spin-off

Less than two weeks ago, we pondered if the spin-off would be better than Grey's Anatomy based on the information and spoilers that had leaked so far. Now that the two Grey's Anatomy's episodes serving to launch the potential spin-off have aired, it is time to revisit our "Grey's Anatomy vs. the spin-off" article and reflect on if we were right or not and decide what series is better based on what aired last night.

(S03E22/S03E23) "I'm just saying, it's a relief to be on a "not horny" elevator... you know?" - Addison

Well that's it. We speculated. We ooed and ahhed. We wondered what could possibly be in store for a Grey's Anatomy spin-off starring Kate Walsh's Addison Montgomery. Well now we know and based on my initial diagnosis (doctor lingo!), I have to be honest -- it feels a lot like the exact same show in a different city with different players. Is that a bad thing? I don't think so because we've got a formula that works here. Did I like it? Sure. Did I love it? Well... love is a strong word.

If I had asked you back in August who Chris Lowell was you would probably have answered: "Chris who?" But about 8 months later, most of you do know who Lowell is as he is a regular on Veronica Mars. Those who don't know him will be introduced to this up and coming actor tonight on the two-hour Grey's Anatomy special as Lowell landed a role in the possible Grey's spin-off.

The 22-year-old actor from Atlanta, Georgia, attended the celebrated Atlanta International School, where he even founded the Film Program and Video Yearbook. He also studied at the University of Southern California. As it is the case for many actors, he got discovered while doing something not linked to acting at all. In his case, Lowell was discovered while playing beach volleyball.

My, my, my... It looks as if ABC is thinking of spinning off Grey's Anatomy, and they're thinking of using my favorite actor on the show to star in it.

Word from The Wall Street Journal (via Reuters) is that the network is looking to create a Grey's spin-off for Kate Walsh and her character of Dr. Addison Montgomery. The plan is to make a two-hour pilot and air it in May. According to an ABC spokeswoman, Shonda Rhimes is working on the spin-off but doesn't yet have a title.

As an unabashed fan of Ms. Walsh (if you've read my Grey's reviews, you'll see how much I've been enjoying her performance this season), this comes as really welcome news. She has both the comedic and dramatic acting skills to pull off her own show, and it seems like there are a lot of potential to have Addison involved in lots of neonatal surgical cases as well as fun romances with the doctors at whatever hospital they send her to. And Grey's needs a bit of a castectomy, anyway; currently, the ensemble is in the double-digits and getting hard to keep track of, story-wise. What do you folks think of this development? Let me know in the comments.

(S03E11) Ya know, if there is one thing I am a sucker for with TV shows it's episodes like this. I love the call back to earlier episodes. Things that reward the regular viewer. Captain Kenneth Push of the Texas Rangers returning to Medium once again is just such an event.

Oddly enough, I just happened to see the "Pilot" episode again this past weekend. Lifetime is rerunning the series, so if you have missed anything, keep an eye on that. The "Pilot" episode is, of course, where we first met Push. The thing that stood out for me about him is how much his relationship with Allison has grown. They didn't exactly hit it off right away. You might recall Push threatening to throw Allison in jail if she was wrong about where they would find the body. Or, Allison telling Joe that Push is the ugliest, angriest man she has ever met. How far they have come.

It seems like George Takei has become quite the popular actor lately, hasn't he? Since he came out of the closet last year, then joined Howard Stern and crew on Sirius, he's been in high demand. We at TVS have a soft spot for the guy because he was nice enough to give us an in-depth interview, complete with his trademark halting laugh (if you don't believe me, listen to the attached audio of the interview. That laugh is infectious).

Anyway, he'll be guest-starring on the new Disney Channel sitcom Cory in the House, a spin-off of the Disney show That's So Raven. This show takes Raven's brother Cory and father Victor to the White House, where Victor has been hired to be the personal chef of the new President. Takei will play the head steward on Air Force One, who I'm sure will not take kindly to Cory's wacky schemes. Also guesting in the episode is Don Stark, who played Bob Pinciotti on That '70s Show.

I just have two words for all this: Oh my...

Related:
George Takei joins cast of Heroes
New episodes of Star Trek?

Technically, this show may not have been short-lived enough. Small Wonder ran for four seasons - from '85 to '89 - in syndication. Whenever I am baffled by the popularity of tween vehicles like The Disney Channel's Hannah Montana, I just think of the inexplicably high ratings little robot Vicki got in her first year and the solid following that held on until the show's demise.

The show's conceit involved a robotics firm engineer designing an AI cast-off from Annie to come live with his family. The robot was a "Voice Input Child Indenticant." VICI. Vicki. You get it. The Lawson family had quite a time trying to keep the monotoned Vicki's origins a secret from those pesky Brindles next door. They couldn't possibly destroy the adorable bundle of bolts that Dad had so lovingly (and sorta creepily if you think about it) put together and kept at home long past her beta-testing date.

When ABC decided that this was going to be the last season of Alias, J.J. Abrams wasn't in on the discussions. It wasn't until after the decision was made that Abrams was called while filming Mission Impossible 3 in China. While he's not all that surprised at the decision, he is saddened to see it end . . . make that "somewhat" end. Abrams has been discussing the possibility of doing something (spin-off? TV movie?) involving the characters Sark (David Anders), Peyton (Amy Acker) and Sloane (Ron Rifkin). Y'know, I might be OK with that idea, but only if they do something fresh with it; the whole Alias vibe to me is stale.