.

Commissioned to make a cake for a party at an apple orchard, Buddy was determined to make a cake that was apple through and through, from the decorations to the core.

He had Joe bake him up a sponge cake using apples, a recipe they'd never attempted before. Joe tried it first with applesauce, spices, and nuts, which turned out well but not exactly what Buddy was looking for. He asked Joe to try again with chopped apples, and the Cake Boss taste test crew declared the new recipe a winner.

The Cake Boss crew also whipped up butter cream filling with apple bits, caramel, and nuts. Watching them put the apple cake and apple filling together was truly mouth-watering. One of the frequent criticisms of specialty cakes is that they look great but taste terrible--I have a feeling that this apple orchard cake tasted as fantastic as the final result looked.

It's always fun to see what the Cake Boss crew comes up with for the designer cakes. The orchard cake in "Apples, Arguments, & Animal Prints" had three tiers of hand-painted orchard along with sculpted trees, apples, apple baskets, pumpkins, and little signs pointing the way to areas of the "farm". I think the little modeling chocolate apples in the tiny baskets was the highlight of the cake. There were red, yellow, and green apples, rice crispie treat trees, and perfectly formed fondant leaves. The large tree on top even had a tire swing attached for perfect authenticity.

It was also fun to see how even with all the stress in his day, Buddy loves his job and can be soothed by the joy of painting "happy trees" on the cake. It shows how being creative in your life can be fulfilling, stress-relieving, and even meditative. There's also the reward of seeing the thrilled and excited people at the orchard who love every bit of the cake, from the detail to the taste.

The second part of Cake Boss, "Apples, Arguments, & Animal Prints" involved a bit of manufactured drama between Buddy and his sister Mary over her 40th birthday cake. After being teased and ignored by Buddy, Mary orders a cake from another baker--who, being that he's a friend of the family, quickly calls Buddy to let him know his sister has gone behind his back.

Mary and Buddy have a bit of a shouting match, Mom steps in, and everyone makes nice and hugs. Buddy and his Cake Boss crew are in fact already working on the cake, full of animal prints, and girlie bling. The cake makes a fantastically bold statement, with bright colored layers wrapped in varying animal prints and then studded with beads and rhinestones. There are shoes, and shopping bags with fluffy tissue, eye shadows and lipsticks, but the crowning glory is a black patent leather purse trimmed in rhinestones, with Buddy's initials as the designer label.

Mary looks truly thrilled at the presentation of her cake, overwhelmed at all the details and attention to the things she loves best. It's hugs and kisses all around, and the Cake Boss family is all happiness once again.

Watch Cake Boss on TLC, Monday nights at 9/8c. Check your local listings for Cake Boss new episode encores and older episode repeats.




PHOTOS: Elizabeth Baez; Buddy and his Cake Boss crew at work; Cake Boss "Apples, Arguments, & Animal Prints, c2010 TLC.

Simon Cowell Leaving American Idol

Devilish Simon Cowell on Britain's X Factor.

If you thought Paula Abdul leaving American Idol was a big deal, hold onto your hat. Simon Cowell has now announced he's leaving American Idol after this season. Love him or hate him (for most it's a combination of both), no one can deny that Simon Cowell is a big part of AI's continued success.

MSN reports on a lot of backstage drama and power struggles with American Idol founder Simon Fuller, and also reports on the pots of cash that Simon gets for AI--and could get if he'd agreed to stay on. Considering he makes millions per hour in his job as American Idol host, it's safe to stay he has an entertaining and fairly easy job that most people would kill for.

What some will find astounding is that Cowell is willing to turn his back on the bed of money American Idol guarantees him, in order to run and star in the American version of X Factor--an AI competitor that's done well in Britain. Apparently no amount of cash is worth it if Cowell can't call the shots. Even people without egos the size of Cowell's can understand how frustrating it is to not be in charge at work--particularly when you don't agree with your boss.

Critics have been sounding the death knell for American Idol for some time, and Cowell's departure so soon after Abdul's makes a good case for the show's imminent demise. There's always a chance that a shake-up of the judges' panel could revive the still popular AI out of a creative slump--and certainly the Adam Lambert phenom of last year has drawn a lot of attention that could keep American Idol soaring for longer than expected.

X Factor reportedly thrives more on the drama than American Idol, which nauseates me but will probably entice much of the viewing public who love reality TV insanity. I'll reserve judgment on America's X Factor until I've seen it, however, and see how it stacks up to American Idol. A lot will depend on who they get to replace Cowell. Even if they go with someone equally confrontational, he or she will need to put their own spin on it to avoid becoming just a pale carbon of judge Cowell--a misstep that could definitely tank American Idol.

The silver lining next year will be for pop star wannabes, who will have double the chances to get themselves on TV.




PHOTO: Simon Cowell on Britain's X Factor, screencap c2006 Fremantle, Syco, ITV.

Chuck Two Hour Premiere Tonight!

Just wanted to pop a quick reminder in here for Chuck fans--the 2-hour Chuck premiere is tonight at 9/8c on NBC. I'm not exactly sure why Chuck is premiering on a Sunday. I only found out it was on by checking out the online TV listings yesterday, out of curiosity about this weekend's TV offerings.

Tonight we'll see what happens with Chuck and his new mad super-spy skillz, and after the 2-hour premiere we won't have long to wait to see what happens next. Another new Chuck episode airs tomorrow, Monday at 8/7c.




PHOTO: Zachari Levi as Chuck, screencap c2009 NBC.

New Episodes of Your Favorite TV Shows, Starting This Week

The Good Wife returns with a new episode on Tuesday, at 10/9c.

After a holiday hiatus of specials, reruns, and movies of the week, new episodes of your favorite shows start picking up again this week. Here are some of the highlights:

Monday, 1/4

NBC, Heroes, 8/7c: New 2 hour episode.

ABC Family, Secret Life of the American Teenager, 8/7c and
Make It or Break It, 9/8c: New episodes of the soapy teen dramas.

Tuesday, 1/5

CBS, NCIS, 8/7c and
NCIS: LA, 9/8c: New episodes.
The Good Wife, 10/9c: Julianna Marguiles returns in her new hit drama.

ABC, 8/7c, Scrubs and Better Off Ted: Double doses of new episodes of your favorite comedies.

Wednesday, 1/6

NBC, 8/7c, Law & Order: SVU: New episodes of the long-running drama continue.

ABC, 8/7c, The Middle, Modern Family, and Cougar Town: Double dose of The Middle followed by new episodes of ABCs hit comedies, capped off with a new episode of Ugly Betty at 10/9c.

Thursday, 1/7

No new series episodes, so your best bet is probably the premiere showing of The Bourne Supremacy on TNT at 8/7c. You can't go wrong with Matt Damon as a super skilled assassin, trying to find out who made him the way he is and why they keep trying to kill him. An awesome Joan Allen also stars.

Friday, 1/8

CBS, starting at 8/7c: Ghost Whisperer, Medium, and Numb3rs return with all new episodes.

NBC, 8/7, Supernanny: Watch our favorite nanny whip another family into shape.

Doctor Who -- "The End of Time"

*SPOILERS* On New Year's Day, in the second part of episode "The End of Time", we said goodbye to David Tennant's character, the Tenth Doctor of Doctor Who. I've not seen any of the pre-2005 series, so I know I can not speak definitively about the whole of Who history. However, I feel that Tennant has got to be one of the best--if not the best Doctor of all time. Certainly it will be very difficult to follow in his footsteps.

The pure joy that Tennant displayed in the character's love of the unknown, crazy, and dangerous--skillfully blended with the anger, loneliness, power, and blinding intelligence the Doctor possesses--was a wonder to watch. I was very worried after the somewhat bizarre and dark first part of "The End of Time", that we would not get an ending for Tennant that he deserved. Part 2 was far worthier of him, however, and inspired heartbroken tears of love for this beautiful incarnation of The Doctor.


Donna's grandfather, Wilfred, played by Bernard Cribbins, had a substantial role in the episode and provided The Doctor with his much-needed human companionship. Cribbins' scene with Tennant, when he tries to give him the gun he's sure will save the Doctor's life and the planet, was one of the most powerful moments in the episode. What I've always loved about the Doctor is that while he inspires so much love and respect from his human friends, he loves and respects them in return. It's not just one-sided hero worship--it's a true relationship, with meaning.


John Simm, as The Master, also turned in another fabulous performance playing desperate, brilliant, crazy, and anguished all at once. The strange connection he and the Doctor have, with love and hate and shared loneliness tying them together, is just staggering to watch. It was perfect, too, that the fact that The Doctor absolutely refuses to kill him is the thing that finally cuts through the Master's madness.

I loved that we got further insight into the Time War, and the reason why The Doctor wiped out his own people along with the Daleks. It makes it so much easier to understand now, why he did what he did and the terrible burden he has to bear. We can now also spend our time guessing who the mysterious woman was that appeared to Wilfred throughout the show, guiding him to help The Doctor.

After all this Doctor has been through, I'm also glad that he got his "reward", to once again see and help the people he has cared for in this incarnation and the last: to see Martha and Donna happy finally, and see Rose's big smile, and Sarah Jane's meaningful look of adoration and sorrow.

And of course, when I saw the bar full of aliens, I knew it had to be where Captain Jack would be. After what's happened in Torchwood: Children of Earth, only The Doctor could get Jack to smile again--that great, big, beautiful Captain Jack smile.

The Doctor also visited the great-grandaughter of the woman he fell in love with when he was human for a short time. The grandaughter's name is Verity, which if my research is correct, The Doctor as John Smith said his mother's name was Verity.

All in all, just a beautiful, emotional goodbye to all that we've been through with Tennant's Doctor.


There's been nothing more tear-inspiring or emotionally devastating, though, than The Doctor crying "I don't want to go!" just before he starts regenerating. Tennant has thoroughly broken my heart in a million little pieces. Which is just as it should be. The amount we cry at his departure shows the amount we loved him when he was here.

So, on to the Eleventh Doctor and the cute Matt Smith. We'll have to see how he does in the next season, but for now, I did like how he picked up on some of Tennant's mannerisms--like the constant poking at his temples as he tries to think of what he's forgotten. And then the happy grin as he realizes he's about to crash land. I remember really liking that Christopher Eccleston's big goofy grin was picked up by Tennant when he took over, so I'm hoping Smith will maintain some of Tennant's signature style.

Farewell, fine Doctor, Mister Tennant. As the Ood say, this song is ending, but the story will go on forever. I certainly hope it does, as it's been a fine story so far.

Stay tuned for more Doctor Who "The End of Time" screencaps.




PHOTOS: David Tennant as Doctor Who, Bernard Cribbins as Wilfred Mott, and John Simm as The Master, Doctor Who "The End of Time Part 2" screencaps, c2010 BBC.