Drama Archives - Page 170 of 212 - Channel Guide Magazine

When it comes to hit TV shows, only fools rush out

March 31, 2011 Tom Comi Comments Off

By Tom Comi It’s been well documented that television can be serve as a great platform for actors who want to move on to movies, including Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies), John Travolta (Welcome Back, Kotter), George Clooney (ER), Denzel Washington (St. Elsewhere), Sally Field (The Flying Nun), Danny DeVito (Taxi), Bruce Willis (Moonlighting) and Robin Williams (Mork & Mindy). But there is also a huge gamble in leaving a hit show for greener pastures, and TV is littered with actors who ended up on the losing end of that bet. So, with April Fool’s Day being tomorrow, we decided to […]

Dear AMC: About that “Mad Men” delay

March 30, 2011 Channel Guide Staff Comments Off

by Karl J. Paloucek This could have been an open letter to AMC regarding the negotiations that have postponed the premiere of Season 5 of Mad Men. Really, it’s none of our business, I know, but as I watch all of this play out in the press, I can’t help but remember back to the time when the show was being presented to the Television Critics Association back in 2007. At the time, AMC had successfully reinvented itself as a movie destination after a brief identity crisis that saw it lose out to TCM as the premier network presenting classic […]

TNT releases new “Falling Skies” trailer

March 29, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer Comments Off

Today TNT unveiled this new trailer for its cool-looking sci-fi action series Falling Skies, which premieres June 19. The series comes from executive producer Steven Spielberg, and it stars Noah Wyle, Moon Bloodgood and Drew Roy. The story opens in the chaotic aftermath of an alien attack that has left most of the world completely incapacitated. The few remaining survivors have banded together outside major cities to begin the difficult task of fighting back.

“Body of Proof” stars tweet along with tonight’s series premiere

March 29, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer 1

ABC premieres its new drama Body of Proof tonight at 10pm ET. It stars Dana Delany as Dr. Megan Hunt, a neurosurgeon whose world is turned upside down when an accident puts an end to her time in the operating room. In her new career as a medical examiner, she is determined to solve the puzzle of who or what has killed the victims she encounters.

“Nurse Jackie” is just what the doctor ordered

March 28, 2011 Tom Comi 1

By Tom Comi Many fans of The Sopranos wondered how Edie Falco could avoid getting typecast after playing mafia matriarch Carmela for six seasons, but her mesmerizing performance as the title character on Showtime’s Nurse Jackie has all but obliterated that concern. Coincidentally, Jackie presents the same dilemma for viewers as did Tony Soprano in that they are both flawed individuals that we want to like. And even though Jackie is a capable and compassionate nurse, her pill addition and extramarital affair make it very difficult to do so (especially since her husband is often left to take care of […]

TV programs cash in with product placement

March 23, 2011 Tom Comi Comments Off

By Tom Comi While the creation of the DVR has made life much better for TV viewers, advertisers and networks have had to be creative about how they offset the fact that so many people are bypassing commercials. This has led to ads being inserted into the actual shows, whether it’s for a scripted drama or a reality program. And the interesting thing is viewers oftentimes don’t even realize they are being pitched on an item. Fox’s American Idol has been at the forefront of such blatant product placement, with on-air promotions for AT&T, Coke, Ford and Apple’s iTunes. Extreme […]

“Lights Out” star, showrunner dish on remaining episodes, Season 2

March 22, 2011 Channel Guide Staff 1

UPDATE: FX announced on March 24 that it will not go forth with a Season 2 of Lights Out, making its April 5 episode its season, and presumably series finale. By Stacey Harrison The decision is still out on whether FX’s hard-hitting boxing drama Lights Out will live to see a Round 2 next season, but the good news is there are still three episodes left in ex-champ Patrick “Lights” Leary’s quest to regain his title. Tonight’s episode, “Rainmaker,” gives Lights a scary glimpse at his possible future with guest-star David Morse playing one of Lights’ old opponents, a broken-down, […]

VOD Spotlight: “How Do You Know”

March 22, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer Comments Off

Written and directed by James L. Brooks (As Good as It Gets, Terms of Endearment), How Do You Know has Brooks’ signature look at lives in transition. The title refers to that moment when people realize they are truly in love but there is far more going on in this film. “We all have, at some point, a feeling that everything we’ve depended on we can’t depend on anymore. And when that happens, the only thing we have left is love,” says Brooks. “You can think your life is terrible, and then he or she walks in and it’s not […]

VOD Spotlight: Johnny Depp falls prey to Angelina Jolie’s charms in “The Tourist”

March 22, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer Comments Off

By Karl J. Paloucek It’s unflattering to think it, but some movies are conceived in the boardroom. Or at least, they could be. It’s easy to look at The Tourist with those eyes, on the surface. It’s an enticing formula: Take two of the most visually appealing stars working in film — Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie — and put them in a thriller in a sumptuous and exotic setting, like Venice, where they’re bound to fall in love. It’s the kind of thing that, on paper, should seem like an obvious hit. Except that it wasn’t. But what is […]

ABC offers finale details for “No Ordinary Family” and “Off the Map”

March 21, 2011 Lori Acken 2

By Lori Acken Though their renewal status’ is still up in the air — and not too terribly far up there, as Family‘s Michael Chiklis and Julie Benz are already signed on to upcoming CBS pilots — ABC offered up “season finale” details for No Ordinary Family and Off the Map today. According to network releases, Off the Map will sign off April 6 with “There’s a Lot to Miss About the Jungle” in which the country’s Holy Week festivities take a chaotic turn when a truck float crashes, and Ben (Martin Henderson) makes a difficult call as Ryan’s (Rachelle Lefevre) health deteriorates. Meanwhile, Lily […]