Reaper

This show is Supernatural meets Abbott and Costello. Sam (Bret Harrison) is a college drop out who works at a home improvement store with his best friend, Sock (Taylor Labine). On his 21st birthday strange things begin to happen. His parents are acting strange, he can move objects with his mind and he is being followed by a pack of rabid dogs. Not to mention the fact that the devil is in the backseat of his car. It seems that before Sam was born his parents sold his soul to the devil, payable on his 21st birthday and the devil has come to collect. However, he does not want to take Sam back to hell but he needs his help. He wants Sam to collect the souls that have escaped from hell and bring them back. Now Sam and Sock must collect souls to keep the devil at bay.

This show is hilarious! I thought it might be stupid but it is very tongue in cheek and not afraid to make fun of itself. Harrison and Labine have a great chemistry and play off each other well. I will definitely tune in every week for this little gem.

Dancing with the Stars Week #1 - The Men

So tonight we get to see the 6 guys in action. Here it goes

1) Cameron Mathison (Fox Trot) - it was pretty good. He was a little stiff but I am sure it was nerves.
2) Floyd Mayweather (Cha Cha) - he was really really good. I think we have another early front runner!
3) Helio Castroneves (Fox Trot) - he was also very good. I was afraid that he would not have the charisma but he is very charming and it showed in his dance.
4) Albert Reed (Cha Cha) - ok I have to wipe the drool off the keyboard. That was hot! He was like Ricky Martin shaking his bon-bon!
5) Mark Cuban (Fox Trot) - not bad I think he has potential. I like how they put the billionaire in a patchwork tramp suit.
6) Wayne Newton (Cha Cha) - that was not the best I've seen but I liked it. He is just so cute! I love these old guys they get for the show.

So after tonight I still think Josie is in danger. We will see tomorrow on the results show.

Journeyman

A very interesting concept for a show. Dan Vasser (Kevin McKidd) is a journalist living in San Francisco with his wife, Katie (Gretchen Egolf), and son, Zach. The live a normal like until one day when Dan is transported back to 1987. He saves a man, Nail Gaines, from committing suicide. However, when he comes back his wife informs him that he has been gone for two days. Of course his friends and family all think he is on drugs and want him to get help. Now while fighting to save his career and marriage he keeps going back in time and seeing glimpses of Neal's life. He sees Neal, his wife Nicole and son Jordan but does not know what he is supposed to do. Now he must figure out how to help this family before it is to late. Plus he must deal with the fact that he keeps seeing his former fiance, Livia (Moon Bloodgood) who died in a plane crash ten years ago.

I really enjoyed this show. It does not surprise me since one of my favorite books in The Time Traveller's Wife. McKidd's acting is slightly over the top but I can deal with it. It is nice to see the beautiful Bloodgood back on TV after the early cancellation of Daybreak. I think this show has great potential and I hope NBC gives it a chance to find its audience since it is up against some tough competition in Monday Night Football and CSI: Miami.

Dancing with the Stars Week #1 - The Women

So season number 5 is finally here. Tonight we will be watching the 6 women perform and tomorrow it will be the 6 men. Here we go:

1) Jennie Garth (Cha Cha) - not bad. She seemed a little stiff which I think was from nerves. I think she has potential.
2) Josie Maran (Fox Trot) - it was ok but sort of boring. She maybe the first one to go.
3) Sabrina Bryan (Cha Cha) - I liked it. It was young and fun and suited her personality. She maybe an early favorite.
4) Marie Osmond (Fox Trot) - I think she did really well. It was very beautiful and elegant.
5) Mel B (Cha Cha) - she did really well. On a side note she looks darn good for a woman who had a baby just a few months ago.
6) Jane Seymour (Fox Trot) - that was wonderful. It was graceful and elegant.

So we will see how the guys do tomorrow. If I had to pick based on tonight's performances I would predict that Josie will go home.

Murder! (1930)

One of Alfred Hitchcock's first talking films. Diana Baring (Norah Baring) is an actress in a local troupe One night another actress from the troupe is murdered and Diana is suspect number one. She soon goes to trial and is convicted of the murder and sentenced to hang. However, one member of the jury is not so sure that she is guilty. Sir John Menier (Herbert Marshall) was pressured by his fellow jurors to vote for Diana's conviction but he never believed that she was guilty. Now he has decided that he needs to investigate what happened to save Diana from her death sentence. He enlists the manager of the troupe, Ted Markham (Edward Chapman), and his wife, Doucie (Phyllis Konstam), to aid him in the investigation and enters the underworld of the show business.

This movie was pretty good. You can see Hitchcock's touches even if it is not up to the caliber of his later works. The interesting thing is that he made the same movie twice at the same time, this one and a German version. If you like a fairly good mystery then you will enjoy this one.

Gossip Girl

This show is Cruel Intentions for the new generation. Gossip Girl is a anonymous blogger who follows the lives of a group of rich, elite high school prep students. The newest gossip is that former it girl, Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) has returned from a year away at boarding school. She left suddenly and left everyone wondering exactly what drove her away. Now everyone is wondering why she has returned so suddenly. Especially curious is her best friend, Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester), who is concerned that her boyfriend, Nate Archibald (Chance Crawford), may have feelings for Serena. Now Serena must maintain her reputation while trying to keep her deep dark secret.

I was not sure about this show but I enjoyed it. It is a soap opera like show so it can be cheesy but overall it is pretty good. Some of the acting leaves something to be desired but it is ok to over look that for me. I will definitely be watching this show for the rest of the season.

Back to You

A new sitcom starring two TV heavyweights. Chuck Darling (Kelsey Grammer) has returned to the TV station in Pittsburgh he left 10 years ago. He was fired from a channel in LA for having an on-air outburst that made its way to You Tube. Now he must swallow his pride and go back to his roots. Of course not everyone is happy to see him return. His co-anchor Kelly Carr (Patricia Heaton) is definitely not glad to see him back. Now they must learn to work together despite their love/hate relationship. Not to mention the one night stand they had the night Chuck left town.

This was a cute show. I laughed once or twice but that was about it. It is hard to see Heaton and Grammer in anything but their signature roles. Hopefully with time it will be easier to not see Deb and Frasier instead of Kelly and Chuck. I will continue to watch but I hope things step up soon.

K-Ville

The new "groundbreaking" series from Fox. Marlin Boulet (Anthony Anderson) is a cop in New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. One day outside of the Superdome his partner abandons him. Fast forward two years and Marlin is about to get a new partner. Trevor Cobb (Cole Hauser) is a ex-Army man from Cincinnati ready to help New Orleans get back on his feet. Their first case is the murder of a loved local jazz singer during a fund raiser for the 9th Ward Recovery Project. Now Boulet and Cobb must find out who is so willing to stunt the city's recovery process that they will murder for it.

This was a good show but I do not see how it is "groundbreaking". It is a typical cop show with the good cop who does not always do the right thing and the mysterious one we do not know much about. It is strange to see Anderson in a serious role since he is so good at the comedic ones. I love Cole Hauser and I hope this show will be his big breakthrough. I will continue to watch the show but I am not sure how well it will do against Dancing with the Stars and Heroes.

59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards

As always my picks will be in italics and the winners will be in bold.

Outstanding Comedy Series:
1) 30 Rock (NBC)
2) Entourage (HBO)
3) The Office (NBC)
4) Two and a Half Men (CBS)
5) Ugly Betty

Outstanding Drama Series:
1) Boston Legal (ABC)
2) Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
3) Heroes (NBC)
4) House (Fox)
5) The Sopranos (HBO)

Outstanding Made for Television Movie:
1) Bury My Heat at Wounded Knee (HBO)
2) Inside the Twin Towers (The Discovery Channel)
3) Longford (HBO)
4) The Ron Clark Story (TNT)
5) Why I Wore lipstick to My Mastectomy (Lifetime)

Outstanding Miniseries:
1) Broken Trail (AMC)
2) Prime Suspect: The Final Act (PBS)
3) The Starter Wife (USA)

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program:
1) American Idol (Fox)
2) Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
3) Project Runway (Bravo)
4) The Amazing Race (CBS)
5) Top Chef (Bravo)

Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series:
1) Late Night with Conan O'Brien (NBC)
2) The Late Show with David Lettermen (CBS)
3) Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)
4) The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)
5) The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series:
1) Alec Baldwin for 30 Rock
2) Ricky Gervais for Extras
3) Tony Shalhoub for Monk
4) Steve Carell for The Office
5) Charlie Sheen for Two and a Half Men

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series:
1) Kiefer Sutherland for 24
2) James Spader for Boston Legal
3) Hugh Laurie for House
4) Denis Leary for Rescue Me
5) James Gandolfini for The Sopranos

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series:
1) Jeremy Piven for Entourage
2) Kevin Dillon for Entourage
3) Neil Patrick Harris for How I Met Your Mother
4) Rainn Wilson for The Office
5) Jon Cryer for Two and a Half Men

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series:
1) William Shatner for Boston Legal
2) T.R. Knight for Grey's Anatomy
3) Masi Oka for Heroes
4) Terry O'Quinn for Lost
5) Michael Emmerson for Lost
6) Michael Imperioli for The Sopranos

Outstanding Lead Actor Miniseries or a Movie:
1) Robert Duvall for Broken Trail
2) Tom Selleck for Jesse Stone: Sea Change
3) Jim Broadbent for Longford
4) William H. Macy for Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King
5) Matthew Perry for The Ron Clark Story

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie:
1) Thomas Hayden Church for Broken Trail
2) Aidan Quinn for Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
3) August Schellenberg for Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
4) Edward Asner for The Christmas Card
5) Joe Mantegna for The Starter Wife

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series:
1) Tina Fey for 30 Rock
2) Felicity Huffman for Desperate Housewives
3) Julia Louis-Dreyfus for The New Adventures of Old Christine
4) America Ferrera for Ugly Betty
5) Mary-Lousie Parker for Weeds

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series:
1) Sally Field for Brothers and Sisters
2) Mariska Hargitay for Law and Order:Special Victims Unit
3) Patricia Arquette for Medium
4) Kyra Sedwick for The Closer
5) Minnie Driver for The Riches
6) Edie Falco for The Sopranos

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series:
1) Jamie Pressly for My Name is Earl
2) Jenna Fischer for The Office
3) Concheta Ferrell for Two and a Half Men
4) Holland Taylor for Two and a Half Men
5) Vanessa Williams for Ugly Betty
6) Elizabeth Perkins for Weeds

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series:
1) Rachel Griffiths for Brothers and Sisters
2) Sandra Oh fro Grey's Anatomy
3) Chandra Wilson for Grey's Anatomy
4) Katherine Heigl for Grey's Anatomy
5) Lorraine Braco for The Sopranos
6) Aida Turturro for The Sopranos

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie:
1) Queen Latifah for Life Support
2) Helen Mirren for Prime Suspect: The Final Act
3) Mary-Louise Parker for The Robber Bride
4) Debra Messing for The Starter Wife
5) Gena Rowlands for What if God Were the Sun

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie:
1) Greta Scacchi for Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
2) Anna Paquin for Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
3) Samantha Morton for Longford
4) Judy Davis for The Starter Wife
5) Toni Collette for Tsumani, the Aftermath

Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program:
1) Ellen Degeneres for The 79th Annual Academy Awards
2) David Lettermen for The Late Show with David Lettermen
3) Stephen Colbert for The Colbert Report
4) Jon Stewart for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
5) Tony Bennett for Tony Bennet: An American Classic

Nashville

A new reality series showing the ups and downs of aspiring singer/songwriters in Nashville. In the first episode we get to meet the core cast. Chuck Wicks is preparing for the biggest night of his life, a showcase for executives of RCA records. Clint Mosley, the son of a wealthy jet owner. He is a womanizer who tries to convince one girl that he really cares about her. Rachel is the girl who falls for Clint's lines. She is the daughter of NFL legend Terry Bradshaw who is concerned that the only reason she will be successful is because of who her father is. Jeff Allen is another singer/songwriter who works closely with his roommate, Matt Jenkins. Matt is trying to get back on top after being let go by his record label. Lindsay and Sarah also want to be performers who hang out with Rachel and fall in her shadow. Finally, Mika is the new girl in town. She just moved to Nashville from little Hazard, Kentucky. She lives in the same building as James and Matt. They take her under their wing but can not save her from Clint's charms at th end of episode one. Of course Rachel is not happy and starts plotting Mika's demise.

I like the show although I am not sure how much of it is reality. It seems a little to staged to me but I will take it all with a grain of salt. I hope this show will let us know the dirty underside of the business and does not just sanitize everything for TV. The music was pretty good and I will buy Chuck's album when it comes out for sure!

The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs - #11

I loved this book. Georgia Walker owns a successful yarn shop, Walker & Daughter, in New York City. She began the shop with the help of her dear friend and mentor Anita, a rich widow. The daughter part of the shop is Dakota, now 12 years old. Georgia has raised Dakota on her own but now Dakota's father, James, has returned. He has decided that he made a mistake in leaving Georgia when she was pregnant an now wants to make it up to both ladies. As time goes on in the shop a group of core women come together to create the Friday Night Knitting Club. KC is a publishing executive and old friend of Georgia's who has recently lost her job. Lucie, a 40-something woman who works a dead end job and wants to have a child, with or without a husband. Darwin, the feminist doing research for her thesis. Her husband lives is doing his residency in LA and she commits a betrayal he may not forgive. Cat, Georgia's best friend in high school turned miserable wealthy trophy wife. As the months go on these women all meet their own challenges and problems but they always know they have the support of their knitting group to fall back on.

This book was a pleasure to read. This was Kate Jacobs first novel but it feels like she has written 100. I love how she takes the acts of knitting - selecting yarn. casting on, ripping it out, etc - and uses them as a theme for the chapters in that section. However, even if you do not knit I think people would enjoy this book. I normally do not like books that shove "we are women hear us roar" themes down your throat but this one was the perfect balance of feminism and reality. There is a movie version of the book in production starring Julia Roberts as Georgia.

The Brave One (2007)

Hubby and I got to see a sneak preview of this film last night. Erica Bayne (Jodie Foster) is a New York radio personality. She hosts a talk show on a small station about the things she sees and hears while walking the streets of the city. She is engaged to a handsome doctor, David (Naveen Andrews), and all is well until one night. Erica and David are walking their dog through Central Park when they run across a gang of punks. One of them videotapes while the others beat Erica and David. They are rushed to the hospital where David dies and Erica lies in a coma for three weeks. When she awakens she is scared and can not leave her house. She buys a gun illegally and set off on foot in the city she once loved. She is in a convenience store one night when a man comes in a kills the clerk. He stalks her and is going to kill her but she gets to him instead. Now Erica walks the streets at night looking for chances to be, what the media has coined, the vigilante. However, she does not expect to strike up a friendship with Detective Mercer (Terrence Howard), the man investigating her case.

This movie was really good. Foster and Howard had a wonderful chemistry. However, it was strange to see Terrence playing the good guy since he often plays the opposite. It was strange to hear Andrews talking in his native accent rather than his Sayid voice. This film brings up a lot of questions about right, wrong and what you would do in a similar situation. The ending was pretty unbelievable but overall I recommend this movie highly.

The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler - #10

A wonderful book about how different people can come together. Jocelyn, Bernadette, Prudie, Allegra, Sylvia and Grigg make up the all Jane Austen book club. They meet each month in each others homes to discuss one of Austen's novels. The idea for the club cam from Jocelyn, a unmarried woman in her 50's who raises ridgebacks. Her best friend Sylvia, whose husband just left her, and her daughter Allegra, a lesbian, are the first two members of the club. Jocelyn also invites Prudie, a high school French teacher, Bernadette, a older woman twice divorced, and Grigg, a young man she met while attending a convention. As the book progresses each member takes on the discussion of their favorite book. This is when we see how their lives are connected to Austen's novels. We also learn that they each have their own personal Austen that the other members do not always agree with. Over the course of their meetings we learn about their dreams, trials and heartaches and we see how they become a real family even though they do not always see eye to eye.

I really enjoyed this novel. I loved how Fowler wrapped the characters lives up with the Austen books. I enjoyed how each of the books characters had their own section dedicated to them because it helped to learn a lot about them in a short manner. Of course many of their stories intertwine and that is also interesting to read. There is a film version of the book coming out in limited release at the end of September. I recommend this book if you like well developed characters, whether you like Austen or not.