Happiness is a warm TV

Choose a blog

ABOUT THIS BLOG: We have DVRs. We have cable. We have armchairs. That makes us highly qualified to talk about television. Join us as we explore what's good, what's bad, what's too bad to miss, and anything else TV has to offer. Contributors are Brooke Cain, Adrienne Johnson Martin and Thad Ogburn.

What to Watch on Sunday: A night of music and finales for 'Simpsons' and 'Selfridge'

Call the Midwife (8pm, UNC-TV) - In the Season 2 finale, Chummy and PC face several challenges (I saw the previews of them putting Chummy into an ambulance and they better not let anything happen to her!!). Also, Jenny meets a potential suitor.

Billboard Music Awards (8pm, ABC) - Tracy Morgan hosts the music gala featuring performers Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Pitbull, Bruno Mars and Miguel. Prince is honored with the Icon Award.

The Simpsons (8pm, Fox) - In the Season 24 finale, Homer, Moe, Lenny and Carl hit the lottery, but when Carl takes off for Iceland with the winnings, the others set off after him.

Mr. Selfridge (9pm, UNC-TV) - In the Season 1 finale, the slated lecture by explorer Ernest Shackleton is marred by a tragedy, and Harry and Rose attend a scandalous play.

ACM Presents: Tim McGraw's Superstar Summer Night (9pm, CBS) - Tim McGraw hosts a concert to support ACM Lifting Lives. Performing: Jason Aldean, the Band Perry, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Faith Hill and many others.

The Celebrity Apprentice (9pm, NBC) - Finalists Penn Jillette and Trace Adkins compete for the title in tonight's finale.

Family Guy (9pm, Fox) - In the Season 11 finale, Stewie and Brian hop in the time machine and head for Las Vegas and a Bette Midlerconcert. But the machine malfunctions and one of them is rendered "lucky" while the other is "unlucky."

Mad Men (10pm, AMC) - Don is disrupted by a surprise visitor, and Peggy looks for inspiration.

Veep (10pm, HBO) - Catherine's 21st birthday party becomes a forum for Selina's budget negotiation with the majority leader, but Amy an Gary are more worried how Selina will handle seeing her ex-husband.

The Borgias (10pm, Showtime) - Alexander believes his authority is being challenged when Cesare lands in northern Italy with a French army and plans to destroy the Sforza dynasty.

What to Watch on Saturday: Season finales for 'SNL' and 'Doctor Who'

Hiding (8pm, Lifetime) - A New York City teen is placed in the witness protection program after seeing her parents killed and testifying against the son of a vicious gangster, but realizes that her life is still in danger when a ruthless hit man discovers her secret identity.

Doctor Who (8pm, BBC America) - The seventh season ends with the discovery of a secret the Doctor planned on taking to his grave.

My Cat From Hell (8pm, Animal Planet) - Jackson Galaxy helps a family whose old cat is terrorized by a younger one that's new to the household. "America's Cutest Cat" (allegedly -- my cat was not interviewed) airs at 10.

Rock 'n' Royalty: Billboard's All-Stars (9pm, ABC) - Barbara Walters hosts a look back at past interviews with music stars such as Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber -- (remember, the word "royalty" is in the title of this program) -- Lady Gaga, Lady Antebellum and One Direction.

48 Hours (10pm, CBS) - "48 Hours" investigates drugs, guns and gangs in Chicago.

Saturday Night Live (11:29, NBC) - SNL closes out its 38th season with host Ben Affleck and music guest Kanye West.

Review: Fox's bittersweet 'Goodwin Games' something of an acquired taste

When I really think about it, there's much more sadness than laughter in Fox's new sitcom "The Goodwin Games," debuting Monday night at 8:30.

The premise of the show pits three disparate and damaged siblings against each other after the death of their father, as the dead dad leads them via video through a series of crazy games to decide which child gets his $23 million inheritance. What gives the show its dark flavor is that we see in flashbacks that this is actually the way he raised the children after the death of their mother -- always in competition and always at odds with each other.

"The Goodwin Games," which comes from the executive producers of "How I Met Your Mother" plus Raleigh native Peyton Reed, has a fine cast. First, there's Scott Foley, a longtime favorite ("Felicity," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal"), and T.J. Miller, who is weird and wonderful in everything I've seen him in (I'm one of the 12 people who loved "Carpoolers" on ABC and Miller was a big reason why). We've also got Becki Newton ("Ugly Betty") and Beau Bridges, who has been showing up more and more lately on television ("Brothers & Sisters," "Franklin and Bash"), as the eccentric, wealth-hoarding dad.

Foley plays an uptight, overachieving doctor with a bit of a drinking problem, while Newton plays an underachieving, aspiring actress. Miller is a sweet but untrustworthy doofus (of course), just released from the latest of several stints in prison. And they don't seem to like each other at all. They're not only different in almost every way, they're openly suspicious and hostile toward each other (thanks, dad!).

The whole point of the competition for the cash doesn't seem to be for the father's perverse, posthumous enjoyment (although I'm still unclear after watching the pilot as to why he chose to raise them in this way -- pitting small children against each other for basic rewards for which the losers would be deprived). The sentimental vibe at the end of the pilot suggests the father's ulterior motive is to force the estranged siblings back together so that they will reconnect and become closer. Perhaps as his way of apologizing for so thoroughly screwing them up in the first place.

And I'm not sure how to gauge Fox's commitment to this sitcom, since they've waited to debut it after the season finales of all their other sitcoms have aired, and they're sticking it in the middle of a bunch of repeats Monday.

It's always tricky trying to judge a series by a single pilot episode (the episode is available free online until Monday, so you can go ahead and judge for yourself), but it didn't work for me. I love dark humor and I love bittersweet anything. But so far, I'm just getting "The Goodwin Games."

What to Watch on Friday: 'Nikita' and 'Shark Tank' take season bows

PBS NewsHour (7pm, UNC-TV) - In this special report, Robert MacNeil and Jim Lehrer look back at the Watergate scandal that began in the summer of 1973, transforming American politics and journalism and ultimately ending a presidency. MacNeil and Lehrer led PBS coverage of the Watergate hearings, co-anchoring all 250 hours of the proceedings. They share their memories and talk about how the experience forged their friendship and their journalistic partnership.

How Nature Works (8pm, National Geographic Channel) - A documentary looking at the interconnectivity of the millions of plant and animal species on Earth.

Nikita (8pm, CW) - Amanda puts her final plan into effect as the third season ends. Her diabolical plot places Nikita (Maggie Q, left) in a life-threatening situation and forces her to choose between saving Michael or herself.

Shark Tank (8pm, ABC) - The fourth season ends with two new back-to-back episodes. In the first, sharks hear about a jewelry line created by women with military experience and we get an update on the Scrub Daddy investment. At 9, two business school grads have an idea for a translation app, and an 11-year-old pitches his all-natural dog treats.

Fatal Justice (8pm, Lifetime) - A woman seeks justice for her family after her niece is seriously injured during a robbery. When the police fail to help, she takes matters into her own hands and learns that the men involved in the crime may also be responsible for her brother's murder 10 years earlier..

Real Time With Bill Maher (10pm, HBO) - Zach Galifianakis is Maher's mid-show interview guest tonight. Other guests include Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, S.E. Cupp, documentary filmmaker Michael Moore and journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin.

Merlin (10pm, Syfy) - An old flame reenters Mondred's life and tests his loyalty to Arthur.

Another "Under the Dome" trailer -- and it looks so good

CBS has released another trailer for "Under the Dome," their 13-episode series based on the bestselling novel by Stephen King. The series is filmed in Wilmington and debuts on June 24 at 10 p.m.

The more I see of this, the more I want to see.

WRAL-TV moves bureau inside Fayetteville Observer newsroom

Local CBS affiliate WRAL announced this morning that WRAL-TV has teamed up with The Fayetteville Observer newspaper for coverage of Fayetteville, the military and the surrounding area.

WRAL-TV Vice President and General Manager Steve Hammel said in a press release that WRAL has actually relocated their Fayetteville news bureau to inside The Fayetteville Observer newsroom. The Fayetteville Observer executive editor, Michael Adams, said his newsroom was looking forward to "opportunities for collaboration that use the unique skills of both organizations."

WRAL has had a news bureau in downtown Fayetteville for years, but their new bureau inside the newspaper will officially debut tomorrow. The Fayetteville Observer has a newsroom of 65 people, covering Fayetteville, Fort Bragg and nine surrounding counties.

WTVD, the local ABC affiliate, opened a new street-level newsroom on Hay Street in downtown Fayetteville in February of this year.

What to Watch on Thursday: 'The Office' farewell heads a packed night of finales

The Vampire Diaries (8pm, CW) - The fourth season ends on graduation day when ghosts overrun the town and try to settle old scores and fulfill their supernatural destinies.

The Big Bang Theory (8pm, CBS) - In the Season 6 finale, Peny and Sheldon are knocked for a loop when Leonard is offered a great job opportunity overseas.

American Idol (8pm, Fox) - The Top 10 singers reunite for a group performance before the Season 12 winner is announced.

The Office (8pm, NBC) - The farewell to "The Office" begins with a retrospective of the show, with interviews with writers, producers and actors, including John Krasinksi, Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson, Mindy Kaling and Paul Liberstein. The final episode, which airs at 9, jumps forward six months from last week's episode, and has past and present staffers gathering for Dwight and Angela's wedding. Then the Dunder-Mifflin workers are subjected to final interviews from the documentary film crew (even though the documentary aired six months prior -- I'm assuming they'll explain that.) Expect lots of special guest stars. The episode runs 75 minutes.

Elementary (9pm, CBS) - The two-hour Season 1 finale has Sherlock Holmes dealing with the sudden reappearance of his former lover, Irene Adler, and recalling the events that led to his drug addiction. All of this while Moriarty pursues Sherlock and Joan.

Grey's Anatomy (9pm, ABC) - In the ninth season finale, a severe storm rages outside and the hospital's resources become limited as more storm victims arrive. And of course, one doctor's life will be in jeopardy.

Beauty and the Beast (9pm, CW) - Secrets about Cat's family are revealed in the Season 1 finale. Later, Gabe takes drastic measures. Way to be vague, CW!

Scandal (10pm, ABC) - In the Season 2 finale, Olivia's team members are in peril as the mole's real identity is about to surface. Also, Cyrus has trouble managing the pressure of the most recent White House crisis.

Hannibal (10:15, NBC) - Because of tonight's 75-minute episode of "The Office," NBC is running "Hannibal" with limited commercial interruptions. In the latest installment, a killer exposes his victim's vocal cords in a murderous attempt to gain Hannibal's attention. Also, Will struggles with bizarre noises in his head, and Hannibal visits his own therapist to discuss his relationship with Will.

DWTS combo: Monday's recap, Tuesday's elimination and who's in the finals

Some technical glitches kept us from being able to post the recap of Monday night's show yesterday, so today we're posting the recap followed by the latest on last night's elimination -- which means we now know the dancers moving into the finals. Here's everything from our "Dancing with the Stars" correspondent Lenni G.

On Monday night's performance show:

Lenni G: It's a two dance night again and our homie, Kellie Pickler, and her partner, Derek Hough, started it all off with a magnificent Argentine tango that had the couple dancing in silhouette at the beginning. Oh my, it was totally gorgeous!

Len called it a mix of, "Pride (in the technique), joy (in the performance)," and just FANTASTIC! Bruno welcomed her to "the world of sublime," calling her performance "pure perfection." Carrie Ann said her level of perfection was absolutely "absurd," considering she's only been dancing for 8 or 9 weeks. Judges scores - 10's from all three for a total of 30. That's right, people, Kellie's first perfect score for another (and y'all know what I mean by "another) perfect dance. Thanks Len for finally finding the "10" paddle for a Kellie/Derek dance.

What to Watch on Wednesday: 'Supernatural' and 'Arrow' close out seasons

Arrow (8pm, CW) - Season one ends with Oliver and Diggle trying to stop the Dark Archer from carrying out his vengeance on the Glades. Meanwhile, Thea races to find Roy and inadvertently puts herself in danger from Malcolm's evil plan.

American Idol (8pm, Fox) - The final two singers battle for the title in part one of the two-part season finale. Tune in tomorrow night for the winner.

Supernatural (9pm, CW) - Season 8 ends with Crowley (Mark Sheppard) poised to undo all the good that Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) have accomplished as hunters. But the Winchester brothers try one final play against the Demon King.

Modern Family (9pm, ABC) - Phil hopes his new RV will be the perfect vehicle for a family road trip, but Claire lets her husband find out for himself why it might not be such a good idea.

Psych (10pm, USA) - Shawn and Gus go undercover at a radio station to investigate the murder of their favorite DJ.

Nashville (10pm, ABC) - Lamar takes Rayna's side against Teddy concerning the girls, and Jolene attempts to help Juliette.

Chicago Fire (10pm, NBC) - Oh Casey. Casey, Casey, Casey. We are all so sorry, bro. You made us cry last week. But now it's time for some justice. Go on and team up with the Intelligence Unit to avenge Hallie's death, even though it's headed by your enemy, Sgt. Voight.

"Revolution" production moves from N.C. to Texas

In case you missed the news, the NBC drama "Revolution" will not be returning to Wilmington to film its second season. The show's creator informed the crew on Friday that the production would be moving to Austin, Texas, for the next season. Read more about why "Revolution" isn't returning to North Carolina in today's N&O article.

Cars View All
Find a Car
Go
Jobs View All
Find a Job
Go
Homes View All
Find a Home
Go

Want to post a comment?

In order to join the conversation, you must be a member of newsobserver.com. Click here to register or to log in.
Advertisements