Some of my very favorite actors and actresses are returning to the small screen. I don't get much time to watch TV but for these new shows starring old faves, I'll have to make an exception. Or at least, tape them and watch them while I'm on the treadmill *g*
Tom Cavanagh. Yes! I love Tom Cavanagh! He was my #3 pick of favorite funny men awhile back. You may remember him as the lead character on Ed - one of my all time favorite shows. He's starring in Trust Me, a new series on TNT (starts Jan 26). And starring along side Tom is...
Eric McCormack. Or as he's otherwise known, Will of Will and Grace *g* I admit, I've only watched a few episodes of Will and Grace but the ones I did see were hilarious! So glad these two great funny men are back on TV.
Nathan Filion. Nathan played Capt Mal Reynolds on the TV series Firefly and its big screen adaption, Serenity. He was also the doctor in Waitress with Kerri Russell but I remember him from his days as a soap opera hottie *g* His new show, Castle (March 9 on ABC) is about a mystery novelist who starts to solve real life murder cases along side a NYPD detective.
Eliza Dushku. I adore Eliza! She was Faith on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, starred in her own show, Tru Calling and was sassy, tomboy cheerleader Peyton in the movie, Bring It On. She's back on TV in Joss Whedon's latest show, Dollhouse. I can't wait for this show! It's about operatives who have their personalities wiped clean so they can be imprinted with any number of new personas in order to do their jobs. After the job is complete, their memories are wiped clean. Did I mention I can't wait for this show! No one does twists, turns and dialogue better than Whedon! Plus, he makes you think and scares the crud out of you at the same time *g* Dollhouse is on Fox starting Feb 13.Amber Tamblyn. Amber starred in Joan of Arcadia which was a really cool, albeit short-lived show. She was also in both Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movies. Her new show, The Unusuals, is a quirky cop drama on ABC starting April 8.
Here's a list of shows set to premiere this winter: http://www.tvguide.com/special/winter-preview/newshows.aspx
Are you looking forward to any new shows? How about returning shows? Are there any actors or actresses you'd like to see return to TV?
65 comments:
Is he coming to play with me!
I'd like to see more episodes of The Dresden Files. I was really hooked on that series!
virginia and treethyme you're fast!
Hi Beth, I am looking forward to Burn Notice to start back up and The Closer, love both of these shows. American Idol just started last week and I am already into it. I think I will check out the show Trust Me because I always loved Will and Grace. I always get a kick out of Two and Half Men and The Worse Week, they where both on tonight.
I am soo excited about the return of Battlestar Galactica, I've waited all year to find out who is the fifth cylon. I'm also excited about the british show The IT Crowd. This is hilarious, the guys on it are just riotous. I've met a few IT guys who are spitting images of these guys. Thoroughly recommend watching this show.
Yay, Virginia! I imagine the rooster is a bit overweight, what the Tim Tam consumption at Helen's! You may have to put him on a diet.
Beth, so cool, these are nearly the very same shows I've been looking forward to. Adored Tom Cavanagh in ED and loved Eric McCormack in WILL AND GRACE.
Didn't Nathon Filion have a short-lived role on LOST? Or am I confusing him with someone else?
And I'll give anything Josh Whedon writes a flat-out try! He's brilliant.
My two favorite mid-year shows are THE MENTALIST with the delightful, eye-twinkling Simon Baker and LEVERAGE with an ensemble cast that is wonderful!
I'm looking forward to Trust Me as well! It looks like it's going to be a funny and intense show.
I'm also REALLY looking forward to Burn Notice which returns this Thursday on USA!!! So excited for that!
Another show I'm looking forward to seeing return soon is In Plain Sight. Which doesn't have a date set yet, but I believe will be airing in either late spring or early summer.
Congrats Virginia! I had my nose in a book and forgot to come check the board but I see there was already a line waiting to get in. :)
I'm looking forward to the show with Tom Cavanagh. I loved him in Providence. I remember saying to a friend, "That guy should have his own show." Next thing I knew he was starring in ED, another show that I watched faithfully.
I'll also be checking out Amber Tamblyn's show. I thought Joan of Arcadia was terrific. Trivia: Did you know her dad, Russ Tamblyn, was in both Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and West Side Story?
I've watched American Idol every season since the first and this one won't be any different. Love that show.
jo robertson- I LOVE Leverage too. My grandma got me hooked on it and I just love Parker and Eliot (The Muscle). It doesn't hurt that Eliot is nice to look at either hehe :D
I'm also a fan of Bones. *sigh* So many good shows to watch so little time! lol
Love Tom Cavanaugh! I'm looking forward to his new series as well as the return of Capt. Mal. Can't say I really care about what he's in - I just want to watch him (grin).
I'm looking forward to The United States of Tara because I like Toni Collett - she's so normal. And I'm glad Leverage is going to be on. I saw a few shows (pilots maybe) and they looked intriguing.
WTG Virginia!
Hope the GR enjoys watching the inaguration with you.
Well PJ you stole my thunder. I was gonna mention that my son is a HUGE fan of Amber Tamblyn and I was a HUGE fan of her father Russ when I saw him in West Side Story. ;-) I was a tiny wee tot then, of course.
Thanx for the fun post Beth! I don't watch much TV but am looking forward to seeing the premiere of Lost on Wed. LURVE me some Sawyer!!! I also caught a couple of episodes of Eli Stone last season and hope it returns.
AC
Congrats Virginia and yes he may need to be on a diet he ate the whole stash of Tim Tams yesterday but he did do a lot of running around with Jayden and Hayley LOL
Great post Beth I watch very little TV but I do love CSI and NCIS and am looking forward to them returning I enjoy Cold Case and I used to love House but I am not so keen on the show anymore it has changed a lot, I haven't seen any advertisments for new shows so not sure what I will have a look at.
Have Fun
Helen
Congrats on the GR, Virginia.
I love Faith(Eliza) and am very excited about "Dollhouse." It's on Friday nights and people are already speculating that the bad time slot means that the show is good, but I'm still going to watch. I'm also glad that "Lost" and "Burn Notice" are returning. I love Lauren Graham from "Gilmore Girls" and would love to see her return to tv.
Congrats on the GR, Virginia! Haha Beth - if you hadn't posted the link I wouldn't even know where to look! :X I guess that shows I've pretty much dropped... well all the shows I used to watch. Oops. Still love my food network though!
We're being teased at the mo in Oz by trailers of new shows that then go on to say....after the tennis. Oz Open time at the moment and NO new shows til after :-( If I was a tennis fan I might not find this so hard to handle but please, someone pass me a hammer with which to pulverise my head!!!
I'm looking forward to Life and the new season of Grey's. In Plain Sight is having its first season here which I'm loving but they're already dicking around with its timeslot.
A show I'm hoping comes here and I can't remember the name but it was on when I was in SF last year. Female cop, really edgy, think her name was Charlie or Charlotte or something unisex and stars Holly Hunter....I think??? Brilliant. Love edgy.
That show, Trust Me, seems interestng - loved Ed.
Also hanging out for Rush which is a great Aussie cop show. Also edgy. Hmmm, think there's a pattern here.
I'm so excited about the new mid-season television shows. For me #1 is LOST, I can't wait for Wednesday.
Then Battlestar Galatica, The Closer, Burn Notice and Damages. You mention a few I wasn't aware of so thanks, because I'll be checking them out.
It's been a long boring Fall with very few shows I wanted to watch. My television set has been turned off for months... but now there are some very fine shows, with good acting, writing, directing and editing. The story arcs are intriguing, quirky and keep me coming back for more. So YEAH! for the winter shows.
Hi Beth! Wow, I hope we get all those shows in Oz. Not that I'll get time to watch them... I missed Firefly and now have to find some re-runs but Dollhouse sounds great, too. I agree--Joss Whedon is a master storyteller. I'll keep an eye out for Dollhouse!
This will sound a bit staid but I'm looking forward to the BBC Adaptation of Fanny Hill (a naughty 18th century courtesan) coming this Sunday night. The costumes alone will make it worthwhile for me.
Virginia, congrats on the GR!
Virginia, congrats on nabbing the GR! Maybe you two could cuddle together on the sofa and watch some TV? What do you suppose the GR's favorite show is? *g*
I've heard so many great things about Burn Notice but haven't seen it yet. I'm adding it to my To-Be-Watched list :-)
The Closer is a great show! Kyra Sedgwick is wonderful.
I've only watched a few episodes of American Idol but my youngest wants me to watch it with her this year. Unfortunately, we keep forgetting it has started again *g*
Treethyme, I've never seen The Dresden Files but I just looked it up and it sounds fantastic! I've been hearing lots of good things about shows on the Sci Fi channel. Actually, I got hooked on Roswell when Sci Fi had a Roswell marathon day a year or so ago *g*
I'll have to check out The Dresden Files :-)
Natalie, all I've been hearing about lately is Battlestar Galatica! I've been meaning to watch this show for over a year. Do you suppose I could start with the new episodes (even though it's the last season) and catch up later?
I must not be spending enough time on the treadmill if I'm this far behind on my TV watching ;-)
I've never heard of The IT Crowd but I do love British comedies. I wish I could see the original version of The Office. Ricky Gervais cracks me up *g*
I like The Mentalist too, Jo! I fell for Simon Baker a few years ago when he played a lawyer on a different show (can't remember the name of it now).
I keep missing Leverage! I'll have to see if I can catch up on the episodes online *g*
I'm not sure but I think Nathan Filion was on Desperate Housewives for a little bit.
Okay, I guess this is where I admit that I've never seen some of the more popular shows like Lost, Desperate Housewives or Grey's Anatomy. Should I give any of them a try?
Hi, Danie! Is In Plain Sight the show about US Marshals? I caught a few episodes of that last year and really liked it. I'm almost afraid to like a show because it seems when I do, it ends up getting cancelled *g*
I do like how there are new shows all throughout the year instead of just in the Fall.
Virginia, have fun with the GR!
Beth, I gave up TV, mostly for everyone else's benefit. Any show I ever liked was cancelled in a hurry. My fandom is the kiss of death for a show! I've taken to admiring them from afar via TV news in Entertainment Weekly. I only watch them when whole seasons are out on DVD and I can get them from my Netflix queue.
The exception is House. I have watched a few episodes on TV (in reruns) and have all of season 1 in my queue. I keep bumping it down, though. I'm afraid if I get hooked too soon, it will be cancelled!
That said, Dollhouse looks most intriguing. Who can resist a Josh Whedon series? I adored Firefly. And yes, I DID watch it on DVD. *g*
Oh, Virginia, I've confessed it before but the one show I do watch every once in a while is American Idol. I usually think they're all horrible, but after watching Michael Slezak's Idolatry after-show critiques and rants on www.EW.com, I get hooked every season! He is so evil...and funny!
PJ, I'd forgotten about Tom Cavanagh being on Providence! That was such a great show. My sister and I would make sure we watched it every week then discussed in when we got together *g*
I knew Amber Tamblyn's dad was an actor but I hadn't realized he was Riff from WSS! That is so cool! Thanks for the trivia ;-)
Ack, Danie! You just reminded me I need to catch up on Bones as well. You're right, there's not enough time *g*
I'll have to increase my workouts to twice a day. I somehow don't feel guilty watching TV instead of writing if I'm working out ;-)
Amy, Holly Hunter is in Saving Grave, which gets lots of great critical acclaim but has lackluster viewership. Fans of the show are rabid, but there aren't enough of them, sadly. I'm sure I'll see it on DVD. *g*
Donna, I'm excited about The United States Of Tara, too! I have been a huge fan of Toni Collette since Muriel's Wedding. She is a phenom!
Oh, and the big news here is...IT'S STILL SNOWING!! This is not thrilling for people like Beth who live in the frozen North, but it is very exciting in Raleigh, where we rarely ever see snow. I mean, there are INCHES of it!!!
Donna, I agree with you about Nathan - I just like watching him *vbg*
Well, except for when he was on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He was pretty scary on that *g*
Isn't The United States of Tara the show written by Diablo Cody who also wrote Juno?
Beth, you're right, USOT IS written by Diablo Cody. To me, that means it will be extra awesome. I enjoy her columns in EW. Can you tell I spend a lot of time with my EW each week? *g*
AC, we watched West Side Story in music class in Junior High *g*
I hope you enjoy Sawyer...er...I mean this season of Lost! Did I see where it was going to end in 2010?
Helen, I like NCIS too! I usually only catch it in reruns but I really liked Kate and DiNozzo together *g*
Jane, I've heard Dollhouse had a few issues they were still trying to work out but I have faith (no pun intended *g*) Whedon will make it work.
Lauren Graham is a wonderful actress! Great pick *g*
limecello, I adore Food Network! And the truth is, while I hear about all these great shows, I rarely get to watch them :-(
Amy, I love edgy too. I adored NYPD Blue, esp when Jimmy Smits was on.
Holly Hunter stars in Saving Grace as the title character. Is that the show you're thinking of? She's really rough and tortured and the show does a great job of grabbing you by the throat and not letting go :-)
Oh, and please stay away from hammers. If you get a concussion, you won't be able to write and we need more Amy Andrews' books!!
Hi, Marisa. I agree about there being few shows to watch so far. Other than Chuck (which my daughter and I watch) I haven't found any that are MUST SEE for me. Hopefully some of these new shows will change that *g*
Christine, I missed Firefly the first time around too and ended up renting the DVDs. Sadly, since there was only one short season and the movie, Serenity, they didn't take long to watch *g*
Hope you enjoy Fanny Hill! Sounds like a great show. I love historical TV shows/movies :-)
LOL, Caren! I wait for shows to come out on DVD because I can't remember to watch the new episodes.
A few of the shows I like have been cancelled as well and I hate falling for a show only to have the rug pulled out from under it
:-)
I plan on joining Netflix again soon so hopefully I'll get caught up with all the shows I've missed.
IT'S STILL SNOWING!! This is not thrilling for people like Beth who live in the frozen North, but it is very exciting in Raleigh
ROFL! Believe me, if you were at my house, you'd have more excitement than you could stand. It's suppose to snow all week and we have a TON of it already.
Even my son who is a diehard winter fan (loves to snowboard, sled, and play ice hockey) told me this morning he's ready for Spring.
I can't wait because then I can stop worrying about that same boy trying to find frozen ponds to skate on!
Can you tell I spend a lot of time with my EW each week?
Caren, I love EW but I don't dare subscribe. I've had to let my Reader's Digest lapse because I get way too many magazines. And since I love them all so much, I HAVE to read them cover to cover.
I need more time for TV and magazines!!
Closer, Burn Notice, Mentalist are on my list of favorites.
West Side Story is a long time
favorite in our home. Our children
know all the lines and lyrics. In
fact, one year our high school
marching band set their competition
routine to the WSS music. The band
director borrowed our copy of WSS
to familiarize the students with the story and the music.
Pat Cochran
I'm so lame. I haven't seen tv in YEARS. I used to LOVE tv, but if I had it now, I'd get absolutely nothing done. Heck, I don't get much done as it is!
Part of the reason is that I don't get cable out where I live, so I have only broadcast channels. If I had cable, I'd be addicted to the Food Network, Discovery (is that still even a channel?) and History Channels. But really I become a zombie when the tv is on. We use ours just for movies.
Virginia, it's a good thing the GR is NO ORDINARY CHICKEN. Chickens are notoriously bad tv watching companions....it's the short attention spans.
Hey Beth, good post!
I'm already addicted to one of the new shows premiering on TNT, Leverage. I have it on my DVR schedule. It is really cool and I have yet to see the twist in the plots!
I also want to see the Lie To Me with Tim Roth (who was thrillingly creepy in Rob Roy). That looks like one that will keep viewers on their toes!
Virgina, he's BAAAAAAACK!!!
I'm looking forward to Cold Case coming back to cable here. I watched the first series at the end of last year and just loved it. She's a really interesting main character and I like the way they construct the stories. We're currently on our summer hiatus so local shows I like like Spicks and Specks, this really funny music quiz show, won't be back until late Feb or March. Sigh. We call it the TV silly season with very good reason.
Hmmmm....returning series?
Dancing with the Stars, of course!!!
Dip, glide, twirl.....
Great post, Beth! I saw previews of some programs before I left and there were a couple that looked good, but weren't brought over here (at least not yet!)
I'm too busy mourning the fact that I can't see the last season of The Closer or Saving Grace.
Plus I'm angry with CBS for cancelling one of my favourites - Shark with James Woods.
Looks like I'll be settling for either iTunes downloads or DVDs to catch up.
On the upside, I plan to catch up on previous series of Spooks, as recommended here in the Lair, I think by Christine Wells. And New Tricks.
And I look forward to favourites like CSI, NCIS and Cold Case.
Hey PJ - you answered my question abour Russ Tamblyn being related to Amber! 7 Brides is one of my favourite films!
I don't watch enough TV these days to comment. I think I watch maybe two shows. Bones with my wife, and the Sarah Connor Chronicles for me.
And I honestly don't get hung up on the actors or actresses. I've been bitten by that. An actor/actress is in a show I love, then later they're in a real lemon. (Or at least a lemon to me) So I really don't pay attention to what actor/actress is there. If a show sucks me into the story, I watch. If not, I don't. I'm not watching the actors, I'm watching the CHARACTER.
(Same when reading. I'm not reading the author, I'm reading the character.)
Yep, In Plain Sight is about US Marshals... i just love the 2 main characters Mary and Marshal. They are just amazing. :D
Pat, that is so cool about your children knowing all the lyrics! My daughters and I all love musicals. I'd love for them to see West Side Story and Fiddler on the Roof and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and...well...the list goes on and on :-)
Cassondra, TV does have the power to turn us into zombies *g* I don't get to watch it often but I do try and use good shows (and movies) as incentive to workout.
And yes, Discovery is still a channel. My husband and I love the Discovery channel, especially Dirty Jobs and Myth Busters. They love to blow things up :-)
Oh, Suz, just thinking about Tim Roth in Roby Roy gave me an icky shiver. You're right, he was creepy and BAD in that movie.
I'm going to see if I can catch full episodes of Leverage online. I do love that most new shows have full episodes available *g*
Anna, that's how it used to be here in the states too...from May to mid Sept there was nothing on and in between sweeps in the winter, there was nothing but reruns. Now it seems like there are new shows popping up all year long.
Which just means there are more good shows I don't get to watch *g*
It's always nice to find out in advance what we'll be watching here at some point.
I'm fan of Bones and I'm looking forward to seeing Numb3rs again -hopefully soon. One new series I'm watching now is Life. And last of the Summer Wine is on tv here again.
I'd love to see Paul Gross again and Michael T. Weiss -not to mention Pretender and Due South. And then there's Komissar Rex series I'd love to see again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixJrH-YxoSM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQP8-2r_MbQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecsEAXNlfv0&feature=related
Joan, my youngest and I love Dancing with the Stars! It's so much fun, isn't it?
We also love Project Runway and Top Chef but since DWTS and PR aren't on now, we're going to give American Idol a chance tonight *g*
VA, when I join Netflix again I'm going to try Spooks too. I believe it came highly recommended *g*
Actually, I should stop by the video store tonight and pick up a few DVDs to help get me through the week :-)
p226, that's a good point about watching characters instead of the actors. I know when Matthew Perry was on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (I show I really liked which, of course, meant it got cancelled) I did feel like I was watching his character from Friends still, just in a different setting *g*
I wonder if that's why it's so hard for actors who have been a part of a successful, long running show to find success in a different show? Because viewers have a hard time allowing them to become another charater?
Hmm...something to ponder... :-)
I wonder if that's why it's so hard for actors who have been a part of a successful, long running show to find success in a different show?
I think they call that typecasting. Alan Alda was forever Hawkeye for example. He starred in some great roles after that, but to the whole world, he was always "Hawkeye." The same with all the actors on Happy Days. Potsi was always Potsi. Who doesn't see either Opey Taylor or Ritchie Cunningham when Ron Howard's in something? And who can see anything but The Fonz when Henry Winkler shows up somewhere?
I guess sometimes, actors can play a role so well that they get locked into it by us.
Never, never miss NCIS. We all love it.
And we were all (my girls and I , hubby could care less;))were miserable about Moonlight being canceled. Seriously depressing! I have hope that the SciFi channel will bring it back...
Oh Yes, that's it - Saving Grace!!! Only saw 2 eps in the US but I was hooked.
I'm a bit like the other Bandita's who said they're the kiss-of-death for tv shows. Though they dont usually get cancelled but they do get pushed to later and later timeslots and I have to stay up to midnight to watch them :-( But such is my addiction to REALLY GOOD tv I follow wherever they go.
Hi, Minna! Bones is another show I keep meaning to watch but never seem to get to *sigh* I have seen a few episodes of Life - mainly because I fell for Damian Lewis when he was in Band of Brothers *g* Love his character on Life!
I guess sometimes, actors can play a role so well that they get locked into it by us.
So true, p226. I'd always considered typecasting as something that kept actors from getting hired to play certain roles, but I agree sometimes viewers won't accept them as new characters. Seems playing a successful character can be somewhat of a curse as well as a blessing.
Gillian, I see the Sci Fi channel is playing the season of Moonlight. Wouldn't it be wonderful if they continued and made new episodes?
Fingers crossed :-)
Amy, that's how I got hooked of Saving Grace as well. Talk about a powerful show!
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