Friday Night Lights renewed

Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray!

NBC has renewed Friday Night Lights for two more seasons, according to TV Guide.

The show will continue in the same format it has this season, with episodes airing first on DirecTV early in the year, before being broadcast later on NBC.

There is no word yet on which cast members will stick around next season, but it’s safe to say that at least some of the high school characters are probably headed off to college. (Don’t leave us Tyra!)

Link time

Here's a look at what the Web's best TV bloggers are talking about this week in the TV Blog Coalition, of which Tube Talk Girl is a proud member.

Some of the show descriptions in this quiz are real pilots, some I've made up. Take the quiz and see if you can spot the fake pilots! (BuzzSugar)

GMMR asked if you were a network exec and could program TV for only one hour out of each day, what would the TV schedule look like? (Give Me My Remote)

You know a show is going to be good when it manages to equally upset the liberal communists (who think the show pushes a Christian agenda) and the religious nutjobs (who think the show pushes a gay agenda). Scooter endorses Kings if only because they cast Mr. Boston in the lead role. (Scooter McGavin's 9th Green)

Vance is enjoying the shows no one is watching. Like newbies Kings and Better Off Ted or old faves Ugly Betty and Lost amongst many others. (Tapeworthy)

This week, Jace talked to Joss Whedon about his "Man on the Street" episode of FOX's Dollhouse, why Dollhouse seems to lack the funny, and whether he would be leaving television for good. (Televisionary)

Sara celebrated the fact that Chuck was back to wearing ascots on the latest episode of Gossip Girl. (TiFaux)

Jennifer contemplated why Ugly Betty Suarez is such a man magnet. (Tube Talk)

Steve got his hands on a copy of next week's Gossip Girl and recapped it for your spoilerly pleasure (TVFanatic)

Ben celebrated the enws that BBC3 had bought the UK rights to the new murder mystery Harper's Island and took a look at it spin-off web series Harper's Globe. (TV Spy)

Ugly Betty, the man magnet

by Jennifer Squires Biller

Betty Suarez is a man magnet. Seriously, the girl attracts more men than the Playboy mansion.

Last season, accountant Henry and sandwich-guy Gio were fighting over her. Then, she moved on to her musician neighbor for a fleeting moment, and now she’s landed a billionaire named Matt.

Betty is rocking the mojo.

What is it about Betty that men find irresistible? By today’s standards for beauty, she doesn’t fit the profile. In fact, she’s the exact opposite. She’s short and stocky, has braces, bushy eyebrows, and an unflattering hairstyle. She wears glasses, and her wardrobe is so mismatched, if I didn’t know better, I’d think Betty was colorblind.

Yet, she always seems to have a man seeking her attention. I have plenty of single girl friends who want to know Betty’s secret. Maybe it’s those red glasses. On second thought, the glasses didn’t work for Sally Jesse Raphael.

Perhaps it’s Betty’s perkiness or perpetual optimism that men find attractive. Maybe nice girls don’t finish last. (Someone should tell Amanda; the girl could use a date.)

At this rate, Daniel will be the next to fall for Betty. She clearly doesn’t know her own power. Oh wait, I think they already did that in the Spanish version of the show and it didn’t work well. I’m just saying, Daniel, beware. Betty Suarez is apparently more loveable than any of us ever imagined.

Commentary with a Co-Ed: One Tree Hill is back

by Ashley Gouveia

One Tree Hill is finally back with a new episode, and it was a doozy. What a rollercoaster ride! One minute I was happy and loving the adorable Nathan and Haley scenes, then the next I was crying over Lucas and Peyton’s devastating situation. Then we had Mouth and Millie’s seemingly last goodbye and Brooke and Julian came to a crossroads in their relationship. It was definitely a jam-packed episode, full of revelations and heartbreak. But what does it all mean for the future of this show?

Is Peyton really a goner? Would the writers of this show actually kill off Peyton Sawyer, or is this a fake out? Well, by the way Peyton was talking to Lucas it looks like she has accepted her fate. I can understand her decision of going through with the pregnancy, even if it means that she could die. A parent’s love is about sacrifice, right? I give the show credit for bringing up this issue, but I’m not sure why it had to be this way. Are we looking at a season seven of One Tree Hill with Lucas raising a baby on his own? Would any of you be interested in watching that?

I loved all of Nathan and Haley’s scenes together. Their private anniversary celebration with some nods to It’s a Wonderful Life was really cute and a long time coming. We finally got some romantic Naley and it seems like it’s been forever. With all the crazy nanny stuff and Nathan’s basketball career, it was nice to see these two reconnect again. It looks like Haley might be going back on tour again but with her family this time. I don’t know how that’s going to work with Jamie, but we’ll see what happens. I for one would love to see Haley pick up a guitar again and actually have a storyline.

Julian dropped the l-word on Brooke and she totally freaked. He loves her but she was not ready to say it back to him. Julian put it together that the last person that Brooke fell in love with was Lucas. Even though he said he would wait for her, he is feeling completely insecure about her past with Lucas. Can we really blame him? Look what happened to his relationship with Peyton. I loved his line about if he found more than one copy of Lucas’ book he was leaving. I think it was a little too soon for the “I love you” so I can understand where Brooke is coming from. But is that really the reason why she couldn’t say it?

It was nice to see Dan and Deb in the same room again, even if it was only because Jamie conveniently forgot to mention he was inviting Grandpa Dan for dinner. Their confrontation was really intense. I keep having to remind myself not to like Dan, but I just love his scenes with Jamie. It makes me want that beeper to go off, so Jamie doesn’t lose his grandpa. Well, it looks like I got what I wanted. Let’s just hope that new heart is not from someone we know. It can’t be Millie’s, right? Although she was really distraught while she was driving. Hmm.

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

TV blog links

Here's a look at what the Web's best TV bloggers are talking about this week in the TV Blog Coalition, of which Tube Talk Girl is a proud member.

With news of Leighton Meester landing a film role, Buzz wondered which TV actors could shine on the big screen. (BuzzSugar)

This week, Sandie shared the first pictures of Alex O'Loughlin in Criminal Minds (Daemon's TV)

Yeah we have seen this story before, but Castle just may turn out to be watchable. (Scooter McGavin's 9th Green)

Vance is loving the new Degrassi kids, meanwhile, some of the old ones are going to Hollywood, while a few in real life are starring in a play in Toronto! (Tapeworthy)

Missing Lost this week? Jace might not have a new episode of the ABC drama to tide you over until your latest fix but he does have video of his interviews with showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse and series stars Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, and Michael Emerson... along with a few spoilers. (Televisionary)

Although not usually one to pick a fight, Dan expressed some annoyance with the portrayal of gay folks on SNL and Bromance. (TiFaux)



Jennifer pondered why there are no big stars on Dancing With the Stars and who will die on Smallville, while Ashley took a swing at TV's best musical moments. (Tube Talk)

Raoul talked to Kris and Amanda from The Amazing Race. (TV Filter)



This week, we listed 5 reasons why KINGS could help rebuild NBC's empire (the TV Addict)

Commentary with a Co-Ed: Favorite musical moments on TV

by Ashley Gouveia


Has there ever been a time when you’re watching your favorite television show and then an amazing song starts playing during a crucial and pivotal scene and suddenly you are clamoring, trying to find out who sings it and how fast you can get it on your iPod? I have been there and done that so many times that I’ve lost count. Before the iPod was invented a big part of my CD collection had songs that had once been played behind some of my beloved and most memorable moments. These are my picks for my favorite “musical” moments on television.

Dawson’s Creek, Season one finale - “I’ll Be” by Edwin McCain: How could anyone forget the moment when Joey finally decided that she was going to fess up about her feelings towards her best friend, Dawson? She climbed up the ladder to his room and saw Dawson lying in bed with Jen. It was the moment that had been building the entire season. Was Dawson going to go after Joey or stay with Jen? Edwin McCain’s song was perfect for this scene. I remember hearing it and immediately falling in love with it. To this day when I hear “I’ll Be” I still think of that episode.

Smallville, Season one, “Obscura” and “Crush” – “No Such Thing” by John Mayer and “Time after Time” by Eva Cassidy: I think one of the reasons why I fell in love with Smallville in the beginning of the series was because of all the fantastic music they featured in each episode. Yeah, whatever happened to that? These two episodes in season one were two of my favorites. The Cyndi Lauper classic covered by Eva Cassidy was the perfect backdrop for setting the scene as Lana stared at Clark standing in the rain waiting for her, while a heartbroken Chloe watched on. A wet Tom Welling was only the icing on the cake. The song made it even more amazing. And John Mayer’s hit still brings me back to when Clark asked Chloe to the Spring Formal. It completely captured the mood of two people taking the next step in their relationship.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season one, “Angel”- “I’ll Remember You” by Sophie Zelmani: Buffy and Angel’s long-awaited first kiss couldn’t have had a better song to accompany it. The Bronze always had some great music playing but this one topped my list. I loved that the whole song was played and the last shot we saw was Angel’s chest where Buffy’s cross burned him after they kissed. It was the beginning of a great love story.

Supernatural, Season one, “Carry on my Wayward Son” by Kansas: Okay, I was tempted to put every Supernatural “previously on” on this list but I narrowed it down to this one. Not only is this an amazing song but it completely fits Supernatural to a tee. The lyrics only rang truer coming after the episode when Sam was stabbed and killed. This song has really become a Supernatural anthem.

Those are my some of my picks for my favorite musical moments. There are so many that I can’t fit it into one column. Let me know some of your faves in the comments!

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

Who will die this season on Smallville?

by Jennifer Squires Biller

It’s not a complete season of Smallville until someone bites it.

Sometimes, the presumed-dead individuals stay six-feet under. (Oh, how I miss you Pa Kent.) Other times, the “dead” end up sipping lattes at the Talon. (Lana, Lex and Chloe, I’m talking to you.)

If you read spoilers, then you’ve heard the news for this season’s finale. If you don’t like spoilers, stop reading now. Supposedly, there are two deaths coming, one a veteran and the other a newcomer. Both deaths will be permanent, according to the show runners.

So, place your bets. Who do you think will take the dirt nap this season? After discussions with my Smallville pals, my money is on Tess as the newcomer. She’s not necessary to any one storyline or the Superman mythos, so I think she’s disposable.

As for the vet, my friend Mary Kay suggested Martha Kent may be the one to go, and I fear Mary Kay may be right. It makes the most sense, by a process of elimination. We know that Lana becomes a superhero herself, according to a recent episode. So, it can’t be her. And what other vet is left to kill, other than Chloe?

I don’t think the show honchos will kill Chloe. They’ve done it before, a couple times, and fans lost their minds, only to have Chloe resurrected. Chloe is the most popular character on the show, next to Clark Kent. I can’t imagine that Smallville would show her the door, unless it was the final season and final episode.

The only other vets who remain alive are both off canvas: Pete Ross and Martha Kent. Perhaps it will be Pete who goes to the great beyond, but if the show is looking for another emotional blow for young Clark, killing Martha is the way to go. But I’m going on the record to say that I’ll dread watching that episode, if it ever transpires.

Who do you think will end up with a toe tag? Discuss in the comments below.

Where are the “stars” on Dancing With the Stars?

by Jennifer Squires Biller

Last night, Dancing With the Stars debuted to its most-watched premiere ever. As I sat through the two-hour show, I couldn’t help but wonder, “Where are the stars?”

With the exception of a few of the contestants, most of the celebrities this season are D-list talent at best. I’m sorry, but I don’t count an unknown actor, several reality actresses, and a former ‘80s pop queen “stars.” No offense to any of these folks, who I’m sure will do a great job on the show, but ABC is billing this show as dancing with the STARS. And frankly, I’m not seeing it.

When I was a kid, (back when 8-track tapes were all the rage) we had a show called Circus of the Stars. And when I say stars, I mean stars. The celebrities that participated were all from popular TV shows or other entertainment genres. They would try their hands at circus acts, whether it was the trapeze, the tight rope, riding elephants, dagger throwing, etc. I loved watching the stars defy death with their acts. And the list of celebrities was impressive: Scott Baio, Sammy Davis Jr., Lynda Carter, Patrick Duffy, Whoopi Goldberg, Jennie Garth, Lauren Bacall, Peter Fonda, Ed Asner, Erik Estrada, Deidre Hall, James Earl Jones, Bob Newhart, Rick Schroder, William Shatner, Brooke Shields, O.J. Simpson and many more.

Yes, it was the ‘70s and ‘80s so perhaps it was a little easier to get stars on board for a fun reality show. But, I can’t help but wonder how much better Dancing With the Stars would be, if ABC could actually lure some top-notch celebrities. I bet the ratings would skyrocket, if we could watch some of our favorites put on those dancing shoes.

Can you imagine if this season’s cast included people we actually wanted to watch? Imagine Steve Carell, Neil Patrick Harris, Patrick Dempsey, Troy Aikman, Chris Rock, Betty White, Julia Louis Dreyfuss, Beyonce, Kate Walsh, Oprah Winfrey, Vanessa Williams, and Dolly Parton competing for the mirror-ball trophy. If you don’t like my list, then consider who you’d like to see steaming up the ballroom.

My point is simply this. The show is called Dancing With the Stars, and each season - with the exception of the athletes - it seems like we see fewer and fewer stars. At this rate, ABC should just rename the show Dancing With People Who Want to Become Stars.

Here’s a list of this year’s contestants:

· Belinda Carlisle & Jonathan Roberts
· David Alan Grier & Kym Johnson
· Jewel & Dmitry Chaplin
· Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas
· Lil' Kim & Derek Hough
· Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke
· Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower
· Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer
· Nancy O'Dell & Tony Dovolani
· Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
· Lawrence Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska
· Chuck Wicks & Julianne Hough
· Steve Wozniak & Karina Smirnoff

Here's a look at what the Web's best TV bloggers are talking about this week in the TV Blog Coalition, of which Tube Talk Girl is a proud member.

Buzz had a blast moderating the Chuck panel at WonderCon in San Francisco — check out her recap of the proceedings! (BuzzSugar)

Is a "bad" U2 album still better than anything else on the radio? Scooter puts that theory to the test with the release of No Line on the Horizon. (Scooter McGavin's 9th Green)

Vance has his dukes claws up and is ready to totally defend The Bachelor's Jason Mesnick for dumping that harpy Melissa and getting back with Molly. Maybe it's a guy thing (and sees nothing wrong with it), but Vance is totally ready to take this outside. (Tapeworthy)

This week, Jace took another look back at the New Romantics era by taking second look at BBC America's Ashes to Ashes. (Televisionary)

Dan may have misgivings about musical comedy as a genre -- but even he is excited about the idea of Victor Garber and Kristin Chenoweth on the new show Glee. (TiFaux)


Jennifer was shocked to see the huge ratings for Tom Selleck's TV movie and wondered why Magnum P.I. can't make it to the big screen. (Tube Talk)


Matt's hidden camera inside the bedroom of Jennifer Love Hewitt proves she isn't actually knocked up - so there must be a little Ghost Whisperer in Melinda Gordan's future. (TV Fanatic)

Special relationship or not, we Brits get to see Lost a week or so later than our cousins across the Pond. And so, better late than never, Ben tries to make sense of The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham. (TV Spy)

Don't miss any of March Sweep's big TV events with our downloadable and printable March TV 2009 Calendar (The TV Addict)

Why can’t Magnum P.I. get to the big screen?

by Jennifer Squires Biller

Tom Selleck proved he’s still got it when it comes to TV ratings. His TV movie Jessie Stone: Thin Ice scored more than 15 million viewers on Sunday night. But the real movie everyone wants to see him in, according to Selleck, is Magnum P.I. on the big screen. Yes, even all these years later.

So, why can’t this film get made? Selleck is still a fan favorite, as evidenced from his continuous TV-ratings wins and public adoration at Hollywood events. And Magnum P.I. still has an audience in syndication, both here and abroad.

In a recent interview, Selleck said his friend Tom Clancy had written a script years ago, but the studios and Hollywood bigwigs could never come to an agreement on the film. Can you say “idiotic?” A Tom Clancy script and Tom Selleck as the lead, it was money in the bank. This film should have been made in the 1990s, not long after the show ended. But it’s not too late. Or maybe it is, considering the recent trend in movie making.

There is a new era in Hollywood these days, one of teen-driven silly films, many of which are populated with sexual shenanigans and bathroom humor. Then, there are the truly sadistic horror movies that seem to celebrate evil through the most disgusting, vile, graphic images possible. And if that’s not enough to entice you, there’s always the latest meaningful drama, showcasing misery from a war, or Nazi Germany, or any other traumatic event in our nation’s history that leaves me so despondent I want to gauge out my eyes.

When I see the crop of movies being made, I have to ask myself how these juvenile films ever get produced, but a movie about Magnum P.I. could not. It’s one of life’s greatest mysteries. Generations from now will be able to watch Superbad, but not a character film about a Vietnam war vet who charmed us with his sleuthing skills and adolescent love for life.

Selleck is a proven entity, and guess what movie studios, not all of us want to see the current slop being turned out. You seem to have forgotten that good storytelling is the crux of a good film. Remember when movies actually had plots and characters that got us excited? I think a couple of them actually won Oscars this year.

Selleck said even after all these years, he always wins the polls about who fans want to play Magnum P.I. on the big screen. With apologies to Matthew McConaughey and every other A list actor who has been mentioned as a candidate for Magnum the film, there is no other actor to do this part. Sorry. Magnum was a character-based show, so changing the main character is a recipe for disaster.

Selleck said he wants to do the film, but not if it’s just to see how everyone has aged. He wants a decent script that won’t lampoon the show. I couldn’t agree more. I can’t imagine what those movie producers, who love to take TV shows and mock them, would do with Magnum’s rubber chicken.

Blogger link time

Here's a look at what the Web's best TV bloggers are talking about this week in the TV Blog Coalition, of which Tube Talk Girl is a proud member.



Does Nick "Normund Gentle" Mitchell deserve another chance at the American Idol crown? (BuzzSugar)

This week, Sandie shared an interview with the lovely Bridget Regan (Kahlan) from Legend of the Seeker (Daemon's TV)

A day before it was leaked that NBC was considering bringing back I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Scooter talked to the original host John Lehr about his experience on the show. (Scooter McGavin's 9th Green)

Vance loved the season finales for Privileged and Leverage. While Leverage has been picked up for Season 2, here's hoping Privileged returns too. (Tapeworthy)

This week, Jace was thrilled by Lost and Damages but also admitted his secret love for animated series like Batman: The Brave and the Bold and Wolverine and the X-Men. (Televisionary)

What's a hipster to do? Marisa pre-emptively fought back against those who would ridicule her devotion to American Idol. (TiFaux)

This week, the TV Addict offered up his how-to guide for becoming a hugely successful television reporter (The TV Addict)


Raoul talked to Charlie from Hell's Kitchen about making sauce, hitting the sauce and everything Ramsay. (TV Filter)

After watching the Grey’s Anatomy-Private Practice crossover, Jennifer came to one conclusion: Addison Montgomery needs to go back to Seattle Grace. STAT. (Tube Talk)