We usually like to give a bit of advance warning when selecting programmes for our ‘set the video’ category, but such has been my utter disinterest in recent Grey’s Anatomy offerings that I completely forgot that tonight’s instalment is, in fact, the last in the series. With that realisation, I come to you as a GA fan so that we can cross our fingers, silently pray and do all that we can to hope that the season three climax is a marked improvement on the show’s recent slump. And so, as we hit the home stretch, how do we think it will end? Will Alex admit to his feelings for Jane Doe/ Eva/ Rebecca? Will the tiresome love triangle between Callie, Izzie and George finally come to an end and will the interns have passed their exams?
One of the problems that GA has developed is its swollen cast. Each character cannot possible be given the screen time they deserve and so, rather than more stream-lined efforts with smaller casts and more focused story-telling, the show desperately strives to cram in everyone and everything. All this means that some sagas will inevitably go unresolved tonight, and most probably bleed into season four, but there are at least two that require immediate attention: the exits of Addison and Burke.
After last week’s less than subtle introduction to Private Practice, the upcoming Addison-based spin-off show, it was back to Seattle Grace for the penultimate episode in this faltering season of surgical shenanigans. The interns were busy preparing to take their intern exams, Burke was fretting over his upcoming nuptials to Cristina and Meredith had just lost her step-mother. It’s all in a days work for this lot.
The Alex/Jane Doe plot dragged its heels for another week, with the amnesiac revealing that she had regained her memory. She was called Rebecca Pope, had left her dull husband when injured in the ferry crash and had no intention of reclaiming a life she was happy to have left behind. Alex was stunned by the news, clearly hurt that she had concealed the information from him, as their patient/doctor relationship grew ever more complicated.
Spooks is back on our telly boxes tonight and so how to mark the occasion? A re-cap of the character’s histories? A trip down memory lane to remember those Spooks that we have loved and lost? Or a full-on whinge about that bloody awful commercial star Rupert Penry-Jones does for Tesco (Martine McCutcheon I get, the poor lass hasn’t got much on at the moment – but why Rupert why?) Nope, how’s about a top ten of the spookiest things on the TV? From the genuinely scary to the silly – prepare to be spooked!
1. Ghostwatch
Described as a ‘horror-mockumentary television movie’, 1992’s Ghostwatch starred then BBC stalwarts Sarah Greene and Michael Parkinson as they investigated a family whose home was inhabited by a nasty ghost called ‘Pipes’. With Parky in the studio and Greene at the family’s house, the programme became increasingly spooky and unpredictable until Pipes finally gained power and haunted the BBC studios themselves. Now, of course this was all carefully plotted, but such was my gullibility back then, that I was utterly terrified by the whole thing. In my defence, I wasn’t the only one as the BBC were made to defend themselves against accusations of causing post-traumatic stress in children and even triggering the suicide of a teenager with learning difficulties. Of course, I now know it to be the silly hoax it was, but until you’ve witnessed the terror of Parky possessed by a ghost – you can’t judge.
Five followed up the debut of David Duchovny’s Californication with another hot new US import – 30 Rock. Created, written by and starring former Saturday Night Live fave Tina Fey, this was not one of those hour-long comedy-dramas that American TV execs seem so fond of at the mo (Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives), but a proper, old-fashioned 30-minute sitcom. And as we all know sitcoms mean colourful characters, silly set-ups and lots of laughs. Right?
Well, kinda. As with all new shows, it was just finding its feet in its pilot outing but excuses aside, 30 Rock had a good vibe about it. I know the use of the word vibe makes me sound a bit hippy, but how else to describe it? Tina Fey clearly knows how to write and perform good comedy, co-star Alec Baldwin is a Hollywood heavyweight and hot after an Emmy win for best comedy, 30 Rock is definitely headed in the right direction.
For many, David Duchovny will always be Fox Mulder from the hugely successful science-fiction series The X-Files, with attempts by the actor to take on new roles having historically met with apathy and disinterest from the wider public. Certainly, Duchovny’s cinematic outings haven’t fared very well and with news of another forthcoming X-Files movie, maybe it is inevitable that his antics as Mulder, investigating paranormal phenomena with buddy Dana Scully, will be the role that defines his acting career.
But don’t tell Duchovny, as he hasn’t yet thrown in the towel when it comes to other parts, and last night saw his latest attempt to reinvent himself debut on Five. Californication (sadly no Red Hot Chili Peppers song for the opening credits) hit these shores amid controversy, with religious and right-wing groups in the US and Australia upset by the saucy content. But was it worth all the fuss and can Duchovny convince with a new character?
Now that we have our two leading characters (Jack, the anti-hero and the ‘quirky’ woman) confirmed in our formula to create a TV show, we need to work on the programmes set-up, and one detail springs to mind – the voice-over. A huge number of current US shows seem to favour the inclusion of a narrator, with the technique able to serve a number of purposes.
You want insight into a complicated and hard-to-relate-to character? I give you Dexter Morgan (Dexter). You’ve got a number of plot strands and need them to be neatly brought together? How’s about Mohinder Suresh (Heroes) or Mary Alice Young (Desperate Housewives)? And what of the more conventional sitcoms that invite us to root for our silly hero, like JD (Scrubs) or Earl Hickey (My Name is Earl)?
Another new US drama starts tomorrow night on Sky One and like Living’s legal effort Justice, it too has already been cancelled back in the States after only eight episodes. Are all new shows sub-standard nonsense or are the networks’ impatience for ratings extinguishing talent before it’s allowed the chance to takeoff? Industry trends to one side, Hidden Palms comes from Kevin Williamson (Dawson’s Creek) and like the Katie Holmes starrer follows a bunch of teenagers and their inevitable growing pains.
The show received a mixed critical reception on its debut in America, with some keen to see it succeed now that The O.C. is over, while others condemned it as clichéd, dull and whiny. The opening episode sees Johnny Miller struggling to cope after the suicide of his father and so the messed up teen turns to drugs and alcohol. As we all know full well this is never the answer, and after a stint in rehab his mother and step-dad decide to re-locate their family to Palm Springs. Tomorrow night’s premiere is followed by a second episode, so whether you come to love or hate Hidden Palms, if Sky One persist with double-bills it will all be over in less than a month.
For those of us who watched last season’s Lost and were confused by the deaths of background characters Nikki and Paulo, the show’s executive producer Carlton Cuse has an explanation: it was what we, the fans wanted. What? In an interview with Sci Fi Wire, Cuse defended the plot that saw two of the peripheral characters given centre stage only to promptly die: “People asked questions about the other characters on the beach. Are we ever going to learn anything about them?’ But once we did it, people were angry that we were taking time away from our main characters and giving it to Nikki and Paulo, so we listened to the fans and decided to bury them alive.”
That is such rubbish. The only way that audiences can warm to and appreciate new characters is to be given time – the one thing that Lost producers decided to deprive Nikki and Paulo of. Of course after the briefest of introductions to their personalities and back stories, they weren’t going to rival the likes of Sawyer and Jack in the popularity stakes, but that didn’t stop the writers from persisting with the likes of Desmond, Ben and Juliet who were also latecomers to the action.
I feel so out-of-the-loop with Entourage. The clips make me laugh, the trailers encourage suitable interest but… I have yet to regularly watch it. I’m almost too scared to have a go now, as I’m so far behind and just feel I should buy the DVD box-sets and start from scratch. However for those of you who do love Vince and the boys, and like to reserve some special time for you all to hang out – good news, as season three of Entourage hits our screens tomorrow night.
Vince’s star continues to soar with the premiere of Aquaman getting everyone excited. Drama and Turtle can’t decide on dates for the event, while Vince is determined to escort his mother to the showbiz knees-up. Ari is more concerned about his new office and struggles with his finances. Online reviews confirm that season three builds on the show’s past successes and with Jeremy Piven having recently scooped the Emmy for best supporting actor in a comedy, Entourage shows no signs of slowing down. Now if only ITV would stop hiding it away on ITV2 – are they not allowed to show anything of quality on ITV1?
- Quentin Tarantino has rejected an offer to direct an episode of Heroes as he hasn’t watched the sci-fi phenomenon. Articulate as ever, the Pulp Fiction director said: “They were trying to get me to do one. I haven’t even seen the f***ing show. What the f*** is Heroes?” Have you not been reading TV Scoop Quentin? [The Sun]
- The BBC might not like her anymore but Moira Stuart is set to receive a special honourary salute from the Screen Nation TV and Film Awards. Known as the ‘Black BAFTAs’, Stewart will pick up the Edric Connor Inspiration prize when the ceremony is held next month. [Digital Spy]
- With Sky boasting most top-level sports and ITV nabbing the leftovers, the Beeb have announced plans to broadcast the Super Bowl. What was the tiddly-wink championship already taken? [BBC]
- New lads channel Nuts TV had a pretty underwhelming debut on Wednesday night, averaging 9,000 viewers. Though aimed at saucy young fellas the average age of the viewer was 42. That’s more dad than lad. [Broadcast Now]
Hidden away in the murky depths of Living TV’s programming schedule is the return of the lesbian drama The L Word. Back for its fourth season, The L Word often suffers from that most ingratiating of labels: ‘a cult.’ For industry bods that means a marginal audience that can be neglected (it doesn’t start til 12am!) but should mean a committed viewership that shouldn’t have to suffer late nights to enjoy their favourite programme. What else are Living TV showing that they can’t shift in their planning – repeats of Most Haunted or Jerry Springer?
This teaser trailer for the fourth outing comes courtesy of American network Showtime and reminds us of our old favourites and introduces interesting new faces (is that Cybill Shepherd in there?) With Shane back in L.A., Helena minus her mum’s money and Kit hitting hard times – the girl’s don’t skimp on the action, even if they do on the clothes sometimes.
One of the key search words on IMDb chosen to describe new US import Men In Trees is ‘quirky’. You don’t say – what with renowned loonie Anne Heche starring as the central role, Marin Frist. Hell, even the name Marin is super quirky. This new drama on Living TV follows Marin as a relationship coach who visits Alaska as part of her book tour and ends up staying longer than she expected.
I haven’t watched any of this series yet, but from the promotional campaign predict a will-they-won’t-they romance and lots of fish out of water hijinks. After all, Alaska isn’t a location often given the primetime TV treatment and so is rich with raccoon jokes. In the UK, Heche is probably best known as the ex-girlfriend of Ellen DeGeneres and having a bit of a breakdown and wandering around in someone’s garden. She has managed to fit some acting around her personal life, though has skillfully learned to combine the two since ditching her cameraman hubbie for Men in Trees co-star James Tupper. Will their chemistry be evident onscreen? I guess it’s one reason to tune in. I, meanwhile am holding out for some raccon action.
The third season of House came to a close on Five last night (*blub*) with a double-bill. I don’t know why they aired two episodes back to back though as it wasn’t a two-parter, just the normal self-enclosed instalments we’ve come to know and love. That’s not to sound ungrateful – House is brilliant and any time I spend with those characters is precious, I just wish Five hadn’t felt the need to rush through the final moments. Even though I’m already writing news on the cast for next series (see the story here), I so wanted the third season to end correctly.
The first episode entitled ‘The Jerk’ saw a chess whizz kid admitted to the hospital having violently attacked his gaming opponent. While the victim suffered wounds that would easily heal, Nate, the jerk of the title had severe head pains that House and his team struggled to diagnose. With an inability to censor his dialogue, 16-year-old Nate was obnoxious and rude to all his attending physicians and ignored his mother when she would attempt to intervene. Was his mean and inappropriate behaviour a symptom of his condition or was he simply a bit of a brat? If only we had a genius doctor that could help…
We reported back in July how Aaron Sorkin, creator of failed US drama Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip blamed himself for the show’s shortcomings (see here). Now one of the stars of the programme, D.L.Hughley who played Simon Stiles is offering his opinion on why the show never took off as expected.
“I think that like most things that are highly touted – the number-one draft pick – we crumpled under the weight of expectations. I think we could have not taken ourselves so seriously. We pulled back the curtain too much. It’s like when you go to a restaurant: It can be the best restaurant in the world, but I just want to eat the meal. I don’t want to know how they make the steak.
TV seems to be the natural home for all Hollywood actresses over 40 at the moment, with Glenn Close fronting a new legal drama called Damages. The show debuted in the States but mere weeks ago and already the Beeb have liked enough of what they’ve seen to stump up some license-payer’s money for the programme.
The show, which co-stars Cheers wig-wearer Ted Danson is directed by TV veteran Allen Coulter (Sex and the City, the Sopranos, Rome) and will be broadcast from early 2008. Surprisingly, it is reported that it will air on BBC1 rather than hidden away on BBC2, but maybe that’s what comes of splashing out over £150,000 per episode.
Grey’s Anatomy managed to resolve a few of its long-standing sagas in last week’s double-bill, and so yesterday’s episode felt like a clean slate in many ways. Of course, there was still plenty of action at Seattle Grace but thankfully Meredith was no longer snoring and Izzie had cashed her cheque.
Miranda had a new cause, that of a free clinic. This idea garnered zilch interest from the quartet of big-name surgeons (Burke, Shepherd, Montgomery and Sloan) and it almost seemed like she couldn’t articulate herself why it was such an important project. Finally, moments away from the episode’s end she unleashed her reasoning for the clinic to the unimpressed docs: to have something to believe in as once she had believed in each of them. Her tactics of shame worked and they signed letters of support without another word. This left funding as the final obstacle in her path to success, a hurdle easily overcome with a little help from resident money-bags, Izzie.
As far as I understand it, the TV show Heroes has been cast from a group of lookalikes. I know they have those naff agencies that allow men to dress up like Del Boy or David Dickinson, but this goes beyond that. I’ve already given you Eden McCain and her shop-lifting doppelganger Winona Ryder, and now I present Peter Petrelli and his long-lost twin – Adam Levine, the singer with Maroon 5. Move over Nathan, Adam looks a lot more like the idealistic hospice nurse than you, just look at the proof. Both have the same intense stare, the same dark, smoldering eyes and the same designer stubble. Now all we have to do is push Adam off a building and find out if he flies too.
As a big fan of Lost, I was pleased when the show’s producers announced an end date for it. And I’m not alone, as actor Harold Perrineau who plays the returning Michael Dawson agrees: “I think that’s an excellent idea. It’s a much better idea than the show being a really big hit and then they have to keep it on for 10 years and suddenly we see episodes about Sawyer and, like, the spoon he made.”
“I think it’s much better, because they’ve always said they had an idea of how long the show would go, so I’m glad they’re going to just do that and finish telling the story. I mean, it’s great to have a job forever, but this kind of job, it had its own thing going, so you can’t really consider it like you consider most television shows.” Hopefully this promised finale will give a direction to the remaining episodes and ensure that it doesn’t limp on forever. Unlike other shows I could mention…
The E! Network have announced that The Simple Life, their reality show starring Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie (you might have heard of them, they’re slightly famous) will not be picked up for another season. The show which follows the two ladies being ‘normal’ and working in ‘the real world’ helped propel both to international stardom, though now appears to almost be a victim of its own success.
Since The Simple Life introduced the twosome to television audiences, they have simply lapped up the media coverage and now are huge stars in their own right. They no longer need the show to gain magazine covers and so this overexposure has spelt the end for the programme. An E! source elaborated: “We felt like the real life drama of their lives overshadowed anything happening on the show. Viewers would see Paris all day long on the news about her going to jail, so they didn’t care about seeing her camping with kids. It just was too played out.”
So, here it is. The teaser trailer that Lost producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse unveiled at Comic-con last week. Now up on YouTube, the 2 minute-long footage has gotten fans of the show both excited and even more confused than ever. Is the Orchid real? What’s with the rabbits? And is this actually taken from the show or just a random clip, especially made to screen at the event?
Whatever the answers (and please God, let there be answers), I suspect that us fans will have to wait until season 4 hits TV screens (or illegal download sites.) But we can always speculate and theorise, and everyone has their own, individual interpretation of all things Lost. What’s yours? C’mon, let’s share.
From:Set The Video: NASA: Triumph and Tragedy, BBC Two, Wednesday, 24 June, 9pm