Do I think NBC's *Smash* is a smash??

I love musicals, love New York City and love TV, so this show should be the ideal one for me.  After the pilot I do have many thoughts on it, mainly I'm scared that I am going to love it and its going to be quickly taken away!

Ok firstly I did love it, of course I did, its a musical TV show set in one of my all time favorite cities New York, with Broadway show tunes, what's not to love!  There was not one original song that I did not love and I was cautious about that going in to this show.  When you know its going to be original Broadway show tunes mixed with a couple you already know it does scare you because this is the type of TV that well people like me want to work.  I did not appreciate Karen (Katherine McPhee) singing Beautiful with a pop voice and it being an amazing thing to do at audition.  Up until that point I did find the show to be more realistic about the industry but  singing a pop song with a pop voice no it just wouldn't no I refuse to believe that would EVER work on Broadway.

So lets start with McPee's Karen.  Not a fan, she is so blumin boring.  Please please please do not make her the lead actress and we are all supposed to route for her to be Marilyn.  McPhee is a brilliant singer and can hold her own (as seen with the finale duet with Ivy) but she is Broadway enough to lead a Broadway show, and she's too clean and boring to be Marilyn.  No Marilyn NEEDS to be played by Ivy (Megan Hilty).  Ivy is already my favorite character she is talented, very talented, and she's not appreciated enough.  That alone was enough for me to love her character but after seeing the previews for the upcoming episodes and how competitive she is going to get, ooo I am already very excited, she could be someone to watch for at awards season. 

The writers Tom (Christian Borle) and Julia (Debra Messing) are a great team.  Straight from the first scene of the pilot you believed that these two had worked together for years and are great friends, it made me want to route for Marilyn to be a success straight away.  Julia's life isn't a complete mess as well, it seems pretty normal. A nice change from most TV show where no married couple can be happy, ever.  Poor Tom though his new wonder assistant Ellis (Jaime Cepero) lets him down in the pilot but I sense it is going to happen again within the season.

The producer Eileen (Anjelica Houston), well firstly Houston is a legend, that's enough to love  her character, its a good thing though that the character is someone you want to see kick her soon to be ex husbands ass.  Eileen is in the middle of a messy divorce where I am guessing she came in with no money but made a lot through her musical producing.  Her current work has gone into stand still until the divorce is finalised and so she needs Marilyn to work.  Its great when nearly everyone is passionate about the project.  Bringing me to my other least favorite character, as well as Karen that is, Derek Wills (Jack Davenport).  He is everything you kinda stereotype for a Broadway director, dick head who is charming but sleazy at the same time.  Of course this makes me dislike him.  I think though what makes me dislike him the most is that he somehow thinks Karen is perfect for the part of Marilyn when he already had Ivy there ready and perfect.  Of course he and one of the writers Tom already have bad blood between them so the ladies in charge of the production (Eileen and Julia) kinda have to sway them both for Derek to be involved.  I know I am only 1 episode in but I am totally already on Tom's side!

With all this being said I am very excited for the next episode, and well the whole season.  I just hope that It continues to be a success!

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I am LOVING the new FOX thriller *Alcatraz*

Alcatraz starts off straight from conspiracy central, and come on we all love a little bit of 'what if that actually happened' ness.  What if when the prisoned closed down in 1963 no one left the island they all just vanished.  If you are one of those believers in the Alcatraz ghost stories or love a good old conspiracy thriller this show is defiantly for you.

I think first up I should mention that I am very intrigued by Alcatraz as it is, a prison that has help some of the most notable criminals from back in the Mafia prohibition days etc, but also its an island.  One day I defiantly want to visit San Francisco and do the tour of Alcatraz.  Mind you from the amount fo footage shown of the prison on the show I don't know if an actual visit is still needed, only joking!

So I am now 4 episodes in and I am a little bit hooked on this show, so much so I have been in my dreams investigating the Alcatraz prisoners along with Dr Diego Soto (Jorge Garcia) and Det Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones).  Immediately you are drawn in as they are, we the audience are in just the same loop as these two characters so it can make us feel we are with them in this. 

 The story goes as follow - In 1963 Alcatraz was closed down and all the prisoners were transferred, or so we thought to believe.   When the guards came to transfer the prisoners they found Alcatraz empty, no prisoners and no guards.  Now in the modern day these disappeared of Alcatraz are starting to reappear, and now being free are going back to their criminal ways whilst helping the unknown source that kept them hidden for the past 50 odd years.  The big shocker though is that they all look the exact same as they did in 1963.  Madsen and Soto became involved, by being well a little big too inquisitive but also having the knowledge they do, Madsen who looks a little deeper than everyone else and Soto who is a criminology expect on the Alcatraz prisoners, and published author.  The man in charge of the 'capture the Alcatraz guards and prisoners' is Emerson Hauser (Sam Neil), who seems to be keeping a lot more hidden than what he is sharing.

With being four episodes in quite a bit has happened and some AMAZING shockers along the way, which had me shouting at the screen, I don't want to ruin it too much more by going into detail.  For those of your who think this is kind of Lostesque, that might have something to do with eh fact that its another JJ Abrams show, so you do feel the Fringe and Lost vibe in it but its is a very different show, and set in the city (and surrounding areas) of San Fransico.  

I highly recommend this show to well mostly everyone, there is a little bit of everyone, sci-fi, drama, action thriller, mystery etc.  I hope you enjoy it as much as me :D.

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*Hart of Dixie* offers some easy feel good watching!

I should say ways to watch if it lays of the cheese! Since it is Josh Swartez i have  A LOT of faith in this show, you could say the pilot of The OC and Gossip Girl, even Chuck, were riddled with cheesefesty moments b ut with the pilot you have got to set the scene and the basic big story lines of the season and Hart of Dixie defiantly did so.

First off lets talk about the fact that Rachel Bilson is now back on my TV.  I was a mahooosive fan of The OC back in the day so I get happy when any of the cast are in anything else (well apart from Mischa Barton just because well shes only good as Marissa Cooper), so a  show where Bilson is the leading lady already had me watching for the first couple of episodes.  I gotta say though I might stick this one out it defiantly had an old WB style to it, which again makes me happy, and its guna be nice and easy but probably addictive to watch.  I just dont know how well I am going to buy into this whole Bilson is a doctor thing.

The rest of the cast seem ok for now, I think Wade is going to get quite a bit more interesting, especially more so than George who seems to be a little bit dopey.  Lemon is going to annoy the frick out of me, I mean her name is Lemon for starters!  The Mayor hmmm not sure how I feel about him to be honest.

For now i am going to keep watching up, try and catch fully up this week, I am hoping the narration from Bilson's character Zoe stops though, cannot be dealing with that every episode!

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*ABC's Revenge - Defiantly Served*

Ok 1 episode in and I am a little bit addicted.  Gotta say I wasn't expecting to be, especially as I usually dislike the main actress Emily Van Camp, however it has proven to be a nice guilty pleasure, and better yet its like ABC crossed with the CW.

First off I guess I didn't know much about the show before going into it because I had no idea that the revenge  was from something that happened to her family when she was little, which makes it so much more interesting.  I am uber excited to see how Jack/Amanda develops, I'm really hoping he discovers her a couple of episodes in.  I am a little confused as to where the finances (Daniel) murder is going to happen, midseason or season finale.  Since its a first season, and the didn't have a full season order when they went into making the show, I'm guessing they had it prepared for midseason.

The Grayson family, first off Conrad is a douche can he be killed off, we know Daniel dies before him because he is at the engagement party in the pilot, wait one sec all the big players were which means its going to take a lot of episodes for anyone to truly be revenged on, hmmm.  I cant wait to learn all of Victoria's little dirty secrets like the one we learned at the end of the episode.  The daughter seems irrelevant for now so I will make more of a decision on her later on as the show progresses.

Emily/Amanda what shall we call her Amily? Emanda? I gunna go with Amily tis prettier.  So we have the childhood crush with Jack, the potential romance (which we know becomes an engagement) with Daniel, some weird flirting with Nolan.  Personally after the pilot I am rooting for Jack, although Daniel is a hottie, and her reaction to his death leads me to think she does develop actual feelings for him.  Maybe Amily and Nolan conspire to kill Daniel and she backs out but he continues with the plan, no its gotta be the girl Daniel killed  in the car crash's family coming back for their revenge.

The Porter family, you can tell we will be rooting for them all the way through to come out of financial struggles, to get the girl, they are defiantly the family who deserve happiness, the opposite of the Grayson's, maybe Daddy Porter was good friends with Amily's father and ends up helping her out?

See one episode in and I already have about a gazillion questions, guess I better get catching up so I can answer myself!

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*Suburgatory - Easy A In TV Form*

Finally got round to watching ABC's new comedy Suburgatory and I am thinking that i might just watch all the episodes Iv'e missed in one because its that good.  Think Emma Stone in Easy A taken out of her comfort zone and placed into well the suburbs of NYC!  And that's what this show is!

Ok it helps that the leading girl Tessa played by Jane Levy  kinda looks like Emma Stone and has the same coolness factor probably as her but that's probably what they were going for when they were casting this show.  Tessa is just very New York in her attitude, e.g. I have been brought up to be an individual why should I change myself to fit in, and of course I agree completely with this attitude so i really love this character, and kinda would like to be as cool as her.

What i love most about this show possibly though is how ever cliché about the people in the suburbs is heightened to a scary stepfordness.  Cheryl Hines is hilarious as Dallas, she reminds me a little bit of Amy Pholer in Mean Girls as lead mean girl Regina's mum, probably not as desperate but defiantly as fake.  Her daughter Dalia (is the right way its spelt, not sure) is just so bland boring and robot like that she had me kinda in stitches, or maybe it was the fact in the most monotone way possible that she says exactly what she like.  Imagine Cordelia Chase constantly glued to a mobile phone and not learning how to make expressions in her voice, i assume that's how we would get Dalia

George played by Jeremy Sisto is going to have it hard, single man quite attractive, he will be eaten up by all the single ladies, and well the married ones probably too.  This of course is going to make for some excellent comedy.  At first I was a little concerned about Sisto in a comedy I have only really seen him in Six Feet Under and that's so far from comedy in unreal, and his character in that had Bipolar I think, if not sorry its been a while since i watched it.  However I am pleasantly surprised by this lighter role he has taken on.

So I am off to watch more of this series and I think you all should to! :D

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*Chuck is Back*

Chuck's Final season has started and I am uber excited to see how this show ends.  Constantly struggled to return each year but with a very active fanbase it has survived into its 5th season.  What annoys me with this show is that hardly anyone gives it a chance, especially to discover how awesome it actually is, so if you are unsure about trying out the show i always strongly recommend it.

With this first episode back we got a little bit of everything (apart form a lack of awesome, where was he?).  Introduction to the new company Carmicheal Industries, Morgan with the intersect (so much funnier than when Chuck first got it), Casey finding private hire difficult for the mere fact that they now work for the scumbags, Chuck and Sarah kicking off married life and a lil bit of Buymore goodness.  

The new company isn't doing too well at earning itself money and apparently the millions Volkoff left them isn't going as far as you would think.  I like the fact that the show has shown that money runs out quickly, too many spy world in popular culture make out that everything is at their disposal and that there is unlimited funds, but no the spy industry is just like any other, you need money to keep going.  So at the end of the episode when the CIA freezes all their assets, well it makes Chuck very unhappy because this means he cant give Sarah her dream home life.  I suspect the season finale will be Chuck and Sarah buying the white house with the little red door, i hope it is anyway.  

Which leads me to another season long arc, Decker! What a nasty little government man.  I am very very very intrigued to know what their big plan for Chuck is, I know they are being mean now but its leading me to think that the end result might actually be a good one, I'm not sure though, its a very complicated story right now, i cant wait for it to speed up.  

Morgan and his intersect is just hilarious, but i kinda think he suits it more than Chuck ever did, maybe its because he small but everything just looks more awesome when Morgan is doing it, like kung fu etc.  Also gotta love the fact that he is still very much Morgan, the intersect has not changed him and he still looks up to Chuck, even though Chuck now feels inferior to Morgan.  I don't know where this story is going to go, weather Morgan's intersect with transfer to Chuck or will Morgan forever be the intersect I don't know.

Next onto the Buymore.  I am so glad that in this final season the Buymore has to play a bigger part in order to turn profit to make money for the spy business.  I've always loved the Buymore scenes, how normal it is compared to the outrageousness of the spy world but also how outrageous the Buymore itself can be.  More Morgan and Chuck bringing down Jeff and Lester please, that small little tidbit with Jeff begging for money and Morgan and Chuck finding him climbing and walking, loved it, classic Buymore.

Overall though i am very excited for this series to continue but a little sad at the same time because this is of course its last :(

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One of the most anticipated shows of the season *Ringer* has finally aired!

Before you read on this might be spoilery for you, it depends on how much you have seen from the promos etc.

I have been most excited about this show to air, not just because of the fact the Sarah Michelle Gellar was coming back to a TV leading role but also because i could not work out what the hell it was actually about.  Thankfully the pilot episode did give me answers, and also gave me a lot more questions, mind you what can you expect out of TV these days.

Ringer isn't really like any TV show i have experienced before, when they said its very noir inspired they were not kidding.  I guess the best way to describe it from me is that it has the feel of a TV movie thriller.  Not that its bad because its far from there but because it feels like I am watching a movie yet of course there are too many characters and production is not movie standard so its like a TV movie.  

The Mains

The characters that SMG plays, Bridget & Siobhan, are both very interesting in their own ways.  Bridget seems to have all her issues open and well easy to see.  Siobhan on the other hand I can not understand yet anything about her.  I have enjoying though watching Bridget be Siobhan and getting very confused by her sisters life.

The Men

The men seem very interesting but are very much the support at the minute, I am looking forward to finding out more about Andrew (Ioan Gruffudd), who plays Siobhan's husband, mainly because I dont quite understand their relationship yet it seems more like a business deal.  I am also excited about more interactions between Victor (Nestor Carbonell) and Bridget/Bridget as Siobhan, I might be premature on this but i kinda ship them already, however I'm not too sure if i should be shipping any characters together on this show.  Not too fussed about Henry (Kristoffer Polaha) he just seems to be there to be Siobhan's lover or Gemma's husband. Last but not least Malcom (Mike Colter) needs to get himself to NYC to become more of the story, maybe he can work together with Victor to help Bridget, I see that as a potential friendship.

The Supporting

Which brings me to the other females on this show Siobhan's best friend and lovers husband Gemma (Tara Summers), and the bratty drug fiend step daughter Juliet (Zoey Duetch).  I am not a fan of Juliet already she seems out of place on this show, I mean she belongs on the CW but shes the only thing CW about this show.  Gemma seems interesting, I think she will be more of a friend to Bridget then Siobhan, my theory is Bridget will tell her who she really is and what happened and Gemma will help her, she seems like that kinda woman.

Well thats my thoughts on this pilot episode, to check out whats in store next week on Ringer the promo is just below:

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