Does OCD Really Help Solve Crime? “Monk” Tells Us Yes, But “The Closer” Proves Otherwise
Posted by Abby Rose Dalto Categories: Prime Time, Cable, Editorial,
I’ve been watching a lot of reruns lately (hey, it’s summer) and I’ve come across two great shows that I may have overlooked in the past. USA’s Monk and TNT’s The Closer. Both shows focus on solving crimes – those most baffling ones – but that’s nothing new to TV.
What really draws you in to these shows are their respective main protagonists: Tony Shalhoub’s Adrian Monk, a retired San Francisco police officer turned private investigator, and Kyra Sedgewick’s Brenda Johnson, deputy chief of the LAPD’s priority homicide division.
What struck me about these two shows was the differences (and similarities) of these two characters. Monk suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder and a plethora of phobias, conditions that have proven to be both a gift and curse. Getting through the day is a struggle, however his attention to detail and unconventional thinking help him to figure out the cases that no one else can crack.
Johnson, on the other hand, has what I would (unscientifically) call the opposite of obsessive-compulsive disorder. While Monk is overly organized to the point of addiction, Johnson is a mess. She can never find her glasses – or anything else for that matter – in her purse full of junk; she is always getting lost; she is never on time. She has her own neuroses of course, specifically centered on food and men, but for the most part she is the anti-Monk. However, she too manages to solve those “unsolvable” cases. While Monk’s forte is noticing the clues that no one else sees, Johnson’s gift is interrogation (or more specifically, getting a confession).
These shows pose the question: “Does having a mental illness actually make you smarter?” My only current obsession is catching up on both of these shows and anxiously awaiting new episodes.
Read More 
| ABC News
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Bravo’s New Reality Show, “Tabloid Wars” Premieres June 24
Posted by Zoe Stagg Categories: Prime Time, Reality, Cable, Gossip,
Set in the newsroom of the New York Daily News, “Tabloid Wars” is Bravo’s new reality darling. Each of the 6 hour-long episodes take the viewer inside the chaos of staying on top of late-breaking news, from Britney to bombings. The show follows a handful of journalists, shot surveillance-style, and edited into a Law and Order-esque procedural drama. President of Bravo, Lauren Zalaznick states, “This unprecedented series goes beyond entertainment in many ways and imparts a truly educational and unique glimpse at the inner workings of a competitive leading daily newspaper.” Educational? This is reality TV- and “The Littlest Groom” was an anthropological study.
Matt Lauer is set to host the upcoming two-hour telecast “Countdown to Doomsday” a look at the natural forces that threaten our life on this planet. From volcanic erruptions to asteroid impacts, experts will attempt to illustrate the potential dangers that face us by counting down the top ten ways in which we could all perish tomorrow.
The comforting thoughts air on the Sci-Fi Channel tonight, June 14th at 9/8c.
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| Sci Fi Channel
Former “Friend” Lisa Kudrow has landed a development deal with NBC, which gives the network first dibs on any projects by Kudrow and her production partner Dan Bucatinsky. Kudrow and Bucatinsky are the masterminds behind It or Isn’t It Entertainment, a production company responsible for shows such as “The Comeback” (HBO), “All In” (NBC), and “Beck and Call” (UPN). Currently, the duo is busy adapting Jancee Dunn’s book “But Enough About Me” for television, under the new NBC deal.
But it’s not all about NBC for It or Isn’t It Entertainment. The two have partnered with Magical Elves Productions (“Project Runway”) to produce an unscripted sketch comedy based on Kudrow and Bucatinsky’s prior experiences in the genre.
Read More | Yahoo! News
Season Two of FX’s 30 Days kicks off on August 2. If you’ve never watched the show…mark it on your calendar. It’s one of those shows that can get you hooked fast. The show stars Morgan Spurlock, the guy from Super Size Me, (3rd highest grossing documentary of all time) that follows the lives of people for—you guessed it—30 days.
The August 2nd show pairs a guy named Frank and a family of seven in a one-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles. Here’s the twist, Frank is part of the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps, the anti-illegal immigration group and the family is in the country illegally from Mexico. A hot topic, yes. A hot show, yes. Go set the TiVo now.
Read More | Yahoo! News
Comedy Central’s news mockumentary Dog Bites Man is in the doghouse with the law. Comedy Central is trying to decide what to do with some of the footage from the half scripted, half improv show based on a dysfunctional morning news show in Spokane, Washington. The show’s in hot water south of the border in the state of Oregon. The state’s attorney general sent the network its second letter voicing their complaints about the cast filming one show in the state.
The LA Times printed part of the letter from the Oregon AG’s Office to Comedy Central. “We represent the state of Oregon and Portland State University in the dispute involving the fake news crew that visited PSU under false pretenses on May 16, 2006,” wrote Christine A. Chute with the office’s government services and education section. “Please provide me with written assurances that none of the footage filmed at PSU will be aired for any purpose whatsoever.”
The network hasn’t made up their mind on this video tape. But they’ve already yanked one episode after another college professor caused an uproar of being caught on the “Punk-d” style show.
Read More | LA Times
NBC Giving a Sneak Peak at Lineup
Posted by Eric Chaloux Categories: Comedy, NBC, My Name Is Earl, Saturday Night Live, Talent, The Office, News, Ratings, Renewals,
If the new summer shows have you feeling blue, NBC has a solution. The network just released what they are calling “NBC First Look.” It has new video clips of every new show including Heroes, Studio 60, Friday Night Lights, Twenty Good Years, 30 Rock, and Kidnapped. You can also find out what will be happening on your old NBC standbys next season.
Read More | NBC First Look
The Hills Continues to Redefine “Reality” Television
Posted by Auburn Scallon Categories: Prime Time, Reality, Cable, The Hills,
Fans of Laguna Beach will fall instantly for another glimpse into the ridiculously pampered lives of Southern California teens. In its debut episode, a Teen Vogue staffer begins his phone call to Lauren “LC” Conrad by listing all of the reasons why she’s not ready for an internship position, before throwing caution to the wind and offering it to her anyway (what magazine would turn away this kind of free publicity?!). This spin-off promises months of wishing you were born wealthy and beautiful while you watch as kids who have been given everything struggle to take orders.
We can surely count on her roommate Heidi, whose goal in school is to become a “fun, PR, party-girl”, fellow intern Whitney, and gorgeous new neighbor Audrina, to incite drama while good-natured LC struggles to learn how to stand up for herself. Don’t count on the return of womanizing ex-boyfriend and fellow LB alum Jason to make this any easier.
Live With Regis and Kelly: Paris Hilton Interview
Posted by Kristen DeLeon Categories: Daytime, Prime Time, Reality, Talk Shows, FOX, Talent,
Just this morning on “Live With Regis and Kelly” Paris Hilton was interviewed as a guest on the show. Paris spoke about her relationship with Nicole Richie and how the new season of “The Simple Life” has been changed from the previous seasons, such as the fact that Nicole and Paris are rarely in any of the same scenes together. She told Regis and Kelly that during the new season of the show she and Nicole would be acting as housewives in several different families and they would have to try and tackle all of the things the real wife does throughout a normal day. In one episode Paris and Nicole actually needed to wear pregnancy suits because the wife they were replacing was pregnant. During the interview, Paris told Regis and Kelly that she was also a singer. She claimed that she has always shown an interest in music and she will be putting out a CD that she has been working on for the past year.
Carlin and Coulter on Wednesday’s Leno
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Late Night, Talk Shows, NBC, Talent,
In what has been said to be a complete scheduling coincidence, both Ann Coulter and George Carlin will appear on Wednesday night’s The Tonight Show. Many believe sparks are sure to fly with this combination of conservative versus anti-establishment. Coulter has gained a lot of attention recently, with the release of her book “Godless: The Church of Liberalism” – where she has made unfavorable comments about widows of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In her book, she believes that the widows are “reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by grief-arazzis. I’ve never seen people enjoying their husbands’ deaths so much.”
Here’s hoping Carlin has some comedic counterpoint to lighten the late-night mood.
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