The Trade Round-Up / The TV Whore
July 5, 2007
What the hell is going on with this world of ours? Last week, it was news that NBC is deeply in love with Jimmy Fallon. Now comes word that ABC has pulled a Jesus on Jim Belushi’s show, as “According to Jim” is coming back for a seventh season (seven fucking years it’s been on the air?!?). The network hasn’t given any reason for the sudden decision to order up 18 episodes, but Belushi is quite pleased and says this is going to be the best year yet. Okely dokely Mr. Belushi, whatever you say. Meanwhile, TV Guide’s douchebag egomaniac columnist Michael Ausiello has the best theory as to the show’s sudden resurrection: “Someone high up at the Alphabet net took another look at “Cavemen.” Sounds about right to me. Although for some reason, I’m more comfortable knowing that (motherfucking) “Cavemen” is a show I’ll be avoiding like the plague, versus now knowing that I’ll be once again avoiding Belushi’s show like the plague. I guess I just feel better avoiding new shit, as opposed to avoiding the same old old old shit.
And damn it, the bad new keeps coming. This certainly doesn’t come as any shocking surprise in my heart of hearts, but that doesn’t mean it hurts any less. In a recent interview, Timothy Olyphant was asked about what was going on with the rumored “Deadwood” flicks (Olyphant, of course, played the well-named Seth Bullock). Olyphant’s response? “I have no idea. There’s been ongoing talk about those things for a long, long time. I, for better or worse, have the perspective of ‘don’t hold your breath.’ My feeling is that the fact that show existed at all for as long as it did was a miracle of sorts. It was an incredible experience, and I’m very, very thankful, and as a fan of the show like everybody else, it would have been nice to see it end in a different way or have more life to it, but as far as I’m concerned, they don’t owe me anything. It was a tremendous experience, I look at it that way. I walk away going, ‘I must be a better actor because of that show.’ Three years on TV is better than seven years on TV, you know?” …Like a dagger in my heart.
Speaking of dead shows, some of you may have been looking for those two burn-off episodes of “Drive” that Fox was supposed to air on the Fourth. Well for some reason, Fox decided to bump them again, deciding that the awful Anger Management would be preferred by viewers not out barbecuing and watching fireworks. So those two episodes will now be airing one week from tonight, on Friday the 13th. For fans of the show, this is probably a much more fitting date for the final episodes to end. Oh, and unless something’s changed that I don’t know about, you shouldn’t expect any type of conclusion at the end of those two episodes. So if you’re gonna’ watch, leave any expectations off your couch and just go in for the sake of enjoying the two hours (and getting your Nathan Fillion on, for those who swoon at such things and want one last taste of good Fillion before he — possibly — signs onto “Desperate Housewives” for next season and catches the Hack Cooties from that show).
Turning from the past to the future, the times of television development, oh they are a-changing. I’ve previously talked about the fact that Mitch Hurwitz’s “The Thick of It” still has some potential legs, even though ABC decided not to give it a series order (nooooo — why would you want Mitch Hurwitz, Oliver Platt and Michael McKean on your network when you can have [motherfucking] “Cavemen” and more Jim Belushi?). Well another pilot ABC opted not to pick up also seems to have some legs. Many were surprised that the network skipped over “Football Wives,” given the success of the BBC original and the fact that it had a big name cast including Lucy Lawless, Ving Rhames, James “I. Don’t. Want. Your. Life.” Van Der Beek and Gabrielle Union. While the network passed for now, the studio (ABC Studios) extended its options for the cast, which means they won’t be pickup up other roles. This certainly suggests that ABC is reconsidering its decision. And just like with “The Thick of It,” word has it that other networks (NBC and FOX) are waiting in the wings for a possible shot at the show if ABC gives it the final kiss-off. I think that both of these — that networks are more willing to reconsider their pilot-season decisions and that other networks are willing to at least look at what’s been passed on by someone else — are good developments. We all know by now that the networks get shit wrong more often than right, so what one network sees as “crap” may be something which another network can reposition as gold.
And speaking of those bad network decisions, I yet again find myself focusing on ABC [No I don’t, since it’s actually CBS that has the show, not ABC.]. …Jesus, I’m thoroughly unimpressed with this bloody network. Anyway, you may recall that in the pilot-season battle of vampires versus zombies, CBS sided with the vampires, picking up the “Moonlight” pilot but leaving “Babylon Fields” unrisen. Well it seems that CBS isn’t actually all that happy with “Moonlight,” the show about a vampire private investigator. Last month the show got a new showrunner (David Greenwalt, who knows a thing about vampires, having co-created “Angel”) and he’s been making changes left and right. Shannon Lucio was dropped as the main love interest, replaced by Sophia Myles. The 60-year-old Rade Serbedzija was replaced by the just-a-touch younger Jason Dohring (“Veronica Mars” alumni alert), and now Shannyn Sossamon has replaced Amber Valletta as the vampire responsible for making Alex O’Loughlin’s main character into a bloodsucker. So O’Loughlin is actually the only major part from the original pilot that hasn’t been recast. But I’m not worried about this show. No sir — massive changes like this, for a show that’s never aired a single episode, usually bode quite well, right?
Speaking of bad decisions, someone over at “Rescue Me” thinks producer Dennis Leary made a terrible one. If you’re not all caught up with the current season, you best jump out of this paragraph right now, for there be spoilers afoot. For those that are caught up, you know that a certain character met his demise last week. Well Jack McGee is rather displeased with his exit from the show, and has not held back in saying so. His issues are two-fold. First, McGee feels that Chief Reilly would not have offed himself, no matter the situation. Personally, it did feel a little like an easy out and not entirely authentic, although it is understandable insofar as Reilly had been forced into a desk job and, thus, the last part of his life that worked was taken away from him. But aside from character motivations, McGee also feels that the decision was more about Leary being a prick who didn’t like McGee and wanted him off of the show. As much as I love Dennis Leary, I don’t have much of a problem believe that he would be a prick. But Leary himself is being fairly mum about the whole subject, simply saying that he doesn’t handle the show’s personnel issues. But Leary’s comrade-in-arms Peter Tolan has spoken up in his defense. You can read the interesting double-interview with McGee and Tolan over at Television without Pity, and it makes for a nice Thursday morning distraction.
And speaking of Thursday distractions, here’s one for all my comic book nerds out there. In light of the recent news about a possible second life for “Veronica Mars” in comic book form, the most recent “Comics Should be Good” column up over at Comic Book Resources takes a look at the issue of comics books spawned from TV shows. I don’t agree with all of his points — for example, while he argues that “Veronica” isn’t visual enough for the medium, I think that the show’s cinematography (as discussed most excellently by our own Dan Carlson) could be translated by the right artist into quite a visually stimulating comic. But regardless, it’s still an interesting read coming at TV from a different angle than most of the stuff that’s out there.
For those of you who missed it, because you don’t have Showtime or whatever, the six-episode first season of “This American Life” is now available on iTunes. This was a surprisingly beautiful show and, if you’re looking for some truly good summer TV, this would be $10.99 (for the full season) well spent.
And finally, you really can’t go wrong with a well-edited tribute to “The Office,” and this one is really a peach:
Seth Freilich is Pajiba’s television editor. He sometimes wishes that he had a more talented brother who had died before his time, so that he could simply ride the coattails of having a famous last name and little actual comedic talent.
Transformers | | Joshua |
Comments
July 6th? Did I miss a day? That has not happened since I slept for three days straight following the Bar Exam. S-L-O-W TV news day heh?
Nah, you didn't miss a day. Just a mistake. Although I am now tempted to use my Pajiba publishing powers to start screwing with people and make them think it's a different day. -- SF
Posted by: rudy at July 5, 2007 8:56 AM
1. Jim Belushi is poor man's version of a John
Belushi impersonator. (even though I enjoyed The Principal for some reason)
2.A big "I told you so" on Driven. And if Mr. Fillion takes the Desperate Housewives gig, I'll never watch anything of his, EVER, again.
3. "and the fact that it had a big name cast including Lucy Lawless, Ving Rhames, James "I. Don't. Want. Your. Life." Van Der Beek and Gabrielle Union...."
You, sir are the sarcasm master....I hope.
Posted by: BarbadoSlim at July 5, 2007 9:00 AM
Rudy - I thought it was just me who might have ate and drank too much during yesterday's festivities.
Maybe today's title should have been "Back to Pajiba"
Posted by: Brian at July 5, 2007 9:07 AM
This is a spoiler alert for anyone who has not watched Season Two of Rescue Me.
I worked on that season and I can tell you that there is only one reason that Dennis Leary's son died at the end of that season. Dennis Leary could not stand working with the kid. I personally never witnessed his reactions with Jack McGee, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were some major ego battles there. Leary, while brilliant at times, is not kind to other actors, (he made his stand-in do all of the reverse shots) and is not afraid to put himself first.
Posted by: Noelle at July 5, 2007 9:27 AM
Cavemen or Belushi?!!? Hmm...tough choice deciding which one deserves more ridicule. It's like a contest to try and find the smartest retard.
Posted by: PissBoy at July 5, 2007 10:18 AM
Denis, not Dennis. *anal*
And wow. That picture of Belushi up there made me want to go beat my damn head against a wall. Yeegh. I -- wait. What? According to Jim is still on the air? Seven seasons?
...what the -fuck-?
'Moonlight' just looks like a massive 'Angel' ripoff. If I wanted to watch 'Angel' (..which.. I kind of do, now. Just not season four. Bad Joss.), I'd watch Angel.
Posted by: Mara at July 5, 2007 10:39 AM
Question about this redo of Moonlight (and other shows in a situation like this). When they redo the cast like this do they reshoot the pilot before airing or do they broadcast the pilot with the old cast and then the next episode with the new cast?
Posted by: Brian at July 5, 2007 10:39 AM
No info. about Nathan Fillion joining the cast of Desperate Housewives???? Or was that already covered in a round-up? Just wanted Pajiba's thoughts on that move for him!
Posted by: susiemoss at July 5, 2007 10:47 AM
And if Mr. Fillion takes the Desperate Housewives gig, I'll never watch anything of his, EVER, again
Um, dude. Guy's gotta eat.
Posted by: twig at July 5, 2007 10:51 AM
No info. about Nathan Fillion joining the cast of Desperate Housewives????
There isn't that much to tell, from what I've seen on the Web...All the news items say is that the three actors involved are "in talks." I've always liked Dana Delaney; my Fillion-love is well documented on Pajiba; I've never heard of the younger actress. I've never watched a single second of 'Desperate Housewives' but if this deal goes down I'll have to tune in.
And if Mr. Fillion takes the Desperate Housewives gig, I'll never watch anything of his, EVER, again...Um, dude. Guy's gotta eat.
Seconded. I'll watch him do just about anything, anyway...though I hope that the buzz around Waitress gets him a good movie role or two.
Posted by: Jerce at July 5, 2007 11:05 AM
Loud agonized scream! I logged on to escape from a horrible day of work just looking for a few tee hee moments from Pajibaland and instead you hit me with the news (yes I had my suspicions but now it's in writing) that the Deadwood films are not happening.
How gracious of Timothy Olyphant to have such a good perspective, but I can't join him. I am bitter to the core. David Milch is dead to me.
Posted by: PaddyDog at July 5, 2007 11:25 AM
...and now I saw a commercial that they're bringing Jericho (sp?) back. Ugh! The announcement was to the effect of "some shows are worth fighting for". Give me a fucking break! I just don't understand who could like that dumbass show. I think I've given up on finding anything good on tv anymore.
Posted by: staylor at July 5, 2007 11:48 AM
Wait... Belushi and the caveman aren't the same person?
*rimshot!*
Nathan Fillion, if you join the cast of that wretched show, I will lose my faith that there is any semblance of balance in this miserable universe. You deserve better.
Posted by: TK at July 5, 2007 11:55 AM
I love The Office.
Posted by: go big red at July 5, 2007 11:58 AM
Shannyn Sossamon makes it more likely that I will take a look at "Moonlight" -- it was never clear what happened to her; she was good in "Rules of Attraction" and blew Josh Hartnett right off the screen in "40 Days and Nights." I guess she has several films in production right now, but she seemed to have vanished for a while. This was a good day of announcements for "Rules of Attraction" alumni, with Der Vanderbeeken getting some love as well. Didn't Ian Somerhalder have anything to report? Maybe a three-show arc on "Weeds" or something?
Ving Rhames is an absolute favorite -- I'm wondering why he's signing on for another television show when he seems to stay pretty busy with respectable movie roles. Granted, he always seems to be relegated to Tough-Yet-Humorous Black Sidekick, but he has created some classics, e.g., "Out of Sight."
Re Denis Leary: My take on him ebbs and flows, because he can be hilarious. But he is without doubt a prick -- my primary memory of Leary is when comic Greg Giraldo just punished him on "Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn" -- Leary made some crack about Giraldo's obscurity, and Giraldo, who's a pretty self-deprecating, non-confrontational guy, dropped a body-slam, faceplant comeback on Leary about his TV shows and films continually bombing (this was pre-"Rescue Me"). Leary just sat there smoldering, wouldn't even say anything, like "How dare you fight back? Don't you know I'm DENNIS FUCKING LEARY, slumming on a Comedy Central show as a favor to my friend Colin Quinn?" He looked like a total douche.
Posted by: socalledonlycousins at July 5, 2007 12:20 PM
Both Moonlight and Babylon Fields were ordered to pilot by CBS, so maybe that leaves a little bit of dignity left for ABC, especially considering its 'supernatural' series is Pushing Daisies, which sounds incredible and has Lee Pace. Yum.
Posted by: Lisa at July 5, 2007 12:48 PM
All this cancellation (and resurrection) news is depressing enough, but I'm mourning shows that don't exist. What the fuck, ABC? Mitch Hurwitz! John Michael Higgins! ZOMBIES!
Posted by: Ashley at July 5, 2007 12:59 PM
Sophia Myles has had my eternal admiration ever since she played Madame du Pompadour and hooked up with David Tennant in the same episode of Doctor Who, and I love me some Jason Dohring and David Greenwalt, so as much as I regret saying it, I may have to watch Moonlight
Posted by: Claire at July 5, 2007 1:10 PM
For those of you slamming on Fillion: twig and Jerce are right. Unfortunately, he has bills to pay, and he is going to need to get jobs he may not want to. So do not punish the Fillion, support him as you always have. If you must, only tune in to the parts where he is physically onscreen. Face facts: Firefly ain't coming back. Drive is dead. Where else are you gonna get your fix?
BarbadoSlim, they may not be big names to you, but I know I would rather watch them than most A-listers. Well, maybe not Van Der Beek, but you get my drift.
Posted by: Vermillion at July 5, 2007 1:31 PM
Nathan Fillion is in a far weaker position than other likeable actors who are economically compelled to churn out dreck. As was discussed here recently, I'm sure Steve Carell didn't walk off the set of 40YOV saying, "Let's get going on that 'Bruce Almighty' sequel!" And he's in a much stronger negotiating position than someone like our Nathan.
Posted by: socalledonlycousins at July 5, 2007 1:38 PM
BarbadoSlim, they may not be big names to you, but I know I would rather watch them than most A-listers. Well, maybe not Van Der Beek, but you get my drift.
Posted by: Vermillion at July 5, 2007 1:31 PM
***********************************************
Touche, it's true, I just have to be an A-hole about it :)
And I agree with the Sophia Myles sentiment, classy broad all the way.
Posted by: BarbadoSlim at July 5, 2007 2:21 PM
Oh yay! Way to brighten up a rather bleak post with a BRILLIANT video of The Office. My withdrawal is getting a little better...maybe.
Posted by: bonnie at July 5, 2007 5:02 PM
I always get angry when I see how long bad shows can last (According to Jim, King of Queens) and then Veronica and Arrested Development are pulled off after only three seasons. However, my sister always tells me that the majority of people are dumb, that's why smart shows can't last long. But when is this show with Jason Dohring coming? If my Logan's in it, I'm there. And if Nathan Fillion joins Desperate Housewives, I guess I'll have to start choking down that show to get my fix.
Posted by: bb at July 5, 2007 5:24 PM
That Office montage was awesome. I just saw Styx on Tuesday night and they didn't play Mr. Roboto, so this kinda made up for it.
Posted by: tinmo at July 5, 2007 5:28 PM
Belushi remains employed while Olyphant goes looking for his next gig. There is no frigging justice.
Posted by: samantha t at July 5, 2007 6:39 PM
I think Steve Carell was signed on to EVAN... before THE OFFICE even started, so you can't hold it against him if he was made to do a film that wouldn't be very good back before he became a really big name. I live in Canada, and don't have cable, so I didn't even know who he was until we started getting THE DAILY SHOW on network TV. That wasn't very long ago, and by that time he was already long gone. So, you know, hopefully this Fillion will get his day in the sun soon too.
Posted by: M at July 5, 2007 7:05 PM
wait, I thought Belushi was the Caveman...rim shot
Posted by: Brendan at July 5, 2007 8:29 PM
I'm glad to see someone else shares my thoughts on that TV Guide hack.
Posted by: Matt at July 5, 2007 9:23 PM
If Nathan Fillion gets a job on Desperate Houswives, I hope his character's a serial killer. Just saying...
Posted by: La Chistosa at July 6, 2007 12:52 AM
Brian - when a show does recasting after pilot season, they almost alway reshoot the pilot scenes with the new actors. In the case of "Moonlight," where so many major changes were made, they'll certainly reshoot just about everything (plus, with so many new actors, character developments may even be changed to accommodate the actors, different direction might be needed, etc. - the pilot will probably be quite different from the one CBS gave the original greenlight to).
Posted by: Seth at July 6, 2007 8:12 AM
I'm so proud of myself, having NEVER watched an episode of "According to......" I think we all overestimate JOHN Belushi's talent(yah, I know it's heresy) but his brother is completed talentless.
Posted by: memikeyounot at July 8, 2007 6:41 PM
