Thunder, Thunder, Thundercats, HO!

Cartoon Network announced today that “Thundercats,” the reimagining of the 1980s classic will premiere Friday, July 29^th at 8 p.m. with a one-hour episode.

I was a big “Thundercats” fan, so I was a little nervous about a re-imagining. However, taking a look at the cast, assembled by the great Andrea Romano of Warner Bros., makes me feel a whole lot better…

Here it is from the press release:

Will Friedle - Lion-O

Emmanuelle Chriqui - Cheetara

Madeleine Hall - WilyKit

Satomi Kohrogi - Snarf

Matthew Mercer - Tygra

Eamon Pirruccello - WilyKat

Kevin Michael Richardson - Panthro

Dee Bradley Baker - Slithe

Clancy Brown - Grune

Corey Burton - Jaga

Robin Atkin Downes - Mumm-Ra

Carl Jones - Alley Cat

Larry Kenney - Claudus

Will Friedle was fantastic as Terry McGinnis/Batman in “Batman Beyond.” Kevin Michael Richardson is a perfect choice for Panthro and I’m excited about Emmanuelle Chriqui (Sloane from “Entourage”) voicing my favorite character, Cheetara.

I’ll have MUCH more about this as the premiere gets closer. In the meantime, you can watch a preview of the show here.

Photo Credit: Cartoon Network

CBS Announces Its Fall Premiere Dates

Four down, one to go…

Today, CBS announced its fall premiere schedule and there are some interesting things on it.

Monday, September 19^th, the network is using the premiere of “Two and a Half Men,” which should be a huge ratings draw, to introduce its new series, “2 Broke Girls.” But in order to do that, they’ve scheduled a “How I Met Your Mother” rerun in the “Girls” regular timeslot.

CBS is also scheduling a rerun of “The Big Bang Theory” after its premiere Thursday, September 22^nd and then debuting “How to Be a Gentleman” the next week. My only explanation for that is maybe CBS is trying to keep “Gentleman” from being swept away by the competition—the second night of “The X Factor” premiere and the premiere of “Charlie’s Angels.”

Here’s the schedule from the CBS press release…

Wednesday, Sept. 14

8:00-9:00 PM SURVIVOR: SOUTH PACIFIC (23rd edition premiere)

Monday, Sept. 19

8:00-8:30 PM HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (7th season premiere)

8:30-9:00 PM HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (S)

9:00-9:30 PM TWO AND A HALF MEN (9th season premiere)

9:30-10:00 PM 2 BROKE GIRLS (series debut)

10:00-11:00 PM HAWAII FIVE-0 (2nd season premiere)

Tuesday, Sept. 20

8:00-9:00 PM NCIS (9th season premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM NCIS: LOS ANGELES (3rd season premiere)

10:00-11:00 PM UNFORGETTABLE (series debut)

Wednesday, Sept. 21

9:00-10:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS (7th season premiere)

10:00-11:00 PM CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION (12th season premiere)

Thursday, Sept. 22

8:00-8:30 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY (5th season premiere)

8:30-9:00 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY (S)

9:00-10:00 PM PERSON OF INTEREST (series debut)

10:00-11:00 PM THE MENTALIST (4th season premiere)

Friday, Sept. 23

8:00-9:00 PM A GIFTED MAN (series debut)

9:00-10:00 PM CSI: NY (8th season premiere)

10:00-11:00 PM BLUE BLOODS (2nd season premiere)

Saturday, Sept. 24

8:00-8:30 PM RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (6th season premiere)

8:30-9:00 PM COMEDYTIME SATURDAY

9:00-10:00 PM CRIMETIME SATURDAY

10:00-11:00 PM 48 HOURS MYSTERY (season premiere)

Sunday, Sept. 25

7:00-8:00 PM 60 MINUTES (44th season premiere)

8:00-9:00 PM THE AMAZING RACE (19th edition premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM THE GOOD WIFE (3rd season premiere)

10:00-11:00 PM CSI: MIAMI (10th season premiere)

Monday, Sept. 26

8:30-9:00 PM 2 BROKE GIRLS (time period premiere)

9:30-10:00 PM MIKE & MOLLY (2nd season premiere)

Thursday, Sept. 29

8:30-9:00 PM HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN (series debut)

Photo Credits: Monty Brinton/CBS, Giovanni Rufino/CBS & Greg Gayne/CBS

One of My Faves Heads to "Cleveland"

Tonight’s “Hot In Cleveland” is chock full of great guest stars…

John Mahoney reunites with his “Frasier” co-star Jane Leeves. But I am most excited about Richard Burgi playing one half of conjoined twins. And if I’m not mistaken, the other half is Patrick Fabian, who was last seen in “Working Class.”

“Hot In Cleveland” airs tonight (Wednesday) at 10 p.m. on TV Land. You can see a preview here…

Hot in Cleveland
Get More: Hot in Cleveland Video,Photos on the set of Hot in Cleveland,Betty White,Hot in Cleveland Official TV Show Website

"Law & Order: SVU" Gets Its Man

“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” has found its new leading man—and leading lady…

NBC announced today that it has signed Danny Pino, who was last seen on “Cold Case.”

The network has also signed Kelli Giddish as a series regular. She was last seen as the star of NBC’s “Chase.” She will most likely be the eventual replacement for Mariska Hargitay, who is cutting back her camera time this season.

“Law & Order: SVU” will air its 13^th season Wednesdays at 10 p.m. this fall…

I think these are two pretty good choices. What do you guys think?

Photo Credit: Vivian Zink/NBC

Report: "The Voice" Is Hitting the Road

“The Voice” is following in the footsteps of “American Idol” and going on the road…

“The Hollywood Reporter” reports that the tour will feature the show’s eight finalists—Beverly McClellan, Vicci Martinez, Dia Frampton, Javier Colon, Nakia, Xenia, Casey Weston and Frenchie Davis.

The tour will not feature the four judges. “THR” reports that tour organizers tried to make that happen, but talks broke down over—what else?—money. I have to wonder if those talks had something to do with Cee Lo Green dropping out of Rihanna’s tour…

No official announcement has been made by NBC. I would look for that sometime during tomorrow night’s episode.

I think it’s great that these artists are receiving this exposure and it’s great for fans of the show. But I have to wonder how successful ticket sales will be considering we barely know these contestants because of the shortened length of the show…

What do you guys think? Would you go to see the finalists if they came to your city?

Photo Credit: Lewis Jacobs/NBC

ABC Announces Its Premiere Dates

ABC is the latest network to announce its fall premiere dates. As you can see, they’re holding a lot of stuff to midseason…

Friday, September 16
10:00 p.m. "20/20"

Monday, September 19
8:00-10:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars"
10:00-11:00 p.m. "Castle"

Tuesday, September 20
9:00-10:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show"
10:00-11:00 p.m. "Body of Proof"

Wednesday, September 21
8:00-9:00 p.m. "The Middle" (special one-hour premiere)
9:00-10:00 p.m. "Modern Family" (special one-hour premiere)
10:00-11:00 p.m. "Revenge"

Thursday, September 22
8:00-9:00 p.m. "Charlie's Angels"
9:00-11:00 p.m. "Grey's Anatomy" (special two-hour premiere)

Sunday, September 25
7:00-9:00 p.m. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (special two-hour premiere)
9:00-10:00 p.m. "Desperate Housewives"
10:00-11:00 p.m. "Pan Am"

Wednesday, September 28
8:30-9:00 p.m. "Suburgatory"
9:30-10:00 p.m. "Happy Endings"

Thursday, September 29
10:00-11:00 p.m. "Private Practice"

Sunday, October 2
7:00-8:00 p.m. "America's Funniest Home Videos"

Tuesday, October 11
8:00- 9:00 p.m. "Last Man Standing" (special one-hour premiere)

Tuesday, October 18
8:30-9:00 p.m. "Man Up!"

Friday, October 21
8:00-10:00 p.m. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (time period premiere)

Sunday, October 23
8:00-9:00 p.m. "Once Upon a Time"

Photo Credits: Bob D'Amico/ABC, Craig Sjodin/ABC

Another Person Lines Up to Fill Oprah's Shoes

Another person is throwing their hat into the daytime talk show ring…

Jeff Probst of “Survivor” signed a deal today with CBS Television Distribution to develop a talk show for Fall 2012. According to “The Hollywood Reporter,” the show will cover newsmakers of the day, as well as “families and individuals facing challenges.”

Probst is always a great fill-in for Regis Philbin, so I think this could actually work…

Photo Credit: CBS

"The Voice" Adds More Star Power

“The Voice” is adding even more star power for its final shows of the season…

The four coaches—Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton—will team up to perform “You Can’t Always Get What You Want during Tuesday’s live performance show.

Also during the two hours, Brad Paisley and Blake Shelton will sing their new song, “Don’t Drink the Water,” and Pitbull and Ne-Yo will do their new hit, “Give Me Everything.”

The final performance show will air Tuesday from 9-11 p.m. with the results show following at 8 p.m. Wednesday on NBC…

Photo Credit: Michael Desmond/NBC

Christopher Meloni's Next Role

Christopher Meloni is moving on from “Law & Order: SVU”…

Meloni confirmed to “New York Magazine” that he will be playing a general in “Man of Steel,” the new Superman movie. According to the report, he’ll start shooting at the end of August.

About his departure from “SVU,” Meloni told the magazine, “We did the best we could to try to make things work for everyone and in the end it was just better for me to keep moving and I have no regrets.”

Is MTV Recasting "Jersey Shore"?

“US Weekly” reported last week that MTV will recast “Jersey Shore” after season six. But MTV is denying the story.

A network rep told EW.com, “We love the present cast and their summer adventures have just begun. We currently have no plans to recast the show.”

The fourth season of “Jersey Shore,” which was filmed in Florence, Italy, will premiere August 4^th on MTV…

Photo Credit: MTV

Will I Have to Watch "The Office" Now?

I may actually be adding “The Office” to my must-see list…

“The Hollywood Reporter” is reporting that James Spader is in talks to join the cast of the show. However, the mag’s sources say that Spader’s character would actually replace Kathy Bates as the Sabre CEO, leaving Michael Scott’s (Steve Carell) position open…

What do you guys think? Are you as excited about Spader as I am? Or would you prefer someone else?

And check out this new promo picture...

Photo Credit: Chris Haston/NBC

Blake's Mrs. to Appear On "The Voice"

“The Voice” will up the star factor for next week’s season finale with a visit from the wife of one of the judges…

Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton’s wife, will duet with Blake’s finalist, Dia Frampton, on the finale Wednesday, June 29^th at 8 p.m.

The final performances will by Frampton, Javier Colon (Team Adam), Beverly McClellan (Team Christina), and Vicci Martinez (Team Cee Lo) will air Tuesday, June 28^th at 8 p.m., with the winner being announced during the finale Wednesday…

Keith Olbermann Caves to the Masses

Keith Olbermann has thrown in the towel…

Last week, with the debut of his new “Countdown” show on Current TV, Olbermann fired a shot at his old network—and his old friend, Rachel Maddow—by having his show run 63 minutes, which cut into “The Rachel Maddow Show.”

But after viewer complaints, the show will now run only 60 minutes.

Olbermann tweeted: “At @current we’ll soon have a 9 PM companion commentary show to mine. But in the interim there is no reason for me to be overlapping with my friend Rachel, nor to ignore the wishes of those who’ve been so loyal to both of us for so long. We’ve heard you: as of tomorrow night Countdown finishes at 9. Bonus stuff will instead go to Countdown Online. Thanks for upsiding my head on this :)”

Oh, that Olbermann. When will he ever learn?...

Another Fave Returns to AMC

The parade of fan faves continues to return to “All My Children”…

According to TVWeek.com, Carol Burnett will return to reprise her role of Verla Grubbs, who she first played in 1983. She also returned for the 25^th and 35^th anniversary episodes.

Burnett will appear in a few episodes in September.

A Show Creator Takes His Cause to the Masses

Many were surprised when FOX did not pick up “Locke & Key,” a fantasy drama based on the graphic novel of the same name. After The CW and Syfy passed on it, the creators are taking it to the masses…

EW.com reports the pilot will be shown at Comic-Con next month in conjunction with a panel about the comic on which its based. The comic’s publisher, IDW, is holding the event…

Photo Credit: IDWPublishing.com

FOX Announces Its Season Premiere Dates

Get those calendars back out. Today, FOX announced its season premiere dates. And because of Major League Baseball, it’s a little bit jumbled…

Here it is…

Saturday, Sept. 10

8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT COPS (Season Premiere)

8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT COPS (Encore Episode)

Sunday, Sept. 18

8:00-11:00 PM ET 63^RD PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS (Live Telecast)

Tuesday, Sept. 20

8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT GLEE (Season Premiere)

9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT NEW GIRL (Series Premiere)

9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT RAISING HOPE (Season Premiere)

Wednesday, Sept. 21

8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT THE X FACTOR (Series Premiere, Part 1)

Thursday, Sept. 22

8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT THE X FACTOR (Series Premiere, Part 2)

Friday, Sept. 23

8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (Season Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT FRINGE (Season Premiere)

Sunday, Sept. 25

8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT THE SIMPSONS (Season Premiere)

8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT THE CLEVELAND SHOW (Season Premiere)

9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT FAMILY GUY (Season Premiere)

9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT AMERICAN DAD (Season Premiere)

Monday, Sept. 26

8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT TERRA NOVA (Series Premiere)

Monday, Oct. 3

8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT TERRA NOVA (All-New Episode) (Time Period Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT HOUSE (Season Premiere)

Saturday, Oct. 29

8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT AMERICA’S MOST WANTED (Quarterly Specials Premiere)

Sunday, Oct. 30

7:30-8:00 PM ET/PT THE CLEVELAND SHOW (Time Period Premiere)

8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT THE SIMPSONS (All-New Episode)

8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT ALLEN GREGORY (Series Premiere)

9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT FAMILY GUY (All-New Episode)

9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT AMERICAN DAD (All-New Episode)

Thursday, Nov. 3

8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT THE X FACTOR (All-New Episode)

9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT BONES (Season Premiere)

Wednesday, Nov. 23

8:00-9:30 PM ET/PT THE X FACTOR (All-New Episode)

9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER (Series Premiere)

Photo Credits: Isabella Vosmikova/FOX & FOX

Prepare for a "Miracle"

My friends at Starz drew my attention to this trailer for “Torchwood: Miracle Day,” which brings the BBC hit to an American network.

Looks good, doesn’t it?

“Torchwood: Miracle Day” premieres Friday, July 8th at 10 p.m. on Starz.

I’ll have much more as the premiere date gets closer…

Roseanne Returns to Television

I’ve never been that big of a Roseanne fan, so I haven’t really missed seeing her on television. And I have a feeling her new show is not going to change that any…

“Roseanne’s Nuts” will follow Roseanne as she leaves Los Angeles for Hawaii to manage a macadamia and live stock farm.

No, I am not making that up…

Lifetime is scheduled to air 16 half-hour episodes. 16? Seriously?

The show will premiere Wednesday, July 13th at 9 p.m…

What do you guys think? Will you be watching?

Continuing to Remember Stephen J. Cannell

For those of you still mourning the death of Stephen J. Cannell, you cahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifn relive his life and work at a newly designed website, Cannell.com.

The site has been redesigned as a tribute with photo galleries from his TV shows, details on his books and information on dyslexia, which Stephen himself had. You can even download scripts from shows like “The A-Team” and “The Rockford Files.”

It’s an amazing tribute to an incredibly talented man…

Terry O'Quinn Heads Back to Hawaii

Terry O’Quinn’s pilot was not picked up by ABC, but thankfully, another show has scooped him up…

According to EW.com, O’Quinn will join the cast of “Hawaii Five-O” in the recurring role of a Navy Seal Lt. Commander who trained Steve McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin).

Of course, this sends O’Quinn back to Hawaii and reunites him with Daniel Dae Kim, who played Jin on “Lost” to O’Quinn’s Locke…

I’m still bummed that O’Quinn’s show with Michael Emerson didn’t come to fruition, but I’ll take this, I guess…

Photo Credit: Art Streiber/ABC

Ryan Murphy Talks the Future of "Glee"

Here’s an interesting interview for all you GLEEks out there…

Executive Producer/Co-Creator Ryan Murphy tells TVLine.com that there will be no guest stars, less songs, and more character-driven stories. Plus, the seniors will graduate and not return…

You can read all of it here…

Photo Credit: Patrick Ecclesine/FOX

Hef Says the Show Will Go On

You’ll remember that I told you Lifetime was planning a special about the Hugh Hefner-Crystal Harris nuptials. Well now that the wedding has been called off, where does that leave Lifetime?

According to Hefner, the special is still a go, only now it will focus on the “runaway bride” aspect of things. Hef tweeted the news yesterday. There has been no official confirmation from Lifetime.

Is it just me or does all of this smack of some kind of publicity stunt? Rumor had it that Harris planned to leave him at the altar to sell a big interview, but Hef has been reaping from the situation as well, so…

My Personal Appeal to Chuck Lorre to Save Charlie Harper

Dear Mr. Lorre,

I know that you are probably very tempted to close the Charlie Sheen chapter of your life permanently by killing his character, Charlie Harper, on “Two and a Half Men.” There are reports that is exactly what you’re planning to do and that Charlie will die in a car crash with Ashton Kutcher’s character buying his house and allowing Alan and Jake to stay.

If that’s the case, it’s understandable. After everything he’s done, Sheen deserves it. But the fans do not deserve it. We have invested eight years into Charlie Harper and his shenanigans and we don’t want to see that time go to waste by watching the character die unnecessarily.

I know that if you do not kill the character, you will have to deal with the numerous rumors that Sheen is coming back or that you are asking Sheen to come back. But we, the show’s fans, understand that’s not going to happen. We just want to see Charlie Harper get the ending he deserves. Please hold your anger and allow Charlie to just ride off into the sunset with his stalker, Rose.

Sincerely, Your Fan,

Angela

Today's Column: Meet USA's Newest Characters

In today’s “Stay Tuned” column, I introduce you to the USA’s newest characters from “Suits” and “Necessary Roughness.”

Patrick J. Adams is probably supposed to be the star of “Suits” as the intelligent, yet street smart Mike Ross who ends up practicing law without a degree. But it’s Gabriel Macht who steals the show as the slick Harvey Specter. Plus, it’s great to have Gina Torres back on TV.

I’ve seen the first two episodes of this one so I can tell you it only gets better…

“Suits” premieres tonight at 10 on USA…

I only saw the premiere of “Necessary Roughness,” but I liked it and think it’s got some great potential. Callie Thorne is perfect as the tough psychotherapist and Mehcad Brooks is perfectly cast as the troublemaking football star, T.K. (Yes, I believe he’s meant to resemble T.O.). There are actually a lot of touching moments in the show and there are some parts where you might want to stand up and cheer…

“Necessary Roughness” premieres Wednesday, June 29^th at 10 p.m. on USA…

Photo Credits: Frank Ockenfels/USA and Quantrell Colbert/USA

"Wilfred" Review: This One Should've Stayed In the Box

Sometimes I just can’t help myself…

I had seen the constant promotion for the new FX show, “Wilfred,” including appearances by the cast in the audience of “American Idol” and the guy in the dog suit during Major League Baseball games on FOX. So I just had to see what it was all about for myself.

As they say, be careful what you ask for…

“Wilfred” is perhaps the most bizarre show I’ve ever seen. And it’s also one of the filthiest. And that is not a good combination…

When first we meet the main character of the show, Ryan (Elijah Wood), he’s attempting to commit suicide. He’s sick of his sister, Kristen (Dorian Brown), constantly telling him how to live his life and he’s sad that his neighbor and secret crush, Jenna (Fiona Gubelmann), has a jerk of a boyfriend.

But when the suicide doesn’t work, Ryan finds himself helping Jenna out by watching her dog, Wilfred. Only Ryan doesn’t see a dog. He sees a man in a cheap-looking dog suit (Jason Gann, who co-created and starred in the Australian series on which the show is based)—who turns out to be the boyfriend he’s been hearing at Jenna’s house.

Wilfred is a crude, rude Australian who loves to drink beer, smoke pot and get Ryan into as much trouble as he can. In the premiere, Wilfred hatches a scheme which involves bodily functions—both dog and human. In the second episode, we hear way more about Ryan’s former girlfriend than we ever needed to hear. And in the third episode, Ethan Suplee (“My Name Is Earl”) guest stars in a thankless role as Ryan’s obnoxious, porn-addicted neighbor.

If you’re looking for an explanation as to why Ryan sees Wilfred as a man, you won’t get one. In fact, we don’t even see what Wilfred looks like as a dog (at least not in the first three episodes I saw). So when Wilfred licks someone’s face, we see a man lick someone’s face. When Wilfred gets friendly with a woman who stops to pet him, we see a man getting friendly with her and unfortunately some other stuff we really don’t need to see.

The sad thing is that, believe it or not, there is actual potential here. Ryan manages to learn some life lessons in between pot smoking sessions. And it becomes clear that all the trouble Wilfred gets Ryan into is as much about teaching Ryan how to live as it is about having fun with him. There are even some moments that are actually kind of sweet. But those few sweet moments just can’t overcome all the unnecessary filth. It’s hard to believe that Elijah Wood would give up film work to recite dialogue like this…

I know FX likes to think outside the box, but this is one I think they should’ve kept safely in the box and then buried it in someone’s backyard…

“Wilfred” premieres Thursday, June 23^rd at 10 p.m. on FX…

Photo Credit: Michael Becker/FX

"Platinum Hit" Scatter Amber: "I think everyone saw it coming"

This week’s challenge on “Platinum Hit” was an interesting one. The songwriters had to incorporate the winning rap hooks about having a superpower into a song that combined rap with another genre of music.

Two of the songwriting groups did a great job. And the third did, well, I don’t really know how to describe what they did…

Jackie wrote a hook about how she wished she had the superpower to be a rapper. Jewel and guest judge Rodney Jerkins gave it third place because they thought it had real Missy Elliott-type potential. They were wrong, as the song was named the worst by the judges.

Since Jackie has been such a big part of the show—and Kara is such a fan—it seemed unlikely that she would go home. So it came down to Amber, the jazz singer who helped make the song anything at all, and Brian, who ignored Jackie and Amber completely to do the track. In the end, it was Amber who went home.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to speak with Amber about the challenge, her experience on the show and her reaction to Nick’s comments about wanting to hook up with her…

Here’s a sample of what she had to say…

On whether she was surprised the song was chosen as the worst: “Of course not. I think everyone saw it coming…It made for really good TV.”

On whether she was surprised it was her who went home: “I knew it would be me or Brian. Jackie is the character. I was disappointed that it was me. But what are you going to do?”

On what kind of artist she is: “I’m predominantly a jazz artist. I’m rooted in jazz musically, I would say. The scatting I was all about.”

On what went wrong in the writers’ room: “There was a disconnect between Brian and Jackie and I when it came to our approach.”

On whether she would do a show like this again: “I totally would. I wouldn’t make it a habit of appearing on reality shows. But this one experience, I will take it and grow. [If I did it again], I would be more vocal. I tend to observe a lot more than I talk. I like to take things in.” Then about reality shows, she added, “I’m a little too real I think.”

On watching the show this week: Amber admitted she was nervous the entire time. “To relive it was pretty emotional.”

On seeing Nick say he wanted to hook up with her: “He texted me last night and said, ‘sorry.’ Nick is a sweetheart. I have a great relationship with him…I’m flattered.”

On whether she sees herself working with any of the other contestants again: “Jess and I still write together.”

On what she’s doing now: “[When the show started], I had just finished my second album. My first album was released in Japan last year. I’m just pushing. I’ve got quite a fan base on Facebook. It’s about tapping into that.” Amber is hoping to release another album in the next month or so. “I’m excited about it.”

On whether the show has helped her career: “It has helped to grow my fanbase. Was I displayed the way I wanted to be? Not at all. But [the contestants] beat out thousands of people. I’m happy for the experience.”

You can learn much more about Amber and do some music mixing of your own on her website at www.amberojeda.com.

Photo Credits: Tommy Garcia/Bravo & Isabella Vosmikova/Bravo

"Criminal Minds" Fans, Rejoice!

“Criminal Minds” fans can breathe a little easier…

It was close, but Thomas Gibson has signed a deal to return to the show, according to Deadline.com.

As I told you earlier, both A.J. Cook and Paget Brewster are both rejoining the cast this season so things should be a little more back to normal for the show this year. Or as back to normal as that show gets with its crazy serial killer storylines…

Photo Credit: Matt Kennedy/CBS

The CW Announces Its Premiere Schedule

Mark your calendars, The CW has announced its fall premiere schedule.

Here’s a look, courtesy of “Broadcasting & Cable”…

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13

8:00-9:00 PM 90210 (Season Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM Ringer (Series Premiere)


WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

8:00-9:00 PM H8R (Series Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM America's Next Top Model (Season Premiere)


THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15

8:00-9:00 PM The Vampire Diaries (Season Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM The Secret Circle (Series Premiere)


FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

8:00-9:00 PM Nikita (Season Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM Supernatural (Season Premiere)


MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26

8:00-9:00 PM Gossip Girl (Season Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM Hart of Dixie (Series Premiere)

Photo Credits: The CW, David Gray/The CW, Michael Tackett/The CW

NBC Learns An Important Lesson...

Oh, NBC. What were you thinking…

Before Sunday’s coverage of the U.S. Open, NBC aired a taped piece featuring schoolchildren reciting the Pledge of Allegiance over a backdrop of images from Washington D.C. It was meant to be patriotic and inspirational, but it turned into a major firestorm.

The piece cut the words “one nation under God” from the pledge.

After an immediate firestorm on Twitter and Facebook, NBC golf host Dan Hicks made an on-air apology during the coverage. NBC also sent letters to viewers who complained saying it was “a bad decision” made by “a small group of people.”

You can read the entire letter here.

Because it was a taped opening piece, NBC had all the time in the world, so it seems clear the move was motivated by some kind of concern about the use of the word “God.” No matter what stance you take on religion, I believe altering the words of the Pledge of Allegiance in any way is wrong and I applaud everyone who complained. I also applaud NBC for quickly apologizing, although I’m not so crazy about them throwing a group of editors under the bus when you know someone higher up signed off on the piece…

Who Did the Critics Choose?

Monday, the Broadcast Television Journalists Association handed out its Critics Choice Television Awards for the very first time…

Here’s a list of the winners:

Best Drama Series: “Mad Men”

Best Comedy Series: “Modern Family”

Best Reality Show: “Hoarders” and “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”

Best Reality Competition Show: “American Idol”

Best Talk Show: “The Daily Show”
Best Actor in a Drama: Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”

Best Actor in a Comedy: Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory”
Best Actress in a Drama Series: Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”

Best Actress in a Comedy Series: Tina Fey, “30 Rock”

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Christina Hendricks, “Mad Men” and Margo Martindale, “Justified”

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Neil Patrick Harris, “How I Met Your Mother”

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Busy Philipps, “Cougar Town”

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama: John Noble, “Fringe”

Icon Award: Danny DeVito, “Taxi,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”

The impact these awards will have on the Emmy nominations is probably small since critics don’t make the nominations. However, it’s interesting that the critics awarded a “Housewives” show an award. It makes me wonder if this is the year one of those shows cracks into the Emmy race…

And as much as I love NPH, I think Jon Cryer totally deserves that Emmy this year…

Photo Credits: Michael Becker/FOX and Eric McCandless/FOX