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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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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Question: I. Love. You. I bow to your knowledge and manliness. Is that enough sucking up for some scoop on Nip/Tuck?Answer: A nod to my unparalleled sense of humor would've been nice, but the brains and brawn thing will do. First off, I think last night's Nip/Tuck forever ruined peanut butter for me. And it's a shame, because I love my PB. Moving on, the Oct. 10 episode will feature the death of a fairly pivotal character, and it'll have Felicity fans flashing back to one of that show's darkest moments. Also, the Larry Hagman/Brooke Shields plots are about to intersect in a really kinky way.
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Question: I heard that WB was going to air its entire first season before the merge with UPN. Is there any truth to this rumor? With so little on the air this summer, reruns of the first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and other classic WB shows would bring some much-needed humor to TV.
Answer: A slight (but significant) correction: what WB is planning to do on its last official Sunday night, Sept. 17, is rebroadcast the first episodes of such signature series as Felicity, Angel, Buffy and Dawson's Creek. (Shows continuing on at CW were not considered for this stunt, which is why 7th Heaven and Smallville aren't on the list.) Believe me, you wouldn't want to watch WB's first season on the air, which mainly consisted of one lousy sitcom after another.
Also regarding the WB/UPN-to-CW switch, Amanda asks: "What exactly will happen when WB and UPN unite? Since I already have both channels, will I have two CW channels?" Not a silly question, because this is an unprecedented situation
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Question: Where do you think Everwood ranks as far as TV's greatest dramas ever? I am an older viewer and I can honestly say that it is No. 1 for me. Compared with most "great" shows, it had a relatively short run, but it never lost its magic. Every episode gave the viewers something to think about, something to cherish, a quote to remember. I can't think of any other drama that has touched me and gotten inside of my head and heart the way Everwood has these last four years.
Answer: I'm glad you feel that way, and I hope you won't take it as a sign of disrespect when I do a little reality check here. I enjoyed Everwood as much, probably more, than the next person, but it's a show limited by its genre (young-adult soap), even if Everwood often transcended that genre. Much as I loved the characters, enjoyed the writing and acting, and was satisfied by the happy ending, it's still a show that was built around the contrivances and reversals of soap opera, where even characters I liked, such
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Question: So tell me, how do you stalk someone and still feel good about yourself in the morning?
Answer: It's simple: You make it look like you're just doing your job. I didn't appear as an extra on Felicity to get close to Keri Russell, I did it because it would make a great TV Guide feature! I didn't show up on the set of Law & Order: SVU to hang out in Mariska's dressing room all day, I did it to get "atmosphere" for my cover story. See how it works?
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As Huff’s second season opens, the title shrink (Hank Azaria) is lost in thought, not paying attention to his droning patient. Kind of how I felt watching this whiny, discordant and unfocused drama (Sundays at 10 pm/ET on Showtime), which whipsaws wildly and mostly unsuccessfully between raunchy dark comedy and existential family tragedy.
I kept watching my DVD time display, waiting (like the doctor) for each hour to be up. I got through seven of 13 new episodes before bailing, around the time Huff’s blabby conscience, which takes the form of a “Homeless Hungarian,” tells him to “wake up and smell the unspoken need.”
What I’m smelling is Showtime’s desperate need to launch a breakout drama that could attract the buzz of an FX or an HBO. Huff isn’t it.
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Question: Alright, I know you keep saying how much you hate Related. However, I love the show (though I know it more than likely won't be returning). Do you think it's possible you don't like the show just because you're a man? It's about four sisters and their relationships! What man would be interested in that?
Answer: How about the sort of man who digs a show called Gilmore Girls? Or who avidly followed the adventures of Felicity through her four years of college? Related was too cutesy and too grating (to me, anyway) to cross over, making it a failure in my book, regardless of its target audience. I should be able to watch a show that isn't intended specifically for me without getting a migraine ...
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Question: I was wondering what's happening to the family dramas. I used to watch all of them when they were on, but with 7th Heaven going off the air, The Book of Daniel being canceled, Once and Again long gone and American Dreams ending last year, there just aren't family dramas anymore. I miss them. Do you think it's because of the NCIS, CSI, Law & Order shows or because of reality TV? I just want good family dramas back!
Answer: I hear you, and I'm especially worried that with WB and UPN collapsing into CW, Everwood (my personal current fave in the family-drama category) will disappear, making the genre even more of an endangered species than it already is. It's not just that crime dramas and reality shows have taken over the network slots, which is true, but that the TV audience itself has fragmented over the years, with families watching less TV together as a unit; this may have dampened the ratings for some of these "family" shows. These dramas also tend to be harder to
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Question: Why is ABC shelving Invasion for six weeks? It's the best new drama of the year. Period. (Sorry, I'm just not onboard with Commander in Chief, despite what the Emmys and Globes say.) Invasion isn't a Lost clone. It's unique and mesmerizing, in a freaky kind of way. Please say it's coming back. If not, I think I'll borrow a phrase from Dave and blame this on a "government conspiracy." It seems that year after year, the quality shows I love get the boot (Jack & Bobby, Freaks and Geeks, Angel and Felicity.) Just once, I'd like a quality show to get the chance to stick around as long as some of those silly, never-ending sitcoms.
Answer: This is a messy mid-season, no doubt. (And, for the record, ABC is shelving Commander in Chief in March for six weeks as well.) But it's common practice for networks to pull some shows (especially shows like Invasion, which tend to repeat poorly) to make room to try out others during the spring. I agree, though, that this will do more harm than
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