Eye on Entertainment
Nathaniel Grey
Entertainment Editor
August 2010
These are sad times in the television entertainment business
when some of the best non-cable programming comes from across the Atlantic
and, specifically, the BBC. This perspective seems to be shared by
MTV as they have decided to produced an American made version of the hit
and sometime controversial British ‘telly’ series Skins. The house
that music videos built has picked up the rights to the show. It provides
some of the most realistic portrayals of teen angst, drug use and sexual
encounters ever viewed on the small screen. For those who have never seen
Skins,
each season changes focus to a different core group of teenagers and always
includes some sort of gay character or story lines. Not to mention, some
of today's hottest young stars got their start on the show, including Dev
Patel (Slumdog Millionaire, but don't mention that Last Airbender)
and Nicholas Hoult (A Single Man.) *** Still enthralled with the
latest season of True Blood, but with just weeks before it's over,
there is more good news than viewership being up. HBO has invited creator
Alan Ball to develop a pilot for another series. Based on the novel 'The
Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death' by Charlie Huston, it will center
on an out of work teacher who takes employment as what you might call,
your very last house cleaner. That is, a man who cleans up sites where
somebody has died. Wasn't it Martha Stewart who said, always use a warm
sponge when cleaning up carpet blood stains? ***
So what can you expect from the Sept. 21st return of Glee, well
there will definitely be a Britney Spears themed (Yawn…) episode, but seriously,
can you really fill a whole hour with the cast shaving their heads, driving
with babies in their laps and getting out of cars without underwear? Among
new cast and guest stars I can confirm that one new regular will be a conservative
Christian country singer certain to ruffle feathers, a boyfriend for Kurt,
and John Stamos as the dentist boyfriend of the counselor played by Jayma
Mays. Two just recently announced additions include Cheyenne Jackson
as the new vocal coach of Vocal Adrenaline and Oscar winner, Javier Bardem
who secured the gig simply because of a pitch he gave to series creator
Ryan Murphy. The two became acquainted while Murphy directed the new Julia
Roberts picture, Eat, Pray, Love, costarring Bardem. And the last
bit of news for salivating Gleeks, the rumor continues that post Super
bowl episode for 2011 will focus on the music of one super legend with
hints that this an internationally successful artist who has crossed over
musical genres. I will say that if they close out 2011 without giving a
whole episode to the music of Elton John, I will stop watching - - - for
six days. ***
The hit series Weeds rolls back to Showtime for a new season
on Aug. 16. But can it be as good without Elizabeth Perkins who left the
show to develop her own series? We’re all waiting to find out what happens
to the Botwin’s and if Hunter Parrish's character actually ties the knot
or more importantly, how soon he will be shirtless. Following the return
of Weeds will be the premiere of The Big C. Laura
Linney (Tales of the City) portrays Cathy, a woman who takes charge
of her life after being diagnosed with the big C word – Cancer. Oliver
Platt plays her husband, Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe (Precious)
is one of Cathy’s students and John Benjamin Hickey (Love! Valour! Compassion!)
as her free-spirited brother. Is that another name for ‘nudist?’ Sex
and the City alum, Cynthia Nixon will appear in a few episodes playing
Cathy’s flaky former college roommate. *** College roommates seem to be
a theme for the fall season. Over on Desperate Housewives, Vanessa
Williams moves onto Wisteria Lane as Renee Perry, Lynette’s competitive
former college roommate. Turns out that after college her path took a different
turn from Lynette’s where she moved to the Big Apple and married a wealthy
baseball player. Gee, could Williams ex-pro athlete husband Rick Fox come
in to play her husband on the show? After all they even had some smooching
time on Ugly Betty. Brian Austin Green will be a new hunky contractor
working for Bree and Lainie Kazan will be playing an unscrupulous internet
businesswoman who suckers Susan into her scam. OMG, does this mean Susan
wins the Nigerian lottery? *** If you plan parties around televised
award ceremonies, hopefully you have already contacted your caterer and
made menu selections for the Emmy Awards on August 29th. *** Neil
Patrick Harris relives his musical roots when he directs the Los Angeles
revival production of Rent at the Hollywood Bowl Aug. 6-8.
***
Brideshead Revisited star Jeremy Irons has been cast as Rodrigo
Borgia, a future corrupt pope, in the 2011 Showtime period drama The
Borgias. Joanne Whalley will play Vanossa the family matriarch and
courtesan for director/writer Neil Jordan (The Crying Game.)
The cable channel is confident that this historical drama can be as successful
as the recently wrapped The Tudors. *** The latest offering
in the Law & Order franchise ‘L&O Los Angeles premieres
Sept. 22 with Skeet Ulrich (As Good As It Gets) as Detective Rex
Winters and Alfred Molina (Prick Up Your Ears) as Deputy District
Attorney Morales. *** This news should be enough to make you subscribe
to HBO. The cable network is producing a documentary film based on Carrie
Fisher’s memoir ‘Wishful Drinking.’ The feature length film will include
scenes from her live one-woman show, with interviews and actual movies
from her life as the offspring of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher.
Former Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles star, Thomas Dekker
will play Lance, the late gay son of Bill and Pat Loud in the HBO film,
Cinema
Verite. The project follows the making of the groundbreaking
PBS reality series An American Family. His parents will be portrayed
by Tim Robbins and Diane Lane, with additional roles played by Patrick
Fugit (Saved,) Kathleen Quinlan and James Gandolfini (The Sopranos)
as original series producer Craig Gilbert. *** Dekker’s Sarah Connor
Chronicles co-star, Summer Glau stars in The Knights of Badassdom,
from director Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2: Dead End). Sounding
like a Quentin Tarantino title, the film follows a recently dumped boyfriend
who drowns his sorrows by joining friends in a weekend LARP (Live Action
Role Playing) game. As would happen, one person recites an actual spell
and releases a horrifying monster. Now is it simply coincidence that filming
begins AFTER Lindsay Lohan is out of jail? I mean special effects monsters
can be so costly these days. Ryan Kwanten (True Blood) plays
the boyfriend and costars with Peter Dinklage (Death at a Funeral,)
Steve Zahn (Happy Texas,) and Danny Pudi (Community.)
Before we end this latest edition of Eye on Entertainment let me make this
one little reminder, the Fall season begins next month, have you removed
the black tape from over the flashing clock on your DVR yet?
Previous Entertainment Features:
Eye on Entertainment
- July 2010
Eye on Entertainment
- June 2010
AP Tour 2010
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