A Nightmare Before 'Chronicles'

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Well, that was one bad dream.

Literally.

This week's episode of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles was one big bad dream rolling around in ever paranoid mind of Sarah Connor.

Except we all were supposed to think her "dream" was the real thing.

Kidnapped by the dude she supposedly "killed" at our now infamous heating and air conditioning plant. Held prisoner in the back of his van whilst be drugged so as to coerce her into telling him who she is (which really played more like tit-for-tat with the guy and went something like this: who are you; no, who are you; no really, who are you).

And yet, all this kidnapped-in-the-van stuff was supposed to appear to us as a nightmare-esque dream sequence she kept having whilst admitted into a clinic for sleep deprivation. Naturally, that clinic is really being run by Skynet to examine/study/mimic/obsess over all the nuances of the human brain unbeknownst to the humans.

'kay.

Whatever.

This was supposed to be a Lena Headey focused episode, which I have liked in the past. She has some very clever nuances and tendencies that emerge when her Sarah is NOT obsessed with John. She can be funny, coy, friendly ... kinda like you might want to get to know her.

But last night's ep was just a big mess.

I'm starting to feel sorry for the actors.

Like, THIS is what they're being given to work with?

We didn't really learn anything other than ... uh, Sarah got kidnapped and was essentially drugged into having delusional dreams about Skynet taking over a sleep clinic for which she was a patient WHILST trying to fight AGAINST her own mind to figure out what scenario was real, and thus, escape her kidnapper.

I supposed we DID learn that the guy she supposedly killed at the plant was resurrected by Skynet so that he could keep doing his "job" (which is to now kidnap Sarah, apparently).

We did learn Summer Glau's Cameron looks nice in a bra and boy short briefs.

And we did learn that John is ... well, trying to convince Sarah in her "dream" sequence that the clinic isn't really a bad place.

No Derek.

No Shirley.

No John Henry.

No Agent Ellison.

No nada.

This ep was forgettable.

Like its own worst nightmare.

New episodes of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles air Fridays at 8 p.m. on FOX. You can also watch full episodes online. Visit the Official Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Web site to catch up (or re-watch!)

Ode to the 'Girls' - And How Good TV Was

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

File this under: completely nostalgic post.

Since PTR's editor in chief, TVFan, recently paid tribute to Jane Seymour and Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman (for which we grandfathered in both actress and show as a PTR fave), I've decided to do my own tribute to The Golden Girls, which makes its syndication move to the Hallmark Channel beginning this Sunday, March 1st with an 18-hour marathon (yes, that is 18 hours, folks).

Can I just ask: does anyone remember when network television was like this ...?

Anyone ...? Bueller ...?

Remember when the sitcom lived.

When there actually were people OVER 40-years-old on television who were NOT considered washed-up has-beens, a joke of a reality show contestant, or a horrible cosmetic surgery experiment gone wrong.

When Botox was NOT around, and every female lead actress did NOT look as if she had just walked out of some version of rehab - whether for an eating disorder, drugs, alcohol or all of the above.

When you did NOT have to figure out whether you were smarter than a fifth grader, and therefore, be entertained by ridiculous voyeuristic reality show drivel.

When Saturday night was actually THE night to sit down and watch the tube (whether you were 10, 30, 45, 60 or 80-years-old), and it was NOT the night where shows went to die.

To think I'm a thirtysomething, and I can remember when television was like this is depressing. And yet, there are plenty of you far older and wiser than I, who remember the network television landscape even MORE differently than I do.

What the heck has gone wrong with network television these days?

Is it any wonder big name film AND television actors are moving to cable because there is NOTHING FOR THEM TO DO on network besides make a special guest appearance and deal with material that is ...lame? Unimaginative? Boring? Formulaic? Hardly challenging or creatively inspiring?

I'm beginning to think that if it weren't for cable - basic or premium - continuing to bring us ORIGINAL programming (read: not ANOTHER reality show and/or not ANOTHER spinoff of two other versions of the been-there-done-that-can-we-get-over-it-please crime or legal drama procedural), I wouldn't be watching television at all.

All that said, The Golden Girls left us a legacy that resonates as strongly today as it did when the show went on the air in 1985.

And hey, we all know the 80s are back, right?

"The show is romanticized and has a fantasy element to it, but more than that there's this theme: Friendship over all, no matter what crap happens to you, you'll have best friends who are hysterically funny – and everything will be fine as long as you have your friends around," explains Jim Colucci, a television critic who wrote The Q Guide to The Golden Girls in 2006.

That idea appeals to every age group, says Colucci, including disaffected teenagers (as he was when the show began airing, as I was when I began watching) who rely on their friends to help them through rough spots.

He adds: "It's the kind of thing you can watch with a friend, your mom – and moms can pass it down to daughters, sisters to sisters."

Says longtime fan Kristine Cohen, who used to watch the show with her grandmother when she was just 10-years-old: "I used to hear her laugh and laugh," she says. "Soon we were watching every Saturday night together. My grandma had three sisters, so she would always say the Golden Girls relationship was similar to her and her sisters."

"I used to get letters from teenage girls who wanted to come live with us," remembers Rue McClanahan, who played man-hungry Blanche, alongside Bea Arthur's pragmatic and sensible Dorothy, Estelle Getty's wickedly sassy Sophia and Betty White's always-sees-the-glass-half-full Rose. "Because it was a warm, friendly show and no matter what problems we had, we faced them together."

And, yet even back then, trying to get the show on the air was nearly impossible. But we can thank legendary NBC executive Brandon Tartikoff for seeing the potential. He hired longtime producers Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas. Witt's wife, Susan Harris (creator of Soap and Benson), knew how to write for older people, and thus, the show was born.

Says Witt: "We had been frustrated over the years by the emphasis on young audiences on television. Comedy is such a difficult thing to master, so some of the funniest people we had worked with were older – yet in terms of series leads they were not considered attractive to networks, until this came along. Older people just have better stories – heck, they have stories. Younger people don't. There are layers of things you just can't get when you're writing younger people."

Amen to that.

We all know the show developed a major following, earning 11 Emmys® and landing in the ratings Top 10 for six out of its seven seasons. But one unexpected demographic – aside from disaffected teens – was children.

"I think kids loved Sophia," says Harris. "They loved someone who could talk back, and say the things they couldn't say. And people still tell me they couldn't have gotten through college without Golden Girls. It was like having a family."

Even though those kids are grown up, the show has managed to retain its litany of admirers thanks to DVDs and syndication. And the longevity of the show's appeal - two decades AFTER it went on the air - comes as no real surprise to Thomas; he saw it from the third episode in: "I said to Paul Witt, 'This will never tire. These people are brilliant, it's going to be funny forever. It's going to be generational – it's [I Love Lucy]-esque."

Fan Cohen says: "It gives a great example that life can be wonderful and fulfilling even in our later years – you can have new friends, handsome boyfriends, a busy social life and even a sex life!"

"We all know we're going to be Golden Girls someday," says Harris. "The worries and concerns of women in their 60s are very much the concerns of women in their 30s and 40s and 50s. Meeting guys, dating, sex, being lonely – all of that – and having friends. Those are problems with no age limits. And these women are wise, they can speak with decades of experience."

And remind us all how good network television used to be.

The Golden Girls make their move to Hallmark Channel beginning with an 18-hour marathon on Sunday, March 1 starting at 8:30 a.m. ET/PT. Then, beginning March 2, the show will air Mondays - Fridays from 9 a.m. – 10 a.m., 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. and 12 a.m. – 2 a.m. It will also air Saturdays from 6 a.m. – 9 a.m. and Sundays from 8:30 a.m. – 10 a.m.

Additional Source: Hallmark Syndicate

The Wonderful World of 'Damages'

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Let's just start at the end, shall we?

It's Patty Hewes sitting prisoner in the chair, with Ellen perched to blow her brains out.

OMFG.

Somewhere in the back of my trying-to-figure-it-ahead-of-time mind, I thought this might - MIGHT - be the case. And even though I was actually leaning more towards Frobie, I nonetheless gave Patty an equal shot (no pun intended) at being sequestered by the vengeful Ellen. HOWEVER ... seeing it for the first time last night was a whole different ball of wax given we don't generally get Glenn Close completely terrified. Usually, she's the one doing the terrifying.

Argh!!! I now want to fast forward to the end JUST to see that confrontation.

And yet, this is the wonderful world of Damages: they leave you so tantalized with their slow-burn reveals that you can hardly stand to sit through the season. And even with their more deliberate pacing this year, they have still managed to brilliantly build a momentum toward what we know will be a can't-miss-it finale.

Each week just gets better.

But can I just say I was kind of bummed (though not all that surprised) Frobie decided to turn back to his dark side. Yes, I know ... wishful thinking on my part to think that he'd ... uh, remain all yogi and at peace with himself. Still, he was starting to be kinda charming in that way.

Oh well.

I really now want creepy detective dude to just.go.away.

Ugh.

When he went to visit Frobie's spiritual advisor, and he took the bunny to pet ... sheesh, I thought he was going to break its neck or something.

And now we know Wes is officially on HIS payroll.

Double ugh.

I guess the only comfort I can take from this is Ellen seems to be have a lot of power and control in the "ending" flashforwards, so maybe she will get the better of him?!?!

Fiancé doc David made an appearance this week - albeit as a figment of Ellen's imagination. It was so goodly and cute to see him again. Why oh why did Noah Bean have to be offed in the first season?!?!?!?

Oh, that's right - because it made for a compelling storyline.

Fine, okay.

And now we have the secret red folder "ELLEN PARSONS" in Pete's mystery file cabinet, which serves as the motivating factor to have Ellen opposite Patty in that "showdown."

Do we get to see what's in that folder now?

Of course not.

It's too early in the season for that.

But we won't be seeing Pete anymore - except perhaps in flashbacks. Can you believe one of his own guys offed him? Wow.

The closing gotcha phone call sequence whereby Patty learns of Pete's death completely reminded me of Silence of the Lambs. Remember when the FBI agents are ringing the doorbell of the house that you, the viewer, SWEAR is Buffalo Bill's? It cuts to him being downstairs in the basement, trying to get dressed to come up and answer the door, only to then have it be revealed the FBI was at the WRONG house, and the Jodster (yes, my short hand for the awesome Jodie Foster - who was Special Agent One of Kind Clarice Starling) was actually at the RIGHT house.

Genius.

But then again, this is the wonderful world of Damages, isn't it?

Next floor, please.

New episodes of Damages air Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX. To catch up on the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of the show, head on over to the official Damages Web site. You can also download full episodes of the show over at iTunes.

'Chronicles' Game Changer ...?

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

We here at PTR have been rather disappointed with the lackluster return of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

As in, the show seems to have fallen, and it can't get up.

However, The Hollywood Reporter's Live Feed blog is reporting this today:

[FOX] is hinting that a two-part episode of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" will be a "game-changing" episode, which is often (but not always) shorthand for "somebody dies."

The description:

“Today is the Day, Part 1 of 2”: In the first part of a game-changing two-part installment, Jesse (guest star Stephanie Jacobsen) flashes back to a life-altering mission aboard her submarine, the Jimmy Carter. Meanwhile, Sarah (Lena Headey) and John (Thomas Dekker) decide they can’t continue living in their house and make plans to leave.

Okay, so a flashback while making plans to leave a house doesn't exactly sound like riveting drama. But here's part two:

“Last Voyage of the Jimmy Carter, Part 2 of 2”
The exciting two-parter continues as Jesse’s submarine mission in the future takes a fatal turn that has unforeseen consequences for John, Sarah and Derek (Brian Austin Green) in the present. Also, Sarah deals with Cameron, who has become a liability, and John steps up and makes a life-or-death choice.


Let's hope SOMETHING gets changed because the way things are at the moment ... uh, the end of the world seems to be arriving a might too soon.

New episodes of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles air Fridays at 8 p.m. on FOX. You can also watch full episodes online. Visit the Official Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Web site to catch up on the show.

'Trust Me' Bags It ... Sort Of

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Can I just say that I would have loved, at any one point during my previous tenures in marketing and advertising, to have been able to just let loose my frustration on a client's product as a direct result of said client ... uh, bailing on me? Thinking I'm no longer any good? Trying to one-up me? All of the above?

Griffin Dunne's Tony Mink did just that this week on Trust Me, and I was envious. His put - your - Arc - Mobile - cell - phones - in - this - bag - and - watch - me - beat - the - heck - out - of - it moment was a classic.

Why was he doing this?

Oh, you know ... the account has gone into the dreaded "review" phase.

Read: client wants out. Or, as Chief Big Boss Denise so kindly puts it to us at the end: they want the team to do more for less money.

But up until THAT moment, we're pretty much thinking Tony, Mason, Conner and the rest of the team are screwed given the loss of their biggest client. Better get to replacing that $75 million, eh?

Now, aside from that classic outburst moment by Tony, the rest of the episode was so-so for me. Yes, we've got Mason inevitably trying to do the right thing - wanting to save the client, wanting to not think the world is coming to an end, remaining ridiculously dedicated to his job AND still trying to be a nice guy.

We've got Conner doing what Conner seems to only do - find ways to convince Mason to do the impossible all in the name of being some sort of genius, renegade, don't-do-things-by-the-book Creative Director.

We've got Sarah pretending she's still married to her ex-husband, and thus, forcing him to take her out on a date to celebrate her birthday (for which she sends herself her own gift basket at the office).

And we've got Tony trying not to have a nervous breakdown in light of the fact Mason and Conner decide to proceed shooting an Arc Mobile commercial even after a) Tony says no; b) the firm doesn't want any more money spent on the account given it's in "review."

Right, like that's going to stop Conner from finagling Mason into flying across the country (again) to do something they shouldn't do (again) only to try and save the day (again) when all the odds are stacked against them (again).

Do we see a pattern here?

We do. And it's kind of bothersome to me.

Almost like a formula: Mason has problem. Conner needs to try and help Mason fix problem. Conner's idea to fix problem is absurd. Mason balks, but then eventually consents. Mason still frets. Conner flies by seat of pants. A little push here, a little push there, problem gets strangely solved only to lead to new problem. And at the end of the day, we still have Mason being the "boss," Conner the copywriter with too much iPhone time, and Sarah as the neurotic co-worker.

I do formulas on procedurals; not on non-procedurals.

And while I do see that this whole what to do with Arc Mobile/how do we get our $75 million back is going to be the overarching theme for this season, I sort of feel like we're going in circles. We just watched Conner and Mason fly to Los Angeles on a whim last week ... did we really need to see that again this week? It rang too similar. And I'm still not finding any real depth to the Conner character. The super-speed-talk schtik is getting old. Mason has some depth thanks to the homeslice sequences with wife Erin. And Sarah has at least got some issues on display that do NOT have to do with some sort of missing tag line for a client's campaign.

Hmmm.

So, Trust Me, what can you really do with this formula that won't bore the heck out of us who really, really, really, really want to like your show?

We shall see.

Trust Me airs Mondays at 10 p.m. on TNT. You can learn more about the series by visiting the Trust Me Official Web site.

'The Closer' Finally Says I Do ... Sigh

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

She did it.

In only the way BJ could.

Er, perhaps I should say in only the way The Closer folks could.

That is, they gave us a wedding ceremony between Brenda and Fritz that seemed as if it was being done in the supermarket - in the express lane, for the people with less than 10 items.

Yet, that was the genius of it.

When Fritz's sister started the ceremony, I couldn't help but think it was going to become one big melodramatic proclamation of BJ and Fritzy's love for one another.

Cue: "Let's do it."

Cut to: a mixture of photo collage snapshots to show us the fact the ceremony took place, everything went fine, and now let's get back to work.

Or at least to the reception.

Genius.

And was it not completely perfect to have both Brenda AND Fritz trying to squeeze in the wedding in between working a case?

And yet ... I must confess this "finale" is the first of The Closer's that didn't particularly wow me. I actually feel guilty for admitting this given the show rarely misfires for me. Perhaps it's because I've gotten so used to having humdingers that leave me breathless (we've had three in a row).

This one did not.

As such, I feel like last night was a mid-season episode. The "summer" finale shootout wielded far more of a punch, and our recent legendary episode, "Power of Attorney," gave us more of that cliffhanger/breathless episode on which to leave us die-hards wondering, hoping, waiting and anticipating the show's return in June.

And even yet to the yet ... this whole season was leading up to this moment between BJ and Fritzy, particularly as it pertains to the further development of both characters. And given I still credit The Closer as one of the best show's on television at being able to develop the personal side of its characters WITHOUT sacrificing the professional, it was almost as if they HAD to end the season this way. And if I look at the finale in the context of the individual characters, the show certainly gave us much to feel satisfied about - right up until the last confession of BJ to Fritz in the hallway (whereby she struggles with how much he unconditionally loves her, and that she only hopes she can equal it return now that they are married), to the resurrected breakdown between Detective Daniels and Sergeant Gabriel.

Soooo, I find it hard to knock the finale but feel I must confess it didn't wow me.

That said, I must also confess I didn't pay attention to the case.

Oops.

Call it BJ/Fritz wedding anxiety.

It was something about a woman married to an out of work war veteran. She took a job with three different stripper-escort agencies to make money for both of them, but then decided to get in cahoots with her hubby to rob said agencies on the days that she worked those agencies even though hubby wasn't supposed to really know she was working at those agencies.

Um, yeah. Okay. Again, not a humdinger by any stretch of the imagination.

And that's fine.

You know I will be back in June.

The Closer returns in June for its fifth season. If you missed any of this seasons ep, visit The Closer official Web site for the scoop on all-things BJ and Co.

A Friend in Need

There are a handful of things a show can include in an episode that will shoot it straight to the "awesome" category.  One of those things is working Toto's "Africa" into the outing.  Chuck apparently learned this lesson back when Scrubs included it in its Wizard of Oz-themed episode a couple of seasons ago because it was in full force during this week's hour.  I was a little concerned that we were only going to get the Jeffster version, but then it happened.  Suddenly, the soft- rock- meets- Marilyn Manson cover morphed into the real Toto deal and I was psyched!  One of these days I'm going to figure out why this classic 80s tune strikes my fancy so much.  In the meantime, Chuck had himself a very busy episode.  In between choosing a band for his sister's wedding and taking down members of the Triad gang, he was mending fences with his best friend while trying to save his life at the same time.  Nobody said the spy game was easy, but I enjoy the way this show doesn't allow Chuck to become another member of the feelings-less drone.  He refuses to lose what makes him human and he doesn't let the seedy world he is now a part of taint his view on humanity.  He's a true friend to those he grew up with and those he now works with to protect the world.  

Unfortunately, finding a band for Ellie and Awesome's upcoming nuptials kinda took a back seat to all of that saving the best friend's life bit, but no worries because Jeff and Lester had that covered (literally).  Apparently, the duo has a band ("Jeffster"), and they play cover songs.  At least they would if they actually had a gig.  Instead, they have a few instruments, a microphone, a few t-shirts, one groupie and a lot of fear and doubt.  They do not, however, have any actual talent.  So, needless to say, they have been scratched from the list of possibilities for the wedding.  But that's OK because they got their moment in the Buy More and it couldn't have been more perfect if Toto themselves had been there (SIDEBAR: How frickin' awesome would that have been??!!  Do you think they would have thrown in an encore of "Rosanna" had they made an appearance on the show?  And why not make an appearance?  It's not like they're super busy and couldn't squeeze it into their schedule.  EDIT: My bad, apparently the band continues to tour and plays to sold out venues.  They also released an album in 1997).   Jeffster wasn't the only ones having their moment.  Chuck and Sarah shared one at the end when they caught themselves holding each other's hand -- for real.  Uh-oh!

If you missed this week's episode ("Chuck Versus the Best Friend"), you can watch it for free at Hulu.com.

'Psych' - O Killer

OK, I'll admit it: they got me.  I guess you could say that they "psyched" me out in the end.  First, I was never convinced that the profiler wasn't involved.  I kept suspecting him because the killer was so well informed about Shawn and the investigation.  Wrong!  Second, I never thought the killer would be a woman!  Wrong again!  So, major props to the writers at Psych for giving us the unexpected.  I'll also admit that I'm a sucker for a good cat and mouse chase, and Shawn versus the Ying Yang killer was very well played.  The clues, the urgency, the stop watch, the scene with Shawn and Gus running like "hobos" to catch the train -- it was all too good.  I was especially fond of the clues written in cereal.  I did think that Yang gave up much too easily at the end, so I suspect that we haven't seen or heard the last from her.  I certainly wouldn't be against watching another round of Shawn v. Yang.

My one complaint about the episode was the sorta unnatural fit of "bringing back the guest stars for the season finale."  Shawn's mom as Yang's second victim was too convenient and Shawn's date with Abigail was too heartbreaking for the immediate future of Shawn and Juliet.  Shawn was right; Jules has terrible timing.  Then again, neither seems ready to enter into a serious relationship, so maybe Shawn's date with Abigail prevented these two from getting in a bit over their heads too soon.  I did think that Shawn was going to ditch her for Jules, but he decided to tell her about the butter instead.  So, it seems that Shawn and Jules are victims of Poor Timing Syndrome in which they never seem to be ready for one another at the same time.  Someday their timing will align, but until then, we'll have to keep watching these near hits.

Psych will return with all new episodes this summer. Until then, you can catch up on this episode and others at hulu.com.

Hugh Jackman Wins Over Oscar

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

A little more show. A little less biz.

These were Hugh Jackman's words when speaking to Barbara Walters on her traditional Academy Awards® after-show special - which was filmed BEFORE the actual Oscar® telecast.

And boy, did he have the right approach (as did the show's new producers).

Finally, an Oscar® telecast worth watching!

(And none too soon - especially given last year's Oscar ceremony was the least watched ... like, ever in history. The show needed to do SOMETHING different this year - and it did.)

Loved. It.

All Hail Wolverine: Hugh Jackman has got to be one of the coolest dudes on the planet. Decent guy. Family man. Funny. Not an ego maniac. Uber-talented (as in, can sing, dance AND act). And, he is so fantastically at ease in front of a crowd that it was just a joy to watch him handle the telecast with such aplomb. And to all those skeptics who were like, "Hugh Jackman? Can he host?" ... stick it in your pipe and smoke it. He. Rocked. It.

Everybody Wins: The revamped presentation of the actor awards whereby a selected group of previous winners stand on stage and salute each nominee's individual performance was FANTASTIC. It resonated so much more than the show-a-clip-read-a-name approach, and it allowed each nominee to truly be recognized (because it IS an honor to be nominated).

And the Award for Best Acceptance Speech Goes To ... Penelope Cruz. Her story of being a young girl and staying up late to watch the show in her very small corner of the world where she grew up ... awww. Talking about the show being a world unifying event to celebrate art ... double awww. Thank you, Penelope, for reminding us what it should really be about.

And the Award for Worst Acceptance Speech Goes To ... Sean Penn. Look, I know he's a great actor. I'm not disputing that fact. But the baggage that comes with acknowledging him means we - the regular schmo viewers - have to put up with his whole I'm-an-artist-I'm-above-all-this-crap attitude and/or a politically driven acceptance speech. He even admits he's ... uh, a difficult pill to swallow. So, hey, here's an idea, Sean: spare us. (Or go start a band with Joaquin Phoenix.)

Speaking of Joaquin Phoenix ...: Ben Stiller's spoof while presenting with Natalie Portman - GENIUS.

Two Words: Kate Wins YAY!! I've loved Kate Winslet since Sense and Sensibility. She's just a ballsy, no-nonsense, shoot-from-the-hip, dedicated actress who could give a rip about that which everyone else in Hollyweird obsesses about. She was way overdue on earning herself a statue, and her acceptance speech was a very close second to Penelope's. Go Kate!

Still Enchanting: Amy Adams. Friggin' adorable. I really wanted her to win for supporting actress, but her time will come. Bummer she isn't on a television show right now because she'd be an automatic PTR Fave - 'cause we're all about the decent, charming, genuine, honest and decent folks in Hollyweird. Keep on keepin' on, Amy.

Sal in Mega Mo: E!'s Sal Masekela is too cool for school. I am normally used to listening to him host the X Games over on ESPN, but he was so perfect interviewing everybody at the Governor's Ball that he actually made the REGULAR entertainment journalists look like goobs. Who knew the sports guys could schmooze the A-listers, eh?

It's A Slumdog World: Just as Penelope Cruz reminded us what the show is supposed to be about, the Slumdog Millionaire folks reminded us what it's like when the little guy wins. They were the little film that could. How cool was it to see so many of the young kids of the cast flown in for the event - some of whom who had never been on a plane. This is the side of Hollywood that is still worth loving: dreams can come true to those who are still willing to have - and follow - them. And when people are so genuinely shocked and honored when they win, you can’t help but cheer.

Fashion Report: You know I don't do the fashion thing, folks.

Brangelina Report: Puh-leze. Like I care.

You can get a rundown on all the winners and proceedings over at Oscars.org and Oscars.com.

'Rita Rocks' Into Season Finale

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

File this post under: I. Need. To. Watch.

Lifetime's Rita Rocks is one of those "other" shows waiting patiently in line to get a prime spot on my DVR schedule (just like Army Wives). Given my fading interest in a couple of my regulars, Rita may end up taking a prime spot next season.

And besides, I love Nicole Sullivan.

Not JUST from her time over on MADtv.

A while back, she was in this VH1 Original Movie (with PTR Fave Annabeth Gish) called The Way She Moves. It was at that point I thought she was ridiculously cool. But this, of course, was back when VH1 was doing something MORE than coming up with every conceivable and ridiculously tacky reality series to showcase brainless know-nothings.

Needless to say, I was thrilled to see her get her own show over on Lifetime, where she stars as Rita Clemens, an overworked wife and mother in the middle of an identity crisis. This includes trying to maintain romance with her husband Jay (Richard Ruccolo), juggling the demands of her nine-year-old daughter, Shannon (Kelly Gould), and disciplining her defiant teenage daughter Hallie (Natalie Dreyfuss) and her ever-present boyfriend Kip (Raviv Ullman). After being passed over for a promotion at work, Rita is at her wit’s end. In search of "youthful" Rita, she dusts off her old guitar and forms a garage band with her nosy postal carrier Patty (Tisha Campbell-Martin) and unemployed neighbor Owen (guest star Ian Gomez), in the hopes of putting that love back in her life.

The show airs its first season finale Monday, February 23rd at 8 p.m. In the finale, Rita gets a promotion at work that leads to an overwhelming schedule and no time for the band. Jay and the girls notice that she just isn't the same without her music and set out to get her back on track.

Check out a sneak peak:



The Rita Rocks season finale airs Monday at 8 p.m. on Lifetime. Head on over to the official Rita Rocks Web site to learn more about the show - including watching full episodes AND the chance to enter the Shine Like a Rock Star Sweepstakes, where you could win a Nintendo Wii™, Rock Band ® 2, $5,000 and a Pledge ® gift pack.

Embrace Your 'Grace' - Preview of March 2 Premiere; Chat With Creator Nancy Miller

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

It's about that time to begin saying grace.

Again.

On Monday, February 23rd from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. (ET), fans of Saving Grace can go to EmbraceYourGrace.com, the show's fan and blog site, to watch a streaming video of approximately 24 minutes from the March 2 premiere episode. The episode introduces special guest star Christina Ricci as Abby Charles, a young patrol cop going through a rotation with the squad.

That same day, at 5 p.m. (ET), the show's creator Nancy Miller will engage fans in a half-hour online chat, answering questions about the show submitted by fans in real time and revealing some of the things viewers can expect as the series rolls towards its second-season climax.

Saving Grace returns with its final batch of new second season episodes Monday, March 2 at 10 p.m. on TNT. You can watch full episodes of the show anytime over on the show’s official Web site. You can also visit EmbraceYourGrace.com to share your stories of how you embrace your inner-Grace.

'Damages' Podcast With Glenn Close and Rose Byrne

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

It's a known fact we can't get enough of Damages here at PTR.

And thanks to our friends over at Hot Cherry in the UK (where they are just beginning the second season), they've given us a look at their recent podcast interview with Glenn Close and Rose Byrne discussing all-things second season.

How cool is that?

Very.

Glenn tells us what’s next for Patty in the light of the Arthur Frobisher case (which we partly now already know) and explains how the events in the first season changed her character in the second.

Rose Byrne explains how Ellen is coping with the death of fiancé doc David, how she prepared for the role and what lessons her character has learned.

The podcast is available for iTunes users here.

For non-iTunes users, the podcast is available here.

For US viewers, Damages airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX. For UK viewers, Damages airs Sundays at 10:20 p.m. on BBC One. To catch up on the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of the show, head on over to the official Damages Web site. You can also download full episodes of the show over at iTunes.

'Chronicles' is on Snooze Control

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Zzzzzzzzzz.

Oh, my dearest Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles ... what has happened to you these days?

Where is the excitement? The passion? The intensity? The suspense?

Zzzzzzzzzz.

I hate to admit it, but this week's ep was a snoozer. We could've started at about the 45 or 50 minute mark given the whole thing played like one big filler for time - in the worst way.

We remember that big ol' explosion from last week's episode (when the Shirley-meister sent the Skynet-in-disguise heating and air conditioning factory down in a blaze of glory)? Well, this week had a long, drawn out remembrance ceremony for ALL the victims, which Sarah and Co "crashed" so as to try an get an inside track on what in the world was really going on at the plant (which, of course, wasn't really a heating and air conditioning factory - and the ENTIRE town knew it but looked the other way).

This lead to one insanely long funeral procession for one guy who's dead, but not really, but then probably is and/or is living in the house Big Brother built.

Read: the first incarnation of how Skynet work camps are set up.

'kay, good to know.

But it took us the WHOLE episode to figure that out?

Or to see the mystery, "three dot" flying saucer machine emerge from the town's seemingly poisonous water hole only to fly itself into the back of an 18-wheeler's trailer and be carted off to Lord knows where?

No John Henry?

Two seconds with Shirley and Agent Ellison?

I'm starting to understand why only about 3.5 million or so people are still watching this show.

It has lost so much zip from what gripped us in the first season that it now seems like some sort of emo drama on FOX. The killing off of Cromartie was potentially the series ending point, and even though they got picked up for a full second season order and have brought back Garret Dillahunt as John Henry (thankfully), I don't know if they've come back CREATIVELY from terminating the machine who was the constant, menacing reminder of the fight to save the world - and what the Connors are really all about.

Plainly, I just don't know if they have enough story and character development left to keep it interesting.

To say its return has been underwhelming is an understatement.

New episodes of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles air Fridays at 8 p.m. on FOX. You can also watch full episodes online. Visit the Official Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Web site to catch up (or re-watch!)

Fantasy 'Bones'

Bones took on the world of Cons this week -- as in, those conventions where avid fans of World of Warcraft, Star Trek, Star Wars, and every other fantasy genre imaginable gather to dress up and share in their common love of all things fantasy.  Too bad the outing was bit Booth-less.


THE GOOD
Knowing that I'm such a sucker for the more, shall we say, tender scenes, this one shouldn't be a surprise.  In keeping with the "Bones is totally clueless about everything not having to do with skeletons, murder, or the scientific explanation" theme, Brennan continues to be blind to what everyone around her has already discovered: she and Booth have feelings for each other -- real feelings.  Or perhaps, she doesn't want to see it.  It has become so obvious that even brand new Agent Perotta has already figured it out.  I loved the scene where she got off the phone with Booth and told Brennan that she can't leave the building without her.  When Bones came up with the wrong reason why Booth made such an insistence, Perotta asked her, "Boy, you really don't know why, do you?"  Nope.  Not a clue.  

Honorable mention goes to that shocking car crash scene with Brennan and Sweets.  By now, we've seen this heart-stopping gimmick done again and again (Alias, TV commercials, movies, etc.), but this new take on an old trick was done very well.  It certainly shocked my socks off!

THE BAD
Three words: Too Little Booth.  I think the lack of Booth and Bones working together made this one a bit lackluster.  Without their partnership, this show just fades into another CSI clone complete with an over-the-top case that peels back some silly layers of a subculture of society.  The characters are what separates this series from the pack, so being down one does the episode a huge disservice.  And it wasn't just me, Bones was missing her chiropractorally-challenged partner and it was throwing her off throughout the case.

THE UGLY
While conventional wisdom would suggest that I would pick the very gross dead body at the beginning (and believe me, I wanted to), I actually went with something a bit different this week: the weapon.  Confession: I have a thing about mouth and eye stuff.  It just totally grosses me out.  Imagining that medieval torture/murder tool being thrust into someone's mouth and then expanded until it cracked the jaw and then every other bone on the face just gave me the willies.  I can't even imagine the pain involved with that little device.  I shiver at the thought.

If you missed last night's episode ("The Princess in the Pear"), check it out for free at Hulu.com.

'Damages' Flips a Good One

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Last week, I was all about Patty Hewes v. Arthur Frobisher - the rematch.

This week, not so much.

Or, perhaps I should say that for some strange reason, I'm kinda feeling Frobie's whole spiritual counseling/meditation/wanna-set-things right vibe, which obviously puts him in a significantly different light than last season.

And yet, I still don't buy it (though giving creepy, thug-for-hire detective dude the blow off WAS cool - go Frobie!) If Daniel Purcell waited over a decade to get his revenge, I'm having a hard time thinking Frobie is just going to play nice with the woman who destroyed him.

Make that crushed. Annihilated. Humiliated. Squashed. Scorched off the face of the earth.

BUT ... if he does - if he ends up being even more of a confidant that ol' Uncle Pete - bonus! ('cause we really can't get enough of Ted Danson, can we?)

Speaking of Uncle Pete ... wow.

He'd rather take his own life than flip on Patty, eh?

In my new way of watching this show (and given that Patty and Co. are always 18,000 steps ahead of everyone else), I thought for sure Pete had some sort of rehearsed protocol should he ever get busted for all of his "side" jobs. I don't know if the attempted suicide WAS said protocol, but if he is afraid to turn against Patty, I swear this woman has more power than God.

Or, as Ellen so poignantly says in the preview for NEXT week's ep, "I had one thing on her, and she tried to kill me. Can you imagine what Pete knows?"

'nuff said.

And speaking of Ellen ... when she walked into the meeting with Frobie and Patty, I thought they were going to cut to her revenge dream sequence where she blows him away with a shotgun.

But she prevails. Irritated, confused, but prevails.

And there is perhaps no one better than Patty at doing the whole X-Files keep your friends close/enemies closer thing, which does eventually give them a lead on the murder Ellen's fiancé doc David.

Score another one for Patty.

Even if it made Ellen's skin crawl.

Wouldn't be the first time.

Or the last.

And can I just say I'm a little worried about Wes going after Katie Connor and/or what is up with him being in cahoots with thug-for-hire? Or the coked out energy trader?

So much to watch, so little time.

New episodes of Damages air Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX. To catch up on the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of the show, head on over to the official Damages Web site. You can also download full episodes of the show over at iTunes.

'Trust Me' Goes For Au Courant

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Poor Trust Me.

They are trying to be so au courant, aren't they?

Or maybe they're just trying to be too cool for school.

Dunno.

As the show continues to struggle to find its footing (er, audience), this week's episode moved into Mason's home life, which is even more entertaining than his work life.

Reason Number One: Sarah Clarke (Erin, his wife, who we got to see lots more of - yay!).

Reason Number Two: Vanessa Marano (Haley, his daughter, who I'd like to see lots more of).

There was something so very real about dad (Mason) being so desperate to prove his up-to-date-hip-young-coolness (read: au courant) to an account at work that he enlists the help of his teen daughter in a show-me-what-you're-into moment. Ne'er mind that her I-downloaded-this-new-book scenario makes dad bomb in the meeting, or that she only has three Facebook friends, daughter Haley isn't so insecure and lame to feel the need to keep up with the teen version of the Jones.'

She's actually pretty cool in her own right.

As an individual.

Her own person.

And fine with it.

So is mom.

Dad should take note.

Which he does, at the end of the ep, after going to the ends of the earth to try and secure in-like-Flynn director Spike Jonze for Conner's revamped idea of doing a web-i-sode campaign for aforementioned teen account.

Which once again shows us Conner is good for ... nothing? pie in the sky ideas? spending $4,000 to fly across the country to try and trick Spike's agent at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) to get Spike to do the gig AFTER they promised teen account it was a done deal?

(Um, yeah ... like you could really just walk into the lobby of CAA unannounced, pretend you're Spike Jonze, have the receptionist buzz your high powered don't-return-Spielberg's-calls agent who would then just automatically come down to get you no questions asked ...)

I'm going to have to agree with one of our reader's comments from last week (thanks again, John) that, thus far, we've seen no real genius on the part of Conner aside from his "What Can You Do With One Hand?" line from the pilot.

Yet, that's exactly what he's supposed to be.

A creative mastermind.

A save-the-day kind of guy.

Yet, all he seems to do is get in the way or come up with one ridiculous scheme after another to get nothing accomplished. True, he did step in and try and save Mason's bomb of a meeting with teen account, and he did ACTUALLY look like he was working once - maybe twice - on the computer during this ep. But I've got to confess I'm finding everyone else on the show more interesting to watch. And this whole yin-yang relationship that supposedly exists between Mason and Conner is actually way too much yang on the part of Conner, which makes me think we'd be better off without him.

Or a dialed down version of him that gives us more substance and less a) womanizing; b) pie-in-the-sky ideas; c) talking too fast to be understood; d) use of his iPhone.

And given what I'm coming to learn of Mason, it seems he would've ditched Conner a LONG time ago. Or, at the very least, Erin would've told him to find a new partner.

I mean even the Junior Ad Team guys going back/forth with Sarah about the posted-on-a-blog rumor that said she's gay was more interesting to me.

Got to love blogs.

Wait, was that a plug?

Trust Me airs Mondays at 10 p.m. on TNT. You can learn more about the series by visiting the Trust Me Official Web site.

'Chuck' Does the 'Burbs

OK, so maybe this Chuck and Sarah stuff is beginning to feel a bit heavy-handed.  OK a lot heavy-handed, but anvils aside, I can't help but love this adorable little spy parody.  The weirdest part about this week's experiment in the suburbs was the fact that Chuck really looked at home and Sarah really seemed at home.  Somehow, I thought that was going to be reversed.  I guess I just don't picture Sarah in the Suzy Homemaker role while Chuck screams 2.5 kids and a minivan.  And even though it was Chuck who wanted to continue to play house for a few extra days, I got the impression that it was Sarah who had the hardest time letting go of the cover life.  Sure, she has some mondo repressed feelings for Chuck, but I think it was the window into a normal life that kept her lingering in the house after the CIA moved the last piece of furniture out.  It seems that meeting Chuck has got her thinking about a life outside of the spy trade.  I can't say I blame her.  While the whole spy game thing looks cool, I can't imagine keeping it up long term.  Never telling anyone your real name, never trusting anyone, never being able to tell people the truth -- it would get old (except, maybe, if your name is John Casey.  That guy seems to eat it up!).  

Fulcrum is everywhere!  Scary thought for those who just happen to have the Intersect, which holds all of the government's most prized secrets, inside their heads.  You want to know an even scarier thought?  Fulcrum is using human test subjects to build its own intersect!  Chuck passed, which  basically means he was able to handle an immense amount of info being downloaded into his brain and not have his eyes bleed or his mind go completely insane.  No surprise since he's already carrying around the original.  I'm not sure if Sarah would have, but luckily, Chuck was there to ensure she didn't have to find out.  It's only a matter of time for these two.

If you missed this week's episode ("Chuck Versus the Suburbs"), you can watch it for free at Hulu.com.

Intuition Cometh on 'The Closer'

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Funny! Funny! Funny! Funny! Funny! Funny!

Amy Sedaris needs to become a regular fixture on The Closer.

And James Duff needs to direct every episode Kevin Bacon is not directing ('cause we already know how good the KB eps are).

This, of course, is unlikely given a) James, as creator and executive producer of the show, has a whole buncha things on his plate; and, b) it wouldn't be fair to all the other fabulous directors who helm The Closer eps.

Still, I haven't laughed this hard in a while.

Flipping. Hysterical. Episode.

Love you, James Duff!


The Case

Kinda straightforward lover's triangle gone bad, with beefcake Hollywood stuntman off-ing the husband of the girl with whom he was ... ahem, "just friends."

Not.

Turns out"husband" was a high-profile horror film producer to which beefcake stuntman worked a number of films.

Why is it these guys get duped into killing off husbands for the women who leave them faster than you can say Friday the 13th AFTER the deed is done?

Guys ... seriously ... when a woman has got you planning to kill her husband so you can run off together, ya' might want to be a little wary.

Or have her sign some Pre-Murder-tial Agreement.


The Psychic - No Wait, Make That Intuitionist

OMG.

And she's Fritzy's sister, too?

Who da' thunk?

Much like we have come to love BJ's parents (played fantastically by Barry Corbin and Frances Sternhagen), who provide us with never ending material OUTSIDE of the murder room and give us a different look at the character of Brenda Leigh Johnson, Amy Sedaris' Claire is, as far as I'm concerned, an instant hit.

Now, she might seem over the top, or just so annoying you can't stand her. But not for me. What I found most interesting is the fact that she put Brenda in a very secondary kind of position - that is, BJ had to sort of play second fiddle to a personality that seemed larger than her own, smiling politely and letting someone else take center stage.

That is something we don't see too often.

As silly and ridiculous as Claire might have been, it was a nice shift watching BJ let her just ... well, be - especially since she is usually falling all over herself to take care of her parents, or skee-doodle around with Fritz.

And hey, she sorta-kinda-almost-maybe-might-have-possibly helped with the case!


The Lingering

Did we notice BJ had NOT erased the white board with the info from LAST week's case and/or that she has evil-incarnate-attorney Strow's DMV pic up on her computer screen?

Stalk much, BJ?

We have definitely not seen the last of this ... and she WILL get him.


The Scene of the Ep

Claire, after giving her rundown of Who, What, Where, When, Why and How in the murder room, says she'll be right back.

Plops down.

Goes into a deep sleep trance.

Like a terminator being powered down to re-boot.

Thank you for you cooperation.


The Wedding Cometh

Season four wraps up next week, and we're going to get to see whether BJ and Fritzy indeed say "I do."

Anyone placing odds on whether the wedding WILL happen?


The season finale of The Closer air next Monday at 9 p.m. on TNT. Visit The Closer official Web site for the scoop on all-things BJ and Co.

'Cold Case' Plays 'In Plain Sight'

When I saw this week's episode involved the Federal Witness Protection program, the first thing that came to mind was, "Cross over!"  I so wanted In Plain Sight's Mary to show up in Philadelphia.  Of course, that would have made for an entirely different episode, but that wouldn't necessarily have been a bad thing.  This outing was full of potential.  There was so much room for a really intricate, intriguing case with the WITSEC and mob connects, and yet, it all came down to a father not wanting to lose his daughter (who wasn't leaving anyway).  It was all a little ho-hum for my liking.  I wanted WITSEC excitement and mob antics, not your typical run-of-the-mill CC story.  I wanted a break in the formula because this show does that so well, but alas, we did not get it.  

There were a few funny moments between Vera and Jeffries and the ADA and Kat.  Speaking of which, I first thought that the writers were setting up a future Lilly/ADA relationship which of course, got me thinking about Lil and Kite and how the show should totally revisit that one before they go setting her up with another ADA.  But then toward the end of the episode, I started to wonder if they were aiming for a Kat/ADA hook-up.  All I can say is, what's with the show's pension for bringing together cold case detectives and ADAs?  First Lil, then Scotty and now maybe Kat and/or Lil (again)?  Interesting.  Of course, I could be dead wrong and all of this would just be a moot point.  Time will tell.

Overall, another so-so episode of CC.  The show moves to 14-0-1 on the season.  Screencap courtesy of RichE.  

'Chronicles' Goes for Survival

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

The fight to save the world resumed in a new time slot this past Friday evening.

Make that Friday the 13th.

When Jason Voorhees returned once again to the big screen to torture Crystal Lake campers, and Summer Glau was forced to do her best hostess impression (alongside Dollhouse's Eliza Dushku) in between Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles commercials to convince us why we should continue to watch the show.

Bad omen?

Hmmmmm.

Let it be said yours truly doesn't need any convincing. Neither do the rest of us who have truly enjoyed T:SCC since its inception (even with Season 2 being a little ... different). And FOX knew exactly what they were doing when they picked The Summer and The Dushku to do the promo-convincing schtick.

That said, the tactic comes off a little desperate. As such, I'm not feeling all that secure that the show will make it to a third season no matter how many people at FOX are yapping it up and trying to convince us that Friday is the new night to stay home and watch the tube.

(Right ... sure ... just like when CBS told us Touched By An Angel would survive being moved to Saturday at 8 p.m. - which is, possibly, the only other WORSE time slot on the television landscape).

In any event, let me go on the record right now to say that if our beloved T:SCC does NOT make it, I hope this back nine slate of episodes will give us something to think about.

And some closure.

So what happened Friday?

Anyone watching Grey's Anatomy (is anyone?) will not appreciate the dead lover hallucination thing that consumed most of our ep, with Sarah being guided-helped-reassured-whatever by the ghost of none other than Kyle Reese (you know, John's dad - who was played so brilliantly back in the first film by the awesome Michael Biehn).

Problem is, something about THIS version of Kyle Reese played a little flat and boring. I was hardly convinced that Sarah loved this guy more than life itself, and as such, found there was zero-zilch-nada chemistry between either character or actor.

Now, I will say I appreciated how Kyle kept telling Sarah to lighten up and let the doc (can we keep her?) actually help get the bullet out of her leg (which has been there since December, when we recall Sarah was left for dead after getting ambushed investigating yet another secret shack of Skynet out in the middle of the desert). Aside from that, the storyline didn't do much for me.

Something else that didn't do much for me is the fact that Reilly IS going to live after her attempted suicide. Blech. She and Jessie just need to head back to the future and leave us the heck alone.

John is still moping around doing nothing.

And Cam is just babysitting John. Seriously, she did NOTHING in this ep. Whenever that happens, it's not a good thing.

Best part of the ep?

Garret Dillahunt as John Henry, playing with the robot toys like a sci-fi nerd geek child.

Awww.

We love Garret. We have already confessed this. And when he gets up to demonstrate why the ball and socket joints on a plastic toy are more efficient that that which makes up our human bodies ... too.darn.cute.

Much like Jennifer Carpenter saved the third season of Dexter for me, Garret's John Henry is almost saving THIS show for me. The tit-for-tat between he, Agent Ellison and the Shirley-meister is curious and intriguing. It's like a time bomb waiting to go off - especially this week, when he does a little TOO much research on the internet to reveal one of Skynet's secret ... how should we say ... "locations."

Even better part of the ep?

The Shirley-meister doing her best Robert Patrick/T-1000 impression to annihilate the remains of the Skynet shack in the desert.

The fight to save the world (and arguably the show) continues.

New episodes of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles air Fridays at 8 p.m. on FOX. You can also watch full episodes online. Visit the Official Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Web site to catch up (or re-watch!)

Birthday Wishes

When I was younger, I was totally into Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman. I had lots of love for the title character and her portrayer Jane Seymour. The show has been off the air for close to a decade now (save for a couple of TV movies that wrapped up a few story lines), but I've continued to follow the impressive career of star Jane Seymour. Then I received the complete Dr. Quinn series (including those aforementioned TV movies) in a nice, tidy DVD set for Christmas this year, so I have been re-watching the adventures of Michaela and Sully and all the other interesting residents of Colorado Springs. It has been a very fun trip down memory lane with a more mature set of eyes. All of this led me to realize that Jane Seymour should be grandfathered in as a PTR Fave. After all, she was the original! Today just happens to be her birthday, so I figured it was a fine time to have her join the fold.

Happy Birthday Jane!!

Your Friends at PTR

And can we just say how fabulous you're looking??!! To prove that point here is Jane dancing the Mambo on Dancing with the Stars:


Seriously, right??!!

DID YOU KNOW? In addition to being an Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress, Jane is also an accomplished painter, author and designer? Her Open Hearts jewelry collection is a best seller at Kay Jewelers! The pieces, ranging from earrings and necklaces to bracelets and rings and everything in between, were inspired by a saying that her late mother used to tell her about keeping your heart open and "love will always find its way in." The saying has also inspired her latest book Open Hearts - a collection of poems, essays, quotes, and Jane’s “Healing Hearts” paintings. For more on Jane's projects, visit her official site at JaneSeymour.com.

'Damages' Rematch ... Sort Of

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Patty v. Frobie.

The rematch.

Front row seats now available.

Can I just say I nearly fell out of my chair watching Damages last night when it was revealed Arthur Frobisher (yes, that would be Frobie - the man Patty buried into oblivion in the first season) was going to be the Plantiff in the mother-of-all class action suits she intends to level against Walter Kendrick and UNR?!?!?!

God, I love this show.

Seriously ... how good is this twist?

Or the fact that Patty seems to be conveniently withholding that little bit of information from out-to-get-Frobie-at-all-costs Ellen?!?!?

Did I say I love this show?

Speaking of dearly beloved Ellen ... my heart ached for her this week. We've been seeing the more vengeful, sinister side to her character in the first episodes. But, we were treated to that softer, more emotional side when she returned back to her and now deceasedfiancé Doc David's boxed up apartment - the memory of finding him murdered in the bath tub still haunting her every move.

And motivation.

How about the present that he ordered BEFORE his death that was taken in by the neighbor and finally given to Ellen last night?

Poor Ellen.

Under that insanely calm interior, there is such pain.

And quiet rage.

A dangerous combo.

It was also nice to see Katie Connor back in the mix - even if it only ended up rubbing salt in Ellen's wound. Not a surprise the guy following her all of last season ends up being ANOTHER evil NYPD cop on the Frobie payroll and/or in cahoots with creepy detective dude from the first season who killed David.

We also got our first extended look at Marcia Gay Harden's Claire Maddox character. All I can say is ... tramp? pimped out hot stuff attorney on the UNR payroll? sleeps with everyone?

I did not see that one coming. It was one thing to know she's having the affair with Daniel Purcell, but this sleeps around thing is curious. And MGH is just so quietly powerful. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's as if every action is this methodical, deliberate, poised motion on her part. We have yet to see her flustered.

Or what's really beneath the surface.

Hmmm, that sounds like the other high powered attorney on the show ... someone named Patty Hewes, I think.

And yet MGH and Glenn Close are completely different in their portrayals of these two very strong women.

This show has the best cast on television at the moment.

Comic relief: Patty, Tom, Claire and Walter negotiating their settlement of Walter's defamation suit against Patty after she rips him a new one all over the airwaves.

"I defer to my attorney."

I laughed through BOTH those scenes.

Book your seats now, folks. It's getting awfully good.

New episodes of Damages air Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX. To catch up on the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of the show, head on over to the official Damages Web site.

Olivia's on the 'Fringe'

NOTE: I have been buried under a pile of episodes of my favorite shows, and thus, have not been able to write my thoughts about them here at PTR (this is what happens when you have out-of-town guests for a week and then you, yourself, go out of town for several days). This pile, however, was so deep that there's no point in attempting to go back and do write-ups from last week's shows, so I'm going to move forward starting with some belated thoughts on this week's episode of Fringe.

When it comes to these "intrigue shows," I find it's best to just sit back and enjoy the ride without attempting to figure them out. Doing the latter only leads to frustration, headaches and constant disappoint as no significant information is ever divulged in serving sizes greater than a dollop. They tend to give you just enough to keep you hanging on, but not enough to leave you feeling any satisfaction. So, I adopted this new philosophy this season and suddenly, things like Lost are much more enjoyable (sadly, not Heroes, though. I fear nothing can save that show). Most recently, I have started using it for Fringe. Oh, I cannot tell you how much more enjoyable the show has become for me. I'm no longer worrying about Massive Dynamic and their connection to John Scott or why "The Pattern" seems to have been completely dropped (save for a brief bald guy sighting right when the newsstand guy started getting suffocated by his own skin). Nope, I'm not obsessing or allowing my frustrations to ruin an otherwise entertaining and well-played show. Because if I were, then I would never have appreciated this week's awesome Olivia stunt and reveal. I never doubted that Olivia would be able to turn out those lights by using her mind. One because, well, had the bomb released the toxin everyone would have died and there would be no show. But also, I figured there had to be a reason why the group recruited her to do the task.

Olivia's one-woman save the world show wasn't the night's most impressive feat. Turns out, Olivia could be one of the cases she's charged with working. She was injected with a non-FDA approved drug when she was just a child. The drug helps the mind hold onto its complete functions -- opening up pathways that normally die off as we get older according to the drug's creator. These pathways include powers usually reserved for comic book characters. From what we saw this week, it looks like the drug worked. Talk about making things personal. Could this be why Liv can interact with her dead love's memories? And on a totally unrelated note, could that last sentence have been the most ridiculous one that I've ever written? I guess we'll have to keep tuning in to get the answers.

Fringe airs Tuesday nights on Fox. If you missed this week's episode, watch it for free at Fox.com. Photo courtesy Fox.

'Trust Me' Trudges On

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

I really want to stop reading about how Trust Me is bombing in the ratings.

Or the Who, What, Where, When, How and Why people can't seem to get into the show.

I've perused some of the other television blogs, some of the reader comments, some of message board stuff. I guess most of the discontent seems to boil down to: "Is advertising really like this?" to "Monica Potter is just so annoying" to "There isn't anything compelling between the two men to make me want to watch."

We all know I disagree.

And I guess I'm one of the few who "gets" the show.

Working in an ad agency - or any creative agency - is really a schizophrenic experience, complete with neurotic know-it alls, egotistical maniacs, the good guys trying not to be the bad guys, the bad guys trying to be the good guys, the arse-kissing, the one-upsmanship, the figure-it-out-by-4:00-p.m.-or-you're-fired daily threat. I guess since I've seen all this first hand, the show doesn't come out of left field to me.

That said, I have to say last night's ep was a little ... how should I say ... annoying.

And it was at the expense of Tom Cavanagh.

I wanted him to stop talking.

I wanted Conner to stop talking.

I wanted to focus on Mason's dilemma in trying to prevent Sarah from being hired away to another creative team WITHIN the agency.

I wanted to focus on Mason having to deal with Big Boss Lady Denise.

I wanted to see more of Mason and wife Erin (played by the lovely Sarah Clarke).

And as annoying as some people feel Monica Potter is, she doesn't speak at a pace that equates to Mr. Mumbles.

Plainly, Cavanagh's Conner distracted me.

And I wonder if he's distracting other people, too.

Now, I've said both he and Eric McCormack have tremendous riff-off-one-another chemistry. They do. Problem is, they might have TOO much chemistry (if that can be said), and I don't need to be watching it for 45 minutes straight or have it interrupt my ability to follow the other stories and character development.

When they both go back and forth so quickly, and seem so insanely wrapped up in one another, the viewer gets lost; we can't take a breath to catch up and "get it"; and, we end up wanting Conner to just.stop.talking long enough to actually understand what is being said or to move onto something else.

I hate to say that because I know this is a gift Cavanagh has - that of a rapid fire recitation of lines (and improvisation), but I'm finding it might be getting in the way.

And I'm not sure the show has much leeway to allow for things to get in its way.

Trust Me airs Mondays at 10 p.m. on TNT. You can learn more about the series by visiting the Trust Me Official Web site.

'The Closer' Gives Us A Legend

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

We interrupt our usual recap of The Closer episodes from this fourth season to just say ...

W.O.W.

File last night's episode ("Power of Attorney") as a prime candidate to be included in the Top 5 of our PTR Best Episode countdown for 2009.

And did we mention it reminded me of the legendary Cold Case episode, "Mind Hunter"?

More on that in a minute.

W.O.W.

We know The Closer always manages to give us compelling cases each season, with a memorable bad guy (or two). Someone who gives Brenda Leigh Johnson a run for her money, someone who really gets to her and forces her hand. It can, at times, be a rarity given she is so good closing cases.

But we crossed into legendary territory last night for the one she could NOT get.

And we were once again shown that the show is still churning out some of its best work to date - four (almost five) seasons in.

Billy Burke's portrayal of the sex offender defense attorney was just insanely-creepily-disturbingly-engrossingly good, second (or perhaps tied with) Jason O'Mara's Bill Croelick character. And given how long PTR has followed Cold Case (and how much we WISH the show was still doing what it did in that amazing second season), it's not a stretch to compare Burke to John Billingsley's portrayal of serial killer George Marks who was, essentially, Detective Lilly Rush's one true nemesis.

The one that got under the skin.

The one that made you want to scream at the screen.

The one that made you seethe in anger right alongside the squad.

The one that got away.

W.O.W.

I will never forget watching George Marks walk right out of the interrogation room when Rush couldn't nail him for murder. And I will never forget watching BJ see attorney Strowe stroll out of her murder room a free man, unable to pin six rapes and one murder on the slime that just seemed to drip off this guy.

Both detectives - so poised, in control and on their game in always getting their suspects - reduced to powerless bystanders.

Both actresses - Kathryn Morris and Kyra Sedgwick - delivering one of their best performances.

How about when BJ looked at Strowe through the window of the interrogation room door, realizing she had been one upped into giving away her evidence only so that he could be sure they had NOTHING on him, and he could fool her into making a worthless deal with the so-called "partner" that would given them even more than less than nothing?

I felt as if I couldn't believe what I was seeing and/or hearing right alongside her.

That moment of revelation of on Kyra Sedgwick's face: genius.

Like when Morris told Billingsley's Marks: "I'll be watching you."

Or when both legendary bad guys told each detective: "It's over."

W.O.W.

All I can say is bring on the sequel.

'Cause you know there will be one.

One.Amazing.Episode.

New episodes of The Closer air Mondays at 9 p.m. on TNT. Visit The Closer official Web site for the scoop on all-things BJ and Co.

Morris Feels the Love Everyday

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

So a box of chocolate and a nice dinner just isn't that big of a deal for Cold Case star (and PTR Fave) Kathryn Morris come Valentine's Day.

But give her a Supercross motorcycle competition, and you're in business.

Kathryn recently spoke to syndicated Hollywood Exclusive columnists Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith on all-things love, Valentine's Day, her very busy Hotplate production company, and a reinvigorated sense of excitement about being on Cold Case.


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From Creators.com
Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Morris Talks Love, Motorcycles, Producing and 'Cold Case'

"Cold Case" heroine Kathryn Morris expects to spend Valentine's Day with her guy, producer/director David Barrett, at a Supercross competition. It's a sport to which she was introduced by Barrett, who was a professional motocross racer as a teen.

However, Morris doesn't care that much how they observe Cupid's special day. The way she sees it, "When you really love someone, every day is Valentine's Day. For some couples a box of candy and dinner at a nice restaurant might do the trick, but my philosophy is that if you really care about a person, everything, big and small, adds up to a lot of love."

In their case, it also adds up to a lot of work. Barrett is not only a producer/director on her CBS series, he's a partner in her Hotplate production company that Morris describes as "my greatest adventure." She and David have had, she says, "tremendous support from CBS and Warner Bros." And, she adds, "For a company that's just a year old, well, we've made progress that some people don't make in a lifetime.

"We're partnering with Warners on four projects, including films that are in development. And there's the 'Crosshairs' series — a cross between Steve McQueen and 'Magnum P.I.' — that CBS has bought, plus 'The Fixer,' a funny hour-long dramedy, about a hired con man, we're doing for Fox. We're talking to two major names now."

Much as Morris loves the production side of the business, she says, "I'll continue to act at least for the next 30 years" — and she'd be happy if quite a few of those years continue to be dominated by "Cold Case." The show, she says, has improved now that her character "has broken out of her shackles. She was kind of on the edge last season with personal problems, but that's now past, and there's new life and excitement in the series."

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Now, we do love Kathryn, but the verdict is still out for us here at PTR as to that sense of "excitement" with CC these days. Nonetheless, we are happy for her that SHE feels that way.

Cold Case airs Sunday nights at 9 p.m. on CBS.

Chat Live with 'Trust Me' Stars

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

So, now here's your chance to see just how fun it is to talk (or would that be chat-email-comment-something-or-other?) to Trust Me stars Eric McCormack and Tom Cavanagh.

Eric, Tom and the rest of the cast of TNT’s new series will chat with fans live tonight online at tnt.tv from 11 p.m. to Midnight (ET) immediately following an all-new episode.

Simply logon to tnt.tv, click on the Trust Me web chat and ask your questions.

And don't forget to tune into tonight's all new episode at 10 p.m.

Bell is Twice Hallmark's 'Good Witch'

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Confession: Catherine Bell is always going to be Lt. Col. Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie to me.

And, if I were bloggin' back when JAG was in its heyday, the show would've had a prime spot here at PTR.

Loved.That.Show.

Alas, JAG is long gone.

But Catherine is around in lots of good stuff these days, notably her turn as Denise Sherwood over on Lifetime's hit series, Army Wives (which I'm still trying to figure out how to squeeze into my very busy DVR schedule so I can bring it to PTR).

She's relocated to South Carolina, where the show films seven months out of the year, with her young daughter Gemma and her husband, Adam Beason. "We absolutely love it here," she says. "It's a city but it feels like a small town, where everyone knows each other and they're friendly."

But tonight, she hangs up her army fatigues and returns to Hallmark in The Good Witch's Garden, the sequel to last year's hit The Good Witch.

Any magic tales from the set? Not according her daughter.

“It’s funny," she says. “I was talking to my daughter on the phone while I was filming, and she was telling me all about magic. How she had magic was sending me magic through the phone to me and these are the words you say to make the magic work and all. So I told her it was good she was sending it because I’m playing the good witch so I need magic. And she told me, ‘Oh mommy, that’s just a movie, you don’t need magic for that!’”

Bell plays Cassandra "Cassie" Nightingale (got to love that name). She's settled into the small town of Middleton and is busy making a home of what is known as Grey House. She's got a boyfriend, Sheriff Jake Russell (played by Chris Potter), and though his kids are happy to have her in the neighborhood, she has yet to gain the trust of some people in town.

In the sequel, a stranger comes to Middleton with papers that entitle him to legal ownership of Grey House, which essentially leaves Cassie without a home and convinced Middleton just isn't that into her. Ultimately, everyone learns holding on too tightly to something can make it more likely that very thing will slip through one's fingers.

Sound good?

(Second confession: For some ridiculous reason, I MISSED the original The Good Witch. Worse, I have no excuse. I saw the promos last year in between my Touched By An Angel replays, but I clearly had a premature senior moment given I a) never set the DVR, and b) never managed to see it when it re-aired. Duh.)

Hallmark is once again doing me (and everyone else) a favor by re-airing the original The Good Witch at 7 p.m. before the premiere of The Good Witch's Garden at 9 p.m. For more scoop on the movie, head on over to HallmarkChannel.com.

Sources: Hallmark Publicity/Syndicate