Cheri Oteri by Jeff Vespa/WireImage.com
Could this be off the shelf? Even though TV Guide had heard the J.J. Abrams/Cheri Oteri half-hour comedy was shelved a few weeks ago, Oteri tells TV Guide she’s back working with Abrams on the project. SNL alum Oteri spoke to TV Guide on Tuesday, Oct. 30, at the premiere of her indie film Park (which also stars Dirty Sexy Money’s William Baldwin, and Ricki Lake). Abrams, currently at work on the latest Star Trek feature film, is best known for Lost, What About Brian, Alias and Felicity, all of which displayed some comedic elements, but he has yet to produce a half-hour comedy. Abrams did, however, direct an episode of NBC’s The Office this year."I met him years ago," Oteri says of Abrams. "He said, 'I’ve always wanted to do a comedy and I only want to do it with you.'"According to Oteri, the project is slated for 2008. "Working with him is just a dream come true," she says. As for dream cast mates, Oteri’s leaving that to Abrams. "He’s got such great in...
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Drew Carey host of The Price Is Right by Monty Brinton/CBS
Giggling at the antics of the slap-happy contestants who “come on down” at what he calls “the happiest place on Earth,” Drew Carey looks like he’s having a blast, and looks right at home, on the spiffed-up set of The Price Is Right as he takes over as host today. There’s no fuss and no ceremony, and outside of the introduction telling us we’re at the Bob Barker Studio in Television City, and that one of the games is still called “Barker’s Bargain Bar,” and that Carey chooses to sign off with the traditional plea to have your pets spayed, there’s no actual homage to the former host as the new Price era begins.And yet, probably the greatest tribute to Bob Barker is that the show goes on, and goes on effortlessly with its funny-looking new ringleader, who appears to be genuinely tickled at the breathless excitement of the frantic folks who come to play the game. When one of the contestants does a cartwheel after taking the stage, C...
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Michael Chiklis in The Shield by Prashant Gupta/FX
In all of the hubbub being made over anticipating Sunday’s final episode ever of The Sopranos, it seems unfair to let The Shield end its penultimate season without some fanfare.As I noted when both shows returned within a week of each other in April, these dark dramas are among TV’s best. As their seasons unfolded, they lived up to my expectations. Quoting myself at the time: “The Shield is first-rate pulp fiction, blisteringly intense as it grabs you by the throat. The Sopranos is more like classic literature, achieving a level of artistry with its aching yet witty realism while delivering violent jolts that sneak up on you like a sucker punch.”Both of these series ask us to empathize with pretty despicable characters, no doubt. But it’s hard to imagine any Shield fan not cheering Tuesday night for Vic when he realized he’s now sitting on a trunk full of leverage, the key to save his job. Likewise, who didn’t cringe as Shane fell further into the ...
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Wow. What a finale. I truly hope this isn't the end of this show, but if that is its fate, I applaud ABC for a touching end that combined this drama's finest elements: humor, jealousy, confusion, sincerity and truth. The last group scene was all we could ask for, and with Brian at Laura's door, we can only assume those renewed vows made him think enough to get it right for once. If we never see Brian and his friends again, I'd like to think the thirtysomething love failure learned enough lessons along the way to settle into the perfect nook.And I think we owe it all to Dave and Deena. Their journey this week was pretty hectic, but classic in terms of a Brian situation. But when Dave gave that little speech about going back in time and finding those people they used to be, the cows seemed to agree. And apparently a roll in the grass confirmed their craziness when they were yelling out their love for no one to hear.Back in the real world, "whoever wakes up Uncle Brian is grounded fore...
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This Monday's ratings recap:• Dancing with the Stars partnered up with an audience of 21.65 million across its two-hour bow, an increase of 1.65 mil over the Season 3 opener and the contest's best premiere ever. And Heather is still intact.• Opposite DWTS and trailing Deal or No Deal at 8, Prison Break (8.26 million) was down 1.4 mil from its last fresh outing, while CBS' Mother (7.59 mil, down 1.9 mil) and Old Christine (6.86 mil, down 1.18 mil) hit season lows, with the latter also falling nearly two mil shy of The Class' last outing.• At 9 pm, 24 (11.88 mil, -480K) topped Men (11.62 mil, slipping almost a mil) and Rules of Engagement (9.32 mil, down two mil), both of which hit season lows.• Come 10, What About Brian (7.38 million) benefited big time from its DWTS lead-in, surging 2.6 mil to what appears to be its best outing in five months, and besting the Donnellys (5.84 mil, down 900K). CSI: Miami, of course, dominated with an audience of 17.44 million and a...
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"They mean me. I'm the worst accessory." Aw, Brian. It's your fault for getting over Bridget so fast and sucking face with Legs in front of hundreds of cameras. I thought it was hysterical that Dave decorated Brian's office with all those photocopies — it's definitely a typical blow that would happen to him. I'm already dismissing his "thing" with Stephanie. I predict a big acting gig to take her away and leave Laura to get closer to Brian and settle into an actual relationship. But those are just my guesses and I won't discuss what was shown in the previews, since some of you may not have seen them. I'm definitely eager to see the finale, because I feel a big cliff-hanger coming on (or two, or three).What was Nicole thinking by sharing her little love tumble with the baby-class mommies? Her story line usually bores me (except for the Adam twist), so I was just shaking my head at her once again. The mommies were nasty to her, though! But, I will give Nicole cupcake points for ...
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It was very hard for me to watch Brian dig into chocolate ice cream and chocolate brownies, seeing as how I recently gave up chocolate… temporarily. Can we just talk about Dave wearing that apron? Hilarious, sexy, cuddly? Take your pick. Just when he's getting his groove back, he sees Deena's Richard at the kids' school and then learns about Brian's promotion. Tough day?How perfect was Meredith Baxter as Deena's mother, though? I had a few Family Ties flashbacks — all that wise advice she gave Mallory, all those sentimental moments in the kitchen, let's take a moment to remind ourselves that Elyse Keaton does know her way around domestic troubles — but she's hilarious as this older mom, sweeping in like a hurricane, blurting things out. "Are you two having sexual intercourse?" My god, woman! She's still getting in the way of love — nothing like sending your grown daughter to bed in a nightie and her husband to his own room at the opposite end of the house. But sh...
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Relationships are so tangled in this episode, I don't know where to begin. How about Nicole and Adam! Wow. When I saw Nicole in bed, I knew it was him. After learning that Jamie really is gay and seeing Adam get rejected twice and then watching them share a clumsy and off-key karaoke performance together — singing out their misery — I figured it was only a number of drinks and a matter of time before they'd satisfy each other's frustrations. It sounded like Jamie was confused for a minute, but it's pretty clear who he's romantically interested in. It was a little weird seeing Ivy and Nicole hanging out alone, but I really like Ivy. I think she's been a great addition to this show, and she's been a good friend — trying to avoid Nicole seeing Jamie cozy up to another man (although, it wasn't that good of a job considering she was staring directly at them).And before their rendezvous, Adam had completely gone nuts. Who would think to fire off marshmallows, of all things,...
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Law & Order
The networks have started working on new fall series, which means pink slips are coming for some of your old favorites. Here's what could be on the chopping block.
NBC Did you ever imagine the day when Law & Order would be canceled? We're not saying it's going to happen — it probably won't. But costs on the show have risen while its ratings have dropped, which means its renewal is no longer automatic every year. NBC's other middling crime dramas — Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Crossing Jordan and Medium — are more vulnerable. The network has also yet to decide on another season for The Apprentice
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I think I'm favoring some of the new faces on this show. Jessica Szohr is a feisty one! There was definitely a spark between her and Brian before Stephanie came in with her thigh-high boots, asking for a T-shirt to sleep in. There's a lot of sexual tension within that apartment complex, and I'm not sure how Brian and Bridget will fare while Lucy and Ethel are around. Tiffani Thiessen is a welcome addition as well. (Check out my interview with Saved by the Bell’s Kelly Kapowski to hear about her Brian guest run.) She's just getting started stirring the pot among Dave and friends. In fact, it looks like she's on the prowl in the previews, but we'll have to wait two weeks to find out who falls under her spell. I definitely saw some of my old friend, Valerie Malone, from Beverly Hills, 90210. The devilish smirk, the secret scheming… that's pure Val right there. But Fatty Natty's carving her own mold despite hints of the previous bad girls Thiessen has on her résumè. ...
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