List of canceled shows for the 2007-08 TV season

We met some friends for dinner tonight and they were curious about which of their favorite shows were canceled for next season. (Don’t worry guys, Rules of Engagement is apparently safe.)

During our conversation, it occurred to me that I hadn’t published a complete list of shows for each network that won’t return next season. (I’m a bad TV blogger!)

So, here it is. Read it and weep. Or do the dance of joy, depending on your TV tastes.

And to those of you who’ve e-mailed me, Big Shots, Miss/Guided and October Road are goners. Sorry. Please don’t kill the messenger.




ABC
Big Shots
Carpoolers
Cashmere Mafia
Cavemen
Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann
Here Come the Newlyweds
Just for Laughs
Men in Trees
Miss/Guided
Notes From the Underbelly
October Road
Oprah’s Big Give
Women’s Murder Club

CBS
Cane
Jericho
Kid Nation
Moonlight
Power of 10
Shark
Secret Talent of the Stars
Viva Laughlin
Welcome to the Captain

NBC
1 vs. 100
Amne$ia
Bionic Woman
Clash of the Choirs
Journeyman
Las Vegas
My Dad is Better Than Your Dad
Phenomenon
Quarterlife
Scrubs – (Moving to ABC)
The Singing Bee

CW
Aliens in America
Beauty and the Geek
Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants
CW Now
Girlfriends
Life is Wild
Online Nation
Pussycat Dolls Presents: Girlicious
WWE Smackdown!

FOX
Anchorwoman
Canterbury’s Law
K-Ville
Nashville
New Amsterdam
Next Great American Band
The Return of Jezebel James
Unhitched

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Moonlight fans rally to save show

Fans of the CBS canceled show Moonlight aren’t taking the news well. They’re fighting to get another network to pick up the show.

Friday, the fans are planning a rally outside the Warner Bros. gate in Los Angeles at 2 p.m. PST to show support of the show.

Here’s the official press release for those of you who want to join the effort. I wish everyone the best of luck!

Hundred’s of Moonlight fans, located from various cities and states across the US, had originally scheduled flying into Los Angeles, CA, to attend MoonlightCon 2008 during Memorial Day Weekend (May 24th & 25th).

However, due to the show’s cancellation, an impromptu decision was made to hold a rally outside the Warner Bros gate at the corner of North Pass and West Olive streets on Friday, May 23rd at 2:00 pm PST.

This is a support rally for Warner Bros, Silver Pictures and Moonlight; not a protest against CBS.

In addition, Moonlight fans have sponsored an ad to run in both The Hollywood Reporter (Wednesday, May 21st) and Variety (Thursday, May 22nd). The purpose of this ad is two-fold; to thank the cast, crew and all those who made Moonlight possible and to demonstrate to potential networks the depth of the fans loyalty to Moonlight.

To fund such endeavors are expensive; however, potential networks need to become aware of Moonlight fans’ commitment and devotion to their show. Potential networks need to become aware that there are approximately 8 million hard-core fans of Moonlight. 8 million hard-core fans that helped Moonlight consistently win its time period. 8 million hard-core fans with disposal income a network could sell to their advertisers. Potential networks also need to become aware that Moonlight is not only phenomenon in this Country; but world-wide as well. Moonlight’s growth potential is limitless.

Moonlight fans love their vampire and will follow Moonlight to the network that realizes adding Moonlight to its stable of shows is a golden opportunity to not only expand its audience; but increase its ad revenues as well.

In vampire solidarity; rah, rah, rah!

For more information, visit http://www.moonlightline.com/

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Breaking news: Moonlight cancelled, How I Met Your Mother renewed

And the bad news just keeps coming. CBS has officially cancelled Moonlight.

I’m shocked. Sure, I’ve heard the rumors for the past couple weeks that it could be cut, but this show has such a passionate fan base I thought for sure CBS would stick with it.

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. If I like a show, it’s almost guaranteed to get the boot. (R.I.P. Aliens in America, Las Vegas, etc.)

Sorry, Moonlight fans. I know this bites.

I’m glad I don’t work at CBS right now. I can’t imagine the onslaught of mail this decision is going to generate.

There is some good news out of the CBS upfront announcements. How I Met Your Mother has been renewed. Can I get an amen?

Also coming back to CBS is The New Adventures of Old Christine and The Unit, but not the James Woods’ drama Shark.

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Eli Stone renewed, Boston Legal safe, October Road done

It’s the first day of the network upfront presentations in New York and the announcements on what shows will be returning next season are flying fast and furious.

The best news I’ve heard so far today is that Eli Stone has been renewed for another season. (Yes, baby! Thank you, ABC.)

Boston Legal has been given a pickup, too, but apparently will be scaled back, reminiscent of what happened to The Practice many years ago.

NBC officially announced that Jimmy Fallon will take over for Conan O’Brien sometime in the first six months of 2009. It’s not clear yet what’s happening with Jay Leno.
October Road fans, I’m sorry to report that ABC has canceled the show. I know you love it, but apparently it hasn’t performed well enough for ABC to invest in another season. Women’s Murder Club also got the boot.

Over at FOX, Back to You will not be back and neither will New Amsterdam. ‘Til Death, however, has been renewed. Explain that one. I can’t.

I’ll have more announcements as the week continues. I know you’re all waiting to hear the fate of Moonlight, so I’ll let you know something as soon as I find out the scoop.

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Moonlight returns tonight!

It’s back! Those of you who haven’t been watching the calendar daily until Moonlight returned with a new episode, consider this your reminder that the show is back tonight.

For the rest of you obsessive folks who have been counting down the hours until the new episode, I’ve got some spoilery photos for you I’ve been sitting on for quite sometime. (Thank you Barbara for sending them my way.)

Remember when last we left Mick and the gang, he had turned human again. That could make things a little easier in starting a relationship with Beth, but I’m guessing Mick will be missing his vampire “abilities” faster than you can say O positive.

The fun starts tonight at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

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Bones, Moonlight, and others added to Paley Festival

TV Guide is reporting that the annual Paley Television Festival has just added 11 more TV panels to its already fantastic 2008 lineup.

Bones, Moonlight, The View, Kyle XY, Greek, and The Young and the Restless are just a few of the shows joining a second part of the festival, kicking off on March 28, according to the TV Guide Web site. The first part of the festival runs March 14-27.

This is the best lineup I’ve ever seen for Paley Festival. Can you imagine any other event where the casts of Friday Night Lights, (yes, even my beloved Kyle Chandler), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (my beloved Sarah Michelle Gellar and James Marsters) and the casts of Bones, Moonlight and Pushing Daisies all come together? And that’s not even the half of it.

After seeing this breaking news about the addition of Bones, I couldn’t help but wonder now if David Boreanaz will join the Buffy reunion. It was previously reported that Boreanaz could not join his former cast mates due to a family commitment, but was planning a taped message. Now that his new show, Bones, is included in a panel, perhaps he’ll show up with the rest of the Scoobies to reminisce about all things Buffy? Hey, a girl can dream right?

If you don’t already have a ticket to the Buffy panel, good luck in getting one. It’s sold out. So is the Pushing Daisies panel. I’m hoping (OK praying and considering bribing someone) to post the Buffy, Friday Night Lights, Bones, Moonlight, and Pushing Daisies panels on You Tube for all of us who cannot attend.

Tickets for the second part of the festival featuring Bones, Moonlight, and more go on sale March 14.

For more information and a complete lineup of shows and casts attending, visit the Paley Festival site.

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Commentary with a Co-ed: Moonlight finale

by Ashley Gouveia

Forgive me, while I shed some tears. Last Friday night looked like it was the last episode of Moonlight for the foreseeable future. It’s incredibly sad that just when it got even more exciting, it has to take a hiatus. But in this mid-strike world, I’ve learned to deal with it. So, in the meantime, let me dispense my thoughts on the season finale.

It was great hearing “Your Guardian Angel” by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus when Beth was thinking about how Josh was killed. Such an amazing song! Kudos to the person who selects the music. They have picked some great ones that fit the scenes perfectly, especially in this episode. Poor Josh, he never really had a chance. He was always going to be the odd man out in that triangle. I’m glad to see his character wasn’t forgotten after just one week. Or that he wasn’t a cheating loser like Beth suspected.

We got to see where Coraline ran off to when she disappeared from the hospital and who helped her escape. Who did she call? Andy McPhee! (Cue remix of Ghostbusters theme with Paula Cole’s “I Don’t Want to Wait.”) She played Cynthia, Coraline’s mysterious vampy friend. Speaking of mysterious new faces, Coraline’s people kept popping up all over the place in this episode. One-eyed Lance turned out not only to be a blood relative of Louis XIV, but her brother! Yeah, didn’t see either one of those coming.

I liked how we got to see more of Coraline’s past. Now we have to see more of Mick’s, before he joined the Beach Boys cover band. I know he wanted the cure for vampirism, but I wasn’t expecting him to jump right in like he did. He hates being a vampire, but I wonder if he’s going to enjoy not being capable to protect those close to him. Any guesses on who the “him” is that Coraline was carted off to see?

David Blue, aka Cliff on Ugly Betty, made another guest appearance as the vamp with the techno skills. I hope that character sticks around for the next batch of episodes. His comedy with Mick is really refreshing. Where’s Josef? I need more Jason Dohring on my screen. One of my favorite episodes was the one where we got to see Josef’s girlfriend who’s in the coma. I’d love to see that storyline explored further.

What happens next with Mick and Beth? That is the question that left us hanging in the final moments. I can’t wait for the show to return! What did you all think of last Friday’s episode? Was there anything you wished had happened but didn’t? Let me know in the comments. For now, goodnight Moonlight.

Commentary with a Co-Ed is a weekly column at Tube Talk new every Friday.

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Let’s Talk TV: The Week in Review

Never in all of my TV-viewing life would I have predicted that Friday night would be the best night for TV viewing. But it’s true. Friday is the new Thursday.

With shows such as Friday Night Lights, Las Vegas, Moonlight, Psych, and Monk, there is a show for pretty much every TV taste. Here’s my take on some of the shows I checked out the past week.

Friday Night Lights
Tim loves Lyla! I should have seen it coming, but I didn’t. His crank call to her radio show was the equivalent of pulling the little girl’s ponytail in grade school to get her attention. But what about Jason? It seems his role gets smaller and smaller by the week. Tim isn’t the only feeling lonely. Poor Matt saw his ladylove and hired nurse head out of the country. Who is going to take care of Grandma now? I worry about these things. Not to mention, I keep waiting for that scary drug dealer to realize that Tim stole his cash. That is not going to end well for Tim. (I was completely shocked to see Tim resort to stealing, since he wrote his father off in a previous episode for stealing, an act he did not condone.) The story that really warmed my heart was Santiago trying to break away from his old life. When he took on those thugs to get Buddy’s watch back that they’d stolen, my heart grew three sizes. This is the best show on television right now, hands down. It never disappoints. It has so many intense story arcs, yet they all hold my interest. From Tami and Eric trying to leave their new daughter at daycare, to Smash facing racism about his interracial romance, not a minute ticks by when I feel like fast-forwarding. In fact, the show leaves me satisfied and surprised every week that so many story arcs are played out so well. I have only one question: Where is Tyra? The girl has been missing for the past two weeks?

Boston Legal
Denny Crane was back in the courtroom, despite his Mad Cow disease. (Or senility, as it’s known in the non-Denny Crane world.) I was holding my breath for most of the episode, waiting for Denny to throw out one of his nonsensical one-liners or anger the judge with his sexist comments to the point he’d be jailed for contempt. But Denny kept it together, trying to prove he could still be effective, and surprisingly, got his client off. I enjoyed Denny in the courtroom. It was nice to see him doing something besides sexually harassing his employees or bonding with Alan. It was also a nice change to see someone other than uber-liberal Alan Shore arguing a closing. I even got a little weepy, after the trial, when Denny excused himself for a quiet moment and broke down. Most often, Boston Legal is a comedy. But when it hits dramatic moments like that one, it’s understandable why the show was nominated for an Emmy.

Las Vegas
I think Polly may be my new favorite character. In fact, she may be the funniest supporting actress on television. Her stint in traffic school with Sam and Mitch was the highlight of this week’s episode. How Polly gets her hysterical one-liners past the network police is beyond me. Plus, she’s taught me more about bikini waxing and “backdoor bleaching” than I ever wanted to know. The Piper/Cooper story was fantastic, too. Mike had me convinced that Piper was Cooper’s daughter. She does share the same irresistible dimples as Tom Selleck. I think a Mike and Piper hook up is inevitable, and I can’t wait. The Danny/Delinda pregnancy story is getting tiresome. I shudder to think what will happen when she actually gives birth.

One Tree Hill
Dan was in the house! Well, technically, he was in the big house rocking some serious facial hair. But still, after last week’s episode that was completely devoid all the Tree Hill adults I’d come to love, I was happy to see Dan again. Now, if Deb and Karen would just check in. Peyton’s new music label may be in trouble. K-Fed, really? P Sawyer is losing her touch already. And how about the shocker that Daphne Zuniga’s character is actually Brooke’s mother? I so didn’t see that coming. Oh, and a here’s some advice for “Lucas’ Lindsey”: I wouldn’t get too comfortable in Tree Hill. With Peyton and Brooke back in town, it won’t be long before Lucas is revisiting his old territory soon. Kudos to Nate for shaving his Jesus beard. Now, if he would just cut that hair, I’d be a happy woman. It’s never a good think when your wife’s hair is shorter than yours.

Scott Baio is 46… and Pregnant
If Scott Baio wanted to convince the world he is a giant tool, mission accomplished. Each episode, Baio comes off as more arrogant and selfish than the one before. His pregnant fiancée is dealing with hormones, her changing body, and the stress of carrying a baby, while Baio exiles himself to a different wing of the house to whine about losing himself, while flipping through his vintage Playboys to look at his ex-girlfriends. I’m done with this show. Grow up Chachi! Someone needs to call the Fonz to shake some sense into this immature brat.

Moonlight
OK, what’s up with all the grisly? Yes, I know this is a show about vampires, but decapitating people and holding their heads up for viewing, twice no less, was a little much. The show was too gruesome for me this week. I was happy to see Coraline back, but sadly, it looks like she’s gone again. Beth was still mourning Josh, and Mick was enjoying being human for the first time in decades. Of course, it was only temporary. I just have one request for the Moonlight folks: We need more Josef in this show!

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Congratulations Moonlight!

One of my favorite new shows of the fall, Moonlight, just snagged the People’s Choice Award for favorite new drama. Way to go, Tubers!

You listened to all my nagging... um, polite suggestions. More than 10 million of you voted for Moonlight, according to show star Alex O’Loughlin, in his taped acceptance speech last night.

For those of you who haven’t seen this engrossing drama, click here to see what you’ve been missing, as well as some upcoming scenes from this Friday’s episode.

Here’s the official description from CBS:

Josh's fate is in Mick and Beth's hands when he is kidnapped by a vindictive drug lord. But when the rescue takes a turn for the worse, Beth asks Mick to do the impossible, on MOONLIGHT, Friday, Jan. 11.

Why do I think this isn’t gong to end well for poor Josh?

Moonlight airs on CBS at 9 p.m. ET.

Congratulations to Samatha Who?, also, which snagged the People’s Choice Award for favorite new comedy, as well as House and Two and a Half Men, which took the awards for favorite drama and favorite comedy, respectively.

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Commentary with a Co-ed: The Best of 2007

by Ashley Gouveia

Happy New Year! It’s time for my Best of 2007 list.

It was certainly a year to remember, with the returning favorites trying to remain fresh and on the radar. Then there were new shows on the block that gave some of the oldies a run for their money. Here are my top picks that kept me glued to the tube all year long.

Ugly Betty
This is one show that passed the sophomore slump with flying colors. It’s also the only show that doesn’t make me want to throw my remote. It has been able to sustain its wit and charm , while saving room for the dramatic. They took some risks with killing off Santos and putting Henry and Betty together so quickly. But they pulled it off. Hilda and Justin were able to mourn Santos, and he simply wasn’t forgotten about after one or two episodes. A+ for that! I adore every character on this show. Even the newcomers like Gio and Yoga. Put that together with the brilliance that is Judith Light and that, to me, is a fantastic hour of television.


Supernatural
It’s probably the most underrated show on TV. The acting and the writing is some of the best I’ve seen on a ‘supernatural’ show since Buffy. It has the ability to gross me out, scare me, and make me laugh. Not only are Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles great to look at, but also their performances are top notch. The sibling bond that those two have is so believable. This past year we got to see the Winchesters try to take down as many demons, and other things that go bump in the night, before Dean’s one-year life limit is up. I would put this show under any ‘best of’ list.

Moonlight
Hands down, the best new show of 2007. I am so glad I decided to pick up this series and give it a chance. Alex O’Loughlin and Jason Dohring are the hottest vamps since Angel and Spike. But don’t get it confused with any Whedon series because it’s completely different. The chemistry between Mick and Beth makes this show great to watch every week. I didn’t think another vampire show would pull me in but it did. I am so excited to see where it goes in the new year.


The View
I usually don’t have a lot of time for daytime television. Except for my soaps, of course. I wasn’t an avid watcher of the show until Rosie O’Donnell joined the panel. Say what you want about her opinions, but she is hysterical. I found myself constantly tuning in when I *cough* missed my morning lectures. Hot Topics was a must see, whether they were discussing politics or celebrity buzz. However, if you tune in now, it’s like night and day. It doesn’t have the same vibe like it did with Rosie.

Those are my picks for the Best of ‘07. What am I looking forward to in the New Year? The return of scripted TV. Do I dare to dream? I’m pumped for new seasons of Lost and One Tree Hill. I can’t wait! What would be on your Best of ‘07 list? Let me know! ‘Til next week.

Commentary with a Co-Ed is a weekly column at Tube Talk new every Thursday.

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Commentary with a Co-ed: Moonlight shines

by Ashley Gouveia

During late nights of struggling to stay awake to cram for finals, I managed to make time for Mick St. John, private investigator and vampire. After your suggestions about Moonlight, I finally got around to watching the first nine episodes of the series.

I am so glad that I did!

I had my reservations at first, because I had been such an avid Buffy and Angel fan, the thought of another vampire show matching them was unimaginable. I was wrong.

I was hooked into Mick’s story and how it all connected to Beth Turner. The back story of how he rescued her as a little girl, from his trampy vampy wife Coraline, was a great way to connect these two characters. One thing I knew for sure, by the end of episode one, Mick and Beth had amazing chemistry. I love the whole Bonnie and Clyde vibe they had going on.

Alex O’Loughlin is so convincing on his hidden love for Beth. The end scene in the pilot, when he rescues her and she hugs him, got me. *sighs* There is just something about brooding vampires with a sensitive side.

Another character that I really enjoyed was Mick’s 400-year-old friend, Josef. I know many people love Jason Dohring from Veronica Mars, but this was my first time ever watching him onscreen. I have to say that he plays the wisecracking vamp extremely well. Every time he shows up in a scene I keep wanting to know more about him. I think it’s interesting how his character is a friend of Mick’s, but he’s not as moral as him. He would do whatever it takes to keep vampirism a secret.

Speaking of vampirism, the last episode that aired posed the question: “Can vampires be cured?” It seemed that Morgan, a.k.a. Coraline, found a cure but that might have been for nothing, since Beth took a stake to her heart. How great was that last scene? Everything was building to that particular confrontation and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

Once the show starts up again I would love to know more about Coraline’s cure. Also, I wonder if maybe Josef knew more than he was telling about her. Did Beth’s boyfriend disappear off the face of the planet? I’m not complaining, but it could be addressed.

Moonlight fans, what would you say has been your favorite moment so far? I can think of some off the top my head, but I’ll let you all go first!

Commentary with a Co-Ed is a weekly column at Tube Talk new every Thursday.

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Interview with Moonlight’s Jason Dohring

by Jennifer Squires Biller

Moonlight fans, do I have a treat for you. Earlier today I spoke with one of the show’s stars, Jason Dohring, or as you know him, Josef, one of the world’s oldest vampires.

Dohring was kind enough to take time to speak me and a few other TV press folks and was as charming as ever.

He’s so excited for us to see the upcoming episodes he could hardly contain himself. From the spoilers he gave us, the future episodes sound awesome, or as Jason put it, “F------ awesome!”

Thanks again to Jason and to CBS for this interview. And don’t forget to watch Moonlight this Friday at 9 p.m. I don’t think I’m alone here when I say, “Don’t die Coraline!”

Here’s the interview transcript. CBS did not provide a transcript, so I transcribed our conversation from my tape to the best of my abilities. In places, the word "frakking" has been substituted for another F word that we can't print here.

Do you know if the show will be delving more into Josef’s past to explore his past loves and how he’s managed to become so successful?
Yes, absolutely. I think the successful thing [came] more in the first episode, with the hedge fund trader, and the real estate. In the episode this Friday, you find out basically why he’s always concerned about Mick dating humans and being with humans, like what is that? There’s basically a personal reason that Josef’s gone through. I don’t know if it’s proper or whatever, but I always kind of take the idea that maybe Josef has gone through what Mick’s going through. Maybe one time he was a good person, and you’ll sort of see glimpses of that, you know, with my former hairstyle, and my really nice suit in New York in this week’s episode.

Is Josef going to get a love interest?
That’s fantastic man. You’re going to find out. You’ll see some really cool stuff in this next episode. I don’t know if that’s too much of a spoiler or whatever, but you’ll definitely see some love interest. You’ll see. I don’t know how to explain it or whatever. I think he would. Like Logan, he’s probably a tough guy to live with. There was an episode with Lola or whatever. They had the on again off again thing. I would really like to see someone that could match him, they fight, they get back together. I think it would be quite a passionate relationship.

How many episodes are left with the strike, what are we going to see, what does the future hold?

Les Moonves said a few days ago, some kind stuff about our show and The Big Bang Theory, about us coming back for a second season. I can’t speak for the producers, but that was given in a press interview, which is obviously a good sign. There’s a lot of plus points. Our show is one of two shows that have been up-trending in viewership. So obviously that’s a good sign. We’re right around 8 million, which is pretty high. Having CBS as backup, promo-ing the show, you’re sitting there watching golf and see a promo, which helps out a lot. We just finished shooting number 12 about 3 or 4 days ago. It was very good. There’s a vampire that comes that makes me look like a pauper which is cool. It goes back in history. We have some great history, makeup and sets, and like an old world, from a different time feel to the show and the storyline comes out. I think it’ll be really cool to see how it all turns out. Great makeup and George Washington hair and all that cool stuff. [Air date] is sometime in January. (Episodes) 11 and 12 will both air in January [January 4th and 11th].

How is the experience on Moonlight different from your experience on Veronica Mars?

Yeah, there’s a couple things I guess. The characters are obviously a bit different. You know, I think, they both have really interesting stories. Josef was kind of the expansion of a character, it’s like the 400 years aspect, as we’ll find more about as the story unfolds. There’s so much history. As an actor, each new script that comes out, you kind of add to that. You don’t know beforehand, when you first started, what your history is, but you sort of learn as you do it. You’re sort of picking that up and putting that in your character as you go. So I think it adds more to the storyline like that. And I think, just being on CBS is quite a bit different. It’s a bigger cast. You’re at Warner Bros which is quite close to my house so I don’t have to trek down to San Diego, which is kind of nicer. Just those two aspects more than anything else.

The blood on this show – what is that?

There’s two generations. We got love handles from the first one. It was pure sugar and you just wake up feeling horrible so you have to change it. The new generation is pomegranate juice and something else. It’s a concoction that the props guys make up. Yeah, it’s good. It’s quite sweet. It’s a little hard to keep a straight face when you’re taking it down, but [adopts awesomely cocky attitude voice] that’s why they pay us the big bucks.

What are some shows that you watch on TV?

Oh boy, I really enjoy Deadwood. I enjoy The Office, Family Guy. Moonlight, Veronica Mars, I don’t know, that’s about it (laughter.)

How do you prepare for a role like this, where you’re sort of eternally young and going through these things?

I can’t quite help that, because I just am young, ya know what I mean? As far as the role, it’s an ongoing thing. You can study all the things on the vampires for as long as you can live in LA. There’s so many books on it. We kind of have our own code, and before we even started, I was reading some Ann Rice books, getting a feel of what vampires are like, why are they different from humans. I think there’s a lot to do with “esp”, they can tell when other vampires are nearby, they can tell who are humans, they can perceive what’s really going on, and these are really cool character elements for an actor to work on. I’m very happy to be able to have that opportunity. Every actor wants to play a vampire.

What about the character made him interesting to you?

It came to me, as basically two pages, was the audition scene. So originally it was an older guy and they hadn’t finished the script yet, so the two pages I got was essentially the first scene that was in the pilot episode, on the phone, and I’m sort of talking to Mick and he comes in. I was immediately fascinated with the character. Very, very, very sharp, you know? I don’t know, very keen, has a very hard edge. And then, I guess as it sort of develops, you got more that the writers do their thing, and you get more backstory and get familiar with the character and you see where he’s been, what the history was, that led to becoming who he is. It just gets more interesting over time, but it started out cool.Josef is so paranoid about the humans finding out about the vampire community.

Are we ever going to get into how he gets a hold of his staff (some who are human, some who are vampires), and how he keeps all of them, to keep the [vampirism] from getting out?

I think at some point, if it gets too out of hand, people are just like “come on please” and it doesn’t become believable. I think he has a lot of poise. He’s able to keep his guys at bay. I don’t know to what degree he disposes of these guys. There was talk in the earlier episodes that he was ruthless guy. Then you see that maybe he does have humanity. I think it would be an interesting point. Mostly he just bankrolls them. I don’t know I’ll just make it up – he wipes them out afterwards.

Going past episode 12, do you know anything about what your character is expected to see?

It’s pretty much in the formulistic stages, with regard to that. Obviously, there’s no scripts written. There’s some possible stuff. The one thing that I heard is basically a betrayal of Josef against Mick. Something Josef’s been telling him all along is not true, and it’s very important to Mick. That’ll lead to some very cool stuff. There’s some great stuff coming up. I’m so excited for you to see it. Particularly, in episode 11, I think you’re going to fall in love with this one character, she’s just unreal, this girl.

The next question kind of goes along with that – some of the readers of our site were interested in seeing Josef and Mick as possible enemies – is that something you’d want to play?

Oh absolutely, I’m always kind of in favor of changing things around. You can always come around. I think that would be great. He can stand up to the best of them, so I’d like to see him maybe tear me a new one ha.

A lot of the scenes that people have really responded to have been ones where there is real male camaraderie going on. Is there going to be more of that male bonding coming up? Or is that going to be fractured?

I hope it never gets to that. I think it’s a part of who these guys are. A big part of why Josef is in the storyline at all is because he’s somewhat of a mentor, a safe person that Mick can ask about certain experiences he’s going through and how they relate to Josef’s knowledge of the situation. They’re the scenes that I enjoy the most. A lot of that banter back and forth. Hopefully, we’ll get a lot more.

There’s a lot of action on Moonlight and I was wondering if you expect to see Josef get in on the action?

All they had was me slipping on the rooftop so far, which is the extent of my action, I don’t know if you saw that one, where I like jump up on the roof or whatever. I expect that there would be some more. I would love to se him get in a fight. I’d be curious to see how they write it. I think perhaps, he [F----], oops, sorry about that just vamps out. He goes nuts. He just totally loses his mind. I think that would be so cool.

Obviously, vampires have been the big fear of many for years. What is your own personal biggest fear?
Oh my God, that’s a great question! It’s funny. I think I would have to say looking around and seeing the way that the world is now as opposed to where it was 40 to 50 years ago, it’s pretty crazy. It’s funny for like a kid my age, growing up, because it’s way different than my parents. They grew up with morals and manners and stuff like that and I look around at my friends and I think, damn, dude, where did that go and what happens when they have kids? Really, it’s not a light matter. You look at 100s and 100s and 1000s of years, it’s been that way, and in the last 40 or 50 years it’s gone down man so it’s like, damn you gotta pick it back up. That’s scary to me.

Who are some of your favorite actors/actresses, who would you love to work with?

Dude, I always see movies and say “oh I would add that to my list” and then someone asks me and I can’t think. Brando, Dean, and Clift. Those are all no longer here, but Kevin Kline would be awesome to work with. I’d love to work with Ryan Gosling, I think he’s awesome. I think Jeff Bridges is unbelievable. I think he’s very underrated. Alfred Molina I love. I think Meryl Streep is fantastic, I think she does amazing work. Jessica Lange is beautiful.

To go along with that question, if you could do anything in the world, any type of project, what would it be?

Gosh, I would probably do Shakespeare with the above guys. It would just be so amazing. The concepts in that, I don’t know, just with my horrible answer to what am I scared of, they deal with concepts like that in Shakespeare, you know what I mean? He saw these things and he saw that sort of stuff, so when you get actors that can play that sort of thing. Like, did you guys see Love Actually? There’s this scene with Emma Thompson. It breaks your heart, man. She’s just talking to her husband, talking basically about this girl that he might be in love with or whatever, and then she totally lets it go, and goes on to the next thing and shuts it out of her life. You just go, oh my god, it just breaks your heart. I love those moments in acting. That’s what I try to find sometimes. What that actually does, you take it on as a universal concept. You see like this kid who gets hit by his dad, but you really see that dude, and you see what that does to that kid. Then when you talk about it, it’s a little bit different, if you can actually see what that does, what the ramifications are. That’s why these great actors are so good, because they make you feel it man, and they see it. If you can see it, then you can put it in your act.

Do you have any upcoming movie projects?

I just messed around with some friends of mine. We did a little short film [called Struck] that you’ll probably wind up seeing at some point. It’s only about 7 minutes long. I play a guy that’s not like any of these guys. It’s a really lovely story. I think you’ll see. I play like a really loose nice guy, and it’s a little bit cool for a change of pace. There are a couple movies I might be working on soon. It more or less depends on the strike though. I can’t be in the middle of a movie, and they call you back to work on this project and have to abandon the movie.

How do you prepare to play this part? Do you have a technique, do you use Method?

I suppose I just read it over and over and over and get my idea of things. I think what I said earlier is kind of like more how I approach it. If you can look at life, man if you can really see life, you can bring that sort of knowledge to your acting. Gosh, it’s amazing man. I think the people that can’t, don’t get it, don’t see that, are missing lots of things that they could bring to their work. I just read it over and over and kind of more, dramatize it. You take a little line or a little piece of something and you look at it a bunch of different ways, you can add a story to it yourself if it’s not in the script and make it bigger for yourself. And then when you say it…you know what I mean? If you’re talking about, say your father, who is never mentioned before and that sort of thing, what that relationship is like, you know, so when you talk about it, you know. People feel that. When people are just talking to you in their everyday life and they’re talking to you about experiences that they’ve had, you get what they’re talking about, what they’re looking at when they’re talking to you. I think it’s great that as an actor you can create it how you want. It’s very creative; it doesn’t leave you in the past. Method is, I don’t know. It’s just the people I’ve seen do it, I don’t know, I don’t want to say anything I guess because there’s people that do it with great success. I think there’s another way to do it that it’s not so hard on yourself. You can take it and make it whatever you want, based on your ideas of life, or your ideas about that certain situation. You can create it whatever way you want, based on the story, and how you want it to be looked at and what you want people to feel from it. It’s beautiful actually.

You don’t take anything from your life, you’d rather imagine it?

Yeah, totally, but not to the point where it’s like, oh I don’t know about that, when I do? If I’ve seen something in my life, I know what that’s like. I’m not going to not use my knowledge of life, you know what I mean? I don’t consciously go back to that moment and feel that pain. It’s like, yeah I know what it’s like to be broken up with; I know what the feels like. It’s like [frakking] time just caves in on you, it’s [frakking] unbelievable. It’s the worst feeling in the [frakking] world or when you break up with somebody else. You see that all the time in drama, and if you really look at it, it’s probably one of the top five worst things that’s ever happened to you and if you look at it like that, you really look at it, you come up with some really special stuff for those moments.

I read somewhere that you have two sets of identical twin siblings. Is that true?

They’re both identical, which doesn’t run in the family, like we don’t have twins anywhere in the family, like it’s not hereditary. We don’t have twins anywhere in the family, so it’s like one in a million chance.

Thank you guys so much, I really appreciate it, thanks for letting me talk about the acting for a little bit!

That's it Tubers. Don't forget to vote for Moonlight in the People's Choice Awards.

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Missing Moonlight

There have been plenty of new shows this season to get excited about (Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money and Chuck) but it was the last installment of Moonlight that really solidified this show as a must see.

The final shower scene was so deliciously good that it left me wanting more. Did Beth really kill Coraline? I’m guessing yes, since she apparently had the cure to turn vampires back to humans. (It’s hard to have a show about vampires if they’re not vampires.)

But for the sake of entertainment, I hope Coraline isn't dead. She really knows how to push Mick’s buttons.

Moonlight has been fantastic so far, but the last episode was exceptional. Coraline and Mick have off-the-charts chemistry. And I think everyone can understand what it’s like to love someone who isn’t good for them.

Sadly, there was no new episode last week and there isn’t one this week either. We have to wait until December 14 for the next new show.

Meanwhile, for all of you who are missing Mick and the gang, please check out this video behind the scenes at Moonlight. It’s quite a shocker for those of you who’ve never seen Alex O’Loughlin or Sophia Myles in an interview. Let’s just say, they’re not from around here! Enjoy the accents.

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First look: Tonight’s Moonlight

OK, Moonlight fans. I know you’re waiting patiently for tonight’s episode.

Here’s a little video teaser to get you through the afternoon.

Enjoy. And you’re welcome!

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Moonlight gets order for more scripts

Fans of the vampire show Moonlight, I have good news. CBS has ordered four more scripts for the show, according to E!Online.

It’s not a full-season order yet, but it’s a positive sign. From the response I’ve received here at Tube Talk about this show, I’m sure that many of you are thrilled about this news. Discuss below!

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Sneak peek: Moonlight

From the number of e-mails I’ve received, it’s obvious that many of you love the new CBS drama Moonlight.

Check out this sneak peek from Friday’s show “Fever.”

Here’s the official description: Mick is injured in his search for a young woman who is believed to be hiding in the desert. But when the scorching sunlight depletes Mick's vampiric ability to heal himself, Beth must rush to help him.

Moonlight airs on Friday at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

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Let’s talk TV! The Week in Review

Best line of the week
Barney from How I Met Your Mother wins this week for this gem:
(Robin explained that she hadn’t shaved her legs in days so she wouldn’t go too far on the first date.)
Barney: “FYI baby, guys just want to get on the green. They don’t mind going through the rough.”

Journeyman
Why does the Journeyman only have one sweater? It’s a nice one, sure, very GQ-esque, but still. He needs to change it up a bit.

Pushing Daisies
The facts were these. Kristin Chenowith stole my heart in Pushing Daisies when she portrayed her heartbreak via song. She channeled Olivia Newton John in her rendition of Hopelessly Devoted to You, complete with Digby the dog’s masterful accompaniment. I know we’re supposed to root for Ned and Chuck, but Olive deserves some love, too. This could be primetime’s best love triangle since Sawyer, Kate and Jack. Not often does a television show with a perfect pilot live up to it in the next episode, but Pushing Daisies did. I hope we get to see more of Olive singing, more of Emerson knitting, and more of Ned being, well, Ned.

Las Vegas
I can’t believe it, but it seems we’re getting deeper character development on Las Vegas. Sam didn’t miraculously recover from her kidnapping ordeal in one episode. In fact, she’s been struggling the last three episodes. Yay! My only complaint with Las Vegas in the past is that the fun-filled romp fest is infamous for introducing great storylines and dropping them too quickly. (Danny’s war trauma, Sam and Casey’s love story, Nessa’s relocation.) The show has a different feel this year, and it seems to be leaning toward longer story arcs. It still has the outrageous plots, the humor, the slick set and stellar cast, and now it seems a little more conversation to go along with all that action.

Grey’s Anatomy
I want to hug Lexie Grey. When she begged Bailey to not make her work with Meredith because she hates Lexie for something that isn’t her fault, she won me over. As for this George/Izzie/Callie relationship, not so much. Callie needs to kick that cheater to the curb and regain her mojo. Let deer-resuscitating Izzie have him. Callie can do better. I hear MsSteamy’s single again.

Private Practice
I’ve never tried so hard in my life to love a show. (Well, OK, Gossip Girl is an effort, too.) But week after week, Private Practice disappoints me. Yet, I keep hanging on because I know the greatness that is Shonda Rhimes, and my love for Kate Walsh, Tim Daly, Audra McDonald and Taye Diggs knows no bounds. I think I’ve pinpointed my problem. The show setting is silly. (Ducking for cover.) A wellness clinic may work for massage, therapy and alternative medicine, but if your children were turning blue, what parent wouldn’t rush them to an emergency room? If these doctors worked in a hospital, perhaps they’d be more believable and credible. The fact that they sit around all day eating cake, playing pranks and eyeing one another undermines their professionalism. On Grey’s Anatomy, at least they always redeem their childish antics by performing some miraculous medical miracle. Maybe next week will be better.

Chuck
Here’s just one of the reasons I’m enjoying Chuck. The writers are obviously fans of Lost. What else could explain one of Chuck’s government-downloaded secrets including the fact that Oceanic Flight 815 was shot down? (That’s a nod to the plane that crashed on Lost.) Brilliant!

Losing steam
I loved the pilot episodes of Reaper and Moonlight, but I’m quickly losing interest. Moonlight hasn’t grabbed me the way Buffy and Angel did, and Reaper seems to be lacking that Kevin Smith polish that made the pilot shine. Heroes is also waning for me. I’ll just say it. There are too many heroes. Watching this show is like having ADD. We get a two-minute clip of one story, and then it’s on to the next.

Do you agree or disagree with Tube Talk Girl's comments? Leave some of your own and tell us what you thought of this week's TV.

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Reviews: Private Practice, Moonlight, and Chuck

Private Practice
Premiere date: Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Airs: Wednesday s @ 9 p.m. ET on ABC

Confession: I’ve loved Addison Montgomery since she marched her stiletto-clad legs up to Meredith Grey and informed her she was sleeping with her husband. Apparently, I’m not the only one who was rooting for Team Addison; ABC gave the woman her own spinoff. The good news is that Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes is behind this new show. The bad news is that the pilot is mediocre, at best. Sure, expectations are high, and they should be, with Rhimes on board and the superstar cast. The majority of the actors - Tim Daly, Taye Diggs, Amy Brenneman - have headlined their own shows. But for some reason, I didn’t get that warm, fuzzy feeling that glues me to the TV screen when a show is working on all levels, and I’m not sure why. Kate Walsh and Daly have enough chemistry to power their own hospital, and Diggs is fun, flawed and charming. But Addison seems to have been dumbed-down in this new role, acting like a silly schoolgirl, at times, instead of the take-charge surgeon we’ve come to know. Most of the characters are interesting, with the exception of Brenneman’s. Her storyline had me reaching for the fast forward button. I’ve learned never to write off a show because the first episode doesn’t wow you. (Hello, Friday Night Lights!) And I’m not writing off Private Practice, as some critics have done already. I think it has potential. The problem Grey’s fans may have is the gaping hole Addison is leaving at Seattle Grace. On Thursday, ABC aired an “Addison” special that recapped her time on Grey’s. I’m sure the idea was to get fans to follow her to the new show. The problem is that the recap made me realize how much I’m going to miss her interaction with Miranda, Derek, and the gang. My apologies to Meredith fans, but the Addison/Derek/Mark triangle was one of the best ever on primetime. Period. Addison had mega chemistry with both McDreamy and McSteamy. If you’re questioning whether to invest in Private Practice, after all the mixed reviews you’ve read, I say give it a try. It may find its groove yet. If not, I hope Addison will come home to Seattle Grace and bring Daly’s Dr. Pete Wilder with her.


Moonlight
Premiere date: Friday, September 28, 2007
Airs: Fridays @ 9 p.m. ET on CBS

Within the first minutes of Moonlight, vampire Mick St. John humorously dispelled all the things I thought I knew about TV vampires from years of watching Buffy and Angel. (Vampires can’t be killed with a stake, he claims. Hmmm…I guess Buffy never got the memo.) From the moment Moonlight began with its interview with a vampire, I was hooked. Alex O’Loughlin is funny and charming. He plays his vampire character with just enough bite to leave viewers wanting more. I was surprised at how strong the storyline was, including a fantastic twist at the end. Veronica Mars fans will be delighted to see Jason Dohring in his role as Josef, Mick’s friend and fellow vampire. Josef is wealthy, tough, and, lucky for us, mischievous. If you like fantasy shows or were ever a fan of Buffy and Angel, don’t miss Moonlight. For everyone else, you should tune in, too. You never know when you’ll need Mick St.John’s tips on how to kill a vampire.

Chuck
Premiere date: Monday, September 24, 2007
Airs: Mondays @ 8 p.m. ET on NBC

I love geeks, and Chuck Bartowski is this year’s Seth Cohen. He’s a computer genius who works at Nerd Herd (NBC’s hilarious version of Geek Squad.) He’s witty, as evidenced by his explanation of his career goals: ““Working on a five-year plan. I just need to choose a font.” Chuck is hard to categorize into one specific TV genre. If I had to label it, I’d call it an action-adventure dramedy. Other critics have called it a comedy, but I save that label for true sitcoms. Chuck’s problems begin when he receives an e-mail from his old college roommate, who is a spy. The e-mail has subliminal government secrets in it that are downloaded to Chuck’s already super-powered brain. He soon becomes a target and must work with the government to stop the world’s evildoers. Zachary Levi is so good in this role he may become this season’s breakout star. Even Summer Roberts can’t resist him. (That’s actress Rachel Bilson, formerly of The O.C., for you non O.C. watchers.) Seth Cohen’s old flame is scheduled to guest star on Chuck this season. The supporting cast is excellent, too, including fanboy fave Adam Baldwin. The show runner behind Chuck is TV genius Josh Schwartz, who gave us The O.C. So, I think you know what that means. Set your DVR season pass.

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Interview with a vampire

Want to meet a vampire? Then, check out this interview with a vampire, fresh in my mailbox from CBS.

You’ve heard me mention the new CBS show Moonlight coming out this fall. Well, now you can take a sneak peek at the immortal one himself.

In this interview, he explains that garlic goes great on his dinner, but doesn’t do much other than repel his dates. And he debunks the myth that a stake doesn’t kill vampires. (Confusing, I know, since it always worked for Buffy.)

This was my first glimpse of the upcoming show Moonlight, and I have to say I’m intrigued. I hadn’t planned on watching, until I heard Veronica Mars’ Jason Dohring had joined the cast. But, now, the star himself, Alex O’Loughlin, has sold me. This guy is cool.

He likes TiVo and Star Trek, so how bad could he really be?

Moonlight premieres Friday, Sept. 28 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

Stay tuned next week for Tube Talk Girl’s take on which other new fall shows she’s most anticipating.

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Jason Dohring to play a vampire on CBS

It’s not a stretch to picture Jason Dohring playing a brooding vampire. His stint as Veronica Mars’s troubled boyfriend has given him plenty of emo experience.

Dohring has just been cast in the new CBS drama Moonlight.

He’ll play Josef, an ancient vampire who is a “mischievous hedge-fund trader,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. Dohring replaced 60-year-old Rade Serbedzija, who played the character in the pilot presentation.

Moonlight is the story of a private-detective vampire named Mick. Hmmm….a private detective who is a vampire? That sounds a lot like my beloved Angel.

Honestly, I hadn’t planned on watching Moonlight, until I heard that Dohring was joining the show. Sealing the deal is the news that former Angel co-creator David Greenwalt is one of the Moonlight show runners. OK, I’m in!

Longtime readers know my affection or the too-soon cancelled Angel. I often wondered if it would have garnered more ratings and respect had it aired on one of the big four networks, instead of The WB. I guess we’ll see how CBS viewers take to a show about vampires, assuming that the show is good.

Kudos to CBS for trying something new this season, instead of their typical procedural crime dramas. And kudos to casting for landing Dohring.

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