Entertainment Blender-2010 Fall tv preview

In just a few short weeks, the fall television season will be underway. Last year produced a wealth of new critical and commercial successes with Glee, Modern Family, Parenthood, and The Good Wife standing out from the pack. This season, the networks are unleashing a plethora of new shows and I am here to tell you which ones are worth your valuable time this semester.

Leading the pack is HBO’s titanic blockbuster Boardwalk Empire, created by former Sopranos executive producer Terrence and Academy Award winning director Martin Scorsese. If there is one show that has a chance at taking down three-time defending champion Mad Men in the Best Drama Emmy category next year, this is it. Starring incredible character-actor Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson, the corrupt treasurer of Atlantic City, this show will delve into the criminal underworld of the 1920s prohibition era that Nucky ran underneath the government’s nose. Making his return to television, Michael K. Williams plays Chalky White, the unofficial mayor of the black community in Atlantic City and the head of Nucky’s bootleg operation. Williams became famous for his sensational turn in The Wire as gay renegade outlaw Omar Little, one of the most quotable and charismatic characters in television history. Michael Shannon also stars in the show as a prohibition agent. With its collection of fantastic actors and producers, along with a huge budget (the pilot cost around $20 million), Boardwalk Empire will no doubt deliver when it premieres September 19th on HBO.

By far the best new network television show of the fall is FOX’s Lone Star. Starring newcomer James Wolk as complex conman Bob Allen, a guy with a wife and a girlfriend who steals money from people by bilking investors of their savings, the show focuses on how long he can lead a double-life and keep the walls from closing in around him. His wife Cat (the gorgeous Adrianne Palicki) is the daughter of Clint Thatcher (Jon Voight), the head of a hugely successful oil company. Clint offers Bob a job at the company not realizing that Bob intends to embezzle money from the family. Bob is conflicted and contemplates starting a new venture where he can keep the two women in his life while doing legitimate work for the oil company. His mentor and father John, a longtime conman, continuously prods Bob to keep his eyes focused on the price, taking the oil firm down for all it is worth. Having seen the pilot, there are several more surprises that have not been revealed here. Suffice to say, Wolk is brilliant in the role, making you root for him even when he is a criminal and cheater who has never made an honest dollar in his life. The supporting cast is stellar and the show looks beautiful. Give this show a shot when it premieres September 20th on FOX and you will not be disappointed if you love great drama.

Another new network show with great potential is ABC’s No Ordinary Family, a show that looks like a live action version of Disney’s “The Incredibles.” Created by Greg Berlanti, who worked on Eli Stone and Dirty Sexy Money previously, the show focuses on a family that acquires superpowers following an accident. The show stars action star Michael Chiklis (The Shield) and Julie Benz (Dexter) as Jim and Stephanie Powell. The Powells have a son and daughter that also gain a specific power as the result of the accident. Romany Malco plays George, the best friend and confidante of Jim who finally finds a passion in helping the Powells use their powers to stop evil around the world. Autumn Reeser (who has been doing great work this season as Ari’s friend turned rival on Entourage) is also in the cast as Katie Andrews, a co-worker and friend of Stephanie, who is highly regarded scientist and the Executive Vice President of Research at Global Tech. Berlanti’s vision is for the show to blend action, drama, and comedy into a compelling hour each week. Several guest stars will be coming in to play villains, with the potential of more prominent bad guy to enter the cast in the future. From the previews, the show looks well-shot and the premise should intrigue anybody who likes comic books or fantasy novels and movies. By those who have seen it, Malco’s character is the standout in the cast, which should be no surprise for anyone who saw his comedic work on Weeds. While in a tough timeslot opposite of FOX’s Glee starting September 28th, this should turn out to be one of the better and most original shows of the fall so long as enough people watch it and give it a chance to grow.

Emmy Picks

It has been awhile since I updated as I have been busy with the start of law school and other related activities. Television's biggest award ceremony is tomorrow night and I thought I would take a stab at picking some of the most important categories.

Best Drama- Breaking Bad
This is a tough race with 4 worthy candidates including my pick, Mad Men, Lost, and Dexter. Breaking Bad delivered the goods all season long though with Bryan Cranston's Walt falling deeper into the drug world along with his sidekick Jesse, played wonderfully by Aaron Paul. These two characters got into so many different problems and watching them lie to the people around them and struggle gave the show so much raw, real drama that it would be a shame if this show did not take the prize tomorrow night. Lost had a great year with its time travel arc and Mad Men only got better. There are a lot of ways this thing could go, but I see Breaking Bad taking the Emmy tomorrow night.

Best Comedy- 30 Rock
The year's most nominated show with 22 nominations including nominations for all five principle actors, Tina Fey's increasingly bizarre comedy continued to deliver the goods in its 3rd season with some great guest stars and weird plots. The Office has an outside shot, but 30 Rock will make it a 3-peat tomorrow night.

Best Actor Drama- Jon Hamm
While I would love to see Michael C Hall finally get the recognition he deserves for his deranged turn as Dexter Morgan, Hamm deserves the Emmy after being passed over last year for the amazing Bryan Cranston from Breaking Bad. Hamm plays one of television's most emotionally disturbed characters and a person able to suppress those emotions and assume the cool, unassuming alter ego of Don Draper. Whether he is fighting for his marriage, drinking in the office, cheating on his wife, or saving a company deal, Don is Mr. Slick to everyone who observes him. In those rare moments where we see the man in pain, you can see the genius that is John Hamm and why he so richly deserves this award.

Best Actress Drama- Elizabeth Moss
The youngest nominee in the category, Moss is exceptional as the confident, assertive Peggy Olson in Mad Men. In two seasons, her character has climbed the ladder from secretary to a member of the creative team at Sterling Cooper. Watching her deal with an unwanted pregnancy and the interesting situations she finds herself in being a woman succeeding in a man's world in the 60s, Moss always plays the scene perfectly and deserves the trophy for her engaging portrayal.

Best Actor Comedy-Jim Parsons
With legends like Steve Carrell and Alec Baldwin nominated, you might wonder why I am selecting the newcomer to the category. Parsons has created one of the television's most hillarious characters with his nerdy anal-retentive genius Sheldon. Watching him deal with a hot girl entering his life and the way he expects things to always be the same in different situations creates several laugh-out-loud moments on a weekly basis that have to be seen to be believed. The Big Bang Theory is one of the best comedies going and Parsons is a big reason why.

Best Actress Comedy- Tina Fey
Tv's current darling will win again as her Liz Lemon does weird so well on 30 Rock. Best moment of last season was when she see's John Hamm's character and yells out "I want to go there." Tina is awesome and will walk away with another statue tomorrow.

Best supporting Actor Drama- Aaron Paul
Paul's Jesse on Breaking Bad dealt with a drug relapse, working with the increasingly deranged Walt on his crazy schemes, and losing the love of his life when Walt let her die when she went into a drug-induced seizure. Jesse can be immature but the tender moments he had with a child when trying to collect money from the child's druggie parent shows there is a good person in there. From comedy to depressed sadness, Paul can do it all convincingly and deserves the Emmy tomorrow night.

Best Supporting Actress Drama- Chandra Wilson
Wilson continues to deliver amazing work as Dr. Bailey on the roller coaster ride that is Grey's Anatomy. Her role as the mentor to the residents continues to provide great moments each and every year. Give her an emmy already.

Best Supporting Actor Comedy- Neil Patrick Harris
Harris is the lock of the night as with Jeremy Piven not in the running and with Neil hosting the show, there is no reason he should not walk out with his long-deserved emmy for his amazing turn as womanizer Barney Stinson on How I met Your Mother. From his developing romance with Robin and increasingly crazy schemes including the Naked man and dressing up as an older version of himself, Stinson is legend, wait for it, dary comedy character. Harris plays him with such ease and grace that the time is now for him to win an emmy.

Best Supporting Actress Comedy- Jane Krakowski
Her turn as the insecure delusional Jenna Maroney on 30 Rock provides great comic moments especially when paired with Tracy Morgan. She provides a nice contrast to Tina Fey's character and is not afraid to look like a fool to get a laugh.

Overall the Emmys should be an interesting night and I look forward to seeing what Neil Patrick Harris will do with the hosting role. Michael Ausiello confirmed today that Harris will be doing a music number. The Emmys have stiff competition tomorrow with what promises to be the best episode of Mad Men this season according to Alan Sepinwall and Matt Rousch. Also Curb Your Enthusiasm kicks off its seventh season tomorrow and Entourage has a new episode. Plus the Cowboys open up their new stadium against the Giants. Enjoy the Sunday programming and GO BEARS!

Weeds Season 5, Episode 6 Thoughts

Weeds took a unique jump moving the plot ahead six months and allowing the audience to see how the character dynamics had changed. A very pregnant Nancy accepts a forced proposal from Esteban and seems kind of torn on the whole thing. Andy got depressed by Nancy's rejection and blew all of Judah's money on arcade games. He also grew a beard and allowed Celia to move back in the house. Justin Kirk did a great job emoting sadness and the fencing with Esteban at the end of the episode was hilarious. He buried the hatchet with Nancy. Shane and Ignacio became good buddies and the kid seemed quite happy in his new home.

Celia was given a new job by a fashion company, which could finally give the character some sort of purpose. Silas and Doug's medical marijuana shop has taken off but they still have the problem of the cop wanting a cut of the money. The major cliffhanger was a woman from Esteban's past coming into his house and causing him to break up his engagement with Nancy. Overall this was an entertaining episode that took this bizarre show into another unique direction. The writing and acting continue to be great along with the unpredictable nature of the whole show. Watching Nancy find a way to get out of Esteban's grasps will be fun and if Guellermo ever gets out from jail, even more fireworks could be in store. Weeds was nominated for the outstanding comedy emmy once again this year. Jenji Kohan deserves all the recognition in the world as the show delivers an engaging fast-paced half-hour every week.

TRUE BLOOD Season 2, Episode 4 Thoughts

- True Blood delivered in a lot of ways this past weekend in a great episode penned by series creator Alan Ball. The main reveal showed that Maryann is the horned monster that attacked Sookie. She staged an orgy at Sookie's home for Tara's birthday. Maryann has the ability to manipulate people into acting certain ways. If she wants people to look for sex, they act in a certain way. When too many people were having a good time, she did the vibrating thing she does and people started fighting while having a cursed look in their eyes. All in all, the Maryann stuff was intriguing and you wonder if Tara will be able to escape from her orbit.

Daphne knows Sam is a shapeshifter. I enjoyed Bill and Sookie's trip to Dallas which included Jessica ordering a male escort, Sookie discovering a man that can also read people's minds, and Eric and Bill talking about how dangerous the mission is. Eric definitely has feelings for Sookie and he healed Lafayette in a bizarre scene that saw Lafayette drink his blood. The Fellowship of the Sun tried to abduct Sookie at the Dallas airport. Watching Bill teach Jessica how to glamour humans was funny and showed how their relationship has developed into a father-daughter type situation.

Jason got to move in with Mr. and Mrs. Newlin, two of the top dogs at Fellowship of the sun. He got put into a high position in the soldiers of the sun, a group assembled to kill vampires and their supporters. Sarah's dance in Jason's hallucination was hot. It is only a matter of time before these two sleep together. A war is ahead and True Blood continues to build up the stakes with several strong storylines going on at once. Here's hoping the show finds some emmy love tomorrow morning.

I will be back with thoughts on the emmy nominations, Weeds, Entourage, and the Green Day concert I saw Monday soon.

WEEDS Season 5, Episode 5 Thoughts

The first thought that came to my mind after Monday night's episode was "Wow! No other show has a weirder blend of storylines" The main story dealt with Nancy figuring out what to do next by either running away from Esteban or moving in with the drug lord. Shane went after the teacher that rubbed him with Ignacio, the Mexican bodyguard, in a hilarious scene where he misinterpreted Ignacio's instructions with the gun and shot an innocent bird. Ignacio's reaction to the poor little birdie being dead was funny seeing how easily he will kill another human being. The climax of this subplot saw Nancy get fed up with her youngest son acting like the rest of the family and deciding to finally do something about it. She has Shane return what he stole along with presenting the teacher with a new pet iguana. When the teacher threatens Shane with a bad grade, Nancy holds a bat to the man's neck asserting her toughness and refusal to back down from anyone. Mary-Louise Parker played the scene brilliantly.

Celia blackmailed Nancy into letting her stay in the garage by taking photos of Sucio's body getting removed by Esteban's men. Silas and Doug had an entertaining insult duel that featured Doug making a false statement about Silas having a role in the death of his father and receiving a right hand from his business partner. Two minutes later and the guys make up. This marijuana store venture has a lot of comedic potential. Alanis Morisette had one scene as Nancy's gynocologist and did a good job. I look forward to watching her in the coming weeks.

Justin Kirk stole the show again as Andy was forced into sex on his role play date with Judah's ex. The facials he gave while performing the act in front of people were great and showed how bizarre he was feeling about the whole thing. The performance got him the money from Judah's account. He went back home and made his plea to Nancy to go on the run with him and maybe try to be a couple of some sort. The cliffhanger featured Nancy taking Shane to go live with Esteban while a dejected Andy found a letter from Nancy on her bed. Where Andy's character goes from here should be interesting to watch along with how Esteban deals with having new housemates.

I will be back later this week with True Blood episode 4 and Entourage premiere thoughts, a look at Conan's first five weeks as TONIGHT SHOW Host, and commentary on the movies I have seen at theaters this summer. I have been working my way through HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, which is an excellent blend of storytelling and great comedy. I will have thoughts on that show when I get through season 4. Have a great week and I will be back soon.

TRUE BLOOD, WEEDS, RAW, ETC. Thoughts

- What the hell was that creature that attacked Sookie at the beginning of the episode? The bullhorns were weird and it seems odd that the creature let Sookie live. With the revelation that Daphne had the same scratch marks Sookie did at the end of the episode, the creature can likely gain some type of possession over its victims. Sam had better watch out. Lafayatte being allowed to finally leave in exchange for Sookie performing Eric's favor was a nice development. Seeing some of the characters head out to Dallas will widen the scope of the show for sure. Eric definitely has feelings for Sookie as there is no way he would allow anyone else to slap him in the face without repurcussions. Bill and Eric not knowing what the weird creature is was bizarre. Ryan Kwantan has great chemistry with the actress who plays Mrs. Newlin. They are developing an interesting relationship between their two characters. I still cannot figure out what Jason being at Church camp will lead to. Maryann's orgy at her house entertained me. Watching Bellefleur and Tara's reaction to the wackiness was hysterical. Tara better be careful as Maryann will not let her out of that house easily. Could Maryann be the mysterious creature that attacked Sookie? Hoyt and Jessica's date showed the circumstances that occur when a human dates a vampire. Jessica not biting Hoyt showed that she still has some heart and self-control. Bill breaking up the Hoyt/Jessica makeout session seemed uncalled for and the fallout should be interesting in two weeks.

- Detective Till bit the bullet at the hands of Esteban on Weeds last night. The episode delivered a lot more comedy than the first few episodes of the season. I loved the boys' reaction to meeting Esteban especially Shane's. Andy had great moments both at home with Nancy and also while working out in the garage and then impersonating his brother Judah. Silas and Doug finally found a place to open their store. Celia annoyed in her few appearances and it was hillarious to watch Nancy throw lit matches at her to get the woman out of her home. The new bodyguard noticing Till's orientation had me laughing. Esteban seemed to show compassion after learning that the baby was real. He bought Nancy gifts, helped her handle the detective, and took a walk on the beach with her. He even asked Nancy to come live with him in his Califronia home. Shane getting robbed by his teacher should light a fire under the little guy. The next few weeks should be fun as an entertaining foundation has been laid.

-Raw delivered a fun show. The new ECW talent on the show fills out the roster more. I do not know if Mark Henry will ever win the title. but putting him over Orton was a nice start to his babyface run. The guest host gimmick showed potential as Batista did a good job in the role. If they bring in big stars from the past, the gimmick could be a ratings draw. HHH and Cena facing each other for the number 1 contender's spot next week is tired and stale. Jobbing out Miz and MVP sucked. HHH needs to change something as his gimmick from entrance music to promos feels dated beyond belief. I know he gets big pops, but do something new please. The Legacy still sucks and WWE are fools if they think breaking up Ted from the group sometime this year will work out for them. Jericho and Edge will be fun to watch as tag champs. Maryse is really hot and I enjoyed her banter with Jerry Lawler on commentary. I look forward to what WWE will do with Evan Bourne and Jack Swagger on Raw in the near future.

- I attended Summerfest to watch the Offspring last Friday night and had a blast. The event was huge but it was easy to get drinks and there was plenty of room between the various stages. I wish I lived closer as I would have been there all week as it is such a great bargain (15 bucks) for the lineup they are providing on a daily basis. Offspring did all their big hits to a huge crowd. If you are a fan and have not seen them live, definitely go see them if they come to your area. I am looking forward to Naperville Ribfest this weekend.

- I went to the Cubs/Sox game at the Cell on Saturday afternoon. The loud packed house added immensely to a wonderful back and forth contest between two clubs looking to escape from the mediocrity that is .500 baseball. While I am a Cubs supporter, I respected Scott Podesednik's four-hit effort along with the contributions of phenom rookie Gordon Beckham that ended up taking out the Cubs' shaky bullpen. Hopefully Lou finds a way to turn this bunch around as there is too much talent and money invested for this to be a wasted season. The atmosphere was playoff-like and I highly recommend fans go live to one of these crosstown games if they get a chance.

WEEDS, BIG BANG, and More

- Weeds was solid again Monday as the apparent murder of Esteban's bodyguard Sucio caused Nancy to pack up Shane, Andy, and her sister Jill and flee from their home. An angry Esteban told her to find a safe spot and await his call for what to do next. The show ended with a look at DEA Agent Till looking suspiciously at the fleeing family from afar. I believe he was the guy behind the murder of Sucio as he will no doubt want to make Esteban pay for having his partner murdered last season. Doug continued to provide comic relief in the form of stealing candy from an old lady and arguing with Silas over how to best manage their new medical marijuana retail venture. Justin Kirk was hillarious in the hospital scenes with the way he reacted to all the workers being Mexican and how offended he was with Esteban not acknowledging his greeting. Celia got kicked out of wherever she was stranded and will enter Nancy's life again next week.

- Nurse Jackie keeps churning out entertaining episodes as it was entertaining to watch Zoe try and get her medical tool back from Doctor O' Hara. The dying old man patient was sad to watch. It was great to see Nancy stand up to her boss and making her let the old man wait out the day in the hospital with his wife. When will Jackie's affair come out? I guess we must keep watching to find out.

-Raw received its largest rating in 7 years as close to 7 million people tuned in for the commercial-free episode and start of the Donald Trump buys Raw storyline. The show underwhelmed me as I am sick of Orton and HHH matches. The LMS match delivered but the draw finish sucked and there is no chance in hell of me buying the pay per view Sunday to watch these two go at it again. Vince buying Raw back this week for double made him look like an idiot in storylines and made me wonder if this was all that was really planned for the Trump storyline. Cena and the Miz built up their first ppv match with a decent in-ring promo and Miz causing Cena to lose in the main event against Big Show. The company has something working with the Miz and they would be best not to screw up his momentum this Sunday at the Bash. Overall the show provided mediocre entertainment and I feel the pay per view this Sunday will draw a low buyrate. When does Shawn Michaels come back?

- I caught the first two seasons of The Big Bang Theory recently and thought the show was incredible. Jim Parsons as Sheldon is a genius comic creation that will provide entertainment for years to come. I love the will they or won't they the show has going with Penny and Leonard. Johnny Galecki plays a great straight man to the most anal human on Earth in his roommate Sheldon. Kaley Cuaco plays the sexy neighbor Penny who knows how to make friendships work with the nerd squad across the hall and adapt to new situations. My favorite moments are when Sheldon tagged along for a date to the movies and conducts sound tests in different seats around the theater. The reactions Leonard/his date and others in the theater have along with Sheldon's different sounds had me laughing out loud. I also loved when Penny gave Sheldon a signed napkin of an actor from Star Trek and he proceeds to give her all of the different bath baskets he was contemplating giving her. Raj and Howard Wallowitz are great supporting characters. Things I hope to see next season are Penny and Leonard in an actual relationship and Sheldon looking for a potential girlfriend. There is not a more obnoxious yet loveable character on television right now than Parsons' Sheldon and it will be a joy to watch this show for at least another two seasons.

- I will be venturing to Summerfest this Friday to see The Offspring and take in Milwaukee's big summer festival. I will be back with thoughts on the festival and anything else that interests me soon.