The one reason to watch MTV award shows

We've gone on and on about the increasing irrelevance of award shows. And I can't think of any more ridiculous than the MTV Video Music Awards. First of all, everyone knows that MTV doesn't play music videos anymore. So their hosting an award show to recognize excellence in that field is kind of ironic.

But you can always count on MTV to have something buzz-worthy, usually unintentionally. Remember when that dude climbed to the top of the set and they had to shut the show down to get him down? Or when that weird guy ran out and danced jerkily while Bob Dylan was performing? And I'm pretty sure someone from Nirvana whacked themselves on the head one year after throwing his guitar in the air.

But this year takes the cake. Moments after Taylor Swift wins her award for Best Female Video, Kanye West jumps on the stage, rips the microphone out of the poor girl's hand, and proceeds to give props to Beyonce for her Single Ladies video. Taylor looks horrified, perplexed, and sad. She had just finished saying how she had always dreamed this would happen but can't believe it actually did....and then some douche interrupts her acceptance speech. Beyonce has the grace to look shocked and confused with nervous laughter.

MTV Shows

I mean, look her face!


Kanye, seriously, get a grip. A friend told me that your mother died recently and that you must still be grieving...but if you aren't capable of behaving yourself in public because of something like that, DON'T GO OUT. He apologized on his blog, but still. Ugh. get over yourself, keep your ass in your chair, and keep your mouth shut.

And now, bonus Beyonce performance, because it was seriously awesome.

Beyoncé - New Music - More Music Videos

The Boys are Back!

Spoilers for the season premiere of Supernatural below, so proceed at your own risk!

When we last left our intrepid demon-fighters, they had just broken the last of the seals keeping Lucifer trapped in hell, and he was breaking out. And we pick up right where we left off, except instead of dying in a supremely painful way as expected, the Winchester boys get white-lighted to an airplane directly above where they were standing and out of harms way.

Who in the what? My first thought was that it was Castiel, but whoops. He's dead. So Sam and Dean getting saved didn't seem to make much sense. And it's probably not going to help cure Dean's fear of flying, since the plane had to do some tight mauevering to avoid Lucifer's giant pillar of "I've breaking out of hell!" light.

BUT THEN. We find out that the big guy, G-O-D himself, decided to intervene and save the boys and reassemble the blown-apart bits of Castiel to take on Zachariah and his Matrix-y looking minion angels. I gotta say, the fight scene was kind of bad-ass.

So what did I think of the premiere? I liked it. There were constant surprises, most involving Bobby (he's possessed! He's stabbing himself to save Dean and probably going to die! He's unlikely to walk again but alive!). I think I yelled "nooooo!" a lot during most of the bad stuff involving Bobby, because as I am sure you all know, I absolutely adore him. I bet the neighbors thought I was watching some kind of crazy sport on tv by how vocal I was.

And I'm loving the new Dexter-like title card. Gruesome!

But there were also some really hilariously cringe-worthy parts, mostly involving Becky, the zealous Supernatural novel fangirl. She's the webmistress of MoreThanBrothers.net, a Supernatural slash website. Kripke is pretty much willing to make fun of anybody, including his own fans. But I think the Supernatural slashers have it coming, because while I have nothing against slash in general, they're BROTHERS people! It's squicky to ship them!

Anyhoodle, Becky was a riot, especially when she couldn't stop touching Sam ("you're so firm!") and when she saw Dean ("You're....not what I was expecting). Love her!

Yeah, I probably would grab Sam Winchester's boob too if actually confronted with him. It's a normal response.

Some things that didn't seem to work so well are the characters constant use of folksy language and insults. Look, I get that they are from the midwest, but lay off the slang, Kripke. It's getting old. Also, the whole "emotional confrontation between Sam and Dean at the end of the episode" has worn out its welcome. It was really sad hearing that Dean doesn't trust Sam anymore, not that I blame him after all the crap that went down last season, but this is ground that got covered many many times last year. And it doesn't really jive with Dean telling Sam earlier that they need to just move on and work to clean up the mess they made.

Other than a few isolated missteps, the premiere was full of action, surprises, laughs, tears, and all the good stuff that Supernatural can deliver. It did a great job of setting up this year's arc, especially as Lucifer has found his human vessel and we now know Dean is intended as a vessel for archangel Michael, but I'm not sure how stand-along episodes are going to factor in. When you raise the stakes so high and have such imminent danger, it makes it a little more difficult to have a side-romp or feature the boys hunting down some random ghost.

Still, as always, I'm happily along for the ride. As long as the show has more of the action and less of the angst. Is it too much to ask to just see some hot guys kick some demon ass and blow ocassional shit up?

Now listen show. You know the deal. You are not allowed to kill Bobby. I'm cool with his being in a wheelchair if that happens, because he is so badass he could still kick butt, but you MUST NOT KILL HIM. Capish?

Cake Boss

Until last night, my only experience with cake-baking on television was with The Food Network's Ace of Cakes. Set in Baltimore only an hour from me, I viewed Charm City Cakes as the end all be all of cake making.

Until last night.

Getting a DVR a few years ago drastically changed the way I watch television. Since I usually have so many things stored on the hard drive, I never just flip through channels to see what's on. This has the unfortunate side-effect of meaning I miss out on a lot of the random shows that clog the cable airways. But since we haven't gotten to Fall premieres yet, and my DVR is pretty much empty of summer fare, I found myself in the unique position of flipping around the channels last night, looking for something to watch. And I found Cake Boss on TLC.

It's similar to Ace of Cakes, in that we basically get to see the bakery (Carlo's Baker in New Jersey) creating several special order items in an episode, with narration from the bakery's manager, Buddy Valastro. He's a fourth generation baker whose parents purchased the bakery in 1964. Since then, it's been the family business. And how.

So while Duff from Ace of Cakes is the poster boy for chill, surrounding himself with friends with a very rock vibe, Buddy is surrounded by his loud, large, and did I mention loud, Italian family. These people yell at each other all day long.

Buddy's four older sisters run the front counter of the bakery, but find time to pop into the back and yell at Buddy about various things: how the bread looks burnt, how that cake is unacceptable, why did you do this that way...it's crazy. And Buddy has no problem yelling at workers (almost all family members) to hurry up, and even will shove them out of the way, grabbing pastry bags from their hands to show them how it's done, etc.

While this sounds intolerable in print, it's actually really entertaining and hilarious. I don't come from a large family and we're not really down with the yelling so seeing a group of people express themselves by hollering in each other's faces is interesting to me from an anthropological view. And I find Italian people funny...as long as they aren't yelling at me. If they want to yell at each other, I say go for it. They never reach Gordon Ramsey levels of vitriol, it's clear there's no malice behind the raised voices, it's simply how they communicate with one another.

It's also clear that while the Valastro family is, shall we say, passionate, they are passionate about baked goods. Things go wrong in this bakery, and Buddy will flip out. He'll wring his hands, have a mild panic attack, and while most things work out, it's nice to see someone who is so emotional about cake. He definitely has his hands full, and it's clear he's the Cake Boss not just because he's in charge of cakes, but also in charge of an entire clan. A loud clan of emotional Italians. Good luck, dude.

There may actually exist someone who cares more about cake than me.

Television Is Back!

September is my personal Xmas. Sure getting gifts is nice, but I very much enjoy sitting back an opening a brand new season of my favorite shows. And like Xmas, you are going to get gifts you don't want, gifts you don't understand, and gifts that you will cherish forever.

This summer was incredibly disappointing for me. Law & Order CI was a bust with Jeff Goldblum, Burn Notice and In Plain Sight didn't hold their own. Top Chef masters was HORRID. And even TrueBlood bit...(hahah get the pun, the shows about Vamps). The only thing that made the summer tolerable was an endless supply of Big Brother.

BUT! It is back. The fall season is joining us soon and I am ready for it. I have decided, like maggiecats to give you a taste of what I will be watching this fall:

Monday:
8pm - House (Fox), Heroes(NBC) and HIMYM(CBS) (I have no idea how I will watch 3 shows at once, even Tivo can't do that, but how else to cope with changing schedules...)
9:30 - Big Bang Theory(CBS)

Tuesday:
8pm - NCIS (CBS)
9pm - NCIS - LA (CBS) They previewed this one last year. LLCOOL J and Chris O Donnell....we will see how long i watch

Wed:
9pm - Glee (Fox) EXCITED! and L&O SVU (NBC)
10 pm - Eastwick (ABC) have to try some new ones

Thurs:
8pm - Vampire Diaries (CW) Gotta support the degrassi alum(at least for the pilot)
9pm - The Office (NBC)
930pm - The Community (NBC) Gotta support John Oliver!

Fri:
8pm - L&O (NBC)
9pm - Dollhouse (FOX) & Ugly Betty (ABC)
10pm - Numbers (CBS)

Sun (My Husbands Day of TV)
8pm - Simpsons (Fox)
8:30pm - The Cleveland Show (Fox) Until it gets canceled of course (I bet 2 weeks)
9pm - Family Guy (Fox) & Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
10pm - Brothers & Sisters (me not andrew) (ABC) & Entourage (HBO)

Fall Schedule

Ah, the end of summer. When a girl's mind turns to thoughts of Fall television. And trying to figure out what the heck I am going to watch. Luckily, TV Guide has my back and has helpfully posted a guide to all the Fall television shows in handy dandy grid form.

Go here tv-philes.

Note: this only includes network television. I still need to check out the cable schedule so I know I'm not missing anything cool on some cable channel.

So what is my Fall schedule looking like?

Monday

8:00-Heroes and House (thanks, DVR!)

9:00-Gossip Girl

10:00-Castle

Tuesday

8:00-So You Think You Can Dance, V

Wednesday

8:00-So You Think You Can Dance, America's Next Top Model

9:00-Glee, Law and Order: SVU

10:00-Eastwick (at least for a few weeks)

Thursday

8:00-Vampire Diaries (again, I'll at least give it a try)

9:00-Supernatural, Fringe, and The Office (back-up VCR, FTW!)

Friday

9:00-Ugly Betty, Dollhouse

Saturday

HAHA! You're funny. Like the networks would ever show anything good on Saturday night. But I think Robin Hood is airing this night over on BBC America...

Sunday

Nada. Network television FAIL.

TV Marathon Watching

Some shows are well-served by marathons. The West Wing, Veronica Mars, Buffy, Battlestar Galactica, Mad Men...all of these are shows that you can easily sit on the couch and watch for hours on end.

But not every show makes for good marathon viewing. Case in point: Gossip Girl. Last weekend, my friend Chris and I settled in a for a mini-marathon of Gossip Girl, since we need to get through Season 2 before Season 3 starts this fall. We made it through the first four episodes (disc 1, natch) before we realized it was time to call it quits for the day.

Look, I really like Gossip Girl. I couldn't believe how addictive it was when I started watching, but viewing episode after episode of it doesn't really work. There's only so much bratty, whiny, rich (or in the case of Dan Humphrey, bourgeoisie) bitching you can take before you want to throw something through the television.

It's funny how after repeated viewing of the show, the only characters I could stand were Blair and Chuck, the supposed villains. Hey, at least their honest about what they want and are true to their characters. If it's in their best self-interest they're all for it. I find that kind of consistency refreshing.

The thing that is NOT refreshing is Dan and his hang-ups, Serena and her "oh woe is me the beautiful leggy blond" and Jenny with her annoying perkiness.

What are the chances the three of them get taken out by a bus/train in the second season finale? Considering how I know they all end up at college next season (well, except Jenny who is only 16), not great.

These are Mad times, I tell you, Mad!

We are now two episodes into the third season of Mad Men and there's been a lot of discussion and speculation as to whether the show could sustain the brilliance of its first two seasons.

Short answer: yes.

Long answer: the beauty of Mad Men for me is that it works on several levels. I can watch it week to week and enjoy the plots, the characters, the amazing costumes and sets, but then also go back and watch the show in long stretches and catch the themes and symbolism inherent to the arcs of the show.

And so far, I am loving where the characters are going, especially Peggy. All along she has been discovering how much of a weapon her femininity can be, but last week she really ratcheted it up by using some practiced Joan and Ann-Margaret skills to see if she could reel someone in. Her whole scene in the bar had a definite experiment vibe to it; Peggy wanting to see what she could get away with. Although I did hate seeing her disappointment in Don when he failed to understand how far ahead she is of the curve (and other copy writers) when it comes to understanding how women think and how that can aid them to sell products.

As for Don and Betty, I'm not really sure of where they are in their marriage. In the season premiere, Don got up in the middle of the night to warm milk for her, which may have been a small action, but it certainly showed that he cared for her. But from then on, they seemed to be a couple that was merely going through the motions; especially since Don took the first opportunity he had to bang some random chick. Although the fact that it was a random encounter and not an actual mistress was, I guess, a step up for him?

Betty's bitterness this season is interesting, and I seriously fear for the health of her child with all the smoking and drinking she has indulged in lately. I wonder how her father moving in with the family will further affect the dynamic?

Obviously there are a billion other characters to talk about, but my fingers are starting to hurt (I've been typing all day, yo), so I'll leave with two final thoughts. First, does anyone else get the feeling that there is a giant ticking clock over this season counting down to the Kennedy assassination and what it is going to do everyone? I don't think it's really anything that the show creators have explicitly done, but I am sensing serious tension for the future. And second...

More Joan Holloway, plz thx.

He's back!

Jeesh, I go away for work for one week at the end of summer thinking I wouldn't be missing anything...and holy puckered hems, Batman! I miss out on the premieres of Mad Men and Project Runway! And when I say miss, I mean MISS, since my lame-o hotel didn't have Lifetime or AMC. I mean, really. Although the free happy hour every night made up for it. Almost.

Anyway, despite forgetting to set my DVR for Project Runway (d'oh!), a quick call to mom confirmed that she could record it for me and on this past very rainy Saturday afternoon we settled in to watch the Season 6 premiere of PR.

I know everyone has pretty much already said it, but I couldn't really tell a change with the show at all, even with the move to Los Angeles. Sure the workroom was a little different, and the designers have new digs....but you have the same whackadoodle designers, the usual tough, bitchy, and in the case of Michael Kors, orange, judges, and of course. The Silver Fox.

All is right with the world now, chickadees. Tim is here.

Oh, Tim Gunn! I hadn't even realized how much I had missed you until you walked onto the tv screen and back into my heart. You're impeccably groomed, always well-spoken, and when you furrowed your brow and considered the first (of many) heinous garments, I wanted to cheer.

It's just nice to see the return of a competitive reality show that requires genuine talent, creativity, skill, and celebrates things that are lovely. And of course it gives me an excuse to visit the boys over at T.Lo (formerly Project Rungay) as they rip on the runway.

So do I have any early picks for the winners? Eh, it's really too early to tell. Nobody really stood out for me so far...it always takes a few weeks for me to get a good idea of what's going on, but I agree with the judges that Ra'mon could be great if he moves just a little outside the box. And I thought Christopher definitely deserved the win.

In the meantime, they're back, bitches! Let's just sit back and enjoy the drama, pretty clothes, and general catiness. Bring it!

Big Brother?? Really?

Ok, so I like to think I have a decent taste in television. I can tell an awful show from a great one. But this summer I am OBSESSED with Big Brother. I don't know how it happened or why, but I can't get me enough Big Brother.

Last night's episode had me yelling at the screen when drunk Lydia decided to lose her mind and Chyma got thrown out for tossing her mic in the hot tub. I can't help it, I HAVE TO KNOW WHATS HAPPENING NEXT. My husband and I even find ourselves tuning in to Big Brother After Dark on Showtime.....Aw!

Yes folks, I am checking myself into Rehab at the end of the season.

Gleek Chic

So ... Hot Topic. This store is the object of much scorn from mainstream and fringe groups alike. In trying to be "different," many of the shoppers at Hot Topic end up with a look that is depressingly conformist. And I know this sounds like sour grapes (see the end of Maggie's post for further details), but I can't help but think ... Could there be a better venue for the Gleek tour?

Gleek = Glee + geek. Sadly, I did not get this at first.

Glee's marketing department is either brilliant or completely obviously to irony, and has booked the cast to appear at several Hot Topic stores across the country. The tour started yesterday in Massachusetts and will finish next Friday in California. In our neck of the woods, they're going to be stopping at the Fair Oaks Mall on August 20th. Anyone interested in attending, and then reporting back? Let me know!

P.S. Thanks to Cheryl for sharing the link!

Comic Con: Glee

On Saturday afternoon we joined the throngs of red-shirted Glee fans (apparently they have special red Glee shirts?) for an advance screening of the second episode and a Q+A with the show's cast and producers.

So, how was it? The episode was SO GOOD OMG. It was even better than the pilot. And I really enjoyed the pilot. They managed to cram in so much plot and also the following songs:

-Le Freak

-Gold Digga (Kanye, what up)

-Push It

-I Say a Little Prayer for You

-Take a Bow (Rhianna)

In one episode! Six songs! It was crazy. And watching it with a huge crowd (probably at least 1000 people) was a seriously cool experience. People were laughing hysterically, clapping, shouting, and just really really enjoying themselves. It made me wish I could watch every episode with a group that big. And then wonder how I would fit them into my one bedroom condo. Space-saver bags maybe?

I also liked how the show seems to be moving things along plot-wise at a really good clip. So many shows just draaaag things out forever (like sexual tension and relationships), but not Glee. Someone actually asked the producers a question along the lines of "why are you moving things forward so quickly?" and they replied that they had a lot of stories they wanted to tell and didn't see any reason not to just get to it. As a viewer, I really appreciate that. Especially since I am so impatient.

Ok, so here's the scoop for the Fall. They have recorded 60 tracks of songs for the coming episodes, including songs by Barbara Streisand, The Rolling Stones, and Van Halen. There will sometimes be as many as six or seven songs in an episode, and the first (!!!) soundtrack album will be available in November. Future guest-star include Kristin Chenowith, Josh Groban, Victor Garber, Deborah Monk, and Eve.

The cast is currently traveling around the country as part of a tour, but they aren't making too many stops. 10 cities in 12 days, and are stopping in (gulp) Hot Topic stores. So, WTF, Hot Topic? I don't know, maybe the girls in the cast have run out of clean Twilight tees or something.

As for the central conceit of the show, the creators stated that they didn't want their characters just randomly bursting into song, but the music in the rehearsal sessions and in the characters minds should be used to explain their inner feelings. They have definite rules for when music can be used, so it doesn't seem too jarring.

During the Q+A portion of the panel, Monkey Sri had a really great question that she tried to ask, but got rejected by the screeners. She was planning to ask the creators, "for a show that is ostensibly about social outcasts, why is the main cast all white straight people?" Which I think is a great question; I know the show has also gotten flack for having stereotyped characters, the diva black girl, the white jock, the skinny gay kid, etc. But apparently the screeners thought it would "put them on the spot" and sent her back to her seat. And trust me, after listening to all the bullshit questions other people had asked at other panels, that kind of pissed me off.

But despite that little hiccup, Glee definitely rates up there as one of the best panels I saw, and now I feel all too cool for school having gotten a look at the next episode.

And no, I won't tell you any spoilers. You'll just have to wait!

Congratulations, Jeanine!

After a season that was equal parts tedium and rapture, So You Think You Can Dance crowned it's newest winner last night: Jeanine Mason.

It was an unexpected win to be sure, but delighted me to no end. I think America got the top two right; it came to Brandon and Jeanine, but honestly I would have been happy if Jeanine, Brandon, or Kayla had won. But having Jeanine take the big prize just made me really happy. It's not like I know her or anything, but I always really liked her and loved watching her dance. Plus, she's funny in interviews.

Jeanine has been a strong performer this entire season; she was paired with Phillip at the beginning, which made me feel a little sorry for her. While a great street dancer, Phillip was, let's face it, a terrible partner, and his popularity was basically the only thing that kept them from being booted those first few weeks. Still, Jeanine seemed to impress everyone by keeping up with Phillip during their hip-hop routines and and basically out shining him in everything else.

But when Phillip left the competition and Jeanine got paired with Jason, then we really got a chance to see her bring it. She could handle any style the judges threw at her, and her contemporary number with Jason (with the heart locket) pushed her into the forefront. At that point, you knew she was a contender.



By the time the top 8 rolled around, Jeanine had a chance to dance with Brandon, and in my opinion, finally got a chance to partner with a dancer as strong as she was. After a lackluster night, she and Brandon came out and performed a pop-jazz number that was pretty awesome. After watching it in the clip below, it doesn't have quite the same impact, but trust me, after an hour and a half of meh, it felt like an adrenaline jolt.



But I think what really clinched the win was Jeanine's solo in the performance finale. Which is amazing, since to me the solos always feel like an after thought. We have seen some great solos this season, but the dancers are only given 45 seconds or so to perform and sometimes it's not long enough to make an impression. Also, a lot of them seem very frantic; trying to cram as much as they can into that time (I'm looking at you Brandon and Kayla), but Jeanine always took the time and made her solo a full performance. And her tango solo at the finale was just woah. I couldn't find it on you tube, but you can see it here beginning at 3:50. And I really suggest you check it out. It's gorgeous.

So congrats, Jeanine! Hopefully you'll get a chance to enjoy being this season's winner, because it won't last long. Season 6 starts in less than a month on September 2. So smoke em if you got em!

Comic Con: Dollhouse

The big attraction on Friday was Joss Whedon. The whole day had been structured around getting into the Dollhouse and Joss Whedon panel; from deciding which of the morning’s panels to attend, to eating times, to getting into line 3 hours before Joss was even due on stage.

We were going to see Joss no matter what.

And we did, hurray! It meant sitting in at the Bones panel (see below), but we were able to move a bit forward before Dollhouse started and had a great view of the stage and the man. He came out with no ceremony, just walked out to the crashing cheers of the 3000 people gathered in Ballroom 20. He looked good, maybe lost some weight? Anyway, after a quick introduction, we were treated to the “missing” episode of Dollhouse, Epitaph One.

The episode was set a few years in the future, and the Dollhouse technology has leaked out to terrorist use, and any exposure to radio waves could mean the wiping of your personality (it had a very post-apocalyptic Terminator feel actually).

Look, it’s no secret that I am not a huge Dollhouse fan, but after watching Epitaph One all I could think was, “can I watch that show?” That one hour episode we saw was more interesting and well-acted than the entire rest of the series had been. Of course, Eliza Dushku was only in it for like 5 minutes, which might have been the reason for the improvement in my mind, but it was just so much meatier than anything else we had seen so far.

After the episode screening, Joss and Eliza came out and did a solid hour of question and answer with the crowd. The questions were great and hit on things I had been wondering. For example: Joss decided to cast Alan Tudyk as Alpha based on his reading of Caesar in Antony and Cleopatra during one of Joss’ famous Shakespeare nights.

Some scoop for season 2 was also provided; Alexis Denisof would be appearing as a guest star (this news was met with great whoops from the audience) and the show would have a new director of photography. Joss promised that they would stretch the parameters of what was possible in the world he had created and characters from Epitaph One (yay Felicia Day!) would make an appearance, even though the episode had never aired.

Overall, seeing Joss and listening to him speak was just as fun and amazing an experience as I had hoped. He’s the kind of guy that makes you think, “he should get to know me, we would get along really well.” He’s such a geek himself, that you can’t help but be drawn to him. And it left me more excited for Dollhouse’s return, which after all, was kind of the point.

Comic Con: Bones

For the record, I don’t watch Bones. I think I made it through the first two or three episodes before I decided to throw in the towel. I don’t think it’s bad, but it just seemed like a standard crime procedural and even my love for David Boreanaz couldn’t keep me interested.

Having said that, I know a lot of people are crazy about it (including my Dad and Stepmom) and I kind of keep an eye on what’s going on with it just from reading about tv news. For example: I know that Booth is in a coma and apparently had some big hallucination where he and Brennan were married. I know that Hodgins and Angela dated, and I know that Zack was apparently in league with the bad guy last season. So I wasn’t totally in the dark when I ended up sitting in on the panel at Comic Con (I was there since it was scheduled right before the Dollhouse panel).

However, since I don’t really follow the show, and in an effort to get more posts out, I’m going to present the news and scoop from Bones in bullet points. You have a problem, take it up with management. Except there is none, so haha!

--David Boreanaz couldn’t attend due to the pending birth of his daughter. Everyone was sad.

--The producer of the show described last seasons’ finale as a “love letter to the fans” who wanted to see Booth and Brennan together. The he realized he screwed up because all those same fans were royally pissed with the coma twist. He said that loyal fans would get it, but causal fans wouldn’t. Hmm. Judging by the audience reaction, I wouldn't be so sure of that, buddy.

--Emily Deschanel wants the characters together eventually but knows it’s tricky on television (everyone references the Moonlighting debacle).

--Emily is quick with the sexual innuendo and likes making fun of the other panelist. I like her.

--The new season’s premiere will pick up 6 weeks later and is concerned with whether Booth can bring himself back to work and deal with the confusion of his feelings for Brennan.

--The frozen sperm will be addressed next season. Uh, yay?

--David Boreanaz is directing the show’s 100^th episode.

--Cyndi Lauper will guest-star next season playing a character named Avalon Harmonia who is, you guessed it, Angela’s psychic who leads the team to a few dead bodies arousing suspicion.

--Tamara was the most squeamish actor on the show.

--The show would love to have Zack back, but the actor has moved to NYC and they would have to make sure it would fit with his schedule.

--Episode 5 or 6 of next season deals with the trial of the Gravedigger and we will likely find out what Brennan wrote in her goodbye note.

Comic Con: Spartacus Blood and Sand

Spartacus: Blood and Sand is the cable channel Starz’s foray into original programming. Apparently, they are tired of seeing HBO and Showtime get all the glory, and so have stepped into the ring.

The show is based on the story of Spartacus (duh), a Roman sentenced to slavery as a gladiator and end up leading a slaves’ revolt. The creator described the show as being about how a group of hard, different men come together and almost take down the Roman Empire.

Did you catch that “almost?” Spoiler alert!

Of course, if you’ve seen the movie, you know how things end for our hero. But along the way the producers have promised a lot of sex and violence, to which I say, woot!

The show is modeled on the “hyper-reality” format used by Zack Snyder in 300 and also has obvious echoes of Rome and Gladiator. But like I said, with more sex and violence.

Alright, I’ll just say it—Lucy Lawless is in it and she gets naked. So if that floats your boat, more power to you. She plays a villainess Roman citizen and her husband is played by John Hannah (the brother of Evelyn in The Mummy).

We were shown a trailer of the show during the panel, and my very initial impressions are that it looks awesome. I’m pretty sure I won’t be running out and signing up for Starz (I am sort of frugal after all), but the show will definitely be going on the top of my Netflix queue when it comes out on DVD.

Interestingly, the show will promoted through a tie-in comic book, an Ipod game, and a motion version of the comic (think Watchmen). A copy of the first comic was included in our pretty rad swag bag (along with a t-shirt and poster), and it’s pretty good.

Final thought? To quote Lucy Lawless, “it’s big fun on the small screen.”

There are mostly naked men and they fight and have sex. A lot. Sign me up! But not literally.

Torchwood: Children of the Earth

I now take a brief break from the Comic Con write-ups to bring you this review of the recent miniseries/season of Torchwood.

Woah.

That pretty much sums it up. I haven't been the biggest fan of Torchwood, I pretty much hated the first season and tolerated the second, but this miniseries was really great. There were some shocking surprises (SPOILER ALERT) like the deaths of Ianto and Jack's grandson, Simon, but it was extremely tense, scary, and full of twists and turns.

It's nice to be reminded of what Russell T. Davies is capable of when he goes balls out and doesn't give us any sparkly Doctor Jesus crap, and the acting was really stepped up this go around, especially from John Barrowman and some of the supporting players.

If you haven't checked it out yet, I suggest you get the DVD, since it's definitely worth the price of admission. I'm not sure where they can go from here, but I am all about finding out.

AHHHHH! Creepy children!

Comic Con: Female Power Icons

This panel wasn't strictly about television, but hey, close enough, right?

The participants on the panel were Sigourney Weaver (Alien and like 20 billion other movies and shows), Eliza Dushku (Buffy, Dollhouse), Zoe Saldana (Center Stage, Star Trek), and Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost, V).


First impressions: wow, they all have such pretty hair! Not a very empowering observation, but it's true.

Now, since these actors weren't gathered to discuss a particular subject, the conversation, while interesting, was kind of meandering. The panel just responded to general questions from the moderator and from the audience. So I'm basically just going to report responses that I found interesting. You want more than that, you can go to Comic Con yourself.

Seriously though, the initial question asked each woman was how they got into the sci-fi genre. Other than the obvious, "um, they were willing to hire me?" the responses were pretty interesting. Sigourney was not initially interested in doing the movie Alien, but was won over by Ridley Scott's concept drawings of the alien eggs. She also commented that sci-fi often provides many opportunities for being part of an ensemble, which also convinced her to do Alien.

When Zoe was asked the same question, she noted that in the world of Star Trek there simply is no discrimination. The bridge of the Enterprise is considered truly color blind, and Uhura is not identified by her gender or color (a black woman) but by her abilities and how well she does her job. Zoe viewed the opportunity to become a character who had no experience with discrimination or being viewed as something less than capable due to her gender and race as fascinating.

While answering a question about what motivates women in the genre, Sigourney noted that female action figures are about drive and ferocity. They respond to challenges with their whole being.

Elizabeth Mitchell made a good point when asked about why there are so few strong women in television and movies. She talked about how Hollywood is afraid of female sexuality (which I absolutely agree with it...watch the documentary Not Yet Rated if you don't believe it) and that sci-fi provides the opportunity for women to be strong and vibrant.

But Sigourney cautioned that people should not look to Hollywood if they are hoping to see a movie toward social change. She mentioned that society is changing faster than Hollywood understands, and that the onus is on us to make our voices heard about the kind of strong female characters we want to see. Zoe reiterated that the audience (you) is the consumer, and you have to be sure to ask for what you want, or all we'll get are the same old stories.

You probably noticed that there isn't a lot of commentary from Eliza Dushku here, which is sadly because she didn't seem to have that much to contribute. She took Kristen Bell's (Veronica Mars) place on the panel since a panel Kristen had for Astro Boy from Summit got moved to earlier in the day. I can't help but think of how much more awesome Kristen would have been....but like I said, Eliza definitely had pretty hair, so I'm glad that worked out for her.

So what are my two cents? I think you see such a (comparatively) large number of strong, capable, badass women in sci-fi because the genre deals with fantasy. Sad, but true. The Hollywood establishment is not comfortable with putting these types of women in more realistic situations, because the establishment is mostly run by men who speak as they find. But in fantasy, anything goes, and we aren't restrained by our present day biases and prejudices and its easier for some to accept the concept of a strong woman.

I agree completely with the idea that it's up to us as the consumer to support media that reflects progressive roles for women and other historically disenfranchised groups like racial minorities and homosexuals. Unfortunately right now this means supporting material more on the fringe and independent side of the industry, but hopefully that will start to change. And as the number of women behind the scenes in media increases (directors, comic writers and artists, screenwriters, and actors), it will become less unusual to encounter strong women in pop culture.

Chuck!

Not able to travel to San Diego for Comic Con? You can see one of the most awesome panels of the entire Con on Hulu....that's right. The entire Comic Con panel for Chuck is online!



It does not include the Jeffster performance that opened the show...but you can see that on You Tube here.

Happy viewing!

Comic Con: Legend of the Seeker

I didn’t really expect Comic Con’s Legend of the Seeker panel to be particularly crowded or difficult to get into. After all, the show is syndicated, airs on a Saturday evening, and only one other person I know has ever heard of it (shout-out: Whitney). But after seeing how quickly the line formed for this panel on Thursday afternoon, I jumped into it an hour and a half early, and was fortunate to make it inside.

Luckily, I was flying solo on this one and was able to score a seat fairly close to the stage, since people always seem to leave those lone single seats between them…god forbid they should be polite and move into the center. But it worked out well for me, so no complaints.

The panel consisted of some producers (no Sam Raimi though), the actor Bruce Spence, who plays the character Zed, a scene chewing Wizard, and author Terry Goodkind, upon whose books the series is based (the Sword of Truth books, in case you are curious).

Actor Bruce Spence and author Terry Goodkind

Kicking things off was some news on the second season: it would consist of a full 22 episode order and would premiere on November 7, 2009. The main characters, Richard, Kaylan, and Zed, would come to the realization that their destruction of the evil overlord, Darkan Rahl, comes with a price, as they have managed to unleash something even more powerful and have created cracks between our world and the Keeper’s (i.e. the Underworld).

For those of you with no idea what I am talking about, no worries, the first season DVD will be released on October 13, 2009, so you can catch up.

Most of the fan questions were for Terry Goodkind, who made it clear he has nothing to do with the show. While he finds it difficult to see the changes that are made to his characters and plots, he understands that television is a different medium and is happy that his characters have seen more mainstream exposure from the show. Really, it seemed like the only reason he was even there was to plug his new book (a non-supernatural thriller available August 18, 2009) and to mollify fans who are pissed about some of the changes from the books.

The big news of the panel was that Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia on Buffy and Angel) would be guest-starring in an upcoming episode as a Mord-Sith, a dominatrix-like character who wears nothing but leather, for those of you not familiar with the books and show. So, yay for Joss alums finding work! Also, the Mord-Sith character, Cara, would be joining the trio, as she does in the books, so that’s good news for Terry Goodkind fans.

Example: Mord-Sith

It was a little disappointing to not have the two main stars of the show at the panel, but since they film in New Zealand it’s a bit of a hike. From the footage we saw and the news we were given, it seems like the second season is shaping up pretty well, and will hopefully be less uneven than the first, which definitely took some time to finds it’s footing, but really took off after the episode, Denna.

BBC in the USA: Being Human

I love Maggie Cats' approach to blogging about Comic Con. She brought a special notebook to every panel and took copious notes and pictures. Now she will go through it all chronologically, bringing you pertinent details and fascinating insights into your favorite shows.

Yeah, I'm not going to do that. From me you will get rambling, disorganized squee. Sorry, that's just how I roll. On the upside, I was able to see a few panels that Maggie was not, so now I bring you the first of my BBC series: Being Human.

This show doesn't sound like it would be any good. "Listen, there's this great show about a werewolf, a vampire, and a ghost sharing an apartment in Bristol..." At this point, whoever you're trying to convince just gets up and walks away. But it's really really really really good. Honestly. And it makes more sense when you hear how the concept came about.

The creator, Toby Whithouse, was first approached about doing a show about three twenty-something college grads who decide to live together. He decided that was just about the most boring concept he had ever heard. Then, three characters dropped fully-formed into his head: Annie, an agoraphobic; Mitchell, a recovering sex addict; and George, a usually mild-mannered man with anger issues. Still, he didn't feel like the series was special enough. And then it dawned on him ... George, who periodically lost his temper and turned into a monster, was kind of like a werewolf. This naturally (or supernaturally) led to the ideas that Annie was like a ghost and Mitchell, a vampire. Thus, Being Human as we know it was born.

I really feel that this organic development of the show is reflected in its completely sympathetic characters. These are not monsters of legend, creatures to be feared or idolized. The bottom line is that they are people. Like any good fantasy show, the supernatural nature of the protagonists shines a spotlight on human nature.

Plus, Russell Tovey (the man who plays George) is adorable. Doctor Who fans many recognized him as Midshipman Frame from "Voyage of the Damned" (Allons-y, Alonso!). I was sitting super close to the stage, having practically camped out all day. At the end of the panel, I jumped out of my seat with a huge grin on my face. Russell looked at me and cocked his head to the side as if to say, "why is that tall Indian woman giving us a standing ovation ... all by herself?" Needless to say, I swooned with delight.

This picture does not do them justice ... but it is pretty hilarious.

Comic Con: Pilot Screenings for V and The Vampire Diaries

Ah, Comic Con. Geek Mecca, if you will. Where those of us obsessed with all things sci-fi, fantasy, and pop culture-related gather together to get the latest news and scoop on our favorite comics, television shows, and movies.

Fellow tv-slutter Monkey Sri and I headed to San Diego last week and participated in our first Comic Con so we could report back on all the happs for you, our gentle reader. From Wednesday night to Sunday I spent almost every day in the San Diego Convention Center visiting as many panels as I could and taking copious notes to ensure I could regurgitate all the details. I figure the easiest way to do this is to go chronologically, which means we start with....

Wednesday, July 22*

Wednesday was preview night, when people who had signed up for 4-day passes could pick up their badges and avoid the HUGE line that forms on Thursday morning. After procuring our passes, my friend Rachel (avid television viewer and vampire lover) and I got the lay of the land of the convention center and attended our first Comic Con event: screenings of the pilot episodes for V (on ABC) and The Vampire Diaries (on the CW).

V: As any fan of Sci-Fi television knows (or really anyone who has ever watched I Love the 80s on VH1), V was a weekly drama series that ran in 1984 on NBC for one season. As everything old is new again, ABC has retooled the series and it is now slated to air in the fall of this year.

The plot of the show is basic: aliens show up one day (in a scene basically ripped from Independence Day) and inform us that they need vital minerals from our planet. In exchange they offer us some of their technology (including cures to most known diseases) and repeated promises that they come in peace. Some people welcome them with open arms, others are more questioning. It's not a huge spoiler to give away that the Vs aren't everything they appear to be, but that's all I'll say. If you aren't familiar with the prior series there are some surprises in store for you.

The show centers around an FBI Agent (Elizabeth Mitchell from Lost) and her son, as well as a large cast of other characters including a reporter (Scott Wolf), a priest, and a whole bunch of others I can't remember right now. Take from that what you will.

All in all, I really enjoyed the show. It was tense at all the right parts, had great production values, a talented cast, and appears to be modelled on a Lost and Heroes pattern where many different characters are weaved throughout a central storyline. There's nothing really groundbreaking here, like I said the images of the alien ships have been seen before, but the pilot was solid and interesting.

I was a little confused as to how Elizabeth Mitchell's FBI Agent character starts to suspect the Vs, something about stolen C4 or some such nonsense, but the show makes some interesting parallels with our modern fears, insinuating that the Vs have been present on our planet for a long time and have organized themselves into sleeper cells. And it's always nice to see familiar faces like Alan Tudyk (!!!), Elizabeth Mitchell, Morena Baccarin, and Scott Wolf. I'll definitely be tuning in this fall, and hope the show can keep up the quick pace of the pilot.


The Vampire Diaries: Oh, Kevin Williamson. You've never been able to recapture your former glory from the Dawson's Creek and Scream era. In a show that is so obviously a Twilight rip-off that Kevin Williamson basically came out and said it ("vampires are really hot right now") a high-school girl becomes enamoured with a mysterious vampire who has appeared in her town.

You've got the usual ingredients here: pretty 20-somethings pretending to be in high school, a pretty-boy vampire (who looks like a young William Shatner but didn't really do anything for me), a tortured female protagonist recovering from the death of her parents who feels disconnected from the world around her, blah blah.

There were a couple of good one-liners, but for the most part the dialogue and plot clunked along in a cliched manner. And then Ian Somerhalder from Lost showed up. He plays a vampire as well (a far more interesting one than the main character) and transfused some life into the show (get it? transfused? blood? vampires??). But once he left the screen, THUD. Back we came to reality.

In the words of Rachel, "I'll watch it, but it wasn't that good." That pretty much sums it up. Vampires and hotness = I'm there. But I'm only giving it a few episodes and if it doesn't get more interested I'm outta there.

So there you have it! Coming up from Thursday's panels: Female Power Icons in Pop Culture and Legend of the Seeker. Can you stand it??


*By the way, I'm not going to spend a lot of time writing about the general feeling or happening of the Con...that's going on my personal blog. These entries will be focused on news and reviews from the television specific panels I visited, which is after all, the focus of this blog.

Bruce Campbell is a Golden God

Hello, friends! I am foolishly lugging my laptop about in order to bring you updates directly from Comic Con. My shoulder will probably never be the same, but I couldn't keep these feelings inside.

Yesterday I was lucky enough to sit in on the Burn Notice panel, which included the incomparable Bruce Campbell. When he walked out on the stage there was so much fangirl and fanboy squee that Matt Nix, the show's creator, compared it to "a rock star working a room." Bruce definitely had all of us eating out the palm of his hand. Whenever someone yelled something he liked, he had them come up to the stage and gave them five bucks. He flirted shamelessly (and explicitly) with any and all young women, and was in general amazing. The best part was that, after he responded to a dedicated fan's query with a series of off-the-wall, hilariously funny comments he would say, completely deadpan, "thank you for your question."

Sorry, the picture sucks - we couldn't get anywhere close to the stage, so this is a picture from one of the giant screens set up throughout the room.

Of course, we got to see clips from the show and previews of the upcoming season. I won't spoil anything, especially since I myself haven't seen all of the episodes for this season ... *hangs head in shame* Also, people were asking some great questions and we learned a great deal about the show itself. Here are a few high points:

1. One woman asked about how they come up with the awesome "Spy Tips" Michael delivers as a voice-over in every episode. The answer is, disturbingly enough, the internet. Apparently they first guess what will work, Google it, and then consult an expert.
2. Matt Nix divulged that for all of Michael's jury-rigged weapons and tools, they have a few criteria. First, you can't make it work without knowing/researching something else. In other words they don't want to teach people how to kill themselves. Second, it has to be doable - but they give Micheal the benefit of the doubt. If their prop guy can make it work in half a day, a spy should be able to do it in half an hour... right?
3. There are no digital explosions in Burn Notice. This makes things are much more realistic, but significantly more dangerous. For example, when Sam blows up Madeline's house in "Lesser Evil," they were only supposed to blow out the windows. They ended up cracking an exterior wall and breaking 12 windows in the neighborhood. Oops.

Whatever. The explosions are totally worth it.

Greetings from Comic Con!

Hi, tv-slutters! I wanted to pop by and let you know Monkey Sri and I are in San Diego at the world famous Comic Con this week, so alas, there might not be many updates unless we decide to cart our laptops around all day (which is unlikely given our tendencies toward laziness). HOWEVER, this means we will have lots of goddies for you upon our return. Look for info on:

-the V pilot

-The Vampire Diaries pilot

-updates on Legend of the Seeker, Burn Notice, 24, Bones, Dollhouse, Glee, Heroes, and True Blood.

We've sat in some other great panels and have lots to share, so look for some awesome updates coming your way!

Emmy Nominations

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Harper's Island Finale (spoilers within!)

Well, the great experiment is over. CBS's attempt at a limited run murder mystery series, Harper's Island aired its finale this Saturday night. After premiering to low ratings, CBS banished the show to Saturday nights, but promised to air all the episodes so the few people who were tuning in could see the show's resolution.

Harper's Island worked well as summer series. The writing was never all that great, and the acting was kind of hit or miss, but it was cheesy fun and scary at places, so what else do you really need?

I even liked the conclusion of the show; the killer ended up being the not-really dead John Wakefield (who had previously gone on a killing rampage on the island years ago), but the big "surprise reveal" was that his accomplice was the groom Henry, portrayed by Christopher Gorham. I had kind of guessed that the other killer would be Henry, but it was still a nice reveal since there were other characters still in the running for the title of duplicitous psycho killer.

In the end, only four characters survived the series; one of which included the creepy little girl, Madison. She was annoying, so it would have been nice for her to get the literal axe, but this is a network television show, so I wasn't really expecting them to horribly murder a ten year old. I was pleasantly surprised that Jimmy, the main character's love interest, made it to the end since I'm a sucker for a good love story. Especially when the guy looks like a manlier Orlando Bloom.

Manly? Check. Orlando Bloom look-alike? Check. Say no more.

While I enjoyed watching Harper's Island, there weren't that many memorable moments. Other than the deaths of Cal and Chloe (whom I went from hating to actually really liking...so well done on that writers), none of the murders were especially exciting or emotionally resonant. It was kind of surprising that Harry Hamlin got cut in half in the first episode, but otherwise, meh. And I'm still kind of confused by the motivation behind the murderers, but really, who cares. The show promised pretty people running around getting chopped into bits and it definitely delivered on that.

Overall, I give it a B-. The show did what it needed to do, had a satisfying conclusion, and provided plenty of eye candy. If you missed the show during it's run, check it out on DVD, I bet it plays well watching back to back.

Two new shows to get excited about

While killing at time at work today (as you do), I happened to come across some news articles discussing two television series that are currently in development. What makes me so excited is that these shows are based on two of the best books I have ever read.

First, HBO has optioned Jeffrey Eugenides' Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Middlesex. The book tells the story of Calliope Stephanides, an intersexed person who was born with a 5-alpha-reductase deficiency. The novel is amazing, addressing issues of gender and sexuality and raising questions of what makes us male versus female. I think everyone can relate to the a book based on the struggles with identity, puberty, and life in general endured by the protagonist.

The novel is certainly rife with drama and themes of self-discovery and sexual identity, so it could without a doubt make for compelling viewing. However, a tv series on of this kind of story could easily go wrong, so I'm banking on HBO's pedigree for great drama to live up to the book.

The other exciting find of the day was the news that a Canadian-German joint effort will be bringing Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth to the small screen. This book is about the building of a cathedral in twelfth century England and the many lives impacted by its rise. The book is huge; I'm just about done with the audiobook, but it's been quite an effort since the darn thing is 32 discs long. So finding about the tv series now is like the cherry on top of my giant literary ice cream sundae.

There's a website for the show which has a little bit of info and a summary of some of the plot. The names attached to the project are pretty impressive: Ian McShane, Donald Sutherland, Rufus Sewell, but according to the site, no US distributors have stepped up yet. But with this kind of star power, I'm sure one of the cable networks, or maybe a Canadian station will be airing it. And there's always DVDs, right? It's not scheduled for broadcast until the later half of 2010, but I'm still pretty excited already.

I knew the combination of all that book-learning, tv watching, and web surfing would pay off some day!

Its Well Hung

I am a huge fan of Trueblood and I haven't missed an episode yet this summer (but that's for another blog entry) therefore it was IMPOSSIBLE to miss the countless commercials for HBOs new show HUNG. For those of you unaware, year after year HBO has tried to fill the spot after Entourage or the void. I previously blogged about this slot as being a black hole that shows enter into but never make it out of. First i think it was The Comeback with Lisa Kudrow in 2005, then Lucky Louie in 2007. More recently they attempted the Life and Times of Tim, this show was great and got signed for another season...in two years.

So HBO has set its new show HUNG to be doomed by putting it in the 10 30 Sunday night time slot. However, last week they played it at 10 and I had a chance to watch.

First of all, it is a really great show that both my husband and I truly enjoyed.

It is about a high school teacher who can not get by on the salary, especially after a divorce and his house burning down, so he decides to join the world's oldest profession. After taking a "how to be a millionaire course," Ray Drecker (played by Thomas Pane) decided to put in add in a local paper and begin turning tricks.

The show is set in Detroit, and the director is really playing up the gloom, but cutting to pictures of empty factories and municpal buildings in the opening credits. It is clear this show is meant to be a drama with humorous undertones and not vice versa.

So far I truly like the acting, the characters and the premise. Just to mix it up the show includes Anne Heche as Dreckers ex wife. And of course there is sex.....if you are in the mood for a nice naked scene...tune in. However, I wouldn't count on seeing the package the show is named for. I get this will be nudity, but not the XXX kind.

I hope this show makes it despite its doomed time slot.

Ho-Hum

I was late to the game of So You Think You Can Dance. I started watching last year, around the time of the top 8, at the behest of some friends who kept telling me how cool it was and how everyone was doing it and just a little bit won't hurt you.


I got hooked real quick (it's so sad when a good girl goes bad) and have basically been looking forward to it all year. But alas. I'm underwhelmed.

Maybe it's because I jumped in with the top dancers last year and didn't have to wallow through the auditions or two hour episodes full of filler when the dancers are still only performing one dance a week. Or maybe it's because Comcast has clearly been conspiring against me and not recording the first half of the results shows. Anyway, it just hasn't been doing it for me this year.

While some of the dancers have made an impression (Evan, Brandon), for the most part I'm mostly meh towards them. And although Nigel occasionally provides some actual critique of the dancing, Mary's constant screeching is driving. me. crazy. Not to mention the incoherent ramblings of guest judges like Lil C, Mia Michaels, and Toni Basil.

But I can't laythe blame on the judges or the dancers. I'm afraid it's the choreographers who haven't stepped it up this year. For the most part, the routines are kinda dull or just incomprehensible (example: the alien woman trying to impregnate the last man on Earth? Really?). There have been a few exceptions: the crash test dummy dance, the Twilight inspired dance from last week, but overall, they've left me feeling kind of cold. Thankfully the dancers that are good are able to fill the so so routines with enough personality to make them memorable.

This week we've got the top 12 dancers and hopefully the soon-to-be combination of great talent, less filler, and exciting routines will bring back the show I love. Because I think it's going to take all three working together to get me interested again.


One thing I'll never stop loving: the host, Cat. She is so awesome and classy. Keep it up, girl!

Make It or Break It

I'm a sucker for girly movies about athletics. The Cutting Edge, Bring it On, Stick It...all suck me in with their numerous cable viewings, and hell, I own two of them on DVD. Just something about young women kicking ass in sports is inspirational. Especially since lord knows I could never do that crap.

So I was really excited to hear about ABC Family's new series Make It or Break It about some high school level gymnasts. I was concerned how the show would structure itself to fit into a weekly hour drama format, since it seems like the kind of idea that is best served by a movie. After all, it's going to lead up to the big competition where the main character conquers adversity to win, right?

And I think that's going to end up being true, but on the way, there are many twists and turns with relationships between the characters, including in a nice change, the lives of the parents of the kids.

The main character of the show is Emily, a promising gymnast whose family has moved to Boulder, Colorado, so she can train at The Rock (a very prestigious gymnastics facility) with head couch Marty. Emily can only afford to be there because she received a scholarship. Her mom is an Erin Brokovich-esque character, single mom, hoping to find work at a salon, dresses like a ho because she likes it blah blah, which sets up the usual "daughter acting as the mother" cliche. But the characters are likeable so it works.

In the pilot we are introduced to the other main characters: the other three girls at the gym, including the wildly bitchy Lauren, their parents, Marty, the head coach, and Alex Cruz, the owner of the gym. Due to Emily's skill, Lauren gets pushed out of a bid to go to Nationals and in retaliation gets her to Dad to lure Marty away to a new gym. This leaves Emily and the other gymnasts high and dry without a head coach.

There's the usual teen drama plots: Emily has two possible suitors, one of the other girls is involved in a forbidden relationship with a male gymnast, Lauren's Dad is involved with his secretary (played by Candice Cameron!), the wife of the owner of the gym is having an affair with Marty, etc. etc. While nothing here is really original, the acting and writing of the show is well done and I find myself rooting for the characters.

As I noted above, there's actually a lot of time spent on the interactions and relationships between the adults on the show which is a nice touch. Clearly ABC Family wants this to be the kind of show that parents and kids can watch, at least the female members of the family, and I think they have succeeded.

So, if you enjoy movies like Bring it On and Stick It, you'll probably also like Make It or Break It. It's a harmless bit of teen fluff with bonus gymnastics! The show airs Mondays at 9pm on ABC Family.