Speechless Without Writers

Here's one of the clever videos from speechlesswithoutwriters.com, which is affiliated with United Hollywood. Fear not, I am still watching non-strike related entertainment. 30 Rock is rocking my world, Jeremy Darling is my new TV boyfriend, Friday Night Lights keeps breaking my heart in the best possible ways (Buddy and Santiago under one roof? I can barely stand how much I love and fear the possibilities) and Grey's Anatomy has worked its way back into my good graces.

Speaking of Grey's... What's with all of ABC's amnesiacs? Karev's Ava, Samantha Who?, Patrick on Men in Trees, Alexis on Ugly Betty. And last season, Desperate Housewives' sexy plumber had a case of the who-the-hell-am-I's. If you jump networks, you've got Milo Ventimiglia doing his blank slate schtick on Heroes and Joss Whedon's upcoming Dollhouse with a perpetually mind-wiped Eliza Dushku. Massive brain traumas are hella prevalent, y'all.

Moments in TV Awesome: Grey's Anatomy

You know what? I like George and Izzie. Apparently I'm the only one in the Western hemisphere -- even Shonda Rhimes is like "I never said they were destined to be a great love story" -- but I think their storyline is perfect. I care a lot more about them as a couple than I do McDreamy and Meredith, who in the season opener both needed a big dose of SHUT UP.

Izzie's nice. George is nice. They're best friends and he's married so there's a lot of drama and forbidden angst. What's not to love about that? Is it that she's too hot for him? Cause I think George is pretty adorable and aside from the whole drunkenly cheating on his wife and being in love with another woman thing, in real life, he'd be a way better catch than, say, Karev.

So I present to you a moment that I think is awesome. And yes, I'm aware that their fan name is Gizzie.

Overthinking TV

So I was watching Greek the other day, enjoying a fun episode about date parties and sex, and I noticed nods to both Grey’s Anatomy and Ugly Betty. Not surprising since they’re both on ABC, Greek’s parent channel. What struck me as strange was that Grey’s Anatomy was referenced as a show that the characters watch, while Mode, Ugly Betty’s employer, was referenced as a magazine that everyone reads. Following that logic, Ugly Betty and Greek exist in the same universe. Spencer could be Betty’s summer intern. Zaniness could ensue.

Over on The N, things get even stickier. Aubrey Graham and Stacey Farber of Degrassi appeared as themselves on an episode of Instant Star. So in the universe of Instant Star, Degrassi is a popular Canadian show. But on a recent episode of Degrassi, the characters were singing a Jude Harrison song at Karaoke. So in the universe of Degrassi, Jude’s a rockstar. Logically those scenarios should negate one another and the Epitome Pictures back lot should implode, leaving a blackhole in the middle of Toronto. Though logically, I shouldn’t think this deeply about a show that isn't Lost.

WTF Tuesday

Part of my day job is to read lots of press releases. Usually they're boring and inconsequential, but this morning I came across two that made me sit up and say "WTF?"

1. Move over Looney Tunes, Katherine Heigl is using her new-found fame to design a line of (drum roll, please) Women’s Healthcare Apparel. Huh? Scrubs. Izzy's making some scrubs. There will be four design groups that "reflect the spirit of Heigl’s personal style." There's "kitschy" London; high-style Connecticut, which I kid you not, features "subtle classy elements like angled stitch pockets and blazer-style jackets;" "hip-casual" Los Angeles and "adventurous" Seattle. Is adventurous a euphemism for "fucking an attending in the on-call room"? I hope so.

2. Apparently yesterday CariDee spoke on Capitol Hill. America’s Next Top Model® 2006 addressed congressional staffers about the Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Research, Cure, and Care Act of 2007. "It was standing room only" -- (No shit. She's hot). Now any Top Model fan worth their snuff remembers CariDee's teary revelation that she'd once suffered from psoriasis. That sucks, but it's nothing compared to the other sob stories Tyra usually fills the house with (Lupus, Hurricane Katrina, that girl whose mother died keeping her warm after a horrific plane crash). The press release goes on to say:

"More than 100 people attended the congressional briefing. They were held spellbound by English — illustrating her strength as more than a fashion model. Today, she served as a role model for millions of Americans with psoriasis by standing up to tell her story." Wake me up when one of those bitches addresses Congress about being forced to get the dreaded "Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby" makeover.

Goodbye, Dr. Burke

TV Guide's Ausiello is reporting that Isaiah Washington will not be asked back to Grey's Anatomy.

http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Exclusive-Greys-Fires/800016659

Personally, the character of Burke was ruined for me a long time ago. For whatever reason, I can buy TR Knight as a straight character, but I can't buy Isaiah Washington as a gentle, loving character.

We've got a lot to discuss...

I've had a busy couple of weeks, but never fear, I've still got my priorities straight and I've made time for TV via Tivo and the internet. Let's start with VERONICA MARS. Veronica, Studio 60 called and they want that preachy sermon back. I did, however, enjoy the 15 minutes that were devoted to Logan and Parker's functional relationship and Piz mustering the balls to make a move. Finally!

Speaking of Piz, apparently he works out, as witnessed by his buff turn on GREY'S ANATOMY. The spin-off has possibilities although if any man ever said, "I'm going to kiss you. With tongue. So you feel it," to me in an empty stair well, he'd be getting a knee to the balls for being equal parts creepy and cheesy. You know what kiss was neither creepy nor cheesy? George and Izzy! Am I the only one who's totally on this bandwagon? Cause I LOVE it. Almost as much as I hate McDreamy for his sudden ambivalence about Mere. I'd forgive it if it really had to do with her lack of will to live and not the fact that he wants to further his career. Ass.

I don't talk about it much, but UGLY BETTY is a seriously solid show. Who said Rebecca Romijn as a lonely transgendered ice queen wouldn't play in Middle America? Also on ABC, OCTOBER ROAD. The show is full of holes and silly twists. It pisses me off and yet I watched every damn episode. I actually care about the stupid characters, especially Eddie and Janet. I even like Laura Prepon and she used to bug the hell out of me with her perpetual post punchline smirk on That '70s Show.

Speaking of things that bug the hell out of me... INSTANT STAR'S still flirting with mediocrity. Let's be honest, I think mediocrity has gotten to third base at this point. Here's my thing about the Jude/Jamie/Tommy triangle we're inexplicably revisiting: Jude will never be in love with Jamie. Yes, he's the better guy, but he's not her guy. She invited him on her first tour AFTER Tommy turned her down. She hooked up with him because Tommy was with Sadie. She wrote White Lines about Tommy while she was dating Jamie. It's not really a love triangle, it's a set up for disaster.

Shows I've recently tried on for size: HEROES - last night's episode was a little assy and I'm a bit creeped out by the dynamic between Peter and niece Claire, but I've caught the last few eps and I'm intrigued and looking forward to watching it from the beginning. I'm also eager to get further into WILDFIRE on ABC Family. Yes, I love shows aimed at tweens, but this one's really good. I'd caught episodes before, but now several eps at a time are available on abcfamily.com. Ever wonder what happened to Degrassi's school shooter? He's on an ABC Family show called Falcon Beach. It's pretty unwatchable, but Degrassi will be back (sans Rick, of course) this summer.

Oh and last night's HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER was super cute. That's all I've got for now.

Days of Our Interns

Did I miss the moment when Grey's Anatomy dropped all pretenses and just became a full-on soap opera? The bed swapping and power plays are one thing, but now we've got amnesiacs, long-lost children and Cristina's ex with his arched eye brows and black scrubs of malevolence. I keep expecting John Black to pop up and tell us that Stefano's Meredith's biological father.

Why I used to hate Callie...

...but now I don't.

Ladies and gentlemen, we've jumped the shark

I'm still really unclear about how Derek understood that the silent, brooding little girl (psst! I think she might be like a metaphor for Meredith!) well enough to pull his wispy lover out of the water. Seriously, y'all, if Mere ate a sandwich I really think she'd have had the energy to swim (even in those super heavy converse) over to the ramp that McDreamy used when he rescued her.

I was actually sad about the whole Meredith dying thing. The moment between McSteamy, McDreamy and Addison was great. Then Izzie started in with a really self-centered "I believe" speech, managing to chastize George for getting married too soon. "Glass houses," I say to the girl who got engaged to a patient she'd never seen outside the hospital. Also: "Your friend's dying in there so shut the hell up!"

And then there it was: Meredith's dead(ish) and she's hanging out with the ghosts of hotties past. Lame. And yes, I'll watch next week. But that's only because Kyle Chandler's so freaking pretty.

McChokey might get the McBoot-y

According to eonline's TV gossip guru Kristin Veitch, Isaiah Washington may be without a job quite soon. Apparently continually using homophobic slurs about a beloved co-star has consequences. I know. Weird, right?



Here's the full article:
http://www.eonline.com/gossip/kristin/blog/index.jsp?uuid=f3edf41a-fc12-41a2-8bd6-2c4c6d6cfd14

Damn you, Grey's Anatomy!

The one thing that could make me interested in the overwrought drama at Seattle Grace: Addison and Karev making out. I don't know why. Originally I hated both of them, but they slowly wore away at me and I was won over by these wonderfully flawed (and abnormally attractive) doctors. And now I give a crap about this show again, which is kind of annoying.

Sure, I still couldn't care less about Burke and his shaky hand (after operating on people with a tremor, he doesn't deserve to practice again) and Meredith and Derek kind of put me to sleep, but in addition to near mugging down between my favorite icy OB and her smoldering intern, I found myself kind of liking Callie. When she was first introduced, I was disappointed that this gorgeous and normal sized woman seemed to be CRAZY and have really inappropriate hospital hair. But last night she was goofy, charming and had hair that actually moved.

Tolerance!

Isaiah Washington:
Cool, collected--maybe trying a wee bit too hard--class act.

Katie Holmes and Brooke Shields are friends

Apparently the new pals got together to watch Grey's Anatomy.

My only question: Were they as disappointed with the premiere as me?