Question: Love your column, but at times your bias shows itself: Someone needs to come to the defense of Boston Legal after the drubbing it has earned over the past week. It's unduly harsh, and everyone (including you) needs to understand that people have different tastes. It seems that this show is being attacked because it took a spot over Friday Night Lights and Lost. But over the last three seasons, Boston Legal has been appointment television for me. Sure, it's not on par with Picket Fences or The Practice or even Boston Public (which got a bum deal from Fox), but the writing is always sharp, and it has an energy to it that I find very appealing. James Spader is terrific and the supporting and guest cast are at the top of their games. Is it at times preachy? Yes. Snooty? Sure. It's also true that this season has been inconsistent, and I am peeved that four great characters are gone in lieu of a cross-dresser and an annoying guest character who has been promoted to regular status ...
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Sarah Lancaster recently turned 26, but she's already racked up more TV credits than most actors claim in a lifetime. Her first role was as Rachel on Saved by the Bell: The New Class. Since then she's appeared on Dawson's Creek, Boston Public, That ‘70s Show, Scrubs, 7th Heaven, Six Feet Under and Everwood, to name a few. Now, the sultry beauty is the female lead in What About Brian, a new ABC series (sneak previewing Sunday at 10 pm/ET, then airing Mondays at 10) from executive producer J.J. Abrams (Lost). TVGuide.com caught up with the grizzled TV vet to find out what Brian's all about.
TVGuide.com: How would you describe What
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Question: After some stellar episodes last season — the final two in particular — Cold Case has become my only must-see "procedural." (SVU would be on that list, too, but I go to bed early.) Oct. 9's episode was a little weak, but Oct. 2's frat-house fire episode was incredible. How emotional — repulsive yet poignant. The actress who played the victim (I think she may have been the same one who played the female wrestler who died on Boston Public back in the day) really captured the essence of a character that is usually limited. I know there is no chance for any recognition for her, but she deserves it. I was also pleasantly surprised to see that Cold Case is a Top 10 show; I didn't realize it was doing so well. Your thoughts?
Answer: At the moment, I would probably put Without a Trace and Cold Case atop my list of fave procedurals — and I can't wait for football season to be over so the overruns won't get in the way of my enjoyment of Cold Case. (I'm watching so much on Sundays that I
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Thank goodness Aisha Tyler is on this show. She voices all of the things that I'm thinking at home. Like, when a dead man is haunting his fiancée, she actually pipes in with "That's so... creepy." Yeah, tell me about it. And then she was able to help out with the monetary woes that J.Love's little antique shop was suffering. I just knew that place couldn't be raking in big bucks. But she didn't comment on the fact that the subplot of tonight's episode seemed like it had been lifted from that movie Return to Me. Basically the health-nut ghost was an organ donor and his heart had been given to the wacky guy from Boston Public. But the new heart comes with a bit of sense memory, so when Melinda "I see dead people" Gordon decides to meddle, she fixes up the old heart/new guy with the living girlfriend who hasn't been able to move on. A bit on the cheesy side, but they go and weird up the whole story at the end with a strange cackling ghost who seems to
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Fox's Simpson, Hill, Griffin and Smith families are getting a funny new neighbor: the Golds of The War at Home (premiering Sunday at 8:30 pm/ET). Playing pop to a trio of challenging teens (blossoming Hillary, sexually misunderstood Larry and videogamer Mike) is Michael Rapaport (Small Time Crooks, Hitch), whose previous TV run was as a firebrand teacher on Boston Public. TVGuide.com got a few minutes during the busy actor's lunch break to discuss fatherhood, films and his real-life friend in need.
TVGuide.com: What did your three-season stint as Boston Public's Danny teach you?Michael Rapaport: It taught me that good work is good work, and having the opportunity to act every day is a really special thing. That's what I walked away [with].
TVGuid
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