"Your mom was a stripper?" What a fuzzy-warm opening — a budding relationship that's in the all-smiles phase. I'm excited about Adam and Heather (aka Summer) and her theory about waiting until the fifth date to get down and dirty. Jimmy thinks this is just a rebound thing, but you can see in Adam's eyes it's definitely not. Although, I wonder if his conversation with Jimmy sparked memories of Marjorie. In the hospital maternity ward, Brian's hair is growing on me, because it's actually done nicely.... Somebody found some mousse! "Are you high?" he asks Nicole when she says working for their father might actually be a good idea. He'd happily switch and grieve for her while she works for Dad. Oh Brian... chin up, buddy. I swear one day he'll be happy.... But we really wouldn't have a show if he found it now. Working for Dad means having boundaries. "I'm not expecting any favors, and I won't be asking for any," Brian says. And it's straight business from here on out as Dad lays do...
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Wow, a lot of people were watching television this Monday night:— Deal or No Deal, with an audience of 17.97 million total viewers, enjoyed not just a season high but also its second-biggest audience ever, behind the June 5 first-season finale.— Prison Break (9.15 mil) had its best outing since Sept. 18.— Up 800,000 heads from last week, The Class (8.5 mil) earned its best grades since Oct. 16.— Heroes set a new series high, with 15.01 million viewers, coming within a mil of comedy warhorse Two and a Half Men.— A repeat of House drew 9.25 mil. That's 3.4 mil more than the number of people who checked out the last fresh outing of Justice.— CSI: Miami's based-on-a-LaRue-story episode (18.43 mil) was its season's best.— Studio 60 (7.79 million) had its best showing since Oct. 9.Playing the role of Debbie Downer in this ratings recap is What About Brian, which celebrated its full-season pickup by drawing its smallest audience of the season — 5.59...
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After an extra week to digest the news of Angelo's death, What About Brian returns in a somber state. We open at Angelo's service and with Dave trying to remember the lighter moments of his friendship, mixed in with a little lesson for everybody: Life's too short. But sadness quickly turns into the quirky tone that usually resonates in this show, as Karen creates a schedule for the friends to rotate looking after Nic. Despite Brian breaking up with her after the service, I have an unsettling feeling that she's not completely gone. But how long is she going to stick around? Because I'm really missing sweet, levelheaded Julie from Felicity while I'm watching Amy Jo Johnson play this irritating part.William Devane is stirring the pot as Nic and Brian's father. Their family history is slowly unfolding — the mental health of their mom, the blame placed on their dad. Brian clearly still holds a grudge, and I'm quickly reminded of the sometimes-rebellious Matt we used to see on 7th He...
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After failing to draw good numbers in two different time slots, Fox's Justice has been pulled from the schedule effective immediately, the Hollywood trades are reporting. For the next two weeks, at least, repeats of House will occupy the Monday, 9 pm slot (which ultimately, come mid-January, will be turned over to a little show called 24). Better news, though, for another Monday series: as first spilled by the Ausiello Report, ABC has granted a full-season order to What About Brian, which, despite placing a regular third in the 10 o'clock hour, has been managing solid audience retention out of lead-in The Bachelor.UPDATE: Speaking of Monday TV, the Ausiello Report has Friday Night Lights news that will make you cheer!
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This just in! A source close to ABC tells me that What About Brian has been picked up for the entire season. And the news gets even better for Brian fans (of which, I must confess, I am not one): I hear Sarah Lancaster was back on the set last week shooting an episode. Not sure how permanent her return is or what brings Marjorie back to town. In other (and much more exciting) back-nine news, I have it on good authority that NBC is thisclose to giving our beloved Friday Night Lights a full-season pickup. [The crowd roars]
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Question: In response to some talk in the 10/27 column regarding the post-Grey's Anatomy slot: It seems likely that ABC will want to make a change, since Six Degrees is underperforming. The writer was praising ABC for sticking with Six Degrees and at least giving it a chance. I would like to echo that statement for another ABC show: What About Brian. I really enjoyed it last season, and it's only gotten better. I'm not sure how well it does on Monday nights, but I think it could really find an audience post-Grey's on Thursdays. It would be great counterprogramming against two rough and tough dramas on the other networks. Do you think ABC would consider moving Brian to Thursdays at 10?
Answer: I wish I could figure out what ABC is planning for that prime piece of Thursday real estate. While we can agree to disagree about Brian, which I find just as insipid this season as I did last spring, I would be amazed if it got a shot there. (Swapping one show from J.J. Abrams' company for another
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ABC has ordered four additional scripts for J.J. Abrams' What About Brian, which in its second season has been retaining more than 80 percent of The Bachelor's audience and a few weeks ago was nipping at the heels of the higher-profile Studio 60.... As first reported here yesterday afternoon, NBC.com will unspool the remainder of Kidnapped's 13 total episodes online, premiering a new eppy each Friday (starting Nov. 3). Per Reuters, there is talk that the final eight may also at some point be burned off in a mini-marathon.
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Question: Has Sarah Lancaster left What About Brian?
Answer: It appears that way. A Brian rep confirms Lancaster is no longer a series regular, which explains why Marjorie packed up and moved away last week. However, that may not be the last we see of her. In fact, I hear she's taping an episode as we speak.
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So Dave is crashing at Brian's since Deena found out about the extent of his time with Suzanne. "Daddy’s on a time-out," she says to her kids during a whirlwind of a morning without Dave's help.And in a dark bar across town, Ivy's telling the boys to have some no-strings-attached fun with all those "fish in the sea." And they better get to it, or else Jimmy won't be having any "fun," either.Back in therapy, the stubborn marriage may be doomed for good. "It may be time to consider that your marriage is over," advises Doctor Bill. Ouch. When you hear it from a third party, it must wake you up a little bit... looked like both Dave and Deena were shocked at the thought.I thought Brian and Adam working out the rules of their bet was pretty funny. It brought back the little back-and-forth I used to like about this show. Calling the same girl... this has got to get even funnier.Meanwhile, in a more strings-attached kind of zone, Nic is worried about what kind of surprise is expected a...
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Adam's back from Bali (his non-honeymoon) and everyone's together for a friendly BBQ... well, until Brian shows up. As if we couldn't see where the video game was headed. Tension... elbows... tackle... didn't I predict punches? Anyone could have.Nothing's like coming into the office with a black eye. And to a desk full of pictures of random women. Strike one for Jimmy for not even taking the Marjorie pictures out from behind the new ones. Kind of defeats the purpose, if you ask me.Meanwhile, in another office, Suzanne's got her hands on more than just business ideas. Could she be more risky during a huge meeting? I wasn't even listening to the discussion, because her sneaky stares and ridiculous IMs to Dave were make me roll my eyes incessantly.Deena nudges Nic where it hurts. "You're just not a baby person." Ouch. For someone waddling her big belly around, that's not something you exactly want to hear on the verge of childbirth. But the ladies work it out at a concert while Dave op...
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