DW Series 6 - Casting News

You wait ages for some spoilers and then they come all at once. Newcomer Jamie Oram has won the role of Harry in the Mark Gatiss episode (apparently the Neil Gaiman one actually begins next week) and playing his parents are Emma Cunniffe and Daniel Mays as Alex, according to new rumours. Also, it's heavily being suggested that the episode will be called What Are Little Boy's Made Of?

More details can be read here .... http://gallifreynewsbase.blogspot.com/2010/09/casting-news.html

Richard Clarke, the director for episodes 3 and 4 of Series 6 posted the above picture on his Twitter page a couple of days ago and has also been updating his tweets with some interesting enough tidbits. I'm also finding myself intrigued by this 'Bob' character as well and whatever madness is surrounding the family of the episode as well.

Richard Clarke Twitter: http://twitter.com/rclarkie

Hollyoaks - Ste/Brendon Spoiler

I promised I'd start talking more about gay plot in soaps storylines, so here's another blog, following some news concerning Hollyoaks.

It seems actor Kieran Richardson, who plays former bad boy, Ste Hay has come out as gay. Although I had sort of already guessed, the actor announced his sexuality on This Morning today as a plotline concerning his character has also been revealed.

It seems that Ste's volatile relationship with employer/gangster, Brendan Brady (Emmett Scanlan) will take another turn when the pair kiss and Brendan then rejects Ste. The scenes are due to air next month as executive producer, Paul Marquess promises that both Ste and Brendan will have different viewpoints on their mutual attraction to the same sex. I like Ste but I've struggled to find Brendan all that interesting but I'm intrigued by this storyline.

More Details: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s13/hollyoaks/news/a276979/oaks-actor-comes-out-confirms-gay-plot.html

Katherine

The Vampire Diaries continues to get better each week. Last week, Elena copped onto the fact that something was amiss with Stefan and this week after learning about him and Damon's true nature, she elected to dump Stefan. Granted she'll probably be back with him in the next episode but I liked that her reaction to the supernatural world was done in a mostly realistic manner. Nina Dobrev however was a lot more fun donning the Katherine role of the episode, the vampire responsible for manipulating and making both Stefan and Damon into the vampires they are. Looking forward to seeing more of Katherine as well as the newly sired Vicki, whose struggles with her new unlife could be very interesting in the next few weeks.

Merlin, after a nine month wait finally returned to BBC1 on Saturday and it felt like it had never gone away. While the previous year had played it a little too safe for my liking, it does loo like this year won't be doing the same thing. It could be argued that Morgana might have revealed herself too early as a baddie but I am certainly enjoying the havoc that both her and Morgause are brewing up - driving Uther mad, invading Camelot and also leaving Merlin chained up in a forest with various nasties. Of course, the dragon appearing ensured that Merlin wouldn't meet a grisly end anytime soon but aside from that (and Gwen having nothing to do), this was a fantastic opening episode for the new series.

What is it with this Checkmate lot - don't they ever watch television? If Waller is that desperate to get superheroes on her side, why doesn't she just ask them for help instead of kidnapping them like she attempted to/succeeded with Oliver and Chloe this week? Smallville's ninth season is getting closer to it's end and after episodes involving Scottish entities and Lois still desperately needing a clue, last night's episode was a welcome change of pace. Tess is at something of a crossroads as a character and I have a feeling that she's going to lose out, regardless of what side she chooses to allign herself with. Shame because I like Cassidy Freeman and want her to stick with the show for it's last season at least.

Ooh, remember a time when Channel 4 did dramas? Sometimes it can be hard to forget because too often, it's makeover shows that seem to dominate the schedules too often and apart from Shameless and Skins, This Is England 86 finally gave us something gritty(ish) to gawp at. The movie isn't one of my favourites but there are some good actors on this show and the characters are mostly likeable. I might need to see another episode or two before I'm totally sold on this series though but it's a promising one.

- It turns out that Luc will become an underwear model in the second episode of Brothers And Sisters fifth season.

- Here's Glee's take on Empire State Of Mind ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfjv4IZFLUo and expect Barry Bostwick and Meatloaf in The Rocky Horror Picture Show episode.

- Both Michael Gladis and Kevin Alejandro are set to appear in the new season of Law And Order: SVU.

- Matthew Lilliard will be appearing in House, playing a bass player struggling for years. He's scheduled for one episode of the new series.

- John Schneider will be appearing in Desperate Housewives, playing the father of Brian Austin Green's character, Keith.

My Review of "Dead In The Family"

Written by Charlaine Harris
Released in 2010

Eric: “You were right. This is just like the end of one of Shakespeare’s plays.”
Sookie: “We’re the people left standing, yay for us.”
Eric: “I’m free.”

I bought this book an hour after I watched the first episode for Season 3 and I decided that when I had seen and reviewed all of that season, I would then put up a review for the latest Sookie Stackhouse instalment in print. Was this book worth the wait? Um, yeah, I guess it was.

Keeping with the established fact that TV and book Sookie are two entirely different entities for the most part, this is a tale that will certainly please the Sookie/Eric shippers in their droves. No more skirting around the issues anymore as they are finally a proper couple in this book and it wouldn’t be without its hiccups, would it?

The arrival of Eric’s book maker Ocella and Alexei (who has something of an interesting family history) certainly throw the usual set of spanners into the works. It’s an interesting dynamic as Sookie (and Jason as well) finds sympathy for Alexei and just about manages to hold her hostility for the maker in question but sadly, something just doesn’t engage me.

I blame this on the second season’s depiction of Eric and Godric’s progeny and maker relationship which were so beautifully depicted and while it was wise for Charlaine Harris to take something of an opposite stance with Ocella; it still doesn’t make for an interesting read. Even the maker’s death towards the end as a crazed Alexei wrecks havoc disappointed in a way.

But Sookie and Eric’s relationship however is interesting enough. The writing still comes across as a little too fanfiction like at times but I’m beginning to warm more and more to them as a couple and it’s a credit that Sookie has enough going on in her life aside from Eric to keep this book interesting.

Her matey rapport with Pam after they’re attacked almost makes up for the departure of Amelia and the brief moments with a hugely pregnant Tara in the story but the odd couple house sharing of Sookie and Claude might take some getting used along with Dermot’s turnaround from dangerous fairy to misunderstood fairy.

Still, it’s these plots along with Sookie and Sam’s strengthened friendship and her realisation that trying to teach Hunter to handle his abilities are hard work also help make up for a weaker plot with Alcide. I get that he wanted to figure out who killed one of his wolves but I wished that hadn’t resorted in him getting Sookie drugged up as a result. Here’s hoping he gets a more engaging plot in the next book if he shows up in it.

- The cover I got for this issue was of the Season 3 cast shot for the series. Odd considering that Lafayette and Jessica aren’t part of the book world.
- Claudine made sure that Sookie was financially set up. The last scene with Claude and Dermot getting into Sookie’s bed was odd.
- Sam, Jason and Alcide were given other love interests in this book. Bill was also reunited with Lorena’s other progeny; Judith after Sookie tracked her down to cure Bill’s silver poisoning. Oh and Debbie Pelt’s body was uncovered as well.
- There were some mentioning in this book about weres and shifters aiming for the same kind of rights that vampires have been struggling to get.

Not a bad book as such but definitely one of the weaker ones of the bunch. I could easily re-read “Dead In The Family” again but after the fairy antics of the previous one, I don’t think the danger quotient was as satisfying in this one. Does that make me a sadist?

Rating: 8 out of 10.

My Review of True Blood's 3x12: "Evil Is Going On"

Written by Alan Ball
Directed by Anthony Hemingway

Sookie (to Bill): “Love? You don’t even get to use that word. I rescind my invitation.”

Okay, you could make the argument that if we hadn’t seen Sookie rescind Bill’s invitation back in the first season, the moment where she did it in this episode would’ve been more impacting but then there are the circumstances to consider as well.

Back in the first season, Bill’s only offence (apart from being forced into making Jessica into a vampire) had been to attack Sam but here, it got a lot worse. Bill has been lying to Sookie for quite some time and finally this was the episode where she had finally had enough and did the sensible thing by telling him to get out of her life, once and for all.

I bought that Bill was determined to silence everyone aware of Sookie’s fae heritage but the fact that he had arranged for the Rattrays to attack her so he could feed her his blood left a bad taste in my mouth. I believe that he does love her but I have to admit that Sookie should hate him for this, amongst other betrayals.

Eric’s motives for telling Sookie about this weren’t purely out of a sense that she needed to know the truth. I think Eric took complete pleasure in shattering whatever high esteem Sookie might have had left for Bill, even if he seemed sincere in hating the fact that he caused her pain by filling her in on Bill’s original motives for returning to Bon Temps in the first place.

The annoying part was that I wanted to see a more dramatic punch in Sookie rejecting Eric as well like we got in “Club Dead” and I felt that was where this lacked. All episode long she was either trying to save Eric and defying Bill at every turn that there should’ve been more of an impact when she turned on Eric too.

Sookie becoming fed up with vampires had been pretty much set up throughout this entire season and between the pair of them, I think she’s totally right to distance herself from both Bill and Eric. There was even a moment where it looked like she was going to consider Russell’s offer to kill the pair of them if she freed him.

I liked Sookie’s alone time with Russell because as much as he tried to goad her or condescend her, Sookie didn’t tolerate it one bit. I even laughed during the scene where she chucked Talbot’s remains down the garbage disposal and that was a surprisingly cruel thing for Sookie to do. No wonder Russell was even more determined to vow to kill her before getting his final comeuppance.

As for Sookie running away with Claudine at the end of this episode – it was definitely an interesting cliff-hanger to run. I was so expecting something else more closely to the book and presumably more integral to the next season but I have a feeling that time in fairyland isn’t going to be as rewarding for Sookie as she might want it to be.

Speaking of rewarding, what would’ve been a satisfying way of getting rid of Russell Edgington? Given the fact that both Rene and Maryann found themselves being killed in their respective finales, it’s admirable that Alan Ball wanted to do something different with Russell. Also entombing in concrete with only his thoughts of vengeance might drive him to become even more dangerous when he’s eventually released. If Pam can rescue Eric from a cement grave (bad Bill), there’s no reason why Russell won’t escape either.

When it comes to a cemented fate, I am still shocked that Bill would’ve believed that would’ve solved his Eric problem. Did he not actually think that Eric would’ve been smart enough to have gotten some way out of there, even if Pam hadn’t come to his aid? God, I hope both Eric and Pam kick his ass next season for this.

As for the showdown with Sophie-Anne, I definitely believe that neither her nor Bill will actually die. Bill, because he’ll always be a part of the show until its end and Sophie-Anne because I’m pretty sure that we’ll get at least one interaction between her and Sookie before she sees a true death. Also I wouldn’t mind seeing Sookie use some of her fairy powers on Sophie-Anne like she did with Russell in this episode.

I’m also delighted that with the issue of powers being raised further in this episode, Jesus admitted to Lafayette that he’s a witch. It’s not remotely shocking considering the stuff we’ve seen with Jesus in the last few episodes but at the same time, it’s nice to have it out of the way. On the minus side, he basically tricked Lafayette into consuming so that he could turn Lafayette into his own magic? Bad one, Jesus.

Still, given that next season will undoubtedly be all about witches and fairies like this season was to a degree about weres and shifters; it’ll be nice storyline for Lafayette next season as well. He was definitely getting some bad vibes off Sam and Arlene and it’ll be interesting to see what he picks up from Holly next year given that she’s also a witch.

Also, when we’re not dealing with magic in this episode, there was the nice moment of Sam telling Tara that he was a shape shifter. I really like the way that was handled. I wasn’t expecting Tara to be fine with it but I did understand where her needs to get away from anything supernatural came from and it did seem in this episode that she turned a particular corner.

She was reasonable with Sam, even forgave Lettie Mae for sleeping with a married man and more or less apologised to Sookie. Plus the scene where she started cutting her hair prior to leaving town was a nice little scene too. I don’t doubt that Tara will resurface next season but I certainly hope that when she does that she’s in a far better place emotionally than she has been this year, that’s all.

I also hope the same thing for Sam, especially given that he shot Tommy. Now that was another expected thing. I know Tommy stole from Sam but did he really deserve to be shot at by his own brother? If we’re lucky, Sam only injured him but even then, Sam is slipping further and further into a dark area that I don’t think I like seeing him in as a viewer. I preferred the nicer Sam rather than this volatile version.

Last but not least, I spent this entire season not caring about Hotshot and with this episode; I began too a little more. Calvin’s death did very little to move me, given that the writers destroyed the character but I do feel for the community and even Crystal, who had to go with Felton in order to protect everyone. It was noble of Jason to want to help but the problem is that he’s going to be out of his depth and I can’t help but feel that Andy was right as well.

Also in “Evil Is Going On”

The ghostly appearances of Godric were a nice touch to the episode but it did seem like he was asking a lot of Eric to forgive Russell. Why should Eric when Russell himself showed no repentance for his killings?

Bill: “Sookie.”
Sookie: “You do not own me.”

This was also another episode with Nan Flanagan and Steve Newlin duking it out on TV debating on vampires vs. humans. Is Steve ever going to wreak havoc again like in Season 2?

Tara: “I didn’t know you could cook.”
Sam: “I never made breakfast for you? Maybe that’s because you always snuck out before I woke up.”

Sookie: “I’m here to save you.”
Russell: “Aww, thank you Miss Stackhouse.”
Sookie: “Shut up.”

Although I think Jessica and Hoyt might be rushing moving in together, I really do hope that Maxine, post failed intervention does not succeed in her plans to split them up.

Maxine: “I am your mother.”
Hoyt: “You are a mean, prejudiced, old control freak.”

Calvin: “This don’t make no difference between you and me, boy.”
Jason: “Don’t you think it should? I’m trying to help your family.”

That line where one of the Hotshot lads referred to Calvin as his “uncle daddy” made me laugh.

Crystal: “I’m so sorry, Jason.”
Jason: “Don’t worry about your people, just stay safe.”

Russell (to Sookie): “Hear that, that’s my wolves coming to rescue me.”
Ginger: “Are you sure you’re not hungry? I can make you a peanut butter and butter sandwich.”

I bet Denis O’Hare was happy when this episode was done given that he was mostly tied up, charred to a crisp and then given a cemented burial. I’m still looking forward to seeing him again next season though.

Alcide: “You in trouble again?”
Sookie: “When am I not in trouble?”

Jesus: “I’m a witch.”
Lafayette: “You’re a witch who’s a nurse, who’s a dude?”

Alcide made it pretty clear in this episode that he wanted to pursue something with Sookie but she didn’t seem interested. Debbie’s also gone missing but undoubtedly she’ll be back next year as well.

Tara (re her haircut): “I just needed a change.”
Sookie: “Change is good.”

Jessica: “I love you so much; I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Hoyt: “Well, it’s lucky for you, you’d never have to find out.”

Standout music: Jace Everett and CC Adcock’s “Evil (Is Going On)”, which was written especially for this episode.

Claudine: “Sookie, you are not alone. Come with us.”

Chronology: From where “Fresh Blood” left off.

As a finale, “Evil Is Going On” is a strange one. It definitely feels like a finale but it’s also continued a trend of sorting the main baddie out reasonably early in the episode in order to build on setting things up for the next season. That being said, it’s certainly a strong ending for a largely enjoyable (and I might be in a minority there) third season.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

My Review of "Doctor Who At The Proms 2010"

Presented by Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill And Matt Smith
Directed by Rhodri Huw

Karen Gillan: “I am a huge fan of Murray Gold’s music but I think my theme is the best.”

Similar joking words were echoed by Freema Agyeman in 2008 due the first Proms for Doctor Who and two years later, is it any surprise that Karen Gillan would be presenting another Proms for the show? Err, not really.

Opinions on Amy Pond as a character are as divisive as ever but one thing that can be agreed on is how likeable Karen Gillan is. She’s got a naturally bubbly personality, making her the perfect choice for the position of main host and she worked incredibly well with the crowd and introducing the majority of music in the 90 minute edition that I watched on Friday.

Murray Gold’s music for Doctor Who has become such a big deal that actually watching him and Ben Foster in action on stage for the second time is a treat. The music here is predominantly from Season 5 but it’s cracking to see all of it on stage, especially given the visual flair on top of things.

Where else would you have been in an audience where saucy Saturnyne vampire girls come on to the stage as Silurians all hover menacingly around Ben Foster and Cybermen and Judoon manage to get as many people jumping as possible? Oh and the use of one Weeping Angel was more unnerving than seeing an Ironside Dalek dismissed by the newly revamped Supreme Dalek.

In terms of the music itself, there were plenty of favourites to be had. I certainly enjoyed the luscious new mix for “Amy’s Theme”, the uplifting “I Am The Doctor”, the wonderful composition of “Liz, Lizards, Vampires And Vincent” as well as the predicted ending of the latest version of the Doctor Who theme itself.

However the music piece that stood out the most was the use of “This Is Gallifrey” and “Vale Decem”, used to display all 11 Doctors on stage via archived clips. Karen Gillan wasn’t joking when she gushed about Mark Chambers vocals. He really was impressive.

As for Arthur Darvill, he looked great and had a similar natural ease like Karen but I wished that we had seen a little more of him. Matt Smith however managed to show as both the Doctor for an amusing sketch and towards the end when deserved praise was being heaped on the orchestra.

- BBC3 aired both 60 minute and 90 minute versions of these Proms this week. The latter was better.
- Other music in this included “Mars (Bringer Of War)” and Rise Of The Valkyries”.
- I had to smile at seeing at least three kids donning fezzes during the Proms.
- Special congrats to the little boy Ellis for being a good sport during the Doctor sketch.

Definitely a fun filled thing for the family and proof that Doctor Who really has continued to be a powerful institution and if the upcoming Live Tour is as good as this was, then it’s going to be another success for the series.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

And The Ultimate Big Brother Housemate Is An Irishman

Never mind that's he gay or won BB2 but the fact than an Irishman is the Ultimate Big Brother housemate of the UK series has an interesting irony to it.

The four hours may have been overkill but overall, I thought this was a really good send off for the series. Ultimate Big Brother has had some pretty entertaining moments and while there's a part of me that a) wished it had been left for later instead of directly after BB11 and b) wished it had run for at least a month rather than 18 days, I think ultimately it was actually time for Big Brother to end. It's ran for 11 years and has become TV history, like it or loathe but nothing lasts forever and the show has had it's day.

It would've been remiss not to have included some acknowledgement to Jade Goody as well and the tribute to her was rather sweet as well.

Dermot's last meal wasn't as cringey as I'd thought it would be but I kinda wished that he had focused a little more on later seasons and while the Davina send off was a tad self-indulgent, it was pretty entertaining nonetheless, even though there weren't as many housemates as I expected and Sam and Aisleyne had a strange look to Pete Burns appearing at the end.

I wasn't remotely surprised when Davina cited Brian as her favourite and I did chuckle with the highlight she picked for him. Seriously that twirl as he stubbed his toe and spewed milk cracks me up all the time.

Stuart as fittest housemate, oh hell yeah. He wasn't the most exciting housemate in the show's history but he was definitely one of the nicest to look at for sure and from the limited stuff from BB9 I can remember, he was a nice enough bloke.

In terms of Brian winning it, it was predictable but fine. He is actually an ultimate housemate in every sense of the word and it was interesting to see Nikki and Chantelle in 2nd and 3rd places as well.

Bye bye Big Brother. It's been a mostly interesting 11 years but if Channel 5 don't pick you up, then it's been a good ending.

Doctor Who - Series 5 DVD Details/Series 6 Filming

Filming for Series 6 properly kicked off this week and while it's been established that Richard Clark is currently directing for the third episode by Neil Gaiman and the fourth episode by Mark Gatiss, the set reports haven't been too big. Brian Damage got some nice shots of Matt Smith in between takes and with any luck, some more will emerge within the next week for this particular block.

More Pictures: http://s171.photobucket.com/albums/u300/Brian_Damage_photos/2010-09-10/

Elsewhere the lenticolour cover for the fifth series DVD has come out and with the DVD due for November 8th, you can relive all the highs of Steven Moffat's first year of running Doctor Who. Extras include in-vision commentaries for The Eleventh Hour, Victory Of The Daleks, The Time Of Angels, The Vampires Of Venice, Cold Blood and The Big Bang, trailers, Matt Smith's video diaries, The Monster Files, deleted scenes and two exclusive scenes between the Doctor and Amy made for this DVD amongst others.

I'll have a review up for the 2010 Proms tomorrow as well.

Christopher And His Kind - Gay Times Focus

It looks like Gay Times clearly have a thing for Matt Smith. This is twice in six months that they've featured the actor on their cover - first for Doctor Who and now for Christopher And His Kind, which is due to air in November on BBC2. Actor Douglas Booth is also on the cover as well and the issue is available to buy from September 10th as the magazine goes behind the scenes of this 90 minute on-off drama.

The Sarah Jane Adventures - Season 4 Cast Picture

Released a few days ago (sorry for the delay), the Series 4 cast picture of The Sarah Jane Adventures has all the regulars - Clyde Langer (Daniel Anthony), Rani Chandra (Anjli Mohindra), Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) and Luke Smith (Tommy Knight). Behind them include the Androvax, Shansheeth, Dark Horde and the Graske. With the series a month away, here's hoping for some pictures and a new trailer soon. Remember October 11th on BBC1 for the new series.

Standing Up For Nerds Everywhere

Five episodes into The Vampire Diaries and I'm having a lot of people telling me how great this show gets in later episodes and it's enough to make me want to speed up but I can't. However, I can see why friends of mine are loving this show. My niece last night described the cast as incredibly attractive (she might have made a supernatural allusion somewhere) and they are an incredibly good looking bunch. Plus the extraordinary thing isn't just the rivalry between Stefan and Damon, or the fact the latter managed to escape from his prison and this time more likely killed Vicki as a result. Heck, even Bonnie honing in on her powers wasn't the highlight this week but Elena finally realising that her new boyfriend isn't all he seems definitely was. So, here's to Stefan filling her in on the fact that he's a vampire in the next episode then.

As for Smallville, another middle of the road episode this week. I have looked into later episodes where things such as Checkmate and Zod's overall machinations actually go up a notch, so sitting through an episode where some guy tries to murder off Kandorians because they used extreme methods to save his life wasn't all that interesting. Slightly better was Chloe and Oliver banding together to prevent Tess from finding Chloe's stash of weapons for when the apocalyse arrives. An apocalypse I'd welcome now to be honest. As for Clark saving Zod's life - like hell that won't come back to bite him soon enough.

A show by MTV worries me. There's the US version of Skins next year, which may or may not be a steaming pile of turd and then there's the godawful Jersey Shore, currently clogging up the TV schedules. After all the excess promotion behind The Hard Times Of RJ Berger - a series where nerdy kid RJ's massive meat and two veg becomes public knowledge in high school after a disastrous basketball game, I really thought that MTV were getting desperate but watching the first two episodes of the series, I have to admit that it's actually an enjoyable show. Nowhere near as crass as the premise suggested and while all the characters fall into obvious stereotypes, I think this could become a guilty pleasure for me. Definitely something I want to see more and I certainly didn't mind RJ's attempts of standing up for nerds everywhere in the second episode even if he did lose the election to jock Max.

Ugly Betty's fourth season in my opinion comes close to being the best for the show since it's first year but it takes later episodes for that to really be driven home. Last Wednesday's episode wasn't the best, even with the amusement of seeing Betty and Marc dressed as a hotdog and Daniel thinking on his feet to stop a sexual harrassment lawsuit. The Justin plot in particular is definitely something to keep an eye out on.

I caught up with the last two episodes of The X Factor and yeah, while there's a few standouts (Mary Byrne, Cher?), I have to say that both Katy Perry (Dublin) and Natalie Imbruglia (Birmingham) were much better at engaging with the contestants than Geri Halliwell had been during the Glasgow auditions. However this year, the most memorable thing was horrid duo AbLisa, who added assault, abusing the audience and dissing the guest judge to their list of shortcomings. It's enough to make you forget about the auto-tuning incident, isn't it?

It's only three days away from the Big Brother franchise finally ending and Ultimate Big Brother has been busy enough. To be honest, I've sort of tired of the Victor/Nick double act and hope the latter's exited on Wednesday but it was rather sad to see Nadia make herself so unpopular in the last few days before her eviction. Davina's interview with her left a bad taste in my mouth and while Nadia did act like a bitch to the likes of Ulrika for little reason, I do think as a professional journalist/broadcaster, Davina should've acted maturely instead of the rent a mob that has ruined this show in recent years. As for the arrival of Vanessa Feltz - works for me. Anyone who can handle Nikki's tantrums with the patience she has clearly deserves to win but it's clear that Brian or Chantelle will emerge victorious on Friday though. Oh and the appearances of Glyn, Samanda, Rex, John Tickle and Anthony over the last few days for tasks has been fun. I knew the latter didn't have sex with Makosi.

- New girl Sunshine will perform Lady Gaga's Telephone with Rachel in a bathroom stand-off in the first episode of Glee's second season. Empire State Of Mind will also feature in the first episode.

- Desperate Housewives opening episode will reveal the baby swap plot in full in the first ten minutes.

- Both Shawn and Aaron Ashmore have been cast as twins in the new season of Fringe.

- Ali Larter has claimed that it's unlikely that a Heroes film will enter production.

- Ken Jenkins will play the father of Courtney Cox's character Jules in the second season of Cougar Town.

- Nicholas Brendon is the latest actor to sign on for Private Practice. Previous Buffyverse actors have been Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Amber Benson and Emma Caulfield.

- Jane Espenson will be writing three of the 10 episodes scheduled for the fourth season of Torchwood.

- David Marshall Grant has confirmed that all the characters in Brothers And Sisters will be in different places in their lives this season.

Skins US - First Cast Picture

Thanks to Digital Spy for releasing a cast picture of the first generation of the US version of Skins. Now if someone can actually tell me who these kids are, that would be awesome because I've been looking around and I can't find names for any of this lot. So, thoughts anyone?

My Review of Dexter's 4x03: "Blinded By The Light"

Written by Scott Buck
Directed by Marcos Siega

Dexter (re neighbourhood watch): “It’s watch and report, assholes, not watch and chase. This is so humiliating.”

The one thing about neighbourhood watch storylines in most shows is that besides one episode, they’re usually a rather throwaway plot to be honest. Something stalks the neighbourhood, concerned citizens band together to try and catch the menace but it never really lingers beyond one episode or a few in case of some shows.

I guess with this show, it’s actually impressive that up until now, this very type of storyline hadn’t really been done before but until this season, Dexter and Rita weren’t trying to keep up with their neighbours and honestly living next door to half of this lot would be enough for seclusion to be the sweetest deal around.

The problem I had with this plot was that none of the neighbours really felt that organic and that’s odd because this show has been able to make some pretty unhinged characters into real characters but it doesn’t seem to pull it off that well with the neighbours in this episode.

Elliot seemed to be quite the boy scout neighbour happy to let Dexter and Rita know when a mysterious vandal would strike the suburbs and was even pretty present during the neighbourhood watch where Dexter initially suspected that emo punk, Jesse was the one going around causing mayhem on the streets.

Despite the fact that Jesse was a pretty annoying character, I was actually impressed that it turned out to be his broke and desperate father, Andy responsible for the chaos this week. Okay, Dexter was probably taking a huge risk in confronting Andy in the manner that he did but given that he was at the end of his rope and having a hard time catching a break, I’m willing to give him an allowance here. Scaring Andy shitless into ending his reign of terror is far better when you consider Dexter’s usual MO for dealing with pests.

Unfortunately I just wished that the episode hadn’t ended with Rita catching him busting up the security light because given the way she’s been this season, I don’t think Dexter is going to be able to talk her around like he used to. Is it wrong that I’m beginning to dislike this more stroppy, controlling side of Rita?

It’s not that I want her to be an idiot who’d believe any lie Dexter would tell her but three episodes in and I’m beginning to tire of her constantly controlling him. Maybe she doesn’t mean it but practically grounding Dexter because he didn’t tell her about his concussion is rather petty in my book and I’m surprised that Dexter himself is tolerating it.

Also it does do Rita something of a disservice as well. I think I preferred her last season when she had a friend and a job and wasn’t just trying to live out this inane suburban dream that she’s been doing this season. It also doesn’t help that along with Rita being in constant nag mode that Dexter’s getting sloppy himself.

Once again, there was Harry pointing out that his skill set was limited. Dexter made a few social no-no’s with Astor this week and Rita embarrassed him over it and instead of placating Quinn, all Dexter managed to do this week was to anger him even more. Although, come to think of it, who the hell would want to spend time with Quinn if they didn’t have to?

I’ve got nothing against Desmond Harrington, he’s a good actor but Quinn is such an unlikeable character that I am beginning to lose patience with him. Actually no, I can deal with characters that are unlikeable but Quinn’s problem is that he’s an uninteresting character and that’s something I can’t deal with.

Quinn might have resented Dexter labelling him a dirty copper but if Quinn’s willing to steal money from a victim and blab to his reporter girlfriend about Lundy’s killer theories, then I think he’s in no position to complain. Unfortunately, I do see this growing resentment between him and Dexter escalating into something else.

Speaking of escalating, we’re three episodes into the season and while he hasn’t interacted with Dexter at all yet, I am still fascinated and totally unnerved by Trinity. John Lithgow, I don’t think I’ll ever look at in the same way again and the death of poor Tarla in this episode actually got to me, which is rare given that seeing dead bodies is an expected thing on this show week in, week out.

I think it’s because we knew Tarla prior to her death and also the fact that Trinity made Tarla end her own life that made it more powerful. We were also told about his pattern here and while I fear that his next victim will almost be Lundy, I think I’d be more happy if it were Quinn.

As for Lundy, watching him and Deb only continued to serve as a blatant reminder of how good that relationship was on screen. It’s great seeing the pair of them working together but I also feel rather sorry for Anton here, who looks more and more likely to get dumped within the next episode or two.

Finally, Maria and Angel – can we see some progression here? I get that Maria wants to keep their relationship under wraps to the extent where she won’t even let Angel comfort her in front of others but it’s getting a little frustrating as well. Still, at least they got something on the tourist killers this week.

Also in “Blinded By The Light”

Even though he’s still getting naff all to do, I have to praise Masuka this week for his comments about Deb’s feelings for Lundy. Who’d have pegged him for being on the mark?

Tarla: “Why are you doing this to me?”
Trinity: “You know I’m not to blame here.”

Trinity called Tarla “mom” after she died and marked the ground with some ashes – his own mother’s perhaps?

Harry (re neighbours): “You’ve only been here for a month and they’ve got you tagged.”
Dexter: “It’s not just me, there are other houses.”

Masuka: “Geez, who do I have to fuck to get those kind of tickets?”
Dexter: “Here, no fucking.”
Masuka: “Dude!”

Further proof of Quinn had him mocking Dexter’s name and the fact that he was adopted during his booty call with Christine. What a tosser!

Dexter (to himself): “I make my bodies disappear; Trinity leaves his out in the open, supremely confident that no-one will trace them to him, decade after decade after decade.”

Quinn: “This is Miami, Deb, people die!”
Deb: “And sometimes, it’s by murder. I wanna follow up on this.”

Deb was looking through 30 year old files to find a connection between Tarla’s death and the Trinity pattern.

Masuka: “Must be weird for you, Lundy coming back.”
Deb: “Why would it be weird, you’re weird?”

Dexter (re Trinity): “He’s come home.”
Lundy: “I’m not sure home’s the right word. People like us don’t really belong anywhere, we pass through.”

Standout music: Rita’s rather enthusiastic version of “Karma Chameleon” in the car but more for Dexter’s reaction to it than her vocal ability.

Deb: “So now this is your retirement project? You’re completely incapable of relaxing, aren’t you?”
Lundy: “That’s just it, this is how I relax, I get the scent of a bad guy. I can feel my blood pressure going down.”

Chronology: Nothing specified since “Remains To Be Seen” and did Lundy admit to Dexter that he had a dark side? I got that impression from their exchange this week.

Definitely better than the previous episode but “Blinded By The Light” could’ve done with less Harry and less of the neighbourhood watch stuff. Also now that we’ve gotten to know Trinity a bit better, I think it’s time that him and Dexter meet face to face.

Rating: 8 out of 10.

Desperate Housewives - Season 7 Cast Pictures

With three weeks to go until ABC air the new season, some gorgeous/totally photoshopped cast pics have surfaced for Desperate Housewives.

Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria) will be keeping the fact that Andrew ran over Juanita a secret from Carlos but it's rumoured that Carlos will also be keeping secrets from her as well. Could this be about the baby switched storyline that's revealed in the first 10 minutes of the opening episode?

Bree Van De Kamp (Marcia Cross) not only will have to deal with Orson and his new girlfriend but she'll also have to deal with being at odds with Gabby and there's also a love interest for her with Brian Austin Green's character, Keith who debuts in the third episode of the season.

Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman) - not really sure what's going on with her yet. She's got a connection to a new regular, has a new baby and in a later episode will be reunited with Tom's mother (played by Lois Smith) but apart from that, spoilers aren't giving us much with her this year.

Susan Delfino (Teri Hatcher) - her plots seem to be ranging from an internet scheme to support her family this year to finding out about Paul Young (Mark Moses) and his new wife (played by Emily Bergl) living in her old house.

Renee Perry (Vanessa Williams) seems to be the one to watch out for this year. Not only has she moved to Wisteria Lane because her marriage is on the rocks but she's also a former college pal of Lynette and seems to have a caustic relationship with the rest of the housewives as well. Vanessa Williams is a coup and if Renee's any good, then I hope she won't be a one season wonder like Angie was in Season 6.

A bigger picture of the cast shot from Monday's blog as well to enjoy.

Season 7 - Behind The Scenes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GehXWuQDqqs

The Sarah Jane Adventures - Season 4 First Look

Not the best trailer in the world but this 20 second gem does show us what we have to look forward to with the fourth season, due to start on October 11th. The Sarah Jane Adventures we've missed you and Matt Smith is looking great alongside Elisabeth Sladen, isn't he?

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB4QKCncJnM&feature=player_embedded

Merlin - Season 3 First Look

And we're back. It's been 9 months since our last step into Camelot and now the third season of Merlin has finally arrived.

Merlin (Colin Morgan) is looking rather pensive in this picture. Without the dragon to mostly aid him, he's going to have to make some difficult choices this year.

Speaking of decision, any chance that Arthur (Bradley James) and Gwen (Angel Coulby) might actually progress into a relationship? It seems not really, especially given that Lancelot will also be returning this season as well.

Morgana (Katie McGrath) may have been missing for a year but both her and Morgause (Emilia Fox) certainly haven't been idle though. It seems that Morgana is definitely embracing her dark side this year and both Merlin and Uther better watch themselves.

Also the first two episodes of the new season are a two part story called The Tears Of Uther Pendragon and I'm sure between both Morgana and Morgause that he'll have plenty to despair about. In terms of guest stars look out for the likes of Tom Ellis and Warwick Davis in upcoming episodes.

Season 3 begins on BBC1, Saturday at 7.25pm from September 11th.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4HFDX85E6s

The Gays Of UK Soaps

Every now and then I'm gonna take a look into LGBT characters on UK soaps as well as other storylines in them. I'd include Hollyoaks but I haven't seen anything in recent weeks. Next LGBT blog I'll do it though.

Coronation Street - Sophie/Sian: I'm still not entirely sold onto these two just yet. I did like last night's episode where Kevin and Rosie both supported Sophie and Sally came to her senses, even if Sophie/Sian decided to leg it. I think my misgiving with this storyline is that while I believe that Sophie is gay, I just don't believe that Sian is and I don't think the chemistry is that great between the two of them. Then again, it's taken nearly 50 years for a lesbian character to appear on this show and I'm glad it's an established character than some random newbie.

Coronation Street - James: I think Ken Barlow really does have a kid in every port. This Sunday sees the introduction of long lost son, Lawrence and gay grandson, James (played by William Roache's real life sons, Linus and James). It seems that Lawrence has issues with his son's sexuality and Ken is more than happy to play mediator. James is rather a good looking guy, so here's hoping he does stick around for a bit.

Coronation Street - Sean: It's been six years and a few boyfriends and a child later that he's recently been in contact with, what else can be done with Sean? Anthony Cotton's probably a nice guy but I find him to be one of the weakest actors on the show and too often, Sean is rarely given anything too interesting to do. Maybe it's time for the writers to rethink the character.

EastEnders - Christian/Syed: One of the more mixed storylines of the year. We've seen Christian cruelly outing Syed, costing the latter his family when he couldn't fight his feelings any longer and now they're seemingly a happy couple. Except they live in Walford and misery is a rather dominant thing in that place. I spent a lot of time disliking this storyline for all sorts of reasons but if they're still together by this time next year, then the show would have made some real progress with the characters and gay couples on soaps.

Emmerdale - Aaron/Jackson: The most talked about gay storyline in a soap this year and maybe the best. Except that for the most part, I still don't actually like Aaron as a character. Danny Miller is a good actor but Aaron's often surly manner doesn't always make him a watchable character. Jackson on the other hand, is definitely the better of the bunch and while Aaron/Jackson haven't been that tactile (we've the likes of Paul/Ivan or Paul/Johnny more handsy with each other in previous years), it's still one of the strongest couplings on the series, though there's not many bad ones to be honest in soap's most unlucky village.

Brothers And Sisters - Season 5 First Photos

Another popular ABC series returning this fall, here are some exclusive pictures for the fifth season of Brothers And Sisters.

A year has passed since the event of the Season 4 finale and it seems that the Walkers have been mostly avoiding each other as Kitty grieves for Robert and deals with a new career. Also, what on Earth is up with Sarah's hair? The fringe might take some getting used to.

Synopsis for opening episode, The Homecoming ....

It's been a year since the Walker family was torn apart by a tragic car accident, and in a very un-Walker like fashion, everyone has been avoiding everyone else. Truths and reality only start to set in when the family is forced to come together for Justin's homecoming party: Nora tries to prepare for the party, but is not acting like the mother she used to be; Sarah is consumed with the Narrow Lake deal; Kevin has a new career as public defense attorney; Saul and Scotty are running their restaurant; and Kitty's life has become a taboo subject for everyone. Time has changed the Walkers, on the fifth-season premiere of Brothers & Sisters.

Overall, it's an intriguing sounding opener and I like that Kevin has gotten back into law but with the spate of departures (Tommy, Rebecca, Robert, even Ryan) and the reduction in episodes, I can't help but wonder whether or not this will be the series final year. If it is, it better go out with a bang of Six Feet Under style proportions.

The series returns on ABC from September 26th at 10pm. More4 will air the new season in 2011.

More Pictures: http://www.afterelton.com/TV/2010/09/first-pics-new-season-brothers-sisters?page=0%2C0

My Review of True Blood's 3x11: "Fresh Blood"

Written by Nancy Oliver
Directed by Daniel Minahan

Eric (to Russell): “Be brave. We’ll die together.”

And this viewer says ‘what’? Die together? Eric, are you out of fucking mind? I get the whole wanting to kill Russell because he offed your family but last time I checked, that could’ve easily been done without Eric handcuffing himself to the evil king in a bid to meet the true death by sunlight.

All Eric had to do was find a way to keep Russell restrained and in the sun long enough to burn up. I’m not sure why all of a sudden that Eric seems to have a death wish, even though in this episode he certainly had no problem in using Sookie’s fairy blood in order to lull Russell into a false sense of security.

I know a lot of fan girls might have felt like telling Sookie to put a sock in it because she wasn’t in the loop about Eric setting Russell up for a fall but honestly, do you blame her? Eric did imprison her and when she did manage to get loose with some help from Yvetta and Bill, it didn’t take him long enough to capture her again and drink from her along with Russell.

If anything, assuming that Bill does get to save Sookie in time, I have a feeling that Sookie will finally do the rational thing and put some distance between herself and the main vampires of the show. Now I like Eric, Bill and Pam plenty but each of them have all screwed Sookie over this season in ways that she shouldn’t instantly forgive.

Bill’s habitually lied to her about his real reasons for entering her life, Pam encouraged Eric to use Sookie in order to keep Russell away from him and Eric pretty much followed his progeny’s advice and then some. If Sookie doesn’t get mad at the lot of them in the finale, then she really isn’t the brightest button on the show.

That being said, I absolutely loved Eric and Pam this week. Eric might be self-serving but his affection for Pam (and hers for him) is definitely one of the most genuine relationships on the series and Pam was crying over the idea of losing her maker. Bill barely batted an eyelid Lorena was killed and he was largely annoying in this episode as well, sadly.

I sort of hated the conversation that both Bill and Sookie had in the car about what their lives would be like if they were normal people. Not because the whole thing was cheesy but because it was blatantly obvious that Sookie and Bill are heading for a fall. If those two are still together next season, then it will be some of a miracle/cop out, depending on your stance with them. I like the characters but they need to break up now.

As for Eric and Russell, I loved their confrontation at the museum. Russell’s been such a multi-faceted villain that his scenes with Eric highlight just how great he is. He reluctantly indulged the idea of drinking from Sookie to be able to walk in the sun and then found himself overcome with glee when it looked like it could work.

His comeuppance was certainly inevitability but I was sort of expecting this episode to end with him doing something monstrous instead of being tricked by Eric. However it does look like we’ll see him one more time and by the looks of it, if Eric doesn’t kill him, then Russell probably will end up wishing that he did meet the true death at the hands of sunlight.

Speaking of meetings, count me in on the Tara and Sam shipper train but only if this time around, it’s them as an actual couple rather than them being friends with benefits all over again. Right now, these two are exactly what the other needs but if I had to wager on who was more messed up this time, I would hedge my bets on Sam.

Tara has her flipping issues but Sam was the one who was lashing out at everyone in this episode. Normally I’d laugh at someone insulting Arlene but Sam had no right to call her and Holly bitches (cheers to Holly for telling him where to get off) and the way he treated both Terry and Tommy made me want to punch his lights out.

No matter how mad you are, you don’t attack someone as kind and fragile as Terry in the manner that Sam did. Mocking Terry’s shellshock was a below the belt comment from Sam and the cold way in which he treated Tommy actually made me feel sorry for the kid. Okay, Tommy got his own back by stealing from Sam but even still, I thought the way Sam treated him was nasty.

It was also a stark contrast to how Tara dealt with Andy over the Eggs situation. I won’t lie – I was expecting her to blow her off and really tear Andy a new one but the nuanced conversation she had with him instead was a better way of dealing with the matter. She certainly didn’t hold back in making Andy feel bad but she also listened to his side of the story as well and seemed to believe that he was genuinely sorry for Eggs’s death.

I can’t see Tara instantly forgiving either Jason or Andy anytime soon but I think it can be ruled out that she’s going to make their lives hell at the same. As for her and Sam – I loved the fact that both of them could analyse the other as well as themselves because right now, they’re the only two who get each other and their sex scene was pretty damn hot.

What wasn’t hot though was Lafayette’s hazy little drug state this week around. Given that he’s seeing all kind of creepy antics right now, this has to mean that a) Lafayette really is attuned to magic in some ways and b) if the head mask if anything to go by, I can assume that Jesus isn’t all that he seems. Too bad, I wanted Jesus as a good guy.

I guess with good guys, I’ll have settled for Hoyt in a way. I liked that Jessica opened up about the trucker incident and that it brought them closer but there are pros and cons to him now letting her drink from her – namely her self-control issues. That being said, Jessica/Hoyt are still the best vampire/human pairing on the show so far by a long shot.

As for Maxine being the reason why Summer was brought into the mix – it makes total sense but it’s also rather disturbing and if she’s this determined to control Hoyt, then I fear that she might do something more dangerous in order to get Jessica out of the picture.

Last but not least – Jason and Crystal, I’m still not really feeling this storyline but at least it’s progressed a bit and it didn’t take all that much on Crystal’s part to try and persuade Jason to help her family against the DEA. However the stuff with Kitch Maynard is beyond tedious. I don’t care if he’s using V to advance himself and I find it odd that Jason himself is all that bothered and besides, it’s adding nothing to the actual story itself, so what’s the point to it all?

Also in “Fresh Blood”

Pam used some silver spray on Bill during their scrap over Sookie. I noticed that we’ve been getting more fight scenes this season.

Bill (re Sookie): “If you try to keep her from me, I will kill you.”
Pam: “Get a grip, Bill, I’m not the enemy.”

Yvetta stole from Fangtasia in this episode, restrained Pam (what is it with female bondage this year?) and mentioned that she was a cardiologist in her own country. Pam also fed from Ginger, who screamed once again.

Crystal: “I’m just the same as I’ve always been. I told you I had secrets, you said you didn’t care.”
Jason: “I thought it was shoplifting or something. You could’ve given me a heads up.”

Hoyt: “I can’t do anything without you.”
Jessica: “I missed you so much.”
Hoyt: “I missed you too.”

Arlene enlisted Holly to try and get rid of the baby but despite bleeding out, the baby is still alive. What if the child isn’t evil?

Russell: “Life is absurd. Still, I’m excited to destroy you.”
Eric: “My loved one are dead and Talbot’s dead. We’re even.”
Russell: “Don’t beg for mercy, it’s such a bore.”

Sookie: “I don’t know if people can change, even if they try.”
Bill: “We can if we want to. Do you want to?”

I meant to say in my last review but congratulations to Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer who got married last month.

Summer (re Hoyt): “I even offered my virginity and he turned it down flat.”
Maxine: “Summer, I appreciate that, even if it broke God’s law.”

Sam: “I could use some help here.”
Tara: “I can see that. Too bad I ain’t working here tonight.”

The anti-vampire feeling has become rife as even Fangtasia had some nasty graffiti on it’s walls this week. Nan’s not doing great on the damage control front, is she?

Holly (re great mother): “Okay, she’s fine. You feel her?”
Arlene: “I feel something.”

Russell: “Don’t you see Miss Stackhouse? Your country’s begging to be conquered.”
Sookie: “You don’t know much about America.”

Standout music: Eels “Fresh Blood”, which was used in some of the earlier trailers for this season as well.

Sam: “Nobody knows me.”
Tara: “It’s not like you make it easy.”

Chronology: From where “I Smell A Rat” left off.

“Fresh Blood” is certainly an interesting penultimate episode but with the Russell mostly resolved, I have a feeling that the finale in two weeks will just follow suit and be a set up for more stuff in the next year than resolving this one.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

And The Awards Go To The Usual Crowd

The Emmys are only on once a year and they're usually entertaining enough but the cynic in me can't help but scoff at some of the winners speeches for some reason. For a two hour gig, Jimmy Fallon (who I find rather Marmite mostly) did a decent enough job but I don't think there was a win that was that genuinely shocking. Most of the usual candidates (Mad Men, House, Glee, Dexter, etc) were up and the wins attributed to them were deserved and all but the Emmys has almost become more about what everyone is wearing (or who everyone is wearing) rather than the actual ceremony itself. Here's to next year though.

I just knew with the way that Mistresses had been going for the past three episodes that the finale wouldn't match up and it didn't. Why the hell didn't the BBC give this a longer run? Because of that shortcoming, we've been left with a rather rushed finale where Trudi and Katie were at loggerheads over the latter's affair with Richard (your blandness will not be missed) but manage to reach some civility because for half the episode you're almost thinking that Jessica's illness might actually kill her off. As glad as I am that it didn't, this along with Siobhan getting Dominic after leaving it so long. This was a good show but this last series showed that the BBC were more concerned with getting out of the way than ending it satsfyingly.

A week into Ultimate Big Brother and you'd have to admit that it's certainly been eventful enough. Josie walked out after two days, John McRirick was evicted after actually being fun and thanks to an argument with Nadia, Coolio was also forced to leave and there was Michelle and Victor from BB5 having some fun in a bedsit at the expense of the other housemates. Even I felt bad for Nikki when she was terrorised with a clown and there was fun with seeing the likes of Anna Nolan, Craig Philips and Stuart Pilkington over the last few days as a part of tasks and treats for the housemates. However the Chantelle and Preston stuff is a little uncomfortable to watch (not to mention that the usual gossip mags are obsessed with them two getting back together) but I did like Victor, Michelle and Nick's little analysis over the antics of the house dynamics and the former occupants from BB11. So far, this has been fun enough, though I can see a Brian or Chantelle victory come next Friday.

That's it - The Vampires Diairies is really getting interesting. Bonnie's totally a witch and while setting candles alight might not be the most amazing thing on a supernatural themed show, Bonnie is by far the best character on this show and can I have some sympathy for Caroline too? Her relationship with Damon should be enough to show fangirls that dating the latter is a bad thing to do. Elena won pointers in this episode for trying to get Damon away from Caroline but lost them for not sticking to her guns and getting answers from Stefan. Also while Stefan's method of incapacitating Damon was genius, I'm more intrigued by this band of supernatural hunters comprising of Tyler's parents, Caroline's mother and Jenna's reporter ex-boyfriend. Nice to know that some people in Mystic Falls are privy to vampires.

I tried to get into Vexed but the three episodes that BBC2 offered me for the last few Sundays made me wished that I hadn't bothered. The problem with this show has been that it's often not funny enough for a straight up comedy and the crassness often underscored anything dramatic. The last episode with Jack and Kate searching for a kidnapped pop star was probably the better of the three but if this show returns next year, it needs to figure out what it wants to be and stick with it.

- Jon Hamm and Paul Giamatti are both confirmed for appearing in the new season of 30 Rock. Hamm's character will be a love interest for Liz Lemon.

- Carol Burnett has been cast as Sue's mother for the second season of Glee.
- Stephen Collins will apear in Brothers And Sisters as Charlie, a love interest for Saul. He'll also appear in No Ordinary Family as the boss of Julie Benz's character, Stephanie.

- Naoko Mori is another actor attached to the SyFy series, Three Inches.

- Lois Smith has been cast as Tom Scavo's mother in Desperate Housewives. She'll appear in the fifth episode of the new series.