Fox’s Winter TCA

Fox’s day at The Critics’ Association winter press tour found itself in an interesting position: being the day after NBC’s presentation and the kerfuffle of late night. By the end of the day, however, Fox had created some news of its own, and left many questions about some of its upcoming programs.

Bones

With Bones well into its fifth season, the show is once again raising the stakes for all of the characters involved with work at The Jeffersonian.

The 100th episode (set to air April 8, directed by David Boreanaz) finds Dr. Sweets about to publish his book, only to find out that some of his assumptions on how Brennan and Booth started to work together were wrong. What unfolds after that is a flashback about that first case to illustrate the point to Sweets. During the episode, there will also be a sea change in the relationship between Booth and Brennan, though no one would be specific about what that sort of change is going to be.

The other big Bones news involved a mysterious wedding (actually resulting in a marriage). No one was specific about who would be involved, though Boreanaz did suggest that it was someone in the family of the Jeffersonian (I assume Booth and Sweets are included in the family). Related to that point, creator Hart Hanson wouldn’t definitively say if Booth and Brennan would be together at the end, but he is well aware of the pull of fans, both for and against the couple.

By the end of the morning with the cast and crew, there was only one clear lesson learned: secrets are going to keep me interested in watching the rest of this season and into the sixth, just to try and understand what everyone was alluding to.

Human Target

After hearing about this back in the summer, the show seems to have found a pattern, though the use of both a plane and a train in the opening episodes shouldn’t scare anyone from those means of transportation.

In the wake of the foiled terror plot on Christmas, many critics were worried about the second episode being aboard a plane, though Executive Producer John Steinberg dismissed the connection, saying “we’re trying to do something different in every one of them [episode].” The show is also aiming for fun instead of a real depiction of any the situation the leads find themselves in.

As the show is based on a graphic novel, Steinbeck was quick to point out that the source material is still present, but that knowledge of either version of the novel won’t be necessary.

Chi McBride, in one of the moments that has come to define his public appearances, hoped that all of the critics would “like us, don’t love us” to insure that the show lasts.

Code 58

From Burn Notice creator Matt Nix, this show, airing in May and June, features Bradley Whitford (sporting a very 80s mustache) and Colin Hanks, as a pair of detectives routinely sent on inconsequential calls that turn intriguing as they investigate. Nix described the shows as an action comedy, and from the brief read of the pilot script, he’s not wrong.

On stage, Hanks and Whitford play off each other just as I imagine their characters will do, while their Lieutenant and the Assistant Distract Attorney (Diana Maria Riva and Jenny Wade, respectively) are players in the larger picture of each investigation.

Though the title of the show is likely to change, Code 58 refers to the police code in Dallas, Texas, for a routine investigation, described in the panel as what would happen should someone call on two kids making out in a parked car.

Executive Session

After what sounded like a brutal NBC Executive Session, Fox’s session featured many questions about trying late night content again (with Conan) and also saw the end of an era for American Idol, as Simon Cowell announced that he would be leaving the show to bring The X Factor to America in 2011.

No answer was given about any potential show with Conan, despite the plethora of questions on the topic.

Other news announced included Glee’s second season pick up, which will also feature a short reality program that follows some of the potentials on the audition process. As Kevin Reilly imagines, the three new cast members for season 2 will be revealed in the premiere of the series, while the reality program will potentially include watching all of the contestants filming scenes in the episode.

The network is also committed to programming “fresh, new” shows in the Summer – not leftovers that shouldn’t be considered.

Spotlight On: Olivia Williams

British actress Olivia Williams has become the go-to girl for roles demanding icy disdain covering up a tormented beating heart. Coming from a diverse theatrical background, Olivia began dabbling in the television/film arena in the early 1990’s. She first captured everyone’s attention in the role of Jane Fairfax in Jane Austen’s Emma in 1996, and after garnering rave reviews, moved quickly on to snag a pivotal role in Kevin Costner’s film The Postman in 1997. Those roles were quickly followed by roles as a lonely widow in Rushmore with Jason Schwartzman and Bruce Willis’ grieving wife in The Sixth Sense.

Over the next several years, she was cast regularly in British films such as Born Romantic with Craig Ferguson, The Body with Antonio Banderas, Lucky Break with Bill Nighy and Lennie James, The Heart of Me with Helen Bonham Carter and Paul Bettany, To Kill a King with Tim Roth and Dougray Scott and Agatha Christie: A Life in Pictures. With such a diversified and preeminent list of roles and experiences at her disposal, Olivia took a stab at American film and appeared in X-Men: The Last Stand in an uncredited role as Dr. Moira MacTaggart. This lure to American film was short-lived and Olivia quickly returned to her roots in British film appearing in the dark drama Damage and the breezy adaptation Miss Austen Regrets based on the life of Jane Austen. (It is rather astounding that she has played both British greats Jane Austen and Agatha Christie.)

However, not one to stand still, Olivia continued to work on three films in 2008 and then rushed off to film the Oscar-predicted sensation An Education, appearing as the worldly-wise mentor for Carey Mulligan.

Somewhere in the midst of all this, Olivia caught Joss Whedon’s attention and he moved quickly to cast her as Adelle Dewitt in his new television show Dollhouse. Just as he has brilliantly done before, his casting choice was pitch-perfect. Olivia’s portrayal of Adelle Dewitt brought layers upon layers of complexity that cannot be written on a page. Just one quirk of an eyebrow or twitch of her lips and you can feel her raging anger and quest for vengeance more than any scene with overt dramatics could ever convey. She is able to harness all the deeper emotions and unleash them slowly so that the impact of them is felt acutely. The Dollhouse simply could not have been the Dollhouse without such a core and integral character and an actress who could channel that strength of will in the process. The duality built into the character demanded a caliber of performance that is rarely seen on primetime television and Olivia rose to that demand beautifully. Simply said, she is the Dollhouse. For when she is not on screen, her absence is keenly felt.

Despite the cancellation of Dollhouse, it is easy to foresee that Olivia will not be idle in its absence and we will be lucky to have her continue to grace us with her presence for many years to come. Long live Olivia and her masterful and mesmerizing performances!

Dollhouse airs Friday nights on Fox at 9/8c and will conclude its series run on January 22, 2010.

Chuck & Echo: Building Superheroes in the 21st Century

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to preview the first five episodes of the new season of Chuck, the delightful spy-action-comedy-romance-drama hybrid on NBC that returns for a third season on Sunday. When we last saw Chuck, way back in April 2009, he’d downloaded the Intersect 2.0, a program that gives him the ability to “flash” on not just information (that’s what was in the Intersect 1.0), but also skills. Like kung fu, playing the guitar, speaking Thai, and hand-to-hand combat. As I watched those episodes, it struck me how similar Chuck is to Echo on Dollhouse, another character with multiple skills and intelligences downloaded into her brain. The similarities are striking, which made me wonder: is this the new 21st century superhero? The person whose extra abilities are imparted by, basically, computer programs? Let’s take a look at our heroes.

The Technology

They aren’t born with it. They aren’t zapped with radiation or bitten by a spider. They don’t have special suits. No, our new superheroes are enhanced thanks to databases and binary code.

The plot device that allows Chuck to be a hero of sorts is a computer program called The Intersect that was downloaded into his brain in the pilot episode. It’s a database of image-encoded information from various intelligence agencies. When he sees or hears something that triggers a “flash”, the Intersect shows him a series of images that impart information about a person, item or heinous plan. At this point, he was still reliant on his own physical aptitude – he’s something of a bumbler who doesn’t like guns – but with extra intelligence. At the end of season 2, however, he was briefly de-Intersected then decided he does want to be a hero and re-Intersected himself with the new Intersect 2.0 which added physical knowledge to the intelligence database. In other words, now he can “flash” on a skill, like hand-to-hand combat, when needed. Mostly. This show has a strong comedic throughline, so the flashing doesn’t always go as planned.

Echo also has skills and knowledge downloaded into her brain, but in her case she is being transformed into another person. Same body, different mental imprint. The imprints Topher gives her wipe out her previous persona, including her “real” self, and she becomes the new person through and through. Or at least she did, until the end of season 1 when Alpha nabbed her, dumped 40 imprints into her brain, and she retained them all. Now Echo can move between those imprints almost effortlessly, accessing knowledge or abilities as needed. So we have two characters with seemingly unlimited potential thanks to the not-all-that-unbelievable technology being used to manipulate their brains.

The Humans

Not only do Chuck and Echo both have additional data in their brains, those brains are “special”. It’s been established that Chuck is one of very few who can handle the Intersect. So far, he’s the only person who has successfully downloaded the Intersect. In an episode last spring, we saw bad guys die in a Raiders of the Lost Ark homage as they attempted to download the Intersect while Chuck shielded partner/love interest Sarah from seeing the images.

Likewise Echo is special in that within a year of becoming a Doll, she began to show signs of growing beyond the childlike state their brains are wiped to between assignments. Since then she’s not only regained some of her real memories but successfully integrated multiple personalities into one functioning brain. The only other Doll to carry so many imprints at once is Alpha, certified insane sociopath.

The Teams

Neither of our heroes exists in a vacuum, because where would the fun be without sidekicks? Both have handlers, supporters, people they need to protect and tech support, to different degrees. Chuck as Sarah as a handler/love interest; Casey as a handler/reluctant friend & supporter; Ellie as a sister/person to protect; and Morgan as tech support (sort of)/BFF/person to protect. This season Chuck also has a brother-in-law who knows his secret and wants to help although the spy thing is more of a challenge than he anticipates.

Echo has Paul as a handler/love interest/former adversary; Boyd as a former handler/reluctant friend & supporter; Sierra as a psuedo-sister/person to protect; and Topher as tech support (but not BFF). This season Echo also has Adele DeWitt, boss at the LA Dollhouse, who knows her secret and wants her to help bring down the corporation that owns the Dollhouses.

Others are involved in their lives to various degrees, but it’s interesting that both have such similar people surrounding them.

The Battles

Chuck demonstrates a new super skill: playing guitar. / NBC

Chuck is a more external show in that it deals with bad guys who are terrorists or thieves or assassins. The Big Bad this season is The Ring, a mysterious group who wants the Intersect for their own presumably nefarious purposes. Chuck has just come through 2 years of trying to get the Intersect out of his head so he could lead a “normal” life, only to decide that he does in fact want to be the hero. In the first episode of season 3, he makes a very difficult decision between “normal” and “hero” that has some serious repercussions, but by the third episode, he’s made peace with his decision and when a new mentor appears in episode 4, he’s excited about becoming a real spy and gaining control over the somewhat erratic new Intersect.

Dollhouse, on the other hand, focuses on internal battles. Initially Echo was fighting to remember who she was before becoming a Doll and breaking out of the Dollhouse to return to her former life. After accomplishing both of those goals, however, she realized that she could not let her fellow Dolls stay imprisoned, so she returned to the Dollhouse to help bring down Rossum, the corporation that owns the Dollhouse organization.

Superheroes on the Rise

Echo has embraced the multiple imprints and learned to navigate them quickly, becoming a serious threat to the many baddies out there trying to keep her from taking down Rossum. Chuck still struggles to master the Intersect, however, in addition to learning how to be an effective spy.

Perhaps it’s good that Dollhouse is ending in a couple of weeks; it would seem that Echo is near the end of her hero’s journey already. After she presumably defeats Rossum (let’s not declare victory too soon; this is a Joss Whedon show, so happy endings aren’t guaranteed), where would she have to go from there? She’s a superhero with a wealth of knowledge and abilities, seemingly invincible. All she needs is flexible body armor to stop any stray bullets.

Chuck, on the other hand, has simply reached a new stage in his quest to be a hero, navigating his upgraded abilities thanks to the Intersect 2.0 and saving the world while keeping those he loves safe. I’m looking forward to watching him as he continues the journey, although I hope he doesn’t lose is adorable Chuckness in the process. From what I’ve seen so far, I don’t think he’s in danger of that.

Dollhouse returns tonight at 9/8c on FOX; Chuck’s third season premieres Sunday at 9/8c on NBC with two episodes, followed by another new episode at its regular time Monday at 8/7c.

Tweet Live with the Cast & Producers of Bones Tonight

Tonight Fox reairs - sorry, encores “The Plain in the Prodigy”, the Bones episode about the Amish young man who is killed while on Rumspringa. During the episode, viewers will have the opportunity to submit questions and follow cast and producers’ tweets on a special page dedicated to the event at FOX.com/bones. Fans are invited to participate between 8:00-9:00 PM/ET (5:00-6:00 PM/PT). Alternately fans can join the live chat via Twitter by adding #bones in their tweets.

While you’re checking out Twitter, don’t forget to follow Nice Girls!

Nice Boys Mega Episode Coming Up on Bones

It’s a Nice Boy feast! Former Nice Boy Josh Malina is guest starring on an episode of Bones that begins filming today in Los Angeles. Bones is, of course, the brainchild of former Nice Boy Hart Hanson, and also stars double-Nice Boy TJ Thyne.  What happens when a triple-dose of Nice Boys is served up in a single show? We’ll have to wait until spring to find out!

On the Phone with Bones’ Emily & Zooey Deschanel

Fact: Emily Deschanel prefers to sleep in on Christmas while Zooey prefers to get up early. That’s just one of the details we learned when sisters, and now co-stars, Emily and Zooey Deschanel participated in a conference call with reporters last week to promote Zooey’s guest turn as Brennan’s cousin on the December 10 episode of Bones.

Working together for the first time “was fun,” says Zooey. Emily recalled that the first day they were on set, they filmed a scene with just the two of them and Ryan O’Neal, who plays Brennan’s dad. Talking about acting, it sounded like although they’re in the same profession, the sisters are pretty laid back about it. As Emily says, they’re “supportive, but not fanatical.” Emily originally wanted to be an architect or engineer and went to school with that in mind while Zooey started acting first. Although each primarily works in a different medium (Emily on television, Zooey in movies), they try to keep up with each other’s projects as much as they can.

When someone asked if there are other sisters or siblings that they admire, the Deschanel sense of humor was on full display. “The Kardashians, of course,” deadpans Emily. “And the Olson twins,” chimes in Zooey.

Zooey’s character on Bones, Brennan’s cousin Margaret, is nothing like Zooey in real life. The relationship between Temperance and Margaret “doesn’t mirror our relationship at all,” say the sisters. When asked if there’s any sort of flirtation between Margaret and Booth, the answer is a resounding “NO!” Sounds like Brennan’s claim on Booth is pretty obvious. And speaking of the romance between our leads, Emily addressed how the show is handling that relationship fairly head on this season.

“We’re in the fifth season of the show where the two characters have this chemistry together.  Yet nothing has happened and I think that it’s a great way to explore this relationship and take it to another level without actually necessarily having some physical connection, I guess, to put it that way. I think it’s clever.  I like this aspect. It takes the relationship in a new direction and it takes it to a deeper place.

“The fact that both Booth and Brennan had that—well, Brennan wrote the book while Booth was in the coma and then Booth had the coma dream that was inspired by the book.  The fact that it didn’t happen in reality almost doesn’t matter that much because it happened in their minds and they can’t get it out of their minds, especially we’ve been exploring Booth because his feelings are a little more on the surface.  I think it’s an interesting dynamic and I welcome it.  I think it’s a clever way to deepen the relationship and explore the couple in a new relationship in a way. It’s almost like a new relationship.”

What else is coming up on Bones this season? Richard T. Jones guest stars in an episode that examines the Kennedy assassination as only the Squints and Booth can, and Diedrich Bader returns as Booth’s boss. Will he attempt a to draw Brennan’s attention again? Emily doesn’t say, but it sounds like an opportunity to move Booth/Brennan relationship along a bit more.

As we prepare to sign off, the sisters report that they have no plans to record any duets (Zooey is half of the She & Him folk duo, and demonstrated her musical talent in Elf), but they do hope to act together again. It may take another five years, but Emily tells Zooey, “We’d love to have you back.” For her part, Zooey says that, “it was really fun to watch Emily work. I enjoyed it and I’m excited to see the episode.

“The Goop in the Girl,” the Bones Christmas episode featuring Zooey Deschanel, airs Thursday, December 10 on FOX. See more photos from the episode in the Gallery.

Did The Avatar Storyline On Bones Work For You?

With DVR viewership on the rise and ad viewing down (‘though not as much as originally feared), networks and advertisers are working to find new ways to sell products to viewers. Product placement has been around almost from the dawn of TV, but it’s usually so awkwardly executed that it detracts from the show and draws ire from viewers. Recent experimentation has proven more successful (see Subway and Chuck), but for every good example there are ten clunkers (Ford on Alias, anyone?). So, when FOX announced that Bones would have a storyline featuring Avatar, the upcoming James Cameron film distributed by Twentieth Century Fox, I had my doubts.

The result? It could have been worse. In the plus column, bringing Joel David Moore back as depressed intern Fisher added a layer of amusement; Moore has a starring role in Avatar. The opening of the storyline worked for me as Fisher offered Sweets and Hodgins tickets he’d won to a screening, citing all friendship as fleeting anyway, so why not share his bounty with these two guys he really had no prior relationship with. After a fairly promising start, however, the scene in Angela’s media room watching the trailer and then geeking out went over like a lead balloon. Hey, I’ve been there. My Lord of the Rings fangirl days may have waned like the Elves’ time in Middle Earth, but I was one of those fans who camped out for midnight showings and Trilogy Tuesday. I can relate to the level of geeky excitement that compels someone to obsess over 60 seconds of trailer footage. But this? This is not that movie for me. Coupled with the actual trailer that ran during the commercial break right before this scene, it was heavy-handed to the point of making me groan. If that was indicative of how the rest of the episode was going to go, it didn’t bode well.

Thank goodness the blatant flogging ended there. Once the actual line holding part of the story got underway, and the Avatar-shilling faded into the background, it was both amusing and revealing. This storyline gave us a chance to watch three characters interact – Fisher, Sweets and Hodgins – who have rarely shared a screen in the past, and see how they handled the challenge of trying to solve a murder at the Jeffersonian while keeping their place in line. The “nerd babe flirting with Sweets” element was a little weird, but it did set up a really nice moment between Sweets and Hodgins when the older, wiser King of the Lab tutored the younger, insecure psychologist in the quality vs. quantity department. The fact that Fisher ended up missing the big premiere was an amusing gag, too.

Final verdict? Aside from the awkward movie pitch disguised as a conversation, and the repurposing of Cam as straight woman in the scheduling farce, I think this product placement worked. We had character development for Sweets and Hodgins, and got to see a fresh dynamic from characters who rarely interact.  Overall, I enjoyed the episode; I give Bones a solid B for execution of that particular product placement.

P.S. In case you didn’t catch it, Avatar opens worldwide on December 18. Also, related to the murder storyline, you can play Punky Pong here.

Mark Salling Is Thankful for GLEE

Still glowing from Thanskgiving cheer? Mark Salling’s ode to Glee will keep it going.

Doesn’t that just give you the warm fuzzies? Check out Mark’s new website for more info on this versatile, and adorable, guy.

PHOTOS: Zooey Deschanel Visits Emily On Bones

Confession: I watch Elf at least twice every Christmas, and it’s not because of Will Ferrell’s Buddy (although I do love his take on the four food groups). I don’t fast forward Zooey’s “the touch, the feel of cotton” commercial. I have yet to see (500) Days of Summer, only because it never came to my small town’s theater.

Yes, I have a girlcrush on Zooey Deschanel. I also have a girlcrush on Emily Deschanel. Put them on screen together for the first time, and in a Christmas episode no less, and you’ve got one happy Nice Girl! Here are the first photos of the Deschanel sisters on Bones, where Zooey guest stars as Margaret, a newly discovered distant relative that Brennan’s father brings to Christmas dinner.

See photos from more episodes of Bones, including next week’s “The Gamer in the Grease” featuring Avatar, in our Gallery.

SPOILERS: Who’s Coming to Fringe?

Sure, Leonard Nimoy as William Bell was something of a shocker, but the latest casting news for Fringe has my mind racing. The show is casting the possibly recurring role of “Walter’s Wife”. That’s right, no name given and she’s just his “wife”, not “Peter’s Mother”. She’s in her mid-40s and described as “both strong and broken, intelligent, attractive, likable, lovely and extremely versatile.” I’m intrigued.

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