Even the venerable Law & Order is not immune to the — well, “charms” isn’t the word, is it? — the mess that is Jon & Kate Plus Eight, Kate Plus Eight, or the current talk-show saga I call Jon & Kate Against The World.

On Oct. 16, Law & Order will air an episode entitled “Reality Bites,” in which a ripped-from-the-headlines couple are divorcing and, according to reports, the Kate-like figure is murdered, with the Jon-like character a suspect.

Law & Order has been having a great season so far. (Did anyone catch its season premiere, with Sam Waterston taking on government officials who sanctioned torture?) I’m going to get an advance peek at the Oct. 16 episode soon, and will report back.

Do you think the Gosselins are a torture even the great Waterston cannot handle?

watching-tv.ew.com/2009/10/07/law-and-order-jon-kate-gosselin/

(S02E02) “I mean, how can I not judge someone who creates their own harem and then tosses out the competition when they hit puberty?” – Foster

Already this is shaping up to be leaps and bounds ahead of season one of Lie to Me. The cases are more interesting, the writing is tighter, and most importantly, it’s becoming far more personal for the employees of The Lightman Group. Every case has far more meaning when Cal and his team are in it for more than just a paycheck. That isn’t to say that I’m against seeing cases like we saw in the season premiere with Erika Christensen, but finding out that Cal’s daughter Emily has a connection to a statutory rape case he’s investigating is far more compelling.

Continue reading Lie to Me: Truth or Consequences

Filed under: OpEd, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free, Lie to Me

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Rita Rocks is premiering its second season on Lifetime tonight, along with Sherri Shepherd’s new sitcom, Sherri. For those of you who haven’t seen the show before, Rita stars Mad TV’s Nicole Sullivan, who plays Rita, a suburban mom of two daughters who plays in a rock band on the side. Rounding out her garage band are her friends Owen (Ian Gomez), Patty (Tisha Campbell-Martin) and Kip (Ricky Ullman), Rita’s daughter Hallie’s (Natalie Dreyfuss) boyfriend.

The second-season premiere doesn’t really focus on Rita’s music so much. While we do still see her at practice, she’s mainly dealing with mom stuff, specifically in relation to Hallie, her oldest daughter. In fact, what we have is a perennial family-sitcom classic– the parent having to give the child “The Talk.”

Continue reading Rita Rocks season two — An early look

Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Early Looks, Reality-Free

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I’m of two minds about The Next Iron Chef. I love a lot of food competition shows and this one is enjoyable, but at the same time I’ve always thought that being an Iron Chef was something important, something big, something you couldn’t become just by competing in some reality show. But then I remembered that it was a reality show and that I’m overthinking it and I should just shut up.

Last night was the season premiere. Thoughts?

Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Watercooler Talk

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(S35E02) After that Jenny Slate f-bomb nonsense and Megan Fox’s not terribly original hot girl material from the season premiere, it was exciting to see a really solid episode (and a star-studded one, at that). Ryan Reynolds did a fantastic job as host (snaps for his wavering voice during the porcelain fountains sketch and accent in SYTYCD), though he didn’t have any major stand-out roles. Did I miss the memo that Lady Gaga wasn’t just musical guest but co-host as well? Such a role is normally left up to Ryan Reynold’s giant biceps.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen such consistently enjoyable writing in an episode. Usually, there’s a distinct lull during the course of the 90 minutes, but I didn’t feel it this time. Hopefully, this is a good indication of the rest of the season.

Continue reading Saturday Night Live: Ryan Reynolds/Lady Gaga

Filed under: TV Royalty, OpEd, Saturday Night Live, Celebrities, Reality-Free

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• At 8, ABC has a new America’s Funniest Home Videos at 7, followed by new episodes of Extreme Makeover, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters.
• CBS has a new 60 Minutes at 7, then a new Amazing Race, the series premiere of Three Rivers, and a new Cold Case.
• NBC has a new Football Night in America at 7, followed by the Chargers vs. the Steelers.
• At 8, FOX has a new episode of The Simpsons, then new episodes of The Cleveland Show, Family Guy, and American Dad.
• Food Network has a new Challenge at 8, then the season premiere of The Next Iron Chef.
• At 9, PBS has a new Masterpiece Mystery!
• HBO has a new Curb Your Enthusiasm at 9, then a new Bored To Death.
• Lifetime has a new Drop Dead Diva at 8, followed by a new Army Wives.
• Showtime has a new Dexter at 9, then a new Californication.
• Discovery has two new episodes of Raging Planet at 9.
• At 9:30, HBO has a new Bored To Death.
• At 10:30, HBO has a new Entourage.
• At 11:30, Cartoon Network has a new Titan Maximum.

Check your local TV listings for more.

Filed under: Programming, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free

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If you put the return of Ugly Betty in your datebook — or PDA — for Friday, October 9, it’s time for an update. ABC has moved the season premiere of Ugly Betty to October 16. It’ll be a double shot of Betty, two-hours instead of just one. After the premiere, Ugly Betty will fall into its regular slot of Friday at 9 p.m.

Unfortunately, a double dose of Ugly Betty won’t be enough to pump up the ratings. ABC isn’t doing Betty any favor by plunking it on Friday nights when not only are there less people watching TV. Sure, there are lower expectations, but what does it say about the network’s fait in the show? Why not just put it on Saturday when even less viewers tune in? (What happened to programming for Saturday night anyway? Once upon a time, great shows actually thrived on Saturdays!)

Continue reading Ugly Betty season premiere moved up

Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Programming, OpEd, Reality-Free

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Following record ratings for Warehouse 13, Eureka, Ghost Hunters and Destination Truth during its most-watched third quarter ever, Syfy’s viewership surge since the July 7 rebranding continued on Friday, October 2, when Stargate Universe premiered to the best franchise premiere performance in four years, drawing more than 2.3 million viewers – and besting FOX’s Dollhouse.

Stargate Universe Premiere Highlights

• This is the best performance for a Stargate franchise season premiere on Syfy since season 2 of Stargate Atlantis on 7/15/05.
• Among Adults 18-49, the 1.12 million viewers is the best performance for a Friday series premiere since Battlestar Galactica debuted on 1/14/05.
• Stargate Universe’s 2.3 million total viewers surpassed the 2.1 million total viewers that watched Dollhouse on FOX at 9 PM (ET/PT).

Edgier and younger in tone, SGU takes the franchise in a dynamic new direction, appealing to longtime Stargate fans and first-time viewers alike.

source: TvByTheNumbers.com

in case you missed it!

• At 8, ABC has the series premiere of Hank, followed by the series premiere of The Middle and new episodes of Modern Family, Cougar Town, and Eastwick.
• CBS has a new Old Christine at 8, then the season premiere of Gary Unmarried and new episodes of Criminal Minds and CSI: NY.
• NBC has new episodes of Mercy, Law and Order: SVU, and The Jay Leno Show.
• FOX has a new So You Think You Can Dance at 8, followed by a new Glee.
• The CW has a new America’s Next Top Model at 8.
• PBS has a new episode of The National Parks at 8.
• At 9, Syfy has a new Ghost Hunters.
• History Channel has a new Nostradamus Effect at 9, then a new MysteryQuest.
• Food Network has a new Throwdown with Bobby Flay at 9.
• Also at 9: Showtime has a new Inside the NFL.
• At 10, Travel Channel has a new Man vs. Food.
• TruTV has a new Black Gold at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Continue reading What’s On Tonight: Hank, Gary Unmarried, Ghost Hunters, Bobby Flay

Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free

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In last week’s season premiere of Dollhouse, we learned that the usually empty-headed Echo is becoming self-aware and is now able to access memories from her many personality imprints.

This puts her in a very dangerous place, star Eliza Dushku told reporters during a conference call this week. While a self-aware Echo might be more fun and challenging for an actor to play than a “dumbed down Doll,” Dushku reminded us that any sign of Echo’s evolution in the Dollhouse might get her sent to “the attic,” aka Doll hell.

The vulnerable Echo will be looking for allies this season, Dushku said. She and former FBI agent Paul Ballard (Tamoh Penikett) “may possibly be trying to bring down the Dollhouse from the inside,” she teased. During the conference call, Dushku also talked about the unaired first season episode, “Epitaph One,” working with Summer Glau, and she teased more origins and back stories for the show’s other characters.

Continue reading Eliza Dushku on Dollhouse, Epitaph One, and Echo’s evolution

Filed under: Interviews, Celebrities, Reality-Free, Dollhouse

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