More Crap TV gets renewed while the brilliant Damages is in serious danger…

Today, NBC solidified their status as the big network of crap by renewing three of their reality filler shows, The Marriage Ref, Who Do You Think You Are and Minute to Win It. It’s just another sad state of affairs at the once renowned peacock network after the Jay-Conan debacle and a schedule full of disasters like Heroes and Trauma. Seriously, this was once the grand daddy network of brilliance in the 80′s and 90′s with hits ranging from The Cosby Show to Cheers, Seinfeld, Friends, ER, Frasier and Will & Grace. Oh how far they have fallen when they have to rely on cheap mindless crap to keep the network afloat. And yes, they already renewed Donald Trump’s revolting
Apprentice franchise for another cycle. It’s no wonder so many discerning viewers continue to flock to ABC or cable for quality programming.

However, one cable show that is brilliant is struggling. FX‘s Emmy winning Damages remains a long shot for renewal due to abysmal ratings. It’s a shame because the show is on fire with wonderful and intelligent storytelling and award worthy performances from Emmy Winer Glenn Close, Emmy nominee Rose Byrne and new standouts this season Campbell Scott and Martin Short. Check out the show now and let’s hope the rumors of DirecTV rescuing Damages are true.

In the meantime, at least we still have some great shows to revel in like Nurse Jackie, Modern Family, Glee and the soon to be dearly departed Lost.

A Little Advice for Hollywood…

With news that Hollywood is amping up remakes of Conan the Barbarian starring a random from Baywatch, a 5th Fast & Furious movie, a new Hawaii Five-O series and another go round with Alvin and the Chipmunks, it’s become abundantly clear that the entertainment world is in need of some serious new ideas. Now, for every reboot that works like Star Trek, there’s a massive failure like Land of the Lost. So, I think La La Land needs to be a little more selective in its projects and the stars they throw together hoping for a hit. With that said, here’s a couple tidbits of advice that might help you out, Hollywood…

~Stop trying to make these people movie stars: Jessica Biel, Dane Cook, and sad as I am to say it Jennifer Aniston. Jen, I love ya, but it’s time to return to the small screen like your other best friends. I don’t think any of us will be able to suffer through The Bounty Hunter…

~ Don’t let the success of one Jersey Shore lead to mass production of more reality spinoffs with its “stars”. It’s hard enough to handle Snookie, The Situation, etc. once a week…  Seriously, MTV, you are to blame for Speidi, Lauren Conrad and Audrina Patridge. ‘Nuff Said.

~Speaking of spinoffs, stop with all the crime procedurals spinoffs. We have 3 CSI’s, 3 Law & Orders, 2 NCIS‘s and now a second Criminal Minds is on the way… enough is enough.

~Don’t re-release Avatar in the summer. Hasn’t this cash cow Pocahontas in space rip off sucked the public’s bank account dry already? Is the 12 minutes of extra footage really gonna be that amazing?

~Stop with the corporate cookie cutter committee movie making already. It only produces results like The Wolfman, The Ugly Truth and Cop Out.

~Don’t go forward with the proposed Gilligan’s Island movie? I mean really? How on Earth can that work?

~Cast Betty White in everything. She rescued The Proposal, is a national treasure and will be the oldest host of SNL in May! The kids even love her.

~ Find the original and daring ideas for new TV shows that push the envelope like Glee, Damages, Nurse Jackie, and Lost.

~ Enough with Kristen Stewart. Not only is she a bad actress (have you seen the god awful Twilight films?), but she is a just a pill on talk shows and the red carpet. She seems ungrateful for her success and I just don’t get the appeal. Also, she clearly has no box office weight outside of the Twilight series (witness her box office duds The Yellow Hankerchief and Adventureland, etc.)

And there you have it, just a few suggestions for the future of Hollywood. Do you agree? What else would you recommend? Sound off below.

Shows you should be watching…

So, we all know I’m obsessed with television and several of my favorite shows are big hits like Lost, Glee, American Idol, The Good Wife, House, 24, Greys Anatomy and 30 Rock to name a few.  However, there are a lot of hidden TV gems out there that dont get the attention they deserve. Some are critically acclaimed  (Damages), some are a laugh riot (Parks and Recreation) and some are just a guilty pleasure (Human Target). So, to honor these shows, I thought I’d give you a list of the TV Shows You Should be Watching… and I mean like today! I’m also including their websites so you can see where to view them online… Enjoy and catch up fast, because there is some seriously good (Southland) and fabulous (Rupaul’s Drag Race) stuff going on out there…

Damgaes (FX): It’s a twisty legal murder mystery thriller with amazing performances by Emmy winner Glenn Close, Emmy nominee Rose Byrne and fantastic new cast-members Martin Short, Campbell Scott and Lily Tomlin (in a wig you just have to see to believe).

http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/damages/

Rupaul’s Drag Race (Logo): Rupaul is back for season 2 with a host of fierce and crazy drag queens. The show is like a mix of Project Runway and America’s Next Top Model with a bevy of outrageous drag beauties. Seriously, it’s the best time you’ll have in front of the tube all week.

http://www.logotv.com/shows/rupauls_drag_race/season_2/series.jhtml

Human Target (Fox): Mark Valley plays a bodyguard for hire in this humorous and action packed adventure series. He’s assisted by great turns from Pushing Daisies’ Chi McBride and former Oscar nominee (and the new Freddie Krueger) Jackie Earle Hayley.

http://www.fox.com/humantarget/

Southland (TNT): this LA based cop drama stars Regina King (Ray) and Benjamin McKenzie (of The O.C.) and a great ensemble in a tense and realistic program that brings the crime of the streets right into your home. Thank goodness TNT rescued this show from NBC after they callously dumped it last year.

http://www.tnt.tv/series/southland/

Nurse Jackie (Showtime): returning this month for a second season, Nurse Jackie follows Edie Falco’s flawed and pill-popping nurse at home and at work. She’s hilarious and has great support from a diverse group of coworkers and her stable husband and two daughters. Falco erases all memories of Carmella Soprano in this dynamite dramatic comedy. She has to be considered the early front-runner for the Emmy this fall for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

http://www.sho.com/site/nursejackie/home.do

Parks and Recreation (NBC): after a shaky start last season, this wacky comedy has really found its stride this year with a strong hilarious ensemble and a brilliant front woman in another likely Emmy contender, Amy Poehler. It often outshines its Thursday night peer The Office as well.

http://www.nbc.com/parks-and-recreation/

Cougar Town (ABC): A third contender for that Emmy comes in the form of Courtney Cox-Arquette in her comeback series (I’m erasing all memories of Dirt thank you) the hilarious and surprisingly heart-warming Cougar Town. Aided by a ton of strong comedy vets like Busy Phillips and Ian Gomez, Cox-Arquettes has found comic gold and the show gets better with each week. Seriously, why aren’t more of the masses who enjoy the funniest show on tv, Modern Family, staying tuned to this great comedy?

http://abc.go.com/shows/cougar-town

And those shows are just the tip of the ice berg. I could add V, The New Adventures of Old Christine (yes, it’s still on and it’s a riot), Ugly Betty (in its fantastic final season), and Caprica to name a few. So, check them out. I bet you’ll enjoy them as much as I do, and report back.

Enjoy the shows!