Recap - Glee

Graduation!

I have been a "Gleek" from the very beginning, cheering on this melting pot of misfit underdogs as they triumphed over slushies, bullying and their own insecurities, rejoiced in song and dance and at long last emerged as National Show Choir champions just in time for many of the glee club members' graduation, the focus of tonight's season three finale.

The seniors:  Rachel (Lea Michele), Finn (Cory Monteith), Quinn (Dianna Agron), Puck (Mark Salling), Mike (Harry Shum, Jr.), Kurt (Chris Colfer), Santana (Naya Rivera) and Mercedes (Amber Riley).  Brittany (Heather Morris) was to graduate but with a 0.0 GPA ... um, no.  Of course how ANYONE in the glee club managed to graduate from McKinley High is a wonder seeing as how NONE of them ever went to ANY OTHER CLASS!!!  But hey, suspension of disbelief and all that.  Not like we saw the 90210-ers (old and new) in class either ...

Indeed, many a show based in high school has had the inevitable graduation episode, but few have actually led to students actually leaving, but Glee seems to be indeed saying goodbye to at least have the regular cast members we've come to love (and sometimes hate a little ... right, Santana?).

Mercedes is off to L.A. to be a back-up singer for an indie music label.
Puck - who pulled off an 11th-hour C- to graduate with his class - is off to L.A. to start a pool-cleaning business.
Mike will be attending the Joffrey School of Ballet in Chicago.
Quinn has a bright future as a member of the Class of 2016 at Yale.
Kurt - we don't really know ... he didn't get into the NY Academy of Dramatic Arts (NYADA) ... a surprise given his amazing audition.

Then there's love birds Finn and Rachel.  Finn believed he had nailed his audition - for James Lipton himself! - for the Actor's Studio, but failed to gain admission.  Rachel, who overcame her first NYADA audition - she choked, bad - by soaring at Nationals and impressing the stolid auditioner Carmen Tibideaux (played by Whoopi Goldberg), got in.  But feeling for her friend Kurt and fiancee Finn, she decided to defer for a year and stay to help them prepare for the next year's auditions.

But Finn would have none of that and instead put her on a train to the Big Apple, telling her that she's going to be a star without him.  He loves her that much.  So what lies in the future for Finn?  The army, to redeem his father's good name (dad was wrongfully dishonorably discharged).

Glee has always been an ensemble show, but you can't deny the focus has often been on Rachel Barry, a self-absorbed, take-no-prisoners, destined-for-Broadway diva who still managed to find a place in the glee club and make friends she never thought possible (Quinn, Santana).  So it was no surprise that the season finale ended with us bidding goodbye to Rachel at the train station with the whole club and Mr. Schuester (Matthew Morrison) and Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays) waving her off, following her as she exits the train station in Manhattan and watching her sing her way through the streets of NYC to start her new life.

There were rumors that the show was going to find a way to keep around some of these key players next year, so I wonder if they'll follow through on that.  Or perhaps we'll have our favorite glee underclassmen welcoming new members who will undoubtedly win our hearts with their own journeys.  We'll of course see at least two of them from this summer's Glee Project 2 (winners receive a seven-episode arc on the show), which of course was promoted during the hour.

Some favorite moments:

Kurt's dad Burt's (Mike O'Malley) graduation present to his son - a recreation of the dance to Beyonce's "Single Ladies" (from season 1) - considered a turning point in the troubled relationship between father and son.

Gloria Estefan as Santana's mom, who accepted her daughter's choice to go to NY instead of college, hence supporting her following her dream.

Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) showing the heart we know she has - glimpses break through - as she heralded protege Quinn on her bright future and hugging her with genuine affection ... and tears.

The graduation ceremony itself.  Sure, there were OTHER seniors in the graduating class, but we don't care about them.  We only watched our glee-sters be introduced like football players at the Super Bowl to a terrific rendition of Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days."  Every graduation should rock out like that!

Great lines:

"I am proud of what you and I did ... together."  - Burt to son Kurt

"You never saw me for the things that made us different.  You only saw me for the ways that we're the same."  - Kurt to the other guys in the glee club

"If we hadn't changed, we would never have been friends."  - Quinn to Rachel

"I am that sure you're something special.  You're gonna be a star without me.  I love you that much." - Finn to Rachel

Songs:

"Forever Young" (Rod Stewart)
"I'll Remember" (Madonna)
"Glory Days" (Bruce Springsteen)
"In My Life" (The Beatles)

(there were others but couldn't identify the titles ... have to find on iTunes later ...)

Get your gleek back on this fall when Glee returns Thursdays at 9 p.m. on FOX.

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FOX Fall Schedule

Welcome back!

 

FOX has announced its Fall Schedule and except for one big change - Glee is moving to Thursdays, airing an hour later - the lineup hasn't altered much:

Mondays
8 p.m. - Bones
9 p.m. - The Mob Doctor (NEW)

Tuesdays
8 p.m. - Raising Hope
8:30 p.m. - Ben and Kate (NEW)
9 p.m. - New Girl
9:30 p.m. - The Mindy Project (NEW)

Wednesdays
8 p.m. - The X Factor (Fall) / American Idol (Spring)

Thursdays
8 p.m. - The X-Factor Results Show (Fall) / American Idol Results Show (Spring)
9 p.m. - Glee

Fridays
8 p.m. - Touch
9 p.m. - Fringe

Sundays
8 p.m. - Animation Domination Replay
8:30 p.m. - The Cleveland Show
9 p.m. - The Simpsons
9:30 p.m . - Bob's Burgers
10 p.m. - Family Guy
10:30 - American Dad


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Update - More Renewals & Cancellations

This week the major networks are announcing their Upfronts - the shows that have made the Fall 2012 schedules.

Many shows have been renewed but there is certainly no lack of cancellations, some no-brainers, a few surprises, at least in my book.

ABC put the axe to GCB, Pan Am, Missing and The River, while FOX has dumped Breaking In, I Hate My Teenage Daughter (did it even air?), Alcatraz (leaving fans - however many - to wonder if lead heroine  Det. Rebecca Madsen survives her gunshot wound) and The Finder.

NBC, ever in transition, has canned Harry's Law, Are You There, Chelsea?, Awake, Bent and Best Friends Forever.

The biggest surprise for me was the CW's cancellation of The Secret Circle.  This is the one network that cancels the fewest shows, being that they rarely have enough replacement shows.  I also thought the show was a good match for the net's strongest performer, The Vampire Diaries.  I am, however, thrilled that Supernatural will see a season eight and Nikita has gotten a third season.  Gossip Girl will return for a shortened (11 episode) final season, and the net has renewed Hart of Dixie, which fills the hole left by One Tree Hill.

Also returning for a shortened final season is FOX's Fringe (YAY!).  Touch has also been renewed along with New Girl, Raising Hope and Bones.

NBC will bring back Grimm for a second season, ditto for Smash.  Also returning are The Office, Parks and Recreation, Up All Night and Whitney, the latter two very much "bubble" shows.  Parenthood will also return - another renewal I'm thrilled with ... it's terrific.

CBS has renewed a great many of its shows, most recently Two and a Half Men.  Still up in the air are CSI: Miami, CSI: NY and Unforgettable.  We'll know this week if they all make the cut.

Check back here throughout the week for full Upfront updates.

Season Finales & Summer Premieres

Alas, tis' that sorrowful time of year when our favorite shows end their season runs, leaving us with a vast summer hiatus to mull over the shocking, how-dare-you!?! character deaths and aching how-do-I-wait-til-fall? cliffhangers while mourning of programs that will not return (will miss you, dear Wisteria Laners).

But have no fear, fellow CPs, for television will supplement us with its rather satisfying summer fare to tide us over.

So turn your eyes to the column on the left to see your shows' season finales and summer premieres are and check back here often for lots of boob-tube goodness!

Better yet, "Follow" me on Twitter (click the link to the right or @TV_Tour_Guide) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/TVTourGuide)!

Current Shows - Renewals, Safe Bets, Long Shots

Thanks to TV Guide online for compiling a current list of what shows have been renewed for another season, which have good odds for a return and the ones in jeopardy.

CBS has taken the lead, already renewing a great deal of their shows.  Other nets will follow shortly.

So where do your favorite shows stand?

RENEWED

CBS

2 Broke Girls  

The Amazing Race  

The Big Bang Theory
Blue Bloods 

Criminal Minds
CSI  

The Good Wife  

Hawaii Five-0
How I Met Your Mother 

The Mentalist
Mike & Molly
NCIS  

NCIS: Los Angeles
Person of Interest 

Survivor  

Undercover Boss 

ABC

To Be Announced …

FOX

American Dad 

The Cleveland Show 

Kitchen Nightmares 

The Simpsons  

The X Factor

NBC

To Be Announced ..

The CW

America's Next Top Model

GOOD ODDS

CBS

Rob 

Two and a Half Men

ABC

The Bachelor 

The Bachelorette 

Castle  

Dancing With the Stars 

Grey's Anatomy  

Happy Endings  

Last Man Standing 

The Middle  

Modern Family 

Once Upon a Time 

Private Practice 

Revenge

Suburgatory

FOX

Alcatraz
American Idol 

Bob's Burgers  

Bones 

Family Guy  

Glee 

Napoleon Dynamite
New Girl 

Raising Hope 

NBC

30 Rock 

The Biggest Loser

Celebrity Apprentice
Community 

Grimm 

The Office

Parenthood 

Law & Order: SVU

Parks and Recreation 

Smash  

Up All Night  

The Voice

THE CW
90210 

Gossip Girl
Hart of Dixie
The Secret Circle
Supernatural

The Vampire Diaries

THE LONG SHOTS

CBS
CSI: Miami   

CSI: NY 

A Gifted Man 

Rules of Engagement 

Unforgettable

ABC

Body of Proof  

Cougar Town  

The River

Pan Am

FOX

The Finder  

Fringe  

I Hate My Teenage Daughter

NBC

Are You There, Chelsea?  

The Firm

Harry's Law

Whitney

THE CW

Nikita
Ringer
Remodeled 

TOO  SOON TO TELL

ABC

GCB
Missing

FOX

Breaking In

Touch

 

Review - Alcatraz

Boy do J.J. Abrams and his Bad Robot people know how to do a pilot.  The latest venture from him (Lost, Alias, Fringe, Person of Interest) and Elizabeth Sarnoff (executive producer of Lost) are taking you to another island full of mystery and intrigue - Alcatraz.

"On March 21, 1963, Alcatraz officially closed.  All the prisoners were transferred off the island, only that's not what happened.  Not at all."

This, along with a very cool title opening, carry you right into this shadowy new crime series, the premise of which is this:  On March 20, 1963, two guards walked the halls of Alcatraz prison one stormy night, confused and scared as all hell because all the residents - 256 prisoners and 46 guards - seemingly vanished into thin air.  After all, this is Alcatraz, and no one ever escaped The Rock ... well, except for three men, as dramatized in films like Escape From Alcatraz (great film starring Clint Eastwood), but there's no proof they actually survived the attempt, so I should say "successfully" escaped. 

Anyway, Alcatraz was known for harboring some of the worst of the worst criminals, so when the missing prisoners begin turning up in present day San Francisco - having not aged a day from the time of their disappearances and itching to pick up right where they left off - you know things aren't going to bode well.

**Episode details follow**

Enter Detective Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones, Sons of Anarchy), a homicide detective whose partner was killed during a foot pursuit and who now works solo.  Arriving at a murder scene, she finds victim E.B. Tiller, who she soon learns was deputy warden of Alcatraz decades earlier.  Prints found at the scene match one Jack Sylvane (Jeffrey Pierce, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, The Nine) - one of the missing prisoners and a man who supposedly died 30 years prior.  At the scene, Masden encounters Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill, Happy Town, The Tudors), a G-Man who does not appreciate her presence and promptly dismisses her.  Like that's going to stop our heroine...

Needing an expert on the prison, Masden meets Dr. Diego Soto (Jorge Garcia, Lost), a comic book vender who holds Ph.D.s in criminal justice and Civil War history and has written four books on Alcatraz.  Together they head out to the island to investigate, but in the process are gassed and knocked out, only to awaken in a bunker (Soto appropriately calls it the "bat cave") underneath the prison where Hauser runs what he calls "a special division in charge of criminals who hold a particular allure for our government,"  i.e., "The 63s" - our missing prisoners and guards.

It's not long before Sylvane is captured and questioned about what happened to him, where he's been, whose behind his and the others' disappearances, etc., but this is the pilot, folks - and an Abrams show to boot, so you KNOW we ain't getting answers so quickly.  No, there's much, much more to come.  And, as said by Tiller in his warden days, "This is Alcatraz.  Things can always get worse."

The show itself has established that it will be a case-of-the-week format with the overlying mythology weaved through, revealing piece by piece and in its own sweet time exactly what happened to "The 63s." (the new Others, Lost fans?).  Each episode will also include jumps between present day and the time the prisoner-of-the-week resided at The Rock.  Other mysteries:  there's the character of "Uncle" Ray Archer (Robert Forster, Heroes, Karen Sisko), a retired cop and the man who raised Masden who, when she informs him about Alcatraz's ties to her case, compels her very strongly to walk away.  Guessing he knows something.  Another mysterious character is Lucy Banerjee (Parminder Nagra, ER).  She's not all she appears to be, as we learn at the end of the second episode.

Then there's Hauser.  Turns out he was one of those two guards who made the discovery of the missing all those years ago and has been waiting for these events ever since.  Seems he always meant to involve Madsen, being that her grandfather, Thomas, was one of the prisoners - and coincidentally the man who killed her partner.  Hence the Alcatraz Secret Task Force is born.  Abrams's shows do seem to like trios:  Alias had Sydney, Vaughn and Jack Bristow; Fringe has Olivia, Peter and Walter.  I like the pairing of Madsen and Soto, an unlikely duo who work well together and have a common drive to unravel this mystery. And Hauser may be a hiccup to them, but you know they need his input.

Oh, and there's another hatch ... well, sort of.  Actually, it's a secret bunker out in the middle of the woods which turns out is the new Alcatraz - a collection of cells just waiting to welcome the returned and newly recaptured inmates.

I liked the pilot a lot.  In just that first hour the writers clearly laid out who the players are, how they relate to each other, what the story is and set up oodles of questions and stories to come as the series pushes forward.  I wondered prior to the premiere how confused I would be - being a huge Abrams fan, I prepared myself for it - but it was very easy to follow and I am interested to see where we're going to go.  The momentum kept up well in the second episode, which aired directly after.  Overall a nice introduction for the series.

I wonder if Katee Sackoff (Battlestar Galactica)was considered for the Madsen role - Sarah Jones and she are like types and the character of Madsen - tough, a bit of a loner, not afraid of the chase and danger - are like that of Sackoff's Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, only less of a powder keg ready to explode.  Curious...

The music score is perfect for the show, it's well cast and well-written and I think it's going to find a good following early on.

Bottom line:  Let Alcatraz "Rock" your world.

Catch Alcatraz Mondays at 8 p.m. on FOX.  I also recommend checking out other Bad Robot shows Lost, Fringe, Alias and Felicity.
 

So Who's Been Watching What?

Many thanks to Entertainment Weekly online (www.ew.com) for compiling a wrap-up of the most-to-least watched network (CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX and The CW) programs of the fall (September to December). 

Alas, my fave network, the CW, rounds out the bottom, but that won't stop me watching its awesome shows (of particular note, Supernatural, Vampire Diaries and Nikita).

Other shows I recommend:  Hawaii Five-0, Criminal Minds, How I met Your Mother, 2 Broke Girls, Suburgatory, Castle, Big Bang Theory, Ringer, Revenge, Glee, Body of Proof and Parenthood.

So where do your fave shows rank? (shows in red are cancelled)

1. NCIS (CBS, 21.4 million)
2. Sunday NFL Football (NBC, 19.9)
3. Two and a Half Men (CBS, 18.9)
4. Dancing with the Stars (ABC, 18.5)

5. NCIS: LA (CBS, 17.4)
6. DWTS: Results (ABC, 16.65)
7. Big Bang Theory (CBS, 16.61)
8. Modern Family (ABC, 15.066)
9. NFL Pre-Kick (NBC, 15.063)
10. 60 Minutes (CBS, 14.67)
11. Mentalist (CBS, 14.6)

12. Criminal Minds (CBS, 14.4)
13. The OT (Fox, 14.0)
14. 2 Broke Girls (CBS, 13.6)
15. Mike & Molly (CBS, 13.56)
16. Unforgettable (CBS, 13.532)
17. Person of Interest (CBS, 13.531)
18. Hawaii 5-0 (CBS, 13.4)
19. CSI (CBS, 13.2)
20. Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 13.1)

21. Blue Bloods (CBS, 12.9)
22. X Factor Wed (Fox, 12.5)
23. Survivor: South Pacific (CBS, 12.5)
24. X Factor Thurs (Fox, 12.3)
25. Castle (ABC, 12.2)
26. Once Upon a Time (ABC, 12.0)
27. Good Wife (CBS, 11.9)
28. How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 11.5)
29. Last Man Standing (ABC, 11.47)
30. Rules of Engagement (CBS, 11.45)
31. CSI: Miami (CBS, 11.42)
32. CSI: NY (CBS, 11.34)
33. Football Night in America 3 (NBC, 11.1)
34. Amazing Race 19 (CBS, 11.05)
35. Body of Proof (ABC, 11.03)
36. Desperate Housewives (ABC, 11.0)
37. Bones (Fox, 10.2)
38. New Girl (Fox, 10.0)
39. Terra Nova (Fox, 9.98)
40. Glee (Fox, 9.90)
41. Revenge (ABC, 9.8)
42. Middle (ABC, 9.82)
43. House (Fox, 9.7)
44. Law & Order: SVU (NBC, 9.1)
45. Suburgatory (ABC, 9.0)
46. Harry’s Law (NBC, 8.99)
47. Private Practice (ABC, 8.98)
48. How to be a Gentleman (CBS, 8.6 million)
49. A Gifted Man (CBS, 8.5)
50. Fear Factor (NBC, 8.5)
51. Pan Am (ABC, 8.2)
52. Simpsons (Fox, 7.77)
53. Happy Endings (ABC, 7.70)
54. Hell’s Kitchen Mon 9 (Fox, 7.4)
55. Hell’s Kitchen Mon 8 (Fox, 7.3)
56. Office (NBC, 7.29)
57. Family Guy (Fox, 7.26)
58. Parenthood (NBC, 7.1)
59. Grimm (NBC, 7.0)
60. Charlie’s Angels (ABC, 6.919)
61. Man Up (ABC, 6.915)
62. America’s Funniest Home Videos (ABC, 6.8)
63. Biggest Loser 12 (NBC, 6.7)
64. Raising Hope (Fox, 6.6)
65. Sat. Night College Football (ABC, 6.30)
66. Up All Night (NBC, 6.14)
67. Prime Suspect (NBC, 6.12)
68. I Hate My Teenage Daughter (Fox, 6.0)
69. Football Night in America 2 (NBC, 5.97)
70. Dateline Fri (NBC, 5.93)
71. American Dad (Fox, 5.7)
72. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC, 5.77)
73. 48 Hours Mystery (CBS, 5.75)
74. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 9 p.m. (ABC, 5.4)
75. Whitney (NBC, 5.3)
76. Playboy Club (NBC, 5.2)
77. Sing Off (NBC, 5.17)
78. Cleveland Show (Fox, 5.14)
79. 20/20 Friday (ABC, 5.10)
80. Cleveland Show Sunday 8:30 (Fox, 5.07)
81. You Deserve It (ABC, 5.03)
82. Crimetime Sat 9 p.m. (CBS, 4.5)
83. Middle Tuesday (ABC, 4.48)
84. Allen Gregory (Fox, 4.45)
85. Parks and Recreation (NBC (4.42)
86. SVU Saturday (NBC, 4.3)
87. Kitchen Nightmares (Fox, 4.29)
88. Prime Suspect Sat. (NBC, 4.26)
89. Sat. Football pregame (ABC, 4.22)
90. COPS Sat. 8:30 (Fox, 4.19)
91. Community (NBC, 4.18)
92. Fringe (Fox, 4.10)
93. Rock Center (NBC, 4.01)
94. Free Agents (NBC, 3.9)
95. Chuck (NBC, 3.888)
96. Suburgatory Tues. (ABC, 3.886)
97. COPS Sat. 8 p.m. (Fox, 3.77)
98. Up All Night 8:30 (NBC, 3.72)
99. Comedytime Sat. 1 (CBS, 3.6)
100. Harry’s Law Sat. (NBC, 3.5)
101. Comedytime Sat. 2 (CBS, 3.3)
102. Vampire Diaries (CW, 3.1)
103. Terra Nova Sat. (Fox, 2.5)
104. America’s Next Top Model 17 (CW, 2.37)
105. Secret Circle (CW, 2.34)
106. Supernatural (CW, 2.25)
107. Hart of Dixie (CW, 2.1)
108. Nikita (CW, 2.06)
109. Ringer (CW, 2.02)
…112. 90210 (CW, 1.7)
113. Gossip Girl (CW, 1.68)
114. Bob’s Burgers (Fox, 1.65)
…120. H8R (CW, 1.2)