middleman

• At 8, ABC has a new reunion episode of The Bachelor, then two new episodes of The Mole.
• NBC has a new American Gladiators at 8, followed by new episodes of Nashville Star and Dateline.
• TCM has a new Under The Influence with Bill Murray, followed by A Night at the Opera.
• At 9, PBS has a new History Detectives.
• There's a new Monday Night RAW on USA at 9.
• GSN has a new World Poker Tour at 9.
• Also at 9: TNT has the season premiere of The Closer, then the season premiere of Saving Grace.
• At 10, ABC Family has a new Middleman.
• E! has a new episode of The Soup at 10.
• MTV has a new Legally Blonde at 10.
• Showtime has a new Weeds at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

For those of you attending Comic-Con in San Diego, my hat is off to you. After looking at the schedule for the opening day, Thursday, July 24th, it is a wonder that your eyes don't grow glassy and that vein on the side of your temple doesn't throb with all of the events listed for that day. For those of you not attending, you may be breathing a sigh of relief that you won't have to decide what to attend and what to miss.

Granted, we here at TV Squad are only going to Comic-Con to cover the television-related events. Still, there are quite a few of them going on Thursday, starting when the convention opens and ending as the next day creeps into the night. Panels cover the gamut: public television shows, show revivals, anniversary panels about shows that have been revived, and Robert Smigel. So, if you are going, bring some comfortable shoes, plenty of snacks, and a ton of questions.

If you are not going, but are still interested in seeing what's going on in San Diego, here is a list of TV-related events for the first day of the convention. If you are interested in the complete list of events you can go to Spout blog for Thursday's full Comic-Con schedule.

(S01E04) One thing that really pleases me about The Middleman is how the show walks the line between outrageous fantasy and realistic technology. While Lacey was rattling off all the places on the internet where Wendy's breakup could be seen, I was trying to catch something that sounded made up but it all seemed very reasonable, especially the girlfriend revenge site.

On the other hand, I wasn't too crazy about Dr. Gil. Clint Culp is a guy who I see quite often at auditions and he's very talented, but why would the writers do something as lame as a Dr. Phil parody? If the show were being produced 20 years ago would the character be named Alfredo Riviero or Horton Downer Sr?

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• At 8, ABC has the season finale of The Bachelorette, followed by the reunion show.
• NBC has a new American Gladiators at 8, then new episodes of Nashville Star and Dateline.
• Food Network has a new Good Eats at 8.
• TCM has a new Under The Influence at 8, about Sydney Pollack. It's followed by Tootsie.
• Also at 8: Versus has more Tour de France coverage.
• At 9, PBS has a new History Detectives.
• USA has a new Monday Night RAW at 9.
• There's a new Unwrapped on Food Network at 9.
• GSN has a new World Poker Tour at 9.
• At 10, ABC Family has a new Middleman.
• E! has a new episode of The Soup Presents at 10.
• MTV has a new Legally Blonde at 10.
• Travel Channel has a new Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations at 10.
• Showtime has a new Weeds at 10, followed by a new Secret Diary of a Call Girl.

Check your local TV listings for more.

I don't know a lot of people who really like Mondays. Off the top of my head, the only one that comes to mind is Seattle radio personality The Groz.

The Groz loves Mondays. Most of us, I think, would prefer that Monday was another stop on our weekend tour. It makes it hard to get things going on occasion. If you're having that problem, I have just the cure. A girl in a bear costume, dancing to the title track from that Camp Rock movie. It's embedded after the jump, and really, it will brighten your day.

The scene is an outtake/bonus cut from last week's episode of The Middleman, where we learned of Lacey's fondness for dressing up in a bear costume. But wait, there's more. That little gem came from the Livejournal of Middleman head honcho Javier Grillo-Marxuach. It's a handy link to keep checking back to. And if the dancing bear isn't enough Middleman goodness for you, head on over to ABC Family and watch the entire table read for the episode "The Sino-Mexican Revolution." It's a fun behind the scenes look.

(S01E03) "Slutty But Sweet," the business mantra of restaurant The Booty Chest

Even the previews for The Middle Man capture that cheese-tastic tone that made the '60s Batman an instant classic. Like Paul, I also enjoy the frenetic pace of the dialogue and the bright colors that sprinkle the show. I've selected the picture over there to explore the costume difference Paul mentioned, wherein Natalie Morales' Wendy Watson dresses pretty hot when off-duty, and then when working wears a suit that truly doesn't work on a woman, as mentioned last episode.

Why can't she put on that Avengers' Emma Peel catsuit she's wearing in the opening credits. She looks really damned hot there. The show itself seems to speak to a mix of that and Get Smart! though The Middle Man is more Agent 99 to Wendy's Maxwell Smart. Even the little goofy things like giving us the time from different time zones each scene change, and not necessarily a time zone that we're in. But in each case it's relevant to the plotline. We get Shanghai time when we're in a Chinese restaurant for example. It's these little touches of quirky humor that make the show such a unique success.

(S01E02) "I'm as serious as a hefty bag full of Rottweilers." - The Middleman

One thing I noticed about last week's episode carried over into the opening scene of this week. When Wendy is "off the clock" she seems to always dress in very relaxed clothes; skimpy shorts, halters, etc. Her hot roommate not only enjoys the freedom that shorts and tanks offer but apparently has no problem with public nudity as well, especially if it's in the name of freedom. I'm not sure what these fashion choices mean but it's something I couldn't help notice.

I have a feeling Ida is going to be my favorite character on this show. Not because Mary Pat Gleason is a talented veteran actress but because she seems to have an endless array of functions. Not only can she produce a cup of coffee from her midsection but it comes in a to go cup with the logo of an imaginary coffee shop already printed on it. Very cool.

(S01E01) "I think Jughead's a real hoot." - Wendy Watson

From the beginning, I can tell this show is going to be pretty campy. That always tends to make me nervous. There are very few shows that can do camp and still be truly entertaining. I consider Batman to be one of those shows, although I know there are many who disagree. The corny looking mutant, the cheap special effects, the conversation about dating; all these things point straight towards camptown, but it's only the first three minutes.

Generally, I am not a fan of shows with quickly spoken dialog. It reminds me of how great Bruce and Cybill did it on Moonlighting. However, when it's done right, it not only sets a tone for the show but also gives the characters more freedom to have fun with the script. In the case of Middleman, I think it really works. Matt Keeslar and Natalie Morales have a nice rapport and their serious tone is a nice juxtaposition to the outrageous situations. One more point for the show.