Hey again...........
Happy Friday!
(Hang in there, the week is almost over!)
Well, I admit it.
I like to watch TV.
Yes.......I really love to go to the movies, but I also like to sit down at the end of a long day and watch something good on TV.
Ya know -- something funny, touching, dramatic, silly or escapist.
(No........I'm not talkin' about "The Search For The Next Pussycat Doll" !)
Because my viewing time is somewhat limited these days -- I know you all can relate,
I tend to be a little more choosy in what I get addicted to on......"The Idiot Box."
For example: I started out loving "24" when it first started.........now I have trouble keepin' up. Same thing with "Lost".
Too many people. Too many stories. Too much confusion.
You miss one ep...........and you're as lost as that big "Hurley" dude on the island.
("Hey, does anybody have any peanut butter?")
I didn't even get started with "Heroes". I know it's great, I've read all about it (and have even watched a little bit.....)I just can't keep up. It's just too much.
It's sad. Those are 2 really great "high concept" shows that I know I would like -- I just don't have enough time and effort in me to keep up with them consistently.
Yikes........am I lame or what?
Anyhow, what I'm gettin' at is this......half-hour sitcoms are much easier on me.
22 minutes......a few laughs.......(hopefully)........and no crazy terrorists or castaway backstories to keep track of.
I can do that.
As you probably already know -- I love, love, love............. "The Office".
Thursday nights at 8:30 pm............I know I'm gonna laugh.
It's a nice way to ease into the end of the week.
Now, what would really make me happy -- what I would really like to see.......are some more
female-centric half-hour comedies.
We've got plenty of men out there.
We've got: "Two and a Half Men", "My Name Is Earl", "The King of Queens", "How I Met Your Mother", etc, etc, etc..............
Off the top of my head, I can only think of 2 women right now who are tryin' to bring the funny.........
Betty (of "Ugly Betty") and Christine (of "The New Adventures of Old Christine").
Where are the ladies?
What happened to:
Lucy Ricardo, Mary Richards, Rhoda Morgenstern, Maude, Laverne and Shirley, The Golden Girls (My 13-year-old daughter Kate loves that show in reruns, by the way -- go figure!), Roseanne, etc, etc, etc.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Bring on the funny women!
We know they're out there.............and we know women are watching TV.
The ratings and buzz around shows like "Grey's Anatomy" definitely prove that.
Don't get me wrong -- I like television dramas(and some reality TV) as much as the next gal,
I just really want me some laughs too.
Well...........I have read about 2 Fall TV pilots that could be potentially funny, female-driven comedies.
Obviously, it's hard to really judge just based on a plot outline and a cast list........but I think that these 2 shows have some potential.
If you were a network honcho, and you heard these pitches............would you give 'em the green light?
#1
SAM I AM (ABC)
STATUS: currently in development (2007-2008 season)
DEVELOPMENT STAGE: ordered to pilot
DESCRIPTION:
How would you like to rewind your life, erase all the mistakes and cringe-worthy moments and start over with a clean slate? It's a common fantasy. But for Samantha Newly, the fantasy is far too real. After a hit-and-run car accident puts her into an eight-day coma, she wakes up with retrograde amnesia. She can function in the world, but she can't remember a single fact about her own life!
As Samantha digs through clues like a detective to find out who she is (or was), she's hindered by unreliable narrators: her parents and friends all seem to have something to hide from her. Only Samantha's boyfriend Todd -- a stranger, now is trustworthy.
Quickly though, Samantha learns what everyone else knows: she was a horrible person. Vain, selfish, lacking conscience or heart, she had far more enemies than friends. So when Samantha learns that her "accident" was actually an attempted murder, she is, unfortunately, not surprised. If you could start over, would you do things differently? Could you do them differently? Can people change? Or are we just... who we are?
These are the questions "Sam I Am" asks, as our heroine begins the long, comic process of starting over from scratch - fixing old mistakes, reconnecting with her not-so-loving family and rediscovering love. While friends yank her in different moral directions... afraid of the "old Sam" returning... afraid that her would-be killer will try again... Samantha tries to remake herself through good, positive choices even though the bad ones are so much easier (and way more fun). Don Todd ("Ugly Betty") co-created and wrote this inspired comedy with best-selling Irish author, Cecelia Ahern (PS, I Love You). Peter Traugott ("Jake in Progress") of Brillstein Grey also Executive Produces through the ABC Television Studio.
PRINCIPAL CAST INFORMATION:· ??? as Tim· Christina Applegate as Samantha Newly· Jean Smart as Regina· Jennifer Esposito as Angela· Kevin Dunn as Howard· Melissa McCarthy as Dena· Tim Russ as Frank
CREW INFORMATION:· Cecelia Ahern as CRTR/PROD· Christina Applegate as PROD· Don Todd as CRTR/EP· Peter Traugott as EP· Robert Duncan McNeil as DIR (Pilot)
GENRE(S):· comedy (all)· comedy (single-camera)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
OK...........I like this premise, it's different than anything else on TV right now........and
I think Christina Applegate could pull it off.
I definitely see her as a gal who people could hate, but now all of a sudden -- she's clueless and actually kinda nice............and throwin' everybody a curve ball.
I'm thinkin' Jean Smart is gonna play her mom.........that would be cool, she can bring the funny. I love her.
I dunno, just thought it sounded kinda new and fun -- we'll see.
#2
MISS/GUIDED (ABC)
STATUS: currently in development (2007-2008 season)
DEVELOPMENT STAGE: ordered to pilot
DESCRIPTION:
You can run and you can hide but you can never escape...... who you were in high school. Becky Freeley thought she had left her teenage self behind when she returned to her old school to work as the guidance counselor. It wasn't until Lisa, her gorgeous former nemesis, joined the faculty that Becky realized her cover was blown.
In high school, Becky was an underachiever -- a social bottom feeder and a dork. Today, she's attractive, confident and has an admirer in the school's male nurse. Becky, however, has her eye on Tim, an earnest, single Spanish teacher. Unfortunately, so does Lisa. When Lisa was in high school, she was beautiful, popular and smart. While Becky pined secretly for Lisa's boyfriend, Lisa barely knew Becky existed. This time around, however, Becky is determined to prove that she has changed and to help her students have an easier time than she did.
In the pilot, Becky counsels a young girl in search of a date for the homecoming dance. At the same time, Becky is looking for a date for herself and must confront the fact that she hasn't changed as much as she thought she had. As the guidance counselor, Becky provides us with an inside look at the lives of both the students and faculty. More importantly, Becky has the opportunity to answer the question: If you could go back, knowing what you know
now-- what would you do differently?
"Miss/Guided" is a show about second chances not only for Becky, but for Lisa and Tim, as well. Produced by Ashton Kutcher and helmed by Emmy winning-director Todd Holland ("Malcolm in the Middle," "The Larry Sanders Show").
PRINCIPAL CAST INFORMATION:· Brooke Burns as Lisa· Earl Billings as Huffy· Jonathan Sadowski as Gary· Judy Greer as Becky Freeley· Kristoffer Polaha as Tim
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I feel the same about this pilot...........I think it sounds different than anything else on TV right now. Also, I love it when characters go "back to school" --- different than before, but maybe NOT so different after all.
(I love that Drew Barrymore movie Never Been Kissed, it kinda reminds me of that
a little bit).
Anyways, character actress Judy Greer is listed as the lead (you've seen her before, she does comedy and drama -- she played Jennifer Garner's buddy/co-worker in 13 Going on 30 ).
I like this casting choice because she's not typically beautiful, by Hollywood standards anyways. You could see her as an outsider in high school......and now she has more self-esteem.
The beautiful nemesis is played by Brooke Burns. Don't know if she is blonde or brunette now.......
She's been in a lot of low-level stuff........you've probably seen her before. But she is also somewhat known for being the ex-girlfriend of Bruce Willis (although -- I think that a lot of Hollywood gals can say that!)
Once again..........we'll see.
Yikes, I just looked at the clock -- and realized that I am going to be late for work if I don't wrap this baby up.
(And I'm never, ever late..............ouch, I think my nose is growing!)
As you can see, I could probably talk about this stuff all day!
Well, I hope you all enjoyed my "pilot talk" this week. I just felt like sharin' some of the stuff I've been reading about lately.
So have a great weekend everybody.............I'll (probably)be back next week.
Later,
Cagey :)
Happy Friday!
(Hang in there, the week is almost over!)
Well, I admit it.
I like to watch TV.
Yes.......I really love to go to the movies, but I also like to sit down at the end of a long day and watch something good on TV.
Ya know -- something funny, touching, dramatic, silly or escapist.
(No........I'm not talkin' about "The Search For The Next Pussycat Doll" !)
Because my viewing time is somewhat limited these days -- I know you all can relate,
I tend to be a little more choosy in what I get addicted to on......"The Idiot Box."
For example: I started out loving "24" when it first started.........now I have trouble keepin' up. Same thing with "Lost".
Too many people. Too many stories. Too much confusion.
You miss one ep...........and you're as lost as that big "Hurley" dude on the island.
("Hey, does anybody have any peanut butter?")I didn't even get started with "Heroes". I know it's great, I've read all about it (and have even watched a little bit.....)I just can't keep up. It's just too much.
It's sad. Those are 2 really great "high concept" shows that I know I would like -- I just don't have enough time and effort in me to keep up with them consistently.
Yikes........am I lame or what?
Anyhow, what I'm gettin' at is this......half-hour sitcoms are much easier on me.
22 minutes......a few laughs.......(hopefully)........and no crazy terrorists or castaway backstories to keep track of.
I can do that.
As you probably already know -- I love, love, love............. "The Office".
Thursday nights at 8:30 pm............I know I'm gonna laugh.
It's a nice way to ease into the end of the week.
Now, what would really make me happy -- what I would really like to see.......are some more
female-centric half-hour comedies.
We've got plenty of men out there.
We've got: "Two and a Half Men", "My Name Is Earl", "The King of Queens", "How I Met Your Mother", etc, etc, etc..............
Off the top of my head, I can only think of 2 women right now who are tryin' to bring the funny.........
Betty (of "Ugly Betty") and Christine (of "The New Adventures of Old Christine").
Where are the ladies?
What happened to:
Lucy Ricardo, Mary Richards, Rhoda Morgenstern, Maude, Laverne and Shirley, The Golden Girls (My 13-year-old daughter Kate loves that show in reruns, by the way -- go figure!), Roseanne, etc, etc, etc.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Bring on the funny women!
We know they're out there.............and we know women are watching TV.
The ratings and buzz around shows like "Grey's Anatomy" definitely prove that.
Don't get me wrong -- I like television dramas(and some reality TV) as much as the next gal,
I just really want me some laughs too.
Well...........I have read about 2 Fall TV pilots that could be potentially funny, female-driven comedies.
Obviously, it's hard to really judge just based on a plot outline and a cast list........but I think that these 2 shows have some potential.
If you were a network honcho, and you heard these pitches............would you give 'em the green light?
#1
SAM I AM (ABC)
STATUS: currently in development (2007-2008 season)
DEVELOPMENT STAGE: ordered to pilot
DESCRIPTION:
How would you like to rewind your life, erase all the mistakes and cringe-worthy moments and start over with a clean slate? It's a common fantasy. But for Samantha Newly, the fantasy is far too real. After a hit-and-run car accident puts her into an eight-day coma, she wakes up with retrograde amnesia. She can function in the world, but she can't remember a single fact about her own life!
As Samantha digs through clues like a detective to find out who she is (or was), she's hindered by unreliable narrators: her parents and friends all seem to have something to hide from her. Only Samantha's boyfriend Todd -- a stranger, now is trustworthy.
Quickly though, Samantha learns what everyone else knows: she was a horrible person. Vain, selfish, lacking conscience or heart, she had far more enemies than friends. So when Samantha learns that her "accident" was actually an attempted murder, she is, unfortunately, not surprised. If you could start over, would you do things differently? Could you do them differently? Can people change? Or are we just... who we are?
These are the questions "Sam I Am" asks, as our heroine begins the long, comic process of starting over from scratch - fixing old mistakes, reconnecting with her not-so-loving family and rediscovering love. While friends yank her in different moral directions... afraid of the "old Sam" returning... afraid that her would-be killer will try again... Samantha tries to remake herself through good, positive choices even though the bad ones are so much easier (and way more fun). Don Todd ("Ugly Betty") co-created and wrote this inspired comedy with best-selling Irish author, Cecelia Ahern (PS, I Love You). Peter Traugott ("Jake in Progress") of Brillstein Grey also Executive Produces through the ABC Television Studio.
PRINCIPAL CAST INFORMATION:· ??? as Tim· Christina Applegate as Samantha Newly· Jean Smart as Regina· Jennifer Esposito as Angela· Kevin Dunn as Howard· Melissa McCarthy as Dena· Tim Russ as Frank
CREW INFORMATION:· Cecelia Ahern as CRTR/PROD· Christina Applegate as PROD· Don Todd as CRTR/EP· Peter Traugott as EP· Robert Duncan McNeil as DIR (Pilot)
GENRE(S):· comedy (all)· comedy (single-camera)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
OK...........I like this premise, it's different than anything else on TV right now........and
I think Christina Applegate could pull it off.
I definitely see her as a gal who people could hate, but now all of a sudden -- she's clueless and actually kinda nice............and throwin' everybody a curve ball.
I'm thinkin' Jean Smart is gonna play her mom.........that would be cool, she can bring the funny. I love her.
I dunno, just thought it sounded kinda new and fun -- we'll see.
#2
MISS/GUIDED (ABC)
STATUS: currently in development (2007-2008 season)
DEVELOPMENT STAGE: ordered to pilot
DESCRIPTION:
You can run and you can hide but you can never escape...... who you were in high school. Becky Freeley thought she had left her teenage self behind when she returned to her old school to work as the guidance counselor. It wasn't until Lisa, her gorgeous former nemesis, joined the faculty that Becky realized her cover was blown.
In high school, Becky was an underachiever -- a social bottom feeder and a dork. Today, she's attractive, confident and has an admirer in the school's male nurse. Becky, however, has her eye on Tim, an earnest, single Spanish teacher. Unfortunately, so does Lisa. When Lisa was in high school, she was beautiful, popular and smart. While Becky pined secretly for Lisa's boyfriend, Lisa barely knew Becky existed. This time around, however, Becky is determined to prove that she has changed and to help her students have an easier time than she did.
In the pilot, Becky counsels a young girl in search of a date for the homecoming dance. At the same time, Becky is looking for a date for herself and must confront the fact that she hasn't changed as much as she thought she had. As the guidance counselor, Becky provides us with an inside look at the lives of both the students and faculty. More importantly, Becky has the opportunity to answer the question: If you could go back, knowing what you know
now-- what would you do differently?
"Miss/Guided" is a show about second chances not only for Becky, but for Lisa and Tim, as well. Produced by Ashton Kutcher and helmed by Emmy winning-director Todd Holland ("Malcolm in the Middle," "The Larry Sanders Show").
PRINCIPAL CAST INFORMATION:· Brooke Burns as Lisa· Earl Billings as Huffy· Jonathan Sadowski as Gary· Judy Greer as Becky Freeley· Kristoffer Polaha as Tim
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I feel the same about this pilot...........I think it sounds different than anything else on TV right now. Also, I love it when characters go "back to school" --- different than before, but maybe NOT so different after all.
(I love that Drew Barrymore movie Never Been Kissed, it kinda reminds me of that
a little bit).
Anyways, character actress Judy Greer is listed as the lead (you've seen her before, she does comedy and drama -- she played Jennifer Garner's buddy/co-worker in 13 Going on 30 ).
I like this casting choice because she's not typically beautiful, by Hollywood standards anyways. You could see her as an outsider in high school......and now she has more self-esteem.
The beautiful nemesis is played by Brooke Burns. Don't know if she is blonde or brunette now.......
She's been in a lot of low-level stuff........you've probably seen her before. But she is also somewhat known for being the ex-girlfriend of Bruce Willis (although -- I think that a lot of Hollywood gals can say that!)
Once again..........we'll see.
Yikes, I just looked at the clock -- and realized that I am going to be late for work if I don't wrap this baby up.
(And I'm never, ever late..............ouch, I think my nose is growing!)
As you can see, I could probably talk about this stuff all day!
Well, I hope you all enjoyed my "pilot talk" this week. I just felt like sharin' some of the stuff I've been reading about lately.
So have a great weekend everybody.............I'll (probably)be back next week.
Later,
Cagey :)
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1 comment:
Very interesting
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