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THE WATCHER  posted 2 weeks ago

'Battlestar' toasters, 'Damages' nabs Hurt, Dr. Drew on Tom Cruise, Olbermann and more

A few bits news and opinion for you as we head into the weekend:

• As you may have read elsewhere, William Hurt will join the cast of FX's Damages' when it returns in early 2009. As a Sepinwall commenter pointed out, it's a mini-"Big Chill" reunion for "Damages" star Glenn Close and Hurt.
• In news that made my son and husband happy, Avatar: The Last Airbender' will return with 10 new episodes that will air the week of July 14 on Nick. The week will be capped by the July 19 premiere of a 2-hour Avatar' movie, Sozin's Comet.' And according to Nick's press release, M. Night Shyamalan is working on a Last Airbender' theatrical feature, which was news to me.
• Speaking of kids TV, the current favorite of my 6-year old is the PBS show "Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman."
• The New Yorker has a long feature on Keith Olbermann.
• Critic Peter Ames Carlin has a list of ideas on how to improve Swingtown,' which he likes as a guilty pleasure.
• Pop Candy linked to an excellent Zap2it.com interview with Battlestar Galactica's' Mary McDonnell. As a middle-aged woman, to be given material that can take an adult relationship and grow it properly? It doesn't happen!' I'll say. But hasn't the deepening of Adama and Roslin's relationship been one of the most moving things about the show?
• Speaking of "Battlestar" (I know, when am I not speaking of "Battlestar," right?), Galactica Sitrep collected many of the recaps and reactions to that terrific mid-season finale. That's also where I spotted this very cool photo montage (click on it to see it in its full glory). There's also a nifty recap at IMDb.com.
• Some readers have e-mailed me to ask if I'll watch the version of J.J. Abrams' Fringe' that leaked online this week. Nope. Call me crazy, but I'd rather see it on a big screen than on my computer. But I am dying to see it (if you want a writeup of it, read James Poniewozik's). And I definitely haven't spent any time searching for the leaked copy of the American version of Life on Mars,' considering that ABC is retooling the remake and recasting most of the show, aiyeee.
• The July issue of Playboy has a long and interesting interview with Dr. Drew Pinsky, who doesn't hold back on his views about celebrity narcissism and addiction. Tom Cruise comes in for some blistering treatment from Dr. Drew, who later told Us that he meant no harm' by his comments about the star. Pinsky, the man behind "Celebrity Rehab," said Cruise's devotion to Scientology sprang from a function of a very deep emptiness and suggests serious neglect in childhood - maybe some abuse but mostly neglect.' A PDF version of the Pinsky piece is here (Download pinsky.pdf).
• The July issue of the magazine also has a Q&A also with The Daily Show's' Lewis Black.  Black's interview is here (Download lewisblack.pdf).
• Separated at birth? Or just grown in the same resurrection vat? A blogger noted the uncanny resemblance between John McCain and Battlestar Galactica's' Saul Tigh.
• I'm definitely going to San Diego Comic-Con this summer, and it looks like the gathering is bursting with lots of TV offerings, according to the blogger at Seat42f and the intrepid TV reporters at EOnline.com, who posted a tentative lineup for the four-day fest. Shows such as Heroes,' Battlestar Galactica' and Lost' are naturals for Comic-Con, but there will also be presentations and panels for shows like Fringe,' Chuck,' Joss Whedon's Dollhouse,' Pushing Daisies' and 24.' Even comedies such as Big Bang Theory' and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' will (allegedly) be heading to San Diego. If you go, you should be able to spot me, because I have red hair and I'm almost nine feet tall (OK, only six feet tall). Plus, I will be wearing one of my favorite T-shirts.
• Speaking of merchandise, you can now order a Battlestar Galactica' toaster. No, really, an actual toaster with the show's logo, which will imprint a centurion onto your piece of bread or what have you. The toaster is part of a series of special Comic-Con items that NBC is selling (there's also a Dwight Shrute-Battlestar' T-shirt). Be aware that toaster quantities are limited, fellow nerds.
  
• I've been trying to ignore the fact that the Screen Actors Guild may go out on strike when their contract ends later this month. Having covered one strike, I think my strike-coverage quota for this decade has been adequately met, so my general response to the strike chatter has been  to put my fingers in my ears and chant, "la-la-la I'm not listening." But if you want news about the possible strike, read this story. For some analysis on what could or should happen before SAG's contract runs out, read entertainment lawyer Jonathan Handel's take.
• Here's my two-sentence review of Saving Grace's' Season 2 premiere, which I just watched and which arrives July 14 (I should have a longer review posted in mid-July): It's well-plotted, emotionally engaging and has a driving sense of urgency, as well as some of Holly Hunter's most subtle yet compelling acting, but can the writers keep up this level of quality during an entire season of the TNT show? I have my doubts, considering last year's mid-season slackness, but hope the season premiere indicates that the show has improved.
• When Monk' returns, as you may know, Hector Elizondo will play Dr. Neven Bell, Adrian Monk's new shrink, and I hear things don't go so well in their first session. By the way, Brad Garrett also guests in the July 18 season premiere, and Robert Loggia will appear on the USA show later in the season.
• One more merch mention: Purchasers of the Mad Men' box set, which comes out July 1, will be able to order one or two commemorative Zippo lighters with the show's logo (the set itself, which comes in a metal case, is shaped like a classic Zippo). No complimentary cocktails are included (drat).
• I have been staying up way too late this week, watching the first season of the show and listening to the interesting commentaries on the DVD set. I've also been checking out these interviews with the show's cast on AMC's Web site. I'll post more thoughts on re-watching Season 1 soon (I hope), but for now I'll just say ... 36 days until Season 2 arrives on July 27. Yes, I'm counting the minutes and seconds too. Can you blame me?   
• That is all.

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TVSQUAD  posted June 2nd ago

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: DVD news

Filed under: Programming, TV on DVD, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Reality-FreeFans of drug-related jokes, ...

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TVSQUAD  posted May 15th ago

Characters I'm missing right now

Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, OpEd, Curb Your Enthusiasm, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, TV Squad Lists, ...

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TV GUIDE EDITORS BLOG  posted May 1st ago

DVD News and Reviews - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Other Announced Releases

New releases announced today, May 1: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - Season 3 will be coming out September 2 HBO's In Treatment will be coming out September 9 Visit TVShowsOnDVD.com for the complete stories on these and

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THE RECAPIST  posted March 26th ago

The Riches - "Friday Night Lights" (Episode 202)

When we last left the Malloy clan, Dahila and the kids were in Blunt, Texas, while Wayne tried to deal with the double-trouble combo of Dale and Hugh, and one dead Pete. Cael attempted to stel a van, which didn't sit well with its owner, who pulled a gun on the gang, which also includes Nina the neighbor. The van owner gets in and forces Cael to drive. Not good. Wayne and Dale take Hugh home and ...

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