SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Netflix has announced that Piper Perabo (Covert Affairs, Looper) and JJ Feild (Turn, The Romanoffs), as well as newcomer Frankie Hervey, have been cast in the upcoming original comedy series Turn Up Charlie, which went into production earlier this month in London. They join the previously announced Idris Elba, who co-created and executive-produces the series in which he will also star.

Turn Up Charlie centers on Charlie (Elba), a struggling DJ and eternal bachelor who is given a final chance at success when he reluctantly becomes a manny to his famous best friend's problem-child daughter.

Gary Reich and Tristram Shapeero will also serve as executive producers. The series will be co-produced by Brown Eyed Boy Productions and Green Door Pictures for Netflix. Eight 30-minute episodes have been ordered. Stay with us for updates on a launch date.

It's time to get your GLOW on again. The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling are back in town. GLOW Season 2 launches globally on Netflix June 29.

Season 2 follows the women of GLOW as they become local celebrities, confronting the good, the bad, and the ugly realities of their newfound fame. As Ruth and Debbie settle into the day-to-day of making a season of TV together, they confront lingering issues at the heart of their friendship. Sam is still Sam, but now he has a teenage daughter living with him and twenty episodes to churn out. The wrestling is harder, the stakes are higher, and the hair is even bigger.

Inspired by the short-lived but beloved show from the 80s, GLOW tells the fictional story of Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie), an out-of-work, struggling actress in 1980s Los Angeles who finds one last chance for stardom when she’s thrust into the glitter and spandex world of women's wrestling. In addition to working with 12 Hollywood misfits, Ruth also has to compete with Debbie Eagan (Betty Gilpin) a former soap actress who left the business to have a baby, only to be sucked back into work when her picture perfect life is not what it seems. And at the wheel is Sam Sylvia (Marc Maron), a washed-up, B-movie director who now must lead this group of women on the journey to wrestling stardom.

View the Season 2 trailer:

Happy Memorial Day! As usual, we have the holiday marathons on a holiday for you! We want to also give you a rundown of the top 10 series airing this summer on television once again! (Scroll below for that after our annual look at Memorial Day marathon on TV).

As we pay tribute to our troops every year on this day, let's have some fun as well watching TV marathons on the tube on this day off! If you're not going outside in the heat, then there are plenty of TV options for you on this day! Are you headed to the shore or would you rather watch some good TV marathons like Who's the Boss?? It's a brand new life! So bring out your lawn chair, throw some burgers on the BBQ, and watch some television!
Among the marathons today are the marathons we have previously mentioned, such as the Who's the Boss marathon in NY on WLNY-TV 10/55 from 7am-7pm. We also told you about the Maverick marathon on Cozi TV from 8am-5pm, followed by the primetime launches of Starsky & Hutch and Knight Rider from 8pm-12am! Sitcoms getting the marathon treatment on this day include Malcolm in the Middle on IFC from 6am-6pm. Logo will have a Roseanne marathon today from 10am-4pm. TVGN will celebrate Alan Thicke starting at 9:30am with both Growing Pains movies airing with episodes of his new series Unusually Thicke. TV One will spend the holiday with Martin Lawrence with a block of Martin from 11am-8pm. BET will have a marathon of its hit series The Game from 8am-7pm. Comedy Central will have a Tosh.0 marathon beginning at 11am and running to 11pm. Other sitcoms airing today will be in their regular blocks, like Saved by the Bell on MTV2 from 9am-12pm.

Moving on to dramas, INSP salutes the troops with a JAG marathon from 11am-7pm. Hallmark has a marathon of The Waltons beginning at 2pm today. If you like more current drama, then spend the day with Julianna Margulies with a marathon of The Good Wife on Hallmark Movie Channel beginning at 9am. It wouldn't be a holiday without marathons of Criminal Minds and once again ION and A&E will have marathons, with ION airing it from 11am-3am and A&E from 9am-4am. Another fitting marathon for this day is NCIS: Los Angeles and USA Network has a marathon of this spin-off series from 9am-8pm. TNT will have a promotional marathon for Falling Skies from 10am-8pm, which returns June 22 on TNT for its fourth season. Cloo has marathons of Law & Order: Criminal Intent from 6am-5pm, followed by Law & Order: SVU from 5pm-11pm. The short-lived drama Persons Unknown will get a marathon today on Chiller from 11am-6am with all 13 episodes airing. Other notable marathons include Defiance on Syfy and a Walker Texas Ranger marathon on TV Land. And kick butt with Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Pivot from 10am-10pm or Jessica Alba as Dark Angel on El Rey Network from 5-8pm. Reality series wise, CMT will showcase Party Down South with a marathon from 11am-9pm. Spend the day with Kim Kardashian (who got married this weekend) in Keeping Up with the Kardashians on E! from 9am-4pm. Other reality best bets for the day are Lizard Lick Towing marathon on truTV, The Real Housewives of Orange County marathon on Bravo, Family Feud marathon on GSN, Dr. Phil on OWN from 6am-1pm, Pawn Stars marathon on History and Undercover Boss marathon on TLC.

If you like movies on TV, watch Antenna TV's Memorial Day Cinema Salute begins at 7am. Ovation will have a marathon of the Rocky film franchise from 11am-12am. Fuse will have a House Party movie marathon. And you can of course catch movies all day on Lifetime, LMN, AMC, TCM and other networks that usually air movies.
For the full times of these marathons and much more marathons we didn't cover, check out the full list from our pals at TV Tango!


Now let's take a look at the top 10 summer series to watch (that haven't launched yet with their series or season premieres):

1. Mistresses (ABC, Mondays 10|9c beginning June 2) - Last summer's juiciest drama is back and it gets more steamier! 8 months have passed by in the storyline and you'll be surprised on what has happened since we last saw Savi, April, Karen, and Joss. We have some new characters and love interests this season that will spice things up even more. It is the perfect summer show with the perfect setting. The top pick for the second straight year with a sultry season premiere. Alyssa Milano rocks in everything she does!

2. Girl Meets World (Disney, Fridays 8:30|7:30c beginning June 28) - Cory and Topanga Matthews back together again! Yes, Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel return! This is one of the highly anticipated series this summer. The Boy Meets World continuation! Made for kids and families, Girl Meets World tells the wonderfully funny, heartfelt stories that Boy Meets World is renowned for - only this time from a tween girl's perspective. It focuses on relationships with family and friends and the important, indelible values therein, as the relatable and adventurous Riley and her bold best friend Maya traverse the twists and turns of teenage years at Manhattan's John Quincy Adams Middle School where Riley's dad is their History teacher. In the premiere episode, the typically studious Riley joins a homework rebellion in an attempt to be more like Maya, but it quickly leads to a rift between father and daughter. The top sitcom pick of the summer!

3. Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family, Tuesdays 8|7c beginning June 10) - The liars are back for an all-new season with season five! This is one of the best teen series of all-time and everyone wants to know who is on the A team. As usual, we will have 12 episodes in the summer with a Halloween special in October before the rest of the season airs next winter. ABC Family spreads the season out well and makes it into an event. We are getting closer and closer in finding out who "A" is and what will happen to Ezra? We shall see in the season premiere. The main four girls have ultra hot chemistry and Ashley Benson is the complete package with comedic fun even.

4. Rookie Blue (ABC, Thursdays 9|8c beginning June 19) - The fifth season of the Canadian drama returns and it just gets better and better. This is one of the best cop shows on television and it airs every summer. Missy Peregrym leads a great cast of rookie cops who are getting experience each season. The relationships on this show is like no other and reminds you of other ABC series like Castle and Grey's Anatomy. Will "McSwarek" return?

5. Jennifer Falls (TV Land, Wednesdays 10:30|9:30c beginning June 4) - TV Land's first-ever single camera comedy revolves around Jennifer Doyle (Jaime Pressly), a former high-powered executive who has fallen and hit every bump on the way down to rock bottom. With her teenage daughter (Dylan Gelula) in tow, Jennifer moves back in with her mother (Jessica Walter) and takes a job in the bar owned by her meek brother (Ethan Suplee) and passive-aggressive sister-in-law (Nora Kirkpatrick) as a last resort. There, she reunites with her former best friend (Missi Pyle) who turns out to be holding quite a grudge. But every cloud has a silver lining: there's nowhere to go but up.

6. Mystery Girls (ABC Family, Wednesdays 8:30|7:30c beginning June 25) - Another reunion! Tori Spelling and Jennie Garth of Beverly Hills 90210 are together again, this time on a sitcom. The comedy series follows two former detective TV show starlets brought back together by a real-life mystery. Charlie Contour (Garth) is a suburban housewife and mother, while Holly Hamilton (Spelling) longs for her glory days in the 90's when she was on television. Both of their lives are disrupted when Nick (Miguel Pinzon), a witness to a crime and a "Mystery Girls" fanatic, will only speak to the infamous duo, and the former friends must reunite and put their TV crime-solving skills to the test. The series is also executive produced by Spelling and Garth.

7. Witches of East End (Lifetime, Sundays 9|8c beginning July 6) - Last fall this was one of the best dramas to air. Now the second season will launch this summer and we cannot wait to see what the Beauchamp family will do next. Jenna Dewan Tatum shines in this series and is flawless. This season, with the portal to Asgard open, what comes through will forever change the lives of the Beauchamps. Darkness surrounds East End as a new stranger arrives. Joanna is still weak with poison in her blood as the Beauchamps search desperately for a cure. With the death of Penelope), Killian and Dash's warlock powers return.

8. Covert Affairs (USA Network, Tuesdays 10|9c beginning June 24) - The very fun and awesome series starring Piper Perabo as Annie Walker returns for a fifth season. Season five picks up with CIA operative Annie returning to the Agency after having faked her death to go deep undercover to find a traitor to the CIA. The new season will examine the price Annie will have to pay for this risky maneuver and the implications it will have on her relationships - both personally and professionally - as she attempts to re-emerge into the world she once knew. It's not as complicated as Alias (which was a great show), but this is more for the mainstream audience and it works well as that.

9. Young & Hungry (ABC Family, Wednesdays 8|7 beginning June 25) - From Ashley Tisdale, this new comedy stars Emily Osment. Two worlds collide when Josh (Jonathan Sadowski), a wealthy young tech entrepreneur, meets Gabi (Emily Osment), a feisty young food blogger, looking to be his personal chef. Gabi is desperate for the job and must prove herself, mostly to Josh's aide, Elliot (Rex Lee), who prefers a famous chef for the job. When Josh enlists Gabi to prepare a romantic meal for him and his girlfriend, the dinner goes awry and Gabi finds herself in a very awkward position. With the help of her best friend Sofia (Aimee Carrero) and Josh's housekeeper Yolanda (Kym Whitley), Gabi turns a difficult situation into an opportunity for employment and maybe even love.

10. Taxi Brooklyn (NBC, Wednesdays 10|9c beginning June 25) - Chyler Leigh and Jennifer Esposito lead this new drama series, which is an action-comedy police procedural. It is centered on the fractious, closely bonded partnership between a streetwise Marseilles-born New York City taxi driver and an intensely driven NYPD detective for whom this immigrant cabbie becomes chauffeur, insider on the streets and unofficial partner.

There are of course much more series airing but these are our ten best picks and ones you should make an effort to watch. Series that will run into summer a bit include Devious Maids, Hot in Cleveland, Melissa & Joey and Baby Daddy. Other notables include reality staples America's Got Talent (NBC), Big Brother (CBS), Wipeout (ABC), The Bachelorette (ABC), So You Think You Can Dance (Fox) and some interesting newbies like Rising Star (ABC), along with scripted series options like Chasing Life (ABC Family), Falling Skies (TNT), The Last Ship (TNT), Undateable (NBC), Welcome to Sweden (NBC), Motive (ABC), Under the Dome (CBS) and the Halle Berry series Extant (CBS). Plenty of options in the summer and more than ever!

We told you that Happy Days was getting a Super Bowl marathon on Sunday, Feb. 3 on Hallmark, but now Hallmark has changed the marathon to another sitcom. Instead of Happy Days, we will now have a Super Bowl marathon of The Golden Girls on from 11am-11pm on Super Bowl Sunday. I guess the Snickers Super Bowl commercial with Betty White is still paying dividends? No actual reason for the change, but Happy Days is doing fine as it will continue to air in its current timeslots of weekdays from 2-5pm and Mon-Thurs 8-10pm. In other scheduling news, Fridays will have some changes from 12-2pm for the original shows. Marie will not air Fridays, as Laura McKenzie's Traveler will air Fridays at noon beginning Feb. 1, while new series Who Let the Dogs Out will air Fridays at 1 beginning Feb. 1. The sitcoms will stay put in their timeslots, so that's some good news!

We'll have some more good news for The Golden Girls very soon. Hopefully later this week, that will have fans possibly excited. Stay with us! Thank you for being a friend!

On the next...Go On:
By: Pavan

NBC's freshman comedy starring Matthew Perry airs Tuesday nights at 9:00pm and we have just watched the next two episodes, that air tonight (Jan. 22) and next Tuesday (Jan. 29). Both episodes feature a guest-arc with Piper Perabo (Covert Affairs) and we have got the scoop on what goes down and what we think. In the episode airing tonight, "Comeback Player of the Year," Ryan (Matthew Perry) fears the group chemistry will change and feels threatened by the return of the very popular and beautiful former group member, Simone (special guest star Piper Perabo) who tries to force the group to choose between her and Ryan. Elsewhere in the episode, Ryan's friend and boss Steven (John Cho) and group member Mr. K (Brett Gelman) buddy bond and along with Terrell Owens, teach Ryan a lesson, while Anne (Julie White) prevents Danny (Seth Morris) from being taken to the cleaners in his divorce.

Piper Perabo guest stars as a former beloved (well, "she's the most awesome, coolest") member of the group and she knows everyone but newbie Ryan. She walks into the group wearing a stunning green outfit. Her character is sort of like her character on Covert Affairs, in which she just came back from traveling the globe (in this case, places like Marrakesh). At first glance, I thought it was Annie Walker herself. But that changes later on as we find out that she is sort of full of herself. I noticed right away that her and Ryan would probably make a good match, but Ryan starts off with wanting her banished from the group because all the attention is now on her. We're not sure how long she is staying but we find out she was recently engaged to a poet and on the day of their wedding...he disappeared. For now, she will be staying at Anne's (who is a lesbian...) place. As the episode progresses her character tries to pursue Ryan. We won't give much away but the entire episode is a hoot and probably the best episode of the series. All of the plotlines work well, including the B-plotline of Steven and Mr. K bonding and teaming up with NFL star Terrell Owens to get Ryan back. The other plotline of the episode is Anne trying to help Danny with his divorce, but this one isn't as interesting as the other two plotlines, but still works well. Everything comes together at the end of the episode at Anne's place where a hilarious surprise happens! Let's just say censors will have to be turned on! A-

In the episode airing next week, "Pass Interference," despite Lauren's (Laura Benanti) warning to Ryan (Matthew Perry) of no dating among group members, he continues to pursue Simone (special guest star Piper Perabo) but each time things heat-up with them, Janie's (guest star Christine Woods) ghost appears, throwing Ryan off his game. The group helps Ryan deal with the guilt he feels as he starts dating again. Meanwhile Anne (Julie White), Yolanda (Suzy Nakamura), Sonia (Sarah Baker) and Fausta (Tonita Castro) decide to buy Lauren a wedding dress and use Owen (Tyler James Williams) as a body double.

This episode isn't as good as the previous episode, but still delivers the goods. Piper Perabo wasn't in the episode as much as she was in the previous one but when she is in it, she made it count. The aftermath from the end of the last episode is dealt with and Perabo's character has gotten into the head of Ryan, but now he is seeing his deceased wife as a ghost whenever she is with Simone. And that freaks Ryan out and will that make Simone think he is crazy? The other plotline is about the gang trying to help group leader Lauren buy a wedding dress. I'm still guessing Lauren's wedding will not happen because since the premiere I always thought Ryan and Lauren would probably end up together. The episode ends in a nice way at an event where the ghost of Ryan's wife appears maybe for the last time? Not sure, but Piper Perabo killed it in that blue dress! B

Go On continues to surprise us. It's not always laugh-out-loud but it has a lot of heart and it works well. We're really invested into this group and are dying to see if they are improving. Ryan takes a big step in these two episodes and you just feel like rooting for him to get Simone. But I'm sure some core fans want him to ultimately end up with Lauren. Piper Perabo shines and is as beautiful as ever in the guest-arc that will continue for another episode at least beyond these two. The episode airing tonight is the best episode of the series. Don't go pass Go On, go right to it...you'll laugh tonight!

Welcome to Digital Digest! We have another one of those slow Saturdays for you, but fear not, we're here as always with all of your news, a preview of Tuesday's releases, and more! And this week, we have a review of Tuesday's release of Cover Affairs - Season Two! Let's get going!


DIGITAL NEWS

Warner Archive, which has been bringing us all of the Hanna-Barbera classics which have ever existed over the past year or so, has another very rare release (like many of them) went on sale this week without much prior notice. The classic 1973 series Inch High Private Eye is now available to purchase from the website.

There haven't been any Saturday Night Live season releases lately (and it seems unlikely that there ever will be any further ones, as the intention was only to release the first five seasons anyway), but that doesn't mean that the series is done on DVD. Special "best of" releases have always been a mainstay for the series, and the next one to come is Saturday Night Live - The Women of SNL. The single disc release comes from Universal (this has to be confusing, since some releases of the series come from Lionsgate and others from Universal, though it has been mostly Universal lately) on June 3, and looks back at the women who have created some of the most memorable characters of the series. You can read more about the release here.

Earlier this week, Mill Creek announced a deal in which they will be licensing 250 movies (no television series, but movies) for release on DVD and Blu-ray from Sony. While we can't stress enough that this deal only includes movies, and NO television series, this is indeed great news to hear from the studio, as it indicates that the studio is serious about acquisitions from major studios (the same studios which hold all of our favorite series) and is developing relationships with those studios. So while this isn't exactly news that our readers can use right now, we certainly hope that this is a springboard for good news for television fans in the near future, and will certainly keep you updated about any future progress which is made.

Finally, speaking of TV movies, Sony Pictures OnDemand's Choice Collection will be releasing two TV movies featuring classic sitcom stars releasing this Tuesday (May 1). The first one is the 1986 movie titled Kate's Secret. Meredith Baxter (Family Ties and Bridget Loves Bernie) plays the wife who seems to have everything in this made-for-TV-movie, which illuminates the problem of bulimia. In fitness-obsessed Southern California, Kate Stark struggles to hide her eating disorder, characterized by a psychological need to binge eat and purge, from her husband (Ben Masters), best friend (Shari Belafonte), and everyone around her who could help her fight this life-threatening illness. When finally confronted by the seriousness of her situation, Kate encounters the caring Dr. Resnick (Ed Asner), and patients with similar issues (played by Tracy Nelson and Mackenzie Phillips), who help her to acknowledge and accept her problem… the first step to healing. Also being released on May is More Than Friends from 1978. Childhood friends in the Bronx during the 1950s and '60s, Alan Corkus (Rob Reiner, All in the Family) and Maddy Pearlman (Penny Marshall, Laverne & Shirley) grew into awkward teenagers who attended their Senior Prom together. Despite their crossing paths again at City College, where a mutual initiation to sex helps their friendship grow into love, they never seem able to express their true feelings for each other. Years later, both have gone their separate ways, each finding frustration in love and career. When Maddy's love affair with a fellow actor ends disastrously, she surprises Alan with a visit, and the two decide to move in together. But the road to bliss is bumpy, and Maddy decides to move on again, leaving Alan unhappily trying to have relationships with other women, only to have Maddy return again... This charming comedy about their on-and-off relationship, and the bittersweet nature of love between friends -- directed by sitcom director Jim Burrows and from a screenplay by Reiner and Phil Mishkin -- is a realistic take on the perils and pitfalls of modern romance. See links to pre-order both below!

UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (May 1) brings us more of The Dick Van Dyke Show from Image with their release of The Dick Van Dyke Show - Carl Reiner's Favorites. The three disc set contains 20 of the creator's favorite episodes of the series. Shout! Factory has their release of Love is On the Air, containing some of the greatest love themed episodes from series including Leave it to Beaver, That Girl, Dennis the Menace, Father Knows Best, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, The Patty Duke Show, and Hazel. Also from Shout! Factory on Tuesday comes another season of a classic detective drama with Kojak - Season Four (read our review). Of course, as we've already mentioned, Universal has Cover Affairs - Season Two, which we have a review of today. And finally, Sony has a few of MOD offerings with Ten Items or Less - The Complete Third Season and the very rare early '70s suspense anthology series hosted by Sebastian Cabot, Ghost Story - The Complete Series. Additionally, Sony is going to "try again" on Tuesday with their MOD release Benson - The Complete Second Season, which we hope will be improved from the botched set which made it to some customers early last month before being made unavailable. And finally, Sony has the two TV movies: Kate's Secret and More Than Friends starring sitcom stars.

BLOG FEATURE REVIEW


Blog DVD Review: Covert Affairs - Season Two (Universal, $39.98)
by Pavan

Runaway hit USA Network original series, Covert Affairs, stars Golden Globe-nominated Piper Perabo as Annie Walker, a young CIA operative whose exceptional linguistic skills and spot on instincts make her invaluable to the Agency. In season two, Annie's personal and professional lives crash into one another, and the balance of her relationships are forever changed. The series also stars Christopher Gorham, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Anne Dudek, Kari Matchett and Peter Gallagher. Watch all sixteen suspenseful and dynamic episodes uninterrupted, coming from the producer of The Bourne Trilogy, on a four-disc DVD set from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

The first half of the second season (10 episodes) premiered last June on USA Network and did well in the ratings airing Tuesday nights in the summer. The second half (6 episodes) returned in November and aired in-season for the very first time, though the ratings dropped. The series will return for a third season July 10, 2012 in its Tuesday at 10pm timeslot. Another sixteen episodes have been ordered and will be split into two halves again. No idea yet when the final six episodes of season three will air, but the first ten episodes will air from July-September, 2012. Anyway, as for this season two DVD, memorable episodes include the season two premiere "Begin the Begin," where Ben and Annie return to Washington D.C., where Ben disappears yet again, however Annie is quickly assigned another mission when she has to protect an Estonian tennis player (Marija Karan) who is considered a CIA asset. In "Around the Sun," during a mission looking into a potential leak at NASA that could threaten the U.S.'s spy satellites, Annie has to get used to working with a new tech operative (Jaimie Alexander) after Auggie takes the OCA position. In "Half A World Away," Auggie is aided by a flight attendant (Rebecca Mader) while on his vacation to the international jazz festival in Istanbul and his trip turns into a mission when he inadvertently records the voice of the man who injured him during the war in Iraq, as Annie later learns the whole story of Auggie's blindness. In "World Leader Pretend," which is the mid-season finale, Annie runs an extraction mission of a Chinese scientist she's been corresponding with who is willing to defect, she runs into complications and is forced to make a difficult choice when they both seem to have been poisoned with polonium, while a friend of the scientist at the Asian Cultural Organization is the prime suspect when Annie discovers he may be a spy for the PLA special forces. Meanwhile, Joan transfers Jai to a new division in Arizona, and after two years, Annie finally tells Danielle her CIA secret, leading her sister to distrust her and ask Annie to move out. In the return, "The Wake-Up Bomb," after failing a mission in Venice, Annie feels lonely during some time off and meets a chef (Santiago Cabrera) with connections to the ETA, a Basque separatist movement, through his brother. In "What's the Frequency, Kenneth," an MI6 operative (Tony Curran) mistakes Annie for an actual Smithsonian employee and attempts to recruit her for a covert op he bases on a hunch about a "dodgy" art restorer at the museum. And on the season finale, "Letter Never Sent," when Annie and Danielle go vacationing in Stockholm, Sweden, it turns dangerous when Danielle is mistaken for a spy. Jai Wilcox reveals his plans to Arthur, after having triggered a somewhat unexpected situation and his father Henry Wilcox ends up being denounced as the source leaking confidential information to journalist Liza Hearn.

Guest stars include Eion Bailey as Ben Mercer, Gregory Itzin as Henry Wilcox, Emmanuelle Vaugier as Liza Hearn, Oded Fehr, Marija Karan, Ben Lawson, Rena Sofer, Mark Moses, Jamie Alexander, Bruce Davison and Rebecca Mader. The episodes all appear to be unedited how you saw them originally last summer/fall on USA Network. Here are the runtimes:

Disc 1:
1. "Begin the Begin" (42:34)
2. "Good Advices" (42:44)
3. "Bang and Blame" (42:49)
4. "All the Right Friends" (41:57)

Disc 2:
5. "Around the Sun" (42:10)
6. "The Outsiders" (42:11)
7. "Half a World Away" (42:47)
8. "Welcome to the Occupation" (42:53)

Disc 3:
9. "Sad Professor" (42:29)
10. "World Leader Pretend" (42:49)
11. "The Wake-Up Bomb" (42:53)
12. "Uberlin" (42:58)

Disc 4:
13. "A Girl Like you" (41:59)
14. "Horse To Water" (42:57)
15. "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" (41:49)
16. "Letter Never Sent" (43:19)

As far as packaging goes, we have an outer box that holds a case this time instead of slim cases in season one. The outer box is all white with a shot of Annie Walker holding a gun in a suit. Her shirt is a a bit unbuttoned. The tagline "Under Cover Girl." is printed on the front along with the series logo mentioning "From the Producer of The Bourne Trilogy." The back has artwork of Piper with the men (Gorham, Ramamurthy, and Gallagher). Sad they didn't include the females. We also have a description of the series and set and a list of bonus features. When we open the case, there are two plastic holders which you can flip like a page in a book. Discs one and two are on the first holder, with disc one on the front and disc two on the back. Discs three and four are on the second holder, with disc three on the front and disc four on the back. Disc artwork is plain in grey with lettering in blue (last time it was red). There is no artwork on the discs besides the blue lettering and the series logo. On the panels, we have a disc-by-disc breakdown featuring the episode titles, descriptions, and bonus features. We also have some nice episodic photos. There is an also an ad inset that features Covert Affairs new season this summer.

The menu screens are really good. Before the main menu on disc one there are auto trailers for series from USA Network and Syfy. Then we get to the main menu which has the closing theme playing in the background, like season one. The artwork is the same as the cover artwork with Annie in the suit, but a more wider shot of her. The options for the main menu are: Play All, Episode Index, Bonus Features, Setup, and Previews (on disc one only). Previews has more trailers for such series as The Office, Parks & Recreation and other Universal DVDs. Setup has English Digital Dolby 5.1 audio, but this time also DVS (Descriptive Video Service), and you can turn on English subtitles. Episode Index has the episode number, title and if it has a deleted scene or alternate scene you can choose that here. You can also choose those in the Bonus Features section, which lists all the special features for the disc.

The video quality is superb, as it should be since it is a new series and the season ended last December. It looks like HD even on DVD and it is in widescreen, as my DVD upconverts it to full screen. If this series were being offered on Blu-ray, I can't imagine how better it would look since this DVD is such great quality. The audio is perfect as well. It is clear and crisp and with Dolby Digital 5.1, you can't go wrong. There are 4 chapter stops per episode, so that is convenient if you want to skip to a scene you're looking for in particular.

There are plenty of special features. I'll detail them by disc. We don't have any audio commentary, which is disappointing. On disc one, we have three deleted scenes for "Good Advices" (1:15). Disc two has an alternate scene for "Around the Sun" (1:06). I am glad they went with the actual scene, as we get to see Piper in a bra and underwear instead, as this alternate scene was not good. For the episode "Half A World Away," we have a deleted scene and an alternate scene running a total of 1:16.

Moving on to disc three we have two more episodes with deleted scenes. The first is "Sad Professor" (1:01) and the other one is "Uberlin" (0:50). And finally on disc four, we have the main special features! First, we have deleted scenes for the final two episodes of the season: "What's the Frequency, Kenneth" (1:20) and "Letter Never Sent" (0:58). Now onto the main features, we have a "Gag Reel" that runs 2:15. This is self-explanatory and always fun to watch flubs and goofs, and this time the opening theme is playing in the background! Then we have the "Piper Perabo Comic-Con Intro Scene" (2:50), which was used to introduce the series to Comic-con last year. Nice to see they added that as it is very cool to see. Probably the best feature on the set is "Covert Affairs On Location." This has behind the scenes look at the different locations they went to. It is broken into by different locations. First up is Istanbul (6:30). Christopher Gorham gives us an inside look at the location shoot via a camcorder! We also see Rebecca Mader, Gene Klein (producer), and Felix Enriquez Alcala (director). This was certainly very fun! The next location is Venice (3:32). This one has a tour from co-executive producer Matt Corman. We also see Christopher Gorham, Piper Perabo, Elan Dassani (VFX Supervisor), Jamie Barber (director of photography), and Stephen Kay (director). Next up is Berlin (2:58) as Corman gives us a tour again and we also see Peter Gallagher, Doug Liman (executive producer), Stephen Kay, and Christopher Gorham. And finally it is on to Stockholm (3:15). On this location we see Jamie Barber, Piper Perabo, Stephen Kay, Christopher Gorham, Anne Dudek, and Chevy Chen (VFX Supervisor). So Gorham was in all of them!

Overall this is a great set and a great show. Again, it's not Alias, but that doesn't matter because it shouldn't set to copy a show like that. This is its own show and it works. Piper Perabo is brilliant on this show and was nominated for a Golden Globe in season one and I think she is just as good in season two. Christopher Gorham turned in a brilliant performance in "Half A World Away," and I hope he is honored in some way this award season. This DVD is well-produced with good packaging, menus, audio/video and special features. There is really nothing to complain about except audio commentaries was missing this time. Another featurette would have been cool in addition to the On Location ones. New series on DVD are expected to be as good as this set is. Again, the only thing making this set not a 5 star set is it needed one more big special feature. But 4 1/2 stars once again, like in season one, is not too shabby! Kick some spy butt with the sexy Piper Perabo by buying this DVD below, as we get ready for season three on July 10 at 10pm ET/PT on USA Network!

(4.5/5 stars)

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CLICK OF THE WEEK

The SNL Archives (snl.jt.org) - We talked about Universal's June release of another release related to the series Saturday Night Live in our news section today, but if you want to know more (or literally everything) about the classic TV series, then The SNL Archives is the website to be. The website doesn't necessarily look like much from the main page (mainly because it isn't cluttered like some sites tend to be), but you'll find any information which you are looking for on this website. Of course, the website has all of the basic information, such as cast and guest stars from each episode over the nearly forty seasons which the series has aired. But there is so much more.

Have you ever wondered which season your favorite sketch aired? You can certainly find it on here. If you're trying to remember certain characters from the series over the years, you'll find them on here. If you just want to know who did the "live from New York" line on a given episode, even that is on there, along with a still photograph of the actor saying it. It gets even better, because you can go through every season of the series and find a precise listing of all of the sketches from each episode, the order in which they aired, and even all of the songs performed by the musical guests.

There is so much information about each of the episodes on the site, and the best part is that when you are done looking through all of this, you can watch the episodes online if you subscribe to Hulu+ (although they are terribly edited versions which are often missing about half of the episode due to licensing issues... but it is something). So even if it isn't Saturday night quite yet at the time of this posting, it can be Saturday night all the time when you visit The SNL Archives.

That's it for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!

Cloo, previously known as Sleuth, will have a lot of marathons this fall! But first, in something very strange, they will be airing the sitcom 'Til Death, which will premiere this fall on Spike TV, WGN America and local syndication already. Cloo will air the series Sundays from 6-7am starting Oct. 2. As of now, it is not on any other Universal-owned network like USA or Universal HD. Very strange. Like nearly all of Universal-owned networks, Cloo airs programs in huge blocks and marathons. In September, for Labor Day weekend, catch a marathon of The Unit and Burn Notice on Saturday, Sept. 3 starting at 6am and running all day. Then on Sunday, Sept. 4, Cloo presents a marathon of Law & Order: Criminal Intent all day starting at 6am. On Labor Day itself, they will air a marathon of Law & Order: SVU from 6am-10pm.
On Saturday, Sept. 10, it is Old School Saturday with a 24-hour marathon of Charlie's Angels, which regularly airs on sister network Universal HD. The following day on Sunday, Sept. 11 it is "Doctors in the House" marathon with episodes of House and Royal Pains airing all day starting at 6am. It seems like every weekend there is a marathon, as on Saturday, Sept. 17 it is Law & Order: SVU and on Sunday, Sept. 18 it is In Plain Sight. Saturday, Sept. 24 will feature another marathon of Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
Moving on to October, it is more Law & Order: SVU on Saturday, Oct. 1. Burn Notice has Sunday marathons all month long (Oct. 2, 9, 16 and 23), followed by another marathon on Saturday, Oct. 8. Columbus Day has the Bond Columbus Day movie marathon featuring Goldfinger (1964) starring Sean Connery from 7p-9:30p ET and Die Another Day" (2002) starring Pierce Brosnan from 9:30p-12:30a ET on Sunday and License to Kill (1989) starring Timothy Dalton from 6p-9p ET and Man with the Golden Gun (1974) starring Roger Moore from 9p-12a ET on Monday. Saturday, Oct. 15 features a Law & Order: Criminal Intent marathon. The following week, Oct. 22, has a Psych marathon featuring Halloween episodes. The final Saturday of the month, Oct. 29, features a Covert Affairs marathon to promote the USA Network season premiere on Tuesday, Nov. 1. And finally on Sunday, Oct. 30, it's a House "Supernatural" marathon from 12pm-6am.
During the week you can catch House, Monk, The Dead Zone, Walker Texas Ranger, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, JAG, NCIS, CSI, Psych, and of course movies on the Cloo! Killer Instinct, CLOO's new original series and Dateline on CLOO airs Saturdays at 9pm.
Come on back as we still have fall 2011 schedules for Nick at Nite, TeenNick, MeTV Network, ReelzChannel, Lifetime, NYC Local Stations and more to come. We are just waiting for the final word. Antenna TV will have some changes to its original fall schedule that we showed you last month and we will bring that to you as soon as we can.

We gave you USA Network's Fall 2011 schedule a couple weeks back, but now USA Network has announced return dates for three of its original series. We broke the news of the return date for the second half of season two for Covert Affairs on Saturday, but now it is official--it will return Nov. 1! Christopher Gorham, who plays Auggie on the hit series, even acknowledged us on Twitter! First up, fan favorite and USA's longest running original series on-air, Psych returns for its sixth season on Wednesday, October 12 at 10/9c featuring all-new episodes of Santa Barbara's favorite crime psychic team. Nine episodes will air this fall and the remaining seven episodes of season six will air sometime in 2012.
Meanwhile, the second half of the sophomore season of Covert Affairs resumes Tuesday, November 1 at 10/9c with six all-new episodes to wrap-up its sixteen episode season. The series stars Golden Globe(R)-nominated Piper Perabo as Annie Walker, a young CIA operative whose exceptional linguistic skills make her invaluable to the Agency. The summer's mid-season finale was left with Annie finally forced to confess the truth of her job to her sister, Danielle (Anne Dudek), forever changing the balance of their relationship and threatening Annie's hope of living a "pseudo-normal" personal life outside the agency. With Jai's (Sendhil Ramamurthy) position in the DPD in flux, we're left to question where his true loyalties lie. As the season returns, Annie continues to transform into a seasoned operative with more high-octane adventures spanning the globe. The series also stars Christopher Gorham, Kari Matchett and Peter Gallagher. Guest stars include Oded Fehr, Gregory Itzin, Devin Kelly and Santiago Cabrera.
And finally, Burn Notice turns up the heat this fall with the remaining six episodes of the fifth season, starting Thursday, November 3 at 10/9c to finish up its eighteen episode season. The hit series stars Jeffrey Donovan as Michael Westen, a blacklisted spy banished to sun-soaked Miami. Guest stars include Lauren Stamile, Jere Burns, Indigo, Andre Holland, Ian Anthony Dale, Carlo Gallo and Ptolemy Slocum. The series is still airing its summer run through Sept. 8, so fans will only have to wait two months for these six new episodes!