So “Dirty Sexy Money” is about to get sexier with the fabulous addition of Blair Underwood to the cast.

He was introduced—on paper, anyway—in last night’s episode as Nick finds a dossier on Simon Elder (Underwood) in the briefcase his father had with him when he died.

Elder’s exact role is still unclear, but ABC is billing him as Tripp Darling’s longtime nemesis. Elsewhere, he’s been described as a Bill Gates-type who’s the world’s third-richest man.

So he’s mega-rich, super-sexy and, uh, possibly dirty? The criminal records that Nick found in his dad’s file on Elder certainly seem to suggest it.

But don’t look for Underwood to pop up in person right away. He’s not due on board until later this season.

That leaves some time for Nick to focus on another Darling as his dad’s potential killer. Though no one else has been given a possible motive besides Tripp. Yet.

Speaking of Tripp, how great was Donald Sutherland last night?

I counted no fewer than three fantastic moments for him, which in the hands of another actor, could have just been ridiculously cheesy.

First, take the opening scene that compared the morning routines of Nick (burned Pop Tarts and a forgotten suit at the cleaners) and Tripp (with a manservant shaving and dressing him).  Having Tripp ask for a breakfast of poached wild salmon and “a soupcon of Hollandaise” was classic.

Then he spoke Swedish to Brian’s illegitimate son. Hilarious.

Switching gears completely, he later nailed the episode’s most poignant moment: when Nick finally opens his father’s briefcase, after Tripp tells him to try Letitia’s birthday as the combination. The teary flinch that Tripp gives when the latches click open—confirming the affair with Letitia—was beautiful and believable.

But did he really have nothing to do with the elder George’s death? What did that journal entry with the crashing plane mean?

And just as a side note, what is Patrick thinking—running for Senate?

As powerful as the Darlings supposedly are, how in the world could anyone keep a lid on the fact that he regularly has liasons with transsexuals?

I’m looking forward to the fake NY Post headline the show is sure to use once that little scandal hits the tabloids…

 (Photos courtesy of ABC)

I’ve written here before about this season’s trend of having male characters involved with transsexual lovers.

You saw the subplot emerge last night on “Dirty Sexy Money” with Billy Baldwin’s aspiring Senator. It seems like this series is going to treat this relationship seriously, giving transgender actress Candis Cayne a breakthrough role.

Then there’s “Big Shots” (which premieres tonight) and “30 Rock,” which both use the matter as a springboard for jokes.

Now comes word—via the Hollywood Reporter—that Joseph Fiennes, Blythe Danner and Robert Wagner have been cast in an untitled transsexual drama for FX.

The project—by “Nip/Tuck” creator Ryan Murphy—is about a family man (Fiennes) who decides to have a sex change operation.

(Danner and Wagner would play his parents. )

(Photo of Cayne courtesy of ABC; photo of Fiennes from EOnline.com)

Here’s the Wednesday premiere ratings, via The Hollywood Reporter:

Bionic Woman lost in total ratings to the Grey’s Anatomy spinoff Private Practice, but in the key “demo” (adults 18-49), defeated Addison & Co., so it’s pretty much a wash. But ABC won the night (just barely, by a 10th of a ratings point!) in part because of a THIRD CONSECUTIVE NIGHT of Dancing With the Stars. What? How many freakin’ nights can this show air?

Anyway, here’s how all the new shows fared last night:

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“Dirty Sexy Money” premiered last night: It’s ABC’s new series about a lawyer’s love-hate relationship with the disgustingly rich Darling family.

And judging from the reviews, critics are either loving or hating the Darlings, too.

From what I’ve read, feelings about “DSM” range from this glowing NY Times review to this scathing one by Reuters. Not many middle-of-the-road critiques floating out there.

This could spell doom and gloom or super-success for “DSM.” Ratings aren’t in yet, so there’s no clue how viewers reacted.

Personally, I loved every second of “DSM”—which is better described as a soap opera than a drama. And I’m not just saying this because I heart the show’s executive producer Greg Berlanti, who grew up in Rye.

Read more of this entry »

Heard of Peter Bjorn & John? I hadn’t, though apparently the indie-rock group—affectionately known as PB&J—is Sweden’s biggest musical export since ABBA.

If you’re like me, you might be unfamiliar with the band. But you’re probably overly familiar with their song, “Young Folks.”

That’s because the catchy, whistle-fueled ditty has been ALL OVER television lately. It showed up last winter on established shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “How I Met Your Mother.”

And now it’s become the go-to song for brand-new programs.

It opened the premiere of “Gossip Girl” last week (it was playing as Serena stared out the train window in the first scene).

Read more of this entry »

“Dirty Sexy Money” premieres tonight (10 p.m, ABC), so if you’re planning to tune in, prepare to be sucked into the world of the filthy-rich Darling family.

They’re a cross between the Kennedys and the Hiltons, and they’ve got more problems than Britney Spears.

The show is anchored by Peter Krause, who had to be talked into doing another time-absorbing drama so soon after the draining “Six Feet Under.”

He plays Nick George, a do-gooder lawyer whose father was the longtime Darling family attorney. When Nick’s dad dies in a mysterious helicopter crash, the family persuades Nick to take over his father’s job.

The well-respected Krause is just one of the many greats in a star-studded cast, which features luminaries Jill Clayburgh and Donald Sutherland as Mama and Papa Darling. Even the NY Times praised the casting, including Bedford’s William Baldwin in the compliments. He plays Patrick, an aspiring Senator with a transgender mistress.

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We’ve already blogged about how this week is the massive blowout for most new and returning shows this season: More than FORTY series debut starting tonight.

That’s pretty stunning. And it’s made all the more impressive because five of those shows—some of which are among the most buzzed-about on the small screen right now—feature actors from our area.

Go LoHud, go LoHud, go, go, go…

Here’s the lineup of locals to look for: Some are already fan favorites (and Emmy nominees!), others are newcomers.

• Hayden Panettiere. The Palisades-born star returns for a second season on “Heroes.” (Tonight, 9 p.m., NBC)

• Tim Daly. A Suffern native, Daly plays one of the hot doctors on the “Grey’s Anatomy” spin-off, “Private Practice.” (Weds., 9 p.m., ABC). Here’s hoping that the actor, who’s had well-reviewed series like “Eyes” and “The Nine” go belly-up since his “Wings” heyday, has found a winner.

• William Baldwin and Jill Clayburgh. The Bedford resident and Sarah Lawrence grad, respectively, are part of the troubled Darling family in the slick new soap opera, “Dirty Sexy Money.” (Weds., 10 p.m., ABC). Baldwin plays an aspiring U.S. Senator with an interesting extracurricular love life. Clayburgh is the matriarch of the troubled, wealthy clan.

• Vanessa Williams. The Chappaqua resident was robbed of a Supporting Actress Emmy (sorry, Jaime Pressly!), but we’re sure she’ll continue to play Wilhelmina with her usual ab-fab excellence on “Ugly Betty.” (Thurs., 8 p.m., ABC).

• Joshua Malina. He’s a New Rochelle native who you might remember from “The West Wing,” “Sports Night” and other Aaron Sorkin projects. Now he’s back on TV in “Big Shots,” a drama about four dysfunctional CEOs. (Thurs., 10 p.m., ABC). Go here to read my story about Josh in today’s Journal News. My Remote Access post also features some audio excerpts from our interview.

It has arrived: Ãœber premiere week, though I don’t think that’s the official name. Anyhow, gobs and gobs of shows are premiering this week. Here’s what’s ahead:

Monday, Sept. 24
8 p.m. — Chuck (NBC)
— Dancing with the Stars (special 90-minute premiere) (ABC)
— How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
8:30 p.m. — Big Bang Theory (CBS)
9 p.m. — Heroes (NBC) (pictured, at right)
— Two and a Half Men (CBS)
9:30 p.m. — Rules of Engagement (CBS)
— The Bachelor (special 90-minute premiere) (ABC)
10 p.m. — Journeyman (NBC)
— CSI: Miami (CBS)

Read more of this entry »

When I sat down to watch the pilots for the slew of new shows set to debut this fall, a unique subplot popped up in some of the biggies:

Men with transsexual girl (boy?) friends.

Yup, seems that the hot secret for male TV characters to have this season is a transvestite lover.

The career of Dylan McDermott’s playboy character on ABC’s “Big Shots,” premiering Sept. 27, is threatened by the fact that he had a rest stop fling with what the men on the show call a “trannie hooker”—while driving through YONKERS!

Then there’s politician Patrick Darling (played by Bedford’s William Baldwin), on the upcoming “Dirty Sexy Money,” also on ABC. In the show’s Sept. 26 premiere, you’ll see that the much-married Paddy Boy—who’s running for Senate—risks a major sex scandal because of his relationship with a transsexual.

And now comes word from Entertainment Weekly that NBC’s “30 Rock” will use that storyline for laughs, by having Tracy (Tracy Morgan) get caught by paparazzi with a transsexual prostitute (a la Eddie Murphy’s predicament a few years back).

Has Hollywood run out of ideas?

Howdy, Remote Access-ers!

Amy Vernon and I are still babbling about the fall TV season, and today’s topic is …

LoHud Wednesday!

Yay!

Download:

Now, you should watch our special, of course. But here’s a few BIG hints about what LoHud Wednesday involves:

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Sure, NBC has that hit show about people with superpowers, but writer-producer Greg Berlanti is the hero over at ABC.

My story on Greg is in today’s Journal News. It’s the centerpiece of our annual fall TV preview.

I blogged about Greg, a native of Rye, last week, so you might remember that he’s executive producing THREE shows on ABC this season.

He heads “Brothers & Sisters” for its second year, and he’s also launching “Dirty Sexy Money” (you gotta LOVE that title!) on Sept. 26.

And to top it off, Greg co-created “Eli Stone,” which debuts in the spring.

Click here to check out my previous post about Greg, where you can listen to some audio clips from my interview with him.

But NOW for the BIG announcement: Drum roll please!

Be sure to watch fellow blogger extraordinaire Amy Vernon and I, as we host the first of a series of specials about the upcoming TV season.

Download:

Podcast file

We’re going to give you a heads up on all of the hottest shows coming up…

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Just because we heart you, Remote Access has merged all the fall premiere dates for new and returning shows into one handy-dandy list, by date.

Most premieres don’t get hot and heavy until the week of Sept. 23, but they start trickling out tonight.

Here, if you prefer not mixing and matching your networks, here are links to the original postings on all the fall lineups:
• ABC
• CBS
• Fox
• NBC
• The CW

Not sure what the heck you’re going to watch this season? Stay tuned to The Journal News, LoHud.com and Remote Access for our previews of the fall season.

On Sunday, in the Life & Style section of The Journal News is our fall TV preview. Then here, on Remote Access, we start a week-long series of webcasts on the entire fall lineup. We’ll give you the lowdown on all the hot shows coming to the small screen, from sci-fi to sitcoms.

OK, ‘nuff said. Here’s the fall premiere dates:

Thursday, Sept. 6
8 p.m. — Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (Fox)
9 p.m. — Don’t Forget the Lyrics (Fox)

Saturday, Sept. 8
8 p.m. — Cops (Fox)
8:30 p.m. — Cops (Fox)
9 p.m. — America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back (Fox)

Tuesday, Sept. 11
8 p.m. — The Biggest Loser (NBC)

Friday, Sept. 14
9 p.m. — Nashville (Fox) (pictured, at right)

Saturday, Sept. 15
11 p.m. — MADtv (Fox)
Midnight — Talkshow With Spike Feresten (Fox)

More premiere dates after the break.

Read more of this entry »

He’s only 35, but TV writer-producer Greg Berlanti has been writing quality dramas for 10 years.

Greg got his big break writing for teen-angst series “Dawson’s Creek,” and went on to create the well-reviewed “Everwood.”

Now, Greg—a Rye High School graduate—is executive producing not one, not two, but THREE shows on ABC this season.

He’s back for the second season of “Brothers & Sisters.”

He’s launching “Dirty Sexy Money” on Sept. 26 (which has the best title on TV!).

And he co-created “Eli Stone,” set to debut in the spring.

Greg took an hour out of his incredibly busy schedule—the man works 14-hour days, sometimes seven days a week—to talk to me about his upcoming projects.

That story will be in Sunday’s Life & Style section of the Journal News. It’s the centerpiece of our fall TV preview.

But I thought I’d give y’all an early listen to what Greg and I talked about: There’s audio clips after the break!

Read more of this entry »

A day late and a dollar short, but here ‘tis:

Monday, Sept. 24

8-9:30 p.m.: Dancing with the Stars (special 90-minute premiere)
9:30-11 p.m.: The Bachelor (special 90-minute premiere)

Tuesday, Sept. 25

8:00-9:30 p.m.: Dancing with the Stars (performance show)

Wednesday, Sept. 26

8 p.m.: Dancing with the Stars Results Show Special (special day and time)
9 p.m.: Private Practice
10 p.m.: Dirty Sexy Money

Thursday, Sept. 27

8 p.m.: Ugly Betty
9 p.m.: Grey’s Anatomy
10 p.m.: Big Shots

Read more of this entry »

TVGuide.com has previews and clips of all the new ABC and NBC shows. I’ve also linked to the Remote Access posts that listed all the shows and what they’re about.

For links to the videos, Read more of this entry »

Here are ABC’s new shows, from the network’s official press release.

Four new comedies

• Carpoolers: 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Four totally different guys from the same neighborhood who carpool. Wow. No show like this has ever been done before. Ahem.
• Cavemen: 8 p.m. Tuesdays. Based on, yes, the GEICO commercials, the show’s about a trio of “modern cavemen” as they “struggle to find their place in the world.” This is either going to be really funny or just a complete disaster.
• Miss Guided: Mid-season replacement. Woman returns to her high school as a guidance counselor. Hijinks, I’m sure, ensue.
• Sam I Am: 9:30 p.m. Mondays. Christina Applegate stars as a really nasty woman who goes into a coma for eight days after an accident and wakes up with amnesia. She’s kinda bummed when she realizes she was pretty much a beyotch. Oh, I don’t know. I’m pretty much over the network sitcom, but Applegate’s pretty funny (ever see Anchorman?).

Seven new dramas

• Big Shots (formerly “Perfect Gentlemen”): 10 p.m. Thursdays. Four “competitive but dysfunctional CEOs” hang out and complain about the women in their lives. Michael Vartan of “Alias” and Dylan McDermott of “The Practice” are the biggest names.
• Cashmere Mafia: Probably 8 p.m. Mondays (replaces Dancing with the Stars after its fall season ends. But Dancing is on at 8 p.m. Mondays and the results show is on at 9 p.m. Tuesday; unclear which spot it takes). Four “ambitious and sexy women” blah, blah, blah. Basically the female version of “Big Shots,” described above. Lucy Liu is the biggest name.
• Dirty Sexy Money: 10 p.m. Wednesdays. Peter Krause (of “Six Feet Under,” “Sports Night” and other stuff) stars as an idealistic lawyer who becomes the family attorney for a disgustingly rich New York family after his father, their old lawyer, dies. Krause has a good track record; I might give this a shot. At least it’s not the typical lawyer drama.
• Eli Stone: Mid-season replacement. Jonny Lee Miller — the now-balding former hubby to Angelina Jolie, of “Trainspotting” fame and most recently seen in the too-soon-canceled “Smith” — plays the title character, a top San Francisco lawyer who is discovered to have a brain aneurysm. The question is, does he have a medical condition or is he a prohet? I’ve blogged on this, and I’m always willing to give the supernatural/sci-fi tinged shows a chance. Oh, and it’s the crew who brought us “Brothers & Sisters” behind this show, so that’s also a high recommendation.
• Private Practice: 9 p.m. Wednesdays. The highly anticipated spin-off of “Grey’s Anatomy” (which stays at 9 p.m. Thursdays). Addison Forbes Montgomery leaves Seattle Grace Hospital to enter private practice in Los Angeles. I’ve never seen Grey’s; don’t figure to see PP, either. Not big on the medical drama as a genre.
• Pushing Daisies: 8 p.m. Wednesdays. This is the biggest-buzz show of the new season. Which is either good news or a death blow. Basically, it’s about a guy who can bring the dead back to life (not just people — got rotten fruit? he can make it ripe as can be again! take him to the grocery store with you). He helps solve murders by bringing the dead back to life to rat on their killers. Then he brings his childhood sweetheart back to life (she’s named Chuck?) and she convinces him to use his powers for the greater good. Here’s the catch (ain’t there always a catch?) if he ever touches Chuck again, she’ll be dead again, “this time for good.” I’ve blogged on this a few times and one of the co-producers is Bryan Fuller, who brought us “Wonderfalls” and “Dead Like Me” and is one of the various types of producers on “Heroes.” Others involved include Barry Sonnenfeld of “Men In Black.” Pedigrees don’t come much better than this.
• Women’s Murder Club: 9 p.m. Fridays (after the returning “Men in Trees”. Based on the James Patterson series of novels of the same name. “Four working women in San Francisco — a detective, a district attorney, a medical examiner and a reporter — use their expertise and unique talents to solve murder cases.” The release basically says that because they have such a “unique friendship” they realize that if they work together, they can solve crimes and maximize their personal lives. Again, not a huge fan of the police procedural genre. It’ll probably do great. Not interested.

One “alternative” (read: reality) series

• Oprah’s Big Give: Not scheduled yet. I don’t even know how to describe this, so here’s the description, cut-and-pasted from the ABC release: “The first primetime series from Harpo Productions centers on the competition, drama and emotion as millions of dollars are given away to make a difference in people’s lives across the country. Each week contestants will face a “big twistâ€? that will test their nerve, drive, ingenuity and passion. Big name stars will turn up throughout the series to join the “Oprah’s Big Giveâ€? tour. During the eight episodes filmed in various U.S. cities, the field will be narrowed. The stakes will get higher and higher, with one person ultimately being chosen as The Biggest Giver.” Really, I don’t watch reality shows much, with the exception of the occasional “Wife Swap, which we watch like it’s a total car wreck and change the channel as soon as the spell is broken.

Check out the full ABC press release on the TVGuide.com website. You can also click on this link to get the Associated Press story on LoHud.com.