NBC Starts from Scratch with it’s New 2013 Fall Schedule

NBC had a crazy year this past season with a strong start in the fall, a disastrous winter and a slight recovery in the spring. However, most of the success was due to The Voice and the network cancelled a ton of its new shows from last season except for Revolution and Chicago Fire. That meant buh bye to the fantastic The New Normal plus Matthew Perry’s Go On, Deception, 1600 Penn, Animal Practice, Do No Harm, and Guys With Kids. But the network also dumped my favorite guilty pleasure Smash along with sophomores Whitney, and Up All Night. It was also the final season for 30 Rock and The Office. So, essentially NBC only has two returning sitcoms, Parks and Recreation and Community (for a final 13 episode season), the least it’s had in years. So, they are starting from scratch and turning to some big names like Michael J. Fox and Sean Hayes who will both return to the Thursday night comedy block alongside Welcome to the Family and Parenthood. Take a look at the full new schedule below and descriptions of the new shows. Plus for previews of the shows, and more information, head to NBC or TVLine.com.

NBC’s 2013 Fall Schedule:

MONDAY
8/7c The Voice
10 pm THE BLACKLIST (new crime drama starring James Spader as one of the world’s elite criminals helping out the FBI. It actually looks fantastic.)

TUESDAY
8 pm The Biggest Loser
9 pm The Voice
10 pm Chicago Fire

WEDNESDAY
8 pm Revolution
9 pm Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
10 pm IRONSIDE (a new remake of the 60′s police drama starring Blair Underwood)

THURSDAY
8 pm Parks and Recreation
8:30 pm WELCOME TO THE FAMILY (A blended family comedy with Mike O’Malley, Ricardo Antonio Chivera, Justina Machado and Mary McCormack whose teenage kids get pregnant and engaged.)
9 pm SEAN SAVES THE WORLD (A multi-camera comedy starring Emmy winner Sean Hayes as a gay man reconnecting with his 14-year-old daughter and dealing with his hectic work life.) * Judging from the first clips, this looks hilarious and it’s the new show I’m most looking forward to.
9:30 pm THE MICHAEL J. FOX SHOW (A new single camera show starring Fox as a family man yearning to get back to the work world after taking time to be with his kids and deal with his Parkinson’s diagnosis.)
10 pm Parenthood

FRIDAY
8 pm Dateline NBC
9 pm Grimm
10 pm DRACULA (A period drama about the famous bloodsucker starring Jonathan Rhys-Meyers)

SATURDAY
Encore programming

SUNDAY
7 pm Football Night in America
8:15 pm NBC Sunday Night Football

SUNDAY (Post-football/Winter 2013)
7 pm Dateline NBC
8 pm Nate Berkus’ AMERICAN DREAM BUILDERS (Reality)
9 pm BELIEVE (A new drama about a young girl with mysterious powers and the people who are hunting her with Kyle MacLachlan.)
10 pm CRISIS (A new thriller about an international conspiracy starring Gillian Anderson and Dermot Mulroney)

On tap for midseason: the return of Community plus new comedies About a Boy (based on the hit British indie film), The Family Guide, and Undateable. New dramas include Crossbones with John Malkovich, the Chicago Fire spinoff Chicago PD, and the hospital drama The Night Shift.

No word on the fate of Hannibal or The Celebrity Apprentice yet.

Cancelled: Go On, The New Normal, Smash, Whitney, Guys with Kids, Animal Practice, 1600 Penn, Up All Night, Do No Harm, Deception, Rock Center with Brian Williams
Final Season: 30 Rock, The Office

My Take on the Best TV of 2012

The year is coming to an end fast and that means it’s time for “Best of” lists! I love them and admit it, a lot of you do too… So, in the next few weeks, I will be posting about my favorite music, movies, performances and tv shows from the past year. Now, remember these are just my favorites and I do think most of them are darn great shows. So, with that said, today I start off with my “BEST of TV for 2012″. Enjoy!

MY BEST OF TV for 2012

Top Comedies:
1. Happy Endings
2. Modern Family
3. Parks and Recreation
4. Hot in Cleveland
5. Episodes
6. New Girl
7. Raising Hope
8. TIE: The New Normal  & Suburgatory
9. Veep
10. Nurse Jackie
~Honorable Mention:  30 Rock, Web Therapy

Two Favorite Shows that Really Are in a Class By Themselves~ Yes, I love me a Musical Dramedy:
Glee
Smash

Top Dramas:
1. Homeland
2. Breaking Bad
3. The Good Wife
4. Game of Thrones
5. Downton Abbey
6. Dexter
7. Scandal
8. Greys Anatomy
9. Fringe
10. Revenge
~ Honorable Mention: True Blood, Damages, Major Crimes

Best Miniseries: Political Animals (It so should’ve been renewed and become a series! Great work from Greg Berlanti, Sigourney Weaver and co.)

Best TV Movie: Game Change

Top 8 Reality Competition Shows:
1. So You Think You Can Dance
2. RuPaul’s Drag Race
3. The Glee Project
4. American Idol
5. Project Runway
6. The Amazing Race
7. Top Chef
8. The Voice (the fall season til Amanda Brown got the boot)

Most fun show you should be watching: Arrow

Comedy You Should Give Another Shot: Guys with Kids
(Seriously, the show gets funnier each week with a great ensemble and hello, I’m doing a guest spot on it in January!!!)

Most infuriating show I couldn’t stop watching: The Newsroom

Show that was Gone Far Too Soon: Partners

Dream Team to Host a Talk Show: Cat Deeley and RuPaul

Hottest Male Actor: Matt Bomer (White Collar)
Runner Up: Stephen Amell (Arrow)

Hottest Female Actress: Yvonne Strahovksi (Dexter)
Runner Up: Kerry Washington (Scandal)

Best Guest Stars: The Good Wife
Best Twists: Scandal
Best Creative Rebound: Dexter

Biggest Tearjerker: Greys Anatomy
Runner Up: Glee

Funniest Female: Casey Wilson (Happy Endings)
Funniest Male: Max Greenfield (New Girl)

Best Daytime Drama: Days of Our Lives
* and watch for me on the show in a small part in February!

2013 Show I’m Most Looking Forward To: The Following

“Breaking Bad” and “Modern Family” Dominate the Writers Guild TV Award Nominations

It’s another day, another list of award nominations. Following last night’s Grammy Award nominations, today the Writers Guild of America announced their nominations for the best in television writing for the past year. (FYI~ their film nominees will be announced in a few weeks and the ceremony will be in February)…. Leading the way today was Breaking Bad with a whopping 5 nominations and Modern Family with 4 nods. Grabbing 2 nods apiece were Homeland, Mad Men, Parks and Recreation, Girls and 30 Rock… Take a look at the major nominees below and head to the WGA website for more info here.

2012 Writers Guild TV Award Nominations~

Drama Series:
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Game of Thrones
Homeland
Mad Men

Comedy Series:
30 Rock
Girls
Louie
Modern Family
Parks and Recreation

New Series:
Girls
The Mindy Project
Nashville
The Newsroom
Veep

Individual Episode Drama:
“Buyout” (Breaking Bad), Written by Gennifer Hutchison; AMC
“Dead Freight” (Breaking Bad), Written by George Mastras; AMC
“Fifty-One” (Breaking Bad), Written by Sam Catlin; AMC
“New Car Smell” (Homeland), Written by Meredith Stiehm; Showtime
“The Other Woman” (Mad Men), Written by Semi Chellas and Matthew Weiner; AMC
“Say My Name” (Breaking Bad), Written by Thomas Schnauz; AMC

Individual Episode Comedy:
“The Debate” (Parks and Recreation), Written by Amy Poehler; NBC
“Episode 9” (Episodes), Written by David Crane & Jeffrey Klarik; Showtime
“Leap Day” (30 Rock), Written by Luke Del Tredici; NBC
“Little Bo Bleep” (Modern Family), Written by Cindy Chupack; ABC
“Mistery Date” (Modern Family), Written by Jeffrey Richman; ABC
“Virgin Territory” (Modern Family), Written by Elaine Ko; ABC

Long Form Original:
Hatfields and McCoys (Nights Two and Three)
Hemingway & Gelhorn
Political Animals (Pilot)

Long Form- Adapted
Coma
Game Change

Animation:
“A Farewell to Arms” (Futurama), Written by Josh Weinstein; Comedy Central
“Forget-Me-Not” (Family Guy), Written by David A. Goodman; Fox
“Holidays of Future Passed” (The Simpsons), Written by J. Stewart Burns; Fox
“Ned and Edna’s Blend Agenda” (The Simpsons), Written by Jeff Westbrook; Fox
“Treehouse of Horror XXIII” (The Simpsons), Written by David Mandel & Brian Kelley; Fox

Comedy/Variety/Talk Series:
The Colbert Report
Conan
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Key & Peele
Portlandia
Real Time with Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live

Comedy/Variety Special:
66th Annual Tony Awards
2012 Independent Spirit Awards
After the Academy Awards
National Memorial Day Concert

Daytime Drama:
Days of Our Lives
One Life to live
The Young & the Restless

They’re Here… My Big Bold 2012 Emmy WINNER Predictions…

Sunday night is TV’s biggest night as the Emmy Awards are announced on ABC in a ceremony hosted by a nominee himself, the hilarious Jimmy Kimmel… If history is any indication, Mad Men and Modern Family will repeat as the Drama and Comedy winners. However, I have a feeling we are in for a shakeup this year, especially on the Drama side. It’s the most competitive year in ages with four drama series all boasting a strong shot to win while we should see some new comedy acting winners as well… With that said, take a look at my big bold Emmy winner predictions below and watch the big show Sunday night!

 

My Big Bold 2012 Emmy Award Winner Predictions~

Drama Series:
Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Homeland, Mad Men
Will win: Downton Abbey
Should win: Breaking Bad
~ spoiler: Homeland
* this category is fierce. I feel like Mad Men will finally lose the crown, but I won’t be surprised if it grabs one more victory. However, Abbey appeals to all demos of the voting group and should prevail over the classic but violent and dark Bad. If those three all split the vote, the very deserving Homeland or the big winner from the Creative Arts ceremony, Game of Thrones, could pull an upset.

Comedy Series:
30 Rock, The Big Bang Theory, Girls Louie, Modern Family, Veep
Will & Should win: Modern Family
~ spoiler: The Big Bang Theory
* where on Earth is Parks and Recreation in this lineup??!!

Lead Actor Drama:
Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), Steven Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Damian Lewis (Homeland)
Will & Should win: Bryan Cranston (you just can’t deny him)
~spoiler: Damian Lewis

Lead Actress Drama:
Kathy Bates (Harry’s Law), Glenn Close (Damages), Clare Danes (Homeland), Michelle Dockrey (Downton Abbey), Juliana Marguiles (The Good Wife), Elizabeth Moss (Mad Men)
Will & Should win: Clare Danes (this is the night’s most obvious winner. She has it by a mile)
~ spoiler: if I have to pick one… Juliana Marguiles

Lead Actor Comedy Series:
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Don Cheadle (House of Lies), Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men), Louie C.K. (Louie), Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
Will win: Jim Parsons
Should win: Garrett Dillahaunt (Raising Hope) or Adam Scott (Parks and Rec), but they weren’t nominated, blergh!
~spoiler: Jon Cryer (don’t underestimate this guy and he has a funny tape)

Lead Actress Comedy:
Zooey Deschanel (New Girl), Lena Dunham (Girls), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Julia Louis Dreyfuss (Veep), Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation), Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly)
Will win: Julia Louis Dreyfuss (and a very deserving winner at that)
Should win: Amy Poehler (it was her best season yet. She was hilarious and heartwarming but Dreyfuss may just slide by her in the tightest race of the night)
~spoiler: Zooey Deschanel

Supporting Actor Drama Series:
Jim Carter (Downton Abbey), Brendan Coyle (Downton Abbey), Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), Jared Harris (Mad Men), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)
Will & Should win: Giancarlo Esposito
~spoiler: Peter Dinklage

Supporting Actress Drama:
Christine Baranski (The Good Wife), Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey), Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad), Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), Archie Penjabi (The Good Wife), Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)
Will win: Maggie Smith
Should win: Anna Gunn
~ spoiler: Christina Hendricks

Supporting Actor Comedy:
Ty Burrell (Modern Family), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family), Max Greenfield (New Girl), Bill Hader (Saturday Night Live), Ed O’Neil (Modern Family), Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
Will & Should win: Max Greenfield (and he will likely split the Modern Family vote)
~spoiler: Ed O’Neil (he seems like the Modern Family choice this year even though Jesse Tyler Ferguson had the strongest season)

Supporting Actress Comedy:
Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory), Julie Bowen (Modern Family), Kathryn Joosten (Desperate Housewives), Sofia Vergara (Modern Family), Merritt Weaver (Nurse Jackie), Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live)
Will win: Sofia Vergara
Should win: Kristen Wiig
~spoiler: Kristen Wiig or Julie Bowen
* this one should be close with any of them having a shot at the win except for the delightful Weaver or the dearly departed Joosten whose nomination is the prize.

Reality Competition Series:
The Amazing Race, Dancing with the Stars, Project Runway, So You Think You Can Dance, Top Chef, The Voice
Will win: The Amazing Race
Should win: So You Think You Can Dance
~spoiler: Top Chef

Reality Competition Host:
Tom Bergeron (Dancing with the Stars), Cat Deeley (So You Think You Can Dance), Phil Koeghan (The Amazing Race), Ryan Seacrest (American Idol), Betty White (Off Your Rockers)
Will & Should win: Cat Deeley
~spoiler: Ryan Seacreset

Made for TV Movie/Miniseries:
American Horror Story, Game Change, The Hatfields & the McCoys, Hemingway & Gelhorn, Luther, Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia
Will & Should win: Game Change
~ spoiler: American Horror Story

Lead Actor TV Movie/Miniseries:
Kevin Costner (Hatfields & McCoys), Benedict Cumberpatch (Sherlock), Idris Elba (Luther), Woody Harrelson (Game Change), Clive Owen (Hemingway & Gelhorn), Bill Paxton (Hatfields & McCoys)
Will & Should win: Woody Harrelson
~ spoiler: Bill Paxton

Lead Actress TV Movie/Miniseries:
Connie Britton (American Horror Story), Ashley Judd (Missing), Nicole Kidman (Hemingway & Gelhorn), Julianne Moore (Game Change), Emma Thompson (The Song of Lunch)
Will & Should win: Julianne Moore
~ spoiler: Nicole Kidman

Supporting Actor TV Movie/Miniseries:
Tom Berenger (Hatfields & McCoys), Martin Freeman (Sherlock), Ed Harris (Game Change), Denis O’Hare (American Horror Story), David Strathairn (Hemingway & Gelhorn)
Will win: Ed Harris
Should win: Denis O’Hare
~spoiler: Tom Berenger

Supporting Actress TV Movie/Miniseries:
Frances Conroy (American Horror Story), Judy Davis (Page Eight), Jessica Lange (American Horror Story), Sarah Paulson (Game Change), Mare Winningham (Hatfields & McCoys)
Will win: Jessica Lange (she pretty much has it in the bag)
Should win: Sarah Paulson

And there you have it… my big bold Emmy winner predictions… Do you agree? Am I crazy? Let me know and watch the big show on Sunday night.

Some Thoughts on Today’s Emmy Nominations…

So, today we saw several of the usual and deserving suspects grab multiple Emmy nominations like Modern Family, Breaking Bad and Mad Men. However, there were some big surprises and some upsetting snubs… Let’s take a look at some of those.

Good Surprises:

~ The Acting Love for Downton Abbey with Michelle Dockery (Mary), Hugh Bonneville (Lord Granville), Joanne Froggat (Anna), Brendan Coyle (Mr. Carson), and Jim Carter (Mr. Bates) all grabbing nods alongside last year’s winner Maggie Smith.
~ Anna Gunn finally grabbing a nod for Breaking Bad
~ Martha Plimpton getting a nod for The Good Wife despite being snubbed for Raising Hope
~ Veep getting nominated for Comedy Series. I thought only Julia Louis Dreyfuss would be recognized, so I’m thrilled
~ Max Greenfield, the standout performer on New Girl, joined his show’s star Zooey Deschanel with a nomination
~ Merrit Weaver finally getting a nomination for her hysterical work on Nurse Jackie … and yay for Edie Falco still getting recognized for her wonderful work too in one of the show’s best seasons.
~ Margaret Cho getting a nod for her side-splittingly hilarious work on 30 Rock
~ the continued love for Cat Deeley and So You Think You Can Dance
~ Jean Smart grabbing a nod for her brilliant turn on the cancelled Harry’s Law (joining the show’s star Kathy Bates who also grabbed a nod for her guest turn on Two and A Half Men)

I’m also very pleased in general with the nominations for Homeland, Breaking Bad, Modern Family, Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig, Game Change, Dot Marie Jones, Game of Thrones and all the actors from The Good Wife.

Now the bad…

~ Girls getting nods for series and star Lena Dunham. While I appreciate that Dunham is not your usual tv star, I despise this self-satisfied horribly unfunny show and its unlikable characters
~ The Voice got a nod over American Idol? That’s a tragedy!
~ Jon Cryer, Don Cheadle and Larry David all got nods over Parks & Recreation’s fantastic Adam Scott? That’s not right!
~ Boardwalk Empire‘s nods, ugh… They should rename it BOREDwalk Empire

And now the shocking snubs….

~ Where the hell is Parks and Recreation in Comedy Series and double, where the hell is Nick Offerman in Supporting Actor Comedy
~ So many Glee snubs, but the biggest were for Chris Colfer, Jane Lynch and guest star Matt Bomer... I guess the industry is no longer singing their tune…
~ Where in the world is The Good Wife for Drama Series?!!!
~ Former nominees left out in the cold: John Slattery (Mad Men), Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Betty White (Hot in Cleveland), Jane Krakowski (30 Rock), Alan Cumming (The Good Wife), Josh Charles (The Good Wife), Laura Linney (The Big C), Mirielle Enos (The Killing), Michelle Forbes (The Killing) and Hugh Laurie (House) who will sadly never have won for his iconic character.

There are tons more omissions that are upsetting like Lena Heady (Game of Thrones), John Noble and Anna Torv (Fringe), the rest of the cast of The Killing and the show for that matter, Happy Endings and its stars Casey Wilson and Damon Wayans Jr, everyone on GCB, Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter), Matthew Perry and Carrie Preston‘s guest work on The Good Wife, Megan Hilty (Smash), Jeff Perry and Kerry Washinton (Scandal), RuPaul and RuPaul’s Drag Race and on and on…. I’m sure I’ve missed a bunch, but my head is spinning as it is… For more on Emmy’s snubs, multiple nominees (Poehler, Dunham, Bates, Michael J. Fox and more), statistics and interesting facts, head to Deadline Hollywood here and let me know who your thoughts on the nominations below.

NBC goes for Laughs with its new 2012 Fall Schedule

NBC has been mired in the ratings cellar for several years now, but with their new fall schedule, they are hoping to return to their 80′s and 90′s glory days. How are they gonna do it? Well, apparently, they are hoping to become the kings of comedy again. They did it with shows like Cheers, Seinfeld, Friends, Frasier, The Cosby Show, The Golden Girls and Will & Grace. So, why not make a big play with 4 nights of comedy programming, Tuesday thru Friday? That’s what they will be doing by bringing back Community, Up All Night, Whitney (what?!) and 30 Rock  (in its final season) for 13 more episodes plus full seasons of The Office (with all the stars returning except for James Spader and Mindy Kaling who has a new sitcom on Fox) and Parks and Recreation. They will add 4 more comedies to the mix: Go On starring Matthew Perry as a sportscaster, Animal Kingdom with Justin Kirk as a House-like veterinarian, Guys with Kids from producer Jimmy Fallon and The New Normal with Justin Bartha and Tony nominee Andrew Rannells (The Book of Mormon) as a gay couple who enlist a surrogate to help them start a family. The latter comedy is from Ryan Murphy (Glee, American Horror Story) and costars Tony winner Ellen Barkin and looks like a riot. I can’t wait…
The network also has 3 more comedies for mid-season with Save Me starring Anne Heche, 1600 Penn (a comedy set at the White House) and Next Caller about a foul-mouthed DJ played by Dane Cook. Dramas joining later in the year are Infamous and Hannibal (yes, that’s about Hannibal Lecter!)
Also on the drama side, NBC has added Revolution, Do No Harm and Chicago Fire. Revolution will follow a new fall edition of The Voice which will now air twice a year essentially turning it into a singing version of Dancing with the Stars or Survivor, and thus further reducing the likelihood of ever producing a true music hit maker. (But it can still get good rating for the network that has such a low bar)… Also returning will be the musical drama Smash at midseason (so it can air 18 episodes uninterrupted) along with a newly reconfigured The Biggest Loser.... Cancelled shows include Awake, The Firm, Harry’s Law (boo!!!), Are You There Chelsea, Bent and Best Friends Forever. For more on the new shows and clips of them, head to TV Line here. And check out NBC’s new fall schedule below.

MONDAY
8-10 p.m. – “The Voice”
10-11 p.m. – “REVOLUTION”

TUESDAY
8-9 p.m. – “The Voice”
9-9:30 p.m. – “GO ON”
9:30-10 p.m. – “THE NEW NORMAL”
10-11 p.m. – “Parenthood”

WEDNESDAY
8-8:30 p.m. – “ANIMAL PRACTICE”
8:30-9 p.m. – “GUYS WITH KIDS”
9-10 p.m. – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
10-11 p.m. – “CHICAGO FIRE”

THURSDAY
8-8:30 p.m. – “30 Rock”
8:30-9 p.m. – “Up All Night”
9-9:30 p.m. – “The Office”
9:30-10 p.m. – “Parks and Recreation”
10-11 p.m. – “Rock Center with Brian Williams”

FRIDAY
8-8:30 p.m. – “Whitney”
8:30-9 p.m. – “Community”
9-10 p.m. – “Grimm”
10-11 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”

SATURDAY
Encore programming

SUNDAY (Fall 2012)
7- 8:15 p.m. — “Football Night in America”
8:15-11:30 p.m. — “NBC Sunday Night Football”

SUNDAY (Post-football/Winter 2013)
7-8 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”
8-9 p.m. – “Fashion Star”
9-10 p.m. – “The Celebrity Apprentice”
10-11 p.m. – “DO NO HARM”

The Stars of NBC take you to Broadway!

NBC is pretty much an unmitigated disaster area these days. Despite having two of the best and award-winning comedies on television. 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation, the network is mired at the bottom of the ratings heap. However, they are hoping two new rays of light will save the network, the singing competition show The Voice and the new Broadway musical show Smash. I think those two shows are a fantastic start. While The Voice grew into a disastrous mess last year, it was quite fun to watch and the judges are very entertaining. Plus they will be adding great mentors like Lionel Richie, Miranda Lambert, Alanis Morissette and Kelly Clarkson (hello defecting from her alma matter!) to the mix; so, I’m cautiously optimistic…. And looking at the new show Smash, I’m overjoyed. The pilot is wonderful, hilarious, moving and intoxicating with a great cast (Debra Messing, Angelica Huston, Katharine McPhee and  Wicked’s Megan Hilty to name a few) tackling the making of a new Broadway musical. I gave the pilot an “A” grade and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
So, with both of those shows in mind, the NBC brass is taking to the Broadway stage again to publicize its shows. Check out this fantastic promo (airing during today’s Super Bowl) which features the stars of the network’s shows from The Office to SNL, Parenthood and beyond singing “The Brotherhood of Man” from the current hit revival of How to Succeed in Business without Trying. Enjoy it below and catch the season premiere of Smash tomorrow night at 10pm on NBC.

NBC “Brotherhood of Man” Promo

Fall on your Face Funny from “Parks and Recreation”

One of the funniest shows on television is undoubtedly Parks and Recreation and it’s easily NBC’s best sitcom (no disrespect to the hilarious 30 Rock by the way). Not only was I lucky enough to appear in an episode in season 3 (“Go Big or Go Home”) but I’m a huge fan and last night’s episode was a riot. I just need to show you one clip and you’ll agree. Please enjoy Golden Globe nominee Amy Poehler and the cast of Parks and Recreation. You will never be able to hear Gloria Estefan‘s “Get On Your Feet” without falling over in hysterics again.

Parks and Recreation (clip from 1/12/12)

My 2011 TV Recap!

Well, the year is finally over and it’s been a pretty good one on the ole boob tube. We had the return of a juicy soap to the airwaves (Revenge), the rise of the resurgent miniseries (Downton Abbey, Mildred Pierce, The Kennedys), and the continuing comedy renaissance (Modern Family, Parks and Recreation, etc). All in all, I had a lot to watch. And here are my rankings of my favorite shows of the year… plus a few musings on 2011′s TV Landscape…

Top Ten Dramas:
1. Breaking Bad
2. Homeland
3. The Good Wife
4. Game of Thrones
5. The Killing
6. Revenge
7. Dexter
8. Fringe
9. True Blood
10. The Closer
Honorable Mention: Southland, Grey’s Anatomy

Top Ten Comedies:
1. Modern Family
2. Happy Endings
3. Parks and Recreation
4. Hot in Cleveland
5. Glee (yes, I still loooooove it and this season has been great!)
6. 30 Rock
7. Cougar Town
8. Nurse Jackie
9. New Girl
10. Raising Hope
Honorable Mention: The Big C, Suburgatory

Top 5 Reality/Competition Shows:
1. So You Think You Can Dance
2. RuPaul’s Drag Race
3. Project Runway
4. American Idol
5. Top Chef

Show I should watch but have never seen: Justified … (I know, I’m terrible!)

Most Improved Show: American Idol … (wow, they turned around that sinking ship with good judge additions and, more importantly, some great talent~ Pia, Haley, Lauren… and ok, Scotty was decent too… and he’s turned into a massive music selling machine!)

Most Underrated Miniseries: The Kennedys … (It was super entertaining with great performances by Tom Wilkinson, Diana Hardcastle, Greg Kinnear and Emmy winner Barry Pepper)

Most Underrated TV Movie: Cinema Verite… (Diane Lane was simply brilliant in this exploration of the first “reality” TV family)

BEST SNL Host: Melissa McCarthy …. (“There’s a Hidden Valley Ranch Party in my mouth”)

Show I finally quit: Survivor … (the former contestants are annoying and OMG, Redemption Island is neither redemptive, nor an island… buh bye)

Best Reality Host: Cat Deeley of So You Think You Can Dance… (no one even comes close. She shoulda won the Emmy)

Show I really enjoy when I finally get around to watching it: Harry’s Law

Show I just couldn’t get into: American Horror Story (creeeeeeeeeeeepy!)

Most Unfortunately Boring Show: The Borgias

Hottest Actor on TV: Matt Bomer (White Collar)
Runner-up: Alexander Skarsgaard (True Blood)

Hottest Actress on TV: Naya Rivera (Glee)
Runner-up: Amber Heard (The Playboy Club… shut up, it was kinda a fun show for a minute!)

Show I will miss even though it was on forever (ahem 10 seasons that is): Smallville

Most Disappointing Show of 2011: The Voice… (after a great start with the blind auditions, the show turned into a mess… and the judges were way more interesting than the talent… I am cautiously optimistic for the second season though)

WORST SHOW OF 2011: The X Factor…. (It’s simply a disaster. It’s the most overproduced, manipulated, annoying competition show I’ve ever seen…. These singers aren’t stars and don’t try to act like they are before they’ve proven anything…. The judges are ridiculous. Nicole is a puppet… The host is hot but boring… The dancers, videos, graphics and lights make me wanna shoot myself… And only one of the finalists was any good… They have a lot to fix for next year).

Most Anticipated show of 2012: Smash… (I can’t wait for this new musical drama about the making of a Broadway show starring Oscar winner Angelica Huston, Emmy winner Debra Messing, Tony nominee Christian Borle, Broadway diva Megan Hilty and former American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee).

Smash trailer

Other Shows I’m excited for in 2012: Awake, The Bitch in Apt. 23, and Scandal (yes, I did a little guest spot on that one)

So, what were your favorites on the tube this year? Lemme know below, and here’s to great TV in 2012!

Bridesmaids is the Big Surprise in the AFI Top Ten

This week marks a big week for Awards watcher as the nominees for the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, and Critic’s Choice Awards will all be unveiled. Along that way are all the critic’s groups awards and today the AFI weighed in with their top movies and TV shows of the year…. And there was one awesome surprise: Bridesmaids. The raucous female comedy was a huge hit and is seriously amping up its awards cred. It’s a big contender for the SAG ensemble award and Melissa McCarthy is becoming a serious threat in the Supporting Actress race. (She and the cast just picked up wins from the New York Online Film Critics). Watch for it to nab 3 Globe nominations for Picture (Musical/Comedy), Actress Musical/Comedy (Kristen Wiig) and Supporting Actress (McCarthy)later this week…. In the meantime, check out the best of AFI’s list which includes forerunners The Descendants and The Help as well…

TOP 10 FILMS OF 2011
“Bridesmaids”
“The Descendants”
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
“The Help”
“Hugo”
“J. Edgar”
“Midnight in Paris”
“Moneyball”
“The Tree of Life”
“War Horse”

TOP 10 TV SERIES OF 2011
“Breaking Bad”
“Boardwalk Empire”
“Curb Your Enthusiasm”
“Game of Thrones”
“The Good Wife”
“Homeland”
“Justified”
“Louie”
“Modern Family”
“Parks and Recreation”