This week I got the chance to join a call with some other TV Bloggers to help promote Tricia Helfer’s upcoming stint on Burn Notice. You know and love Helfer from her role as Caprica 6 on the fraktacular Battlestar Galactica and I’m happy to say I love her more now than I ever did before.
On with the Q&A where she’ll talk the end of Battlestar, her new pilot Inseparable and her new role as Carla on Burn Notice!
Panel: Can you start off telling us what is Carla’s back story and how many of the episodes are you going to be in in season two?
T. Helfer: I’m going to be in, I think, seven episodes of the 16 being done. I’m in the first two, and I think the season finale, and then will be in 2009’s episodes as well.
To be completely honest, I really don’t know much of Carla’s back story. Just as she’s mysterious to Michael, she’s also mysterious to the audience, and I think we’ll learn more about her as Michael does and the audience does. At this point, I’ve only filmed the first two episodes, so I have yet to discover a lot about Carla myself. I do know that she was a spy, and that she is now the public face of the organization that burns Michael. So she is definitely in a leadership position, and, at this point, pretty much ordering Michael around.
Panel: Is it difficult coming into a show that’s already become an established hit? I know with Battlestar, I think you were the face of Battlestar Galactica for several months before the series, but here with Burn Notice it’s already had a season and is very well known.
T. Helfer: It’s always daunting going into a show as a guest in a guest role, but with Burn Notice, I honestly can’t say how wonderful they were and how welcoming they were to me. When I first signed on, Jeffrey e-mailed me and welcomed me on, and it’s just nice knowing you’re going down to an open, warm environment, and that people are looking forward to working with you and that type of thing. I sat down with Matt Nix before I went down, and we had a good chat. He gave me a bit of a story arc at that point before they had started filming. Things are still being written, so I could get a broad overview, but no specifics really.
It’s definitely easier starting in the beginning with the whole cast and crew, but stepping into a show that you can see and you can see the tone of the show, it’s easier to try and fit in, knowing how they’re going and what they’re looking for. There are pros and cons to both, but they were absolutely welcoming to me. (more…)
Last night the top 14 dancers were pushed to their limits with 2 routines each on the latest episode of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. Kath and I take all 14 to task in this week’s SYTYCD Podcast!
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Read my So You Think You Can DanceAfterElton recaplet , then listen to our latest SYTYCD Podcast to get all of my thoughts on the Top 14 performing. Quickly, two dances for seven couples was waaaay too much this week. It killed the momentum of the show and it killed the personality I come to appreciate from seeing the rehearsal process… that being said, I didn’t love it any less.
There are a ton of videos to get to this week so let’s go…
We threatened to never do another TV Talk Podcast if you didn’t flock to iTunes and leave us comments… well I’m happy to report that you love us as much as we love you! Thanks to your generosity, we are back and this week’s podcast is a lot of fun!
We revise our thoughts on Swingtown now that we’re both completely caught up (and loving it), we talk about my chat with Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) and her stint on Burn Notice plus some scoop on her new Fox pilot Inseparable.
Next we tackle one of the most talked about Fall pilots, J.J. Abrams FRINGE! Kath and I will review the plot, the mystery and the hotness that is Josh Jackson but don’t worry we don’t spoil anything for you! We’re good like that!
Then it’s time for some listener emails because you guys are cramazing!
Who wants to talk Comic-Con? No? Tough because we run down the shows that will be in San Diego and vent our frustrations over the scheduling. If you’re going to be in town for Comic-Con and you’re a reader or listener, let us know… we’d love to see you!
Before wrapping up this week we have a little fun with our TV version of F, Marry, Kill! That’s right, we each pick one we’d boink, one we’d marry and one we’d go Dexter Morgan on. join in the fun and leave us some comments about who you’d F, Marry and Kill based on our choices. We’ll read some of them on the air in our next podcast.
Hey Bostonians…are you a fan of THE CLOSER? Then join us on Wednesday, July 9th as we get a sneak peek at the Season 4 premiere episode at THE CLOSER Season 4 Boston Premiere Party.
Join Ducky & GMMR and star of THE CLOSER, Tony Denison (Det. Andy Flynn) as we properly kick off season 4 of the hit TNT show with appetizers, a dessert buffet in honor of Brenda Johnson’s sweet tooth, and plenty of prize giveaways.
If you want to attend the invite-only party, here are the details you need to know:
To Enter: Everyone has something to confess. Have you called in sick when you really hit the beach? Do you have a crush on the adorable co-worker in the next cube? Have you ever used a headache as your excuse? Share a confession with us and you might just be able to join us to kick off Season 4 of THE CLOSER. Important! You must be 21+ to attend the event. IDs will be checked at the door.
Event Details: When: Wednesday, July 9th at 7:30pm (GMMR/Ducky readers to meet up a little earlier) Where: Ned Devine’s, Fanueil Hall Who: You, THE CLOSER’s Tony Denison, GMMR & Ducky…and a whole lotta fans of the show
*Please only enter if you can be sure that you can be there on Thursday night. We want a fun crowd representing Ducky & GMMR, right?
Today, the Orlando Sentinel released the first 5 minutes of the new Batman film, The Dark Knight. It was one of Heath Ledger’s last films before he died and the dude is creepy ass… Hey look, it’s William Fichtner, that makes this TV related, right?
Well, I’m happy to announce that Jeannie Tate is back and on vacation! Jeannie and Russell hit the streets of Rome, stalk Bill Hader and wonder why Tina wanted to know if they had a blender in the house.
As always, watch the simply divine and utterly genius Jeannie Tate Show (episode 7):
I won’t lie, I missed seeing those vicious circles called Tina Tate’s eyes but at least there were still a couple jokes at her expense. You know that bitch is living it up at home while Tina and Russell are away. Can she drive anymore? Who’s taking those kids to soccer practice? Jeannie, I’ve missed you!
We’re still two months away from the actual EMMY Awards, but with all of the short-list action being revealed, I had to do a quick Emmy post about where all of our favorite shows stand in the race for Gold. Thanks to Tom O’Neil at GoldDerby for keeping all of us on top of this crazy Emmy process.
Kristin Chenoweth (hey girl, love me some Pushing Daisies) and my main man Neil Patrick Harris will reveal the nominees on July 17th.
Here’s how the categories are shaping up for the pre-Emmy short-list. From these nominees below, the final groups will be determined - but know this… someone or something below will win!
*Updated: 7/2/08 - Still to be announced is the Best Male Comedy which rumor has it, features my boy Lee Pace!
BEST DRAMA ACTOR
Gabriel Byrne, “In Treatment” (”Paul and Gina: Week 4″)
Kyle Chandler, “Friday Night Lights” (”Last Day of Summer”)
Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad” (”Pilot”)
Patrick Dempsey, “Grey’s Anatomy” (episode?)
Michael C. Hall, “Dexter (”There’s Something About Harry”)
Jon Hamm, “Mad Men” (”The Wheel”)
Eddie Izzard, “The Riches” (”Last Temptation of Wayne”)
Hugh Laurie, “House” (”House’s Head”)
Denis Leary, “Rescue Me” (”Babyface”)
James Spader, “Boston Legal” (”The Court Supreme”)
BEST DRAMA ACTRESS
Patricia Arquette, “Medium” ( “Aftertaste”)
Glenn Close, “Damages” (”Pilot”)
Minnie Driver, “The Riches” (”Dead Calm”)
Sally Field, “Brothers and Sisters” (”History Repeating”)
Mariska Hargitay, “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” (”Undercover”)
Holly Hunter, “Saving Grace” (”Tacos, Tulips, Duck and Spices”)
Elisabeth Moss, “Mad Men” (”The Hobo Code”)
Mary McDonnell, “Battlestar Galactica” (”Faith”)
Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer” (”Manhunt”)
Jeanne Tripplehorn, “Big Love” (”Take Me As I Am”)
BEST SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTRESS
Jane Alexander, “Tell Me You Love Me” (Episode 10)
Candice Bergen, “Boston Legal” (”The Mighty Rogues”)
Rose Byrne, “Damages” (”Because I Know Patty”)
Jill Clayburgh, “Dirty Sexy Money” (”The Watch”)
Sharon Gless, “Burn Notice” (”Identity”)
Rachel Griffiths, “Brothers and Sisters” (”Domestic Issues”)
Christina Hendricks, “Mad Men” (”Babylon”)
S. Epatha Merkerson, “Law and Order” (”Bottomless”)
Sandra Oh, “Grey’s Anatomy” (”The Becoming”)
Dianne Wiest, “In Treatment” (”Paul and Gina: Week ?”)
Chandra Wilson, “Grey’s Anatomy” (”Lay Your Hands on Me”)
I just got off the call with Tricia Helfer, that frakkin’ kick ass actress from Battlestar Galactica and now Burn Notice and I’m happy to say I love her more now than I ever did before.
While I won’t have the full interview up for another day or so, I wanted to quick share some of the highlights about her stint with Michael Westen on Burn Notice, her plans for Comic-Con and her role as Mason on the Fox pilot Inseparable.
Comic-Con and Battlestar Galactica:
Tricia confirmed that she will be attending the BSG Comic-Con panel and that the theme this year is Cylon/Human Couples. So far she knows that Six & Baltar will share the stage with Starbuck & Anders. Frak, that sounds awesome!
I asked her about whether or not there is hope for the humans and the cylons now that they’ve discovered a devastated Earth and she seemed optomistic without revealing a frakkin’ thing (damn, those trained to not spoil). She thinks that the cylons that are in cooperation with the humans will work together and keep pushing forward, that they have to keep trying because that’s their nature.
She heads back to Vancouver for the final shots of the Battlestar Galactica series tomorrow and the mood on set is frantic. She said that instead of everyone being relaxed and laid back like she thought it would be, everyone is crazy busy and trying to cram so much into their normal production schedule so everyone is like walking zombies up there in Canada.
Being her first series finale, she doesn’t know how she’ll feel when she walks off the lot for the last time but she imagines it will be rough.
Tricia Helfer talks Burn Notice:
Her character Carla will torment Michael even when she’s not on screen. Even though she’s only shot the first two episodes of the season, she’s done some call in work for upcoming episodes where she’ll be taunting our gang via cell phone. As she put it, “Carla is always watching!”, so while she may not be on the show, that’s all the rest of the characters are talking about. Loves it!
She believes that she’ll be in 7 episodes total. 2 this half of the season (the summer portion) and 5 when the show returns for the second half of Season 2 in early 2009. So yeah, but boo… that means we’re getting very little Burn Notice this summer. Probably 8 eps before disappearing.
She has yet to film a scene with Gabriel Anwar’s Fiona but assumes that those scenes will not be pretty. She’s dying to see what happens between them though! Aren’t we all sista!!!
What about Fox’s new pilot INSEPARABLE?
She plays a police psychologist named Mason who has treated the main character both before his paralyzing accident and after so she knows the heart of this man.
Her character is not in the pilot that much but becomes a larger focus as the next few episodes unfold.
It looks like Inseparable will be a mid-season show for Fox’s early 2009 schedule.
She was incredibly energetic, fun, and chatty for it being 8am in Los Angeles. I have to say that she’s my new BFF and just doesn’t realize it. Katee Sackoff watch you ass! Do you think she would pull my bicycle behind her hog or get me a sidecar? Helfer, call me!
If you’re not watching ABC Family’s new hilarious action-adventure/sci-fi/comedy THE MIDDLEMAN you’re missing out. It’s pretty damn great and one of my favorite things about the show is the character Wendy Watson played to the snarkiest by actress Natalie Morales.
Last week I participated in a call with Natalie and she was fun, personable and willing to chat… that’s how I like my girls. Guess which question was mine!
Panel: In real life, how are you with weird things, like are you jaded or do you usually freak out?
N. Morales: What do you mean weird things?
Panel: Like your character, she’s just jaded.
N. Morales: You know what? No, I grew up as an only child and so I’ve always kind of been curious and interested in a lot of stuff. In that, I think Wendy and I have a lot in common.
Panel: What do you enjoy most about playing her?
N. Morales: I think, I get to have fun with her. They kind of let me have free range on the comedic styling’s of Wendy Watson. I get to deliver lines in a crazy fashion if I feel like it. I love doing that. I love the fact that she’s sort of the comedic relief of the show in a way, even though Ida pretty much steals the show. She’s very funny.
Panel: What’s the stunt work like?
N. Morales: The stunt work is pretty interesting, actually. Greg Burnette, who’s our stunt coordinator is just amazing. If you look him up, …300,000 credits. He just rules. He teaches me stuff and I actually get to do a lot of my own stunts. I’ve done wire work and a bunch of things like that, a lot of falling and yes, I actually love the stunt work. I really do.
Wow gang, the SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE SPOILERS this week have kind of been all over the place so more than ever this is just a hodge-podge of what I could find online for you folks. It may get a little clearer as the day unfolds and I will update accordingly.
Tomorrow night is the night kids, I cannot wait! We are in Week 4 of performances and I still love this show more than ice-cream and sparklers.
So You Think You Can Dance Season 4 (Week 4) routines and choreographer spoilers after the jump… (more…)
This is some news from THE OFFICE that I’m very excited about on a Monday morning. Usually when you think of offices and monday mornings you’d like to kill yourself but this morning… reason to rejoice!
Amy Ryan’s new HR rep Holly Flax will return to Dunder-Mifflin in the fall for a smattering of episodes. I loved Holly’s interaction with Michael, it was sweet and really spoke to who he is as a person and really brought out something we’d never witnessed before in him before. Plus, if no one tells her that Kevin’s not slow, it could make for at least a couple more genius gags. “This is a button…” Oh the brilliance!
“The Wire” star Amy Ryan will get a chance to flex her comedic muscles a bit more next season as she joins “The Office” for multiple episodes.
Ryan is set to appear in at least five segs in the fall, reprising her role as human resources rep Holly Flax. Ryan’s character first showed up in “The Office’s” season finale as a potential love interest for Michael Scott (Steve Carell).
“I don’t know what they’re going to do with the character,” Ryan said, “but as it was written, there’s certainly a lot of potential. It’s a funny thing to enter a show that you’re a great fan of — and it’s nice to tell lighter stories. I love the dark, grittier side of life, but it’s nice to take a break from that, put a skirt on and brush your hair.”
In the season-four ender, “Goodbye, Toby,” Ryan’s character replaced long-suffering HR staffer Toby Flenderson, played by Paul Lieberstein.
“Amy gave the character of Holly an openness and matured innocence that exposed a new side of Michael,” said Lieberstein, who was just upped to exec producer on the show. “She placed her character right on his level.”
I’m psyched, especially because I know her movie career is booming and I figured they didn’t have a chance in hell of getting her back for one episode, let alone multiple.
I finally had some time to catch up on the three episodes of SWINGTOWN that were sitting on my DVR and I’m happy to say that I’m still loving the show.
If you caught this week’s TV Talk Podcast, you heard me talk about how I wasn’t sure I knew where the show was going and that I wasn’t sure about what the show was trying to accomplish but I feel like I now have a better understanding of where Swingtown is headed.
While some of the retro references are far from subtle, I feel like the show has really started to capture the spirit of ‘76 and the issues at hand. Swingers and promiscuity are not the focus of the show (thankfully), at its heart is a family on the cusp of change. Swingtown is all about self discovery and becoming more self aware.
Bruce and Susan’s world has been turned upside down in every way possible. Bruce got a new job which allowed them to buy a bigger house in a nicer neighborhood and then they met the Decker’s who have opened their eyes to the sexual revolution. Having been knocked up the first time they had sex, these two have never had a relationship outside of their marriage and both are realizing that while they love each other, there may be more to life than the isolated and safe world they’ve surrounded themselves with for far too long.
The flip-flopping they’ve experienced lately is obviously some serious foreshadowing to the deterioration of trust between them. At times Bruce seems to be the one more open to swinging while more recently it was Susan that initiated the possibilities. That’s some seriously dangerous water these two are treading and it makes me nervous as all get out.
Where the show is starting to gain its footing is in the relationships and the insecurities among the women on the show. While Trina Decker originally came across as this voracious vixen we’re slowly starting to see how she may have been coerced into her lifestyle or at least how her sexual drive has kept her from some things she’s wanted out of life. I get the feeling that when she was seduced by Tom back when she was a stewardess, she left her job and gave up aspirations of her own.
Now that she’s met Susan and slowly befriended the repressed Janet, Trina is realizing she may be missing out on what she wanted out of life. Am I way off base there? In the cabin episode, there was so much sadness in the way she told the girls about Tom’s new Toyko route and for the first time she was a fully conceptualized character… I loved it.
The women of Swingtown are fantastic and I think that they’re the real story happening on the show. It’s about them rediscovering themselves and reassessing their places in what was a man’s world. Friendship, marriage and work have all been brought up in the more recent episodes and if they continue to explore what those things mean to women I think that the show will be fantastic.
I’m loving Laurie’s storyline and really really loving her hot ass teacher. Shanna Collins who plays Laurie is this incredible force on screen. The best part is the contrast in her character; she’s so worldy, well educated and sure of herself that you forget she’s still really young and stupid. She’s a teenager in every way and I love that they don’t dumb her down. Sure she’s trying to seduce her teacher but she understands the complications and is somewhat realistic about it. I love how she told her early summer fling, Logan, that there was no future. She talked to him in such a confident and almost condescending manner, it was awesome! Laurie Miller rocks!
I don’t know… I’m rambling now. I just basically wanted to say that I’m pleasantly surprised to see that Swingtown does seem to know where they’re headed as a series and that I’m connecting with it. I’ll shut up now.
Wow, this morning I’m still in disbelief that my girl Chelsea Traille was sent home last night. Shocked is the only word that comes to mind… well after frak, douche, bitch, whore and a few choice others were screamed out in my Tourette’s haze immediately following the announcement. So sad…
On the bright side, we were treated to two amazing group numbers last night, one by Mia Michaels and one from Hok and Dom’s dance crew Quest! Mia remains a genius and seriously my eyes almost explode from all the crazy greatness Quest pulled off. There’s nothing better to me than movements perfectly timed to the song they accompany and both routines were aces in that department.
Last week I got to participate in a conference call with legendary comedy and horror director John Landis and PSYCH’s Maggie Lawson as they talked about tonight’s episode of FEAR ITSELF called “In Sickness and In Health”.
Tune in to FEAR ITSELF on Thursday nights (10pm NBC) because its a bloody good time! “In Sickness and In Health” should be great because it stars both Maggie Lawson and James Roday from PSYCH - together…again… it’s crazy talk! I love seeing the two of them together but in different roles… too bad it looks like he might be trying to kill her, always an issue.
Let me tell you, John Landis can talk! It was great, don’t get me wrong but seriously if he was on an episode of Coffee Talk with Linda Richman the man would have no problem discussing any topic. I’ve pulled some of the questions for your reading pleasure.
Panel: I know you’ve done some great horror work like American Werewolf and Innocent Blood but are you surprised you’ve become very much a go-to guy for horror when your work has predominantly been in comedy?
John Landis: You know, directors just like actors get typed and I personally, you know, it’s because I’ve made very successful comedies, it’s like oh, he’s a comedy guy. And I enjoy comedy and it’s not hard for me but I like all genres. I mean I’d really like to make a Western. As a schlepper, as a young man, I worked on many Westerns in Spain, mostly Italian Westerns.
But my friend Walter Hill once said to me, “If they knew how much fun it was to make a Western they wouldn’t let us.” Because it’s so fun. I made Three Amigos in this country; I directed that and that was a comedy but it was a Western and since you ride around on horses it’s really fun. But I as a filmmaker, I can do whatever story; I’m the storyteller. So if it’s a drama or a love story, whatever it is I’m perfectly capable of doing it.
However, the executives don’t think that way. They think what was he successful in? We’ll give him that. Just like actresses get typed or, you know, it’s sad but I think it’s kind of amusing that I’m a master of horror now. Although since I did those two shows I’ve actually, I guess, done a bit of horror. I like horror and fantasy and I want to stress that this particular episode, the screenplay by Victor Salva, when I read it, it’s not what you expect.
It’s much more of a throw back. It’s kind of like a woman’s picture, a girl in jeopardy picture. It has really no elements of the supernatural and it’s entirely - sits on Maggie’s shoulders. (more…)
