My Personal Wish List

At this time of year families and friends gather to celebrate the holidays – whether it be Chanukah or Christmas (et al) – exchanging gifts and feasting on all their favorite meals. In years past my family would gather to watch my (at the time) little nieces and nephews open their gifts and share in our traditional Christmas meal; sometimes dividing our time between my two older brothers’ homes.

As the years progressed and my nieces and nephews grew older, our family Christmas traditions slowly changed and adapted. I am sure that is the same for many of our readers here at NiceGirlsTV.

Since I moved to California from Pennsylvania over 9 years ago, and with the passing of several of my family members, my holiday traditions have changed drastically. And while I don’t celebrate the holidays like in years past, it’s hard not to create a wish list, especially with that lingering 17-year old TV fan inside of me screaming for some of the wonderful memorabilia that is available.

Included in my wish list for this holiday season include the following:

1. The Legend of the Seeker on DVD – The first season of this hit syndicated series based on the Terry Goodkind Sword of Truth novels, starring Craig Horner, Bridget Regan and Bruce Spence became available on October 13. I have thoroughly enjoyed the series to date, including the beginning of Season 2, and will look forward to reliving all the adventures of Richard, Kahlan and Zedd on the DVD.

2. Glee: Season 1, Volume 1: The Road to Sectionals on DVD – This FOX series has taken critics and viewers by storm, creating a frenzy wherever they go and raking up fairly decent ratings to boot. The series may not be for everyone because of its over-the-top stories and too polished sounds; but it is quirky, fun and enjoyable. I, for one, cannot wait for the first 13 episodes to be released on DVD on December 29; and will look forward for Season 1, Volume 2 to become available in Spring 2010.

3. Gods of Midnight Book Series by Deidre Knight – Author Deidre Knight has created a compelling new series of books featuring seven immortal Spartan warriors who protect mankind. The first book Red Fire was published on October 7, 2008 (for which I have already read); but some of the other books in the series include Red Kiss, Red Angel and Red Demon. I look forward to getting these books and learning more about these Spartans.

4. Battlestar Galactica Soundtracks by Bear McCreary – I will gladly take any of the soundtracks from any of the four seasons of this fantastic series, as Bear McCreary is perhaps one of the most prolific composers in television today. His music became so engrained in the series that looking back on the episodes now, I couldn’t imagine any other composer doing a better job.

5. Across the Universe on DVD – This spectacular movie set to the music of The Beatles was centered around the Vietnam War; was directed by the visionary Julie Taymor and starred Jim Sturgess and Evan Rachel Wood. This incredible movie was released in theatres in October 2007 and I was enraptured by the entire spectacle. Every actor in this movie was gifted with superb vocals, making the soundtrack a hot property for that year as well.

6. Torchwood: Children of Earth on DVD – This special stand-alone 5-hour mini-series based on the hit BBC series Torchwood aired in the UK and the US in July to critic and fan acclaim. And while I’m not actually a fan of the series itself, I was anticipating seeing this mini-series as much as the die-hard fans and, despite the dark and harrowing nature of the mini-series, I was blown away by the performances of the entire cast and the overall storyline. Kudos to Russell T. Davies, John Fay and James Moran for writing this incredibly dense and compelling story, which became a must-see for the summer.

7. Sereni-Tees from the Jason Palmer Studios – Jason Palmer is an incredible artist whose work I discovered around 2003 and have been enraptured by his skill and craftsmanship ever since. I have four pieces of his artwork in my home and this year was gifted with one of his new Sereni-Tees (based on artwork he created for the fan-favorite movie Serenity by Joss Whedon). Jason has a number of new tees coming out soon and I look forward to getting one or two more to add to my collection. You can learn more about Jason Palmer’s Sereni-Tees at:   http://www.jasonpalmer.net/SereniTees.htm and you can discover his artwork at: http://www.jasonpalmer.net/index.html.

So, there you have it: the top 7 must-have items I would love most under my (non-existent) Christmas tree this year. What are some of the must-have items you are hoping for this holiday season?

PS: I also want to recommend Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog by Joss Whedon (and the talented members of his family), which starred Neil Patrick Harris in the title role as well as Nathan Fillion (of Firefly, Serenity and now Castle fame) and the wonderful Felicia Day (of Buffy fame). This delightful, Emmy Award winning online mini-movie took the industry by storm in the summer of 2008 and has garnered a rapid following all over the globe. There are also talks of a possible sequel and the fans can only hope that the rumors will become fact.

Happy Holidays!!

Emmy Spotlight: Legend of the Seeker, Battlestar Galactica Win Creative Arts Emmys

The Emmys are coming! The Emmys are coming! This week the Nice Girls will preview some of the contenders for Emmys in a variety of categories, focusing on our faves.

When Legend of the Seeker debuted in syndication last season, I’m sure the cast and crew would not have expected to be nominated for an Emmy, but that was exactly what happened. The show received a nomination in the category of Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) for Joe LoDuca’s beautifully melodic music that is featured in this new show based on the books by author Terry Goodkind.  On Saturday, September 12 the Creative Emmys were handed out and against musical competition like 24, Castle, Ghost Whisperer, The Simpsons and The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, the little “syndicated show that could” – Legend of the Seeker – won its first Emmy.  Congratulations to Mr. LoDuca and to the cast and crew of the show.

As most TV viewers know, Battlestar Galactica just completed its four year run as one of the most innovative series on television, garnering a Peabody Award, countless positive reviews by critics and fans alike and has been nominated for at least several awards over that time.  This year is no different as BSG received 6 Emmy nominations. As mentioned before, the Creative Emmys were given out on Saturday, September 12 with BSG winning one of the six nominations for which it received; that of Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series.

Guest Stars Galore on Dollhouse (SPOILERS!)

As Dollhouse continues production on its unexpected second season, the list of guest stars is getting us pretty excited. So far FOX has announced that Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica, Horatio Hornblower), Summer Glau (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Firefly), Michael Hogan (Battlestar Galactica), Keith Carradine (Dexter) and Alexis Denisof (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) have signed on for various roles. Here’s what we know about them so far:

• Jamie Bamber appears in the season premiere as Echo’s new husband (presumably he has hired Echo to pose as his wife).
• Summer Glau begins her guest spot in the fifth episode of the season, scheduled to air in October. Set for at least 2 episodes, Glau plays Bennett, aDollhouse employee who shares a past with Echo.
• Alexis Denisof a U.S. senator leading a witch hunt to track down the Dollhouse. Which means we’ll see him in a suit. I approve!
• Michael Hogan comes to the Dollhouse hoping to stop a psychotic family member’s killing spree, which we hope means Sierra gets to kick some butt again.
• Keith Carradine is a nemesis of Adelle DeWitt’s and comes to stir up some trouble. Because Adelle doesn’t have enough of that laying around.

Also returning with multi-episode arcs for season two are Amy Acker as Whiskey/Dr. Saunders and Miracle Laurie as November/Madeline. Dollhouse returns Friday, September 25 at 9/8c on FOX.

The Envelope Part Deux

Earlier this week Louise attended one of the six LA Times “The Envelope” events sponsored by the publication as a way for voting members to see shows and/or films that are being considered as nominees for awards season.  These events are now open to the public – but on a first-come, first-serve basis.  Thankfully, myself and a friend (along with about 150 to 200 other interested folks) were able to attend the Battlestar Galactica presentation last week at Graumann’s Chinese Theatre in the heart of Hollywood.

The difference with this presentation from the Californication event for which Louise attended was this event included two gentleman representing the United Nations (The Department of Public Information Department to be exact) as well as actors Mary McDonnell and Edward James Olmos and the shows’ executive producers (and masterminds) Ronald Moore and David Eick.  This event was a “sequel” of sorts to the recent presentation the cast and crew made to the United Nations in New York and centered on “TV’s Role in Making Global Issues Relevant”.

As anyone who has watched episodes of the series know, many topical events were portrayed throughout the course of the series, including the genocide of the human race by the Cylons, torture of prisoners and secret tribunals just to name a few.  The issues of race, religion and freedom from tyranny were just a small sample of the hard-hitting issues that were shown in the series.  Many current topics were discussed during the presentation with clips from the show interspersed to bring the message to the forefront.

The event wasn’t entirely serious, though.  There were moments of laughter as well as excitement – especially when Mr. Olmos explained more about the upcoming BSG movie The Plan which will take the 280 plus days after the Cylons attack on the human race and examine it from their point of view.   The movie, directed by Mr. Olmos, will be airing this fall on the Sci-Fi Channel and the trailer that was shown was well received by the entire room.

The audience was warned, however, that the version that will air on TV will only be 88 minutes, but the DVD version is actually 2 hours and 6 minutes long.  If you are a fan of the reimagined BSG, you will want to see this movie and purchase the DVD when it is available.

Before the end of the event, the cast and crew gave “shout-outs” to several of the shows’ writers, producers and directors who were in the audience.  Mr. Moore also made a point of asking for a special round of applause (that turned into a standing ovation) for director Michael Rymer, who oversaw the mini-series and the bulk of the series.  According to Mr. Moore, Mr. Rymer worked in conjunction with he and Mr. Eick in developing the show and while Ron and David received the bulk of the attention over the course of the series, Mr. Rymer deserved the same accolades.

Lastly,  Mr. Eick and Mr. Moore were asked briefly about Caprica, the new series for the Sci-Fi Channel about the genesis of the Cylons and the early days of William Adama and his father, and they advised the series should be coming to the air in early 2010.

Whedon’verse Alum Take Over TV

It’s no secret that Joss Whedon is a hero here at Nice Girls HQ. As if pimping Dollhouse for months prior to its debut wasn’t enough of a clue, we have a (possibly annoying) habit of gleeing over various Whedon alumni whenever we encounter them on the airwaves or in real life (see: Comic Con). So you’ll understand that I really have no choice but to dedicate this week’s column to all of the Whedon alumni who are currently working on pilots or actually have TV shows on the air at this very moment.

Currently on TV

Eliza Dushku
Formerly: Faith, Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel
Now: Echo, Dollhouse
Number of Whedon Projects to Date: 3

Amy Acker
Fomerly: Fred, Angel
Now: Dr. Claire Saunders, Dollhouse
Number of Whedon Projects to Date: 2

Summer Glau
Formerly: Prima Ballerina, Angel; River Tam, Firefly/Serenity
Now: Cameron/Allison, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Number of Whedon Projects to Date: 2/3*

Nathan Fillion
Fomerly: Caleb, Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Captain Malcom Reynolds, Firefly/Serenity; Captain Hammer, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-Long Blog
Now: Rick Castle, Castle
Number of Whedon Projects to Date: 3/4*

Adam Baldwin
Fomerly: Jayne Cobb, Firefly/Serenity
Now: Major John Casey, Chuck
Number of Whedon Projects to Date: 1/2*

Alyson Hannigan
Fomerly: Willow, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Now: Lily, How I Met Your Mother
Number of Whedon Projects to Date: 1

David Boreanaz
Fomerly: Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel
Now: Seeley Booth, Bones
Number of Whedon Projects to Date: 2

Michelle Trachtenburg
Fomerly: Dawn, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Now: Georgina, Gossip Girl
Number of Whedon Projects to Date: 1

Felicia Day
Fomerly: Vi, Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Penny, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-Long Blog
Now: Codex, The Guild
Number of Whedon Projects to Date: 2

Mark Sheppard
Fomerly: Badger, Firefly
Now: Tanaka, Dollhouse; Jim Sterling, Leverage; Romo Lampkin, Battlestar Galactica
Number of Whedon Projects to Date: 2

Neil Patrick Harris
Fomerly: Dr. Horrible, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-Long Blog
Now: Barney Stinson, How I Met Your Mother
Number of Whedon Projects to Date: 1

Coming Soon to TV

Anthony Stewart Head
Fomerly: Giles, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Now: Uther Pendragon, Merlin (coming to NBC this summer)
Number of Whedon Projects to Date: 1

Sean Maher
Fomerly: Simon Tam, Firefly/Serenity
Now: Drop Dead Diva (coming to Lifetime this summer)
Number of Whedon Projects to Date: 1/2*

Sarah Michelle Gellar
Fomerly: Buffy Summers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Now: The Wonderful Maladys (pilot for HBO)
Number of Whedon Projects to Date: 1

Morena Baccarin
Fomerly: Inara, Firefly/Serenity
Now: Anna, V (pilot for ABC)
Number of Whedon Projects to Date: 1/2*

Alan Tudyk
Fomerly: Wash, Firefly/Serenity
Now: Drew, Untitled David Kohan/Max Mutchinick Project (pilot for ABC)
Number of Whedon Projects to Date: 1-3**

Did I miss anyone? Do you have scoop on a Whedon alum who may be returning to our TV screens soon? Leave a comment below and let me know!

*Technically, Firefly and Serenity are two different projects. However, the movie is obviously a continuation from the series, so it’s up to you to decide how to number them.

**SPOILER WARNING: Alan Tudyk may be in another Whedon project, but that is currently unconfirmed. Sort of. It’s complicated.