Saturday, October 22, 2011
Digital Digest: More Urkel Coming; American Pickers - Volume Two DVD Review
It's getting kind of spooky around here with the very slow news week that we're having here, but Digital Digest is like a zombie, and we're back for what we do have! This week, we have a review of American Pickers - Volume Two. Also, in keeping up with our Halloween theme, we have another website related to the "spooky and supernatural" as our pick of the week. Let's get moving!
We only have news of one new release this week, but it is certain to be one to please many people! The contemporary classic sitcom, Family Matters, is returning to DVD for the second season on February 14. We don't know many details yet, but we assume it'll be just a barebones set. Still, it is good to see the series continuing.
Our only other news concerns a delay for a DVD set that was expected this week. The classic drama It Takes a Thief - The Complete Series was expected on DVD next week, but that has been delayed to November 15. It looks like it is going to be a really good set, though, and we will be reviewing the set in Digital Digest sometime soon.
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (October 25) brings only two releases from Shout! Factory, but they are good ones. The best one is Barney Miller - The Complete Series, a 25 disc collection containing every episode of the series and even the first season of the spinoff Fish. The other release for Tuesday is Dennis the Menace - Season Three. Unfortunately, we have not received review copies of either of these sets, but if we do, we'll definitely have reviews of them.
BLOG DVD REVIEW
DVD Review: American Pickers - Volume Two (A&E Home Video/History, $29.95)
by Todd Fuller
In small towns, and along America's back roads, treasures are waiting to be uncovered - valuable relics from our history that are hidden in junk piles, buried in barns and stacked in garages. It takes experts to find them - and turn rust to riches. American Pickers follows two of the most skilled "pickers" - Mike Wolfe, owner of Antique Archaeology, and his business partner, Frank Fritz - as they hunt down objects with historical, collectible and pop culture value that have been long forgotten by their owners. Along the way, they meet people whose own stories open a window into American lives and history. In this collection, Mike and Frank try to strike a deal with NASCAR Champion Ryan Newman, explore the appropriately named Pickens, South Carolina and try to buy a 300-pound boot.
The 2-disc set contains episodes 1-8 from the second season (2010-11). It comes in an Amaray movie-style case, just like the first release. Frank and Mike are pictured on the front holding a car part and shovel and standing on a pile of junk. A synopsis of the set, episode titles and the DVD specs are listed on the back of the case. Frank and Mike are featured on the spine of the case. There is an insert inside that promotes their new book: American Pickers Guide to Picking. There are no episode summaries included. An episode guide would have been nice to have for reference. The discs have the same photo of Frank and Mike that is used on the front of the case. The show logo is at the top, and the episode titles are listed at the bottom.
The main menu opens with a montage of video clips that play while some music can be heard in the background. These clips run about 20 seconds before leading to the static menu. They feature the same photo of Frank and Mike that is used elsewhere. Episode titles are listed on the left side of the screen in white text. The highlighed episode is in yellow and turns gray upon your selection. When you select an episode, it takes you to another menu where you can choose specific scenes. Different backgrounds of the various locations are used on these menus. Chapters are placed at the appropriate places.
As you might expect from such a recent show, the video and audio quality is excellent. They are presented in 1:33.1 format. The total running time of the 2 discs is approximately 6 hours, 16 minutes. All of the episodes appear to be unedited, with running times of over 43 minutes. If you want high definition episodes, they can be found on iTunes or Amazon.com . The audio is a Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track. Closed captioning is available on the episodes.
The episodes are in their original one-hour format. Episode summaries and airdates are courtesy of the American Pickers Official Site. Here is the episode breakdown by disc, including the original airdates and runtimes:
Disc 1
Art of the Deal (06/01/10) (43:44) - Mike and Frank comb through a master collector's untouched outbuildings in North Carolina. After getting past a few petrified hams they find a true gem, a 1950 Studebaker that Mike falls in love with. But can Mike negotiate a deal at a price that makes sense? Mike then becomes obsessed with a 1934 pre-Airstream trailer and the negotiation becomes a classic in its own right. Next, hoping to sell a choice vintage sign, they pay a visit to friend and NASCAR champion Ryan Newman, who has a surprise of his own for the guys.
Buddy's Booby Trap (06/14/10) (43:18) - Mike and Frank visit a local legend in North Carolina. After picking through an accumulation of school busses and a burned down storage house, they come across an item the guys have never seen before, place bets on what it actually is, and get surprised by what the appraiser says about it. Frank goes into picking-turbo-mode when he finds a gold mine of signs on a 20 acre farm. Also, a mother/daughter team catches the picking bug and gives the guys a run for their money as they dig through their grandfather's garages and outbuildings.
Gordon's Gold Mine (06/21/10) (43:27) - In aptly named Pickens, South Carolina, the guys scour the sprawling inventory of a father-and-son picking duo. They uncover plenty of rare and unusual items... But can they make a deal with the two pro collectors? Next, the guys meet Mary who has inherited a 300-acre property, home to a huge untouched collection. After warming up with a few impulse purchases, Mike and Frank get serious. Plus, while trying to convince the guys to take her on the road, Danielle leads them to an inconspicuous cement factory. It's the "Holy Grail" of picking--Gordon's collection includes a jam-packed vintage general store, and building after building of unbelievable retro treasures.
Smooth Operators (06/28/10) (43:19) - As the guys are winding down their trip through the South, Danielle finds them the mother lode of rare motorbike parts in an old warehouse packed with new vintage Harley stock. Can they convince the sentimental and savvy owner Billy to part with some choice items? The guys make an incredible discovery guaranteed to impress their friend and NASCAR champion Ryan Newman. Plus there's plenty more finds on the 11-acre property littered with racecars and jam-packed outbuildings. And, back in Iowa, Mike and Frank have a field day scouring an incredible collection of one of their decorator clients. But will they spend all their money before coming across the real treasure?
Disc 2
Getting the Boot (07/05/10) (43:32) - While in Kansas, the guys comb through a promising farmyard littered with stuff but are frustrated when they find nothing at all to buy. Their luck changes when they meet demolition expert Johnny Walker. His collection is staggering. But will he agree to part with a rare grave marker and giant 300-pound boot? The next day, Johnny refers the guys to his collector neighbors. Junior's magnificent oilcan collection leaves Frank speechless, but unfortunately so does his sky-high prices. Morris on the other hand proves to be in a wheeling and dealing mood when the guys pull into the old service station that now houses his sprawling collection of automotive memorabilia.
Easy Riders (07/26/10) (43:20) - Mike and Frank are in Missouri, heading towards an inherited old farm with plenty of promise. But then Danielle calls with news about an ultimate prize. She's tracked down a prolific collector with a rare 1937 Harley Knucklehead. Close to their target, and revved up about the classic bike, the guys agree to speed pick the old farm before moving on. But once there, Mike gets lost in multiple outbuildings filled with possibilities. Everything is for sale--but anything of value? Down the road, their next pick is with a self-made man who keeps his incredible collection of "mantiques" in a 1920s Ford dealership and theatre from the same era. The guys are in pick heaven...and when they spot the Harley Knucklehead, high-roller negotiations begin. Can they seal the deal? And finally, in spite of the unwelcoming sign on her sprawling property, Darlene is anything but.
Psychic Pickings (08/02/10) (43:45) - While picking in Missouri, the guys stop in at Sam and Stan's steel yard where the father-son duo takes them on a high-speed golf cart tour of their massive hangar and outbuildings, loaded with heaps of metal and rusty junk. But can Mike and Frank uncover anything worth buying? The team goes freestyling and comes across an old farm where the owners are about to have an auction and badly need Frank and Mike's help. And, in Illinois they come across Greg, who claims he's a psychic picker. He's filled his mammoth home, a former prison, with rare objects and cultural artifacts. But is anything for sale? Plus the guys challenge Danielle to sell an old Studebaker they had picked. Does she rise to it?
One Pony Town (08/09/10) (43:19) - Thanks to his vast collection of stuffed animals and weird curios, lifelong picker and yard sale aficionado Lester is known by his neighbors as the "spooky collector." Tension builds between Mike and Frank over the value of the animals, but both are thrilled to comb through his jam-packed outbuildings. Later on, the guys visit a hard-core Illinois collector who says he wants to downsize. But although his overcrowded building is technically for sale, he doesn't seem ready to part with anything. Missing family and friends, the guys pay a return visit to their "picking mamma," Judy. While scouring her mammoth former factory home, they have a great time, do great business and get a surprise. Plus an appraiser gives Mike some impressive news about a tiny stuffed horse.
Unfortunately, there are no special features included. It would be nice to see some deleted scenes, cast interviews or other featurettes. Fans would crave this type of bonus material.
I first watched American Pickers on History's sister channel Lifetime last December. After viewing a few episodes, I instantly became hooked. This is a show that is both educational and entertaining. They meet some unusual characters on their trips that have some fascinating stories to share. It's easy to see why this is one the biggest hits on cable. Mike and Frank have known each other since the 8th grade and work well together. They are kind of like a modern day Laurel & Hardy. Danielle is also an important part of the show and business. She's the glue that keeps things running smoothly and sends them out on the leads. Sometimes I think they play up the profit angle a little too much, but these guys know their stuff and have a business to run. I don't think they ever intentionally make lowball offers. Their offers usually seem pretty fair. It's all about negotiation. I think most people are just happy to clear some space and get rid of some of their junk that would otherwise be collecting dust. Another interesting aspect of the show is that sometimes they get shut out when people don't want to sell their items. Some of the items they buy end up being worth a lot less than they expected.
The only disappointment with this set is that it contains only 8 episodes. This set was originally listed on Amazon.com as the Complete Second Season, but it was delayed several times and eventually changed to Volume Two. Season Two had a total of 26 episodes, so it will be interesting to see if the third volume will contain 8 more episodes or the remaining 18 episodes form the second season. On the plus side, it's listed at under $9.00 on Amazon.com. It's priced very affordably and would be a good blind buy. If you enjoy these 8 episodes, then you could go back and purchase the Complete First Season. They are currently in their third season. A total 50 episodes have aired at this point. New episodes can be seen on History on Sunday nights at 9/8c.
(4/5 stars)To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Main Reviews Page
American Pickers Official Site
American Pickers TV.com Page
CLICK OF THE WEEK
The Twilight Zone Archives (www.twilightzone.org) - We continue our Halloween theme for Click of the Week this week with a website for a series that is considered one of the greatest classics of all time, and we have a website that is in a dimension of its own... The Twilight Zone Archives. It is one of the older websites for the series that can be found on the web, but it is also one of the more creative ones, and it is filled with plenty of content to keep you occupied. But before you do anything, be sure that you click on and read the information on how to navigate the website. It is no ordinary website, and you'll need to get accustomed to the unique interface or else you'll be lost!
On the website, you'll find everything that you ever needed to know about the series. Of course, there is the usual episode guide, but what if you want to find episodes by a certain theme? There is a way to look that up. You'll even find episode information for all of the "updated" versions of the series (even that horrid UPN remake). You'll also find flubs, memorabilia, candid reflections on the series, behind-the-scenes information, galleries of props, and so much more on the website. It'll truly take you in to a place called... The Twilight Zone.
That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!
Friday, October 21, 2011
The Wayans Bros. and 227 Get Marathons on Centric; Sitcom Stars On Talk Shows (Week of October 24, 2011)
The two newest acquisitions on BET's spin-off network Centric will be getting marathon play the next two weekends! The sitcoms would be The Wayans Bros. and 227. Both sitcoms joined the line-up earlier this month, as we mentioned. The Wayans Bros. will get a welcome marathon this weekend (Oct. 22-23). On Saturday the marathon will run from 12pm-10pm and more from 11pm-2am. Then on Sunday the marathon will encore from 9am-9pm with nearly all of the episodes from Saturday airing. As for 227, that marathon will air next weekend (Oct. 29-30), child. It is a marathon of all season one episodes, with the first 14 airing on Saturday from 11am-6pm. The first 14 will encore the next day from 9am-4pm, before the remaining first season episodes air from 4pm-8pm. That may be Halloween weekend, but you can all dress up like Sandra!
The Wayans Bros. regularly airs on Centric weekdays from 1-2pm & 11pm-12am, while 227 has morning play from 11am-12pm. Stay with us for continued updates on these sitcoms and Centric.
It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars, so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of October 24-28, 2011, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!
Monday, October 24, 2011
- Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle) - Watch Bryan on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Kat Dennings (2 Broke Girls) - Kat appears on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
- Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) - Eric stops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Sean Hayes (Will & Grace) - Sean is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
- Don Rickles (C.P.O. Sharkey/Daddy Dearest) - Catch Mr. Warmth on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Alan Alda (M*A*S*H) - Alan drops by The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Téa Leoni (The Naked Truth) - Téa appears on LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings.
- Bob Newhart (The Bob Newhart Show/Newhart) - Bob visits The Rosie Show at 7pm on OWN.
- Tracy Morgan (30 Rock) - Tracy stops by The Rosie Show at 7pm on OWN.
- Christina Applegate (Up All Night/Samantha Who?/Married with Children) - Christina talks about Up All Night on Today on NBC between 7-9am.
- Paul Scheer (The League) - Watch Paul on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Jane Levy (Suburgatory) - The breakout star of Suburgatory appears on ABC's Good Morning America between 7-9am, then chats with the ladies of The View at 11am ET/10am CT/PT, and finally appears on The Chew on ABC at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT. How great would it be to see Amy Davidson on Suburgatory?
- Patricia Heaton (The Middle/Everybody Loves Raymond) - Tune in to see Patricia on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
- Ana Gasteyer (Suburgatory) - Ana is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Chris D'Elia (Whitney) - Catch Chris on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory) - Kunal visits the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Judith Light (Who's the Boss?) - Judith stops by The Gayle King Show at 10am on OWN.
- Danny DeVito (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia/Taxi) - Danny appears on Today on NBC between 7-9am.
- Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples) - Watch Olivia on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Marlo Thomas (That Girl) - Marlo appears on Today on NBC between 7-9a.
- Chris D'Elia (Whitney) - Chris stops by Today on NBC between 9-10am.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Help Us Get Amy Davidson On ABC's Suburgatory; MeTV and ThisTV To Air Classic Holiday Specials
Today we are starting a campaign to get actress Amy Davidson (8 Simple Rules) on ABC's new comedy Suburgatory! The hit comedy Suburgatory has premiered on ABC's popular Laugh On Wednesday comedy block. As we know, the series stars break-out star Jane Levy about a father and daughter moving from Manhattan to the suburbs. Single father George (Jeremy Sisto) only wants the best for his 16-year-old daughter, Tessa (Jane Levy). So when he finds a box of condoms on her nightstand, he moves them both out of their apartment in New York City to a house in the suburbs. But all Tessa sees is the horror of over-manicured lawns and plastic Franken-moms. Being in the 'burbs can be hell, but it also may just bring Tessa and George closer than they've ever been.
We at SitcomsOnline.com love the comedy and think it is the best new comedy this fall! While watching the pilot, we thought it would be great to have actress Amy Davidson (8 Simple Rules) either guest star or recur on this comedy as a cousin or any other character the producers/casting have in mind. She would be a perfect match for this series because she is so much like Jane Levy -- a talented comedic star! And she also is spitting image of Jane!
Amy Davidson of course is best known for playing Kerry Hennessy on the popular ABC sitcom 8 Simple Rules, which starred TV legend John Ritter. She showed her comedic chops on that sitcom and had great chemistry with John Ritter and the entire cast. John Ritter even called Amy Davidson "very talented." Amy has also worked with other great TV stars in her career such as Betty White, Katey Sagal, Ted Danson, James Garner, David Spade, Richard Thomas, Kaley Cuoco, Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen, Tom Cavanagh, and Sharon Lawrence.
Amy is a versatile actress with broad range in comedy and drama. Her latest TV appearance on a chilling episode of CSI was riveting television. She also showed her versatility in a great performance on the TV mini-series The Capture of the Green River Killer. But since we love comedy, we want to see Amy back on a TV comedy showing more of her great talent! We urge all of you to please sign this because Suburgatory and Amy Davidson are a perfect match and would make for great TV!
Please leave your name and comments to help us get Amy Davidson on this wonderful show! We will be sending this along to the producers and casting for the series! Thanks and spread the word! Follow Amy Davidson on Twitter and "Like" Amy Davidson on Facebook.
Onto some news, Broadcast Partners has announced it had entered into a license deal with both MeTV Network and ThisTV to bring its 2011 holiday package to life. MeTV and ThisTV will be airing ten great timeless holiday classics: He-Man and She-Ra Christmas Special, The Legend of Frosty, Cricket on The Hearth, Fat Albert Christmas Special, First Snow of Christmas, Forgotten Toy's Christmas, Poky Little Puppy's First Christmas, Santa's Last Christmas, Second Star to the Left, and Snow White Christmas. MeTV and ThisTV are bringing a huge national audience to some amazing titles that frankly have been unseen in years, notes Broadcast's Partner's President Neal Ardman. He adds, how wonderful it is for parents to now be able to share some of these holiday memories with their own children. These classics include star voices like Bill Cosby, Hugh Laurie, Danny Thomas and Ed Ames and even a song by funny man Burt Reynolds!
Stay with us for more on these specials when MeTV Network and ThisTV announce their 2011 holiday schedules! Let's hope for some cool sitcom holiday episode stunts, too!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
CBS Pulls How To Be A Gentleman From Saturday Burn-Off; MeTV to the Bay Area on KOFY-TV
We first broke the story on Twitter that CBS has pulled the Saturday burn-off of canceled comedy How To Be A Gentleman after just one week. The series was pulled from the original Thursday schedule, as we mentioned, and now has been pulled from Saturdays after just one week. The sitcom only posted a 0.7 18-49 rating on Saturday, going down from its Two and a Half Men repeat lead-in. Only three total episodes have been aired and six still remain in the can to air, as production was stopped after the ninth episode. No word on if and when CBS will air these six episodes. I get the feeling you have seen the last of this sitcom, though. Lead actor David Hornsby created the series, adapting the nonfiction book of the same name by John Bridges. The series chronicled two former high school classmates, an uptight columnist (Hornsby) and his more freewheeling, Iraq war veteran, trainer (Kevin Dillon), as they renew a friendship that never really existed before. It was sort of like a new take on The Odd Couple.
CBS will replace this sitcom with comedy repeats, with the Comedytime Saturday hour now a full-hour of repeats from 8-9pm ET/PT.
MeTV Network has announced an affiliation agreement with KOFY-TV in the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose market. Granite Broadcasting Corporation's KOFY-TV20/Cable 13 is a local, independent station that covers the nine Bay Area counties. MeTV Network will launch soon and be carried over the air on channel 20.2. Discussions are underway to return MeTV to cable systems in the market. The launch of the Network on KOFY-TV will increase MeTV's market clearance to 62% of the US on primary and digital subchannel affiliates. As you know, MeTV features a wide range of programming that audiences and advertisers find comfortable and engaging. MeTV's library includes series from Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution, CBS Television Distribution, NBCUniversal Television as well as independent series owners and producers. MeTVs' line-up include some of the best television programs ever produced, such as: M*A*S*H, Perry Mason, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Bob Newhart Show, the original Star Trek and Hawaii Five-O series, in addition to many other shows. MeTV Network, memorable entertainment television, launched nationally in December 2010, is owned and operated by Weigel Broadcasting Co. and distributed by MGM Television. Stay with us for continued MeTV coverage as usual.
CBS will replace this sitcom with comedy repeats, with the Comedytime Saturday hour now a full-hour of repeats from 8-9pm ET/PT.
MeTV Network has announced an affiliation agreement with KOFY-TV in the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose market. Granite Broadcasting Corporation's KOFY-TV20/Cable 13 is a local, independent station that covers the nine Bay Area counties. MeTV Network will launch soon and be carried over the air on channel 20.2. Discussions are underway to return MeTV to cable systems in the market. The launch of the Network on KOFY-TV will increase MeTV's market clearance to 62% of the US on primary and digital subchannel affiliates. As you know, MeTV features a wide range of programming that audiences and advertisers find comfortable and engaging. MeTV's library includes series from Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution, CBS Television Distribution, NBCUniversal Television as well as independent series owners and producers. MeTVs' line-up include some of the best television programs ever produced, such as: M*A*S*H, Perry Mason, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Bob Newhart Show, the original Star Trek and Hawaii Five-O series, in addition to many other shows. MeTV Network, memorable entertainment television, launched nationally in December 2010, is owned and operated by Weigel Broadcasting Co. and distributed by MGM Television. Stay with us for continued MeTV coverage as usual.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Antenna TV Presents An Alfred Hitchcock Presents Halloween Marathon; Meet the Kids of Modern Family and The Middle
As we hinted last month, Antenna TV will present an Alfred Hitchcock Presents marathon this Halloween, but that's not all! Turn out the lights and turn on the TV, with over 100 hours of spooktacular programming, Antenna TV's horrifying Halloween will have you on the edge of your seat as the Tribune Broadcasting multicast broadcast network presents frightful flicks all month long and two devilishly delightful Halloween weekend marathons. As of yesterday, Antenna TV, which airs on 50 affiliates across the U.S. reaching 54% of TV households, will feature Halloween and horror movies, including Night of the Living Dead, Boris Karloff in The Black Room and Bela Lugosi in My Son, the Vampire. The fright fest continues on Halloween weekend with a "Horror-ibles Marathon," 24-hours of creepy classics beginning at 1pm ET on Sunday, October 30, 2011. On Halloween Day, Antenna TV will air "Hitch-o-ween" a 32-episode/16-hour Alfred Hitchcock Presents Marathon beginning at 1pm ET on Halloween Day.
View the full list of Halloween programming on Antenna TV! Up next is Thanksgiving, and Three's Company will get the marathon nod (as we mentioned), but we will have more info closer to the holiday!
Meet the kids of ABC's hit comedy Modern Family on ABC.com! They launched a new video series last week called "On the Set with the Kids of ABC" that takes you behind the scenes with their talented young stars. Plus, you can piece together a jigsaw puzzle to unlock more exclusive content with the kids of ABC! There will be new videos and puzzles posted every Saturday featuring kids having fun on sets of other hit ABC shows so make sure to check back next weekend. Watch the kids of the mega hit comedy on abc.com! And if that's not all, there is a puzzle to unlock exclusive video. Solve it!
The second kids feature is of another ABC hit comedy--The Middle! Watch this stellar cast on set and see what goes on! The kids on both of these series are superb actors and hold their own against the TV veterans on their respective shows. Rico Rodriguez, Eden Sher, Nolan Gould and Atticus Shaffer especially are examples of this.
View the full list of Halloween programming on Antenna TV! Up next is Thanksgiving, and Three's Company will get the marathon nod (as we mentioned), but we will have more info closer to the holiday!
Meet the kids of ABC's hit comedy Modern Family on ABC.com! They launched a new video series last week called "On the Set with the Kids of ABC" that takes you behind the scenes with their talented young stars. Plus, you can piece together a jigsaw puzzle to unlock more exclusive content with the kids of ABC! There will be new videos and puzzles posted every Saturday featuring kids having fun on sets of other hit ABC shows so make sure to check back next weekend. Watch the kids of the mega hit comedy on abc.com! And if that's not all, there is a puzzle to unlock exclusive video. Solve it!
The second kids feature is of another ABC hit comedy--The Middle! Watch this stellar cast on set and see what goes on! The kids on both of these series are superb actors and hold their own against the TV veterans on their respective shows. Rico Rodriguez, Eden Sher, Nolan Gould and Atticus Shaffer especially are examples of this.
Monday, October 17, 2011
ABC Fall Pilot Review: Man Up! - Premieres October 18; Charlie's Angels Canceled by ABC
Man Up! - Tuesdays 8:30PM ET/PT on ABC
Premieres Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 8:30PM ET/PT
Will Keen's grandfather fought in WWII. Will's father fought in Vietnam. Will plays Call of Duty on his PlayStation 3 and uses non-dairy hazelnut creamer. So what happened to all the real men? They're still here -- they just smell like pomegranate body wash now.
Meet Will (Mather Zickel). His evolved, sensitive nature is why his awesome wife Theresa (Teri Polo) married him. But Will and his friends find themselves wondering -- in a world of body spray and manscaping -- what does it really mean to be a guy anymore? Will is more interested in finding the perfect gift for his son Nathan's (Jake Johnson) 13th birthday than in doing his job selling insurance, sensitive soul Craig (Christopher Moynihan) still pines for his college ex Lisa, and Kenny (Dan Fogler) clamps down on his anger and asks himself "What would Tobey Maguire do?" when his ex Brenda (Amanda Detmer) starts seeing a guy who is everything he's not (Henry Simmons). And though it may not come naturally, each new day brings these lovable beta males another opportunity to Man Up and be like their forefathers.
In the vein of The Hangover, Man Up! is the virile new comedy from writer/producer/actor Christopher Moynihan (100 Questions), executive producer Victor Fresco (Better Off Ted), and director Beth McCarthy-Miller (SNL, 30 Rock), that follows the struggles of three modern male archetypes as they search for their identities and try to prove that "real men" really can use hazelnut creamer.
Cast Details:
• Mather Zickel as Will Keen
• Dan Fogler as Kenny Hayden
• Christopher Moynihan as Craig Griffith
• Teri Polo as Theresa Hayden Keen
• Amanda Detmer as Brenda Hayden
• Henry Simmons as Grant Sweet
• Jake Johnson as Nathan Keen
• Charlotte Labadie as Lucy Keen
Mather Zickel (Will Keen) has appeared in a wide variety of film and television roles, including as Kieran in Rachel Getting Married and as District Attorney Mike Powers in Reno 911! on Comedy Central. He also appears in the Adult Swim series Delocated. A New York native, Zickel's first major role was his memorable portrayal of Bill Murray in the ABC telefilm, Gilda Radner: It’s Always Something.
Making an exceptional transition from theater to film, Tony Award-winning actor Dan Fogler (Kenny Hayden) was most recently seen on screen in Take Me Home Tonight, opposite Topher Grace and Anna Faris, and in Disney's Mars Needs Moms, opposite Seth Green. In 2009 Fogler starred in Taking Woodstock, as well as Love Happens, opposite Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston. He made his directorial film debut with Hysterical Psycho at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival, and has since created a comic book series entitled Moon Lake based on the feature that debuted this past October.
Fogler's other film credits include Balls of Fury, Kung Fu Panda, Horton Hears a Who, The Marconi Brothers and Good Luck Chuck. He won a Tony Award in 2005 for his performance as William Barfee in the Broadway production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and was also honored with the Outer Critics Circle, The Lortel, Drama Desk for Best Ensemble and Theatre World Awards for his portrayal. Fogler returned to the New York stage in the fall of 2006 in Dan O’Brien’s The Voyage of the Carcass. He had previously appeared in off-Broadway and regional productions, including The Voyage of the Carcass, Bobby Gould in Hell, Joe Fearless, Crepuscule, Bridges and Harmonies, White Devil and Dilettantes & Debutantes.
Creator, executive producer and co-star Christopher Moynihan (Craig Griffith) is at the forefront of a generation of actors with thriving careers as writers as well. After co-starring in the series Coupling, Moynihan wrote and starred in his first television pilot, Foster Hall. Following that experience, he sold several other television pitches until he created and starred in the midseason comedy 100 Questions, which ran in Summer 2010. Additional television credits include Fighting Fitzgeralds, House, Boston Legal and Psych. Moynihan can also be seen in the last two Christopher Guest installments, A Mighty Wind and For Your Consideration.
Teri Polo (Teresa Hayden Keen) is best known for her role as Robert De Niro's daughter, Pam Byrnes, in the Meet the Parents theatricals. She recently starred in Little Fockers, the third installment of the movie franchise, and has completed production on the feature Beyond, opposite Jon Voight, to be released in 2012. Currently she is shooting the Lifetime movie Jayne's Story, which will air in early 2012.
Polo was seen the Hallmark movie Taste of Romance, which was released this past May, and has been recurring on Law & Order: Los Angeles. Other recent credits include the feature film The Hole, directed by Joe Dante, and the miniseries The Storm, both released in 2010. Earlier credits include Beyond Borders, co-starring Angelina Jolie, the suspense thriller The Unsaid, opposite Andy Garcia, and Domestic Disturbance, opposite John Travolta and Vince Vaughn. She also co-starred opposite De Niro and Ben Stiller in Meet the Parents, for which she won a People’s Choice Award, and in its sequel, Meet the Fockers.
Polo made her primetime debut in the dramatic series TV 101. Television audiences may remember her as Michelle Capra in Northern Exposure. She also starred in the comedy series I'm with Her, as well as David E. Kelley's The Wedding Bells. Other TV credits include Hallmark's Love Is a Four-Letter Word, the original film Second String, opposite Jon Voight, and the television movie Straight from the Heart. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her role opposite Jimmy Smits on The West Wing.
On television, Amanda Detmer (Brenda Hayden) starred as Deena Greco in the critically well-received series What About Brian, and had a recurring role as Morgan Gellman on Private Practice. She is currently recurring as Jeanette on the USA Network's Necessary Roughness. Recent television guest starring roles have included Vampire Diaries, Medium, Psych and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
Her first major role was starring as a cop opposite Craig T. Nelson and Richard Krenna in the 1999 NBC miniseries, To Serve and Protect, the story of three generations of Dallas police officers. Detmer's film credits include You, Me & Dupree, Big Fat Liar, Saving Silverman, Final Destination, The Majestic and Drop Dead Gorgeous. She also appeared in the independent features AmericanEast, American Crude and Jam. Additional television credits include the Lifetime telefilm Proof of Lies, CSI Miami, Miss Match, and the telefilms Picking Up, Dropping Off and Stolen Innocence.
Nurturing an impressive body of work that encompasses film and television, Henry Simmons' (Grant Sweet) career continues to evolve with exciting and challenging projects. Simmons soon will be seen starring in the independent feature From the Rough, opposite Taraji Henson. He starred opposite Robin Williams in the independent film World's Greatest Dad, directed by Bobcat Goldthwait, and also appeared in Lifetime's Golden Globe-nominated Georgia O'Keeffe, opposite Jeremy Irons and Joan Allen. Other recent television work includes the CBS drama Shark, created by Oscar-winning producer Brian Grazer.
Simmons quickly garnered attention when he joined the cast of ABC's long running and critically-acclaimed series, NYPD Blue. His character, Detective Baldwin Jones, was only supposed to be in a few episodes, but executive producer Steven Bochco was impressed with Simmons' skills and made him a series regular. Other television credits include starring roles in the miniseries Spartacus, the television film Lackawanna Blues and guest starring roles in the series Pepper Dennis, New York Undercover, Swift Justice and The Cosby Mysteries. Segueing effortlessly between the big and small screens, Simmons starred in the film South of Pico, which took home the grand jury prize for Best Picture at the 2007 American Black Film Festival. Simmons also won the festival’s Actor Award for his performance in the film. Additional feature credits include Madea's Family Reunion, Something New, Taxi, Are We There Yet?, The Insurgents and Above the Rim.
Jake Johnson (Nathan Keen) began his acting career at the age of 7. His mother saw that he had a natural ability for acting and took him to a manager, who thought he had an incredible gift. His new manager took him to an agent, who was thrilled to jump on board and complete his team. Johnson soon began to land jobs. His television credits include ICarly, Little Monk, ER, Cold Case, Bones, Saving Grace, Without a Trace, Funny or Die, Jimmy Kimmel Live and Gary Unmarried. Film credits include Holiday Heist, The Attic Door, Ball Don't Lie, Let's Play and Goal, as well as Disney's Spooky Buddies, which was one of his favorite films to make. Johnson has also performed in more than 40 National commercials. He is recognized on the street for one of his most recent commercials, the tear jerker spot for Kay Jewelers.
Up until now the only famous person to hail from Bay City, Michigan, has been Madonna. Now Charlotte Labadie (Lucy Keen) hopes she will be the second! Labadie spent her first five years there, moving to Los Angeles right after kindergarten. It was her older sister, Elle, who had dreams of a showbiz career, but Charlotte quickly got the acting bug and begged her mom to let her go out on auditions. Her first audition was for a Disney commercial. More commercials and print jobs followed, and then Labadie began pursuing movies and TV roles. She did several short films, one of which went to the Cannes Film Festival, as well as a stint on the ABC series Cougar Town. She can also be seen in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the only child in the Michael Bay-directed film.
Pilot Plot:
"Pilot" - Will is more interested in finding the perfect gift for his son Nathan's (Jake Johnson) 13th birthday than in doing his job selling insurance. His best friend, sensitive soul Craig (Christopher Moynihan), still pines for his college ex, Lisa. Will's brother-in-law, Kenny (Dan Fogler), clamps down on his anger and asks himself, "What would Tobey Maguire do?," when his ex-wife, Brenda (Amanda Detmer), starts seeing a guy who is everything he's not and much better looking (Henry Simmons). After Craig crashes Lisa's wedding to try to win her back, they are all faced with an opportunity to "man up" and be like their forefathers.
Written by Christopher Moynihan
Directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller
Guest stars: Jim Devoti as the groom, Chryssie Whitehead as Lisa, Amber Montana as Samantha and F. William Parker as the preacher
Analysis:
Man Up! is from writer/executive producer/actor Christopher Moynihan, executive producer Victor Fresco (Better Off Ted), and Ron West and Kelly Kulchak of Tagline Television (Psych). It is produced by ABC Studios. Man Up! is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1-channel surround sound. This is a single-camera comedy. There is no added laugh track. The show is set in Gahanna, Ohio.
The pilot opens with Will, Kenny and Craig playing the online Call of Duty video game. Will asks them what he should buy for his son's 13th birthday. In a flashback scene, Craig talks to his college ex, Lisa. Kenny is told by Will that his ex Brenda will be at the birthday party. Will opens a package that has a violent video game that Theresa bought for his birthday. Kenny tells Theresa that Brenda can't come to the party. Kenny confronts Brenda and doesn't want her to be there. Will asks him what "What would Tobey Maguire do?" and Kenny fumes when he learns Brenda is bringing a date to the party. Will talks to Kenny and Craig at his office. Brenda introduces Grant, a former underwear model, to everybody at the party. Kenny and Greg play basketball. Nate comes in and tells Will and Theresa that Greg bought him a shaving kit. On their way to the mall, the trio of guys stop at a church where Lisa is getting married. Craig brings in a guitar and sings "Brown Eyed Girl" and they crash the wedding. A funny scene then happens when they get back to the house. Will later surprises Nate with his birthday gift. The pilot closes like it opened with a scene of the guys talking and playing a video game.
This is a pretty enjoyable pilot. It's well directed. There are some similarities in the style to The Hangover. There are many different scenes at various locations. There's a lot of quick editing and scenes don't drag on at all. Only one flashback type sequence is used in the pilot. I would expect to see more in future episodes. The trio of guys seem to have good chemistry and are very believable as a group of friends. Dan Folger was really the only guy I was familiar with his from his film work, but the other two seem to also have some good comedic timing. The recurring joke of "What would Tobey Maguire do?" and the catchphrase unfluffin' believable are funny. It's great to see Teri Polo on another ABC comedy. I loved her on the short-lived I'm with Her. The supporting cast does a nice job. The two child actors seem very natural. Hopefully they will get more screen time in future episodes. Henry Simmons steals every scene he is in. The ladies will like him for his voice and physique. The show makes some nice use of score and music to enhance some scenes.
Conclusion:
Man Up! has a funny and entertaining pilot. It has some promise and room to develop. There's a little bit of Modern Family in the show, but it's more of a buddy type comedy. The cast is likable and seem to have some good chemistry already in the pilot. It will be interesting to see what kinds of outrageous situations these characters will get themselves involved in. Dan Fogler's Kenny Hayden character is the funniest of the trio and could be one of the break-out characters of the season. His delivery of lines, facial expressions and mannerisms are hilarious. He just has one of those recognizable faces that will make you laugh. I thought that he was very funny in movies like Balls of Fury, Fanboys and Good Luck Chuck. He's one of those supporting actors who is capable of stealing scenes in his films. He reminds me of Danny McBride. It's nice to Fogler him in a lead TV role. Teri Polo is also a welcome member of the cast. She doesn't really have many lines in the pilot, so hopefully we'll see more of her in future episodes.
Tuesdays at 8:00-9:00pm will be a manly hour of comedies of ABC with Last Man Standing and Man Up!. I wasn't sure how a single-camera sitcom would work after a traditional multi-camera sitcom, but I think these two will form a nice pair. They both have a similar men theme and have the same types of jokes. While the show is more geared towards men, women should also be able to relate to some situations. It will be interesting to see how many of Last Man Standing's 13+ million viewers will return this week. Man Up! should receive some nice sampling because there are really no other comedies on at the same time. Men will be boys in this new outrageous buddy comedy.
Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):
Watchability: 3/5
Funniness: 3.5/5
Overall: 3/5
-- Reviewed by Todd Fuller on 10/17/11
Discuss the show after you watch it on Tuesday, October 18 on our message board.
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Preview:
ABC has halted production on the new version of Charlie's Angels, which airs Thursdays at 8/7 central. The series has aired four episodes so far and hasn't had any ratings magic. Despite the action and young cast (and the stunning Minka Kelly), the series didn't produce strong 18-49 ratings (it did do well in men over 55 though). The series has four episodes left to air that are completed and ABC plans on airing them. So yes, the series is canceled, but you can still watch the remaining four episodes on ABC, with the first confirmed to air this Thursday (Oct. 20) at 8/7 central with guest star John Terry (Lost). Next week (Oct. 27), ABC already had scheduled the Halloween classic It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (one Charlie to another!), so the remaining three episodes are "scheduled" to air Nov. 3, 10 and 17, but it depends on if ABC has something up their sleeves for sweeps or not. If they do, these three episodes will not air until likely December, if at all.
So here is the ABC new series update: Revenge and Suburgatory are having full seasons, Pan Am is 50-50 for a full season (my guess is that it gets more episodes), and Last Man Standing just premiered last week to great ratings, so it will likely get the full season pick-up depending on how it does tomorrow. Still to premiere this fall on ABC is new comedy Man Up!, premieres tomorrow and new drama Once Upon a Time from the writers of Lost, premiering Sunday. And Charlie's Angels has been canceled, with the remaining four episodes scheduled to air.
As for the other networks, CBS has picked-up a full season of 2 Broke Girls. Still waiting their fate are Unforgettable, Person of Interest and A Gifted Man. My guess is Person of Interest will be picked-up while the other two will have to wait a bit. CBS has canceled new comedy How To Be A Gentleman, but are burning the remaining episodes off on Saturdays. For NBC, they picked-up comedies Up All Night and (not sure why) Whitney to full seasons. The fate for Prime Suspect hasn't been revealed, but the ratings have been very poor. NBC has already canceled and pulled Free Agents and The Playboy Club. On Fox, new comedy New Girl was picked-up for a full season, while The X Factor (finale on Dec. 22) and Terra Nova (season finale Dec. 19) have their runs set already, so no full season pick-ups are needed. Fox still has Sunday animated comedy Allen Gregory and new Wednesday comedy I Hate My Teenage Daughter to come later this fall. And finally The CW picked-up all three of its new dramas for the full season: Ringer, Hart of Dixie and Secret Circle, but they canceled reality entry H8R. Stay with us for further updates on the fate of the series who still need to know where they are headed after the initial 13 episodes.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Week 4 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did
2011-12 Week 4 TV Ratings (first four nights, Mon-Thu):
Households: 1. CBS 7.9 rating/12.3 share; 2. ABC 7.2/11.3; 3. Fox 5.6/8.8; 4. NBC 3.3/5.2; 5. The CW 1.1/1.8
Total Viewers: 1. CBS 12.65 million; 2. ABC 11.08 million; 3. Fox 9.12 million; 4. NBC 5.12 million; 5. The CW 1.73 million.
Adults 18-49: 1. CBS 3.4 rating/8.8 share; 2. Fox 2.9/7.8; 3. ABC 2.9/7.4; 4. NBC 1.7/4.5; 5. The CW 0.8/2.0
Week 4 (Oct. 10-16) Analysis: It was a week of lower ratings for Fox, while CBS stayed steady. ABC got a good showing from Tim Allen's new series, while NBC is even lower. Through the first four nights, CBS is first in HH/viewers, followed by ABC and Fox, and NBC still way behind in fourth. Among 18-49, CBS is in first place as Fox had their normal Tuesday and Wednesday preempted, leaving them tied for second with ABC. NBC is way back there in fourth waiting for the NFL to save it tonight, like usual. I expect CBS to take the week in HH/viewers but Fox could make a run in 18-49 with an NFL overrun tonight. The normal Animation Domination line-up is preempted tonight, so maybe CBS will prevail. As for last week, week 3, CBS took the 18-49 crown over second place Fox thanks to the NFL overrun on Sunday night again. CBS also prevailed in HH/total viewers once again. ABC was second in HH/viewers, with NBC sneaking in third in HH/total viewers thanks to the NFL. Fox was fourth in HH/viewers. ABC was left in fourth place in 18-49, as NBC made a late run with the NFL to take third place.
Monday has CBS on top again in 18-49, with Fox below normal and ABC winning in total viewers again. Starting with ABC, Dancing with the Stars won the total viewer race with 16.79 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, up some in viewers but down a tad in 18-49 from previous week. A new Castle at 10pm was first place with 10.23 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, down from previous week. ABC was preempted however in Detroit for Monday Night Football and Detroit does very well for ABC Monday. Look for ABC to do better tomorrow night, especially Castle. For CBS, How I Met Your Mother started it off with 8.89 million and a 4.0 18-49 rating, down a lot from previous week and a season low. 2 Broke Girls followed with 10.71 million and a 4.3 18-49 rating, down some from previous week but still impressive build from the lead-in. Then it was a new Two and a Half Men, with new star Ashton Kutcher, doing 16.2 million and a 5.9 18-49 rating, down another 1.5 million from previous week but still it is very good. Will it stabilize by tomorrow? A new Mike & Molly followed the huge lead-in and did 11.65 million and a 3.9 18-49 rating, down from the previous week. An all-new Hawaii Five-0 was next doing 10.07 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating, down a good amount from previous week. Fox was next with the the ALCS Game spilling over into primetime, so Terra Nova didn't start until 8:52pm ET as it did 7.0 million and a 2.5 18-49 rating, down from previous week. Was it down because of a late start? We will see tomorrow. House also was delayed in the E/C time zones and did 6.85 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating at 9:53pm, way down from its season premiere the previous week. NBC followed with another two-hour The Sing-Off doing only 4.35 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, for a series low. It's not December, so it is not doing well. At 10pm, NBC aired a repeat of Prime Suspect and it did an embarrassing 2.92 million and a 0.7 18-49 rating. They should have just continued airing The Playboy Club until news magazine Rock Center with Brian Williams (which is not going to be a big improvement I think) launches on Oct. 31 The CW had a new Gossip Girl doing just 1.27 million and a 0.6 18-49 rating, down some from previous week. At 9pm, Hart of Dixie did only 1.57million and a 0.6 18-49 rating, also down some from previous week. They picked-up a full season, though.
On Tuesday, CBS was on top, with ABC above average and Fox's line-up preempted. CBS had the quiet leader NCIS opening the night off with 18.98 million and a 4.0 18-49 rating, down some from previous week. Then spin-off NCIS: Los Angeles was next and did 15.4 million and 3.3 18-49 rating, down a tenth from previous week. And a new Unforgettable did 11.72 million and a series low 2.3 18-49 rating, down some from previous week. ABC was next with the series premiere of new comedy Last Man Standing with Tim Allen leading the night off doing 13.19 million and a 3.6 18-49 rating for the full hour! Great start! Then Dancing with the Stars: The Results followed at 9pm with a season high 16.89 million and a 3.3 18-49 rating, up from previous week as we said goodbye to Chynna Phillips. I was hoping for Nancy Grace or Chaz. An all-new Body of Proof followed and did a decent 9.- million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, but down some from the previous week. Fox preempted Glee and comedies New Girl & Raising Hope for MLB ALCS Game 3, which did lower than the usual Fox Tuesday, doing 8.33 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating in primetime (8-10pm for Fox). The game overall did 8.39 million and a 2.5 18-49 rating thru 11:15pm ET. NBC was next with a two-hour The Biggest Loser doing 5.58 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, again down some from the previous week and its lowest rating probably ever for the fall, followed by an all-new Parenthood at just 5.26 million but a better 2.1 18-49 rating, up some from previous week. The CW aired a new 90210 with just 1.54 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating, but actually up some from previous week. Then an all-new episode of the Sarah Michelle Gellar drama Ringer did 1.71 million and a 0.7 18-49 rating, also up some from the previous week. It was picked-up for a full season, so it can breathe a little now.
Wednesday it was a face-off between ABC and CBS, CBS won in the total viewers, while ABC took the 18-49 race. CBS started the night off on top with Survivor: South Pacific at 10.69 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week. Veteran drama Criminal Minds did 12.87 million and a solid 3.8 18-49 rating, on par with previous week. At 10pm, CSI did a decent 10.93 million and a second place 2.6 18-49 rating, but down some from the previous week. ABC started off with its Laugh On comedy block with The Middle doing 8.87 million and solid 2.9 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week. The new sitcom Suburgatory followed with a great 8.92 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating, virtually on par with previous week again. Its full season pick-up was very deserving. At 9pm, the mega hit Modern Family did 13.65 million and a huge 5.9 18-49 rating, up some from the previous week. A new Happy Endings was next with 7.29 million and a series high 3.2 18-49 rating, up from the previous week. Good sign. At 10pm week four of my favorite fall series Revenge did a solid 7.9 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating, up from previous week and grew for the first time. Addicting and payback has never been prettier! Full season now! Fox aired preempted The X Factor as MLB ALCS Game #4 was delayed and started at 6:30pm, doing 9.72 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating in primetime. The game overall did 8.37 million and a 2.5 18-49 rating. NBC opened the night with a new Up All Night at 5.24 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, down some from previous week's first climb. At 8:30pm, a repeat of Whitney did 3.97 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, which is better than a new Free Agents the previous week. At 9pm, Harry's Law did nothing, doing just a 1.2 18-49 rating yet again but its 7.84 million viewers is OK, but down from previous week. This is Friday material yet they are launching new series Grimm on Friday nights? An all-new Law & Order: SVU at 10pm did 7.34 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating for last place, on par with previous week. The CW had a repeat of Ringer leading the night off with 1.09 million and a 0.4 18-49 rating. The declining fast America's Next Top Model was next at 9pm with 1.9 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating, on par with previous week.
Thursday it was Fox with the win, as they finally had a normal night. Anyway, ABC opened the night with Charlie's Angels doing 5.91 million but only a 1.3 18-49 rating, up a tad from previous week, but ABC has canceled the series. The remaining four episodes will still air though. At 9pm, Grey's Anatomy followed with 9.97 million and a 3.6 A18-49 rating, up a good amount from previous week's low for the series. At 10pm, Private Practice, with Benjamin Bratt joining the cast, did 6.51 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, up some from the previous week. Could be higher. CBS opened with The Big Bang Theory at 13.58 million and a 4.6 18-49 rating, up a lick from previous week. A repeat was next, as How To Be A Gentleman has been canceled and will air Saturdays, did 12.1 million and a 3.7 18-49 rating, the best any sitcom has done here in a while. Rules of Engagement will take over starting this Thursday. A new Person of Interest followed with 12.04 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, up some from the previous week. It is solid, but not big as it could be, nevertheless, CBS will pick-up a full season soon, I think. A new episode of The Mentalist followed and did 12.39 million and a 2.5 18-49 rating, down some from previous week. Fox aired a two-hour The X Factor doing a solid 11.24 million and a 3.7 18-49 rating, but down from previous week. NBC was in the familiar fourth place with the should-be-not leading-off Community getting slaughtered with 3.78 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating only, though up some from previous week, followed by Parks and Recreation at only 3.99 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week. At 9pm The Office jumped to 6.08 million and a 3.3 18-49 rating, up a tad from previous week. A new episode of Whitney closed the comedy block with only 4.25 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, for another series low. NBC has another drama bust with a new episode Prime Suspect closing the night with only 4.6 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating, down from the previous week. The CW's big gun Vampire Diaries did 2.89 million, and a 1.4 18-49 rating, up some from previous week, followed by a new The Secret Circle at 1.89 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating, on par with the previous week.
Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won Friday with their dramas but the new A Gifted Man was low but steady and Blue Bloods still was the highest rated series of the night. ABC was in repeats again from 8-10pm, but the comedies repeated well, and NBC's Dateline again did solid from 9-11pm. Fox had a good showing from Kitchen Nightmares but Fringe dropped the ball (down a tenth from previous week). Look for Friday to have more new programming as ABC launches Extreme Makeover: Home Edition this Friday. I think that will help ABC win the night.
Saturday numbers was a battle with Fox and ABC with sports -- MLB ALCS Game 6 and NASCAR on ABC. The burn-off of How To Be A Gentleman for CBS did nothing.
Tonight ABC Sunday is all-new (with AFV, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Pan Am). Pan Am should hopefully go up this week and ABC can sort of pick-up additional episodes at least. NBC will win the night with the NFL with the Vikings and Bears, but it could be below normal. CBS has its normal line-up of 60 Minutes, Amazing Race, The Good Wife and CSI: Miami, with no delays expected as they don't have the national NFL game. Fox has the NFL overrun this week leading into a special The X Factor on a special night (thanks to the preemption on Wednesday by baseball), as the animated comedies are preempted again.
As for the week (week 4), CBS will win in HH/viewers but Fox could come back for an 18-49 win over CBS. Fox will give ABC a run for second in HH/viewers, but ABC will prevail. ABC will be third in 18-49, but NBC could tie or come close again. NBC will likely be fourth in HH/viewers, as Fox had sporting events this weekend that should seal them for third place in HH/viewers. As for the coming week (week 5), we have the series premiere of new comedy Man Up! right after week two of Last Man Standing on Tuesday night starting at 8/7 central on ABC. Look for our review tomorrow.
Week 4 How the Sitcoms Did
Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for Week 3 -- Oct. 3-9)
- The Simpsons (Fox) - preempted.
- The Cleveland Show (Fox) 2 airings - A repeat at 7pm did nothing with 1.37 million and a 0.6 18-49 rating, down some from previous week. A second repeat followed with 2.25 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating.
- Family Guy (Fox) - preempted.
- American Dad! (Fox) - preempted.
Monday Sitcoms
- How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - An all-new episode did 8.89 million and a 4.0 18-49 rating, down a good margin from previous week. Still a bit higher than last season, but it really went down it seems in week four.
- 2 Broke Girls (CBS) - A new airing did 10.71 million a 4.3 18-49 rating, down some from the previous week. Good news still.
- Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 16.2 million and a 5.9 18-49 rating is excellent, but down again from previous week. Has it stopped the bleeding now? We will see tomorrow.
- Mike & Molly (CBS) - With the strong lead-in, a new episode did 11.65 million and a 3.9 18-49 rating, down from previous week and the lowest rating in 18-49 of the block again. Could be better.
Tuesday Sitcoms
- Last Man Standing (ABC) - The two-episode premiere did very well doing the best 8pm premiere for a comedy in total viewers since 2004 and in 18-49 since 2006! The premiere did 13.19 million and a 3.6 18-49 rating, growing from the first half to second half! Great start for Tim Allen and company!
- New Girl (Fox) - preempted, will air next on Nov. 1.
- Raising Hope (Fox) - preempted, will air next on Nov. 1.
- The Middle (ABC) - A new episode did 8.87 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating, very consistent every week. Good numbers.
- Suburgatory (ABC) - The third week did a very good 8.92 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating, building from its lead-in again and on par with previous week!
- Up All Night (NBC) - A new episode did 5.24 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, down some from previous week but still good for NBC.
- Whitney (NBC) - A repeat did 3.97 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, up from the time period the previous week.
- Modern Family (ABC) - An all-new episode did 13.65 million and a second all-time best 5.9 18-49 rating, up some from the previous week. Modern tied Men to be the sitcom leader of the week. Will it surpass it this week?
- Happy Endings (ABC) - A new episode did 7.29 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating, up from the previous week. Series highs for the second time in three week. Yeah bouy!
Thursday Sitcoms
- The Big Bang Theory (CBS) 2 airings - A new episode did 13.58 million and a 4.6 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week. A repeat followed and did great with 12.1 million and a 3.7 18-49 rating.
- Rules of Engagement (CBS) - premieres this Thursday.
- Community (NBC) - A new showing did just 3.78 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, but up some from previous week. Still not lead-off material.
- Parks and Recreation (NBC) - A new episode did 3.99 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week.
- The Office (NBC) - A new episode did 6.08 million and a 3.3 18-49 rating, actually up a tenth from previous week. Bucked its trend.
- Whitney (NBC) - A new episode did 4.25 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, down from previous week. This series should have never been picked-up for a full season, sorry.
Friday Sitcoms
- Last Man Standing (ABC) - A repeat of the first two episodes did solid with a prelim 4.87 million and a prelim 1.3 18-49 rating, tying for second place in the hour.
- Modern Family (ABC) - A repeat did a prelim 3.69 million and a prelim 1.3 18-49 rating, better than previous week when it aired at 8pm.
- Suburgatory (ABC) - A repeat did a prelim 3.14 million and a prelim 1.1 18-49 rating, up some from previous week when it aired at 8:30pm.
- The Office (NBC) - A repeat did a prelim 2.1 million and a prelim 0.7 A18-49 rating, not good.
- Parks & Recreation (NBC) - A repeat of this sitcom did no better with a prelim 1.55 million and a 0.5 18-49 rating. This show should never be repeated, especially Fridays.
Saturday Sitcoms
- Two and a Half Men (CBS) - A repeat on Saturday did a prelim 3.59 million and a prelim 0.9 18-49 rating on the new Comedytime Saturday hour.
- How To Be A Gentleman (CBS) - An all-new episode on Saturday did nothing with a prelim 2.43 million and a prelim 0.7 18-49 rating, losing numbers from its lead-in. Not good.
Airing tonight (Sunday) are no comedies, as Fox's animated comedies are preempted for The X Factor on a special night.
Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, Last Man Standing, 2 Broke Girls, How I Met Your Mother, Mike & Molly, Suburgatory, The Office, The Middle, Happy Endings were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as Up All Night, Parls & Recreation) or just plain old terrible (such as How To Be A Gentleman, Community, Whitney).
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Digital Digest: V - The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Disc Review; CSI: NY - The Seventh Season DVD Review
Welcome to another week of Digital Digest! It's another slow autumn week here, but we are here nonetheless with your news and everything else. This week, we have a Blu-ray review of V - The Complete Second Season (DVD/Blu-ray), along with another review from the CSI franchise, with CSI: NY - The Seventh Season. Let's go!
As has been the case almost every week lately, we start with even more Netflix news... once again, they are going to be adding new content! This time, it isn't about any older series or sitcoms (sadly), but the new content this time will be coming from current and future series airing on The CW! According to the press release, "(p)revious seasons of The Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill and Nikita will be available to watch instantly on October 15, with previous seasons of Supernatural and 90210 beginning in January 2012." But that's not all. Beginning in the fall 2012 season, EVERY scripted series from the 2011-2012 season on the network will be available on the Netflix, with the deal continuing through the 2014-2015 season!
DVD news has been light this week, but the news that we do have is all good. Some very interesting revelations were given about Shout! Factory and some series from the Sony library on TVShowsOnDVD.com. It appears that Shout! Factory will be releasing the second season of several stalled Sony series sometime next year, including SWAT, Police Woman, The Rookies, and Here Come the Brides. But will this be all? We just don't know yet, but hopefully there will be some sitcoms among future announcements.
The only other DVD newsworthy item is about a show that seemed to be stalled from Universal, that being Alfred Hitchcock Presents! Recently, the series began airing on Antenna TV, but Universal isn't done with DVDs of the series, with a planned release of the fifth season for January 3. It is too bad that they didn't do a pre-Halloween release this time (as they typically do), but it is nice to see another release in any event.
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (October 18) is a completely dead day for sitcom releases with no releases, but if you are interested in classic TV, Lionsgate has a re-release of Little House on the Praire - The Complete Series. And V is also out today, see our review below!
REVIEWS
Blu-ray Disc Review: V - The Complete Second Season
by Pavan
V - The Complete Second Season (Warner Home Video, $49.99 Blu-ray/$39.98 DVD) brings us all 10 episodes of the exciting and fun second season of this sci-fi thriller on Blu-ray disc and DVD! They seem almost godlike among us. They are the alien Visitors who, led by mysterious queen Anna, base their operations out of 29 motherships hovering over 29 global sites. But why 29? The answer lies in the Vs' secret plan – just one of the extraordinary revelations in Season 2 of V. As that astonishing plan draws closer to fulfillment, a resourceful underground unit of resistance fighters called the Fifth Column redoubles its efforts to undermine it. And throughout are the amazing visuals that are hallmarks of the series: looming spaceships, advanced medical technologies and the fear-inducing morphing of Vs into their reptilian forms. Our world...their rules?
V stars Elizabeth Mitchell as FBI Agent Erica Evans, Morris Chestnut as Ryan Nichols, Joel Gretsch as Father Jack Landry, Logan Huffman as Tyler Evans, Laura Vandervoort as Lisa, Charles Mesure as Kyle Hobbes, with Morena Baccarin as Anna and Scott Wolf as Chad Decker.
All 10 season two episodes are needed to be watched in order of course. I just love this show and am saddened it will not return for a third season. It is just good TV. This season the ten episodes aired in a block rather than a split season. The series moved to the 9pm anchor position from Jan. 4 to March 15, as in the first season the series aired at 8pm its first block and returned in the spring to 10pm. Ratings were down for season two but DVR usage of the series was still solid and I thought that merited another short season or perhaps a mini-series event. Among my favorite of the 10 are the season premiere "Red Rain," with Red Sky and now Red Rain unleashed on the planet, the world is on the brink of war and there is chaos all around. In "Concordia," Anna reveals plans for her latest gift to humanity, 'Concordia,' citadel-like structures that will be built by humanity but will include a wealth of Visitor technology that humans will be trained to use. In "Siege," Ryan is captured by Cohn and his men after he is sent by Anna to infiltrate the Fifth Column and kill Cohn with a shocking ending to the episode. In "Uneasy Lies the Head," Erica, now in command of the Fifth Column worldwide, spearheads a hazardous attack against Anna by planting virus "bombs" into certain candidates of the Visitor's live-aboard program. And on the thrilling season finale, "Mother's Day," Erica and the Fifth Column pretend to kidnap Lisa, and Anna is told to give herself up for Lisa's freedom in an action-packed episode.
Recurring are Christopher Shyer as Marcus, Roark Critchlow as Paul Kendrick, Rekha Sharma as Agent Sarita Malik, Scott Hylands as Father Travis, Nicholas Lea as Joe Evans, Mark Hildreth as Joshua, Oded Fehr as Eli Cohn, Jay Karnes as Chris Bolling, Martin Cummins as Thomas, Ona Grauer as Kerry Eltoff, Bret Harrison as Sidney Miller, and Jane Badler as Diana. Guest stars include Marc Singer as Lars Tremont.
The episodes on this set are all unedited, obviously, with the episodes around 43 minutes. The pilot episode runs 47 minutes. Here are the runtimes for this set:
Disc 1
1. "Red Rain" - 43:07
2. "Serpent's Tooth" - 42:46
3. "Laid Bare" - 43:05
4. "Unholy Alliance" - 43:09
5. "Concordia" - 40:13
Disc 2
6. "Siege" - 43:09
7. "Birth Pangs" - 43:08
8. "Uneasy Lies the Head" - 43:16
9. "Devil in a Blue Dress" - 42:47
10. "Mother's Day" - 43:11
Let's now move on to the packaging. For season one we reviewed the DVD, but this season we have the Blu-ray set! We have a thin outer box holding a case, this is similar to the DVD for season one. The cover art for both has the scary red V logo with full body shots of Erica and Anna and the dark city skyline. There is a mention of The Complete Season Season on the top and the tagline "They Said They Came In Peace. They Lied." on the bottom. The back of the outer box has shots of the entire cast of eight regulars. We also have info on the series and set as well, with a special features list. The back of the case has the famous Erica and Anna face shot, with it looking like they are one face with the V spaceship looming. Inside the Blu-ray case we go, we have an episode booklet on the left. The front of that has the V logo again with a different shot of the city skyline and also Anna & Erica. This booklet is very detailed and handy as we have episode details, all broken down disc-by-disc, with the episode number, title, writers/director, original airdate, and synopsis. We also have nice episodic artwork. There is also two pages with a cast photo and credits. And a page has a shot of the spaceship and Erica & Anna again. As far as the discs itself go, the two discs are on the left and right panels itself. The disc art is the same for each disc, with a V logo scooted to the right. Disc one has episodes 1-5 and disc two has 5-10. There is no artwork on the panels, as we get the Blu-ray blue.
The menu screen is very cool. Blu-ray menus are so much different I think and it is better than regular DVDs. Background music from the show is playing in the background, as we have the V logo once again and the same artwork as the cover art. We have options for Play, Episodes, Features, Languages and BD Live. Play of course plays them all at once for that disc. When we select Episodes, on Blu-ray there are no sub-menus, so a pop-up box pops up and you choose the episode with the titles listed and if they have a scissor icon, that means we have deleted scenes available for that episode. Actually each episode have deleted scenes, so that is very cool. Features options pops-up all the extras on that disc, even the deleted scenes again. And Languages pop-up have the option for Spoken Languages and Subtitles, with audio in English, French and Castellano and subtitles in English, French, Castellano, Nederlands, Espanol, Dansk, Suomi, Nork, and Svensta.
The video is great, as it should be in full HD! This is the Blu-ray version so it is flawless. Everyone should own a Blu-ray player as the video quality is just superb and you feel like you are right inside the show. I have watched all 10 episodes on ABC in HD and it looks even better in Blu-ray! The audio is very good in DTS-HD Master Audio. That is the best you can get so you know it will be clear and crisp. Each episode has 7 or 8 chapter stops.
As for special features, we have a WHOLE lot here. Both discs have special features. We have deleted scenes on every episode. For disc one: "Red Rain" (3 scenes, 3:46 total), "Serpent's Tooth" (2 scenes, 1:14 total), "Laid Bare" (3 scenes, 3:37 total), "Unholy Alliance" (1 scenes, 1:42 total), and "Concordia" (2 scenes, 1:30 total). For disc two: "Siege" (1 scene, 0:12 total), "Birth Pangs" (4 scenes, 3:04 total), "Uneasy Lies the Head" (2 scenes, 1:54 total), "Devil in a Blue Dress" (2 scenes, 1:06 total), and "Mother's Day" (7 scenes, 8:50 total). That is a lot of deleted scenes and it is great to see so many for the finals! As for featurettes, disc one has "A Visual Masterpiece For the Small Screen" (21:13). This features the very cool visual effects on the series and the show has more effects than any other show on TV right now. Interviewed are Andrew Orloff (VFX Supervisor), Steve Pearlman (executive producer), James David Haffin (composing supervisor) and Nathan Matsuda (2D Supervisor). We also are given a tour of the studio so you meet more people on the way. This is very good and interesting to see and it is cool to have a follow-up feature as they covered this for season one, too.
The next featurette is on disc two. But first I have to say that we do not have any audio commentaries this time, which is a bummer. Anyway, we have a very nice featurette called "The Arc of Story: Mining the Human Emotion" (25:13). We hear about season two and how they were firing on all cylinders. We get cool storyline tidbits as well. So get your soul ready for this one! Interviewed are Scott Rosenbaum (executive producer/writer), Cameron Litvack (co-producer/writer), Gregg Hurtwitz (consulting producer), Steve Pearlman (executive producer), Scott Wolf, Morris Chestnut, Morena Baccarin, Laura Vandervoort and Elizabeth Mitchell.
I highly do recommend this Blu-ray set for any V fan of both the original series and this series. This is really a good show and I hope you all buy this Blu-ray disc (or DVD). There aren't as many special features as season one, but what we have here is still great. The quality of Blu-ray sets is just superb. I'm heartbroken that we won't have another season and I hope in the future ABC and Warner Bros. develop a mini-series to continue where we left off. That would work and fans would be pleased to see it. The second season stepped up its game and the series was firing on all cylinders with action-packed episodes from start to finish. Elizabeth Mitchell and Morena Baccarin played their characters perfectly. The humans think their building their future, but they are actually digging their own graves as Anna says, but the only way you'll be digging your own grave is if you don't buy this set! It is a must see TV show and should be in all homes! We don't lie like to Vs, so please add this to your collections!
(4.5/5 stars)
To purchase the Blu-ray Disc, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Main Reviews Page
V TV.com Page
V - The Complete Second Season (Warner Home Video, $49.99 Blu-ray/$39.98 DVD) brings us all 10 episodes of the exciting and fun second season of this sci-fi thriller on Blu-ray disc and DVD! They seem almost godlike among us. They are the alien Visitors who, led by mysterious queen Anna, base their operations out of 29 motherships hovering over 29 global sites. But why 29? The answer lies in the Vs' secret plan – just one of the extraordinary revelations in Season 2 of V. As that astonishing plan draws closer to fulfillment, a resourceful underground unit of resistance fighters called the Fifth Column redoubles its efforts to undermine it. And throughout are the amazing visuals that are hallmarks of the series: looming spaceships, advanced medical technologies and the fear-inducing morphing of Vs into their reptilian forms. Our world...their rules?
V stars Elizabeth Mitchell as FBI Agent Erica Evans, Morris Chestnut as Ryan Nichols, Joel Gretsch as Father Jack Landry, Logan Huffman as Tyler Evans, Laura Vandervoort as Lisa, Charles Mesure as Kyle Hobbes, with Morena Baccarin as Anna and Scott Wolf as Chad Decker.
All 10 season two episodes are needed to be watched in order of course. I just love this show and am saddened it will not return for a third season. It is just good TV. This season the ten episodes aired in a block rather than a split season. The series moved to the 9pm anchor position from Jan. 4 to March 15, as in the first season the series aired at 8pm its first block and returned in the spring to 10pm. Ratings were down for season two but DVR usage of the series was still solid and I thought that merited another short season or perhaps a mini-series event. Among my favorite of the 10 are the season premiere "Red Rain," with Red Sky and now Red Rain unleashed on the planet, the world is on the brink of war and there is chaos all around. In "Concordia," Anna reveals plans for her latest gift to humanity, 'Concordia,' citadel-like structures that will be built by humanity but will include a wealth of Visitor technology that humans will be trained to use. In "Siege," Ryan is captured by Cohn and his men after he is sent by Anna to infiltrate the Fifth Column and kill Cohn with a shocking ending to the episode. In "Uneasy Lies the Head," Erica, now in command of the Fifth Column worldwide, spearheads a hazardous attack against Anna by planting virus "bombs" into certain candidates of the Visitor's live-aboard program. And on the thrilling season finale, "Mother's Day," Erica and the Fifth Column pretend to kidnap Lisa, and Anna is told to give herself up for Lisa's freedom in an action-packed episode.
Recurring are Christopher Shyer as Marcus, Roark Critchlow as Paul Kendrick, Rekha Sharma as Agent Sarita Malik, Scott Hylands as Father Travis, Nicholas Lea as Joe Evans, Mark Hildreth as Joshua, Oded Fehr as Eli Cohn, Jay Karnes as Chris Bolling, Martin Cummins as Thomas, Ona Grauer as Kerry Eltoff, Bret Harrison as Sidney Miller, and Jane Badler as Diana. Guest stars include Marc Singer as Lars Tremont.
The episodes on this set are all unedited, obviously, with the episodes around 43 minutes. The pilot episode runs 47 minutes. Here are the runtimes for this set:
Disc 1
1. "Red Rain" - 43:07
2. "Serpent's Tooth" - 42:46
3. "Laid Bare" - 43:05
4. "Unholy Alliance" - 43:09
5. "Concordia" - 40:13
Disc 2
6. "Siege" - 43:09
7. "Birth Pangs" - 43:08
8. "Uneasy Lies the Head" - 43:16
9. "Devil in a Blue Dress" - 42:47
10. "Mother's Day" - 43:11
Let's now move on to the packaging. For season one we reviewed the DVD, but this season we have the Blu-ray set! We have a thin outer box holding a case, this is similar to the DVD for season one. The cover art for both has the scary red V logo with full body shots of Erica and Anna and the dark city skyline. There is a mention of The Complete Season Season on the top and the tagline "They Said They Came In Peace. They Lied." on the bottom. The back of the outer box has shots of the entire cast of eight regulars. We also have info on the series and set as well, with a special features list. The back of the case has the famous Erica and Anna face shot, with it looking like they are one face with the V spaceship looming. Inside the Blu-ray case we go, we have an episode booklet on the left. The front of that has the V logo again with a different shot of the city skyline and also Anna & Erica. This booklet is very detailed and handy as we have episode details, all broken down disc-by-disc, with the episode number, title, writers/director, original airdate, and synopsis. We also have nice episodic artwork. There is also two pages with a cast photo and credits. And a page has a shot of the spaceship and Erica & Anna again. As far as the discs itself go, the two discs are on the left and right panels itself. The disc art is the same for each disc, with a V logo scooted to the right. Disc one has episodes 1-5 and disc two has 5-10. There is no artwork on the panels, as we get the Blu-ray blue.
The menu screen is very cool. Blu-ray menus are so much different I think and it is better than regular DVDs. Background music from the show is playing in the background, as we have the V logo once again and the same artwork as the cover art. We have options for Play, Episodes, Features, Languages and BD Live. Play of course plays them all at once for that disc. When we select Episodes, on Blu-ray there are no sub-menus, so a pop-up box pops up and you choose the episode with the titles listed and if they have a scissor icon, that means we have deleted scenes available for that episode. Actually each episode have deleted scenes, so that is very cool. Features options pops-up all the extras on that disc, even the deleted scenes again. And Languages pop-up have the option for Spoken Languages and Subtitles, with audio in English, French and Castellano and subtitles in English, French, Castellano, Nederlands, Espanol, Dansk, Suomi, Nork, and Svensta.
The video is great, as it should be in full HD! This is the Blu-ray version so it is flawless. Everyone should own a Blu-ray player as the video quality is just superb and you feel like you are right inside the show. I have watched all 10 episodes on ABC in HD and it looks even better in Blu-ray! The audio is very good in DTS-HD Master Audio. That is the best you can get so you know it will be clear and crisp. Each episode has 7 or 8 chapter stops.
As for special features, we have a WHOLE lot here. Both discs have special features. We have deleted scenes on every episode. For disc one: "Red Rain" (3 scenes, 3:46 total), "Serpent's Tooth" (2 scenes, 1:14 total), "Laid Bare" (3 scenes, 3:37 total), "Unholy Alliance" (1 scenes, 1:42 total), and "Concordia" (2 scenes, 1:30 total). For disc two: "Siege" (1 scene, 0:12 total), "Birth Pangs" (4 scenes, 3:04 total), "Uneasy Lies the Head" (2 scenes, 1:54 total), "Devil in a Blue Dress" (2 scenes, 1:06 total), and "Mother's Day" (7 scenes, 8:50 total). That is a lot of deleted scenes and it is great to see so many for the finals! As for featurettes, disc one has "A Visual Masterpiece For the Small Screen" (21:13). This features the very cool visual effects on the series and the show has more effects than any other show on TV right now. Interviewed are Andrew Orloff (VFX Supervisor), Steve Pearlman (executive producer), James David Haffin (composing supervisor) and Nathan Matsuda (2D Supervisor). We also are given a tour of the studio so you meet more people on the way. This is very good and interesting to see and it is cool to have a follow-up feature as they covered this for season one, too.
The next featurette is on disc two. But first I have to say that we do not have any audio commentaries this time, which is a bummer. Anyway, we have a very nice featurette called "The Arc of Story: Mining the Human Emotion" (25:13). We hear about season two and how they were firing on all cylinders. We get cool storyline tidbits as well. So get your soul ready for this one! Interviewed are Scott Rosenbaum (executive producer/writer), Cameron Litvack (co-producer/writer), Gregg Hurtwitz (consulting producer), Steve Pearlman (executive producer), Scott Wolf, Morris Chestnut, Morena Baccarin, Laura Vandervoort and Elizabeth Mitchell.
I highly do recommend this Blu-ray set for any V fan of both the original series and this series. This is really a good show and I hope you all buy this Blu-ray disc (or DVD). There aren't as many special features as season one, but what we have here is still great. The quality of Blu-ray sets is just superb. I'm heartbroken that we won't have another season and I hope in the future ABC and Warner Bros. develop a mini-series to continue where we left off. That would work and fans would be pleased to see it. The second season stepped up its game and the series was firing on all cylinders with action-packed episodes from start to finish. Elizabeth Mitchell and Morena Baccarin played their characters perfectly. The humans think their building their future, but they are actually digging their own graves as Anna says, but the only way you'll be digging your own grave is if you don't buy this set! It is a must see TV show and should be in all homes! We don't lie like to Vs, so please add this to your collections!
(4.5/5 stars)To purchase the Blu-ray Disc, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Main Reviews Page
V TV.com Page
DVD Review: CSI: NY - The Seventh Season (CBS DVD/Paramount Home Video, $62.99)
by Todd Fuller
In this game-changing seventh season of CSI: NY, the city that never sleeps has a string of wake-up calls. From the gangs of Spanish Harlem to a woman who is literally scared to death, Detective Mac Taylor (Oscar nominee and Emmy winner Gary Sinise) leads his team on the never-ending hunt for the truth. Emmy Award winner Sela Ward joins the cast as a former FBI-Agent-turned-CSI, and is immediately initiated into the CSI world with a dead body found in the NYPD Crime Lab. Along with team members Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo), Sheldon (Hill Harper), Lindsay (Anna Belknap) and Flack (Eddie Cahill), Season 7 gives you an ever grittier look into the scene of the crime.
This 6-disc set contains all 22 deadly episodes from the seventh (2010-11) season of the gritty crime drama. The episodes are presented in anamorphic widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English 5.1 Surround and Spanish Stereo audio available. It has a total running time of approximately 16 hours. The attractive packaging has a photo of the always gorgeous Sela Ward and Gary Sinise. There is an embossed CSI: NY logo in the bottom center of the box. As with Season 6, they use a cardboard box that holds a clear plastic (Viva) snapcase. There's a photo of Ward, Giovinazzo, Cahill, Belknap, Harper and Sinise at a crime scene on the back of the box. A short synopsis of the set, a listing of the special features and the DVD specs are provided. There is a clear plastic snapcase that slides out from the right of the outer cardboard box. The snapcase has the same cover art, photo and information as the cardboard box. Opening up the snapcase, there is a content locator which lists the episodes and the special features by disc on the inside cover. A blue-tinted drawing/photo of the New York City skyline is at the bottom. Discs 1 and 6 are held in embedded holders in the front and back of the case, while Discs 2-5 are held in back-to-back plastic tryays. The discs have just a plain silver background with the CSI: NY logo on them. Episode titles are listed on the discs.
The menus are stylish and easy to navigate. There are no previews on this release, so it jumps right to the main menus. The main menu opens with a shot of a top of a building and the Statue of Liberty that leads to a montage of video clips from the show. An instrumental cue plays in the background before the sequence loops after about 40 seconds. Options for Episode Selection, Set Up and Special Features are available at the bottom of the screen. Episode titles are listed vertically in blue/teal boxes on the Episode Selection menu. The Set Up menu has a shot of a taxi cab on a New York City street. You can choose English 5.1 or Español audio. English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing are available. Some options and special featuers are not rated any may not be subtitled. As you would expect from such a recent show, the video and audio quality is outstanding. CSI: NY has the darkest and grittiest look of the CSI franchise shows. All of the original music appears to be intact. Episodes are presented in their original broadcast order and numbered by the production number. The broadcast and production order was the same this season. Running times are between 42-44 minutes in length. Hopefully we'll see some seasons released on Blu-Ray in the U.S. at some point.
Here is the episode breakdown by disc, including the runtimes:
Disc 1
Episode 701 "The 34th Floor" (44:10)
Episode 702 "Unfriendly Chat" (42:07)
Episode 703 "Damned If You Do" (44:33)
Disc 2
Episode 704 "Sangre Por Sangre" (44:19)
Episode 705 "Out of the Sky" (44:33)
Episode 706 "Do Not Pass Go" (44:30)
Episode 707 "Hide Sight" (43:09)
Disc 3
Episode 708 "Scared Stiff" (44:36)
Episode 709 "Justified" (44:11)
Episode 710 "Shop Till You Drop" (42:06)
Disc 4
Episode 711 "To What End?" (44:28)
Episode 712 "Holding Cell" (44:12)
Episode 713 "Party Down" (42:49)
Episode 714 "Smooth Criminal" (42:59)
Disc 5
Episode 715 "Vigilante" (43:32)
Episode 716 "The Untouchable" (43:00)
Episode 717 "Do or Die" (44:15)
Episode 718 "Identity Crisis" (44:32)
Disc 6
Episode 719 "Food For Thought" (42:38)
Episode 720 "Nothing For Something" (42:44)
Episode 721 "Life Sentence" (42:57)
Episode 722 "Exit Strategy" (44:28)
A nice amount and mixture of special features are spread out over the 6 discs. They include four featurettes, four deleted scenes, a gag reel, and video blogs for most of the episodes. Unlike the other recent CSI franchise releases, there are no audio commentaries on this set.
Disc 1
Under the Microscope Blog for "The 34th Floor" (2:47) - Adam Scott Weissman (Writer's P.A.) and Matt Levine (Executive Assistant) do an exclusive weekly video blog on the set of CSI: NY. These were originally produced for the CBS.com site. They give a brief tour of the trace lab, the ballistics room, EDNA and Detective Mac Taylor's office.
Deleted Scene for "The 34th Floor" (1:09) - A scene of Jo hailing a cab.
Under the Microscope Blog for "Unfriendly Chat" (1:34) - A behind-the-scenes look at a rooftop scene with A.J. Buckley.
Under the Microscope Blog for "Damned If You Do" (1:40) - They give a look at some make-up being applied by SPFX Make-up Brian Kinney to some actors.
Seventh Deadly Season (22:23) - This featurette provides a general overview of the seventh season. They talk about the newness of the season, the new night and time, and new cast member Sela Ward. The storylines and highlights of the various characters are discussed. The cast talk about their favorite episodes. Interviews include Co-Executive Producer Trey Callaway, Co-Executive Producer Vikki Williams, Gary Sinise, Sela Ward, A.J. Buckley, Producer John Dover, Carmine Giovinazzo, Anna Belknap, Hill Harper, Eddie Cahill and Robert Joy.
New in Town: Jo Danville (11:50) - This featurette talks about the introduction of the Jo Danville character, her background and the humor that she brought to the show. Interviews include Co-Executive Producer Trey Callaway, Sela Ward, Producer John Dove, Anna Belknap, A.J. Buckley, Hill Harper, Eddie Cahill, Robert Joy, Gary Sinise, Carmine Giovinazzo and Co-Executive Producer Vikki Williams.
Disc 2
Under the Microscope Blog for "Sangre Por Sangre" (2:18) - Guest Star Edward James Olmos is interviewed.
Under the Microscope Blog for "Out of the Sky" (3:07) - This video blog takes a closer look at the visual effects. Visual Effects Supervisor Brad Powell, Visual Effects Coordinator Jeff Crocker and Effects Artist Chris Hagerthy are interviewed.
Under the Microsope Blog for "Do Not Pass Go" (2:04) - A disclaimer is played at the beginning about disturbing images. SPFX Technician Brad Palmer SPFX Technician Erin Draney are interviewed talk about the process of getting the decomposed bodies ready.
Disc 3
Under the Microscope Blog for "Justified" (2:11) - Writer/Producer John Dove, a retired NYPD Detective Liutenant, is interviewed.
Deleted Scene for "Justified" (2:27) - A scene of Flack and Messer at Mitch Barry's apartment.
An Extended Visit: John Larroquette Comes to CSI: NY (8:11) - This featurette focuses on the character of Chief Ted Carver played by John Larroquette. He appears in a three episode arc. Interviews include Co-Executive Producer Trey Callaway, Supervising Producer Kim Clements, John Larroquette, Producer John Dove and Gary Sinise.
Under the Microscope: Gary's Band (2:00) - Gary Sinise is interviewed about his band: Gary Sinise & The Lt. Dan Band.
Under the Microscope: Celebrating the Show's 150th Episode (2:30) - Showrunner/Executive Producer Pam Veasey and Co-Executive Producer Zach Reiter are interviewed.
Disc 4
Under the Microscope Blog for "To What End?" (1:23) - SPFX Makeup Artist Brian Kinney and Hair Department Head Bruce Samia talk about getting the clowns ready.
Under the Microscope Blog for "Party Down" (2:23) - Underwater Director of Photography/Underwater Camera Operator Christopher Lee Warden and Actor Carter Macintyre (plays Chris Boyle), Marla Sokoloff (Abigail West), VFX Specialist/Water Tank Owner Gene Warren Jr. are interviewed about filming the scenes at a water tank.
Under the Microscope Blog for "Smooth Criminal" (2:23) - Costume Designer Libby Palmer talks about the wardrobe for Ne-Yo in this episode.
Disc 5
Under the Microscope Blog for "Vigilante" (2:50) - Anna Belknap is interviewed about the episode.
Under the Microscope Blog for "The Untouchable" (2:15) - Production Designer Vaughan Edwards talks about the elaborate set used in this episode.
Deleted Scenes for "The Untouchable" (1:53) - Jo and Linday are at the lab in the first scene. Mac, Jo, Flack and Lindsay talk about a suspect in the second scene.
Under the Microscope Blog for "Do or Die" (2:43) - Writer Matthew Levine talks about the process of writing this episode.
Under the Microscope Blog for "Identity Crisis" (5:39) - Co-Executive Producer Trey Callaway answers some fan questions.
Disc 6
Under the Microscope Blog for "Food For Thought" (4:05) - 1st Assistant Director Bruce Humphrey and SPFX Coordinator Dave Kelsey are interviewed about blowing up the food truck in this episode.
Under the Microscope Blog for "Nothing for Something" (4:08) - Eddie Cahill talks about his Flack character.
Under the Microscope Blog for "Life Sentence" (3:48) - Supervising Producer Christopher Silber and Co-Producer Adam Targum talk about the pre-production process of working on a script.
Under the Microscope Blog for "Exit Strategy" (2:32) - This is a compilation of the highlights of this season's video blogs.
Wild Ride: On the Set with Peter Fonda (7:33) - This featurette focuses on guest star Peter Fonda, who plays a grizzled ex-cop named William Hunt in the final two episodes of the season. Interviews include Producer John Dove, Co-Executive Producer Trey Callaway, Peter Fonda, Gary Sinise and Hill Harper.
Gag Reel (2:38) - A montage of bloopers from this season, including a few bleeped out words.
This was a season of change for CSI: NY. They were moved a new day and time of Fridays at 9pm. Melina Kanakaredes left the show after six seasons and was replaced by Sela Ward. Sela Ward's character brought a new dimension and more humor to the show. I think a new character always helps re-energize the writers and cast. They celebrated their 150th episode this season. Memorable episodes included "Unfriendly Chat," "Damned If You Do," "Identity Crisis," "Life Sentence," and "Exit Strategy." Peter Fonda was a great guest star in the final two episodes of the season.
The special features on this set are entertaining and informative. It's great to see all of the main cast members participate in them. This is a rare set in the CSI franchise that doesn't have any audio commentaries, but they made up for it with the additional featurettes. I think the Under the Microscope behind-the-scenes video blogs were particularly interesting. They are bite-sized featurettes and interviews that last only a few minutes, but they get the job done. It's nice that they've continued to post them on the CBS.com Official Site for the current season.
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CLICK OF THE WEEK
Bewitched and Elizabeth Montgomery Website (www.bewitched.net) - For the next few weeks, we're going to get into the Halloween spirit by showcasing a few websites that are themed to Halloween, and we're going to start with one of my personal favorites this week. The Bewitched and Elizabeth Montgomery Website proudly proclaims itself as the "ORIGINAL, BIGGEST, BEST and MOST COMPLETE Bewitched and Elizabeth Montgomery web site on the net," and that is no exaggeration. The website first appeared online about 15 years ago, and is still going strong to this day.
Bewitched and Elizabeth Montgomery Website (www.bewitched.net) - For the next few weeks, we're going to get into the Halloween spirit by showcasing a few websites that are themed to Halloween, and we're going to start with one of my personal favorites this week. The Bewitched and Elizabeth Montgomery Website proudly proclaims itself as the "ORIGINAL, BIGGEST, BEST and MOST COMPLETE Bewitched and Elizabeth Montgomery web site on the net," and that is no exaggeration. The website first appeared online about 15 years ago, and is still going strong to this day.
The website is a bit clumsy to navigate at times, but if you want content, this website is very strong in that area. Of course, you can start with the heavily detailed episode guide that is featured on the website (as any good TV show website includes), but from there, you'll find interviews (even some exclusive ones conducted by the site) with some of the stars and production crew, scripts, pages devoted to cast and crew (with information, photos, and other artifacts that you won't find anywhere else), memorabilia, rare video and audio footage, and even a look into the series as it aired in other countries! And you can even take a stroll down "Morning Glory Circle," the actual lot where the outdoor scenes for the show were shot. There is so much content to be found on this website that it is hard to summarize it all, so why not just use a twitch of the nose (or a click of the mouse) and check it out yourself?
That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!
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Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Friday, August 28
none scheduled
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 24)
Friday, August 28
- Glen Powell (Chad Powers/Scream Queens) - Watch Glen on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- John Leguizamo (The Brothers Garcia) - John appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Donnell Rawlings (Twenties) - Donnell is a guest on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 11:35pm on CBS.
- LaKeith Stanfield (Atlanta) - LaKeith appears on a repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Laura Dern (F Is for Family/Enlightened) - Drew chats with the legendary Laura Dern on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
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