I have to admit that late at night before I go to bed, I love watching reruns of That '70s Show — makes me smile before I go to sleep. But tonight's season premiere just made me fall asleep. Was it the hourlong running time or the lack of adorkable Topher Grace? Not sure. They had me giggling at the outset when they killed off annoying not-Eric, rather Charlie, in a random water-tower incident. And the tape for Eric in Africa was an entertaining way to bring the viewers up to speed on what had happened after Red and Kitty discovered the teens' pot habit and Hyde caught Kelso and Jackie about to hook up. Loved Kitty getting stoned! And I'm sure if Eric ever does come home, he's going to be ticked off that his Millennium Falcon and GI Joes are gone, but by then he'd probably be more annoyed that the show has lost some of its audience. I for one zoned out after Hyde came home with a stripper for a wife, so I tur
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Xena: Warrior Princess
Lucy Lawless is happy to blast into space for a Sept. 9 guest role on Battlestar Galactica, but still is waiting to return to terrestrial butt-kicking in the long-discussed Xena: Warrior Princess movie, based on the syndicated series that ran for six years. "I would love to do it," she tells SCI FI Wire, "[but] nobody can agree [on] who owns the rights, and it's a big fat pain in the a--." Should Xena ever ride again, Lawless is open to a campier take on the feisty fighter. "It could be a good comedy," she allows. "Comedy always works." Unless you're Yes, Dear.
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Question: I read that Jennifer Tilly has joined the cast of CBS' Out of Practice in the role of Henry Winkler's girlfriend, a part I think is already portrayed in the pilot by another actress. Does this mean the pilot will now be reshot because of the addition? It might not be a bad thing, considering I have yet to read one positive review about it.
Answer: I think the advance word on this show, wherever you're getting it from, is a little too harsh, though I'd agree there's plenty of room for improvement. This isn't pretending to be a groundbreaking comedy, and it's definitely outshone by CBS' other new Monday-night comedy, How I Met Your Mother, but Practice has a terrific cast and a workable premise (a family of squabbling, high-maintenance doctors) that I'm hoping will gel quickly. Anyone who's knocking it should think back to a year ago when CBS inflicted Center of the Universe and Listen Up on us. And remember, you can always go to Yes, Dear and Still Standing on Wednesdays for a
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The "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" doctrine is alive and well at CBS. At least that's the impression you get after spending two days in the network's company as the first of the broadcast networks presenting a fall lineup at the summer press tour.
Although No. 1 in prime time, with the hottest nights of drama (Thursday) and comedy (Monday), they're not especially cocky. They didn't produce the breakout hits of last season (that would be ABC), and they're not likely to this year, either. But who's complaining when you have Survivor, The Amazing Race, CSI and all those other Bruckheimer shows, plus Two and a Half Men, as tentpoles?
Most of CBS' new shows appear solid, and a few even feel unusually fresh for a network that loves its formulaic procedural dramas and standard-issue sit
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