Devious Maids (Lifetime) - Pilot Review

Marc Cherry is back with another delicious primetime soap after his long-running ABC hit Desperate Housewives wrapped its run in 2012. With Housewives-alum Eva Longoria also serving as an executive producer, Lifetime's upstairs-downstairs series Devious Maids is loads of summer fun filled with endless loads of dirty laundry to unravel.

After the death of a maid named Flora (Paula Garces), the lives of a tight-knit group of maids—Rosie (Dania Ramirez), Carmen (Roselyn Sanchez), Valentina (Edy Ganem) and Zoila (Judy Reyes), is turned upside-down as they struggle to keep a secret while going on with their daily lives. Enter Marisol (Ana Ortiz of Ugly Betty fame), a new maid with a secret of her own, who upon her employment seems to take a heightened interest in the death of Flora. As this group of maids work for their filthy rich Beverly Hills employers, they each have ambitions of their own that they wish to fulfill: Rosie is fighting to bring her son to America; Carmen uses her good looks and sizzling attitude to kickstart a career in the music industry; and Zoila is doing whatever she possibly can to prevent her daughter Valentina from falling in love with their employer's son.

Devious Maids boasts a stellar cast led by Ana Ortiz, who brings the spark and spunk just like she did on ABC's hit Ugly Betty as Hilda Suarez. Also notable are TV veterans Grant Show, Susan Lucci, Rebecca Wisocky and Pretty Little Liars' heartthrob Drew Van Acker, whose dynamic characters bring the comedy to the series in their self-absorbed, fame hungry and superficial pursuits.

It's a fun show with some intriguing twists and turns, Lifetime's Devious Maids premieres June 23rd at 10/9c!

The Carrie Diaries (CW) - Television Review

Take a trip back to the 1980's to see how America's beloved fashion icon Carrie Bradshaw first discovered her love for New York City and designer clothes.

AnnaSophia Robb stars as a young Carrie Bradshaw. As a new school year begins, Carrie is forced to take up a larger role in her family's life after the death of her mother. With her previously absent father (Matt Letscher) now trying to be a father, and Carrie's troubled younger sister Dorrit (Stefania Owen) up to no good, she has a lot on her plate. But when Carrie's father offers her an internship at a law firm in New York City, Carrie soon discovers her love for the city and the people there.

The Carrie Diaries was surprisingly one of the best pilots of the season. AnnaSophia Robb is a highlight and absolutely steals the show. The episode itself was cute, heartwarming and fun, and the 80's music fit right in with the show. The only weak point about the show is its supporting cast. With Carrie venturing off to Manhattan and growing up there, it makes her group of friends and love interests at her high school rather irrelevant. And while her two best friends, Mouse (Ellen Wong) and Maggie (Katie Findlay) were dynamic and all sorts of teenage fun, her love interest, Sebastian Kidd (Austin Butler) was boring, generic and easily disposable...especially since you already know who Carrie ends up with in the present day.

It's a light-hearted fun-filled adventure as viewers will have a blast from the past navigating the streets of Manhattan in the 1980's alongside a young Carrie Bradshaw, and AnnaSophia Robb's performance in this series is enough of a reason to tune in.

The Mindy Project (FOX) - Television Review

Minday Kaling stars in FOX's new comedy The Mindy Project, a series that follows a physician navigating her personal and professional lives.

While Mindy Kaling herself was all sorts of lovable, her show on the other hand, was not. Besides a rather hilarious opening scene and another one in a taxi cab, the pilot episode was a bit underwhelming.  The series also stars Chris Messina as Danny Castellano, the good-natured and brutally honest co-worker of Mindy, and Ed Weeks as the charismatic British boy toy Jeremy Reed.

But besides a few funny bits from the first episode, Mindy Kaling has a long way to go to cement herself as leading material in the comedy genre. She certainly does not have as much appeal as, say Zooey Deschanel in New Girl, and with a show that solely rides on her shoulders, The Mindy Project has a lot of retooling that needs to be done.

The New Normal (NBC) - Television Review

Ryan Murphy of Glee, Nip/Tuck and American Horror Story fame does it again with this new comedy on NBC, pushing boundaries and breaking new grounds in this series about a gay couple who wants to have a kid.

The New Normal is easily one of the best comedy pilots I've seen from the batch of new shows this Fall. The show is heartwarming, laugh-out-loud funny, and the ending instantly leaves you wanting more. The cast that has been assembled here is also top-notch. Andrew Rannells and Justin Bartha play Bryan Buckley and David Murray, the gay couple trying to have a baby. Georgia King portrays Goldie Clemmons, a single mother who agrees to help carry the baby for the two men. Rounding out the cast is Goldie's daughter Shania, a hilarious role portrayed by the young Bebe Wood and Ellen Barkin as Jane Forrest, Goldie's conservative and outspoken mother.

The New Normal is not to be missed, and is a step in the right direction for NBC, a network that is known for quality comedy programming.

The New Normal premieres Tuesday September 11 @ 9:30/8:30c on NBC. **Please note that this is only a review of the early version of the pilot** 

Nashville (ABC) - Television Review

ABC joins the scripted singing game with its country music drama series Nashville which hails from the writers of Thelma & Louise.

Connie Britton stars as Rayna James, a country music sensation who finds her career quickly fading away. In hopes to not have her completely lose the profit from her upcoming concert tour, Rayna's producers offer her a deal to co-headline a tour with up-and-coming music artist, Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere), who is Taylor Swift if she were a bitch with teeth. Unimpressed with the sloppy songwriting and autotune-heavy vocals of the young singer, Rayna is forced to find ways to keep her career in tact while also dealing with threats from her father, powerful politician Lamar Hampton (Powers Boothe) and the possibility of losing her music partner Deacon (Charles Esten).

I will start off by saying that Nashville isn't nearly as perfect as the reviews have been making it out to be. Due to its rather large ensemble, scene transitions and the pilot episode in general felt a bit bumpy and did not flow as smoothly as I'd hoped it to. That being said, the show has a lot of potential. With strong writing and an even stronger cast, this series could really take off once it finds its foot.

Connie Britton continues to prove that she can do no wrong, and while Hayden Panettiere's character could have easily come off as a one-dimensional mean girl, she is given a storyline in the first episode to redeem her behavior and also open up future storylines along the way. The show creators have created a rich group of characters in the world of country music, and its original songs fit seamlessly into the story. The show does not nearly rely as heavily on musical numbers as Glee or Smash does, which is a good thing.

The only other part that dragged the pilot episode along was the political sub-plot with Rayna's husband Teddy (Eric Close) being lured away by her father Lamar. With the music aspect of the show already filled with a plethora of characters and an abundant amount of potential plots, the sub-plot of having Rayna's husband run for office not only slowed the episode down but also felt a bit unnecessary.

The alphabet network has another compelling new drama series on its hands, and while not nearly as good as Revenge was last season, Nashville most definitely has the potential and will certainly find an audience. And even if you are not a fan of country music, there is still much to like about the show.





 Nashville premieres Wednesday October 10 at 10/9c on ABC. **Please note that this is only a review of the early version of the pilot** 

Emily Owens M.D. (The CW) - Television Review

Mamie Gummer stars as Emily Owens, a doctor who so desperately wishes to leave her high school past behind to move on to bigger and better things in life....if only it were that easy however.

The new CW medical dramedy explores life in a hospital, and on Emily's first day, she soon realizes that a hospital is actually not very different than high school. In one of the opening scenes, she is told by another fellow intern, Tyra Granger (Kelly McCreary) about the social cliques in a hospital—the mean girls go into plastics, the stoners anesthetics, etc. And low and behold, Emily is also confronted by her high school nemesis, Queen Bee Cassandra Kopelson (Aja Naomi King) who just so happens to be a new intern at the hospital as well.

Mamie Gummer is a wonderful actress, but her attempt to pull off the ditzy cuteness that Rachel Bilson produced in the network's other medical show, Hart of Dixie falls short. Annoying voiceovers plague the episode, with Emily's inner-voice constantly speaking to her and telling her what to do. The pilot was also clogged with three different medical cases, making it not only hard to follow, but also also lacking an emotional pull.

Some fantastic actors, including CW veterans Michael Rady and Justin Hartley also star, but both are underused, with Hartley playing your typical pretty boy, and Rady left with little to nothing to do.

Emily Owens M.D. tries too hard to be the soapy goodness of Grey's Anatomy and the adorable feel-good TV that is Hart of Dixie, and when every character mentions that "the hospital is just like high school" a few too many times, things start to not only feel repetitive, but also unbearable to watch.

Emily Owens M.D. premieres Tuesday October 16th at 9/8c on The CW. **Please note that this is only a preview of the early version of the pilot** 

Beauty & The Beast (The CW) - Television Review

Smallville's Kristin Kreuk is back on the small screen in this modern take on the classic fairytale Beauty and the Beast.


Quite possibly the only CW series that is not heavily serialized, Beauty and the Beast is a loose adaptation of the 1980's television series of the same name that aired on CBS. Kristin Kreuk stars as Catharine Chandler, a no-nonsense homicide detective in New York City, and Jay Ryan stars as the not-so-ugly beast Vincent Keller.

The Pilot Episode opens in a bar in a small town. A young Catharine (Kreuk) is closing up the bar, but as she leaves is unable to start the engine of her car. She calls her mother for help, and as her mom is trying to help her start the car, two men pull up and kill Catharine's mom. Catharine flees into the woods, and just as the two men are about to kill her as well, she is rescued by a beast. Ten years later, Catharine is working as a detective in New York City. She's had a string of bad relationships and she breaks up with her latest boyfriend just as she heads in to a homicide case. The case ultimately leads her to Vincent Keller, which reopens the door to Catharine trying to uncover who killed her mother that night. What follows in the remainder of the episode is a paranormal romance amidst a case-of-the-week that is being solved.

The familiarity of seeing Clark Kent's love interest and the sweet girl-next-door back on TV is what makes the Pilot Episode remotely enjoyable. Like Rachel Bilson's return to television last year in Hart of Dixie, fans of Kreuk will be glad to have her back on a weekly basis. However, unlike Dixie, Kreuk is the only redeeming quality about this show. Clogged with poor writing and cliche dialogue, there is nothing here that hasn't been seen before in previous shows. Further, Australian actor Jay Ryan is no male lead material. His acting is subpar at best, with a scene near the end of the episode exposing his acting flaws as he transforms into the "beast" when angered.

What this series also needs to figure out is what they want the "beast" to look like. When Vincent is the beast in the episode, he is either shaded by dark lighting or impaired vision from another character's point-of-view. And when the appearance of the creature is revealed, it is a little underwhelming. Opting to use CG to create the beast rather than to go the route of Buffy and Angel and use make-up, Vincent's beastly appearance is more laughable than frightening.

Other than the ongoing mystery sub-plot regarding the death of Catherine's mom, there isn't much to Beauty and the Beast that makes it worth returning for a second viewing. What the series tried to do was two things: Tell a paranormal romance a la Vampire Diaries, and create a crime procedural like CSI. But poor writing made for both elements to be rather lackluster. My suggestion to the creative team of the show is this—Pick one or the other and perfect it rather than trying to do both.


Beauty and the Beast premieres Thursday, October 11 at 9/8c on The CW. **Please note that this is only a preview of the early version of the pilot** 

The Goodwin Games (FOX) - Television Review

FOX's midseason comedy The Goodwin Games revolves around three siblings—Henry (Scott Foley), Chloe (Becki Newton) and Jimmy (played by Jake Lacy in the Pilot but will now be played by T.J. Miller). After their father passes away, he has left them a $23 million inheritance. Through several VCR tapes left behind for his three children, they are to follow their father's instructions to compete for the money.

The Pilot Episode was more enjoyable than I expected it to be. Becki Newton and Scott Foley both had great comedic timing, and the chemistry between the two was delightful to watch as well. The one weak spot was the youngest brother, Jimmy. An ex-con guitarist who is released from prison in the first episode, Jimmy was the weakest character in the cast. He was neither funny nor was his story with his daughter compelling.

While predictable at certain parts, this was one of the better comedy entries this season. FOX also managed to slip in a American Idol alum's song, Phillip Phillips' debut single "Home" at the end as well. All in all, The Goodwin Games is a fun and funny look at the lives of three adult siblings that falls somewhere in between a family comedy and the older skewing sitcoms like New Girl and Happy Endings.

Coming to FOX in 2013. **Please note that this is only a preview of the early version of the pilot** 

Political Animals (USA) - Television Review

USA Network takes a dive into the world of dirty sexy American politics in the hotly anticipated limited series event, Political Animals.

Starring Golden Globe winner and Academy Award nominee Sigourney Weaver, the series follows Elaine Barrish(Weaver) whose marriage to the philandering former U.S. President Bud Hammond (Ciarán Hinds) comes to an end after 32 years. Two years later, Elaine is working for current President Paul Garcetti (Adrian Pasdar) as the Secretary of State after losing against him in the previous election. With her ex-husband still an impending force in her life, Elaine's family, which also includes poster child Douglas (James Wolk) and reckless screw-up TJ (Sebastian Stan) is further complicated by the ravenous D.C. journalist Susan Berg (Carla Gugino) who is hell-bent on destroying Elaine's reputation and career. 


The pilot episode quickly develops a cast of intriguing characters and provocatively complex storylines set in the backdrop of D.C. politics. Sigourney Weaver is brilliant in the leading role, with her verbal sparring against Gugino's journalist character immensely entertaining to watch on screen. Sebastian Stan is also a major highlight as the openly gay train-wreck younger son of the family. The series is certainly more scandalous and gritty than the lighter more comedic fare USA Network generally offers, but this is a welcome change to their slate of programming, and proof that the network is ready to develop more sophisticated programs to compete with other cable networks like HBO and Showtime. 


A stellar cast, a tangled web of characters, compelling storylines and a cliffhanger that will leave you wanting more, this six-episode Summer series is not to be missed.

Don't miss the series premiere of Political Animals Sunday July 15 at 10/9c on USA Network.

666 Park Avenue (ABC) - Television Review

Evil has a wickedly delicious new home Sundays this Fall on ABC.

Starring Dave Annable ("Brothers and Sisters") and Rachael Taylor ("Charlie's Angels") as a couple who moves into  a apartment complex on Park Avenue and becomes the co-managers of the building, 666 Park Avenue is haunting, alluring, and addictive. The series also stars Terry O'Quinn as Gavin Doran, the building's owner, Vanessa Williams as Olivia, his wife, and Robert Buckley and Mercedes Masohn as a couple who also reside in the place.

The episode opens at a classical music concert in New York City, as O'Quinn's character is sitting with his wife watching a first chair violinist play in the orchestra. As the violinist continues to play, his hands begin to bleed as he presses his fingers against the violin strings. After the concert, the violinist rushes back to his apartment as he rushes to escape. He receives a phone call from Gavin (O'Quinn), in which viewers are let in on the deal that they made—a talentless violinist who asks to become first chair. After trying to escape the building, the violinist is somehow sucked into the wall, disappearing forever...and that is only one of the many victims claimed in the first episode.

The cinematography in the Pilot Episode was spectacular, with eerie lighting and camera movement to create a glossy but dark tone for the show. The episode was also very well-written, with several jaw-dropping moments and a cliffhanger at the end that will certainly leave viewers wanting more. While not much is given away about why the incidents that occur in the Pilot are happening, viewers do get an insight into the lives of the residents who live there, who all seem to have made a deal with the devil for a better, more comfortable life.

666 Park Avenue is dark, scary and seductive and is easily one of the best new shows of the fall season.


Tune in Sundays at 10/9c this Fall on ABC. **Please note that this is only a preview of the early version of the pilot** 

Glee - Season 3 Finale - Goodbye

Last night, FOX aired the much buzzed about emotional season finale of the pop culture phenomenon Glee. The finale episode, titled "Goodbye" saw the kids of New Directions bid farewell to the graduating seniors as one chapter of their lives came to an end, and a new one was about to begin. After the finale episode aired, the blogosphere was flooded with negative feedback in regards to the result of how some of the characters' storylines concluded at the end of the hour. While I felt that the episode was rather over-hyped, I actually found the creative decisions of Ryan Murphy to be plausible.

Glee first began as a little show about a group of distinctively unique high school students with a love and passion for music. When the series debuted in 2009, it was very much a show about underdogs. After a rather slow start, the series took off around episode 13 of the first season. Upon entering its second season in 2010, Glee was by then an integral part of the entertainment industry, a factor that the creators of the show took note of and exploited. It did what past shows on television like Cop Rock couldn't do, which was incorporate musical theatre in a television series. In season two, the show that once boasted unique characters and good storytelling was replaced with a giant pop culture glorifying stereo system that was nothing but loud and sometimes even annoying. With Justin Bieber and Britney Spears tribute episodes, and big name guest stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, it was no secret that the show lacked direction in its sophomore year. Season 3 was very much about returning to the basics, with Murphy even promising at the start of the season that there would be no tribute episodes or big guest stars this season. Gone were the Katy Perry and Lady Gaga song covers and in place of them were Broadway showtunes from Tony Award winning musicals such as "West Side Story" and "Anything Goes." In a way, the show tried to return to a more simpler time before it became a hit, but even that did not work. Halfway through the season, in an episode titled "Big Brother," Glee finally seemed to have gotten its groove back. With guest stars returning to enhance and not disrupt the story, and Top 40 songs returning to its repertoire, things were finally starting to improve. It seemed that the writers finally found a way to incorporate pop culture into the show without making it overshadow the characters and narrative of the series.

I must admit that I stopped watching the show after the Season 2 finale, but found myself being drawn back to it again when the Matt Bomer episode "Big Brother" aired. I've always found a strange connection to the series because of my background with music and theatre, and Rachel Berry has always been the one character that I connected with strongly. Rachel may be annoying and a little too full of herself at times, but her talent and ambition to fulfill her dream makes up for her flaws. As much as viewers want to deny it, Rachel is the shining star of Glee, and for me she has been the one part that kept me coming back each week for more. I found myself smiling when she placed that gold star next to her name on the audition sign-up sheet; cheering her on when she belted "Don't Rain On My Parade" at sectionals, and even felt my heart breaking a little for her when she choked at her NYADA audition. She is a girl with a big dream to make it in a competitive industry, and her drive and ambition is hopefully what will help her succeed.

In the finale episode last night, both Finn Hudson (Corey Monteith) and Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer) learned that they were not accepted to the colleges that they applied to in New York City. The only person who got into college was Rachel Berry. Rachel was willing to defer her acceptance for a year to help Finn and Kurt get in so that the three of them can go together, but alas Finn decided that the right thing to do was to let her go because he knew that the only thing holding Rachel back from her dreams was him. It was an emotionally invigorating conclusion to the season, and a perfect way to open up the next chapter in these character's lives. Life is not perfect and you can't have it all, and Ryan Murphy did a brilliant job at showing that in the episode.

While Glee may not be the most well-written show on television, there is one thing that I will always enjoy about it (besides the music of course), and that is the message it gives to all the dreamers out there to never give up. While some watch the show for the relational drama between the characters, others do for the musical numbers. But as for me, I watch the show for the inspiration that I receive every time I see Rachel Berry standing in the middle of New York City with her eyes glowing as she realizes that perseverance and hard work will indeed move you towards achieving your dreams.

2012-2013 TV Season - 10 Shows I Look Forward To

Well, the television upfronts have finally concluded with NBC, FOX, CBS, ABC and The CW showcasing their new lineups last week in New York City. With some shockers (Whitney renewed!) and many schedule changes (Revenge moves to Sundays! Supernatural moves to Wednesdays! Smash saved for midseason!) I have now compiled together a list of 10 new TV shows that I am looking forward to. I like that broadcast networks are playing more with the cable format of releasing shows year-round, though this means that I will be doing a lot more waiting for anticipated shows to premiere. 

1. Arrow (Wednesdays at 8pm on The CW)
Home to the long-running Smallville TV series, The CW is back with another action-packed superhero origin story with DC Comics character Green Arrow. Stephen Amell has proven himself to be a talented rising star after stints on The Vampire Diaries, Private Practice and Hung. And with the always lovable Katie Cassidy in the leading lady role in this series, you can count me in for this on Wednesday nights.

2. Beauty and the Beast (Thursdays at 9pm, The CW)
Kristin Kreuk of Smallville fame returns to television in the classic Disney fairytale with a procedural twist. When the series was in its early development stages, I thought that its premise was laughable. However, after reading the script which is very well written, I am not excited for this show to premiere. Lana Lang, crime solving and a modern day fairytale? Sign me up.

3. 666 Park Avenue (Sundays at 10pm, ABC)
My Sunday nights will be spent entirely with ABC Network starting this fall thanks to Revenge being moved to Sundays at 9pm and 666 Park Avenue airing after it. Starring Vanessa Williams, Terry O'Quinn, Robert Buckley and Dave Annable, this top-notch cast and American Horror Story-like premise has me intrigued.

4. The New Normal (Tuesdays at 9:30pm, NBC)
You know I love Broadway, and The Book of Mormon's leading man Andrew Rannells starring in a Ryan Murphy comedy is all I need to know to jump on this boat.

5. The Following (Mondays at 9pm, FOX)
Kevin Williamson created a television series starring Kevin Bacon hunting down a serial killer. Got all of that? Good. I've come to love all the twisted, dark and riveting storytelling Kevin Williamson is oh so good at, and with a show about a serial killer one can only expect more jaw-dropping twists and turns we normally see on The Vampire Diaries. This was one of the most buzzed about pilots this season, and having Kevin Bacon in the leading role certainly helps.

6. Do No Harm (Post-Football Sundays at 10pm, NBC)
Steven Pasquale stars as a Dr. Jenkyll/Mr. Hyde type doctor in this new NBC medical drama. I like the whole dark alter-ego premise and it is a refreshing new idea mixed with the overdone medical procedural format. Therefore, I am willing to give this series a try. Here's to hoping that it won't be a failure like NBC's Awake was this year.

7. Revolution (Mondays at 10pm, NBC)
Yes, I am rather bitter about NBC withholding the second season of musical drama SMASH until midseason, but at least I'll have this J.J. Abrams and Eric Kripke international thriller to hold me over until 2013. Set in a dystopian world, the series is about our planet with all sources of energy stripped away from it. This show is either going to be really good or a Terra Nova-like disaster, and hopefully it will be the former and not the latter.

8. Nashville (Wednesdays at 10pm, ABC)
Connie Britton can no wrong and she proves it once again in this music-themed ABC drama series. Hayden Pannettiere also stars as a Taylor Swift-like character. I'm not country music's biggest fan but I am all for soapy drama and original music on TV. Add Eric Close and Jonathan Jackson to the supporting cast and you definitely have me on board ABC.

9. The Carrie Diaries (Midseason on Mondays at 9pm, The CW)
Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage team up again after creating hit teen dramas The O.C. and Gossip Girl, this time taking viewers back to the 80's with a familiar face, Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City. A prequel of some sorts, the series is based on the novel by Candace Bushnell and will follow a young Carrie as she discovers her love of New York City for the first time. It looks like a fun and fresh new teen drama that can fill my post-Gossip Girl void after that series comes to an end in December.

10. Last Resort (Thursdays at 8pm, ABC)
The premise looks intense and intriguing, but like Revolution this show can go awfully wrong in the episodes following the pilot, so here's to hoping ABC will do it right by keeping it a 13-episode a season type show rather than dragging it out and making it 22.

Common Law (USA) - Television Review

From the network that brought you such quirky and funny pairings as Neal Caffrey and Peter Burke ("White Collar") and Mike Ross and Harvey Spector ("Suits") comes summer's newest pair—Travis Marks (Michael Ealy) and Wes Mitchell (Warren Kole).

Common Law follows Travis Marks and Wes Mitchell, two detectives who have a major problem...each other. Because they constantly butt heads, they have been sent to couples therapy. While the premise itself sounds both funny and intriguing, the premiere episode of the new series ends up falling into the department of a generic crime-solving procedural. There is no denying that Ealy and Kole have amazing chemistry with each other, and their onscreen characters also compliment each other very well with their different personalities. However, their bickering and disagreements ends up merely being filler dialogue to drag out the 90-minute episode's case which involves a murder victim.

While the show itself has a promising premise, the time the two main characters actually spend in couples therapy is minimal. In fact, the episode opens and closes with them in a session, but the rest of it is spent on solving the crime.


Common Law has the potential to be yet another runaway USA Network hit, but without the witty storytelling of last summer's hit Suits, and the impeccable mix of bantering and case solving of White Collar, the show ends up just being 'another new cop show on TV.'

Common Law premieres Friday May 11 @ 10/9c on USA Network.

The Client List (Lifetime) - Television Review

It's a whole lot of sexy...or at least that's what they want you to believe.

Jennifer Love Hewitt returns to The Client List playing a similar role with a different name. After the success of the 2010 television film, Lifetime revives the movie's concept and turns it into a television series with Jennifer Love Hewitt on board as executive producer as well.

The series follows Riley Parks, whose family is dealing with some financial difficulties leading her to take matters into her own hands by taking a job at a day spa. A mother with a strong moral conscience, Riley initially declines to taking on the spa's "special" clients, who pay a hell of a lot more in tips at each appointment. When Riley's husband disappears however, she is left with a financial debt and mortgage to pay, leading her to reconsider her initial decision.

From the revealing music video to the billboard ads of Jennifer Love Hewitt in lingerie, Lifetime was really trying to sell this show as 'sexy.' But the only thing sexy about the show's premiere episode is its lead actress. There's a whole lot of leg and back rubbing, a few implied handjobs and even a shirtless Colin Egglesfield in one scene, but all that adds up to merely be awkward or uncomfortable in the end. In fact, the "client of the week" who Riley tends to ends up only wanting to talk to her about his personal relationship issues rather than engaging in the risque experience the spa has to offer.

The episode spends a lot of time setting up the premise of the show, but viewers won't really get a sense of what to expect each week. Will there be a "client of the week" format? Or will Riley's moral dilemma be drawn out to span an entire season when it could in reality be accomplished in the span of a 2-hour TV movie?

I'm not quite sure The Client List entirely works as a series, and while the show does boast a talented cast, the actors are merely left with tacky dialogue and mediocre (and predictable) storylines to work with. And for those coming to expect something sexy and edgy, you might want to stick to your HBO or STARZ programming instead.

The Client List premieres Sunday, April 8 at 10/9c on Lifetime.

Smash (NBC) - Pilot Review

NBC's new musical drama series Smash proves that there really is no biz like show biz.

The network's advertising campaign for the series reads with the tagline: Stars aren't born, they're made. And in this case, these "stars" are made by the top-notch, award-winning creative team behind the series, with Academy Award winning director Steven Spielberg as executive producer and original music composed by Tony Award nominated pair Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. But then again, the show itself isn't lacking in star-power either. Academy Award winner Angelica Huston, Emmy nominated actress Debra Messing, Jack Davenport and American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee are only some of the notable actors in the series. With a team like this, it is no doubt that this series is, well, going to be a smash.

The show follows two composers, Julia Houstin(Messing) and Tom Levitt(Christian Borle) who come with the idea of developing a Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. When the pair enlist ambitious Broadway ensemble actress Ivy Lynn(Megan Hilty) to record a demo track for their new vision, the track goes viral and attracts the attention of a producer(Angelica Huston), and a rude but widely talented director(Jack Davenport). But what the director Derek Wills wants is an icon, not "a trooper" as he says. Not entirely convinced that Ivy is the right girl for the part, auditions are then held to find the female lead for the show...which is where Katharine McPhee steps into the picture. McPhee portrays an aspiring actress who is working as a waitress. Her freshness and innocence is what ultimately intrigues Wills, thus giving the production team not one, but two actresses to choose from for the coveted role of Marilyn Monroe.

For those weary of whether or not this series is simply a Glee rehash, fear not—because it isn't. Smash is very much realistic, with the musical numbers implemented in each episode making sense and not simply just having the actors break out into song-and-dance just 'cause they want to. Another differentiation from the FOX phenom is that Smash features original music from Hairspray and more recently Catch Me If You Can composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who dish out two catchy showtunes in the pilot episode.

Smash is a series that chronicles the backstage drama and the road to creating a Broadway show, and while it may seem like a series that only theatre gurus would enjoy, it isn't. As actress Megan Hilty brilliantly states, "I liked ER, but that doesn't mean that I wanted to become a doctor." You may not have any pre-existing theatre knowledge, but that does not mean that Smash won't be your cup of tea. The series is filled with your dose of television breakups, hookups and family dilemmas, with as much and if not more delicious storylines than your favorite primetime soaps.

The pilot of Smash is currently available for free for streaming on the NBC website, as well as for download on iTunes and Amazon for those of you who cannot wait. But for those of you who can, the series debuts February 6th, after the second season premiere of The Voice.

"Smash" airs Mondays at 10/9c on NBC.

Touch (FOX) - Television Review

24's Kiefer Sutherland returns to television in Tim Kring's new thought-provoking and intriguing FOX drama series Touch.

The series from Heroes creator follows Martin Bohm(Sutherland), a single father whose wife died in the 9/11 attacks and is left alone to raise his 11-year-old son, Jake Bohm(David Mazouz), who is believed to be autistic. The pilot episode opens to Jake sitting on top of an electricity tower as her informs the audience that everyone in this world is in some way, shape or form connected. Obsessed with numbers and somehow unable or unwilling to speak, Jake is sent to an institution after a social worker, Clea Hopkins(Gugu Mbatha-Raw) comes to evaluate and conclude that it is best for Jake to be put in the institute. What unfolds is a string of global events—a man looking for his missing phone; a young woman with aspiring to become a singer; and a young boy faced with an economical family dilemma—that somehow find their way to connect together all through the numbers that Jake writes out.

From the innovative title sequence to the very last minutes of the pilot, extraordinary cinematography is incorporated to tell this story of social connectivity. The pilot is not only well-written, engaging and impeccably executed, but also manages to tug at your emotions, especially with the relationship between the father and son pair.

The series itself seems like a unusual concept for a television series, as one could assume that there is no life that could live beyond the pilot for narrative like this. However, upon finishing the premiere episode I can confidently say that not only will the pilot leave you pondering what will happen next, but it also makes you eager to get the next installment immediately. FOX has a new hit on their hands, one that is not only interesting but also magnetically interesting.

"Touch" premieres Monday, March 19 at 9/8c on FOX.

The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards - My Predictions

The Golden Globes is tomorrow night, so I thought that I would just share my predictions for who I think would (and should) win in the categories below. If it were up to me however, "War Horse" would have received more nominations than it did but hopefully that is what the Oscars will make up for when it announces its nominations in the coming weeks.

MOVIE CATEGORIES

Best Motion Picture -- Drama

"The Descendants"
"The Help"
"Hugo"
"The Ides of March"
"Moneyball"
"War Horse"

Best Motion Picture -- Comedy

"50/50"
"The Artist"
"Bridesmaids"
"My Week With Marilyn"
"Midnight in Paris"

Best Actress -- Drama

Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis, "The Help"
Rooney Mara, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Tilda Swinton, "We Need to Talk About Kevin"

Best Actor -- Drama

George Clooney, "The Descendants"
Leonardo DiCaprio, "J. Edgar"
Michael Fassbender, "Shame"
Ryan Gosling, "The Ides of March"
Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"

Best Actress -- Comedy

Jodie Foster, "Carnage"
Charlize Theron, "Young Adult"
Kristen Wiig, "Bridesmaids"
Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn"
Kate Winslet, "Carnage"

Best Actor -- Comedy

Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Brendan Gleeson, "The Guard"
Ryan Gosling, "Crazy Stupid Love"
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "50/50"
Owen Wilson, "Midnight in Paris"

Best Supporting Actress

Berenice Bejo, "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain, "The Help"
Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer, "The Help"
Shailene Woodley, "The Descendants"

Best Supporting Actor

Kenneth Branagh, "My Week With Marilyn"
Albert Brooks, "Drive"
Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"
Viggo Mortensen, "A Dangerous Method"
Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"

Best Director

Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
George Clooney, "The Ides of March"
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Alexander Payne, "The Descendants"
Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"

Best Screenplay

"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"The Ides of March"
"Midnight in Paris"
"Moneyball"

Best Animated Film

"The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn"
"Arthur Christmas"
"Cars 2"
"Puss In Boots"
"Rango"

Best Foreign Language Film

"A Separation" (Iran)
"The Flowers Of War" (China)
"The Kid With The Bike" (Belgium)
"In The Land Of Blood and Honey" (USA)
"The Skin I Live In" (Spain)

Best Original Score

Ludovic Bource, "The Artist"
Abel Korzeniowski, "W.E."
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo"
Howard Shore, "Hugo"
John Williams, "War Horse"

Best Original Song

"Hello Hello" by Elton John, "Gnomeo & Juliet"
"Lay Your Head Down" by Sinead O'Connor, "Albert Nobbs"
"The Living Proof," by Mary J. Blige, "The Help"
"The Keeper," by Gerard Butler, "Machine Gun Preacher"
"Masterpiece," by Madonna, "W.E."


TELEVISION CATEGORIES

Best Television Series - Drama

American Horror Story (FX)
Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Boss (STARZ)
Game Of Thrones (HBO)
Homeland (SHOWTIME)


Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Drama

Claire Danes, "Homeland" (SHOWTIME)
Mireille Enos, "The Killing" (AMC)
Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife" (CBS)
Madeleine Stowe, "Revenge" (ABC)
Callie Thorne, "Necessary Roughness" (USA)

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Drama

Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire" (HBO)
Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad" (AMC)
Kelsey Grammer, "Boss" (STARZ)
Jeremy Irons, "The Borgias" (SHOWTIME)
Damian Lewis, "Homeland" (SHOWTIME)

Best Television Series - Comedy Or Musical

Enlightened (HBO)
Episodes (SHOWTIME)
Glee (FOX)
Modern Family (ABC)
New Girl (FOX)

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical

Laura Dern, "Enlightened" (HBO)
Zooey Deschanel, "New Girl" (FOX)
Tina Fey, "30 Rock" (NBC)
Laura Linney, "The Big C" (Showtime)
Amy Poehler, "Parks And Recreation" (NBC)

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical

Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock" (NBC)
David Duchovny, "Californication" (SHOWTIME)
Johnny Galecki, "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
Thomas Jane, "Hung" (HBO)
Matt LeBlanc, "Episodes" (SHOWTIME)

Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television

Cinema Verite (HBO)
Downton Abbey (Masterpiece) (PBS)
The Hour (BBC AMERICA)
Mildred Pierce (HBO)
Too Big To Fail (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Romola Garai, "The Hour" (BBC AMERICA)
Diane Lane, "Cinema Verite" (HBO)
Elizabeth McGovern, "Downton Abbey" (Masterpiece) (PBS)
Emily Watson, "Appropriate Adult" (ITV)
Kate Winslet, "Mildred Pierce" (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Hugh Bonneville, "Downton Abbey" (Masterpiece) (PBS)
Idris Elba, "Luther"
William Hurt, "Too Big To Fail" (HBO)
Bill Nighy, "Page Eight" (Masterpiece)
Dominic West, "The Hour" (BBC AMERICA)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Jessica Lange, "American Horror Story" (FX)
Kelly MacDonald, "Boardwalk Empire" (HBO)
Maggie Smith, "Downton Abbey" (Masterpiece) (PBS)
Sofia Vergara, "Modern Family" (ABC)
Evan Rachel Wood, "Mildred Pierce" (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Peter Dinklage, "Game Of Thrones" (HBO)
Paul Giamatti "Too Big To Fail" (HBO)
Guy Pearce, "Mildred Pierce" (HBO)
Tim Robbins, "Cinema Verite" (HBO)
Eric Stonestreet – Modern Family (ABC)

Fall TV's Breakout Stars of 2011

Every year there are a handful of shows that debut on television in the fall, and with these shows come breakout stars worth talking about. Below is my list of five actors and actresses that I believe were this year's breakout television stars of the season.



1. Wilson Bethel, Hart of Dixie
Bluebell, Alabama's hunky Southern bad boy Wade Kinsella proved to fans that he is a worthy suitor for Rachel Bilson's Dr. Zoe Hart in The CW's heartfelt new drama Hart of Dixie, and Wilson Bethel proved that he is not only easy on the eyes but also extremely talented as an actor.




2. Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
You may have found her extremely annoying in 500 Days of Summer, but the She & Him singer proves that she can be both funny and adorable in FOX's comedy New Girl.




3. Stephen Amell, Hung
After guest appearances on Vampire Diaries and CSI, Stephen Amell joined the cast of HBO's Hung and breathed new life in a series that was growing rather stale. Not only was he funny, but he also showed the potential to take on leading man roles in the near future.




4. Evan Peters, American Horror Story
As one of Dr. Pete Harmon's patients on FX's horror-hit American Horror Story, Evan Peters brought a whole new level of creepy to the series in his breakout role as Tate.




5. Emily VanCamp, Revenge
You loved her on Everwood and now you've fallen in love with her all over again in her deliciously vindictive lead role in ABC's soapy hit Revenge.

Once Upon A Time (ABC) - Television Review

Possibly this season's most anticipated new drama series, ABC's Once Upon A Time is magically captivating and breaks new grounds in storytelling by taking the familiar and breathing new life into it.

Lost creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis is the creative force behind the show, featuring a phenomenal cast which includes Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White, Jared Gilmore as Henry, Joshua Dallas as Prince Charming, Lana Parrilla as the Evil Queen and Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan.

The series follows Emma Swan(Morrison), a bail bonds collector who on her 28th birthday is reunited with the son that she gave up 10 years ago. Her son, Henry(Gilmore) has escaped to Boston in hopes to convince Emma to return to a town called Storybrooke, claiming that she is the daughter of iconic fairy tale characters Snow White(Goodwin) and Prince Charming(Dallas). Henry also reveals through a storybook that he has titled "Once Upon A Time" that the Evil Queen(Parrilla) placed an evil curse in the fairy tale world, thus trapping all the characters in a timeless world with no recollection of their identities.

The pilot episode jumps back and forth from the fantasy world to modern day society, slowly revealing to audiences how all the fairy tale characters have ended up in their current state. Switching between the two worlds made the narrative of the episode engaging, as it left you wanting more from both of the plots that were being played out in the two different worlds. The first episode also leaves lots of questions left unanswered, making the story all the more interesting as to where it will go next.

Jennifer Morrison is perfect as Emma Swan. However, the standouts in the cast are Lana Parrilla's Evil Queen, in which the actress portrays with such villainous fervor that you can't help but hate her, and Jared Gilmore's young Henry, who captures the childhood innocence of believing in fairy tales perfectly. Joshua Dallas gathers up enough to serve his purpose as the handsome Prince charming. Ginnifer Goodwin's acting is a bit stiff and stale, though less noticeable when she is portraying her character's modern counterpart, Sister Mary Margaret Blanchard. The cast also features Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin, a sheer manipulatively evil delight, and Jamie Dornan as Storybrooke's sheriff.

Once Upon A Time, fairy tales were spellbinding and enchanting, but then Hollywood's endless remakes and modern adaptations destroyed the beauty of it all. However, ABC's new show has brought back what was once felt by many about this genre. Once Upon A Time is a show that is not to be missed, as it is not only entertaining and addictive, but truly spellbinding.

Once Upon A Time premieres Sunday, October 23 at 8/7c on ABC.

Pan Am (ABC) - Television Review

Pan Am, ABC's high-flying new period drama soars and provides viewers with escapist fun.

The new series, set in 1963 follows the lives of two pilots and four stewardesses working on the iconic Pan American Airways during the Jet Age. Set in a time when air travel was at the peak of everyone's interest, Pan Am is a stylistically beautiful and entertaining show. The musical score is very period appropriate and scene fitting, adding to the quality of the one-hour pilot episode. Christina Ricci is the most recognizable name of the cast, but other notable stars is Mike Vogel as new pilot Dean, and Kelli Garner's character Kate provides plenty of intrigue in her espionage storyline.

The episode opens to a missing stewardess, Bridget, who just so happens to be the girlfriend of new captain Dean. As the new Majestic Clipper takes off on its maiden voyage from New York City to London's Heathrow Airport, viewers are giving flashbacks and glimpses into the lives of each character. First there is Laura Cameron(Margot Robbie), the sister of Kate who leaves her groom at the altar to travel the world much to her sister's dismay. There is Ted(Michael Mosley), Dean's co-pilot on the Majestic, and Collette(Karine Vanasse) who has been having an affair with one of her passengers.

The flashbacks are well-executed, used in a clever way to make the long flight across the Atlantic Ocean less claustrophobic and boring. And as viewers get more to the back-story of each of the characters, there is plenty of gossip, plenty of romantic entanglements, and loads of juicy secrets to keep audiences at the edge of their seats.

Pan Am was not only eye candy for those who cannot get enough of Mad Men's 60s era feel, but it was also a new show with a first-class story to tell, and a damn good script to go along with it.

Pan Am airs Sundays at 10/9c on ABC.