Apparently, the theme this summer for reality shows is weddings. ABC brings us Here Come the Newleyweds on Monday nights.  TNT has Wedding Day while CW has Hitched or Ditched, both on Tuesdays.  And of course there will still be the traditional dating reality shows.  The Bachelorette stars Jillian who narrowly missed the absurd choas of winning Jason Mesnick’s heart but successfully won the heart of America.  And on Tuesdays, Fox has a new show, More to Love, a Bachelor-style dating show featuring a man who’s looking for a woman with a little extra cushion for the push’n.

More in the reality category is The Superstars on ABC where two-person teams comprised of celebrities and professional athletes compete against one another in different challenges.  ABC also has The Great American Roadtrip where seven families travel through the US and compete while visiting historic landmarks.  And of course my favorite reality show, So You Think You Can Dance, returns with its usual artistic, musical fabulousness!!!!!

Believe it or not there actually are some scripted shows as well…

ABC is nice enough to air the final episodes of a couple series they abruptly yanked off the air this past fall. Pushing Daisies and Eli Stone will finish up Saturday nights this summer.

Nurse Jackie, on Showtime, stars Edie Falco as a pill-popping New York ER nurse.
ABC Family has created 10 Things I Hate About You, a show based on the 1999 movie.
Mental, on Fox, appears to be a medical procedural surrounding a psychiatrist.
TNT has Jada Pinkett Smith’s turn to TV, Hawthorne…something about doctors in a hospital, blah, blah, blah.
The Goode Family, this animated series on ABC is about an uber-green family.
The Philanthropist on NBC stars Neve Campbell.
Dark Blue has Dylan McDermott as an undercover police officer on TNT.
NBC has The Listener, a show about a paramedic with hidden telepathic powers.
Mark Feuerstein is trying TV AGAIN with Royal Pains
on USA.

Happy watching!!!

First up, let me apologize for the quality of my photos. I was using my phone and they have a habit of coming out blurry. But, crappy camera work aside…I WAS ON THE SET OF ATTACK OF THE SHOW! I was there assisting the Ninja. From Ask a Ninja, of course. Is there any other ninja? He was there promoting his new iPhone app, the I Am Ninja game.

So, anywhoooo, I was obviously excited about this opportunity, because as you all know, I am such a huge fan of AOTS. Not to mention, just being on any set makes me the happiest person in the world. This set happened to have a very cool vibe. Everyone was professional but fun and you could tell they enjoyed their job. I was impressed with the way they kept the energy up and the mood light. No one was tense or stressed. This is live television people! I expected some uptightness going on but nope, nada.

In the morning, the producers go over that day’s show. They start a rehearsal at 3pm PST where they run through the segments, what the hosts will say and where the cameras will be. Then at 4pm they start the live taping. The set is a very tiny room, not much larger than you see on TV. When Kevin & Olivia throw it over to the Feed, that host is standing maybe five feet away. After the taping, the producers meet and discuss the next couple of shows. The following day, it starts all over again!

Kevin, Olivia and Alison were all very friendly as were the producers and production staff. And I’m not just saying that cuz I want to work with them someday…they really were!

In case you missed the show, here is the segment with the Ninja…

Wonder Woman has joined my home! This kick-ass cookie jar was a gift and I love her. Part of me thinks she should stay safely boxed up but she’s too cool not to display. I’m not putting cookies in her though.

The first scene with Laurie and Jon relayed Jon’s scientific knowledge of the human anatomy but his difficulty to fully engage with other humans. This is an important part of Dr. Manhattan’s character that needed to come across so we could understand why, although they love and care for each other, they couldn’t make it as a couple.

The second love scene between Laurie and Dan was so realistic and endearing. It clearly showed that the attraction had grown, they wanted each other but were nervous, awkward and ultimately unable to perform. How lovely! Now as an audience we understand Laurie leaving Jon and want her to succeed with Dan.

The third and most controversial scene was a bit more graphic. Laurie and Dan have just gotten back into their alter egos as Silk Spectre II and Nite Owl II, they rescued some kiddies from a burning building and have adrenaline running through those hawt spandex clad bodies. Of course they are gonna get it on big time! Yes, they showed her boobs, yes they showed his bum, yes they showed some intense facial expressions along with grinding of bodies. But there was also the perfectly chosen Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen and the aptly timed backfiring of Archie! It was a wonderful blend of passion and comedy. It made me chuckle.

I completely understand that sex scenes make some people uncomfortable just like violence bothers others. There is that risk of alienating audience members with every R rated movie.  Whether uncomfortable or not, I just hope that you can see the arc of these three important scenes and appreciate smart filmmaking.

Plus, I personally want to know that superheroes have amazing superhero sex. Is that just me?

This year seems to be pretty cut and dry.  Slumdog is a favorite to win best picture.  It already got the Golden Globe and SAG award.  Heath Ledger will win Best Supporting Actor.  He too got the well deserved Globe and SAG award.

Best Supporting Actress is totally up in the air.  Kate Winslet dominated this category in the past two award shows but now isn’t even nominated in this category.  For whatever reason, her role in The Reader counted as Supporting for the Globes and SAG but falls in the Best Actress category for the Academy Awards.  So that puts her in direct competition with Meryl Streep who turned in an amazing performance in Doubt.  Ms. Streep always does incredible work and has already been awarded Mr. Oscar twice. (Kramer vs Kramer, 1979 & Sophie’s Choice, 1982)  I think the Academy wants to give the award to a fresh, young actress who deserves some recognition.  Or maybe I’m just bias because I want Kate Winslet to win!  Oh, and I would like to see Viola Davis win Best Supporting Actress.  She knocked it out of the park in Doubt!

Best Actor is also a head to head (to head) competition.  Mickey Rourke surprised us all when he won the Golden Globe for The Wrestler.  Then SAG went back to predictability, giving Sean Penn the award for Milk.  This leaves the playing field wide open for the Oscars.  But, lets not forget Mr. Blockbuster himself, Brad Pitt is in this category too.  The Academy is just dying to give him an award for his body of work.  They do this sometimes.  (Denzel Washington, Training Day, 2002)  I have no idea who will get this award and I’m not rooting for anyone in particular.

I get completely sucked into watching red carpet arrivals on E! all day gearing up for the big ceremony.  Alright, Hollywood, lets do this!!!!

Running on Hope from Douglas Sarine on Vimeo.

Clyde and Clark look over the country for our new president

5.

Die Hard

4.

National Lampoon

3.

Trading Places

2.

A Christmas Story

1.

Elf

I’ve already watched Elf this year! The 24 hour A Christmas Story marathon on TBS starts Christmas Eve at 8/7C. I’ll catch that atleast once. I couldn’t find listings for the rest of my top 5, which is a shame. Check out TV Guide’s holiday calendar to see if your favs are playing this season.

Happy Holidays!

A Week in the Life of Sarah @w00d from Sarah Atwood on Vimeo.