Heroes, 90210, Brothers & Sisters and More
Rebecca in Austin, Texas: What’s the latest on your news about Shannen Doherty on 90210? Is she signed yet? And do you really think they’d put Jennie and Shannen together again? You can’t be serious. That would be crazy!
Um, you mean crazy good. Inside sources tell me today the CW is working very hard to get Shannen’s deal done ASAP so they can shoot the scene with her and Jennie. So yes, it does look like it’s happening (barring any last-minute glitches or red-dress scandals), and yes, they most definitely do want Shannen Doherty and Jennie Garth together onscreen—and I’m hearing both girls are open to it. Which leaves only one Q: Screening party at my house or yours? I’ll wear my fancy acid-washeds for the occasion!
Lourdes in Dallas: Any big news on Heroes? Any cast changes for season three?
Yes! I’m hearing some old friends are returning—some alive and some not so alive. Check the spoiler section for that info.
Kristi in Murfreesboro, Tenn.: I was watching Hairspray last night (the new one directed by Adam Shankman), and which dancer gets a big fat closeup? Twitch, from So You Think You Can Dance! The show sometimes judged by Mr. Shankman…Interesting.
Well, Twitch also made an appearance on guest choreographer Wade Robson’s old show The Wade Robson Project, but as they say in the disclaimer at the end of every So You Think You Can Dance episode, “Due to the nature of the dance profession, members of the cast, choreographers, and/or judges may have had varying levels of professional interaction prior to the production.” I’m sure there are myriad other connections between the contestants and the judges, but I personally trust that they’re all keeping it honest and above-board. Why do I think this? Because I luuuurve that show.
Pam in Tacoma, Wash.: Any word on Californication? Strangely, I miss it the most. When does it return?
Late September. I talked to Mia, aka Madeline Zima recently, and she told me they’ve shot eight of the 12 episodes of season two of Californication, and that so far the season features “a lot more…sex. More sex and more hilarious situations that could only happen to someone [like Hank].” Madeline also gets a little defensive while discussing her character’s naughty behavior, saying, “She’s not a troublemaker. She’s just young. She doesn’t really know anything.” (Ah, those crazy kids today, with all their fornication and plagiarism!)
Jules in Solvang, Calif.: Have you seen Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog yet? I’m dying to hear what you think.
I get to see it Thursday (Neil Patrick Harris and Joss Whedon, I’ve missed you!), and I’ll be sure to bring you the full report ASAP! Actually, speaking of that upcoming Whedonry, here’s a fun fact I picked up: Joss’ brothers (Jed and Zack, the cocreators of Dr. Horrible) and Bones star Emily Deschanel went to the same high school. According to Emily, “I know his family. Joss actually taught video at my school, because he was a little older.” Lucky girl!
Mark in Dallas: Mad Men is coming back soon! Please tell me you have some juicy gossip!
Instead of asking about the show, how about being on the show? AMC is running a contest for all the Don Drapers, Pete Campbells and Peggy Olsons out there. All you need to do is grab a camera, download one of the short scripts and put on your best 1960s gear and attitude by Aug. 25. The winner gets a walk-on role in season three!
Christina in Berlin, Germany: Hey Kristin, somebody told me the new Ryan Murphy series called Pretty Handsome (with Joseph Fiennes, Carrie-Ann Moss and Blythe Danner) didn’t get picked up by FX. Is that true? I can’t find anything official on the Net.
Sources at FX confirm that the network is not picking up the Pretty Handsome pilot to series. Sorry.
Rob in Rio Rancho, N.M.: What do you think of the new HBO miniseries, Generation Kill?
Generation Kill looks to be good stuff. Based on what I’ve seen so far, Generation is a smart, thoughtful and funny look at some of the U.S. Marines who invaded Iraq. Most of all, in true HBO tradition, it’s dirty—there’s a lot of sex talk and a lot of gritty sand getting all over the place. And fans of HBO’s Oz will appreciate the return of the outstanding Lee Tergesen. Definitely give it a shot.
Kiyoshi in Gardena, Calif.: I’m dying of boredom this summer. There’s hardly anything to watch. Help!
Good news: In the next few weeks, this-here Watch With Kristin section will be filled with all sorts of real-life encounters with your favorite TV peeps. (It’s not TV, but it’s the next best thing!) The TV summer press tour is starting up very soon, and then we go right into Comic-Con, so keep checking back for liveblogging, party reports and tons of exclusive red carpet footage. If you have any specific Q’s you want answered, email me at .
Tom in Orlando: I thought Linderman was dead on Heroes, but then I heard Malcolm McDowell say he’s returning. WTF?
Let’s just say our beloved Nathan Petrelli has a brush with death (you saw that last season) and when he comes back…Wait, what was I saying again? For some reason I just started thinking about that movie with Bruce Willis where the kid sees dead people. What was that called again? That was an awesome movie. Hmmm, I wonder why my mind just went there. Old age is a bitch. Anyway, in other news, Ali Larter is coming back as a totally different person (i.e. doppelgänger), meaning someone who is not Niki or Jessica or Gina (my head is hurting), and with a whole new power. And Claire’s bio-madre Jessalyn Gilsig is also returning.
Mike in Anchorage, Alaska: Quick, give us something good on Heroes! How about some dirt on my favorite, Suresh?
Oh, twist my arm and force me to talk about one of TV’s hottest men. Mohinder Suresh has a lot coming up this season, including a love connection with a female Hero we already know (together, they are hot as fire). And let’s just say that if you had a sneaking suspicion Suresh might have some kind of superability, you would not be wrong at one point this season. There is more to him than meets the eye, but he ultimately may need to “scale back.” (Note the quotes and try to figure out what the bejeezus I’m talking about in the Comments below.)
Mariella in Salt Lake City: Is Brothers & Sisters going through with the Rebecca and Justin storyline?
Indeed! At least, that’s what I’m hearing, though they keep it a secret from the rest of the family at first. Word is, Rebecca’s getting her own apartment, so that helps with their clandestine cozying. In other news, I’m told Tommy and Kevin have major tension this season, and Tommy might even fire Kevin (which you may or may not find interesting if you have or have not read certain totally trashy gossip reports which I’m sure you do not and I don’t either).
Anais in San Francisco: Anything good about Gossip Girl? You know you love it.
As if that were open for debate! I’m hearing Dan and Serena’s on-again, off-again roller-coaster romance takes center stage for Kristen Bell’s Gossip Girl’s blog in the new season—so much so that a group of passionate tween readers accost Dan and Serena to give them a stern talking-to about what they’re doing wrong. Tee-hee.
Sam in North Dakota: Anything on my girl Allison Dubois from Medium?
Just that I’m promised the Dubois domestic distress of yesterseason is fully gone! (And good riddance.) In season five Joe has settled into a cool new job (presumably with the guy who bought his idea from the beyotch), and Allison is going back to work in the D.A.’s office. Consider the happy-ending finale of last season to be the pilot for next season. (Yay!)
Katrina in Vashon Island, Wash.: What’s coming up on Weeds? I think I kind of love this season.
I know! So good! Anyway, coming up, in the second-to-last episode, someone’s getting kidnapped and held hostage…
Shira in Israel: I love Eli Stone so much! What’s coming up in season two?
Remember when Arvin Sloane went “good” on Alias? Well, apparently Spy Daddy Victor Garber is following in his footsteps—his Eli Stone character, Jordan Wethersby, decides he wants to take the entire firm pro bono. Go Daddy Do-Good!
Jessica in Ft. Worth, Texas: Can you please do something about all the Army Wives haters? Army Wives makes me laugh and cry, and I love all the characters. Tell the snobs to watch it before they ream it, will ya? Oh, and while you’re at it, do you have any scoop?
Now how about two bits of Roland dish? I have it on good authority he’ll be shirtless in the very near future (woo!), and that as part of his teen counseling work, he gets entangled with a troubled young man who just lost his father to combat in Afghanistan. The teen, Jake, adopts Roland as a surrogate father of sorts, and things quickly start getting too close for comfort. P.S. Down with the haters!
Mikella in Oahu, Hawaii: Secret Diary of a Call Girl is so bad it’s almost good. Why can I not stop watching?
I’m right there with you, babe. It’s so dirrrrty, it’s addictive. Anyway, coming up, danger is coming to Belle’s love shack in the form of a freaky guy who won’t leave her apartment. (Scary.) Oh, and the last (eighth) episode is pretty outstanding: Belle makes a career change, and we begin to see she may have a soul mate after all. (Hint: You’ve met him.)
Marcia in Riverside, Calif.: I’m absolutely freaking out over your One Tree Hill spoiler that Brooke would go to a “dark place” this season. Please tell me she’s not going blind!?
Oh, good lord. No. Promise.
Jody in Frisco, Colo.: Is Robert Buckley returning for Lipstick Jungle’s season two? His scenes with Kim Raver are the main reason I watch the show. Any scoop on Kirby and Nico?
Yes! Buckley is definitely back (a source tells me he’s shooting in New York right now), and I have a feeling Nico and Kirby might end up getting down and dirty again, because…Nico’s hubby is gone for good! Rosie Perez’s character was photographed recently wearing black mourning at Charles’ funeral.
So You Think You Can Dance: Top 12 Revealed
It was a long night on Wednesday getting through fourteen routines, most of which were lackluster. When do you think the judges will start admitting that season four is just not up to snuff? Now it’s time to see who was able to snag enough votes to stay one more week on So You Think You Can Dance.
The Opening Performance
The top fourteen dancers performed a Broadway routine to “Money Money” from Cabaret (Original Cast Recording) choreographed by Tyce DiOrio. The performance started off slow for me, but at the part of the song where the company starts whispering “money, money, money, money,” I thought the dance picked up as well. I think that’s testament to Tyce’s ability to pace a number.
Tyce’s take on the song was a little watered-down and very “appropriate” for network TV. Those of you who have seen the Broadway show know that the choreography is grittier and much raunchier than that. But, what could he do?
Another slight issue was that there are a lot of people who find Will annoying. If you’re one of them, you may have not liked this routine right from the beginning. After all, it starts with his mug for the first ten seconds. I like Will; I thought he was strong. But, I think Mark should have been the lead male in this dance. He’s just so quirky and he’s a little effeminate. The part of the Emcee would have fit nicely.
When all the dancers started dancing in unison and the camera pulled away for that double pirouette, it was awesome. The editing worked very nicely there, really complimenting the action on stage.
And this is an aside, but what did you think of the video package of Tyce DiOrio they showed after his piece? Filler?
The Results
Kherrington and Twitch [SAFE]
Katee and Joshua [SAFE]
Kourtni and Matt [BOTTOM THREE]
Courtney and Gev [BOTTOM THREE]
Chelsea and Mark [SAFE]
Comfort and Thayne [BOTTOM THREE]
Will and Jessica [SAFE]
The Guest Performances
The guest dancer was Robert the popper from Los Angeles who made it to Vegas then quit the first day. Dancing to C&C Music Factory’s “Everybody Dance Now,” he was downright brilliant. The sunglasses and the ending pose were the best. I didn’t like how Nigel poked fun at him for quitting though. He’s a guest star on your show. Leaving it at “We’re sad he didn’t continue in Vegas” was enough. I thought embarrassing him on stage by suggesting that he would back down from a popping battle was over-the-top and rude. Sheesh.
The Solos
Kourtni L. danced to “No Man” by Nina Storey. The choreography was great, but you could tell she’s sick of being in the bottom three. I think she’s lost a little energy and heart after being up for elimination so many weeks in a row. Her five pirouettes are always nice to see. The other piece of her choreography that was exceptional was the attitude turn that ended in an arabesque with her arms extended in high V. Kourtni does a nice job of peppering her solos with both turns and extensions as well as funky movements.
Speaking of extensions, Matt did his solo next. He danced to “Sweet Contentment” by Bradley James and the Roadies. But there were too many extensions. And he does the same thing every week: developpes, battements, penchés a la seconde, and rond de jambes. Matt also needs to do more with his expression — the smile never changes. The pirouette into the drop was excellent though.
Courtney G. danced to “What’s Another Day” by Maria Mena. It was like someone let a racehorse out of the gate. You could tell she was like “I’m doing everything that looks cool so I’ll stay.” She started with a huge leap. Then did some fouetté turns (a little sloppy getting into them). But she had incredible energy!
Gev danced to “Everybody Loves a Carnival” by Fatboy Slim. What musicality he has! I loved his routine. The ending was sick. He threw the front flip like he was going to jump off a building. Even Cat was scared. Never, ever, do that to me again,” she said when she got up on stage.
Comfort danced to “Hit the Floor” by Twista featuring Pitbull. I think she’s running out of choreography. I don’t have much to say about this. What did you guys think of it?
Thayne danced to “Break Free” by Queen. I like the songs he picks for his solos. I think he worked on his solo from last week too. This one was much more polished. The beginning was fantastic. And he found a song that matches his super smiley face.
The Eliminations
Nigel said they were keeping Courtney G. because she’s always risen to the occasion and done what’s asked of her. He told Comfort that he didn’t want to keep her but the others did. That meant Kourtni L. went home. Nigel kept Gev right away; he was thrilled with Gev’s solo. Matt went home because he came into the program at a high level but didn’t grow at all from there. The couples didn’t change.
Wade Robson on Star Search
I know fans of So You Think You Can Dance have noticed that one of the best choreographers from show is absent this season. We know why Shane Sparks isn’t on the program this summer, but what about Wade Robson? Many fans of the show agree that he has put together some of fiercest couple routines and group performances that So You Think You Can Dance has ever seen.
Unfortunately, I don’t know where Wade Robson is. Believe me, if I find out if he’s coming back to Fox’s hit show, you TV readers will be the first to know. I thought in the meantime we could enjoy some of his other work, including his performance on Star Search as a little boy. It’s adorable.Here’s Wade Robson on Star Search in 1990:
And here’s another tribute to Michael Jackson from The Wade Robson Project:
I love watching him dance. His movements are so fluid. You can see Michael Jackson’s influence in his SYTYCD choreography too.
So You Think You Can Dance airs on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. and Thursdays at 9 p.m. on FOX.
So You Think You Can Dance: Top 14 Perform
I’m filling in for Jason as he had some technical difficulties last night. So let’s get right to it. Tabitha and Napoleon were helping out Mary and Nigel at the judges table. And thank goodness for that. I’ve been waiting to see someone else’s hip-hop choreography. Theirs is very hit or miss for me.
We got to see fourteen routines tonight on So You Think You Can Dance as the seven couples appeared twice. I love when they move to this part of the competition. You get to see right away who has the determination, strength, and technical know-how to stay alive on this show.
And it was a night of crazy hair…
THE PERFORMANCES:
Jessica and Will danced a jive, choreographed by Tony Meredith and Melanie to “Choo Choo Ch’ Boogie” from Five Guys Named Moe (Original Broadway Cast). Like Nigel said, the dance was a good opening. Tabitha said that she felt them fighting for their lives. I definitely felt that too. And I felt like Jessica relaxed a little after that trick where she jumps over Will’s back and comes flying through his legs back into an upright position. Mary and Nigel both agreed that Jessica still isn’t quite up to snuff yet. Will’s energy went down a little from last week too. I don’t think Jessica is bringing him down though; he was probably just trying to remember all the intricacies of the dance.
Comfort and Thayne danced a Broadway routine by Andy Blankenbuehler to “Cool” from West Side Story. Thank-you Nigel! The choreography was excellent and very much in the vein of Jerome Robbins. But the performance was lackluster. I would have rather watched Chris and Chelsea do that routine. I feel a little cheated.
Kourtni and Matt did a Cecily and Alyssa hip-hop routine to “How Do I Breathe” by Mario. And the slow night just continued. These past two numbers made Jessica and Will’s jive look even better. Napoleon pointed out that their performance would not fly well at a hip-hop competition. They looked like fish out of water.
Chelsea and Mark did a jazz routine choreographed by Mandy Moore to “Kiss Kiss” by Holly Vance. It was really good, especially compared to the last three pieces. They did a good job hitting that choreography which was quite fast. Also, kudos to Mandy More for playing to Chelsea’s Latin ballroom background with all those hip movements. Their partnering tricks were wacky though. Mark isn’t all that strong so a few of the transitions with the lifts were awkward. Mark is much stronger dancing beside Chelsea (as opposed to intertwining and lifting and turning her through the space).
Kherrington and Twitch danced a paso doble by Tony Meredith and Melanie to “Malaguena ” by the Brian Setzer ’68 Comeback Special. It was, umm, interesting. Nigel thought Kherrington demanded more of Twitch than he gave. Mary conceded it was entertaining, but she didn’t think it was that great. Tabitha and Napoleon pointed out that Twitch only came alive halfway through the performance. I’m on the fence for this one. Some parts were good, but Kherrington’s facial expressions are starting to irritate me. I don’t find her believable. The hair didn’t help either (but that’s not her fault).
Katee and Joshua performed a contemporary routine by Mia Michaels to “Hometown Glory” by Adele. Why do contemporary dancers always look like they have some serious intestinal pain? That said, I liked this performance. It just exploded about twenty seconds in. Tabatha pointed out that they both had such presence — even with plain walking, you couldn’t take your eyes off them. Mary called it “monumental stillness.”
Gev and Courtney danced a hip-hop number by Cecily and Alyssa to “Lights, Camera, Action” by Mr. Cheeks. Tabatha, Napoleon and Mary all agreed that Gev was outdanced by Courtney. I have to agree too. Courtney really held her own out there. Of course, the piece had some parts that could’ve been better. The energy was very one note. They should have saved something extra for the chorus of the song. Also, I know it’s their choreography, but Cecily and Alyssa couldn’t have used Gev’s breaker tricks a little? Just a little?
Jessica and Will did their second routine to a Mandy More Lyrical Jazz number, “Alone” by Heart. That was excellent. Well executed, believable expression, and amazing energy. Oh, and Heart rocks. I was skeptical about the shirt too (especially after last week’s “mud” sheet in Chris and Comfort’s Jazz). But it works. He undresses her. He dresses her. He undresses her. You get the picture.
Comfort and Thayne danced their second piece to an Edward Simons Smooth Waltz. The piece was set to “Hov Arek Sarer Jan” by Neew Age Armenia. This piece had some beautiful lifts. Comfort needs to watch her hands when she’s up that high being presented to the audience. The piece had a chilling atmosphere and a very “period” feel to it. The judges seemed to agree that this piece was much better than the couple’s first one.
Kourtni and Matt did a mambo by Alex Da Silva to “Ban-Con-Tim ” by Super All-Star. Mary didn’t believe the chemistry. Tabatha wanted more from Matt. Nigel brought up a great point about the routine’s difficulty: the choreographer and his partner were shorter than the dancers. This is very true. Smaller people can move through space at a different speed than tall people. Shorter people (obviously) are closer to the ground and have a lower center a gravity. That’s why getting Kourtni’s long legs to fly around Matt in the beginning lift was probably very tough.
Chelsea and Mark performed their second dance to “It’s My Life” by Paul Anka, a foxtrot choreographed for them by Edward Simons. I enjoyed it. Mary Murphy reminded everyone that there were some very hard steps in that routine. I didn’t notice — most of the routine was effortlessly danced.
Twitch and Kherrington danced their second piece to “Dreaming with a Broken Heart ” by John Mayer, a contemporary piece by Mia Michaels. Tabatha said, “Awesome Awesome Awesome Awesome.” Napoleon said it was storytelling at its best. Mary said Mia Michaels had outdone herself. And Nigel quipped that the routine was about him. I agree with Nigel that they were committed to the characters. I’m not one for contemporary routines and I enjoyed this. The story was there. I just don’t like all the harsh movements — they come off too spazzy for me. They’re a little funny even and lend themselves to parody. I liked Mandy More’s lyrical choreography much better. This piece was better than Katee and Joshua’s routine we saw earlier in the night though. What do you think?
Katee and Joshua did a west coast swing number choreographed by season two winner Benji Schwimmer. The piece was set to “Shake It” by Brother Yusef. The routine got a Mary scream. Nigel pointed out that they played totally different characters with their routines tonight. I was a little scared when they did those cartwheels though. Joshua is too strong for his own good sometimes.
Courtney and Gev did a Broadway routine by Andy Blankenbuehler to “New York, New York,” by Bernstein, Comden and Green. The judges raved about it. I adored this number. It had all the exuberance of On The Town. I thoroughly enjoyed it because Courtney and Gev committed to the goofiness and joie de vive of the characters they played. I look forward to seeing more from this choreographer.
BEST OF THE NIGHT
Here’s my top three routines…
Jessica and Will’s Lyrical Jazz
Chelsea and Mark’s jazz
Courtney and Gev’s Broadway
WORST OF THE NIGHT
Comfort and Thayne’s Broadway
Kourtni and Matt’s hip-hop
OUTFIT OF THE NIGHT
Comfort’s black and gray dress in the Smooth Waltz was incredibly understated and elegant. But the outfits of the night were the ones Courtney and Gev wore for the Broadway number.
BEST LINE OF THE NIGHT
Okay, there’s three…
“If I get my boo now, can I then talk after it?” — Nigel being snarky to the audience
“Talent is flame and genius is fire. And that was fire. Whaaaooooo.” — Mary on Will and Jessica’s Lyrical Jazz piece
“I’m going and I have a feather in my mouth” — Tabatha on Chelsea in her Foxtrot
OTHER STUFF
- Katee and Joshua are phenomenal. Nigel said that they are one of the four couples who will make this season outstanding. Wouldn’t it be funny if the girl who almost got cut at the last second won the whole show? (I wrote that before Napoleon said it on the show. Just pointing it out.)
- What was with the hair? Were the stylists on dope this week? Cat had her goldy locks pinned up. Kherrington looked like a blonde version of Bridgitte Neilsen in Red Sonja. Katee looked like a cockatoo.
- After looking so incredible in that blue half-dress last week, Courtney could not have looked worse in her first costume. Highwaters and Tims? Really?
- Cat Deeley looked like a really pretty birthday present tonight.
- Mandy More picks the best songs.
- Jessica isn’t as good as Will. Will is amazing. But but but, Jessica is still excellent. I’m sick of hearing her told she’s bringing him down. I think he’s even sick of it. I was so pleased when Mary said Jessica did well in her second routine.
- Did I detect a little Simon / Paula dynamic with Nigel and Mary tonight?