Man UP
Oh, ABC. How adorable that you felt that your sad new sitcom Man Up! (8:30/7:30c) deserves an exclamation point. As in, maybe: Yikes, this sucks! The network describes this latest "comedy" about male insecurities as being "in the vein of The Hangover." Only in the vein of people who watch The Hangover and think: Boy, I wish I could be that funny.
read more
Jewel Staite
Eating brains was only part of the pleasure for Jewel Staite when she guest-starred on Friday's episode of The CW's Supernatural (9/8c).
"I saw that Jensen [Ackles] was directing," Staite tells TVGuide.com. "He's an old friend of mine, so I thought, 'Ooooh, fun! That would be great.' Luckily it all worked out. When you get on a show where one of the actors is directing, it can go either way. Sometimes they can stress out if they have too much on their plate, but he was so calm and so cool and so collected. He just really impressed me. We had some days we didn't even go the full 12 hours of shooting. We were let out early because he knew exactly what he wanted and when he got it, he moved on."
read more
Donnie Wahlberg
FRIDAY
Tonight's Top Pick: When worlds collide, Fox's cult gem Fringe (9/8c) is at the top of its game. You've never seen a murder-mystery manhunt like tonight's chilling and provocative episode, in which the Fringe team from the "other" world enlists "our" Olivia to cross over to track down a serial killer in the alt-universe — by bringing along the madman's doppelganger from our world, who happens to be a professor specializing in forensic pathology and profiling. The "what-if" vibes are fascinating as the professor — and by extension everyone in the dual-universe loop — considers the vagaries of fate and environment when confronted with "the path not taken." The story is suspenseful, poignant and wonderfully original. And in case you're wondering why Walter stays behind, surrounding himself with a cacophony of music: It may have something to do with that nagging disembodied voice he can't stop hearing. Hurry home soon, Peter Bishop!
read more
Joshua Jackson
This busy premiere week is far from over. Here's a night-by-night look at how the weekend is shaping up this fall, with some thoughts on the new-season pilots, several key season premieres, and other highlights.
FRIDAY
The Night in a Nutshell: If you're not a CBS loyalist on this low-viewership night, then it's best to have a healthy appetite for cult TV. CBS is expected to rule as usual, with the new A Gifted Man grafting the popular voices-from-beyond genre of Ghost Whisperer and Medium with a medical procedural, leading in to CSI: NY (which barely got renewed this year) and Blue Bloods. Once again, Fox's mind-blowing Fringe and the CW's undying Supernatural duke it out for out-there enthusiasts, with the underrated spy thriller Nikita taking over Smallville's old time period. NBC enters the game in mid-October, launching the final 13 episodes of Chuck alongside the third supernatural offering in the 9/8c time period: the fairy-tale/mystery hybrid Grimm. Reality fans will soon be able to choose among ABC's transplanted Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Shark Tank and Fox's Kitchen Nightmares.
read more
Bill Maher
The Emmys are the big draw this weekend — my predictions (a combination wish list/analysis) can be found here — but here's a look at some of the other TV this weekend that stands out.
read more
Dr. Who
The constant threat of death may be part of a Doctor Who companion's job description, but for Rory Williams, it's not just a threat. He's died, or at least appeared to die, so many times in the series, he's been compared to South Park's Kenny.
"I think it's gotten a bit much for him, all the dying," Arthur Darvill, who plays Rory, told reporters on a call to promote Saturday's Doctor Who episode, airing at 9/8c on BBC America. "I kept seeing it as a running joke. A lot of times it happens because he puts himself in the way of danger for other people. He's a hero, he's a bumbling hero. I have no idea if it's going to keep happening. I personally hope that Rory just stops dying."
read more
Rebirth
Most everyone remembers where they were 10 years ago on September 11, as we watched the horrific images and stories unfold. A decade later, many will gather in front of the TV again to watch, remember, reflect — and the broadcast and cable networks are offering a wide range of specials to put the tragedy in perspective.
But there's plenty else happening on TV this weekend. Here's my take on some of the more notable highlights, including the major 9/11 programming:
read more
John Barrowman
Special Labor Day edition, with some thoughts on the highs and lows of the holiday weekend programming:
FRIDAY
With only two episodes to go, how will Torchwood: Miracle Day (Starz, 10/9c) wrap things up? This penultimate episode jumps forward two months as the embattled remnants of the Torchwood team strike a deal with the devil to track down the "Blessing" and figure out what's behind the "miracle" that has turned the world upside down and sent everyone (including some longtime Torchwood fans) into a depression.
read more
Alice St. Clair, Dan Amboyer
Who says nothing happens on the weekend before Labor Day? (And we're not talking storm preparations on the East Coast — at least not in this space.) Nowadays, TV almost never takes a holiday, and such is the case this weekend. A few highlights:
Torchwood: Miracle Day (Friday, 10/9c, Starz) I wish I could report that last week's terrific episode (Jack's 1920s flashback, which went from romantic to disturbing in a bloody flash as he was revealed as "the blessing") represented a return to form for this otherwise woefully uneven season of Torchwood. But I'm afraid we're back to the present day this week, and the action is just as ridiculously clumsy and the characters (Rex and Esther in particular) as aggravating as ever. Still, with only two episodes to go after this, I'll watch to the end.
read more
Doctor Who
Only in the world of Doctor Who can the time traveler you've seen as a maternal figure end up being your future, grown-up daughter.
That's the rather absurd reality that Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) faced about the mysterious River Song (Alex Kingston) in the June midseason finale and will continue to cope with when the show returns with the episode "Let's Kill Hitler" on Saturday at 9/8c on BBC America. "After that big revelation...
read more