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TV Review: CHUCK – Season 5 premiere – “Vs. The Zoom”

By ANNE LOUISE BANNON 10/29/2011

Zachary Levi and Yvonne Strahovski in CHUCK - Season 5 | ©2011 NBC

Stars: Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Joshua Gomez, Adam Baldwin, Vik Sahay, Scott Krinsky, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Ryan McPartlin Writer: Chris Fedak and Nicholas Wooten Director: Robert Duncan McNeill Network: NBC, Friday nights, 8 p.m. Original Telecast: October 28, 2011 At the end of Season Four of CHUCK, we were left hanging with Chuck (Zachary Levi), Sarah (Yvonne Strahovsky) and Casey (Adam Baldwin) going into the private spy business after CIA super agent Clyde Decker (Richard Burgi) shuts down their operation and takes the Intersect – a database filled with all the intel from everywhere that resides in the brain – from Chuck. Then, Chuck’s best bud Morgan (Joshua […]Read On »

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DVD Review: CHUCK – THE COMPLETE SEASON 4

By CARL CORTEZ 10/28/2011

CHUCK - THE COMPLETE SEASON 4 | ©2011 Warner Home Video

Stars: Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Adam Baldwin, Joshua Gomez, Vic Sahay, Scott Krinsky, Sarah Lancaster, Ryan McPartlin, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Bonita Friedericy Distributor: Warner Home Video Suggested Retail Price: $59.98 It’s hard to hate CHUCK, even when it sometimes veers wildly off course. Yet, when all is said and done, CHUCK – THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON still provided some pretty great episodes during a massive (and occasionally uneven) 24-episode season. Season 4 gets off to a rocky start with Chuck (Zachary Levi) and Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) constantly having relationship woes as they deal with their forthcoming wedding. This is where […]Read On »

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Exclusive Interview: FREE AGENTS helmer Todd Holland on the new NBC comedy series

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN 10/05/2011

Hank Azaria and Kathryn Hahn in FREE AGENTS | ©2011 NBC

In NBC’s Wed. 8:30 PM half-hour comedy FREE AGENTS, adapted from a British series of the same name (which airs Saturdays on BBC America), Hank Azaria plays Alex, who is absolutely miserable about his divorce. His friend Helen, played by Kathryn Hahn, is still reeling from the death of her fiancé. Alex and Helen wind up sleeping together, which Alex thinks might be a good first step, but Helen considers it disastrous, particularly because they both work together at a corporate PR firm. Todd Holland, a producer/director who famously shepherded MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE, serves as the directing executive producer […]Read On »

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TV Review: COMMUNITY – Season 3 – “Biology 101” – Season Premiere

By CARL CORTEZ 09/23/2011

Joel McHale in COMMUNITY - Season 3 - "Biology 101" | ©2011 NBC/Lewis Jacobs

Stars: Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, Alison Brie, Donald Glover, Ken Jeong, Chevy Chase, Jim Rash Director: Anthony Russo Network: NBC, airs Thursday nights Original Telecast: September 22, 2011 COMMUNITY is usually so good, but when it makes a mis-step or two, it’s quite noticeable Granted, a mediocre or flawed episode of COMMUNITY is still more entertaining than most sitcoms, but still, the Season Three premiere “Biology 101” left me a little bit cold. It starts off with a pretty funny musical number about the show not being as weird as it was the first two […]Read On »

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TV Review: PARKS AND RECREATION – Season 4 – “I’m Leslie Knope” – Season Premiere

By CARL CORTEZ

Amy Poehler in PARKS AND RECREATION - Season 4 - "I'm Leslie Knope" | ©2011 NBC/Ron Tom

Stars: Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Adam Scott, Rob Lowe Network: NBC, airs Thursday nights Original Telecast: September 22, 2011 Although PARKS AND RECREATION started off okay and then developed into one of the funniest shows during its second season, it finally found some mainstream acceptance with its third season and the addition of Adam Scott and Rob Lowe to the cast. Season Three was fantastic and showed the show growing and evolving into its own. With the Season Four premiere “I’m Leslie Knope,” the series is on target to deliver another solid […]Read On »

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TV Review: PRIME SUSPECT – Season 1 – “Pilot” – Series Premiere

By RACHEL REITSLEFF

Maria Bello in PRIME SUSPECT - Season 1 | ©2011 NBC

Stars: Maria Bello, Aidan Quinn, Brian F. O’Byrne, Kirk Acevedo Writer: Alexandra Cunningham, based on the series created by Lynda LaPlante Director: Peter Berg Network: NBC, Thursdays @ 10 PM Original Telecast: September 22, 2011 Not many television police dramas, or even television non-police dramas, can live up to the legendary 1991 BBC PRIME SUSPECT. Written by Lynda LaPlante, the miniseries stars Helen Mirren as Jane Tennison, the first woman homicide detective on a small North England police detective squad, much to the displeasure of most of the men working with her, not to mention the woman-hating title character she […]Read On »

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TV Review: WHITNEY – Season 1 – “Pilot” – Series Premiere

By CARL CORTEZ

Whitney Cummings and Chris D'Elia in WHITNEY - Season 1 | ©2011 NBC

Stars: Whitney Cummings, Chris D’Elia, Zoe Lister-Jones, Dan O’Brien, Maulik Pancholy, Rhea Seehorn Writer: Whitney Cummings Director: Andy Ackerman Network: NBC, airs Thursday nights Original Telecast: September 22, 2011 Remember back in the 1990s when FRIENDS was such a huge juggernaut that anything they put after it at 8:30 was guaranteed ratings gold? Remember how every year, NBC would squander that timeslot with subpar piles of crap – just treading water, hoping and waiting the next FRIENDS would manifest (it never did). Well, watching WHITNEY, NBC’s latest Thursday night comedy, you’re reminded of all those 8:30 failures (even though it […]Read On »

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Exclusive Photos from the CRIMINAL MINDS Evening at the 2011 PaleyFest Fall TV Preview

By SUE SCHNEIDER 09/21/2011

Criminal Minds Cast - Shemar Moore, Paget Brewster, Joe Mantegna, Thomas Gibson, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Matthew Gray Gubler at the 2011 PaleyFest Fall TV Preview presents Criminal Minds | ©2011 Sue Schneider

The Paley Center for Media is holding for the seventh consecutive year, the PaleyFest: Fall TV Preview Parties at their Beverly Hills location. Starting off this year’s PaleyFest, was a night with the cast of CBS’s CRIMINAL MINDS, on September 6th. Walking into the Paley Center were the cast of CRIMINAL MINDS, which included: Kirsten Vangsness, Paget Brewster, A.J. Cook, Matthew Gray Gubler, Shemar Moore, Thomas Gibson, Joe Mantegna and Executive Producer Erica Messer. The PaleyFest: Fall TV Preview Parties is a week-long series of free public screenings, parties and panels. TV Guide Magazine and TV Guide.com is this year’s […]Read On »

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TV Review: THE PLAYBOY CLUB – Season 1 premiere – “Pilot”

By RACHEL REITSLEFF 09/20/2011

Amber Heard and Eddie Cibrian in THE PLAYBOY CLUB - Season 1 | ©2011 NBC

Stars: Eddie Cibrian, Amber Heard, David Krumholtz, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Laura Benanti, Leah Renee, Naturi Naughton, Jenifer Lewis, Troy Garity Writer: Chad Hodge Director: Alan Taylor Network: NBC, Mondays @ 10 PM Original Telecast: September 19, 2011 Raise your hands if you know any women today who wished they could have been Playboy Bunnies working at the clubs back in the early Sixties. Come on, don’t be shy … Truthfully, me neither. There are no doubt a lot of men (and some women) who either wish they could have patronized a Playboy Club back in the day or even have fond […]Read On »

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TV Review: UP ALL NIGHT – Season 1 – “Pilot” – Series Premiere

By CARL CORTEZ 09/15/2011

Will Arnett and Christina Applegate in UP ALL NIGHT - Season 1 - "Pilot" | ©2011 NBC/Trae Patton

Stars: Christina Applegate, Will Arnett, Maya Rudolph Writer: Emily Spivey Director: James Griffiths Network: NBC, airs Wednesday nights Original Telecast: September 14, 2011 It’s been a tough road for NBC the last couple of years what with mergers and executive turnovers, but the new comedy UP ALL NIGHT could potentially turn things around. A clever comedy that’s hinged on a familiar concept (parents of a newborn must cope with their new baby-filled life) is elevated with the excellent casting of Christina Applegate and Will Arnett. Additionally it has the rich pedigree of former SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE writer Emily Spivey who […]Read On »

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