Author: trishthedish

Never too Old to Rock the VMAs

With the post-event media storm of Kanye/Taylor/Beyonce “drama,” it wasn’t the totally-expected a-hole actions of Kanye during yesterday’s MTV Video Music Awards that caused me to stir in my seat. That happened during Lady Gaga’s performance as right in the middle of her spectacular spectacle it was a backup dancer who, thanks to So You Think You Can Dance is now of rock star calibar status, made me immediately jump up and giddily exclaim, “Season 4 Mark!”

Mark from SYTYCD Season 4

Unlike the practically-guaranteed recording contract given to any top 10 American Idol contestant (those that can carry a tune, that is – Sanjaya, stick to the celeb-reality shows), the dancers on SYTYCD aren’t afforded as much opportunity to gain wide exposure, and usually never seem to have a forum bigger than the brief national tour held post-finale each year. So it’s exciting to see a contestant, especially one who had such a quirky style and stood out in several memorable pieces, have such prominent placement on a big stage like the VMAs.

Some have returned during the audition process and competition rounds to choreograph routines for subsequent seasons’ contestants (Travis and Dmitry are stellar examples of success) and some have shimmied their way over to ABC as pro partners on Dancing with the Stars (Lacey and Chelsie) but more often than not I wistfully wonder, “where are they now?” It’s most likely the nature of the profession, not having a dance equivalent of radio or iTunes to further their careers makes it tougher to follow a favorite, so to give their fledgling hoofers a boost the show should give a shout out every so often to those who have found dance employ, backup or otherwise, after finishing the competition.

Fall Premieres – Trivial Teens and Leno’s “Retirement”

Tonight brings offerings that pose little to no threat to my precious DVR space with the return of two more dry dramas from The CW and the beginning of a new form of “late” night on NBC.

The CWThe CW seems to have cornered the market on telling tales of teen trials and tribulations, and while it’s sensational enough for a lot of viewers I’ve yet to find much enjoyment from their line-up both past and present (the snappy snark of Veronica Mars being the only exception). First up is the people-still-watch-this seventh season of One Tree Hill. Limping into the year it will be without breakout star Chad Michael Murray, which makes me speculate this could be the swan song season of the series.

Gossip Girl ad campaign for its second season
Gossip Girl ad campaign for its second season

Still hot, with its trend-setting cast firmly at the center of the Young Hollywood set and getting constant media exposure, Gossip Girl begins its third season following the pampered prep school kids into their first year of college. Never a series to shy away from creating and embracing buzz (dig the ad campaign from last year) the big news going into this season is main moneyed douche Chuck Bass’s same-sex liplock by episode six. A truly less-than-scandalous story for anyone who finds the “shock” factor of a man-on-man kiss both parochial and passe – plus those who’ve read the GG books (or been conscious while watching any episode) knows the guy started out gay.

Passing The Tonight Show torchWith The Tonight Show torch now firmly in the able hands of Conan (CoCo!), Jay Leno takes up his new post weeknights at 10/9pm that seems eerily like his old one (though official reports state that fans of Tonight should expect “big” changes). While Leno will abandon the traditional late-night host’s desk and act as a kind of roving emcee, introducing the work of a team of comics who have gone out in the field to tape pieces, each show will still have a monologue at the top of each show, a guest – Jerry Seinfeld is scheduled for the premiere – and close with his famous “Jaywalking” or headline segments, which will lead directly into local news.

Leno’s show will no doubt be watched heavily during its initial inception, considering his is an experiment for a network that has traditionally seen this timeslot deliver acclaimed scripted hits over the years (ER, Law & Order, Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law), defining it as the gold standard of sophisticated programming. However with the business rapidly changing from what was seen in the ’80s and ’90s, this new approach to primetime is going to be closely monitored by NBC and competitors alike to see if a viable model to future programming has been found.

Not On My DVR, But If You Have Space

  • 8/7c – One Tree Hill, The CW
  • 9/8c – Gossip Girl, The CW
  • 10/9c – The Jay Leno Show, NBC (series premiere)

Who’s the American Helen Mirren?

NBC’s track record with adapting international series for American audiences has been rather hit or miss (Highs: The Office. Lows: Coupling. New Lows: Kath & Kim.) so the recent news that the peacock is set to adapt the groundbreaking UK drama series Prime Suspect is a bit…suspect.

Prime SuspectThe original ran in seven parts from 1991 to 2006 and starred Helen Mirren as lady-of-a-certain-age chief homicide detective Jane Tennison, a role that made waves when the series debuted as it was the first to feature a woman as the head of a murder investigation unit. A hit with critics, it earned Mirren two Emmy awards for lead actress in a miniseries and made her a household name in the US when it aired as part of PBS’s Mystery series.

With such a stellar pedigree, NBC should take measured steps to ensure that their Prime Suspect will have its own tone that sets it apart from workhorse Law & Order procedurals (no L&O: Across the Pond, thank you). The crux of the show’s success will be in casting the lead. Considering such an acclaimed and formidable actress originated the role, someone award-winning caliber must come on board to give the US version some clout in standing up (and out) to the plethora of other crime-centered dramas scattered around the dial, especially ones with strong female characters (NBC’s own Emmy-winning Mariska Hargitay, for example). American producers will no doubt want to sex up the role, which means skewing the age range down, considering the hesitancy to cast women over 40 in high-profile leads. This actress age-ism is a shame because, like a fine wine, the best only get better with time, and this kind of role demands someone who’s been around the block.

Jean Smart as Martha Logan on Day 5 of "24"Topping my “For Your Consideration” list would be Jean Smart. While most well-known for comedy – first gaining recognition on Designing Women, but racking up 3 Emmy wins in the last decade for her guest role on Frasier and one for supporting actress playing Christina Applegate’s martini-swilling mother on Samantha Who? – she’s also proven a knack for the dramatics, and earned rave reviews, with her portrayal of the president’s unstable, whistle-blowing wife on the fifth season of 24.

Opening the forum for discussion: Who else is an ideal contender to take up the American “Queen” of police mantle?

Fall Premieres – What About the Weekend?

Even thought it’s Saturday that doesn’t mean you won’t find new episodes in the TV ether, you’ll just need to look a little further up the dial on an extended cable channel. For fellow anglophiles, tonight BBC America begins playing the third season of its motherland network’s modernized (i.e. more youthful, and without tights) retelling of the classic Robin Hood story.

Robin Hood, BBC America 8/7cBeing a lover of the timeless “rob the rich to give to the poor” legend in all guises (God help me, I can even stomach Kevin Costner’s less-than-feeble attempts at a British accent), the first and second seasons, while not groundbreaking, were good fun with an enjoyablely passionate and cheeky Robin Hood, sassy/adventurous Maid Marian and comically evil (scene-stealing without being cartoonish) Sheriff of Nottingham.

Coming into the third season the show shows signs of maturing and appears to be delving into darker terrain than its previous light-hearted years, with events of the second season finale driving the hero towards all-consuming feelings of exacting vengeance on his enemies after losing all reason to care, an interesting place to put a character who is synonymus with the act of unconditional giving. Unfortunately this will be the final season for the archery ace and his merry men as the BBC announced earlier this summer they will not be bringing the series back for a fourth year.

In case you missed it, catch up with Seasons 1 and 2 available on iTunes, and watch the final 13 episodes every Saturday starting tonight on BBC America.

Set Your DVRs

  • 9/8c – Robin Hood, BBC America