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Introducing My New (hopefully) Favourite Show

With the constant writing let downs on Glee, I couldn't be more excited that a new scripted showbiz show is coming to network TV. NBC's midseason hosts the premiere of SMASH. It's grownup, it's more polished, it's got a much better cast and the musical numbers are limited to situations in which people actually are supposed to be singing- here's hoping their writing staff is up to the task (and at some point they let Chrisian Borle out from behind the desk so we can hear that tenor of his!).

Smash looks like a new love-of-my-life show. God I hope I'm right this time.

Erica Lately

by Kelly Bedard

Canada's best show is almost through its fourth (and potentially last) season on the CBC. So before we bid adieu to Being Erica for good, I thought I'd better make a point of catching up with the time-travelling spitfire and her heartfelt wacky adventures. *caution, spoilers ahead*

The Best Show on TV

by Kelly Bedard

People ask me all the time, if they only have time to watch one show, what's the best one? For 2 years now I've had the same answer- Parks and Recreation. The Big C is stupendous and Parenthood is great, Friday Night Lights just finished an unbelievable run and Community still offers up a transcendent moment of brilliance here and there (as does How I Met Your Mother), but the one show I look forward to most every single week and recommend to everyone I know is the underrated NBC Thursday gem Parks and Rec.

Modern Family Turns Some Tables

by Kelly Bedard

Tonight's episode of Modern Family was one of the best yet from the Emmy-sweeping series. I'm not usually as enamoured with the show as the rest of the world is (though I'm endlessly grateful that longstanding favourites Ty Burrell and Jesse Tyler Ferguson are finally getting recognition). I always get very frustrated when entire award categories are taken up by a single show; with Modern Family it's the supporting actor categories where 6 nominees from the show took up more than half the available spots, leaving genius ensemble shows like Community, Parks and Rec and The Big C with no nominations. I don't mind that it wins awards, in fact I would have voted for Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell myself, but anytime a single show is considered the be-all-and-end-all of quality TV I inevitably hold it against that show, instead of against the critics and awards voters who just aren't bothering to actually watch other things (the same phenomenon occurred with 30 Rock and Mad Men, 2 shows I wish I could love more). Which is why I'm ever so happy when a truly great episode forces me to love Modern Family as much as everyone else does; it sort of lends weight to their argument, credence to the awards, makes it a little more okay. "After the Fire" was the sort of episode that lifted the series high above its hype by flipping every standard, stereotype and go-to-gag on its head.

Talking to Fox: Bones

by Kelly Bedard

In our 4-part series "Talking to Fox" we're sharing the scoop from the sets of Allen Gregory, Raising Hope, New Girl and Bones.

Last, but certainly not least, is the incredibly funny combo of Bones showrunners Hart Hanson and Stephen Nathan. The bantering duo made for the most entertaining call of the lot and the longest installment in our series by far.

So without further ado, here they are:

Glee Fight! Kelly's Take on "First Time" (and "Mashoff")

As usual, Kelly and Rachael are fighting about Glee. As usual, Kelly hated an episode Rachael loved. So in keeping with our policy of balanced evaluation (which was first attempted with polarizing Glee offerings in the past and perfected with our reader-magnet opposing Black Swan reviews on My Cinema), we're posting a mini-series centered on last week's episode "First Time" (with a tad bit of redemptive commentary on tonight's offering thrown in for good measure).

Rachael shared her thoughts HERE but Kelly was (predictably) less impressed. However, tonight did ease her pain just a little bit. Read on for her thoughts.

Glee Fight! Rachael's Take on "First Time"

As usual, Kelly and Rachael are fighting about Glee. As usual, Kelly hated an episode Rachael loved. So in keeping with our policy of balanced evaluation (which was first attempted with polarizing Glee offerings in the past and perfected with our reader-magnet opposing Black Swan reviews on My Cinema), we're posting a mini-series centered on last week's episode "First Time" (with a tad bit of redemptive commentary on tonight's offering thrown in for good measure).

First up is Rachael, the forgiving and optimistic one.

Talking to Fox: New Girl

by Kelly Bedard

Up next in our "Talking to Fox" series is New Girl's Jake Johnson who plays Nick on the fall season's best new comedy. The "sweet one" in the series' central trio of bros, Nick is the glue that holds their household and their new roommate Jess (Zooey Deschanel) together.

Here's what Jake had to say in his recent conference call:

Bones 2.0

by Rachael Nisenkier

I stopped writing about Bones about two years ago. It had stopped being fun. The show seemed to stop being the kind of show that really benefits from tons of analysis. Instead, it seemed to fall strongly into a procedural crime drama where the characters weren't as engaging, and the plots seemed designed just to create overly cutesy moments that Fox could use in its promos.

Then, at the end of season five, the show decided to try something a little bit risky. After pushing its central relationship, Booth and Brennan, to the breaking point, the show sent them each off to their respective safety places (amusingly, Afghanistan and a third world island). Then, for season six, it brought them both back a year later, allowing a large amount of character development to happen off screen. It also allowed the supporting characters to mature, although maybe not as much as I would have really liked. I was a little wary of this when it happened, but it turned out great. It was a development that allowed the *spoiler alert* season-ending romantic conclusion to feel truly earned. The show’s decision to effectively fast forward the Booth/Brennan romantic relationship by having Brennan get pregnant may have been motivated by Emily Deschanel’s real life pregnancy, but it felt an unbelievably appropriate way for us to avoid awkward first dates and pretend “will they break up” drama. 

Talking to Fox: Raising Hope

by Kelly Bedard

Up next in our 4-part "Talking to Fox" conference call series is Lucas Neff and Greg Garcia from the quirky family comedy Raising Hope.

Executive producer Garcia gives the scoop on the creation of Hope- one of our favourite shows and the first live action sitcom to make it to a second season on FOX since 2007. Lucas Neff, who stars as Jimmy Chance, joins his boss for one of the more entertaining conference interviews of the series.

Here are the highlights:

Talking to Fox: Allen Gregory

by Kelly Bedard

The fall TV season is full of all sorts of thrills, one of which is the plethora of conference calls TV journalists get to participate in with the minds and faces behind some of TV's best shows. Over the past 2 weeks, FOX has hosted chats with writers, actors and executive producers from some of their biggest hits and most promising new projects.

In our 4-part series "Talking to Fox" we'll share the scoop from the sets of Allen Gregory, Raising Hope, New Girl and Bones.

Up first is the highlights from our conference call with movie star, writer and comedian Jonah Hill whose new show Allen Gregory premiered last week into FOX's all-star Sunday night animation lineup. Hill co-created and serves as executive producer of the awesome new show as well as providing the pitch-perfect voice performance for the title character.

Here's what he had to say:

Pilot Watch: Allen Gregory

by Kelly Bedard

FOX's newest animation offering is right up my alley. The Jonah Hill-headed Allen Gregory is a quick-witted and sarcastic satire of pretension, a wonderfully clever addition to a Sunday night lineup largely headed by dodo patriarchs.

Questions from Tonight's Glee

by Kelly Bedard

If you read this site regularly you know how long I've been looking forward to this episode of Glee- since the first time I saw The Glee Project. Damian was my favourite from the get-go and the twist "everyone wins" ending landed him a 7 episode arc starting with 304- this week. But the episode was far from the greatness I expected, as was Damian's uninspired character Rory (whom Brittany thinks is a leprechaun- original!) Blah Blah Blah. Glee can do better. And Damian deserves better.

Here are the questions I have after this confounding 43 minutes of my life: