Check out Fox’s New Fall 2013 Schedule

With ratings declining for American Idol (despite the best top 5 singers in the history of the show) and no new breakout smashes (The Following was their biggest newbie last year), Fox has some work to do to regain the ratings race. We’ll see what that means in terms of new judges on the returning X Factor and Idol which will say goodbye to Randy Jackson. And we will see if any of their new shows like Rake featuring Oscar nominee Greg Kinnear can break out big next year. My bet is that the new cop comedy Brooklyn Nine Nine has the best shot. It’s preview is pretty hilarious. With that said, take a look at the new fall 2013 Fox Schedule below, and for more on the new shows and previews, head to Fox and TVLIne here.

Fox 2013 Fall Schedule ~

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES (fall) / ALMOST HUMAN (new futuristic action drama starring Karl Urban as a cop with a robot parker played by Michael Ealy. It looks pretty good from its preview too~  late fall)
9:00-10:00 PM SLEEPY HOLLOW (new thriller that is a modern-day retelling of Ichabod Crane~ fall) / THE FOLLOWING (midseason)

TUESDAY
8:00-8:30 PM DADS (new multi camera comedy starring Giovanni Ribisi and Seth Green dealing with their wacky dads.)
8:30-9:00 PM BROOKLYN NINE-NINE (new cop comedy starring Andy Samberg and Andre Braugher.)
9:00-9:30 PM NEW GIRL
9:30-10:00 PM THE MINDY PROJECT

WEDNESDAY
8:00-10:00 PM THE X FACTOR (fall) / AMERICAN IDOL (midseason)

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM THE X FACTOR Results (fall) / AMERICAN IDOL Results (midseason)
9:00-10:00 PM GLEE (fall) / RAKE (new quirky lawyer drama starring Greg Kinnear~  midseason)

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM JUNIOR MASTERCHEF (wt) (new; fall)
9:00-10:00 PM SLEEPY HOLLOW encores (fall)

Late Fall:
8:00-9:00 PM BONES (late fall)
9:00-9:30 PM RAISING HOPE (late fall)
9:30-10:00 PM ENLISTED (new single camera comedy set at a Florida army base~ late fall)

SATURDAY
7:00-10:30 PM FOX SPORTS SATURDAY
11:00 PM-12:30 AM ANIMATION DOMINATION HIGH-DEF

SUNDAY

7:00-7:30 PM NFL Game (fall)
7:30-8:00 PM THE OT (fall)
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM BOB’S BURGERS
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD

Coming at midseason: GANG RELATED (new crime drama set in the LA gang scene), SURVIVING JACK (new family comedy with Chris Meloni), US & THEM (new ensemble comedy with Jason Ritter and Alexis Biedel) and MURDER POLICE (new animated cop comedy).

Cancelled: Touch, Ben & Kate, The Mob Doctor, Fringe (final season), The Goodwin Games (not officially cancelled but being burned off this summer)

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is the Toast of the GLAAD Awards

Saturday night in LA, the second of three big GLAAD Media Award ceremonies honored the brilliant film The Perks of Being a Wallflower as the Best Film in Wide Release last year. Perks was my second favorite of 2012 (after Les Miserables) and was an incredibly deserving winner on a night full of them. Honoring the best representations of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender people in various media forms, the Gay Alliance Against Defamation also honored The New Normal as the Best Comedy of the Year. (I was thrilled again as I was lucky enough to do a guest spot on that wonderful show at the beginning of this year.) Other winners included Days of Our Lives, American Horror Story: Asylum, Raising Hope and former President Bill Clinton who received the inaugural Advocate for Change Award… For more on the show and the funny flub by presenter Jennifer Lawrence, head to the GLAAD website here. And check out the winners below.

2013 GLAAD Media Award Winners (LA Ceremony)

Advocate for Change Award: Bill Clinton

Stephen F. Kolzak Award: Steve Warren

Outstanding Film – Wide Release: The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Summit Entertainment), accepted by writer-director Stephen Chbosky with Logan Lerman, Johnny Simmons and Mae Whitman

Outstanding Comedy Series: The New Normal (NBC), accepted by co-creators Ryan Murphy and Allison Adler with Andrew Rannells, Justin Bartha, Georgia King, Jayson Blair, NeNe Leakes

Outstanding Individual Episode: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Me What to Do” Raising Hope (Fox), accepted by show creator Greg Garcia with Cloris Leachman, Shannon Woodward

Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-Series: American Horror Story: Asylum (FX), accepted by show creator Ryan Murphy

Outstanding Daily Drama: Days of Our Lives (NBC), accepted by: Freddie Smith

Outstanding Talk Show Episode: “At Home with Neil Patrick Harris, His Fiancé David Burtka, & Their Twins” Oprah’s Next Chapter (OWN)

Outstanding Los Angeles Theater: The Children by Michael Elyanow

SPANISH-LANGUAGE
Outstanding Daytime Talk Show Episode: “Confirma su identidad como mujer” Showbiz (CNN en Español)

Outstanding TV Journalism – Newsmagazine: TIE: “Los transexuales buscan su identidad en medio de ignorancia y prejuicios” Encuentro (CNN en Español) and “La vida en rosa” Aquí y Ahora (Univision)

Outstanding Newspaper Article: “Gays y padres excelentes” by Pilar Marrero (La Opinión)

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

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.

Watch the Hysterical Pilot for NBC’s “The New Normal” Now!

I just got lucky… No, not like that silly. I mean that I just got lucky because the new show I have been looking forward to most of the fall season, NBC’s The New Normal is now available online. NBC and Hulu are both streaming the pilot for this hysterical show which follows a loving and successful gay couple David (The Hangover’s Justin Bartha) and Bryan (the Tony nominated star of The Book of Mormon Andrew Rannells) as they attempt to have a baby with a charming surrogate Goldie (the very appealing Georgia King) who already has her own smarter-than-all-the-adults tween Shania (Bebe Wood) and a meddlesome and racist/homophobic/all-around offensively hilarious grandmother Nana (Tony award winner for The Normal Heart and current Modern Family Emmy nominee Ellen Barkin). Glee and The Real Housewives‘ NeNe Leakes costars as Brian’s sassy assistant in this sitcom from the man who created Glee himself Ryan Murphy. It has that show’s signature biting humor and heart and the ensemble is fantastic. The show fires on all cylinders and I think Rannells is going to break out big. Also, watch for Barkin to become an awards magnet for this role that should be utterly atrocious but in her incredibly skilled hands becomes somehow likable despite the funny and foul things flying out of her mouth. The show will be paired with Matthew Perry’s amiable new comedy Go On on Tuesday nights on NBC starting September 11th. I can’t recommend it anymore… In fact, Tuesday night is gonna be a hot bed of hilarious comedy with New Girl, The Mindy Project, Happy Endings, Go On, Raising Hope, Don’t Trust the B in Apt. 23 and The New Normal. My dvr will be in overdrive, but I’m pushing The New Normal to the front of the pack and declaring it the fall’s best new sitcom…. And now you can check it out below or on NBC.com and hulu. Take a look, laugh your tushy off and enjoy The New Normal.

The New Normal pilot
http://www.hulu.com/watch/395910

A quick Outfest Wrap Up

So, I’ve had a crazy busy and frustrating week and I haven’t had a chance to tell ya my thoughts on this year’s Outfest.… The 30th Anniversary of the biggest Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in the country was a great one, and I’m thrilled to report that all of the movies I saw were pretty darn good. I don’t know if I just chose better movies to see or the quality in general was up this year, but it was a good experience…
I saw the quirky Sundance entry My Best Day, the riotous comedy Gayby, the funny coming of age comedy Elliott Loves, and the gorgeously shot super artistic drama Joshua Tree 1951: A Portrait of James Dean. I also went to a hilarious panel and screening of an episode of Happy Endings featuring the creators and cast members Adam Pally (Max), Zachary Knighton (Dave) and frequent guest star the hysterical Stephen Guarino (Derrick). Despite the forum being moderating by a hugely annoying and disrespectful moron reporter from The Hollywood Reporter who spoke like the long-lost gay Kardashian brother, it was an incredibly fun day and the screening of the lost “Kickball” episode was brilliant.
There were two films I wanted to bring special attention to that I saw as well. The first was I Do a wonderful drama about a British immigrant who marries his best female friend to stay in the country but suddenly falls for his perfect man. The story was beautifully written by my friend David W. Ross as it detailed the difficulties that gay couples face when one of them is not a citizen. Hello can we all just get some equal rights??? It also features wonderful performances by Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Alicia Witt, Maurice Compte and Ross himself. Check out the trailer below and watch for the film in more festivals this fall with a pending release as well!

I Do

Finally, the best film I saw at Outfest was the amazing and incredibly emotional drama, Any Day Now, featuring an Oscar worthy performance by Tony Award winner and Emmy nominee Alan Cumming. He plays a gay man in 1979 who falls for a lawyer (Raising Hope’s fantastic Garret Dillahaunt) and tries to adopt a teenage boy with down syndrome (heartbreaking newcomer Isaac Leyva) who’s been abandoned by his drug addicted mother (The Killing‘s tremendous Jamie Anne Allman). Their court battles and Marco’s struggles are gut wrenching and beautifully portrayed. This amazing film won the Audience Award for Best Feature and Cumming was awarded Best Actor by the Fetival as well. I highly recommend everyone see Any Day Now on the festival circuit and when it hits theaters across the nation this fall. Take a look at this beautiful film by Travis Fine here, and when you see it in the theatre, get out your handkerchiefs now too cuz I bawled like a baby throughout it! Just a landmark and incredible movie.

Outfest Movie Grade:

Any Day Now: A

I Do: A

Elliott Loves: A-

Gayby: A-

My Best Day: B+

Joshua Tree 1951: A Portrait of James Dean: B

Britney, Demi, Glee, Oh My! It’s the Fox 2012 Fall Schedule!

The new shows on Fox’s fall 2012 schedule sound pretty promising especially a new comedy from The Office star Mindy Kaling. However, they all may be overshadowed by the re-working of The X Factor with two new judges, teen starlet Demi Lovato and pop princess and headline-maker Britney Spears. Just how will these two affect the show and will they bring in higher ratings? We will see, but Britney has a total young Paula thing going for her, so I will at least tune in a couple of times to see if things have changed for the better. (And how could they not? The show was a mess last season!)… Fox made some news with other interesting schedule changes moving Glee to Thursdays following The X Factor results show, moving Touch to Fridays alongside the final season of Fringe, and installing an all comedy lineup on Tuesday with Raising Hope, New Girl, the aforementioned The Mindy Project and the sibling comedy Ben & Kate. New dramas include The Mob Doctor starring Jordana Spiro and the midseason entry The Following about a serial killer (James Purefoy) being traced by a former FBI agent (Kevin Bacon in his first TV series)… Midseason will also bring the return of American Idol and another new comedy The Goodwin Games…With the new additions come the cancellations of Terra Nova, I Hate My Teenage Daughter, Breaking In, The Finder and Alcatraz along with House departing after 8 seasons. For more on these shows and Fox’s fall schedule, head to Deadline Hollywood here, and take a look at the new lineup below

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-10:00 PM THE MOB DOCTOR THE FOLLOWING (new) joins in midseason.

TUESDAY
8:00-8:30 PM RAISING HOPE
8:30-9:00 PM BEN AND KATE (new)
9:00-9:30 PM NEW GIRL
9:30-10:00 PM THE MINDY PROJECT (new)
THE GOODWIN GAMES (new) joins in midseason.

WEDNESDAY
8:00-10:00 PM THE X FACTOR (fall) / AMERICAN IDOL (midseason)

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM THE X FACTOR Results (fall) / AMERICAN IDOL Results (midseason)
9:00-10:00 PM GLEE

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM TOUCH
9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE (fall)
HELL’S KITCHEN returns in midseason.

SATURDAY
7:00-10:30 PM FOX SPORTS SATURDAY (fall)
COPS returns in midseason.
ANIMATION DOMINATION HIGH-DEF(new) will join late-prime in 2013.

SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM NFL Game (fall) / ANIMATION DOMINATION (encores)
7:30-8:00 PM THE OT (fall) / THE CLEVELAND SHOW
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM BOB’S BURGERS
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD

My TV Grades for the New Shows so far this Season

Well, one thing can be said for this fall’s crop of new shows~ they’re at least a tiny bit better than last fall’s… In fact, only Raising Hope (which I love) , Hawaii 5-0 (which is pretty to look at but rather pedestrian) and Mike & Molly (which is ok and is greatly benefitting by the amazing Emmy winner Melissa McCarthy) made it to season two from that crop. So far, it looks like several shows could make it at least that and that’s a good thing. Leading the way are the comedies New Girl and 2 Broke Girls and the juicy soap Revenge. However, there is a lot of crap out there too (and after second viewing, pretty much all of the grades remain unchanged). So, check out the grades for the new shows I’ve seen this season…

New Fall TV Show Grades:

New Girl: A- (good comedy with a great lead in Zooey Deschanel)
2 Broke Girls: A-  (Kat Dennings is undeniable in this fun comedy)
Revenge: A- (great soap with a hot cast and scene stealer Madeline Stowe as an ice queen in the Hamptons is delicious)
Up All Night: B (serviceable comedy with the appealing Christina Applegate and Will Arnett, but the standout is the hysterical Maya Rudolph whose crazy talk show host character deserves her own show)
Person of Interest: B (decent procedural that fits perfectly with CBS’s brand and features Jim Cavezial and an impeccable Michael Emerson)
Ringer: B- (it’s a fun mystery thriller soap and it’s great to see Sarah Michelle Gellar back but why am I not thrilled to keep watching?)
The X Factor: B– (it’s an overproduced hot mess and the talent is less than inspiring. But I’m willing to keep watching as it moves past the bad audiitioners and gets to the good stuff. Plus I do love Simon and Paula)
Pan Am: C+ (it’s stylish and could improve, but so far it’s forgettable)
The Secret Circle: C+ (it’s perfect for the supernatural CW, but I don’t need to keep watching these pretty teen witches)
Terra Nova: C+ (the dinosaurs are great, the humans~ not so much)
Charlie’s Angels: C (wow, I wanted to like this. Unfortunately, it’s just average storytelling and execution despite the gorgeous cast)
A Gifted Man: C (Yes, Patrick Wilson is gifted and gorgeous but the show is boring)
Prime Suspect: C- (Maria Bello is good enough, but the show feels dated and worse, it’s annoying despite being decently shot, performed and edited)
Free Agents: D+ (what a waste of Kathryn Hahn and Hank Azaria. I love them but this one’s a stinker. I do hope it improves)
Whitney: D+ (it’s pretty painful)

Up next, I’m planning on watching Homeland this weekend on Showtime. Stay tuned…. Which shows do you like so far?

New Fall TV Comedy Reviews~ Raising Hope & Running Wilde

Fox is hoping to build a strong comedy night on Tuesdays this fall. The night opens with the musical comedy sensation Glee which will be followed by two new offerings Raising Hope and Running Wilde. Unfortunately, there’s only a little hope for one of them if you’re basing it on the pilot episodes, not to mention if you look at the ratings. While both shows dropped dramatically from their Glee lead in, at least the better comedy of the two scored the bigger audience (7.5 million to 5.9 million). We’ll see how both hold up in the coming weeks and if the good one (Hope) maintains its strong base and if the mediocre one (Wilde) improves. Check out my quick take reviews below.

Raising Hope (Fox Tuesday, 9pm): In Fox’s best live action 1/2 hour comedy since Malcolm in the Middle, slacker Lucas Neff inherits a baby after a one night stand with a murderous criminal. He decides to take the tot in and raise it with the help of his wacky messy white trash family. The show created by Greg Garcia (My Name is Earl) is hilarious and newcomer Neff is given solid support by Garret Dillahaunt (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) as his dad, multiple Emmy winning legend Cloris Leachman as his grandmother, and especially the wonderful Martha Plimpton (The Good Wife, or for you 80’s fans, The Goonies) as his blunt mother. They comprise a clueless but loving family unit in this strong and irreverent comedy. Grade: A-

Running Wilde (Fox, Tuesdays 9:30pm): With a strong pedigree from the creators of Arrested Development and starring Emmy nominee Will Arnett (Arrested, 30 Rock) and Golden Globe winner Keri Russell (Felicity), you’d think they might have comedic gold on their hands. Um, you’d think wrong. Despite a few laughs here and there, this show about rich ne’er-do-well (Arnett) in love with his childhood crush turned environmentalist activist (Russell) disappoints on all levels. The story telling is uneven. The sight gags are odd if, at least, a bit humorous and the chemistry between the leads is pretty lacking. The supporting characters including Russell’s daughter Puddle, a goofy neighbor and Arnet’s assistant (the slightly amusing Robert Michael Morris who played Mickey on the late great The Comeback) aren’t that interesting either. Perhaps, my expectations were too high considering the talent involved, but based on the first episode, they certainly missed the mark here. I will give them another week to see if things improve. For now, though~ Grade: C+