'Red Widow' Gets The Axe
THEY'RE ALL COMING BACK
detectives
Fred Willard and Swoosie Kurtz to Guest on 'Chuck'
Guest stars can be a good thing... or a bad thing. Some shows handle it better than others, incorporating the usually familiar stars into the episode(s) for maximum effect. The recent turn by Robert Wagner on 'NCIS' was an example of a terrific guest appearance.Speaking of Robert Wagner, you're probably aware that he starred on the much-loved ABC's romantic detective series 'Hart to Hart' with Stephanie Powers. Now, two other stars will be playing a 'Hart to Hart' type of couple on a current show. Swoozie Kurtz and Fred Willard will be on 'Chuck' later this season as a pair of former spies who were romantically involved. 'Hart to Hart' was mentioned in Michael Ausiello's scoop, and he even went so far as to suggest a spin-off.
Penn & Teller: Magicians by night, detectives by day?
Las Vegas magicians and Bullshit! hosts Penn & Teller have inked a deal with ABC for an hour dramedy based on their real lives. To make it a little more interesting, they've added a fictional crime-solving element. Playing essentially themselves, Penn & Teller in the show will have a Las Vegas magician act at night. But during the day, they're "reluctant" detectives, solving crimes and saving lives.One of the big questions I have is if Teller will talk. I suspect that he won't, even though we all know he can. He doesn't during their work together because it creates more humor that way with Penn blabbing on and on. If this is supposed to be loosely based on their real lives, though, wouldn't he talk once the stage show ends?
However, since this is still a Penn & Teller "show," I'm sure he'll stay silent. There's a lot of sight gags they can do with a silent Teller and a chatty Penn. I've enjoyed the guest stints they've had on other shows, and think they're one of the most entertaining acts in the world, so I'm intrigued.
The Closer: Elysian Fields
(S05E08) When I say that a lot of this episode of The Closer felt like a CSI episode, with the emphasis on the gory and gruesome aspects of original murder, I'm not being critical. And when I mention there were also elements that reminded of Cold Case, that's also not a diss because Cold Case is an underrated show.
But unlike Cold Case, which brings the past to life, The Closer remained very much in the present. Generally speaking, this was a pretty strong episode that played up Brenda's vulnerability.
The Closer: Red Tape
(S05E03) If you were Kyra Sedgwick and you were asked to choose an episode of The Closer for Emmy consideration, this would be a strong candidate. For one thing, Ms. Sedgwick was given a really strong adversary, another likely Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series, Battlestar Galactica's Mary McDonnell. As Captain Sharon Raydor, Force Investigation Division, McDonnell made an immediate impression.
Oh, baby, did she ever! She took over investigating the crime scene, forcing out Major Crimes. Then Brenda met Sharon and the sparks flew. Under different circumstances, these women might have been good friends. Both are forces to be reckoned with, no-nonsense types. Under these circumstances, however, they were oil and water. More on the specifics of the case after the jump.
The Closer: Blood Money
(S05E02) How could a gruesome, blood-splattered murder scene in a Lincoln Town Car leave no trail of blood outside the vehicle? Why would a kidnapper ask for the unlikely sum of $1,190,476.19 as a ransom? Who was putting the zip in Provenza's step after his hound dog attitude about love last week? All that and more was covered in the episode, and after a rather worrisome venture into the random plot devices in the Season Premiere, The Closer was back on track with a nifty mystery.
In the midst of solving the crime, which alternated between being an abduction/kidnapping or a murder, Brenda was also caring for Kitty. If you've wondered if Brenda had a nurturing side, wonder no more. Brenda's ministering to her pussycat involved an IV drip and injections for kidney troubles. Brenda also enlisted Will as her helper in treating the pet. When it comes to Brenda, Pope still has a soft spot and she can get him to do just about anything -- and Brenda knows it, too.
Independent Lens: Stolen - an early look
Stolen, a 2006 documentary by Rebecca Dreyfus and Susannah Ludwig, follows a group of men and women, most notably the late art detective Harold Smith, as they try to recover paintings stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum in Boston in 1990. Thirteen paintings were taken from the museum by thieves disguised as policemen, including Rembrandt's The Sea of Galilee and Vermeer's The Concert. None of the paintings were ever recovered.
Streets of San Francisco coming to DVD in April
I loved this show when I was a kid. I watched it every single week, and then later in the 80s it was on one of the stations every single day and I watched it then too. It was a well-done show, starring Karl Malden and Michael Douglas. Oh, and theme song was awesome.
I honestly thought, for some reason, that the show was already available on DVD, but that wasn't the case. It is now! The first season of the show (actually, it's one of those "Season 1, Volume 1" deals) will be released by Paramount on April 3. It will be 10 episodes plus the pilot movie. No word or extras or commentaries yet.
It's amazing to see all of the famous faces that graced this show in the 70s, including Martin Sheen, Deidre Hall, Robert Wagner, John Ritter, Stefanie Powers, Harold Gould, Brenda Vaccaro, Stuart Whitman, Jamie Farr, Shelley Morrison (Rosario on Will & Grace), Leslie Nielsen, Dick Sargent, Dean Stockwell, Bill Bixby, Nick Nolte, Jessica Walter, and some guy named Arnold Schwarzenegger. There was a reunion movie in 1992, but Douglas didn't want to be in it (his character "disappeared" and Malden looked for him).
What's up with Stroker and Hoop?
Okay, I can't be the only one out there wondering what the heck is up with Stroker and Hoop, one of my favorite shows on Adult Swim. There haven't been any reruns on lately that I know of, and I've heard nothing about a new season. However, Adult Swim still has it listed on its list of shows, and the page for the series still exists, too. If you check out TV.com, they have it listed as a "returning series" which is a good sign, I guess. Still, I wish someone who's in the know would let us Stroker and Hoop fans know that the heck is going on. It's sometimes difficult for shows on Adult Swim to stand out, I think, but this one did with its cool 1970s look and hilarious cartoon violence.
UPDATE: The show isn't coming back. Special thanks to Dino Stamatopoulos for the info.
L&O: Criminal Intent reaches a milestone
The third successful spin-off of the original Law and Order series is about to reach its 100th episode, a
milestone for any television show. This Sunday's all-new Criminal Intent features the original cast members,
Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe, who have been alternating episodes with new detectives Chris Noth and Annabella
Sciorra. The episode is called Slither and it was written by executive producer Rene Balcer. The episode is
about a European gang leader who likes to kill tourists. By the way, I think the word 'slither' is meant to be a
description of the main criminal because the show description doesn't mention anything about snakes. The episode also
features Olivia D'Abo, a character whom viewers voted to keep alive during a poll in the show's fourth season.
Criminal Intent airs Sundays at 9 pm on NBC.TV Squad Hot Topics
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