Two New Ones for Showtime

Via Variety.com

Showtime will premiere new series "Shameless" with William H. Macy and "Episodes" with Matt LeBlanc on back-to-back nights in January

"Shameless," which co-stars Emmy Rossum and is exec produced by John Wells and Paul Abbott, will launch Jan. 9 at 10 p.m. "Episodes," will bow Jan. 10 at 10:30 p.m., following the season-four premiere of "Californication."

Adapted from a long-running Blighty series, "Shameless" stars Macy as a heavy-drinking, working-class dad of six, the oldest of which is played by Rossum. "Episodes" will help illustrate the possibilities and perils of bringing a U.K. series to the U.S: LeBlanc plays a version of himself starring in an adaptation of a highbrow British show into an American sitcom.

I've heard the positive reviews in regards to the British original of "Shameless" but haven't really given it the opportunity it deserves. The fact that William H. Macy has signed on is a good sign. I feel he's an actor that can bring creditability to any production.

As far as the Matt LeBlanc show, sign me up! I always felt Joey was the funniest of the Friends' characters, despite the spin-off show and never really had a fair shot to try something else. I'm really interested to see how he does with this role.

Undoubtedly both will be given a fair shot and a great time slot. Let's see what happens in the new year.

The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards Predictions - Part 2

With the Emmy Awards show premiering this weekend, I think it's time to offer my final predictions for the acting categories.  I left out the nominees from the Miniseries/Made for TV movie category because I haven't seen them and wouldn't want to give a uneducated guess.  I have already given my picks for the series categories, which can be found here.  Quickly wanted to give my biggest surprises/disappointments; once again no nomination for Justin Kirk (Weeds) and True Blood receiving no nominations.  Truly a shame.  On with the predictions!

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

• Simon Baker - The Mentalist
• Gabriel Byrne - In Treatment
• Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad
• Michael C. Hall - Dexter
• Jon Hamm - Mad Men
• Hugh Laurie - House

I think it's a 3 way race between Cranston, Hall and Hamm.  Cranston surprised some last year and walked away with the prize, but I'm not sure he'll be able to pull it off again.  The buzz surrounding Mad Men puts Hamm as the front runner in my mind and I think he'll be holding a statue on Sunday.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

• Glenn Close - Damages
• Sally Field - Brothers & Sisters
• Mariska Hargitay - Law & Order: SVU
• Holly Hunter - Saving Grace
• Elisabeth Moss - Mad Men
• Kyra Sedgwick - The Closer

A rather dull category when you consider that every nominee is the same from last year with only the addition of Moss.  Close won last year and you have to consider her the favorite.  I'd like to see Hunter up there, but I think Close will win again.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

• Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock
• Steve Carell - The Office
• Jermaine Clement - Flight of the Conchords
• Jim Parsons - The Big Bang Theory
• Tony Shalhoub - Monk
• Charlie Sheen - Two and a Half Men

This is by far the most talented category if you throw out Sheen.  Last year Baldwin won as 30 Rock dominated the entire night.  My heart goes out to Carell who I think has taken a well established character in the UK series and has completely made it his own.  I think he finally gets his due on Sunday.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

• Christina Applegate - Samantha Who?
• Toni Collette - United States of Tara
• Tina Fey - 30 Rock
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus - The New Adventures of Old Christine
• Mary-Louis Parker - Weeds
• Sarah Silverman - The Sarah Silverman Program

Lots of wonderful ladies here, but how the votes are cast is a question.  Are we looking for an actress who is funny, or a great performance on a show that's considered a comedy.  In the former we would have Silverman or Fey or Dreyfus, but the later would have to be Parker or Collette.  I strictly on an acting basis that Collette should win and upset Fey.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

• Christian Clemenson - Boston Legal
• Michael Emerson - Lost
• William Hurt - Damages
• Aaron Paul - Breaking Bad
• William Shatner - Boston Legal
• John Slattery - Mad Men

Slattery and Emerson are the front runners in my mind.  But I think Emerson finally gets his props for the brilliant portrayal of the creepy and tormented Benjamin Linus as Lost's final season begins in early 2010. 

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

• Rose Byrne - Damages
• Hope Davis - In Treatment
• Cherry Jones - 24
• Sandra Oh - Grey's Anatomy
• Dianne Wiest - In Treatment
• Chandra Wilson - Grey's Anatomy

Wiest (an Oscar winner) absolutely holds the best of odds of repeating from last year.  I just don't see any others in this category that will best her.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

• Jon Cryer - Two and a Half Men
• Kevin Dillon - Entourage
• Neil Patrick Harris - How I Met Your Mother
• Jack McBrayer - 30 Rock
• Tracy Morgan - 30 Rock
• Rainn Wilson - The Office

Again, throw out Cryer and this category is stacked.  Jeremy Piven won last year for Entourage, and I'm slightly surprised he wasn't nominated again.  NPH is hosting the award show so that my help or hurt his chances.  The 30 Rock guys sort of cancel each other out so I think it has to go to either Dillon (easily the best actor on Entourage) or Wilson as Dwight Schrute.  I'll have my fingers crossed for Dillon.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

• Kristin Chenoweth - Pushing Daisies
• Jane Krakowski - 30 Rock
• Elizabeth Perkins - Weeds
• Amy Poehler - Saturday Night Live
• Kristen Wiig - Saturday Night Live
• Vanessa L. Williams - Ugly Betty

I absolutely love Kristen Wiig, but I don't see her winning.  I think Elizabeth Perkins finally gets notice and Weeds finally wins something.

Catch the Primetime Emmy's at 8:00pm EST September 20, 2009 on CBS.

The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards Predictions - Part 1

While the Emmy Award show isn't for another month, I though I'd take some time and throw out some predictions of who the winners will be. In this first part I will discuss the shows that have been nominated.  In future posts I'll take a closer look at the individual categories.

Outstanding Drama Series

• Big Love
• Breaking Bad
• Damages
• Dexter
• House
• Lost
• Mad Men

I'll be honest and let you know that I have never watched Damages or House, but I don't think they really stand a chance anyway.  Mad Men pulled out the win last year and I can't see why it shouldn't be the front runner this year.  Dexter may get some more love this year as I think it's gaining some more buzz.  Lost is an amazing show on the way out and while Big Love & Breaking Bad are truly wonderful programs, they are niche shows which don't have the same wide following as Mad Men.

Outstanding Comedy Series

• 30 Rock
• Entourage
• Family Guy
• Flight of the Conchords
• How I Met Your Mother
• The Office
• Weeds

Wow, what a packed category!  I am a fan of all of these shows, but 30 Rock is the critics darling.  It really is a shame, but I don't see 30 Rock not winning.  Entourage just doesn't have enough to be truly appreciated by the critics; Family Guy is completely hit or miss now; Flight of the Conchords is still building their fan base; How I Met Your Mother is an under appreciated gem on broadcast television; Weeds has dramatically fallen off since Season 3.  The Office has the most legitimate chance of upsetting 30 Rock, but I just don't see it happening.

Outstanding Miniseries

• Generation Kill
• Little Dorrit

I would truly be shocked if Generation Kill doesn't win.

Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series

• The Colbert Report
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
• Late Show with David Letterman
• Real Time with Bill Maher
• Saturday Night Live

This category has the same list of nominees from last year where The Daily Show won.  The Colbert Report has the best chance of taking over for The Daily Show, but it's a spin off and I think that will have something to do with how the votes are cast.  SNL has really been good the past few years, but not amazing.  Real Time with Bill Maher is just too political and the Late Show is what it has been for the past six or seven years.

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program

• The Amazing Race
• American Idol
• Dancing with the Stars
• Project Runway
• Top Chef

Undoubtedly the best of this category is The Amazing Race and I think it will definitely repeat from last year.  Drama, action and great character development is something you'd expect from a dramatic series but you get the same from a reality program.  The rest of the nominees just don't have the same overall appeal.

Outstanding Reality Program

• Antiques Roadshow
• Dirty Jobs
• Dog Whisperer
• Intervention
• Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List

This is a new category this year for the Emmy's.  I've watched all of these shows at some point, except the Kathy Griffin show because I find her very irritating.  All are great shows in their own right, but I'll have to give the nod to Intervention.  An absolutely riveting show that quickly brings you in and keeps you interested to the very end.  The raw human emotions exhibited in this show won't allow you to turn away.


I'll have my predictions for the acting and writing categories in the coming weeks...

A Modern Day Nurse

“Nurse Jackie”
Showtime
Created by Liz Brixius, Evan Dunsky & Linda Wallem
Starring Edie Falco
Current Season: 1
Number of Episodes to date: 4
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Nurse Jackie is Showtime’s newest original series which premiered on June 8th. One of the best female actors out there, Edie Falco, stars in the title role. I’m glad to see her back on television since the Sopranos ended in June of 2007. Her ability to depict strong-willed, powerful women is seemingly her go-to role, but this character is more real and troubled than most. Through the first 2 episodes we see that Jackie typically needs prescription meds to get through her day (Adderol, Percocet, etc.) and lives two separate lives (one at the hospital and one at home with her family). The battle ensues between Jackie’s desire to help others, while she simultaneously destroys herself with drug abuse and extra martial affairs. Aside from Falco, the performance of Merritt Wever playing the new nurse Zoey stands out for me. There is just something about the way she portrays the young nurse who wants to impress and feel welcomed. I think we have a future award winner on our hands. Still, the show doesn’t stand out for me as something exceptionally different. While I love the performances of Falco and Wever, the overall cast is mediocre at best and the conflicts on the show, so far, are pretty mundane. I hope the writers pick up the pace as the season goes on.

Summer Season Premieres

Here’s a quick look at some of our favorite shows that will be coming back for the summer of 2009:

“Weeds” – Season 5 premieres June 8th, 2009

When season 4 came to a close, Nancy informed Esteban that she was pregnant with his child, while he was contemplating her own life when it was discovered she had been talking to the DEA. Celia is somewhere in Mexico after her daughter kidnaps her in revenge, Doug has hit rock bottom after his “dream girl” falls in love with Andy, and Andy contemplates his own desire for his sister-in-law Nancy.

While I must admit I was a bit disappointed with season 4, mainly because I felt season 3 was near perfect, the family’s location near the Mexican border offers a plethora of storylines to mimic real life situations. The current drug wars going on in Mexico are absolutely brutal and vicious. I am not sure I’d like to see the show drift from its comedic roots, but incorporating some of the violent conditions of the drug trade would open people’s eyes. At the same time, I do get the feeling that their stay in Del Mar is not for the long term and I could easily see Nancy moving the family once again.


“Entourage” – Season 6 premieres June 28th, 2009

Vince’s latest big budget film Smoke Jumpers becomes a disaster, ending with Vince being fired. E attempts to track down Gus Van Sant to get Vince a role in his upcoming film. It doesn’t work and Vince briefly fires E as he believes E’s over persistence ruined his chances. All is forgiven when minutes later Vince gets a call from Martin Scorsese who wants him to be the star of a re-envisioning of The Great Gatsby. Like all past transgressions, the 5-some (Vince, E, Drama, Turtle and Ari) remains intact.

Expect the Martin Scorsese movie to be a main plot point as well as new regular cast members Gary Cole (Ari’s old colleague Andrew Klein) and Kate Mara as E’s new assistant. My prediction is Mara will be a household name in a few years and is just beginning to break onto the scene. Additionally, there will be no shortage of celebrities with the list of confirmed cameos includes Lil’ Wayne, Tom Brady and LeBron James.