TLC Hits & Misses

Remember when VH1 had videos, thus justifying its name “Video Hits One” ? That seems like a mighty long time ago and what’s become of the network now is well, subject for one of their own depressing ‘Behind the Music’ specials. I bring this up because I was thinking about TLC lately- The Learning Channel. Do we still learn from The Learning Children? Did we ever? I’d say,TLC is more edifying than ever since it switched gears from baby stories up the yingyang and Trading Spaces 24-7. There is still a lot of dubious programming on TLC, but I feel like when I watch some shows, I learn some stuff, and I’m also entertained.

JON & KATE PLUS 8
What it’s about: A couple parents one set of twins and one set of sextuplets
What I’ve learned: Make your family work; don’t take fertility drugs

Jon & Kate Plus 8 is not a show I’d have thought I’d watch, but yet, that family of ten sucks me in. I can’t say I love the show, which features a super-sized family, but I like it. I think Kate is a little too intense (and argument with Jon over the kids’ shoes leads to her declaring “Stand with me or stand against me.”) and Jon and Kate sometimes argue like siblings themselves - not to mention a lot of the stuff they show, like Kate and Jon getting their teeth whitened- isn’t all that interesting. But there’s love in this family, and patience, and they seem real and imperfect. And isn’t the whole lure of reality tv seeing how other real-ish people handle their obstacles? I think Jon and Kate handle their kids well and in general, the family seems pretty normal, size not withstanding.

LITTLE PEOPLE, BIG WORLD
What it’s about: A family led by little people parents and including one little person teen, navigate the ups and downs of life
What I’ve learned: Little People are SO just like everyone else; stay away from pumpkin throwing mechanisms.

I have to say I like Roloff family of Little People, Big World better than Jon & Kate and their brood - maybe just because I like the kids more. Or they do more. True, the Roloff sibs are a little fresh to their parents sometimes (well, a lot fresh sometimes…) but they seem like basically good small town kids. Little Person teen Zach is probably the most articulate and, as the TLC site indicates, tends to be logical and pragmatic like his mom. Jeremy, his twin, you can see becoming like the dad- living on the farm and coming up with weird projects and inventions. The dynamic between the parents Matt and Amy is maybe my favorite part of the show- Matt must make a good living selling Little People conversion products and running the farm, because they have a ton of land- but he always has these spur of the moment plans - a lot of them quite elaborate. And Amy’s like “What the ….?” The best thing is how Matt has no clue how eccentric he can sometimes be. He’s just 100% optimism and go getter spirit sometimes with amusing results.

What Not To Wear
What it’s about: Two fashion experts convert the stylistically challenged
What I’ve learned: Don’t wear tapered pants; anyone with $5000 and two stylists can look good

I have to say I watch this show waaay too often. I don’t like reruns though, because once you see the fashion sclub of the week after the makeover, well, it’s not too interesting. Stacy and Clinton are funny and helpful even when they’re sarcastic and they don’t take themselves or their task too seriously. There’s a positive “be your best self’ vibe to the series which I also like. It’s not superficial. However, I always wonder how helpful the show is because a lot of people with fashion issues have those issues because they can’t afford $200 jeans. It’s not just about not knowing what colors or accessories to choose. That being said, the advice is sometimes useful- like you can mix and match patterns - who knew?!

Sidebar: I’d pass on the lesser version of this show, the makeover series “Ten Years Younger”; it pales in comparison

Ashley Paige: Bikini Or Bust
What it’s about: a broke purveyor/designer of high-end bikinis tries to make ends meet
What I’ve learned: this is not an entertaining show

You know, every choice in life has a consequence. And if your choice is to make your living designing clothing that few can afford and few can look good in, and this choice makes it hard for you to pay your rent, that’s life. Don’t go on TV and whine with indignation about how your expensive bikinis are worth x amount and it’s horrible that you have to sell them at cost. Times are tough all over and people who pursue their passions need to suck it up. It’s great this woman is trying to be true to her talent; but are TV viewers really interested in hearing about the problems that stem from this attempt? I have to admit I havent seen a full episode of this show, but that’s because when I’ve watched it, she’s been whining and not doing anything too innovative. I’d like to see some creative hustle, not her going to one of her customers and then whining about how she didn’t make much moneny. And why is it so hard for her to pay her rent- isn’t she making money off the show?

Say Yes To The Dress
What It’s About: Staff at a high-end wedding dress store deals with diverse customers
What I learned: Some people spend a crapload of money on their wedding dresses

There’s something I like about this show. I guess it’s sort of like a mini-procedural. Instead of figuring out who the killer is, the solution to the puzzle of the hour is figuring out the right dress. The salesladies of the store are interesting enough to kind of keep things moving and the customers are varied in their tastes and pre-wedding lunacy. The real stars, it could be argued, are all the dresses. I can’t say this is a very educational program, and you really feel like a stereotypical girl watching it, but still, it’s kind of interesting.

The 2008 Emmy nominations were doled out on July 17th. The general response to the nomination list was positive - with the exception of the annual outcry that perhaps the best tv show - ever- The Wire - was not on the list save one writing “nod”. This year, though, that Emmy Award nomination slip-up was so routine and some of the nominations so refreshing, critics and bloggers and fans didnt waste too much time dwelling on it.

But what of the people and shows who did make the list of 2008 Emmy Awards contenders? Who will win in September when the top five or six goes all ‘Survivor’ and someone outlasts the rest? Here are some nzone tv predictions on the 2008 Emmy Awards:

BEST DRAMA: Serious Mad-i-tude

Perhaps unfairly, this category is kinda considered the big kahuna of the Emmy show. They say comedy is hard, but, I guess drama is longer, so…Anyhoo, the 2008 Emmy Award nominees for best drama include some first-rate shows. From network TV we have Lost, House, and Boston Legal. (Boston Legal, yeah, I was thinking the same thing.) Premium cable shows up with Dexter, which pleased many a critic and even more fans of the killer show (get it…killer show…?) . Basic cable, though, was the big story scoring two - two - best drama nominations in 2008- for Damages, the Glenn Close legal thriller, and for Mad Men, which has emerged from its high-gloss, dark- ‘tuded universe as the new “best show on TV’ (what with The Wire being gone.) My guess, a resurgent Lost, a well-acted Damages, a gruesomely compelling Dexter and those other two shows will succumb to the forces of buzz and beauty and Mad Men will go home with an Emmy to add to its Golden Globe. And I dont think I’m going out on much of a limb with that one….

BEST COMEDY: Rock will roll

Here we have some of the slick newish sitcoms that have popularized single camera comed- The Office, 30 Rock, and even the aged Curb Your Enthusiasm. Plus HBO’s Entourage and traditionalist Two & A Half Men (yeah, I was thinking the same thing…). While all of the shows in this category have been lavished with industry praise (if not huge ratings, save for Men), 30 Rock seems to be the show riding the biggest wave. This is a tough category, though, even without Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives. I think 30 Rock will win the day. Good for you Tina Fey.

DRAMA ACTING CATEGORIES:

Close call….
n the world of dramatic TV few trends have been as prominent in the last two or three years as getting a big name movie lady and plunking her down in her own show. What this says about the roles for 40-and-over women in film is the subject for another article. Of the Best Actress-Drama nominees, four are film stars- two are in factor Oscar winners, and one is Glenn Close who is….well, she’s Glenn Freaking Close. Mariska Hargitay, no sluch herself, is up against Close, Sally Field, Holly Hunter, and Kyra Sedgewick. Anyone who says Close is just going to win on name recognition needs to re-watch Damages, ’cause, I saw almost every episode of The Closer - which I love, many episodes of Hunter’s Saving Grace, tons more SVU than I want to admit to, and my fair share of Brothers & Sisters…and none of them did what Glen Close did. Im not saying they’re not able to, Im just saying, they didn’t.

Picture it, Sicily, 1923….

Actually, picture 1985. This was the year The Golden Girls, a very funny, very well-acted sitcom started its seven year run. I can remember distinctly watching it as part of the NBC Saturday line up, big bowl of popcorn, family assembled. Weird show for three kids and their parents to gather round and watch, but we did. At least for a few years. The Golden Girls ended the year I graduated from high school and I can’t remember watching it too much then. Or maybe I did. I didn’t get out much in high school. In any case, I was struck with a real feeling of nostalgia with the passing of the hilarious Estelle Getty this week. I was reminded how good The Golden Girls were- both the show and the cast.

Nostalgia may sound weird. The Golden Girls is ubiquitious on Lifetime, so it’s not like we can’t stop by and visit. And the show about aging women - fittingly- has aged pretty well. Just yesterday I walked into a room where it was playing and laughed out loud at something Getty’s character, the sarcastic Sophia Petrillo, deadpanned to her daugther, Bea Arthur’s Dorothy. Plus I wanted to know how the episode ended: The Golden Girls always had that funnily effective sitcom mix of one-liners and just a touch of story drama….a disease this week, a messed up relative the next. (Trivia note: writers of the show, created by Susan Harris, included people like Arrested Development’s Mitchell Hurwitz and James Vallely, Frasier’s exec producer Christopher Lloyd, and Desperate Housewive’s Marc Cherry…). Yeah, sometimes it could be a little over the top with Rose’s drug problem or Sophia’s transvestite son dying (??!). But the comedy always kept it rolling. It was a great show with wonderful actors: Getty, Arthur, Rue Maclanahan as the saucy southerner Blanche, and Betty White as the gullible Rose. And wow- what roles for women. Show me a traditional multi-camera sitcom in the last 15 years that’s done as well by females. (No, neither Friends nor Girlfriends counts. Nice try though…)

What I think is notable about the Golden Girls is, old skewing as it was - and is -it’s really become part of pop culture. SNL, The Daily Show- they still reference the show - like when they rip on Bea Arthur for being manly - poor woman - and that’s not because they all saw her in Mame. It’s because they all watched The Golden Girls. The Golden Girls is iconic. Yeah, sure, 80s might have people of my generation thinking Cosby and Family Ties, or maybe your second tier shows like Growing Pains or Different Strokes (there’s an apostrophe in there, but, whatever…) . But me, I’ll take the Girls. They’re my 80s show. In the family, we still bring up the ‘picture it, Sicily’ or the “Miami, you’re cuter than….an interuterine….” In fact, I have a friend from high school I’ll email today and leave that quote. Which is weird. My mom, now heading towards Dorothy and Blanche and Rose age herself, still watches the reruns. And hey, so do I.

In the midst of this nostalgia,along with the big bowl of popcorn, there’s another Golden Girls memory I’ll always remember. I was at my grandmother’s house just maybe three or four years ago. She’s since passed, my grandmother, but at the time, she was recovering from an illness and needed someone to stay with her a few nights. So there I was. And we had on a Golden Girls rerun, a show we could both tolerate. In the midst of it, she turns to me, she’s about 85 years old, and says, “Isn’t it funny how they make Blanche a slut?” Ill always remember that, especially my grandmother’s childlike grin. It was a nice shared moment with one of the real-life Golden Girls of my life.

Anyhow, if you come across a Golden Girls rerun these days, maybe it’ll spark some nostalgia in you, too. The show can still make people laugh. And no small part of that is due to Estelle Getty’s rendition of a tough, wiseass octogenarian who was often the funniest one of the four. I was reading Getty’s obit and she sounded like she had a tough time working as an actor; I’m glad she stuck with it. TV in the 80s wouldnt have been the same without her. How must she have felt when she became a TV star somewhat late in life. What an interesting story: in her sixties, playing a woman in her 80s, a star for the first time. In the process, she created a character for the books and comedy that will amuse future generations. Not a bad way to spend your golden years.

Thanks for the memories, Ms. Getty.

-Beth Danesco

Here they are…

Drama Series: “Boston Legal,” ABC; “Damages,” FX; “Dexter,” Showtime; “House,” Fox; “Lost,” ABC; “Mad Men,” AMC.

nzoneTV says: We’re not sure what the deal is with the Emmys and “The Wire” but, whatever. David Simon and co will have to settle for their show being widely regarded as the best tv series of all time, rather than of a certain years… We don’t have a problem with any of these shows getting nominated (save maybe Boston Legal which runs a little hot and cold for us) but I know fans will wonder about the absence of others like BSG and Friday Night Lights

Comedy Series: “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” HBO; “Entourage,” HBO; “The Office,” NBC; “30 Rock,” NBC; “Two and a Half Men,” CBS.

nzonetv says: Cue Seasame Street song “One of these things is not like the others…” No Ugly Betty or Pushing Daisies or Housewives? Our favorite neglected show - Psych.

Actor, Drama Series: James Spader, “Boston Legal,” ABC; Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad,” AMC; Michael C. Hall, “Dexter,” Showtime; Hugh Laurie, “House,” Fox; Gabriel Byrne, “In Treatment,” HBO; Jon Hamm, “Mad Men,” AMC.

nzoneTV says: Nice looking out, Emmys. Brian Cranston was on a weird little show but not ignored. All the others here are heavy hitters. Good for them. Some may wonder where’s Kyle Chandler, Edward James Olmos, William Peterson…David Caruso (we’re kidding on that last one…)

Actress, Drama Series: Sally Field, “Brothers & Sisters,” ABC; Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer,” TNT; Glenn Close, “Damages,” FX; Mariska Hargitay, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” NBC; Holly Hunter, “Saving Grace,” TNT.

nzone TV says: We really want to see what Hargitay can do someday when she’s not on this cop meldorama. But we still like her and overall have no problems with this selection (even though we cannot stand Holly Hunter’s character on Saving Grace).

Supporting Actor, Drama Series: William Shatner, “Boston Legal,” ABC; Ted Danson, “Damages,” FX; Zeljko Ivanek, “Damages,” FX; Michael Emerson, “Lost,” ABC; John Slattery, “Mad Men,” AMC.

nzoneTV says: Zeljko Ivanek - hell to the yeah….And the deserving Danson, who may just win. Good slate here. Some may wonder about the absence of Wire support or Lost boys…and if maybe the Shatner thing, going into what, year five, isn’t a little overkill (or wrongly categorized in drama….)

Supporting Actress, Drama Series: Candice Bergen, “Boston Legal,” ABC; Rachel Griffiths, “Brothers & Sisters,” ABC; Chandra Wilson, “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC; Sandra Oh, “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC; Dianne Wiest, “In Treatment,” HBO.

nzone TV says: This is the first category that sort of looks like name recognition time. Not that any of these women arent fine actresses, obviosuly, but, it looks like the voters didnt look as deeply as they did for some of the other categories- no Mad Women, for example, or Connie Britton who didnt even make the top ten, or Elizabeth Mitchell of Lost, or …insert name here. ABC doesnt really have the lock on good supporting roles for women, does it?

Actor, Comedy Series: Tony Shalhoub, “Monk,” USA; Steve Carell, “The Office,” NBC; Lee Pace, “Pushing Daisies,” ABC; Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock,” NBC; Charlie Sheen, “Two and a Half Men, CBS.

nzone TV says: Lee Pace, good breakin’ in, man. Wow, look at all the movie stars on TV these days…

Actress, Comedy Series: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” CBS; Christina Applegate, “Samantha Who?,” ABC; Tina Fey, “30 Rock,” NBC; America Ferrera, “Ugly Betty,” ABC; Mary-Louise Parker, “Weeds,” Showtime.

nzoneTV says: Women in leads in comedies. Good to see.

Supporting Actor, Comedy Series: Jeremy Piven, “Entourage,” HBO; Kevin Dillon, “Entourage,” HBO; Neil Patrick Harris, “How I Met Your Mother,” CBS; Rainn Wilson, “The Office,” NBC; Jon Cryer, “Two and a Half Men,” CBS.

nzone TV says: Go Dwight, go Dwight….All the HIMYM fans will love their boy getting in. We’re more like “Um, why in heck do people watch that show?” (sorry Henry).

Supporting Actress, Comedy Series: Kristin Chenoweth, “Pushing Daisies,” ABC; Jean Smart, “Samantha Who?,” ABC; Amy Poehler, “Saturday Night Live,” NBC; Holland Taylor Two and a Half Men,” CBS; Vanessa Williams, “Ugly Betty,” ABC.

nzoneTV says: Cool, an SNL actress getting in. Great for her. Poehler’s fantastic. This is a good group, too.

STAY TUNED FOR NZONE’ S EMMY COVERAGE as the summer goes on

It may be the off-season (don’t tell that to basic cable…) but there’s no better time for tv casting news. Here’s a quick look at who’s coming soon to a television near you:

Men in Trees co-star James Tupper to Samantha Who? along with Mary Kate Olsen

Matthew Perry goes blue on Showtimes End of Steve

Mary Tyler Moore will be Brooke Shield’s mom on Lipstick Jungle

Sam Witwer (Battlestar Galactica) and Cassidy Freeman will join CW’s Smallville

Natalia Cigliuti will joing Bochco’s Raising The Bar

Sarah Silverman and Norm McDonald next celebs on Match Game

Joseph Fiennes, Carrie-Anne Moss, Blythe Danner and Robert Wagner to star in Nip-Tuck creator’s new transsexual series

William Hurt and Timoth Olyphant will join Glenn Close on Damages

Alfre Woodard will be Christian Slater’s boss on My Own Worst enemy

Anne Archer will be part of Privleged on CW while Laurie Metcalfe will join that network’s Easy Money.

Michaela McManus will be new lawyer on SVU

Goldblum replaces Noth on L&O: CI

Michael Clarke Duncan, Melinda Clarke and John Larroquette and Nicole Ritchie slated to guest on Chuck

Neil McDonough will move into the neighborhood on Desperate Housewives

For those of you who always think your favorite shows and actors get robbed come Emmy time, here’s a chance to see how close they came before the robbery occurred.. The Emmys now pick 10 (or in one case, 11) semi-finalists and winnow down from there. If you’re interested in how the whole process works in greater detail than that, check out the Emmy’s website where we’re sure it’s explained. Here are some of the semifinalists.

TOP 10 COMEDY SERIES FINALISTS
“Curb Your Enthusiasm” (”The Bat Mitzvah”)
“Entourage” (”The Day F***ers”)
“Family Guy” (”Padre de Famila”)
“Flight of the Conchords” (”Sally Returns”)
“The Office” (”Local Ad”)
“Pushing Daisies” (”Pie-lette”)
“30 Rock” (”Cooter”)
“Two and a Half Men” (”Rough Night in Hump Junction”)
“Ugly Betty” (”Something Wicked This Way Comes”)
“Weeds” (”Go”).

OUR TAKE: This list makes us realize how silly the Emmys are- these are all pretty good comedies. Why do they all have to compete. And is it really fair to put up Family Guy, which skews towards young men against fantastical Pushing Daisies or satirical 30 Rock?

TOP 10 DRAMA SERIES FINALISTS
“Boston Legal” (”The Court Supreme”)
“Damages” (Pilot)
“Dexter” (”The Dark Defender”)
“Friday Night Lights” (”Leave No One Behind”)
“Grey’s Anatomy” (”Freedom, Parts 1 and 2″)
“House” (”Frozen”)
“Lost” (”The Constant”)
“Mad Men” (Pilot, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”)
“The Tudors” (#205)
“The Wire” (Series finale, “30″)

OUR TAKE: Same thing- these are all good shows. Why stack them against each other?

BEST SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTOR
Naveen Andrews, “Lost” (”The Economist”)
Bruce Dern, “Big Love” (”Good Guys and Bad Guys”)
Christian Clemenson, “Boston Legal” (”Roe vs. Wade, The Musical”)
Ted Danson, “Damages” (”Jesus, Mary and Joe Cocker”)
Michael Emerson, “Lost” (”The Shape of Things to Come”)
Zeljko Ivanek, “Damages” (”I Hate These People”)
T.R. Knight, “Grey’s Anatomy” (”Freedom, Parts 1 & 2″)
William Shatner, “Boston Legal” (”Mad About You”)
John Slattery, “Mad Men” ( “Long Weekend”)
Blair Underwood, “In Treatment” (”Alex: Week 6″)
Jake Weber, “Medium” (”Wicked Game, Part 1″)

OUR TAKE: Zeljko Ivanek. Hells yeah! This is a good list. The site where we ripped off this info from noted that Robert Sean Leonard, despite the much-lauded season finale episode, was not nominated. We’d swap him in in exchange for Christian Clemenson who, God Bless him, plays a character who stopped being cute about two seasons ago. Plus- no one from The Wire?

BEST SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTRESS
Jane Alexander, “Tell Me You Love Me” (Episode 10)
Candice Bergen, “Boston Legal” (”The Mighty Rogues”)
Rose Byrne, “Damages” (”Because I Know Patty”)
Jill Clayburgh, “Dirty Sexy Money” (”The Watch”)
Sharon Gless, “Burn Notice” (”Identity”)
Rachel Griffiths, “Brothers and Sisters” (”Domestic Issues”)
Christina Hendricks, “Mad Men” (”Babylon”)
S. Epatha Merkerson, “Law and Order” (”Bottomless”)
Sandra Oh, “Grey’s Anatomy” (”The Becoming”)
Dianne Wiest, “In Treatment” (”Paul and Gina: Week ?”)
Chandra Wilson, “Grey’s Anatomy” (”Lay Your Hands on Me”)

OUR TAKE: Tell Me You Love Me & In Therapy did not interest us enough for us to check them out, but they seem to have made their way in. Another good list.

BEST COMEDY ACTRESS
Christina Applegate, “Samantha Who?” (”The Restraining Order”)
Marcia Cross, “Desperate Housewives” (”Now You Know”)
America Ferrera, “Ugly Betty” (”Odor in the Court”)
Tina Fey, “30 Rock” (”Sandwich Day”)
Anna Friel, “Pushing Daisies” (”Bitter Sweets”)
Felicity Huffman, “Desperate Housewives” (”Now I Know, Don’t Be Scared”)
Eva Longoria Parker, “Desperate Housewives” (”In Buddy’s Eyes”)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “New Adventures of Old Christine” (”One and a Half Men”)
Mary-Louise Parker, “Weeds” (”Bill Sussman”)
Sarah Silverman, “The Sarah Silverman Program” (”Bored of the Rings”)

OUR TAKE: We’re glad to see women are having more shows of their own instead of playing wives of the stars? Ugly Betty, 30 Rock, Old Christine (was that even on this season) Sarah Silverman, Weeds, Housewives. Cool.

MORE TO COME….

Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Ian McShane; dir. Mark Osborne and John Stevenson; screenplay by Glenn Berger and Jonathan Aibel; story by Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris; 92 min
Let me get it out of the way upfront - and forgive the spoiler, but - in the movie Kung Fu Panda, everyone was, in fact, kung-fu fighting. In a movie without quite the same silly zip of, say, a Madagascar, or the shiny look of a Pixar film, Kung Fu Panda is fun and satisfying family fare with a little more punch that one might expect. And by that I mean, it had a little more punch that I expected.

Jack Black voices Po an obese panda who has dutifully been working at his father’s noodle shop in a rural Chinese village circa…I actually have no idea when this movie takes place. But that, and the fact the panda’s dad is a goose and not a panda are both beside the point. The real issue here is that Po wants out of the noodle business and into the world of Kung Fu as exemplified by The Furious Five - superbly skilled kung fu doers who are a Tigress, a viper, a preying mantis, a crane, and a monkey. Note: there’s no panda in the Furious Five.

When their master, Shifu - (Dustin Hoffman, and don’t ask me what animal he is, I think it’s whatever Cedric The Entertainer voiced in Madagascar -) and Shifu’s master Oogway - decide they’re going to name the Dragon Warrior, which is like the ultimate thing to be - Po wants to go to the big rally to see it. Yadda, yadda, yadda, he ends up being picked himself by a strange bunch of events which Oogway , whose wisdom is beyond reproach, attributes to fate. Po is the Dragon Warrior!

What follows is an underdog/redemption/teamwork story where Po gets his fat panda butt in gear, Shifu overcomes his deep-skepticism, and, to a lesser extent, the other Furious ones, notably quick-tempered Tigress (Angelina Jolie) slowly accept the novice might be more than he seems. This all happens against the backdrop of an impending invasion by one of Shifu’s bad seed students of the past- some kind of really mean wildcat voiced by Ian McShane. (His escape from prison is one highlight of the film…)

Now, obviously, I can’t tell you how it all plays out, but I will make a few observations on how “how it all plays out” plays out. First, Po and Shifu both have their own doubts- about each other and themselves. Watching these characters change and develop is engaging. Shifu’s transformation is almost more interesting than Po’s.

Second, Po is voiced by Jack Black who has no trouble nailing the one-liners, the self-deprecating comments, and all Fat Panda Related-related stuff in the film. In general, between Black, McShane and Hoffman, the movie’s big roles are well-cast. James Hong as Father Goose and Randall Duk Kim as the sagacious turtle Oogway are also good. The supporting characters- namely the Furious Five are played by known entities- Jolie, Jackie Chan (Monkey), Lucy Liu (Viper) , David Cross (Crane) and Seth Roger (Mantis). But , they don’t really do much. Jackie Chan, for example- sure, you do an animated martial arts movie, you might as well throw in Jackie Chan; but, really, he doesn’t add. Given he is not known for his command of the English language, he seems a weird choice for a voiceover. And Seth Rogen…were they trying to get the Apatow crowd in or? I mean, none of these people were bad. They were good. It’s more the producers should have given the stars bigger roles if they bothered bringing them in. Well, maybe not Jackie. Or maybe there should have been a furious three instead of five. Minor nitpick. Other famous voices you might note - Michael Clarke Duncan and Wayne “Newman and Toy Story II” Knight.

The animation should also be noted. There’re some cool fight sequences - (a lot of them actually- so if you don’t like your kids seeing cartoon violence, skip this one…). They’re done in a kind of suspended-in-air style, like it’s Crouching Tigress, Hidden Fat Panda. It was cool. One can only imagine the Jack Black blooper reel on the DVD.

Anyhow, there’s nothing the kids won’t like in Kung Fu Panda, and there’s more food for thought than the adult may have imagined. If you haven’t seen Kung Fu Panda yet, well, then you’re better at resisting your whining kids than a lot of people. I recommend this fun family film.

By: The Crime Watcher

I’ve just seen my third episode of the USA series In Plain Sight and I still can’t decide if I like it at all. Mary McCormack (The West Wing) plays one of those tough law enforcement women who, on the side, can’t get her personal life straight, while, in the foreground, she kicks as$ - literally - as a marshall who hides and safeguards people in witness protection. There’s some good stuff to watch in In Plain Sight- McCormack’s character - also named Mary - is sort of likable; she has good chemistry with her boyfriend and her partner; her boss is funny. And the cases are sometimes interesting. But there’s a lot of “seen it” stuff here, too. There’s nothing wrong with pre-used premises - nothing new under the sun, after all - but you gotta make it feel new, right? I’m not sure this show does. And that’s probably why I’m not sure if I like it.

Mary does the tough cop thing- beats on bad guys, chases people, brandishes her weapon. And, like I said, sometimes the cases are interesting. But just kinda. You’ve got this cool premise of witness protection, but it sort of feels like just old scenes from other cop shows. I do like how they clue is into US Marshall procedure and code words like wit-sec (for the person who’s hiding; it’s even cooler than Un-Sub from Criminal Minds). But otherwise, eh….the bad guys Mary is up against seem cartoony and the people she’s protecting, at least in the episodes I’ve seen- a mafia guy, a little boy, a sassy con artist lady - could have all shared a cab ride over from Central Casting. The characters aren’t very novel, the twists in the cases haven’t been all to twisty. It’s not supposed to be a serious show, I get that; it’s not The Wire. But, even if In Plain Sight wants to be an action show like Burn Notice or a quirky mystery series like Psych, it needs a little more oomph in the story department. (Maybe someone could hire Charles Grodin to reprise his Midnight Run role…)

Mary the character isn’t all that novel either. I mean, she is and she isn’t. On the “is” side, she gets stuck on a railroad track when her dress is caught in her stalled car - and she saves herself by pushing the car out of the way. That’s cool.

But on the “isn’t” side- we have the typical commitment-phobe, tough-as-nails, always has the one-liner cop. She’s also the only responsible one in her family. That could be interesting but, in fact, isn’t, to the point of being very annoying. Mom is named (kill me now) Jinx and is played by Lesely Ann Warren and is just the flighty, boozey, spunky, immature “mom who needs a parent”. Zzzz. Little sister Brandy has a bad boy boyfriend issue, a trunk of coke that has yet to come into play, and sporadically wants to reform. She also sporadically wants to prance around scantily clad for the pool boy. I guess because McCormack is over 25 and not a size 0, they need to throw Brandy in to get the sexualized, objectified female in there. I don’t know, but mom is annoying and sis isn’t much better.

The guys are a little better. Mary’s boyfriend, getting over his own commitment issues, is sort of interesting. But will he be back? Her partner is a total dope -but of course a great cop. Her boss is amusing but just sort of…..eh.

I don’t know, people, Im on the fence with this one. I’ll keep watching, see how it goes. I have to admit I want to see if Mary and Raf, her bf, get together, and I want to know what’s up with that trunk of coke. But I need some better cases here. Let’s see what happens.

Remember the good old days when summer meant taking a hiatus from TV? Repeats were everywhere. Cable didn’t provide any good series options. TV addicts were temporarily unshackled from their sets. Obviously, that era has gone to the wayside as both the major networks and the cable ones premiere new and returning series in July and August. Here’s a list of some returning shows you can count on seeing this summer and when they will be making their appearances:

ONE HOUR SCRIPTED SERIES:
The Closer : 7/14, TNT
Saving Grace: 7/14,TNT
Psych: 7/18, USA Network
Monk: 7/18, USA Network
Eureka: 7/29; SciFi Channel
Mad Men: 7/27, AMC
Burn Notice: 7/10, USA Network
Stargate Atlantis: 7/11, SciFi Channel

REALITY:
Big Brother, 7/13, CBS
CrissAngel/Mindfreak: 7/23, A&E
Dog The Bounty Hunter, 7/16, A&E
How To Look Good Naked, 7/11, Lifetime
Run’s House, 7/16, MTV
The Two Coreys, 6/22, A&E

BY HENRY HANKS

The Simpsons: “Apocalypse Cow” (4/27/08) - Bart joins 4-H and tries to rescue a cow. Favorite parts: the Trans-Clown-O-Morphs parody and Homer saying, “Don’t worry about Wikipedia. We’ll change it when we get home. We’ll change a lot of things…” Unfortunately there was about 20 minutes of the episode left and it was all downhill from there. Grade: C

http://www.hulu.com/watch/18958/the-simpsons-any-given-sundance#s-p1-so-i0
“Any Given Sundance” (5/4/08) - At last, the long-awaited Jim Jarmusch “Simpsons” guest appearance! Lisa enters a film into the Sundance film festival but it insults her family. Love the reaction when she tries to explain away that it’s all editing, then the credits say “Proudly edited by Lisa Simpson”. Grade: B

http://www.hulu.com/watch/16418/king-of-the-hill-six-characters-in-search-of-a-house#s-p2-so-i0
King of the Hill: “Six Characters in Search of a House” (4/6/08) - When Peggy enlists actors to help her sell a house, it backfires. Hank’s horror at the idea of Bobby getting into acting is a big highlight. Grade: C+

http://www.hulu.com/watch/17021/king-of-the-hill-the-courtship-of-josephs-father#s-p1-so-i0
“The Courtship of Joseph’s Father” (4/13/08) - Joseph is being recruited from middle school to high school and Dale reaps the benefits. Grade: B

http://www.hulu.com/watch/18247/king-of-the-hill-strangeness-on-a-train#s-p1-so-i0
“Strangeness on a Train” (4/27/08) - Peggy wants a train Studio 54 murder mystery birthday party, but when Luanne ruins the mystery, and the Hills “join the mile high club” (except they’re on a train, so not really), Kahn finds a new mystery. Grade: B+

http://www.hulu.com/watch/18951/family-guy-long-john-peter#s-p1-so-i0
Family Guy: “Long John Peter” (5/4/08) - The season ends with Peter taking up “piracy” thanks to his new pet parrot, and Chris flirting with an intern at the vet’s office (causing him to intentionally injure Brian to spend time with her). Grade: B

http://www.hulu.com/watch/18952/american-dad-office-spaceman#s-p1-so-i0
American Dad: “Office Spaceman” (5/4/08) - Roger starts sending pictures of himself out for money and ends up taking charge of the CIA’s alien task force. Grade: B-

http://www.hulu.com/watch/19699/american-dad-stanny-slickers-ii-the-legend-of-ollies-gold#s-p1-so-i0
“Stanny Slickers II: The Legend of Ollie’s Gold” (5/11/08) - Stan singing about Iran-Contra (Schoolhouse Rock-style) leads us into his obsession with some treasure buried by Oliver North. Grade: B-

How I Met Your Mother: “Everything Must Go” (5/12/08) - Barney and Abby (yes, Britney Spears) team up to make Ted jealous. Too bad Britney doesn’t quite have the same level of talent as Neil Patrick Harris. It does solve who is going around saying bad things about Barney. The good news is that Lily and Marshall have the main storyline here too. The bad news is it’s not too memorable either. Grade: B-

“Miracles” (5/19/08) - The season ends on a high note with Ted and Barney in the hospital and the two bros making it up to each other. Oh, bigger news - Ted asks Stella to marry him. We won’t know what she says until next season. Grade: B+

http://www.hulu.com/watch/19504/my-name-is-earl-girl-earl#s-p1-so-i0
My Name is Earl: “Girl Earl” (5/8/08) - Earl marries Billie, just in time to find out that she’s not the dream girl he thought she was. Jon Heder also guest stars as a champion grocery bagger on Earl’s list. Grade: B-

http://www.hulu.com/watch/20136/my-name-is-earl-camdenites-part-1-and-2#s-p1-so-i0
“Camdenites, Parts 1 & 2″ (5/15/08) - Billie vows to undo everything on Earl’s list after making him choose between her and the list. Thankfully, everything ends up back at square one because just about everything after Earl’s coma this season hasn’t turned out so well. Grade: B

Scrubs: “My Princess” (5/8/08) - The show ends its run on NBC with a show aired out of order, with a long J.D. dream taking place in a fairy tale land. Easily the most expensive show of the season, like the musical last season, though not nearly as good. Thankfully, this show is moving to ABC, to hopefully end things better. Grade: C+

http://www.hulu.com/watch/19502/the-office-job-fair#s-p1-so-i0
The Office: “Job Fair” (5/8/08) - Michael, Jan, Oscar and Pam go to a job fair and as can be expected, Michael is completely embarrassing. Jim, Andy and Kevin go golfing and Jim goes out of his way to make a sale, and then some. The rest of the staff leaves early despite Dwight’s best efforts. Unfortunately, it seemed like this episode didn’t advance a whole lot of plot, other than Pam pursuing her art interests. You’d think with the strike-shortened season, it would have. Grade: B-

http://www.hulu.com/watch/20137/the-office-goodbye-toby#s-p1-so-i0
“Goodbye, Toby” (5/15/08) - Toby leaves for Costa Rica as promised and Michael is overjoyed. Then Michael quickly falls for Toby’s replacement, just before finding out that Jan is pregnant (Michael isn’t the father). Jim wants to ask Pam to marry him, but Andy steals his thunder and asks Angela, who doesn’t exactly seem thrilled. And if that’s not enough, Phyllis (who has more than enough reason to have it out for Angela after getting the chance to plan Toby’s going-away party — Angela assures her this will be her last party) catches Angela and Dwight “in the act” in the final shot of the season. Here is The Office firing on all cylinders. This one should go right to the Emmy voters. Grade: A+

http://www.hulu.com/watch/20137/the-office-goodbye-toby#s-p1-so-i0
30 Rock: “Cooter” (5/8/08) - Jack goes to work for the White House and meets Cooter (Matthew Broderick). Jack immediately tries to fix things there but soon comes back home to GE, after Liz leaves multiple messages for him, fearing she’s pregnant. Turns out she’s wrong though there is a hilarious sequence where Jack offers to help her, and Liz confuses his meaning. Meanwhile, Kenneth will do anything to intern at the Summer Olympics but his boss (one of the “Human Giant” geniuses) has other plans. Not quite as great of a season finale as The Office, but lots of hilarious stuff here, as usual. One more highlight: Jenna’s testimonial video about Kenneth. Grade: A-

Next time: final Funny Business of the season!