Monday, July 28, 2014

Recap - Comic-con 2014

 

My annual trek to and through Comic-con came to a close yesterday, and it was a whirlwind adventure as always (20 hours in line for Marvel!  Camping out with very cool people!  Navigating the tightly-packed Exhibit Hall!).  I actually got to attend two days this year and got into almost everything I wanted, while I got the inside track from friends on some things I missed.

Here are some highlights (TV-related, of course):


Once again the Supernatural panel delivered awesomeness across the board.  In attendance were showrunner Jeremy Carver and stars Jensen Ackles (Dean), Jared Padalecki (Sam), Misha Collins (Castiel) and Mark A. Sheppard (Crowley).  I actually got to see Misha a couple of hours before the panel, as he came first jogging by us in line and later brought by coffee for the fans.  Got a nice shot of him:


Jensen is directing an episode once again and it's gonna be one hell of a tale if the clip he brought for us exclusively is any indication.  He and the others expressed their gratitude to the fans, acknowledging that they're still on the air after 10 years because of us. (You're welcome! - happy to have you still around). 

The panel gave us some very general inklings into the upcoming 10th season, including their 200th episode, which Carver says will be "musical-ish", but whatever is coming, it sounds like it'll be amazing and fresh, which is important for a show that has been on so long.  They left us with a glimpse of the always-hilarious gag reel, which will be included on the Season 9 DVD release this September.

Supernatural (The CW) returns Monday, Oct. 6 at 9pm with a retrospective of the series, then the 10th season premiere is Tuesday, Oct. 7 at 9pm.


I also got into the panel for the Cartoon Network animated series Teen Titans Go!, which was cool because voice actors Tara Strong (Raven), Scott Menville (Robin) and Greg Cipes (Beast Boy) were in attendance, and it's always cool to put faces to voices you know so well.  I am a huge fan of the original Teen Titan series, which was more mature and darker than the current Go! version, but the latter is quite hilarious.  Mostly I wanted to go to find out why they revamped the series to such a varying degree, but while I didn't quite get that answer, the panelists did mention that maybe in a year or two they will return to the original version.  I'll Go! for that!

New episodes of Teen Titans Go! air Thursdays at 6pm on Cartoon Network.

 Other panels I didn't go to but heard were fantastic were:

 

The panel for ABC's Once Upon a Time had a great turnout of stars, including Jennifer Morrison (Emma), Lana Parrilla (Regina), Robert Carlyle (Rumplestilskin), Josh Dallas (Charming), Colin O'Donoghue (Hook) and Emilie de Ravin (Belle), with a taped message from new mother Ginnifer Goodwin (Snow White).  Not present were the newest cast members Elizabeth Lail and Georgina Haig, who are playing Anna and Elsa, respectively, from the hit movie Frozen, but the new characters were discussed.

Once Upon a Time returns Sept. 28 at 8pm on ABC.

The Vampire Diaries also had a great cast turnout, including stars Nina Dobrev (Elena), Paul Wesley (Stefan) and Ian Somerhalder (Damon).  A hilarious video the cast and crew made was shown and I'm so glad it's available to see.  It takes place right after the season 5 finale, when Damon and Bonnie (Kat Graham) supposedly crossed over to the other side.  But did they?  Or is this what really happened? 

 
The Vampire Diaries returns Oct. 2 at 8pm on the CW.


 

Here's a one-two punch I wish I had been around for (it was on Friday).  I hear both panels were spectacular, packed with cast members, lots of news and great footage.

At least I can share the trailer for season 5 of The Walking Dead that was shown with you here:


The Walking Dead returns Oct. 12 at 9pm on AMC.

So, another Comic-con come and gone.  Can't wait till next year!

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Emmy Nominations

 

The Emmys are coming!  The Emmys are coming!  Unfortunately not for everyone, but there are some deserving nominees along with the snubs.

Among those that I would be happy to see win include AMC's Breaking Bad, for its stellar swan song, along with stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul; Matthew McConaughey, who is poised to make history should he win for his role in HBO's True Detective (if he does, he'll be the first actor to win an Oscar and an Emmy in the same year); HBO's Game of Thrones, which is a tremendously exceptional series, and star Peter Dinklage, who has one hell of a screen presence; and Netflix's Orange is the New Black, which I'm not sure belongs in the Comedy category, but I guess if that gives it the best chances - it has one of the best female ensemble casts around.

Serious snubs include the amazing Tatiana Maslany for her many diverse roles on BBC America's Orphan Black, all of which she portrays to perfection; USA's Suits - by far one of the best series, writing and casts on the air; AMC's The Walking Dead, which failed yet again to break into the main categories; and - and I may get stoned for this - CBS' Survivor and Jeff Probst in the Reality Show Competition and Host categories (yes, I care, at least here).


All that being said, here is the full list of nominees:

OUTSTANDING DRAMA
Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
House of Cards
Mad Men
True Detective

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS, DRAMA
Lizzy Caplan, Masters of Sex
Kerry Washington, Scandal
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Clare Danes, Homeland
Robin Wright, House of Cards

OUTSTANDING ACTOR, DRAMA
Bryan Cranston,  Breaking Bad
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Woody Harrelson, True Detective
Matthew McConaughey, True Detective
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA
Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey
Lena Headey, Game of Thrones
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
Jim Carter, Downton Abbey
Peter Dinklage, Games of Thrones
Josh Charles, The Good Wife
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
Jon Voight, Ray Donovan

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS, DRAMA
Margo Matrindale, The Americans
Diana Rigg, Game of Thrones
Kate Mara, House of Cards
Allison Janney, Masters of Sex
Jane Fonda, The Newsroom
Kate Burton, Scandal

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR, DRAMA
Paul Giamatti, Downton Abbey
Dylan Baker, The Good Wife
Reg E. Cathey, House of Cards
Robert Morse, Mad Men
Beau Bridges, Masters of Sex
Joe Morton, Scandal

OUTSTANDING COMEDY
The Big Bang Theory
Louie
Modern Family
Orange is the New Black
Silicon Valley
Veep

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS, COMEDY
Lena Dunham, Girls
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Taylor Schilling, Orange is the New Black

OUTSTANDING ACTOR, COMEDY
Louis C.K., Louie
Don Cheadle,  House of Lies
Ricky Gervais, Derek
Matt LeBlanc,  Episodes
William H. Macy,  Shameless
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY
Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Allison Janney, Mom
Kate Mulgrew, Orange is the New Black
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Anna Chlumsky, Veep

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY
Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Adam Driver, Girls
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Fred Armison, Portlandia
Tony Hale, Veep

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS, COMEDY
Natasha Lyonne, Orange is the New Black
Uzo Aduba, Orange is the New Black
Laverne Cox, Orange is the New Black
Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live
Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live
Joan Cusack, Shameless

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR, COMEDY
Bob Newhart, The Big Bang Theory
Nathan Lane, Modern Family
Steve Buscemi, Portlandia
Jimmy Fallon, Saturday Night Live
Louis C. K., Saturday Night Live
Gary Cole, Veep

OUTSTANDING REALITY SHOW COMPETITION
The Amazing Race
Dancing With the Stars
Project Runway
So You Think You Can Dance
Top Chef
The Voice

OUTSTANDING REALITY SHOW COMPETITION HOST
Betty White, Betty White's Off Their Rockers
Tom Bergeron, Dancing With the Stars
Jane Lynch, Hollywood Game Night
Heidi Klum & Tim Gunn, Project Runway
Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance
Anthony Bourdain, The Taste


OUTSTANDING VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Real Time with Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon


OUTSTANDING TV MINISERIES
American Horror Story: Coven
Bonnie & Clyde
Fargo
Luther
Treme
The White Queen


OUTSTANDING TV MOVIE
Killing Kennedy
Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight
The Normal Heart
Sherlock: His Last Vow
The Trip to Bountiful


LEAD ACTRESS IN A TV MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Helena Bonham Carter, Burton and Taylor
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Coven
Minnie Driver, Return to Zero
Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Coven
Cicely Tyson, The Trip to Bountiful
Kristen Wiig, The Spoils of Babylon

LEAD ACTOR IN A TV MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock: His Last Vow
Idris Elba, Luther
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Dancing On the Edge
Martin Freeman, Fargo
Billy Bob Thornton, Fargo
Mark Ruffalo, The Normal Heart

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TV MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Frances Conroy, American Horror Story: Coven
Kathy Bates, American Horror Story: Coven
Angela Bassett, American Horror Story: Coven
Allison Tolman, Fargo
Ellen Burstyn, Flowers in the Attic
Julia Roberts, The Normal Heart

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TV MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Colin Hanks, Fargo
Jim Parsons, The Normal Heart
Joe Mantello, The Normal Heart
Alfred Molina, The Normal Heart
Matt Bomer, The Normal Heart
Martin Freeman, Sherlock: His Last Vow