Ho Ho Ho... you're going to Afghanistan. Not exactly a Christmas present to be happy about. Having said that, Cal must surely be happy about what he accomplished in last night's episode of Lie to Me.
Sent to a US Marines outpost in the middle of the desert near Kabul, Cal was tasked with uncovering the truth about a deep-cover US operative who got left for dead and had to join to Taliban to survive. Cal was able to get plenty of info from his subject about two missing Marines but we ended up learning far more about Dr. Lightman as a result of his methods.
It seems like ESPN has been around forever, doesn't it? Can you even remember a time when there hasn't been an ESPN to turn to for a score or breaking news or updates? I can't. But along with the news ESPN provides, the ESPN brand has expanded to include a bunch of networks, a magazine, restaurants and lots of tchotchkes. But let's just look at the TV shows, shall we? One note: SportsCenter is not included because it's more of a daily news show as opposed to the programs that are more talk and game-oriented. Here's the top ten ESPN created shows, from the worst to the first.
10. Sports Nation
This is a relatively new daily show on ESPN with radio talker Colin Cowherd and Michelle Beadle co-hosting. It's supposedly an interactive program with surveys that include the fans, but all the bells and whistles can't change the fact that Cowherd is an obnoxious know-it-all that dominates the conversation – when they have one. It's new and shiny, but it's a mess.
(S02E10) ""A wife and a fiance catfight ... please can we stop for popcorn on the way?" - Castle
Molly C. Quinn is such a cutie. I loved the storyline this week where she volunteers to categorize evidence, and in doing so, uses her skills to help return someone's precious "brag book" to them. She takes after her dad in the "big heart" department.
Castle is good about that. They could have made Richard Castle as a roguish playboy who chases women and loves a good time, and while he's got some of that in him (see above quote), he's also a dedicated family man. The writers are good about the characters that way. Beckett is a hard-nosed detective, but she's also good with people, excelling at giving them bad news in such a way as to soften the blow.
The new Target holiday ads are out, and if you've been scratching your head, trying to figure out who that vaguely familiar-looking woman is who's playing that competitive and slightly demented Black Friday shopper, scratch no longer.
It's Maria Bamford, the cute but decidedly off-kilter stand-up comedian who is probably best known for participating in the Comedians of Comedy tour with Patton Oswalt, Zach Galifianakis, and Brian Posehn.
Most of the ads show Bamford playing the competitive shopper, pulling full Target carts uphill and sleeplessly decorating a gingerbread village in preparation for the store's big Black Friday sale. But in some of the spots, Bamford also plays the woman's more "normal" sister, who doesn't need to be there as soon as the doors open. Problem is, she also puts her wreath up using a staple gun. So how normal can she be? One of the ads is below, and a couple of more are after the jump:
If you don't already know her story, get ready to hear all about it. On December 13, the TV Guide Network will present a Susan Boyle special. An hour all about the unlikely Scottish singing sensation. I Dreamed a Dream: The Susan Boyle Story is a one-hour documentary/interview/performance special chronicling the rise of the Britain's Got Talent performer who became a You Tube phenom and has just released her first CD.
American Idol's Simon Cowell is the mastermind behind this production, which will also be broadcast in England on the ITV1. It'll have celebrity interviews including Simon himself, footage of Susan's hometown, her TV appearances till now, and -- naturally -- Susan singing songs from I Dreamed A Dream, the new CD.
The final episode of David Tennant's run on Doctor Who "The End of Time" has been posted online. Well, not the entire two-parter, but just the first three minutes or so. It was broadcast in England on the BBC as part of their Children in Need special. The first episode is scheduled to be shown in the U.K. on Christmas Day with the final episode on New Year's Day.
This, my friends, is a no-brainer. Psych is one of USA's more reliable hours, a comedy-mystery series that has a loyal following. This past summer season -- which will soon be completed in the winter when the second half of the episodes air beginning in late January (the date hasn't been confirmed yet) -- the show performed especially well in younger demographics.
(S06E09) "There's no point in putting a band together if we're not going to play any gigs." - House
I'm torn over the best way to tackle this review of "Ignorance is Bliss." I have far more bad things to say about the episode than I do good things, yet I loved it. The outcome I (and presumably most other fans) want to see (House and Cuddy together) is hopefully going to be achieved. This just isn't my ideal path to get there.
(S09E20) It's the finals of Dancing with the Stars and the trophy was placed in front of the judge's table. Tom announces that three couples have three new dances; technically Mya was part of Team Paso Doble in week seven.
The second round was the megamix, and I would rather have them return to the group dance-off format. The three couples dancing at the same time was too much to handle. I missed individuality.
I was very disappointed with the Freestyle round. There's free reign and it didn't seem like anyone even took it. I was expecting Kelly to rock out and Mya to pull off a tasteful hip-hop piece. Alas, I got neither.
(S07E09) How far are the writers going to take the Charlie and Chelsea relationship? Do you think they're actually going to get married? I ask because tonight's show was a glimpse of what married Charlie might be like. Funny, yes, but is a domesticated Charlie really what I want to watch? Gin rummy and snoring? Charlie being sensitive and in touch with a woman's feelings? Where has my Charlie gone?
Alan, fortunately, is in exactly the same spot where he's always been. The crapper. Remember that Emmy that Jon Cryer won for Two and a Half Men in September? He may have earned a bookend with this season's work. More on his hair care products and dating services after the jump.
Here's a sneak peek at tonight's Castle, "One Man's Treasure." When a murdered man is found stuffed in the garbage chute of an apartment building, two women arrive to ID the body -- the guy's wife and his fiance. It's like the ultimate in awkward encounters, and of course, Castle has something to say about it. He looks at the dead guy and says, "You are so busted."
Of course, Castle and Beckett have the fun task of trying to figure out if this guy's been leading a double life or if he's being framed. With this show, you just never know. I'm guessing one of the women is behind it, but we'll see.
I'm loving Castle, because it fulfills my lifelong wish for a TV show that offers the snappy banter and sexual tension of an old-time movie. Well, Castle would call it sexual tension. Ok, Beckett is leaning that way, too. I don't know who I'd compare Nathan Fillion to, though. Maybe a little Cary Grant mixed in with Donald O'Connor.
Is there anything that Jane Lynch can't do? The comic actress -- who some people are already declaring is a shoo-in for the Primetime Emmy as Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama series for Glee -- has veered into a new venue.
In addition to her television characters, Jane's brilliant performance as Sue Sylvester, her semi-regular shrink role, Dr. Freeman, on Two and a Half Men, Constance on Party Down, she's now doing commercials.
Yes, the latest triumph for La Lynch is a set of XBox 360 commercials that are all about fun.
There comes a time of the year when one has to count their blessings because, when truth is finally told, things could be a lot worse. This is that time. And what am I thankful for? Glad you asked.
Big LCD televisions that hang on the wall - I think that says it all. Of course, some day all the current display technologies will be abandoned in favor of the video waves that transmit directly to our brains, but until then there is the LCD (or plasma, depending on your technology choice) on the wall.
The Big Bang Theory - It's hard to believe that the creator of Two and a Half Men (a show of which I am not a fan) could create such a terrific show. I only discovered the show this past year. I'm usually not a fan of sitcoms but with all the geeky references in BBT, I find that if I could give the show a big, sloppy, wet kiss, I would.
I am sorry to report that Kevin James in Paul Blart: Mall Cop and Seth Rogen in Observe and Report have started a phenomenon, because a new reality series called Mall Cops: Mall of Americais coming to TLC. This is what happens when two movies that are superficially related to each other get released in close chronological proximity.
Granted, the Mall of America is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) malls in America and there is likely more than a fair share of crimes that go on there during any given day. I just wonder if the show is going to hire its own criminals to commit felonies in the mall just to keep things interesting.
I can see it now: the season deals with standard problems like shoplifters and lost children until the season finale which ends in a hostage situation cliffhanger. Want to see the footage of how it turns out? Wait until season two.
Jeana Keough has always impressed me as the smartest, most normal and down-to-earth housewife of the bunch. She had a completely insane marriage to Matt Keough, an ex-Major League Baseball pitcher for the Oakland A's, but she worked to keep it together. Her kids were a handful.
They were all grown up and in high school or post-high school life, but Jeana was supportive and interested and tried to be a positive role model. In her finale, she was able to show her kids pursuing their lives and bringing her pride. I think Jeana's "pal" Vicki Gunvalson wishes her children were as loving to her as Jeana's are to her.
It seems like ESPN has been around forever, doesn't it? Can you even remember a time when there hasn't been an ESPN to turn to for a score or breaking news or updates? I can't. But along with the news ESPN provides, the ESPN brand has expanded to include a bunch of networks, a magazine, restaurants and lots of tchotchkes. But let's just look at the TV shows, shall we? One note: SportsCenter is not included because it's more of a daily news show as opposed to the programs that are more talk and game-oriented. Here's the top ten ESPN created shows, from the worst to the first. 
(S02E10) ""A wife and a fiance catfight ... please can we stop for popcorn on the way?" - Castle
If you don't already know her story, get ready to hear all about it. On December 13, the 
The final episode of David Tennant's run on Doctor Who "The End of Time" has been posted online. Well, not the entire two-parter, but just the first three minutes or so. It was broadcast in England on the BBC as part of their Children in Need special. The first episode is scheduled to be shown in the U.K. on Christmas Day with the final episode on New Year's Day.
USA Network is losing Monk this year, but it's not about to let Psych go. The adventures of Shawn and Gus will continue. 
(S09E20) It's the finals of 
Is there anything that Jane Lynch can't do? The comic actress -- who some people are already declaring is a shoo-in for the Primetime Emmy as Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama series for Glee -- has veered into a new venue. 
There comes a time of the year when one has to count their blessings because, when truth is finally told, things could be a lot worse. This is that time. And what am I thankful for? Glad you asked.
I am sorry to report that Kevin James in Paul Blart: Mall Cop and Seth Rogen in Observe and Report have started a phenomenon, because a new reality series called Mall Cops: Mall of America 
I haven't been as interested in 
TV Squad Ten: Top Ten ESPN shows from worst to first
Andy Richter: The TV Squad Interview
Have any questions for Vik Sahay of Chuck? Ask them here!
