The Playlist

TV Dial: Portia De Rossi Is Lily Munster; 'Dexter' Puts Yvonne Strahovski On The Block & Joseph Fiennes Joins 'American Horror Story'

By Benjamin Wright
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June 13, 2012 12:47 PM
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Television

Television news is running rampant as networks are locking down their pilot orders and getting their returning series in shape before the fall, so let’s see if we can nail these down, shall we?

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Andy Samberg Goes 'Cuckoo' For BBC Plus 6 Clips From 'That's My Boy'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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June 12, 2012 5:31 PM
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News

Yes, Andy Samberg has left "Saturday Night Live" joining Kristen Wiig in waving goodbye to the iconic sketch comedy show, which should make for a radically different program when it returns in September. And while we'll miss the SNL Digital Shorts (though, we guess he'll team up with this Lonely Island boys to do some special ones from time to time) it looks like Samberg is ready to spread his wings a bit. He already hit Sundance in January with "Celeste And Jesse Forever," a relationship dramedy that's a bit different than we're used to seeing from him and now he's crossing the pond for his next television effort.

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Showtime Picks Up 'Masters Of Sex' With Michael Sheen & Lizzy Caplan

By Charlie Schmidlin
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June 12, 2012 1:45 PM
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2 Comments

Television

After losing Paul Bettany to his flighty scheduling before replacing him with the equally incredible Michael Sheen, there was little to be heard about Showtime's latest pilot, “The Masters of Sex,” which also starred Lizzy Caplan in a lead role. However, just as one was beginning to believe a “The Corrections”-esque denial had taken place, news comes today that the network has picked the hour-long show up for a full season run, in addition to another family drama with Liev Schreiber, “Ray Donovan.”

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On The Rise '12: 10 TV Stars Who Should Break Through To The Big Screen Soon

By Oliver Lyttelton
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June 12, 2012 12:40 PM
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13 Comments

Television

With cinematic releases at the moment mostly involving the not-particularly inspiring likes of "That's My Boy" and "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," it's hard not to look to television for a little nourishment. The trouble is that the TV season has wrapped up for the year. While a few shows (namely "Girls") are still wrapping up, and others get underway shortly ("The Newsroom," "Breaking Bad," "Louie"), it's pretty quiet on the box, with cast and creatives focusing on making a hiatus movie, campaigning for Emmy, or just getting some sleep for once.

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You Only Live Twice: We Look Towards The Future As 'Mad Men' Wraps Up A Phenomenal Season 5

By Cory Everett
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June 12, 2012 9:59 AM
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12 Comments

Television

The fifth season of AMC's "Mad Men" came to a close Sunday night, wrapping up what has been arguably among its strongest seasons yet. No small feat considering the show has taken home four consecutive Emmys for Best Drama and been proclaimed one of the best shows on TV by nearly every critic reviewing the medium. After a run of 13 almost uniformly excellent episodes, it becomes harder to remember that this season had gotten off to a rocky start. When the network decided to pull the show out of its summer slot to make room for the other best show on TV ("Breaking Bad"), fans had to endure a brutal 17-month wait. Contract negotiations between creator Matthew Weiner and the studio were made public and gave both the network and creator some negative buzz to overcome.

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Jason Reitman's 'Labor Day' Adds Three; Jena Malone Is A 'Go Getter'; Creed From 'The Office' Joins 'Liz & Dick' & More

By Simon Dang
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June 11, 2012 12:20 PM
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4 Comments

News

With "Young Adult" barely out of our minds, lensing is excitingly already underway on Jason Reitman's next directorial effort, an adaptation of Joyce Maynard's coming-of-age story "Labor Day." The project has now added a trio of talent with Alexie Gilmore ("World's Greatest Dad"), Lucas Hedges ("Moonrise Kingdom") and Brooke Smith ("Grey's Anatomy") all joining in unnamed supporting roles. The story centers on an escaped convict (Josh Brolin) who is taken in by a depressed single mother (Kate Winslet) and her teen son (Gattlin Griffith) over a Labor Day weekend with Clark Gregg, Tom Lipinski, Maika Monroe, Brighid Fleming and James Van Der Beek also co-starring. [Variety]

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Review: Ambition Fractures Friendship In 'Girls'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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June 10, 2012 11:00 PM
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1 Comment

Television

There has already been much to admire about Lena Dunham's "Girls," one of the most sastisfying and purely entertaining new shows on television. Sharp, funny writing, a knowing ability to find true character moments even in life's most awkward or humiliating circumstances and an honest, obversational style has made the program one with a surprising amount of heart and depth. This has all contributed to a show that isn't just an amusing trifle, but one with a broader scope than the other female driven programs on TV ("The New Girl," "2 Broke Girls," "Veep") just don't have. But if you need even more evidence of just how well-conceived "Girls" really is, tonight's episode truly raises the bar. "Leave Me Alone" takes two seemingly minor and throwaway plot strands from earlier in the season and expands them into integral storylines that once again finds "Girls" moving in unexpected directions.

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Review: 'Veep' Caps Off Uneven Season With Tears

By Kevin Jagernauth
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June 10, 2012 10:30 PM
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6 Comments

Television

Armando Iannucci made it clear with last week's episode that "Veep" will be steering away from anything resembling real issues. While a pregnant Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss) at the end of "Baseball" opened the door to a potentially inspired direction for the show, one episode later it was explained away by Meyer having a miscarriage, as the veep and her team moved on to the next issue that was plaguing their office. The show's established theme is that the office of the veep is essentially powerless and even meaningless, and as a result the doesn't have much to say about political climate in Washington except for how it operates on the most superficial level. The recurring theme is that those in Washington who wield power and influence are stupid, assholes, self-involved or all three at once. Listen, we get it, but we hope as "Veep" moves into season two it has a bit more to say as they are running out of non-issues to try and mine for laughs.

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TV Dial: 'Arrow' Extended Trailer Arrives; NBC Eyes Charlize Theron's 'Hatfield & McCoys,' 'Community' Fan Creates 8-Bit Game & More

By Charlie Schmidlin
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June 8, 2012 3:22 PM
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0 Comments

Television

Though the Green Arrow comic-book character showed up briefly in “Smallville,” fans looking for any story continuation with the CW's newest series adaptation, “Arrow,” will be sorely disappointed. The show is an entirely revamped affair, going for a more down-to-earth aesthetic and characters, but while the show won't appear on the network until fall, those looking for an early peek will get just that if they pack a bag and head to San Diego next month.

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