FREE SHOWTIME THIS WEEKEND: The Showtime people are being generous and opening their signal this weekend so you can sample great shows like NURSE JACKIE, THE TUDORS, and UNITED STATES OF TARA. If THE SECRET DIARY OF A CALL GIRL is in the programming rotation, be sure to sample that too. The shows are well worth your time, especially NURSE JACKIE and CALL GIRL.
I FEEL LIGHTER TODAY: I didn’t watch FLASH FORWARD last night and I don’t feel like I missed anything. The show’s ratings are dropping. And as I said yesterday about deciding not to watch last night, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me 86 times, shame on me.”
COMMUNITY: Last night’s episode “April Fool’s Day” had hilarious performances by Danny Pudi as he impersonated a southern sheriff straight out of a buddy movie, and Alison Brie and Yvette Nicole Brown as an unintentionally funny team of bada** cops. Both women are so sweet and adorable in their roles, it’s deliciously funny to watch them go to the dark side and try to be threatening. The Britta buzzkill story was also good and I loved her scene in the lab when she sent a dead body careening out a window. The entire episode was so much fun and made me laugh out loud. The best thing about COMMUNITY is that the entire ensemble gets to be funny; there was talk for awhile that it was a vehicle for Joel McHale but that’s not the case – everyone on the show is strong and delivers laughs. Finally, another great Troy/Abed tag with – sing it with me – “Troy & Abed in the Morning.”
30 ROCK: Loved the unlikely bonding between “silver panthers” Danny and Jack. Any episode of TV with Jason Sudeikis is a very good thing and the return of Floyd was another great turn by Sudeikis, especially when Liz got him drunk by suggesting he try the salmon for dinner. And then there was reason number 4,335 why I identify with Liz Lemon: TV is MY best friend too. I have to give a special cheer to Jack McBreyer for wearing silver spandex boy shorts emblazoned with the NBC peacock logo while shaking his moneymaker. Comedy like that is fearless.
MODERN FAMILY: Wednesday’s episode wasn’t the strongest of the season but I did love the Mitchell/Manny moment where they bonded over being different, which had an even greater effect because Mitchell delivered the heartfelt talk while wearing a dress Gloria left in the trunk of Jay’s car. I think the episode’s most memorable line might’ve been Cam’s declaration after eating way too spicy food, “I feel like I ate the sun!” I know I’m not alone in my continuing adoration of Eric Stonestreet for his portrayal of Cameron; he’s just a walking talking bowl of love and it influences everything Cam does which means we usually smile whenever Cam says or does something. Finally, I really liked the Phil/Luke story and seeing the seeds of Luke’s loopy thinking in his equally loopy dad. I also love when Phil says something inappropriate or insulting to Claire and quickly tries to cover with by kissing her or complimenting her. Most of all, I love the half hour a week I get to spend with these characters.
REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW YORK: These gals have lost their mental bearings this season and it has devolved into some serious inter-group sniping. Not admirable but it makes for some interesting TV moments. My quick take: Bethenny needs a serious course of anti-anxiety drugs because it looks like her eyes are about to pop out of her head. Jill has a good heart but she needs to talk a lot less, and I mean a LOT less. Ramona is certifiably nuts as in, needs some chemical help to calm her down. I’m 99% sure she’s bi-polar and she self-medicates with Pinot Grigio. Luanne is a big joke – she puts on airs but now that she’s an NYC divorcee, she’s become a stereotype. I hope there are some “Luanne goes on a date” scenes in this season’s RHONY episodes – those will be classic. Alex is the boring man out in this group of coconuts. Every time I see her and Simon together, I feel bad for Alex because it’s so clear that Simon would rather be out at leather bar clubbing with his friends.
JAMIE OLIVER’S FOOD REVOLUTION: I watched the first hour that aired last Sunday and just so you know, that first hour airs again tonight at 8pm before a new episode at 9pm. I’ve admired Oliver for years because he believes in good, fresh food cooked simply and with lots of flavor. He campaigned to change school lunches in the U.K. and had some success there so now he’s bringing that campaign to the U.S. in an effort to fight childhood obesity here. The show makes its points well and Oliver tries to keep it light while talking about something that can make a difference between life and death. I really like the show and if you have kids, you’ll definitely want to check it out.
EARLY HEADS UP FOR MONDAY: 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU returns Monday at 8pm on ABC Family. I like this show because even though the main characters are teenager, they’re written with a great deal of wit and intelligence. Like the people you wish you went to high school with instead of the people you actually went to high school with.
Also Monday: the conclusion of the CASTLE two-parter – this week’s episode ended with Beckett’s building going BOOM so it’s anyone’s guess as to what will happen in Monday’s episode.
Next week: V returns. BONES and FRINGE return with all-new episodes. I keep hearing raves about the FRINGE episode but no one will be specific because of spoilers.
TODAY’S SURF WRITTEN WHILE LISTENING TO: “Sex, Love & Texas” by Jackson Taylor and the Sinners: http://www.myspace.com/jacksontaylorandthesinners
Time for your weekend rundown.
Tonight – Friday 3/26/10
ABC: 8:00 p.m. Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution (R) 9:00 p.m. Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution (time period premiere) 10:00 p.m. 20/20
CBS: 8:00 p.m. 2010 NCAA Basketball – Regional Semi-Finals, Day 2
NBC: 8:00 p.m. Who Do You Think You Are? 9:00 p.m. Dateline (two hours)
Matthew Broderick explores his family roots in tonight’s WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?
FOX: 8:00 p.m. House (R) 9:00 p.m. Kitchen Nightmares
THE CW: 8:00 p.m. America’s Next Top Model (R) 9:00 p.m. Fly Girls (R) 9:30 p.m. High Society (R)
E!: 10PM: The Soup
HBO: 9pm: The Ricky Gervais Show 930pm: The Life & Times of Tim 10pm: Real Time with Bill Maher
I have to recommend THE RICKY GERVAIS SHOW and THE LIFE AND TIMES OF TIM to cure all your Friday night end of the week exhaustion. Both shows make me laugh and get the weekend off to a good start.
On REAL TIME: Bill Maher’s guests tonight include Christopher Hitchens, Jeff Garlin, Rob Thomas, Randi Weingarten, and Jonathan Capehart.
Saturday 3/27/10
ABC: 8:00 p.m. V (R) 9:00 p.m. V (R) 10:00 p.m. Castle (R)
CBS: 8:00 p.m. 2010 NCAA Basketball – Regional Finals – Day 1 (from 4:30 p.m.) 9:00 p.m. NCIS: Los Angeles (R) 10:00 p.m. 48 Hours Mystery
NBC: 8:00 p.m. Parenthood (R) 9:00 p.m. Law & Order (R) 10:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU (R)
SNL is a repeat of the Jon Hamm / Michael Buble show. Perhaps dinner at Hamm & Buble before the show?
FOX: 8:00 p.m. Cops (original and repeat) 9:00 p.m. America’s Most Wanted
Sunday 3/28/10
ABC: 7:00 p.m. America’s Funniest Home Videos 8:00 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (R) 9:00 p.m. Desperate Housewives (R) 10:00 p.m. Castle (R)
CBS: 7:00 p.m. 60 Minutes 8:00 p.m. The Amazing Race 16 9:00 p.m. Undercover Boss (with the President of Roto-Rooter going undercover) 10:00 p.m. Cold Case (part one)
THE AMAZING RACE goes to the Seychelle Islands for the next leg of the race.
NBC: 7:00 p.m. Dateline 8:00 p.m. Minute to Win It 9:00 p.m. Celebrity Apprentice
FOX: 7:00 p.m. ‘Til Death 7:30 p.m. ‘Til Death 8:00 p.m. The Simpsons 8:30 p.m. The Cleveland Show 9:00 p.m. Family Guy 9:30 p.m. Sons of Tucson
PBS: 9pm: Masterpiece Classic: Sharpe’s Peril
A&E: 9pm: Gene Simmons Family Jewels
AMC: 10pm: Breaking Bad
Discovery: 8pm and 9pm: new episodes of Life, 10pm: Deadliest Catch
Food: 8pm: Food Network Challenge, 9pm: Ultimate Recipe Showdown, 10pm: Iron Chef America
HBO: 9pm: The Pacific, 10pm: How to Make It In America
MTV: 8pm: MTV Cribs
Style: 8pm: Ruby 9pm: Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane
TLC: 8pm: Your Kid Ate What? 9pm: Man with Half a Body (title of the week winner!), 10pm: Hoarding: Buried Alive
VH1: 9pm: Tool Academy
That’s a wrap for this week.
