Switched at Birth
Alarms are sounded several times, but we never hear them, in a tremendously effective and thematically overdue episode of ABC Family's best-of-network Switched at Birth (8/7c), which unfolds almost entirely in American Sign Language. By necessity, actions speak louder than words — all in subtitles, or sometimes tweets — as the deaf and hard-of-hearing students at Carlton School for the Deaf rally to protest the school board's decision to shutter their campus. (The hearing students, whose integration into the student body has caused some friction this season, also pitch in.)
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Lauren Graham, Jason Ritter
It's another ridiculously busy night of TV, with premieres and finales jousting for attention amid other distractions. It's just as well that CBS' top-rated lineup is taking a breather with repeats.
First, the farewells, going head to head. Once again, NBC sends away its reliably tear-jerking Parenthood (10/9c) earlier in the TV year than we'd like, but a limited run of 15 episodes beats the alternative. Shows like this don't tend to repeat well, and if a shorter run makes business sense — while freeing up the time period in the back half of the season for something else (in this case, a retooled Smash in two weeks) — then so be it. This fourth season has been Parenthood's strongest and most emotionally charged to date, especially in the storyline involving Kristina's breast cancer ordeal, providing Monica Potter and Peter Krause (as husband Adam) with their strongest dramatic material to date. Emmy voters, wake up and take note.
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Joan Van Ark and Charlene Tilton
TNT's Dallas will reunite Lucy Ewing (Charlene Tilton) with her mom, Valene (Joan Van Ark), and father, Gary (Ted Shackelford), this spring. "I haven't...
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Annie Wersching
Annie Wersching is Dallas-bound!
The 24 alum has landed a recurring role on the TNT series, TVLine.com reports. Wersching will play...
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Joan Van Ark, Ted Shackelford
Ted Shackelford and Joan Van Ark are bringing their long-suffering Knots Landing characters, Gary and Valene Ewing, back to Dallas for a...
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Linda Gray
Question: I hope you'll mention the passing of one of my favorite shows, Eureka. With all the hoopla around the finale of The Closer and the buzz about new and returning summer shows, the final episode of this quirky and creative Syfy gem will probably go unnoticed by most. Over the years it's become one of my favorites, serving up some high concept sci-fi stories with a healthy dose of humor and heart. Although I knew it was ending, the announcement last week of the July 16 "series finale" made me sadder than I expected. It's like nothing else on TV and I will miss all these wonderful, eccentric characters and this charming, if sometimes dangerous, town. Thanks for your insightful columns and recommendations! — Lenore
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Dallas
Pass the ribs, kick up your heels and get ready to hoof it till the cows come home. As far back as the '70s, the annual Ewing barbecue has been the hottest ticket in Texas, and this year TV Guide Magazine scored an exclusive invite. While the land down at Southfork looks remarkably untouched, time has changed the Ewings since CBS aired the last of Dallas' 357 episodes back in 1991, after 13 sudsy seasons.
Taking center stage on the dance floor...
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Timothy Olyphant
Send questions to askmatt@tvguidemagazine.com and follow me on Twitter!
Question: I'm really surprised by the lack of comment (here and elsewhere) on this season of Justified. It had a lot to live up to after that near-perfect second season and (in my opinion) has been maintaining the standard extremely well. I haven't enjoyed TV-show dialogue this much since The West Wing went off the air.
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So You Think You Can Dance
Send questions to askmatt@tvguidemagazine.com and follow me on Twitter!
Question: I heard somewhere that Fox will be canceling So You Think You Can Dance after this season and that this season will be shaved down a bit. How can this be true? This is one of the very best "reality" shows on TV. It's classy, inspiring, emotional, and I keep being amazed ...
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Revenge
One of my faves — William Devane, who hails from my hometown of Albany, New York — is bringing some of the sophisticated sleaze he displayed as wealthy Knots Landing playboy Gregory Sumner to ABC's Revenge. On the February 8 episode, William debuts as Edward Grayson, the father of Victoria's estranged husband, Conrad. "Edward's the guy who never ...
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