The Best of Summer TV

it has been a good summer for television. actually most of the 13 shows shown here are as good or better than most shows on the winter schedule. what is noteworthy is they are all on cable. over the past few years cable has indeed provided us with some of the best tv offers be it on basic or premium cable. if you are not watching these you are missing great performance on damn good shows. you should catch up either with netflix or on demand.

****************
'against the wall' is interesting in it's premise. the daughter in a family of cops joins internal affairs. the conflict is set up. we'll have to see how far they can take this and for how long. it works on hot summer nights when you just want to stay home. kathy baker plays mom and as always is a grand addition to any series. i still miss 'picket fences'.

the closer' is having it's best season yet as is star kyra sedgwick. it is drawing to a close (next summer) unfortunately but appears to be going out not so quietly into the night. brenda lee johnson you will be missed.

'covert affairs' is cotton candy. it's sweet and keeps you wanting more. it will be back next season.

'drop dead diva' is far from wearing thin. brooke elliot is still one of tv's best actresses although few seem to know. it is renewed and will be back in 2012.

'expedition impossible' has a crowded field of teams but as eliminations begin the competitors become better known. it's a summer ripoff of 'the amazing race' and fills that void although in no way comes close to it's winter competitor.

'in plain sight' remains one of cable's beat offerings. it will be back for one more season in 2012. unfortunately it will be a short 8 episode season. losing this and 'the closer' at the same time is a great loss for summer fare. mary mccormack is a treasure. i await her next outing.

'chloe' is different. super hero with a heart. the frosh season showed it has promise. here's hoping. amy peitz as mom has her best role to date.

'pretty little liars' remains summers best guilty pleasure. the liars keep on jugging the balls and spinning the plates. they seem far from dropping them. troian bellesario (spencer) is still the one to watch with the best acting chops and the best lines. but the other three liars are wonderful too. i just think troian has a bigger career ahead.

'rizzoli and isles' was even better in it's second season. and who knew sasha alexander (isles) is sophia loren's daughter- in -law.you go girl. edoardo ponte is a looker.

'suits' is the best new summer series. i repeat: 'suits' is the best new summer series.  it is smart. it fills in 'the good wife void. it has been renewed for a longer 2012 season as it should be.

'switched at birth' should be seen by everyone. it gives an insight to the non speaking world not seen much...anywhere.

'teen wolf' was the surprise. aimed at teens it works for adults. it is to werewolves what 'vampire diaries' is to vampires. it certainly does not have the same production values and belongs in the summer season. it's like a quick 'get away' vacation. sometimes you just need one.

'true blood' is having it's best season yet. i almost gave up on this one after a dismal season 2. i'm glad i stuck with it. vampires, werewolves and now witches...oh my!

'The Good Wife' Gets Another Sultry Season 3 Poster

julianna all i can say is 'you go girl!' alicia florek ain't standing by her man anymore.

september 25 can't come soon enough for me

'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' ***1/2stars

the best summer film yet and it's what summer movies are all about. by far the best visual effects of the year. if you don't root for the apes you are not human. andy serkis deserves a supporting actor nom for his portrayal of caesar but the academy tends to ignore these roles. perhaps a new category long denied should finally be created. james franco really has a supporting role to mr. serkis but says more with his eyes than most actors with words. just get your popcorn and enjoy this wonderful summer flick.

'Contagion' Coming 9/9

kate, marion and damon together....i'm there the day it opens

'The Good Wife' Gets Better

here is the original 'good wife' ad

but here is the good wife after last seasons hot finale

after all is said and done it seems this good wife is getting better

from the season 2 finale. the beginning (or the end?) of longing. i love this show. season 3 begins on sunday 9/25 at 9et on cbs. please note day and time change.

season 2's final moments

'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' Today

not much has come out this year that made me say 'i gotta see it'. well this i have to see...soon. well after what i think will be a weekend rush that is. hey it has james franco in it. that's enough in itself.

trailer

Enter Lauren Ambrose in 'Funny Girl'

after 50 years 'funny girl' is getting a broadway revival. lauren ambrose of 'six feet under' has napped the role of fanny brice. who knew she could sing...belt? lauren beat out lea michelle and laura benati for the 2012 production. let's face it ms. michelle would have generated to many comparisons to barbra streisand. let's face it once again she's a streisand wanna be. ms. ambose may stand a chance. i wish her well.

The House of Reprehensibles

john of orange boehner has no control over the wacky tea partiers. our government is a joke. the inmates have finally taken over the asylum.

Remembering Natalie Wood

natalie wood 7/20/1938 - 11/29/1981

ABC Bequeaths 'All My Children,' 'One Life to Live' to the Internet

 great news for me regarding 'one life to live'

"One Life to Live" might want to consider changing its name to "Two Lives to Live."
The long-running soap and its fellow cancelled ABC daytime staple "All My Children" will be allowed continue online once their TV runs are over, the network announced Thursday.


In a multi-year, multi-platform deal, ABC has licensed the soaps to Prospect Park, the production company responsible for USA Network's "Royal Pains.
Founded in 2008 by Jeff Kwatinetz and former Disney Studios honcho Rich Frank, Prospect Park now holds the right to produce new episodes of the shows and plans to make them a crucial part of a "new, online network" similar to Hulu.

If those plans are carried out, the licensing agreement will allow fans of the shows to watch online and on internet-enabled TV sets. Both soaps would have the same length and format, Prospect Park said.
“We are privileged to continue the legacy of two of the greatest programs to air on daytime television, and are committed to delivering the storylines, characters and quality that audiences have come to love for over 40 years. ‘All My Children’ and ‘One Life to Live’ are television icons, and we are looking forward to providing anytime, anywhere viewing to their loyal community of millions,” said Frank and Kwatinetz.
The New York Post reported Wednesday that the shows would pick up where they leave off and have the same cast and crew. But other than the "storylines, characters and quality" comment above, the exact makeup of the cast has yet to be explicitly disclosed.
The news may lessen the impact of ABC's farewell celebrations for the programs. The network announced last week that "All My Children" would end on September 23 with the return of some key former cast members. "One Life to Live" will end its ABC run in January 2012.
Fans of the daytime soaps picketed outside an ABC advertising event in May to protest the shows' cancellations. We doubt they'll protest the latest news.

(reprinted from 'the wrap')

Happy Gay Pride Day

'True Blood' Season Premiere Tonight on HBO

TV'S Best: First Six Months 2011 Part 2

'the last word' with lawrence o'donnell is the best of the new year for people like me. mr. o'donnell speaks my mind as well as his own. he picked up where keith olberman left off after being unceremoniousy displaced bt msnbc. may he reign long.

'law and order: criminal intent' returned for a final season with the costars it began with. it has always been the best of the franchise and at least is going out intact. it will be repeated this summer on nbc after it's cable run is finished this month. the always underused julia ormond recurred as d'onofrio's psychiatrist to great effect. bravo to vincent d'onafrio and kathryn erbe you will be missed...again.

thank you pbs and cameron macintosh. the musical event of the season here in america. grand score, grand cast...grand event.

hbo's commitment to better tv gave us this elongated version of the novel. perhaps to elongated at that. kate winslet was amazing even though she may have been miscast. however, five hours of kate in anything demands my attention and acknowledgment. it's for winslet fans at most.

i've said it before and i'll say it again: this was the best new series of 2010 and in 2011 it kept the balls in the air and the plates spinning. it never fails and continues to demand attention. if you are not watching this series you are mad. catch up on season 1 via netflix or any other rental. season 2 begins on the 4th and i'll most certainly be there.

the best of network tv. julianna margulies and a great supporting cast deliever the best lines written in the drama genre. it's time to give this the emmy it deserves. enough 'mad men' already. if julianna loses the emmy this year the voters have gone mad or were well paid off.

how do the writers do it. this show builds year by year while others begin their decline early on. if you have not been watching 'the vampire diaries' you are missing one helluva ride. two vampire brothers lusting and loving the heroine. it puts the 'teilight' series and 'true blood' to shame.

hbo and carrie fisher's 'wishful drinking' was a laugh out loud riot. her 'hollywood inbreeding 101' was pure genius. 

i would give them all emmy's and call it a season. check out part 1 posted on 6/14.

ALLELUIA: He Is Risen

Countdown to Keith: Tonight on Current TV

Ode to the Movie Slap

just a little fun

Apes Gone Wild

trailer 2

Idiot of the Week: What a Weiner

it's not often that a democrat gets this spot but in all fairness right is right. we lost one of our better progressive voices due his own stupidity and arrogance. enough said!

The Tony's Best Moments 2011

neil patrick harris: the opening number

'book of mormon'

'anything goes'

neil and hugh duet

'priscilla queen of the desert'

'spiderman'

it's a 'rap'

'Company' In Concert: 5 Performances Only

check for a theater near you

TV's Best: First Six Months 2011

first and foremost tv has been a helluva lot better than film these past six months. it has offered better acting, better scripts and certainly more adult fare. is this new? probably not but these past six months have been better for tv than in the past. so in alphabetical order these are the best tv had to offer and they were good and in some cases great.

'army wives' has been consistent. with the death of recurring character jeremey in the afghan theater of war they surpassed themselves. catherine bell as his mother was amazing. she made us feel her loss. it certainly is her best work to date...ever. the rest of the cast as always stepped up to the plate. this remains one of cable's best.

'big love' redeemed itself after last year's dismal season. sadly it is now in the past as it has come to an end. i will miss this show with and family with all it's complexities. it was nice to see amanda seyfried come back for the finale.

'the borgias' had a slow start. how exciting can a conclave be? i think more exciting than the premier show especially in the time period the borgias, the medicis et al existed and ruled the catholic church. bit episodes 2 thru 8 steamrolled on and made for grand spectacle. i can't wait for season 2. francois arnaud all but steals every scene he is in. i think he has a post borgis career to look forward to.

'castle' is one of the best scripted series on the networks. nathan fillion and stana katic shine week after week with great support from it's other cast members. it had the best season finale this year. maybe the best any other year also. if the leads do not get emmy noms this year it will be criminal.

'downton abbey' showed up on pbs. for some odd reason they cut about 70 minutes out of it???? however, it worked. i'd recommend renting it to see it in full. it was great to see elizaeth mcgovern back on screen as she has been spending most of her adult life on the british stage. she has certainly improved on her craft. maggie smith as always was grand. and a hoot.

'fairly legal' was the best piece of froth the cable networks offered. a slight diversion at best but a happy romp. sarah shahi is a charmer. tired of all the reality crap on air? check this out. and have a good time.

'game of thrones' seduced me with episode 1. i thought not having read the books i'd be lost. after the first 2 episodes i was able to just roll along with it and go with the strange names and manner of speech. it is a good old fashioned epic presented anew.

'the killing' on amc is a good old mystery. a murder, suspects galore, twists and turns abound. each episode takes place in a single day. it ravels and unravels at it's own pace. it's adult. it's one more notch on the bed of amc which is shining in original fare. don't let this one get by you.

(to be continued)

The Winners of the 65th Annual Tony Awards

Book of Morman' and 'War Horse' take top prizes at tony awards.

and the winners are:
Best Play: War Horse
Best Musical: Book of Mormon
Best Revival of a Play: The Normal Heart
Best Revival of a Musical: Anything Goes
Best Direction of a Musical: Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker for Book of Mormon
Best Direction of a Play: Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris for War Horse
Best Actress in a Play: Frances McDormand for Good People
Best Actress in a Musical: Sutton Foster for Anything Goes
Best Actor in a Play: Mark Rylance for Jerusalem
Best Actor in a Musical: Norbert Leo Butz for Catch Me If You Can
Best Featured Actress in a Play: Ellen Barkin for The Normal Heart
Best Featured Actor in a Play: John Benjamin Hickey for The Normal Heart
Best Featured Actress in a Musical: Nikki M. James for Book of Mormon
Best Featured Actor in a Musical: John Larroquette for How to Succeed in Business
Best Book of a Musical: Book of Mormon, Trey Parker and Matt Stone
Best Costume Design for a Play: Importance of Being Earnest
Best Costume Design for a Musical: Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Best Scenic Design for a Play: War Horse
Best Scenic Design for a Musical: Book of Mormon
Best Lighting Design for a Play: War Horse
Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Book of Mormon
Best Choreography: Kathleen Marshall for Anything Goes
Best Score for a Musical: Book of Mormon
Best Orchestrations for a Musical: Book of Mormon
Best Sound Design for a Musical: Book of Mormon
Best Sound Design in a Play: War Horse

The Book of Mormon wins 9 Tony Awards, War Horse wins 5, The Normal Heart & Anything Goes each win 3. Winning 4 Tonys, Trey Parker ties with Josh Logan who won 4 in 1950 for South Pacific.

They're Back...

finally, at last, tomorrow night. let the fun begin.