Tonight’s TV schedule returns to the overloaded pre-Olympic Monday night. DVRs everywhere are overworked.
LIFE UNEXPECTED: You can catch up on LUX (as it’s affectionately referred to) tonight as there’s a repeat of last week’s episode before tonight’s new episode.
Also tonight, the season finale of THE BACHELOR and it’s down to Tenley and Vienna. Either way, bad hair extensions and equally bad romance cliches will be flying. And there’s always THE BACHELOR: AFTER THE FINAL ROSE if the sap-filled finale isn’t enough for you. Ah, forced romance followed by a forced engagement; this is the stuff broken dreams are made of.
CHUCK is back tonight with a new episode titled “Chuck vs. the Fake Name.” I couldn’t be happier as pretty much every episode this season has been rock solid. I hear Brandon Routh is shirtless in tonight’s episode and that we learn Sarah’s real name as Chuck faces the world’s most dangerous assassin.
More fresh episodes tonight: HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER with special guest star Carrie Underwood, THE BIG BANG THEORY where comic book legend Stan Lee drops by, and new GREEK, DAMAGES, LAW & ORDER and 24. THE SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER is also new tonight and I’m not sure when the episode airs that Bristol Palin is guesting in. As that was just announced, I don’t think that’s airing just yet.
I have to make special mention of tonight’s CSI: MIAMI. I don’t usually watch the show but I’m planning to watch it tonight because Rob Zombie directed the episode and the killer guest start lineup is Michael Madsen, Malcolm McDowell and William Forsythe. And yes, this episode takes the Miami team to Los Angeles.
KELL ON EARTH is pre-empted tonight for a REAL HOUSEWIVES TOP 25: THE EARLY YEARS. Wow, does REAL HOUSEWIVES need a retrospective already???
BIG LOVE: After thinking about this week’s hectic and somewhat scattered episode, I’ve come to the conclusion that Bill’s run for political office is a “pride goeth before the fall” story because there’s no way this can end well and the season finale is this coming Sunday (only nine episodes were ordered this season). We’ve just learned that J.J. was going to be censured before Roman’s death and now he’s subdued Adaleen. Chloe Sevigny turned in another wonderful performance as Nicki continues to be confused about who she is and how she wants to present herself. Margene has realized that the green card marriage to Goran probably wasn’t such a hot idea but she’s in it now. The episode’s final scene when the family gave Sarah the quilt was the true lump in the throat scene; another simple but beautiful family moment.
HOW TO MAKE IT: I continue to like Bryan Greenberg but not Victor Rasuk. Rasuk’s Cam reminds me too much of a cheap scam artist. I realize we’re supposed to think he’s ambitious but he comes off as guy who only wants to make a quick buck, not someone who wants to create a career for himself. Maybe I’m expecting too much. Greenberg’s Ben gives the show a nice gravity and it’s good to see a lead character who doesn’t want to just party 24/7. I loved the scene between Ben and his father when Ben had that moment where Ben realized he actually wanted to DO something with his life.
PALEYFEST: MODERN FAMILY: The festival kicked off with the cast of MODERN FAMILY along with co-creator Steve Levitan and EP/director Jason Winer. The evening began with a screening of this week’s episode that examined everyone in the family and their individual fears. That’s all I’ll say because I don’t want to spoil any of the fun for you. There are plenty of laugh out loud moments in the episode. If you couldn’t make it to the program – here are some of the highlights:
–Levitan says the show really felt right when they brought this group of actors together. When asked why each person is so right for their role, Ed O’Neill replied that he loved the script when he first got it but he didn’t meet Levitan and Chris Lloyd til a year later. Then he realized, “I gotta go back to work.” O’Neill was a little afraid of the role but he thought it would be good to take the role because of that. He loves the shorter hours and the cast. He knew the show wouldn’t be a one trick pony and that there’s a lot of ways the show can go. Sofia Vergara said in her wonderful accent, “I never thought I’d be married to a Bundy. I love going to work.”
–Jason Winer says the twins who play baby Lily have quickly grown to love Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Mitchell) and Eric Stonestreet (Cam) and because of that, it’s tough to get her to cry around them. They have to call over a scary biker dude grip on the lot to get her to cry.
–Eric Stonestreet says this entire experience is his dream character, dream writers and dream job. He doesn’t mind that some people think he’s gay in real life even though he’s not. He loves all his fans, “no matter how much hair they have on their back, or lip or legs.” He also loves that that writers incorporate elements of who the actors are in real life into the scripts. His character is based partially on “moments of his mother” – the moment he pointed to was from the pilot when Cam admired the mural in Lily’s room and sighed, “don’t you just love it?”
–Jesse Tyler Ferguson had a bad sitcom experience, not THE CLASS and he loved the MF pilot when he got the script but he didn’t think he’d land the role. He had to audition and read with several people before he got it. One of his favorite comedic moments was dancing in the parking lot with Julie Bowen when they re-enacted their ice dancing routine. The other wonderful story he told was about his “chemistry read” with Eric and they went to have coffee afterward and they got some looks from people. Then Eric realized it was Valentine’s Day and that’s why the barrista decorated his coffee with a foam heart. Steve Levitan noted again, as he’s said before, that Cam and Mitchell are actually the most conservative of the couples in the show. Levitan said he has a lot of respect for what WILL AND GRACE did. Eric loves that people always tell him they watch the show together as husband and wife or with their families. He said, “We’re not curing cancer but I think we’re giving rickets a good shot.”
–When asked if they improvise at all, Levitan said they start with a solid script but all the actors in the cast are so quick and funny, they do play with it a little bit and the cast always makes things funnier. Jason Winer pointed out that they shoot the show very quickly, “Great improv comes from knowing character and all our actors know their characters so well – and we move quickly – it’s better for the comedy when the cast isn’t exhausted.”
–Ty Burrell says “it’s a vacation to play Phil because his brain is a sort of meadow and I’m a neurotic mess – but I’m also an idiot, so…” He continued, “Phil is like the people in your life who annoy you but they wear you down.”
–When asked about seeing more of the characters backstories, Steve Levitan said, “I thought we saw that with Clive Bixby, Phil’s romantic side. I have a soft spot for the dorky dad who scores the hot wife. Phil balances Claire out: Claire overthinks and Phil doesn’t. Both of Jay and Dede’s kids chose very positive people to be wish.”
–Julie Bowen loves playing Claire because “they let me be a complete jackass. The shooting style lets you be looser and free-er.” Bowen was applauded for her hilarious turn in the Clive Bixby episode when her trenchcoat got caught in the escalator while she was buck nekkid undernearth. Julie said, “Yes, I represent stressed out moms who get naked once a year in the mall. Let me be a beacon in the night for those women.”
–The cast was asked about their favorite scenes: host Billy Bush mentioned the moon landing (which happened to writer Bill Wrubel in college). Jesse loved the scene at the gas station with Fizbo the Clown and Claire getting caught in the escalator. Eric loved the scene when they locked Lily in the car and the football day episode with the scene in the kitchen when Jay asked Cam and Mitchell if he was attractive and Mitchell replied that Jay “was ruining gay for him”. Ed loves the little character touches about Gloria – when she got mad at Jay for keeping Manny up all night. Ed also loved the scene after Jay flew the model plane into Phil’s face and then he sort of apologizes to Phil and Claire kissed him on his head. That was an unexpected, unplanned moment.
–When asked about guest stars for the show, Steve Levitan said, “a lot of ridiculously famous people came up to our table at the Golden Globes and said they want to do the show. We don’t want to overdo it. We’ll focus on the cast as much as possible.”
–Barkley the Dog Butler is now in the writers room and has spooked or startled everyone on the staff.
–Fred Willard will return as Phil’s father.
–When asked about the documentary style of the show, Levitan said “it’s a family show told documentary style rather than a documentary. I wouldn’t like these people if they let cameras in their house.” Ty Burrell likes that they don’t explain who the documentary crew is – he says his wife Holly noted that only family members look at the camera which makes the viewer feel like part of the family. Jason Winer says they were more strict at the start about the documentary style but now they’re not. He says he tries to slightly explain how the camera is in a private place in order to suspect the viewer’s disbelief.
–Steve Levitan wrote the lyrics to the song Dylan sang to Hailey, the actor who plays Dylan wrote the music. Levitan is especially proud of the lyric, “Underneath a willow tree, wearing nothing else but me.”
Overall, a fantastic kickoff to the Paley Festival. I also attended the LOST program and that will be in the next SURF REPORT.
TODAY’S SURF WRITTEN WHILE LISTENING TO: Aloe Blacc’s “I Need a Dollar” – HOW TO MAKE IT IN AMERICA’s wicked good title track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_9aaotk3PU
If you’re on Twitter, be sure to follow Scott Vener, the man behind HOW TO MAKE IT and ENTOURAGE’s music @brokemogul
Tonight’s rundown:
ABC: The Bachelor (2-hrs, season finale), Bachelor: After the Finale Rose (special)
CBS: How I Met Your Mother, Rules of Engagement (season premiere), Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, CSI: Miami
NBC: Chuck, Law & Order, Law & Order
FOX: House (repeat), 24
CW: Life Unexpected (repeat), Life Unexpected
PBS: Antiques Roadshow, American Experience: Dolly Madison (90-minutes), Morristown: Where America Survived (special)
A&E: Intervention, Hoarders
ABC Family: The Secret Life of an American Teenager, Make It or Break It, Greek
BBCA: Top Gear
BRAVO: The Real Housewives Top 25: The Early Years (special)
Food: Unwrapped
FX: 10pm: Damages
G4: The International Sexy Ladies Show (season premiere)
Health: Paralyzed & Pregnant with Twins (special)
HGTV: For Rent
History: American Pickers, Pawn Star$, Pawn Star$
ID: Disappeared
Logo: Rupaul’s Drag Race, Rupaul’s Drag Race
MTV: The Buried Life, My Life As Liz
Planet Green: Emeril Green
Showtime: Secret Diary of a Call Girl, State of the Union, La La Land (season finale)
TLC: Our Little Life (series debut), Our Little Life, Ultimate Cake Off (new time period)
Travel: 10pm: Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations: ECUADOR
truTV: Operation Repo, NFL Full Contact
VH1: Fantasia for Real, Let’s Talk About Pep (season finale)
USA: WWE Monday Night Raw
That’s a wrap for now.
