Comedy Actor Emmy Semis And More

The Golden Derby continues to roll out the Emmy semi-finalist lists that the Academy supposedly tries to get secret. Today it's the lists for best actor in a comedy and best supporting actress in a comedy/comedy. As usual, I'll boldface...

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TV Squad Soap Report: Evil abounds

Filed under: OpEd, Daytime, TV Squad Lists, Casting, Reality-Free

It was big news in the world of daytime when Joseph Mascolo exited Days of Our Lives a few months ago. After all, Mascolo's Stefano Dimera was hailed as the number one villain of all time in daytime by Soap Opera Digest.

His return to Days was supposed to be long-term, but it didn't work out that way. In a surprising, some would say typical, soap way, the phoenix will rise again. Stefano Dimera, in the form of Joseph Mascolo, is coming back to Days of Our Lives. His reign of terror will commence once more -- in early August. Meanwhile, the other big time evil-doer on the show, Victor Kiriakis, will become more moderate and good by comparison.

Evil on the soaps is, well, a necessary evil. You can't have characters who are happy and blissful all the time. You need the selfish, the greedy, the vengeful, all those evil types to keep the stories interesting.

Gallery: TVS Soap Report - Evil

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MTV puts the spotlight on young veterans

Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Programming, OpEd

MTV continues its commitment to inspire young people to get out there and vote. As part of the Choose or Lose campaign, on July 4th MTV2 will honor the millions of young men and women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The day-long programming event will include exclusive messages from both Senator McCain and Senator Obama. The programming block will not only pay tribute to the sacrifice of these young soldiers, but also elevate their issues in light of the 2008 Presidential campaigns.

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Transitioning From Child To Adult In Front Of The
Camera...

We saw it with Drew Barrymore and then again, years later, with Lindsay Lohan, and perhaps most recently with Mary Kate Olsen. Current ?it? stars like the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus will undoubtedly follow suit in the next few years. They are child stars that want to turn more legit as they get older, hoping the fans that are, too, growing up will follow them into more adult ventures. They take on roles in what they perceive as ?serious, artsy? films; they change their look to try to separate themselves from their younger image; and they often take behind-the-scenes hybrid titles as producers to get taken more seriously. Some fail; some succeed; some do one and then the other; and some fall into obscurity somewhere in the middle. With squeaky-clean Nickelodeon star Josh Peck?s star-turn in this Friday?s gritty coming-of-age drama, The Wackness, he may just be another one in a long line, but undoubtedly he is just the first of this generation to test the waters.

When Josh Peck first came into tween girls? consciousnesses in The Amanda Show almost a decade ago, he was a quick-witted, cheerful if chubby kid. Well-groomed and seemingly polite in his real life, he was non-threatening enough to warrant Nickelodeon to offer him a starring role in a partially self-titled sitcom called Drake and Josh. After three years acting alongside Drake Bell, who very quickly got the ?teen heartthrob? title of the duo, both boys decided to go their separate ways and try to branch out as much as they could. For Drake, that meant capitalizing on what was already working (the swoon factor) by turning to music and a small role as the cute older brother in Yours, Mine & Ours, but for Josh it meant completely reinventing himself, which is a risk for any actor to do, let alone one who had cultivated a very specific, very fickle fan following for a number of years. After losing a bunch of weight, Peck looks like a new person and that will definitely be an advantage to transform him into the slang-slurring, drug dealing, kid from the wrong side of the city in his new venture. For Peck, it is undoubtedly a pet project and has its roots in his own childhood, and that daring passion is not only something to be admired but also a recipe for success.

Peck may be out to prove he?s not just comic relief and can actually handle a meaty character piece, and he wouldn?t be alone in that. Cole and Dylan Sprouse may be best known for their roles on the Disney Channel?s The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, but they have been working since they were babies, sharing roles in Grace Under Fire, Big Daddy, and Friends. As they?ve matured from elementary school-age to pre-teen, they?ve already expanded their horizons simply by branding themselves and creating a line of clothing and comic books. In 2004, they took on one of those aforementioned artsy films with The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things, but the attempt was premature, as their youth and inexperience really showed through their one-note interpretation of the confused character. It was just too much, too soon for such a jump in material, and with a script that was colorful with drugs, sex, cross-dressing, and violence, little girls and boys who watched them religiously on the Disney Channel certainly weren?t brought into the theaters. Though it is only four years later, in terms of adolescent maturity that practically makes them and their fans brand new people, with new interests, new knowledge, and new boundaries. Yet, the boys are regressing and returning to material made especially for the under ten crowd with The Kings of Appletown, a modern-day interpretation of ?Tom Sawyer,? and a Suite Life movie. Sure, they are exposing themselves to a whole new slew of young fans, but they are most likely alienating some of the ones who are now teenagers and ready to see the boys take on some high school comedies.
Miley Cyrus?s over-exposed (pun intended) photo spread in Vanity Fair was certainly an attempt to be looked at as a more mature star than the tween sensation she has recently become. However, like with the Sprouse twins, it?s a blip on the radar because immediately after the one detour, she has reverted back to entertaining her typical crowd. Her newest music video, ?7 Things,? invites other young girls to share in her bubblegum pop, nonthreatening world. She is holding onto childhood and those young fans with both hands, perhaps learning a deep lesson from that precocious pictorial.

Jamie Lynn Spears started her career late in the game, especially compared with some of her peers, who have been acting since they were barely out of diapers. Starting with a cameo in her big sister?s own acting debut, Crossroads, she went on to get primed for life as a young network star with a stint on the sketch comedy show All That. After getting her feet wet and paying her dues, Spears was given her own series, Zoey 101, about a group of friends living on a boarding school campus. Zoey placed the young characters in some very adult situations from the beginning, such as the mere fact that they live in dorms and wander the campus unsupervised and unsegregated from the opposite sex, and Jamie placed herself in a very adult situation when she got pregnant earlier this year, forcing her to take some time away from Hollywood now, even if it isn?t nearly as extended a break as perhaps it should be (she has already signed on to voice the title character in Unstable Fables: Goldilocks & Three Bears Show).
Jesse McCartney is one tween star who has taken a few breaks in his career. After spending his twelfth year on the daytime hit All My Children, he made a few guest appearances, but really didn?t pop back up again until the primetime soap Summerland in 2004. During that peak of his intrigue to pre-pubescent girls, he released an album (?Beautiful Soul?) that couldn?t help but draw comparisons to Aaron Carter, both in similar sound and look for the young men. Though he tried darkening his hair, he opted to take on voice-over work in animation and videogames rather than attempt any darker on-screen roles, which led many to assume he had no interest in appealing to a more mature audience. And even though today he boasts the singer/songwriter title and has claimed he has written a track he wants Mariah Carey to release, ?Departure,? his newest body of musical work is just as fluffy and simplistic as his first two, poking no holes in the theory that McCartney is today?s Peter Pan: he will rely on his floppy hair, freckles, and dimples to remain the Tiger Beat poster boy for as long as he possibly can.

With the increasingly critical eye of today?s audiences, let alone today?s youth, perhaps it would be best if the majority of these stars (emphasis on Spears) took a page out of Natalie Portman?s book, who once said that she didn?t care if it was the ?popular? decision, but she was going to take some time off from acting and go to college. She said it was more important to be smart than a movie star, and because in reality many child stars can?t get past the typecasting of their youth, perhaps the smartest thing they can do to have a shot at being a bona fide movie star in their adult career is to take some time away. They need to learn who they are and what they want for themselves and their career away from the blinding lights and obscene paychecks or else it will be all too easy for them to just settle for roles that pigeonhole them due to past success.

Transitioning from child to adult in private and coming back a fresh, new person and in turn a fresh, new actor may be my advice, but one young star who probably wouldn?t agree is Shia LaBeouf. Starring on Even Stevens when he was only thirteen labeled him as the curly-haired goofball who seemed to annoy more than draw admiration. In 2006, just three years after his Disney Channel run came to an end, he had his own star turn in the meaty indie, A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints, where he played a foulmouthed confused kid from the streets, and suddenly casting directors saw him as a man (and more importantly a leading man) at only twenty years old. Taking on psychological thrillers (Disturbia) and big budget action films (Transformers) even garnered him attention from Steven Spielberg, who has been so adamantly vouching for the young star?s talent and work ethic, it seems not even an odd, late night Walgreens arrest or a few smoking citations can hamper his plans as the first of his young peers to join the A-List (unlike how it ostracized Edward Furlong). LaBeouf has certainly set the bar high for what can be accomplished (and it appears Peck hopes to follow in his footsteps), but now the pressure?s on to see if he can stay consistent for the rest of his career. That?s a nearly impossible for thing for any actor to do, let alone ones who start so young!


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Shear Genius - Orange You Glad I Didn't Actually
Want a Haircut

The Best Oranges in the County: This week's clients, The Real Housewives of Orange County and their daughters, didn't seem to really get the point of the show, and basically refused to let much of anything be done to their precious fried blonde locks.

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Not new Spaced, but it will have to do

Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, TV on DVD, OpEd, Celebrities, Reality-Free

The American DVD collection for Spaced is finally coming out, and Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes and Edgar Wright will be promoting it through their US invasion. Well, by "US invasion," I mean they're going on a four-city tour, screening episodes and answering questions in NYC, LA, San Diego's Comic-Con, and Austin. That's sort of an invasion, yeah?

Anyway, I was just sitting here and feeling sorry for myself, like I do, doubly so this time because I won't be able to attend any of those inevitably textbook events. Then, I stumbled across this recent blog entry from Simon Pegg.

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The Bachelorette: The Graham-less Fantasy

"Graham, Graham, wherefore art thou Graham?"

Tonight on The Bachelorette DeAnna goes on three nearly identical dates in the Bahamas. The guys can DEFINITELY see themselves falling in love with DeAnna and she can DEFINITELY see herself spending the rest of her life with each of them. It's a Fantasy Overnight Three-peat to remember! We join DeAnna packing up to go on her fantasy overnight dates and she is still whining about Graham. She reiterates that Graham is the one she had all picked out to be Last Man Standing, but he turned out to be a "Brad," meaning he couldn't give her what she wanted. Sorry, DeAnna. He's just not that into you. I'm not really buying the "too scared to open up" story. Now she just has no idea what to do because she had pretty much written off the other three in favor of Graham, but now he's gone and ruined that.Over on Grand Bahama Island DeAnna sulks along the beach, wondering what it would be like if Graham were here. But no time for that right now because here comes Jeremy jogging up to greet her. DeAnna finally admits that the biggest thing between her and Jeremy is the fact that they've both lost parents, but she's hoping to see him relax and have fun here in Fantasy Land. They kiss a lot. Did you know that DeAnna thinks Jeremy is perfect? Did you know that she could see herself marrying him? They hop on a funky yellow boat which whisks them over to a little private Fantasy Island to hang out on. They ride around for a while on some Fantasy wave runners and then sit down in the Fantasy sand to hash things out. Things seem rather tense and neither of them say anything. Jeremy asks DeAnna to tell him something about herself that he doesn't already know and she can't think of anything. I actually believe that. I'm not sure how much there really IS to know about DeAnna. Wait. Does he know that Brad dumped her? DeAnna whines to us that just when she got rid of Graham for being too quiet, Jeremy clams up. Jeremy keeps telling us that he's gearing up to have a really serious talk with DeAnna. Oh boy. Have you had any other kind?

Liquid courage

They meet up later for Fantasy dinner and now Jeremy can't stop giggling. Well, didn't DeAnna want him to cut loose and relax? Jeremy takes a deep breath and goes into his big speech. He says that this is a huge deal because here is someone he really cares about, but he doesn't really "have" her yet and he doesn't want to lose her. He would say he's falling in love with her, but it's already happened. She doesn't have to respond, he just wants her to know.

"You better believe you let me know."

DeAnna just says she's glad he told her and it's time for the Fantasy Card. Jeremy reads the card and hops up, ready for some action. They head straight for the Fantasy bed and make out while DeAnna reminds us that Jeremy is perfect, has she mentioned that? As we watch, Jeremy gets up and closes the door on us. Aw, no watching of the perfect Fantasy make out? Shucks.The next morning DeAnna rolls out of bed with Jeremy and heads to the beach to meet Jason, who also comes jogging up to meet her.

"Sleep well, did you?"

He tells us that he wants DeAnna to know that he's falling in love with her, but today is all about fun. And first on the Fantasy fun agenda is off-roading in a large Fantasy jeep. I'm remembering how non-adventurous Jason was on the four-wheelers, but this time he hops right in and takes off. They go for a very bouncy ride leading them to what looks like a Fantasy swamp, where they hop on a little portable bridge that utilizes a pulley system to take them across the water.

The complex engineering of the Bahamas.

Waiting on the other side of the completely secluded swamp are the camera guys and about 45 crew members. But they've done something really nice and laid out a Fantasy picnic for the love birds. They discuss the riveting topic of Jason's eating habits and it turns out that he'll try anything once. That's so interesting! After giving some of their cheese to the fish, who will apparently also try anything once, they get ready to go kayaking - in the Fantasy swamp. It seems that they are both kayaking virgins, so this will be a brand new Fantasy adventure for both of them! They row themselves right into the dock, then almost tip over, then go under a bridge, then turn and kiss in the kayak - it's just so romantic.Later at Fantasy dinner, Jason says he's speechless and you can just see DeAnna's head wanting to explode. Speechless is exactly the reason she gave Graham the boot, don't you guys get it? DeAnna says she was glad to see this new fun side of Jason today and Jason says he's glad she got to see it because he has all these different sides, like the dad side and the fun side... let's see what else? Anything? Oh well, DeAnna asks if Ty likes the beach. Is that the best you can do, DeAnna? Last week she asked Ty if he likes riding in the car - after giving him a golf ball. Methinks DeAnna does not spend much time with small children. Jason tells DeAnna that she and Ty are his two favorite topics right now and DeAnna squeals that this is the nicest thing he's ever said to her. Jason says he never expected to meet her - meaning that she's so much greater than he expected and DeAnna says that everything happens for a reason. At least she doesn't talk in clichés. She keeps kissing Jason with her eyes open.

Shut your freaking eyes!

Fantasy Card time! Jason reads it and barely gets past the word "forgo" before tossing the card aside in a Fantasy romantic gesture and saying, "Yeah!" DeAnna positively cackles and they sprint away to the Fantasy suite. I think this one is the room that adjoins to the one Jason had last night. More open-eyed kissing then Jason pulls out some Fantasy jewelry that he bought for DeAnna. Then he thanks her for teaching him that he really can fall in love again because he really is falling in love again. More open-eyed kissing and DeAnna can definitely see herself spending her life with Jason.

"Ah, here comes Admirer Number Three."

And morning number three DeAnna showers off the scent of Jason and heads back to the Fantasy beach to meet The Riddler! He is in fine Fantasy form running to DeAnna and scooping her up, telling her that she always looks sooooo hawt! DeAnna has some Fantasy horses waiting for her and The Riddler, which The Riddler calls "so rad," and they ride around on the sand and in the water. DeAnna is all giddy telling us about how they kissed, on the horses, in the middle of the ocean. Middle of the ocean? They were four feet from the sand, but far be it from me to interrupt the gid. It's another Fantasy picnic and The Riddler keeps thanking DeAnna for all her hard work, even though she's just as surprised as he is to discover what lies in the Fantasy picnic basket. The Riddler says something about there possibly being a Fantasy rock on DeAnna's finger soon, and they discuss how rad it is that they were friends first because if you can't be friends first then how can you possibly date someone? The Riddler says he's nervous and DeAnna says, "Why-uh?" Something about The Riddler brings out the Valley Girl in DeAnna.

"West-siiiiiide Breckenridge!"

They take turns telling us about their blossoming relationship and I notice that The Riddler is calling her "D." At Fantasy dinner, The Riddler, like Jeremy and Jason, is ready to discuss some of the important Fantasy topics. He wants to know how many kids she wants and when, and it turns out they are both on the "Before 30" track, how rad. Then he asks if she could live in Breck for three months out of the year. Breck? Ah hah, he's abreeving the name of his hometown, Breckenridge. DeAnna worries about living in the cold and getting her precious feathers wet. She's also worried that snowboarding is such a huge part of his life and she's not sure where she'd fit in. Gee, what tipped you off, there, D? The hair? The talk? The snowboarding lesson, or was it the entire snowboard decorating motif at The Riddler's apartment? R tries to convince D that snowboarding isn't quite such a big part of his life as she may be thinking - yeah right. He actually has this totally realistic dream of being a sports agent - oh even better. Professions of love and fear follow and so D pulls out the Fantasy card. As was teased to death, The Riddler tells D that he doesn't know if he can spend the night with her before meeting her father. Like ANY guy would actually say that. PUH-LEASE. I could smell that set up from a mile away. Of course he bursts out laughing, says he's totally kidding, he could care less about meeting her dad, let's go have sex!

"Good one - my dad! Ha ha!"

This Fantasy suite looks a lot like the other two, but it does include a Fantasy bubble bath. They sprawl on the Fantasy bed and The Riddler says that he hopes D is serious about wanting to get married because if she chooses him, it's so on. That's where he's at. I was a fan of The Riddler until I learned of some disturbing rumors about him being circulated in the inter-highway. See what you think...Riddler RumorsIt's Rose Ceremony Time! DeAnna emerges from the limo in what looks like an electric blue towel - from the 80's. She reminds us that she let Graham go last week. Yeah, yeah, get over Graham. He sure got over you.

"Is Graham back there somewhere?"

DeAnna tells the guys that her heart is breaking and then she distributes the roses. First, The Riddler. Then... Jason. Oh, the look on Jeremy's face is so sad.

Awwwwwwwwww

DeAnna leads Jeremy to the Rejection Bench to say goodbye. She tells Jeremy that he's perfect, his house is perfect, his dog is perfect, his family is perfect, and she would have a perfect life if she chose him, and she's stupid for sending him home because she would be so lucky. BUT, she worries that she might be confusing the "orphan" bond they share with being in love. Jeremy says he's very hurt and he's never had his heart broken like this. DeAnna bawls and says she's sorry while Jeremy says he hates to think this is the last time he will hold her hand. On his Ride of Shame Jeremy says he never saw this coming. DeAnna was everything he was looking for. He's so upset that he makes the limo driver pull over so that he can get out and walk around for a few minutes. That sucks. He seems really sad. I think Jeremy has been through a lot, and he put a little too much stock into DeAnna being the one to save him. So sad.So! What can you possibly be thinking now? It's Jason, right? It has to be. Right?I wasn't expecting much from the Men Tell Nothing, but I have to admit that there were some golden moments. Stay tuned because I'm going to write about my favorite highlights from that tender reunion.Thanks for reading!-Honey Gangsta

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TODAY'S TWD: ECCE PROMO

No matter how many shows it might contain, every alternate dimension of the TV Universe is as vast as the original dimension, Earth Prime-Time. It just may seem not quite so expansive with so few shows in it.

I've been toying with the idea that there's an alternate TV dimension out there which could be the smallest of all. It doesn't contain actual TV shows per se, although it would be implied. Instead, it's made up of the promotional blipverts that advertise upcoming TV series.

Most of the occupants for this dimension, - which I've dubbed Earth Prime-Time Promo, or the Promoverse - are the characters from such USA Network shows as 'Monk', 'Psych', 'The Dead Zone', and 'The 4400'. Because of events that may have happened during their runs (like having a different President and Vice President than those established in the real world and Toobworld), some of those USA Network shows can't be housed in the main Toobworld while others can. So when their characters interact with those from TV shows that still exist in Earth Prime-Time, then we're viewing the alternate dimension of the Promoverse where both can exist.

I've got a new candidate for inclusion in the Promoverse, which doesn't involve the USA Network. Not directly anyway. See, USA Network is a division of NBC, and the TV show involved in this promo blipvert is an NBC program. But it crosses over with a movie, not another TV show, and that movie is being released by Universal... which also produces the TV show.

Basically, the promo could be called "Chuck vs. Hellboy II". In it, Chuck Bartowski, the guy whose brain contains all of the information from the super-computer Intersec, is playing video games with Hellboy, the demon who also works for the government.

Hellboy has a new movie coming out, "Hellboy II: The Golden Army", and Chuck's sophomore season begins in the Fall. This was a great way for Universal Studios to advertise both.

But neither - so far - technically exists in the other's dimension. Chuck is part of the TV Universe, while Hellboy is in the movie world. (Author Craig Shaw Gardner has dubbed this world the Cineverse.) Therefore, they may as well take up residence in the Promoverse.

And if either one of them crosses over into some other show in the Promoverse just to engage in fornication, that would make them Promosexuals.

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

Click if you want to see "Chuck vs. Hellboy II".

BCnU!
Toby OB


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Spoilers Anonymous

Filed under: Spoilers Anonymous, Reality-Free

This is Spoilers Anonymous, a weekly column here at TV Squad where we'll supply you with the dirt on some of the more popular shows on the air. We'll never put spoilers up here on the main page in order to help the reformed stay unspoiled. If you have anything to add to the group, feel free to step up and let yourself be heard, either with our tips form or by emailing us at tvsquad at gmail dot com or call and leave a message at (775) 640-8479 - your anonymity is guaranteed, if you wish to remain as such.

This week we have: Brothers & Sisters, Chuck, Damages, Desperate Housewives, Heroes, Prison Break, Pushing Daisies, Reaper and Smallville. (SPOILERS FOLLOW!)

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Mad News June 30-July 3, 2008

Lots and lots of news, so I’m posting before the holiday weekend eats all our brains.I just found this great interview with Christina Hendricks from June 28. My favorite part is that she doesn’t realize that Joan speaks in a higher voice than she does in real life. How funny!The New York Post has a [...]

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