Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose… So started the FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS Paley Panel last night and if ever a show had the heart, the quality and the drive to make it, it’s FNL. TV Guide’s Pooper Scooper Michael Ausiello moderated the night honoring those down to earth, frighteningly realistic, and always lovable Dillon Panters.

In attendance were Exec. Producer Jason Katims, Jeff Reiner (Co-Exec. Producer/Director), Ms. Tami Taylor herself the flawless Connie Britton, Scott Porter (#6 Jason Street), Minka Kelly (Lyla Garrity), Aimee Teegarden (Julie Taylor), Zach Gilford (Saracen), Adrianne Palicki (Tyra Collette).

That’s right folks, no Coach Taylor. Kyle Chandler was scheduled to be there but the film he’s shooting in Vancouver ran long and he couldn’t get in. And gals, Taylor Kitsch, Mr. Tim Riggins was MIA as well (probably off having a beer). You’ll all have to swoon later.

Kath and I did a podcast so I’m not going to write up much but I would like to comment on how incredibly sweet and honest this crew was. They seem beyond appreciative of the support the fans have given them, NBC’s determination, and the ability to be on a once in a lifetime show like Friday Night Lights. From the writing process to the shooting style all the way down to the casting of bit parts, FNL goes for authenticity and almost always succeeds.

Jason Katims was quick to own up to the fact that there was no pressure by the network to create the Landry/Tyra/Rapist Murder plot. It was all his own. While he understands folks frustrations (and is honored by the level of commitment and love for the show it brought out) he and the rest of the cast agree that the outcome was well worth it. Adrianne and Jesse Plemons worked their asses off this season and have given us fans one of the coolest TV Couples in recent history.

Everyone on stage was great. Connie Britton is beyond stunning and had cleavage for miles! Minka Kelly was gorgeous (as you can imagine). Adrianne Palicki looked classy and was very fun. She talked at one point about how when she read the script about the rapist, she loved Tyra so much that her first instinct was to kill the bastard (rapist). How’s the for honesty? Zach Gilford was quiet and seemed really nervous about the panel but was more open and entertaining in person during the signing. Aimee Teegarden is so young but adorable (that dress though?). Scott Porter’s shirt put Will Truman’s skin tight shirts to shame and fans of that hideous movie with Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant will be pleased to know he performed some dance moves for the crowd.

Overall such a different panel than the nights before but no less interesting, insightful and fulfilling.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS PODCAST:
Another late night, another Paley centric podcast. Again, this one is short (20 min). LISTEN TO OUR FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS PODCAST.

MY PICTURES:

gang, as you know I’m in LA for the week and I’ll be attending the Paley Festival with my girl GMMR and I’ll also be having a couple other things in the works (fingers crossed) that you’ll want to know about. Aside from Pushing Daisies, Chuck, Friday Night Lights and Buffy, I’ll be visiting my favorite people in Los Angeles whom I haven’t seen since I left here in 2000 and roaming around town. Visiting with my favorite Casting Agent Jenny and meeting up with someone that will hopefully be giving me (& you) some inside scoop on the return of Supernatural. Not to mention we’ll be podcasting our asses off.

If you want to stay on top of all my nonsense, follow me on Twitter:

Hey gang, as a bunch of our favorite TV Shows are only a week or two (or 5 months) away from returning after their WGA Strike imposed hiatus, a handful of TV Bloggers got together to share their favorite characters currently on television.

Below is a list of the Top 25 Characters of Television! Did your favorite make the cut? Share your Top 10 in the comments section below if you like!

1. Kara “Starbuck” Thrace (Battlestar Galactica)
2. Tami Taylor (Friday Night Lights)
3. Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother)
4. Benjamin Linus (Lost)
5. Dexter Morgan (Dexter)
6. Coach Eric Taylor (Friday Night Lights)
7. Landry Clarke (Friday Night Lights)
8. Dwight Schrute (The Office)
9. Lily Rush (Cold Case)
10. Omar Little (The Wire)
11. Gaius Baltar (Battlestar Galactica)
12. Olive Snook (Pushing Daisies)
13. Shawn Spencer (Psych)
14. Sheldon Cooper PhD (The Big Bang Theory)
15. Dr. Juliet Burke (Lost)
16. Michael Weston (Burn Notice)
17. Captain Jack Harkness (Torchwood)
18. Dr. Miranda Bailey (Grey’s Anatomy)
19. Chuck Bartowski (Chuck)
20. Brenda Leigh Johnson (The Closer)
21. Emerson Cod (Pushing Daisies)
22. Ned “The Piemaker” (Pushing Daisies)
23. Liz Lemon (30 Rock)
24. Stephanie Lane (My Boys)
25. Stewie Griffin (Family Guy)

Also receiving multiple votes: Desmond Hume (Lost), Major John Casey (Chuck), Jack Donaghy (30 Rock)
Voters: Dan, Ducky, Jo, Kate, Sandie, Scooter McGavin, TVFan, Vance

While everyone’s known that Kathie would be attending Paley next week, I’m happy to report that I will now be joining her… officially! We’ll be hanging with our friends from PUSHING DAISIES, geeking out with CHUCK, molesting Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton and the rest of the Panthers from FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS and vamping out with my girl BUFFY and her gang of Scoobies!

We’ll be doing nightly podcasts from Paley so now’s the time to subscribe to our TV Podcast so you don’t miss a single minute of our trip.

It’s all the buzz on every TV blog within a galaxy’s radius… FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS is *this* close to being renewed for a 3rd season which will give some folks, 2 chances to watch 6, Riggs, Coach Taylor, Tami, Smash, Tyra and Landry make and break our hearts.

According to Deadline Hollywood and all but confirmed by sources close to E!’s Kristin Dos Santos, NBC and DirecTV are hammering out details to renew FNL and broadcast it on both NBC and a DirecTV dedicated channel.

While I’m so excited to hear that the Dillon Panthers will have another chance at State, I’m even more excited to see them all at Paley in less than 2 weeks! Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton need to watch out because I’ve got grab-hands ready to molest those two!

The WGA Strike continues well into the Day 90s so the television landscape is like no winter we’ve seen before. Kath and I are back to talk about Lost’s return as well as the return of American Idol.

It’s TV Podcast #19!

Also on the agenda are Friday Night Lights, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Prison Break, American Gladiators, Paradise Hotel, Project Runway, Torchwood, Pushing Daisies, Comic-Con 2008 and much more.

Subscribe and Listen via iTunes

Listen Online: TV Podcast #19

Interested in catching up on our past podcasts? Head on over to the podcast page where you can listen to all of our previous episodes.

Have a question for Ducky and GMMR? There are a couple ways to contact us:

Free Voice Mail (Comments/Questions):
This is Dan and Kathie’s favorite method of contact because it allows us to hear from you and we use these messages live on our podcast to answer your burning television questions. It’s FREE and you don’t have to do anything but click RECORD BY PHONE on the box below and it will walk you through how to contact us!

It’s super easy and free to leave us a message:

iTunes Comments:
This is a great way to spread the word about our podcast and it really helps new listeners determine if they want to subscribe to us or not based on YOUR COMMENTS. Subscribing to the joint podcast between duckydoestv.com and givememyremote.com is the best way to listen to us.Please comment on Ducky Does TV and Give Me My Remote’s TV Podcast at iTunes.

While some fans will say that FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS has jumped the shark (and I agree on some counts), last night’s episode “Jumping the Gun” was pretty much dead on for what I want FNL to be. There was a ton of focus on character, family, football and how those three intertwine to give us the characters we’ve grown to love over the last season and a half.

Coach Taylor started the episode in a bad mood and it got much worse before it got any better. He finds Riggins sleeping in the equipment room at the school after kicking him on his ass for supposedly macking on young Julie; He fights with Tami’s over-stayed-her-welcome Sister and sends her packing to a hotel and after repeated attempts at making Laribee’s Coach feel welcomed he gives up on the guy. But in the end, Coach Taylor does what he always does and helps everyone because he’s that kind of guy. He’s a good man through and through; one you can count on and that’s one of the reasons why I love him.

All of the family drama was incredibly believable and really heartfelt. When Julie confesses that Riggins was only trying to protect her and that she didn’t say anything because she was drunk and didn’t want to get in trouble all Coach said (three time though) was “Damn.”

That one word expressed so much disappointment and pain and both actors played the scene aces. Moment’s like this or his conversation with Tami after Shelly left are what center Friday Night Lights and no matter how stunty the show gets at times, will always set it on the highest pedestal in my book. Kyle Chandler can bring the pain like no one and while his character can sometimes frustrate the hell out of you it’s only because you know deep down he’s going to come around and be your best friend at any cost. Look at how he turned the stern conversation with Julie into the most affirming proclamation of love a child could hope for when they’re expecting to be grounded until they’re 40. Look at how he manned up and apologized to Riggins for “jumping the gun” or how he gave some Fatherly advice to Smash about holding out for the right school for the right reasons.

And Connie Britton’s Tami is right there with Coach Taylor. She’s complex and wonderful and sexy and just darn sweet… a character you can really count on and trust. Watching how she dealt with Mama Smash and the pesky recruiter or how honest she was behind closed doors about the intrusions of her sister mesmerize me in their freshness. No moment rings false. No moment seems scripted. She’s a living, breathing, flawed woman you can root for.

Same with Smash Williams. I want good things for the kid no matter how pompous or selfish he can be. And his Mother? Forget about it. She’s brilliant! Deep down he is a sap, his Mother’s Son through and through. That pesky Naomi or whatever her name is freaks me out a little though. What’s her deal? I know her Brother used to play for Dillon and is now some bigshot College player so she has some experience in the field but didn’t you get the idea that maybe she was a plant? Like the college her Brother attends sent her in to persuade Smash into signing with them? Is she really that good of a person that she’s helping him out of the goodness of her heart? Nah.

Overall this was one of the most Season 1 feeling episodes so far this shortened season. My only issue is the Riggins storyline. I enjoyed watching him go home at any cost. I’m glad he was able to talk to his neighbor and patch things up before she and that hideous kid moved. I’m glad that he was worried about his future and that he was looking to better himself. That’s why I have an issue with Riggins and his worthless Brother stealing $3,000 from his fat underwear rompin’ ferret owning ex-roomie. We don’t need theivery and gun play to make Friday Night Lights flashy, that’s what the football’s for. We need honesty and good dialogue with supreme acting. Save the stunts for Las Vegas or something crappy like that. Keep my FNL simple stupids!

I’m going to stop now because I’m not really saying much other than I love my friends in Dillon and do not want it to all end in the next couple weeks. Long live Friday Night Lights.

Everyone’s sick of end of year lists but how can I not do one on my favorite TV shows of 2007? I always find these lists hard to do because 12 months is a really long time and we watch a LOT of TV. I wish I could prepare enough ahead of time to write up some great “moments” that stand out but let’s be honest… I don’t get paid to do this so that’s not gonna happen.

Regardless, the end of the 2006-2007 season provided lots of thrills and even a few tears. The 2007-2008 season started off so promising but as we all know, many shows just didn’t live up to the hype and the WGA Strike has kind of killed any hope of making this a banner year for television. So what did I choose? Did I pick a previous favorite that ended last May? Did I give a sophmore series about superheroes another nod? Did those Housewives make a showing after being off the list for so many years? Here goes.

Ducky’s Favorite TV of 2007:

30 ROCK I was late jumping on the 30 Rock train but once I gave it a chance late last winter, I instantly fell in love. 30 Rock is the successor to Arrested Development and I actually may love it even more. Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin together are impossibly brilliant and the supporting cast only add to the mayhem and madness. Highlights: Season 1’s “I love NY in springtime” moment, Season 2’s return of Will Arnett, “Me Want Food” and “Gay for Jamie“.

CHUCK Chuck Bartowski, how I love you! The funniest thing about Chuck is that GMMR and I had seen the pilot probably 10 times before we hit Comic-Con where Zac Levi and crew got a superheroes reception from the geek gala. I don’t know that the show has lived up to my expectations but I can’t say that I don’t love watching it every week. There’s an inherent sweetness to this action-comedy that makes me squee. Zachary Levi and Yvonne Strahovski are magnificent together and anytime Adam Baldwin gets to be a smartass, I’m on board. So sad that the WGA Strike put an end to our enjoyment of the Nerd Herd! Highlights: The Pilot, Chuck and Lou, Captain Awesome’s many skin shots, and the return of Bryce Larkin.

DAMAGES Week after week this intense drama built to a shockingly graphic climax and it kept me guessing every step of the way. Glenn Close, Rose Byrne and Ted Danson delivered crazy intense performances for 13 weeks, proving that summer is not for the lazy brainless reality shows any longer. It was great interviewing most of the cast this summer, it really made me realize how brilliant the writing of the show really is. Kudos to FX for sticking with Damages and granting us 2 more seasons. Highlights: The endless time shifting and the seemless togetheness of it all, Glenn Close’s reaction to Ray Fiske blowing his brains out, the closing moments on the dock.

DOCTOR WHO/TORCHWOOD The one-two punch of Doctor Who and Torchwood coupled with my going to Comic-Con made 2007 my geekiest year to date. Season 3 of Doctor Who was probably the best of the new series. While I loved and miss Rose, Martha was a great companion. Capt. Jack may have ended up on Who at the end of Season 3 but more importantly he kicked some demon ass all season on his own show, Torchwood. Harkness, Gwen, Ianto, Owen, and Tosh made their show so much more than a spin-off. Torchwood delivered thrills, chills, and tears and I cannot wait for it’s return early in 2008. Highlights: Who’s Donna the Runaway Bride, “Human Nature” and the scary intense weeping angels of “Blink”. Torchwood’s gayness, “Random Shoes” with Eugene, Billis the scariest wrinkled creepy since the Preacher Kane from Poltergeist.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS The Dillon Panthers won State, the audience won another season and all seemed great down there in Texas. Then poor Tyra and Landry had to dump a body in a river leading to the most interesting coupling the show could ever have concocted. Some balked at the stunt plotline but I welcomed it once I saw how unbelievable both Adrianne Palicki and Jessie Plemons would make their roles. The Taylors continued to bring one of the most realistic and beautiful families to television not to mention Connie Britton’s acting her ass off. Highlights: Winning State, Plemons acting, Santiago’s first moment in the game during “The Confession”… breathtaking.

LOST Say what you will about Season 3 of LOST but the addition of Juliet and the jump forward solidified the show as greatness in my book. While it took a bit to flesh out Ben’s backstory, Juliet’s arrival on the island, Mr. Friendly’s allegiance, and the involvement of the Whidmore’s it was all worth the wait. We got some great answers this season, some scary twists and turns, some great revelations, some wonderful death’s, and HELLO, the chaos surrounding who’s coming to the island in Season 4? Matthew Fox continued to bring anxiety and sadness to the role of Jack and it’s a damn shame he wasn’t nominated for something this year. I’m psyched for it’s return on January 31st! Highlights: The story of how Juliet came to the island, the death of Charlie, the flash-forward, and Patch!

MAD MEN Seriously, do I even need to explain why Mad Men is on the list? The acting, the writing, the art direction, the costuming, the genius? Another summer sleeper that rocked my socks! Highlights: Jon Hamm as Don Draper, any scene with Joan, the sadness of the era, Don Draper’s carousel pitch.

PUSHING DAISIES The facts are these: Lee Pace, Anna Friel, Kristin Chenoweth and Chi McBride are my favorite finds of 2007. Bryan Fuller created a vivid, magical world I didn’t realize was missing from making my life complete until it slapped me in the face. My favorite pilot of 2007 led to stalking Fuller and Co. at Comic-Con, creating a fansite called ThePieMaker.com, and landed me on the Red Carpet interviewing these great talents. What a summer and fall leading up to the premiere of Pushing Daisies. This show makes me beyond happy and I cannot wait for its return in 2008. Highlights: The pilot, Ellen Greene, the musical numbers, Ned & Chuck, Bryan Fuller and Lee Pace recognizing me on the red carpet with hugs all around. Swoon…

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE I have to include SYTYCD because seriously could there have been a bigger obsession all summer long? Sure I loved Damages and Mad Men but sweet lord did it not compare to my lunacy over Neil Haskell and the rest of the dancers on SYTYCD. Highlights: Neil and Sabra’s boardroom brawl, Cat Deeley’s flawless hosting, Mary Murphy’s continued screaming, Wade Robson’s increased involvement, Debbi Allen and Shankman, backstage on tour.

SUPERNATURAL Love those Winchester’s. In a year that saw Sammy go real dark, the demise of YED, and a soul searching Dean, how can I not love Supernatural? The end of Season 2 was a wild wild ride but the beginning of Season 3 proved that this show is not and will not be stereotyped. Broadening the horizons of the demon world has suited the show nicely. Sure the addition of Ruby and Bela has been problematic for some but I can overlook that because the suspense and the gore has increased! Highlights: Visiting the set last May, blood and more blood, Supernatural:Origins comics, the return of Gordon.

The rest of the best: Battlestar Galactica, Big Bang Theory, Brothers & Sisters, Gossip Girl, How I Met Your Mother, Project Runway, Psych, The Closer, The Office, Top Chef and the end of Veronica Mars.

Should be on the list but isn’t for one reason or another: Dexter (never finished Season 2 because we got rid of Showtime but I’m dying to see the rest), Bones (just got addicted so I felt it couldn’t be added just yet - though let it be known that I’m obsessed), Dirty Sexy Money (something just isn’t right just yet, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love it).

Have a safe and Happy New Year! Looking forward to a wonderful and hopefully television filled 2008.

The Screen Actors Guild Award Nominations are out and listed below. I have to say that while I’m excited for Mad Men, Michael C. Hall, Glenn Close, Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, and The Office Cast nod — I’m pissed that Friday Night Lights is once again being shut out. Connie Britton is acting her ass off out there in Texas and noone seems to be taking notice. This is hands down my biggest problem at the moment, give the girl some respect. The show also should have been nominated for Ensemble. That’s bullshit.

Also, seriously no How I Met Your Mother for Ensemble Comedy? Come on… Lost? Matthew Fox? Someone’s huffing some strong stuff over there in LaLaLand.

Male Actor in a Drama Series
James Gandolfini, The Sopranos
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
James Spader, Boston Legal

Female Actor in a Drama Series
Glenn Close, Damages
Edie Falco, The Sopranos
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ALEC BALDWIN / 30 Rock
STEVE CARELL / The Office
RICKY GERVAIS / Extras
JEREMY PIVEN / Entourage
TONY SHALHOUB / Monk

Female Actor in a Comedy Series
CHRISTINA APPLEGATE / Samantha Who?
AMERICA FERRERA / Ugly Betty
TINA FEY / 30 Rock
MARY-LOUISE PARKER / Weeds
VANESSA WILLIAMS / Ugly Betty

Male Actor in a TV-Movie or Miniseries
MICHAEL KEATON / The Company
KEVIN KLINE / As You Like It
OLIVER PLATT / The Bronx is Burning
SAM SHEPARD / Ruffian
JOHN TURTURRO / The Bronx is Burning

Female Actor in a TV-Movie or Miniseries
ELLEN BURSTYN / Mitch Albom’s For One More Day
DEBRA MESSING / The Starter Wife
ANNA PAQUIN / Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
QUEEN LATIFAH / Life Support
VANESSA REDGRAVE / The Fever
GENA ROWLANDS / What If God Were the Sun?

Ensemble in a Drama Series
Boston Legal
The Closer
Grey’s Anatomy
Mad Men
The Sopranos

Ensemble in a Comedy Series
30 Rock
Desperate Housewives
Entourage
The Office
Ugly Betty

Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
24
Heroes
Lost
Rome
The Unit

The SAG Awards are supposed to be held January 27th but who knows what will happen with the whole WGA Strike issue.

The WGA Strike is about to take away television but before that happens, there’s plenty for GMMR and I to talk about!

Dan and Kath are back for TV Podcast #16, and it’s all about the shows! It’s not about the strike, it’s just us talking about what we’ve loved and hated about television over the past couple weeks. I’m going to warn you now, it’s an hour long podcast. We haven’t talked in a while so sit back, relax, and listen to us in 2 sittings if that makes it easier. Thanks for sticking with us!

We tackle each day’s best and worst starting with Monday and working our way all the way to the lazy nights of Sunday. Chuck, HIMYM, Big Bang Theory, Prison Break, Heroes, House, Bones, Reaper, Pushing Daisies, Gossip Girl, Dirty Sexy Money, Private Practice, The Office, Grey’s Anatomy, Ugly Betty, Supernatural, Moonlight, Friday Night Lights, Torchwood, The Amazing Race, Brothers & Sisters, Dexter, and more. Phew, who’s tired already?

Subscribe and Listen via iTunes

Listen Online: Podcast #16

Interested in catching up on our past podcasts? Head on over to the podcast page where you can listen to all of our previous episodes.

Have a question for Ducky and GMMR? There are a couple ways to contact us:

Free Voice Mail (Comments/Questions):
This is Dan and Kathie’s favorite method of contact because it allows us to hear from you and we use these messages live on our podcast to answer your burning television questions. It’s FREE and you don’t have to do anything but click RECORD BY PHONE on the box below and it will walk you through how to contact us!

It’s super easy and free to leave us a message:

iTunes Comments:
This is a great way to spread the word about our podcast and it really helps new listeners determine if they want to subscribe to us or not based on YOUR COMMENTS. Subscribing to the joint podcast between duckydoestv.com and givememyremote.com