Independence Day, “Insane Coaster Wars,” “Perception”
Independence Day Wednesday 8pm, AMC Celebrate our nation’s birthday by watching Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, and President Bill Pullman save the world by taking out a bunch of squid-looking aliens. Believe it or not, the blockbuster popcorn flick is 16 years old. If it was a person it could be getting a driver’s license. This […]
“Hollywood Wives,” “Anger Management,” “Weeds”
“Hollywood Exes” Wednesday 9pm, VH1 VH1 has found its latest niche in super-trashy versions of Bravo’s “Real Housewives” franchises. There’s “Basketball Wives” and its Los Angeles-based spin-off; “Mob Wives” and its Chicago spin-off (and another spin-off in the wings for fan favorite Big Ang); and now this series that follows the lives of a bunch […]
T.V.: "The Soul Man," "The Great Escape," "Aqua Something You Know Whatever"
“The Soul Man” Wednesday 10pm, TV Land TV Land has emerged as the holding pen for some of T.V.’s most lovable second bananas. “Hot in Cleveland” has extended the careers of Valerie Bertinelli (“One Day at a Time”), Jane Leeves (“Frasier”), and Wendie Malick (“Just Shoot Me”), and helped Betty White reemerge as an unlikely […]
/JoshRachford.jpg)
Interview: UVA alum Josh Rachford discusses his role in a new HBO series
On Sunday, June 24, HBO debuts “The Newsroom,” created by Aaron Sorkin, the man behind “The West Wing” and the Oscar-winning screenwriter of The Social Network.
“Dallas,” “Suits,” “The Glass House”
“Dallas” Wednesday 9pm, TNT It’s time to return to Southfork Ranch as TNT brings back the Ewings. “Dallas” was a huge hit for CBS starting in 1978, and had a profound impact on pop culture during its 13-season run. This new series will continue the continuity of the original, with returning cast Patrick Duffy (Bobby), […]
“The Choice,” “Jersey Shore Shark Attack,” “True Blood”
“The Choice” Thursday 9pm, Fox This show takes the giant spinning chairs and blind audition aspects from that similarly named NBC hit, but instead of people singing their hearts out, it’s a bunch of desperate girls trying to convince D-list celebrities to like them. Each episode will feature four male “celebrities” whittling down a crowd […]
“So You Think You Can Dance,” “Duets,” “James May’s Man Lab”
“So You Think You Can Dance” Thursday 8pm, Fox Here’s the good news: America’s most artistically exciting dance competition is back. The bad news: due to the show’s ratings descent, it has been cut down to just one episode per week. So once we get to the live voting rounds, there will be no elimination show; […]
“Mrs. Eastwood and Company,” “House,” “American Ninja Warrior”
“Mrs. Eastwood and Company” Sunday 10pm, E! I think we can all agree that Clint Eastwood is and always will be a Hollywood A-lister. Actor, writer, director—the guy is a living legend. That’s why it is so mind-boggling that, starting this week, he will be appearing on a show on E!, riding on the sleazy coattails […]
“Around the World in 80 Plates,” “Desperate Housewives,” “America’s Got Talent”
“Around the World in 80 Plates” Wednesday 10pm, Bravo Bravo attempts to launch another culinary competition show with this wild hybrid of several reality-TV concepts. “Around the World in 80 Plates”—hosted by celebrity chefs Cat Cora (“Iron Chef America”) and Curtis Stone (seemingly every show on television)—blends the cooking competition elements of “Top Chef,” the global […]
“America’s Next Top Model,” “The Vampire Diaries,” “30 Rock”
“America’s Next Top Model” Wednesday 9pm, CW What started out as a dreadful season has turned out to be a lot of fun. For “Top Model’s” 18th cycle, evil genius Tyra Banks launched a “British Invasion,” pairing seven new American would-be models with seven former contestants from “Britain’s Next Top Model.” The first few episodes were […]
“7 Days of Sex,” “2012 TV Land Awards,” “The Pitch”
“7 Days of Sex” Thursday 10pm, Lifetime Think of this new documentary series as sexual intervention. Each episode features two married couples that have hit a sexual rough patch in their respective marriages. The show tasks them with having sex every day for a week, in the hopes that a healthy sexual relationship will […]
“Jennie Garth: A Little Bit Country,” “Fox 25th Anniversary Special,” “Veep”
“Jennie Garth: A Little Bit Country” Friday 9pm, CMT Jennie Garth—Kelly Taylor on “Beverly Hills, 90210”—has probably had the most consistent success of all her teen-soap castmates. After that show’s 10-season run she scored another regular gig on the sitcom “What I Like About You,” appeared on “Dancing with the Stars,” and then came back to […]
“Don’t Trust the B—- in Apt 23,” “Girls,” “Eden’s World”
“Don’t Trust the B—- in Apt 23” Wednesday 9:30pm, ABC ABC continues its trend of ordering shows with controversial titles (see “Good Christian Bitches”) and then castrating them into near meaninglessness (which became “GCB”). The titular “B” of this new sitcom is played by Krysten Ritter, who you may remember as the lovely, doomed Jane […]
“Savage U,” “Scandal,” “The Client List”
“Savage U” Tuesday 11pm, MTV When I was in high school and college, horny and confused teens had “Loveline,” the late-night call-in show featuring comedian Adam Corolla and the now-despicable Dr. Drew. Although “Loveline” has been off TVs for more than a decade, these “millennial” children are desperately in need of some real sex talk, […]
“Punk’d,” “Game of Thrones,” “Adventure Time”
“Punk’d” Thursday 10pm, MTV MTV revived the “Candid Camera” format back in 2003 with “Punk’d,” a celebrity-prank show from the “mind” of puckish Ashton Kutcher. The series became a pop culture touchstone, and in its heyday, had some pretty amazing episodes—the bit where Justin Timberlake cries because he thinks the IRS is repossessing his house, […]
“Bent,” “Mad Men,” “Leave it to Niecy”
“Bent” Wednesday 9pm, NBC The premise of this new sitcom reminds me a bit of “Who’s the Boss?” and god knows TV has been the poorer for not having a Tony Micelli/Angela Bower dynamic on our screens for the past three decades. Amanda Peet (“Jack and Jill,” the abomination that was “Studio 60 on the […]
“Fashion Star,” “Community,” “Frozen Planet”
“Fashion Star” Tuesday 9:30pm, NBC “Project Runway” is over the hill and Bravo’s “Fashion Show” limped through two mostly dreadful seasons, but the twists to this show actually make it pretty interesting. You have your supermodel host (Elle Macpherson), your panel of fashionista mentors (designer John Varvatos, unlikely fashion mogul Jessica Simpson, and alleged style […]
T.V.: “Breaking In,” “The Ultimate Fighter Live,” “Shahs of Sunset”
“Breaking In” Tuesday 9:30pm, Fox This Christian Slater comedy about a high-tech security firm got the ax after its brief mid-season run last year. It was so dead, in fact, that main cast member Odette Annable got a new gig on the rapidly dying “House.” Then Fox did an unexpected turnaround and resurrected the show, […]
TV Previews: “Awake,” “When Vacations Attack,” “GCB”
“Awake” Thursday 10pm, NBC Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter flicks, totally butched up here) plays a cop living a fascinating double life. Months ago he was in a car accident with his wife and teenaged son. Only one member of his family lived—but he’s not sure which one. When Isaac’s character goes […]
“Face Off,” “American Weed,” “The 84th Annual Academy Awards”
“Face Off” Wednesday 10pm, Syfy Remember back in the day when shows like “Project Runway” and “Top Chef” would amaze you every week with the creativity and ingenuity of the contestants? Those old dogs occasionally find some new tricks, but for the most part it’s all gotten a bit rote. This fairly new reality competition […]
This week in TV
“Cougar Town” Tuesday 8:30pm, ABC Things are not looking good for our favorite penny can enthusiasts. “Cougar Town” got off to a rough start, bedeviled by that controversial name and a first season that struggled to find its voice, like so many sitcoms. The second season was utterly hilarious, and for me inspired way more […]
This week in TV
“The River” Tuesday 9pm, ABC You might recognize the name Oren Pell if you’re a fan of the Paranormal Activity series of films. Inspired by The Blair Witch Project, writer-director Pell took a modest budget and made a fortune out of “found-footage” film. He’s taking a similar approach with this new drama/horror series about a […]
This week in T.V.
“I Just Want My Pants Back” Thursday 11pm, MTV They may act like they’re too cool for it, but hipsters need love too. Thus this new so-clever-it-hurts sitcom. The attention-grabbing title stems from lead character Jason (Peter Vack, basically an amalgam of Owen and Luke Wilson), whose favorite pair of jeans go missing after a one-night […]
This week in T.V.
“Touch” Wednesday 9pm, Fox Kiefer Sutherland returns to television with this new drama-mystery from the mind of Tim Kring. You might recognize that name as the creator of NBC’s “Heroes,” which could be a good thing if this turns out like “Heroes” Season 1, or a terrible thing if it turns out like any other […]
TV Previews: “American Idol,” “Unsupervised,” “On Freddie Roach”
“American Idol” Wednesday-Thursday 8pm, Fox Last year’s 10th season taught us several lessons. The most important is that, yes, the show can exist just fine without Simon Cowell, as the infusion of Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez made the competition feel fresh for the first time in years. Shaking things up genre-wise is also […]
This week in TV
“Dance Moms” Tuesday 9pm, Lifetime The surprise hit from last summer returns for Season 2, and it will be interesting to see what has changed now that some of these women have seen their deplorable actions broadcast via reality TV editors. “Dance Moms” follows Abby Lee Miller, a purportedly world-renowned dance instructor and coach to […]
This week in TV
“Project Runway: All Stars” Thursday 9pm, Lifetime The good news: 13 of the most beloved and/or memorable contestants from “Project Runway” seasons past are back for a second chance. We’re talking Season 1’s Austin Scarlett (now with an unfortunate pornstache), Season 4’s Sweet P, Season 8’s Michael Costello, and Season 5’s Kenley Collins, for my […]