Flashback to 'Mars!' Plus 'The Closer,' New Season Scoop and 'Psyched' Ratings

I wouldn't say that I never trusted Troy, but I will say that I didn't think he was right for our Veronica. I mean, the boy had too much of an edge and he just seemed to be a little too into her right off the top. I think Veronica likes (and deserves) more of a challenge. She's not used to things being easy for her, and Troy was, well, easy. He seemed perfect and sweet and not like the usual "jerk you around" guy. Dare I say that he was a little too... BORING for V? Well, all of that was about to change with the 5th episode of the series: "You Think You Know Somebody," and boy did we think we did. Troy's boring quality was all a facade, and by the end of this episode, it looked like his feelings for her were as well. Damn that Troy for playing with our Veronica's feelings! The only thing that made it all worth it, though, was the fact that in the end, she got the better of him and foiled his plan.


It all started with a trip to Tijuana (as all bad stories do), a pinata and a stolen expensive car. And much to nobody's surprise, the trip also involved our favorite bad boy Logan. Once Troy's father's BMW went missing, the boys turned to Veronica to help them locate it, but they neglected to tell her that there was a pinata filled with steroids that Luke was transporting across the border in the car for a local gym owner. Without the steroids, Luke's days were numbered. Veronica agreed to help, but only if Luke returned the drugs and got the money back to give to the gym owner. Things got more complicated when she wanted to turn the car's Lo-jack system on to find its GPS location because Troy's father was the only person authorized to have it turned on. In a classic scene, Veronica pulled her usual tactics to get the security company to turn it on, but she failed, much to her surprise. Keith stepped in and eventually got the system turned on, but it was a dead end as the system turned up on the collar of a neighborhood dog. Things picked up when Veronica and Keith engaged in a little tit-for-tat over each other's current dating partners. Veronica researched Rebecca (her guidance counselor at school) and Keith left an envelope with Troy's past on the kitchen counter. Veronica being Veronica couldn't help but read it and what she found blew the investigation wide open. Troy had a record for drug possession (along with his former girlfriend). When Veronica confronted him, he acted disappointed that she would do a background check on him. Then, his father shipped him off to boarding school for losing the car. Troy had the taxi drop him off at the same diner where the car went missing. He went to the restroom and removed a package from the ceiling, got in his father's "stolen" BMW and drove off smugly. A few minutes later, his cell rang and it was his former girlfriend Shauna, who wanted to know why Veronica called him. He opened the package he removed from the restroom and found the following (awesome!) note:

"Sorry we didn't get a chance to say goodbye, just wanted to wish you good luck at your new school and leave you something to remember me by. It took me a while to figure out where you stashed the steroids, but there was only one place you were alone, right? In case you're wondering, the former contents of the package are somewhere between my toilet and the Pacific Ocean. Say hi to Shauna for me. She sounds like a keeper."

If Veronica's note was the most awesome moment of the episode, then the closing scene was the most heart wrenching. Veronica had found a safety deposit box key among her mother's stuff and discovered that the contents contained surveillance photos of her, meaning that someone had been watching her and threatening her mother with the photos. So, maybe Lianne didn't leave for the reasons Veronica thought after all! She decided to send disposable cell phones to all of her mother's friends and family hoping that they would pass it on to her mom. In the last moments of the episode, Veronica laid on her bed listening to music through her headphones with her eyes closed as her cell phone lit up with a call. The scene cuts to Lianne standing outside somewhere calling her. She leaves her a message telling her that everything will make sense when the time is right. This fabulous episode, along with all of the first season outings, is available on the season 1 DVD set. To check it out for yourself, pick up your copy today. Or rent one through Netflix, or check your local library for a free borrowed copy. Veronica's second season is currently airing in reruns on UPN every Tuesday night. Tonight, you can catch 2 back-to-back episodes of this wonderful show. In the first hour, Veronica stumbles across her mother's permanent school record and begins to doubt whether she knew her mother at all. Check out the opening scene HERE! In the second hour, Veronica has to serve jury duty during her Christmas break. All of the screen caps in this edition are courtesy of VM-Caps.com.


You know what I love about The Closer? The fact that they can do a completely ridiculous storyline like last night's not- so- little white lie and make it work. It's because it infuses humor, the undeniably charming character of Brenda Leigh Johnson and the crazy situations that Priority Homicide gets itself into each week. On the surface, The Closer is no different than any other police drama: someone commits murder, the police investigate, the audience falls for the various red herrings throughout the hour and then the police solve the case and get their man/women with a tactic filled interrogation. But, this show has character and charm that separate it from the pack. This was certainly the case last night as Provenza and Flynn majorly screwed the pooch over box seats at a Dodger's game. The best scene of the episode happened in the women's restroom as Brenda tried to talk to Fritz about making her case a federal one. I laughed out loud when Provenza barged right in and tried to talk to her, and she leaned under the stall door and yelled at him to wait for her outside. So funny! I also had to laugh when Brenda "accidentally" put her purse over the intercom button, allowing the suspect to hear her say that she can't believe how people just say all sorts of things without requesting a lawyer. In all seriousness, what Provenza and Flynn did could have cost the entire division of Priority Homicide (with the exception of Sgt. Gabriel) their jobs and careers. I can't imagine any deputy chief in America covering it up like Brenda did, but if she hadn't, we never would have had the enormous entertainment value. And that ladies and gentlemen, is the unmistakable charm of The Closer.


QUICK CUTS

*NEW SEASON SCOOP!! Even though it's only July, there is some scoop leaking out about your favorite shows' upcoming seasons. We have a title and premiere date for the first episode of Veronica Mars courtesy of TV.com. The early title is "Welcome Wagon" and it's set to air September 19th on the new CW [Thanks to Ducky at Wait, What? Tube Views for the heads up!]. Dates/titles are subject to change. It looks like Cold Case will kick off its 4th season on September 24th with an episode entitled "Rampage" according to TV.com. It will also move to 9 p.m. (where it begins airing in reruns this Sunday). Information on both premieres is tight, but a source at the fan-run Look Again message board has uncovered some details about the Cold Case opener. According to the source, the case is from 1995 and involves two teenagers who opened fire on a crowded shopping mall before taking their own lives (I'm not sure where the unsolved part comes in, but we'll just have to watch to find out). Also, look for a mention (at least) of Lil's new beau Joseph, a continued cold shoulder from Stillman and a situation that has Lilly talking someone into giving her their gun. Sounds interesting! September can't come soon enough! Remember, dates/titles/subject matter are all subject to change.

*Actor Peter MacNicol is joining the cast of Fox's 24 next season. He'll play "a high-ranking government official" according to the network. Little else is being revealed about the character per usual with the intrigue show. MacNicol will continue his recurring role on CBS' Numb3rs next season as well. His professor character is only in a few scenes an episode, which will aide in his soon-to-be-hectic shooting schedules. 24 will return for a sixth season in January on Fox and Numb3rs will return for a third season this fall on CBS.

*And finally, USA network should be psyched about the ratings for last Friday's premiere of Psych. The network's latest comedy brought in more than 6 million viewers and firmly cemented itself as the most watched premiere of a NEW scripted show on basic cable this year. Psych's lead-in, the 5th season premiere of Monk, garnered more than 5 million viewers. If you missed the premiere of Psych, you can catch encore presentations this Thursday at 9 p.m. and this Friday at 12:30 a.m. on USA network. Can't wait until then? Click on over to the show's official site and watch the pilot for free.

To get more of today's biggest TV news and headlines, visit the TV News section at PassTheRemote.Net.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow as the summer-long countdown of PTR's Best Episodes of '05/'06 continues! We'll reveal the next three episodes on the list as we crack the top 20! Plus, all the latest television news!


To get more television coverage, including the network's new fall schedules and a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote with a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net.

'Everwood' Flashback! Plus Another Show Bites the Dust and TV Shows on DVD Monday!

I remember the Fall 2002 evening that Everwood premiered like it was yesterday. It was the Monday before the rest of the networks rolled out their crop of new and returning shows, so reruns abounded. I was in the middle of my usual channel surfing right before 9 p.m., when I stopped on a preview for a new family drama that looked to pack a bigger punch than its sugary-sweet lead-in 7th Heaven. So, I decided to stick around and visit the world of Everwood, Colorado. After all, my usual Monday night at 9 p.m. fare, Everybody Loves Raymond, wasn't premiering for another week, so why not give another show a chance? From the first word of Irv's narration, I knew my Raymond days were over. I had abandoned television for the most part during my four years of college, but Everwood's overwhelming heart and quality marked my triumphant return. I began to believe in television and its unmistakable ability to move us, make us laugh, make us cry and make us think about the important things, and this all happened after viewing the pilot episode of this incredible series. I guess this is why I will always hold a very special place in my heart for Everwood. Throughout the remainder of the summer, PTR will take a look at some classic episodes of this show just as we're doing with both Veronica Mars and Cold Case, but Everwood's Flashback Editions will be more of a tribute to a show that has given us so much. Today, we're going back to the beginning with the very first episode. All of the screencaps in this edition are courtesy of Seeking Grace: The Everwood Archive.


As you all know, pilot episodes are designed to introduce us to all of the show's characters and set up scenarios that will carry us through its duration. This sort of formulaic necessity can wear us down some, but what made Everwood's pilot shine so brightly was the fact that we met the characters at the same time that the Browns, whom we had already decided to root for because we learned their story right off the top from Irv's narration, met them. When we first meet Andy, Ephram and Delia, things are at the worst of times for the broken family. Their wife and mother, Julia, died in a car accent and Andy decided to move the family to Everwood because of a promise that he made to his late wife. Unfortunately, he failed to explain this fact to his children, leaving Ephram sad, confused and angry. The two never had a strong relationship because Andy, a prominent neurosurgeon, worked all the time, leaving Julia to raise the kids. Things only get worse for Ephram as he navigates the difficult halls of Pike County High School and learns that the girl he's crushing on, and will eventually fall in love with, is in love with a boy in a coma. Enter Amy Abbott, one of television's most realistic and complicated teenage characters ever, and her boyfriend Colin Hart, who was severely injured in a car accident. Ephram can't quite compete with a boy in a coma, but he can't get Amy out of his head either, so when she wants him to ask his father to take Colin's case, he can only say yes. And with that heart wrenching set up, Everwood was off and running with its colorful characters, emotional storylines, complicated relationships and one of the best love stories to come out of series television.

QUICK CUTS

*ABC is pulling the plug on its summer reality series How to Get The Guy. The show's most recent ratings performance (July 3rd) turned in only 1.2 million viewers in the 18-49 year olds category. The decision leaves two unaired episodes. ABC will air an extra repeat of Supernanny in its place this week and a CMA special next week until the previously announced freshman series One Ocean View premieres on July 31st.

*And finally, it's TV on DVD Monday! Look for the 1st season of Weeds to hit store shelves tomorrow along with ER (season 5), I Dream of Jeannie (season 2) and Reno 911! (season 3). To see a complete list of tomorrow's releases, visit tvshowsondvd.com.


To get more of today's biggest TV news and headlines, visit the TV News section at PassTheRemote.Net.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for the return of the Veronica Mars Flashback Edition featuring another classic episode! Plus, all the latest television news!



To get more television coverage, including the network's new fall schedules and a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote with a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net.

Emmy Nominations Reaction! Plus New Shows Premiere and A Classic Returns

Well, there were certainly a few surprises this morning when the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced its 2006 Emmy nominations. Where were the Housewives, Emmy favorite James Spader, the excellent Hugh Laurie, Lost, any of my picks for best actress in a drama (with the exception of Kyra Sedgwick), Lauren Graham, Kristen Bell, Zach Braff, Everwood and a million other oversights?? Yes, today's announcement was all about who didn't get a nom, rather than who did. It seems that ABC's Grey's Anatomy not only overtook its lead-in Desperate Housewives in the ratings, but it also overtook it and fellow network sibling Lost in the nominations. Overall, Fox's 24 walked away with the most nominations with 12, followed by Anatomy with 11 and the now departed Will & Grace with 10. Newcomers My Name is Earl (5 nominations), How I Met Your Mother (2 nominations), The Closer (1 nomination) and Prison Break (1 nomination) all fared well. Even though neither Desperate Housewives nor Lost landed nominations in the big categories, both managed to collect 7 and 9 nominations, respectively. Meanwhile, comedies Two and a Half Men (7 nominations), The Office (5 nominations), Curb Your Enthusiasm (5 nominations), Arrested Development (4 nominations) and Scrubs (1 nomination) didn't walk away empty handed either. Perennial Emmy favorites The Sopranos (7 nominations), The West Wing (6 nominations) and The Amazing Race (5 nominations) cleaned up as well. On the network side, HBO once again topped the others with 95 total nominations, while ABC came out on top in the major networks with 64. CBS (47 noms), NBC (46 noms), Fox (41 noms) and The WB (4 noms) weren't far behind.

How did PassTheRemote.net favorites fare?
Not too well. Everwood, Veronica Mars and Cold Case wound up empty handed, while others were more fortunate. Scrubs ended up with 1 nom, The Amazing Race got 5 and Lost made out the best with 9. It seems that despite the system change to a panel vote over a member-wide vote, many things stayed the same.


Biggest Snubs
Wow! There are so many, I'm not sure where to begin. Lauren Graham, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Morris, Tichina Arnold, Sarah Chalke, Jenna Fischer, Jennifer Garner, Emily Van Camp, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, John C. McGinley, Tom Amandes, Zach Braff, Jason Lee, Ethan Suplee, John Krasinski, Treat Williams, Marcia Cross, Veronica Mars, Everwood, Lost, Cold Case, My Name is Earl and Everybody Hates Chris.


Skin Crawling Nominations
Sometimes I think the nominations go to the most popular shows instead of those with the most quality. You guys know that I'm not the biggest fan of Grey's Anatomy, so this is going to sound biased, but how can it get a nom for best drama over Lost? And why does Two and a Half Men fare better than My Name is Earl or Everybody Hates Chris, which were both shut out of the best comedy category? It also seems that the Academy loves to reward film stars who turn to television. Witness Alfre Woodard's nom for best supporting actress in a drama comedy. Now, I'm not saying that she is undeserving, but her character was sorely underdeveloped and the storyline outrageous, so how can one even accurately judge her work? And how about Geena Davis, whose Commander In Chief seemed to be on top of the world until new direction sent it crashing down into the cancellation abyss. Again, Davis' work was fine, but the second half of the season had her adverting one disaster after another with little else going on. And hasn't Allison Janney won enough statues for her role as CJ Cregg? It sure would have been nice to see Kristen Bell or Kathryn Morris in that slot instead. Perhaps the biggest skin crawling nomination is the set of 10 that the Academy bestowed on the not-funny Will & Grace. And why nominate every cast member except Eric McCormack?


Shocking Inclusions
As I have stated before, the shock was more in who wasn't included than who was, so there weren't a lot of "shockers" this year. King of Queens' Kevin James' first nomination was a nice surprise as was Law & Order: SVU's Christopher Meloni, and I jumped for Joy when I heard My Name is Earl's Jaime Pressly get a nod for best supporting actress in a comedy. Even though I'm not a Grey's fan, I did smile when I saw Sandra Oh and Chandra Wilson listed in the best supporting category. Both actresses turn in excellent performances. Perhaps the biggest surprise was seeing both Scrubs and The Office included in the best comedy category because both shows have failed to garner the respect they deserve.

Overall, it was an interesting morning. While there were plenty of great picks, there just seem to be so many just as deserving that are still missing. Will Lauren Graham and John C. McGinley ever break though?? I guess this is a question we'll have to wait until next year to ask again. Maybe then the answer will be yes. To see a list of all of this year's nominations, click HERE.


QUICK CUTS

*TV TONIGHT/THIS WEEKEND: CBS rolls out another season of Big Brother (8 p.m.), but this time the contestants are all made up of former "all-stars." Viewer-votes and producer-picks decided the 12 HouseGuests, but you'll have to tune in tonight to see who made the cut on Big Brother: All-Stars. On Friday, USA network rolls out the 5th season of Monk (9 p.m.), followed by the premiere of its latest detective comedy Psych (10 -11:30 p.m.). And finally, Showtime premieres its latest offering, Brotherhood, Sunday night at 10 p.m. Haven't heard about Brotherhood? Here's an excerpt from the official description (click on the banner in the side bar for more):

Amidst the weathered row houses and rust-barnacled tugboats framing the port city of Providence, Rhode Island, lies an Irish-American neighborhood known as “The Hill.” There, the old-world ways of street justice and loyalty still permeate through the tough blue-collar neighborhood. It is where the familial bonds of the Caffee brothers are constantly teetering above a moral abyss, something akin to the classic sibling fable of Cain and Abel.

It is this tradition that the new SHOWTIME original series, BROTHERHOOD follows. BROTHERHOOD tells the story of two brothers who sometimes share a twisted sense of moral compromise — both with their own skewed, idealistic visions of what makes the American dream. They live the lie that noble ends can sometimes only be accomplished through dubious means.

Tommy Caffee (JASON CLARKE) is a family man whose ambition and street smarts help him navigate the back-room dealings and underhanded tactics of Providence politics. He is a local politician out to protect “The Hill” and its interests by any means necessary. Tommy's complicated family and professional lives turn upside-down with the return of his gangster brother Mike (JASON ISAACS), who has come back to the neighborhood to regain control of its underworld activities.

*And finally, NBC will air the original pilot episode of the 80s hit Miami Vice later this month. The move is designed to drum up promotion for its corporate sibling's big screen remake of the classic show. During the retro broadcast, the network will include footage from the film starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx, who will also host the event. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas and first aired in September of 1984. Look for the original pilot to air July 22nd on NBC and the movie to hit theaters July 28th.

To get more of today's biggest TV news and headlines, visit the TV News section at PassTheRemote.Net.

That's all for today. I'm off tomorrow due to last minute travel plans, but be sure to tune in on Monday. I'll be looking back a our first classic Everwood episode in the premiere of that show's Flashback Edition! Plus, all the latest television news!



To get more television coverage, including the network's new fall schedules and a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote with a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net.

BREAKING NEWS: 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Nominations

The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, with the help of actors Brad Garrett and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, announced its 58th annual Primetime Emmy nominations this morning live from Los Angeles, California. The new voting system, which has a panel decide the final 5 nominees in the major categories instead of a member-wide vote, was expected to bring a few surprises, but the surprise this year was in who DIDN'T get nominated instead of who did. Not a single Housewife received a nomination, save for Alfre Woodard who got one in the supporting category. The satirical soap was also snubbed in the Best Comedy category. Here is a list of the nominees in all the major categories:

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
Larry David as Himself (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
Kevin James as Doug Heffernan (The King Of Queens)
Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk (Monk)
Steve Carell as Michael Scott (The Office)
Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper (Two and a Half Men)

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series
Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler (L&O: SVU)
Denis Leary as Tommy Gavin (Rescue Me)
Peter Krause as Nate Fisher (Six Feet Under)
Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer (24)
Martin Sheen as President Josiah Bartlet (The West Wing)

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
Lisa Kudrow as Valerie Cherish (The Comeback)
Jane Kaczmarek as Lois (Malcolm in the Middle)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine Campbell (The New Adventures of Old Christine)
Stockard Channing as Lydia Barnes (Out of Practice)
Debra Messing as Grace (Will & Grace)

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series
Kyra Sedgwick as Brenda Leigh Johnson (The Closer)
Geena Davis as Mackenzie Allen (Commander In Chief)
Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson (L&O: SVU)
Frances Conroy as Ruth Fisher (Six Feet Under)
Allison Janney as C.J. Cregg (The West Wing)

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
Will Arnett as Gob Bluth (Arrested Development)
Jeremy Piven as Ari Gold (Entourage)
Bryan Cranston as Hal (Malcolm in the Middle)
Jon Cryer as Alan Harper (Two and Half Men)
Sean Hayes as Jack (Will & Grace)

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
William Shatner as Denny Crane (Boston Legal)
Oliver Platt as Russell Tupper (Huff)
Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti (The Sopranos)
Gregory Itzin as President Charles Logan (24)
Alan Alda as Arnold Vinick (The West Wing)

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
Cheryl Hines as Cheryl David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
Alfre Woodard as Betty Applewhite (Desperate Housewives)
Jaime Pressly as Joy (My Name is Earl)
Elizabeth Perkins as Celia Hodes (Weeds)
Megan Mullally as Karen (Will & Grace)

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
Candice Bergen as Shirley Schmidt (Boston legal)
Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang (Grey's Anatomy)
Chandra Wilson as Dr. Bailey (Grey's Anatomy)
Blythe Danner as Izzy Huffstodt (Huff)
Jean Smart as First Lady Martha Logan (24)

Outstanding Comedy Series
Arrested Development
Curb Your Enthusiasm
The Office
Scrubs
Two And A Half Men

Outstanding Drama Series
Grey’s Anatomy
House
The Sopranos
24
The West Wing

For a full list of nominees, click HERE.

Be sure to tune in later today for the regular edition of Pass the Remote with reaction to this morning's announcement. I'll have full coverage of who got snubbed, which nominations make my skin crawl and which names were the most shocking. Plus, all the latest television news!


To get more television coverage, including the network's new fall schedules and a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote with a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net.

PTR's Ultimate Emmy Ballot: Best Shows! Plus 'Rockstar' Kicks Off and 'Galactica' Gets a Premiere Date

We have already taken a look at PTR's picks for the best actors and actresses on television in both comedy and drama, and now it's time to name my picks for the best comedies and dramas. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences will announce its 2006 Emmy nominations at 8:39 a.m. (EST) tomorrow. But before we get to the real nominations, PTR has been presenting its Ultimate Emmy Ballot, consisting of all the actors and shows that I feel should get a nom this year. Today, we'll take a look at the Best Comedy and Best Drama categories.


PTR's Ultimate Emmy Ballot: Best Comedy
Scrubs
My Name is Earl
Everybody Hates Chris
How I Met Your Mother
The Office

I know what you're thinking, "You left off Desperate Housewives!" I did and I have no doubt that it will be on the list of the real Emmy nominations tomorrow, but I just don't feel that it deserves it this year. Last season, the show skirted the line between ridiculous and funny, and it worked. This season, it landed on the ridiculous side far too much to be funny. I also left off Boston Legal (only because I don't watch it, and therefore, can't properly judge), Gilmore Girls (a down year for this show) and Will & Grace (even though it ended this season and will undoubtedly get a nom for that fact alone, this show stopped being funny several seasons ago and the finale alone should keep it from getting nominated). Scrubs is long overdue for a Best Comedy nomination and this season was its funniest so far. Earl, Chris and Mother are all new this year, but each had a strong first season. Mother allowed us to laugh again at the traditional sitcom and it served as a nice replacement for the dearly departed Everybody Loves Raymond. I don't regularly watch The Office, but the times that I have seen it have been hilarious (even though I do think this is a type of humor that not everyone gets).

PTR's Ultimate Emmy Ballot: Best Drama
Veronica Mars
Lost
Everwood
Cold Case
The West Wing

This category is going to be a hotly contested one (as usual) because there are just too many deserving shows and not enough nominations. Mars is my pick for the best drama on television and it really burns me that it never gets the recognition it deserves. Last year's winner, Lost, is a deserving shoe-in, even if it had a slower season. The 2-hour finale made up for any missteps in my book. Everwood has deserved a nomination every year that it has been on television, but this is its last chance. It has one of the most talented writing staffs on television, so it blows my mind that award shows ignore it. Cold Case is television's best procedural and it told some of the most moving and interesting cases of any crime drama this season. And finally, The West Wing ended with the same class, quality and distinction that it came in with almost 7 years ago. The way the show dealt with star John Spencer's death was a tribute to its enduring quality. The final episode is one for the television history books, and it proved that the show could out on a high note, even if it got lost somewhere in the middle.

So, there are my picks for the Best Show categories. Do you agree? Disagree? What would you include on your list? Drop me a comment with your ultimate ballot. And don't forget that the real Emmy nominations will be out tomorrow! I'll have a special breaking news edition tomorrow morning with a list of all the nominations in the big categories, and then reaction on each category later in the regular edition.


QUICK CUTS

*TV TONIGHT: CBS rolls out another edition of Rock Star featuring the newly formed group Supernova (Tommy Lee, Jason Newsted and Gilby Clarke). 15 contestants will vie for the lead singer position and a chance to record an original CD with the band. The 90-minute Rock Star: Supernova premiere kicks off at 8 p.m. tonight on CBS, with another episode tomorrow night at 9 p.m.

*And lastly, we finally have a date for the third season premiere of Sci Fi Channel's Battlestar Galactica. According to The Futon Critic, the show is set to kick off its third season on October 6th. It will run for 10 consecutive weeks before taking a hiatus. After the hiatus, the show will run for another 10 consecutives weeks sometime next year. No confirmation from Sci Fi on the premiere date yet.

To get more of today's biggest TV news and headlines, visit the TV News section at PassTheRemote.Net.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for that special early edition with breaking news on the Emmy nominations and then get reaction in the regular edition tomorrow afternoon. Plus, all the latest television news!


To get more television coverage, including the network's new fall schedules and a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote with a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net.

PTR's Ultimate Emmy Ballot: Best Actresses! Plus 'The Closer' Gets a Case with Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen

Yesterday, we took at look at PTR's Ultimate Emmy Ballot for television's main men, so today, it's the leading ladies' turn. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences will announce its 2006 Emmy nominations at 8:39 a.m. (EST) this Thursday with the help of Brad Garrett and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. But before we get to the real nominations, PTR will be presenting its Ultimate Emmy Ballot, consisting of all the actors and shows that we feel should get a nom this year. Today, we'll take a look at the Best Actress categories for both comedy and drama.

PTR's Ultimate Emmy Ballot: Best Actress in a Comedy
Sarah Chalke Scrubs
Jaime Pressly My Name is Earl
Tichina Arnold Everybody Hates Chris
Marcia Cross Desperate Housewives
Lauren Graham Gilmore Girls

This is a very talent rich category this year, so I don't want to see Housewives nominated other than Cross, who seems to get the noms without the wins. Chalke is always overlooked and very deserving as the neurotic Elliot Reid and Pressly's performance is perfection as the low-class Joy. Meanwhile, Arnold is the strongest link on Chris, which is saying a lot since she is surrounded by a talented cast and Graham is the perennially overlooked favorite. Maybe the new system this year will finally bring her some much-deserved recognition. Let's hope so! Supporting noms should go to How I Met Your Mother's Cobie Smulders, The Office's Jenna Fischer and Housewives' Nichollete Sheridan, who was the funniest housewife this season.


PTR's Ultimate Emmy Ballot: Best Actress in a Drama
Kristen Bell Veronica Mars
Kathryn Morris Cold Case
Patricia Arquette Medium
Kyra Sedgwick The Closer
Emily Van Camp Everwood

This is yet another talent rich category with more deserving actors than there are spaces, which means we're all going to be crying foul when the nominations come out in two days. Morris and Bell are my top 2, especially since neither gets the recognition they deserve for playing their respective characters to complete perfection. Arquette was last year's winner, making her a deserving shoe-in for the nom this year. Sedgwick blends the right amount of southern charm and hardass cop to make Brenda Johnson believable and fun. Van Camp is young, but handled the complicated and deep Amy Abbott like a seasoned pro. And yes, I know I left off Jennifer Garner, but she was tied with Van Camp on my list, so I'd be equally happy to see her get one for her final season on Alias. The supporting noms should go to Grey's Anatomy's Katherine Heigl and Sandra Oh (see, I do say positive things about this show ;-)), Without a Trace's long over-do Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Everwood's Merrilyn Gann and Lost's Yunjin Kim.

So, there are my picks for the Best Actress categories. Do you agree? Disagree? Who would you include on your list? Drop me a comment with your ultimate ballot. And don't forget to come back tomorrow for a look at PTR's picks for the best shows on television!


Last night's episode of The Closer went a little Law & Order: CI with the confession at the end. While Brenda was getting Creepy Food Critic to pour his heart out (who will always be George from Cold Case to me - and now I'm wishing Lilly hadn't knocked him off in that attic because I miss his creepy goodness!), I half expected Goren and Eames to suddenly appear from the kitchen of that restaurant just so Goren could have the pleasure of presenting the evidence. In any event, I pegged Creepy Food Critic from the beginning because the wonderful John Billingsley was playing the role, and poor John always gets the creep roles. This creep, though, had a heart. He fell for the victim, and was crushed to learn that she was only playing him for a good review in the local paper. And to pour even more salt into that wound, the victim had traded sex for other things in the past as well. It's how she got her chef husband a job at a trendy restaurant and it's how she got her own restaurant. When Creepy Food Critic told her that he loved her, she just laughed in his face. Man, that is one "Cold Hearted Snake!" One of the men she used was Dennis, who apparently has a history of sorts with Brenda. See, it's moments like these when I get the sudden urge to go to my Netflix queue and move The Closer Season 1 DVD set further up. Lastly, Brenda turned 40 and she wasn't too happy about it. The flowers were hysterical, and I almost died laughing every time she lugged them somewhere new! I mean, how funny was that shot of her in the bathroom stall with the flowers sitting outside??!! Why not just leave them in her office? I guess it's like her detectives said, she was acting stranger than usual.


Since it's a holiday, there's not much going on in the TV world. Look for Quick Cuts to return tomorrow with a fresh batch of television news. To get today's biggest TV news and headlines, visit the TV News section at PassTheRemote.Net.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for the last day PTR's Ultimate Emmy Ballot featuring my picks for the Best Comedy and Best Drama categories. Plus, all the latest television news!

HAPPY 4TH

OF JULY!!

To get more television coverage, including the network's new fall schedules and a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote with a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net.

PTR's Ultimate Emmy Ballot: Best Actors! Plus 'The 4400,' TNT Renews a Hit Show and TV on DVD Monday

Tensions are rising, fingers are crossing, fans are beginning to get nervous - ah, it's Emmy season once again! This Thursday, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences will announce its 2006 Emmy nominations at 8:39 a.m. (EST) with the help of Brad Garrett and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. But before we get to the real nominations, PTR will be presenting its Ultimate Emmy Ballot, consisting of all the actors and shows that we feel should get a nom this year. Today, we'll take a look at the Best Actor categories for both comedy and drama.

PTR's Ultimate Emmy Ballot: Best Actor in a Comedy
Zach Braff Scrubs
Jason Lee My Name is Earl
Steve Carell The Office
Donald Faison Scrubs
Tyler James Williams Everybody Hates Chris

It has been a banner year for the single-camera sitcoms (no live studio audience). The unconventional format allowed its stars to shine brightly in both their hysterical antics and more drama-filled moments. Newcomers My name is Earl and Everybody Hates Chris burst onto the scene in a big way, and their respective stars deserve some recognition this season. Long-time fave Scrubs always turns out stellar performances, and both Braff and Faison stepped it up even further this season from JD's half-acre to Turk's airband. It will be a shame if either of their names are omitted come Thursday. Best supporting noms should go to fellow Scrubs cast member John C. McGinley, who has been sorely overlooked for way too long, The Office's John Krasinski and Earl's Ethan Suplee, who brings such a child-like innocence to Randy while still making him hysterical.


PTR's Ultimate Emmy Ballot: Best Actor in a Drama
Treat Williams Everwood
Jason Dohring Veronica Mars
Gregory Smith Everwood
Christopher Meloni Law & Order: SVU
Matthew Fox Lost

The drama categories are always more difficult because the genre is flourishing right now with well written scripts and highly developed characters. It's a good problem to have, though, except for the legion of talent that will ultimately get overlooked. Williams has been overlooked since day 1 along with Smith. Now that Everwood has been ripped off the air, there's no time like the present. Meloni also has been ignored, despite costar Mariska Hargitay's nominations, but this could be his year considering his character's struggles this season. We all know that there's only going to be one or two noms from procedurals, but Meloni delivered the strongest overall performance of the season from all of them and deserves to be in the category. The supporting noms should go to the painfully overlooked Tom Amandes (Everwood), the always at-the-top-of-his-game Enrico Colantoni (Veronica Mars), Medium's best supportive player Jake Weber (Joe Dubois) and anyone from Lost (especially Terry O'Quinn, Naveen Andrews, Jorge Garcia, Daniel Dae Kim and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje).

So, there are my picks for the Best Actor categories. Do you agree? Disagree? Who would you include on your list? Drop me a comment with your ultimate ballot. And don't forget to come back tomorrow for a look at the leading ladies!


Last night's episode of The 4400 certainly left us with plenty of lives in the balance. I really didn't know how Tom and Diana were going to get Maia and the other children back, especially after we learned that the future had already placed them in other times. Tom's decision to try to kill himself in order to arrange a meeting with the future was risky at best and crazy at worst, but it worked. I was so afraid that the trade for Maia's return was going to cost him Alana or Kyle that I was relieved when I saw the syringe with the instructions to kill Isabelle. Speaking of Isabelle, she's beginning to freak me out. She seems so innocent, but she is starting to use her tremendous powers for not-so-good things like forcing Shawn not to break up with her and overpowering her father after an argument. Plus, we learned from the future that she is somehow entangled with the catastrophe that they are trying to avoid. The question is, will Tom inject her with the syringe (the same syringe that Matthew Ross told her would kill her)? And what will happen to Shawn now that Richard failed to meet with the NOVA group? Things weren't looking so good for him at the end, especially with next week's preview promising that "someone will die on The 4400." But then again, it also said that it's not who we expect. Maybe Isabelle and Shawn are safe for now, but who isn't? This show just keeps heating up!


QUICK CUTS

*TNT will open another season on The Closer. The cable network renewed the show for a third season last week. The police drama opened to a record-breaking 2nd season last month with more than 8 million viewers. Kyra Sedgwick plays Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson, who moved from Atlanta to Los Angeles to head the Priority Homicide Division. The 15-episode 3rd season will kick off next summer, and you can catch the all-new 2nd season Monday nights on TNT.

*The results are in, and you guys really like Veronica Mars, Everwood and Alias, but you're still not happy about the 7th Heaven debacle. This is according to the results of the annual Amy Awards over at Zap2it where you picked the categories, the nominations and the winners. Mars took the Most Underrated Cast/Actor Award, Everwood is the show that ended too soon and Heaven is the one that can't end soon enough. Click on over to TV Gal's Amy Awards to read about all of the winners including your Most Shocking Moment, Best Death and Worst Storyline (hint: it has something to do with Heaven).

*And finally, it's TV on DVD Monday! Look for the 1st season of Dr. Who to hit store shelves tomorrow along with Charlie's Angels (season 3). To see a complete list of releases, visit tvshowsondvd.com.

To get more of today's biggest TV news and headlines, visit the TV News section at PassTheRemote.Net.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for PTR's Ultimate Emmy Ballot featuring the leading ladies of primetime that I believe should get nominations for their work in both comedy and drama. Plus, all the latest television news!


To get more television coverage, including the network's new fall schedules and a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote with a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net.

Flashback Edition on the 'Case!' Plus Less From 'The O.C.' and More Shows on iTunes

When you think of "classic" episodes of your favorite shows certain outings just pop into your head without any thought. Such is the case with the 7th episode of Cold Case, "A Time to Hate." It's an episode that gains its classic moniker not for its funny lines and scenes, but for the lasting impact it has had on the series. Creator Meredith Stiehm has said that this episode is the one that they hold up as the standard for all of their other episodes. Some would even argue that no episode has reached the same level of quality since, but this is a notion that I tend to disagree with. No matter what, though, one thing is certain, "A Time to Hate" had critics buzzing and award panels calling (it was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award). Today, we're going to take a look back at this first season outing and examine what makes it such an everlasting example of Cold Case's enormous potential. All of the screen caps in this edition are courtesy of Kathryn Morris Online and Cold Case Source #1, two great sites and must visit places on the web for any Kathryn Morris/Cold Case fan!


Imagine a time when cops raided gay bars just to beat the crap out of their patrons or when a gay man couldn't be a lawyer because of the tremendous hatred toward his sexuality. When it comes to Cold Case, the imagining part is unnecessary because the show takes you there with its impressive, beautiful flashbacks that capture an era where these acts were common place. Sadly, it's a time that isn't too distant and one that we, as a society, haven't quite conquered yet. This episode is a painful reminder of the Matthew Shepard case that happened only 8 short years ago. The victim in this story, Daniel Holtz, suffered a similar fate after leaving the city's only gay bar in 1964. The popular college baseball player used to hang at the local place a lot because he wasn't afraid of who he was. Unfortunately, there were plenty of people who did care about who he was, and it's that prejudice that led to Daniel's untimely death. This episode is filled with tender moments, but one of the best is when Lilly reunites Daniel's closeted college boyfriend and his mother. The two share an emotional moment that ends with Mrs. Holtz telling Hank that she's glad he loved her boy. My favorite scene transpires between Lilly and Judge Henry Phillips, who used to go by Hank - the same Hank that loved Daniel. She needs the judge to give her information on the case, but she also understands that it's a delicate subject, so she decides to tread lightly. The entire scene borders on heart wrenching as Hank fights with himself over whether to tell Lilly the little information that he knows. He wants to help catch Daniel's killer, after all, this was the man that he loved and seems to still have a soft spot for, but at the same time, he doesn't want to ruin his high-powered career. Lilly pleads and finally, the judge realizes what he has to do for Daniel. It is, perhaps, Lilly's strongest display of compassion.


In the end, Lilly gets her man, as she always does (except in her personal life, but even that may be about to change). And even though the victory is sweet, this episode leaves you with a haunting sadness that you just can't put your finger on. Maybe it's the senseless act of violence and murder that unfolded, or the fact that the cops allowed things like this to go on, or maybe it's just the sad toll that doing nothing takes on those who could have stopped it. Sure, neighborhood boys beat Daniel to death with his own baseball bat, but perhaps the most tragic part of this case is the two cops who looked the other way. And yet somehow, I found myself feeling sad for Nelson, the one who finally told about what he saw that night. That's the beautiful complexity of Cold Case. It often presents killers or facilitators as people who make very bad decisions. They're not inherently bad as we've come to expect from television and movies. There's no villain and no hero, just ordinary people who commit heinous crimes, and it often leaves you feeling both anger and sorrow for the "doer" and those who helped keep his/her secrets. Such was the case in this episode as Nelson broke his silence for the first time about what he saw in the alley the night Daniel was murdered. It was clearly something that had been eating at him for 40 years, and yet, he still wasn't ready to tell it. Not because he wanted to protect those boys, but because he was so ashamed of what he had done. He shows Lilly a picture of his son and his partner, and says that his son thinks he's "an OK guy." He obviously doesn't want his son to know what he did, but he realizes that keeping the secret and letting Daniel's murder go unsolved will only make it worse. So, he painfully recounts the night that the neighborhood boys beat and killed Daniel for the sole reason that they didn't like his sexuality. This episode is certainly a three hanky event, but its poignant, timeless story telling makes it all worth it. If you would like to see the episode for yourself (and really, everyone should) or take a second look, cable channel TNT reruns the older episodes every Tuesday night at 11 p.m. Can't wait for it to cycle around again? Then join the Cold Case DVD Campaign. Help the show land on DVD by letting Warner Bros. know how much you want to see it on store shelves. Click on over to ColdCaseDVDs.com to learn how to help.

PROGRAMMING NOTE... Cold Case Flashback Edition will return in two weeks with thoughts on another classic episode. Sorry to be a network and preempt your fave shows, but next week is my special Emmy ballot coverage leading up to the BIG official Emmy nominations announcement next Thursday! So, be sure to tune in next week for the Emmy nominations coverage, and come back in two weeks for thoughts on another amazing episode of Cold Case, just be sure to bring plenty of hankies for this episode, though!

Attention Veronica Fans!!

Have you been dying to meet series creator/executive producer Rob Thomas? How about stars Kristen Bell (Veronica), Jason Dohring (Logan), Enrico Colantoni (Keith), Francis Capra (Weevil), Ryan Hansen (Dick) and Michael Muhney (Sheriff Lamb)? Well, this is your opportunity! On July 22nd, the gang will take part in Comic Con at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. There will be an hour-long Q&A session with an autograph signing following with all of the above named members of the show! The VM session will take place from 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. For more information on the event, click on over to Comic Con's official site!


QUICK CUTS

*Fox is ordering fewer episodes of The O.C. this coming season. The teen soap will get only 16, instead of the standard 22 and the show's usual 25. The network says the reduction is due to the show's later than usual November premiere, but Variety is reporting that the decision is designed to allow the show to run out of episodes in February so Fox can then try out a midseason replacement in the slot. Things haven't been boding well for the show since the upfronts last month when ABC announced that it was moving its megahit Grey's Anatomy to the slot, which is already dominated by CBS' CSI. In addition, star Mischa Barton will not return next season as her Marissa character died in this season's finale. The O.C. will return for its fourth season on November 2nd on Fox.

*iTunes Update: The popular music download program is adding more shows to its repertoire. USA network's The Dead Zone, Spike TV's TNA: iMPACT and Disorderly Conduct, TVLand's Sit Down Comedy with David Steinberg, Nick At Night's Fatherhood and Hi-Jinks, Logo's Noah's Arc, U.S. of ANT and Wisecrack, MTV's Viva La Bam and The N's Beyond the Break are all headed to iTunes for the standard $1.99 an episode. Additionally, Spike TV is making the 2-hour series premiere of Blade: The Series available for free on iTunes beginning today and running through July 11th.

*And finally, CBS is making the upcoming season of Big Brother: All Stars readily available via your television, computer and even your cell phone. The network will stream episodes the day after they air through its new broadband channel innertube. Additionally, it will have exclusive content available, including around the clock coverage of the house with video updates, photos and live breaking house alerts, through a new mobile subscription service. The package will be available through most cellular phone services and you'll be able to subscribe through cbs.com. And for the sixth year, CBS will also stream a live 24/7 house feed through RealNetworks' SuperPass subscription service. Big Brother: All-Stars premieres next Thursday, July 6th on CBS.

To get more of today's biggest TV news and headlines, visit the TV News section at PassTheRemote.Net.

That's all for today. I'm off tomorrow, but be sure to tune in next week for my Emmy ballot featuring my nominations for Best Actor in a Comedy/Drama, Best Actress in a Comedy/Drama and Best Comedy/Drama. And it's all leading up to the BIG official Emmy nominations announcement one week from today! Be sure to tune in all next week for plenty of Emmy coverage and all the latest television news!


To get more television coverage, including the network's new fall schedules and a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote with a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net.

Counting Down the Season's Best Episodes with #25-23! Plus 'JAG' Gets 'Close to Home' and 'The Office' Hits the Web

Pass the Remote's

Best Episodes of '05-'06

We're up to week 3 on the countdown and we're cracking the top 25 episodes of Pass the Remote's Best Episodes of the '05-'06 TV Season Countdown. Along with introducing the next three on the list, this week also marks the 1st appearance of the brand new official banner for the countdown, courtesy of Mr. TVFan. For those who are new to the countdown, here's a refresher on the rules I employed for selecting the 31 episodes that make up this list. All of the shows and their episodes are from NETWORK television only, meaning that I did not take any cable series into consideration (since I only watch a few and felt that it would be unfair). All episodes aired between September 2005 and June 2006. Each episode that made the final list moved me in some way; either by making me laugh out loud, cry my eyes out or just left me with that "wow" feeling that stays with you for a few days. So basically, it's completely subjective! This is a summer-long countdown, so I will reveal a few episodes each week all summer until we reach the #1 episode of the past season. Be sure to tune in each Wednesday to see the next set of episodes to make the list. Today, we're going to look at #25-23.


25: "White Lie Christmas" - My Name is Earl
Nobody does Christmas funnier than Earl and his gang. While trying to cross all the bad things that he has done off of his list, Earl came across #74: "Always ruined Joy's Christmas." Since it's the holiday season, he decides to make it up to her by trying to win her a car through a local radio station contest. In order to win the car, he has to keep his hand on it the longest. This means standing around without taking bathroom breaks, food breaks, naps, etc. So, Earl enlists the help of his brother Randy, and the two begin holding on to the brand new car. As time passes, more and more participants drop out until it's only Earl, Randy and Catalina, whom the boys think is trying to win the car for Joy as well. Turns out, Catalina wants the car for herself and it comes down to her and Randy. Meanwhile, Earl finds out that Joy's parents are in town and that she is keeping her marriage to Darnell from them. So, Earl agrees to pose as Joy's husband who just returned from Iraq in order to not ruin another one of Joy's Christmases. Hilarity ensues when we learn that Joy's mother is keeping a secret as well, and everything comes out into the open. Oh, and remember the car? Well, Earl got it and planned to give it to Joy. He tied a nice bow on top and left it outside her trailer, but her mother gambled with it and lost it (I told you they were all keeping secrets). This was a hilarious episode that served as my introduction to the show, and I haven't stopped watching since. Written by Timothy Stack and directed by Marc Buckland.


24: "Knowing Her" - Medium
It's no secret that I love my TV boyfriend Det. Lee Scanlon, but even taking the fact that this was a Scanlon-centric episode out of the picture, this episode was still a stand out of the season. Allison begins having visions that show a connection between Scanlon and three murdered girls. It seems crazy, but as faithful Medium viewers know, Allison's dreams are best interpreted metaphorically rather than literally. It turns out that Scanlon's connection is to the drug cartel that the D.A.'s office believes is responsible for the murders, and not the three victims. He was involved with a woman who is a member of the cartel's family, and now that woman wants his help to clear her family's name in these most recent murders. The shocking twist in the episode is that her family isn't involved in the murders, but a high-ranking police official is behind the whole thing because he wanted to cause a war between two cartels, thinking that they would just kill each other. Scanlon discovers the truth too late as the same police official shoots and kills Scanlon's former girlfriend right in front of him as she's begging for his help. The episode showed us a different side to a detective that we know very little about, and it left me shaken. Written by Glenn Gordon Caron and directed by David Paymer.


23: "A Day in the Life" - Without a Trace
Tweaking with a successful formula can be dangerous, but in the case of Trace, it turned out to be one of the season's best episodes. Laurie Metcalf and Matt Craven guest star as parents of a missing teenage boy, Shawn Hopkins. Sounds like a standard episode, right? Wrong! Instead of giving the viewers the usual FBI point of view, we got the view from the parents. This meant that we were only privy to the same information that they were, and we were able to go through the feelings with them. We felt right along with them that the FBI wasn't doing enough to find their son. We were also shocked right along with them when the agents told them that they suspected that their missing son was involved in gambling and a drug dealer. And then there was the sigh of relieve when we found out along with the Hopkins that Shawn was just trying to help a friend who was raped. It was interesting to see the agents whispering without allowing us to hear what they were saying, even though it left us feeling on the outs along with the parents. The episode gave us a different perspective and it allowed us to go inside the frantic experience of having a child go missing. Written by Hank Steinberg and directed by Jeannot Szwarc. Photo courtesy CBS.


So, there's a closer look at #25-23. What did you think about them? Do you agree? Disagree? Drop me a comment with your thoughts. If you missed #31-26 or just want to revisit them, click HERE.

PROGRAMMING NOTE... PTR's Best Episodes of the Season Countdown will return in two weeks with three more amazing episodes. Sorry to be a network and preempt your fave shows, but next week is my special Emmy ballot coverage leading up to the BIG official Emmy nominations announcement next Thursday! So, be sure to tune in next week for the Emmy nominations coverage, and come back in two weeks for the next set of episodes!


QUICK CUTS

*Actor David James Elliot is joining the cast of CBS' Close to Home this fall. TVGuide.com is reporting (via The Hollywood Reporter) that the former JAG star will play a D.A. who works with the newly widowed Annabeth Chase (Jennifer Finnigan). Elliot is expected to be a series regular when Close to Home begins its second season this fall on CBS.

*NBC.com will launch the first of its series of webisodes for its popular comedy The Office on July 13th. The weekly webisodes will serve as stand-alone episodes of the series and will feature the accounting staff of the Dunder Mifflin paper company. They will be serialized as the staff works to solve the mystery of who stole $3,000 from the Scranton office. Each webisode will run 2-3 minutes long, and a new one will premiere every Thursday beginning July 13th only at nbc.com.

*And finally, cable's AMC is celebrating record ratings for its original miniseries Broken Trail. The western, starring Robert Duvall, brought in close to 10 million viewers (9.8 million) during its Sunday night debut, topping all other programs on television that night including the major networks. It was also good enough for the movie to claim the title as 2006's most watched cable program so far (even besting TNT's 2nd season premiere of The Closer a few weeks ago, which drew more than 8 million viewers), and it became the 2nd most watched cable movie on any network since 1995. Part two of the miniseries drew in 9.7 million viewers on Monday night, and came in second overall for the evening behind CBS' CSI: Miami rerun (10.5 million). The strong showing bodes well for AMC, which is in the process of developing more original programming like Broken Trail. You can catch an encore presentation of the hit miniseries next Thursday, July 6th on AMC.

To get more of today's biggest TV news and headlines, visit the TV News section at PassTheRemote.Net.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for another Flashback Edition featuring one of the most critically acclaimed episodes of Cold Case ever! Plus, all the latest television news!


To get more television coverage, including the network's new fall schedules and a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote with a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net.

Flashback to 'Mars!' Plus NBC Strikes a Deal with YouTube and a Famous K9 Passes

Remember when Veronica was dating Troy and we were all secretly hoping that it wouldn't work out so she could get back together with Duncan? And then as the first season of Veronica Mars progressed, that "hope" soon shifted to Logan, especially when we started to believe that there was a chance that Veronica and Duncan could be half siblings. Well, this week's Flashback Edition features that time when Veronica was trying to convince herself that she was over Duncan and totally into Troy. We're going to take a look at the third episode of the series, "Meet John Smith," and discover what makes this one another VM classic. The best part about "Meet John Smith" is the case that the title refers to because it's a surprising outcome that leads to a warm and fuzzy (Veronica style) resolution. One of Neptune High's younger students, Justin, asks Veronica to help him track down his long-lost father. Unbeknownst to her, that long-lost father is dead and Justin just wants to get closer to Veronica because he has a crush on her. Seems pretty open and shut, right? Not in the world of Mars. Veronica tracks down 440 possible John Smiths (Justin's father) and mails all of them scholarship letters from Stanford meant for Justin, thinking that Justin's father will call the number on the letter (Mars Investigations) to say that his son doesn't live there with him. When she learns that Justin was fooling her, she drops the case.


Everything changes when Justin gets a letter back from his father. Veronica begins the process of tracking down the real, alive John Smith for Justin. The investigation takes some twists and turns, but it's the discovery of John Smith that gives this episode its classic status. When Veronica finds him, she learns that he is now a woman and this is why Justin's mother told him that his father was dead. He had been visiting Justin regularly at the video store where he works. She was the frequent customer who always ordered special requests just so she could have a few minutes with her son. Justin has a hard time accepting the truth at first, but he begins to come around when he realizes how far his father drives just to see him. Elsewhere, we learn that Duncan has been taking some sort of psychiatric prescription. He abruptly decides to stop taking it, which leads to his leap off of the bleachers and his trip to the hospital. The doctor warns him that going cold turkey can lead to hallucinations, and Duncan begins seeing his dead sister Lilly. Meanwhile, Veronica is having her own hallucinations, but of the dreaming variety. She dreams that she and Duncan are getting hot and heavy in a car just as her alarm goes off. It seems we aren't the only ones holding out for that reconciliation! Finally, Veronica and Keith are on the outs for part of the episode because Veronica didn't drop her investigation into who Jake Kane was meeting at the motel in the pilot. She discovered that the car with Arizona plates belonged to her mother. Working Justin's case made her realize that she needed to track her mother down. She goes to the address in Arizona, but her mother is nowhere to be found. So it seemed that Jamie O'Neal was right, Veronica, there really is no Arizona. This episode, along with all of the first season outings, is available on the season 1 DVD set. To check it out for yourself, pick up your copy today. Or rent one through Netflix, or check your local library for a free borrowed copy. Veronica's second season is currently airing in reruns on UPN every Tuesday night. Tonight, Veronica and Duncan discover that Meg had been babysitting an abused child, and they work to uncover the victim. Check out the opening scene HERE! All of the screen caps in this edition are courtesy of VM-Caps.com.

*A programming note... Veronica Mars Flashback Edition will return in two weeks with thoughts on another classic episode. Sorry to be a network and preempt your fave shows, but next week is my special Emmy ballot leading up to the BIG official Emmy nominations announcement next Thursday!


QUICK CUTS

*NBC is teaming up with YouTube to offer exclusive content from its upcoming fall line-up. The network will get its own channel on the popular video site where it will promote its new shows and returning favorite The Office. Once the new season starts, the net will upload clips and promos for its late-night line-up. YouTube received several cease and desist letters from NBC after users uploaded content from Saturday Night Live last year, so the partnership brings the two media entities full circle. Along with offering video, NBC will be accepting some. The network plans to hold a contest that would allow YouTube users to submit their own promo for The Office. The winning promo will air on NBC in August. YouTube says its users stream as many as 70 million videos a day, making it one of the Internet's most popular sites.

*And finally, former Frasier canine sidekick Moose is dead. The Jack Russell terrier played Eddie for 9 seasons on the hit NBC comedy. He retired at the age of 10, and was replaced by a lookalike Jack Russell during the show's final two seasons. Moose died Thursday of old age. He was 16 1/2 years old.

To get more of today's biggest TV news and headlines, visit the TV News section at PassTheRemote.Net.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for #25-23 on PTR's list of The Best Episodes of the '05-'06 TV Season!! Tomorrow's foray into the top 25 features one funny Christmas, a crime that gives us a different point of view and skeletons in someone's closet. Plus, all the latest television news!


To get more television coverage, including the network's new fall schedules and a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote with a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net.

Maia Goes Back to the Future! Plus Vote for Your Faves, More 'Futurama' and TV on DVD Monday

We're only three episodes into the third season of The 4400 and already, things are seriously heating up. Not only was Maia kidnapped and all memories of her erased, but we also learned that the future's plans have failed to prevent whatever catastrophic event we seem to be on a collision course with. And this was only part 1! When Maia's "sister" first showed up, I had my suspicions, but I figured she had to be the real deal because she knew so much about Maia's childhood. I did think that her motives were sinister, but I just couldn't figure out what she wanted from Maia. Then when she kidnapped her and held her in that house with the other missing 4400 children, I started to fear the worst. I didn't know if the NOVA group was behind the kidnapping or someone trying to hurt the 4400, but things certainly weren't looking good. How tricky that they showed Maia unlocking what appeared to be the same door that Diana and Tom were about to bust through! I was so confused when the two didn't meet and Maia wound up in that creepy dark circular room that we saw last season. For all intents and purposes, we'll just call it The Future Room. Imagine my further shock when we learned that Maia wasn't in any danger, but rather, her services were needed to ensure the future of the human race. Because the future's plans with the 4400 aren't working, they need Maia to go back further in time and be the catalyst that evokes the change needed to veer this catastrophic event off course. Her sacrifice comes at a high price, though, because it means losing all memories of her time with her "mother" Diana, and Diana losing all memories of Maia. In the closing moments of the episode, we watched as all traces of Maia literally disappeared from Diana's apartment as she and Marco came back home. It was creepy, and it left me wondering how they'll ever be able to turn things around next week, and do we want them to if it means endangering our future?


In other 4400 happenings, a wedge seems to be driving itself between Tom and Alana. That wedge is called her 4400 status and her sudden decision to embrace it by working at the 4400 Center. I'm not sure how I feel about this story line because I really like Tom and Alana and their story of how they came together. I'm hoping that it's leading somewhere good, even if it doesn't appear to be right now. Meanwhile, Isabelle seems to be getting more and more powerful, which is why Matthew Ross tried to exert some power over her from the beginning. Too bad for him, she realized that she was the one with the power. After all, he needs her more than she needs him, especially since he pushed her to get involved with Shawn and that seems to have backfired on him. I loved the way she realized that all the crap he fed her was just lies. Shawn encountered some trouble at his first mass healing. A member of the Nova group splashed him with paint forcing the truth about his funneling money to the group in the past came to the front. I like the idea of having Richard share the leadership responsibilities at the 4400 Center with Shawn, but the fact that he seems ripe to be Matthew Ross' next pawn concerns me. Yes, things sure are heating up on The 4400. All of the photos in today's entry are from the show's official site over at usanetwork.com. Click over there to read Maia's diary to unlock some of the clues to what's going on with her.

FRIDAY FUN: SUMMER STYLE (Trivia Answer)
On Friday, I asked you guys a trivia question for the latest edition of Friday Fun: Summer Style. Now, it's time to reveal the answer!

Q: The upcoming DVD release of the hit NBC comedy My Name is Earl will feature an alternate pilot episode where Earl gets the karma message from someone other than Carson Daly. Who is this "someone?" HINT: Think 2-dimentional.


A: This "someone" is Family Guy's Stewie Griffin. [source]

And the alternate pilot is just one of the special features on the hit freshman comedy's first season DVD, which will hit stores on September 26th. Click on over to tvshowsondvd.com to read about all of the features on the DVD set. Unfortunately, there weren't any correct answers this week, but Scooter's Daffy Duck was a pretty good guess. Be sure to tune in every Friday for more rounds of Friday Fun: Summer Style.


QUICK CUTS

*You chose the categories and the nominations, and now it's time to vote for your winners. Zap2it's TV Gal has tallied all of your entries and the top 5 nomination getters are now duking it out in their respective categories in the annual Amy Awards. Click on over there and vote for your favorites for each of the 12 categories. I'm not going to tell you who to vote for in the Most Overlooked category, not even subliminally (jehrekrhhrgyrgwefbKATHRYNMORRISdhskjdhkf). You have until this Thursday (June 29th) at 9 p.m. (EST) to cast your votes. The winners will be announced next Monday. In other TV awards news, E! Online's Kristin Veitch has tallied your votes for her annual Tater Top Awards. Click on over there to see who won! And, next week is Emmy Nominations Week here at Pass the Remote. Look for my Emmy nom wish lists and comprehensive coverage of the BIG nominations announcement next Thursday, July 6th!

*Comedy Central is bringing back Futurama. The cable outlet is reviving the animated series for 13 episodes that are expected to air along with the off-network reruns that Comedy Central acquired in 2005. The entire original cast is expected to return for the new 13-episode order. Look for the off-network run to begin sometime in 2008, no start date yet for the new episodes. Futurama is the second canceled animated series to get a reprieve. Fox recently brought back The Family Guy after cancelling it back in 2002.

*And finally, it's TV on DVD Monday! Look for the first (and most likely only) season of Commander In Chief to hit shelves tomorrow along with Columbo (season 5), Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman (movies), Fear Factor (season 1), Monk (season 1) and Project Runway (season 2). For a list of all of tomorrow's releases, visit tvshowsondvd.com.

To get more of today's biggest TV news and headlines, visit the TV News section at PassTheRemote.Net.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for another Flashback Edition featuring Veronica Mars. Plus, all the latest television news! And don't forget to tune in Wednesday for the next set of episodes of PTR's list of The Best Episodes of the '05-'06 TV Season!!


To get more television coverage, including the network's new fall schedules and a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote with a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net.