Who's Excited for True Blood Season 4?

Except for Covert Affairs, White Collar and the already near its finale Top Chef, its been pretty quiet on the TV front, that's why I'm really looking forward to the premiere of True Blood.

Watch the trailer:



Check out the cool posters:







Read more about it here.

The Walking Dead

For The Walking Dead fans, one year of waiting is waaaaay too long so let's hold on to every little bit of Walking Dead video out there.

Here's a video of every Zombie Kill on the show:



Plus, if it doesn't creep you out, here's the main theme of the series on repeat:

24: The Complete Series

To celebrate the release of the complete series of 24 on DVD (which I'd like to have), they recently launched a 24 marathon fan fest.

Three contestants were able to create a new world record of 86-hours non-stop watching.

True Blood: Bill and Eric

While the fourth season of True Blood will have Bill and Eric's rivalry escalating, in real life, The Battle of the Fang recently ended with Bill on top raising almost $70,000 for charity.

source: http://www.trueblood-news.com/battle-of-the-fang-a-looziana-grudge-match

Chloe Pays Modern Family a Visit

I know I'm a few days late but this bit of news is pretty big! Next to Jack Bauer, Chloe is my favorite 24 character and she's set to appear in my newest favorite tv show, Modern Family. Yey!!!

She was last seen telling Jack Bauer to "Run!" and now 24's Chloe O'Brian is running to ABC's Modern Family. Mary Lynn Rajskub, who spent six long "days" saving Jack's butt, has been cast on the Emmy-winning sitcom as the old high school girlfriend of then closeted Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson). Apparently Chloe's mastermind mental skills did not include gaydar.

Rajskub, who got her start as a stand-up comic, recently guest starred on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Royal Pains. Won't it be fun to see if Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) gets a little jealous of the girl who wooed his boy way back when?

Source: tvguide.com

Lots of TV

I was supposed to watch SRT's Blackbird today, quite excited about it. I got my tickets a month back but I was feeling sick so I decided to just stay home the whole day and rest and catch up on my downloads.

I watched returning favorites and a few new series. I was able to watch Glee, Modern Family, Hawaii Five - 0 some time within the week which leaves me with a handful more. 

Cougar Town - I watched the premiere episode twice, Jennifer Aniston guest stars. Similar to Modern Family, I love each and every cast member. They have the ability to make you laugh without really trying to hard. 

30 Rock - Now, on their 5th season and definitely still one of my favorites. I don't know why but I'm just beginning to feel sad for Liz. With Matt Damon as her partner, we all know he won't really stay long so it's another heartbreak for her. 

The Event - I was kind of hesitant to watch this first because I was afraid it might be another Lost. I did like the pilot episode, I just hope it doesn't take them too long to reveal what the event is. Another thing I liked about it is that fact that I feel like I'm watching 24, the font that they used to show the time is very 24 plus the people surrounding the black president also appeared as villains on the said series. 

Smallville - I've stopped watching the series long before Lois Lane even joined the show but being that it's already their final season and they received such positive responses when their trailer was premiered at the Comic-Con, I wanted to see what the fuss is all about. I was a bit lost but I think I'll be able to catch up. The episode was quite packed which leaves me with high hopes for the rest of remaining episodes. 

UnderCovers - Before watching the episode, I was thinking Mr. and Mrs. Smith but this one is different. Quite fun and exciting. I'll definitely be following the series. 

Chase - I'm seeing Kari Matchett in Chase's lead star, Kelli Giddish which automatically made me want to tune in. I loved it, another very exciting series. 

Bleep My Dad Says - I had such high hopes for this series but this turned out to be not so funny after all. The guy playing William Shatner's son is just not funny. He along with the actress playing the aunt is trying too hard, it's making me cringe. I don't think I'll still be watching the next episodes.

Outsourced - I'm still not sure about this one. There were some funny moments but the brand of comedy plays with stereotypes which is not at all very clever. 

What about you? What new series are you liking?

Tayong Dalawa

Good thing I was able to make the TV in our room work, I was able to tune in to the premiere of Tayong Dalawa last Tuesday. It was heavily edited as they managed to squeeze in the first two original episodes in roughly about 45 minutes (the first episode is nearly an hour long). This was both a good and bad thing, good because the typical scene where two characters just stare at each other for the longest time have been thankfully removed. Bad because characterizations suffer, not that there are a lot but still. Also, editing was poorly done, I'm guessing from the Manila team since there are editors for international release. There's a particular scene where Lola Gets was cut mid-way through her dialogue. 

Dubbing was also very bad. Notice the dual sound logo in the poster, it means that viewers actually have the option to watch the series in Tagalog, in the English-dubbed version or listen to both at the same time. I didn't know about it until a Malay friend pointed it out. 

So what is there to know? 

David Garcia Sr. (Miguel Faustman) marries and impregnates Marlene (Cherry Pie Picache) in a fit of drunken stupor. He then marries Ingrid (Agot Isidro). 

Marlene gives birth to twins, one dies and one she names David Garcia Jr (Gerald Anderson). This happens at the same time Ingrid gives birth to a son she names David Garcia Jr (Jake Cuenca).

Marlene leads an impoverished life while Ingrid becomes a successful businesswoman. 

Ingrid meets up with a family friend and business partner, Stanley (Spanky Manikan). He has a son and a daughter with his maid turned wife Loreta (Mylene Dizon). Playing an old-fashioned Chinese businessman, he doesn't care much for his daughter Audrey (Kim Chiu), this turns to near hate when his only son dies while trying to save her.

Grandmothers are pretty influential characters in the series. We have Helen Gamboa (Elizabeth), Gina Pareno (Lola Gets) and Anita Linda (Lily). While Elizabeth and Lola Gets are loving lolas to their apos, the same can't be said to Lily who hates Audrey. I'm curious as to what roles they will eventually play. 

TV Premieres

September is sure going to be busy. For one, I'm now alone from what used to be a three-man team here at work. One is on maternity leave and the other just recently transferred to another department. Add to that, I'll also be on leave for a couple of days when Oliver and Analyn visit so I can imagine that the first two weeks will be a bit hectic but even so, I can't help but be excited and no, it's not because of my workload. I can't help but be excited about the shows that will premiere soon. Here's the list of shows that I'm most looking forward to.

Top Chef Just Desserts - September 15

I have been a Top Chef fan, now that they're focusing on desserts which I believe to be the most important part of a meal, I simply can't resist. Gail Simmons takes over hosting duties.

Bleep My Dad Says - September 23

I like William Shatner and the trailer alone is already funny! 

Glee - September 21

I don't think anything more needs to be said about why I'm excited about Glee.

Cougar Town - September 22

Jules, Laurie, Elle, Greyson, Andy and Bobby plus news of Jennifer Aniston when it premieres. Yey!

30 Rock - September 23

One of the really funny shows on TV, also they're doing something original by airing an episode live! 

Outsourced - September 23

This one should be close to my heart though I haven't seen the film and the trailer looks promising.

Desperate Housewives - September 26

Ugly Betty alumna Vanessa White Williams (what was I thinking) joins the ladies of Wisteria Lane. I just hope she stays on for more than a season unlike what happened to Drea De Matteo and Alfre Woodard. 

Tayong Dalawa in Singapore

I'm curious. I've heard good reviews but I wasn't able to watch the series when it originally aired in Manila. 

Covert Affairs

I'm liking the series now. I was surprised when I saw Gregory Itzin in the latest episode playing a former CIA Director involved in, what else, Black Ops.

Glee Season 2 Teaser

24 Finale

I've never liked a TV show as much as 24, I guess it's pretty obvious from my blog site and my message alert tone from way back. The show is also proof that product placement works. I searched high and low for the exact Palm that Jack was using then.

I was deeply saddened after watching the final episode last night. Jack's message to Chloe was also one of the most touching.

“When you first came to CTU I never thought it was going to be you that was going to cover my back all those years. ... Thank you.”

As if I still needed affirmation about how much I liked the series finale, I checked twitter and saw a tweet from Kevin Williamson, creator / writer of Vampire Diaries.

@kevwilliamson Just finished watching 24. Sobbing.

Here are the best scenes from the final 2 episodes:
source

10. Kiefer Sutherland’s Nod of Appreciation to Fans
Tonight started with an appreciative (and bearded) Kiefer Sutherland expressing his gratitude for the legion of fans that made 8 seasons of the show possible. It was a fitting start to the end and set the tone that this would be an emotional night.

9. Logan In His Sights
Just as Charles Logan finally thinks he’s in the clear, Jack lets the disgraced politician know that he’s been recording his incriminating phone conversations for the past hour. It’s a satisfying display of the conniving and cunning Logan once again thinking he has outwitted Jack Bauer, only to discover he’s no match for the crafty adversary.

8. Chloe Shoots Jack
Jack’s been tortured in just about every imaginable way. He’s been clinically dead, stabbed, shot and even been addicted to heroin. But no one would’ve ever guessed that Chloe would one day shoot Jack at point blank range. Good thing though that the writer’s weren’t done using one of their most tried and true cliches - “the bullet missed all vital organs.” This gunshot concluded one of the most tense moments of the finale as Jack commanded his long-time friend to kill him and use the distraction to get the conspiracy evidence in the hands of the press.

7. President Taylor Comes Clean
In the final moments of the peace treaty process, President Taylor intercepts Jack Bauer’s message to his daughter and realizes that it’s time to come clean. In fitting 24 fashion, she does so right before signing the treaty and makes an announcement that heinous crimes preceded the peace treaty. Noble move yes, but her actions in the last 6 hours still easily clinch David Palmer as the show’s best and most honorable president.

6. Logan Takes out Pillar
Before turning a gun on himself, ex. Pres. Logan decides to kill Jason Pillar. For fans of the show, this was payback to all the weasels over the years that have gotten in Jack Bauer’s way. It was a completely unnecessary move on Logan’s part, but it sure was a satisfying end to the easy-to-hate character of Pillar.

5. Dalia Hassan and President Taylor Square Off
It was a predictable outcome that Dalia Hassan would eventually discover the truth behind President Taylor and President Suvarov’s lies. Her confrontation with Taylor was chilling, but not more so than President Taylor’s psychotic about-face. When Hassan threatens to abort the peace treaty signing, Taylor responds with a resounding threat to invade Hassan’s country with the military. It was a great standoff between the two characters.

4. Taylor Stops the Hit on Jack
There were a few moments tonight that made the movie rumor seem like a cleverly concocted red herring to make Jack’s possible death all the more shocking. One of these was at the end, where Jack’s medical transport to CTU is ambushed and he is taken hostage by Logan’s people. Right before the would-be killer can put a bullet in Jack’s head, President Taylor calls off the hit. She lets Jack know that he has some time to escape, despite the fact that he will be hunted by the Russians as well as the US. It was a nod to (and almost carbon copy of) the end of Season 4: Jack Bauer and President Palmer exchanging goodbyes as he’s warned to disappear for good.

3. “Shut It Down” and Reverse Clock
Our last shot of Jack Bauer is from a CTU satellite, as he once again attempts to disappear. The final seconds of the last episode ticked off with a reverse-countdown, a departure from the forward counting one that ended every episode before. The clock ticking down to zero truly signified the end.

2. Jack and Chloe say Goodbye
Not many characters from the early seasons are still alive, but, next to Jack, Chloe is about as beloved as a 24 character can get. So it was a poignant moment to see her and Jack say their goodbyes. Serious kudos go out to Mary Lynn Rajskub, who nailed this scene by seemingly channeling real, heartfelt emotions one would feel from saying goodbye to the show.

1. Jack Bauer is Alive!
There was never a 24 villain worthy of the honor of killing Jack Bauer. Not Nina Myers, not Philip Bauer, not Charles Logan and definitely not some random government agents. Jack Bauer is one of the greatest action heroes of this time and he didn’t need to die. Not for all the good he’s done. The show didn’t attempt to dress up the finale and it didn’t have to. There were no gimmicks (like the finale to The Sopranos), just good ol’ 24 sticking to its format. It thankfully didn’t end with a silent clock, it went out with hope that Jack could somehow find some peace in his life.

24

Kiefer's series finale interview:

Time's Up for Jack Bauer
source

HE'S survived being tortured, poisoned, electrocuted, stabbed and shot. But time has finally run out for Jack Bauer. The special agent hero of 24, played by Kiefer Sutherland, will be seen on television for the last time later on Monday (Tuesday morning, Singapore time) when the landmark action series wraps up after eight seasons, 192 episodes and countless terrorist plots foiled.

In the nine years since the first season debuted in November 2001, the show has been hailed as a landmark in US television which paved the way for other unconventional dramas such as Lost and Heroes which aired elsewhere. '24 is so much more than just a TV show - it has redefined the drama genre and created one of the most admired action icons in television history,' said Peter Rice, Chairman, Entertainment, Fox Networks Group earlier this year.

The show format broke new ground by playing out in real time: each season represented a single day, spread out over 24 hour-long episodes. That in itself was unheard of at the time, according to co-creator Joel Surnow, because conventional wisdom decreed that audiences were unlikely to stay hooked for the entire run. 'You can't syndicate it, and you can't ask audiences to watch all 24 episodes,' Surnow told USA Today in a recent interview. 'But people got so connected to the show, they watched all 24 episodes of the season.'

The ticking clock dimension of each season's storyline also paralleled the ongoing legal debate over 'enhanced interrogation techniques' sanctioned by the Bush administration during the years after 9/11.

For conservative admirers of 24, Jack Bauer's readiness to subject terrorism suspects to torture, provided a useful cultural reference point. Former Justice Department lawyer John Yoo, who drafted the legal memos which advised on the use of techniques widely regarded as torture, even cited 24 in his book, War by Other Means. 'What if, as the Fox television programme 24 recently portrayed, a high-level terrorist leader is caught who knows the location of a nuclear weapon?' Mr Yoo asked.

Even Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia referenced the show during a legal symposium in 2007. 'Jack Bauer saved Los Angeles - he saved hundreds of thousands of lives,' Justice Scalia said. 'Are you going to convict Jack Bauer?'

V

While the season finale of V left most viewers curious as to what will happen now that Anna is seeking for vengeance and has turned the skies red (from the previous series, this apparently is a red dust bacteria), her daughter has now chosen sides and Joshua is revived, I was left more curious as to how they really look like. I couldn't believe that I have to wait for a few more months so I did some searching and found out...

...well, almost. 

On a side note, I hope when they return for the 2nd season, they come up with a better production design or effects or whatever it is responsible for making the ships look real. 

24

The latest episode was exciting and Logan quivering in his bullet proof car, I believe is one of the best scenes of the episode. It has in fact generated a lot of fan videos in YouTube. 

I did, however, also feel that everything seems a bit rushed that  my suspension of disbelief has been rattled and shaken that I can no longer help but see how totally impossible everything is. Take for instance the fact that Chloe and Arlo managed to track down Jack's friend Ricker in just a few minutes when he has gone off the radar and that no government agency was able to locate him for years. Likewise, the fact that Jack was able to plan and successfully kidnap Logan in only a matter of minutes. This fact so absurd that the writers thought it better to confront it openly by having Arlo say something like "How did he do that?". My last and final beef is Jack going totally bonkers over Renee! He goes on a murderous rampage and kills Dana, the entire Russian delegation (but he lets the guard outside live) and anyone else who gets in his path. Did he forget that he was able to move past the death of his wife, Teri? 

Back to back series finale airs next week and I can't wait to see how they tie everything together and get Jack out of the mess he's in. 

More observations here. 

24 Season 8 Ep 15, 16

I had a full day yesterday. After work, I needed to go to the embassy to pick up my renewed passport and get myself an OEC. On top of that, I had two back to back calibration sessions from 8pm - 10pm, and of all days, today is the day that 24 decides to air a 2-part episode mid-season. How am I gonna squeeze that in?




Thanks to uber fast internet, I managed. I downloaded the first episode in less than 5 minutes. 
Hassan willingly sacrifices himself. Jack informs Chloe that the general ordered a covert operation. The general and Rob Weiss are both apprehended. CTU manages to track down Hassan and Tarin's vehicle. Dana alerts Tarin that CTU is on to them. Tarin transfers Hassan to another vehicle and crashes his car. Jack finds his cell and traces Dana as the mole. Dana is apprehended. She wishes to talk to Jack in exchange for valuable information.
Dana tells Jack of Samir's location in exchange for her immunity. She wants Jack to handle the operation to avoid any more screw-ups. Hassan refuses to follow Samir's orders. They start uploading the feed of Hassan hostage via internet. Jack and Renee arrive on the location but they're too late. Hassan is already dead. 
My recap is very elementary. I just have to say, I loved the episodes!

24 Season 8 Ep 14

With CTU's systems up, thanks to Chloe, they manage to track down the cab that Samir and Tarin took. Dana, however, causes the systems to malfunction for a few seconds allowing the terrorists to blend in to Manhattan's cab traffic and make their escape.

Jack is then called off by President Taylor from the assignment to supervise President Hassan's transfer from the UN to the Maguire Airbase.

Meanwhile, Samir contacts President Taylor and tries to negotiate a deal with her. If she turns over President Hassan to him, he won't set off the nuclear rods. She addresses her staff and is adamant that she won't negotiate with them. (This is a great moment for President Taylor, finally!)

General Brucker has other plans. He talks to Rob Weiss and proposes a covert operation for them to kidnap President Hassan as he is being escorted out. Ethan then walks in on them. As they were discussing, Ethan suffers a heart attack. The general tells Weiss to seek for medical help later as Ethan may jeopardize their plan.

Ethan managed to dial Jack's number. After trying to call him back several time, he gets suspicious and tells the team to head back. The general's men opens fire and this time we see Jack in top form. Jack then manages to get the truth out off one of the men.

Samir, not hearing from President Taylor back, orders Tarin to set off the device.

24 Season 8 Ep 13

Jack and Cole manage to track down the hostiles at a nearby port. (Who says they need CTU?) They engage in a shoot out but Tarin manages to escape. This shoot out goes on until the end of the episode. Really??? Come on, 4 hostiles against Jack should have been no match. Jack keeps shooting and hits no one. 20 minutes into the episode and I was already in a state of disbelief, they had to inject drama where the newbie agent is hit and Jack spends a good ten minutes trying to hold his neck.

Anyway, the saving grace of the episode is Chloe. NSA is contacted to help restore all the technology at CTU but their method would take forever. Chloe has a risky idea but is quickly dismissed. She threatens the NSA prick, does it her way and saves the day.

Meanwhile, Renee is back ine the picture arriving just in time to help Jack and Cole finish off the hostiles. Dana already had it with the Kevin's probation officer and strangles him to death. It is then revealed that she is working with Tarin.

24 Season 8 Ep 12

Tarin is tipped off by Samir that his identity may have been compromised. Looking out the hotel window, he sees the authorities closing in on him so he forces Kayla to come with him and they head out to their headquarters. Samir contacts President Hassan and demands for file 33 in exchange for his daughter. The file in question is later revealed to contain weaknesses in the U.S.defense.

Meanwhile, back at CTU, in the middle of the crisis, Kevin's parole officer shows up and questions Dana. She makes up a lie but he is adamant. He wants to talk to her some more otherwise he would go to Hastings. Dana asks him to stay put. (I have to say that this plot seems to have been way off. It just doesn't gel with the 24 pace.)

Tarin and Kayla escape and he instructs her to contact CTU as they can help her out. He gets shot. Back in CTU, upon reviewing the surveillance footage, they see Tarin very much alive. They put two and two together and realize that there must have been a bomb in Kayla's getaway car but they are already too late. She arrives with only about 17 seconds. The bomb goes off. CTU is destroyed...again.

The Clock is Ticking

By: Michael Schneider

20th Century Fox TV and Fox appear ready to end the long-running hit after this season, the show's eighth.

Studio and network execs declined comment -- but it's believed that the final decision will be made in the next day or two. Move is not a huge surprise, but still reps the end of an era for Fox.

"24" helped usher in Fox's ratings surge in the 2000s, as the franchise -- along with "American Idol" and "House," among other series -- led the network to the No. 1 spot in the adults 18-49 demo.

But the cost of producing "24" has continued to increase, while ratings have dipped. A one-time critical darling, "24" has also received its share of knocks from critics this season.

The studio is said to be considering shopping "24" to other nets -- but given the thriller's age and pricetag, it's believed interest from other outlets will be limited.

Yet even as the bell tolls for "24" in primetime, the franchise is far from dead. Sutherland and the "24" team have been keen on adapting the show as a feature film, and have made major strides in recent months toward making that long-term goal a reality.

Twentieth Century Fox's film side recently hired scribe Billy Ray ("State of Play," "Flightplan") to pen the script for the feature version (Daily Variety, Feb. 8.)

Ray's pitch, which takes Jack Bauer to Europe, was a hit with Fox execs and producers of the high-concept television series.

Script is said to have come through "24" star Sutherland, who's also an exec producer on the series.

Such a move into the features world was considered impossible while production continued on the TV series -- given that "24" takes much of the year to produce, with its feature-like shooting schedule. But with the show expected to end its run, the ability to focus on a movie could now finally be in sight.

"24" was created by Robert Cochran and Joel Surnow, while exec producer Howard Gordon runs the show through his Real Time Prods. banner.

Brian Grazer's Imagine Entertainment produces the show along with 20th Century Fox TV.

Sutherland has starred throughout all eight seasons as Jack Bauer, a federal agent and member of the Los Angeles Counter Terrorist Unit (and who has saved the world several times over). "24" made noise for its real time format, in which all 24 episodes take place as consecutive hours in the same day.

Although it was developed before the attacks of 9/11, the show, which bowed Nov. 6, 2001, in many ways began to mirror the changed world, given real-life fears over terrorism and debates over torture methods. Skein's depiction of an African American president was seen as a ground-breaking precursor to the 2008 election of Barack Obama.

The show has won the Emmy and the Golden Globe awards for drama, while Sutherland has scored both an Emmy and a Globe for actor. "24" has also received Emmy Awards for writing and directing; last year, Cherry Jones won an Emmy for supporting actress in a drama.

This season's edition of "24," which takes place in New York, stars Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Jones, Anil Kapoor, Annie Wersching, Katee Sackhoff, Mykelti Williamson, Freddie Prinze Jr., Chris Diamantopoulos and John Boyd.

Source: Variety