Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Her Tuesday must-watch (11/1)

Tonight marks the return of Glee and New Girl, which have both been on hiatus for a few weeks. So which one have I chosen as my must-watch? Neither! I've definitely missed these two shows, but there's another series returning tonight that I've been missing for months: Covert Affairs (10/9c on USA).

This show is truly one of my faves. It mixes the spy scenarios of Alias with a beautiful, charming female lead character a la Alias and gorgeous guys who help the lead character and may also be a potential love interest for her, kinda like - what show was that again - oh yeah, Alias! But this compelling show also has a few of its own unique things going on. Two of the topmost CIA peeps are married, which leads to some pretty interesting conflicts of interest. The female lead, Annie Walker (played by a perfectly cast Piper Perabo) has an attractive righthand man in Auggie (Henry from Ugly Betty), who just so happens to be blind, which doesn't slow him down one bit. While seemingly a potential future love interest for Annie, Auggie also seems to be quite the ladies man. Which leaves the door open for a bunch of other Annie suitors, from the CIA agent she didn't know was a CIA agent, to another operative she met in the field, to a doctor whom she met when he was treating one of her family members.

Between her dangerous missions and her men, Annie has her hands full. Boy, would I love to have her hands. Minus the missions.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Her Monday must-watch (10/31)

Happy Halloween TV fans! I have only two words for you on this spooktacular night: slutty - wait for it - pumpkin. This How I Met Your Mother episode (8/7c on CBS) is several years in the making. So who is she? Three hints: not the mother, traded Pacey in for Tom Cruise and gourdgeous! Grab yourself an embarrassing amount of candy and tune in.

His Monday must-watch (10/31)

Happy Halloween everybody. It's a great night for candy, costumes, kids having fun, and networks piling up forced Halloween episodes. The first 3 are great for everyone. The last one is equally terrible for everyone.

You may say I'm destroying the spirit of a fun day, but honestly, I'm just not a big fan of holiday-themed episodes on television. Who doesn't remember that terrible Dawson's Creek Halloween episode when Pacey, Joey, Jack and Gram tell their scary stories during the storm? Just brutal. It's like the real writers take a vacation and give the interns a shot - "Hey, it's a Halloween episode. Write something scary, have a killer on the loose or have a crazy thunderstorm and you can't screw it up." Wrong.

Anyway, enough ranting. Tonight my must-watch is Castle (10/9c on ABC). Did anyone see the previews last week? We're bringing things back to the drama of the season premiere (finally). Nothing like a near-death episode to hook us all back in.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Her Sunday must-watch (10/30)

There will be plenty of spooky costumes and shows and movies to be seen tomorrow. Since it is the weekend before Halloween night, I'm going to stick with the theme but dial it back a notch. I'm thinking a touch of vampires mixed with a romantic teenage love story. Know where I'm going with this? Of course you do! Obvi, my must-watch is Twilight, on FX tonight at 8pm and 10:30pm.

I've been seeing tons of trailers lately for Breaking Dawn, the next film in the series, coming out in theaters soon. Can't. Wait. So tonight's a great opportunity to tune in to the original installment and remember how the Twihard phenomenon all began. Whether you're Team Edward or Team Jacob, if you've seen this movie 87 times already or if it'd be your first viewing, tune in along with me people! Even if you think it's so not for you and you'll hate it (believe me, you wont'!), at the very least you'll get some good last-minute costume ideas out of it.

Friday, October 28, 2011

His Friday must-watch (10/28)

CHUCK is back (8/7c, NBC)! Am I overly excited? Yes, probably. But it's the final season of one of my favorite shows on TV, so I'm going to drop a few exclamation points!!!

The last time we left our favorite Buy More employee, he had just jumped through a million hoops to save the love of his life Sarah (something new for him), and his best friend Morgan had put on the wrong glasses and become the Intersect. With a generous gift from Volkoff, Chuck & Sarah were about to re-build "Castle" and the Buy More. Now what will happen with Morgan as the Intersect?

I'm always curious how shows will go on when the main guy finally gets the main girl. I get that this is the final season, so things will get wrapped up, but let's think about it. 90% of the charm of Bartowski is his never-ending love and unstoppable pursuit of Sarah. Now he has her. Where will this show be without the chase? Where would Castle be if he wasn't in a constant state of tension with Beckett? The OC was always better when Ryan and Marisa weren't together. The best plot lines in Gossip Girl are the relationships that don't happen (Nate & Serena, Blair & Lonely Boy).

We'll have to see how this season pans out. Don't get me wrong, I'll definitely be tuning in every week. Just curious as to how the writers will have this one unfold.


Thursday, October 27, 2011

Her Thursday must-watch (10/27)

Happy Damon Elena Anniversary! Did you celebrate on Twitter today? Well, join me in another celebration tonight with all of Team Delena's must-watch: The Vampire Diaries (8/7c on the CW).

Damon and Elena apparently met a year ago, sparking the hottest love triangle on TV. Sure, Elena's been involved with Damon's brother Stefan for most of that year, but he's now turned off his humanity and isn't the guy, er, vampire, he used to be. Plus, in the past year, viewers have witnessed 2 (kinda) Delena kisses. Maybe the first one doesn't count because it was actually Katherine Damon was kissing. But he sure thought it was Elena, and it was one unbelievable moment. Then Damon was on his deathbed (he recovered, obvi), but Elena could not let him die without a parting kiss. Perhaps on this year anniversary we'll see a for-real, nobody's-dying-but-I-still-want-to-kiss-you make out sesh? Pretty sure they would've put that in the previews if that were the case, so we may have to wait a little longer for that.

But what we do know is that Uncle Werewolf himself, Mason, is returning. And he isn't too happy with Damon, who killed him by ripping his heart out. Wait, Mason died, so how can he be in Mystic Falls? It is that Halloween type of year after all, when anything can happen. Especially in a town full of witches, vampires, werewolves and hybrids. Damon and Mason in scenes together again? The combined hotness of these two supernatural beings just might be enough to light my jack-o-lantern.

His Thursday must-watch (10/27)

I might be in the minority here, but I think Thursday nights are tough. There are a ton of solid shows that many people follow religiously that I just haven't gotten into, but probably should (Parks & Rec, Always Sunny, Community). There are others that have been around a long time that I never watched religiously and are past their prime (Grey's, The Office). There are a bunch of random shows that may or may not do well (Charlie's Angels, Prime Suspect). There are terrible shows that shouldn't be on the air (Private Practice, The Mentalist). And then there are shows that were cool when I was 10, went away for a while and then came back (Beavis and Butt-head...really?).

Well, last week I gave Whitney a shot, and it was ok. Definitely not as funny as some other new shows, and definitely has not found a home on the DVR. But I'm always willing to try new things.

That's why tonight I'm making Prime Suspect (10/9c, NBC) my must watch. Sure, there are more than enough New York cop dramas on TV, but at least half of them are entertaining. And sure, NBC has a track record for sucking me into a show and then ripping my heart out by either canceling it (Playboy Club), threatening to cancel it 10 times (Chuck) or selling it off so a cable station can carry episodes first (Friday Night Lights). But Maria Bello is a bad ass and Peter Berg (FNL) co-created it, so I'm thinking it has a chance.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Her Wednesday must-watch (10/26)

What's better than the most intense and suspenseful horror show on TV? A Halloween episode of the most intense and suspenseful horror show on TV! That's why American Horror Story (10pm on FX) is my must-watch for tonight.

Tonight is part 1 of 2 Halloween episodes this week (part 2 airs Sunday). That's double the confusing blackouts, double the messed up young/old maid action, and double the number of potential ghosts slash dead-but-appear-to-be-alive characters that could pop up in and around Murder House.

More reasons to watch?
-It's Dylan McDermott's birthday! The big 5-0, if you can believe it. Think he'll walk around in his birthday suit? Again? Fingers crossed!

-Zachary Quinto aka Sylar aka Spock is going to be on, and you know he'll be bringing the creepy. Plus, he told us to watch via Twitter (@zacharyquinto), and this is one dude we do not want to disobey.

-More past owners of the house will make appearances. I wonder if there will also be big chunks of their skull missing? 

Get more scoop about this episode from our girl Kristin. Want a little tease? Let's just say a shovel deathblow to the head can't keep a pregnant mistress down!

His Wednesday must-watch (10/26)

I don't even think you needed to check in to know that my must-watch for the night is Revenge (10/9c on ABC). This show just keeps getting better every single week. How that's possible, I don't know.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I look forward to this show more than any other every single week. And I know I'm not the only one. Who will Emily take down next? How will she continue to cover her tracks so she doesn't get caught? Who killed Daniel, and why? When will Victoria break down? How long can Emily keep her identity hidden from Jack? I could go on for hours.

Instead, I'll just wait for the 10pm time slot tonight as ABC continues to fill in the answers (or open up more questions).


Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Her Tuesday must-watch (10/25)

Tonight it's all about spray tans, sequins and a couple of fun British accents. My must-watch is none other than Dancing with the Stars: Results Show (9/8c on ABC). Now, I haven't seen a single episode of this ratings juggernaut all season, either the performance or the results shows. I'm a bit sad I missed seeing Carson Kressley strap on his...dancing shoes before he got the boot. So why am I finally tuning in tonight?

-This fun-for-the-whole-family show is currently dealing with some controversy. Hotty hot hot pro dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy has claimed that the judges are playing favorites. And after head judge Len Goodman reminded Maks that he has been in the business for 50 years and knows what he's talking about, Maks dared to respond: "Maybe it's time to get out." Gasp! As my DVR can attest to, I sure like me some drama, so I hope there's more to see tonight.

-Kristin Chenoweth will be performing. This cute as a button, pocket-sized knockout has more than just pipes - she has a whole sewage system. Loved her as a guest star on Glee. Loved her as a guest judge on So You Think You Can Dance. And I'm betting I'll love her performance tonight as she promotes her new country album.

-And oh yeah, the dancing! There are 7 dancers left, 6 after tonight, so I'm hoping we'll see some real talent out there under the disco ball. Show me what you got, David Arquette!

His Tuesday must-watch (10/25)

Ok, how did I not watch this last week? I mean, here's the lead from the show's "about" page: "Will Keen's grandfather fought in WWII. Will's father fought in Vietnam. Will plays Call of Duty on his Playstation 3 and uses non-dairy hazelnut creamer." Well I'm interested.

So what does it mean to be a "real man" in today's society? Is there something wrong with enjoying a nice glass of scotch while watching a classic romantic comedy? Is it a "real man" crime to cap off a long day at the office with a solid bottle of sangiovese, some Sinatra and an episode of Gossip girl? I dont' think so. You can still be a "real man" and use Tea Tree shampoo and put hazelnut creamer in your coffee.

So tonight I'll be tuning in to Man Up! (8:30/7:30c, ABC). Time to see where these 3 guys fall on the modern-day "real man" scale.

Monday, October 24, 2011

His Monday must-watch (10/24)

My must-watch for the night is 2 Broke Girls (CBS, 8:30/7:30c). Funny episode last week, which I'm sure our two favorite waitresses will follow up with another strong showing this week.

Caroline and Max definitely bring some hilarious moments each week. It doesn't matter if it's hiding from exes in the freezer, dealing with Oleg or ripping on each other. In fact I prefer when the two are ripping on each other, and tonight promises a few zingers. Here's a sneak peek.

On another note, how good do you think Max's cupcakes really are? Are they "Hey I'm trapped in this random dive diner and they have cupcakes that look halfway decent" good? Or are they "How come this random dive diner is buying the best cupcakes on 5th Avenue and re-selling them for half price" good? I think we need a taste test.

Her Monday must-watch (10/24)

Tonight's must-watch takes us to Bluebell, Alabama, where the heat wave has just (unfortunately) broken. And just before adorable little Zoe Hart (Rachel Bilson) was going to let go of her inhibitions and get her freaky deaky on with bad(ish) boy Wade! That's right, I'm talking about one of my fave new shows, Hart of Dixie (9/8c on the CW).

We were so close to seeing these two take it from flirting to - um - something else. But then the rain came, and Zoe realized she's just not that kind of girl. Sure, she's sweet as a Georgia peach, but it seems she also might have a little something for lawyer George, who's engaged to Lemon. Lemon, by the way, appears to have had an affair with Mayor Lavon Hayes, but ended it 6 months ago. The heat wave almost led to them rekindling their romance as well, but that fire was also extinguished by the rain before it officially started.

Surely, all these folks can turn to the town preacher for some advice about fidelity. Right? Nope! Because in tonight's episode, it comes out that preacher man has an STD - and it's not from his wife!

Maybe there's something in the Bluebell water. Or maybe it's in Lemon's lemonade she keeps pushing on everyone. I personally think Zoe is a better fit for all the hot men of Bluebell than Lemon is. I just can't figure out what George and Lavon could see in this uptight, formal, annoying belle. There must be something redeeming about her, because both of those men are sure catches. But so far, to me, Lemon is pure sour.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

His Week In Review (w/o 10/16)

Here's my take on what took place this week (good, bad and ugly):

Best shirt: This obviously goes to Han from 2 Broke Girls for his "Talk to the Han" t-shirt he showed off during the girls' 90s party. Funny man. Funny shirt.

Best party: It really wasn't even close. This goes to Walden for the "feel better Alan" party he threw this week on Two and a Half Men. Relationship issues got you down? Just found out your girlfriend starred in a soft-core porn movie when she was younger? Don't worry. Just move in with a billionaire and he'll throw you a "feel better" party with tons of young, attractive women, lots of booze, various desserts and of course, "special" brownies. Well done, Walden. Well done.

If this was on NBC it would have been canceled: The 2011 World Series. Texas. St. Louis. Thousands will watch. Hundreds of millions won't care. Can we get New Girl back soon?

Most annoying non-relationship relationship: Tom and Lynette from Desperate Housewives narrowly edge out Castle and Beckett for this one. When a couple has to meet to set up their day planners for the week, you know you have problems. You're separated for a reason, Lynette. And yes, Tom had his part, but you are definitely at least 50% responsible. You weren't even happy! So you go to the yoga studio to stalk Tom's new love interest? Too bad for you it's not the shallow, smoking hot yoga instructor, but her well-educated, well-adjusted heart surgeon mother instead. The man is moving on. Just get over it already and move on yourself.

Biggest Shocker: Yes, another sports shout out. But this one goes to my alma mater, Syracuse for their awesome upset win over West Virginia on Friday night, 49-23. It was too big to leave it off this week's review.

Hope you all enjoyed the week. Everyone ready for some atrocious, forced Halloween episodes this week? I know I am!

His Sunday must-watch (10/23)

I'll tell you what I'm NOT watching tonight first. And that's Once Upon a Time. I get that it is from the creators of LOST. But a show about fairy tales? Give me a break. The first time I saw the preview for this back in the spring I was instantly turned off, and nothing has happened to bring me back around. I'm sure millions of people will watch it and love it, but it's just not for me.

As for what I actually will be watching? Obviously Desperate Housewives (9/8c on ABC). I'll admit that the whole "murder secret" plot line is getting a bit tired, but some entertaining things are happening right now. Gaby has been named head of the PTA, which can only end horribly. Susan is digging for her inner pain in a new painting class, which I'm sure will end with the murder being exposed. And Vance just had the missing person case file of Gaby's step father cross his desk. Add all that to Lynette spiraling out of control and we've had quite a good couple of weeks.

Her Sunday must-watch (10/23)

Once Upon a Time, there were a bunch of fairy tale characters living in a land called Storybrooke in...Maine? Yes, seriously, and this show promises to be one of the best new ones this season.

So, why is the series premiere of Once Upon a Time (8/7c on ABC) my Sunday must-watch?
  • It was created by a couple of dudes who brought us Lost. Only one of the best shows ever.
  • It stars two actresses I love: Ginnifer Goodwin as Mary Margaret Blanchard, aka Snow White, and Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, the child of - wait for it - Snow White and Prince Charming. 
  • The show features two realities, one where we see the fairy tale characters as themselves, and another where they are "normal" people living in Storybrooke, unaware of whom they really are. That's double the potential awesome storylines!
  • For us kids at heart, we'll get to learn what happened to these well-known characters after they supposedly lived "happily ever after," like the books and movies wanted us to believe. My 9-year-old self knew they were lying.
So, you are cordially invited to check out the pilot tonight. Spoiler alert: I heard Rumpelstiltskin will be there!   

Her week in review (w/o 10/16)

Happy Sunday, TV watchers! Hope you enjoyed this week's shows as much as I did. Here's the rundown:


Best self pep talk: The next time you need to build your confidence, try this one on for size: "Let's dialate. Let's do it, ya know what I mean?" Ok, so maybe it won't work in all situations. But it did for an about-to-pop Reagan on Up All Night. And I found myself rewinding the scene. It was that inspiring. Or hilarious.

Best quote: Thanks to Brad on Happy Endings for this little gem. "That waitress looks like she wants a piece of your downstairs goatee!" Oh, how I love me some Damon Wayans Jr.

Biggest witch news: No, it's not that Bonnie on The Vampire Diaries now has to compete with dead vampire Anna for Jeremy's affections. The Secret Circle has some even more crazy drama going down. Jake, brother of recently killed witch Nick, has returned to town. He has a rocky past with Adam, used to date Fey and broke her heart, and now appears to possibly be interested in Cassie, who, according to what's written in the stars, is supposed to be with Adam, even though he's dating Diana. Diana just learned of this, and tired of watching Adam make googley eyes over Cassie all the time, tells him to figure out his feelings and breaks up with him. But, back to Jake. Since he's of the same bloodline as Nick, he now completes the circle again. But does he know he's a witch, yes he does. But, his real reason for returning to town? To kill all the witches! Now that is one messed up dude witch.

Biggest loss: Now, I don't watch sports on a regular basis. So the only thing I could be talking about is Team Meatball! You know, Snooki and Deena. These ladies sure had a rough night on the Jersey Shore Reunion. Snooki saw clips of some of her roommates saying they might believe the Situation was telling the truth about them hooking up, something she adamantly denies. She even called her non-meatball BFF JWoww. a bitch. Damn, Snook. That girl followed Gionni all over Italy until her feet bled for you. And Deena - did you see that hair? Girl was about a week and a half early for Halloween, looking all like Elvira. Meatball problems!

Favorite moment: Beckett, trying her hardest to push aside her feelings for Castle (for some reason unknown to me), can't help but be jealous when another woman shows some interest in him. She tells her therapist, "He's supposed to be my partner, on my team. Not - smitten." See, you know you love him, detective. Even the aforementioned woman caught on. She told Castle she doesn't take things that belong to someone else. Fingers crossed this is the start of Kate letting her real feelings come through.


And finally, what?!? There really isn't a better way to reference the craziness that went down on American Horror Story this week. We learned that back in the day, creepy neighbor Jessica Lange shot her husband as well as the young version of the maid, IN THE EYE, when she saw them on the bed together. That same maid's body is buried in the backyard, although she continues to roam around, seemingly alive, as a housekeeper men see as her younger hot self and women see as an old lady with a wonky eye. Another man who used to live there kept unborn fetuses in jars in the basement. Current "murder house" owner Ben thinks he may have killed one of his patients, but can't remember because hot young maid might be drugging him. Lucky(?) for him, turns out the patient just slit her wrists attempting suicide in front of him, but he didn't do it. Unlucky for him, the young student he cheated on his wife with back in Boston shows up saying she's going to have his baby, not get an abortion like they discussed. But then as they exit the house, another creepy previous owner of the house (who has burns all over his body because he tried to burn it down with him and his family in it - they didn't make it) clocks the young woman in the head with a shovel, killing her instantly. Then he offers to bury the body but tells Ben he sure could use some money. So...that's the long version, best summed up as, what?!?

Thursday, October 20, 2011

His Thursday must-watch (10/20)

Well, the stagione italiana of Jersey Shore comes to a close tonight, making it my must watch. After four years, a lot of things have not changed. Situation is still stirring up ridiculous and unnecessary drama. Vinny and Snooki are still hooking up when they aren't supposed to. Ron and Sam are still the worst couple on the planet (together or not). Deena is still asking "you like da boobs?". Pauly's hair still hasn't moved.

Regardless, we all keep tuning in. We know how every show is going to turn out. There really hasn't been what any of us could call a "total shocker" on this show in 3 years. Every time something ridiculous happens, we all pretty much say "haha, so typical". And you know what? I don't care.

Jersey Shore, thank you for your consistency. Oh yeah! Consistency, yeah.

Her Thursday must-watch (10/20)

Why aren't more of you watching Community (8/7c on ABC)? Today it made TVGuide.com's list of 10 bubble shows that could be canceled if ratings don't turn around soon. After I screamed, threw my remote across the room and screamed out "No, Abed, say it isn't so!", I told myself there was simply no other must-watch option for tonight. And now I'm telling you, ya hear?

To answer my own question posed in the first paragraph, maybe people are too busy watching Big Bang Theory, The Vampire Diaries and now the X Factor Results Show. And I get that. But Community deserves some eyeball lovin' too. For you Big Bang Theory fans, it features a community college version of Sheldon, who is even more robot-like if you can believe that. For those devoted to The Vampire Diaries, Community also features a love triangle (Annie-Jeff-Britta) that just might even turn to a square (enter Troy). And viewers of The X Factor, you're sure to hear some musical numbers from this gang almost every week.

(Did I mention last week's episode single-handedly made me think back on every moment of my life. A simple roll of a dye could take you down 6 different life paths, man!)

So please TV fans, I beg of you, watch Community. I stand by this bubble show, and I am in no way ready for that bubble to be popped. Mama could lose an eye! Not to mention a little piece of my heart. The part that laughs at ridiculously amazing comedy.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

His Wednesday must-watch (10/19)

What am I watching tonight? Obviously Revenge, but that's been a must-watch for 2 weeks running so maybe it's time for it to take a break. You all know I'm watching it anyway.

So what else is on? Well, there's Happy Endings, which I did not watch out of the gate in the Spring, but have caught a little of this year. I think it's pretty funny, but it honestly hasn't made it to automatic "record" status quite yet. Maybe I'll check that out.

There's also game one of the World Series (that's baseball for those of you that don't like sports). Too bad this year the final 2 teams (St. Louis and Texas) provide us with what promises to be a complete snooze-fest of a series. So that's out.

Ooh! An E! True Hollywood Story about Casey Anthony. Umm...pass.

So I guess tonight I will turn my must-watch attention to a show that has so far come highly recommended from her, American Horror Story (10/9c, FX). Now I haven't watched the pilot, so I'll be going back to do some catching up, but from all accounts so far this show brings some disturbing things to Wednesday nights. I don't know how I feel about Connie Britton playing a role other than Tammy Taylor, but we'll see.