Dallas Remake: First Look and New Trailers and Teasers!!!!

I know summer just ended and I am ready for fall and the holiday season.   But seeing this video just makes me want the summer to get here as fast as possible!  I get the chills seeing Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray back playing their iconic characters.   The cast of new characters, the new generation, look fantastic as well.  They look a little young to be their children, but I’ll go with it!   The only role I’m not sure about is Ann Ewing, played by Brenda Strong.   I WANT PAM EWING!!!!!!   And don’t tell me she’s dead and it’s not possible.  It’s a soap opera.  People come back from the dead all the time.   Bring back Pam!!!!!

Anyway, check out some of these teaser trailers below.

 

 

TNT Cancels Memphis Beat

This was not a show I watched but for fans of the show, a little disappointing news.   TNT canceled Memphis Beat after two seasons.

Most people I know who watched it (which wasn’t a lot) really liked it and had good things to say.  But this is not the first nor the last time that a good show gets canceled due to lack of viewers.  I’m actually surprised Franklin and Bash was renewed.  But Mark Paul Gosselaar shows usually get two seasons before they get canceled.

 

QUICK REVIEW: Rizzoli & Isles “Don’t Hate the Player” S2 E4

Baseball.   America’s past time.  Can’t you smell the fresh-cut grass, the leather from the gloves, the beer, the hot dogs, the dead body in the shower?   Sorry, I know that last part ruined a perfectly lovely image, but that is what our fearless duo had on their hands last night.   The Boston Pilgrims are on a roll and so is their star player Manny Vega.   But two major things are now about to hamper the Pilgrims’ success…their owners are splitting up (just like the McCords of the LA Dodgers) and fighting over the rights to the team while their new assistant coach was murdered in the showers.

The head of security for the Pilgrims, Chief Merck (played by Kevin Chapman) who used to be a homicide detective, is insisting on the fact that this is just accident where the guy slipped and fell in the shower and he can’t understand why Jane and Maura want to turn this into something more.  Usually that’s a sign of someone’s guilt but since he was so over-the-top with his pronouncement, it was obvious it wasn’t him.    There are many suspects that we are introduced to throughout the course of the episode…the fighting owners, Manny Vega (played by Adrian Bellani), the player Vega was fighting with, and Merek.   Turns out it was none of the above.  It was the ridiculously handsome player that asked Jane out to dinner, Jesse Wade (played by Taylor Kinney.)   As soon as he asked Jane out to dinner, I knew it was him.  He was just as good as Vega but never got the recognition Vega did.   Vega was also a huge a-hole.   So he killed the assistant coach and poisoned Vega with anti-freeze killing him as well so he could get them out-of-the-way and him to the top of the ranks in both the clubhouse and the in minds of the fans.  Well that certainly backfired on him didn’t it?

In more interesting news, Tommy Rizzoli (played by Colin Egglesfield) is out of prison and back with his family.  I’d like to know more about Tommy’s past.   The surface information I know, Tommy has been a screw up his whole life.  I have to wonder though, is he a screw up because he got chance after chance and blew it or is he a screw up because he was always expected to make the wrong choice, no one believed in him, and therefore just did what people assumed he would do anyway?   I think it is probably some where in between the two.  Take what happened with the robbery at Maura’s.  Jane automatically assumed it was Tommy.  And when she went to confront him, even though she tried to let him know he wasn’t as bad a guy as he thinks he is, she still assumes it was him.   It wasn’t.  So Tommy has a lot of proving to do.  I hope he stays around and we get to see that dynamic.  I think it’s going to be easier to empathize with Tommy because Egglesfield is playing him.  When we heard about Tommy before, he sounded like more of a really bad guy who didn’t care too much about his family.   Egglesfield has such a likable personality that I think we are going to see a softer side to Tommy.  And by the way, I love the fact that Momma Rizzoli and Tommy are all staying with Maura.  It really shows the closeness of Jane and Maura and how that closeness extends to Jane’s family.  I loved the dinner scene at the end with Angela getting ready to serve lasagna to Jane, Maura, Frankie, Tommy, Frost, and Korsak.  It really shows the bond these characters have.

R&I is having a great season and I am thrilled the girls are coming back for a third 15 episode season next summer!

 

Rizzoli & Isles “Don’t Hate the Player” Review Coming Tomorrow

I am really beat guys and it would be a crappy review if I did it now.   So I am hitting the sack and will recap the episode tomorrow.  The quick thing I will say is that I LOVE the fact that Colin Egglesfield has been cast as Tommy Rizzoli.  And I hope he is going to be around for the rest of the season and moving forward.  Maybe he can even hook up with Maura?

Ok I’m going to bed now.  Full recap and review tomorrow so check back then!

 

The Closer and Rizzoli and Isles Recap and Review Coming Soon

So I have a really crazy day today so I can’t get to these reviews today.    Sorry!   But I will be doing a brief review of each tomorrow followed by a REALLY HUGE For the Love of TV Podcast!!!

All I can say now before I run out the door to pick up people from the airport for meetings is that I loved both episodes and I forgot how much I missed the ladies from Rizzoli and Isles!   They are freaking hilarious!!!   I did a live Tweet last night during both shows and let me tell you, I learned some very interesting things about the fans of R&I.   Things I had no idea about and was so not clued into!   But I love seeing other people’s view points!!  Also on The Closer, I had no idea that Sgt. Gabriel’s first name was David!   Am I that clueless or did none of you ever know his first name either?   I’d NEVER heard Brenda call him anything other than Sgt Gabriel or Gabriel but never David and she used his first name, all the time last night.    Why?   Am I forgetting something significant?   Probably!   Plus I am always the last to know everything!

But great episode of The Closer which will set up the final season in which Brenda has gotten herself in some pretty hot water with the LAPD and may need some help to get out.   Also, how about those last 2 minutes of the episode!!!   Holy Crap I completely didn’t see that coming!!!

As I mentioned it was great to see Jane and Maura back on my screen.  Good case last night and I’m glad they haven’t ignored Jane’s injuries from the season finale.  But I really wish the writers would find something more for her brother to do than just stand up and wave or have 2 lines per episode.  If you’re not going to write for him, don’t have him on the show.  Otherwise, give him a storyline!  And it looks like Mr and Mrs Rizzoli are on the outs.  But I’ll get into that later.    I really have to go!!!!

 

TNT’s Dallas Remake Set for Summer 2012 Premiere

The Cast of TNT's Dallas Remake

Can you hear the theme song?   Can you remember one of the greatest (if not the greatest) TV cliffhangers of all time….Who Shot JR?   Well it’s official guys and it will be premiering in the Summer 2012 on TNT.

Via the official press release, here is some of the information about the remake:

The new DALLAS stars Josh Henderson (90210), Jesse Metcalfe (John Tucker Must Die), Jordana Brewster (Fast & Furious),Julie Gonzalo (Veronica Mars) and Brenda Strong (Desperate Housewives), and they will be joined by iconic stars Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray and Larry Hagman as J.R. Ewing. TNT has ordered 10 episodes of DALLAS, which is slated to premiere in summer 2012.

The original DALLAS aired from 1978 to 1991 and centered on the Ewing family, a cattle and oil dynasty occupying the expansive Southfork Ranch in Texas. A long and bitter rivalry between brothers J.R. Ewing (Hagman) and Bobby Ewing (Duffy) eventually led to J.R. losing control of most of the Ewing industries. In the new DALLAS, this explosive rivalry now lives on through another generation, with the future of the family fortune in the hands of the Ewing offspring: cousins John Ross Ewing (Henderson), the son of J.R. and ex-wife Sue Ellen (Gray), and Christopher Ewing (Metcalfe), the adopted son of Bobby. Brewster stars as Elena, who is involved in a love triangle with Christopher and John Ross. Gonzalo stars as Christopher’s fiancée, Rebecca. And Strong stars as Ann, Bobby’s wife.

TNT will be airing sneak peeks of the new show during tomorrow’s premieres of The Closer and Rizzoli and Isles.  TNT will also have a special website www.dallastnt.com for fans to go and check out video clips and more information about the show leading up to the premiere next summer.

What do you think?   Are you excited about this remake?   I watched the original when I was a little kid (on reruns that is) so I can’t wait for this premiere!  Some remakes have been successful and other have fallen flat on their faces.    So I guess we have to wait and see!

 

The Closer: Does Brenda’s Final Season Spell Trouble for Her or A Huge Loss?

The Closer begins its final run on July 11th and there are some storylines that could be very eye raising for some of us long time fans.

In a recent interview, Kyra Sedgwick mentioned that this season of The Closer (which will begin July 11th this summer and conclude some time next summer) will be about love and loss.   Loss?    What kind of loss?  Is someone significant dying?   Because if Provenza or Flynn die, someone at TNT is going to have a serious problem with me!!!!   Since they will probably be on the spinoff show Major Crimes (I think), I doubt anything will happen to them.  But I wouldn’t put it past the show runners to kill off Chief Pope or Mr. Brenda Leigh Johnson, Fritz.  But it’s possible that the actual “loss” is not a death but something else entirely.

Looking at this from another angle, maybe the term of loss means Brenda’s job or freedom.   According to reports, family members of criminals she has put away or family members of witnesses that have helped solidify arrests who may have been killed, are targeting Brenda for the ways in which she solicits her confessions.  So Brenda is going to need some help.   Enter one of my favorite actors to take on the role of Gavin Baker who is a ruthless and cunning defense attorney…Mark Pellegrino!!!     For those of you who don’t know Pellegrino, do you even watch TV?   I’m kidding.  I kid because I love!!!   Pellegrino has been on some smaller shows you may have heard of like Dexter, Lost, and Supernatural.   He’s fantastic.  Baker will be there to help Brenda through this difficult time in her career where she is attacked for her methods.  Allegedly, if you have a problem and are being sued, this is the guy you want having your back.

I guess my question is what is wrong with her methods?  So she goes in and pretends she’s a secretary sometimes and gets information out of criminals to achieve her goal of confession.  Big deal.  So what if she pretends she is in their corner and pretends to understand and help them to get what she needs to put the bad guys away?   Is that really a source for a legal suit against her?  And I’m asking that question seriously.  I’m not a cop (although I do come from a family of police officers) and I have never been in an actual interrogation.  I know there are laws that protect people from the way cops treat them in interrogation rooms.   But has Brenda ever done anything to warrant possibly losing her position or job or worse going to jail?  I’m not sure.  I know the physical lines you can’t cross but I’m sure about the psychological or mental lines.  Do you think Brenda has crossed a line once or twice?   I guess we shall see.

I’m still upset that this will be the last season of The Closer.   There is something to be said for going out on a high note and if Kyra is ready to move on, I understand that.  But it still sucks.  So I will really enjoy this last season and wait to hear what the spinoff will entail and who will be set for that cast.  I know it’s already been announced that Mary McDonnell will headline the show as Captain Rayder but who else will be joining her from The Closer?   Also, the final six episodes of The Closer that will air next summer, will set up the spinoff’s 10 episodes that will launch immediately following the series finale of The Closer.

Are you guys ready to begin the final season?  Are you sad?  Are you ready to see it go?  Are you looking forward to Major Crimes with Captain Rayder as the main protagonist (although in her case she will more likely be the main antagonist!)

 

QUICK REVIEW: Franklin & Bash “Pilot” S1 E1

Franklin & Bash premiered this week on TNT Wednesday night.  It stars two of my favorite people…Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer as Peter Bash and Jared Franklin.   They have their own law firm and they also employ a private investigator, Carmen Phillips (played by Dana Davis) and researcher Pindar Singh (played by Kumail Nanjiani).   I wouldn’t go as far to say they are ambulance chasers (even though they did witness an accident and ran over to the one victim looking to attract him as a client) but they do take any case they can without any care or direction.  They end up getting that case and winning while Stanton Infeld (played by Malcolm McDowell) watches in the gallery.  He is one of the senior partners at Infeld Daniels.  Turns out they beat his nephew, Damien Karp (played by Reed Diamond) who is supposedly an up and comer at the law firm of Infeld Daniels.  As a result, Infeld hires them (along with Carmen and Pindar) and an automatic in-house feud between Franklin & Bash and Karp commences.

For summer time shows, I don’t need anything very heavy.  It’s like reading a book.  I can read Dan Brown or Tom Clancy in the winter time because I am ready for something thought-provoking and intense.  But in the summer, give me my James Patterson and Nicholas Sparks.  It’s lighter, it’s easier to follow, and I don’t have to think too much.  I feel that way about my shows too.  Franklin & Bash is one of those shows.  It’s relatively entertaining and incredibly predictable.  It’s characters are pretty standard characters without too much originality.   Bash is a great people person, a ladies man, and everyone loves him plus he’s very good at his job.  But the ladies man does long for the woman he used to have but doesn’t anymore because he screwed it up and now she is engaged to someone else so of course he wants to win her back.  She also happens to be an ADA he fights in court constantly, Janie Ross (played by Claire Coffee.)  Franklin is the wild card, hates authority, doesn’t care what anyone else thinks, wise-cracking best friend and partner of Bash.  It reminds me a lot of The Defenders but without all the smugness.  Plus I am willing to forgive a lot more for summer viewing on an non-major cable TV network than a fall, major network, broadcast TV show.  I really didn’t like The Defenders.  I didn’t like the writing because it felt like they were trying to be a serious law show, defending serious clients, with crack pot, jokes of lawyers in Belushi and O’Connell.   As soon as a law show tries the “our client is innocent because he’s a great guy and we believe him, therefore you should too” defense and they win off of that, the show has lost me.  This show is slightly different in that right now, they aren’t trying to be serious lawyers with serious cases.  They defend car accident defendants who were distracted by naked girls and prostitutes who fell in love with their clients.  This show certainly isn’t trying to be The Practice.  It isn’t taking itself too seriously so that’s why I don’t mind it.

Considering I really enjoy The Closer, Rizzoli & Isles, and HawthoRNe, Franklin & Bash, right now, isn’t as good as those shows are.  But if I have nothing else to watch on Wednesday night and it’s on, I will watch it because I like the cast and I didn’t hate the show.  I’m not going to make a point of DVRing it or making it must see TV this summer, but if it’s on and I’m home, I’ll definitely watch it.

 

TNT’s “Dallas” Reboot Is On and Casting Has Started

Photo Courtesy of worstpreviews.com

And here come the all the reboots.  As long as the reboots are shows I liked (90210, Charlie’s Angels, Dallas) I guess I’m ok with it.  As long as the network line ups don’t look like 1982 in 2 years with no truly new shows.   Then I would be pissed.

The new Dallas will center around J.R.’s son John Ross and Bobby’s adopted son Christopher as they fight over the future of the Ewing dynasty.  The only other character mentioned right now is Elena.   She is the Southfork Ranch’s chef’s daughter who will be in a love triangle with John Ross and Christopher.

From the original series, the reboot as already locked up Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), and Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing.)   Jordana Brewster has been cast as Elena, who is the lead female role.   Josh Henderson has been cast as J.R. Ewing’s son, John Ross.  As further casting or information is released, I will update.

Are you excited for this latest and greatest reboot of an oldie but a goodie?

 

The Closer Spinoff Talk Heats Up

The drama behind the drama, The Closer is becoming more interesting.  Since we last talked about the final season of the Closer, some more developments have taken place.  First, the 15 episode season has been extended to 21…yeah!!!!  Second, the reason for the extended episodes will not only give us more The Closer with Kyra and wrap up storylines, but will set up the new spinoff for the show.   Which leads to development three, the spinoff is happening.

Right now it doesn’t seem like there is any confirmation on who will be on the new spinoff, what it is about, or how much of the cast of the Closer will be joining the spinoff.  My guess would be, Flynn and Provenza are definitely part of the spinoff plan.  Much of the cast was interviewed about it at the SAG awards and many of them, such as Corey Reynolds (Sgt Gabriel) and Tony Denison (Flynn), talked about how much they would like to keep going in some capacity.

As I mentioned before, I am torn.  I love everyone in the cast.  They all have great chemistry and I would like to see them on my TV together again.  I just don’t know if it would be difficult to watch them and not think, where is Brenda?  They would need to get someone amazing that is nothing like Brenda and go a complete different route to make it work.  I don’t know if they can but I would be willing to give it a chance.  So I am cautiously optimistic about the idea of a The Closer spinoff.

How about you?   Do you like the idea or think the show should just end next season on a high note?