As a nature documentary junkie, I’m attracted to shiny objects like the ones shown in the Discovery Channel’s upcoming series – LIFE. This 11-part series premieres on Sunday, March 21st at 8PM ET/PT featuring stunning video and Oprah Winfrey providing the narration.
Here’s an amazing clip of some flying fish!
LIFE comes to us from the makers of Planet Earth, which was amazing.
According to a recent Discovery Channel press release:
Narrated by global media leader and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey and more than four years in the making, the 11-part series LIFE is the definitive exploration of the adaptability and diversity of life on earth, revealing the most spectacular, bizarre and fascinating behaviors that living things have devised to thrive. The premiere episode of LIFE, Challenges of Life, provides an overview and sets the stage for the ambitious series. A special Making Of episode caps the series and tells the incredible stories of the dozens of men and women who spent days, weeks and months patiently waiting for a perfect shot. Other episodes showcase Birds, deep sea marine invertebrates (Creatures of the Deep), Fish, hunting mammals (Hunters and Hunted), Insects, Mammals, Plants, Primates and Reptiles & Amphibians.
Following its premiere across the seven Discovery U.S. networks, LIFE will air in two-episode installments each Sunday on Discovery Channel and Discovery Channel HD from 8-10PM ET, culminating with The Making of LIFE at 10PM ET on April 18.
Tune in to watch these amazing spectacles of nature caught on video. I know I’ll be watching!
Over the summer, I became addicted to the most recent entry in the Stargate series from Syfy – Stargate Universe. On Friday, April 2nd, it returns with the 2nd half of season 1.
Kevin Reilly, President, Entertainment for Fox announced the news Monday.
“FRINGE tapped into a deep creative mine this year that built momentum throughout the season and helped give us our first real foothold on TV’s most competitive night,” said Reilly. “The entire FRINGE team – from the producers and writers to the cast and crew – has taken smart storytelling and top production quality to a whole new level. The rest of this season is mind-blowing, and we can’t wait to get started on the third installment of this amazing journey.”
As a dedicated viewer, I have to say I’m excited to see what’s in store for Walter, Peter, and Olivia. Each new episode provides humor, bizarre science, and more pieces to the puzzle of how two worlds could possibly collide.
Evidently in season 2, Fringe caught the attention of more viewers in their time slot – with Bones (another of our favorite shows) as a lead in. The show’s average Thursday rating among adults 18-49 was up by more than 50%. Amazing results.
So stay tuned for the continuing saga… The next episode airs on Thursday, April 1st on FOX. I know I’ll be watching.
Burn Notice began airing in June 2007 on the USA Network. The series, created by Matt Nix, centers on Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan), a spy “burned” by his own agency who ends up in Miami, Florida. When a spy is “burned,” he is considered a threat to national security and dumped somewhere he cannot leave. It’s tough to go anywhere when your bank accounts are frozen and you have no assets. Since the beginning, Westen has been trying to find out who burned him and how to get back into the agency’s good graces.
Luckily for Westen, he has friends and family in Miami. His mom, Madeline (played to the hilt by a chain-smoking Sharon Gless), lives in Miami, as does his friend and former FBI agent Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell) and his former IRA operative girlfriend Fiona Glenanne (Gabrielle Anwar). This odd quartet mixes camp humor and action in an explosive combination.
This Thursday, Burn Notice ends its third season with another cliffhanger to hold us over until the fourth season begins in June 2010. As the season ramps down, actors Donovan and Anwar took some time out of their schedules to answer a few questions.
It was obvious from the beginning of the conference call that the pair had a good relationship off camera as well as on the set. The duo laughed genially a lot at many of our questions but seemed happy to answer just about whatever came up.
When asked what drew the actors to the show and their characters, Anwar said it was the initial script and how her character Fiona was written. “I couldn’t believe that a man had actually written the script,” she said. “I mean at least her character. When I first met Matt Nix, who created and wrote the script, I actually said to him ‘You must have a remarkable relationship with your wife, because you have such incredible insight.’” She continued with “When you sign up for a TV show, you don’t know if it’s going to be for a pilot or for the rest of your life, so I wanted to play a characater that I enjoyed thoroughly – and there weren’t that many of them out there.”
Answering the same question, Donovan said he was hooked by the introduction. “The first page is a voiceover. It says ‘You know what it’s like to be a spy?’” The opportunity to not only play a spy, but play a burned spy and “on top of that… talk to the audience about what it’s like being a spy [as a voiceover]” piqued his interest.
Another reporter asked about the actors’ success in television and why they keep coming back to do more TV work. Donovan said that, especially with cable, “it’s an avenue to be creative.” He said “I think why people are drawn more now to cable shows than ever is that they take more risks – they’re creatively pushing the envelope. I think that the networks have to answer to a bigger advertising calling, whereas the smaller cable [channels] have lower ceilings they can bump their heads on.”
He continued. “And if you think about it, we make 16 one-hour movies a season. You don’t get an opportunity like that in movies.”
Anwar said she likes the stability of television – “the continuity of having a lifestyle where I know I can pay my rent at the end of each month.” And as a mother, she said it was “nice for all of us to sort of know we’re going to be in a specific place for a certain amount of time. I’ve never known that in my career. So I’m really quite grateful at this point that I get to have this sort of double existence and can rely on both.”
When asked if actor/director Tim Matheson would return as ‘Larry’ – Westen’s former insane spy partner who has gone freelance – Donovan was quite outspoken about the actor. “He’s a terrific character and Tim’s such a wonderful man and an extraordinary actor. One, we were lucky to get him, and two – he’s actually happy to be on the show and wants to continually come back.”
During the call we also learned that Matheson will be directing the premiere episode for season four, which is great. He acted in and directed a few episodes of season 2 and 3, and whenever his character Larry shows up, the audience knows something bad will happen to poor Michael Westen.
Later in the call, Anwar was asked about working with Sharon Gless and how Fiona and Madeline’s characters have grown closer over the seasons. She definitely agreed with that assessment… “I think that these two women have a tremendous amount of respect for each other. There’s so little spoken about what’s really being felt and really being witnessed with that connection to Michael, I think it’s pretty accurate to real life, especially with in-law figures. There’s so much that’s not spoken out loud, and yet there are so many physical undertones and it’s very apparent – and that’s thanks to Sharon. I mean, her performance is so beautifully nuanced and I find it terribly inspiring. She’s a wonderful woman and actress.”
When Donovan was asked about what he does in his off time, he mentioned he golfs as regularly as he can. “Luckily down in Florida, there’s a lot of golf courses. And I just put a golf hat on and take my sticks out and usually walk a course. Sometimes I’m by myself and sometimes I just kind of walk onto a twosome or threesome and join them. And most people just kind of leave me alone. That’s my quiet time. I love walking about four or five hours on a golf course.”
This season, we were introduced to Mason Gilroy, a violent psychopathic villain played almost gleefully by Chris Vance (recently on FOX’s Mental). The characters of Gilroy and Westen seem on screen to be like two coiled vipers waiting to strike each other. When I asked Donovan and Anwar about working with him this season, they seemed quite happy with the opportunity.
“Yes, he’s definitely added a great tension to every scene that I’m in with him,” said Donovan. “And I think [he's] kind of a great super villain that governs over the show. I think the best part of Burn Notice is always when the villain or guest star is more talented, smarter, or crazier than the rest of the cast because it ups all our game.”
Anwar agreed, adding “There’s nothing more inspiring than to have to pull everything you have out of your back pocket on the stage. And we have so little time to rehearse and to find everything imaginable in one scene, that when you do have this fantastic talent to work with it really is fun, [and] it makes it that much more enjoyable.”
It’s obvious that these two great actors enjoy the series they’re on, their characters, the setting, and the chance to act with some other great actors in the process. Burn Notice is one of the best, most interesting series on TV right now and I hope it continues long into the indefinite future.
Be sure to tune into the Burn Notice Season 3 finale this Thursday night on the USA network!
Ok… I’ve seen enough weird news this week to warrant a few comments about some of the things going on in the movie business…
First, La Femme Nikita is back? Again? Let’s hope it’s more like Luc Besson’s original starring Anne Parillaud or the series on USA starring Peta Wilson. Evidently McG’s involved and in this version (reportedly to air on The CW), Nikita will go rogue and a new assassin will be trained to replace her. Isn’t it odd that they’d call the series La Femme Nikita if she’s not the lead character? Read more at ComingSoon.net.
Next, it’s good to know that Guy Ritchie isn’t afraid to continue the good thing he started with Sherlock Holmes and Robert Downey, Jr. According to multiple sources (ComingSoon.net, FirstShowing.net and The Examiner) his Lobo (DC Comics) movie has been shelved for now and they’re ramping up to work on a script and pre-production for the Holmes sequel. Brad Pitt is rumored to be Moriarty, which should be quite interesting. Pitt as an evil, brilliant villain? Hmmm… (Update: Evidently this rumor has been squashed about Brad as Moriarty, so we’ll see who actually gets to play that role…)
And Michael Bay, king of explosions, is apparently scouting for locations for Transformers 3. The last one wasn’t bad enough? I’m hoping they return to the simpler plot of the first movie, which had me cheering by the end as a popcorn movie. Guess we’ll find out in July 2011. A bit more at ComingSoon.net…
Lastly, in the “Please no, say it ain’t so” category, we have rumors of Sam Worthington (Avatar, Terminator: Salvation) going for the role of Dracula in a new movie about the first vampire. (At least he’s not a teenager…) For me, the last good Dracula was Gary Oldman… and before that Bela Lugosi. Worthington would need to age about 30 years before I’d even consider him for a role like that… Latino Review, MTV, ScreenRant… Everyone’s talking about it and saying the same thing – say it ain’t so!!
That’s it for now… More the next time I have a chance to pull my head out of the sand…
About six months ago, I reviewed Care Bears: Tell-Tale Tummies with my two daughters. The DVD featured a collection of eight episodes from the animated series that aired in 2007. We’ve really enjoyed these cute, cuddly characters telling stories aimed at kids in preschool and early elementary. Each episode focuses on a valuable lesson in a very kid-friendly and accessible manner.
If you’re not familiar with the Care Bears, they started as an idea for a line of greeting cards at American Greetings in 1981. Each bear has a unique “belly badge” denoting their magical abilities. For example, Funshine Bear has a sun on his belly and is all about helping his friends have fun. And Cheer Bear has a rainbow on her belly and tries to keep everyone upbeat and cheerful. In 1983, the bears became a very popular series of stuffed animals and the phenomenon began to spread…
By the mid 1980s, the Care Bears had three feature films and their own television show. And it was all rebooted for a new generation in the early 2000s, just in time for all the parents who grew up in the 80s to pass the craving for cute bears down to their own kids. I wasn’t a huge Care Bears fan growing up (though my sister, 5 years my junior, definitely was). But now as a parent, I have to admit that the cartoons provide solid role models and lessons that my daughters can relate to.
Now Lionsgate has released eight never-before seen episodes from the same series and these Care Bears episodes all focus on themes of friendship, responsbility, asking for help, and more — all good lessons for boys and girls growing up and getting ready for preschool or kindergarten. It’s amazing that these bears have not only survived but thrived when so many other cartoons from the 1980s have faded from that same era. I just think it proves that good television for kids can be entertaining and educational if done right.
Included among the eight episodes are:
“Ice Creamed,” which teaches that too much of a good thing is still too much.
“A Little Help” shows that nobody should be afraid to ask for help.
“Rudemate” proves that everyone should strive to be a respectful guest and respect your own things and those of others…”
As you can see, these are simple messages that come through loud and clear as the bears work through problems together. We can all use little reminders like that now and again.
In addition to the episodes, the DVD features “Direct Play,” which allows kids to simply play the DVD without additional assistance from a parent. I know that my youngest daughter, almost 5, definitely benefits from this simpler approach to playing a DVD rather than having to navigate a DVD menu.
If you’re a parent searching for entertaining stories and good lessons for kids, Care Bears: Helping Hearts provides eight great reasons to check it out!
–Fitz
p.s. Pick up this Care Bears DVD and others from Amazon!
One of my favorite series has returned to TNT at last! Six new episodes of Leverage hit television screens starting tonight – Wednesday, January 13. Our favorite bad guys gone good are back and scamming the scammers, helping the dispossessed, abused, and oppressed, and generally giving real villains a run for their money.
If you haven’t seen the show before, Leverage is about a group of mercenaries who turn the tables on companies and con men who steal or cheat good people. Nathan Ford (Timothy Hutton – Ordinary People), a former insurance fraud investigator, leads the team… Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman – Coupling) is the grifter brought in to help with each con. Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane – TNT’s Into the West) is the muscle for the team, focusing on martial arts, weapons, and other physical skills. Parker (Beth Riesgraf – Alvin and the Chipmunks) is the team’s cat burglar and safe cracker. And Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge – Friday Night Lights) is the computer geek who can hack almost anything with a wire.
Now in their second season, the team has been pulling bigger and better cons than ever before. Back in September the summer run of season 2 left us on edge with “The Lost Heir Job“, where Sophie was feeling very conflicted with Nate, who just couldn’t bring himself to say he wanted her to stay. So she went on vacation to clear her head, having her friend Tara Cole (Jeri Ryan) fill in while she’s gone.
In “The Runaway Job,” we’re brought back to the world these intriguingly flawed characters inhabit and seeing just how much the team relies on Sophie to keep things moving smoothly on a job. Tara hasn’t really figured out how to fit into the group, who are honestly trying not to let her get too comfortable in the hopes that Sophie returns.
Nate and the team enter the world of high fashion to help take down a sweat shop manufacturing knock-off designs. To pull it off, they hijack a fashion show, manage to get the attention of an Asian gang, and almost get shot, blown up, and caught by the police. Yep, they’re back to their old tricks.
I absolutely adore the show, and it’s definitely the characters that make it work. And though I think Ryan is cute, her character is more than a little annoying to me. My wife and I are hoping that Sophie returns soon from her world travels to save Nate and the team from imploding any further. It’s the interactions between the main five players that makes the show work – and when you throw a wrench in the gears, like Ryan’s character Tara, things just don’t flow smoothly.
Yes, that’s probably the point and I’m just resisting change. But the characters get themselves into and out of new and amazing situations in every single episode and I don’t want that time to be wasted! That said, I look forward to seeing the rest of the new season.
Catch the “The Runaway Job” episode of Leverage tonight – Wednesday, January 13 at 10pm. (ET/PT) on TNT! It’s great that Leverage is back!
–Fitz
p.s. Pick up the first season of Leverage on DVD at Amazon below:
Color me intrigued by the premise for the new show Human Target, which has a special preview on Sunday, January 17th and then premieres on Wednesday, January 20th on FOX.
What’s not to like about a guy (Chance, played by Mark Valley) who wants to stop bullets for his clients?
Here’s some behind the scenes video of a recent photo shoot:
I’d seen a few teasers for Human Target on FOX over the last few months, but hadn’t really seen much beyond them. So I was intrigued when I saw these short features about the show.
Mark Valley, who was on FRINGE stars as Christopher Chance – code named the “Human Target” because he gets between assassin targets and the attempts on their lives. Also in the cast are Chi McBride as Winston and Jackie Earle Haley as Guerrero.
It looks, as Valley says in one of the features, like a mini action movie each week. I’ll be curious to see if they pull it off!
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