Posts Tagged ‘So You Think You Can Dance’

My Take on the Best TV of 2012

December 14, 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 Happy_Endings_Season_3_Posterfew 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 Wifebreaking_bad_season_4_alt_by_truetier-d3o0z5e
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)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

“Bare” Comes to Broadway

November 5, 2012

The fantastic pop rock musical Bare is finally coming to Broadway this month. I saw one of the first incarnations of the show almost a decade ago in Los Angeles and now years later a revised and beautifully realized new version with added music hits the Great White Way on November 19th. Bare takes place at a co-ed Catholic school where the students wrestle with questions of identity, sexuality and religion. The show is raw, emotional and real, not to mention incredibly relevant to the issues facing teens today; yet it’s also universal in its message of love. I highly recommend the show which is directed by Stafford Arima (Carrie, Altar Boyz, Ragtime) and featuring choreography by the Emmy nominated dynamo Travis Wall of So You Think You Can Dance. Check out the great music of Bare writers Damon Intrabartolo and Jon Hartmere from various versions of the show on youtube, and iTunes as well, and head to the Broadway Bare site here for more information and tickets. Then scroll down and watch the trailers for Bare.

What is Bare?

Bare on Broadway trailer

First Look~ P!nk’s Amazing New Video for “Try”

October 10, 2012

Three-time Grammy Award winner P!nk just hit # 1 with her latest album, The Truth About Love, and has a # 5 Hot 100, # 1 Pop and Hot AC hit with the collection’s first single “Blow Me (One Last Kiss)”. As she gets ready to tour in support of the record, P!nk also unleashes her brand new video for the second brilliant single, “Try”. This pop rock ballad is an emotional gut wrencher about trying to make a relationship work and the video is nothing short of a masterpiece. In the clip, P!nk goes all So You Think You Can Dance as she engages in a passionate contemporary duo choreographed by Sebastien Stella. The movement evokes the heartache of the song and the pair are exquisite. (Props to her hot dance partner Colt Prattes as well.)  It should be no surprise to P!nk’s fans, that she is an incredible dancer. If you’ve seen her tours or her amazing Grammy performance of “Glitter in the Air”, you know she has a great deal of gymnastic and aerial training that she puts to good use in this tremendous clip. Take a look at it below and for more on the making of the video, head to Billboard here.

P!nk “Try”

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

September 18, 2012

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.

The So You Think You Can Dance Finale is Tonight!!

September 18, 2012

Unfortunately with the wonky scheduling (hello Olympics interruption) and the elimination of the results show, this has been one weird season of Emmy nominated So You Think You Can Dance. However, the quality of the show and the dancers is just as good as ever with some seriously brilliant competitors, including three of the final four contenders. Those three are contemporary dancer Tiffany and ballet superstars Eliana and Chehon. The final hoofer is the incredibly likable and fun animator/hip hop dancer Cyrus. While he continues to grow week to week and has charisma for days, he is completely out of his league against his peers. I really appreciate how well he has done in the competition but it’s a shame better male dancers like Cole, George, and Matthew all were voted off before him. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised because a great deal of this show is a popularity contest or how would Benji have beaten Travis Wall back in season 2 when Travis has gone on to be an Emmy nominated industry star? Anywho, I’m incredibly excited for tonight’s finale which will reunite the entire top 20 including ballroom girl Witney who sooooo has a future on Dancing with the Stars and the ridiculously fun Will. Just who will win is the question? Take a look at my predictions below and check out some videos of my favorites as well… And don’t forget to watch SYTYCD hosted by the sure to win the Emmy next week Cat Deeley tonight at 8pm on Fox.

So You Think You Can Dance Season 9 Finale Predictions~

Will Win: Eliana and Cyrus
Should Win: Eliana and Chehon (those two are just astounding in every way!)

And for proof check out these amazing dances by my favorite two dancers of the season…

Chehon & all star Allison (the best female dancer the show has produced if you ask me) choreographed by the brilliant Emmy nominated Stacy Tookey

Eliana & all star Alex Wong

Eliana & Chehon in a ballet piece

And just because she’s adorable and a very worth finalist, please enjoy this incredible contemporary piece starring Tiffany with all star Ade

Game of Thrones Conquers the Creative Arts Emmy Awards

September 16, 2012

Kathy Griffin may call them the “Shmemmys” but the Creative Arts Emmys are actually the same as the regular Emmys. They just don’t make it onto the big awards telecast. They did, however, take place tonight and in years past, they are where Griffin was a 2 time winner. This year, she may have lost her bid for a golden guy, but Game of Thrones was up for 13 and that fantastic series led tonight’s winners with 6 awards. Tonight’s ceremony honored mostly the creative and technical categories like lighting, editing and art direction, but there were a few big awards. Taking home the Best Non Fiction Program (i.e.: reality show award) for the first time was Undercover Boss while Smash pulled an upset in the Choreography category out dancing several amazing contenders from So You Think You Can Dance. In the casting categories, Homeland, Game Change and Girls prevailed (yay for the first two, not so much the latter) while there were 4 acting awards handed out in the Guest Actor categories. Taking the Drama Guest Actor Awards were Jeremy Davies for Justified and Martha Plimpton for The Good Wife. (An extra yay for Plimpton who is brilliant on that show and was surprisingly omitted from the very competitive Best Actress Comedy Series race this year for Raising Hope after grabbing a nod last year.) On the comedy side, Jimmy Fallon won for hosting Saturday Night Live while Kathy Bates finally landed a win for playing Charlie Sheen’s old character on Two and A Half Men after 11 nominations. (She could still won next week for her work on Harry’s Law too)… For more on all the winners and the Emmys, head here. Then check out all the winners below and be sure to catch the Big Folk Emmy Awards next Sunday Sept. 23rd on ABC.

2012 Creative Arts Emmy Award Winners~

DRAMA

BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTOR
Dylan Baker, “The Good Wife”
X – Jeremy Davies, “Justified”
Ben Feldman, “Mad Men”
Michael J. Fox, “The Good Wife”
Mark Margolis, “Breaking Bad”
Jason Ritter, “Parenthood”

BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTRESS
Joan Cusack, “Shameless”
Loretta Devine, “Grey’s Anatomy”
Julia Ormond, “Mad Men”
X – Martha Plimpton, “The Good Wife”
Jean Smart, “Harry’s Law”
Uma Thurman, “Smash”

COMEDY

BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTOR
Will Arnett, “30 Rock”
Bobby Cannavale, “Nurse Jackie”
X – Jimmy Fallon, “Saturday Night Live”
Michael J. Fox, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
Jon Hamm, “30 Rock”
Greg Kinnear, “Modern Family”

BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTRESS
Elizabeth Banks, “30 Rock”
X – Kathy Bates, “Two and a Half Men”
Margaret Cho, “30 Rock”
Dot Marie Jones, “Glee”
Melissa McCarthy, “Saturday Night Live”
Maya Rudolph, “Saturday Night Live”

REALITY

BEST REALITY SERIES
“Antiques Roadshow”
“Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution”
“MythBusters”
“Shark Tank”
X – “Undercover Boss”
“Who Do You Think You Are?”

VARIETY

BEST VARIETY SERIES DIRECTING
James Hoskinson, “The Colbert Report” – “7121A”
Chuck O’Neil, “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” – “17087″
Jerry Foley, “Late Show With David Letterman” – “3602″
Jonathan Krisel, “Portlandia” – “One Moore Episode”
X – Don Roy King, “Saturday Night Live” – “Host: Mick Jagger”

BEST VARIETY SERIES WRITING
“The Colbert Report”
X – “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart”
“Portlandia”
“Real Time with Bill Maher”
“Saturday Night Live”

BEST VARIETY SPECIAL
“Betty White’s 90th Birthday”
“Kathy Griffin: Tired Hooker”
X – “The Kennedy Center Honors”
“Mel Brooks and Dick Cavett Together Again”
“Tony Bennett: Duets II”

ANIMATED

BEST ANIMATED PROGRAM
“American Dad!”
“Bob’s Burgers”
“Futurama”
X – “The Penguins of Madagascar: The Return of the Revenge of Dr. Blowhole”
“The Simpsons”

BEST SHORT-FORM ANIMATED PROGRAM
“Adventure Time”
“Disney Phineas and Ferb”
“MAD”
X – “Regular Show”
“Robot Chicken”

CHILDREN’S

BEST CHILDREN’S PROGRAM
“Degrassi”
“Good Luck Charlie”
“iCarly”
“Victorious”
X – “Wizards of Waverly Place”

BEST CHILDREN’S NONFICTION REALITY OR REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
“It Gets Better”
X – “Sesame Street: Growing Hope Against Hunger”
“The Weight Of The Nation For Kids: The Great Cafeteria Takeover”

NONFICTION

BEST NONFICTION SPECIAL
“Bobby Fischer Against the World”
X – “George Harrison: Living in the Material World”
“Gloria: In Her Own Words”
“Paul Simon’s Graceland Journey: Under African Skies”
“6 Days To Air: The Making Of South Park”

BEST NONFICTION SERIES
“American Masters”
“Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations”
X – “Frozen Planet”
“Inside the Actors Studio”
“The Weight of the Nation”

EXCEPTIONAL MERIT IN DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING
“The Amish (American Experience)”
X – “Have You Heard From Johannesburg (Independent Lens)”
“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory”

BEST NONFICTION PROGRAMMING DIRECTING 
Bertram van Munster, “The Amazing Race” (“Let Them Drink Their Haterade”)
Robert B. Weide, “American Masters” (“Woody Allen: A Documentary”)
X – Martin Scorsese, “George Harrison: Living in the Material World”
Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory”
Craig Spirko, “Project Runway” (“Finale, Part 2″)

BEST NONFICTION PROGRAMMING WRITING 
Barak Goodman, “American Experience” (“Clinton”)
Peter Jones, “American Masters” (“Johnny Carson: King of Late Night”)
Anthony Bourdain, “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations” (“Cuba”)
X – Geoffrey C. Ward, “Prohibition” (“A Nation of Hypcrites”)
Christine Ferraro, “Sesame Street: Growing Hope Against Hunger”

SPECIAL CLASS

BEST SPECIAL CLASS PROGRAM
“84rd Annual Academy Awards”
“69th Annual Golden Globe Awards”
“54rd Annual Grammy Awards”
“Herbie Hancock, Gustavo Dudamel And The LA Phil Celebrate Gershwin (Great Performances)”
“Louis C.K. Live at the Beacon Theater”
X – “65th Annual Tony Awards”

BEST SPECIAL CLASS SHORT FORMAT – LIVE ACTION ENTERTAINMENT 
X – “Children’s Hospital”
“The Daily Show Correspondents Explain”
“Parks And Recreation: April And Andy’s Road Trip”
“30 Rock: The Webisodes”
“Web Therapy”

BEST SPECIAL CLASS SHORT FORMAT – NONFICTION 
“Bravo’s Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen”
X – “DGA Moments in Time”
“Jay Leno’s Garage”
“Thank a Vet”
“30 Rock: Ask Tina”

CHOREOGRAPHY/COMMERCIAL/INTERACTIVE/STUNTS/TITLES/VOICE-OVER

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Travis Wall and Teddy Forance, “Dancing With the Stars
X – Joshua Bergasse, “Smash”
Stacey Tookey, “So You Think You Can Dance”
Christopher Scott, “So You Think You Can Dance
Spencer Liff, “So You Think You Can Dance”

BEST COMMERCIAL
The Bark Side – Volkswagen
X – Best Job – Procter & Gamble Corporate Brand
Color Changes Everything – Target
The Dog Strikes Back – Volkswagen
It’s Halftime in America – Chrysler

BEST INTERACTIVE MEDIA
“Bravo’s Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen”
“Game Of Thrones Season Two – Enhanced Digital Experience”
X – “The Team Coco Sync App”

BEST MAIN TITLE DESIGN
“American Horror Story”
X – “Great Expectations”
“Magic City”
“New Girl”
“Strike Back”

BEST STUNT COORDINATION
“American Horror Story”
“Crimina Minds”
“Grimm”
“Hawaii Five-0″
“NCIS: Los Angeles”
X – “Southland”

BEST VOICE-OVER PERFORMANCE
Brenda Strong, “Desperate Housewives”
Dan Povenmire, “Disney Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension”
Rob Rigg, “Disney Prep & Landing: Naughty Vs. Nice”
X – Maurice LaMarche, “Futurama”
Kristen Wiig, “The Looney Tunes Show”
Hank Azaria, “The Simpsons”

ART DIRECTION

BEST ART DIRECTION – MULTI-CAMERA SERIES
“Hell’s Kitchen”
“How I Met Your Mother”
“Mike & Molly”
“30 Rock”
X – “2 Broke Girls”

BEST ART DIRECTION – SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES
X- “Boardwalk Empire”
“Downton Abbey”
X – “Game of Thrones”
“Justified”
“Mad Men”

BEST ART DIRECTION – MINISERIES OR MOVIE
“American Horror Story” (“Open House”)
“American Horror Story” (“Part 1″)
X – “Great Expectations”
“Hatfields & McCoys”
Hemingway & Gellhorn
“Sherlock: Scandal in Belgravia”

BEST ART DIRECTION – VARIETY OR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING
“84th Annual Academy Awards”
X- “54th Annual Grammy Awards”
“Saturday Night Live” (“Host: Jimmy Fallon”)
X- “65th Annual Tony Awards”
“The Voice”

CASTING

BEST CASTING – COMEDY SERIES
“The Big C”
X – “Girls”
“Modern Family”
“New Girl”
“Nurse Jackie”
“Veep”

BEST CASTING – DRAMA SERIES
“Boardwalk Empire”
“Downton Abbey”
“Game of Thrones”
“The Good Wife”
X – “Homeland”
“Mad Men”

BEST CASTING -  TV MOVIE/MINISERIES
“American Horror Story”
“Five”
X – “Game Change”
“Hatfields & McCoys”
“Sherlock: Scandal in Belgravia”

CINEMATOGRAPHY

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY -  MULTI-CAMERA SERIES
“How I Met Your Mother”
“Mike & Molly”
“Pair of Kings”
X – “Two and a Half Men”
“2 Broke Girls”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES
X – “Boardwalk Empire”
“Breaking Bad”
“Glee”
“Mad Men”
“Pan Am”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY-  TV MOVIE/MINISERIES
“Game Change”
X – “Great Expectations”
“Hemingway & Gellhorn”
“Sherlock: Scandal in Belgravia”
“Treasure Island”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – NONFICTION 
“Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations”
X – “Frozen Planet”
“George Harrison: Living in the Material World”
“Prohibition”
“Whale Wars”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – REALITY 
“The Amazing Race”
X – “Deadliest Catch”
“Project Runway”
“Survivor”
“Top Chef”

COSTUMES

BEST COSTUMES – SERIES
“Boardwalk Empire”
“The Borgias”
“Downton Abbey”
X – “Game of Thrones”
“Once Upon a Time”

BEST COSTUMES – TV MOVIE/MINISERIES
“American Horror Story”
X – “Great Expectations”
“Hatfields & McCoys”
“Hemingway & Gellhorn”
“Sherlock: Scandal in Belgravia”
“Treasure Island”

EDITING

BEST SINGLE-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING -  DRAMA SERIES
“Breaking Bad” (“End Times”)
“Breaking Bad” (“Face Off”)
“Downton Abbey”
X – “Homeland”
“Mad Men”

BEST SINGLE-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING – COMEDY SERIES
X – “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
“Modern Family” (“Leap Day”)
“Modern Family” (“Election Day”)
“30 Rock” (“The Tuxedo Begins”)
“30 Rock” (“Leap Day”)

BEST MULTI-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING – COMEDY SERIES
“The Big Bang Theory”
“Hot in Cleveland”
X – “How I Met Your Mother”
“Two and a Half Men”
“2 Broke Girls”

BEST SINGLE-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING - TV MOVIE/MINISERIES
“American Horror Story”
“Game Change”
X – “Hatfields & McCoys”
“Hemingway & Gellhorn”
“Sherlock: Scandal in Belgravia”

BEST PICTURE EDITING – SHORT FORM AND VARIETY
“84rd Annual Academy Awards – Opening Film”
X – “2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony”
“The Colbert Report”
“The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”
“Louis C.K. Live at the Beacon Theater”

BEST PICTURE EDITING – NONFICTION 
“American Masters: Johnny Carson – King of Late Night”
“Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations”
“Beyond Scared Straight”
X – “Frozen Planet”
“George Harrison: Living in the Material World”

BEST PICTURE EDITING – REALITY 
“The Amazing Race”
X – “Deadliest Catch”
“Project Runway”
“Survivor”
“Top Chef”

HAIRSTYLING

BEST HAIRSTYLING – SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES
“Boardwalk Empire”
“The Borgias”
X- “Downton Abbey”
“Game of Thrones”
“Mad Men”

BEST HAIRSTYLING – MULTI-CAMERA SERIES OR SPECIAL
“Dancing With the Stars”
X – “Saturday Night Live”
“Victorious”
“The Voice”

BEST HAIRSTYLING – TV MOVIE/MINISERIES
X – “American Horror Story”
“Hatfields & McCoys”
“Hemingway & Gellhorn”

LIGHTING

BEST LIGHTING DIRECTION – VARIETY SERIES
American Idol
“Dancing With the Stars”
“Saturday Night Live”
X – “So You Think You Can Dance”
“The Voice”

BEST LIGHTING DIRECTION – VARIETY SPECIAL
“84th Annual Academy Awards”
“Andrea Bocelli Live In Central Park”
X – “54th Annual Grammy Awards”
“Super Bowl XLVI Halftime Show Starring Madonna”
“Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2011″

MAKEUP

BEST MAKEUP – SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES (NON-PROSTHETIC)
“Boardwalk Empire”
X – “Game of Thrones”
“Glee”
“Mad Men”
“The Middle”

BEST MAKEUP -  MULTI-CAMERA SERIES OR SPECIAL (NON-PROSTHETIC)
X – “Dancing With the Stars”
“Hot in Cleveland”
“How I Met Your Mother”
“Saturday Night Live”
“Victorious”

BEST MAKEUP – TV MOVIE/MINISERIES (NON-PROSTHETIC)
“American Horror Story”
X – “Hatfields & McCoys”
“Hemingway & Gellhorn”

BEST PROSTHETIC MAKEUP 
“American Horror Story”
“Boardwalk Empire”
“Game of Thrones”
“Once Upon a Time”
X – “The Walking Dead”

MUSIC

BEST MUSIC COMPOSITION – TV MOVIE/MINISERIES/SPECIAL
“Disney Prep & Landing: Naughty Vs. Nice”
“Game Change”
“Hatfields & McCoys”
X – “Hemingway & Gellhorn”
“Missing”
“Sherlock: Scandal in Belgravia”

BEST MUSIC COMPOSITION – SERIES
“The Borgias”
X – “Downton Abbey”
“Pan Am”
“Smash”
“30 Rock”

BEST MUSIC DIRECTION
“Christmas in Washington”
“Country Music (In Performance At The White House)”
X – “The Kennedy Center Honors”
“Michael Feinstein: The Sinatra Legacy”
“Seth MacFarlane: Swingin’ in Concert”
“The Thomashefskys: Music And Memories Of A Life In The Yiddish Theater (Great Performances)”

BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC AND LYRICS
“The Heart of Christmas” – “The Heart of Christmas”
“Raising Hope” – “Welcome Back to Hope”
“Saturday Night Live” – “I Can’t Believe I’m Hosting”
“Smash” – “Let Me Be Your Star”
X- “65th Annual Tony Awards” – “It’s Not Just for Gays Anymore”

BEST ORIGINAL MAIN TITLE THEME MUSIC
“Great Expectations”
“Hell on Wheels”
“Homeland”
X – “Page Eight”
“Touch”

SOUND

BEST SOUND EDITING – SERIES
“Boardwalk Empire”
“Breaking Bad”
“CSI: Miami”
X – “Game of Thrones”
“The Walking Dead”

BEST SOUND EDITING – TV MOVIE/MINISERIES
“American Horror Story”
“Hatfields & McCoys”
X – “Hemingway & Gellhorn”
“The River”
“Sherlock: Scandal in Belgravia”

BEST SOUND EDITING – NONFICTION 
“The Amazing Race”
X – “Frozen Planet”
“George Harrison: Living in the Material World”
“Paul Simon’s Graceland Journey: Under African Skies”
“Prohibition”

BEST SOUND MIXING – ONE-HOUR COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES
“Breaking Bad”
“Downton Abbey”
X – “Game of Thrones”
“Homeland”
“Person of Interest”

BEST SOUND MIXING – HALF-HOUR COMEDY, DRAMA, OR ANIMATION
“Entourage”
X – “Modern Family”
“Nurse Jackie”
“Parks and Recreation”
“30 Rock”

BEST SOUND MIXING – TV MOVIE/MINISERIES 
“American Horror Story”
“Game Change”
X – “Hatfields & McCoys”
“Hemingway & Gellhorn”
“Sherlock: Scandal in Belgravia”

BEST SOUND MIXING – VARIETY SERIES OR SPECIAL
X – “84th Annual Academy Awards”
“ACM Presents: Lionel Richie And Friends – In Concert”
“American Idol”
“54th Annual Grammy Awards”

BEST SOUND MIXING – NONFICTION 
“The Amazing Race”
“Deadliest Catch”
“Frozen Planet”
“George Harrison: Living in the Material World”
X – “Paul Simon’s Graceland Journey: Under African Skies”

TECHNICAL DIRECTION

BEST TECHNICAL DIRECTION, CAMERAWORK, VIDEO CONTROL – SERIES
“The Big Bang Theory”
“Dancing With The Stars”
“Late Show with David Letterman”
X – “Saturday Night Live”
“30 Rock”

BEST TECHNICAL DIRECTION, CAMERAWORK, VIDEO CONTROL – TV MOVIE/MINISERIES OR SPECIAL
“84th Annual Academy Awards”
“54th Annual Grammy Awards”
“The Kennedy Center Honors”
X – “Memphis (Great Performances)”

VISUAL EFFECTS

BEST SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
“Falling Skies”
X – “Game of Thrones”
“Inside the Human Body”
“Once Upon a Time”
“Pan Am”
“The Walking Dead”

BEST SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS - SUPPORTING
X – “Boardwalk Empire”
“Bones”
“The Borgias”
“Breaking Bad”
“Hemingway & Gellhorn”
“Touch”
“Sherlock: A Study in Pink”

Hey L.A. Friends, Go See “Silence! The Musical” Now!!!

September 1, 2012

Hey L.A. readers, I have got a hilarious treat for you. There is a brand new uproarious, possibly offensive and ridiculously hysterical new musical in town. No, I’m not talking about The Book of Mormon (but that is a great one). I’m actually talking about the new L.A. run of the off-Broadway smash Silence! The Musical which, yes, is based on the Oscar-winning film The Silence of the Lambs. It opens tonight at the Hayworth Theatre.
I saw the show in a preview last night and was rolling in my seat the whole time. It’s simply a laugh riot with a flawless ensemble including one of my good friends Kathy Deitch who is wonderful and plays several roles including that poor girl at the bottom of the well, Katherine Martin. In the lead roles of Hannibal Lector and Clarice Starling are Broadway superstar Davis Gaines and TV vet Christine Lakin (best known for her long run on Step by Step). Both actors do a fantastic job and Lakin’s take on Jodie Foster’s lisping Southern accent is brilliant and will have you in stitches. Stephen Bienskie also reprises his roles from the NYC production including his dirty fun take on serial killer Buffalo Bill. And there are more treats for you reality competition fans as season 3 American Idol standout Latoya London and season 5 naughty ballerina Melissa Sandvig from So You Think You Can Dance are also in the cast. Oh, and one more shout out to ensemble member Jeff Hiller, a theatre and TV vet, who is just astoundingly funny throughout the show. For more on this great cast and the show, head to the Silence! the Musical website here. And check out the show info below. I highly recommend this incredibly fun show that will make you giggle, blush, guffaw, and amuse you to no end.

Silence! The Musical

The Hayworth Theatre
2511 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90057

The Hayworth Theatre Box Office open 1.5 Hours before curtain.
Thursday: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Friday: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Saturday: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Sunday: 1:30pm – 7:30pm
CLOSED: MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY
Paid parking next to the theatre

And check out this great news story on the show to whet your appetite.

“Game of Thrones” and “Homeland” are the Best of the TCA Awards

July 29, 2012

For the past week, the networks have been dishing out scoop about their new shows, stars and biggest programming moves at the Television Critics Association convention. Tonight the week came to an end with the announcement of the winners of the 2012 TCA Awards. Grabbing Program of the Year was Game of Thrones which won New Program last year… This year, that honor went to Homeland while its star Clare Danes took the Drama Acting honor. On the comedy front Louie won for Comedy Series while its star Louis C.K. was also singled out. Take a look at all the winners below including two of my favorite programs So You Think You Can Dance and Downton Abbey and for more on the TCA, head here.

 

2012 Television  Critics Association Award Winners~

* Individual Achievement in Drama: Claire Danes (Homeland)
* Individual Achievement in Comedy: Louis C.K. (Louie)
* Outstanding Achievement in News and Information: 60 Minutes
* Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming: So You Think You Can Dance
* Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming: Switched at Birth
* Outstanding New Program: Homeland
* Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials: Downton Abbey
* Outstanding Achievement in Drama: Breaking Bad
* Outstanding Achievement in Comedy: Louie
* Career Achievement Award: David Letterman
* Heritage Award: Cheers
* Program of the Year: Game of Thrones

Some Thoughts on Today’s Emmy Nominations…

July 20, 2012

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.

My Belated So You Think You Can Dance Recap…

July 13, 2012

So, my life has become a little busy and I’ve been unable to blog with as much regularity as I like. While it’s good because that means I’m working on lots of other great projects like the two web series I’m doing, Sammy Kingsford: Manager to the Stars and The Adventures of Velvet Prozak and my short film Dirty Talk, it’s a little bit of a bummer because I am not giving you my great So You Think You Can Dance recaps on time! … Alas, I apologize and am giving you a brief quick wrap today… This year the show is looking for both a guy and girl winner and will only be airing once a week with eliminations at the end of the show as chosen by the judges after America votes. The judges will choose between America’s lowest vote getters and next week’s first elimination will say goodbye to two guys and two girls… So, who’s in danger? Let’s rank the performances…

SYTYCD Quick Wrap Rankings from 7/11/13

1. Audrey & Matthew- Contemporary: this routine by Travis Wall was simply stunning.
2. Lindsay & Cole- Paso Doble: I agree with Mary this might have been the best Paso ever on the show and Cole destroyed it!
3. Tiffany & George- Contemporary: a beautiful and romantic piece by Sonya
4. Janelle & Dareian- African Jazz- totally awesome… these two could end up being a power couple
5. Amelia & Will- Hip Hop (Character Pop): easily one of the most entertaining of the night, even if it seemed like easy choreography. And I didn’t despise her as much as usual!
6. Alexa & Daniel- Jazz: while American may not understand this number, these two are incredible technicians and Daniel is adorbs.
7. Eliana & Cyrus- Broadway: sure it was very entertaining but there wasn’t much skill on display if you ask me. Tyce totally made it easy for Cyrus… .Eliana is brilliant though.
8. Witney & Chehon- Samba: she totally schooled him in this number, but I hope his hotness keeps him in contention.
9. Amber & Nick- Vienesse Waltz: it was nice, but forgettable in the end
10. Janaya & Brandon- Hip Hop: I appreciated this attempt at a relationship in dire straits due to alcoholism, but it just didn’t quite connect the way it could’ve.

Who’s in Danger?…. My Predictions~

Bottom 3 Girls: Janaya, Amber, Alexa (maybe Amelia)
Bottom 3 Guys: Nick, Brandon, Chehon (maybe Daniel)
Going Home: Janaya, Amber & Nick, Brandon

So, there ya have it. My first quick take on this season’s So You Think You Can Dance. Watch the show next week for the first eliminations. Who are your favorites and will they make it? My current favorites are Matthew, Eliana, Daniel and Janelle. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for them next week on SYTYCD Wednesday on Fox. And P.S. how much have we missed the brilliant and beautiful host of SYTYCD Cat Deeley. She better get another Emmy nomination next week. I’m just sayin’!

And here’s Audrey & Matthew’s brilliant Travis Wall contemporary piece. Enjoy.


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