everything you want to be is you

PSA

2010-09-02T02:23:52Z

LJ implemented this thing where you can crosspost your comments to Twitter and/or Facebook. This should be obvious, but I would like you all to refrain from posting your comments to my journal to Twitter and/or Facebook since the vast majority of my posts are friends-only. I have a public blog over at WordPress and that's fine so long as you do not make reference to this social network if we are friends on the other social network. (I would highly dislike any connecting my specific persona here to a persona I have on those other social networks. Take, for instance, you have my Twitter name blahblah. I ask you to not say "this is blahblah's LJ post on whatever-topic." Furthermore if I want social networks linked, it will be known on both sides. I can link to WP here, but I don't want LJ linked there. You can link to my LJ [and a specific post's contents if the post is public -- ask permission when it is not because maybe I was just too lazy to make it public, never assume] when we are on LJ. You dig?)

If you have Firefox and the Greasemonkey addon, you can install this script to make those boxes go away.

If you have Chrome like me, I've discovered you can click on Install and then click on Continue when it asks you to be sure you want to continue. When you open a new page on LJ, those boxes go away.

My Chrome trick may work for other browsers, but I cannot confirm that. I have found this link listing Greasemonkey alternatives for browsers such as Opera, IE, and Safari if my Chrome way does not work for you and your browser.

Finally if you have a paid or permanent account, I have a feeling that it may be possible to remove those options on your journal only by making edits to a layer, but that will take some digging into code, I think.

Edit: Apparently you can just go to your Custom CSS and add this bit of code:

.b-repost-item {display:none;}

So it's not limited to paid or permanent users because all users can use Custom CSS. "Repost to" will appear, but not the boxes. This will make it work on just your journal (unless you view other people's comment pages in your style; then it'll work on other people's journals, too), so it is best to implement the userscript to prevent YOU from reposting your comments on OTHERS' journals to Facebook/Twitter and add the CSS so OTHERS (and YOU) don't repost their (and your) comments on YOUR journal to Facebook/Twitter.

Edit again: Another bit of CSS you can add:

#fblo {display: none;}

With this code (which you can put before or after my first bit of code, doesn't matter) people can't see the Facebook option for the "from" field. You know, Anonymous, Logged in user, Facebook, Open ID. The code I just stated gets rid of the Facebook line completely.

As an alternative...

2010-08-21T21:30:58Z

to the officially sanctioned poll, I know I have a lot of non-straight or straight-but-not-narrow readers that fit the demographic the WB is looking for, so how about our own poll with the female characters of The Vampire Diaries:

View Poll: #1608850

You can also vote on WordPress :)

Which Salvatore brother would you take home?

2010-08-21T20:56:48Z

On Wednesday, I got a nice little surprise in the mail: season 1 of The Vampire Diaries on DVD. Just under two weeks BEFORE the street date of August 31st.

Now everyone who has read my other Vampire Diaries posts (either here or through the things I choose to reblog on Tumblr) knows I honestly couldn't care less about the love triangle that perpetuates on the show because the show has so much more to offer than just that. (See this wonderful fan vid about the female agency/power on the show. Spoilers for everything but the season finale because, well, the vid went up before the finale hit TV screens.) But I'm supposed to write a blog entry on which Salvatore brother I'd take home based on this poll, which will allow you to get exclusive content before the DVDs hit stores should you partake.

So I chose Stefan. I like dependable and gravitate more towards the "good" person as opposed to the "bad." Damon has definitely recently made some strides in going towards "good" though. His use of past tense in the finale just about killed me (I even made my own graphic to post on Tumblr), so clearly I have warmed up to the guy during season 1. His progression throughout season 1 is a thing of beauty. By the way, Damon showing up to take Stefan's place at the debutante ball? Kinda predictable, but yet another moment of showing his changing ways.

But why Stefan? I like to root for the underdog and it's so clear that in fandom, Stefan is not well-liked when compared to Damon. As to point to a specific point in the show, it's Stefan's wanting to keep Elena safe, protecting her from his brother and himself. I'm not a huge a risk taker, Stefan seems the safe choice if a choice has to be made. Even when he turns "evil" briefly late in the season, you get the sense that he is inherently "good." Though I gotta admit I totally kept having Tommy (from season 2 Everwood) flashbacks in the beginning because it's the same actor. I liked a tortured soul, the vampire on the path of redemption and I got that with Stefan way before I got that with Damon. After all, I was Team Angel before I was Team Spike. Well, actually, I liked both in Buffyverse and here in TVD, I just don't give a damn about that aspect.

But, now I've said my piece and I have to end with a disclosure:

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to raise awareness for The Vampire Diaries: The Complete First Season – which arrives on Blu-ray/DVD on August 31. Visit http://bit.ly/9APlGp to pre-order your set and vote for which vampire brother YOU would like to take home!

-- reposted from WordPress

CW Thursday finales

2010-05-14T16:02:22Z

So The Vampire Diaries was epic awesome.

I am so glad I don't watch the promos because I loved every second of it and all the more because I was unspoiled. So things:

Bonnie: You rock, girl. Really glad you're laying down the rules about how if so much as one drop of blood falls due to Damon's influence, he's toast.

John: Ugh, I can't believe that happened to your hand. I actually gasped.

Jeremy: Oh no you didn't take Elena's pills.

Katherine: Hot damn. I didn't see you coming, but I really can't wait for you to meet your doppleganger.

Anna: :(((((((((((((((((((((((((( I really loved you.

Damon: I was all *flaily hands* when you went to talk to Jer and how you DID that for a really long time. Really really loved that scene. Your use of the past tense KILLED ME. And when you kissed "Elena"! OH SHIT. (I wonder when you'll find out it was really Katherine.)

...

Okay in not talking to the characters, that opening scene was really clever. Totally had me thinking we were back in 1864 before Jenna showed up. Which I'm sure was the intention. Totally awesome. Kudos for that alone.

And hey where was Mike Erwin? I spotted his name in the credits (remember thinking of all the Everwood alumni the show's had so far), but I don't think I spotted him in the episode? Was he a vampire?

But I'm feeling a bit confused on Supernatural.

Like, it felt like my reaction to Veronica Mars season 3, episode 15 "Papa's Cabin," which means it was pretty underwhelming. We're used to the big arc wrap-up being all intense, but this? Really? (Perhaps ironically I posted elsewhere about my dislike for that VM episode elsewhere within the last 12 hours, mentioning that maybe my love for the Heroes episode of "Company Man" [which I had seen the night before I saw "Papa's Cabin" for the first time] was rising my expectations too high for VM. So TVD finale is to "Company Man" as SPN finale is to "Papa's Cabin." Actually since I had seen Bones and Happy Town before TVD and those were excellent as well, there's even more reason to get my hopes up.)

There were some things I liked though. I liked the editing with the scene where Sam and Samifer were talking. The montage was pretty damn cool, but I'm a sucker for those kinds of things. (And it kinda reminded me of zimshan's most recent vid.)

..Wait, I was talking about good things. Right. I'm glad Bobby and Cas are still alive.

Yeah, that's pretty much it. Who knows what season 6 will bring?

And now to sleep off this headache.

Previously on Point Dume...

2010-03-22T13:12:02Z

It's so funny! Yay Enver! Glad to see you're still working post-Dollhouse!

Off to bed now.

OH MY FUCKING GOD!

2010-02-26T08:06:07Z

GHOSTWRITER IS OFFICIALLY COMING TO DVD, BITCHES!

I LOVE YOU, SHOUT! FACTORY!

BEST NEWS EVER!

27 icons: [21 Jennifer's Body and 6 Mean Girls; heavily featuring Amanda Seyfried]

2009-12-16T01:10:33Z

21 Jennifer's Body icons
3 Needy and Jennifer
1 Needy and Colin
17 Needy
6 Mean Girls icons
3 Karen
2 Gretchen
1 Ms. Norbury

Teaser:
JB04. JB14. MG05.

Jennifer's Body
01. 02. 03.
04. 05. 06.
07. 08. 09.
10. 11. 12.
13. 14. 15.
16. 17. 18.
19. 20. 21.

Mean Girls
01. 02. 03.
04. 05. 06.

(For the ones that have text, I can just as easily remove it if you don't want text, so just let me know.)

Talk of Emmys

2009-09-21T05:33:59Z

I talked a bit about the Emmys on Twitter, but for those of you that don't venture out there... P.S. My tweets, for those of you on the filter, tomorrow should be under a cut, too.

So the good:

Loved the opening number! Go NPH, go.
The Dr. Horrible bit was so awesome. Look, it's already on youtube:
A woman got an Emmy for a category that wasn't completely dominated by women! Way to go, Irish lass Dearbhla Walsh! Also congrats, Little Dorrit, for Outstanding Miniseries! I feel compelled to watch it now, I'm just thrilled with women winning. Gives me hope :)
SO THRILLED FOR CHENO!
The spinning knee was super awesome.
I thought it was really sweet of that dude to say happy birthday to his wife.
The Hell quote: "If you're having difficulty with someone on the set, learn to tell them to "Go To Hell" in a way that will make them want to go."
HIMYM cast looked super pretty (and handsome for the dudes :P) presenting the award that they did. And them talking about NPH, hee.
Michael J. Fox! It was so good to see him. I'm such a fangirl for him. BTTF ruled my childhood from the first time I saw it <3

And the not-so good:

Why was Andy Hallett not in the memorial?
NPH not getting Best Supporting Actor? Boo! And losing to Jon Cryer? WTH?!
And the hurt just kept coming with HIMYM not getting Best Comedy. (And 30 Rock? Shut it with your being nominated for Best Writing like sixty gazillion times, leaving only one other show to be nominated. There just should have been more diversity.)
Why was there no vampire joke when Steven Moyer and David Boreanaz presented an award together?

So I can't remember anything else, heh. All in all, I think it was a good show though and major props go to NPH for it.

Jennifer's Body!

2009-09-18T21:20:33Z

I'm back from seeing Jennifer's Body! YAY!

Okay...

1) Were some of the scenes in the trailer cut out? I feel like I didn't see them in the movie. Hmm.

2) KYLE GALLNER SINGING! OMG that was so worth it. Even though you could barely hear him over the track, I loved it so much.

3) Amanda was amazing. And so pretty even though they tried to hide it!

4) Yaaaaay for the makeout being longer than the clip I had seen! With tongue, too, ooh. Seriously, they were so slashy the whole film from the holding hands at the concert.

5) Sucks that Chris Pratt's role was so short! And I barely even recognised him, it's been that long since I've seen Everwood, apparently.

6) Movie was over waaaaaaaay too short after climatic scene. I dunno, it left me unsettled. But it was awesome seeing the band getting what they deserved.

7) Ha, low shoulder. That amused me more than it should have.

8) I kinda maybe liked the "Walk Through The Trees" song.

9) "Hell is a teenage girl." So true.

10) Finally getting some real Amanda and Kyle sharing screentime! YAY. None of the way too short moment in Big Love. An actual scene! With dialogue exchanged!

And in other news, I am feeling ever so slightly better today. Not 100%, but I think I am well on my way to being well for my flight on Tuesday. Less than 100 hours and I am still in the same situation I was in when I had less than 200. *facepalm*

Gossip Girl 3x01

2009-09-15T04:20:55Z

So I only really saw it for the scenes I saw being filmed and the scenes where the actors were wearing when I met them.

So that means I could have turned it off in the first half hour. (Didn't realise when they were filming that the Chuck and Nate scene was actually two scenes.)

But I didn't. And I am glad I didn't because I am way too amused by Chuck's outfit at the end. Playing wait staff, hee. I cannot stop giggling about that.

So I may or may watch next week's, but I'll be content waiting until chantarelle visits in late November/early December for more than that.

Oh and RIP Patrick Swayze. One of my grandfathers passed away due to PanCan. Rough, man.

NBC's CTRL

2009-09-11T03:50:53Z

I just learned of this web series about an hour ago thanks to filmtx's new site WebEntertainmentGuide.com, a site for fans of web series. It's such a hoot! Ten episodes all up on the NBC site here. It's about a guy named Stuart working in a job somewhat beneath him and his boss is such an immature dbag (only got that because he's the son of the guy that started the company), but he's still working there 'cause he's got the hots for the boss's assistant.

And then one day he realises when he presses the Ctrl key, something weird happens! It gives him like magic powers, related to whatever he presses. Like Ctrl+Z is undo, so he goes back in time when he presses that.

It's absolute fun and I know many of you would be keen to watch especially since Stuart is played by Tony Hale. AKA Buster from Arrested Development and that efficiency dude for the Buy More in season 2 Chuck. The immature boss is played by Steve Howey aka Cheyenne's dumb boyfriend from Reba.

So give it a go! It won't take you that long to go through the episodes at all. The season finale is the longest ep at about 8 minutes. Most of them are like 3-5 minutes each.

--- On a different topic, headed to Dad's tomorrow for the weekend shindig and I'm also going to an open casting call for extras in a movie that's being filmed locally later this month into early October. I'm not exactly sure when they'll start filming, but I just might get one week in if they start next week! (They're filming Wednesday to Sunday to minimise disruption to downtown commuters.) *fingers crossed*

Um. Still can't think coherently.

2009-09-08T18:39:11Z

I got this last night before I went to bed. Kind of stunned. Before this, my personal best on Beginner was 4 seconds. I think my Intermediate is somewhere in the 20 seconds and my Advanced is just over two minutes at about 124 seconds.

Basically X number of bombs are hidden on a Y squares by Z squares board and you have to find out where the bombs are by clicking squares. If there's a number when you click a square, that's how many bombs are touching that square. So if there's a 2, two of the squares that touch that square are bombs and the rest are safe. If none of the surrounding squares are bombs, then they keep uncovering squares for you until you hit squares that have numbers. You don't want to click on a square that hides a bomb though. Then you die and the game is over. You want to do this as quickly as possible.

So basically I probably had about 3 clicks to get this done.

From the Help:

The object of Minesweeper is to locate all the mines as quickly as possible without uncovering any of them. If you uncover a mine, you lose the game.

And in other games, I played this game called Palabra with Dad last night, too. First time we included the pre-play move called Shaving because it sounded so confusing when we were first starting out (I won that game, too, by the way), but really it added so much to the game. And I ended up winning by three points. Ownage!

PS. Anyone else watch Jeopardy last night? They're airing classic episodes this week to close out the 25th anniversary season. Last night was the very first episode that aired. It was so amusing to watch. Alex with non-white hair! The audience's reactions every time something "new" happened (Daily Double, getting an answer wrong, etc)! It went by so quickly though. No talking to the contestants after the first break to find out more about them and they apparently hadn't added the rule that you needed to wait until he finished the question before you could buzz in or get timed out for a second. Yet there was still a lot of both boards that were still uncovered by the time the round was over. Makes me wonder if the show was shorter back then? Hmm.

Time to shower! (Also, ahhhhhhh! Two more weeks until I leave home!)

Jennifer's Body promo pics

2009-09-01T20:23:36Z

Megan Fox
as Jennifer

Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried
as Jennifer and Needy

Amanda Seyfried
as Needy

Megan Fox
as Jennifer

Johnny Simmons and Megan Fox
as Chip and Jennifer

Megan Fox
as Jennifer

Amanda Seyfried
as Needy

Megan Fox
as Jennifer

Director Karyn Kusana
on the set of Jennifer's Body

17 days until I can see this movie!

Fandom Random

2009-08-02T06:38:12Z

#1: My friend mooners made a fabulous mood theme for Dollhouse here. ninamazing, you might be interested since there is a lack of your two least favourite characters, but otherwise, it's pretty general.

#2: sunnyringo, saytemptation, and all the Kiwis on my flist will surely be interested to know that I finally watched the whole first disc of Flight of the Conchords tonight. Maybe some others are interested in knowing this, too, but I just know sunnyringo and saytemptation are fans of the show (especially sunnyringo) and well, the Kiwis because it's all about Kiwis in the States, heh. Anyway, it's HILARIOUS. I don't know why I didn't think there would be singing in the show, but their lyrics crack me up. Also Rachel Blanchard! AKA the TV version of Cher Horowitz. It's very fun to make note of the cultural things, so I can be properly informed when I get to New Zealand. (51 days until I fly to LA! So ridiculous. I remember when I just found out about working holidays over two years ago. Insanity that it's coming up so fast.)

#3: I've started reading The Time Traveler's Wife! Right now, I'm basically reading it while I'm on the bike in the exercise room since I find I can read and still work out on the bike at the same time since it's about 6-7 calories per minute on the bike. I'm going about double that, slightly less than double, maybe when I'm on the treadmill so I just listen to music on gPod when using the treadmill. But the bike, very nice pace for reading a book. I just started today (technically yesterday) when I found my copy of the book again, so I'm not too far into it. Like just the prologue and the first chapter. But it's good so far. We'll see how far I get before the movie comes out. It comes out on the 14th, right? I'm going on a hiatus the next day since Mom, the sister, and I are heading to a state park about an hour away to live in a cabin for a week, so I'm sure if I'm not done by the 14th, I will be by the end of that week when I get home on the 22nd.

#4: Less than one week til Psych has its season premiere! Finally! Really really can't wait for it.

#5: Leverage has been so awesome this season thus far! Apparently there's going to be a total of 15 episodes this season, wooo. 7 in the Northern Hemisphere summer, 8 in the Southern Hemisphere summer.

#6: Oh, I've also caught up with the TV version of 10 Things I Hate About You. Verdict? It's lacking some things from the movie, but still I like. MARY CHERRY GUESTING ON AN EPISODE, Y'ALL. Love it. Kat is awesome. Dana Davis is wonderful in her role.

Love it!

2009-07-24T05:55:52Z

So my flist has seen some turnover in the last few years, so for those that weren't around back in May 2006, I was a part of a Veronica Mars fan campaign where we actually rented a plane to fly between the UPN offices in LA and the new CW HQ at Burbank on the day that the season 2 finale aired. The plane carried a banner saying "RENEW VERONICA MARS! CW 2006."

This got loads of press including the Wall Street Journal! (Though, ahem, it had some errors so there was a strongly worded letter and they issued a correction.) This wasn't the first campaign (okay, it was the first as cloud_watchers hence our namesake, but TWOP had the $2 bill and pillow thing before I got in deep with the Veronica Mars fandom) nor the last campaign we did. But I think it's the most memorable. Because, people, it's a fricking plane!

So I absolutely love that Kristen still remembers The Plane over three years later.

And tangentially related, there's a new Jennifer's Body still (okay, it's nearly a week old at this point) and it actually features Amanda and not Megan! Check it out at IGN.

Okay, I'm just going to sleep because I doubt I'm going to find my NYC receipts without the help of Mom.

P.S. If I don't get to say it later today because of packing, HAPPY BIRTHDAY honeymink!

Because I know I have some Francis Capra fans on the flist.

2009-07-21T19:53:50Z

And not all of them are friends with rowanceleste or laiquendai...

Francis Capra, best known for his role as Eli "Weevil" Navarro on Veronica Mars, is starting a blog on his site soon and his first post will be a Q&A where his fans ask the questions and he answers.

Send questions to webmaster@franciscapra.com

On a different note, did I ask if any of you are watching Drop Dead Diva on Lifetime? I just watched the second episode. I rather love it.

On a third note, finally saw My Sister's Keeper last night with Dad. Despite feeling like I was going to cry just from seeing the trailer and thinking I would actually bawl while watching it, I don't think I did. Certainly got misty-eyed at the end. I haven't read the book, but I have heard the ending is different in the book. Anyone want to spoil the book ending for me? Told Dad I would try to find out as I said I was avoiding it until I saw the movie so I wouldn't think about how it would be different.

Colour my life with the chaos of trouble.

2009-07-14T03:54:12Z

So tonight I went to an advance screening of the movie (500) Days of Summer starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (of Brick, 10 Things I Hate About You, and a bunch of other stuff) and Zooey Deschanel (Emily's sister, of Almost Famous and part of season 2 Weeds among other things). First heard of the film thanks to vintagejoy, so thanks for the heads up about this movie, Zoë!

The movie... is wonderful. Minor spoilers: The narrator tells you very early on that it's not a love story, but instead a story about love. Good, bad, you see it all. And the soundtrack is fab. The high school yearbook quote of Zooey's character (the titular Summer) is the title of this entry, it's from Belle and Sebastian's "The Boy With The Arab Strap." Also, genevieve, you were right, that song and dance number was pretty amazing. Biggish spoiler: thought the Minka Kelly cameo at the end was cute and haha to her character being named Autumn

So go see it! It officially comes out in the States on Friday, I believe. At the screening (which, btw, I got a pass for because I signed up in the lobby of the Palladium.. they had 5 passes which admit 2 so 10 spots, but getting a pass doesn't guarantee you get in because they overbook to insure a full house so you need to get there early), I got a pass for Adam, which sounds like another quirky love story from the promo they had before (500) Days of Summer. This is on Wednesday and the movie starts at 7. May or may not go, we'll see. I'd probably have to get dinner out if I went and go straight from work. I got to the (500) Days of Summer screening like 90 minutes before the movie started and I was on the second side of the block from where the line started.

Oh and I did 12 of 12 yesterday. Pics up before my birthday is the goal.

Jennifer's Body trailer

2009-07-06T17:38:31Z

I am so glad that I made my flights for going to NZ after this movie comes out in the US, LOL. I just knew I would love this movie and the trailer only confirms that:

Jennifer's Body trailer

I knew about the Megan Fox, the Amanda Seyfried, the Adam Brody, and the Kyle Gallner, but OMG I didn't know about Joy Lass from Dead Like Me (actress: Cynthia Stevenson). (I also knew about JK Simmons and Chris Pratt, but not sure if I spotted them in the trailer.) Also the soundtrack sounds wicked! I love The Runaways, especially their song "Cherry Bomb."

Aaaaaaand now I'm going to be Gossip Girl. Hope I get to see some of the girls this time!

Decisions, decisions

2009-06-12T23:08:23Z

Oh man, what do I do? What do I do? I just found out that Year One is premiering on Monday here in NYC at the AMC Lincoln Square. Tbh, the comedy looks a bit stupid from commercials, but Michael Cera, David Cross, and Olivia Wilde! Also it's written and directed by Harold Ramis. I can be one of the screaming fans as the stars go down the red carpet, LOL.

Please vote.

View Poll: Monday June 15th

Apparently the premiere will be at 7, 7:30, but I should get there a few hours early to get a good view. Like maybe 3? The Sting starts at "dusk" so I should be able to head out after and still see it, but I wouldn't be able to get as good a seat since the lawn opens at 5 for picnicking. And as I mentioned yesterday, filming for Remember Me supposedly starts around 6am or at least that's when they'll show up to start setting up, I think.

Time to hit the gym!

Spotted on my way back from dinner...

2009-06-12T02:31:00Z

My first permit sign(s)! Basically it says the film Remember Me will be filming from 6am to 11pm next Monday and Tuesday at the location where these were posted so move your cars by 7pm on Sunday or get moved to the nearest legal parking space. The signs were posted on University Place between 7th and 8th.

This movie will star Robert Pattinson and Emilie deRavin. I'm thinking of going on Monday before I head up to Bryant Park for the HBO summer film festival so I can get a meal at Kimmel before I head up there. What do you say, flist?

Yay and nay for HIMYM season 4...

2009-06-11T05:29:58Z

Ooh yay for Season 4 DVDs having the "A Night With Your Mother" panel discussion and an Easter Egg among other extras. But boo to them coming out on the 29th of September! The week after I leave home :(

Also I am going to see Michael Urie in a play called The Tempermentals on July 3rd! Must make time to catch up with Ugly Betty before seeing it! (I probably wouldn't have gone unless Michael tweeted the "friends and family" discount code 'cause that dropped the price down from $50 to $25.)

Now I really gotta sleep.

CW Upfronts!

2009-05-21T17:11:09Z

Ranking:
*** Gossip Girl (I most likely wouldn't get this on my own, but if a certain someone would get it for me, then I wouldn't object.. Also need to see 5 episodes of season 2.)
*** Supernatural (Well, it really depends on if I catch up with the show and I'm currently in the middle of season 1, so I don't know.)

CW trailers not available.

There is a mid-season series that is described at the bottom of the entry that hasn't been placed, FYI.

Monday
8:00-9:00 PM Gossip Girl
9:00-10:00 PM One Tree Hill

Tuesday
8:00-9:00 PM 90210
9:00-10:00 PM Melrose Place

Wednesday
8:00-9:00 PM America's Next Top Model
9:00-10:00 PM The Beautiful Life

Thursday
8:00-9:00 PM The Vampire Diaries
9:00-10:00 PM Supernatural

Friday
8:00-9:00 PM Smallville
9:00-10:00 PM America's Next Top Model [encore]
Melrose Place
In an elegant Spanish-style apartment building in the trendy Melrose neighborhood of Los Angeles, a diverse group of 20-somethings have formed a close-knit surrogate family. Sydney Andrews (Laura Leighton, the original Melrose Place) is the landlady, still beautiful at 40, and a central figure in the lives of all her tenants, especially handsome and rebellious David Breck (Shaun Sipos, Shark). Sydney started an affair with David despite her turbulent history with his estranged father, Dr. Michael Mancini (Thomas Calabro, the original Melrose Place). Both father and son learned through experience that Sydney was not above using blackmail to control people. Another tenant, high-powered publicist Ella Simms (Katie Cassidy, Supernatural), once considered Sydney her mentor, but their friendship was destroyed by betrayal, and Sydney threatened to evict Ella and ruin her career. Sydney also played a pivotal role in the career of Auggie Kirkpatrick (Colin Egglesfield, All My Children). After they met at an AA meeting, she became Auggie's sponsor and encouraged his dream to become a chef. Now a successful sous chef at the trendy restaurant Coal, Auggie has been avoiding Sydney since she began drinking again. The other tenants include Lauren Yung (Stephanie Jacobsen, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), a medical student in desperate need of money to pay her student loans, and Jonah Miller (Michael Rady, Swingtown), an aspiring filmmaker who has just proposed to his live-in girlfriend Riley Richmond (Jessica Lucas, Cloverfield), a first-grade teacher. The newest tenant, 18-year-old Violet Foster (Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, 7th Heaven), has just arrived in LA with her own secret connection to Sydney. When a bloody body is found floating in the courtyard pool, David is the leading suspect. However, as the police are soon to discover, almost everyone living at Melrose Place had a reason to want the deceased out of the way. An updated version of the popular 1990s series, Melrose Place is from CBS Television Studios with executive producers Todd Slavkin & Darren Swimmer (Smallville). Oscar-winner Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth) is the director and executive producer of the pilot.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

The Beautiful Life
The life of a high-fashion model appears glamorous and sexy, but as every new model quickly learns, behind the beautiful faade is a world of insecurity and cutthroat competition. Two teenage models who are about to discover this world for themselves are Raina Collins (Sara Paxton, "Last House on the Left"), a stunning beauty with a secret past, and Chris Andrews (Benjamin Hollingsworth, "The Line"), a strikingly handsome Iowa farm boy. When Raina makes an unforgettable impression at a show introducing the new line from designer Zac Posen (appearing in a cameo role), she steals the spotlight from her friend Sonja (Mischa Barton, "The O.C."). Sonja has been out of the country for mysterious reasons and is now desperate to reclaim her standing as the reigning supermodel. While Raina and Sonja live at the top of the fashion food chain, Chris is starting at the bottom, having just been discovered by agent Simon Lockridge (newcomer Dusan Dukic) of the Covet Modeling Agency, which is owned by former supermodel Claudia Foster (Elle Macpherson, "Friends"). At his first photo shoot, Chris' inexperience almost derails his career until Raina comes to his rescue, showing him how to relax and work the camera. That afternoon, Raina brings Chris to the "models' residence" where she lives along with other young hopefuls, including Marissa Delfina (Ashley Madekwe, "Secret Diary of a Call Girl"), Egan (Jordan Woolley, "As The World Turns"), Issac (Corbin Bleu, "High School Musical 2") and the current alpha-male-model known as Kai (Nico Tortorella, "Twelve"). At an exclusive industry party that night, Chris is again impressed by Raina's generosity when she steps aside to make sure Sonja lands a job that will resurrect her career. However, after an ugly scene with Simon, Chris is left to question whether he can survive in this world of dangerous excess and fleeting fame. THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE is from Katalyst Films in association with CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television with executive producers Ashton Kutcher & Jason Goldberg ("True Beauty," "Punk'd"), Karey Burke ("True Beauty"), Mike Kelley ("Swingtown," "Jericho") and Carol Barbee ("Swingtown," "Jericho"). Christian Duguay ("Coco Chanel") directed the pilot.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

The Vampire Diaries
Four months after the tragic car accident that killed their parents, 17-year-old Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev, "DeGrassi: The Next Generation") and her 15-year-old brother, Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen, "Everwood") are still trying to cope with their grief and move on with their lives. Elena has always been the star student; beautiful, popular and involved with school and friends, but now she finds herself struggling to hide her sadness from the world. As the school year begins, Elena and her friends are fascinated by a handsome and mysterious new student, Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley, "Army Wives"). Stefan and Elena are immediately drawn to one another, and Elena has no way of knowing that Stefan is a centuries-old vampire, struggling to live peacefully among humans, while his brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder, "Lost") is the embodiment of vampire violence and brutality. Now these two vampire brothers - one good, one evil - are at war for Elena's soul and for the souls of her friends, family and all the residents of the small town of Mystic Falls, Virginia. Based on the series of books by L. J. Smith, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES is from Alloy Entertainment and Bonanza Productions Inc in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios with executive producers Kevin Williamson ("Dawson's Creek," "I Know What You Did Last Summer"), Julie Plec ("Kyle XY," "Wasteland"), Leslie Morgenstein ("Gossip Girl," "Privileged") and Bob Levy ("Gossip Girl," "Privileged"). Marcos Siega ("Dexter") directed the pilot.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

Parental Discretion Advised
After spending all of her 15 years bouncing from one foster family to another in Portland, Oregon, Lux (Britt Robertson, "Swingtown") has decided it's time to take control of her life and become an emancipated minor. Her journey through the legal maze leads Lux to her biological father, 30-something Nate "Baze" Bazile (Kristoffer Polaha, "Mad Men"), who owns a bar, lives like an aging frat-boy with two slacker roommates, and is astonished to learn that he has a teenage daughter. Lux is equally astonished when Baze reveals that her mother is Cate Cassidy (Shiri Appleby, "E.R."), a star on the local "Morning Madness" radio show, along with her on-air partner and real-life boyfriend, Ryan Thomas (Kerr Smith, "Eli Stone"). Lux has been listening to Cate's voice on the radio as long as she can remember, so she feels an instant connection with the mom she's never met. Baze takes Lux to meet Cate, who is shocked and saddened to learn that Lux has grown up in foster care, but thrilled to finally meet her beautiful daughter. When a judge decides that Lux isn't ready for emancipation and unexpectedly grants temporary joint custody to Baze and Cate, they agree to try to get past the awkwardness and make a belated attempt to give Lux the family she deserves. PARENTAL DISCRETION ADVISED is produced by Mojo Films in association with CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television with executive producers Liz Tigelaar ("Brothers and Sisters," "What About Brian") and Gary Fleder ("October Road"). Gary Fleder directed the pilot.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

Time to catch the bus!

CBS Upfronts!

2009-05-20T23:03:43Z

A little bit later than usual because I spent last night at my dad's (hence the rushness), but here's the CBS upfronts post!

Ranking of shows:
***** How I Met Your Mother (this is so obviously a given, I love this show)
*** The Mentalist (I'm so behind, I have 10 episodes to watch)

And as with ABC, there's some midseason shows that they haven't said where they're going to place them just yet so what follows is just the CBS schedule. And also, like FOX, CBS has released some trailers for its new shows here. I didn't have these links yesterday, but ABC promos and NBC promos.

By the way, I used to watch Numb3rs, but I fell out of that show sometime during college, so I don't really follow it anymore. I've seen the occasional episode since it officially fell to the wayside (when Tom Amandes guest starred comes to mind), but that's not getting mentioned here.

Monday
8:00-8:30 PM How I Met Your Mother
8:30-9:00 PM Accidentally On Purpose
9:00-9:30 PM Two and a Half Men
9:30-10:00 PM The Big Bang Theory
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: Miami

Tuesday
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS
9:00-10:00 PM NCIS: Los Angeles
10:00-11:00 PM The Good Wife

Wednesday
8:00-8:30 PM The New Adventures Of Old Christine
8:30-9:00 PM Gary Unmarried
9:00-10:00 PM Criminal Minds
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: NY

Thursday
8:00-9:00 PM Survivor
9:00-10:00 PM CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
10:00-11:00 PM The Mentalist

Friday
8:00-9:00 PM Ghost Whisperer
9:00-10:00 PM Medium
10:00-11:00 PM Numb3rs

Saturday
8:00-9:00 PM Crimetime Saturday
9:00-10:00 PM Crimetime Saturday
10:00-11:00 PM 48 Hours Mystery

Sunday
7:00-8:00 PM 60 Minutes
8:00-9:00 PM The Amazing Race
9:00-10:00 PM Three Rivers
10:00-11:00 PM Cold Case

NCIS: Los Angeles
NCIS: Los Angeles is a drama about the high stakes world of undercover surveillance at the Office of Special Projects (OSP), a division of NCIS that is charged with apprehending dangerous and elusive criminals that pose a threat to the nation's security. By assuming false identities and utilizing the most advanced technology, this team of highly trained agents goes deep undercover, putting their lives on the line in the field to bring down their targets. Special Agent "G" Callen (Chris O'Donnell) is a chameleon who transforms himself into whomever he needs to be to infiltrate the criminal underworld. His partner is Special Agent Sam Hanna (LL COOL J), a former U.S. Navy SEAL who has seen action in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and a surveillance expert who uses state of the art monitoring equipment to look out for those in the field and feed them crucial information. Both Callen and Hanna report to Special Agent Lara Macy (Louise Lombard), the OSP team leader responsible for directing the operations and making life-or-death decisions. Assisting the team is Special Agent Kensi Lo (Daniela Ruah), the exceptionally bright daughter of a slain Marine who lives for the adrenalin rush that comes with undercover work, and Operational Psychologist Nate Getz (Peter Cambor), adept at getting into anybody's head, profiling the target and monitoring agents' states of mind before, during and after missions. Armed with the latest in high tech gear and sent regularly into life-threatening situations, this tight-knit team relies on each other to do what is necessary to protect national interests. Shane Brennan (NCIS) is the executive producer for CBS Television Studios.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

The Good Wife
The Good Wife is a drama starring Emmy Award winner Julianna Margulies as a wife and mother who must assume full responsibility for her family and re-enter the workforce after her husband's very public sex and political corruption scandal lands him in jail. Pushing aside the betrayal and crushing public humiliation caused by her husband Peter (Chris Noth), Alicia Florrick (Margulies) starts over by pursuing her original career as a defense attorney. As a junior associate at a prestigious Chicago law firm, she joins her longtime friend, former law school classmate and firm partner Will Gardner (Josh Charles), who is interested to see how Alicia will perform after 13 years out of the courtroom. Alicia is grateful the firm's top litigator, Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski), offers to mentor her but discovers the offer has conditions and realizes she's going to need to succeed on her own merit. Alicia's main competition among the firm's 20-something new recruits is Cary (Matt Czuchry), a recent Harvard grad who is affable on the surface, but will use any means to ensure that he, not Alicia, secures the one full-time associate position that's available. Fortunately, Alicia finds an ally in Kalinda (Archie Panjabi), the firm's tough in-house investigator. Gaining confidence every day, Alicia transforms herself from embarrassed politician's scorned wife to resilient career woman, especially for the sake of providing a stable home for her children, 14-year-old Zach (Graham Phillips) and 13-year-old Grace (Makenzie Vega). For the first time in years, Alicia trades in her identity as the "good wife" and takes charge of her own destiny. Tony Scott, Ridley Scott, Robert King, Michelle King, Dee Johnson and David Zucker are the executive producers for CBS Television Studios.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

Three Rivers
Three Rivers is a medical drama that goes inside the emotionally complex lives of organ donors, the recipients and the surgeons at the preeminent transplant hospital in the country where every moment counts. However, dealing with donor families in their darkest hour and managing the fears and concerns of apprehensive recipients takes much more than just a sharp scalpel. Leading the elite team is Dr. Andy Yablonski (Alex O'Loughlin), the highly-skilled workaholic lead organ transplant surgeon, whose good-natured personality and sarcastic wit makes him popular with his patients and colleagues. His colleagues include Dr. Miranda Foster (Katherine Moennig), a surgical fellow with a rebellious streak and fiery temper who strives to live up to her deceased father's excellent surgical reputation; Dr. David Lee (Daniel Henney), a womanizing surgical resident who's broken as many hearts as he's replaced; Ryan Abbott (Christopher J. Hanke), the inexperienced new transplant coordinator who arranges the intricately choreographed process of quickly and carefully transporting organs from donor to patient; Dr. Sophia Jordan (Julia Ormond), the head of surgery and a dedicated medical professional; and Pam Acosta (Justina Machado), Andy's no-nonsense operating assistant and best friend. In this high stakes arena, in which every case is a race against the clock, these tenacious surgeons and medical professionals are the last hope for their patients. Carol Barbee, Curtis Hanson and Carol Fenelon are the executive producers for CBS Television Studios.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

Accidentally On Purpose
Accidentally On Purpose is a comedy starring Golden Globe Award winner Jenna Elfman as Billie, a single woman who finds herself "accidentally" pregnant after a one-night stand with a much younger guy, and decides to keep the baby... and the guy. A newspaper film critic, Billie is barely surviving a humiliating breakup with her charming boss, James (Grant Show), who's still trying to resume their relationship. Suddenly expecting a child with her "boy toy," Zack (Jon Foster), Billie and Zack make an arrangement: to live together platonically. Billie's party girl best friend Olivia (Ashley Jensen), and Abby (Lennon Parham), her conventional, younger married sister, eagerly look forward to the new addition and offer their own brands of advice and encouragement. But when Zack and his freeloading friends, including Davis (Nicolas Wright), start to turn her place into a frat house, Billie isn't sure if she's living with a boyfriend, a roommate, or if she just has another child to raise. Lloyd Braun, Gail Berman, Gene Stein and Claudia Lonow are the executive producers for CBS Television Studios. Pamela Fryman directed the pilot.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

The Bridge
The Bridge is a drama about a tough and dedicated police officer who is voted to become the police union's dynamic leader. To serve the public as well as his 8,000 fellow officers, charismatic Frank Leo (Aaron Douglas) battles criminals on the street, corruption in the ranks and his own bosses. On the force is his able partner and confidante Tommy Dunn (Paul Popowich), who rides with Frank across the bridge that spans the divide between the rich and the poor in the area they patrol; Staff Sergeant Bernie Kantor (Frank Cassini), a voice of reason and moral sounding board; Jill (Inga Cadranel), a detective with a lot of attitude who is moving up the ranks; Billy (Theresa Joy), a young female cop who is determined to prove herself to the guys; and Ed Wycoff (Michael Murphy), the shrewd Chief of Police. Abby St. James (Ona Grauer) is a sharp prosecutor who begins working with the police union, and shares a mutual attraction with Frank. In his new position, Frank Leo takes on the politically-motivated department brass... and makes many powerful enemies in the process. Craig Bromell, Adam J. Shully, Laszlo Barna, Alan Di Fiore and Robert Wertheimer are executive producers for E1 Entertainment, 990 Multi Media Entertainment Company and Jonsworth Productions in association with CTV and CBS Television Studios.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

Miami Trauma
Miami Trauma is about a team of expert surgeons who work at one of the premiere trauma facilities in the country, where only patients with life threatening injuries are treated. Dr. Matthew Proctor (Jeremy Northam) is new to the trauma team, after a tour of duty in a MASH unit during the Gulf war. Dr. Eva Zambrano (Lana Parrilla) is a workaholic surgeon who is more comfortable in her scrubs than she is out in the real world. Dr. Christopher Deleo, "Dr. C.," is a playboy who thrives on the high-stakes of trauma medicine and is, by his own description, a genius redneck. Dr. Serena Warren (Elisabeth Harnois) is fresh out of medical school, and head nurse Tuck Brody (Omar Gooding) keeps the doctors on track and the patients' families updated in this chaotic corner of the medical profession. Together, this team of doctors excels in the "golden hour," the 60 minutes after being critically injured, when a patient's life hangs in the balance. Jerry Bruckheimer, Jeffrey Lieber and Jonathan Littman are executive producers for Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television Distribution.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

Arranged Marriage
Arranged Marriage is a series that brings the tradition of arranged marriages, which is still practiced successfully by many cultures throughout the world, to the U.S., where it is virtually an inconceivable option for most single Americans. Three adults who are anxious to get married, but who have been unsuccessful in their own search for a mate, choose a life-altering path. They rely on their closest family and friends, those who love and know them best, to choose someone for them to marry based on shared goals, values, experiences and the commitment to make it work. The series intimately documents these three arranged marriages, starting with the first meetings of the families and the wedding day; and then follows the couple through the day-to-day joys, challenges, and emotional tumult that results from their arranged union. Emmy Award nominees Jane Lipsitz and Dan Cutforth are executive producers for Magical Elves Inc.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

Undercover Boss
Undercover Boss is a new reality series that follows high level corporate executives as they slip anonymously into the lowest level jobs within their companies. Once undercover, they'll get their hands dirty with the rank and file, find out what their employees REALLY think of them and discover how smoothly their companies are REALLY run. In the process, these senior executives learn about themselves, the perception of their company and the spirit of their work force. Stephen Lambert is the executive producer for Studio Lambert, Ltd.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

The CW wraps everything up tomorrow.

NBC Upfronts!

2009-05-19T18:53:52Z

Ranking of current shows:
*** Heroes (I need to catch up and to be honest, if I watch it, I'll probably watch it live since it seems like it isn't all that far behind in New Zealand compared to some other shows)
** Southland (I've only seen the pilot so far)
**** Chuck (I really want to say it's in, but if I have to make cutbacks, it might be the first to go -- BTW, yes I knew about its renewal before compiling this post from info today and the sad news that goes with it)
**** Friday Night Lights (notice its absence from below. The press release indicates it'll be on NBC during the summer, not the spring this year.)

NBC FALL 2009 SCHEDULE

Monday
8-9 p.m. Heroes
9-10 p.m. - Trauma
10-11 p.m. The Jay Leno Show

Tuesday
8-10 p.m. The Biggest Loser (two-hour edition)
10-11 p.m. The Jay Leno Show

Wednesday
8-9 p.m. Parenthood
9-10 p.m. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
10-11 p.m. The Jay Leno Show

Thursday
8- 8:30 p.m. SNL Weekend Update Thursday (multi-episode run)
8:30-9 p.m. Parks and Recreation
9- 9:30 p.m. The Office
9:30-10 p.m. Community (moves to Thursdays 8-8:30 p.m. after multi-episode run 30 Rock returns)
10-11 p.m. The Jay Leno Show

Friday
8-9 p.m. Law & Order
9-10 p.m. Southland
10-11 p.m. The Jay Leno Show

Saturday
8-9 p.m. Dateline NBC
9-10 p.m. Trauma (encore broadcast)
10-11 p.m. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (encore broadcast)

Sunday
7- 8:20 p.m. Football Night in America
8:20-11 p.m. NBC Sunday Night Football

NBC MID-SEASON 2010 SCHEDULE

(2010 WINTER OLYMPICS preempt regularly scheduled programming from February 12-28)

Monday
8-9 p.m. Chuck (season premiere)
9-10 p.m. - Day One
10-11 p.m. The Jay Leno Show

Tuesday
8-9:30 p.m. The Biggest Loser (90-minute edition)
9:30-10 p.m. 100 Questions
10-11 p.m. The Jay Leno Show

Wednesday
8-9 p.m. Mercy
9-10 p.m. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
10-11 p.m. The Jay Leno Show

Thursday
8- 8:30 p.m. Community
8:30-9 p.m. Parks and Recreation
9- 9:30 p.m. The Office
9:30-10 p.m. 30 Rock
10-11 p.m. The Jay Leno Show

Friday
8-9 p.m. Law & Order
9-10 p.m. Southland
10-11 p.m. The Jay Leno Show

Saturday
8-9 p.m. Dateline NBC
9-10 p.m. Southland (encore broadcast)
10-11 p.m. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (encore broadcast)

Sunday
7-8 p.m. Dateline NBC
8-9 p.m. The Marriage Ref
9-11 p.m. The Celebrity Apprentice (season premiere; two-hour edition)

Trauma
Executive producer Peter Berg (NBC's Friday Night Lights) delivers Trauma, the first high-octane medical drama series to live exclusively in the field where the real action is. Like an adrenaline shot to the heart, Trauma is an intense, action-packed look at one of the most dangerous medical professions in the world: first responder paramedics. When emergencies occur, the trauma team from San Francisco General is first on the scene, traveling by land, by sea or by air to reach their victims in time. From the heights of the city's Transamerica Pyramid to the depths of the San Francisco Bay, these heroes must face the most extreme conditions to save lives -- and give meaning to their own existence in the process. Starring in Trauma are Derek Luke (Notorious), Cliff Curtis (10,000 B.C), Anastasia Griffith (Damages), Aimee Garcia (George Lopez), Kevin Rankin (Friday Night Lights) and Jamey Sheridan (Law & Order: Criminal Intent). Trauma is a production of Universal Media Studios and Film 44. Berg, Sarah Aubrey (Bad Santa, Friday Night Lights), Dario Scardapane and Jeffrey Reiner (Friday Night Lights) serve as executive producers. The pilot was written by Scardapane and directed by Reiner.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

The Jay Leno Show
Jay Leno will host a new comedy/talk show on NBC five nights a week in primetime, beginning in the fall of 2009. The show will originate from Burbank, Calif., and will air Monday through Friday, 10-11 p.m./9-10 p.m. CT. This show will be the first-ever entertainment program to be stripped across primetime on broadcast network television.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

Parenthood
From the executive producers of the box-office hit Parenthood -- Ron Howard and Brian Grazer (Oscar winners for A Beautiful Mind), and writer/executive producer Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights) -- this contemporary re-imagining of the blockbuster film depicts the colorful and imperfect Braverman family -- four grown siblings sharing the headaches, heartaches and joy of being parents. The star-studded cast includes Peter Krause, Maura Tierney, Craig T. Nelson, Dax Shepard, Bonnie Bedelia, Monica Potter, Erika Christensen and Sarah Ramos. When Sarah Braverman (Tierney, ER), a financially strapped single mother, returns home to her parents and siblings in Berkeley, Calif. after packing up her Fresno apartment and uprooting her two inconvenienced kids, Amber (Mae Whitman, In Treatment) and Drew (Miles Heizer, ER), she is greeted by her opinionated father, Zeek (Nelson, Family Stone, Coach), and strong mother, Camille (Bedelia, Heart Like a Wheel), who are privately dealing with their own marital issues. As Sarah is reunited with her siblings -- sister, Julia (Christensen, Traffic), and brothers Crosby (Shepard, Baby Mama) and Adam (Krause, Six Feet Under) -- all struggling with issues of their own, it's clear that the Braverman reunion is just what they need to face the everyday challenges of modern family life. Parenthood is a production from Imagine Entertainment and Universal Media Studios. Emmy winner Thomas Schlamme (The West Wing) directs the pilot.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

Day One
From executive producer/writer Jesse Alexander (Heroes, Lost, Alias) and director Alex Graves (Fringe, Journeyman), Day One tells the story of life on earth following a global catastrophe that has devastated the world's infrastructures. Beginning with the immediate aftermath of the cataclysmic event, an eclectic band of survivors -- played by Adam Campbell (Date Movie), Catherine Dent (The Shield), Julie Gonzalo (Eli Stone), David Lyons (ER), Derek Mio (Greek), Carly Pope (24), Thekla Reuten (Sleeper Cell) and Addison Timlin (Cashmere Mafia) -- strives to rebuild society as they unravel the mysteries of what happened and face their uncertain future. The group, all residents of one apartment building in suburban Van Nuys, Calif., embarks on a quest for survival and discovers that hope is found in small victories -- and heroes are born every day. Day One is a Universal Media Studios production.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

100 Questions
Emmy winner James Burrows (Will & Grace, Friends) directs 100 Questions, a new comedy series written and executive-produced by Christopher Moynihan (For Your Consideration) that provides hilarious answers to 100 questions about love. Charlotte Payne (Sophie Winkleman, Peep Show) is looking for love and has rejected multiple marriage proposals -- but she has yet to meet Mr. Right. When she joins a popular online dating site, she gets a little help from her dating counselor Ravi (Amir Talai, The Ex List) - who requires her to take a 100-question compatibility test. The questions aren't easy for Charlotte to answer, and each one requires her to recount a poignant and humorous time in her life with friends Leslie (Elizabeth Ho, Women's Murder Club), Jill (Joy Suprano, NBC's Law & Order), Mike (Christopher Moynihan For Your Consideration) and Wayne (David Walton Quarterlife). The test becomes a journey of self-discovery for Charlotte who begins to realize what she truly wants in a relationship. Ron West (Psych), Kelly Kulchak (Psych) and Michelle Nader (King of Queens) join Moynihan as executive producers. The series is produced by Universal Media Studios and Tagline.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

Mercy
Mercy, a new medical drama with a unique point of view, portrays the lives of the staff at Mercy Hospital as seen through the eyes of those who know it best -- its nurses. Nurse Veronica Callahan (Taylor Schilling, Dark Matter) returns to Mercy from a military tour in Iraq -- and she knows more about medicine than all of the residents combined. Together with fellow nurses Sonia Jimenez (Jamie Lee Kirchner, Rescue Me) and Chloe Payne (Michelle Trachtenberg, Gossip Girl), Callahan navigates through the daily traumas and social landmines of life and love both inside the hospital and out in the real world. The cast also includes: James Tupper (Men in Trees) as Dr. Chris Sands, a new doctor at the hospital who complicates Veronica's life; Diego Klattenhoff (Supernatural) as Mike Callahan, Veronica's husband; and Guillermo Diaz (Weeds) as Nurse Angel Lopez. Mercy is a production from Universal Media Studios and Berman Braun. Joining writer/executive producers Liz Heldens (NBC's Friday Night Lights) and Gretchen Berg & Aaron Harberts (Pushing Daisies, Pepper Dennis) are executive producers Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun. Emmy Award winner Adam Bernstein (NBC's 30 Rock, Rescue Me) is the director.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

Community
From Emmy Award-winning directors Joe and Anthony Russo (Arrested Development) comes Community, a smart comedy series about higher education -- and lower expectations. The student body at Greendale Community College is made up of high-school losers, newly divorced housewives, and old people who want to keep their minds active. Within these not-so-hallowed halls, Community focuses on a band of misfits, at the center of which is a fast-talkin' lawyer whose degree has been revoked (Joel McHale, The Soup), who form a study group and end up learning a lot more about themselves than they do about their course work. In addition to McHale, the series also stars: Gillian Jacobs (The Book of Daniel); Yvette Nicole Brown (Rules of Engagement); Danny Pudi (Greek); Alison Brie (Mad Men); and comedy legend Chevy Chase (Saturday Night Live). Community is a Krasnoff Foster Entertainment, Harmonious Claptrap and Russo Brothers production in association with Sony Pictures Television and Universal Media Studios. Russ Krasnoff (The Soloist), Dan Harmon (The Sarah Silverman Program), Joe Russo (Arrested Development), Anthony Russo (Arrested Development) and Gary Foster (The Soloist) serve as executive producers. Joe and Anthony Russo directed the pilot that was written by Dan Harmon.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

The Marriage Ref
NBC is proud to announce a new comedy-reality series created by superstar comedian and producer Jerry Seinfeld's Columbus 81 Productions. Mr. Seinfeld has partnered with Ellen Rakieten, a 23-year veteran of The Oprah Winfrey Show on this project. This new series titled The Marriage Ref (working title) will feature opinionated celebrities, comedians and sports stars who will candidly comment, judge and offer different strategies for real-life couples in the midst of a classic marital dispute.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

Tomorrow is CBS. Oh and FOX has released trailers for five new shows. Check them all out here.

ABC Upfronts!

2009-05-19T17:37:00Z

I did it for FOX yesterday, but today is ABC! (And NBC, but that'll be in a new post.) Note the following from the press release:
Please note shows picked up but not listed on the schedule will debut later in the 2009-10 season.

So they're midseason.

And following yesterday's ranking, here's what I currently follow on ABC with their current rankings as far as the likelihood of me watching next season:

*** Castle (I forget every other week that it's on so I have to watch two in a week.. which reminds me, I still need to watch the finale)
** Ugly Betty (it's a very pretty show, but I can't justify it especially since it'll be going head to head with Dollhouse, my ♥)
* Private Practice (yeah, this is pure soap.. I like playing Name That Guest Star, but eh)

(Again, I'll see all these seasons out, but I honestly don't know about next season. And gosh darn it, Tina Majorino has new work. It's a midseason show. And I'm trying to resist the allure of Flash Forward. New shows = bad this year!)

Monday
8:00 p.m. Dancing with the Stars (two-hours)
10:00 p.m. Castle

Tuesday
8:00 p.m. Shark Tank
9:00 p.m. Dancing with the Stars the Results Show
10:00 p.m. The Forgotten

Wednesday
8:00 p.m. Hank
8:30 p.m. The Middle
9:00 p.m. Modern Family
9:30 p.m. Cougar Town
10:00 p.m. Eastwick

Thursday
8:00 p.m. Flash Forward
9:00 p.m. Grey's Anatomy
10:00 p.m. Private Practice

Friday
8:00 p.m. Supernanny
9:00 p.m. Ugly Betty
10:00 p.m. 20/20

Saturday
8:00 p.m. Saturday Night College Football

Sunday
7:00 p.m. America's Funniest Home Videos
8:00 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9:00 p.m. Desperate Housewives
10:00 p.m. Brothers & Sisters

The Deep End
Each year one of LA's most prestigious law firms recruits four young lawyers from the finest law schools worldwide. The only way for these first-years to survive is to support each other even as they compete against one another in the cutthroat arena of high-end law. Sex, greed, romance, betrayal it's all part of being a first year associate at Sterling Law.

The Deep End stars Matt Long as Dylan Hewitt, Ben Lawson as Liam Priory, Tina Majorino as Addy Fisher, Norbert Leo Butz as Rowdy Kaiser, Leah Pipes as Beth Bancroft, Billy Zane as Cliff Huddle, Sherri Saum as Susan Oppenheim and Clancy Brown as Hart Sterling.

The series is produced by Twentieth Century Fox Television. David Hemingson is executive producer/writer. The pilot was directed by Michael Fresco.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

Eastwick
Three very different women find themselves drawn together by a mysterious man who unleashes unique powers in each of them, and this small New England town will never be the same. The series is based on the popular movie The Witches of Eastwick and on the novel of the same title by John Updike.

Eastwick stars Rebecca Romijn as Roxie Torcoletti, Lindsay Price as Joanna Frankel, Jamie Ray Newman as Kat Gardener, Paul Gross as Darryl Van Horne, Sara Rue as Penny, Veronica Cartwright as Bun, Johann Urb as Will, Jon Bernthal as Raymond and Ashley Benson as Mia.

The series is produced by Warner Bros. Television. Maggie Friedman is executive producer/writer. The pilot was directed by David Nutter.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

Flash Forward
When a mysterious event causes the entire world to black out, humanity is given a glimpse into its near future, and every man, woman and child is forced to come to grips with whether their destinies can be avoided or fulfilled.

Adapting award-winning author Robert J. Sawyer's revolutionary novel, executive producers David S. Goyer (visionary co-writer of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight) and Brannon Braga (24, Star Trek: Enterprise) invite you to embark on a journey to answer the question, "if you knew what your future held, what would you do?"

Flash Forward stars Joseph Fiennes as Mark Benford, John Cho as Demetri Noh, Jack Davenport as Lloyd Simcoe, Sonya Walger as Olivia Benford, Courtney B. Vance as Stan Wedeck, Brian O'Byrne as Aaron Stark, Christine Woods as Janis Hawk, Zachary Knighton as Bryce Varley and Peyton List as Nicole.

The series is from ABC Studios. David S. Goyer is executive producer/writer/director. Brannon Braga is executive producer and co-wrote the pilot. Other executive producers are Marc Guggenheim, Jessika Goyer, Vince Gerardis and Ralph Vicinanza. Guggenheim will be the showrunner, along with Goyer.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

The Forgotten
From executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer comes a crime show in which a team of dedicated amateurs work on cases involving unidentified victims. After the police have given up, this group must first solve the puzzle of the victim's identity in order to then help catch the killer. They work to give the deceased back their names, lest they become -- The Forgotten.

The Forgotten stars Rupert Penry-Jones as Alex, Reiko Aylesworth as Linda, Michelle Borth as Candace, Bob Stephenson as Walter, Anthony Carrigan as Tyler and Rochelle Aytes as Detective Grace Russell.

The series is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Warner Bros. Television. Mark Friedman is executive producer/writer, Jerry Bruckheimer and Jonathan Littman are executive producers, KristieAnne Reed is co-executive producer and Danny Cannon is executive producer/director.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

Happy Town
Haplin, Minnesota, "Happy Town," is approaching almost a decade of peace after being riddled for years by unsolved kidnappings. But in the wake of this small town's first crime in seven years, some dark truths are being revealed about some familiar faces. They say every town has its secrets that doesn't even begin to describe Happy Town.

Happy Town stars Geoff Stults as Tommy Conroy, Lauren German as Henley, Amy Acker as Rachel Conroy, Dean Winters as John Haplin, John Patrick Amedori as Andrew Haplin, Sarah Gadon as Georgia Bravin, Jay Paulson as Larry Root Beer' Rogers, Robert Wisdom as Roger Hobbes and Sam Neill as Merritt Grieves.

The series is from ABC Studios. Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec and Scott Rosenberg are executive producers and co-writers. The pilot was directed by Gary Fleder, who is also an executive producer.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

V
V is a re-imagining of the 1980's miniseries about the world's first encounter with an alien race in which the aliens call themselves The Visitors, and have a seemingly friendly agenda that may or may not be a cover for something more malevolent.

V stars Elizabeth Mitchell as Erica Evans, Morris Chestnut as Ryan Nichols, Joel Gretsch as Father Jack Landry, Lourdes Benedicto as Valerie Stevens, Logan Huffman as Tyler Evans, Laura Vandervoort as Lisa, with Morena Baccarin as Anna and Scott Wolf as Chad Decker.

The series is produced by HDFilms in association with Warner Bros. Television. Scott Peters is executive producer/writer and Steve Pearlman and Jace Hall are executive producers. The pilot was directed and executive produced by Yves Simoneau.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

Cougar Town
Courteney Cox stars as a recently divorced single mother exploring the honest truths about dating and aging in our beauty and youth obsessed culture.

Cougar Town stars Courteney Cox as Jules, Christa Miller as Elle, Busy Philipps as Laurie, Dan Byrd as Travis, Brian Van Holt as Bobby, Josh Hopkins as Grayson and Ian Gomez as Andy.

The series is from ABC Studios. Bill Lawrence is executive producer/writer/director, Kevin Biegel is writer/co-executive producer, and Courteney Cox and David Arquette are executive producers.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

Hank
Kelsey Grammer stars in this timely comedy as Hank Pryor, a titan of industry who suddenly finds himself out of work, almost out of money and around a wife and kids for whom he's never made much time. Despite his recent setbacks, however, Hank is confident he's on the road back to the top. He knows he is destined to return to greatness. And he is just not the greatness he imagines.

Hank stars Kelsey Grammer as Hank, Melinda McGraw as Tilly, David Koechner as Grady, Macey Cruthird as Maddie and Ryan Wynott as Henry.

The series is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with McMonkey Inc., Grammnet Productions, Werner Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television. It is written by Tucker Cawley. Tom Werner, Tucker Cawley, Kelsey Grammer and Mike Clements serve as executive producers. The pilot was directed by James Burrows.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

The Middle
The Hecks are a middle class family living in the middle of Indiana, just trying to keep their heads above water. Emmy-winner Patricia Heaton stars as a wife and mother of three in a comedy about raising a family and lowering your expectations.

The Middle stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Eden Sher as Sue, Atticus Shaffer as Brick and Charlie McDermott as Axel.

The series is produced by Warner Bros. Television. Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline are executive producers/writers and Werner Walian is producer. The pilot was directed by Julie Anne Robinson.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

Modern Family
Today's American families come in all shapes and sizes. Shot from the perspective of an unseen documentary filmmaker, this comedy takes a modern look at the complications that come with being a family in 2009.

Modern Family stars Ed O'Neill as Jay, Sofa Vergara as Gloria, Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell, Eric Stonestreet as Cameron, Ty Burrell as Phil, Julie Bowen as Claire, Sarah Hyland as Haley, Rico Rodriguez as Manny, Nolan Gould as Luke and Ariel Winter as Alex.

The series is produced by Twentieth Century Fox Television. Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd are executive producers. The pilot was directed by Jason Winer.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

Shark Tank
From Mark Burnett, executive producer of Survivor and The Apprentice, and Sony Pictures Television comes Shark Tank, an exciting new reality show that gives budding entrepreneurs the chance to make their dreams come true and become successful and possibly wealthy business people. But the entrepreneurs must first try to convince five tough, multi-millionaire tycoons to part with their own hard-earned cash and give them the funding they need to jumpstart their ideas.

In these trying economic times, it's difficult for an individual possessing a dream or even a working small business poised for growth to get a loan for a risky venture. Whether it be an imaginative enhancement for an existing product, a family recipe that has all the ingredients to become a profitable culinary treat, or the latest technological gadget that could take the world by storm, most of these dreams die an early death because no one dared take a financial chance on someone with an unproven and oftentimes outrageous proposal. Many of these people now see "Shark Tank" as their last chance at success. Some have been laboring on their ideas for years or even decades, have invested large amounts of money, and are being pressured to throw in the towel by friends and family. Others have simply never had access to the means to live out their dreams, until now.

Enter the Sharks of Shark Tank Barbara Corcoran (Manhattan real estate titan), Kevin Harrington (king of infomercials), Robert Herjavec (technology tycoon), Daymond John (fashion mogul) and Kevin O'Leary (venture capitalist) five multi-millionaires who lifted themselves up by their bootstraps to make their own entrepreneurial dreams come true and turned their ideas into empires.

Each week ambitious entrepreneurs from across the country will present their breakthrough business concepts, products, properties and services to the panel of ruthless investors. Their goal is to convince these merciless moguls to invest their own dollars in the concept. Convincing real-life millionaires to part with their own money is no easy task, because when the idea is poor, the Sharks will tear into the ill-prepared presenters and pass on the idea with a simple, "I'm out!" -- sending them running for the exit.

But these Sharks aren't just out for blood, they too have a goal: to own a piece of the next big idea. Entrepreneurs will be asked to give up a percentage of their companies' equity to the Sharks in order to get the investment they need. But when the Sharks hear a really top-notch idea, and more than one of them wants to sink their teeth into it, a war between them will erupt. Then the once-desperate entrepreneur can rejoice when the Sharks reveal their true interest in the product and bid up the price of the investment.

[Read even more on The Futon Critic.]

NBC coming soon :)