Question: I'm wondering what you think of Saving Grace. I'm from Oklahoma, so I'm trying to figure out if my disappointment with the show comes from how it stereotypically portrays Oklahomans. There are the cowboy and Indian detectives. The angel chews tobacco. Part of the first episode took place at the stockyards, with the redneck millionaire cattleman hitting on Grace. The only character who doesn't seem like a walking stereotype is Grace herself, and she just seems off. A detective in Oklahoma driving a Porsche, even a beat-up one? On what planet? How much do they think detectives earn? And she's Catholic? Not that there aren't Catholics in Oklahoma, but there aren't that many, not like there are Baptists and Methodists. Why stereotype every character but one? Do you think future episodes are going to get any better? For me, the only thing this show accomplishes is to remind me how much I miss Joan of Arcadia. I'm still mad at CBS for that one.
Answer: I've seen the second episode,
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Question: I'm a little worried: I love The Closer and I enjoy watching Heartland right afterward. But the previews for Saving Grace indicate that it is going to go on in the Heartland time period. Have they already canceled this great show? I hope not. I hope they are just going to preview Saving Grace, then it will move to a different time period. Please don't tell me that Heartland is leaving already. It has only been on for a few episodes.
Answer: Matt Roush: You're right to be worried. The numbers for Heartland didn't hold up, and it wasn't getting much critical buzz, to put it mildly, so TNT decided to switch things around and, starting Monday, it has moved Heartland an hour before The Closer on Mondays as a lead-in. Saving Grace was originally scheduled to air on a different night of the week, but TNT is now hoping that Closer fans will stay tuned for Holly Hunter's oddball new show, which feels at times like an R-rated Touched by an Angel uneasily mixed with a procedural crime
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Patty Hewes loves red meat. "I'm thinking steak," declares the glamorously ruthless litigator, played to the cunning Cruella De Lawyer hilt by Glenn Close in FX's twisted new legal thriller Damages. When told her naive young protégée is also a carnivore, Patty approves: "Atta girl."
Meaty roles like Patty Hewes — and Saving Grace's Grace Hanadarko, a booze-swilling Oklahoma detective on the fast track to self-destruction — have brought dazzling stars with the Tony and Oscar cred of Close and Holly Hunter to cable. Not HBO, but high-end basic cable. Their characters, rich in layers and scene-stealing opportunity, are more rewarding than the sorts of roles most actresses of their generat
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Question: Is Aisha Tyler off Ghost Whisperer? Her character, Andrea, died in the finale!
Answer: Exec producer Ian Sander says, "If you think you know what's happening next season — think again. With Ghost Whisperer, the possibilities are endless." Aisha's personal publicist, meanwhile, assures me that her client has not been fired. "It's the nature of the show to be mysterious and deal with unique viewpoints," says the rep. "And obviously, it deals with spiritual issues. It may appear one way, but it may or may not be the case." Sounds like Ghost Whisperer may be veering into Touched by an Angel territory next year.
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Question: How often have you seen a show start off mediocre or as a disaster and then become a surprise hit? I can think of only one. Touched by an Angel was written off as dead after its first season and surprised everyone by being renewed. The second surprise came when, after being renewed, it suddenly came out of nowhere and became a top-10 hit. Do you really think Commander in Chief could pull that off?
Answer: Commander in Chief, no. Its best bet would be to be regarded as a possible utility player if the show could be successfully retooled. But a signature hit for the network? That's looking more and more like the longest of long shots. To answer your broader question, there are many examples of shows that struggled at first but went on to become giant hits: Cheers, Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Practice. But none of those shows had quite the backstage turmoil that marked Chief's turbulent freshman year.
Also on Commander, Ryan S. remarks: "I personally would really like
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Tara Lipinski visits Malcolm in the Middle
Olympic gold-medalist Tara Lipinski expands her TV repertoire even further when she throws Malcolm's brother Reese for a (toe) loop on this weekend's Malcolm in the Middle (Sundays at 7 pm/ET). TVGuide.com talked to the 24-year-old cutie about her latest small-screen venture, the racy film role she bailed on and how she almost went Skating with Celebrities.
TVGuide.com: Tell me about your Malcolm in the Middle role. Who are you playing, what's she about...?Tara Lipinski: I play Carrie, who's this quirky and earthy antifur, antimeat vegetarian type. It was a really fun to play her, so different than anything I've done before. On the show, I think Reese (Justin Berfield) is all abou
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Question: A thought hit me a few weeks ago about the show Reba. Perhaps you and other critics should recommend this show to the more conservative viewers. While the humor isn't always top-notch, it is a comedy that has values. The WB should stick it after 7th Heaven instead. To me, Reba is similar to Touched by an Angel in that the show quality isn't always superior, but it does entertain and have values. Would critics such as yourself be able to suggest this show to those viewers seeking shows without the trash found in many popular shows?
Answer: Consider that message spread — but by you, not by me. I like Reba well enough, but I wouldn't go out of my way to praise it for its "values." I don't judge shows that way, and I certainly don't intend to skew my opinions for a conservative or nonconservative mind-set — although I guess it's pretty evident that many of us champion shows that push the envelope. Besides, there are those who would no doubt take offense at Reba because it deals
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Question: I have a question about a movie I saw a long, long time ago. I don't know the name of it, but I do know some details. It is about two girls who, while taking a trip, are stopped by a sheriff who arrests them and sends them to prison. They don't see much of each other while in prison, but when they do, they talk about how they were framed and how they both want to escape. I must note that these girls were pretty, and I think this is why the sheriff arrested them, because in this movie the warden and staff would use the girls in the prison at their own parties, forcing them to wear evening gowns and "entertain" their guests. As the movie progresses, these two girls finally plan a way out. While picking potatoes, they both decide to make a run for the fence or bushes. One girl gets away, but the other gets shot and killed. That is all I know about this movie. I really hope that you can come up with a name for me as I have been looking for a very long time to
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Question: What do you feel about Ghost Whisperer? The CBS honchos made a big mistake when they said talking to ghosts plays better than talking to God. I personally don't think this show's acting and writing is of the same caliber as Joan of Arcadia's. Ghost Whisperer is just the 21st century's answer to Touched by an Angel. Been there, done that.
Answer: Nothing could make the CBS honchos, as you call them, happier than to have this show likened to Touched by an Angel, which had a very healthy nine-season run. No question that this is a less ambitious and distinguished show than Joan, and is in no danger of being nominated for Emmys (although with that ridiculous group you never know). But so far, it's doing quite well on Fridays, surprising just about everyone. Looks like a keeper to me. A keeper I have little intention of watching, but a keeper nonetheless.
[Editor's Note: If you missed Monday's column, you'll find it here.]
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Question: I noticed there was a glut of supernatural shows coming this season — joining the Lost trend, I suppose. I was wondering if a show like, say, Tru Calling was coming this season, would it be more likely to stay on the air? The reason I ask is that I saw a preview for Ghost Whisperer and thought it looked like a cross between Medium and Tru Calling.
Answer: We have yet to see how many of these new fantasy/horror/sci-fi shows will survive, so there's no guarantee a show like Tru Calling would fare better or worse this year, except for the fact that the networks are more receptive to genre shows this season and may be more willing to show patience with them. (Tru, you'll recall, was infamously mistreated by Fox. No show could survive that sort of callous disregard.) As for Ghost Whisperer, it's more like a cross between Medium and Touched by an Angel. The previews look a little spooky, but the show isn't a thriller. The mysteries here are mostly emotional, even schmaltzy ...
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