'Deadliest' in the Eye of the Storm ... Again

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

"Have you ever seen somebody fish in 100 mile an hour winds and 40 foot seas? You're about to."

That was, without a doubt, the line of the night (and perhaps the series) in describing Tuesday's episode of Deadliest Catch. And in the even more fateful words of Captain Keith (Wizard): "The Bering Sea is having one of those years."

Hmmm, ya' think?

Yet another arctic hurricane knocked the gang around this week, and it looks like it's going to get even worse next week. Did we mention this is the Bering Sea in winter? Right, we did. Last week. And I'm still needing dramamine.

Highlights:

- Time Bandit's Hooked On You: Co-captain Johnathan decided to quit looking over brother Andy's shoulder (seeing as Andy was raking in the crab like there was no tomorrow), so he headed down to deck to lend a hand. After he promptly threw out and hooked a good 8-10 pots without issue, he had one errant throw (some sort of underhand slow pitch rendition) that ended up smacking him squarely in the face slicing his nose. Yet, it was so freakin' cold, the blood just froze right in place. Suffice it to say it wasn't that bad of a cut - luckily. And Johnathan proved he could tough it out with the best of 'em as he headed back out on deck to finish the string. Go, Johnathan!

- Cornelia Marie and the $50,000 Gamble - The Sequel: So Captain Phil gets the Nerves of Steel Award this week seeing as he decided to sail the Cornelia Marie back out into the throws of the approaching hurricane with a half-arsed engine. The good news: he does make up some serious lost time by coming into the crab quickly. The bad news: his son, Jake the Flake, seems to care less about working and more about eating ice cream. Again. So Phil chews him out. Again. My favorite senior deckhand Murray had the runner-up line of the night as he described the increasingly debilitating weather conditions: "Mother Nature always wins."

- Northwestern Going 38 Hours Strong: Need we say more? I get that the processing plant called Captain Sig and bumped up their delivery date whilst simultaneously bumping up the amount of crab to be delivered, but when the crew are walking zombies ... well, can they even count the crab at that point? Yes they can. How these guys do it, I have not a clue. Props to them.

- The Wizard's Premonition: Perhaps Captain Keith (who was kinda quiet this week) said it best when he admitted he had a strange premonition before the season started. I'd have to second that - especially seeing as next week's previews indicate no one is safe from the Bering Sea's wrath.

Then again, what else is new.

New episodes of Deadliest Catch air Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Discovery Channel (with multiple replays throughout the week). You can also tune into all new episodes of After the Catch at 10 p.m. to hear the captains' insights on the season's highs and lows. Visit the official Deadliest Catch Web site for the latest on the captains and crews of the Northwestern, Cornelia Marie, Time Bandit, Wizard and North American.

'Damages' in a World of Hurt

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Who said reunions were a bad thing?

William Hurt, who co-starred with Glenn Close in The Big Chill, is set to star alongside her once again when he joins the cast of FX's Damages for the upcoming second season. Hurt will feature as a new client of Patty Hewes in which he also shares a previous professional - and personal (ooh! juicy!) - relationship.

Damages is scheduled to resume production on June 24 and return to the airwaves at the beginning of 2009.

File under: another awesome cast addition to a PTR Fave.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

truTV Goes for ‘Gold’

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

50 days.

Three holes to drill.

An oil payload awaits.

Hopefully.

Welcome to the world of actuality television, and specifically, truTV’s new actuality series Black Gold, which chronicles the lives of West Texas oil drillers as they race to the center of the earth in the hopes of striking a rich payload. It premieres this Wednesday, June 18th at 10 p.m. on truTV.

Now, I’ve come to the conclusion that “actuality” television seems to be a step beyond (or above?) “reality” television whereby you feel like you’re watching more of a live-action documentary (and learning something) as opposed to wondering who is going to date whom on next week’s show (and not learning anything). Thus, most of us have already watched some sort of “actuality” series. We’ve recently welcomed Deadliest Catch to PTR; you may have also seen Ice Road Truckers on the History channel.

Black Gold is brought to us by the creator of both the Deadliest and the Ice Road series (Thom Beers), and the show revolves around the daily goings-on of the crews aboard three main oil rigs – the Adobe Longhorn, the Viking and the Big Dog – who, similar to the Deadliest gang, have got a lot riding on whether they can win the who-strikes-oil first race.

So do their multi-million dollar owners.

But the kick is: these guys actually don’t know if they will hit oil.

As in, they only have a best guesstimate of where the oil might be based on various geo-thermal imaging-sensing-rig-a-ma-role (kinda like the Deadliest guys trying to find the crab). And whilst the Black Gold guys don’t beam themselves down into the center of the earth á la something out of Star Trek, they remain on an unrelenting schedule to drill 10,000 feet to find the goods.

It is, at the end of the day, one big giant multi-million dollar gamble.

Yet, I was having a bit of time truly getting into Black Gold.

Deadliest Catch has a certain shock and awe factor.

Ice Road Truckers has a certain you’ve-got-to-be-kidding me factor.

Black Gold did not seem to strike me one way or the other – no pun intended.

The first couple of eps seemed a little slow. Then again, the drilling is a tedious process (and messy – someone call Mike Rowe and have him do an ep of Dirty Jobs just on these oil rig guys if one hasn’t been done already); thus, I’m not sure it’s going to be an edge-of-your-seat ride like the other two series. That said, I have to confess I am used to the pace of Deadliest, whereby nobody goes out, gets drunk at their birthday party and/or doesn’t show up for work the next day.

I also didn’t find myself terribly endeared toward any of the three crews aboard the rigs. Unusual, seeing as I instantly found the personalities of the Deadliest and Ice Road crews to be pretty interesting out the gate. The Black Gold guys seemed to be a little new to the have-the-camera-follow-me-around thing. That may get better as the series moves along.

But probably what surprised me the most was I could not help but view this series with what I'll call an economic hangover given the current climate (and constant barrage of bad news) regarding: a) the US economy; b) the US dollar; c) the outrageous price of oil.

As such, it was hard for me to get into the whole race-for-oil thing given the mere mention of oil these days makes people cringe (myself included). Even though it is timely subject, oil is also a big ol' sore spot for most folks right now.

This, of course, is truTV’s selling point – that with our foreign dependence on oil, we need to find the good stuff here at home. And thus, these crews put their lives on the line to do just that.

But I’m wondering if that strategy might backfire.

I’m not sure everyone will want to watch a constant reminder of just how much the price of oil is out of control and/or that we depend too much on foreign supplies. And whilst I dig (literally) that these guys are trying to tap into one of the nation’s last remaining oil reserves without destroying wildlife or a preserve (ahem, Alaska), Black Gold's over-arching premise can't help but pound home one more time how much money is made in the oil business – particularly how much money the US company oil men make in a day on all the rigs they own, which include the ones competing against each other in this series.

So, whether it intends to or not, Black Gold adds a little salt to an already seriously painful wound in our current economic climate. And no matter how much oil these guys find, it isn’t going to set global prices back to $35 a barrel.

Still, I think the series has potential. And I'm sure the personalities of the crews will eventually reveal themselves. It is a fascinating thing to see these guys constantly avoiding being slammed, crushed or whipped by various elements of the oil rig.

Makes me surely appreciate the safe confines of my work cubicle once again.

The series premiere of Black Gold starts this Wednesday, June 18th at 10 p.m. on truTV. To learn all about the crews, the show and the oil drilling business in general, head on over to the Black Gold Official Web Site.

Always a Bridesmaid 'In Plain Sight'

You know, this show is really growing on me. I thought the pilot was so-so, the second episode was good and last night's outing (the third) was really good. I liked the way the story had me going back and forth on whether or not to trust Treena. Unlike Mary, I wanted to, but like Mary, I didn't think it wise. And then there's the fact that I'm a sucker for a happy ending. Treena turned her life around and married the man she loved because she loved him and not because she wanted to con him out of something. Plus, she got her life back after the diamond smugglers were apprehended which means no more WITSEC and I'm pretty sure that means a happy ending for Mary too. She no longer has to worry about her violating her agreement with pictures in the paper and identifying Mary as a U.S. Marshall.

In addition to the great storytelling this week, there was an overall humor that made me love this episode a little more. Mary's ridiculous outfit at the bachelorette party (courtesy of her crazy sister) and her partner's incoherent reaction to it had me laughing for a good chunk of the hour. Plus, she wore it to catch the diamond smugglers! Even better! Then, she tries to smear lipstick all over Marshall's face (in an effort to make it look like they were enjoying a little tryst in the stables) and he starts trying to make out with her! And then explains it away later by saying he's a guy. Too funny.

Of course, the person Mary should have been making out with is her major-league bound baseball star boyfriend hook-up hottie. But, she has Lilly Rush-sized commitment issues in the way, so his spontaneous proposal went over like a lead balloon (actually, it was more like a HUGE speeding boulder). And while I'll admit that having her race down to the airport in her battered old car, getting caught behind slow traffic (which in and of itself is totally plausible as it happens to me everyday when I'm in a rush), having to stop for a railroad crossing, going through the railroad crossing despite the gates and oncoming train and finally getting stuck on the tracks was a teensy bit much (whereas simply having her show up to the airport 2 minutes too late would have sufficed), I'm terribly intrigued with this story line. Will having him hundreds of miles away cause her to realize her feelings for him? Will she take Treena's advice (which was actually her own advice)? She may hide her witnesses in plain sight, but her feelings are just...hidden.

In Plain Sight airs Sunday nights on USA Network. If you missed this week's episode ("Never the Bride"), check it out for free at Hulu.com.

Meet the Cast of 'The Bill Engvall Show'

Fans of TBS's The Bill Engvall Show can bid for a chance to go to LA and hang out with the cast on the set. All proceeds from the online auction will go to the Lonestar Paralysis Foundation (LSPF) charity, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and funds to find a cure for spinal cord paralysis. Bidding is open now and runs through this Tuesday, June 17th, so hurry up and make your bid and help a good cause. The highest bidder (who will get to bring along 3 family members/friends) will win:

-Inclusion in the audience to watch the filming of an episode of The Bill Engvall Show
-Guided tour of the set
-Meet and greet with the cast of The Bill Engvall Show

Set visit will take place in Los Angeles on one of the following dates: Thursday, June 26th, Thursday, July 10th, Thursday, July 17

Visit the eBay auction page for more info and to place your bid. The Bill Engvall Show airs Thursday nights at 9 p.m. on TBS.

PJ's Mystery Date Revealed

PJ, feeling a little relieved because she thought she had been stood up, grabs her stuff and makes her way up to first class to sit with her date to Italy who just happens to be... BOBBY??? I have to admit, out of all of the possibilities (and the finger crossing/hoping that it would be Brendan), Bobby never crossed my mind, so paint me shocked! I like it, though. At first, I was a little unsure, but then PJ had that talk with Steph in the airplane lavatory about how she has feelings for Bobby again so she decided to ask him but she may/may not have kinda-sorta asked him in a "friend" way, so he might be unaware that the trip was supposed to be romantic. Bring on the complications! Things were heading down the right path at first with PJ and Bobby staying alone in Bobby's family villa in Italy, but then the wheels came off as Steph and her date split up forcing Steph to stay in the villa and cling all over the would-be couple. By the end of the trip, PJ was sitting with Steph in first class (with Bobby across the aisle) re-evaluating this whole romantic relationship with Bobby idea. And by episode's end, she had decided that she was over the idea. BUT, overreacting and calling the idea "gross" in front of the guys leads me to believe that she isn't actually as "over" the idea as she thinks. This should be interesting.

Meanwhile back in Chicago, the boys were busy getting themselves kicked out of Crowley's (thanks to Mike -- who slept with the waitress and didn't call her) and worrying about Bobby. Apparently, Bobby didn't let them know that he was going to Italy with PJ so they thought he was missing. I laughed so hard when PJ and Steph got in Andy's car at the airport and the first thing out of the very worried Kenny's mouth was, "There's no easy way to tell you this... Bobby's missing." After assuring the guys that Bobby wasn't, in fact, missing, PJ had to get them back into Crowley's. Of course after learning that Mike had used a fake Texas accent to sleep with the waitress, she decided to uphold his ban herself. Yup, My Boys is back and I'm lovin' it!

You can catch up on episodes of My Boys at TBS.com. New episodes air Thursday nights at 9:30 pm (EST) on TBS.

'My Boys' Goes for Second Home Run

When packing for a kickass trip to Italy, there are a few essentials that should find their way into every girl's suitcase -- even a tomboy's like PJ. A generous appetite (because you know the "Tour of Italy" isn't just referring to the Colosseum in Rome, the canals in Venice and the scenery in Tuscany) -- Check. A good pair of walking shoes -- Check. Fun evening wear -- Check. Oh, and someone to share all if it with -- Check?? When we last left PJ, she was agonizing over who to bring with her on this trip of a lifetime. The quest to find the right guy took its toll, though, and she decided to go stag alongside BFF Stephanie and her date. Game over. Or so we thought! In the closing seconds, she was called into first class to meet a mystery man holding a class of champagne. But, who did she choose? It's a cliffhanger that has had us guessing for close to a year. This Thursday, the mystery man will finally be revealed in the second season premiere. Will it be botanist Evan, globe-trotting reporter Thorn Packer, Cubs player Matt Dougan, or someone else?

Recently, series star Jordana Spiro graciously took time out of her busy schedule to chat via phone with bloggers (including PTR's LillyKat) about the upcoming season and her unlucky-in-love character. She told bloggers to expect some maturing this season. "PJ is going to grow up a bit, going to become more of a woman. We're going to sort of see her get beyond that young adolescence aspect that everyone has come to know of PJ," she promised. Spiro also talked about special guest star Nia Vardalos (who will stick around for a 3-episode arc) calling her "Amazing." When asked which episodes are some of her favorites, Spiro pointed to season one's "Mixed Signals." "This is one where I really felt in tune with the character ... she's going through all these motions, these exaggerations, thinking she's sending out all the right signals. Haven't we all done that?," she explained. But her favorite part of working on the hit comedy is her coworkers. "Going to work with people who are dedicated to creating a quality product, and who you generally like being around," she enthused. The second season of My Boys kicks off Thursday (tomorrow) night at 9:30 EST on TBS. Check out the preview:


You can watch a video recap of the first season HERE at TBS.com. And, there are a couple of fun My Boys opportunities for fans. Sony Pictures Television, which produces the comedy, is running a nostalgic round of M.A.S.H. (Mansion, Apartment, Shack or House) for Facebook users. Find out your fictitious future (you might end up with a character from the hit show) with the application over at Facebook. For fans in the Boston area, Give Me My Remote is hosting a viewing party with series star Jamie Kaler (Mike Callahan). Get all of the details HERE.

Before you settle in to watch My Boys, you can also catch the second season premiere of The Bill Engvall Show on TBS. Check out a sneak peek of the second season HERE at TBS.com.

Deep Breaths for 'Deadliest'

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

There is something in the old saying of taking deep breaths to calm one in the middle of chaos.

Except, usually on the Bering Sea, those deep breaths are replaced with: a) a lot of cigarettes; b) a lot of energy drinks; c) a lot of yelling; d) a lot of cursing; e) all of the above.

This week's episode of Deadliest Catch seem to need a whole bunch of deep breaths.

Highlights:

- Coast Guard Drama-rama: So, in feeling like I was watching some sort of scene from The Guardian, whereby Kevin Costner and/or Ashton Kutcher were going to emerge from the shadows of the Coast Guard rescue helicopter at any moment, the actual USCG crew wisely decided not to fly through the remains of the Arctic hurricane to an awaiting Medivac two hours away. They would never have made it, and in fact, would have likely and sent the entire helicopter, crew and rescued seaman to Davy Jones locker. Good call, boys. They returned to their home port, where they were still able to get their rescued seaman medical attention.

- Cornelia Marie and the $50,000 gamble: Poor Captain Phil. After limping back into port (and we do mean limping - one engine, 40+ knot winds, you do the math), he just can't quite get the engine fixed right and/or mechanic Norm can't quite seem to figure out exactly what the heck is wrong with it in the first place. With less than a week to deliver the crab payload, Phil gambles to head back out on only one engine and wait to do a $50,000 overhaul of his engine after the payload is delivered. Do we need to remind Phil this is the Bering Sea in winter? Good luck, Phil and Co.

- Time Bandit's Mr. Magoo: I admit I am partial to the Cornelia Marie (something about the name of the ship sticks with me, plus I like Captain Phil and senior deckhand / engineer / co-captain / all-things Mr. Fix It Murray), but the brotherly co-captain team aboard the Time Bandit - Andy and Johnathan Hillstrand - come in a very close second. Johnathan runs the ship in the fall/King Crab season; Andy runs the ship in the winter/Opilio season (which is now). Bro' Johnathan tried to steer Andy to his lucky spot from last year's season only to be outdone by Andy's lucky Mr. Magoo spot (something about how the shape of the sea floor makes it look - at least on the navigation monitor - like an exact replica of the cartoon character).

- 24-Hour Service Northwestern: Why is it that Captain Sig always seems to be running his crews into the ground? Yet another non-stop marathon session aboard the Northwestern. I think everyone looses track after the 24-hour mark. But as Sig says, with an approximate $95,000 haul of crab on a blind set (meaning, he just dumped the crab collection pots because he was trying to get the darn things off the boat to ride out the first of those Arctic hurricanes from last week): "We can be vampires and fish at night." And day. And night. And day.

- Cracking the Whip on the Wizard: Captain Keith was not happy with his guys this week. You could say they were sort of like the Los Angeles Lakers in the first two games of this year's NBA Finals - sort of half-arsing it, not really giving a crap, not being focused and/or dedicated and/or playing hard enough. After a good halftime pep talk (Bering Sea style), the crew got its act together. Except for the newbie Moi (called a Greenhorn). Am thinking he and Captain Keith are going to have the Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant relationship of yesteryear - acrimonious at best.


If you'd like to catch up on the series, tune into the Father's Day Marathon of Deadliest Catch this coming Sunday, June 15th beginning at 9 a.m. New episodes of Deadliest Catch air Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Discovery Channel (with multiple replays throughout the week). To check out all the ins, outs, ups and downs of the series on the whole, head on over to the official Deadliest Catch Web site to catch up on the captains and crews of the Northwestern, Cornelia Marie, Time Bandit, Wizard and North American.

Parental Issues 'In Plain Sight'

This week's episode of In Plain Sight was a million times better than the pilot. It made my decision to stick with it pay off as we were rewarded with a compelling story involving a young boy who started out as a witness and suddenly became the shooter. Luckily, he blanked out the entire shooting-his-mom-by-accident incident, but he wasn't able to blank out his drug-dealing father and his (notso) merry band of low-life friends. We also saw Mary bending the rules a bit in favor of the boy's best interest and I liked this new facet to her character. Her move with sending the kid back "home" before the judge ruled could have landed her in hot water, but she was willing to gamble on it in order to ensure her young charge's safety. I started off hating the father and his horrendous parenting skills, but he kinda grew on me. By the end, I was all ferklempt at seeing him reunited with his son back in Albuquerque. And call me a sap, but there was something sweet about father and son both in the WITSEC program together.

The only thing that didn't work well for me in this episode was Mary's mother and sister and their crazy story involving the door-to-door make-up sales. Overall, the mother is the weakest link and I feel like the show is wasting Leslie Ann Warren's talent on these silly story lines and this overdone character. The sister isn't much better and the combination of the two feels a little ripped from the mommy/sister issues playbook that Cold Case sorta has the patent on these days. Even down to the daddy- left- so- mom- drinks- too- much- and- wastes- her- time- with- no- good- men- and- my- sister- is- a- chip- off- the- old- block (complete with the same penchant to hook up with the wrong guy) brings to mind a different blond detective with attitude. Long story short: I could do with less mother/sister scenes and do more with Mary's more emotional, human ones like most of this week's episode. Thank goodness for those scenes.

In Plain Sight airs Sunday nights on USA Network. If you missed this week's episode ("Hoosier Daddy"), check it out for free at Hulu.com.

'Dexter' Nabs Smits

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

As if Dexter needed to get any better ...

The immensely talented Jimmy Smits is set to join the cast of Showtime's Dexter for the upcoming third season as a charismatic assistant district attorney who comes from one of Miami's most politically powerful and beloved families. He will be featured in 10 of the 12 episodes on tap for season three.

We remember that Smits most recently starred in the blink-and-you-might-have-missed-it CBS drama, Cane, but I confess I will always remember him as the beloved Detective Bobby Simone on NYPD Blue.

File this under: Awesome Cast Additions.

Source: Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

'Army Wives' Ready for 2nd Tour of Duty

Lifetime kicks off the second season of its smash hit Army Wives this Sunday. The show, about the lives of five women trying to stay connected to their military husbands while navigating life on an Army post, stars Kim Delaney, Catherine Bell, Sally Pressman, Brigid Brannagh and Wendy Davis. Last season, PEOPLE Magazine named the characters as "The Top 10 TV Characters of 2007." Check out Lifetime's season 2 preview:


For more on Army Wives (including a season 1 recap, cast interviews and full episodes), visit the official site. Army Wives deploys its second season this Sunday (June 8th) on Lifetime.

‘Deadliest Catch’ Is Dead-On Good

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Gale force winds.

40 foot seas.

Snow, rain, freezing spray.

24, 36 and 48-hour working shifts.

Anyone up for crab fishing in the Bering Sea?

In winter?

Welcome to Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch - a documentary style reality show which details the adventures – and I do mean adventures – of select captains and crews aboard a group of commercial crab fishing boats who brave the Bering Sea to haul in Alaskan King crab (in the fall) and Opilio crab (in the dead of winter).

I'm hooked.

No pun intended.

Last night was the fourth season premiere of the Opilio crab season (the Alaskan King crab season is over and done with, but of which kicked off the show’s overall season four premiere back in April ... got that? The show splits up its season airings into covering the two crab seasons). The Opilio session was filmed this past winter, and we've already got: a Coast Guard rescue that seems to have gone awry (stay tuned for next week); two Arctic storm fronts, one that seemed to toy with capsizing the Wizard; and, a complete engine meltdown that is forcing the Cornelia Marie back to port.

Did I mention this is only the beginning of the Opilio season?

Now, as we know, I rarely ever get “in” to reality television unless it: a) has some serious meaning; b) allows me to learn something; c) can make me appreciate certain aspects of the human condition without seeming like some sort of perverted voyeur.

This show easily does all three, not to mention makes me appreciate my regular ol’ desk job.

Commercial fishing has long been considered one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet, but Alaskan crab fishing is considered to be the deadliest of deadly due to the extreme conditions of the Bering Sea during the seasons in which these guys set out to fish.

Translation: the Bering Sea, on average, claims one fisherman a week.

Translation #2: Those not sent to Davy Jones Locker get the privilege of being battered around and injured as if it were in fashion given the harshness of the severe weather conditions in which they must work (frigid gale force winds; rogue waves – we remember George Clooney in The Perfect Storm, right?; ice formations on and around the boats that have to be hacked off with sledgehammers; and the danger of working with such heavy machinery on a constantly rolling boat deck).

Yes, folks, these guys put their lives on the line so that we, the general public, can sit down and order some serious crab in a given restaurant.

And we get to see every OMG! moment thanks to some amazing camera angles and the Discovery camera crewmen who have to brave the conditions with the fishermen.

Dramamine anyone?

It's worth noting Deadliest Catch was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards for the 2007 television season - Outstanding Nonfiction Series; the third season episode, "The Unforgiving Sea," received nominations for Outstanding Cinematography For Nonfiction Programming, Outstanding Picture Editing For Nonfiction Programming, and Outstanding Sound Mixing For Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-camera).

With all that said, I realize I am coming to this show in the middle of its fourth season, and therefore, I am way late to the party. But thanks to a Memorial Day marathon, Deadliest is now securely in my DVR list.

And here at PTR.

Yo-ho, yo-ho, a crab fisherman's life for me.

Vicariously, anyway.

New episodes of Deadliest Catch air Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Discovery Channel (with multiple replays throughout the week). To check out all the ins, outs, ups and downs of the series on the whole, head on over to the official Deadliest Catch Web site to catch up on the captains and crews of the Northwestern, Cornelia Marie, Time Bandit, Wizard and North American.

'In Plain Sight' Shows Promise

In Plain Sight seems like an apropos name for a show that hides people in the Federal Witness Protection Program in, well, plain sight. But, it's also fitting for a show that hides elements from other shows in, yes you guessed it, plain sight. See, much like the witnesses that Mary is charged with hiding and protecting after they turn state's evidence, this new series hides a few cliches, characterizations, and hooks under the guise of originality it's seeking to accomplish. It's not that In Plain Sight is a bad show or even a lousy entry into the over-crowded crime drama field. It just doesn't have enough innovation to make it memorable. Sure, the premise is different from your run-of-the-mill cops and robbers series, but the protagonist isn't. She's a been-there- done-that female cop (in this case, U.S. Marshall) with plenty of attitude and spunk who comes complete with family issues (thanks to a flighty mom and a nothing-but-trouble little sister) and commitment issues. And, she has a chip the size of Texas on her shoulder. Think Lilly Rush before she had the life sucked out of her.

All of this should make me dislike this show, but it doesn't. It took me about 3/4 of the way through the series premiere to get into it, but by the end, I was intrigued enough to give it a try for the rest of the summer. Navigating the dicey waters of witness protection, the original setting, and the charm of series star Mary McCormack are enough to keep me watching this light, summer fare. After all, what else am I going to watch on Sunday nights now that Lilly Rush is on summer vacation?

In Plain Sight airs Sunday nights on USA Network. If you missed this week's premiere, check it out for free at Hulu.com.

The Island Gets 'Lost'

I'm feeling a little underwhelmed after watching the season finale of Lost. It wasn't bad per se, but it also wasn't up to the caliber of the past Lost finales. Last season was such a letdown until that jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring finale, so I guess I thought that after this season's great run, we'd get something... I don't know... a little more shocking. Maybe it isn't the finale itself that left me a little less than enthused; perhaps, I'm just a little, tinsy bit bummed that... how do I say this without sounding a little like I want to be able to have my cake and eat it too... hmmm... no good way, so... I'm bummed that the survivors basically got off the island at the end. Yes, I know. We've been waiting for them to be rescued since Day 1, but now that some of them have, the dynamic of the show will shift and I'm not liking that idea. Of course, this is Lost and the next season could start up with everyone back on the island and yadda, yadda, yadda, but somehow I don't think it will. And I can't help it, I'm craving the old Lost.

I should be happy. I should be praising the show for finally giving us some more concrete answers (and in its usual fashion, presenting more confusing questions). Truth is -- I am. Even though I feel a little blue about the 2-hour ender, I have a nice satisfied grin on my face. How cool was it when Ben moved the island??!! Guess we now know why he's globe-trotting and giving out assassination orders (and it seems, Sun is about to be hot on his trail with her own assassination orders) -- he has been banned from the island since he was the one who moved it (why, BTW? It makes no sense, but then again...). And where did he have to go to do it? The South Pole??? WTH? Still, an impressive feat. We also learned that Jin died when the freighter blew up (or so we can assume), and it appeared that Michael did as well (since Jack/Claire's dad told him that he could "go now." Why is Jack/Claire's dad constantly showing up on this show? Is he the key to this whole damn story??). And then there was the mystery dead guy in the coffin (a.k.a. Jeremy Bentham). I predicted after last year's finale that it was Locke, so I wasn't too surprised when the camera revealed that I had made a lucky guess. While Jack was standing over Locke's body, Ben told him that all of the survivors needed to go back to the island. Does this mean that season 5 will focus on their attempts to get back? I'm not sure I could handle the irony, although, after getting a taste of post-island life, I can't say I'm against the idea. Either way, I think the show gave us plenty to chew on over the summer and fall before we get to be Lost again next winter.

Screencaps courtesy Lost-Media.com

Danny Pino's 'Case' for CASA

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

We here at PTR are all about supporting good causes - especially when our faves lend their names to some outstanding organizations.

Cold Case's Danny Pino, who plays Detective Scotty Valens on the CBS crime drama, is a spokesperson for the National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association. CASA’s mission is to provide trained community volunteers to speak for the best interests of abused and neglected children within the foster care system in court. Recently, Danny headed to Washington, D.C. to produce a video broadcast from the National Mall in support of CASA's effots.

"I’m here to call to action adults throughout this country," says Danny, "who are interested in helping children within the foster care system – many of whom are abused or neglected - to navigate the waters of that foster care system and be representatives for these children within the court system. [They can] become officers of the court and report back to these judges about these kids lives, in detail, so that these judges can make appropriate and positive decisions for these children."

Sounds awfully good to us. Check out the the full YouTube video!



Our thanks to Nicole over at Look Again for sending along the news!

Hot 'Case' Spoilers

It may only be May, but PTR has some hot scoop on Cold Case's upcoming sixth season. You know the rules, if you don't want to know, don't read any further. So, we already know that Det. Saccardo (Bobby Cannavale) is expected to return for a few episodes (in what can only be assumed is a love interest role for Lilly), but no word yet on which ones or how many. Here, however, is a rundown of two of the new season's episodes (NOTE: All information subject to change).

"Glory Days" (scheduled as the season premiere) - Lilly and co. re-open the 1974 case of a college football player murdered the night before the big championship game. Jeffries gets some new direction on the case from a former college teammate from back in his football days. Apparently, he was known as "Tombstone" on the field!

"True Calling" (scheduled as the 2nd episode) - Lilly and the gang re-open the 1991 murder of a recent Princeton grad who decided to teach at an inner city school in Philly. The victim is found shot in the school's parking lot. Also, Vera has a run-in with a surly ballistics lab tech and one of the detectives gets pranked.

As a reminder, all of the info (including episode order) could change at any point before the show kicks off its sixth season this fall on CBS. Special thanks to all of the spoiler queens at Look Again for the information.

London Calling

According to the scooperific Mike Ausiello (TV Guide), Bones is taking a trip across the pond for its 4th season premiere. The 2-hour episode's story line is being kept under wraps for now, but creator Hart Hanson told fellow TV Guider Matt Roush to expect plenty of comedy with Booth and Bones loose in London.

TVGuide.com: Let me guess — they have wacky run-ins with the Bobbies.
Hanson: [Laughs] That's exactly correct. And funny English people.

He also disclosed that they have shot 4 additional episodes for fall (all scheduled to air after the 2-hour London adventure). Filming (on location in London) will begin later next month. Look for the special 2-hour season premiere in August. In the meantime, you can read more from Hart Hanson and his controversial decision to make Zack Gormogon's apprentice over at TVGuide.com.

Photo courtesy Emily-Deschanel.org

PTR's Summer TV Showcase

Well, the long, strange season that was Fall 2007 is behind us and in its place -- another fabulous Summer Season to look forward to! And while I will mourn the loss of The 4400 every frickin' Sunday this Summer, I will also celebrate the return of some of my other favorites. Honestly, I can't even imagine Summer TV without Diana, Tom, Maia and all the rest of the gang, but I suppose the TV world goes on minus Joan of Arcadia, Everwood, Veronica Mars and now The 4400. Enough with the glass half empty and on to the exciting! Here's a rundown of what to expect this summer:

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (PTR Returning Fave)
Season 4 underway on Fox

My favorite dance competition is back with a new crop of dancers. And unlike its more popular sibling, this talent competition tends to get it right week after week, meaning less frustration for us. Some of these kids can really mesmerize with their elegant moves. Things heat up once the final contestants pair up and hit the live stage with a different routine each week. And don't forget to vote for your favorite! For more on Dance, click on over to Fox.com. Next episode: Tonight at 8 p.m. EST

IN PLAIN SIGHT (NEW!)
Premieres June 1st @ 10 p.m. on USA

The West Wing's Mary McCormack stars as a U.S. Marshall working with the Federal Witness Protection Program. The show takes place somewhere different for a change: the Albuquerque/Santa Fe area. According to USA's official site, Mary "protects and manages relocated Federal Witnesses who come from all over the country. The witnesses under her care can be anything from career criminals, congenital liars, thieves and murderers to those who have had the misfortune of witnessing or falling victim to a crime. For the innocents, testifying means leaving behind everything and everyone they know, cutting off all contact, changing identities and relocating to the unfamiliar southwest to build a new life as the reward for their good deed. But no matter what walk of life—or what side of the law—these people come from, they all have one thing in common: Someone wants them dead." Check out the preview:

For more on In Plain Sight, visit USANetwork.com.

MY BOYS (PTR Returning Fave)
Returns June 12th on TBS

PJ and the gang are back for more laughs and to answer that burning season one finale cliffhanger -- who called her into first class on the plane to Italy? Jordanna Spiro returns as PJ, a sports writer who spends her free time hanging with her best buds playing poker, going to bars, and discussing dating. Look for Nia Vardolos to make a 3-episode arc as Andy's (Jim Gaffigan) co-worker and more obstacles on the path to finding PJ's Mr. Right. Check out previous episodes for free at TBS.com.

THE CLOSER (PTR Returning Fave)
Returns sometime in July on TNT

Kyra Sedgwick returns as Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson, whose seemingly sweet Southern charm masks her tough-talking, confession-getting side. The quirky detective with an insatiable sweet tooth is back on the case after a hilarious cross-country RV trip complete with Mom and Dad. And then there's her recent engagement to FBI Special Agent Fritz. Click over to TNT.com for exclusive clips and all of the hilarious TV ads now airing on the network.


PSYCH (PTR Returning Fave)
Returns July 18th on USA

TV's second best buddy comedy (Scrubs' JD and Turk will always be #1) are back in business this July. Look for Shawn's wayward mother to make an appearance (and she might look an awful lot like Cybill Shepherd) and a former flame (guest star Rachael Leigh Cook) to pop up at a high school reunion. As always, expect more crazy cases and the always-silly Shawn using his pretend psychic powers (read insane attention to detail) to solve them. Good thing Gus is there to keep him in line! Click on over to USANetwork.com for more on this hilarious series.

ALSO COMING THIS SUMMER...
Reno 911 (Premiered May 22nd): Thursday nights on Comedy Central
Last Comic Standing (Premiered May 22nd): Thursday nights on NBC
MTV Movie Awards: Sunday, June 1st on MTV

So, there you have it -- a look at just some of this summer's offerings. Be sure to check local listings for time and channel in your area. Long live TV's Second Season!

Cook Wins 'Idol'

PHOTO: Fox

From USA Today:

David Cook rocks his way to the 'American Idol' title

By Bill Keveney and Ken Barnes, USA TODAY

LOS ANGELES — American Idol crowned its first real rocker Wednesday as David Cook rolled over 17-year-old balladeer David Archuleta to become Idol No. 7.

Cook, 25, cried when his name was read. "You kind of hold that air in for four months, throughout the whole process. To be able to exhale was kind of the ultimate release," Cook said after the show. "Ten-plus years of work I put into wanting to play music has been vindicated all of a sudden."

He didn't expect to win. "It didn't hit me at first. I'd expected the name David Archuleta to be said. But part of what made the moment perfect is I was standing next to him."

The win for Cook, a bartender in Blue Springs, Mo., came as a bit of a surprise, considering Tuesday's performances and the judges' reactions, which swung heavily in Archuleta's favor. Earlier Wednesday, Simon Cowell apologized to Cook, saying his remarks had been "verging on disrespectful. … When I went back home and watched it, it wasn't quite so clear-cut."

Was there a backlash? "I didn't necessarily think that helped (get the vote out)," Cook said. "After Week 2, when I had a little verbal spat with Simon, I took a step back and took it for what it was. It's an opinion. And somewhere in the things he says, there's always constructive criticism."

Archuleta said afterward that he was satisfied with the results. "Cook is such a great guy. I've looked up to him. It's never really gone to his head, and I really admire that. He's had some tough times. And he's always stayed strong. He's proven that to America, and that's why he's the last one standing."

As for his own future, Archuleta said, "I'm so excited to see what it'll be like after all this. It's been months since I've been out of American Idol World. I just want to see what happens to me musically, how everyone's doing at home, and how touring turns out. I'm so excited to keep working on music, and this is opening doors that I've been dreaming about."

Of a record 97.5 million votes, Cook won by 12 million, host Ryan Seacrest announced. The two-hour-plus finale, in which the winner was announced at the 1:59 mark, paraded out not only this season's eliminated contestants but also present and past pros. ZZ Top traded Sharp Dressed Man licks with Cook; OneRepublic performed a duet with Archuleta on Apologize.

Cook came to the Omaha auditions to provide moral support for his brother Andrew; talked into singing, he made the Hollywood rounds while his brother didn't. (That's not to say Cook is an amateur: He has sung in several bands and released an independent album, Analog Heart, in 2006.)

He became one of the first contestants to play electric guitar onstage, and made a specialty of applying rock textures to softer songs such as Lionel Richie's Hello. His penchant for dramatic rearrangements marked him as a mold-breaking contestant.

'When in Rome' Part Deux

Last week, PTR brought you some photos of Kristen Bell shooting her new film When in Rome on the streets of NYC. Well, she was back in action this week -- this time in Central Park. In the film, Kristen plays an art curator being pursued by wannabe suitors after she steals coins from the Roman Fountain. The scene in these photos, shot May 19th, shows someone in hot pursuit of her character.





When in Rome is scheduled to hit theaters sometime next year.