Tina Fey, Steven Seagel, and Women Behind the Scenes

Tina Fey, who we honored at New York Women in Film & Television's 2005 Muse Awards*, is in the news again.

This time it's not a brand new project or further mention of her non-existent sequel to Hocus Pocus. Instead, Tina Fey has had a grading scale named after her.

Yesterday, Stephen Follows released a study entitled ‘Gender within Film Crews’, which examines the gender divide in the top 2,000 grossing films of the last 20 years (1994-2013).

The statistics are not shocking to those who are well versed in what is happening behind the scenes in the industry. When Follows looked at all crew members on those 2,000 films, he found that only 22% were women.

Again, that will not come as a surprise to people within the industry. If you've worked in film or television in any capacity you're seen firsthand the skewed ratios.

Still, what is particularly disappointing is that there has not been a large jump in the percentage of women on film crews from 1994 until today. Indeed, if anything the percentage of women working behind the scenes has shrunk. According to Follows’ data, in 1994 22.7% of top grossing films had female crew members. In 2013 it was 21.8%.

In other words, on most studio films only 1 out of every 5 crew members is a woman.

To further the depressing news, the percentage of women hired to be writers, producers, editors, animators, and directors has decreased over the last twenty years.

The only fields that have seen growth have been roles within the makeup, art, and costume departments.

But where does Tina Fey come in?

As part of his study Follows looked at how many women were involved behind the scenes for each film. He found that although the average hovered around the 22% range, there was a large continuum.

On one end was Fey, whose crew for Mean Girls was 45% female. On the other end was Steven Seagel, who had a crew that was only 10% female.

Hence the moniker the Fey-Segel scale.

It’s great that Tina Fey is making news again, but wouldn’t it be even better if the percentage of female crew members that she hires wasn’t news at all?

 At NYWIFT a key part of our mission revolves around the promotion and better inclusion of women in all aspects of the industry. For more information about our organization, please click here.

Specific statistics can be seen within the PDF of Steven Follows’ work.

*Shamless plug (I work there). See www.nywift.org. 

Please note: this post was also on NYWIFT's official blog.

Unaired '30 Rock' Pilot

Most people love '30 Rock'. Or at least love to hate it.

Other people, my mother included, are completely crazy and don't "understand" the show.

Regardless, I think everyone will agree that the show in its current version is far superior to what it could have been. Watch the original, unaired pilot with a (slightly) different cast to see what I mean:

link will open in a new window

Emmy Nominations 2012

Here's a copy of the press release for 2012 Emmy Nominations:

Pointless Video Time

Happy tax day y'all! To celebrate, here's a video that has absolutely nothing to do with taxes:

Sunday Rant: Hulu Plus

Now that we lost the Super Bowl (and no, I won't talk about that...this is the last time it will be mentioned), I feel like ranting about something. After a recent discussion with my friend (who luckily feels exactly the way I do), I've settled on a topic that I could complain about endlessly: Hulu Plus.

I'm annoyed at Hulu Plus. And not for the usual reasons. Sure, everyone agrees that having to pay to watch certain TV shows is annoying. And being forced to endure a minute and a half of the same commercials over and over again, after having paid to watch said TV shows, is particularly annoying.

You know what's even worse? Having a Hulu Plus account and being told that certain content is only available "on the web". For goodness sake, we already paid, didn't we? We're enduring the financial burden, and your annoying commercials, and you're telling us that we can't stream all of your content to our televisions? Also, how is my Roku player not "on the web"...it's connected to my wireless internet. So is my computer. How is this any different?

Sometimes, a girl just wants to sit down on a Friday night with a couple of friends and watch '30 Rock'. But no. Evidently that content is only available "on the web", so streaming it onto my TV is impossible. I'm sorry, but for $7.99 a month I'm not willing to huddle around a laptop.

P.S. Yes, I know this has to do with licensing agreements. Sure, Hulu.com originally signed agreements to only stream on computers, and when they branched out to Hulu Plus they had to get new licensing to stream on all devices. I get it. But it's been 585 days since they first rolled out Hulu Plus. Also, why are all other NBC shows available except '30 Rock'?

P.P.S. I realize that some parts of this rant are nonsensical, it wouldn't be a good rant if they weren't.

All right, Will Arnett, I guess I won't hold it against you.
(But only because you were in 'Arrested Development').

'30 Rock' Returns!

Dear '30 Rock',
Thank you for coming back to us. I missed you severely while you were gone. 
As Liz Lemon said, "Happy Two Thousand Twelve!"
Love,
-em
P.S. "Are you touching the phone because you're a baby and you're developing your fine motor skills or...because you're trying to tell me something?"
P.P.S. Read my full review below (with spoilers), after the baby.

'30 Rock' returned to NBC last night after an extended hiatus. The characters on the show were also all coming back to work after being gone for the winter. Over their break Jenna had become a judge on a singing competition for kids (bascially an 'American Idol' for the tot set--the fact that this isn't already a real show is pretty shocking), Kenneth had decided the Rapture was coming, and Liz Lemon had some interesting developments in her own life. But lets not get too far ahead of ourselves.

The episode opened with Liz and Jack interacting for the first time since the holidays, and Jack trying to prove how well he really knew Liz. Almost everything he quoted was accurate, which clearly gave Jack the normal sense of superiority he always craves (come on, why else would he be friends with her?).

Despite the  fact that Jack failed to see it (a hint of things to come, perhaps), everyone else on the staff noticed that Liz was not at all like her usual self. She ignored Tracy's threats to "do something crazy", gave Kenneth the day off because he believed the Rapture was coming, and was way more laid back than normal. Tracy decides to investigate why Liz is acting differently.

Meanwhile, Jack is concerned because Jenna is making children cry on the singing kids TV show. Normally he wouldn't care at all, but his daughter is skewing his perspective (Or maybe making it the right one. Nah, let's go with 'skewing', capitalist Jack is way more fun). He tells Jenna to tone down her mean talk, but when he sees the audience's reaction (they likes mean Jenna!) he changes his mind. This decision is solidified by a scene in which Jack's daughter, Liddy, asks for "money" (actually she says "mommy", but Jack chooses to hear what he wants). Jack is thrilled that his little girl is growing up to be a capitalist, just like him.

Since Kenneth has been given free rein to do whatever he wants, he decides to do his chore list (this is actually what it sounds like). Pete tries to inspire him to do better things before he dies, but he's uninterested. Toofer, Frank, and Lutz mess with Kenneth throughout the episode, encouraging his belief that he's going to die.

During his investigations Tracy sees Liz buying some pills, and becomes concerned that she has become a "crack whore". He brings her bizarre behavior to Jack's attention. Jack looks at one of the pills and realizes that it's for joint pain. He then uses his wealth of Liz Lemon knowledge to figure out what she's been doing...she's dancing. In a middle-aged cheerleading WNBA team.

Jack thinks he has everything figured out at the end of the episode: money is everything, Liddy is a budding Capitalist, and Liz Lemon is so happy because she's dancing. He's wrong. He drops Liz off at a movie theater, declaring that she must be going to the 9:10 show alone, and reiterating that he knows her as well as she knows herself. But, just as his car begins to leave, Jack notices Liz kissing a man. The look on his face is priceless, as though he's suddenly afraid that he's lost something. I think it will be fascinating, and hilarious, to see how Jack will function if Liz Lemon is not a complete mess.

Is it next Thursday yet?

Tina Fey, 'Bones', etc.

No, Tina Fey isn't appearing on 'Bones', although I'd probably be super excited if she were. Instead, this is a combo post about two of my favorite things.

1) Fey appeared on 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon' and was pretty darn funny. If you missed it check it out on Hulu. Fallon and Fey proved (once again) that they have a friendship perfectly designed for an interview setting. They don't see each other often enough to share every detail of their lives ahead of time, so the stories that get told seem genuine, and they're good enough friends that the interaction feels like you're watching a conversation between two people who actually like each other. Plus they seem to care about what the other one has to say. I'm sure this should happen during all late night show interviews but, lets be honest, it doesn't.

2) I almost forgot that 'Bones' is all new tomorrow! Considering my obsession with procedural dramas, and 'Bones' in particular, I have no idea how this happened. It's the winter finale, people! At this point I really should have developed some sort of internal clock for these things. Regardless: 'Bones'. New tomorrow. Watch it on FOX at 8/7C. Michael Ausiello claims it's going to "change the course of the series".

3) Oh right, this reminds me that 'The Finder' is premiering after 'Bones'. I love Hart Hanson, and I'm often pleased with the quality of shows that FOX chooses to produce, but I have mixed feelings about this show. I guess I just don't really understand the premise. Or, rather, I do understand it, but I still don't get the point of it. That being said, I'll be sure to watch it tomorrow and dissect it here.


Check out a promo for tomorrow's 'Bones' episode, "The Crack in the Code":

I Hate Hiatuses

If you’re read my blog before you know that there’s one thing I really, truly hate: hiatuses.

Obviously, I completely support the fact that people in the television industry deserve holidays too, and I can even be persuaded that it makes sense for TV shows to not be on the air for a bit. After all, it would be pretty tricky for me to watch a show live if I was in an airplane flying to visit family. I’m assuming the same is true for all of us!

That being said, now that I’ve been back at work since the end of last week, it would be nice to have a favorite show to look forward to at the end of the long day. I wish that TV shows didn’t disappear from our screens for such an extended period of time (sometimes as long as three weeks!). Most people working average, run-of-the-mill jobs would never get that long off work.

Lucky for me (and you!), there are a few shows returning, and new shows starting, tonight:

CBS has new shows starting at 8/7C, so ‘NCIS’ and ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ are both new.

NBC is also new starting at 8/7C, with a brand-new season of ‘The Biggest Loser’ starting off the night (for two hours!), followed by a new ‘Parenthood’.

ABC starts with ‘Last Man Standing’ at 8/7C, followed by the premieres of ‘Work It’ and ‘Celebrity Wife Swap’ (Gary Busey, anyone?).

FOX is only airing re-runs.

In a weird sort of twist, just because four networks are airing new shows tonight, do not expect all of your shows to be back on this week. I’m not sure what in the world most of the networks are thinking, but for the next two weeks some days they’ll have all new shows, some days they’ll have all re-runs, and some days they’ll do (what seems to me to be) a random mix.

Tomorrow (Jan 4^th) and Thursday (Jan 5^th) NBC and CBS are both once again airing reruns, and ABC will be the only channel airing all new shows.

Friday (Jan 6^th) NBC, CBS, and ABC will all air new shows again, but FOX will still be showing re-runs.

Monday, NBC and ABC will be new, but don’t expect anything from CBS or FOX.

Finally, starting next Tuesday (Jan 10^th), almost all of the networks (NBC, CBS, and ABC) except for FOX (why do you keep holding out on us?) will have new episodes.

After which, on those channels at least, your shows are most back. Oh, except for Wednesday (Jan 11^th), when CBS shows the ‘People’s Choice Awards’ instead of their normally scheduled programming.

Thursday, January 12^th is really the day to look forward to: FOX finally has shows on the air again, and ’30 Rock’ returns to NBC from its extended hiatus.

Happy New Year!

Screen Actors Guild Nominations Announced!

Let's take a look at the TV nominations...
Who was nominated for a SAG award? Which shows are doing the best? And which networks have the most nominations? (Scroll down to see a list of all nominees)

'Modern Family' has the most nominations (5 total), but of those five, two pairs of them are competing against each other, so the most awards the show could win would be three. '30 Rock' also has the chance to win three awards...we'll just have to wait and see whether having actors from the same show competing against each other in the same category splits the vote.

NBC is the network with the most nominated actors/shows (a total of 6), followed closely by ABC (5) and HBO (5). However, all of ABC's nominations are for 'Modern Family', and 60% of HBO's nominations are for Stunt Ensemble Performances, while NBC has nominations for both '30 Rock' and 'The Office'. CBS has only three nominations, as does Showtime. The fourth network, FOX, has the fewest nominations: 1. And that one nod is for 'Glee', a show which frankly does not deserve a win.

Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Drama Series
Kathy Bates for 'Harry's Law' (NBC)
Glenn Close for 'Damages' (FX)
Jessica Lange for 'American Horror Story' (FX)
Julianna Margules for 'The Good Wife' (CBS)
Kyra Sedgwick for 'The Closer' (TNT)


Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Comedy Series
Julie Bowen for 'Modern Family' (ABC)
Edie Falco for 'Nurse Jackie' (Showtime)
Tina Fey for '30 Rock' (NBC)
Sofia Vergara for 'Modern Family' (ABC)
Betty White for 'Hot In Cleveland' (TV Land)

Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Drama Series
Patrick J. Adams for 'Suits' (USA)
Steve Buscemi for 'Boardwalk Empire' (HBO)
Kyle Chandler for 'Friday Night Lights' (DirecTV/The 101 Network)
Bryan Cranston for 'Breaking Bad' (AMC)
Michael C. Hall for 'Dexter' (Showtime)


Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin for '30 Rock' (NBC)
Ty Burrell for 'Modern Family' (ABC)
Steve Carell for 'The Office' (NBC)
Jon Cryer for 'Two and a Half Men' (CBS)
Eric Stonestreet for 'Modern Family' (ABC)


Outstanding Performance By An Ensemble In A Drama Series
'Boardwalk Empire' (HBO)

'Breaking Bad' (AMC)
'Dexter' (Showtime)
'Game of Thrones' (HBO)
'The Good Wife' (CBS)


Outstanding Performance By An Ensemble In A Comedy Series
'30 Rock' (NBC)
'The Big Bang Theory' (CBS)
'Glee' (FOX)
'Modern Family' (ABC)
'The Office' (NBC)


Outstanding Performance By A Stunt Ensemble In A Television Series
'Dexter' (HBO)
'Game of Thrones' (HBO)
'Southland' (TNT)
'Spartacus' (STARZ)
'True Blood' (HBO)

'30 Rock' promo for Season 6

I want '30 Rock' now!

But, I suppose I can settle for the teaser for Season Six (maybe):


Start counting down the days until January 12th, because that's when all new episodes start airing on NBC (8/7C).

Tina Fey/Liz Lemon's Hair

Since apparently I'm on a roll (hair-wise), I've also been thinking about the evolution of Tina Fey's hair. Actually, no, let me rephrase: I've been thinking about the evolution of Liz Lemon's hair (Fey's character on '30 Rock').

Fey's hairstyle has also gone through some pretty major changes (if you need confirmation of this, just check out her first appearance on Weekend Update on 'SNL'), but that's an issue for another day.

Liz Lemon's hair in the pilot episode

By the 3rd episode of Season 1 someone decided to style her hair

By Season 2 they were placing far more effort into her hair than Liz Lemon ever would

By Season 3 someone was going a little crazy with a curling iron

By Season 5 the curls were far far less

Liz Lemon's hair = major evolution. I would say that this evolution is about character development ("Liz is becoming more comfortable in her career/life and her own personality is shining through, as evidenced by her suddenly luxurious locks!"), but I think it's more likely that the network told their hair stylists that Liz needed to be more attractive so that people would "like looking at her more" or something. Ugh. I would argue with them on this point, except that I think in many ways they are right. Americans are not used to watching 'normal looking' people on television (and by that I mean people who look like us). British television is much more grounded in reality, their ordinary characters look like ordinary people, and even their scenes are less strategically lit, and the footage is less edited (more on that next time). And every time I try to get my friends to watch a British television show with me they scoff at the 'ugly people'.

Tina Fey of '30 Rock' on Brian Williams' 'Rock Center'

I've seen Tina Fey give some pretty spectacular/hilarious interviews which is why I was quite surprised by her recent turn on 'Rock Center'.

'Rock Center' is Brian Williams' new show, and Fey was interviewed by him during the second episode.

To be honest, I think that the real problem was the chemistry between Fey and Williams.

Fey has a dry, sardonic wit and Williams was unable to verbally spar with her. Despite the fact that Fey seemed a little awkward, Williams was the one who seemed to be just sitting there, changing the topic often instead of helping Fey support her jokes. Williams is well suited for the world of serious journalism  but I'm not sure he can compete in the talk show world .

 

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The People' Choice Awards--will one show dominate?

When the People's Choice Award nominations were released this morning many of you may have noticed the obvious--several shows have the chance to win multiple awards. Now, I cannot be the only one who was completely bored at the Emmy's when 'Modern Family' won the first four awards. However, when looking at the shows nominated for People's Choice Awards there are some that really deserve to win, and some that really, really don't. Because of that, a show having total domination at this awards show may not be a bad thing.

Here are some possible domination scenarios:

'Bones' could win TV Drama Actor (David Boreanaz), TV Drama Actress (Emily Deschanel), and Best TV Crime Drama.
(To make it a family affair Zooey Deschanel's show 'New Girl' could also win for Best New Comedy)

'Grey's Anatomy' could win TV Drama Actor (Patrick Dempsey), TV Drama Actress (Ellen Pompeo), and Best TV Drama.

'Supernatural' could win Best TV Drama and Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show. 'True Blood' and 'The Vampire Diaries' could have similar sweeps.

'House' could win Best TV Drama and TV Drama Actor (Hugh Laurie).

'Glee' could win Best TV Comedy, TV Comedy Actor (Chris Colfer or Cory Monteith) and TV Comedy Actress (Lea Michele or Jane Lynch)
'Castle' could win Best TV Crime Drama and TV Drama Actor (Nathan Fillion).

'30 Rock' could win TV Comedy Actor (Alec Baldwin) and TV Comedy Actress (Tina Fey).

'How I Met Your Mother' could win Best TV Comedy and TV Comedy Actor (Neil Patrick Harris).

And, oh, look what can't possibly dominate: 'Modern Family' (nominated only in Best TV Comedy).

The most impressive sweep would clearly be 'Bones', since they could take away a total of 3 awards. Too bad they weren't cross listed in both Best TV Crime Drama and Best TV Drama ...then they could have gone for four! Guess they might have to settle for Emily Deschanel's little sister winning Best New Comedy. That counts, right?

The show with the best shot at sweeping categories is 'Glee'. Having multiple nominees in the same category decreases competition and should work to their advantage. The only way this might not be a good thing is if fans feel divided about which cast member they should vote for, and split the vote.

Proof that '30 Rock' is coming back

'30 Rock' is one of my favorite shows, which is why I got especially nervous when the cast and crew went on extended hiatus due to Tina Fey's newest addition. But now that the baby's born, and Fey has taken maternity leave, we can all breath a sigh of relief because....NBC has started filming new episodes of '30 Rock'. The proof is in the photos (thanks On Location Vacations!):

'30 Rock' has been filming scenes all around NYC, including this one outside the NBC Experience Store at the real 30 Rockefeller Plaza. It should be back on NBC is January.

What time? What channel? The Emmys.

It's finally that time of year again...time for the Emmys! Whether you like red carpet action or the actual award show, here's where you can watch it all:

Live red carpet action starts at 6 pm on E!

Countdown begins at 7 pm on FOX

The actual awards show begins (live!) at 8 pm, also on FOX

I'm crossing my fingers for:
Amy Poehler ('Parks and Recreation')*
Alec Baldwin ('30 Rock')*
Jane Krakowski ('30 Rock')
Ed O'Neill ('Modern Family')*
'Parks and Recreation'*
Mariska Hargitay ('Law and Order: SVU')
Hugh Laurie ('House')
Archie Panjabi ('The Good Wife')
John Slattery ('Mad Men')
'The Good Wife'

I've starred the ones that I actually think will win. As you can see, I'll be pretty shocked if more than four of my choices walk away with that gold statuette.

Here's hoping!

Hurricanes & Television

In preparation for Hurricane Irene which is steadily heading our way, I decided to try to come up with a list of television shows/episodes that have dealt with natural disasters. Feel free to add to the list in the comments.
1. The easiest one ever...that television show called 'Natural Disasters'.

2. There was that season 1 'Dawson's Creek' episode with a hurricane. The most memorable part, if I remember correctly, was when Pacey went to the home of his teacher who he was having an affair with to help her put up plywood shutters.

3. '30 Rock' did it in their 5th season episode entitled "Operation Righteous Cowboy Lightning". Jack decides to prepare news broadcasts for every natural disaster possible. Watch it, it's funny.

4. The 5th season premiere of 'Grey's Anatomy' dealt with a serious ice storm. It was high drama (but it's 'Greys' so what else is new!) and two hours long.

5. In the 5th season of 'Friends' there was a big snow storm (anyone else noticing a pattern with the snow?!) and Phoebe's wedding was disrupted.

6. Last season 'Bones' had a great episode where Booth and Bones got trapped in an elevator during a power outage caused by a gigantic snowstorm. I highly recommend you watch "The Blackout in the Blizzard".*

*I'm coming up with two new lists related to 'Bones', one is a list of my favorite/must-watch episodes, and the other is a list of episodes related to Booth and Brennan's opinions about pregnancy and babies. Get excited.

emmy nominations for 2011 are announced! comedy

2011 Emmy Nominations "Comedy"
...who's nominated, who I want to win, and who probably will
looking for "drama"?

Lead Actress--Comedy:
*Edie Falco She's a media darling, but she won last year.
*Laura Linney She's a media darling, and she's been nominated for academy awards (3) and won emmys (3), it wouldn't surprise me if she beat Poehler.
*Amy Poehler Her show didn't deserve a win last year, but Poehler's hilarity made it a gem in 2011.
*Melissa McCarthy Her show isn't that great, but that hasn't stopped them before (Jon Cryer won in 2009?!).
*Martha Plimpton This show is tons of fun, and I think Plimpton's great, but I don't believe it has the following to win this year.
*Tina Fey She hasn't won since '08, but she's been nominated every year. and while I think she's marvelous I think this may be Poehler's year.

Lead Actor--Comedy:
*Matt LeBlanc Huh, I heard 'Episodes' is good...but I haven't seen it so I can't comment.
*Jim Parsons I can't stand 'The Big Bang Theory'. I know, I know, lots of people like it...
*Johnny Galecki See above.
*Steve Carell Last year on 'The Office'? last chance to win an Emmy? I'm thinking he will win.
*Louis C.K. He's pretty hilarious but maybe a little too vulgar for voters to think he "deserves" an Emmy.
*Alec Baldwin Two Emmy nominations but no win? Well, that's a travesty. I think he should win this year.

Supporting Actress--Comedy:
*Jane Lynch She won last year, and she's hosting this year. So, I guess she could win, but I think they should give someone else a shot.
*Betty White She's already won 7. And 'Hot in Cleveland' is not good.
*Kristen Wiig I know Fey won for SNL that one time, but that was probably a flux.
*Julie Bowen 'Modern Family' was a favorite last year, and out of all their actresses Bowen should win this.
*Jane Krakowski I love her! And I'd love it if she'd win. After all, no other actress wore a giant dog suit (while pregnant!) and walked a man around on a leash.
*Sofia Vergara Again, I love 'Modern Family', but I think Bowen really deserves the nod.

Supporting Actor--Comedy:
*Jon Cryer Read what I wrote for McCarthy above.
*Chris Colfer Yeah, yeah, "Glee" is big. And Colfer's okay. But he is not funny. I just don't see it.
*Jesse Tyler Ferguson Woah they loved their 'Modern Family' this year too! Sorry Jesse, but I want to give this to Ty.
*Ed O'Neill This is his first Emmy nomination, but after publicly snubbing Lynch last year I'm not sure he'll manage a win.
*Eric Stonestreet You won last year. Give someone else a chance!
*Ty Burrell He's hilarious on 'Modern Family', and can say even the most straightforward line with enough character to make you laugh out loud.

Check back later for my opinions on the other Emmy categories. Also, think I'm wrong? Think someone should have been nominated who wasn't? Leave a comment! Who will win? Who should win?

63rd Emmy Awards & Emmy Roundtable Videos

Ballot casting has come and gone and it's almost time for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards!

And by almost time, I mean it's on September 18th.

Since that's quite a ways away I wanted to share one of my favorite pre-Emmy rituals:

The Emmy Roundtable Videos!

These little gems pop up on Youtube each year, but barely anyone ever watches them. I don't know why...they can be hilarious.

Basically some behind the camera guy sits down with all the lead actors of your favorite TV shows at the SAME time and asks them questions. Sometimes really, really random questions.

I've included two of my favorites below, and yes, they're both from the 'women in comedy' part of Emmy Roundtable (because, honestly, they're the most entertaining). But, I promise Youtube has Emmy Roundtable Videos including everything from drama to reality t.v.

premiere dates for 'community' & 'parks & rec'

NBC has officially announced when the 2011-2012 seasons of 'Community' and 'Parks and Rec' will be...

Thursday, September 22nd

'Community' at 8 pm

'Parks & Rec' at 8:30 pm

Unfortunately '30 Rock' joins 'Bones' with a mid-season release date due to Tina Fey's pregnancy. She's due in September. (Of course the stars of all of my favorite shows had to get pregnant at the same time!)

It's Summer...What Are You Going to Watch?

What You Should Be Watching This Summer:

Now that summer's fully upon us (official June 21st!) what are you planning on watching while your favorite shows are on hiatus? Find some of my recommendations for live TV viewing and Netflix browsing below:



Mondays

1) Rizzoli & Isles. Premieres July 11th. Mondays 10/9 c on TNT.

Harmon (from 'Desperate Housewives') as a homicide detective. Alexander (from 'Dawson's Creek' and 'NCIS') as a medical examiner. They solve cases. They're best friends. There's homoerotic tension if you want to look for it.

2) Weeds. Premieres June 27th. Mondays 10/9 c on Showtime.
Marie-Louise Parker. Marijuana dealer. Mother to three. If you're going to watch this you have to play catch up first.

Tuesdays

2) Covert Affairs. Tuesdays 10/9 C on USA.

CIA. Hot female spy. Sexy James Bond lite. Enough said.

Wednesdays

3) Toddlers & Tiaras. Wednesday 10/9 c on TLC.

Ridiculous pageant moms and their children. Watch them 'train'. Watch them 'compete'. Watch the horror of child beauty pageants while sitting on the edge of your seat.

4) Damages. Wednesdays 10/9 c on DIRECTV.
Reality TV not really your thing? Watch Glen Close as a manipulative lawyer, and Rose Byne as her equally devious, slightly more genuine, younger counterpart.

Netflix It Anytime

5) Better Off Ted. Netflix.
If you missed this when it was on the air catch up with it right away. Crazy R&D firm. Portia de Rossi as an insensitive yet hilarious boss. Science nerds, children, and love interests.

6) Arrested Development. Netflix.
I know, I'm really pushing de Rossi's work. But this is pure genius. Watch it at least 3 times to get all the hidden subtext. Zany family, criminal charges, Michael Cera, and the most ridiculous plot you've ever seen. Plus, it has four characters all named some combination of George/Michael. How can you not love it?

7) Wonderfalls. DVD.
Recent Brown graduate works retail. Inanimate animals talk to her. They help her solve people's problems. Add a hot bartender/potential boyfriend and a hilarious closeted lesbian sister and you've got a must-watch.

8) Bones. Netflix.
Rewatch seasons 1-4 (all available on Netflix) and then somehow get your hands on season 5 and 6. Rewatch before November premiere date of season 7. Find the subtext. Reevaluate the writers...maybe they're not all crazy?

9) Law and Order: SVU. Netflix.
Crime, Benson, Stabler. It's all there. With 248 episodes you can really keep summer boredom at bay.

10) Parks and Recreation. Netflix.
Amy Poehler. Ridiculous local government. Rashida Jones. Oh, and did I mention Amy Poehler?

11) 30 Rock. Netflix.
Tina Fey. Alec Baldwin. Behind the scenes of an SNL-like show. Plus Jane Krakowski. Oh, and did I mention Tina Fey?

12) Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the series). Netflix.
Because it's a cultural milestone. With a spunky ex-cheerleader and her quirky friends. Oh and said ex-cheerleader kills demons. Plus, early (note: hot) David Boreanaz.