Netflix’s reboot of the beloved 1980s cartoon will be released later this July, but the first trailer is already out for Masters of the Universe: Revelation!
The war for Eternia culminates in Masters of the Universe: Revelation, an innovative and action-packed animated series that picks up where the iconic characters left off decades ago. After a cataclysmic battle between He-Man and Skeletor, Eternia is fractured and the Guardians of Grayskull are scattered. And after decades of secrets tore them apart, it’s up to Teela to reunite the broken band of heroes and solve the mystery of the missing Sword of Power in a race against time to restore Eternia and prevent the end of the universe.
While promoting her upcoming CBS comedy with Robin Williams (which you can check out the trailer for among the 37 new TV trailers we’ve gathered) someone asked Sarah Michelle Gellar if she’d be on board for a Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie. That in and of itself isn’t newsworthy. Given the huge success the Veronica Mars Movie has found via Kickstarter, you have to imagine that everyone that has ever been part of a fan favorite TV show has been fielding questions about the possibility of a film adaptation.
The nice part is that Gellar didn’t give a total throw away answer. She could have easily laughed it off but instead she only half laughed it off:
[box_light]“If there ever was the right story, we would do it, but the thing with Buffy is that Buffy was a movie, and it ultimately didn’t work as a film, the story works better over time.”
At this point, the stake would be my walker and I would be hobbling in.”[/box_light]
So obviously not the green light Buffy fans would hope for, but it’s nice to know that Gellar and creator Joss Whedon have discussed it. Of course the biggest problem with a Buffy film would be getting the old cast back together. David Borneaz, for whatever reason, rarely talks about either Buffy or Angel. James Marsters believed he was too old in the first place to play Spike. Alyson Hannigan and Alexis Denisof are off being their busy adorable married selves. Unfortunately Anthony Head’s pilot for The CW (The Selection) wasn’t picked up so he’d possibly be available.
Will there ever be a Buffy movie? Unlikely. But no harm in dreaming right? To soothe ourselves, let’s take a look back at Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
I come to you today a conflicted woman. Those pilots I so looked forward to and thought would find legs? Well it turns out there’s a reason I’m not a network executive. That reason being I don’t think like a network executive as evidenced by the fact that so few of those pilots I predicted would make it to air actually will. On one hand, I’m disappointed because there were some great ideas that are no longer and on the other hand there are some trailers for these new shoes that look very promising. See? Conflict. But enough chit chat – let’s watch some trailers for all the new TV shows…
**note: I did not include all mid-season shows. There will be plenty of time to look at those, these are mainly the fall premieres.**
[tabgroup][tab title=”NBC”]
NBC cleaned house. Especially when it comes to their sitcoms. The only ones that were renewed were Parks and Recreation and (somewhat amazing) Community. The rest of them, including every new show they premiered this year? Gone. Sadly there have been murmurings that NBC is purposefully abandoning the style of shows they used to air, like 30 Rock and the freshman now canceled sitcom Go On, and are instead looking for things more broad reaching, family oriented, even going so far as to say they want shows more like those on CBS. That’s right folks… NBC is courting the lowest common denominator. Oh joy.
[toggle_simple title=” The Blacklist” width=”600″]
Former government agent, current FBI Most Wanted, Raymond “Red” Reddington has been on the run for years but now is coming to the FBI with a proposition; he wants to help them hunt down another of their Most Wanted, terrorist Ranko Zamani. Of course, as the name implies, Zamani is not the only person on Red’s list.
Meh, I suppose it has potential but it seems a little like a combination between Law and Order and Fox’s The Following.
Johnathan Rhys Meyers is discarding period garb to have sex with beautiful women. It seems as if we’ve seen this before. Oh, yea. At least this time he’s doing it as a vampire instead of as King. I’ll admit, this looks promising especially with the people involved behind the camera, and Meyers isn’t really a schlub, so things are in Dracula‘s favor.
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[toggle_simple title=”Sean Saves the World” width=”600″]
I do believe I said I’d eat my hat if this show made it to series so if someone really wants to see me do that I shall. This is exactly the type of show one might expect to see on CBS so congrats NBC!, you did exactly what you set out to.
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[toggle_simple title=”The Michael J. Fox Show” width=”600″]
Before seeing this trailer I thought it was going to be crappy. I have since changed my tune. Out of all of NBC’s new shows, this looks to be the most intriguing. I’m hoping that the trailer isn’t hiding the triteness that so many family sitcoms fall victims to because it looks pretty decent based off this small glimpse.
I’ll admit, I liked Yes, Dear for a mindless afternoon of sitcom viewing. There is on way on earth I’m going to make sure I watch this drivel. I mean really NBC? This? I’m insulted. You are better than this. Come on.
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So yea, NBC? Not really hitting it out of the park this year. Of course in addition to these gems is the Chicago Fire spin-off Chicago PD. Are there more depressing words than “Chicago Fire spin-off”? I don’t think so. I’d love to come back to this in a year and be completely wrong about these shows but I think we all know, I won’t be.
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[tab title=”ABC”]
If you haven’t been to our site before you might not have heard, but we are really excited for ABC’s new show, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. We aren’t overly thrilled with having to type that out each time, but for the show itself there is definite excitement. You can catch up on all S.H.I.E.L.D. news here, here, here, here, and here but for right now let’s look at what else ABC has in store for this coming TV year.
[toggle_simple title=”Super Fun Night” width=”600″]
I want to like this. I want this to be good. I fear neither of those things will happen. This saddens me. Oh well, maybe I’ll be proven wrong.
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[toggle_simple title=”Mixology” width=”600″]
While this does look promising, how long can the premise last? It takes place in one night. 11 hours of one night in a bar? I don’t even want to be in a real bar in my real life for 11 hours in one night, much less in a TV bar for an entire television season. This just seems like it would get really old, really quick.
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[toggle_simple title=”Resurrection” width=”600″]
Now we’re talking. I can actually see myself watching this and enjoying it. Granted much like Mixology, I do wonder how long they can keep the show going before telling us how exactly the kid is back from the dead, but that’s part of the fun with shows like this so I’m thinking it will be good.
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[toggle_simple title=”Once Upon a Time in Wonderland” width=”600″]
So, ummmm, I like it? I am a huge fan of Once Upon a Time and even though the Wonderland version doesn’t look quite as good, mainly because it’s just the one character, I’ll probably still watch it. I mean it’s got the same people behind it (Adam Horowitz especially) as OUAT and I imagine they won’t deviate too far from what makes that show successful so I’m guessing Wonderland will be around awhile.
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[toggle_simple title=”Mind Games” width=”600″]
I’m can’t tell you how happy I am that this made it to series! Finally a show that I was looking forward to before series orders were announced that has help up to my expectations. You know how I feel about sibling relationships! And if you don’t… I like them!
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[toggle_simple title=”Trophy Wife” width=”600″]
No.
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[toggle_simple title=”The Goldbergs” width=”600″]
Extremely underwhelmed. Do we really want to relive to 80’s so soon? Nope.
However, I will have to resist the urge to burst into song each time REO Speedwagon comes on. It’s an impulse I just can’t control.
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[toggle_simple title=”Killer Women” width=”600″]
This is a good example of a promising (if formulaic) premise that seemingly gets lost when making the jump from paper to screen. One can hope that it’s just one of those shows that has a crappy trailer but ends up being a good show.
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[toggle_simple title=”Back in the Game” width=”600″]
This was a better idea when it was called Bad News Bears or Little Giants. Enough said.
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[toggle_simple title=”Betrayal” width=”600″]
I imagine if you watch and like Revenge, you will watch and like Betrayal. I won’t but I guess there are people out there that will.
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[toggle_simple title=”Lucky 7″ width=”600″]
I’m going to hold out judgement on this one until it airs because it could go either way. My gut feeling is it’s going to go bad but my gut has been wrong before so who knows.
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An interesting group of pilots. ABC seems to be a fan of large ensemble cast shows this year. Combined with the “we are a dysfunctional family” sitcoms, well we’ll just have to wait and see who ends up still breathing come next May.
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[tab title=”CBS”]
It is no secret, I hate CBS. There have been very few shows on CBS in recent memory that I’ve watched and enjoyed but each year I think to myself, “this is it, this is the year I will be a CBS fan!” and not surprisingly that lasts only about a week. This year doesn’t seem like that will change, with the exception of maybe one show.
[toggle_simple title=”The Millers” width=”600″]
Will Arnett, Margo Martindale, and Beau Bridges – what’s not to like? Well so far it looks like The Millers. I really expected more from those three fabulous actors signing on to something together but sadly this just does not look that good.
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[toggle_simple title=”Hostages” width=”600″]
In what seems like a common theme this year, I just can’t see this show having any longevity. Unless they are only giving us a glimpse of the first two episodes, I can’t imagine there is much of a story that can be told while the President is waiting for surgery. It’s a shame because Toni Collette and Dylan McDermott would be nice to watch together.
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[toggle_simple title=”Intelligence” width=”600″]
I loved this show back when it was called Chuck. Yea, yea it’s a drama and it’s nothing like Chuck because that was a comedy and this is serious business but I think we can all agree, it’s Chuck. I’ll probably give it a shot because it’s Sawyer but that’s about it.
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[toggle_simple title=”Mom” width=”600″]
Allison Janney does not need a laugh track. It is a crime that Allison Janney has a laugh track. Have I mentioned that Allison Janney is on a show with a laugh track? This saddens me. Add in Anna Faris and make this a Chuck Lorre show which means it will be very predictable and pedantic and this is probably one of the most depressing series orders of the year. So much wasted talent in yet another Chuck Lorre show on crappy CBS.
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[toggle_simple title=”We Are Men” width=”600″]
I think it would be best if people don’t get attached to this one because I can’t even fathom it lasting more than a year if even that long.
This is the only CBS show that I’m actually looking forward to and it has everything to do with Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar. I mean it’s Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar! The ad agency aspect seems a bit overplayed these days but I’ll still give it a shot.
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Outside of The Crazy Ones, I imagine my streak of hating CBS will not be threatened. It’s nice to know that there are some thing in life that remain constant. Thank you CBS.
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[tab title=”FOX”]
Fox has the distinction of having both the worst new show and, in my opinion, two of the best new shows of the year in their ranks. Way to go Fox, covering all the bases. I’m impressed.
[toggle_simple title=”Enlisted” width=”600″]
This show should never have made it this far, plain and simple. Sgt. Bilko was a great movie with a similar premise but Enlisted? Well it looks like that puppy that Bilko wanted to make him feel better just took a dump on the TV screen and called it a sitcom.
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[toggle_simple title=”Sleepy Hollow” width=”600″]
I am the one person in the world that loved Kate & Leopold. The idea of a person from one time long ago somehow finding his way to modern day is one that I enjoy watching. I also really like treasure hunt/mystery types of things like National Treasure. It appears as if Sleepy Hollow has both of these elements so it’s not hard to imagine that I’ll be making sure I catch this show.
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[toggle_simple title=”Almost Human” width=”600″]
I’m almost afraid to say this too loud in fear that an executive will hear it and retaliate with cancellation but, I like it. A lot. Very interested in seeing how this one plays out.
I really expected more out of Christopher Meloni. Not only that but is there really a market for shows based in the 90’s? I feel like the first time I heard Prince on an “oldies” station. At least The Goldbergs is the 80’s which you can recognize by the clothes and decor right away.
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[toggle_simple title=”Rake” width=”600″]
This is pretty much my middle of the road show of the year. If it makes it, that’s great; if it doesn’t, meh no big deal. Although I did really enjoy the moment where he tells the room full of people eating lunch that people really do taste like chicken. An entire show of moments like that? Yea, I’ll watch.
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[toggle_simple title=”Dads” width=”600″]
How on earth does an actor like Giovanni Ribisi end up in crap like this? Seth Green I can see because he’s an odd duck that we all love and adore the more for it but Ribisi? Just doesn’t seem right.
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[toggle_simple title=”Gang Related” width=”600″]
Very intriguing. I’ve watched every episode of Gangland so I consider myself somewhat of an expert on gang relations and this show looks like it captures them quite well. Must remember to set the dvr for this one.
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[toggle_simple title=”Us and Them” width=”600″]
These next words are not ones you will see very often: This looks like someone has done a good job at remaking a British show. If you haven’t seen Gavin & Stacey, find a way to remedy that because it is a great show. When I first saw that they were remaking it I cringed because let’s be honest with ourselves here, as a rule Hollywood sucks at remakes. Yes, I know there are obvious exceptions to that rule but it doesn’t change the rule. We suck. With any luck, it appears as if Us and Them does not. Finger crossed!
It should come as no surprise that just from trailers, my favorite new show is Andy Samberg’s really talented ensemble comedy, Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Andre Braugher in a comedy? Can not wait. Terry Crews, Joe Lo Truglio, and Chelsea Perretti? Seriously, I can’t wait for this show. Seems almost cruel to throw out a trailer and then be like, oh yea but you won’t see any more of this for another five months, hahahaha sucks to be you!
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Out of all the networks, I think Fox actually has the strongest prospects out of Us and Them and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Now it’s just the awful waiting game to see if the powers that be let the shows find their audience or if they act like whiny brats and cancel at the first sign of trouble. Here’s hoping for the former.
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[tab title=”The CW”]
Outside of a few exceptions, obviously one of those being Arrow, there isn’t much on The CW that I watch mainly because I’m almost 35 years old and don’t spend a lot of time writing fanfic on my favorite OTP ship of Dean and Castiel. That being said, some of these shows don’t look all that bad if you don’t expect them to be more than the angst filled pretty people vehicles that they are.
[toggle_simple title=”Star Crossed” width=”600″]
This was actually one of the pilots I was hoping would get picked up because the whole idea of aliens being integrated into a “suburban high school” was so odd that I just had to see it. Of course as soon as I say I don’t watch CW shows because I’m ancient compared to their intended audience… well Star Crossed star Matt Lanter (also the voice of Anakin Skywalker in The Clone Wars) just turned 30 so perhaps the CW is aging? Or not – he plays a high schooler. One way to prolong your Hollywood career I suppose.
Mark Pelligrino – that’s all the reason you need to watch. Oh and Oliver Queen/Stephen Amell’s cousin, Robbie Amell, is the lead but really, Mark Pelligrino.
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[toggle_simple title=”The Originals” width=”600″]
Vampires. If you like vampires, I’m sure you’d like this. If you don’t, then don’t even bother.
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[toggle_simple title=”The 100″ width=”600″]
I imagine this is not at all what the people behind The 100 were going for but with this clip all I could think of was the YouTube video that made the internet rounds awhile back of the chimps who were used for testing purposes and then released outdoors for the first time after they were “retired”. I’d rather watch that video (through the tears because that shit is sad) on repeat than watch this show.
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[toggle_simple title=”Reign” width=”600″]
You know? It doesn’t seem like it’s going to be that bad and like I said when looking at the pilot orders, it’s got Anthony Head and anything with Anthony Head is something I’m going to watch.
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Nothing really that surprising or out of the ordinary for The CW but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing as they have rabid fans and whenever you can successfully create fandoms, you just keep doing what you’re doing.
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So there you have it! A look at the new shows coming up this year. Some, like Brooklyn Nine-Nine have definite promise while others, Back in the Game, really should have just sat this one out, but overall, not a bad… nope, that’s a lie. For the most part, these are some crappy shows. A few bright spots but as a whole this is a bad year for new shows. Back to the drawing board network execs! There’s always next year.
As CBS will tell you themselves, quite often and with a bit of smugness, they are “America’s Most Watched Network”. I struggle to see how that is possible given that all their shows seem to be the same – either a predictable crime procedural or a predictable sitcom – but apparently people like predictability because CBS sits on top of ratings and has done so for years. They have a lot of pilots in production, a lot is typical CBS fare (I wonder if Chuck Lorre has naked pictures of Les Moonves somewhere, or he’s just made a deal with the devil that somehow the free world will love his crappy shows) but there are a few that look to be somewhat promising.
[tabgroup][tab title=”Backstrom”]
I’m choosing to believe that this one will be better than the typical crime procedural. I don’t know why I’m doing this, but I am. After NBC decided not to go forward with a Dwight centered spin-off of The Office, Rainn Wilson has found himself on CBS playing an “overweight, offensive, irascible detective as he tries, and fails, to change his self-destructive behavior.”
Based on a Swedish series of crime novels,THR has said that the show would take place in Portland which will be interesting to see if they make the city a character itself. Hart Hanson, creator of Bones, is behind this project which is promising. No matter how crappy Bones has become, it started off quite strong and was also based on a series of novels so he’s in familiar territory. Not only that but any show that has Dennis Haysbert is one I will watch.
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[tab title=”Super Clyde & Unnamed project”]
If you aren’t watching Raising Hope on Fox, well then you need to remedy that, immediately. Greg Garcia’s show about a man who finds himself a single dad raising his daughter while living with his parents is easily one of my favorites. Add in My Name is Earl and Yes, Dear and it’s safe to say I’m a Greg Garcia fan. So you can only imagine my excitement when I saw he was developing not one, but two pilots this year. They both have potential and some pretty big names attached.
The premise of the unnamed project looks to have similar plot points as Garcia’s Raising Hope given that it’s a grown man living with his parents. This time, however, it’s Margo Martindale (who is perhaps one of the greatest character actresses ever) moving in with her recently divorced son, Will Arnett while her husband, Beau Bridges, moves in with their daughter Mary Elizabeth Ellis who you probably know as the Waitress from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Add in Michael Rapaport and this is a great looking cast.
One has to imagine that Will Arnett is primed to have a commercially successful show. We all know that Arrested Development is a genius show, but his 2010 sitcom, Running Wilde, was also really good but sadly was canceled after one season. Up All Night had potential but has crashed and burned in spectacular fashion. Is this Will Arnett’s time? We’ll have to wait and see.
If Super Clyde doesn’t get picked up and CBS instead opts for another mindless crappy formulaic sitcom, I might cry. I have a feeling I’ll be joined by quite a few Anglophiles and Potterheads.
Ron Weasley is possibly coming to TV and I couldn’t be happier. Rupert Grint stars in the title role of Garcia’s Super Clyde playing the fast-food worker who decides to become a superhero. Everything in that sentence sounds awesome. If I needed more reason to want this show to make it to air, I’d find it in Stephen Fry. Yes, Stephen Fry. That Stephen Fry.
This show is a fangirl’s dream come true!
[/tab][tab title=”Second Sight”]
Speaking of My Name is Earl and all things Britain, Jason Lee is returning to network TV in a remake of the British crime drama, Second Sight. I’ll admit that I really didn’t think anything of this pilot until I saw the logline.
[quote]Based on the British crime drama, the gothic psychological thriller follows a detective who is suddenly afflicted with an autoimmune virus that causes him to hallucinate about subjects in his subconscious. He soon learns that catching killers depends as much on insight as eyesight.[/quote]
I have not seen any of the British version so I can’t attest to how successful this premise is, but it certainly sounds different and promising. Perhaps a bit of Medium mixed with Ghost Whisperer with a bit of Memphis Beat added in for good measure. Set in New Orleans, much like Backstrom I imagine the city will be a star as well.
Michael Cuesta is behind Second Sight and if his work on the re-imagining of the Israeli show Hatufim (Cuesta is an executive producer of Homeland) is any indication, the production value of Second Sight should be rather high. He’s also worked on this little show called Dexter that has a few fans so he’s no stranger to big shows.
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[tab title=”The Surgeon General”]
Lie to Me, Awake, Commander-in-Chief, Lord of the Rings, Ringer
That’s just some of the shows and movies people involved both in front of and behind the camera of The Surgeon General have on their resumes. Given how much I like each of those shows and movies, I imagine that my knowledge of the Surgeon General is going to go beyond this episode of West Wing.
We have to hand it to Jason Issacs who resisted the urge to burn NBC to the ground after his show Awake was canceled. I don’t think anyone would have blamed him as it was as close to a crime as you can get without actually committing a crime. Now he’s moved on over to CBS and is in the lead role as the top doctor in the country, the Surgeon General. His chief of staff is being played by one of my favorites, Kathryn Morris. She’s done a few things here or there but has mostly been unheard of since her show Cold Case went off the air in 2010.
Both Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings obviously) and Mike Colter (Ringer) are listed as doctors but their roles aren’t any more specified than that.
From Samuel Baum, who created Lie to Me, The Surgeon General looks to be like most other political shows but instead of the President, it’s the Surgeon General. Will this be enough to make it seem like a fresh and unique show? Well Rod Lurie is directing that pilot and he did a pretty nice job making a show about the President seem new when he was an executive producer of the canceled before it’s time, Commander in Chief, so chances are good.
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[tab title=”The Crazy Ones”]
BUFFY IS BACK!!!!!
Okay, well sort of. Sarah Michelle Gellar is back at least. After spending a year over at CW with Ringer (a show people should have stuck with as it got much better as it went on), Gellar is teaming up with a little known actor/comedian named Robin Williams for a workplace comedy about a father/daughter run ad agency.
If Gellar and Williams weren’t enough to pique your interest (seriously?) then some of the other cast will. Hamish Linklater (The New Adventures of Old Christine) will play the agency’s art director and James Wolk (Political Animals) has signed on as a copywriter.
Of course having big on-screen names is great, but having TV royalty behind the scenes is even greater. David E. Kelley might not have hit gold with Harry’s Law but one has to imagine that Crazy Ones will find an audience pretty quickly, even if they are people who are just looking to finally have something to fill that Just Shoot Me! void in their lives.
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So there we go! A somewhat varied group of prospects that hopefully will see the light of day. If for no other reason than perhaps we can see something else besides Big Bang Theory and NCIS promos on the network. That would be a refreshing change.
The lies! The danger! The blood! All new episode of Ringer tonight, and I’m here to offer my commentary.
Last week, we were given a few bombshells. Clearly, Gemma was less than excited about finding out Siobhan’s true identity. In fact, she was downright livid. Who knew she would react this way, right? So what’s the first thing a hurt female does with brand new, juicy information? Well they blackmail people, of course. Gemma thinks that forcing Bridget to sleep with Henry and catching them in the act is the best way to go in order to get all the spoils after the divorce. Bridget, the former stripper, is above whoring herself out and instead offers Gemma something even better: to be Best Friends Forever. Bridget then presents the friendship bracelets she was up all night making.
Happy Tuesday, faithful readers! The plot thickens and the story unravels this week on Ringer; and Buffy slays me again. If you remember, I had some harsh critiques on the show when it premiered. I wasn’t sure Sarah Michelle Gellar had the chops to carry her Sister Act; and equally feared that the writing would lack originality and interest. While I’m still not entirely convinced that the show will go the distance, and I’m not holding my breath for any serious awards, I will say that it holds my attention for one hour per week. Which is more than I can say for most things. Or people.
Tonight continued the Slayer’s return to television, playing both sides of a coin that equally flawed on either end. Bridget the ex-drug addict on the run from the law, and Siobhan is the socialite turned to the dark side after the loss of her son (we assume).
When I first heard about Ringer, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Sarah Michelle Gellar is, of course, TV’s Sweetheart after her epic portrayal of Buffy; but I had some reservations about her small screen comeback. First of which, the fact that this show is airing on the CW. Any network that will give Tyra Banks her own show should be burned to the ground, but I digress.
So last winter we learned that Warner Brothers was planning to reboot the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The reboot was not based of the original’s success, but instead the cult following created by the TV show that started in 1997, 5 years after the movies. The creator – Joss Whedon – was offered a chance to get involved and passed. So let’s start off by saying this: Without Joss Whedon this shouldn’t even be made.
Whedon created the characters, wrote, produced, and directed the movie, wrote, produced, and directed the show, and writes the comics. This is his baby, it is why we know his name. Along with the spin-off show Angel, the world of Buffy is vast, and after the Twilight craze, in today’s Hollywood, it was only a matter of time till some intrepid studio head decided this needed a re-boot. It just doesn’t seem right without Joss at the head.
BUT, it’s getting made anyhow, and as ‘Buffy Fans’, Michelle and I have decided to take a look at the upcoming project and let you know who we think could fill the shoes once worn byKristy Swanson and more recently, Sarah Michelle Geller…
So first, Michelle’s thoughts…
Buffy Can Do The Single Ladies Dance!
A rumor recently surfaced about who might play ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ in the new Warner Bros. movie reboot. The rumor named Glee star Heather Morris as the top pick for the new Ms. Summers.
According to the magical internet machine in my living room, she was singled out because of her background in gymnastics and dance, making her athletic. She also would be a pretty damn good-looking Buffy… in my opinion. Although Warner Brothers sent a statement saying that the Heather Morris rumor is untrue, and that discussions about casting won’t occur until after the script is completely done, it got me to thinking about who would make a good on-screen Buffy.
Which brings me to my next point:
Michelle’s TOP 3 PICKS FOR BUFFY (other than Heather Morris):
Eliza played Faith on the original Buffy TV series. I think not only did she do a great job, but she would know the role better than anyone. She is athletic and attractive, but has an incredible fierce attitude that would be necessary by a badass such as Buffy. The only problem? Trying to get her to dye her hair.
Meester has had guest roles on shows such as Veronica Mars, 24 and Entourage, as well as starring in the new thriller The Roommate, where she played… well… a psycho. She did an amazing job, and has had experience being weird, yet totally together. She would be a great choice. She is fit and young and is very professional. She would fit more into the type of character that Kristy Swanson played in the movie… a tad ditzy and cutesy, but she gets her slay on.
Here is when ‘Debbie’ got killed off on 24. Haha. That was hilarious.
Stone has impressed me greatly in her somewhat short career. She has proven herself time and time again… she doesn’t do shitty movies. She showed her athleticism off in Zombieland which is one of my favorite movies. She would bring a new funny modern twist to Buffy because she has a ‘tude, and we know she can kick some ass. Her brassy demeanor and gorgeous presence makes me think that she would be a prime candidate for such a remake.
All of this being said, if Joss Whedon isn’t involved, I know that a lot of fans will not see this remake. It will be hard to get over that detail, but I do believe that no matter what, if they cast it properly it will be great. Buffy is a great character.
Ok, so I like Heather Morris as much as the next red-blooded male, and I’d actually be behind her casting – HOWEVER, with no formal training from an acting stand point, and only minimal experience as a secondary character on Glee, I see her as a long shot. And I’m fairly certain the only reason she’s even being talked about, is this:
And what a reason it is…
So, anyhow, as much flack as the show took from non-fans, though out it’s course there actually was some pretty heavy drama from time to time, so bit of acting aptitude should be taken into account for what could turn into a whole series of movies…
Kronner’s Top 3 Picks…
Now, I know what you’re thinking – “Kronner is gonna say Kristen Bell“, but once, you’re wrong. Her name has been thrown around a few places, but she already owned the High School scene for 2 seasons worth of Veronica Mars and I doubt that now, come up on 30, she’d want back down that road. I’ve also heard Summer Glau‘s name, but again, I think she’s past the point of play a teenager. And of course there were the rumors about Megan Fox, but I think her career is headed no where but down from here…
Sucker Punch was nothing great, but you can’t knock Emily’s performance in it, nor can you say it doesn’t at least qualify her for some consideration here. At only 22 years old, she could easily pass as a High Schooler, and she has both the acting chops and body to meet the demands of the movie. She, as of now, would be my first choice. (Plus ‘Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events’ was throughly entertaining…)
My 2nd choice would have to be the star of the CW show Nikita. Based (obviously) of the French movie La Femme Nikita, Lyndsy plays a kick-ass spy on the show, and I’m sure she could play a kick-ass Slayer in the movies. Not to mention her choice of roles over the last few years (Heroes, Kick-Ass, Hot Tub Time Machine) give the impression she’d be all about killings some vamps…
Wood has plenty of experience with vampires playing the Queen of Louisiana on True Blood, but as her schedule has just cleared up, this is a 23-year-old who could easily pass for 16, especially when you consider that Swanson was 23 when the original movie came out. Wood can act, looks the part, and would no doubt be available.
The role of ‘Buffy’s Watcher’ is an important one, as he is not only the man who trains her, but a father figure as well. Sean Bean, the 52-year-old, recently unemployed star of HBO’s Game of Thrones could be a great fit as the man who must train this generation’s slayer. Maybe ‘dork’ him up a bit, but this would give you an established star with over-lapping fanbases. Most Buffy fans aren’t known for hating on Lord of the Rings afterall…
And while the following characters weren’t in the movie, they made the show work and it’d be strange to not include them…
Xander – Jeremy Allen White: The 19-year-old White plays Lip Gallagher on Showtime’s Shameless, and is easily my favorite character (outside of Emmy Rossum’s boobs), and could no doubt pull off the role of the dorky friend who is infatuated with the Slayer. This results in a truly identifiable character for the guys watching…
Willow – Molly C. Quinn: Quinn, 18, plays Nathan Fillion’s daughter on the ABC show Castle. She’s a brainy redhead who seems almost molded after the original Willow character…you know before all the lesbian Wiccan stuff anyway.
Characters like Angel, Spike, and Faith could be best left for a sequel, while Dawn could be left out entirely…
So those are our suggestions, what’d you think? Who is your pick for Sunnydale’s next protector?
Call of Duty – Three words almost universally despised by wives and girlfriends everywhere. Well ladies, things are about to get worse. If it seems your man has been picking the controller up less frequently as of late, I hope you enjoy it while it lasts. Coming May 3rd is the newest expansion for the latest Call of Duty game, Black Ops. This is the second such expansion released for the game, as First Strike is almost 3 months old already. I know a few people I play online with still haven’t bought the First Strike expansion, but personally I’m happy I did, as ‘Discovery’ has become my favorite map in the game. The new add-on is called Escalation.
Here is a quick synopsis:
As indicated by the retailer leak, the DLC will include four multiplayer maps: Hotel, set “on the roof of a Cuban luxury hotel and casino against the vivid backdrop of old Havana”; Convoy, which offers up “intense, close-quarters combat at the scene of an ambushed US military convoy”; Zoo, set in a derelict Soviet-era animal park; and Stockpile, which is set in a small Russian town that contains secret facilities housing weapons of mass destruction.
Also included in the Escalation pack is a new level for Black Ops’ zombie mode. Today’s announcement gave no details on the mode, other than that it will provide a “unique Zombies experience.” However, the previous retailer leak referred to the level as “Call of the Dead.”
Ok, so new maps are always nice, but what’s really grabbing me here is the “Call of the Dead” aspect of the game. Long has the Zombie section of the game been a favorite of mine, and it is in fact the reason I bought both Call of Duty: World at War and Call of Duty: Black Ops. And while it was fun, it was obviously never a real focus for the designers. That’s about to change. Here is the trailer for the ‘Call of the Dead’ section of the expansion…
As our esteemed Technical Editor likes to say: Holy crap.
Not bad at all. Here are 4 luminaries in the Horror/Sci-Fi genre, brought together to voice characters not for a full game, but just a downloadable expansion to the game. That is throwing your budget around. Just look at this cast:
– Michael Rooker made his name with a lot of geeks in Mallrats, however was already established in the horror community for a decade prior with the title role in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. And for the Zombie connection – he was in the first season of AMC’s The Walking Dead.
– Danny Trejo is one Mexican you don’t want to f–k with, or so he told us in Machete. Machete was of course a spin-off of Grindhouse, and Trejo has been in such classics as Maniac Cop 2, the From Dusk Till Dawn trilogy, and Rob Zombie remake of Halloween.
– Sarah Michelle Gellar is of course best known as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but has also appeared in horror movies like I Know What You Did Last Summer, The Grudge and Scream 2.
– Robert Englund has played Freddy Kruger over 50 times between the Nightmare on Elm Street movies and the TV show they inspired. Plus he has been in other movies like Wishmaster, Urban Legend, 2001 Maniacs, and Zombie Strippers! He is a horror icon.
And all of them helmed by the man most synonymous with Zombies – George A. Romero. If you somehow don’t know who Romero is…well, you’re just not a zombie fan. He is responsible for Night of the Living Dead and all of it’s seemingly thousands of sequels.
I’ll admit, on the last map pack download, I didn’t spend a ton of time on the Zombie stage, but this time around…I plan to.
Grizzly Bomb 