Up Fronts!

So, the 2010-2011 TV season is coming to a close. This week the major networks present their schedules for 2011-2012 to the investors. Here’s where we see the new shows being picked up and which shows are returning.

My Top 10 of 2010

Where did 2010 go? Seriously, where did it go? Anyway, as the year draws to an end, many lists start popping up all over the place. And I love lists! So, while I go search for where 2010 went, you can read my top 10 list of memorable events from TV, movies and Broadway from 2010!

10. Bebe Neuwirth and Nathan Lane at the Tony Awards. Months later, when I’m still trying to remember who won all the awards, I still remember these two. They came out and had a series of jokes that were quite funny before revealing they were presenting the awards for Best Actor and Actress in a Musical, the very categories in which they were snubbed. Their reactions were even more memorable. Bravo to the two!

9. Betty White’s Snickers Commercial. I am not a big sports fan. You can ask my former co-workers who teased me mercilessly when I confused rules and terms. So, I am one of the hundreds who watch the Super Bowl for the commercials. And I loved the Snickers commercial that saw Betty White running around on muddy field and insulting the other players.

8. “Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit” from How I Met Your Mother. For the show’s 100th episode, the creatives finally let Neil Patrick Harris have a song of his own. When Barney is given an ultimatum—lose the suits or lose the girl—he sings this song about how much he loves his suits. Ted, Robin, Marshall and Lily even get involved as well. Great song, great sequence.

7. Tangled and Toy Story 3. Of course, I love everything Disney. Well, most things Disney. I can admit that I hated the fact that they took over “Doug” and ruined everything. But, I loved Tangled. Rapunzel and Flynn were great heroes to root for and Mother Gothel has to be one of Disney’s cruelest villains. And Toy Story 3 was a great addition to the series and nearly made me cry. Long live Woody and Buzz!

6. Neil Patrick Harris as Bryan Ryan on “Glee”. Glee’s premiere season was awesome. For a new show, it managed to secure some great guest stars—Josh Groban, Eve, Kristin Chenoweth, etc. But in an Emmy-winning turn, Neil Patrick Harris starred as Bryan Ryan, a former member of the Glee club and rival to Matthew Morrison’s Will Shuester. Their duet of “Dream On” was a highlight. Bravo!

5. Ann wins “America’s Next Top Model”. She limbered into the competition as one of the tallest models in the most recent cycle. She took best photo a record breaking 5 weeks in a row. Sure, she wasn’t the best runway nor the best commercial, but Tyra was focusing on Vogue this year. And Ann won one for the awkward girls!

4. Jane Lynch recreating Madonna’s “Vogue” video. Glee knew this was so epic, they released it ahead of the episode. It was a shot-by-shot remake of Madonna’s video and proved that Jane Lynch could hold her own with the other cast members. I half-expected Benny Ninja to actually show up as well! And extra points for all of Sue’s shots at Will’s hair.

3. Brandy is eliminated from “Dancing With the Stars.” In the first results show, hosts Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke teased that there was a surprise elimination that night. But the real surprise came during the semi-finals result show when Brandy and her partner Maks was eliminated from the program. Derek Hough’s face said it all—he did not hide his surprise. Both Lacey and Jennifer Grey also did not applaud for Bristol’s safety. While many believed every Republican and Tea Party member was voting for Bristol, I think Maks was the pair’s ultimate downfall as his teaching methods had been called into question and he argued with judge Carrie Ann Inuba.

2. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1”. Probably one of the year’s most anticipated movies, Harry Potter’s seventh film delivered. It set up part two and kept viewers on the edge of their seats. Bring on July!

1. David Tennant Passes the Torch to Matt Smith. Okay, I’m a big Doctor Who geek. And the “End of Time Part II” is still with me, despite airing on Jan. 2 of this past year. While it had a good plot with the possible return of the Time Lords and excellent performances by John Sims and Timothy Dalton, it was really a good-bye to David Tennant. He visited past companions and some special guests (though I would’ve liked one more appearance from either Dr. Ida Scott or Jenny) and then regenerated into Smith, who has been doing a wonderful job as the Eleventh Doctor.

Honorable mentions:

“Memphis” wins Best Musical. This musical had music from Bon Jovi’s David Bryant and was up against a musical filled with music from Green Day. But the story of a radio DJ who integrated the airwaves in Memphis and put colored music (Rock and Roll) in the center of the dial won the Tony voters. And my family.

Paul Byrom leaves Celtic Thunder. While this wasn’t an earthshaking moment nor even one that made the mainline news, it was still an important event. Celtic Thunder is very popular here in the United States and Paul has a lot of fans—myself included. While I am certain the group will continue, it will be interesting to hear how their sound changes. And I wish Paul all the luck in the world on his solo career.

The Chilean Miners are rescued. For months, the fate of these men was world news. They were stuck underground, trapped but alive. And the government was racing to get them back to the surface. Their predictions said they could free the miners in time for New Year’s and they kept the miners alive with assists from NASA. Then in October came the word that they were able to bring up the miners sooner than expected. As every news station broadcast, the first miner was lifted to the surface and embraced by his son. The rescuers sang the Chilean national anthem. Thirty-six hours later, all miners were rescued. Since then, one has ran in the New York City Marathon and all have been invited to Walt Disney World. It was the feel good story of the year and only made the honorable mention because I needed another countdown to remind me of it. And this is the list of things that made 2010 memorable to me.

So, that’s my list. Agree? Disagree? Find 2010? Share!

Begin “Taps” Now…

We’re only two weeks into the 2010-2011 television season (as, once again, no one counts that the CW’s season kicked off two weeks prior), but we have the first casualty. FOX has official cancelled show “Lone Star” after the second episode dropped in ratings.

“Lone Star” told the story of one man living two lives in Texas. In one town, he’s living with a girlfriend and is a grifter. In Houston, he’s a respectable married man…who is trying to get money out of his father-in-law. The show had been praised by critics but apparently that wasn’t enough to draw the needed numbers. Even a plea by the show’s producer couldn’t gain more viewers.

FOX has announced that the show “Lie to Me” will replace “Lone Star.”

Sunday Schedule

Here’s a reminder what shows start today, Sunday, September 26th.

The Simpsons (FOX)

The Cleveland Show (FOX)

Family Guy (FOX)

Check your local listings.

Happy Watching!

Friday Schedule

Here’s a list of shows returning today, Friday, September 24th.

Medium (CBS)

*CSI: NY (CBS)

Smallville (CW)

Supernatural (CW)

Check your local listings.

Happy Watching!

* Once again denotes a new night for the show.

Thursday Schedule

Here is a list of shows starting today, Thursday, September 23rd.

*Big Bang Theory (CBS)

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)

Private Practice (ABC)

CSI (CBS)

The Mentalist (CBS)

Bones (FOX)

30 Rock (NBC)

The Office (NBC)

Check your local listings.

Happy Watching!

* Once again, denotes a new night for the show.

Wednesday Schedule

Here is a list of shows starting today, Wednesday, September 22nd.

Criminal Minds (CBS) 

*Law and Order: SVU (NBC)

Check your local listings.

Happy Watching!

* Once again denotes a new day for the show.

Tuesday Schedule

Here are the shows starting today, Tuesday, September 21st.

Dancing With the Stars: The Results (ABC)

NCIS (CBS) 

NCIS: LA (CBS) 

Glee (FOX) 

*One Tree Hill (CW)

Check your local listings!

Happy Watching!

* Once again denotes a new night for this show.

Monday Schedule

Here’s a reminder of shows that are starting today, Monday, September 20th.

Dancing With the Stars (ABC)

How I Met Your Mother (CBS)

Two and a Half Men (CBS) 

House (FOX)

Chuck (NBC)

Check your local listings.

Happy Watching!

TV Premieres

I cannot believe how fast September is approaching. Before we know it, a brand new TV season will be upon us! Here is  run down of selected shows and their return dates.

* indicates a new night for the show

Sunday

The Simpsons (FOX) 9/26

The Cleveland Show (FOX) 9/26

Family Guy (FOX) 9/26

American Dad (FOX) 10/3

*CSI: Miami (CBS) 10/3

Monday

Dancing With the Stars (ABC) 9/20

How I Met Your Mother (CBS) 9/20

Two and a Half Men (CBS) 9/20

House (FOX) 9/20

Chuck (NBC) 9/20

*90210 (CW) 9/13

Gossip Girl (CW) 9/13

Tuesday

Dancing With the Stars: The Results (ABC) 9/21

NCIS (CBS) 9/21

NCIS: LA (CBS) 9/21

The Good Wife (CBS) 9/28

Glee (FOX) 9/21

*One Tree Hill (CW) 9/21

Wednesday

America’s Next Top Model (CW) 9/8

Criminal Minds (CBS) 9/22

*Law and Order: SVU 9/22

Thursday

*Big Bang Theory (CBS) 9/23

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) 9/23

Private Practice (ABC) 9/23

CSI (CBS) 9/23

The Mentalist (CBS) 9/23

The Vampire Diaries (CW) 9/9

Bones (FOX) 9/23

30 Rock (NBC) 9/23

The Office (NBC) 9/23

FRIDAY

Medium (CBS) 9/24

*CSI: NY (CBS) 9/24

Smallville (CW) 9/24

Supernatural (CW) 9/24

I highlighted only RETURNING shows, not any NEW shows. Please note if your show has moved.

I’ve decided to save my recaps for the weeks preceding the Glee season premiere so we’re all caught up and reviewed for the upcoming season. So, look for the first recap Aug. 31st.

 

TV Updates

It may only be July, but news of the upcoming 2010-2011 television season is still coming out!

On the “Glee” front…I’ll eventually get to the remaining recaps. Before the season premiere, I promise. And speaking of the season premiere, FOX has officially set Glee’s return to be September 21st! Also, Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem has been signed on to guest star in an episode, promising a plot that revolves around Artie. Hopefully, Bardem is the first of many awesome guest-stars this season on “Glee” (including, perhaps, the return of one Neil Patrick Harris?).

Also, I hope they do another episode focused on just one artist/group’s music. I myself am rooting for an all-Beatles episode, maybe with an appearance by either a Sir Paul McCartney or a Ringo Starr? Who would you like to see in Glee? Vote now in my poll!

On the “CSI: NY” front…There’s been a casting shake-up! Melina Kanakaredes AKA Detective Stella Bonasera announced that she would not be returning for the show’s next season. Actress Sela Ward (Once and Again, House) will take her place. I hope they give a good reason for Stella to have left suddenly. Here’s to giving Ward a chance—I firmly didn’t think I’d like Lindsay because I liked Aiden, but now she’s my favorite character. So, we’ll see.

On the “CSI: Original Flavor” front…Most of the cast members have signed new contracts, but Liz Vassey (tech Wendy) has been released from hers. I am going to believe that Wendy decided to take a job elsewhere so she and Hodges could live geekily ever after.

Have a Happy, Have a Hap-Hap-Happy New Year

To everyone out there in cyberspace: Have a happy New Year. It's a brand new year, a brand new decade--time for fresh starts and good things to come! Here's to a new year of new Broadway shows, new movies, more "drama" to mock on Top Model, new songs to rock out to on Glee and new obsessions!

Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord…Again

So, a couple summers ago I was unemployed and bummed. But there was a bright spot: the 2008-2009 Broadway season promised me a revival of my favorite musical ever. And then, as if it weren’t bad enough that I was a victim of the recession, Godspell became one as well. The planned revival was “postponed” and we all presumed it was just as good as cancelled.

But it is not! Playbill announced that the Godspell revival will now be mounted during the 2010-2011 season. The cast has not been announced but this is great news! At least for me, that is!