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!!!

The Primetime Emmy nominees were announced this week! For a full list of the lucky & talented peeps visit the Emmy website.

One of the best 80′s television series is being revitalized.  With an updated cast and car, Knight Rider returns to NBC with a 2 hour event Sunday at 9pm.  KITT, Knight Industry Two Thousand, has been upgraded to Three Thousand and I bet its awesome.  Who doesn’t love a talking car and some kickass action?  Watch videos and get pumped up like me here.

When I realized awards season was gonna be affected by this writer’s strike I had a mild heart attack. I love turning television and movies into a competition. I spend most of my time being moved by, frustrated with, sucked into, transported to, falling in love with and hating these alternate realities that are created for us and they should be judged. I especially love to critique my fellow actors. I worked hard to get into the Screen Actors Guild (and by hard I mean spent 3 days as a body double on the series Boomtown) and I take my role as voter seriously. One year I was even on the nominating committee…it was one of the best years of my life.

Yippee kay ya, everyone got dressed up, hit the red carpet and announced the best actors without any picket line chaos. The Sopranos swept their categories: best dramatic actor, actress and ensemble. I have no opinion on this. I’ve never seen an episode. I know, I know…I’ll get it on DVD one of these days…stop yelling at me. Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin won for 30 Rock, which I strongly agree with!!! However, The Office won for comedic ensemble. I would have been happier if 30 Rock had taken ensemble but I do like The Office, so I’m okay with that. Javier Bardem won for his role as the creepy, psychopathic killer in No Country for Old Men, which also won for best cast in a movie. A full list of winners is here.

The highlight of the evening for me was Daniel Day-Lewis’ acceptance speech. He said, for as long as he could remember, the thing that gave him a sense of wonderment and renewal was the work of other actors. Those words spoke to my heart. DDL mentioned, for him in particular, being affected and motivated by the work of Heath Ledger, even bringing up specific examples of Heath’s onscreen moments that touched him. I can’t imagine a greater tribute than that. It’s a shame Heath didn’t get to hear it.

Let’s all cross our fingers for a kick-ass Oscar telecast!