I was deeply saddened when Veronica Mars was cancelled last season. I really thought the show still had a lot of promise, and clearly the networks are all in love with Kristen Bell still, so we know it wasn’t about her.

They pitched an idea that would leap the series forward 4 years after Veronica graduates from the Academy and becomes a full fledged FBI agent rookie. This idea was shot down, but they did film the episode. Which I found bits of on YouTube.

Its actually pretty damned good, and shows us a little glimpse into what happened to our favourite sexy slueth. I am a little more saddened that it was over knowing that this is where it was headed. But happy that I got this peek into Veronica’s future.

This post was Authored by Rodney Brazeau, Senior Editor for the TVShow Blog and Our Resident Authority on all things Heroes and Smallville

The buildup to Season 7 of 24 has started early this year. At 24trailer.com, the clock is counting down to the debut of the “Day 7” trailer at 1 p.m. EST on October 25th.

In addition to its online debut, Variety.com says:

…the trailer will bow at the same time on the big-big screen in Times Square, and that the first promo for the new season will air Oct. 25 during Game Two of the World Series.

There’s a lot of pressure on the upcoming season of 24, after “Day 6” was rather anticlimactic. A female president, a move to Washington DC, some interesting casting choices, and the resurrection of Tony Almeida may be exactly what 24 fans need to get them excited. But will starting promotion this early in the game help or hinder the upcoming season? Once the trailer is released, what type of follow up will take place in the months remaining until the 2 hour season premiere on January 13th? Personally, I’m looking forward to the trailer, but I really think they’ll need something more in the coming months to really get the fans back on board for “Day 7”.

This post was Authored by Melissa, Our Resident Authority on all things 24

NBC has launched two new websites that tie in to their show Chuck.

Buy-more’s official website contains links to videos and games, as well as Morgan’s video blog.

The Nerd Herd’s site is a brilliant spoof on the Geek Squad. They also include these computer tips:

Is your computer melting down or is that just your patience? Either way, here’s a few basic things to try when something goes wrong with your machine.
• Make sure everything is plugged in.
• Yes, it’s obvious, but it’s the number-one problem we encounter… honest.
• Restart.
• It’s a tried and true fix-it that really does help in many (OK, some) instances.
• Swear.
• Let loose with your best sailor language. It may not make your computer spring back to life, but you’ll feel loads better. Just make sure the kids are in the other room.
• Ask your eight-year-old. Chances are, he or she will know what to do.
• Try turning the monitor on.
• Hey… we’re all forgetful sometimes.
• Call the Nerd Herd!

I think it’s all sound advice. I’m actually a big fan of the “fake website” that is a tie in to a movie or television show. For some reason, ever since Blair Witch Project, I’ve thought this was a genius use of the internet. I wish sometimes that they had more content and more things to play around with though. Most of the links on these sites lead back to NBC.com. I remember some of the sites connected with Earth Final Conflict had a lot of information and places to surf. You could spend hours without leaving their universe. I hope eventually Chuck could do something like that, they’re aiming to have enough data. For instance, they need to have more Nerd Herd Profiles. I’m sure everybody that watches wants to know more about Chuck’s Stable of Hos.

This post was Authored by Elizabeth, Our Resident Authority on all things Chuck

Moonlight was doing fairly well in the ratings until last Friday, October 12, when Women’s Murder Club premiered on ABC. According to USA today, the Nielsen ratings show that Women’s Murder Club sent Moonlight to a series low in the ratings.

USA Today reports that:

“The premiere of ABC’s Women’s Murder Club Friday killed the competition with 10.8 million viewers, sending NBC’s Friday Night Lights to 5.5 million, down 14% from last week’s return, and CBS’ Moonlight to a series-low 7.1 million.”

I’m a bit worried about this because, although I think that last night’s episode was the best one so far, I fear that Moonlight won’t be able to compete against Women’s Murder Club. It seems that the later will bring in more viewers because it appeals to more types of people (the success of shows such as CSI and Law & Order proves that people in this country love detective shows like this). Hopefully, Moonlight will be able to compete, because I think that it’s getting better every episode, especially now that Mick is no longer hiding his identity from Beth.

Does anybody else think that Moonlight is getting better every week?

This post was Authored by Emily Hanson, Our Resident Authority on all things Moonlight

We’re three episodes into the second season of Friday Night Lights, and it’s time for some thoughts. It should be said up front that I was nervous about a second season simply because of how fantastic I thought the first season was. I had hoped that maybe it would be left as a one season masterpiece, but alas the show continues on. How does it stand up?

Ever since the Landry expressed interest in Tyra I wanted something to happen between them, and the relationship that has spawned is certainly not the one I dreamed of or expected, but I find myself emotionally caught up in them worried about what will happen to Landry. This story arc adds a darker side to FNL but I think it will give us a chance to see further into two characters that weren’t as explored in season 1.

One could only assume that it was only a matter of time before Coach Taylor returned to Dillon and with his family falling apart I can’t wait to see him sorting out the mess that he’d left behind.

The only part of the season that has me a little concerned is the faith development in Lila and Tim. I can’t say it’s not realistic since my experience speaks to some of what’s happening in the show but I just hope that they show some positive developments in Lila and not just make her a hypocritical fanatic.

Originally I was worried that FNL would be too much about football but at this point in the second season I’m hoping for some more football soon because so much time has been put into the characters. Don’t get me wrong I love the character development but this show does football really well too.

What are your thoughts on Season Two so far? What do you like? Not like?

This post was Authored by Cole McFarlane, Our Resident Authority on all things Friday Night Lights

Naoko Mori’s Tosh takes center stage this week and turns on a very enjoyable performance, I tend to like her more than Gwen. In fact she may be my second fave character on the series after Jack. After meeting a woman named Mary, Tosh is suddenly empowered with the ability to read minds, which quickly becomes as much of a curse as it is a blessing. Whether you’ve noticed or not, Tosh has had the hots for Owen since the beginning of the series, and as she tunes in on his and Gwen’s thoughts, Naoko shows us how much this hurts her character.

This ep feels like a bit more of a character piece, and a nice breather after the tension of last week’s visit to the country, and I was very happy to see Tosh take center stage, and hope we see more of it in the future.

It’s hard in ensemble shows to give every character their moment in the sun, and sometimes it takes a while, but sometimes they’re worth the wait, and this one is.

At this point in the series everyone has found their footing with their characters, and whether you like them or not (I’m still kinda looking at you Owen) they are all beginning to fit into the structure that forms Torchwood, most of them (I’m definitely looking at you Ianto), and I’m looking forward to more such eps in the second series.

The episode was scripted by Toby Whitehouse, who penned the second series ep of Doctor Who called School Reunion, which saw the return of Sarah Jane Smith (who now has her own spinoff series - anyone seen it?), and K-9 (who I hear also has his own series - anyone seen THAT?) and of course Tony Head as the villainous school master, and he keeps the story moving while balancing it with humorous dialog and putting Tosh through her paces.

Torchwood airs Saturdays on BBCAmerica, and Fridays (though a few eps behind) on CBC

This post was Authored by TD, Our Resident Authority on all things BBC

CBS has taken the first step toward giving Big Bang Theory fans just what they want; an order for a full seasons worth of episodes.

Broadcasting & Cable reports

CBS gave full-season order to rookie comedy The Big Bang Theory. Big Bang stepped right into the network’s successful Monday-night comedy block, averaging a 3.6 rating in adults 18-49 and nearly 9 million viewers. In its first season, it is also building on its How I Met Your Mother lead-in by 9% in the demo and 10% in viewers.

This is the best possible news for the producers and fans as Big Bang Theory will now have the comfort of working out the remaining kinks (of which there are very few) and settling in to sharpen an already very good show. Big Bang Theory airs Mondays at 8:30ET on CBS.

This post was Authored by Rob Walley, Our Resident Authority on all things Big Bang Theory

“It’s very…dark and broody and violent - what people seem to be getting off on these days. So, it’s not at all what we were doing. We were doing a show for kids intentionally and making it fun and make it in such a way that adults could enjoy it, too, with their children.”

The above comes to us from Lindsay Wagner, television’s original Bionic Woman, who recently spoke her mind to the press. While I admit anything I might add to that statement would doubtless be superfluous, NBC’s newly revamped remake did manage some tiny signs of improvement this week that are worth a mention. , NBC’s newly revamped remake did manage some tiny signs of improvement this week that are worth a mention.

Last night’s episode, a story about Spanish terrorists forcing an American hostage to decode a pocket flash drive, introduced a shadowy espionage angle that, perhaps cribbed in part or whole from 24 or Alias, nevertheless brought some of the many previously disconnected storyline threads into a sharper focus. Lovesick Jae’s shaky loyalty to Jonas and the Berkut Group, Sarah Corvus’ renegade status and the moral wanderings of the elder Andros and his (likely still living) son Will were revealed to have a smidge more depth and perhaps a better defined role in the larger storyline.

We may be seeing here the early influence of the show’s new creative mind Jason Katims, or else Eick’s original take is beginning to pay off some of its outstanding narrative debts. Whatever the reason, the show has some massively bionic bounds still waiting to be leapt if it intends to catch up in the ratings race. It’s season premiered in first place but Bionic Woman has been steadily slipping, losing more of its audience each week.

According to the latest prime-time standings, this fourth episode marked an all-time low for the series: dead last among the big three networks. That shouldn’t be raising the eyebrows of anyone who’s been following the show. While the murky cloak and dagger plot of this latest episode did indicate a certain amount of progress, we’re still looking at a patient whose brainwaves indicate lifelong coma. Let’s keep in mind that a little toe wiggling doesn’t always lead to full recovery.

This post was authored by Jim Titus, a man worth significantly less than Six Million Dollars

Take all of this with a grain of salt.

The Sun has a quick article about this year’s Doctor Who Christmas Special which could be construed as spoiler heavy. If it’s accurate. The Sun has been hit and miss with their Doctor Who articles, so it’s hard to know for sure if what’s contained in this article is correct.

One thing is does mention, like we didn’t see this coming, is that Kylie gets to plant one on the Doctor. Like the article says… “Dr Who is one lucky, lucky, lucky time traveller. Who wouldn’t want to be snogged by Kylie?”

Only click the link if you’re willing to venture into spoiler territory.

Soon enough, I won’t be venturing down spoiler-territory, I hate to ruin things for myself
This post was Authored by TD, Our Resident Authority on all things BBC

Wanna know what Halloween goodness the Simpsons are delivering us this year? Simpsons Channel gives us this:

Mr. and Mrs. Simpson - Homer and Marge in a Mr. and Mrs. Smith parody.
E.T. Go Home - Bart and Lisa try to help Kodos return to his home planet, or at least that’s what Kodos wants them to think.
Heck House - when Bart and his friends go too far in playing pranks on Halloween, Flanders turns the church into a Hell House that’s a real killer

I used to love their Halloween episodes. Back in the day, they were funny, and often one of the biggest highlists of their seasons. It really fell apart when they started airing them in November (the 4th, this year), and after that, the pacing of each story crumbled. Maybe they should make them hour-long specials?

And now, they are parodying things that aren’t even horror/halloween themed. A spoof of Mr. and Mrs. Smith would be perfect fun, if it were another episode. Why not make fun of the movie Halloween? They haven’t made fun of that series, as far as I can remember. They could Lisa being the babysitter who is taking care of Rodd and Todd. Bart can be the Michael Myers’ character and Principle Skinner could have filled the Dr. Loomis role. Why not? They’ve made fun of Jason, Freddy, and Chucky.

This post was Authored by Josh Kelhoffer, Our Resident Authority on all things Adult Swim

Those who read my NCIS column each week know how much it tickles me when people are shocked to see how well the show is doing. This is the second week I’m going to quote BuddyTV.com’s reaction to the show.

NCIS, ladies and gentleman, your number one Tuesday night TV program. That’s right, NCIS had the most overall viewers of any TV series last night, much to the bemusement of everyone I’ve ever met. Literally, I don’t even know what NCIS is about. Can someone let me know? I know it stars a silver-haired middle aged man who looks relatively swarthy. I’m guessing that at the beginning of the show, some crime is committed and that, after an investigation, the crime is solved. NCIS. I don’t get it. It beat Dancing with the Stars last night. It didn’t have House to compete with because of baseball, but still. Color me baffled.

Mark Harmon…swarthy? I love this guy! And I love how CBS very much started all of this. NCIS can keep being “uncool.” I, and millions of others will just keep on watching. NCIS airs 8ET Tuesdays on CBS.

This post was Authored by Rob Walley, Our Resident Authority on all things NCIS

On the heels of Kitchen Nightmares receiving the positive news from FOX that they will be around for a couple of years and my week after week ranting that the US show just doesn’t live up to its UK predecessor, I was pleasantly surprised to find this week’s episode good enough to put it right up there with its English kin.

At first it did not seem that Ramsay was going to a restaurant that needed a lot of work as the Olde Stone Mill was an examination in beauty. A beautiful facility in a wonderful affluent location owned and run by a man who literally restored the property by his own hand. This is where Gordon comes in and this is what made this the best US Kitchen Nightmares yet.
This week we finally got to see the UK’s Gordon come in, observe the service, research the community, confront the owner and staff, devise an entirely new menu…and throw them all to the wolves. There seemed to be a whole lot more wrong with The Olde Stone Mill than any of the previous US Kitchen Nightmares exhibited and the shock was kept to a minimum while Ramsay steered things right.

One big omission is that we still can’t get the UK’s follow-up segment and here we really needed and deserved one. For the first time on the US show, I really want to see how these folks turn out down the road. I have suggested that FOX consider a special “Revisited” episode (I know the name is used in the UK version) later in the season, but now I’m demanding one.
I think Kitchen Nightmares has proven it CAN get it right and I can now confidently recommend it to fans of the original.
Catch it Wednesdays at 9CT on FOX.

This post was Authored by Rob Walley, Our Resident Authority on all things Kitchen Nightmares

Smallville Superfan Tabitha who runs Allison MackOnline.com and has helped her favourite actress herself to run a blog. Not so long ago, on the official site AllisonMack.com there was a call for questions so you could interview Allison yourself.

Allison Mack.com had asked:

Do you have any questions about Allison that you’d like to ask? What’s her favorite wine? Is she a vegetarian, vegan, or what? What’s the best Italian restaurant in Los Angeles? Any other questions?

and now that all the questions are in, there is a series of Youtube Videos that cameo these questions. Some are about Allison, while others relate directly to Smallville.

She is adorable, and a lot of the questions offer a lot of insight into her and her experiences with Smallville. It just makes you like her even more as you see how honest and humble she is.

Check out her answers by Clicking Here

This post was Authored by Rodney Brazeau, Senior Editor for the TVShow Blog and Our Resident Authority on all things Heroes and Smallville

Heroes last week gave us a glimpse into the Company founders on the hit list of this mysterious killer determined to erradicate each of them. This core group has become to be known as “The 12″

The picture apparently has a number of spoilers or hints for the season to come as we get a preview of who might be next.

HeroesTV.com posted the image and has a link to a larger version there.

According to the The Heroes Wiki

Bob tells Mohinder of the Company’s formation thirty years ago by a group of evolved humans who wanted to help their own, find them and protect them, even if it meant “eliminating” the dangerous ones.”

And we even get a peek at its founding members, none of which appear to have powers of their own however they do have no problem promoting and utlizing gifted individuals.

We have already seen the end of Kaito Nakamura and an attempt on Angela Petrelli’s life. Each torn photo marked with the Year One/Godsend icon that has been a running theme throughout the show. Each picture was torn from the same original implying that it is one of their own that is exterminating them. I don’t think it is one of the 12.

I had thought it was Peter at first, but recent episodes imply that is not the case. I think we are deliberately being thrown of the trail. It is still possible that this is a “future Peter” since he has already displayed that he knows Hiro’s timespace powers.

Some people think the killer is going to be Kensei. I have a feeling that Kensei’s Godsend power of regeneration (very similar to Claire’s) may actually allow him to “live forever” so it is plausible that he could have survived to current time.

I am still leaning towards future Peter. Though in the scene where Angela is assaulted the attacker appears to be invisible (could also be deliberate camera tricks to hide the attacker’s identity). and Nakamura was thrown off the building WITH the killer who they imply simply got up and walked away from the fall that took Kaito’s life. He also greets the killer with a degree of familiarity.

So who do you think it is? Or is this someone new we have yet to meet?

This post was Authored by Rodney Brazeau, Senior Editor for the TVShow Blog and Our Resident Authority on all things Heroes and Smallville

EW.com has a list of the 22 Top Butt-Kicking Babes:

“NO. 22: YVONNE STRAHOVSKI as Sarah Walker in Chuck (2007)…She’s an expert in hand-to-hand combat, advanced driving, and hot-dog preparation. Also: really good at concealing weapons on her person…and using them.”

She might be the bottom of the list, but she’s still there. Sarah’s character has really caught people’s attention, and I think that Yvonne Strahovski has been building up quite a few fans. Not bad for her first foray into television.

I have to say that after this week’s episode, Chuck vs. The Wookiee, I’m much more pleased with Sarah and starting to love her just a little more. Her being stressed out about not getting fired from Weinerlicious, sadly refusing to reveal anything more about herself, even feeding her fish. She’s starting to become a character, it’s really nice. And I admit that even though they’re looking for any excuse for Sarah to fight in skimpy clothing, the fact that the actress does most of her own stunts makes me like the character more.

This post was Authored by Elizabeth, Our Resident Authority on all things Chuck

To be honest, I’m quite tired of the “Chuck vs. X” naming convention, but I suppose each show needs their gimmick.

Ratings for last night’s episode are out, and things look good. According to The Programming Insider

“Over at NBC, it looks like Chuck has settled in, with 8.23 million viewers (#2) and a 3.2/ 9 among adults 18-49 (#2t) from 8-9 p.m. While the results could certainly be worse, one year earlier former occupant Deal or No Deal averaged 17.47 million viewers and a 5.2/14 in the demo.”

Last week’s ratings were in the 7 million range, which means that Chuck is going back up on the charts. Online reviews are mostly positive. Several are saying that last night’s episode was the best one yet.

I can’t say that I agree or disagree on that front. I’m beginning to wonder if the show is moving too quickly. They’re revealing so much so quickly, where will they have to go from here? But it was a fun episode, and I like how it started to focus on Sarah’s character and fleshing her out as more than just a girl who fights in a short skirt. The show does like it’s eye candy though, doesn’t it?

On thing does seem to be universal: people aren’t liking Morgan. Most reviews that mention him are negative, the fan blogs focus on Casey, Chuck, and Sarah. People beg for more Captain Awesome, but Morgan? I think this episode was his poorest showing yet. It’s a common theme in television: if you have a main character who is a geek or socially inept, you easily make him likable by having a geekier best friend who is MORE socially inept. I think Chuck would be perfectly likable if his best friend wasn’t a clueless hanger-on. I start to pity Morgan after a while, and I don’t really think that’s what the writers are aiming for.

This post was Authored by Elizabeth, Our Resident Authority on all things Chuck

No one is as surprised and pleased from the news that five episodes into its first season, FOX has renewed Kitchen Nightmares for a second season.

TVSquad Reports:

The network has ordered another season of the Gordon Ramsay restaurant show Kitchen Nightmares. The show is in its first season right now, and is actually doing rather well considering it has been up against the hype of the new Bionic Woman, Criminal Minds, and the Grey’s Anatomy spinoff Private Practice. This means we’ll see a lot of Ramsay on FOX in the future, since Hell’s Kitchen is on the network and does well in the ratings too.

I have made much about the fact that the US Kitchen Nightmares does not live up to its UK predecessor, but I am very happy that the new show will get a chance to find its legs. “F**cking Brilliant!”

This post was Authored by Rob Walley, Our Resident Authority on all things Kitchen Nightmares

Well, four episodes in and I’m noticing a disturbing trend to the show - one that I think might endanger it’s chances at a second season.

Reaper is an hour-long comedy/drama with very little ongoing story concepts or multi-episode arcs. In the midst of Battlestar Gallactica, Heroes, Lost, Pushing Daisies, Journeyman, and even Chuck… this stands out as a real problem in my eyes.

The trend establishing (as far as I can see it) with this season is that audiences are tiring of contained stories that reset every week. Instead, viewers are driving towards multi-episode arcs, particularly those that have very long reaching impacts. True, Reaper is only four shows into it’s first season, however by this point all of its major competitors have already launched plot lines that will stretch the entire year.

Combine this episodic nature with a very canned structure inside the story - I’m not sure it can survive. I’ve seen the same pattern emerge in every episode so far and the only long-term plot line that is anywhere in sight is the burgeoning romance between Sam (Bret Harrison) and Andi (Missy Peregrym) - and there just isn’t a lot there, in my opinion. The writing is sharp, the direction is good, acting is more than capable, but the way in which the show is structured may ultimately lead to its demise.

Am I being unfair? Judging it TOO SOON? I don’t know - but it’s losing me as a viewer… and considering this was one of my highest expectations of the new shows… it’s disquieting… Opinions?

This post was Authored by John Gonzalez, Our Resident Authority on all things Reaper

Big Bang Theory continues to do well in the ratings and I am still waiting for this show to fall flat on its face and prove me wrong about its greatness. It is still one of the few half hours on TV that makes me laugh out loud.

I have written here about the show’s star Johnny Galecki’s roots in the series Roseanne and last week’s appearance by his old cast mate Sara Gilbert. You could have knocked me over this week when another Roseanne star, Laurie Metcalf appeared as Galecki’s roommate’s mother.

And, oh man, was she wonderful. Metcalf played Sheldon’s mother as a bible beating, hard headed southern woman who isn’t quite as pious as she comes across. Metcalf has always shown great range in whatever role she has taken on. In many ways, her role as Jackie on Roseanne never really showed her strengths. Her performance this week on Big Bang Theory has ensured that we’ll see her again as this character.

And this show just keeps getting better and better…

This post was Authored by Rob Walley, Our Resident Authority on all things Big Bang Theory

Years ago, I was a rabid CSI:(insert your flavor here) fan. I couldn’t get enough of America’s favorite crime procedural. Ratings wise, all three CSI shows still place in the Top 20 each week, but as for me, I had overdosed and moved on.

A few months back, reports circulated that Rory Cochrane was returning to CSI:Miami (the citrus flavored CSI). Cochrane had played detective Tim Speedle on the first two seasons and left the series as his character was killed in the season premiere of season three. Cochrane had wanted out of the daily grind of weekly television and this was his exit. This is right about the time I stopped watching the series and coincidentally, Cochrane and his character were favorites of mine, so the departure seemed well timed.

Well, this week was the big return of Cochrane and thus Speedle. To be more specific, it was Speedle’s ghost in a hallucination. But it was Cochrane as Speedle once again. I had hoped for some miracle return of the character where we found out that he wasn’t really dead but in witness protection or working for the Fed’s deep undercover. But no, it was a hallucination…and a pretty short one. Cochrane barely had three appearances and less than a minute or so of dialog. The story was reverential and nice, but hardly worth Cochrane’s trouble. While it’s possible that there will be more to this story, it seemed that they pretty much concluded it last night. One can only hope that this is not all there is.

Here’s hoping that this was only the first of several appearances this ghost will make this year!

This post was Guest Authored by Rob Walley