Little David (Archuleta) Slays Goliath (American Idol)

I'm the first one to admit that I am not a die-hard fan of American Idol. When it first debuted, I thought it was all hype ands was stunned that it did so well in the ratings. I knew that Kelly Clarkson won the first season; there was a showdown between Reuben Studdard and Clay Aiken in season 2; I had no idea about season 3, but I knew that Carrie Underwood beat out Bo Bice in season 4. So when season 5 came around, I decided to tune in. Not from the beginning. I couldn't sit through all of those horrible auditions. So not long after the contestants got whittled down to 24, I began to watch… and I liked it. Chris Daughtry, Elliott Yamin, Katherine McPhee and Taylor Hicks — that was a good group. The following season I started watching the last night of Hollywood week and stuck with it through the end, when Jordin Sparks was victorious over Blake Lewis.

Season 7 is a different story. I don't know if it was the writers' strike or what, but I had American Idol on from the beginning, sitting through countless good, bad and awful auditions just like the rest of America. In seasons 5 and 6, I didn't know from the get-go who would make it to the finals. However, there is no doubt in my mind (and I think many in the audience would agree) that 17-year-old David Archuleta is going all the way, if not winning the whole she-bang!

Only the 2nd week into the semi-finals and the leader has already been decided, at least according to Simon Cowell. Who would have thought that one of the youngest contestants could dominate the giant cultural phenomenon so soon?

Going Over to the Dark Side

Usually, I hate it when soaps resort to the "evil twin" plot device. It lacks a certain imagination, especially when it's overused. However, two recent twists, on two different shows, are the exception to the rule.

Granted, in the case of Days of Our Lives, John Black (aka Ryan Brady amongst other names) isn't really an evil twin. His archenemy Stefano DiMera, who it turns out is his half-brother, made it seem as if John died, erased his memory, programmed him to be a killer and have no emotions at all. Days has a long history of brining back characters from the dead and other totally outrageous storylines and gimmicks. Yet, what makes this totally enjoyable to watch is the performance of veteran Drake Hogestyn as the amnesiac John Black/Ryan Brady DiMera.

Hogestyn has been portraying the hero John for over two decades: always reliable, always dependable, true blue no matter what. With this incarnation, Hogestyn finally gets the chance to let loose. No longer confined by the strict moral code of his pre-brainwashed self, the one-time New York Yankee minor leaguer gets to knock it out of the park by imbuing his alter ego with sarcasm and brashness. He basically has a new lease on life. Eventually, the hero inside will kick in. I hope that the show will allow Hogestyn to keep this newfound sense of humor and edginess.

As for the other twin story, The Young & the Restless went a more traditional route. Ted Shackelford, best known as Gary Ewing on Dallas and Knots Landing, came to the fictional Genoa City, Wisconsin as D.A. William Bardwell. He was an all-around good guy, who fell for a not-so-good gal Gloria Abbott. When he discovered all of his wife's evil doings, he had a stroke and died shortly thereafter.

Enter the evil twin: Jeffrey Bardwell. At William's memorial service, Jeffrey arrived, causing the grieving widow Gloria to pass out. She had no idea that her beloved husband (the second one to die within a year) had a twin. Although a dead ringer for William, that's where the similarities ended. Jeffrey is a schemer, always looking for the angle and how to take advantage of a situation. In fact, he blackmailed his sister-in-law into becoming his bride and sharing her fortunes (left to her by William and John Abbott) with him or face going to jail for poisoning a woman.

As slimy as Jeffrey is, it's wonderful to see Shackelford chew the scenery as this master manipulator. It's quite evident that he is having one helluva good time as the bad brother. Jeffrey's days may be numbered, but let's hope it's just the beginning of Shackelford portraying these types of characters.


Images courtesy of nbc.com and whosdatedwho.com

Lighting Up Friday Night

Whomever thought that Friday nights were a wasteland for television has obviously not watched any episode of Friday Night Lights. It is consistently one of the highest quality shows in all aspects of entertainment, no matter the medium.

The most recent episode, "Leave No One Behind," perfectly illustrates how phenomenal the cast, writing and overall production of this program really are. I am amazed that not only was this show and its stars not nominated for SAG Awards. Zach Gilford, as the usually straight-and-narrow, boy-next-door Matt Saracen, takes his character in a completely different direction. The QB1 had been heading for a downward spiral for a while. After his "girlfriend" Carlotta, the Guatemalan home care nurse for his grandmother, goes back to her country and only leaves him a Dear Matt note, Matt goes out of control. He starts drinking, mouthing off to teachers, cutting football practice and generally screwing up. It isn't until Coach Taylor (the understated, yet brilliant Kyle Chandler) has to pick him and his grandmother at the hospital that we finally get to the heart of Matt's problems. Coach throws Matt into the shower and starts to give him hell when Matt breaks down and wants to know why does everyone leave him and what's wrong with him. Coach finally understands everything this kid is dealing with and assures him that there is nothing wrong with him. I don't care if you're the biggest, studliest jock around, that scene will leave you in tears.

And that's only one story in this episode. Smash discovers that his football scholarship is being revoked because of a racial incident in which he punched a white kid after the guy was harassing his little sister. Smash unselfishly gives the Dillon Panthers a pep talk before the game and is left alone in the locker room to lick his wounds.

Elsewhere, Tim Riggins is trying to cope with the fact that the girl he loves, Lyla, wants nothing to do with him and is involved with teen Christian leader Chris. At one point Matt says he wants to be more like Riggins, to be on an even keel, but obviously Matt has no idea of the demons that stir in Tim Riggins' soul.

Lest we not forget the ladies, Julie is jealous over the time that mom Tami is spending with the girls' volleyball team, especially with her best friend Tyra. To make matters worse, Tami celebrates a team victory with the girls, thus forgetting to take Julie to go for her driver's license exam.

Finally, there's Tyra, who realizes that she loves Landry and doesn't want him getting involved with Jane, who seems more suited for the guy. Unfortunately, she decides to bare her heart to Landry while he's on a date with Jane. He gently rebuffs Tyra, leaving her to go home alone. However, Landry knows he's completely insane over Tyra, shows up at her house and plants a big kiss on her before the game. At least all is right with them, if no one else in Dillon.

I urge everyone to either watch the previous episodes on line or go out and buy the first season on DVD. This is one show about which you don't want to be kept in the dark.



Image courtesy of NBC.com

Great Expectations

It's been a long 8 months, but finally the 2007-2008 TV season will be rescued! No, I don't mean the the WGA strike has been settled (please let it be soon). I'm referring to the highly anticipated return of Lost.

After watching the Season 3 finale again last night (with the pop-up factoids), I am amazed that the series (and that episode, in particular) did not garner more accolades from the Emmys, Golden Globes or the SAG awards. Matthew Fox, as protagonist Dr. Jack, was brilliant, both in the past and future segments. His depiction of a truly lost soul in the future contrasted sharply with the confident, self-assured man in command on the island. His omission as a nominee, let alone a winner, from all the organizations bestowing honors on the year's best will go down as one of the great mysteries involving this show.

With only hours away, I can hardly contain my excitement to find out where the story picks up. It's not just that Lost is one of the few shows with new episodes left to air during this strike. Whatever Team Darlton (EPs Damon Lindeloff and Carlton Cuse) devise in the final 48 episodes, I am sure it will far surpass anything I can imagine. After all, this show, despite what some have deemed a roller-coaster ride, is one of the best written, acted and produced programs in the history of television.

Image courtesy of ABC.com

Distasteful Disney Dish

When you hear the name Disney, most people think of the company that makes dreams come true, providing warm and fuzzy moments for millions of people around the world. Unfortunately for actress Sabine Singh, her fantasy turned into a nightmare at the hands of Disney subsidiaries ABC and SOAPnet.

Singh had the unenviable task of taking over a popular role following the departure of the actress who originated it. Singh signed on to ABC's All My Children early 2007 after Emmy nominee Rebecca Budig left the show in November 2005. Apparently she did not rub the audience the right way. By Thanksgiving 2007, rumors that the soap would be saying "sayonara" to the recast were running rampant.

Being replaced is not out of the ordinary in the soap world, especially if the opportunity for the original portrayer to return presents itself. That was the set of circumstances in this case. However, they way in which the networks went about making the change was appalling. From the end of November until Budig's second debut as Greenlee, there was a massive daily campaign announcing that the "real Greenlee" would be back on January 16. For two months while her episodes were still airing, Singh had to face this onslaught. What is objectionable about this is Singh didn't cause Budig to be let go. She did not portray an imposter Greenlee. She was hired to fill the role when Budig apparently did not want to return at that time. Yet, due to the media blitz, it made it seem as if Singh's efforts were inferior or a pale comparison.

Granted, many fans, including myself, preferred Budig's interpretation (although that could also be due to the writing), but it just seemed unnecessarily cruel to hammer away that the "real Greenlee" would be returning while the current one was still on the air. For a company that is known for kindness, compassion and all good things, Disney/ABC could have shown a little more class.

Image courtesy of ABC.com

From Boozefest to Snoozefest

For years, the Golden Globes have been touted as the biggest party in Hollywood. Anything can happen at the Globes, and has, over the years. How many times has a presenter or winner knocked a few too many cocktails back (since the bar is open during the ceremony/dinner) and provided more entertainment than intended (most notably or frequently Jack Nicholson). This year, however, on January 13, 2008, the 65th Annual Golden Globe Awards were more of a wake than a party.

Due to the over two-month strike by the Writers Guild of America, actors and directors in a show of solidarity refused to cross picket lines. As a result, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association held more or less a press conference to reveal the winners. Part of the fun and interest in awards like these is that they've become spectator sports. People tune in to see what the stars are wearing, who they come with, and how they react to the results. Instead, moviegoers and television viewers were treated to a recitation of recipients that was as much fun to watch as paint drying. And to add insult to injury, on this historic anniversary of the awards, Steven Spielberg was to receive the Cecile B. DeMille Award, but it had to be moved to next year since no one was attending.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards are slated for January 27. Since all of the nominees are actors, unless the WGA grants an exception for its members to participate, the ceremony will likely follow the same format as the Globes. That would be a shame because the first two major award shows of the season are the only ones to celebrate TV and movies together. Talks are supposed to resume this week between the writers and producers. If the two parties can't reach a resolution quickly, the 50th Annual Grammy Awards (set to air on February 10) and the 80th Annual Academy Awards (slated for broadcast on February 24) could suffer a similar fate. It also would not bode well for the future of televising these events. If the viewers get annoyed enough, the special events may discover there is no longer an audience left to tune in.


Image courtesy of HFPA.com

These Globes Fall Flat

It's that time of year again. No, not Christmas or Chanukah or and other holiday-type event. Now begins Award Season for Film and Television. That's right, the nominations for the 65th Annual Golden Globes (chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association) were revealed today. It is one of the few ceremonies that acknowledge both motion pictures and television.

The nominees in the film categories I pretty much agree with (although it would have been nice to see Ben Affleck nominated for his directorial debut of Gone Baby Gone). Kudos to TV alums Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies), George Clooney (ER), Denzel Washington (St. Elsewhere), Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld), Johnny Depp (21 Jump Street), John Travolta (Welcome Back, Kotter), Aaron Sorkin amongst other things, The West Wing), Steven Spielberg (Night Gallery, Duel and Band of Brothers, to name a few) AND the Queen of Apparently Everything Oprah Winfrey (no explanation needed).

The honorees for the small screen held quite a few surprises, both good and bad. On the plus side, cable programs dominated the nominations. Newbies to the party AMC's Mad Men, FX's Damages and SHO's Californication did well in all categories as did the broadcast network freshman series Pushing Daisies. Hugh Laurie (House) was the lone competitor from network TV to make the grade for Lead Actor in a Drama Series. This leads to one of the problems this year: the snubs. What happened to any recognition (whether for the show or the actors) for Lost or Heroes? What about the triumverate from Grey's Anatomy of Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey and Chandra Wilson?

However, the biggest atrocity (which continues to occur every year) is the fact that the supporting categories combine television series, miniseries and made for TV movies. If the Hollywood Foreign Press deems it necessary to separate the film categories into Drama and Comedy, at least they could separate the supporting actors of series from those of TV movies and miniseries. Would that really be so much to ask?