FILE THIS UNDER TV ORPHANS: R.I.P. TOM BOSLEY: One of America’s favorite TV dads passed away and we can be thankful that we’ll always have HAPPY DAYS to remember him fondly. The TV Academy Archive has an interview with Bosley; you can click here to watch: http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/tom-bosley
R.I.P. BARBARA BILLINGSLEY: Besides Donna Reed, June Cleaver was America’s mom and she was played to a T by Barbara Billingsley. If you’ve seen AIRPLANE, you also remember her fondly as the lady who spoke jive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKfS3udCCx0
FUSE TV: I watched Mark Hoppus’ new show A DIFFERENT SPIN and I liked it because Hoppus is well-equipped to talk about music from his experience in Blink182. The best part of the show is the panel talk; there were other people who knew music and a very good comedian. New episodes of A DIFFERENT SPIN air Thursdays at 7pm. Tonight’s music-related highlight on Fuse: the premiere of LAY IT DOWN WITH CEE-LO GREEN, a new talk show with The Man, The Myth, The Soul Legend that is Cee-Lo. Ludacris visits with Cee-Lo in tonight’s premiere episode at 11pm / 10pm Central.
THE GOOD WIFE: Far and away my favorite Tuesday night show because it never fails to impress with its subtlety and style. Of course, the best scene in this week’s episode was not subtle at all because it had Kalinda wielding a Louisville Slugger bat and busting up Blake’s rental car. Even better was the scene that followed the vandalism when Blake waited for Kalinda by her car to confront her and she literally grabbed him by his manparts and called his bluff. We learned that whatever persona Kalinda has constructed for herself, it’s not her true identity. On the Alicia story track, Mamie Gummer returned as smiley, overeager, nicely conniving attorney Ms. Crozier who really irritates Alicia. Watching Alicia put her in her place and warn her not to mess with her was the other highlight of the episode. Another fine scene: when Cary Agos (Matt Czuchry) questioned Alicia about where she got some case information and Will acted as Alicia’s attorney. There was a very delicate interplay between the three of them and Matt Czuchry is giving a beautifully shaded performance as Cary, he’s more than a little bit of an a-hole but he doesn’t hate Alicia completely, just some leftover resentment from when Sterling-Lockhart chose to keep her over him at the end of last season. Also loved Griffin Dunne as the judge who told Alicia she had to wear a skirt in his courtroom and then Christine Baranski’s great scene with Kate Burton when she tells the judge (Burton) that a run for State’s Attorney would be ill-advised given previous charges of corruption. Every actor in the show is topnotch and I always admire how well they spend their money from the principal cast down to the weekly guest roles. I’m already chomping at the proverbial bit for next week’s episode!
NO ORDINARY FAMILY: I’m watching the show and being patient but seriously, when are Jim and Stephanie going to stop bickering about Jim wanting to use his super strength to fight crime? It’s only been a few episodes and they keep having the same conversation. It’s tedious. And while I realize why JJ might want to keep his new brainiac power a secret, how long are they going to string that along? TV moves fast and there has to be a time when the family learns to function as a unit, powers included, because that would also reinforce the point that a family that works together also bonds in a new and different way. What bothers me the most is that the TV audience loves to see Michael Chiklis as a hero — dark or light — and all we’re getting here is an ambivalent good guy, which is not satisfying. There are a lot of very good writers working on this show including Marc Guggenheim, Jon Harmon Feldman and Ali Adler (as well as EP Greg Berlanti) and that’s another reason I’m puzzled as to why the show isn’t moving forward faster.
THE FIRST SITTING PRESIDENT TO VISIT THE DAILY SHOW: President Obama; he’ll sit down with Jon Stewart next Wednesday October 27. Tune in tonight to see Johnny Knoxville visit with Jon; talk about a 180 from the President.
TODAY’S SURF WRITTEN WHILE LISTENING TO: Little Feat’s “All That You Dream” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN5b0fcyu9I
Tonight’s rundown:
ABC: 8:00 p.m. The Middle 8:30 p.m. Better with You 9:00 p.m. Modern Family 9:30 p.m. Cougar Town 10:00 p.m. The Whole Truth
A foreign exchange student visits the Hecks on THE MIDDLE.
The Dunphys try to unplug from all their electronic devices on MODERN FAMILY.
I’m betting there’s general goofiness on COUGAR TOWN.
CBS: 8:00 p.m. Survivor: Nicaragua 9:00 p.m. Criminal Minds 10:00 p.m. The Defenders
NBC: 8:00 p.m. Undercovers 9:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU 10:00 p.m. Law & Order: Los Angeles
MAD MEN’s Michael Gladis and SOUTHLAND’s (and TRUE BLOOD) Kevin Alejandro guest on SVU tonight.
L&O: LA visits Sylmar to handle a case involving a meth lab.
FOX: 8:00 p.m. 2010 National League Championship Series, Game 4 (from 7:30 p.m.)
THE CW: 8:00 p.m. America’s Next Top Model 9:00 p.m. Hellcats
The modelettes visit the Grammy Museum and learn that one of them will be the 2011 Grammy Girl.
FX: 10PM: TERRIERS
Tonight’s episode is “Missing Persons” – Britt and Hank help a guy with amnesia who thinks he did something wrong. Also, Britt is concerned about Katie because she’s been distant (and we know why from the heartbreaking end of last week’s episode).
PBS: 8pm: Part 3 of Michael Feinstein’s AMERICAN SONGBOOK: tonight’s episode is about The Jazz Age (1920s and 1930s)
Bravo: 10pm: Top Chef: Just Desserts: black and white desserts are created for the Los Angeles Times newspaper.
Discovery: Mythbusters
Fuse: 11pm: LAY IT DOWN with Cee-Lo Green premieres with guest Ludacris
The premise is simple: R&B/Soul singer supreme Cee-Lo talks to artists from all corners of the music world – starting with Ludacris on tonight’s premiere show. Cee-Lo will also perform with guests. Upcoming guests include Lil Jon, T-Pain and the fabulous Janelle Monae.
MTV: 8pm: TEEN MOM FINALE repeat with Dr. Drew – evidently a lotta people are fans of TEEN MOM. I think the idea of the show is revolting so I haven’t watched it but it’s getting tabloid magazine headlines and morning show segments which both prey on the unseemly. I don’t watch because I don’t want to encourage more of this programming. I feel like I’m enabling this crap if I tune in.
TLC: 8pm: Multiple repeats of SISTER WIVES if you’re hankering to catch up.
TV Guide: Weeds marathon continues
That’s a wrap for now.
