FX Renews Justified and Archer

Whether you prefer your TV crime-fighters to be smooth-talking, look handsome in hats, and exude an aroma of whiskey or to be potty-mouthed, look handsome in tight black turtlenecks, and smell like cheap whores, FX has good news for you.

The network took care of business today at its Upfront presentation, renewing drama Justified and animated comedy Archer for new seasons. Both moves were expected, but news this good is worth repeating.

Justified, starring Timothy Olyphant as a U.S. Marshal who after a stint in Miami is exiled to work in his hometown in Kentucky, is currently in the middle of its second season. Archer, an animated series about an eccentric top-secret spy agency, is also in the middle of its second season, and will air a few bonus installments this fall (the total Season 3 order is for 16 episodes) before returning next year.

Justified airs Wednesday nights at 10pm and Archer airs Thursday nights at 10pm, both on FX.

Mad Men Money: Are You on AMC's or Matt Wiener's Side?

Let's draw straws. Two shortest lose their jobs.

High-priced salary negotiations and holdouts are an everyday occurrence in the sports world, but rarely do they bubble to the surface in the television world. Such is the case in MadMenGate 2011, which forced AMC's critically shlurped Mad Men to miss its 2011 summer start date due to a stalemate at the negotiation table.

From what we know from the trades, Mad Men creator Matthew Wiener and AMC are arguing over the following:

--Matt Wiener wants a $30 million dollar salary over two years
--AMC wants to cut two minutes from each episode for more commercials
--AMC wants to add product placement for additional revenue
--AMC is asking to cut two characters from the show for budgetary reasons

The argument in favor of Wiener (hee hee) is simple: Mad Men is considered by many to be the best show on television right now and is a podium hog at awards shows. Mad Men is also a cultural phenomenon that put AMC on the map and arguably made the cable channel what it is today. Think about it: where would AMC be without Mad Men? More so than other shows, Mad Men is an artistic endeavor, and the three points AMC is trying to implement are in direct conflict with Wiener's creative vision.

The argument for AMC is also simple: $30 million dollars!? That would make Wiener basic cable's highest-paid showrunner. Product placement isn't out of the norm anymore (and would be pretty easy to integrate given that the show is about advertising), and two fewer minutes of Mad Men would still give Mad Men one of the longest runtimes per hour (most one-hour programs clock in at 43-44 minutes per hour. Mad Men is current in the 47-48 minute range). Add that to the fact that Mad Men isn't even the network's biggest hit (The Walking Dead, in its first season, averaged over 5 million viewers, Mad Men, in season four, was just under 3 million), and you can see why AMC is hesitant to pay out all that cash.

The Hollywood Reporter's Tim Goodman makes his case for why Wiener should get paid: AMC was a nobody before Mad Men came along. Now they have some of the best original programming on TV and have become a power player. Goodman essentially says AMC owes Wiener, and he should be paid thusly.

Taking the side of AMC, interestingly enough, are two of the industry's more famous (and outspoken) showrunners. Lost's head honcho Damon Lindelof tweeted: "Not that I'm sour grapes, but TEN MILLION DOLLARS a year for 13 episodes of a single show seems pretty fair, no?" But my favorite stance on the situation comes from Sons of Anarchy boss Kurt Sutter, who tweeted: "You can't ask a network for 10 million, then bitch when they want to expand their ad revenue source. Whore or saint, pick one." It should be noted that both Tweets weren't takedowns of Wiener directly, but rather commentary on the business side of the industry.

I always have a problem when people argue over salaries that are already absurd. How many yachts do people need anyway? But incorporating product placement and cutting the jobs of actors is never good for a show, especially one as cherished as Mad Men. I'm rooting for compromise.

Where do you stand on the situation? Do you think AMC should meet Wiener's demands, vice versa, or should there be some sort of compromise?

Finally! Fringe Gets Renewed for Season 4

That's a beautiful headline!

Fox ended the torture for Fringe fans today, renewing the sci-fi series for a fourth season after much uncertainty blanketed the bubble show. And it's not for some odd number like 13 episodes, Fox wants a full 22 episodes next season. Phew, now we can all finish off Season 3 with our nerves intact.

The renewal comes just as the Fringe crew heads into production on the season finale, giving showrunners Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman the freedom to tell the story the want to tell and not try and create some finale the could double as a series finale.

The majority of talk since Fringe was moved to Fridays surrounded its ratings, which have dwindled enough to raise questions about its future. Fox points out that the show has been averaging a 2.2 rating among adults since its move, but that likely includes DVR viewing. Last week's episode registered a preliminary 1.3 rating among adults—it's a number that doesn't exactly scream "renew me!"

So how did Fringe manage to get a renewal from Fox? I don't know, but I don't care. I'm just happy that it happened. But if you feel the need to conspire, TVBytheNumbers.com points out that star Anna Torv is the niece of Fox owner Rupert Murdoch. Personally, I think Fox really does love the show and wants to see its story told.

Now can you finally forget about what Fox did with Firefly?

See the First Photos of Wonder Woman in Action (and With a New Costume!)

Anticipation for NBC's Wonder Woman re-imagining has been cautious. Some TV fans are eager to see one of the comic world's most famous heroines bash in the faces of bad guys. Others are put off by the modern-day spin that will cast Diana as a corporate exec who likes to sing Katy Perry songs in the car. And there's a fair share of people who are just morbidly curious to see how this whole things shakes out.

We still have a long time to wait until the actual show airs (if it gets picked up to series, we'd expect it this fall), but for now we have the next best thing: photos of the series in action from a filming session in Los Angeles.

One of the first things you'll notice, in addition to the ferocious look on Adrianne Palicki's face, is the minor adjustments made to the costume that set the internet on fire when the first photo of it was released. The blinding blue sheen of those shiny plastic pants has been swapped for something more matte, and the blue boots have been exchanged for red boots that better complement the outfit. I'm no fashion guru, but the getup she has on now is much easier on the eyes.

Note: This is likely Palicki's stunt double.

Do you think the new outfit is an improvement over the old one?

Body of Proof Is Dead on Arrival

Did you watch the premiere of Body of Proof last night? It's the new ABC crime procedural starring Dana Delany as a kind of Quincy, M.E. with a sassier attitude and more on-trend wardrobe. Delany plays Dr. Megan Hunt, a brilliant former neurosurgeon who we learn has lost her career to a car accident that killed another driver and impaired her motor skills (or at least she thinks it has). Robbed of her ability to operate, she now puts her superpowers of deduction to use solving stymieing crimes for the city. “Don’t believe everything you’ve heard about me,” Hunt tells the skeptical, mildly retarded detectives on whose turf she so brazenly trespasses. “The truth is much, much worse.”

So Body of Proof is going to be one of those shows. To call it derivative is almost so obvious as to be tacit. You need only have a passing awareness of shows like House M.D., Bones, Crossing Jordan, The Mentalist, and Lie to Me to feel their tried formats hovering over the proceedings. But, to quote Fred Armisen channeling Joy Behar, “So what? Who cares?” The sheer number of these shows seems to suggest there’s an audience for them, and their formats aren’t really all that different from that of a Sherlock Holmes novel: Genius sees what mortals cannot; sidekicks marvel; crime is solved; genius celebrates by injecting some heroin.

But unlike Dr. House, Hunt has no drug addictions or other chemical dependencies to work through. There are no signs of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or Tourette's Syndrome, or even an irrational fear of clowns. Hunt doesn’t even really have that bad of an attitude, despite her corny warnings to the contrary. Her failings, it seems, are mostly non-existent—beyond her workaholism, which was apparently enough for a judge to deny her custody of her only daughter. Now, I’m no divorce lawyer, but I’m pretty sure, “Mommy makes way too much money as a brilliant neurosurgeon” isn’t really a viable cause for giving Daddy full custody? Like, “Mommy spends way too much time prostituting herself in exchange for vials of methamphetamine” would be a pretty good reason, but not “working really hard?” And yet there she is at the door on her daughter’s birthday, and her jerk of an ex-husband (Once and Again's Jeffrey Nordling) practically slams the door in her face. “Get out of here, woman who provided too well for her family! You are tragically faulted, yet your hubris is also your greatest virtue. Go wallow in your inner-irony!” I mean, come on.

The central mystery of the pilot, involving a runner found dead with a concussion, was utterly uninvolving, which leaves us instead to just familiarize ourselves with the cast. Peter Dunlop is Hunt’s Dr. Watson—a former cop who acts as her minder and pal. He’s played by Australian actor Nicholas Bishop, looking almost startlingly like a less-pretty Simon Baker. Sci-fi sex symbol Jeri Ryan is on hand as Dr. Kate Murphy, Hunt’s boss, here to provide some weekly version of the sentiment, “Watch your step, Hunt.” John Carroll Lynch—the dough-faced character actor whose oversized features can relay both menace and a profound thickness—is Det. Bud Morris, there to cast doubt on every one of Hunt’s deductive leaps, only to be proven the chump at every turn. And Sonja Sohn, sainted forever for her role as a lesbian drug cop on The Wire, is also accounted for, slumming as Morris’s partner. And then there’s Delany, who’s doing her best with what she’s given. The most I can offer is that she’s pleasant enough to be around for an hour of going through the crime-show motions.

Fool us Five Times: A Quintet of Online April Fool's Jokes

It's been a few years since I watched Grey's Anatomy regularly, but I can’t say no to a musical episode. So when I found out Thursday night’s installment would be all-singing, all-dancing, I brushed up on recent plot developments and made the bold choice to tune in. The episode, “Song Beneath the Song,” featured the entire cast performing renditions of pop tracks that have been used throughout the series. While it would have been nice to hear original music—or even old standards that hadn’t already been spotlighted on Grey's Anatomy—I was mostly excited to hear Broadway star Sara Ramirez showing off her pipes.

The episode began post-crash: Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) asked Callie (Ramirez) to marry her right before the couple’s car collided with a truck, sending Callie through the windshield. The doctors of Seattle Grace had to keep their friend alive, with specific focus on her unborn child and her potentially damaged brain. Meanwhile, Callie saw it all through song. Let’s break it down by musical number.

“Cosy in the Rocket”
Originally Performed By: Psapp
Performed By: Callie
As a shaking and bloody Callie awaited help, she saw herself singing a few lines from the original Grey’s Anatomy theme song. Too short to really reflect on, this at least set a haunting tone for the episode.

“Chasing Cars”
Originally Performed By: Snow Patrol
Performed By: Callie, Owen (Kevin McKidd), Bailey (Chandra Wilson)
Here we go—the first real musical number. It’s hard to resist a comparison to the last time Grey’s used “Chasing Cars,” the brutal Season 2 finale. (Denny! Still not over it.) It was jarring and perhaps ill-advised to have the doctors sing as they performed surgery, but this was early on, before the novelty of a musical episode had worn off. Besides, McKidd’s strong voice was a pleasant surprise.

“Breathe (2 AM)”
Originally Performed By: Anna Nalick
Performed By: Lexie (Chyler Leigh)
Ah, another Grey’s Anatomy classic. But here’s where “Song Beneath the Song” ran into its first problem. As Lexie sang the Anna Nalick song and left to find Mark, the action returned to the operating room. You could still hear her singing faintly, but what’s the point of a musical episode if the songs are going to be relegated to background music? While Leigh’s voice was nice, this was an early indication of Shonda Rhimes’ faulty musical sensibilities.

“How We Operate”
Originally Performed By: Gomez
Performed By: Owen
Sure, more McKidd singing was great, but this brief song snippet was not. Too obvious a choice in an episode filled with obvious choices. And at the same time—not really appropriate to the situation. The problem with using existing tracks instead of writing original music is that the songs only kind of match what’s going on. Honestly, it came across as lazy.

“Wait”
Originally Performed By: Get Set Go
Performed By: Bailey, April (Sarah Drew)
This was the moment for Sarah Drew—and unfortunately it was kind of underwhelming. More operating room singing? The episode needed to deliver on some big musical moments, not more of the same “let’s sing while we save her” scenes.

“Running On Sunshine”
Originally Performed By: Jesus Jackson
Performed By: Callie, Arizona, Bailey, Eli (Daniel Sunjata), Owen, Teddy (Kim Raver), Henry (Scott Foley), Alex (Justin Chambers), Lexie, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo)
And then “Song Beneath the Song” did give us an actual production. As it turned out, we probably should have stuck with the OR histrionics. There were sweet moments to this montage of couples (and almost couples) expressing their fondness for one another, but it was oddly timed and out of place in an episode about Callie’s struggle to survive. Bonus points for solid performances by Foley and Chambers, but obscuring Pompeo’s so-so voice was an obvious cheat.

“Universe & U”
Originally Performed By: KT Tunstall
Performed By: Callie, Arizona
Sure, give the lesbian couple a KT Tunstall song. All kidding aside, it was a nice enough moment, if not somewhat unnecessary. At this point in the episode, I was really just waiting for the show to give Ramirez more opportunities to show her range.

“Grace”
Originally Performed By: Kate Havnevik
Performed By: Callie (and female choir)
Finally. This was what the episode should have been all the way through, as Callie’s, uh, spirit floated around the hospital. Was it over-the-top? Sure. But this is Grey’s Anatomy, and in the context of a musical episode, you need these scenes. More to the point, “Grace” felt like a music video, and if we were supposed to take “Song Beneath the Song” as Callie’s brain-damaged hallucination, doesn’t it makes sense that she’d see things that way?

“How to Save a Life”
Originally Performed By: The Fray
Performed By: Cast
After “Chasing Cars” and “Breathe (2 AM),” “How to Save a Life” is Grey’s most iconic song. And that makes sense—it uses a surgery metaphor to talk about a failed relationship, which is the series’ mission statement. But this big group number was muddled with too many voices and too much going on. What made Shonda Rhimes think that it was necessary to incorporate actual surgery into the song? Why not allow the characters to interact in Callie’s imagination instead? Other notes: it was nice to see Addison (Kate Walsh) join in, albeit briefly, and hey, Pompeo isn’t so bad after all.

“The Story”
Originally Performed By: Brandi Carlile
Performed By: Callie
I hate this song. That isn’t anyone’s fault really—well, maybe Brandi Carlile’s—but given my personal bias, I thought it was an unfortunate choice to close the episode. Yeah, Callie got to see her baby, but there had already been enough of her astral projecting around the hospital. Also, while this should have been Ramirez’s standout moment, it didn’t really feel like anything special.

In the end, “Song Beneath the Song” wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but it wasn’t watercooler discussion-worthy either. With few flashy production numbers and all the songs recycled from earlier episodes, the entire enterprise felt much like your standard Grey’s Anatomy. It wasn’t event television, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s fantastic “Once More, With Feeling”—it was a rating’s plot. But hey, it worked. Last night’s numbers were up a sizable 30 percent from last week. Let’s hope if Grey’s does it again, Rhimes learns how to do a musical right.

Go ahead and play Randy Jackson, dog, and let us know what you thought of "Song Beneath the Song."

Fool us Five Times: A Quintet of Online April Fool's Jokes

It’s April Fool’s Day! Everyone loves April Fool’s Day. I mean, who doesn’t like to be made to feel like a complete idiot? Of course, your friends at TV.com are far too honest to try to pull one over on the savvy likes of you -- so instead we thought we’d round up the best TV-themed April Fool’s pranks from around the web. Gotcha! We’re not really going to do that. Just kidding! We are. (Or are we?)

1. Hulu Goes Back to the ‘90s
Is there anything more pathetic now than the Internet of the 1990s? It looked like complete crap, took about four hours to load one page, and every computer had a pair of rabbit ears that you had to keep fiddling with. I’m not even kidding! (Or am I?) Anyway, Hulu was feeling nostalgic for the days of Geocities and Sliders, and reconfigured their home page to look as if it came straight out of that era. Fire up those dial-up modems and RealPlayers, kids! Ugh. Just ask your parents.

2. ABC.com Goes Fool-On Wacky
Someone went nuts with the Photoshop over at ABC.com, where just about every version of their shows got the Wacky Packages treatment. There’s Mr. Sunsheen, White Castle, and Bieber with You. These are not real! Do not spend several hours searching for them in your TiVo listings. You will just end up feeling dumb, and the cycle of self-loathing will start anew. (Not that I did that.)

3. Animal Planet Signs the Bronx Zoo Cobra
The Bronx Zoo Cobra may no longer be on the run, but he so captured the hearts of Twitterers with his wildly popular feed that Marjorie Kaplan, president of Animal Planet and Science Networks, extended an invitation to star in his own series: "We have a triple threat on our hands. @BronxZoosCobra is relatable, audacious and venomous, and you don't turn your back on a snake like that!" Totally had you going there for a second, didn’t she? I mean, a snake show on Animal Planet. Could you even imagine? Mercy.

4. Ryan Seacrest Loves Making Funnies!
A year ago, star of Community and Talk Soup Joel McHale hijacked his E! Entertainment co-worker’s website, turning RyanSeacrest.com into JoelMcHale.com and covering it in pictures of himself. This year another snake-in-the-grass got in on the action -- you guessed it -- it’s celeb du moment the Bronx Zoo Cobra who took over, with an all-snake homepage.

5. Black Friday
Perhaps a better takeover gag was the one over at FunnyorDie.com, who have transformed themselves into the world’s most comprehensive repository of all things Rebecca Black. We, we, we, we so...need a drink.

April Premieres: Our Most (and Least) Anticipated New Shows

This year, April brings more than rain and taxes: lots of series premieres! We've compiled a guide to several of the month's new shows—from HBO's buzzed-about Game of Thrones to Discovery's Human Planet to E!'s latest Karadashian whatever-it-is—and ranked each one on our super high-tech TV.com Excite-o-Meter. Here's the heads up on what looks good, what looks bad, and what looks terribly, horribly ugly.

{ FRIDAY, APRIL 1 }

Chaos (8PM, CBS)
Starring: Freddy Rodriguez, Eric Close, Tim Blake Nelson, James Murray, Carmen Ejogo, and Kurtwood Smith
The Premise: "A comedic drama about a group of rogue CIA spies in Clandestine Administration and Oversight Services (CHAOS), who combat threats to national security amidst bureaucratic gridlock, rampant incompetence, and political infighting. The team tackles high-risk foreign intelligence missions using manipulation, deception, and wit to succeed, and that's just for starters."
Excite-o-Meter Says: (On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest) 6. There's always reason to be wary of a show that a broadcast network decides to launch on a Friday night in April—contrary to popular belief, networks do actually know when they have a show that isn't that good. Combining CIA operations with healthy doses of humor is tricky, and that's the issue that seems to be at the heart of the mostly negative early reviews. Still, the trailer looks like a fun romp, so let's give this one a chance, shall we?

Camelot (10PM, STARZ)
Starring: Jamie Campbell Green (The Prisoner) as King Arthur, Eva Green (Casino Royale) as Morgan, Joseph Fiennes (FlashForward) as Merlin
The Premise: "In the wake of King Uther’s sudden death, chaos threatens to engulf Britain. When the sorcerer Merlin has visions of a dark future, he installs the young and impetuous Arthur, Uther’s unknown son and heir, who has been raised from birth as a commoner. But Arthur’s cold and ambitious half-sister Morgan will fight him to the bitter end, summoning unnatural forces to claim the crown in this epic battle for control."
Excite-o-Meter Says: 5. You have to feel for Camelot, a sword-and-sorcery cable venture debuting just before the fantasy behemoth that is HBO's Game of Thrones. Starz made the first episode available on-demand, and while it was entertaining enough, it didn't leave us clamoring for more.

{ SUNDAY, APRIL 3 }

The Borgias (9PM, SHOWTIME)
Starring: Jeremy Irons, David Oakes, Francois Arnaud, Holliday Granger
The Premise: "Set in 15th-century Italy at the height of the Renaissance, The Borgias chronicles the corrupt rise of patriarch Rodrigo Borgia (Irons) to the papacy, where he proceeds to commit every sin in the book to amass and retain power, influence, and enormous wealth for himself and his family. The unbounded audacity of this original crime family went on to inspire Machiavelli's The Prince and Mario Puzo's The Godfather."
Excite-o-Meter Says: 8. With The Tudors over, Showtime has filled its gaping period-piece hole with The Borgias. The writing is on the wall for this one: Do you like solid historical dramas? Then you will like The Borgias. We'll be watching.

The Killing (9PM, AMC)
Starring: Mireille Enos, Billy Campbell, Joel Kinnaman, Michelle Forbes
The Premise: "The Killing ties together three distinct stories around a single murder including the detectives assigned to the case, the victim's grieving family, and the suspects. Set in Seattle, the story also explores local politics as it follows politicians connected to the case. As the series unfolds, it becomes clear that there are no accidents; everyone has a secret, and while the characters think they've moved on, their past isn't done with them."
Excite-o-Meter Says: 7. AMC is the TV world's current trendsetter, but The Killing doesn't have the pizazz of a drug-dealing chemistry teacher or a zombie apocalypse. Reputation is hard-earned though, so we're expecting a quietly sound crime thriller that may not draw record audiences, but will reward those who tune in.

{ MONDAY, APRIL 4 }

Relapse (9PM, A&E)
Starring: Four sobriety coaches and their clients
The Premise: "Relapse follows Gwen Casella, Doug Caine, Patty Powers, and Seth Jaffe, four of the country's leading sober coaches as they work to save the lives of addicts who have hit rock bottom."
Excite-o-Meter Says: 3. What's with the fascination with watching druggies and alcoholics struggle with addiction? Isn't this the same stuff we tried to avoid watching during boring awareness presentations in high school?

{ TUESDAY, APRIL 5 }

Pregnant in Heels (10PM, BRAVO)
Starring: Pregnancy fashion guru Rosie Pope
The Premise: "Pregnant in Heels is a docu-drama that follows maternity concierge, fashion designer, and pregnancy guru Rosie Pope as she guides expecting mothers through the joys and perils of preparing to have a baby. Rosie owns a high-fashion maternity clothing boutique on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and runs MomPrep, the premier training academy for mothers-to-be. With the help of her assistants, Hannah and LT, Rosie runs the store, designs the clothing, and takes on clients on a case-by-case basis to help them with all their bizarre baby needs."
Excite-o-Meter Says: Zero. Despite our bulging belly, we're not pregnant. But even if we were pregnant, would we hire someone to dress us? No way. And would we ever watch a show about someone who dresses pregnant people? No way x 1000.

{ WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6 }

Breaking In (9:30PM, FOX)
Starring: Bret Harrison, Christian Slater, Alphonso McAuley, Trevor Moore, and Michael Rosenbaum
The Premise: "Breaking In is an offbeat half-hour workplace comedy about a high-tech security firm that takes extreme—and often questionable—measures to sell their protection services."
Excite-o-Meter Says: 8. Capers, computers, and comedy! A solid cast and the potential for wacky hijinks has us looking forward to this one. Then again, it's in the same time slot as another well-cast comedy than didn't cut it: Running Wilde. We're hoping that one was an anomaly.

Workaholics (10:30PM, COMEDY CENTRAL)
Starring: Blake Anderson, Anders Holm, and Adam Devine
The Premise: "Workaholics is a scripted series that follows three friends fresh out of college who live and work together as telemarketers. Dress codes, deadlines, and waking up before noon aren't things these guys are used to. The crew spends their days scheming together to avoid doing any real work and their nights looking for good times."
Excite-o-Meter Says: 3. We've seen the opener, and it's half an hour of frat-boy put-downs, beer-chugging, and pot-smoking. Fun to do, boring to watch.

{ THURSDAY, APRIL 7 }

Gigolos (11PM, SHOWTIME)
Starring: Male escorts in Las Vegas
The Premise: This docudrama follows male escorts in Sin City as they service (we presume) Janes and Johns.
Excite-o-Meter Says: 8. Now this is how you do a docudrama! We've seen the ladies do it in Atlantic City Hookers and other programs, but what about the fellas? Our morbid and perverse curiosity has us looking forward to this.

{ SUNDAY, APRIL 10 }

Human Planet (8PM, DISCOVERY)
Starring: Us
The Premise: "From oceans to jungles to deserts, the new six part series Human Planet is a majestic portrait of people's incredible ability to survive and thrive in our planet's most extreme environments."
Excite-o-Meter Says: 9. Planet Earth is still the benchmark for gorgeous and entertaining nature programs, thanks to its incredible production values and its crew's dedication to getting the shot. This will be no different.

Khloe and Lamar (10PM, E!)
Starring: Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom
The Premise: Cameras follow celebrity couple Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom as they act like Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom.
Excite-o-Meter Says: Can we go negative? No? Fine, Zero.

{ MONDAY, APRIL 11 }

Law & Order: Los Angeles (9PM, NBC)
Starring: Alfred Molina, Terrence Howard, and Corey Stoll
The Premise: "The newest addition to the Law & Order brand, Law & Order: Los Angeles fuses classic ripped-from-the-headlines storytelling with the distinctive backdrop of LA, delving into the unique attitudes, cultures, and crimes of the West Coast."
Excite-o-Meter Says: 4. Technically this is a re-launch; the show, which debuted in the fall, has undergone a creative overhaul in an attempt to fix early mistakes. We're moderately curious as to what's changed, but suspect it might be too little, too late.

{ WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13 }

Happy Endings (9:30PM, ABC)
Starring: Zachary Knighton, Elisha Cuthbert, Eliza Coupe, Damon Wayans Jr.
The Premise: "In this modern comedy, a couple's break-up will complicate all of their friends' lives and make everyone question their choices. For years, perfect couple Dave and Alex drew their friends in and held them together. Now that they've split, does this group have the stuff to stay together? Or do Max, Brad, Jane, and Penny have to choose sides?"
Excite-o-Meter Says: 4. Another rom-com relationship show that exists to plug in some scheduling holes? Sigh.

{ THURSDAY, APRIL 14 }

The Paul Reiser Show (8:30PM, NBC)
Starring: Paul Reiser!
The Premise: Loosely based on Reiser's life, this sitcom follows an out-of-work TV actor as he searches for his next step in life with the help of new friends.
Excite-o-Meter Says: 2. What, we're supposed to get excited for Paul Reiser?

{ SUNDAY, APRIL 17 }

Game of Thrones (9PM, HBO)
Starring: Sean Bean, Mark Addy, Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and Lena Headey
The Premise: Based on George R.R. Martin's fantasy novel series, The Song of Fire and Ice, this drama tells the story of a power struggle between the Seven Kingdoms of a land called Westeros from various points of view.
Excite-o-Meter Says: 10. The books are incredible, and HBO appears to be giving the show the respect it deserves.

{ TUESDAY, APRIL 26 }

The Voice (9PM, NBC)
Starring: Carson Daly, Christina Aguilera, Cee-Lo Green, Adam Levine, and Blake Shelton
The Premise: "The Voice is a vocal competition series hosted by Carson Daly and featuring four musician coaches who will coach only the most talented vocalists. The show's innovative format features three stages of competition: The first begins with the blind audition, then the competition enters into a battle phase, and finally, the live performance. During the blind auditions, the decisions from the coaches are based solely on voice and not on looks. The coaches hear the contestants perform, but they don't get to see them—thanks to rotating chairs."
Excite-o-Meter Says: 4. The premise of this show is still a bit baffling: So the judges don't watch the contestants sing, but later they do? Does that one gimmick make The Voice that much different from American Idol? Will we ever want another American Idol, ever?

{ NOTABLE RETURNING SHOWS }

Secret Diary of a Call Girl (APRIL 7, 10:30PM, SHOWTIME)
Starring: Billie Piper, Iddo Goldberg
The Premise: Based on the blog and books of a working call girl in London, this dramedy follows Belle de Jour, an escort who keeps her occupation a secret from her friends and family. This will be the show's fourth and final season

Friday Night Lights (APRIL 15, 8PM, NBC)
Starring: Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Aimee Teegarden, Michael B. Jordan, Matt Lauria
The Premise: Now that it's finished airing on DirecTV, the fifth and final season of this critically acclaimed drama set in a high-school-football-obsessed Texas town is finally making its network debut.

Treme (APRIL 24, 10PM, HBO)
Starring: Wendell Pierce, Khandi Alexander, Clarke Peters, Steve Zahn, and Melissa Leo
The Premise: From the creator of The Wire, this drama details about musicians in post-Katrina New Orleans returns for Season 2.

Did anything here catch your eye? Which new shows will you be watching this month?

Being Human, The Event, and Castle

They're out of pepperoni.

Who's your office crush right now? Be honest. We all have them. You KNOW you spent all weekend thinking about this person, finding yourself almost looking forward to going to work on Monday just so you could breathe the heavenly air wafting from this person's cubicle. Well now it's Monday and that means you've got another shot. But be careful—those sexual harrassment seminars are held for a reason! Anyway, check THESE babies out:

9pm, Syfy

Being Human

First off: YAY, this show's getting a Season 2! So if you haven't been watching, that's your cue to start now because at least you know it'll be sticking around awhile. Anyway, tonight Josh and Nora get some "good news," plus Sally's "door appears." Is that spoiler-free enough for you? Oh, here's a spoiler: Aidan will be wearing another terrible wig or two.

9pm, NBC

The Event

According to NBC, tonight "Sophia and the other Sleepers mourn their losses after negotiations break down." Man, way to sell your show, NBC! I've never seen so much boring packed into a single sentence. So anyway, also, tonight Martinez assigns Virginia Madsen to help root out moles, and Sean and Vicky try to nab Dempsey. Or whatever. Because honestly.

10pm, ABC

Castle

Pizza! Murder! Pizza and murder! Tonight Castle and Beckett investigate the death of an investigative journalist found IN A PIZZA OVEN after he published an exposé titled "The Pizza Wars." I read that piece, it was very thought-provoking.

8pm, A&E

Intervention In-Depth: Pregnant and Addicted

Oh jeez, Intervention, what have you done? Here's a special episode of Intervention devoted to four women dealing with addiction while pregnant. I mean, I'm all for bummer television usually, but dang. In related news, have you called your mom lately?

SPECIAL, 8pm, USA

WWE 2011 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

It'll be a night to remember as the WWE finally sees fit to honor the true legends of the sport. 2011 Hall of Fame inductees include: "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, Shawn Michaels, Abdullah the Butcher, Bob Armstrong, and Drew Carey for some reason? Not convinced about that last one. Hopefully he will wear a leotard. (I do NOT hope this).

PLUS ALL NEW EPISODES OF...

, 8 p.m., ABC

The Secret Life of the American Teenager, 8 p.m., ABC Family

American Pickers, 9 p.m., History Channel

Cake Boss, 9 p.m., TLC

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, 9 p.m., Food Network

Make It or Break It, MIDSEASON PREMIERE, 9 p.m., ABC Family

Relapse, 9 p.m., A&E

Bethenny Ever After, 10 p.m., Bravo

Harry's Law, 10 p.m., NBC

Heavy, 10 p.m., A&E

Kate Plus 8, 10 p.m., TLC

Nurse Jackie, 10 p.m., Showtime

Pawn Stars, 10 & 10:30 p.m., History Channel

Stargate Universe, 10 p.m., Syfy

The Hard Times of RJ Berger, 10 p.m., MTV

United States of Tara, 10:30 p.m., Showtime

WWE Tough Enough, 11 p.m., USADancing With the Stars

Justin Bieber, golden boy

PHOTO KIKA PRESS
L'ultima notizia che lo riguarda arriva da David Beckham: il figlio Romeo vuole chiamare la sorella Justine Bieber Beckham. Intanto il conto alla rovescia è iniziato: il 9 aprile Milano ospiterà l'unica data italiana del My World Tour di Justin Bieber. Il nuovo golden boy della musica pop, non ancora maggiorenne, sta facendo letteralmente impazzire le ragazzine di tutto il mondo dal giugno scorso destreggiandosi fra batteria, pianoforte e movenze ammiccanti.

I fan dell'ultima ora rischiano di rimanere a bocca asciutta, i biglietti venduti dai maggiori circuiti sono tutti andati, mentre chi è già in possesso del prezioso ticket può tentare la fortuna (entro il 4 aprile) e candidarsi al meet & greet (qui il regolamento).
Tra un assalto all'albergo e scene di isteria collettiva in un supermercato, sembra che Justin si stia preparando a prendere parte a una pellicola cinematografica con Ashton Kutcher. Bagni di folla, vertici delle classifiche, tv - ha recitato in Csi - e adesso anche il grande schermo. Da dove nasce un tale successo?

La sua arma (in più) è la Rete: non passa giorno senza che online si scateni il delirio per un suo tweet, per un video comparso su Youtube o per una sua foto rubata. E lui affronta tutto come se niente fosse. Classe 1994, Justin ha iniziato a postare le sue esibizioni amatoriali su Youtube nel 2007 e oggi una sua ciocca di capelli vale più di 40mila dollari. Il prezioso cimelio è stato messo all'asta su eBay, dopo essere stato donato dal giovane canadese alla conduttrice statunitense Ellen Degenerees, per raccogliere fondi per un'associazione animalista.

E non finisce qui: il video Baby ft Ludacris è fra i video più cliccati di sempre su Youtube e nome e cognome di Justin hanno svettato in tutte le classifiche relative alle ricerche online del 2010. Su Facebook non si contano le pagine e le dichiarazioni d'amore eterno dedicate a lui. L'universo del cinema non è rimasto indifferente a cotanto successo e, in attesa di vederlo cimentarsi come attore, ha dedicato alla carriera di Justin il film-documentario Never say never che purtroppo non arriverà nelle sale italiane.
Spigliato, energico e talentuoso, Justin ha già scritto una pagina importante, se non della storia della musica, della storia del Web e del successo a esso collegato.

Choi Yu Jung Fancy Dress PArt 4

Choi Yu Jung Fancy Dress PArt 3

Choi Yu Jung Fancy Dress PArt 2