DVD of the Week: V’s have Arrived on DVD

It is election day and are you ready for an invasion?

The V‘s are invading on DVD today, the ABC alien-drama starring Elizabeth Mitchell, aired last year a total of 12 episodes that are all out on this DVD set. V returns on Tuesday, January 4th at 9/8c with 10 new episodes that promise to build on last year’s solid year one. The show also stars Morris Chestnut, Joel Gretsch, Logan Huffman, Laura Vandervoort, and Scott Wolf.

The 3 disc set includes specials on the special effects that drive the series, an explanation from cast and creators about the mythology, and stories from the set as well as the usual commentary and unaired scenes.

I highly recommend checking this one out, it is a well made and produced sci-fi series and believe it or not had the biggest demo premiere of any new series last year. It is out on DVD today!

ABC to launch Off the Map on Wednesdays come January

Off the Map

Shonda Rhimes, creator of ABC hits Private Practice and Grey’s Anatomy, may have another hit at ABC come January 12th. She is producing along with creator Jenna Bans, on Off the Map, which will premiere Wednesday, January 12th at 10/9c, according to a release by the network this afternoon

The series stars the young talent of Caroline Dhavernas (Wonderfalls), Rachelle Lefevre (Twilight), Mamie Gummer (The Good Wife), and Zach Gilford (Friday Night Lights), among others, as young doctors that go to work on a remote tropical location, to find themselves, and discover some unique medical situations.

Off the Map was originally scheduled to take over for Brothers and Sisters on Sundays, but when the 5th-year drama hit a ratings boost this year and got an additional pickup things changed. New ABC president Paul Lee is said to be high on the project shooting in Hawaii, granting Off the Map a full 13 episode pickup, opposed to the seven episodes it originally got.

It is unclear at the time whether this will be the permanent location for the series on ABC’s midseason schedule that will include Matthew Perry-led Mr. Sunshine, new comedy Happy Endings, and a new drama starring Dana Delany entitled Body of Proof, expect a full release tomorrow.

The mini-release by ABC is below on the show….

Staying “Forever Young” Parenthood on CD!

“PARENTHOOD” SOUNDTRACK ROCKS THE FALL

ARRIVAL RECORDS/SCION MUSIC GROUP TO RELEASE THE SOUNDTRACK TO NBC’S TOP RATED TELEVISION SHOW “PARENTHOOD”

Forever Young! Oh, how I want to be forever young with Parenthood, NBC’s wonderful Tuesday night drama and today we get to savory the music it features.

The Soundtrack for the show is now available with songs like the perfect theme, Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young,” the smooth Corrine Bailey Rae and more. In terms of TV soundtracks this one is right up my alley, with calming and folky tunes to keep me interested for hours, go out and get this, everywhere.

Set for Aug 31, 2010 Digital Release and In Stores Oct. 5, 2010

Soundtrack Features Top Artists Bob Dylan, Wilco, Brett Dennen, The Avett Brothers, Corrine Bailey Rae, John Doe & Lucy Schwartz, Ray LaMontagne, among others

New Season Premiers on NBC Sept. 14

August 2010 – Bob Dylan, Wilco, Brett Dennen and others are featured on the soundtrack of the fall – “Parenthood” – set to rock into online retailers on Aug. 31 (to coincide with season one’s DVD release on Universal Studios Home Entertainment) and in stores on Oct. 5 by Arrival Records/Scion Music Group (distributed by Fontana Distribution a subsidiary of Universal Music Group).

The album features 12 tracks all of which are featured or will be featured on the show, including the much talked about theme song – Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young. ”  The physical CD also includes an exclusive version of that song sung by the iconic John Doe and rising star Lucy Schwartz as well as Schwartz’s “When We Were Young,” which is the international theme song for the show.

The talented artists who contributed to the soundtrack include: Bob Dylan, Brett Dennen, Amos Lee, The Avett Brothers, Corrine Bailey Rae, The Eels, Josh Ritter, Lucy Schwartz, The Swell Season, Wilco, Ray LaMontagne and John Doe & Lucy Schwartz.  Liza Richardson is the show’s music supervisor and soundtrack co-producer and music supervisor for the series along with Jonathan Platt, Jonathan Miller and Jonathan McHugh.  The soundtrack is licensed through NBC Universal television, DVD, music and consumer products group.

Commenting on the album, Liza Richardson says: “Working on “Parenthood” is a music supervisor’s dream. I’m working with extremely creative pros.  These are people who love music and understand how to put the right song in the right scene and effectively help tell a story.  The editors, the writers, the execs all make a huge contribution to the way the show sounds.”

Adds Jason Katims: “I am tremendously proud of the caliber of artists who’ve lent their voices to “Parenthood,” and to this amazing soundtrack.”

Season two of “Parenthood” will premier on NBC on Tues., Sept. 14. The show, which was number one in its time slot last season, is produced by Oscar-winning producers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer (“A Beautiful Mind,” “Frost”/”Nixon”) and show runner Jason Katims (“Friday Night Lights”). A comedic yet heartfelt and thought-provoking series, “Parenthood” follows four grown siblings of the far-from-perfect Braverman clan as they try to balance kids and careers, dreams and commitments and romance…or a total lack thereof.

For more information please visit www.parenthoodtvsoundtrack.com

The Parenthood soundtrack track list is as follows:

1.      Forever Young – Bob Dylan
2.      Darlin’ Do Not Fear – Brett Dennen
3.      Colors – Amos Lee
4.      Kick Drum Heart – The Avett Brothers
5.      Put Your Records On – Corrine Bailey Rae
6.      In My Dreams – Eels
7.      Change of Time – Josh Ritter
8.      When We Were Young – Lucy Schwartz
9.      In These Arms – The Swell Season
10.     Solitaire – Wilco
11.     Let It Be Me – Ray LaMontagne
12.     Forever Young – John Doe & Lucy Schwartz

What to Look Out For This Week

Things are just rolling along, and the new fall season has turned into the story of declining ratings with almost every new series dropping in week two with only a few exception, the returning shows are really what to watch now, and here are some notables for the week:

Lie to Me – 9/8c Monday on FOX

Lone Star out, Lie to Me in. After only a little more than a month of hiatus, Lie to Me is back with season 3 of the sleeper performer about Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) who is a human lie detector. The series was originally set to return in November but things changed rather quickly last week. The premiere of the new season, is very much in line with the solid second season. The episode follows an angry Cal, now split from partnership from the FBI, helping with a thief.  Expect more recurring female cast members this year as well as guest stars like Breaking Bad‘s Anna Gunn to throw Cal for a loop if that is possible.

Stargate Universe – 9/8c Tuesday on Syfy

How many of you tuned into the second season premiere last week? 2nd season? Does it not feel, or is it just me, that SGU has been chugging along for a while now. If you liked the premiere, which I thought was solid, the second episode is one of the show’s strongest. With great performances by Ming-Na and Robert Carlyle, the show is at heart a human sci-fi drama, and this episode showcases this.

Caprica – 10/9c Tuesday on Syfy
Now another case of a series brought up earlier than expected, Caprica was originally marked as returning in January, almost a full year after the series completed its half-season run, but Syfy decided to pull it up earlier after SGU. I have not seen the new episodes of the series which I thought at its core was great when it went from family drama to hardcore Sci-fi drama and I hope that continues in the second half which will explore in more depth the growing concern and construction of cylons.

The Whole Truth – 10/9c Wednesday on ABC

If you had to bet on a third series cut, The Whole Truth might be your best bet after barely reading on Wednesday nights. ABC is giving the series one last shot, and moved up an episode to showcase its strong legal stories. They were wise to do this, as the episode in question airing this week, guest stars Wire alum Andre Royo, as well as fellow Numb3rs grad Judd Hirsh, as a very corrupt judge that Jimmy (Rob Morrow) defends. The episode is the best one yet and got me more interested in the stories they can tell but the series is not one I would be upset about losing.

FOX Action: Now on DVD and TV

Have you been missing Christopher Chance, really excited about this week’s premiere of Human Target, well, you will have to wait a little longer. Due to Tuesday’s sad cancellation of Lone Star, FOX has opted to pull Lie to Me (which was scheduled to debut November 10th) to Mondays at 9/8c starting next week, and pull Human Target from the death that is Fridays up to Wednesday which means waiting till after baseball on November 17th.

While I should be happy that this means more eyes for a premiere that is wonderfully action-packed, it does mean we have to wait a bit longer. Thankfully, the first season of Human Target, which stars Mark Valley, Chi McBride, and Jackie Earle Haley, as a group of bodyguards that go way above and beyond the call, is now on DVD thanks to the wonderful people over at the WB. The set includes all 13 episodes, plus some commentaries, and behind the scenes features. I was a late adopter to this series, but I am glad I found out about its great action and intrigue. You can purchase the DVD anywhere or here at the WBShop.

But FOX Fridays are not without some action, The Good Guys, continues to air at 9/8c on the night. The Good Guys, premiered this summer to modest numbers, the series stars Bradley Whitford and Colin Hanks, as low-level detectives that get stuck on mundane jobs that seem to always have a bigger story. Created by Matt Nix, the show is more humor than anything, and that over the top stuff sometimes makes me laugh or cringe. In this week’s episode, co-star Jenny Wade gets to step out of the ADA office and gets to do some fun stuff including romance some villains. This may or may not be your cup-of-tea but there really isn’t anything else on to stop you from tuning in, is there?

Fall TV 2010: Law and Order invades LA with the Stars

Those iconic noises are moving coasts, the Law & Order franchise lost its mothership this year but NBC was not without an addition. Law and Order: Los Angeles joins the franchise tonight at 10/9c (we call it LOLA for short), and it welcomes some big names.

LOLA will be more L&O than SVU or CI, using the structure of half-cop, half-prosecuter story in California’s most famous locale. Skeet Ulrich and Corey Stoll are the two cops, who along with their captain (new addition Rachel Ticotin, who is first seen in episode three) fight the bad guys, which cases will be taken from the headlines.

On the other side, we have many characters. Each week, we will trade-off prosecuting teams with one led by Alfred Molina and Regina Hall while the other led by Terrance Howard, who moves TV and Megan Boone. One of my favorites, Peter Coyote will recur as the DA of LA County.

Nobody has seen the pilot as it went into production late and has led to some re-shoots but with the star-power I hope we can get some gritty and compelling stories. Check out a behind-the-scenes preview below…

Fall TV 2010: My Review of ABC’s No Ordinary Family

With the new fall season starting, new TV is bring us the good, the bad, and the mediocre, but how do you sort out the good and the bad? Here is what to watch this fall, so you can see the best new friendships, new loves, new action, and new heart. Now, ABC did not have the strongest week, but can their most talked about drama pull in the viewers….

What ABC Says

The Powells are about to go from ordinary to extraordinary. After 16 years of marriage, Jim feels disconnected from his workaholic wife, Stephanie, and two teenage children, Daphne and JJ. To encourage family bonding time, Jim decides the family will join Stephanie on her business trip to South America. When their plane crashes into the Amazon River, they barely enjoy a moment to celebrate their survival before returning to the grind of everyday life. But they will soon realize that their lives have been forever changed. Each member of the family starts to show signs of new, unique and distinct super powers. Will their newfound abilities finally bring them together or push them further apart? “No Ordinary Family” premieres TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on ABC.

“No Ordinary Family” stars Michael Chiklis as Jim Powell, Julie Benz as Stephanie Powell, Romany Malco as George St. Cloud, Autumn Reeser as Katie Andrews, Kay Panabaker as Daphne Powell, Jimmy Bennett as JJ Powell and Stephen Collins as Dr. Dayton King.

I am a sucker for superpowers and critics are very correct in making comparisons to maybe my favorite Pixar movie The Incredibles, because ABC’s No Ordinary Family, well is the Incredibles. It is a family, with superpowers, that even in the pilot go to a tropical island, but NOF (as I like to call it) is more than that. It focuses more on family then it does powers, which creates a sweet atmosphere for the show to live.

The cast of No Ordinary Family is pretty stellar, Michael Chiklis is playing a much lighter character than Vic Mackey but he is believable as sketch-artist Jim, and the sweet Julie Benz is adorable along with her equally adorable lab tech Autumn Reeser. Where NOF, could lose me, is in the mystery which I have seen three versions of, in three different pilots, but the one that will air this week, intrigues me but I can only hope it can live up to what it presents because if it doesn’t the show might just fall flat.

Watch, Record, Skip: Watch, No Ordinary Family reminds me why Greg Berlanti (Eli Stone, Jack & Bobby, Brothers and Sisters), always needs a show on television, well made, well acted, well written dramas, that have a feel-good nature to them. This is no exception, check it out Tuesday at 8/7c on ABC.

Fall TV 2010: NBC Week 2 Preview

The Event

NBC had a mix bag last week in terms of success stories and I am going to break it down night by night and tell you what looks good coming up.

MONDAY

Chuck was fun, and as always it never makes a ratings impact on Monday nights, the good news is that is sustained last years numbers and creatively, it is still finding ways to change-up the formal (Beckman rocks!). This week, the Old Spice guy is new the Greta, and we see Sarah kick some ass.

The Event was NBC’s big winner last week gaining great demo numbers and over 12 million viewers. Plus with the encore airings, even more eyes saw the plane disappear but I can tell you that is not “The Event.” The next two episodes which I have seen, including tonight’s, are chock full of answers, from who is Sophia, where is the plane, what happened, and where do our characters ly. I must admit, I had my extreme hesitations but this one is one to watch because both the next two hours, are VERY strong. Chase, with guest star Robert Knepper (Prison Break), continues to fit the baddies, and in the ratings did very respectable, nothing to talk about, but if it keeps it up, NBC will have a solid hour.

TUESDAY

The Biggest Loser is the stablest of shows on NBC’s slate but Parenthood, is showing varying signs. First the bad news, the ratings are anything but stellar, but the demos are constant and continue to perform well in the crowed timeslot, but the real test will be against CBS’s The Good Wife this week. Speaking of this week, the episode is a great showcase for Lauren Graham’s Sarah who has great banter with Billy Baldwin.

WEDNESDAY

I am not going to go to in-depth with Wednesday as look for a feature this week, but Undercovers under-delivered, and SVU continues to get those emotions rocking. How great were Henry Ian Cusiak and Joan Cusack?! This week, Jennifer Love Hewitt guests in a case that also brings Detective Benson to LA, to lead off the premiere of Law and Order: LA. Check back later for more.

THURSDAY

Community, Community, let’s make it happen people. The NBC comedies came in stronger than ever, creatively that is, but in the ratings, this night is no longer must-see TV for a lot of America. 30 Rock did good in its new earlier time-slot, but how funny was that premiere, hilarious, and Community kept its season 1 numbers which I guess is good. The Office delivered a fun episode but is not what is use to be, and America what is wrong with you? Why are you watching Outsourced? Stop, NOW.

FRIDAY

Wasteland! Outlaw did not even make a dent in its regular slot against CBS with the premiere of Blue Bloods, but coming on the 15th the new feel-good reality School Pride, that I am certainly excited for.

Fall TV 2010: My Review of CBS’s Blue Bloods

With the new fall season starting, new TV is bring us the good, the bad, and the mediocre, but how do you sort out the good and the bad? Here is what to watch this fall, so you can see the best new friendships, new loves, new action, and new heart. Now, last year CBS gave us the sleeper hit The Good Wife, and now they could be doing it again with an old staple…

What CBS Says:

BLUE BLOODS is a drama about a multi-generational family of cops dedicated to New York City law enforcement. Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) is the New York Chief of Police and patriarch of the Reagan brood, which he heads as diplomatically as he does the force, even when dealing with the politics that plagued his unapologetically bold father, Henry (Len Cariou), during his stint as Chief. A source of pride and concern for Frank is his eldest son Danny (Donnie Wahlberg), a seasoned detective, family man and Iraqi War vet who on occasion uses dubious tactics to solve cases. The sole Reagan woman in the family, Erin (Bridget Moynahan), is a N.Y. Assistant D.A. and newly single parent, who also serves as the legal compass for her siblings and father. Jamie (Will Estes) is the youngest Reagan, fresh out of Harvard Law and the family’s “golden boy.” However, unable to deny the family tradition, Jamie decided to give up a lucrative future in law and is now a newly minted cop, a career change seemingly supported by his beautiful girlfriend, Sydney Davenport (Dylan Moore), a first year lawyer. Jamie’s life takes an abrupt turn, however, when he’s asked to become part of a clandestine police investigation even his father knows nothing about, and one that could impact the family’s legacy.

As I stated in the intro, The Good Wife was a show I liked but never ever thought it would turn into my favorite new drama, or a well constructed balance of procedural and personal story, CBS’s Blue Bloods, may do that. It is a procedural, down to the opening scene, to the final act, but interlaced through that dark and compelling story, is the personal aspects of the Reagan family. The Reagan’s are powerful in New York, NYPD staples, law-abiding citizens but they also fight, they drink, the fall in love, and they have flaws.

The pilot of the series is that of well, a pilot. It sets up a lot of the characters arc including Jamie’s (Estes) new cop lifestyle which is not to his girlfriends liking, Erin’s (Moynahan) liberal views, Danny’s (Wahlberg) love for the law that goes way to far, and the most surprising is that of Frank (Selleck), I won’t spoil it here but he is not just there for the over-seeing role, it is much more than that.

Watch, Record, Skip: If Blue Bloods was on Tuesday or Thursday, I would say this was a solid DVR staple, but because it is on low-rated Fridays at 10/9c, this is a definite watch, or save for that Saturday morning after a night out.

Fall TV 2010: Thursday Night Battles, Comedies, and Fringe

Thursdays = the biggest night for my DVR and the most night shows get pushed to Hulu and OnDemand. Here are some returning highlights for Thursday premiere night.

The Big Bang Theory – 8/7c on CBS

Thursday nights are here to stay for The Big Bang Theory, now the second most popular comedy on TV, it will no doubt find a large audience and create a brand new comedy night for CBS. The premiere of the geek ensemble is one of the strongest episodes since season one. The half-hour finds Sheldon going on a date with his new friend Amy (Mayim Bialik) but we all know he can’t drive so Penny has to stay for the long haul. Also, Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) gets a big episode when he is stuck in an awkward situation with a robot.

Community – 8/7c on NBC

Unfortunately, the Big Bang Theory‘s growing success is going to hurt NBC’s stellar sophomore comedy Community. With already low ratings, a big comedy powerhouse can’t help but we can only hope new viewers will see the Joel Mchale-led ensemble. The premiere also brings out the big guns, and yes I mean, Betty White. She plays a new professor at Glendale that really gets the gang going. I  really hope you tune in and DVR Big Bang, because we need to give this show all the eyes it can get.

Fringe – 9/8c on FOX

I. Love. Fringe. It never has been the must-see TV on Thursday, it should be but it is now. After seeing both of this season’s premiere, yes there is too, it showed it can be a new force in science fiction, and delivered two of the best hours of the series. The first premiere takes place “Over There,” where our original Olivia Dunham was stuck in the season finale, played by Emmy-contender Anna Torv, she is stuck and Waternate (John Noble) has no interested in helping her out. The premiere showcases Torv’s versatility, especially when you see her alternate version next week in an equal strong episode. This one you should be watching, stat.

Outsourced – 9:30/8:30c on NBC

New show, comedy, set in India, could not be that bad right in NBC’s workplace comedy block? Well, you would be very, very wrong, in my book Outsourced takes the cake by a landslide for this season’s worst new show. It is offense, un-fanny, and childish, it takes Indian stereotypes to an unnecessary extreme that should not even be on TV. Do yourself a favor, and tune way out. Sorry but lets bring back Parks and Recreation!