upfront week

Upfront Week doesn't technically begin until today (Fox on Monday, ABC and NBC on Tuesday, CBS on Wednesday, and CW on Thursday), but already Ausiello has a cheat sheet listing those shows that have been renewed. Here are some highlights, and by that I mean shows that interest me the most (and because reality TV is the bane of my existence, you will not find any of those listed here):

ABC
Better Off Ted: RENEWED. Whoo hoo!
Brothers & Sisters: Renewed.
Castle: RENEWED.
Cupid: Canceled. Yeah... this remake was alarmingly bad.
Desperate Housewives: Renewed. Forever.
Eli Stone: Canceled, and the last of this past season should finish airing this summer.
Grey's Anatomy: Renewed.
Lost: Already Renewed.
Pushing Daisies: Canceled, and the last of this past season should finish airing this summer.
Scrubs: Renewed, with Sarah Chalke and Zach Braff returning for six episodes.
The Unusuals: Canceled. Too bad; the actors had great chemistry together.

CBS
The Big Bang Theory: Renewed for two seasons.
How I Met Your Mother: Not official, but it'll most likely be renewed.
The Mentalist: Ditto. It's the number one show on television.

FOX
24: Renewed.
American Idol: Renewed. Ugh, go away.
Bones: Renewed for two seasons.
Dollhouse: Renewed for thirteen episodes.
Family Guy: Renewed.
Fringe: Renewed.
House: Not official, but it'll most likely be renewed.
The Simpsons: Renewed.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Canceled.

NBC
30 Rock: Renewed.
Chuck: Renewed for thirteen episodes, but with a tighter budget. They'll probably be getting rid of a character, or at least decrease the number of episodes the supporting cast is in.
Heroes: Renewed. Ugh, go away..
The Office: Renewed.
Parks and Recreation: Renewed.

Looking back over this list, I can't help but think... man, I watch a lot of television.

grey's news: heigl and knight leaving

[Via The New York Post.] According to co-star James Pickens Jr., who plays the chief, Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight are leaving Grey's Anatomy. With this news, I hope that Izzie Stevens dies (because allowing her to survive a fatal disease would be copping out), but I wonder how George O'Malley would be written out. Perhaps he gets a job elsewhere? There has been talk that Denny might come back, so perhaps when Izzie "crosses over" she'll be visited by him again, though I doubt the writers will handle the scene with intelligence. Sometimes I feel like the Grey's writers are better at the guests' storylines than their own stars'.

At any rate, I'm happy with this news, not because I dislike either actor (I actually adore Katherine Heigl) but because the show's character relationships are becoming too convoluted and the cast is overcrowded.

Update, 5:10pm: According to Kristin over at E!:

However, a well-placed ABC source tells us, "There's no way [Pickens] could know that, because nothing has been decided yet. Nothing has been written and [Heigl and Knight] are still working out what will happen next season with the network."

According to inside sources who work on Grey's, it is likely that Heigl and Knight will make an exit at the end of the current season. Both have asked to leave the show. However, ABC needs to sign off on letting them out of their contracts, which has not been done.

dexter and deborah get hitched

Although I'm a fan of the show, I didn't realize Dexter's Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter, who play a brother/sister duo on the show, were dating until a few months ago. They've been pretty good about keeping it a secret... but now it's being reported that they eloped on New Year's Eve. Technically it's not incestuous, but it still kind of weirds me out since I've only seen them together as a brother/sister team. At any rate, they will be taking their relationship (I mean, marriage!) public on Sunday at the Golden Globes. Congrats to the happy couple!

golden globe nominations

Golden Globe nominations were announced last week, so here is the complete list. I've commented where necessary. My predicted winners (rather, people I would like to win) are in bold.

Best Picture - Drama: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, The Reader, Revolutionary Road, Slumdog Millionaire

** I haven't seen any of these movies yet, and although a friend has highly recommended Slumdog Millionaire as the best movie of the year, I think I have to go with the old-world Frost/Nixon.

Best Director: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire), Stephen Daldry (The Reader), David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon), Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road)

Best Actor - Drama: Leonardo DiCaprio (Revolutionary Road), Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon), Sean Penn (Milk), Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)

Best Actress - Drama: Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married), Angelina Jolie (The Changeling), Meryl Streep (Doubt), Kristin Scott Thomas (I've Loved You So Long), Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road)

** I do love Kate Winslet in, oh, absolutely everything, but I don't know if RR is her award-winning vehicle. Plus, Hathaway's been getting so much praise.

Best Picture - Musical/Comedy: Burn After Reading, Happy Go Lucky, In Bruges, Mama Mia!, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

** For the love of all that is holy, please let In Bruges win. This was hands-down the most underappreciated movie of the year, and Colin Farrell was just amazing in it. Also, Mama Mia!?? SERIOUSLY?!?

Best Actor - Musical/Comedy: Javier Bardem (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Colin Farrell (In Bruges), James Franco (Pineapple Express), Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges), Dustin Hoffman (Last Chance Harvey)

Best Actress - Musical/Comedy: Rebecca Hall (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Sally Hawkins (Happy Go Lucky), Frances McDormand (Burn After Reading), Meryl Streep (Mamma Mia), Emma Thompson (Last Chance Harvey)

Best Supporting Actor: Tom Cruise (Tropic Thunder), Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder), Ralph Fiennes (The Duchess), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt), Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)

** Anyone but Tom Cruise. Anyone but Tom Cruise.

Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams (Doubt), Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Viola Davis (Doubt), Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler), Kate Winslet (The Reader)

Best Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire), David Hare (The Reader), Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon), Eric Roth (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), John Patrick Shanley (Doubt)

Best Television Drama: Dexter, House, In Treatment, Mad Men, True Blood

** No contest. Mad Men should win everything. Including Best Animation. It's that good. And -- True Blood?!? What?

Best Actor - Television Drama: Gabriel Byrne (In Treatment), Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Hugh Laurie (House), Jonathan Rhys Meyers (The Tudors)

** Jon Hamm. Jon Hamm. Jon Hamm.

Best Actress - Television Drama: Sally Field (Brothers & Sisters), Mariska Hargitay (Law and Order: Special Victims Unit), January Jones (Mad Men), Anna Paquin (True Blood), Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer)

** I don't really care who wins this category, but, as much as I love Mad Men, I'm still not entirely comfortable with January Jones's performance as Betty Draper (though she is certainly getting better). Let me just say -- anyone but Anna Paquin. She is one of the most annoying actresses ever. She may be my female version of Nicolas Cage.

Best Television Musical/Comedy: 30 Rock, Californication, Entourage, The Office, Weeds

** This award will probably go to 30 Rock, though I don't think that Season 3 is nearly as stellar as the first two. Do the 2009 Golden Globes honor the fall seasons or the last completed seasons? Because where would Mad Men (which finished a couple of months ago) fit into that schedule? If it's about last season, my vote goes to 30 Rock, but if it's about current seasons, my vote goes to Californication. I thought the parallels of Hank and Lou Ashby were really top-notch, and I thoroughly enjoyed the second season shenanigans.

Best Actor - Television Musical/Comedy: Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Steve Carell (The Office), Kevin Connolly (Entourage), David Duchovny (Californication), Tony Shalhoub (Monk)

** Wait, didn't Alec Baldwin already win two Emmys for his performance on 30 Rock? Doesn't that assume that he's also been up twice for the Golden Globes? Thus, aren't these awards promoting the current season? In that case, my vote goes for David Duchovny. I think his performance is highly underrated.

Best Actress - Television Musical/Comedy: Christina Applegate (Samantha Who?), America Ferrera (Ugly Betty), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Debra Messing (The Starter Wife), Mary Louise Parker (Weeds)

** Let me explain: I love Tina Fey and I think she's amazing, but I don't consider her a comedic actress. I don't feel like she works to create her character; most of her character's development is on the page (such as her constant confessions and her biting wit), whereas Applegate's character, though existing on the worst show ever, is truly a Lucille Ball kind of character. She's fantastic.

Best Supporting Actor - Television: Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Denis Leary (Recount), Jeremy Piven (Entourage), Blair Underwood (In Treatment), Tom Wilkinson (John Adams)

Best Supporting Actress - Television: Eileen Atkins (Cranford), Laura Dern (Recount), Melissa George (In Treatment), Rachel Griffiths (Brothers & Sisters), Dianne Wiest (In Treatment)

** Anyone but Melissa George. She's like the opposite of King Midas -- any show she touches turns to crap.

a reminder about what really matters in life

While the world mourned Heath Ledger's death, news broke out that his father, Kim Ledger, was the executor of Heath's will and that some were concerned about his past financial mismanagement. But now there is some good news, not only for Heath's daughter Matilda but for humanity at large. The three actors who took on Heath's role in Terry Gilliam's upcoming Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus — Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell — have given their salaries to little Matilda.

Gilliam said, “They didn’t take money — it goes to Heath’s daughter. That’s extraordinary! And wonderful . . . and when you’re part of that, you think, ‘Ah, this is maybe why I went into the movies in the beginning. I thought it would be full of wonderful people.' And we’ve got a movie full of wonderful people who did extraordinary things to help.”

There is no way to spin this negatively. This is a truly beautiful thing.

potential possibilities for new batman villains

Yesterday, I was discussing Batman villains with my friend Tim. He was excited about the possibilities of Johnny Depp playing The Riddler and Philip Seymour Hoffman playing The Penguin. While I like both of these pairings, more so the latter, I think they're a bit obvious. (Plus, I would like for Depp to do fewer character roles. I enjoyed him in Chocolat and Blow just as much as Edward Scissorhands and Pirates of the Caribbean.) But Tim and I both agreed that Angelina Jolie is an awful choice for Catwoman. Which got me thinking... who would I like to see in these roles?


The Riddler: I read this on some web poll, and I thought it was funny but still realistic. Christopher Lloyd. He's a bit old for the part, but who says The Riddler needs to be young? (I honestly don't know; is there a reason he needs to be young?) He's kooky and plays crazy better than anyone, but he may be a little silly. I can't picture him doing a serious-Ledgeresque take on the role. What about... Hugo Weaving? The Riddler is a master of words, so perhaps this role would be too similar to his V for Vendetta role, but I do think he would be great in it. He's sinister looking and his voice is mesmerizing. Other names being thrown around (that I don't like at all) are Michael Emerson, David Tennant, Guy Pearce (who worked with Nolan on Momento), and Casey Affleck.

Really, I want someone like Gary Oldman in the role... but because The Riddler is so similar to The Joker, I'm wondering/hoping that Nolan moves on to explore other new characters. Film School Rejects gives a list of villains that should never be on film, so if Nolan stays away from Man-Bat, Crazy Quilt, and Calculator, Nolan should be okay. (And no, I'm not making up these names.) Den of Geek also has 25 villainous casting suggestions.

The Penguin: John Malkovich. Just give him a fat suit. Who says you need a rotund actor to play this role? I really have no clue on this one because I don't know The Penguin's MO or how he should be played. I just know that PSH is an obvious choice.


Catwoman: Originally I liked the idea of Charlize Theron, but I think she's just too sweet to play the multi-dimensional character, and I still haven't forgiven her for her performance in Aeon Flux (which I enjoyed well enough because the sci-fi story was decent, but she was horrible as a heroine). Now I've moved on to... drumroll please... Eva Green (Casino Royale, The Golden Compass). Since thinking of her name, I can't imagine anyone else in the role. She is sultry and dark, and her beauty is a mix between human realism and comic book idealism. She is a mixture of sugar and spice. I think she can play the dual nature of Catwoman's psyche (both feminine and gentle, masculine and dangerous) even better than Michelle Pfeiffer. She's six years younger than Bale, so they would be a good romantic match. There is so much in her eyes: the need to be loved, the need to needed, the need to create trouble. She's perfect. Christopher Campbell's list is one I highly disagree with, but Marion Cotillard could be interesting... and Den of Geek has some other good suggestions -- Tilda Swinton would be fantastic!

banksy unmasked?

I refuse to believe that one of my heroes, Banksy, has been unmasked. His paradoxical parodying of commercial culture has intrigued me for years (although he lost some esteem when the Jolie-Pitt team bought some of his works), and, although I think it is more likely that there are multiple Banksys, I refuse to believe that this artist is a tangible being. He's an idea. You can't unmask an idea. Shame on any reporters who seek out his identity. That's just anti-art.

[Side note: When I was in London last summer, I was unnerved by a man on the streets who was selling Banksy pieces. They were canvased photographic duplications, and it irritated me that a) Banksy would not receive any profit from them and that asshole would, and b) Banksy's work isn't meant to be sold. At a market, I looked at photographs of his public art, but I didn't buy any. They lacked the aura of the originals. His art was denied purpose in reproduction. Perhaps Banksy was planning on ironic commercial success, or at least chuckled maniacally when it happened, but I will have no part of that.]

the story of sunday rose

MSN.com has revealed why the couple chose Sunday Rose for a name, and it just makes me happy.

Nicole's dad, Dr. Antony Kidman, tells Australia's Daily Telegraph the appellation was inspired by the muse of famed Down Under artist Sidney Nolan.

"There was a lady named Sunday Reed who was a prominent patron of the arts in Victoria," explains Dr. Kidman. "I have read a bit about Sunday Reed and her husband John -- she was a key mover and shaker in the arts around the beginning of the century. The name Sunday struck me as being a nice name for a woman, so my wife and I mentioned it."

In early January, just before the Oscar winner confirmed she was expecting, she and Urban were snapped exiting a retrospective of Nolan's work at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

According to the paper, Nicole was quite taken with a Nolan quote written across a wall of the exhibit, which Keith wrote down: "When you are young you are given a good view of life, because of your closeness to birth."

And the name Rose comes from Urban's late grandmother. Sunday Rose is a personal name, specific to this couple, and there's a history behind picking it. And most interestingly, it references the arts. With these three aspects covered, I think Sunday Rose is a beautiful name.

pirates knocked up shrek

* Roman Polanski is going to be directing Pierce Brosnan and Nicolas Cage in The Ghost? Perhaps he is not familiar with Cage's work... I may have to write him a warning letter.

* Erik Davis of Cinematical.com did a review of WALL-E and loved it, of course. I have a soft spot for guys who get mushy about sci-fi.

* The long-awaited My Name is Bruce movie finally has a release date in October. It sounds like B-movie heaven. I saw Bruce Campbell speak about the movie two years ago while he was filming it, and he showed a fifteen minute clip that was amazing.

* Baracknophobia - the irrational fear of hope.

* Top 11 Naughtiest Animaniacs Moments. I think there are a whole lot more than 11...

i respect katherine heigl

Katherine Heigl - the conflicting and inconsistent Izzie from Grey's Anatomy - has taken herself out of the Emmy race. And people are abusing their rights of misinterpretation to paint her as a bad guy. They (the media) did this last year when Heigl told Vanity Fair that she thought Knocked Up was sexist and also when she judged the adulterous decisions Izzie was making on Grey's. In her defense...

How monotonous have the Emmys become these past few years? Does James Spader really need to be nominated every year? Will Michael C. Hall ever get the recognition he deserves for Dexter? And why even have a Best Actor in a Comedy? Just give the award to Alec Baldwin for 30 Rock (and show highlights from his performances instead of wasting time by listing a bunch of underused actors). I think it's remarkably noble and adult of Heigl to note that her material this season hasn't been particularly meaty - for her as an actress, a lover of her art; not for her as an actress, a greedy spotlight hogging starlight. The death of Denny was the most heartbreaking moment of television in recent years, and I - who never cries - went through a box of tissues. Heigl's delivery of "I changed my dress three times. I wanted to look nice" won her the Emmy. Story-wise, Izzie risked her career and developed a strong relationship with a patient, and she was actually given varying degrees of emotion to portray throughout the season. However, this past season, Izzie was one-dimensional and took up an affair with her best friend that didn't play out realistically. I don't think Heigl is complaining or insulting her writers, and I certainly don't think she is ungrateful since Grey's landed her new success after Roswell. I think she was just being honest as an artist. She's already won an Emmy; why not let others have the spotlight? James Spader should take notice...


And I love Heigl for her honesty when regarding her characters. I think society wants actors and actresses (mostly actresses...) to remain mum on their characters in order to form judgments on their own. And while that is nice, I think there are too many people who confuse fiction with reality. How many times have actors playing 'bad guys' been spat on or yelled at on the streets? Watch The Tonight Show and watch how many actors share stories like this. For Heigl to come and judge Izzie's actions is like saying, "Although I play this character, I am not this character. I don't agree with or condone cheating, and I'm trying to find an understanding of how my character could do such a thing." Again, she's not insulting the writers (who maintain a post-show analysis blog) or judging anyone - other than her character. It's part of an actor's job to dig deep within a character in order to understand their motives. And if anyone thinks Knocked Up isn't sexist, well, you weren't paying attention. The females were high maintenance and complained most of the time, but the appropriate response is not "It's not sexist!" but rather "Well, the men didn't look too great either..." The male characters were mostly potheads! With derogatory language. And they were lazy.

Perhaps people are just threatened by Heigl. She's beautiful and smart. And she's not afraid of having an opinion. Finally. I've been looking for an actress I can admire.