NGTV Guide: Thursday, March 11

I’m starting to get a little crazy-eyed over how long it’s been since there was a new Bones or Vampire Diaries.

The Mentalist - CBS 10/9c
“Code Red” – When Dr. Alicia Seberg, a government research scientist, is exposed to a deadly toxin while at work and has only hours to live, she calls Patrick Jane and the CBI to find her murderer.

Coming Out of the Olympic Haze

Between the Olympics hogging all my DVR space and handling the fallout from the last episode of Chuck, I feel like the last couple of weeks have been time warp. Now comes the run up to the crazy mad season finales in just a couple of weeks. Oh, and PaleyFest is going on right now – Nice Girls Louise, Tiffany and Rueben are covering the festivities – which always brings in fun stuff. Things I’m looking forward to in the next few weeks:

• Chuck returns (tonight)!
• The much discussed 100th episode of Bones.
• Vampire Diaries returns.
• Glee returns (finally)!
• The Psych and White Collar season finales (next week).
• Booking flights for Comic Con, Part Trois!
• Some really cool TV-related giveaways we’ll be launching soon.
• Did I already mention GLEE RETURNS?!

Welcome back, TV!

NGTV Guide: Thursday, February 4

When Nice Boys collide! Josh Malina guest stars alongside TJ Thyne in tonight’s winter finale of Bones.

The Vampire Diaries – the CW 8/7c
“Children of the Damned” – In flashbacks, Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) recall the long-ago actions taken by townspeople including their father, Guiseppe Salvatore (guest star James Remar, “Dexter”), and Pearl (guest star Kelly Hu, “Army Wives”), leading to the devastating events that caused the rift in their relationship. In the present, Bonnie’s (Katerina Graham) date with Ben (guest star Sean Faris) takes a frightening turn. Elena (Nina Dobrev) helps Stefan as he and Damon race to find the missing journal that belonged to Elena’s ancestor. Stefan learns the reason behind Alaric’s (Matt Davis) interest in both the journal and the town’s history. Damon discovers that an old acquaintance has returned to town with an agenda he understands.

Bones – FOX 8/7c – WINTER FINALE
“The Devil in the Details” – Brennan and Booth investigate a set of uniquely disfigured remains allegorizing biblical text. As they acquire more information about the victim, a former patient of Dr. Adam Copeland (guest star Josh Malina) at Havenhurst Sanitarium, they are confronted with suspects who are hard to characterize as either good or evil. Meanwhile, Jeffersonian intern Arastoo Vaziri reveals a secret about his past.

Supernatural – the CW 9/8c
“The Song Remains the Same” – The angels send Anna (guest star Julie McNiven) back in time to kill John (guest star Matthew Cohen) and Mary (guest star Amy Gumenick) Winchester before they can conceive Sam (Jared Padalecki) knowing that if Sam was never born then Lucifer won’t be able to use him as his vessel. Castiel (Misha Collins) sends Sam and Dean (Jensen Ackles) back to 1978 so they can stop Anna, and the two brothers are reunited with their parents. Mary recognizes Dean as a hunter since he visited her in the past once before but tries to keep the truth from John.

Fringe – FOX 9/8c – WINTER FINALE
“Jacksonville” – After a violent tremor shakes a Manhattan office building to its core, leaving only one survivor who leads the Fringe Team to believe he is not from this reality. Walter surmises that what shook the building was not geologic, but rather something discovered by him and William Bell many years ago. With another catastrophe imminent, the team races to Jacksonville, the site of Walter and William’s experiments, forcing Olivia to face her mysterious past in an effort to save hundreds of people from certain death.

The Mentalist – CBS 10/9c
“Redline” – Patrick Jane and the CBI team investigate when the body of a high-end luxury car sales woman is found in the trunk of a Bentley in the dealership’s showroom

Burn Notice – USA 10/9c
“Noble Causes” – Michael is caught off guard by a visit from his drug-dealing neighbor Sugar. But to Michael’s surprise, Sugar isn’t looking for trouble — he needs Michael’s help fending off a crew of notorious thieves.

NGTV Guide: Thursday, January 28

CBS and NBC are in reruns again? Lame!

Bones – FOX 8/7c
“The Dentist in the Ditch” – A skeleton is discovered at a Civil War battleground, and Brennan and Booth are called to investigate the case. Despite the location, Brennan finds that the remains belong to Dan Pinard, a local dentist. While Booth looks into a list of suspects, Vincent the intern works to clean the bones of clay residue. Meanwhile, Booth’s brother returns with surprising news.

The Vampire Diaries – the CW 8/7c
“Unpleasantville” – As Stefan and Damon try to figure out the identity of the new vampire in town, Stefan gives Elena jewelry filled with Vervain to protect her family and friends. Hurting for money, Matt takes a job at the Mystic Grill, where former high school football-star Ben (guest star Sean Faris, “Never Back Down”), works as a bartender. Ben comes to Bonnie’s aid when he notices Damon is bothering her. Damon and Stefan accompany Elena to a school dance with a 1950s’ theme, where Alaric (guest star Matt Davis) introduces himself to Damon.

Fringe – FOX 9/8c
“The Bishop Revival” – When a specific group of guests at a wedding in Brookline, MA, suffocate from the inside out, the upsetting and disconcerting crime scene has the Fringe team investigating how the toxin was delivered and targeted. As evidence is taken into the lab, it’s discovered that the wedding ceremony was a testing ground for a weaponized science experiment. Adding to the intense lab investigation, Walter uncovers an alarming formula that reveals a link to a branch on the Bishop family tree. With the escalating threat of more deadly attacks and unexpected familial ties to the case, the Fringe team stops at nothing to prevent further catastrophic events.

Supernatural – the CW 9/8c
“Swap Meat” – Gary (guest star Colton James), a teenage nerd, conjures up a body-switching spell and changes bodies with Sam. Thrilled by his new handsome and built body, Gary (now Sam) investigates a case with Dean and takes advantage of his good looks and age by hitting on women and getting drunk. Meanwhile, Sam is stuck in Gary’s teenage body, dealing with intrusive parents and high school.

Keeping Up With the Boneses

The holiday hiatus is over, and how! I spent the weekend catching up on shows as far back as last Wednesday’s ABC lineup, so I thought a little grab bag of comments would be appropriate.

Modern Family – I love how this show has set up various stereotypes, then proceeds to break them down little by little. The Claire vs. the remote storyline was very funny, but it was Jay who truly came out ahead this week.

Cougar Town – The whole Laurie & Grayson thing is kind of grossing me out. If Grayson and Jules are each other’s “someday” people, it’s kind of ick that Laurie’s already been there. Ellie’s very sweet confession of love for Andy added some dimension to her character; Andy’s assumption that sex would follow yanked us back on track.

Ugly Betty – Is it wrong that I’m a little relieved Hilda isn’t going to have a baby? It’s sad for the characters, and Ana Ortiz played Hilda’s grief perfectly, but with everything else going on this season a pregnancy felt like too much. Even on this show.

The New Adventures of Old Christine – Has Christine actually found a long-term guy in Max? At first I thought their quirkiness could work together, and any excuse for Blair Underwood’s Mr. Harris to return is OK by me, but Max’s speech at the end was less funny than verging on emotionally abusive. The rest of the gang’s antics, swooning over Mr. Harris, were hilarious.

Bones - Very clever, Bones writers. Give us a whole episode surrounding the assassination of JFK, then leave us in doubt when Brennan “proves” that the bones couldn’t be his. Was that really JFK’s bone sinking into the pudding, or did she pull a switcharoo for Booth? Also, Angela’s pregnancy scare would have held a little more weight if I hadn’t watched Ugly Betty first, but, again, I’m glad she’s not preggers.

The Vampire Diaries – What is it with the bad boys?!?! Damon is a bad, bad, bad guy. Killing, manipulating, generally living in a state of selfishness. But at the first hint of humor and tenderness toward Elayna, I was all, KISS HIM! Maybe I’m the shallow one here.

The Mentalist – Seriously? Lisbon didn’t know about Riggs & Van Pelt? Can’t see the forest for the trees, I guess. Speaking of…I didn’t see the tie-in with the news reporter coming. Nice sleight of hand there.

The Office – Huh. It was a clip show. I guess it’s earned the right to one of those by now. Bets on whether that guy recommends his company buy Dunder-Mifflin now?

30 Rock – I’ve only been to Boston a couple of times (going again in March!), but I got a kick out of all the inside jokes thrown at us in the evening’s “road trip” episode. I’m really starting to wonder if Liz and Jack are destined for each other, though.

What Not To Wear – No, I’m not kidding. I DVR WNTW so I can fast forward through the boring stuff (do they really need to both preview AND recap before/after each commercial break?) and get to the transformative stuff. This week’s tomboy jazz singer was a fun transformation to watch. Bless her heart.

That’s it in a nutshell. I still need to watch Dollhouse from a week ago. If I don’t watch it, then the series isn’t ending, right?

NGTV Guide: Thursday, January 21

The Vampire Diaries – the CW 8/7c
“Bloodlines” – Damon takes a trip to Georgia, where he surprises an old flame, Bree (guest star Gina Torres, “Eli Stone”) and enlists her help to figure out how to open the tomb. In the process, Damon comes face to face with someone who is determined to make him pay for past wrongs. Stefan opens up to Grams (guest star Jasmine Guy) in his effort to help Bonnie overcome her fears and accept her powers. While researching his history paper in the public library, Jeremy meets a cute-but-geeky girl named Anna (guest star Malese Jow, “Hannah Montana”) who has her own theories on the folklore of Mystic Falls. When Damon returns from Georgia, Stefan is waiting with news that will change their world.

Community – NBC 8/7c
“Interpretive Dance” – The gang discovers that Jeff  has a new girlfriend but he is determined to keep his affair a secret. Meanwhile, Troy and Britta have secrets of their own and decide to share it with their friends.

Supernatural – the CW 9/8c
“Sam, Interrupted” – A former hunter named Martin, who is currently institutionalized, calls Sam and Dean for help investigating a case in the mental hospital. The brothers get themselves admitted as patients to check out the mysterious monster that is attacking the patients, but their incarceration pushes both to the breaking point as they unleash their inner demons against each other.

Bones – FOX 8/7c
“The Proof in the Pudding” – Mr. White (guest star Richard T. Jones) and his team of government agents put the Jeffersonian Lab on lock down and demand that Brennan and her forensics team determine a cause of death for an unidentified, but highly classified set of remains. As the team gets to work, their findings lead them to suspect they are investigating one of the most famous presidential assassinations in history. Meanwhile, Booth’s boss, Andrew Hacker (guest star Diedrich Bader), helps him break into the lab and determine the motive behind the mystery investigation, and a frustrated Cam worries that Michelle may be keeping a big secret from her.

Fringe – FOX 9/8c
“What Lies Below” – When a man enters an office in Boston for a meeting, he becomes disoriented and collapses, only to have his veins erupt and spray blood everywhere. Shortly after Olivia and Peter arrive at the scene to investigate the bizarre case, it’s discovered that a lethal virus with deep ties to something very valuable is spreading, so the CDC moves in to quarantine the building and eradicate the pathogens. Isolated inside with the rest of the exposed office employees, Peter and Olivia face life-threatening circumstances, sending Walter, Broyles and Astrid on a frantic search for a solution to save them.

30 Rock - NBC 9:30/8:30c
“Winter Madness” – When Liz Lemon decides to take the TGS show on the road to cure a case of the winter blues for the staff, the anticipated trip doesn’t exactly go as planned. Jack Donaghy chooses the destination and travels with the show for his own interest, and while away from New York, the TGS crew blames Liz for all of their misfortunes.

The Mentalist – CBS 10/9c
“Bleeding Heart” – Patrick Jane and the team investigate the murder of a mayor’s aide, and Rigsby and Van Pelt make a big announcement.

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.

NGTV Guide: Thursday, January 14

Several shows return from holiday hiatus tonight, so get ready to snuggle up with some good TV!

Community – NBC 8/7c
“Investigative Journalism” – The gang reunites after winter break and much to their surprise there’s a new addition. One of their fellow classmates is eager to join their study group and the gang must decide whether or not this particular individual is worthy. Meanwhile, Jeff (Joel McHale) signs on as editor of the Greendale Gazette Journal.

Bones – FOX 8/7c
“The X In The File” – Dean Haglund (“The X-Files”) Guest Stars when an out-of-this-world case brings Brennan and Booth to New Mexico where they investigate human remains with extraterrestrial attributes. The victim is identified as a local UFO fanatic, known around town for her relentless search for alien life forms and whose latest “evidence” leads even Brennan and Booth to re-think outside existence. Meanwhile, a local sheriff refuses to release the bones, forcing the team at the Jeffersonian to work via satellite, and Angela and Jeffersonian intern Wendell (guest star Michael Grant Terry) come clean about their relationship.

30 Rock – NBC 9:30/8:30c
“Klaus and Greta” – After a wild New Year’s Eve, Jack tries to undo the damage he caused from leaving a drunken message on an ex-lover’s voicemail. In the meantime, Jenna pursues a faux relationship with actor James Franco (guest starring) in an attempt to cover up his embarrassing secret. After “outing” her sheltered cousin to his family, Liz  welcomes him to New York City, while Tracy discovers a newfound respect for women.

Fringe - FOX 9/8c
“Johari Window” – Following an unexplained attack involving hideously deformed humans, the Fringe team visits the small town in upstate New York to uncover leads surrounding the bizarre case. When it’s determined that these deformed people have managed to hide themselves for a while and they’ll do just about anything to keep it that way, the investigation takes an unexpected turn.

The Mentalist – CBS 10/9c
“Rose-Colored Glasses” – Rigsby goes undercover as an alum at a 15th high school reunion when Patrick Jane and the team investigate a double homicide that may be linked to an old prank.

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!

Holiday Cheer

After all of the holiday themed episodes last week, I figured now was as good a time as any to talk about some of my favorite episodes of TV from the 2000s that stand out to me.

From this seasons’ crop:

Community: Comparative Religion takes the idea of multi-centralism to a new level. As the study group prepares for their Spanish final, Shirley invites everyone over for a Christmas celebration, only Shirley is the only one to celebrate the holiday among them. However, the stand-out moment from the episode is the ending with Abed and Troy decorating Troy before Jeff appears and they sing about “Christmas Troy”.

Bones: The Goop in the Girl, after you move past the body of the week has done a great job of highlighting what the holiday can be about: friends and family. Cam and Michelle have some issues with holiday plans, Sweets and Daisy want to spend the day in haze, and Brennan is willing to forsake plans with her dad and cousin for remains. The end of the episode hits what the true meaning of the holiday is for everyone from The Jeffersonian, good times, good food and good friends.

For some classics that should be watched at any chance:

Veronica Mars, An Echolls Family Christmas: the first season’s holiday episode, complete with festive parties, a mysterious stalker and a poker game gone very, very wrong. There’s something about this episode that always comes back to me at the holidays, and an episode of television I can’t live without.

The OC, The Chrismukk-huh?: brings the idea of alternative realities to Newport Beach, as Ryan and Taylor fall into comas right before Chrismukkah festivities. In the alterative Newport, Ryan and Taylor have lives to fix before they can be happily returned to the Newport they live in.

The West Wing, Holy Night: the season four episode brings together various holiday traditions, as Toby’s father arrives to visit the White House thinking about when Toby was born, as does Danny Concannon to spread some cheer CJ’s way. Added into the mix is a performance by the Yale Wiffenpoofs, who are trapped as snow blankets Washington, singing the same songs over and over again as staffers try to keep their holiday spirits up.

Did I miss any of your favorite shows (or your favorite episodes from any of these shows)?

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