There’s some new episodes of Hour Long Drama here. First is the adoption of Amanda Peet Web and Ginnifer Goodwin Central sites for two amazing women who deserve classy sites. Also is the launch of Magnificent Marsha Thomason for actress Marsha Thomason. I loved her work in Las Vegas and Diana on White Collar is one of the best second season additions, so it came about.
15Jun/100
CBS – The Old Boy’s Network
June 15th, 2010It’s officially time to stop refering to CBS as your grandparent’s network, as with it’s most recent moves, it’s become the Boy’s Network. Minus one exception, CBS has managed to get rid of the main female characters on show as well as cancel female driven shows, leaving the role of supporting characters as the only place for females on CBS.
The most recent blow comes as the news of AJ Cook being let go from Criminal Minds, with Paget Brewster’s episodes being cut as well. Announced on the same day that the news of Michael Weatherly signing with NCIS comes out. Apparently Criminal Minds being a consistant top 10 ensemble shows, with strong female characters was too much to handle. This is after CBS cut Cold Case and Kathryn Morris, Jenniver Love Hewitt and Ghost Whisperer, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in The New Adventures of Old Christine, only to be repleaced with the likes of William Shattner, Tom Selleck and Alex O’Laughlin. The same Alex O’Laughlin who’se had 2 failed shows on CBS. As CSI struggles more and more, the solution CBS saw was to get rid of Liz Vassey, who had just come into her own and created one of the better characters in a long time. Minus Julianna Margulies and “The Good Wife” females on CBS are only seen in supporting roles to their male counterparts, or the quirky side kick role. I love NCIS’ Abby and Criminal Minds Garcia, but we deserve more then that! It’s more sad to see CBS dismiss females like this, given the rise of successful shows that star females on different channels. ABC, NBC and CW all have new programming featuring female lead characters, while cable has paved the way for this programming. USA has Mary McCormack on In Plain Sight, and their upcoming Covert Affairs, TBS and TNT continue to produce quality programming with female leads, Lifetime has shows like Army Wives and Drop Dead Diva. In the race to put out successful programming, CBS is losing.
I hate to see that cost cutting to CBS means eliminating the female population of their shows, alienitating a huge demographic. We’re the people watching, and we want more than pretty boys and their abs! We want to see relatable, strong female characters, andf now this fall, its going to mean turning from the CBS to find that.
6May/102
A Letter to Neal Baer and NBC
May 6th, 2010Deal Neal,
I’ve tried this season, I have. I’ve been there from the start, have ring tones of the L&O theme song, I hung in through it all, the 9pm, losing Alex, but after watching last night, I figured out what’s wrong. And I think what’s wrong is going to get me to watch In Plain Sight live now.
Law and Order’s have ALL been about the two sides working together to solve crimes, take down criminals–and after losing Alex (Stephanie March) on SVU this season, we’ve lost that team effort. Don’t get me wrong, I love Sharon Stone and I applaud the big name casting, but she’s not working. Now Olivia (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliott (Chris Meloni) are working for her, there’s no team effort. There’s also the passion for the conviction that both Alex (Stephanie March) and Novak (Diane Neal) brought to the role of the ADA that is missing here. The character of Jo Marlowe seems to have nothing but personal objectives, and I don’t at all believe the character as an ADA.
SVU, to get back on track, needs Alex and needs her pronto. If not Alex, the casting needs to take the time to find someone who can bring a passion and fire that matches the detectives of SVU.
Till I can bring myself to watch in on my DVR,
A Viewer
12Apr/100
New Additions to the Family!
April 12th, 2010Well, I think I might be done, at least after adding in a couple of new sites. First is Admiring Allison Janney which is a long time coming, and if I ever finish sorting West Wing, might be close to getting there. I’ve really admired Allison since the West Wing, and wanted some place out there. The other is an adoption of Adoring Kim Ravercause lets be honest, she’s Teddy.
5Mar/100
Time for All My Children to move on, Eden did…
March 5th, 2010With the news of Eden Riegel moving on to Young and Restless, I say cool. She wanted to do new projects and good for her. I take offense to her recent comments in TV guide about how Bianca had lost focus. If anything, Bianca was the one good thing on AMC during the Chuck Pratt days. She grew up and had a real lesbian romance–no longer safe, asexual Bianca. And if thats a Bianca with a lost focus, then I guess someone needs to tell me what a lesbian actually is. That must be how you become a “real” Eden fan, but selling out other fans when it becomes time.
I look forward to seeing Eden Riegel and Elizabeth Hendrickson on Y&R, though I hope they don’t try to force anything. Chemistry between two actors on one show doesn’t not necessary repeat on another show (reference Steven Nichols and Mary Beth Evans on GH, Ricky Paul and Beth Ehlers on AMC) and I don’t want to see Chloe taken down. I just feel that if they force the Chloe/Chance/Heather triangle, Heather’s going to be more hated in a story than Daisy, and that says something!
And it’s time to recast Bianca. Eden made that clear in her interview today. Give AMC & Binks fans Bianca (and Reese) back and making the impact in Pine Valley.
25Feb/100
In Plain Sight – yup, the black sheep of USA Network
February 25th, 2010So I was all excited to see that the USA Network was filming a series of new cross promos with the casts from their different shows. My love of the USA Network really has no bounds, and one of the best things they do is the promos. And then my kind of shock to see that of course, the In Plain Sight cast wasn’t going to be involved in these.
Now, I don’t know why I am that shocked–In Plain Sight has always been the “other” show on the USA Network, the second sentence in the listings of shows on the Network, and more and more, the after thought. Yes, it’s not the top 5, 7 million of “Burn Notice” or “Royal Pains” but it has always been a consistant top 20 rated shows, even with the Sunday 10pm slot. We IPS junkies stick through because of the amazing show, these characters that you just can’t help but love and compelling stories. And one of the few USA shows with a female main character driving the stories, and who better than Mary McCormack?
I guess I got my hopes up, with a new Executive Producer, Liz Phair doing the music, and a slew of guest stars even better than last season (and really, how do you top Richard Schiff but with Allison Janney) to be brought down by the relalization that yup, In Plain Sight is still the “other” USA Network Show.
15Feb/100
Dear CW—please remember the W…
February 15th, 2010Dear CW,
After reading that Life Unexpcted is still on the fence, I thought it’s time to write and remind you, CW, of the W in your name, and the history from it. The WB. This great, little quirky network that gave us things like Popular, Dawson’s Creek, Gilmore Girls. Smart television. Televison that made you laugh, cry and made you think. The characters were human, relatable, issues weren’t solved in an hour, but it made you came back week after week. Yea, I know the world wasn’t tuning in, but for a great many of us, it was our own must see television.
Then came the CW. Now I’m the first to admit I understood why hte merge happened, but in the process, those WB fans lost what we use to love about that network. It became more about Vampires, Gossipping Girls, and re-defining a zip code. I get it, I do. You’ve got a demographic to appeal to, and most of us Popular Dawson Girls’ aren’t part of that sought after demographic. We’re not, and we’re ok with that, cause we’ve found other networks, other shows.
Then you go and do something like put Life Unexpected on the air. And bring us back. We’re still not breaking any ratings mass, but you know–it’s exact show that use to be on the WB. Flawed, well written characters, brillant actors, and a story that just brings you in where you want to know more. Yea, there’s not Upper Eastside and no one’s wanting the ertenal bite, but it’s good. Really good. You’ve brought us back Kerr Smith and Shiri Appleby, while adding in Brittany Robertson and Kristoffer Polaha into this crazy little family you can’t help but fall in love with. Lets be honest, Liz Tigelaar should have had her own show LONG ago, but she’s the perfect person for this drive back to the CW. She was there for Dawson’s Creek, and gets what a whole generation of people watched, and miss on tv. It’s appealing to a group that hasn’t been tuning in for a while.
So I do hope you give it a chance, another season. I mean come on, you’ve kept Melrose Place on this long, the least you can do is give Life Unexpected another season, and give it a chance to get that fan base I know it has.
15Feb/100
Another member of the family…
February 15th, 2010Well, I’ve given up saying I won’t add sites, cause I always do when I think I’m done. This is a sweet one For the Love of AJ: AJ Cook Fansite so now, I’m running fansites on all of the three woman on Criminal Minds. Which makes a lot of sense, given my absolute love of the show.
6Feb/102
And the drama begins…
February 6th, 2010So yea, I’ve jumped right into the deep end and got myself a collective. Part place for all my links and FS addition, part place to but the television ramblings, part who knows.
The domain comes from my love of the hour long drama–soaps, procedurals, crime shows–I love them all. There’s something about the stories put together, the characters. I’m also totally taken by the behind the scenes of the shows—I’ve always said Aaron Sorkin and Dick Wolf are 5 of the people I’d have dinner with. So you’ll see some of those ramblings as well.