'Freaks and Geeks' and me

I can't even tell you how happy this is making me. Being one of the lucky few who got to attend the "Freaks and Geeks" reunion at PaleyFest last year, it's super exciting that this amazing cast is doing even more reuniting, this time in the pages of Judd Apatow's Vanity Fair comedy issue. There are exclusive new photos, an oral history of "Freaks and Geeks", and Paul Feig's ideas of the characters' futures.

Look at how adorable this photo of Franco, Segel, and Rogen is:

Not to mention how friggin gorgeous Busy Phillips is:

Having met most of this cast, I can say that they were all amazingly sweet. (Even the ones I didn't expect to be - lookin' at you, Seth Rogen.) I'm super psyched that I now have a photo with each of the geeks:

With Martin Starr ("Bill") at a "Party Down" event at the Paley Center in 2010.

With Samm Levine ("Neil") at the "Freaks and Geeks" reunion in 2011.

With John Francis Daley ("Sam") at the PaleyFest panel for "Bones" in 2012.

I can't wait to get my hands on this issue!

What to watch this fall

I love it when Hulu gives us early access to fall TV pilots! I've begun devouring them, of course, and here are my thoughts.

The Mindy Project

Yes, please. As if I didn't already want to be best friends with Mindy Kaling, the pilot of "The Mindy Project" is a super-fun introduction to the probably-pretty-legit world of fictional Mindy. It speaks to me - the titular character feels real, feels like me. She carries a few extra pounds, has bad luck with men, wishes her life were a Sandra Bullock movie, and occasionally ends up drunk in a pool. My favorite, most resonant quote from the entire episode? "Maybe I'll do an 'Eat, Pray, Love' thing... ugh, nah, I don't want to pray. Forget it. I'll just die alone."

Sidebar: I love Chris Messina. LOVE Chris Messina. Love him in everything I've ever seen him in, especially Away We Go, Julie and Julia, and "Six Feet Under"... I am super excited that he is going to be on my TV screen this fall. And his Springsteen/Mellencamp schtick in the premiere? Beautiful.





Official website for "The Mindy Project" // Tuesday, September 25th at 9:30 on FOX


Go On

THE BING IS BACK, BABY! Could I be more excited to see Matthew Perry on my TV again? Sure, his last couple of projects haven't found success, but it looks like "Go On" might be the winner he's been waiting for. Perry stars as Ryan, a sportscaster whose wife died in a tragic accident. Unable to properly deal with his emotions, Ryan must attend a therapy group for people who've gone through major life changes. Sure, it doesn't sound like a comedy, but it promises to be very funny, with a big heart. The cast of characters in Ryan's therapy group are kooky and charismatic, and Perry is as funny and likeable as ever. I've got a good feeling about this one!

Official website for "Go On" // Tuesday, September 11th at 9:00 on NBC


The New Normal

How long can Ryan Murphy go without screwing this up? I'm not trying to be mean, but let's be honest: he's known for creating shows that have great first seasons: "Popular", "Glee"... jury's still out on "American Horror Story". Guess we'll find out this year. So you'll excuse my skepticism while viewing the premiere of "The New Normal". The first episode is a good introduction to the characters, and gets the plot moving. It offers a few chuckles, but I worry that, like "Glee", it may be too aware of itself to be genuinely funny. Self-awareness can work well for some shows; "30 Rock" and "Community" wink to the audience once in a while and it's great. But "The New Normal" could slide down the slippery Ryan Murphy slope into preachy, but let's hope it doesn't because it has the potential to be really good. The standout characters from the pilot are Ellen Barkin's "Jane" (hilariously offensive) and Bebe Woods' "Shania" (precociously adorable). Fingers crossed it lives up to its promise!

Official website for "The New Normal" // Tuesday, September 11th at 9:00 on NBC


Ben and Kate

You're gonna love Nat Faxon. The Oscar-winning cowriter of The Descendants stars as Ben and is instantly loveable despite his character's quirks. In this FOX sitcom, chaotic and rootless Ben moves in with his sister Kate to help her with her (super cute) daughter Maddie as Kate tries to get back into the dating world. The straight-laced sibling vs. wacky sibling thing has been done before, but "Ben and Kate" is fun and lighthearted, with both main characters showing potential for adorably awkward hi-jinks (just watch Kate botch a date in the series opener).

Official website for "Ben and Kate" // Tuesday, September 25th at 8:30 on FOX


Looks like there's some promising new comedy heading to TV this fall! What are you excited for?

"Pretty Little Liars" Book Club

Wanna be like Spencer Hastings? Catch up on your reading this summer!

Complete reading list:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee [Spencer, Episode 101, "Pilot"; Aria, Episode 103, "To Kill a Mocking Girl"]
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens [Emily & Alison, Episode 109, "The Perfect Storm"]

Season 1
In the pilot episode of "Pretty Little Liars", Spencer was reading Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. (Mr. Fitz was teaching it in English class. It's also one of my all-time favorites.)

Later, in episode 103, Aria is reading the book at lunch with her parents and talks about how she loves it and doesn't want it to end.

To Kill a Mockingbird is the story of the Finch family from Alabama, a rape trial, and standing up for what's right. Set in the Depression and dealing with themes of race, childhood, innocence, and the Civil Rights movement, it's one of the most celebrated works of literature of our time.

You can purchase the book from Amazon.com:

In episode 109, "The Perfect Storm", Emily gets a message from A to check out Great Expectations. When she does, she finds a letter she'd once written Alison and has a flashback to a time when Alison read her a passage from the book and they kissed.

The passage Ali read to Emily was: "I loved her against reason. Against promise. Against peace. Against hope, against happiness. Against all discouragement that could be." Sounds a bit like Emily's worshiping love of Alison, no? Great Expectations chronicles Pip, a poor villager, and his dreams of being wealthy.

You can purchase the book from Amazon.com:

Credit for all screencaps goes to homeofthenutty.com.

Wise Words: Laurie Keller of "Cougar Town"

Just because Laurie Keller's lipstick shade lets people on the moon know she's tacky doesn't mean she's not wise. On this week's episode of Cougar Town ("Money Becomes King"), Ms. Keller lets Trav (and us) in on a few of her life philosophies.

From episode 309, "Money Becomes King".

1. Don't get hammered at brunch.

2. You gotta shake it til you make it. (Though it turns out this one is only really good for dance-offs or cocktails.)

From episode 309, "Money Becomes King".

3. Nothing ever works out unless you are in 100%.


Oh, and don't forget:

4. Never fight short-haired bitches.

From episode 309, "Money Becomes King".

Thanks for the wisdom, Laurie. Now, can we get a Krazy Kake?

Helmet Party! from "Cougar Town"

Helmet party!

Travis wearing a helmet is one of my favorite storylines from season 3 of "Cougar Town", mostly because it's the writers' revenge against Dan Byrd for not cutting his hair. That's kind of amazing. And since Travis looks goofy and feels insecure, in true sweet cul-de-sac crew style the rest of the gang had a Helmet Party, where they all made Trav feel better by donning their own helmets.

Photo from Vulture.com.



This is a fun and simple party idea for you and your friends (especially if your friends are easygoing and obedient). The concept is simple: everyone wears their own helmet! The wackier the better. This is fun because people can use the helmet idea to express their own style or personality. For instance, Jules and Bobby wear big safe parent-approved helmets, whereas Ellie shows off a riding helmet (can't you just see her with a crop in her hand?) and Laurie wears an Amelia Earhart style cap. (Just make sure you make clear to your guests the difference between hats and helmets: hats are just hats, but helmets are weird and amusing, as well as protective!) Yakkay has some cute helmets if you're in the market for something fun and wearable.

You can even get a small door prize (a bottle of wine, a gift certificate... for a bottle of wine) to give out to the person voted Best Helmet at the party.

Ready, set, raise hell(met)!

Everything I Needed to Know About Life I Learned From: Chris Hardwick

I just finished reading Chris Hardwick's book The Nerdist Way, and let me tell you: it might have changed my life. It's the first self-help-y kind of thing I've ever read that legitimately made me feel like I could take control (in simple ways) and turn my life into what I want it to be. Even if you're not unhappy with your current situation, this book can give you ways to make yourself happier with your life, whether it's offering great tips for goal-setting, easy ways to get in better physical shape, or a great overview of how to manage your time and finances.

 

The Nerdist Way.
(Click the photo to check it out on Amazon.)

Hardwick, of course, is the former host of MTV's "Singled Out" and the current host of G4's "Web Soup", correspondent for G4's "Attack of the Show", host of AMC's "Talking Dead" and founder of the Nerdist podcast and Nerdist.com. (Busy guy, right?) He's also a frequent guest on Craig Ferguson's "Late Late Show" (one of my favorite late night shows), as well as a super nice guy. When I lived near L.A. for half of 2010, I used to attend "Web Soup" tapings; it was my favorite Tuesday-night activity. Hardwick was always friendly as could be, funny as hell, and very interactive with the small studio audience. He even smelled my hair once. 50 XP! (You'll get that reference once you read the book.) I was thrilled when I attended the PaleyFest panel honoring Jimmy Fallon in 2011 and learned that Hardwick would be the moderator! What ensued was a night of sweet hilarity starring two of my favorite funnymen.

Despite looking vaguely unenthusiastic in both photos, I promise
that Chris Hardwick is very nice in person!
(Left: at a Web Soup taping, April 2010; right, at the PaleyFest panel
honoring Jimmy Fallon, March 2011.)

Keeping in line with Hardwick's nice-guy comedian aura, The Nerdist Way made me laugh out loud often, whether it was Hardwick's advice to "avoid cheap mass-murder revenge tactics" or just reading the term "fear-pee" for the first time, not to mention the fact that in the Body section of the book, the illustrations of stretches and workouts star an adorable koala. Maybe the hardest I laughed was when he encourages a bit of an evil genius mentality, and suggests you "cackle if necessary" after listing your plans.

Part of what's great about this book is that it's targeted to a specific group of people: "creative obsessives". (I'm newly obsessed with this term; I've never come up with a more succinct and accurate way to describe myself.) It's targeted at people who are like him, and because of that his advice is specific, relevant, and realistic. He is also charmingly candid about his own struggles, which offers an inspiring perspective. He's obviously a smart and successful guy and I'm happy to take advice from him.

One of my favorite aspects of the book is Hardwick's insistence that you go easy on yourself; too many things these days make us want to beat ourselves up for not being smart enough, thin enough, rich enough, or good enough. The Nerdist Way is the lovey-doviest of tough love. While Hardwick encourages you to "just start", he also makes it clear that change is tough, change is gradual, and that making a change at all is a reason to celebrate yourself and your accomplishments.

Did I not make it clear? BUY THIS BOOK!

Five Favorites: TV Theme Songs

Sometimes there's no better sound after a long day than the familiar tune of a TV theme song. Whether it's a currently-airing show that you're dying to watch or an old-school show that you used to love, there are tons of memories and happy feelings wrapped up in these theme songs. So to celebrate the almighty theme song, here's a short list of my all-time favorites. [Disclaimer: the "Cheers" theme song is probably the best theme song of all time. But these are my favorites.]


5. Golden Girls


Old lady friends are super cute, are they not? I hope this is how I'm kicking it in my octo-years, with my gals and my gay husbands. And this song is super sweet, too. A great ode to those with whom we've "traveled down the road and back again."


4. The Baby-sitters Club


"Say hello to your friends!" To say I was and still secretly am obsessed with the Baby-sitters Club is probably an understatement. (I'm a cross between Stacey and Abby, FYI.) I own every episode of the BSC TV show on VHS, as well as all of the books and the movie. I even tried starting my own club back in the day, but it fizzled out (probably because, unlike Claudia, I didn't have my own phone line -- damn it, Mom and Dad). I got that CPR certification for nothing! But anyway, this song is sickly sweet and geeky and I love it. My favorite thing is discovering that one of my guy friends knows all the words too.

3. Friends


This song is just iconic. And aside from the fact that I think my life would be better if I were married to Chandler Bing, I have some sort of strong emotional attachment to this tune. I think it's because I really dig the lyrics. (I'm awkwardly obsessed with friendship. My favorite compliment is being called someone's best friend. This weirds people out sometimes.) My favorite line is: "even at my worst I'm best with you". Gives me the warm'n'fuzzies. You?

2. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air


If you can't rap this song from memory, I pity you. That might be a little harsh, but seriously... YouTube it, memorize it, we're all good. Will Smith would like to take a minute, just sit right there, and he'll tell you how he became the prince of a town called Bel-Air. This song was my ringtone in college.

1. Growing Pains


"Show me that smile (ooh, show me that smile); don't waste another minute on your cryin'!" This is 100% MY JAM. I love this song, not even just as a theme song, but as a legitimate song. It's so friggin' good. "As Long As We Got Each Other" by B.J. Thomas and Jennifer Warnes hits the 90s-sitcom spot. (Jennifer Warnes is obviously the shit, because she also collaborated with Bill Medley on "I've Had the Time of My Life" from Dirty Dancing.) For some reason I find this song in my head at random times, and I've been known to start singing it with little provocation. Even last summer, when my friend Alex and I were at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, on that sweet spot on stage, the only ditty we could think to sing was this one. A true classic... I should make it my ringtone.

What are your all-time favorite theme songs?

Pilot review: "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23"

I won't try to hide it: I love me some James van der Beek. Whether he's playing Dawson, playing Moxon, or playing himself, I just enjoy seeing him on the screen. I especially enjoy that he can make fun of himself, and that's what he does on "Apartment 23" - he plays a fictionalized, (hopefully) exaggerated version of James van der Beek. But he's not the only good thing about this comedy pilot. Let's dive in, shall we?

I also adore Krysten Ritter, and have ever since she played lovably annoying Gia Goodman on "Veronica Mars". She brings a fun-bitch quality to the character of Chloe, the titular bitch in apartment 23. Chloe lures innocent new-to-New-York girls like dreamy wide-eyed June (played by Dreama Walker) to be her roommate, takes their rent and deposit money, and then scares them out of the apartment. But June won't go so easily - she's tougher than Chloe expects, and for that reason Chloe starts to like and respect June a little bit. They have a rocky first week together, but it seems like they may end up friends; however, I don't think Chloe's purged all of her crazy just yet. At least I hope not!

Walker as June and Ritter as Chloe. Photo: ABC.

Ritter can bring a punchy fun to playing the unhinged roommate, especially if characters like obsessed former roommate Robin and creepy neighbor Eli stick around. Of course, Chloe is also friends with James van der Beek (they used to date but were "genitally incompatible" and now he's her straight gay best friend), who goes along with Chloe's schemes and uses his former life as Dawson to seduce fans. All in all, the pilot episode was fun, funny, and a little sweet. The trick may be how long they can keep up the premise -- how many crazy things can Chloe do? Will storylines repeat themselves? But for now it looks like it'll be a fun ride. I'm excited to see how the season unfolds!

Want to see for yourself? The pilot is on Hulu and you can watch it for free right now! You can also get more information at ABC's official site for "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23".

"New Girl" at PaleyFest!

I was lucky enough to be able to attend the PaleyFest panel for "New Girl" last night in Beverly Hills. The adorable cast was there, along with creator Liz Meriwether and several executive producers, including Jake Kasdan of "Freaks and Geeks".

PaleyFest is pretty much my favorite thing in the world, especially when a show has a cast as cute, sweet, and funny as "New Girl" and its "fab five". The entire night was a blast, with the cast members and creative teams joking and laughing all night. Jake Johnson even danced! You can read a short writeup of the panel here at my Examiner.com TV page.


Highlights:

• Zooey impersonating a turtle and a turtle eating. (She said she and Emily used to do it all the time because they spent a lot of time near turtles while they were growing up.)
• Max Greenfield putting his entire money clip of cash and credit cards in the Douchebag Jar after an audience member called him out.
• Finding out that 99% of the stories on the show actually happened to someone from the cast, creative team, or writers room.
• Zooey and Jake joking about how they have too much chemistry.
• Finding out that Jake Johnson makes that turtle face in real life.
• Of course, the screening of the new episode "Injured". It's incredibly funny and superbly sweet, all at the same time! You know, it's what "New Girl" does so well.
• Cast staying to sign as many autographs as possible before being carted backstage for more professional photos and an after party event. This is one group that I am happy to keep supporting.

Famous fans of "30 Rock"

Being someone obsessed with both television and television actors, I find it somewhat rewarding when I learn that television actors love the same television shows I do! So welcome to a feature I like to call "Famous fans", wherein we learn that celebrities love the same shows that we love! Up today: "30 Rock".

Photo source: buddytv.com.

 

"Tina Fey is the goddess of comedy." - Candice Accola ("The Vampire Diaries")

"It just never fails to crack me up! Sometimes I rewind it and watch parts of it again because they are so packed with jokes and I don't want to miss any of it." - Alison Brie ("Community", "Mad Men")

"At the top of their game in smart, sophisticated, adult humor. Maybe that's why it's always been a ratings-challenged show. Can a show be too smart? Not for me. I appreciate how it makes me listen carefully to catch each innuendo, pop culture reference, and the inside political skewering. What run-of-the-mill comedies would use as a centerpiece set-up and punch line joke, 30 Rock tosses off within normal conversation. Brilliant. This show has always made me laugh." - Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad")

"That show is flawless. Tina Fey is a genius. Again, she's a woman who has changed television." - Summer Glau ("Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles")

"30 Rock is just so smart and so stupid. I love it." - Josh Hopkins ("Cougar Town")

"I love all things 30 Rock. It never fails to stay fresh and is laugh-out-loud funny." - Sarah Lancaster ("Chuck")

"Nobody writes better jokes than Tina Fey and her army of zinger-smiths. Watching Jack McBrayer is like eating the most delicious pecan pie with cornpone ice cream. Alec Baldwin has long been my hero, both in steely delivery and body hair." - Nick Offerman ("Parks and Recreation")

"The sexual tension between Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey is written so well. There is no doubt they must at some point do it -- just a matter of when." - Jeff Probst ("Survivor")

"I like everything about this show. They're all really funny. Tina Fey is brilliant. She's one of those people that I'm just happy she's doing comedy. I think the world is a better place with her making jokes." - Danny Pudi ("Community")

"It makes me nostalgic for NYC. As Liz Lemon says, 'I want to go to there.'" - Melissa Rausch ("The Big Bang Theory")

"It's so well written and hilarious, so relevant, and so perfectly absurd." - Gail Simmons ("Top Chef")






Check out my other stories about "30 Rock"!

Quote of the Day

Source: poehleroids.tumblr.com.

Source: bossypants.tumblr.com.

Leslie Knope's waffle necklace

Happy Valentine's Day, "Parks and Rec" fans! If you're like me, you swooned a little over Ben and Leslie's adorable V-Day treats for one another in this week's episode. Leslie created a crazy and complicated but cute scavenger hunt for Ben (which Ron really enjoyed), and Ben got Leslie the playboy seal she'd dreamed about -- wearing an adorable little waffle necklace.

Photo source: verde04.tumblr.com.

We all know how much Leslie loves waffles, so this was an amazing idea. And of course as soon as I saw it, I wanted it. I managed to track down the necklace from Tiny Hands Jewelry. Guess what? This necklace is scented! No joke. (Don't wear it if you're trying to diet.) I obviously had to buy it. They even have a feature on their site confirming it was worn on the show:

So if you're a fan like me, this is a must-have. You can get it here! And while you're there, check out all the other adorable jewelry on the site. (Cupcakes! Cookies! Donuts!).

Kindred Spirit: Kenneth Ellen Parcell, "30 Rock"

If ever there was a TV-lovin' bloke on our level, it's Kenneth the page from NBC's "30 Rock". In the pilot episode, he earnestly tells Pete, "I just love TV so much". Is he reading my diary?

Dedicated to his love of television, Kenneth works tirelessly for the writers, producers, and cast of "TGS", putting up with a lot of crap but always managing to remain optimistic. Some of Kenneth's best TV-related quotes include:

"There are only two things I love in this world - everybody, and television." (Episode 302, "Believe in the Stars")

"I studied TV theory at Kentucky Mountain Bible College." (Episode 114, "The C Word")

"What most people don't know is that NBC is still a network." (Episode 516, "TGS Hates Women")

"Bonus means extra. I know that. From game shows." (Episode 401, "Season 4")

"Do you know why I put up with this 'pitiful job', Mr. Donaghy? Why I fetch these folks' lunches and clean up their barfs? Cause they make television. And more than jazz, or musical theater, or morbid obesity, television is the true American art form." (Episode 111, "The Head and the Hair")