OK, I give Tim Kring a pass for “All You Need is Luvvvvv” because Monday’s episode was back to the best.

As everyone lost their powers in the eclipse (who didn’t see that coming?), the characters had to find their way again and learn to live, however briefly, without their powers.

They were acting somewhat like they did when they first discovered their powers: Uncertain, hesitant, willing to take risks but not ridiculously so.

The confusion Claire felt in testing the limits of her power back in Season 1 was echoed in Elle and Sylar’s confusion over the loss of theirs Monday night. The competition and bickering between Nathan and Peter harkened back to their arguments over whether or not either of them even had any powers, before Nathan accepted that he could fly.

Why, exactly, does the eclipse matter?  And how did they not have these powers before the eclipse? How did their parents know who had powers and who didn’t? (Guess it could have been blood tests?) It doesn’t make any sense. How would an eclipse have any affect on their powers?

Even Hiro’s reversion to a 10-year-old wasn’t so annoying, because he even seemed to be back to that child-like innocence and idealism that made him so endearing in Season 1. Totally loved it when he started throwing corn at Matt. It was completely random, but Hiro was right. Matt had to do what he had to do. Without Hiro’s corn-tossing, it wouldn’t have happened.

Daphne, I found interesting. The reason she has had such a hard time not working for Arthur Petrelli is because without being a speedster, she’s crippled. Literally. The question is, how did she get her power? Was it activated by the last eclipse? Again, that doesn’t make sense. And if not, then how did Arthur Petrelli manage to give it to her without the catalyst (Claire)?

Mohinder still annoys the crapola out of me. Have to admit, I enjoyed it when he was smashed up against the glass wall.

I enjoyed seeing the Haitian back. I really didn’t want to have another character introduced, though. The Haitian’s brother with the impenetrable skin just needs to go away. Of course, he’s a Level 5 baddie working not at cross-purposes with Arthur Petrelli.

Question is, if everyone’s powers return, do they return as they were before the eclipse? Or will Peter get his primary power back, but have to regain his other powers? Would Sylar still have all his powers because his body actually learned how to rewire, rather than absorbing the powers like Peter? Would Arthur have just his power-sucking power, or all the powers he’s soaked up?

I suppose we’ll find out next week.

In other news, Tim Kring apologized to fans who don’t use DVRs to record the show for calling them “saps and dips***s.”

Photos courtesy of NBC Universal.

Didn’t watch? Don’t read. Simple as that.

Last night’s episode of Heroes was, simply put, silly.

It seems, apparently, that all that is needed to counter any bad power any Hero has is luv. Or, luvvvvvvv.

Look, I’ve been arguing against the Heroes haters this season. I’ve enjoyed it very much, for the most part, and have thought the storyline good.

But last night? As some on the internetz say, “wtf?”

Daphne’s luv of Matt saves him from the dastardly Arthur Petrelli. Angela Petrelli reminding dearest Arthur of the luv the once shared saves herself from the dastardly Arthur Petrelli. Sylar remembering how Elle saved his life makes him luv her and, in the end, saves her. He has empathy — which can, sometimes, be considered to be love of a sort.

Claire loves her Hero, Peter, and must help save him. Peter loves his niece (and girlfriend in real life, ick!), Claire, and doesn’t want her to turn to the dark side. Trikkica (Tracey/Nikki/Jessica) loves herself and just wants to be in with the in crowd.

Oh, please, people.

That’s the best you can do, Heroes? Really? I mean, really?

Then we had to be subjected to Arthur chatting up Mohinder the Fly in one of the worst bits of foreshadowing EVAR. “Oh, you’re interested in solar phenomenon, too?”

So, last night’s Heroes was all about daddy.

Not all daddies – mainly Papa Petrelli, with a side order of HRG.

We were due for this, of course, seeing as we have only just met Papa and didn’t even know what his power was nor how he didn’t actually “die” until just a couple weeks ago.

Long story short? WAIT – Have you watched it? If not, STOP READING NOW. There. You’ve been warned. STOP. Really. Now.

Papa is a baaaaaad man. What a freakin’ bastard.

Seriously, Linderman is basically redeemed. After one half-hearted attempt, he basically refused to kill Nathan. And Papa didn’t even blink an eye when it came to the decision to kill his first-born.

One question was answered for me, however: Peter’s abilities are natural. It seemed obvious from the convo that Mama and Papa had, where Mama was saying something about the man Peter would become once he came into his own. I think that’s why Papa, however, manages not to really care about Nathan — his firstborn was too weak to have natural abilities, had to be enhanced.

We now have the whole setup for this war between the Heroes, though. Papa’s side – not so good. Mama, who always seemed to be a really mean lady, appears to be the good guy, so to speak, in all this. Surprise, surprise.

Not everything else was at it appeared, either.

OK, usual caveat – don’t read if you didn’t watch. Didn’t watch? Go away. Come back some other time.

First off, WHEW. I was exceptionally relieved that Hiro didn’t actually kill Ando. I shouldn’t have doubted him that way. Even at his most suspicious, Hiro has always loved Ando, and he’s treating his best friend like he used to: A partner, not an appendage.

That was some clever thinking on his part, too. A fake sword and fake blood? Nice job, Hero Hiro!

Of course, he doesn’t get exactly what he wanted to out of the play acting, either — he doesn’t get to meet his purported new bosses right away; he has to go to Africa first to capture a precog — i.e., someone who can see Hiro’s every move before he makes it.

Sorry I’m a day late, but I don’t believe my review of Monday night’s ep will be a dollar short. (First off: Don’t read if you didn’t watch, etc.)

There were several jaw-droppers, I thought, in the episode, not least of all the BIG one — Hiro kills Ando?

I know, you thought I was going to say that the big one was Matt’s dad making folks see Linderman and THEN finding out that Papa Petrelli is actually giving Matt’s dad orders.

And while that was a surprise, you can’t tell me that until the second Ando slumped onto the floor, seemingly dead, that you didn’t believe Hiro would find some way to save his best buddy. But Hiro is blinded by the thought of being a hero (which is exactly why the formula is out there in the world now anyhow – Hiro couldn’t stand the thought of having to be at a desk for the rest of his life, so he disobeyed his father’s dying request/order) that he believed Ando’s death was justified if it meant being able to save the world.

At least we now know why Ando would turn against Hiro to the point of trying to take his life. The question is: Who finds Ando and saves him? The Mama Petrelli faction or the Papa Petrelli faction?

It seemed so obvious in the two-hour premiere this season, that some of our heroes had become evil, while others remained good.

What was not so apparent, in retrospect, was exactly which ones are the evil ones and which are good.

Even after watching last night’s mind-twisting hour (complete with nuclear explosion, what, just halfway through???), that remains up for grabs, but I’m starting to think the obvious wasn’t so…

What? I didn’t do a spoiler alert? C’mon. It’s the day after the show, I really didn’t think I needed to … Fine. If you didn’t watch, don’t read. There. Happy now?

Thanks. I can get on with things now.

First, I want to apologize. Last week, I said Hiro & Ando were trapped on Level 5. I was incorrect, I noted last night: They are on Level 2. The primary differences appear to be that Level 5 has no air ducts, individual cells and big glass windows so Mama Petrelli and HRG can watch the mutants. On Level 2? Air ducts in the cells with covers that can be pulled out if you catch a belt buckle in them just right, very small windows on the doors and room for two per cell. (Maybe more.)

OK, first I have this to say: How awesome am I that I almost sorta kinda figured out the Nikki plotline? (By the way, do I even need to say that if you didn’t watch, don’t keep reading? I do? OK: STOP READING NOW IF YOU DIDN’T WATCH. OK, got that out of the way.)

So, Tracey’s not Nikki and Nikki is truly, madly, deeply … dead. In the coffin and everything.

But never fear, Micah can talk to machines and was able to inform Tracey that she and his mommy were born on the same day … in the same hospital … delivered by (dun dun DUN!!!!) the same doctor. Dr. Zimmerman.

Awww, Micah hugs his mom’s clone twin. Creepy.

I was glad they didn’t drag out the whole “is she or isn’t she” storyline like some other shows are wont to do. (Look, I’m a huge Lost fan, but they’re killing me! And don’t even get me started on the identity of the final Cylon.)

But I admit I was a bit surprised, and then not so much, when Doctor Zimmerman informs Tracey that she’s his creation. So are the Nikki/Tracey/Jessica line a series of clones? Or were they actual twins whose abilities were implanted in some way?

I’ve been a Heroes fan from the start, being the X-Men fangirl that I am.

Last season, like most, I was dreadfully disappointed with the slow pace it took. I didn’t mind the plot arc overall (but what did ever happen to Peter’s girlfriend trapped in that alternate future with the plague?), but rather how freakin’ slow it went.

If last night was any indication, Season 3 will not suffer from that malaise.

Granted, we were treated to two full hours (sorry, I don’t watch “countdown to” shows unless it’s for Battlestar Galactica) of twists and turns that left me with whiplash. And seldom have I been so pleased to get whiplash.

There was quite a bit to digest, so I’m not going to do a start-to-finish recap. After the jump, I’ll discuss the high points and some theories I came up with last night. The theories can’t be considered spoilers, seeing as I have no inside knowledge and I quite often make completely erroneous assumptions about my favorite shows. There are tons of spoilers, though, if you didn’t watch both hours, so don’t bother clicking on “read more” if you didn’t.

Ready? See you after the jump.

I’ve seen the Heroes season premiere, and it is good. Very good.

If you’re on the fence about this show after last season, if it’s been so long you can’t remember whether you liked this show or why, or if you’re a Heroes diehard who never doubted and never thought you’d survive a 10-month hiatus, you will be blown away by its Sept. 22 return.

The sneak preview I enjoyed last night reaffirmed for me that this show, at its best, is very, very good. It’s not perfect, but it exceeds expectations. And expectations, rightfully, are very high for a marquee show with as fat a budget and as big a following as this one.

Last year’s writers strike was almost merciful, given the sophomore slump suffered by showrunner Tim Kring & Co. (He even apologized!) Dawdling storylines like that of Maya and her twin brother and overexposure of characters like Hiro, whose act wears thin at times, kept the second time from being much of a charm.

Well, season 3 looks like it’ll get off to a very strong start. Sure, some minor annoyances persist. Hiro still seems like he’s written for the 9-15 demographic. Peter Petrelli, too, and can he brood any more?

I won’t reveal any key spoilers or plot points, but I will talk after the jump about a few surprises, so be warned. Read more of this entry »

Earlier this week, I wrote about “Chuck” star Zachary Levi hosting NBC’s upcoming prime-time preview special. For the special, which is supposed to be broadcast on network and Internet affiliates starting Aug. 30, he’s showing off some of the network’s new shows and teasing returning series.

With a little snooping around, I was able to track down what appears to be a leaked version of the “Chuck” segment from that special more than two weeks before it officially airs.

Scroll a little more than halfway down this page on io9.com and search for the video that appears just under the phrase “And here’s the EPK for Chuck.” While there’s not much content that hadn’t already been revealed at Comic-Con, it’s still two minutes of rough-cut excellence. Just above that Electronic Press Kit are a couple of other promo videos unseen by this blogger. Same situation; previously released content re-edited for new commercials.

That i09.com post has a bunch of videos pertaining to fall sci-fi series, including “Knight Rider,” “Heroes” and “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.” And another post from that science fiction fan site has spoilers for upcoming “Chuck” Webisodes. Perhaps the NBC powers that be were inspired by the Internet traffic generated by the Web-only mini-mini-miniseries for both “The Office” and “Heroes.”

According to io9, “The good news: Unlike the Heroes webisodes, they actually feature the regular cast of Chuck (but not Chuck himself, as far as I can tell.) The other good news: They’re actually pretty great.” Employees of Buy More—Morgan, Lester, Jeff and Casey—have been tabbed for the Webisodes, according to the site. Good times.

(Photo courtesy of NBC.com.)

In keeping with the episode title format of NBC’s “Chuck,” call this scenario “Chuck vs. the Other Networks.”

Zachary Levi, who deftly plays the dramedy’s charmingly nerdy title character, will be hosting NBC’s prime-time preview special across the network’s broadcast and online platforms from Aug. 30 to Sept. 28. And in this blogger’s humble opinion, there couldn’t be a better choice.

With the proliferation of the Internet, cable networks and other entertainment sources in recent years, it’s no secret that networks these days have a short leash for new series that struggle to find large audiences. (See ABC’s “Emily’s Reasons Why Not”… because no one else did! Hiyo!) Back when “Seinfeld” struggled to find an audience for The Peacock, networks could exhibit more patience in the hope that word of mouth would not only keep a show afloat but, in time, deliver a ratings champion. But it’s no longer the ‘90s, and networks that fail to land quick hits often pull the plug, leaving audiences disappointed by premature cancellation and more wary than ever to dedicate the time to newer series.

Which brings us back to Levi, “Chuck,” the preview special and NBC’s classy gamble. In having Levi host the show, it’s essentially dedicating a half-hour of subliminal advertising to “Chuck,” which was on the bubble as far as second-season pickups were concerned. For its fall preview special a few years ago, NBC showed similar faith in handing over hosting duties to the stars of another show on the ropes: “The Office,” which since has become a critical darling and modest success in the Nielsens. Here’s hoping “Chuck” receives the same boost.

Of course, “The NBC Primetime Preview” will do more than offer “an exclusive backstage look” at new series like “My Own Worst Enemy” (starring Christian Slater), “Kath & Kim” (Molly Shannon and Selma Blair) and “Crusoe” (Philip Winchester and Sam Neill). It’ll also show off some teasers for returning series (“The Office,” “30 Rock,” “Heroes,” “Life,” et al.).

The special’s being offered to all of NBC’s broadcast and Internet affiliates and will even be shown on “selected United Airlines flights.” Chuck’s flown a helicopter, after all, so I suppose that works.

NBC’s premiere week officially kicks off Sept. 22.

(Photo courtesy of NBC.com.)

This is going to be a video-packed, catch-up post on the Heroes Webisodes, which launched July 14. A new one is going up every Monday, so parts 1 and 2 are up right here.

The first thing that struck me is that unlike The Office Webisodes, these are a lot like the real show. Yes, they suffer from the same time constraint that makes any kind of plot development or subtlety out of the question.

That said, you get all the elements of a new hero introduction that you would expect from the primetime series. They’re intense, a little suspenseful and right off the bat you identify with and feel for Echo, the mailman whose bark is worse than any dog’s bite.

And while the first installment opens with a seemingly cliched dog-chases-mailman opening, you do get the sense that Echo is decent. He doesn’t want to hurt the dog, even though it’s his cliched mortal enemy. But when The Company comes calling, he’s happy to unleash his pipes.

Does anyone else think the Constrictor looks like the lead singer from Midnight Oil? No? OK then.

Check out the videos and a plot breakdown after the jump. (And no Kristen Bell isn’t in the Webisodes, I just like that photo, courtesy of NBC Universal.)

I’ll admit it. I’ve never seen an episode of “Lost.”

I know, people tell me it’s amazing. I’m also fiercely intimidated by joining a complicated show so late in its run, which is why it took me so long to give “Deadwood” a try—and wow, I’m glad I did. But I’m also unmotivated to catch up on a series with season after season on DVD, especially when that honor is currently bestowed on “The Wire.” I just finished the fourth episode of Season 2, when Freamon looks 10 years younger than he does in Season 5 and Daniels is slowly working his way up the po-lice ladder. And it’s fantastic, obviously.

But there’s no disputing the powerful, almost cult-like fan base of “Lost.” One friend of mine only watches one show with any regularity and it’s “Lost.” And even people who feel like the show has lost its footing still watch it every week, much like fans of “The Sopranos” would complain that it would never live up to the quality of its first two seasons, but watched all the way through to the end for fear they’d miss something groundbreaking. (Insert joke about that series finale here.)

For a cliffhanger show like “Lost,” the stakes for season finales are much higher than, say, “30 Rock” (which I love, by the way). So when crazy things happened and new twists were revealed—can you tell I didn’t see it?—a heckuva lot of you (31 percent of voters) seemed to like what happened and voted accordingly in the latest Remote Access poll, deeming it the best season finale among fall series we regularly cover on this blog.

Placing second with 26 percent of the vote was “Jericho,” which filmed two endings and wound up using the one that worked more as a series finale.

Placing third (too low!) with 8 percent of the vote was the finale of “The Office,” which was by far the best episode of Season 4 and featured a command performance by “Wire” veteran Amy Ryan, as evidenced by this classic one-minute snippet when she endears herself to Michael and millions of “Office” fans:

Tied for fourth were the finales for “Heroes” and “House,” with 6 percent of the vote. Find out the rest of the results—and our latest poll—after the break. Read more of this entry »

Despite the fact that so many of the shows we follow on this blog involve killing people and blowing things up, many of our favorite actors and actresses are vegetarians.

PETA is holding its annual Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity contest, and here’s the stars from Remote Access shows who are in the running (sorry if I missed anyone!) — and you can vote for one woman and one man, so you can choose your favorite two:

The women

The men

NBC’s fall slate is out, confirming among other things that The Office returns Sept. 25.

30 Rock doesn’t return until Oct. 30, more than a month later, to make room for prime-time, election-editions of Saturday Night Live on Oct. 9, 16 and 23.

Other highlights include Heroes’s three-hour premiere (which includes an hour-long compilation show) Sept. 22, the Oct. 9 debut of Kath & Kim (9:30 p.m. ET) and the relaunch of Knight Rider Sept. 24 (8 p.m. ET). Entertainment chief Ben Silverman unveiled the lineup today.

Chuck returns (Thankfully!) Sept. 29 (8 p.m. ET) and leads into Christian Slater’s new show, My Own Worst Enemy 10 p.m. ET).

Kath & Kim,” starring Molly Shannon and Selma Blair, replaces Scrubs —which jumped to ABC—on Thursdays. Reality hit The Biggest Loser launches with a two-hour Families edition, filling the America’s Got Talent slot on Tuesdays.

America’s Toughest Jobs jumps its Summer 2009 scheduled debut with a two-hour episode on Sept. 12 (8 p.m. ET). Check local listings. Its schedule is zany. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (10 p.m. ET) starts its 10th season Sept. 23. Read more of this entry »

And from what I’ve read, Mohinder is no longer the narrator, which should make the show 40 percent less annoying. Now all we need is for Sylar to corner Claire alone in a dark alley.

Check out this promo. I’m pretty sure if you look close you’ll see Peter labeled a villain. It can only make him more likable.

As much as I love covering “Top Chef,” which is just past its seasonal halfway point, and “American Idol,” which is coming down the home stretch, I’m looking forward to blogging more regularly about some scripted TV, specifically “Chuck,” which returns this fall.

Filming for the fall begins next Friday and, to TV Guide, the Intersect and his buddies will return to TV for 13 consecutive new episodes this fall. Nice.

Zachary Levi revealed the date to resume filming to TV Guide, but not much else about Season 2. “I have a huge mouth, so if they tell me anything, we’re screwed,” he told a TV guide reporter.

“Heroes” is expected to receive the same treatment of 13 straight new eps this fall, according to the mag.

Now, I know I’ve been critical of NBC for deciding to wait until the fall to bring the show back while allowing more established comedies (“The Office” and “30 Rock,” for example) to return for a mini-season shortly after the conclusion of the writers’ strike. But while “The Office” and “30 Rock” are critical darlings that have devout, passionate and may I say extremely intelligent fans, post-strike ratings for those shows went from strong to wrong once “Grey’s Anatomy” and “CSI” returned with new episodes. “The Office” dropped 21 percent from its season high (earned May 1) while “30 Rock” posted its “lowest-rated episode this season,” according to Entertainment Weekly. Blerg.

Perhaps the NBC execs had a point when they decided to wait a bit; “Chuck’s” ratings were slowly building an audience and collected some momentum in the fall. Bringing it back too soon only to cut it short again for summer break might have crippled any chance for the show to build or even retain its humble ratings, meaning all but certain cancelation.

What should we expect for Chuck version season 2.0? And will “Chuck” fans ever see an appearance by Natalie Martinez, who may or may not have been tabbed to play Chuck’s steady girlfriend, thus completing a love triangle with him and Sarah? Plus more teasers, minor spoilers and photos await for “Chuck” fanatics after the break. Read more of this entry »

Well, not quite, but FHM has its annual list of the 100 sexiest women of 2008, and at least 14 15 of them are familiar to our blog’s faithful readers:

90. Summer Glau (Cameron, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles)
83. Jenna Fischer (Pam, The Office)
73. Carrie Underwood (American Idol)
63. Grace Park (The Eights/Sharons, Battlestar Galactica)
49. Katherine Heigl (Dr. Isobel ‘Izzie’ Stevens, Grey’s Anatomy)
41. Kristin Kreuk (Lana Lang, Smallville)
38. Katherine McPhee (American Idol)
37. Evangeline Lilly (Kate, Lost)
24. Kristen Bell (Elle, Heroes)
19. Ali Larter (Niki Sanders & Co., Heroes)
15. Erica Durance (Lois Lane, Smallville)
11. Hayden Panettiere (Claire Bennett, Heroes)
9. Blake Lively (Serena van der Woodsen, Gossip Girl)
8. Tricia Helfer (The Sixes, Battlestar Galactica)
4. Elisha Cuthbert (Kim Bauer, 24)

That’s more than 10 percent of the list accounted for. Hey! Where’s the 100 sexiest men of 2008?? (And isn’t April/May kind of early in the year for this sort of listing?)

A week and a half ago, Jenna Fischer, who plays Pam on “The Office,” and Brad Beyer, who plays Stanley on “Jericho,” were deadlocked among Remote Access readers who voted in a poll to determine the supporting actor “most crucial” to his/her show.

After a tie of 171 votes apiece, Fischer broke away from Beyer and claimed the honor. She finished with 222 votes; Beyer claimed 203. (Photo of Jenna Fischer courtesy of NBC/Universal.)

Like last week’s results, actors from their shows also filled the poll’s next two slots: Rainn Wilson (92 votes), Dwight on “The Office,” and reader-submitted Skeet Ulrich (73 votes), Jake on “Jericho.” (I’d still contend that Ulrich is a lead actor, but it’s an interesting poll trend regardless.)

Rounding out the top 10 were Michael Emerson as Ben on “Lost” (43 votes); Robert Sean Leonard as Wilson on “House, M.D.” (36 votes); Tricia Helfer as Number Six on “Battlestar Galactica” (32 votes); Summer Glau as Cameron on “Terminator: The Sarah Conor Chronicles” (25 votes); Masi Oka as Hiro on “Heroes” (18 votes); and Allison Mack as Chloe on “Smallville” (17 votes).

Our new poll, in the right margin of this page, is all about elbow grease: Who is the hardest-working TV personality? We’ve even given you a few suggestions to get you started.

From “Lost” to “Cloverfield,” it seems like JJ Abrams is everywhere these days. “Daily Show” alumnus Steve Carell rocks “The Office” and is an A- or B-list movie star at this point. “Saturday Night Live” alumna Tina Fey is the MVP writer/producer/star of “30 Rock” and also has movie cred with “Mean Girls” and “Baby Mama.” Ryan Seacrest hosts “American Idol,” the Emmys, “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” his own radio show, E! newscasts, “American Top 40” and pretty much everything that needs an emcee. And Oprah Winfrey’s talk show continues to rule and her presence extends into prime time, politics and international charity work.

As we like to do here at Remote Access, we’re giving you the option to submit your own nominations as well. So feel free to do so. Remember: We’re looking for people who got their start and/or are best known for their contribution to television. Movie stars making a TV cameo now and then shouldn’t count. Vote, vote, vote!

Check out the rest of the results of the supporting actor poll after the break.

This unrelated photo of Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), courtesy NBC Universal, is from the April 24 episode “Night Out”. It’s my blog and I felt like including it. So there.

Well now NBC is announcing that Heroes and Chuck are slated for their own series of online shorts come July. Additional chapters of Webisodes for each show will roll out throughout the season, the network says. The Office Webisodes, dubbed “The Accountants” won an onlin Emmy for the 10-installment saga of a missing $3,000.
In less exciting news, 30 Rock 360 will launch, bringing the same kind of zany fun (i.e. excruciatingly un-fun) that we’ve already seen for The Office and Heroes.

I was skeptical of The Office 360 when I first heard about it a year ago, and Dunder Mifflin Infinity, as it became to be known, fell short of even my lowest expectations. In this case you might be thinking, “It’s 30 Rock-related. How could it not be fun?” I thought the same thing about The Office and was painfully wrong.