Nightfly's TV Week in Review 1/29/12 - Fringe, An Idiot Abroad, and more!
- Written by Nightfly on Monday, February 06 2012 and posted in Features
Nightfly lists his preferred picks from primetime TV and the world of entertainment.
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TV Week in Review (week of 1/29/12)
Last week was a respectably loaded one that, despite my missing several more shows than usual, still ended up yielding a higher total hour count than last time. This time out the most prominent networks were FOX (distinguishing itself in both my hour-long drama and sitcoms categories), The CW, NBC, TV Land, Lifetime, The Science Channel, and, within my teen category, Nickelodeon and The Cartoon Network divied up the spoils between 'em.
The CW and FOX were the only nets to slot twice in my dramas list, extra noteworthy as FOX has owned that category's Top Spot every week in 2012. The Science Channel has, thanks to An Idiot Abroad's sophomore season, laid claim to my reality Top Spot every week this year to date as well. This entry's Outstanding Sitcoms section was wholly split between NBC, TV Land and FOX, with NBC earning three of that category's seven slots including its Top Spot (thanks to Are You There, Chelsea?). I think it's worth noting that Are You There, Chelsea? snagged my sitcom Top Spot in only its second week ever on my list - this time beating powerhouse peacock faves 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation. This edition I again expanded my Reality Shows section to seven slots because I felt the programs aired last week deserved it; Lifetime was the only network to garner a second spot on the expanded list.
In the closing paragraphs of this WiR I feature a number of new film centric sticker links from GetGlue, but rather than repeat them again below I've decided to (except for one) just link the following TV programs to their respective GG page links instead of their networks' show pages. Tonight, as you're probably aware, NBC's new musical series Smash premieres! You can screen it early online and unlock a sticker for doing so here. Debuting tomorrow (2/7), like Smash also Executively Produced by Steven Spielberg, is the mystery-thriller series, The River. Next Saturday (2/11) fans of Joely Fisher won't wanna miss her star-turn in the latest Hallmark Channel original movie, Cupid, and, next Sunday (2/12) look for both the BAFTA Awards airing on BBC-America and the series premiere of Kevin Smith's Comic Book Men (on AMC).
Now onto my preferred picks from last week's primetime offerings....
* Warning: videos below may contain spoilers and/or mature content not suitable for all ages *
7. Jane by Design - "The Lookbook" (ABC-FAM)
* Check out photos from Jane's Paris scrapbook here.
6. Nikita - "Clean Sweep" (CW)
5. The Good Wife - "Another Ham Sandwich" (CBS)
Alan Cumming in "Another Ham Sandwich"
4. Supernatural - "The Slice Girls" (CW)
3. Once Upon a Time - "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree" (ABC)
Giancarlo Esposito and Lana Parrilla in "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree"
2. Glee - "Michael" (FOX)
Santana vs. Sebastian in "Michael"
1. Fringe - "Making Angels" (FOX)
* Read about the episode here.
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Guest Star of the Week: Giancarlo Esposito on Once Upon a Time (ABC)
Runners Up:
Bridgit Mendler on House (FOX)
Lizzy Caplan on New Girl (FOX)
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* Favorite Teen Shows *
5. How to Rock - "How to Rock a Messy Bet" (nick)
* Follow Cymphonique Miller on twitter.
4. How to Rock - "How to Rock Braces and Glasses" (nick)
How to Rock: First Look - The Music
Get More: How to Rock Episodes,How to Rock,How to Rock Games
3. The Looney Tunes Show - "The Muh-Muh-Muh-Murder" (TOON)
Daffy Duck and Porky Pig in "The Muh-Muh-Muh-Murder"
2. Victorious - "The Gorilla Club" (nick)
* Watch what happened when Ariana Grande's stunt harness broke (in this particular episode) here then check out her new MerchMo page here.
1. Star Wars: The Clone Wars - "The Box" (TOON)
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Webisode(s) of the Week: [tie]
Breakin' It Down! with Catherine Reitman (Ep.50) - "A BID Celebration" [TV-14]
Weekly 'Wood with Jessica Chobot {released 2/2 via IGN}
Runner Up:
DVDiva with Brigitte Dale (Ep.51)
"Give Me All Your Luvin'" by Madonna (feat. M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj) {released 2/2 via YouTube}
"Beekeeper's Daughter" by The All-American Rejects {released 2/2 via MTV}
Runners Up: [3-way tie]
"How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep" by Bombay Bicycle Club {released 2/1 via VEVO}
"Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men {released 2/2 via VEVO}
"Turn Me On" by David Guetta & Nicki Minaj {released 1/31 via VEVO}
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Trivia Question of the Week: This week's Guest Star of the Week, Giancarlo Esposito, worked with a famed Brooklyn auteur four times in the late 80s and early 90s. Two of those four films starred Denzel Washington. Can you name the outspoken Brooklyn-based Director in question? [answered]
Current Medal Standing:
avengingtitan:
Dragavon:
Psivage:
misac:
BlueStreak:
GOSD:
ThirtyFiveMinutesAgo:
GLX:
AMS:
Fintan:
nietoperz:
Punchy:
~ Previous week's answer: R2-D2 (Winner: avengingtitan)
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* Outstanding Sitcoms *
7. The Exes - "The Ex Always Rings Twice" (TVLD)
6. 30 Rock - "Today You Are a Man" (NBC)
* Tina Fey talks about developments in Season Six.
5. Parks and Recreation - "Operation Ann" (NBC)
4. Hot in Cleveland - "Life With Lucci" (TVLD)
3. New Girl - "Jess & Julia" (FOX)
Lizzy Caplan and Zooey Deschanel in "Jess & Julia"
2. The Simpsons - "Moe Goes from Rags to Riches" (FOX)
Jeremy Irons voices Moe's rag in "Moe Goes from Rags to Riches"
1. Are You There, Chelsea? - "Strays" (NBC)
7. 24 Hour Catwalk - "The 24 Hour Woman" (Lifetime)
6. Ink Master - "Pasties and a Cameltoe" (Spike)
Flash Challenge 3: Shading Nude Models
Get More: Flash Challenge 3: Shading Nude Models
5. Who Do You Think You Are? - "Martin Sheen" (NBC)
* Please read my Q&A with series EP Lisa Kudrow here.
4. Project Runway: All-Stars - "Clothes Off Your Back" (Lifetime)
3. Face Off - "Night Terrors" (Syfy)
2. Top Chef: Texas - "Bike, Borrow & Steal" (Bravo)
Padma Lakshmi and Pee-wee Herman in "Bike, Borrow & Steal"
1. An Idiot Abroad - "Swim with Dolphins" (Sci)
Unfortunately I missed more shows than usual last week resulting in just thirty-eight (total) hours viewed. If I hadn't missed so many programs my total would've been closer to forty-two. Of the thirty-eight hours caught, twenty-two were hour-long dramas. The shows I missed last week, that I don't usually miss, were Justified, The Mortified Sessions and House of Lies. We're now a full week out and Showtime still hasn't offered last Sunday's HoL OnDemand yet. Argh! I'm hopin' they'll make it available to subscribers sometime soon. Their previous episodes reached VOD promptly?!?
Of the twenty-two hour long dramas viewed last week Spartacus: Vengeance, Lost Girl, White Collar, Ringer and The Finder all earned Honorable Mentions. Every teen oriented show watched made it on my Favorite Teen Shows list so there're no extra shows to mention there. My main Sitcoms list was just missed by humorous episodes of Raising Hope, The Looney Tunes Show, The Big Bang Theory, Whitney and Victorious.
The only reality shows screened not making my list this column were two new episodes of Oddities on the Science Channel.
Outstanding guest stars Joe Manganiello (on White Collar), Jeremy Irons (on The Simpsons), Kate Walsh (on Grey's Anatomy), Lola Glaudini (on White Collar) and Paige Turco (on Person of Interest) all made strong impressions on me and came close to spots on my Guest Star of the Week Runners Up list.
The film trailer most interesting to me from last week was the latest for The Hunger Games. Check it out (below).
And for those that might've missed it, here's The Avengers Superbowl commercial from last nite (below).
The poster I thought my readers would like to see the most from last week was for Superman: Man of Steel (actually only leaked Saturday). It's by no means "official" but it looks cool enough and if you're interested you can read more about it here.
Besides the GetGlue stickers featured in this column's opening, I found a good amount of Coming Soon movie trailers with stickers to unlock! In order of premiere dates, here're the ones I found last week: The Vow (2/10), Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2/10), Undefeated (2/17), The Secret World Of Arrietty (2/17), Ghost Rider (2/17), Act of Valor (2/24), Detachment (2/24), Project X (3/2) and Salmon Fishing In The Yemen (3/9). Star Trek fans will want to grab this sticker celebrating ST:TNG - The Next Level arriving on Blu-ray, and, the only other TV related one I unlocked is for the series premiere of GCB debuting March 4th - get it here.
The latest Marvel sticker's I've personally unlocked are for Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #6, Avengers: X-Sanction #3, and for those wishing to choose sides in the Avengers vs. X-Men conflict, Avengers loyalists will want to snag their sticker here while X-Men fanatics will find their side's sticker here.
Thanks, as always, for taking the time to check out my weekly recommendations and please check out my Music Video column while you're here as well. This week my music WiR has some especially interesting stuff in it. Enjoy the new TV premieres upcoming, Have a Great Week and Happy Viewing!
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Written or Contributed by: Nightfly
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About the Author - Nightfly
A proud member of NBCUniversal's and A+E Television Networks’ Digital Media Teams, Nightfly routinely interviews producers, creators and stars of various network programs and films with a concentrated emphasis on Syfy and the History Channel. Formally educated in Communications, Computer Science and Music, his résumé reflects more than a decade broadcasting in the fields of television and radio. With pieces routinely published at TV Over Mind and most recently NerdSpan, his primary areas of interest include TV, action films, music, web series, comic books, fashion, pen 'n paper RPG gaming as well as various other pop-culture multimedia topics. An avid twitter user and GetGlue guru, Nightfly supports the arts, the entertainment community, numerous charities and crowdfunding projects through his journalistic netizenship and non-partisan, multicultural-centric activism. Follow him via twitter @Nightfly_69.
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