So I guess “Dancing With Myself” is having the best week ever: Last night’s Glee covered the song in one of my favorite numbers of the series so far.
But the tuned had re-entered my consciousness this weekend when it was on Ugly Betty: READ FULL STORY »
As we near the end of season 6, I challenge anyone to convince me that Michael Kors’ and Nina Garcia’s prolonged absences haven’t been disastrous for this season of Project Runway. Nina herself more or less acknowledged this fact a few weeks back. An utter lack of continuity on the panel paved the way for the premature elimination of talents like Ra’mon, Epperson, and Shirin. And that’s not the only problem it created — at least according to the vociferous Runway fans who comment on the boards of my TV Watch (thank you for weighing in each week!) and to recently auf’d designer Gordana Gehlhausen. Their argument? That the judging has been unnecessarily harsh of late.
Now, part of the reason we all watch the show is to experience the laugh-out-loud packages of wit in which Michael, Nina, and Heidi wrap up their critiques. But in past seasons, even the sternest of admonishments usually came with a constructive chaser that kept the words from feeling gratuitously bitchy. The chemistry of the Holy Fashion Trinity tended to guarantee an affectionate jocularity. (I give you: “That crotch is insane!”) This year, that’s been rarer. A lot of fans, for instance, were put off by Jennifer Rade’s icy take-down of Qristyl in episode 4. And even more of them have commented on Heidi steadily turning up the harsh-o-meter to 11. This last point in particular unnerves Gordana. When the fourth-placer came to the EW offices for Project Runway Talk, she explained how hard it was to relive Heidi’s glare while watching the Bob Mackie episode. She also talked about much she envied the supportive brand of judging that the So You Think You Can Dance contestants enjoy each week.
Take a look at Gordana’s Runway Talk episode [embedded after the jump] and tell me what you think. Are she and the fans right? Has the judging gone from humorously blunt to flat-out mean?
(Also, there’s no elimination on tonight’s episode, but Dalton and I will be back with three new episodes of Runway Talk following the Nov. 19 finale. See you then!)
Photo Credit: Mike Yarish/Lifetime
Yes, it’s November Sweeps, but we’re already looking ahead to December episodes of Fox’s Bones. The cast took photos for EW as they filmed the Dec. 3 hour, inspired by the gamer documentary The King of Kong, and Dec. 10′s Christmas story, which David Boreanaz accurately describes as “a little sick.” (A man dressed as Santa is blown up after a botched bank robbery. Note: This is also the episode that Emily Deschanel’s sister Zooey guest stars as a distant relative of Brennan’s invited to spend the holidays with Bones and her father. Welcome back, Ryan O’Neal.)
Among the things you’ll learn by clicking through our gallery of 15 exclusive shots: David Boreanaz is responsible for most of Booth’s wardrobe, including the socks, “cocky” belt buckle, and occasional homage to Steve McQueen in Bullitt; Emily Deschanel and John Francis Daley are easily entertained.
JOHN FRANCIS DALEY FOR EW
Former President Bill Clinton spoke about health care yesterday, but managed to drop in a few thoughts on everyone’s favorite period drama, Mad Men. From the Sun-Times:
“You ever watch that TV series Mad Men?” Clinton asked. “If I keep watching this program, will I ever find a happy person? Great television. Good drama. But a lot of really painful reminders in that show about how black people were supposed to run the elevators…were supposed to ask permission before they get on an elevator. The way women were treated is appalling….”
Okay, let’s go there: Is everyone on Mad Men unhappy? Maybe. But are they markedly more unhappy than characters on contemporary-set dramas? I don’t think so. Is Pete really sadder than, say, Izzie Stevens? Is Don more cynical about the human condition than Gregory House? Does Sally Draper have more to cry about than Jenny Humphrey? I’m not convinced that our ’60s set is more miserable than our modern one. Except for Betty, I guess.
What sad sacks did I miss, PopWatchers? Who’s the biggest downer in prime time?
We remember Zachary Quinto stopping by our offices early in Heroes‘ run, and telling us that he’d actually noticed people switch sides of the street so they wouldn’t have to walk by Sylar on the sidewalk. That’s the reaction you get when you play a villain. When you play a bitchy villain, like Ian Somerhalder does as The Vampire Diaries‘ deliciously evil Damon Salvatore — who just made EW’s list of TV’s Best Bitches (in the issue on newsstands tomorrow) — the fans cross the street to get to you.
The actor says fans have asked him to bite various parts of their bodies. His response? “I generally just have to smile and politely decline because there are major problems associated with randomly biting people in the street,” he says. “One of them is legality. Another may be the fact that they’re extremely young and their 6’4″ father’s standing there with a baseball bat. Or that they’re married. Or that my lovely and wonderful girlfriend is standing next to me going ‘Uh-uh, it ain’t gonna happen.’”
I can see how having an actor who embodies a bad-ass vamp pretend to bite you would be a thrill (and a great photo), but I can’t imagine actually approaching one and asking him to do it. Anyone out there care to explain it to me?
How about guessing who else made our list of TV’s current best bitches?
Photo credit: Quantrell Colbert/The CW
Following the news that ABC will not be ordering additional episode of freshman drama Eastwick, costar Lindsay Price (pictured) has been named a suspected show killer. Though undeniably adorable, the actress has a long rap sheet of failed TV shows that also includes NBC’s Lipstick Jungle, Pepper Dennis, and Coupling.
Which other actors are on TV’s Most Wanted (and Least Lucky) List? Our top offenders:
• Jason Gedrick: Truly impressive versatility in terms of the number of networks he’s failed on. Victims include: Fox’s Class of ’96; CBS’ Sweet Justice, EZ Streets, and Falcone; ABC’s Murder One and The Beast; and NBC’s Boomtown and Windfall.
• Paula Marshall: Though now starring on the CBS sitcom Gary Unmarried, the lovely Marshall’s victims include Fox’s Wild Oats, NBC’s Chicago Sons, ABC’s first Cupid and Snoops, and CBS’ Out of Practice. Let the record show that she also guested on the second (and last) season of ABC’s Sports Night and CBS’ Shark, and was brought on as Steven Weber’s girlfriend on NBC’s appropriately retitled Cursed.
• Eric Balfour: The star of Veritas: The Quest (ABC) and Conviction (NBC) also appeared in the pilot of CBS’ short-lived drama The Ex-List and on an episode of ABC’s one-season wonder Life on Mars. Why tempt fate?* Props to the producers of Monk for waiting until they determined it was their final season before inviting him on.
Your turn. Which actors have you noticed have a special talent for picking TV shows that die untimely deaths or have the uncanny ability of securing a guest spot on a series right when it’s about to go toe up (hello, Ted McGinley!)?
* Because occasionally, “TV Poison” (cough, Mark Feuerstein) finds its antidote.
Photo credit: Janet Mayer/PR Photos
When we started hearing about the new Steve Carell-Tina Fey comedy Date Night earlier this year, I kind of pictured a witty, domestic comedy of errors. Articles described the movie as a romcom about a couple whose night out goes laughably awry, so I immediately pictured something like a mix of Baby Mama and Dan in Real Life, with maybe a dash of Adventures in Babysitting from the parents POV.
Boy, was I wrong.
Judging by the movie’s just-leaked trailer, Date Night (coming in April) is as much an action pic as a comedy — like an earth-bound Mom and Dad Save the World, or Mr. and Mrs. Smith with fewer assault weapons. Take a look:
Your turn, PopWatchers: Were you guys expecting this much action?
