Category: television

“Prison Break”: Season 3 Premiere

After a summer nearly free of appointment television, the first of the fall premieres (besides The Hills, anyway) aired last night.

Season three of Prison Break has begun with four familiar faces behind bars, this time in a seedy Panamanian jail controlled by the inmates within. While Lincoln promised Michael mid-episode that he would be transferred to a safer facility the next day, the harsh discovery of LJ and Sara’s kidnapping means the genesis of another story arc through blackmail. And so as it stands – Michael will have to help another prisoner break out of Sona, lest allow for the demise of his nephew and would-be lover.

After months of light summer television fare, the tense, gripping, cliffhanger format of serial dramas will take some getting used to again.

TV Notes

  • By the end of summer, I get so used to being without appointment television that I can already feel the regret when I return to my old ways come the onslaught of season premieres. There is one show I am currently watching on a regular basis, however – The Hills season 3 began airing a few weeks ago. Three episodes in, I do think Spencer is being edited somewhat unfairly, and is not being given the opportunity to respond to the questions he has been asked in certain scenes. Of course, with his immature outburst about Lauren at the close of “Meet the Parents,” I don’t pity him too much. TelevisionWithoutPity has started to recap the show, if anyone is interested (as much as I enjoy The Hills, I can’t imagine having to summarize it).
  • Prison Break premieres its third season on September 17, but I was able to watch quite a bit of the first episode already (unfortunately, the video doesn’t seem to be available any longer). It looks promising, but not as nail-biting as when the characters are on the run.
  • A show I stumbled upon this summer is The Next Food Network Star. Besides featuring all of my favorite television chefs (Giada! Bobby!), it provides viewers with a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how multi-faceted the cooking personalities have to be. They’re down to the final four.

Film: “High School Musical 2”

The long-awaited sequel to High School Musical premiered on Friday to tweens armed with VCRs, parents enjoying the wave of non-threatening, family-friendly entertainment, fans of Zac Efron (Dickson), and those curious to see if the film could possibly live up to the expectation and hype (me). It failed to deliver.

Despite being nearly two hours long (thus having ample time to redeem itself and/or improve along the way), the movie played too much like a poor excuse to capitalize on success. There were one or two catchy songs, but for the most part, the numbers were overdone and melodramatic (see Efron’s solo on the putting green), appearing unnecessary and draining whatever earnestness was gained through the acting. The vocals were also terrible, overly synthesized to the point where some of the singers sounded identical. I’m being harsh – harsher because of the grand expectations created in the wake of the original, but ultimately, I was disappointed that this was the final product. I doubt I will shell out cash to watch the third installment in the theatres.

On another note, I figured the late August release date was timed to coincide with a movie that tracked the summer holidays of the musically-inclined bunch, but after seeing the insane merchandising push by Disney, I now know otherwise. Besides the very-marketable back-to-school items, the over one hundred licensed products include video games, pillows, and dolls. I couldn’t resist taking a picture of a shoe I saw in Payless recently, if not only because only the wearer of the flip-flops would know their devotion to High School Musical.

For those who want to step on Troy and Gabriella

“The Hills”: Season 3 premiere

Saw a commercial on MTV Canada advertising the third season premiere of The Hills slated for August 13 – meaning we’re right on par with the States for the first time!

You can watch the trailer here. I’d normally be pretty excited to return to the glamorous life of LC and company, but this time around, much of the drama seems fabricated and set up by show producers. But as this is reported to be the last season, I’ll still enjoy it while it lasts.

More “Sex & the City” Movie News

Furthering a story I posted about late last year, Sarah Jessica Parker confirmed that a movie version of Sex & the City is in the works:

“Speaking on TV show Entertainment Tonight, she said, ‘This is a very complicated puzzle to put back – not for the reason that people speculate about because as far as I know all of the actresses want to be together again for this movie. Somehow in my brain I think the timing is fortuitous because if we had done it years ago… we couldn’t have done it now. I’m hopeful and very excited about it.'”

The IMDB page for the movie has the release date pegged to be 2008. I’m not holding my breath until someone other than Parker speaks about the film (in particular Kim Cattrall, who’s rumored riff with Parker was the reason a movie immediately following the television finale was quashed), but based on both her and Kristen Davis’ lack of upcoming projects, I’m sure any work that would push them back into the pop culture spotlight would be a welcome assignment.

“Studio 60”: Post-Mortem Commentary

When NBC announced their fall line-up a few weeks ago, it was no surprise that Studio 60 wasn’t among the returning programs. The flailing Aaron Sorkin vehicle had been touted to be one of the must-see shows of the 06/07 roster, but ended up not only with weak viewership, but critical dis-acclaim for reasons I’ve touched on before.

Though they axed it, the network decided to show the unaired episodes starting May 24 that were originally shelved. After watching both “The Disaster Show” and “Breaking News,” I think NBC made the right decision in pulling the plug – the quality really was heading down the tubes.

Something about Studio 60 just didn’t feel right, or as right as its West Wing predecessor. Whether it was the casting (Kari Matchett as an Ainsley Hayes/Amy Gardner hybrid last episode just didn’t work for me), the political situations (the abduction of Tom’s brother in Afghanistan felt hollow; Justin Walker’s redeployment to Iraq in Brothers & Sisters had a stronger resonance), or the storylines (the B-plot about the importance of ratings was exhausting to follow), the show had degenerated into an all-out vanity project for Aaron Sorkin.

The show did have its moments (Allison Janney as herself, and Sarah Paulson was a light throughout), but I’m of the opinion that Studio 60 had to die in favor of better projects Sorkin has yet to dream up.

“Gilmore Girls” Movie?

That’s right, folks! Though I will remain cautiously optimistic at least until the actors have been tied to a contract, TV Guide’s David Ausiello seems to think a Gilmore Girls movie to conclude the show, Amy Sherman-Palladino-style, is a viable possibility:

“In the next year or two, she hopes to make — wait for it — a two-hour Gilmore Girls TV-movie that ties up all those loose threads! I nearly fell over when she said it — especially given what she told me back in December. (BTW, lest you think Amy was pulling my leg, her partner in life and in showbiz, Dan Palladino, confirmed that a GG reunion pic is something they’re interested in pursuing.)”

There is precedence for this (FOX’s cancelled Firefly spiraling into a major motion picture), but I’m not sure it would work as well, even on the small screen, for this little show that could. Personally, I had made amends with Gilmore‘s cancellation, so the false hope such a teaser brings is disrupting my mourning process.

So as with the up-fronts, all we can do is wait…

Farewell Stars Hollow: “Gilmore Girls” Series Finale

The series finale of Gilmore Girls, titled “Bon Voyage,” aired tonight. Ideally, I wanted there to have been closure to most, if not all, of the storylines, but as the announcement of the show’s cancellation came following the shooting of the episode, I really didn’t know what to expect.

So I extend my props to David Rosenthal for putting together a lovely finale – a coup in Christine Amanpour’s cameo, a heartstrings Luke moment (“I like to see you happy,” squee!), and enough strumming Sam Phillips for a sentimental send-off. I appreciated the final pan-out shot of Lorelai and Rory in Luke’s diner, complete with twinky lights – an homage to the way the pilot episode ended all those years ago. And though it was quite evident that Luke and Lorelai were together at the end, I liked how the focus of the last scene was still on the girls, just as it should have been.

Still, though the finale more than fulfilled my expectations, I am still curious to know what Amy Sherman-Palladino’s version would have looked like, and in particular, what those elusive “last four words” would have been. I’m paying close attention to Ask Ausiello, but perhaps I should just let it go, and remember Gilmore Girls as it was.

Farewell, Stars Hollow; thanks for seven great years.

Lights Out in Stars Hollow

CW announced on Thursday that Gilmore Girls will not be renewed. From Variety:

“Money was a key factor in the decision, with the parties involved not able to reach a deal on salaries for the main cast members. Other issues, such as number of episodes and production dates, may have also played a role.”

Though I was skeptical that the quality of the show could be maintained without creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino at the helm, the current season has proven me wrong. The last two episodes in particular have been great – kudos to David Rosenthal for Rory’s struggle upon graduation, and for Lorelai’s heartbreaking serenade to her unrequited love.

For those who don’t watch serial dramas, it really is difficult to understand how much impact a show can have. As sad as it may seem, appointment television really can grow with a person over the course of seven years. I was in high school when I first started watching Gilmore Girls regularly, and since then, I have “matured” right alongside Rory. While I can’t say I could relate to everything the characters went through, there were many moments of felt kinship. Other things will come along to fill the entertainment void, but like West Wing and Ed, my attachment to the show is very much associated to the time in my life when I watched it.

The series finale airs on May 15.

“High School Musical 2” Premiere Date

Mark your calendars – High School Musical 2: Sing it All or Nothing will debut on the Disney Channel and its Canadian Family Channel affiliate on August 17.

Speaking of HSM, rumors are abound that its leads Zac Efron and Vanessa Anne Hudgens are an item! My cynical self thinks this to be a spring-summer romance, but regardless of the catalyst, it’s a great publicity stunt for the upcoming release.

And if you thought one sequel was enough, I’m sorry to disappoint you with the news that the third installment, Haunted High School Musical has already been planned for a 2008 theatrical release. How’s that for tween power?