TV season starts in one week. I am so excited!!

Here's the link to the final version of THE SPREADSHEET !

Go Here

YAAAAAY!

I love netflix and all, but I cannot begin to tell you how I excited that we are about a month out from a lot of my shows coming back/starting.

I am most excited about The Office. which is interesting only because I didn't watch it last season. Thanks to a few friends on and off LJ I decided to give the first season a try. It hooked me in two episodes and I proceeded to watch all three seasons in 4 days. Needless to say, I'm sure, I am the most excited to see what happens with Jim and Pam. *sigh* I love Jim and Pam.

Here is the link to THE SPREADSHEET!

Go Here

The Emmy Nominations are out… I love the Emmys, more than the Oscars even, because TV is my biggest LOVE.

Here is a partial list of the nominees and my thoughts…

Outstanding Drama Series

This is tough for me, I feel like LOST was a glaring omission here and I love three of these shows…  If LOST was on this list I would vote for it outright.

So, I’m going with Heroes on this one, because it was AWESOME from like the fourth episode on. And because while House is one of the best shows on TV, it is really Hugh Laurie that deserves MOST of the acclaim. I feel like Heroes is an outstanding ensemble cast and that is what makes it the BEST show of last season.

Grey’s fell to third on my list of favorites and although I LOVED this season and I LOVE watching this show, I was majorly disappointed with the show this season. After Season 2… I don’t know how I couldn’t be.

• Boston Legal ABC
• Grey's Anatomy ABC
• Heroes NBC **
• House Fox
• The Sopranos HBO

Outstanding Comedy Series

Well… I only watch two of these shows… and before Monday of this week it was only 1 of these. Thanks to [Bad username: “hilker”] I started watching The Office this week—FINALLY and it is AWESOME. I haven’t finished Season 3 yet, so I am going to hold off on this category until I finish that and then I’ll give my pick.

I will say this though. The fact that WEEDS isn’t on here is criminal.

• 30 Rock NBC
• Entourage HBO
• The Office NBC
• Two and a Half Men CBS
• Ugly Betty ABC

 

 

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

No contest here… and though I think that there are many other actors that should have been on this list, I’m just going to say… Out-right Hugh Laurie, and I would say that even if the other actors were on here!

• Denis Leary - Rescue Me FX
• Hugh Laurie - House Fox**
• James Gandolfini - The Sopranos HBO
• James Spader - Boston Legal ABC
• Kiefer Sutherland - 24 Fox

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

This one also is NO CONTEST, mostly because I only watch one of these shows: Mariska Hargatay all the way!

• Edie Falco - The Sopranos HBO
• Kyra Sedgwick - The Closer TNT
• Mariska Hargitay - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit NBC **
• Minnie Driver - The Riches FX
• Patricia Arquette - Medium
• Sally Field - Brothers & Sisters ABC

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Though Adrian Monk is one of the BEST characters on television, it’s “Michael Scott” all the way. (Steve Carell)

• Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock NBC
• Charlie Sheen - Two and a Half Men CBS
• Ricky Gervais - Extras HBO
• Steve Carrell - The Office NBC **
• Tony Shalhoub - Monk USA

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Mary-Louise Parker. Hands down. This isn’t even a competition.

• America Ferrera - Ugly Betty ABC
• Felicity Huffman - Desperate Housewives ABC
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus - The New Adventures of Old Christine CBS
• Mary-Louise Parker - Weeds Showtime **
• Tina Fey - 30 Rock NBC

 

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

I have no idea how to fracking pick in this category. This is hard. I have a four way tie as far as wonderful in this category. It’s Masi, Michael Emerson, Terry and T.R. But I think that Michael and Terry were the best of those two and of those two… I think Michael is better, but not by much…

Where are the nominations for Milo (Peter Petrelli from Heroes) and Matthew Fox (Jack from LOST—say what you will about the character of Jack… but I really believe Matthew does a fan-fuckin-tastic job of playing him—especially in the season Finale) and Scott Foley (Brown from The Unit)??

• Masi Oka - Heroes NBC
• Michael Emerson - Lost ABC**
• Michael Imperioli - The Sopranos HBO
• T.R. Knight - Grey's Anatomy ABC
• Terry O'Quinn - Lost ABC
• William Shatner - Boston Legal ABC

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Since I can’t give Katherine Heigl an Emmy for Knocked Up, I’m going with Chandra Wilson, who (along with Kate Walsh—sadly not given a nod ) is the reason that Grey’s Anatomy stayed in my top three this year.

• Chandra Wilson - Grey's Anatomy ABC**
• Katherine Heigl - Grey's Anatomy ABC
• Rachel Griffiths - Brothers & Sisters ABC
• Aida Turturro - The Sopranos HBO
• Lorraine Bracco - The Sopranos HBO
• Sandra Oh - Grey's Anatomy ABC

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

How can I choose in this category? This is too fucking hard. I would love to hand an EMMY to the first four guys on this list. Sorry Jon Cryer, but I don’t think you can hold a candle to the first four on this list. Of the first four I think Kevin Dillon is the weakest, and I hate Johnny Drama so much that I just don’t want to see Kevin Dillon win for that character (though obviously Kevin Dillon plays him so well that I really do hate him) I would have rather seen Rex Lee (Ari’s gay assistant Lloyd on Entourage) get the nod.

Since Ari wasn’t playing that big of a roll on the last season of Entourage, (because the boys fired him and he didn’t get re-hired until the start of the season that is currently airing on HBO, I’m going to narrow it further to Neil and Rainn, sorry Jeremy—but don’t worry-you’ll be back.

Between Barney and Dwight… I just can’t choose. Emmys to both of you awesome men!! But… if John Krasinski (the adorable Jim from The Office) was in this list and he REALLY should have been, it would have been a three way tie!!

• Kevin Dillon - Entourage HBO
• Jeremy Piven - Entourage HBO
• Neil Patrick Harris - How I Met Your Mother CBS**
• Rainn Wilson - The Office NBC**
• Jon Cryer - Two and a Half Men CBS

 

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Though Jaime Pressly’s portrayal of Joy on My Name is Earl is fucking priceless and I really believe that that show wouldn’t be nearly as great if it wasn’t for her or the guy who plays Randy (Ethan Suplee); Jenna Fischer is my favorite by far. I heart Pam!

• Jaime Pressly - My Name is Earl NBC
• Jenna Fischer - The Office NBC**
• Holland Taylor - Two And A Half Men NBC
• Conchata Ferrell - Two And A Half Men NBC
• Vanessa Williams - Ugly Betty ABC
• Elizabeth Perkins - Weeds Showtime

 

 

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

Easy. Lost.

• Battlestar Galactica "Occupation/Precipice" Sci-Fi
• Lost "Through The Looking Glass" ABC**
• The Sopranos "Kennedy And Heidi" HBO
• The Sopranos "The Second Coming" HBO
• The Sopranos "Made In America" HBO

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

Even easier than the last one. The Office “Gay Witch Hunt”. Fucking brilliant.

• 30 Rock "Tracy Does Conan" NBC
• 30 Rock "Jack-Tor" NBC
• Extras "Daniel Radcliffe" HBO
• The Office "Gay Witch Hunt" NBC**
• The Office "The Negotiation" NBC

Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program

I heart Jon Stewart. Enough Said.

• The Colbert Report Comedy Central
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Comedy Central**
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien NBC
• Late Show with David Letterman CBS
• Real Time with Bill Maher HBO

 

New TV Spreadsheet

Woot!!

WOOT! How I love this show...

Let me say this. There are few things on television more satisfying than Jeremy Piven as Ari Gold.

This character is genius... A complete, probably over-the-top version of the Hollywood agent who can't be bothered with manners or humanity if it means looking like less of a big wig... I would probably HATE Ari with every fiber of my being if I had to actually be around him, but watching him is nothing short of hilarious.

The best is his interaction with Lloyd. His gay assistant, who is played by the fabulous Rex Lee. He says all manner of awful things to Lloyd, who takes it as much as possible with the grace and wit of a saint considering the level of abuse and still manages to come out on top.

I love the boys... Vince, Eric, Johnny Drama and Turtle are all worth watching any day of the week. I'm partial to Turtle, Eric and Vince way more than Johnny Drama -  the over the top annoying hasbeen brother - but even watching Kevin Dillon as Johnny Drama - who I hate is REALLY entertaining.

But not one of them holds a candle to Jeremy Piven. Fucking Brilliant. Guess that's why he won the Emmy.

So glad that Entourage is back. I missed it more than I knew... Now if fucking Weeds would come back, and fucking ABC would shelf the Grey's Anatomy spinoff and leave Kate Walsh where she is, life would be perfect in the world of Jenn's TV.

Yay for Deepest Sender.

It is my new Livejournal client. It's fancy schmancy!

It can handle "quotes" and lj-cuts like this one:

( happiness is a cool livejournal client. )

...But I guess that someone was because I got asked about the TV Blog today...

So... I will post more when the work is done for the Private Bookkeeping Client that I just quit (after March) but...

( A post with spoilers about LOST (through the episode that aired 3/21/07 )

Jess, R and I just finally finished watch season 5 of 24. Thank goodness... Now we can finally watch season 6. FIVE EPISODES IN!!

We actually probably won't get to watch it this weekend, because Jess will be in Philly, so by the time we are catching up we'll be 6 episodes in... but once we power through those... man oh man. woot.

gotta love some jack baur!

Last night, R and I were watching The Unit together( much to our delight). The winter hiatus is over for a bunch of shows now, but both of us were eagerly awaiting the return of this one...

If you're not watching this, you're missing out. If you are, I'm sure you'll agree... it's one of the most consistently GREAT shows on television.

The premise:

The Unit is a group of HIGHLY skilled, specially trained Army soldiers. (Think: Rangers). We, as viewers, focus on the number 1 team. There are 5 men. The leader and his four teammates. They report to their Colonel and to the President of the United States only. (Last night we found out that the President in this universe is played by William H. Macy-YAY!) No one besides members of the Unit, their wives, their commanding officer and certain high up politicians know about them. They are sent all over the world performing the kind of missions that no one else can do. To put it another way, If you are in trouble - you want THESE guys in your corner. These soldiers would do anything got one another or for their wives. They are every essence of a team.

The show is awesome... It focuses mostly on the mission each week, which is always different. Some examples: Getting the daughter of a close friend of a high up unit member out of the compound of a cult. Protecting a United States Senator while she tries to see the rising leader of a coup in South East Asia and stopping her from getting to this leader.

The other focus of the show is life for the families of this Unit. The men all have very different situations, and are from very different backgrounds. Some of them have wives and kids, some don't. The show follows the goings on of these families, on the base and personally, and it shows, very elegantly, that behind every good soldier is a good woman.

Dennis Haysbert plays the Sergeant Major, the leader of this team-Jonas Blaine. Haysbert, who I really think can only play some variance of a STRONG, GOOD men, plays a strong, skilled, powerful man, who doesn't say a whole lot, but when he does speak, people listen. In one episode in the first season, a woman, a journalist, I think, did Jonas a favor. In return she got a card with Jonas' number on it. He said, "Think of it like a get out of jail free card." He explained that if she were ever in a situation where there wasn't anyone else who could help her, she should call him and he would. The thing is... If I were in her position, I would believe very much that Jonas could get me out of ANYTHING. I would love to have a real card from a real person like Jonas. (maybe he could take care of my situation with my dad for me!)

Regina Taylor plays Molly Blaine, Jonas' wife. She is a great partner to him, strong-willed and very capable. She is sort of a leader for the wives. She understands the necessity of secrecy about the Unit and she accepts that she will never really know what her husband does. She is a talker and she could sell ice to an eskimo.

Scott Foley (I typed Noel first and had to delete it - damn that Felicity.) plays Bob Brown. He is the newest member to the team. He has very quickly shown that of the subordinates, he is the one to beat. He is the best, second only to Jonas. He is as ethical as he is strong, but he is willing to do what is necessary to complete the mission. In the aforementioned extracting a girl from the compound of a cult episode, the girl was giving him serious trouble, and she was fighting him kicking and screaming. He punched her. He and Jonas both remind me of that line in the Usual Suspects, "...and then he showed these men of will what will really is..."

Audrey Marie Anderson plays Kim Brown, Bob's wife. She is new to this whole secrecy thing. She's not too thrilled about not knowing where her husband is or what his is doing. But she's just as loyal to the other wives and the Unit as a whole as Molly, and sometimes she puts her nose in where it doesn't belong.

The best thing about this show is that, even though I've never been in the Army or special forces or anything like that, is that it's believable. Richard, who was in the Army, says that the consultants on the show are spot on on everything from terminology to weaponry. The women are belivable, the relationships are believable, and the character development is believable. I have never been disappointed by this show. And even though it has only been on for two years, so there's still plenty of time for them to disappoint me... LOST disappointed the hell out of me in the second season. So have many other shows...

The Unit airs 9pm on Tuesdays on CBS (at least in LA) and is broadcast in HD if you are so inclined.

Jenn's rating: Tier 1 (Tier 1 = Must-see television. Always watch it within 3 days of airing, usually the same day just a little later.)

I have a few friends who have been telling me for a long time that I should write about TV... I don't know if anyone really cares and I want to build up my chops before I try to start working for entertainment weekly, so here I am... Writing about TV in my new TV blog.

Woot.