Buzzing on our TV Favorites: Lucille Bluth, CSI’s Gary Dourdan, Paula Abdul and more

- Early Mother’s Day treat — Jessica Carter, known for her role as Lucille Bluth in Arrested Development, is joining the cast the 90210 remake. She will play a ‘hard-drinkin’, ‘faded’, ’70s-movie-star. Freakin-fan-tastic!

- CSI’s Warrick (Gary Dourdan), who left the crime series a few weeks back, is busted for drugs.

- Best moment on Idol ever! Paula Abdul is definitely high on something. Here’s what happened behind the scenes and what Paula said really happened.

- AOL lists the Best TV Comedies of All Time. Is your favorite on it? 

- Is Toby really leaving The Office?  

- What the heck is David Blaine up to now? 

- Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse fever is on! Check out: Spoilers, the fansite Dollverse, the Dollhouse TV Fan Forum. The show is, of course, coming next season.

Addison returns to Grey’s Anatomy!

But she’s only there for one episode…which airs in the US next week, May 1st. It’s officially the start of May Sweeps, then!

Addie will return to Seattle Grace to take the case of an unborn baby with reversed organs; she will need to operate on the baby. The official description from ABC:

Addison returns to Seattle Grace to perform an operation and is taken aback by all of the changes in her old co-workers’ lives. Meanwhile Meredith and Derek’s clinical trial has its first patient, and Rebecca/Ava returns with shocking news for Alex. Guest starring are Kate Walsh as Addison, Amy Madigan as Dr. Wyatt, Elizabeth Reaser as Rebecca, Clea Duvall as Jennifer, Lauren Stamile as Rose, Kathleen Rose Perkins as Sarah, Ken Barnett as Freddie, with Jason O’Mara as Phillip

I did not want her gone in the first place. I do keep track of her on Private Practice but if you’ve been watching that show, too, then you’ll see how much her character has regressed over the years. She used to be this smart, unaffected, intimidating woman.  In an effort to humanize her, she develops all these flaws. Addison is weak. Addison is insecure. Her tough shell is broken down and we see a woman whose heart is hurting. Now that’s all fine and dandy. I’m all for showing a deeper side to her character. Except they went too far and had Addison develop a teenager’s brain with raging hormones to boot.  Addison lost her substance. And I have been missing her and I have been waiting for her to "come back" since Grey’s Anatomy Season 2.   

You remember how Addie was like, don’t you?

Here’s a sneak peek to her return on Grey’s Anatomy: 

This man deserves an EMMY!

Michael Emerson aka Benjamin Linus on Lost In the last episode on Lost (The Shape of Things to Come), he showed more than range. He showed in one episode what usually takes other actors to conjure in three, four, five episodes —-

Michael as Ben:

• swiftly killed those Bedouins in the Sahara Desert in a less than five seconds like Jason Bourne in Bourne Identity.
• grieved for his daughter.
• effortlessly manipulated Sayid to work for him and become his assassin.
• TIME TRAVELED!!!
• summoned the black smoke.
• made a chilling threat to Widmore (who I think is actually Ben’s constant!)

He’s no Bond but his presence on screen is quite powerful. It helps that there are too many layers to his character, each layer as exciting and as shocking as the next. I like that no one can actually tell if Ben is the good guy or the bad guy — Michael Emerson plays both fields very well.

What other actor can play Ben as good as him?

A Cylon on Burn Notice!

Oh momma, this will be hot!

TV Guide is reporting a Tricia Helfer multi-episode in Burn Notice,  a series that stars hot, hot, hot Jeffrey Donovan (did I say he’s hot?). Tricia is, of course, the sexy cylon, Number Six, from Battlestar Galactica.

Helfer will play Carla, Michael’s sleek, sexy and lethal "handler," who often comes across as unaffected and slightly amused by him. Teases series creator Matt Nix: "To protect the people he loves, Michael is forced to work for Carla — his only link to the people behind his burn notice."

This is how sexy people pose!

Burn Notice is about a CIA agent named Michael Westin who has been disavowed by the agency (hence the term "burn notice"). His bank accounts are frozen and he has no job recommendation to speak of. He starts his own investigation as to why he got burned.  But in order to get by, he takes in cases from people who don’t trust the police for justice. He settles in Miami where his mother and his ex-girlfriend/mercenary are, too.

Michael Westin works like MacGyver. Only, he’s so much smarter and hotter (in case I haven’t mentioned that yet).

The series returns with fresh episodes in July in the US. But if you wanna catch it on Philippine cable TV, Crime/Suspense is still airing it.

What? A CSI and Two and A Half Men Crossover!!!

Unlikely!

I don’t think a crossover like this one has happened before. I mean, one that’s between a comedy series, such as Two and a Half Men, and a crime series, such as CSI.  How do you mesh the ideas and characters together?

A TV cross-over happens when established characters of another series appear on a different series. They still play themselves, albeit a different setting or story. That’s the normal way to go about it. But what CBS is attempting is even more ambitious and it is indeed pulling all stops to this one. Because not only are the characters involved. The writers are crossing over as well!  Scribes for CSI will be writing the crossover comedy for Two and A Half Men and vice versa.  

The crossover is happening in May. May Sweeps to be exact. It’s when all the programs in the US come up with their bestest episodes to woo viewers and then take in more advertisers (see what ABC is doing to Lost and Grey’s Anatomy in May). It’s basically when network heads turn to this guy. —->

Ka-ching! $$$

CSI/Two and A Half Men. These are the most popular programs on CBS…so it makes sense why they’re doing the crossovers. 

I am not exactly a big fan of these two shows. I like CSI as much as the next forensic-wannabe, though. But the structure got a little repetitive for me so I don’t watch it as much anymore. And Two and a Half Men? I do think it’s funny, I try to catch it on cable TV. But I just really don’t understand why it’s the highest rated comedy in America, when there are better, funnier shows. 

But because I’m one curious cat, I will be watching this!  See, there’s a reason why this May sweeps gimmick work because suckers like me buy into it!

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Buzzing on our TV Favorites: Neil Patrick Harris, David Cook, Keifer Sutherland, Sarah Connor and more

- David Cook’s album, back when only a few people know who he is, has been topping the charts at Amazon.com even before this season declared anybody a winner. Only…because this season still has no winner, the album has been pulled out of Amazon this week.

- With Cashmere Mafia’s possible cancellation (and believe me, that show is so pretentious), Lucy Liu might join the cast of Dirty Sexy Money instead.

- Neil Patrick Harris fan? Listen to this 6-part radio interview he recently had with Howard Stern. 

- The Sarah Connor Chronicles is renewed for another season. And no, I don’t watch this show anymore. It always makes me fall asleep!

- 16 unanswered TV Questions. I wonder about #15, #8, #6 and #3 myself! 

- Keifer Sutherland is on Canadian TV! And what’s the lastest on 24 Season 7? Here’s a first look a the complete cast photo! 

OMG! How I Met Your Mother "ReVertigo-ed’ to F.R.I.E.N.D.S!

Please excuse that word — ReVertigo-ed — I don’t really know how to use it since it’s not even a word.

ReVertigo, Marshall says, is …."when you’re around someone from your past, you revert back to who you were when you knew them". It’s not a term Ted agrees with (it’s not a word, people!) but in the same context, How I Met Your Mother did a little bit of re-vertigo-ing tonight…when it revisited the past. Although, it’s the past from another show called F.R.I.E.N.D.S

Big spoiler after the jump! 

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Brothers and Sisters: Separation Anxiety

And they’re back…

The Walkers are back. And how we’ve missed their crazy parties….where the evenings would always "descend into a brawl" (copyright Holly). What were they arguing about this time? 

Before we get to that, we have to step back to three months ago, pre-writers’ strike and try to remember what happened: 

• Sarah was getting it on with Graham, their company’s new business partner. 
• Tommy was having huge problems in his marriage to Julia.
• Kitty was on a campaign trail with presidentiable hubby, Robert.
• Kevin was being a drama queen about his relationship problems, the two men in his life.
• Justin remained a druggie.
• Rebecca was suspecting that guy her mom has been seeing is her real dad. Her mom denied it.
• And Nora was dating her son-in-law’s campaign wizard, Isaac.

Now, that’s all clear…let’s get back to tonight’s episode, where the writers of the series cleverly skips three months to open with Rebecca’s 22nd birthday.

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TV Boyfriend: David Cook…and why he should win American Idol

This song was in my head all night. I woke up this morning and my brain’s still singing it! It’s such a sexy, creepy, sexy, mushy, sexy song. Yep, I think I officially am in love…been trying to downplay that one but the cat’s out of the bag.

What have you done to me, David Cook?

Reasons why I think Cookie should win American Idol:

* THEY SAY: Americans don’t think a rocker-type could win it.
I SAY: He can prove all of them wrong.

* THEY SAY: He’s too cool for American Idol; too good for the show. With his talent, he will have better luck becoming a recording artist elsewhere.
I SAY: He could bring integrity back to "American Idol".

* THEY SAY: He’s arrogant.
I SAY: A great artist should be arrogant. That’s what makes them g-r-e-a-t.

* THEY SAY: He’s got no range. He’s just a rocker.
I SAY: I can’t wait for him to show everyone what he can do on Andrew Lloyd Webber night (Broadway/Showtunes). And what do you mean no range?!! And did you see da moooves, too? (Thanks, Leeney B!)

* THEY SAY: He’s not original. He copies other people’s covers.
I SAY: Everyone on Idol is doing covers. But with Cookie? He’s not boring! Would you rather pay to watch someone covering a sweet and safe (cough *Archuleta* cough) version of the song? Or a performer who takes risk, you won’t know what to expect?

Reasons why Cookie and I can’t be together:
- Geography.
- Michael Johns.
- I’m a good 8-10 years older than him and that might freak his mother out.
- I’m not comfortable with the celebrity life he will soon lead (or is already living it).
- My husband says we can’t…and that sucks.

Please god, let Eli Stone live!

Eli Stone aired its last episode this week and I’m sitting here hoping that it’s coming back next season. Word is ABC network loves it. But until I read a Season 2 pick up, I’d be praying very hard to TV gods the show gets a lease on its TV life.

Speaking of gods… and for those who have yet to explore Eli Stone’s world — he appears to be this modern prophet. Eli Stone (played by Jonny Lee Miller), a lawyer in an elite firm, has this brain aneurysm that causes him to hallucinate and embarrass himself among his colleagues and clients. His aneurysm hiccups are funny and mortifying but these visions of his? They’re like signs from God or messages from beyond, allowing him to help his clients better.

In one of the final episodes, Eli predicted an earthquake will destroy the Golden Gate Bridge and he’s asked the courts to compel the city to close it for the time-being. I won’t spoil what happens in case you decide to check the program. But as George Michael would sing (he’s there in three or four episodes, by the way) — when Eli says one thing, you’ve got to have faith in him!

I’ve got to warn you though Eli Stone isn’t easy to “get”. The show builds up over time. In fact, it may look downright silly at times, with all the musical numbers (they got Victor Garber to sing and dance to a George Michael song!) But at the core of it are rational messages that have bearing in anyone’s life; stories you can reflect on and may even have an impact on you.

At the end of the season, Eli Stone decides to undergo a risky operation (risky, as in he could die). He wants his  aneurysm removed, to stop to the hallucinations. In a way, his fate in the series is THE fate of the whole show. Is Eli Stone coming back?