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.

NGTV Guide: Thursday, February 11

FOX’s shows are on hiatus until April 1, which gives us a chance to see if Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains is worth watching. What, I’m the only Survivor fan around here? OK, is anyone else excited about a Cho-centric episode on The Mentalist?

Survivor – CBS 8/7c – SEASON PREMIERE
“Slay Everyone, Trust No One” – In one of the most physical reward challenges ever played, injuries threaten to send two castaways home before the first challenge is completed.

The Vampire Diaries - the CW 8/7c
“Fool Me Once” – Stefan helps Elena and Bonnie out of a dangerous situation. Jeremy asks Anna (guest star Malese Jow) to a party in the woods, unaware that she has her own reasons for wanting to meet him there. When Stefan, Damon and Elena work with Bonnie and Grams (guest star Jasmine Guy) to open the tomb, everyone is shocked by what they discover.

Supernatural – the CW 9/8c
“My Bloody Valentine” – Castiel helps Sam and Dean hunt down Cupid (guest star Lex Medlin) on Valentine’s Day after townspeople start to kill each other for love. However, after Cupid tells them he’s innocent, they discover Famine (guest star James Otis), one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, has arrived in town.

The Mentalist – CBS 10/9c
“Blood In, Blood Out” – When a member of Cho’s former gang, the Avon Park Playboys, is found murdered, Patrick Jane insists on helping Cho with his off-the-books investigation.

Burn Notice – USA 10/9c
“Enemies Closer” – Michael ends up in hot water when the black ops sociopath he’s been dealing with asks him to steal sensitive flight information. Things only get worse, however, when Michael’s former mentor Larry shows up, with a Columbian drug cartel on his heels looking for a stolen shipment of cash.

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.

Catch Nice Girl’s Faves on Late Night and Daytime

I don’t know about you, but there’s nothing I enjoy more than watching talent from some of our favorite television shows playing around with talk show hosts. In an effort to organize my DVR settings, I’m going to attempt to post a listing, when available, of late night and daytime talk show appearances. I hope this will aid you as well.

Nathan Fillion (Castle) – Regis & Kelly Monday, Jan. 11

Matt Bomer (White Collar) – Regis & Kelly Friday, Jan. 15

Ian Somerhalder (The Vampire Diaries) – Regis & Kelly Monday, Jan. 18

That’s it for a start. Am I missing one of your faves?

Top 10 TV Surprises of 2009

Have you noticed how the end of the year warrants umpteen lists of the best this and worst that and most whatever? I’m a list-maker by nature, as the other Nice Girls can attest, so this way of recapping a year is one I can get behind. Besides, far be it from me to shirk tradition! Herewith, the 10 most surprising things in television this year, at least to me.

10. Renew Chuck fan campaign gets national coverage. I was never concerned that Chuck wouldn’t be back for a third season, but in the interest of fandom, I joined our sister site ChuckTV.net in organizing the fan campaign for renewal last spring. We hoped it would draw some notice from fellow bloggers and Chuck fans, and of course NBC, but the day CNN called about doing a segment we were giddy with shock.

Leverage kept summer interesting

9. Summer TV didn’t suck. The networks have been talking about a year-round schedule for several years now, but it’s cable stepping up to fill in the gap during the summer months. This year my time-honored tradition of catching up on broadcast television when it was too hot to go outside was scuttled just to keep up with all the quality shows airing for the first time. The Closer, Psych, Royal Pains, True Blood, Merlin, Leverage…it’s almost enough to make a Nice Girl go crazy from excellent storytelling.

8. Peter is the one holding Kate captive on White Collar. Or is he? In the final moments of the White Collar fall finale, it appeared that Peter was the one who had been holding Kate hostage this whole time, presumably to control Neal. But is all what it appears? Creator Jeff Eastin Tweeted a couple of interesting statements late Friday: “Don’t assume anything you see is what it seems” and “Clue: it was set up from the beginning. How does Peter find Neal in the pilot?” So while my initial reaction was, “WHAT?!?” and an immediate rewind to watch that scene again, even before reading Jeff’s Tweets, I started following the trail of breadcrumbs from the beginning and realized that, no, all is NOT what it seems. (By the way, if you need a refresher on what happened in the pilot, Jeff Tweeted a link to the script.)

7. Justin Suarez isn’t gay. In the November 13 episode of Ugly Betty, teenage Justin walks the gauntlet at his high school where he’s the target for bullies and teasing. Advice from Marc helps him get in with the “mean girls”, but the jocks still attempt to humiliate him at homecoming (which was on a Sunday? what?) by naming him Homecoming Queen. Justin turns the tables by giving the honor to mom Hilda, then later stuns everyone by saying it doesn’t really matter what the bullies say because he isn’t gay. “So, he’s not,” says Marc. Maybe Justin’s still figuring himself out, but I gotta admit, even on a show where scheming and shockers are an art form, I did not see that coming.

6. Glee. I know, I’ve mentioned many times that I’m not a fan of musicals and yet I love this show. Surprising in and of itself, but even more surprising is how it’s been embraced by the general viewing audience, and kept up the standard it set in the first episode. From Mr. Shu breaking out into rap to Finn believing Quinn’s impregnation tale to Tina’s revelation that she doesn’t stutter to Sue Sylvester’s soft side to the usually brilliant musical numbers, this is a show that constantly surprises me.

5. Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne share a half-brother. By the time this BBC show killed Marian at the end of season 2, it had veered so far from Robin Hood lore that I didn’t know what to expect from season 3. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to watch season 3, but the lure of a brooding Richard Armitage was too strong to resist. The shenanigans continued for most of the season – robbing the rich to give to the poor, clashing with the Sheriff of Nottingham, Robin and Guy continuing their feud – until the fourth to last episode of the series when we finally got some backstory on said feud. It sure took them long enough, but what a bombshell to drop: not only were Guy’s mother and Robin’s father lovers, they had a son. The baby was sent away and subsequently became a criminal, ending up in jail and about to be hanged before Robin and Guy came to his rescue. With Robin and Guy both killed in the series finale, we were conveniently left with the promise that Archer, along with the rest of the Merry Men, would continue Robin Hood’s crusade.

4. Vampire Diaries. I’m not a fan of that other teen vampire series, and when I saw the preview for this show at Comic Con, I came down with the giggles. BethAnne convinced me to give it a shot, though, and wouldn’t you know, the pilot hooked me. Sure, it’s full of teen angst and melodrama, but it’s compelling and entertaining. Despite first impressions at Comic Con, it won a season pass on my DVR.

3. The ending of Every. Single. Episode. of True Blood. Seriously, is Alan Ball trying to give us mass heart attacks?

Dollhouse returned on FOX

2. James Franco guest stars on General Hospital. I don’t watch the soaps. I’ll confess that the acting and production quality generally leave me cold. Yes, I’m a bit of a snob there and yes, I realize that there are plenty of primetime shows with crappy acting, but at least the production quality is better. Anyway. When Golden Globe-winning film star James Franco was announced as joining General Hospital for a lengthy guest role, my jaw hit the floor. The more I’ve read about him, though, the more impressed I am with him and his career choices. Kudos to James for doing what he wants for his career, whether it’s optioning books to produce as films or attending soap opera acting bootcamp.

1. Dollhouse gets a second season. We know now that its second will be its last, but even Joss Whedon was shocked when Fox gave the greenlight for more episodes after dismal season one ratings. I’d say that announcement hit 5.0 on the Richter scale.

What were your biggest TV surprises this year?

NGTV Guide: Thursday, November 19

Bones – FOX 8/7c
“The Foot in the Foreclosure” – Booth’s grandfather Hank (guest star Ralph Waite) comes to live with him and tags along as Brennan and Booth investigate ashes and charred remains found by a real estate agent while showing a property to prospective buyers. The team identifies the victims as plus-size lovers, neither of whom seemed to have many enemies. Meanwhile, Hank tries to play matchmaker for Booth and lets Brennan in on some family secrets.

The Vampire Diaries – the CW 8/7c
“The Turning Point” – After reading the journal left by one of the Gilbert ancestors, Jeremy is inspired to return to his hobby of sketching fantasy creatures, a talent he had abandoned when his parents died. Much to the surprise of their friends, Matt and Caroline continue to hang out together. When Sheriff Forbes tells Damon there has been another attack, he offers to track down the killer and learns a startling piece of information about the town’s founding families. Alaric steps in to help during an awkward scene with Jeremy, Tyler and Mayor Lockwood. Stefan and Elena come to a new understanding, but everything changes when Elena accidentally makes a devastating discovery.

FlashForward – ABC 8/7c
“Believe” – Bryce begins his search for the woman in his flashforward, Aaron becomes concerned over Tracy’s odd behavior, Mark attempts to track down the person responsible for texting Olivia and outing his drinking during his flashforward vision, and Demetri’s co-agents try to find the mysterious caller who forewarned him about his unfortunate fate.

Community – NBC 8/7c
“Environmental Science” – Jeff befriends Señor Chang at the gang’s urging in hopes of reducing the class’s homework load. When the pair end up hitting it off, Jeff begins receiving special perks from his new friend. Elsewhere, Troy and Abed lose track of their biology-lab subject.

Fringe – FOX 9/8c
“August” – When a peculiar abduction occurs in Boston, the Fringe team uncovers details of the mysterious man known as The Observer. While the bizarre case takes center stage, Walter, Peter and Astrid hit the lab to analyze unusual evidence and deal with Walter’s insatiable appetite for a milkshake.

Supernatural – the CW 9/8c
“Abandon All Hope” – Sam, Dean and Castiel track down the Colt and head off to find Lucifer (guest star Mark Pelligreno) to send him back to Hell. It’s a hunters’ reunion when the crew joins forces with Bobby, Ellen (guest star Samantha Ferris) and Jo (guest star Alona Tal) for what could be their last night on Earth.

30 Rock – NBC 9:30/8:30c
“Sun Tea” – Liz’s life turns topsy-turvy when her apartment building is transformed into a condominium complex. Meanwhile, both Jack and Tracy reassess their ideas about parenthood, and Kenneth works to make “TGS” environmentally friendly. Al Gore appears in a cameo; Nathan Corddry and Chris Parnell guest star.

The Mentalist – CBS 10/9c
“His Right Red Hand” - The CBI team is faced with a violent and shocking crime in their own office, but must work the case in spite of their alarm of who may be behind it.  Meanwhile, Rigsby and Van Pelt are definitely an “item”.

The CW Schedules Vampire Diaries Marathon

After this week’s episode of The Vampire Diaries, we won’t get a new episode until January 14, 2010, but the CW is taking pity on us and marathoning all 10 episodes of the series December 14-18. Two episodes will air each night for the whole week, so if you haven’t had a chance to watch the show yet, this is a great time to get caught up.

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