In the episode, “Chuck vs. The Hack Off” we learn that Chuck is much more than the Intersect, he’s got crazy computer skills (even without the Intersect) and he uses them to bypass security systems allowing the team to infiltrate and grab the computer super virus, the Omen virus. It’s a great episode to explain why Chuck can be a spy even without having his brain hijacked. It also explains why he was able to be a great spy without the crazy training that other agents had to go through.

While I don’t have great hacking skills I often feel like Chuck when I start a new job. I usually was the person to fix the computer problems or make a program work. Once, one of the people working me said, “all your problems today have been solved by Tabz, a computer and God.” It’s something that’s happened ever since I went to college. As I was moving in to my dorm one of the upper classmen was making a terrible row. When I investigated I found out that she couldn’t save a file to a disk (yes, back when we had disks). I did it for her in two seconds flat and became the best person since Santa Clause. It was highly amusing. So, I may not be able to go head to head with Chuck like the episode, but I do think I’d be happy with a place on the Nerd Herd team.

It was one of my favorite episodes of Season 5 and I wish we would have seen more of Chuck’s computer skills at work during the show.

Want Chuck Season 6 on DVD? Use the  promo code  (c5wbwrd) to score 20% off + free shipping  from wbshop.com

The season 2 finale of Rizzoli and Isles was so explosive, I can’t wait for June 5th when Season 3 starts. In this episode we find our two main characters at odds over Maura’s father. Most of the time the differences between Jane and Maura are what make them stronger together, but this time it has driven them apart. It’s going to be interesting to see how they repair their friendship in season 3 and I hope that it’s not one easy quick fix (which, based on how Season 1 and Season 2 have gone, I don’t think it will be).
Are you ready for season 3? It starts Tuesday, June 5th at 9/8c on TNT. If not, you can pre-order the DVD here: http://bit.ly/ISlEkF

Rizzoli & Isles Season Two on DVD
I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote Rizzoli & Isles Season Two on DVD.

Warning: This Post Contains SPOILERS for the Series Finale (Season 5).

One of my favorite quotes about series finales actually comes from the Season 5 finale of Supernatural. In it, Chuck (not this Chuck, the “prophet” and writer of books featuring Sam and Dean) says one of my favorite lines about writing:

Endings are hard. Any chapped-ass monkey with a keyboard can poop out a beginning, but endings are impossible. You try to tie up every loose end, but you never can. The fans are always gonna bitch. There’s always gonna be holes. And since it’s the ending, it’s all supposed to add up to something. I’m telling you, they’re a raging pain in the ass.

The reason I love this quote is because it mitigates some of the fan hatred of series finales. With rare exceptions, I’m never entirely satisfied with the series finales of TV shows. I think most of the time it’s because what I thought the show was about doesn’t jive with the finale. For example, I didn’t hate the finale of Lost. It did resonate with the message of the show: we’re all connected and it’s kind of weird how we are all connected and maybe there’s something that’s driving that connection.

In the season finale of Chuck, Sarah and our good hearted hero find themselves sitting on a beach side by side. It’s a bittersweet moment because it reflects the pilot episode where Chuck is the one sitting on the beach and is kind of lost. Sarah comes to him and explains how his life has now changed because he is the intersect. Now, at the series finale, it’s Sarah who is lost. Her memories are gone and Chuck is pained, but resolute that everything is going to work out and, at Sarah’s request, he tells her everything about their lives together. The audience has been waiting for the moment when Sarah’s memories return the entire episode. But, even after Chuck’s heartfelt and adorable moments trying to win Sarah back, she’s not there.

Then Chuck says that Morgan has a crazy idea that if they kiss, everything will come back. A magical kiss, Sarah says. The two kiss, one of those “Princess Bride” kind of kisses, and that’s where the episode ends. There’s the implication that Chuck is right, that everything is going to be fine and that Sarah’s memories will be restored, but it’s not explicit. Yet, despite the bittersweetness of the episode, it’s classicly Chuck. The adorable geek, with the heart of gold, who falls in love with a spy who thought she could never love. And, the romance is helped by Chuck’s best friend, Morgan, who is goofy and crazy, but usually right. In the end, the resolution resounded with the message – sometimes when we expect victory, we get defeat, but good friends and love win out every time. That’s the show I fell in love with back before the Pilot even aired and that’s the show I’m going to miss.
Want to relive Season 5? Order now at the WB shop and use the promo code(c5wbwrd) to get  20% off + free shipping: http://bit.ly/HCQtVe

I have been hired by Warner Bros WBWord division to raise awareness for ‘Chuck.

In Season 2 of Rizzoli and Isles we get to see a lot more of Rizzoli’s past coming back to her. In the episode “Seventeen Ain’t So Sweet,” Jane’s first reason for going to her high school reunion is Casey, a sweet and sexy love interest, but when she finds out he is not going to the reunion she tries not to be crushed. In steps her awesome friend, Maura who vows to protect her from the “mean girls” who tormented her in high school.

And it’s a good thing Jane does, because soon after she meets up with everyone Steve, who had been asking her several times at the reunion to call him, is murdered.

In the end, Jane really sees how the popular mean girls’ lives were pretty awful, the classic “high school doesn’t matter” twist that many shows get, but it’s classic because it feels so true. Even though I was homeschooled I had runins with “mean girls” and now, as I look at their lives, I wonder why I even cared what they thought of me. They’ve pushed out most of their significant relationships, they struggle with the ones they have left, and they’re living each day as if it’s a show (which, personally, I’d find exhausting). Not that I’m happy their lives have to be like this, on the contrary it makes me sad. But it’s really interesting how the troupe can often resonate in real life (of course, this isn’t always the case).

Jane’s reliving of her rough time in high school gives her perspective into the crimes committed and, ultimately, herself. It was a super fun episode that I can’t wait to watch now that the DVDs are coming out! I’m hoping to have a good marathon of Rizzoli & Isles Season 2 before the premire of season 3 on June 5th at 9/8c on TNT.

You can pick up your own copy of Rizzoli and Isles Season 2 on DVD here: http://bit.ly/ISlEkF

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote Rizzoli & Isles Season Two on DVD. Preorder the DVD, available 5/22!

LOS ANGELES – May 14, 2012 – Ian Somerhalder wore a pair of John Varvatos shades yesterday while doing some shopping in Soho! The Vampire Diaries hunk wore a pair of John Varvatos V779 in Crystal ($220)! www.johnvarvatos.com

In the episode of Chuck, Chuck Versus the Santa Suit, things get a little out of hand with Christmas shopping at the Buy More. This panic just so happened to be caused by a computer virus, but it doesn’t take something so drastic to make holiday shopping a perilous event.

I once worked in a store that had a different toy sale every couple of weeks leading up to the holiday season. $0.99, $2.49, $5.99, and $9.99 were the different sales. These toys were extremely discounted, and people went absolutely nuts over them. The line would start outside a couple hours before the store opened, then when the doors were open the hoard of people would run down the aisle to the toy department. Here they would just start grabbing whatever they could and loading up their bags or shopping cart. After the initial craziness, they would choose an aisle of the store and sort through what they had grabbed to decide what they wanted. Sometimes there were fights. I always wondered why some people would bring their children to this event as they would usually get lost in the crowd. Ah, the joys of holiday shopping.

You can see it doesn’t take anything out of the ordinary to turn holiday shoppers into a sort of zombie shopping creature. Instead of “brains” they crave “deals.” Have you ever been involved in the holiday shopping craziness?

Buy Chuck Season 5 on Blu Ray or DVD to watch this episode and all the rest: http://bit.ly/HCQtVe. If you buy it from the WB Shop you can use this code c5wbwrd to get 20% off + free shipping from wbshop

Do you love Chuck? Check out this really awesome “Thank You” the Cast of Chuck did!

In the final season of Chuck they tackled the real life situation of a best friend radically changing in a very unique way. Chuck and Morgan were written as the ultimate bromance. They had been best friends from childhood and inseparable, but at the end of Season 4 Morgan is implanted with the intersect (which seemed like an awesome plot twist), but in episode 3 of Season 5 – it goes horribly wrong. The implant changes Morgan and challenge’s Chuck’s friendship.

It was kind of hard to watch those struggles because it reminded me so vividly of my best friend in high school. When things changed between us there wasn’t a TV style fix like there was for Chuck and Morgan. It profoundly impacted me and it took me a long time to forgive. Even today it’s painful to think of because it left me feeling entirely alone.

Thankfully, Chuck and Morgan are able to repair the damage to their own relationship (which, as a viewer, made me very happy). There’s something about prolonged tension between lead characters that just makes me turn off a TV show. I want friends to stay friends – not fight internally.

Chuck is one of my all time favorite TV shows and I’m glad it was able to have a complete story arch, strained relationship and all.

Have you picked up Season 5 of Chuck on DVD or BluRay? Check it out here: http://bit.ly/HCQtVe

I have been hired by Warner Bros WBWord division to raise awareness for ‘Chuck’.

I’m horrible when it comes to taking care of my clothes. I dump them all in together, wash them cold and HATE ironing. SO I was very excited when I was offered “The FabricCare Guide” by costume designer, Janie Bryant, who is best known for her work on Mad Men.

The guide is a beautifully illustrated book with illustrations and pictures of garments from the show. There’s even tiny fabric swatches! If you want first class advice on how to take care of your own clothes like a pro (or just want a really fun Mad Men tie in) check out the downloadable guide here: www.downywrinklereleaser.com/janiebryant.  There’s also a coupon there so you can try Downy’s Wrinkle Releaser for yourself.

“One thing I’ve always been passionate about is how important presentation is to having great style,” said Bryant. “Looking pressed and polished is often just as important as what you’re wearing and the best way to pull off that look is to know how to take great care of your clothing.”

The advice is tied in with Downy’s new Wrinkle Releaser. For folks like me who hate ironing it’s a welcome relief. You simply spray on, tug and smooth out the serious wrinkles and hang it up. Obviously it’s not a last minute product (unless you’re willing to go out with a damp shirt or pants), but it is a nice alternative to ironing. I used it on a skirt that I had forgotten to hang up immediately out of the dryer and it reduced the visible wrinkles pretty quickly (and I didn’t burn anything down). And, the plus side is it smells great!

I also received a bottle of Bounce’s new ironing spray. It acts like starch, but without the annoying smell or flakes you sometimes get from starching your clothes and ironing. For the times that I do have to iron I’m happy to have this around.

Both are available at big box retailers like Target and Walmart or check your local grocery store.

I received  free samples of Bounce Ironing Spray and Downey Wrinkle Release along with a hard copy of “The FabricCare Guide” for free, but all opinions are my own and I do my best to give my honest, amazingly insightful review of any free products I receive.

I love when TV shows are allowed the season to wrap everything up, especially a long running show like One Tree Hill. Going into the season knowing it’s going to be the last one allows the writers to really bring story lines full circle. In Season 9 of One Tree Hill a lot of the past catches up with our characters. Clay finds out he has a six year old son, Brooke has to deal with X being out on parole, and Dan has to deal with his past crimes.

Past choices always influence the future, which is part of why I love the writing One Tree Hill was able to do in this final season. Good choices, bad choices, whatever you do has a way of coming back around. Back in 2009, I had a dental procedure that cost way too much and I could barely afford it (and that was with a job), but I paid the bill anyway. Now I have a $200 credit that I didn’t know I have and they’re mailing me a check! See, the past caught up with me, but it was a good result!

Want to see the end of One Tree Hill? It’s out on DVD and availble here: http://bit.ly/GCYbxt

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote One Tree Hill Season Nine on DVD.

If you’re anything like me, you are EAGERLY waiting for Joss Whedon’s Avengers. Ever since I saw the fairly short clip at the end of Captain America I’ve been counting down the days until Avengers. Fandango is offering a special treat if you preorder your tickets through them for the movie. They did the same thing with Hunger Games and I loved downloading my free song. So head on over and buy your advance tickets to The Avengers and get a free song download on iTunes!

Fandango is also sponsoring a Twitter party in celebration of the Avengers! Join Fandango’s The Avengers Twitter Party to win awesome prizes!

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Amazing Spider-Man' theatrical standee art (Photo: Columbia Pictures)

If you’re eagerly awaiting the new Spider-Man movie, you might want to head on over to Yahoo! Movies and check out their exclusive interview with The Amazing Spider-Man director, Mark Webb.

You can check the whole interview out here. Here’s a preview to whet your appetite:

On Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone’s instant chemistry:

“We screen tested them together, and she’s very funny and really quick and snappy.  I remember the first time we screen tested them — I don’t think they’d met before, really — and he took a minute for him to get back up to speed with her because she was so funny. And then they really brought out really great parts of the other’s performance. Of course, it was there, and that’s why we cast that dynamic. It was really great to watch it on screen.”

The trickiest element of Spider-Man’s world from the comics to capture on screen:

“To create something that’s funny and whimsical, but also has real emotional stakes.  That’s the real tricky part is to make it all feel grounded even though he is doing something, even though he’s swinging through the streets and he can do things that no other human can do.  But still give him a hard time when he’s relating to his aunt or his girlfriend, and all those dumb little things that we all have to deal with when you don’t have that mask on.  I think reconciling those two universes was tricky, but I think that people really react to it.”

The film takes Peter Parker back to high school.  Why the high school setting is important for the Peter Parker character:

There’s an adolescent quality to a lot of the “Spider-Man” [comics] that I liked, that is really important in terms of the DNA of the character.  He’s like an imperfect guy.  You know what I’m mean? He is a kid, and he’s always kind of making mistakes, and he is not so sure about himself all the time.  I felt like the authentic place to start that was in high school. And I think there’s something about the way you feel about the world at that age that makes things much more raw, and I thought that was really fun to explore more cinematically.

Conflict. There wouldn’t be a good story if it wasn’t for conflict. One of the major points of conflict in TV shows is the challenges that characters have to overcome. In One Tree Hill, Season 9 found characters that we’ve watched for nine years face some very grownup challenges like raising children and some very interesting challenges like Clay sleepwalking and missing periods of time! While I haven’t personally gone through either of those challenges yet, but I do appreciate that not everything is sweetness and light in One Tree Hill. Even in the more unrealistic situations it’s always inspiring when characters overcome challenges that face them. If Brooke can overcome some of her life crap and get married and have kids, it seems easier to be able to face your own challenges.

My current challenges are fairly small in the grand scheme of things. Mostly the revolve around getting my large list of TO DOs done with limited finances and a large range of tasks to do. Some days it seems like everything is working against me getting stuff done and other days I just want to quit, but I know that it’ll be all worth it in the long run.

You can relive all of the challenges in One Tree Hill by buying the Season 9 on DVD and UltraViolet: http://bit.ly/GCYbxt

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote One Tree Hill Season Nine on DVD.

Image Sources: Spoiler TV & http://fuckyeah-treehill.tumblr

I Love TV shirt is available at redbubble.com (click picture to see)

Every so often I have an epiphany about myself and other people. It’s usually one of those, “hey not everyone thinks the same way I do.” This one came to be awhile ago, but the other day in conversation with my friend Lisa we started discussing it. We’re real fans of TV. The big difference between how we watch TV and how other people watch TV? We know writers, producers, actors and their real names. It seems like a small thing (and sometimes I really screw up names because I have a real hard time remembering anyone’s name), but I’ve always been really interested in the writer names on TV shows. Stephen J. Cannell was one of the first ones I remember learning when I was a kid. I knew Rick Berman from Star Trek and Paul Gross from Due South. I understood their importance in making the shows I was watching and it still kind of surprises me when people don’t know the names behind their favorite show.

But, I love TV. I love episodic storytelling. Movies are too short. Just as I get immersed in the story, it’s over. I think I’ve seen more movies this year than I have in a long while (and it’s like five). Books are great, but there’s a length and interest problem there. But, like Golidlocks in the Three Bears house I find TV “just right.”

My parents can tell you that my love affair with TV started at an early age. I used to be so glued to the TV that they couldn’t get my attention while I watched. Seaseme Street sucked me in and wouldn’t let go. The thrall has continued and is helped along by Netflix, Hulu and other devices to watch TV on. It’s more than mindless entertainment, my friends and I spend hours discussing it, dissecting it, quoting from it, and learning from it. Yes, learning. I worked through a lot of my own personal issues by watching them played out by characters on TV. As David Grenwalt once said (about writing) at a Paleyfest panel, “there’s nothing like taking all your pain and putting it in the mouths of pretty people.” The same can be true of watching it on TV.

So yes, this my love ode to the television format of entertainment. I hope that scripted TV lives long and prospers.

One Tree Hill may have just finished airing, but the Season 9 DVD is available for purchase! One of the best reasons for buying TV on DVD is the extra features. For the final season of One Tree Hill there’s a ton of great content that I’m really looking forward to exploring. The Complete Ninth Season of One Tree Hilll also features 2 hours of fan favorite extra content. Included in the content are 3 all-new featurettes, a full-length commentary, unaired scenes and a hilarious gag reel.

I always love when a TV show gives thanks to the fans of the show and there’s one featurette listed on the DVD called The Fans of One Tree Hill. I’m hoping it really explores the large fanbase the show had and some of the cool things the fans have done over the years.

I’m also excited to see some of the extra unaired scenes. Often those extra scenes of TV shows really bring some fun/in depth moments that were missed. Or you can see why they were cut out and how differently the story might have played out with them.

Relive the crazy and exciting moments like this one:

Purchase Season 9 of One Tree Hill on DVD now: http://bit.ly/GCYbxt

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote One Tree Hill Season Nine on DVD

I’ll admit, I was dubious about watching this show. I only had a vague idea of the premise, despite seeing the billboards all over town. In a way, I’m very glad I didn’t know much about the show when I first sat down to watch the episodes available in advance on HuluPlus (and iTunes).

I already knew of Krysten Ritter’s brilliance from her role in Veronica Mars and have heard of her amazingness on Breaking Bad. If it wasn’t for Krysten I probably wouldn’t have tried out the show. Of course, there’s a lot of talent that’s gone into creating this series. Krysten’s co-star is Dreama Walker (Gossip Girl, The Good WifeDollhouse. The show was created by Nahnatchka Khan, who wrote for American Dad! and produced by Jason Winer (one of the well-known directors from Modern Family).

My favorite part of the show? James Van Der Beek, who plays a himself in a fake comedic way that will keep you in stitches. The idea for his crazy character came from the producers seeing James Van Der Beek’s Funny or Die videos that mock his role as Dawson in Dawson’s Creek. You can see some of this awesomeness in this short clip:

If slightly irreverent, situational comedy is your cup of tea… sit down in Apartment 23 and take a swig. Just don’t trust the girl who lives there.

In celebration of the finale of One Tree Hill tomorrow, Warner Brothers sent me some amazing props from the set of One Tree Hill!

I wasn’t entirely sure what they were sending, so I was really happy when one of the props was “An Unkindness of Ravens” the fictional novel by y Lucas Scott (Chad Michael Murray’s character).  It reminds me of how Lucas fictionalized the first two years of high school, how their was an unsuccessful movie based on the book, and how Peyton obsessively collected them (later burning them when she finds out that Lucas is engaged to his publisher, Lindsey).

I seem to have a library edition (there’s call numbers on the side). Unfortunately, the book is a prop. The book inside the dust jacket is “The Tangled Mess.” The actual book may never be published, but it’s a nice memento from one of my favorite fictional writers. It would be nice if someone had written it (like Richard Castle’s books are being published for Castle).

The other items included brought up so many memories. I loved having the picture for Brooke’s fashion line “Clothes Over Bros.” The success of the company leads to many of Brooke’s growth points (like choosing cheer-leading over going to New York, realizing she’s not ready for moving into a career in high school). Of course, it reminds me how she started the company to get over Lucas (I’m sensing a theme with my props now).

I also have some campaign stickers for Lucas’ mother, Karen Roe, from her run for mayor against Dan in Season 3.

All in all it was a fun way to walk through the seasons of One Tree Hill and I can’t wait to watch the season finale. Tune in TOMORROW at 8/7c on the CW.

Want to live some more memories? Check out One Tree Hill’s website: http://www.cwtv.com/shows/one-tree-hill

I am promoting One Tree Hill on behalf of Warner Bros. WBWord division.

(photo credit: Brian Doben for Woman’s Day)

Dr. Oz, whose daytime TV show inspires millions of viewers, is on a mission to help get Americans healthier. His show attracts a largely female audience so it’s no wonder Women’s Day breaks it’s tradition of having women on the cover and has Dr. Oz for this issue instead.

There’s a lot of great information about Dr. Oz’ life, childhood, and his marriage including interview answers like these:

On being an outsider:

Every day in elementary school, I would get off the bus and kids would pick on me. I was in so many fights, I thought the principal’s office was a classroom…I thought I had to prove something because I came into an environment as an outsider…When you’ve been an outsider, you never forget what it feels like. It’s an instant and lifelong way to connect with people, especially when they’re feeling different.

Connecting with his audience:

When I started doing TV, I was a terrible communicator. I’d talk to women who had bad things happen in their lives, and I’d just jump in with answers instead of fully listening to them first…In many ways, it was about working through a lesson my wife, Lisa, has been trying to teach me throughout our marriage: You don’t fix a feeling, you hear a feeling.

Keeping his marriage strong after 27 years:

I sometimes say that in 27 years of marriage, I’ve been married to three different women, and Lisa’s been married to three different men: the student, the surgeon and the talk show host. People do change during a lifetime, and we should view this as a positive instead of panicking and backing away. We don’t want to stay static, because it’s dynamism and newness that keep attraction and a marriage strong.

For more with Dr. Oz, go to http://www.womansday.com/droz  and pick up the May issue of Woman’s Day, on newsstands April 10^th.

I’ve always been an advocate of characters that have a journey in television. Too many times characters seem to fall into a never ending loop of self-discovery and then reset back to square one. It’s frustrating at times because you want to hit them over the head and go, “hey! LEARN THIS TIME!” I’ve really been impressed on how much it matters to me while watching through Fraiser for the first time. As most sitcoms the characters seem to always default back to their original ways once the episode is over and any important, character changing moments are quickly forgotten.

That’s what I love Brooke so much on “One Tree Hill.” We’ve seen her go from fairly spirited and carefree to a mature, loving wife and mother. While I don’t entirely relate with her, I appreciate the journey she’s been on. I especially appreciate that she didn’t change overnight. Her realization that she wanted to be a great mother came slowly and we saw her develop it with taking on Samantha as a foster and then later with the birth of her own children.

It’s hard to believe it’s the end for “One Tree Hill,” but it’s reassuring to know there’s many great hours of episodes to watch again and again. Tune in for the series finale April 4th!

Preorder the Season 9 DVD, available 4/10!

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote One Tree Hill Season Nine on DVD.

We have yet to find regularity, but here we are with one of my favorite episodes of season one. Listen to see if the newbies agree…

I’m also really excited because I finally get to introduce the tangent bell, and in lieu of the IdjitCast theme I have a surprise song at the end following a promo for the hilarious Ramjack Podcast. Stay tuned!

Join Tabz, Kim, Heidi and Vampire Bill (Dan) as they discuss Season 1 Episode 12, Cloudy with a Chance of Murder. Listen as they discuss other shows, the Canada/LA/Santa Barbara connection, and the creepiest reactions to attempted high fives and fist bumps.

Join our Facebook Group and discuss Psych along with us! www.facebook.com/groups/249249268439144

I don’t know exactly what I was expecting when I started watching ABC’s Once Upon a Time, but it wasn’t this. I figured it would round out my Hulu queue, keep me entertained, but not be anymore than a 5 in my list of Fall TV shows I’m watching. For most of the first episodes it was true, but then, Jane Espenson joined.

I can’t say it’s entirely Jane’s doing that this show has rocketed up the list of one of my favorite shows to watch this season. I think a major decision to focus on the characters rather than the complex storyline was really what made the show so compelling. After all, the series is telling stories that everyone whose grown up with fairytales knows all too well, but they’re adding in enough twists and turns to keep it surprising and enough illusions to make it delightful.

For the past couple months I’ve been struggling with this idea of complex story lines. I love them myself, some of my favorite TV shows have a large mythos and big, overarching plotlines. Yet, lately it’s seemed that those shows have gone a little too crazy with the complexity. Shows like Lost, Fringe and even Eureka have bogged down telling great stories with great characters in a confusing mess of multiple time lines and alternate histories. If I, as a watcher who loves time travel and science fiction have a hard time keeping up I can only imagine what the casual viewer thinks of such shows. So I think it was in the show’s favor to scale back the complexity and move forward with the compelling characters.

Even with compelling characters, it’s hard to tell compelling stories. As a culture we’ve been hearing stories of these fairytales for hundreds and hundreds of years. So it’s up to the writers of Once Upon a Time to remain true to the stories that people love, but keep up the surprise. While not every episode is stellar the show has managed to keep me engaged and keep me guessing. The latest episodes about Little Red Riding Hood and the Mad Hatter have been pure TV magic. They’re episodes that remind you why you watch TV in the first place, to be surprised, delighted and have your expectations subverted.

So keep it up Once Upon a Time I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Join Tabz, Kim, Heidi and Dan as they discuss Season 1 Episode 11, He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, He Loves Me, Oops He’s Dead. Listen as Kim and Tabz give the best prediction EVER about the plot line of Psych.

Join our Facebook Group and discuss Psych along with us! www.facebook.com/groups/249249268439144

Aaaaand we’re back!

So sorry about the long hiatus, folks, but you may notice that this is episode 4, instead of episode 3. That episode is out there, it exists, but I’m still working on restoring some not ideal audio since the main file was lost. Who knows when that will be ready, since I’m going to move on to editing the other episodes we have recorded (the newbies want to keep watching the show, so we’re way ahead).

Please enjoy the long awaited return of IdjitCast with my first favorite episode (the why may already be apparent), Phantom Traveler. More will come soon. Seriously. I mean it this time.

~Allie

P.S. I made that gif. XD

Warning: This Article Contains Minor Spoilers for “The Hunger Games” books.

With Hunger Games fever reaching a frantic state (the movie is coming out on the 23rd), it’s been very interesting to watch the uninitiated on Facebook struggle with the phenomena. My Facebook newsfeed is full of people reading the books for the first time, borrowing them from teenage daughters, and getting lost in the first book for days. All of this epitomized in my friend Sarah’s FB status: “what’s the big deal with the Hunger Games?”

While I answered her question quickly, I’ve been chewing over the series for the past week. Having relistened to the audiobooks, watching the previews and clips, and reliving every moment of my first experience (last year) I find the question easier to answer then when I first read them. As a writer, I tried to puzzle out why the Hunger Games works. Why it’s so popular. Why I feel it should replace Twilight and Harry Potter on every kids shelf. And I’ve come to some conclusions.

For those who still haven’t caught Hunger Games fever, the triology tells the story of 16 year old Katniss Everdeen, a fabulous hunter, who lives in the dystopian future of what is the remains of the United States (now called Panem). Because of the fallout 75 years ago, when mankind nearly destroyed itself, the dictators in The Capitol keep their grip on the citizens of Panem by organizing a giant gladiatorial/ reality TV show style event every year called “The Hunger Games.” Each district sends two tributes (a boy and a girl) between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in a fight to the death. 24 kids go in, only one comes out alive. When Katniss’ little sister, Prim, is selected, she volunteers to take her place.

The Voice

The books are told in first person, narrated by the protagonist. Katniss is not a bubbly teenager though, having had to keep her family alive from a very early age (after her father dies). She’s gruff with everyone but her sister and her best friend, Gale. Even before she enters the arena for the games every day is about survival. This is why her character works. She’s a multifaceted, intriguing character. In some respects, she’s grown-up and self-reliant, in others she is decidedly still a teenage girl.  Again and again she shows the reader the conflict of her lot in life, wanting to be brave, but feeling scared;  knowing how to live with being hungry;  but wanting the delicacies the Capitol has to offer; feeling responsible for those around her; but wanting someone to take care of her.

Strong Characters

Katinss, is an extremely strong female character. She can take care of herself and those around her. She’s a bit snippy at times, but doesn’t come across as bitchy. While she accepts her physical limitations in the games, she uses her skill with a bow and her cleverness to outwit her opponents. That said, she can still admit when others are smarter or more clever than she is. Her mistrust of others is her only flaw, but it’s easy to understand given all she’s gone through in life. Without this mistrust, her character probably would not have the same hero’s journey she has throughout the trilogy.

What I love about Katniss is she’s not the only strong female character in the book. There’s Rue, the young tribute from District 11, who despite her size, scores one of the highest scores in the evaluation period before the game. There’s Foxface (Katniss couldn’t remember her name, and it’s never given in the book) whose cleverness gets her into the final 8. Even the ridiculous, pink-haired Effie Trinket has strong moments.  The men are great too. From Gale and Peeta (Katniss’ main love interests) to Haymitch (Katniss’ mentor) and Cinna (Katniss stylist).  All of them are given an emotional journey and character development that takes them far beyond their first portrayal.

Food

 It seems odd, but the Hunger Games theme is really based on food. Katniss’ life revolves around obtaining food and then clashes with the rich Capitol’s life of overindulgence then, it’s to the games where hunger is really part of the experience. In the books you can taste the food through the words alone and many of the most memorable moments center around food. Even those who haven’t struggled with being hungry can relate to the centric nature food has in our lives and understand the ability it has to give comfort, warmth, security that is key to the books.

Political Awakening

From Robin Hood to Mr. Smith Goes to Washington there’s something inspiring in a story where a character awakens to the political opression around him or her and stands up to it. In the trilogy, Katniss is a reluctant hero. I shouldn’t say reluctant, she doesn’t even think of herself as a hero. Her sole purpose at the beginning is to save her sister, but as her journey progresses she realizes more and more the role she can play in making a change. Her life goes from self-focused to seeing the world around her as it is. She knows her life is hard, but slowly begins to grasp how much harder it is for others in Panem. Her quiet rebellion starts off small, but quickly grows as the series progresses.

The Serialization Feeling

I think one of the reasons The Hunger Games has been so popular is the way the book is written. It’s full of brutal action, crazy characters, an almost Wizard of Oz type world transformation, and the ticking time clock of a suspense thriller. That said, Suzanne Collins also brings into each novel the serialization feeling (i.e. the cliffhanger effect). Pretty much every chapter ends with some kind of heart-leaping announcement, event, or character introduction. It taunts you to turn the page, keep going, find out what happens next.  I attribute this to Collins previous work in television, which relies heavily on the pre-commercial break cliffhanger, but even if it’s not, it’s addictive.

So why love the Hunger Games? Because it’s awesome. Read them for yourself and see if you aren’t hooked.  Is it the 23rd yet?

Join Tabz, Kim, Heidi and Dan as they discuss Season 1 Episode 10, From the Earth to Starbucks. Listen as they discuss Shawn’s impressive science knowledge.

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Now I took some classes in undergrad in music and they never seemed as awesome as this. Berklee School of Music has an online school is launching a class on Rock History, which threatens to put my theory class to shame.

The class is taught by Steve Morse. According to the press release Morse brings a lifetime of real-world experience to the material. Steve was the senior rock writer at the Boston Globe for over three decades, and has contributed to other top-tier press outlets such as Billboard and Rolling Stone. He has also served on the nominating committee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Steve has a rich background in Rock History, having interviewed and developed strong, decades-long ties with dozens of the most important artists and bands in rock, including the Rolling Stones (first seeing them in 1966), U2, Paul McCartney, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Marley, Metallica, Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, Pearl Jam, Stevie Wonder, Coldplay, Tom Petty, and many more.

The really fun part of the online class? Students will see never-before-seen video interviews with rock legends like oe Perry of Aerosmith; Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead; Mike Mills of R.E.M.; Ernie Isley of the Isley Brothers; George Clinton of P-Funk; producer Jack Douglas (who has worked with Aerosmith, Patti Smith, and John Lennon); promoter Don Law; Amanda Palmer; Hugo Burnham of Gang of Four; and Duke Levine (who has played with the J. Geils Band and Aimee Mann).

The spring terms starts April 2nd, 2012 so register soon if you want to join!

To register, sign up at https://www.berkleemusic.com/openhouse-signup/

To learn more about the Rock History online course, visit: www.berkleemusic.com/rockhistory

It’s no secret that I love music. I love live music, recordings and everything in between. It’s not often that I can combine my love of music with fashion, upcycling/recycling AND philanthropy, but with Wear Your Music I totally can.

In a very smart idea, Wear Your Music takes used guitar and bass strings, donated by artists (such as Eric Clapton, Jack Johnson and Bonnie Raitt) and makes them into amazing bracelets. 100% of profits go to a charity selected by the artist. Last year the website donated over $60k!

The guitar bracelets sell for a bit of a range, Ben Harper’s is $150 and Brian May of Queen is $200. Look through the site for more details.

The website also features other items (like 45s made into coasters or custom made record bowls). So be sure to check it out, be fashionable and help out a great cause!

Visit: http://www.wearyourmusic.org

Kitten Kay Sera believes everything should be pink (Photo courtesy of TLC)

I love fans. So when I heard that TLC was starting a new series called “My Crazy Obsession” as an extension of their hit special “My Collection Obsession” I knew I had to watch. I was given a screener for the premier episode that airs tonight (Wednesday, March 7 at 10 PM ET/PT).

This eight-part series will take viewers on a journey behind the scenes of some people’s homes that are dedicated to their owners’ obsession with objects, people or lifestyles.

The first episode starts with a couple that boasts a collection of over 5,000 Cabbage Patch Kids. With their favorite doll Kevin by their side, the couple plans play dates and parties to celebrate their always-expanding collection with other Cabbage Patch fans. This story is followed by a woman who is completely obsessed with the color pink. From a pink television to a pink dog, the show will reveal the time, money and effort required to fulfill and maintain these uncommon passions.

I really enjoyed the first episode. The stories are told in documentary style and, despite the oddness of the featured obsessions, they’re told with love. It is a show that celebrates the quirky people and I loved watching that.

Find out more at the show’s website: http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/my-crazy-obsession

Join Tabz, Kim, Heidi and Dan as they discuss Season 1 Episode 9, Forget Me Not. Listen as they discuss forgetfulness, cuddling on a couch with hot chocolate, and stock sounds of mountain lions.

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Join Tabz, Emma, Kim, Scott, and Heidi as they discuss the BBC series, Sherlock. Tabz and Emma have seen the series before, but Kim and Heidi haven’t!

Episode Summary from Wikipedia:
Based on The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the episode investigates the strange activities at a military base.

Fellow IntroCasts: betweenthelinesstudios.com/introcasts

Theme Song: Sherlock By StudioMig and David Cyr (from Music Alley)
Artwork: London Eye by telegram (Stock.xchng)

A new Doctor Who blog, Doctor Her, has started and I’m one of many contributors that have started diving into the show. The posts are indepth and really fun to read. If you’re interested you can read my first blog post, “The Doctor and Peter Pan” or browse through the constantly updating cycle of posts!

If you haven’t watched Foyle’s War, you should. It’s a British show set in World War II with a charming detective. One of my family’s favorites to watch. When the show was set to finish back in 2010 we were disappointed. Apparently in November of 2010 Acorn Media (which had the DVD rights since 2003) acquired all the other rights for the show as well (including: underlying intellectual property rights, Internet streaming, download-to-own, and broadcast television).

Since Season 7 was set a the end of the war, Season 8 will deal with post-WWII spying and espionage (and, of course, more murder). According to the press release, “Three two-hour films have been ordered from Eleventh Hour Films, the production company founded by producer Jill Green. Eleventh Hour Films takes pride in the research work undertaken for each story as all three episodes are firmly based on true stories from 1946 onwards.”

Michael Kitchen is back as Foyle and Honeysuckle Weeks will be returning as Samantha Stewart. Jill Green will produce Foyle’s War and further casting details will be announced later this year. A director is yet to be appointed

Production will start in London in September 2012 and will likely air in 2013.

You can catch up on Foyle’s War in the meantime on DVD.

I just had to…

I just watched the trailer for Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter and it looks like a wild ride. Also, this meme is full of win:

Keep up to date on the movie by following these:
http://www.facebook.com/vampirehunter
http://www.twitter.com/abethehunter
http://www.youtube.com/vampirehuntermovie

Join Tabz, Kim, Heidi and Dan as they discuss Season 1 Episode 8, Shawn vs. The Red Phantom. Listen as they discuss blueberries and why Tabz may be leaving the show (okay, not really).

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Join Tabz, Kim, Heidi and Dan as they discuss Season 1 Episode 5, 9 Lives. Listen as they discuss pretty secretaries, the benefits of drag, issues, and Gus’s last name is Guster?

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I’ve been a Sherlockian since I was 9 years old. My dad brought home a thick, red book with tiny text and little did I know, I was about to fall madly in love. In the pages of that book I discovered my hero, Sherlock Holmes. I devoured the entire book, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (which actually starts with the second story A Scandal in Bohemia) and then the rest of “the canon” (as the collection of Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are called). Ever after that, I was obsessed (as my parents can attest to).

I’m not sure what exactly attracted me to Holmes at such a young age. The language was difficult, the setting foreign (Victorian and post-Victorian England), and the character was cold and distant. Perhaps it was the fact that I felt rather odd myself. The transition into a double digit age, the desire to be smart, coupled with feeling a bit like an outsider amongst my peers made reading about Sherlock Holmes a solace. I tackled the whole series within a couple months and, for years after, books about Sherlock Holmes, copies of the stories, videos, toys, and other paraphernalia peppered the story of my life. Sherlock Holmes was always my first love. I watched every movie and TV show I could get my hands on. I even recorded episodes of my favorite cartoons that parodied the great detective. When Basil of Baker Street was rereleased I watched it with gusto. The first person I ever met who was “a friend on the internet” was Leslie Klinger when I was 16. Les went on to write the ultimate annotated Sherlock Holmes. Our trip to Minnesota one summer as a family wasn’t complete without a trip to the University of Minnesota’s Sherlock Holmes Collections. One Halloween I begged for (and helped pay for) a Sherlock Holmes costume that still hangs in my closet (I wore it about six Halloweens after that).

But, my love of Sherlock Holmes did not stop there. Shortly after reading through the canon I realized there was a whole scholarly aspect to the stories. The Baker Street Irregulars, a society for serious minded study, was formed in the 1930s and counted SciFi legend Isaac Asimov among it’s members. There were journals, newsletters, and papers from all corners of the globe. When I was 11 and 12 I wrote extensively myself and submitted to some of those publications and even began my own email newsletter via my newly minted AOL account – Sherlockian Snippets. In undergrad I squeezed Sherlock Holmes into every paper I could (I even wrote a sociology paper on the Sherlock Holmes fandom).

Recently, Stephen Moffat, who I’ve admired for years for his work on Doctor Who, has made the great detective famous again with his modern Sherlock for the BBC. Sherlock Holmes has also hit the pulp hero status with Guy Davis’ Sherlock Holmes. I myself am working on a novel that has touches of Sherlock Holmes. It’s been a couple years since I’ve read through the canon and I thought now would be a great time to brush off the series and read it again. I’ll be blogging my way through the read through (for those ubernerds, I’ll be doing it according to publication date, not chronologically) and you’re invited to read along and share your own insights (fair warning “A Study in Scarlet,” the first story is actually a novella so it’s a bit long).

Come blog people, the game is most definitely afoot!

Join Tabz, Kim, Heidi and Dan as they discuss Season 1 Episode 6, Weekend Warriors. Listen as they discuss Lassie’s face hair, urine, and the spotting pineapple rules (or lack thereof).

Tv.com Recap read by Jose.

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Anyone with a GPS can tell you that the voice is one of the most important things about setting up your GPS. Customizing that perfect person to tell you where to go is about as important as choosing your ringtone for your cellphone. Now you can have a couple monsters tell you where that next right turn is before you get horribly lost.

Locutio has partnered with Sesame Workshop to bring Cookie Monster to Garmin GPS systems worldwide. You can see the voice in action in the video below:

Here’s just some of the phrases from Cookie Monster:

• “There’s traffic ahead, recalculating. Oh boy, me wish me hadn’t eaten calculator.”
• “Yeah, yeah, in one quarter of mile, turn left, dumb di dumb dumb dumb…”
• “You have reached destination. And now…COOOOOOKIES!, nom nom nom. ::BURP:: Excuse me, that me.”

Cookie Monster is now available for $12.99 at Garmin.com and SpotItOut.com.

Not bad for having a muppet take a drive with you. We’re pretty sure it’ll keep your kids entertained at least.

If Cookie Monster isn’t your thing (who are you?) then you can wait a bit until the release of Oscar the Grouch who’ll charmingly say things like:

• “Unless you WANT to get lost, in one mile, turn left. Not that I care what you do.”
• “Traffic ahead, recalculating. Even though I love traffic, it makes everyone so grouchy.”
• “You have reached your destination. No need to thank me, I can’t stand good manners.”

Or buy them both and switch them depending your mood!

Join Tabz, Emma, Kim, Scott, and Heidi as they discuss the BBC series, Sherlock. Tabz and Emma have seen the series before, but Kim and Heidi haven’t!

Episode Recap from Wikipedia:
Mycroft hires Holmes and Watson to retrieve compromising photos of a minor royal held on the camera phone of Irene Adler, a ruthless and brilliant dominatrix who also trades in classified information extracted from her rich and powerful clients. Holmes obtains Adler’s phone, but discovers it is booby-trapped and requires a code to disarm it. When Adler discovers that the CIA are on her trail, she disappears and is then apparently killed, only to reappear months later when the coast is clear. Adler manipulates Holmes into deciphering a coded message on her phone which she obtained from another well-connected client. She sends the message to Moriarty, who in turn uses it to foil a British counter-terror operation. Adler then goes underground again. The episode concludes as Mycroft tells Watson that she has been killed by a terrorist group in Pakistan. This is another decoy: Sherlock helped her escape when she was on the brink of death.

Fellow IntroCasts: betweenthelinesstudios.com/introcasts

Theme Song: Sherlock By StudioMig and David Cyr (from Music Alley)
Artwork: London Eye by telegram (Stock.xchng)

A new episode is here and I promise, we will be weekly from here on out. We don’t have Monica on this one (or the next one) but luckily, we have Simone to save us from limited points of view as our very first guest host! Also, if you can’t tell from the screencap for this week, I’ve started watching Battlestar Galactica.

Have you ever wanted to make your own Pumpkin Juice? How about a Treacle Tart like Harry Potter eats in the Great Hall? With The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook, you can do just that!

This cookbook goes through all the times in the Harry Potter books when food is involved, and includes many of the recipes involved in each event. Some of the chapters are titles things like: Treats from the Train, Recipes from a Giant and an Elf, and Holiday Fare. Before each recipe, a description is given of where the recipe was mentioned in the books. Many of the recipes from the books are authentic English dishes. We Americans might wonder what Mince Pies or Bath Buns are, but in England they are just another dish.

I am really looking forward to trying the Shepherd’s Pie recipe. I had Shepherd’s Pie at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, and it was delicious. I hope this recipe lives up to that. There are recipes for all different levels of cooking abilities in this book. Some of the candy looks pretty complicated. There is a section at the beginning of the book telling you what to substitute for some of the English ingredients, and some directions that might be different. The measurements are in cups and teaspoons though.

There was only one thing that disappointed me a little. When I went to Honeydukes at The Wizarding World, I had a Chocolate Cauldron that was one of the best things I’ve ever tasted. It was a little chocolate cake in the shape of a cauldron. It had some sort of chocolate filling, and was just yummy. In this book they have Cauldron Cakes, which is probably more accurate, and are a sort of pancake.

The author, Dinah Bucholz, is a pie baker known for her fine desserts, so I’m sure the desserts in this book are fabulous.

Any Harry Potter fan would enjoy this book. Who doesn’t want to have a Harry Potter themed party and actually eat food from the books? You can purchase this book on Amazon or other major book stores. I’ve seen them at Barnes and Noble. I also came across a Kindle ebook called The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook Presents: 10 Summertime Treats, and it’s only around $1.

Buy The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook on Amazon.

It’s been two years since Spartacus: Blood and Sand left it’s indelible mark on cable television. The smartly written, blood and gore soaked series titillated audiences in a way probably not seen since the Roman times the series is set in. This adults-only drama is part comic-book gore and part-backstabbing-thriller/drama. But it’s been two long years for fans to see what happens to Spartacus next. Sure, we had the very amazing and tantelizing prequel, Gods of the Arena, but after the Blood and Sand blood-bath finale, it’s time to find out what happens next.

Lisa and I were invited to the red carpet screening of the first episode of Spartacus: Vengeance and mixed and mingled with fans and Hollywood alumns who all craved a little of the arena blood.

Of course, most fans know why the long wait. Lead, Andy Whitfield, whose performance as Spartacus was as legendary as the man himself, sadly was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and later succumb to the disease.  Robert Tapert, one of the Executive Producers, explained before the screening that Andy made sure that the cast and crew knew how much he wanted the series to go on once he realized he could not perform. The touching part of the screening was the final part of the episode contains a tribute to Andy, which, I’ll admit, made me a bit teary eyed.

Liam McIntyre at Premire of Spartacus: Vengeance 1/18/12 Photo credit: / WENN

The event, held at the Archlight Theater on Sunset, was a lot of fun. Costumes from the series and props were on display and free popcorn/soda provided for guests. The red carpet was full of fans and photographers waiting to catch a glimpse of the stars (who film in New Zeland, so it was fun to see them in LA). Including our new Spartacus, Liam McIntyre.

I’ll admit, I wasn’t quite ready to let go of Andy as Spartacus. After all, he was the actor portraying the character that I held my breath for, that I cheered for, that I wanted to see get his vengeance. But, as we watched the first episode, my fears were quickly dispersed. Liam brings the quiet rage that we had come to love from Spartacus.

I won’t spoil the episode, you can watch it for yourself on Jan 27th on Starz, but I will say that Spartacus is back with all of it’s bloody glory. There were quite a few surprises and some very “ewwwww” turn your head moments. I have to give props to the writers making the story fit seamlessly with the first series. It’s like we never left.

If you need to catch up before the new series, Spartacus: Blood and Sand is available on Netflix Instant currently. Just remember it is as violent as ancient Rome was, with strong language and nudity.

When I got Season 8 of OTH on DVD I couldn’t wait to dig into the extra bonus features. That’s one of the most rewarding things about buying TV on DVD. The DVD set didn’t disappoint with 2 hours of all-new featurettes, 2 episode commentaries, deleted scenes and gag reel.

One of my favorite parts of any TV show I love is the gag reel. It shows the actors at their funniest. Apparently from S8 gag reel you can tell that the cast of OTH are a bunch of pranksters! The commentaries are great too, especially episode 11, which details how they did the storm scenes and give you a real sense of working on a TV show. Stuff like how they got this kind of scene:

One Tree Hill – S8 ‘Stop!’ by thewbdotcom

For fans of One Tree Hill, the Eighth Season will definitely be one to own! Includes all 22 episodes on 5 discs plus all-new featurettes, commentaries, deleted scenes and gag reel http://bit.ly/w2DhRu!

Want to catch up quickly? You buy the download of Season 8 on UltraViolet HERE

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote One Tree Hill Season Eight on DVD.

Monica and Paul have actually started watching Supernatural! Listen as we discuss the pilot… a lot. Like, for an hour and a half. Don’t worry, folks, future episodes won’t be quite so long.

At one point I’m discussing cover art. Here it is to compare and discuss:

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Let us know which one you’d like us to use or any other thoughts you might have – idjitcast@gmail.com

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One of the most impressive parts of One Tree Hill (to me at least) has been the music. So it was delightful when I heard that no only was “I Don’t Wanna Be” coming back in the 8th season as the theme song for the show, but that it would be covered by a variety of artists. The actual original version by Gavin Degraw only played 3 times in Season 8. I thought it was an innovative choice and gave viewers a really fun reason to watch through the credits every time. Artists like Andy Grammer, Amiee Mann, Laura Izibor, Tegan and Sara, Tyrone Wells, Ben Rector, and Missy Higgins all took a crack at their own interpretation of the song.

I really enjoyed the variety of artists that redid the theme, but I have to admit I have a fondness for the original by Gavin. Especially after the adorableness of Jamie and Gavin singing the theme together.

If you’re a fan of the show, what version of the theme did you like? Who do you think should cover the theme in Season 9?

One Tree Hill – Season 8 on DVD & UltraViolet by thewbdotcom

Missed season 8′s opening theme song mash-ups? Order Season 8 of One Tree Hillnow! Check out One Tree Hill Season 8 on UltraViolet, too!

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote One Tree Hill Season Eight on DVD.

Join Tabz, Kim, Heidi and Dan as they discuss Season 1 Episode 5, 9 Lives. Listen as they discuss Dazzle and Stretch!; kitties!; and how awesome Buzz is.

Tv.com Recap read by Faith the Vampire Slayer.

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Episode 0 is finally here, introducing Allie, Paul, and Monica before they get to watching “Supernatural.” What do they think the show’s going to be like? Click the download link to find out.

Note from editor: I was going to include a link to the promotional video I show the newbies in this, but it has been taken down and I can’t find the same one somewhere else. It was to a Dave Matthews Band song, if any of you original viewers remember it.

Pretty Little Liars returns on January 2nd and I can’t wait. I just mainlined the entire series in anticipation! I can’t wait to see what happened, especially after those creepy dolls… will we see Dr. Sullivan again.. will we get closer to knowing who A. is? What did A have on Dr. Sullivan?

I’m expecting for the girls to get in even hotter water than before. After all, they keep driving away those close to them. Though after Hanna getting run over by a car, Ian getting pushed off a bell tower and Dr. Sullivan being kidnapped (???) who can blame them?

Hopefully, we see Mike getting better (that storyline was just weird). I’d also love to see some more of Alison’s mom (wasn’t she awesome).

And, of course, I can’t wait to see who A really is. If it’s not Alison it’s someone who studied closely under her bitch-ness. Which is the only part of the whole story that I find incredible… even out of the grave Alison has an incredible hold over the group. Reminds me why I’m glad I was homeschooled.

I’d also really love to see Lucas again and he’d better be super happy.

And, of course, hopefully the games continue.

Whatever happens, I can’t wait. Pretty Little Liars returns Jan 2nd on ABC Family at 8/7c. Find out more at the show’s website: http://abcfamily.go.com/shows/pretty-little-liars/

Missed some of the nail-biting suspense from last season? Make sure to get all caught up here: http://bit.ly/tupDF8

I have been hired by Warner Bros WBWord division to raise awareness for ‘Pretty Little Liars.’

The Walking Dead marathon beginning with the series Pilot, “Days Gone Bye” at 11AM | 10C and culminating with the Season 2 Midseason Finale, “Pretty Much Dead Already” at (when else?) Midnight | 11C.

The Walking Dead returns with all-new episodes Sun., Feb. 12 at 9/8c on AMC.

In a show all about secrets one of the biggest is who is A? While there’s been a million spoilers and speculation I’m still flummoxed. I have had my theories about it being an adult (like Melissa) or even one of the four girls (how twisted would that be?) or even something ridiculous like Ezra Fitz (come on, he fell in love pretty fast with a teenager).  Of course, the true identity of A. is revealed in the novels, but I’m not sure the show will take the same road (knowing that everyone whose read the books will already know).

More of the mystery will be revealed soon as Pretty Little Liars returns on Jan 2nd at 8/7 on ABC Family! Can’t wait!

Who do YOU think A is?

Missed some of the (manicured) nail-biting suspense from last season? Make sure to get all caught up here: http://bit.ly/tupDF8

I have been hired by Warner Bros WBWord division to raise awareness for ‘Pretty Little Liars.

Join Tabz, Garrett, Nick and Allie as they discuss the episode “The Train Job” from Firefly and our newbies reactions to it.

Send your own feedback for “Bushwhacked” to betweenthelinesstudios@gmail.com.

Theme song: “Gotta Fly” by Marian Call
Intro/Credits: Dan Putnam (Mal from Firefly Between the Lines)

Next episode: “Bushwhacked” with our newbies.

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One Tree Hill – ‘I Love the Way You Love Me’ by thewbdotcom

It was an episode that was a long time coming. After 8 years on TV, Brooke finally got the guy. The characters have pretty much paired off over the years, but Brook remained married to her career,until the Season 8 episode “The Other Half of Me.” Since the show wasn’t entirely sure it’d be picked up for a full season, this episode could have served as the finale and, appropriately so it’s chock-full of call backs to the rest of the seasons.

Weddings have always been a big deal in my family. A beautiful wedding, complete with a dress and chock full of family and friends has always been featured in my fantasies. I think more important than how Brooke’s wedding look was the truth behind it – never settle for less than what you deserve. While her friends all married, Brooke held out. She met her true love, Julian, as an adult (not in high school like the other characters). Since I just turned 30, I love this message.
Some of my favorite moments included when Julian’s dad stepped in for the Father/daughter dance. Especially after all the family problems Brooke has had. I also loved the best man/maid of honor’s speeches. Those “family” and togetherness moments have to be the best part of any wedding.

Missed the RSVP to the wedding? Here’s your special invitation with Season 8 of the One Tree Hill http://bit.ly/w2DhRu!

One Tree Hill DVD also comes with UltraViolet copy which means you can stream it any time on your mobile devices! Check it out here: http://bit.ly/rHfjEo
I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote One Tree Hill Season Eight on DVD.

I’m super excited about Mission: Impossible coming back. The first movie is in my list of top 10 movies and I’m a sucker for Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt (and I often quote, “you’ve never seen me ‘very upset.’”). In an amazing feat the limited release of the movie in IMAX (starting Dec 16th) made it the 3rd most popular movie this weekend in the box office. Check out showtimes in your area and “Like” IMAX on Facebook for some behind the scenes featurettes about MI:Ghost Protocol and more info about great IMAX movies: http://www.facebook.com/IMAX.

As you all know, Smallville ended it’s ten year run earlier this year.  If there were to have been more Smallville, I think it should’ve been in the form of a spin-off.  I feel that Smallville ended the way it should.  We got the build up to Clark becoming Superman for ten years, and that’s where Smallville should have and did end.

I do however love the actors portraying these characters, and if they would’ve been willing to go on playing them there are a lot of ways the show could’ve continued.  There was a rumor for a while about a Metropolis movie after Smallville ended.  This would’ve been a good way to do a spin-off.  They could’ve had Smallville end, and made it into a Superman show called Metropolis.  You could have Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, and even more of the comic book villains show up, because Clark would be Superman.  It could have been very much like the last few minutes of the finale.

I also would’ve been interested in a Justice League spin-off.  If they couldn’t get Tom Welling, then Superman wouldn’t have to be in the show, since we can’t have Batman anyway.  I would love to see Green Arrow, Black Canary, Aquaman, and Impulse in action more than we did on Smallville.  Chloe could’ve been in this spin-off as well, keeping her Watchtower position.

What do you think?  What would you have liked to see happen if Smallville continued?

Pretty Little Liars returns in January and it can’t come too soon. With all the twists and turns this show has taken, you’ll probably need a refresher course before the show comes back.

Reflecting on how far the show has come I really thought about The Season 2 opener, “It’s Alive.” It has to be one of my favorite episodes. Not only are our girls in trouble with the entire town (but being called liars may not be an entirely bad thing), but there’s enough dramatic moments in this episode to keep everyone on the edge of their seat. Where is Ian? What happened to the creeper’s dead body? What will Emily do about possibly moving to Texas?

Of course the biggest question is, can the girls tell their new friend and shrink the secret? The episode leaves you on a hopeless emotional rollercoaster that lasts through the whole season.

If you haven’t caught PLL, it’s time to start watching. Get all caught up before the return on January 2nd on ABC Family.

Can’t wait for the new season? Check out all of the cool content over at the show’s main page over at: http://abcfamily.go.com/shows/pretty-little-liars/
Missed some of the nail-biting suspense from last season? Make sure to get all caught up here: http://bit.ly/tupDF8

I have been hired by Warner Bros WBWord division to raise awareness for ‘Pretty Little Liars.’

In Tree Hill, NC, there is never a dull moment. Hope, heartbreak and a hurricane – all in one season! One Tree Hill’s Season 8 is packed with drama and ready for pre-order (http://bit.ly/w2DhRu)!”

One of my favorite relationships on the show is Haley and Nathan. They have such a sweet, realistic relationship (well as realistic as you can have on a nighttime soap). I especially love watching how their relationship has matured. For example, in Season 8′s episode Valentine’s Day is Over, Haley and Nathan worry that they are washed up because they don’t have any great Valentine’s Day plans. After (a lot) of crazy drama she winds up getting a diamond ring, a bed covered in rose petals and ho hos (and really, what girl doesn’t want that on Valentine’s Day?

Are you a fan of One Tree Hill? What was YOUR favorite relationship?

See for yourself by getting your own copy of Season 8!

Link to DVD: http://bit.ly/w2DhRu

Link to Ultra Violet: http://bit.ly/rHfjEo

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote One Tree Hill Season Eight on DVD.

We all know that Smallville had it’s ups and downs through the ten years the show was on the air, but I feel that the writers made a really great series finale.  Actually thoughout the last couple of seasons they managed to pull things in from previous seasons and give the viewers who had been there from the beginning some payoff for sticking with the show.

2 Broke Girls is up for best new comedy in the Peoples Choice Awards. One of my favorite parts of the show has been that the two main girls are broke, but following their dreams. Max and Caroline’s dream is opening their own cupcake business and they’re working to make it happen. It often inspires me in a way because I’ve been working hard in school and now, deep in the process of applying for PhD programs.  A lot of times it feels like too much work, but my dream is to teach at college level – so I need to work at it.

There’s a ton of great shows, movies, music to vote for so make sure you check it out. Click here to vote for your favorites in the People Choice Awards: http://bit.ly/arSy9z

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote WBTV shows nominated in the People’s Choice Awards.

It’s hard to believe Smallville is over. The show started just while I was still in college and now it’s 10th Season is available!

Here’s some of our favorite moments from Season 10:

1. Clark Meets His Future Self - In the episode Homecoming, Brainiac 5 plays the part of the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future.  One of the things he does is take Clark to the future where he sees that Lois knows his secret and is ok with it.  He also meets his future self and realizes that he doesn’t need to fear the future. (Homecoming)

The People’s Choice Awards are up for voting, the one award show where you have a part to play in who gets the win. This is a great chance for shows that never get the recognition we viewers feel they deserve. Head on over to: http://bit.ly/arSy9z and vote for your favorite stars, music and TV shows!

For my money, here’s some of my picks and why:

Favorite Movie

• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - Very rarely do I say this, but this movie was better than the originals. Very funny, lots of Johnny Depp, an interesting plot line and amazing visuals. “I had stirrings,” for this movie.

Favorite Network TV Drama

• Supernatural  - Despite a lot of fan wank over this season, I think it’s been fantastic. Did you see the Fall finale? Had me on the edge of my seat at the end and screaming at the TV. Supernatural pulls off with a small cast what most TV series can only dream of – it has warmth, heart, and monsters. What more could we want? Jared and Jensen deserve massive amounts of praise for delivering stellar performances every week. The amount of emotion and angst the two can portray in a couple simple looks is amazing. So my votes for SPN all the way.

Ever wanted to do something a little extra special for a friend’s birthday other than writing on their wall? How about get some help from Bowling for Soup, CSS, Parlotones, Imogen Heap, Ash, Charlie Simpson, Body Language, Scarlet Grey, and Kill the Young? You can now with “Say it with Skype.”

From Skype’s blog:

Here’s how it works, you can send your friends a customized group video greeting by visiting Skype’s Facebook page and clicking on the Say it with Skype app located on the left side of your screen. Next, choose the friend you want to send the group video greeting to and select from one of the ten participating bands. You can even join in on the fun, by singing along with the band’s pre-recorded performance through your video webcam. Not ready for your close up? Personalize your message by adding a profile picture and writing a personal message for the band to hold up.

Since today’s my birthday I thought it was a really fun little addition to Skype, which I already love. Check it out!! You can also get 1 week free trail of Skype’s new group video call feature.

Join Lisa, Tabz and evil GPS as they get lost coming home from the very first Castle Fan Charity Convention. Recorded Nov 12th, 2011.

Links:

Castle Fan Charity Convention

Best Friends Animal Society

Puppies Behind Bars

The Young Storytellers Foundation

OxFam

This week we discuss Visiting Ours. We all agree to start RobinCast. John doesn’t read the outline. We all learn things about Ryan that we didn’t want to know. Katie seems to be the only sane one on the podcast. Also John, Ryan, and Katie are very concerned about Kelly Jo’s mental state. PS Just a reminder this was recorded 2 months ago. So our references are kinda old…

The episode description at the beginning of the episode is from TV.com

Contact Us Here:

Email: bluthcast@gmail.com
Call: (419)-86BLUTH (419-862-5884)
Twitter: http://twitter.com/BluthCast

Or join our Facebook Group!

On the Next BluthCast we’ll be discussing Charity Drive.

No this is not a ghost haunting the BluthCast feeds! It’s Kelly Jo giving you a quick update with what’s going on with the show. There’s also some minor but important changes to the show. Episode 5 will be up very soon!

Join Tabz, Emma, Kim, Scott, and Heidi as they discuss the BBC series, Sherlock. Tabz and Emma have seen the series before, but Kim and Heidi haven’t!

Episode Recap from Wikipedia:
Sherlock Holmes is commissioned by his brother Mycroft to investigate the suspicious death of a government employee who was working on a top-secret defence project: the Bruce-Partington Project.^[40] After apparently rejecting the case and handing it over to Watson, Holmes begins to be taunted by a sinister criminal who puts his victims into explosive vests and sets Holmes deadlines to solve apparently unrelated cases, including a twenty-year-old cold case involving the shoes of a drowned boy, the disappearance of a businessman, the death of a TV personality and the death of a guard of an art gallery at the hands of an assassin called the Golem. As Holmes solves the cases, he finds that they are all linked. After clearing up the case of the civil servant that Mycroft offered him, Holmes tries to force his unseen adversary to reveal himself. Nearing the end of the episode there is a standoff between Holmes and “Jim Moriarty”, who reveals that he is responsible for the crimes. In the final seconds of the episode Sherlock Holmes points his gun at a bomb on the floor.

Fellow IntroCasts: betweenthelinesstudios.com/introcasts

Theme Song: Sherlock By StudioMig and David Cyr (from Music Alley)
Artwork: London Eye by telegram (Stock.xchng)

Being Healthier for the Holidays just got a bit easier (and tastier). Check this out from the folks behind “Forks Over Knives,” the recent hit documentary.

From FOK:

Join us Thursday November 17th at 9:00 PM EST / 6:00 PM PST on our Facebook or Livestream page for a live cooking demonstration with Julieanna Hever, R.D. Julieanna will demonstrate a plant-based Thanksgiving meal that will be delicious and healthy. While making the meal, Julieanna will answer questions from the audience.  Questions can be sent in advance to Info@ForksOverKnives.com and also be asked live during the broadcast.

Julieanna is author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition and producer/host of the video “To Your Health,” both available on the FOK website. Click here to watch her recent appearance on The Dr. Oz Show.

Join Lisa and Tabz as they get lost on the way to Sardos in Burbank after seeing the Pirate Dinner Adventure.  Originally recorded September 17, 2011.

*Note: Tabz totally kept mentioning Nestor Carbonel played the husband on Ringer, he actually plays the FBI agent, she blames the evil GPS.

Join Tabz, Emma, Kim, and Heidi as they discuss the BBC series, Sherlock. Tabz and Emma have seen the series before, but Kim and Heidi haven’t!

Episode Recap from Wikipedia:
Holmes is hired by an old friend to investigate a mysterious break-in at a bank in the City. He discovers that symbols spray-painted onto an office wall are a coded message intended for an employee of the bank, who is later discovered dead in his flat. The next day, a journalist is killed and the same symbols are found nearby. Holmes and Watson follow a trail of clues that link the two dead men to a Chinese smuggling ring, who are trying to retrieve a valuable item that one of them stole. Holmes eventually cracks the coded message based on Suzhou numerals and a book cipher, but not before Watson and a female friend are kidnapped by the criminals. Holmes rescues Watson’s friend but the leader of the gang escapes. After escaping, the leader of gang is in communication with her superior, who is identified by the initial “M”. She is then shot by a sniper.

Fellow IntroCasts: betweenthelinesstudios.com/introcasts

Theme Song: Sherlock By StudioMig and David Cyr (from Music Alley)
Artwork: London Eye by telegram (Stock.xchng)

The Big Bang Theory is now on 5 nights a week and it’s been fun rewatching the seasons. In Season 2, Episode 1 (“The Bad Fish Paradigm“) Leonard and Penny return from their first date. After a season of chasing after Penny fans were excited at the idea of Leonard finally going out with Penny. Unfortunately, both of them have reservations about the match. When Leonard finds out that one of Penny’s reservations is because she’s insecure about her own intelligence he offers her a brochure for the local community college and tells her that he’s fine with dating a girl who isn’t smart. Penny slams the door in his face (as she should have).

Of course, not telling your date that she isn’t smart is only one of the things you shouldn’t say if you want that second date.  Here’s some things you should never say:

1. Over hint about the next date. Example: She says how much she likes biking. You say, “Biking, I love biking we should ride this trail I know together…” Trying to turn everything into a “we should do that” gets pushy and is a turn off. It also says you’re not really listening to her side of the conversation just looking for a chance to oversell yourself. Why rush to get another date, just have fun on your current one or it might be your last.

2. You remind me of my ex- Anything about your ex-girlfriend. Talking about your past relationships just means you haven’t moved on yet and really, if she reminds you of your ex-girlfriend than why do you think this is going to work out?

3. Anything about your house/car/job that sounds like you’re trying to impress. Talking up big about your fancy watch that you got because you make a three figure salary might attract a nice trophy wife, but we all know how those relationships work out. Let your date fall for you, the person and not you, the bank account.

What are your top 3 things that you shouldn’t say on a date? I’d love to read’m in the comments.

Don’t forget you can watch The Big Bang Theory 5 Nights a week now. Go to www.bigbangweeknights.com to check your local listings.

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote The Big Bang Theory in Syndication. 

Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS
©2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Halloween is supposed to be nothing but fun for kids.

Yet there are some scary statistics out there right now about our children.

For one, this is the first generation of American children whose life expectancy is now shorter than their parents.

And for another, if the current trend continues, one in every three children will develop diabetes in her lifetime.

“But Halloween is only one holiday. Why can’t we let kids eat all the candy they want?” some might ask.

If candy were only doled out by the handful once a year, it might be all right. (Even then, some parents would prefer moderation and still, we would face the issues of the unhealthy chemicals in the candy.)

But the fact is that many of our holidays have turned into sweetfests-Valentine’s Day and Easter, for example, to say nothing of kids’ birthday parties and other celebrations throughout the year. Add to this the candy children receive if they accompany you to the bank (even the doctor!), the dry cleaners or pet store. Some teachers even hand out candy as a reward for good behavior.

So it’s not about once a year. It’s about recognizing the impact of our national sweet tooth (and our reliance on artificially derived and modified ingredients), and how we can help our children to enjoy healthy and safe alternatives, even when celebrating.

What to give instead?

If you don’t want to hand out conventional candy this year, what can you substitute? Lots of things.

You can choose from an assortment of organic candies, and/or those made without dyes and preservatives, and that use juice or fruit for sweetening.

Or consider honey sticks, a favorite among kids of all ages. (But do not give honey to children under the age of two.)

If you’d prefer to skip the candy altogether but still want to offer food-how about real fruit strips and rolls, dried organic fruit, whole food bars, raw or toasted nuts (check with parents of young children due to allergy concerns), natural gum, organic crispy rice bars, or pumpkin and other seeds. (For a longer list with specific brands, check out www.GreenHalloween.org)

Treasures instead of treats?

Another alternative is to substitute “treasures” for treats.

Think about it this way. When you empty your kids’ pockets before doing the laundry, what do you find? These are things your children think of as precious even if you do not-bits of shiny paper, rock crystals, acorns, for example.

So when it comes to treasures, don’t dismiss them just because you think kids will turn up their noses. Ask them! You might be surprised that they would be happy to receive stickers, friendship bracelets, coins (who doesn’t love money?), polished rocks, sea shells, cookie cutters, or other small items. (Lots more treasure ideas at Green Halloween.)

Enter the bowl

To ensure you offer something children will like, fill a bowl with a variety of treats and treasures, then invite children to take their pick. You will no doubt be surprised at their choices.

At a Halloween event a couple of years ago, we placed a bowl filled with feathers on a table in our booth. Adults passed by without a second glance. But as kids approached, their eyes grew wide and they asked, “Can I have one?” So many wanted a feather that we ran out in an hour. They blew them into the air, they tried to tickle themselves (or their siblings), or lightly brushed the feathers against their cheeks. Boys, girls, teens and tweens all had the same reaction.

Who would think that today’s children who seem to be entertained only when they are plugged in, could enjoy something as simple as a feather?

So this Halloween, offer lots of choices, allow children to pick their favorite instead of taking a handful (which, no matter what is chosen, is not only better for kids’ health, but also should cut down on your purchase costs) and feel great about providing the children who come to your door with a healthier Halloween.

Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and co-authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, available at www.CelebrateGreen.net

In Season 1, Episode 13 “The Bat Jar Conjecture” which airs tonight on the Big Bang Theory rewatch (aka it’s on five nights a week now check your local listings at www.bigbangweeknights.com), Sheldon is at odds with the rest of the gang over the psychics quiz bowl. In one of my favorite episodes of the season Leonard, Raj, Howard have enough of Sheldon’s superiority complex and decide to form a team against his own. The friends are divided and, as always, hilarity ensues.

I don’t know many friends who haven’t (at least once) competed. One of my favorite stories of competing comes from a time when the BtL folks were all playing games in my apartment. In one particularly harrowing card game Kim “was mean” to Emma, Emma’s response was devastating. The competition was hilarious. Within a couple rounds Kim’s cards were decemated and I don’t think Emma even won the game, but she did destroy Kim’s chance to.

Thankfully, everything in my circle of friends can be won over with a good round of Karaoke and, much like the Batman cookie jar in this week’s episode, it soothed the friendship (but the incident is still infamous).

Can’t get enough of The Big Bang Theory? Well, The Big Bang Theory is now on 5 Night a Week visit www.bigbangweeknights.com to check your local listings.

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote The Big Bang Theory in Syndication.

I love Netflix and am not going to be switching any time soon, but the folks over at BIGSTAR know there’s a lot of people out there who are cancelling their service because of the recent rate changes. So they’re offering a really awesome deal for those of you pulling the plug on Netflix.

By sending your Netflix cancellation email to GoodbyeNetflix@bigstar.tv, you can get a full year membership to their extensive streaming movie library for only $7.99.

BIGSTAR is also available on a list of internet-connected devices, including iPad, iPhone, Yahoo! Widgets, (Samsung, Vizio, Sony TV), Google Android, Roku Players, Palm WebOS, Vizio TVs, Samsung TVs, PopBox players and more. www.bigstar.tv

Check’m out!

It’s been fun to be able to rewatch The Big Bang Theory 5 nights a week. Rewatching “The Middle Earth Paradigm” from season 1 really reminded me of how well-developed the characters were from the first season. In the episode the boys get dressed for a costume party at Penny’s. Leonard goes as Frodo, Howard as Robin Hood (but he keeps getting mistaken for Peter Pan), Raj as Thor, and Sheldon as “the doppler effect.” Penny? She just goes as a cat.
It’s funny how revealing the costumes are. Leonard at this point of the show is on a never ending quest, only instead of a ring, he’s questing for Penny’s affection. Also, as a hobbit, he plays off his own height issues (especially later when confronting Penny’s ex-boyfriend who is way taller than him).

Sheldon’s famous quote about his costume is, “I don’t care if people get it, I’m going as the doppler effect.” True to his own character who most people don’t really get, but Sheldon doesn’t care.

Howard, who believes himself to be a suave, charming ladies man goes as Robin Hood, but much like real life he’s often mistaken for Peter Pan, the boy who won’t grow up. Especially since Howard still lives at home and has a disturbing relationship with his mother.

Raj, who is incapable of speaking around women, dresses as Thor, the loudest of the Norse gods. Which may be Raj’s aspirations, but comes far from the truth.

Since it’s nearly Halloween it really got me thinking about Halloween and what costume people choose. What do you think, what does your costume say about you?

Keep watching The Big Bang Theory 5 Nights a Week! Check: http://www.bigbangweeknights.com/ for your local listings.

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote The Big Bang Theory in Syndication.

Thanks for your interested but this giveaway is now closed!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Having several friends who have suffered from breast cancer it’s top on my list of #CANCERSUCKS. I’m always so proud of companies, organizations and individuals who help support worthy causes and General Mills is once again stepping up in a big way to help find a cure for this awful disease.

For 5 years, General Mills has partnered with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Foundation to bring breast cancer support to local communities, and this year they are making their annual donation of $2 million to the foundation to advance breast cancer research and support education and community outreach projects.

Purchase specially-marked General Mills products like Cheerios and Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies at your local Sam’s Club and help decide how half of that contribution will be donated by voting at PinkTogether.com from now until April 14, 2012.

General Mills’ donations will be divided between two important Komen programs: the Treatment and Assistance Program, which assists women in securing care they otherwise may not be able to afford, and Prevention Research, which helps unlock the keys to preventing breast cancer. Voting results will be announced on Mother’s Day 2012.

I’m very excited about getting my own box of pink Cheerios! Not only can I enjoy my all-time favorite cereal, but I know part of that goes to help cure breast cancer. Win/win.

Prize:

A $25 Sam’s Club gift card

How to win:

You must do this:
General Mills products are you most excited to see featured in the Pink Promotion at Sam’s Club? You must include a real email address so you can be contacted if you win.

Entries must be submitted by 10/10/11 at 12pm PT to be eligible for drawing.

Winner will be picked by random.org. If the winner doesn’t respond within 3 days a new winner will be selected. Good luck!

Additional Entries (1 entry each):

Like/Follow (1 entry per website, leave a separate comment for each).

• Sam’s Club on Facebook http://on.fb.me/SCFBook
• Sam’s Club on Twitter http://bit.ly/SCTwitter
• Pink Together on Facebook http://bit.ly/samsclubpink
• Between the Lines Studios www.facebook.com/BtLStudios
• BtLStudios on twitter twitter.com/btlstudios

Share this post on Facebook (leave a comment after you do).

Share this post on Twitter (leave a comment after you do with your Twitter name) by posting:

“I entered to win a $25 gift card from @SamsClub & @btlstudios #MyBlogSpark http://bit.ly/ok2Ysw ”

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You do not have to be a fan of Between the Lines Studios, Sam’s Club or Pink Together on Facebook to enter this giveaway. This promotion is in NO way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. The information is being collected by QuadrupleZ.com (for giveaway only) and not by Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by QuadrupleZ and Between the Lines Studios and no comments on Facebook will count as method of entry.

Disclosure: The information and gift card(s) have been provided by Sam’s Club and General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

The Big Bang Theory is now in syndication and airing five nights a week! If you haven’t watched the series yet, you should jump on the TBBT bandwagon. If you have seen it before it’s a great excuse to rewatch from the beginning! Go to www.bigbangweeknights.com to check for your local listings.

In the pilot episode (aired 9/19) Leonard, geeky science nerd, meets Penny, beautiful wannabe actress, for the first time and is immediately infatuated with her. Because of his infatuation he agrees to go and get her TV from her ex-boyfriend, despite the warnings from his friends that it’s a very dumb idea. The confrontation with the ex-boyfriend doesn’t go well, but instead of using his intelligence Leonard decides to try again and winds up being de-pants.

While the events of the pilot are very sitcom the reason I believe The Big Bang Theory works is it shows a very human response to life’s problems. Leonard, like most people, falls victim to doing stupid things when because he’s in love. It’s not the last time he’ll do something so crazy because of his infatuation. It’s something everyone can relate to, especially if you’re a geeky nerd like Leonard. It’s what makes his character likable.

In the end, you may not have lost your pants because of love (okay I’m  not talking the sexy way…) or had to confront a well-muscled jerk, but I’m I’m sure you’ve done something just as crazy. As Willow said on Buffy, “love makes you do the wacky.”

So what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done for love?

Want to see more crazy moments on the Big Bang Theory? Tune in 5 nights a week!

Join Tabz, Harriet and Melanie as they discuss the episode “The Train Job” from Firefly, why Jayne may be more likeable when drugged, how the plot is better in this episode, and are terrifying space monkies scarier than Reavers?

Send your own feedback for “Bushwhacked” to betweenthelinesstudios@gmail.com.

Theme song: “Gotta Fly” by Marian Call
Intro/Credits: Dan Putnam (Mal from Firefly Between the Lines)

Next episode: “Train Job” with fans of Firefly (i.e. people who have seen the series already).

Join our FB Fan Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/135778716512955/

Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id463783705

There are few TV shows as quotable as Buffy in my world. Thinking about the fantastic quotes from the series here’s my top five quotes for Season 1.

#5 - Fork Guy (Teacher’s Pet)

Giles: That’s all he said? Fork Guy?
Buffy: That’s all Cryptic Guy said: Fork Guy.
Giles: I think there are too many guys in your life

#4 – Xander Shaped Friend (The Witch)

Buffy: Hmm, I know you don’t, that’s ’cause you’re my friend. You’re my Xander-shaped friend!

Principal Snyder: There are no dead students here. This week.

Giles: For as long as there have been vampires, there has been the Slayer. One girl in all the world, a Chosen One…

Buffy: He loves doing this part.

Giles: Alright. The Slayer hunts vampires, Buffy is a Slayer, don’t tell anyone. Well, I think that’s all the vampire information you need.

Buffy: I may be dead, but I’m still pretty. Which is more than I can say for you.

 

Did I miss any of your top 5? Add them in the comments below!

Join Tabz, Kim, Heidi and Dan as they discuss Season 1 Episode 4, Woman Seeking Dead Husband: Smokers Okay, No Pets. Listen as they discuss the importance of comfy chairs, the horrors of Pineapple spotting and possibly Dan starts liking Lassiter.

Tv.com Recap read by Murray

Trivia read by Kate

Where Do I Know You From read by Mat

Links to random stuff Dan mentioned:

Team Fortress 2 “Meet the Sniper” Trailer

Join our Facebook Group and discuss Psych along with us! www.facebook.com/groups/249249268439144

WARNING SPOILERS FOR SEASON 4 of The Big Bang Theory.

In Season 4 of The Big Bang Theory Penny, the lone female lead in a cast of four males, finally got some girl friends. Now, I love The Bang Theory, but these two new girls (Bernadette and Amy) added some much needed balance to the cast (and some female nerds, which was awesome).

There’s something refreshing about the larger cast, mainly because it adds more maturity to the show (in a way) because Penny, Bernadette, and Amy can discuss relationships, work, friendship in a way that the male characters can’t. Of course, the relationship was necessary because of Leonard’s new relationship with Raj’s sister (Priya) caused Penny not to hang out in Sheldon and Leonard’s apartment. Poor lonely Penny needed friends of her own (and more excuses to film in Penny’s apartment) and she got them.

Deep friendships with the opposite gender are explored a lot on The Big Bang Theory and I’m happy that the girls and boys have their own time to discuss things together that may be awkward or impossible to discuss with a mix gender group. Plus, it’s led to some great situational humor as Amy tries to have the female friendships she should have had growing up.

Relive all of the fun girl friend moments with The Big Bang Theory Season 4 on DVD/Blu-Ray.

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote The Big Bang Theory Season 4 on DVD.

Join Lisa and Tabz as they get lost in a parking garage at the Largo in Los Angeles. Sorry we cut off at the end without saying goodbye the H2 was full!

Recorded 9/10/2011

Links to stuff we talked about on the podcast:

Joshua Malina -www.imdb.com/name/nm0539651

Follow Joshua Malina on Twitter -twitter.com/joshmalina

The Thrilling Adventure Hour – thrillingadventurehour.com

The Thrilling Adventure Hour on Facebook – www.facebook.com/ThrillingAdventureHour

The Thrilling Adventure Hour on Twitter – twitter.com/ThrillingAdv

The Largo Theater – www.largo-la.com

Colin Hanks – www.imdb.com/name/nm0004988

Colin Hanks on Twitter – twitter.com/Colin_Hanks

Cafe Gratitude – cafegratitude.com

Jason Mraz – jasonmraz.com

LA Buns and Company – www.yelp.com/biz/la-buns-and-company-west-hollywood

Pacific Design Center – www.pacificdesigncenter.com

The Beverly Center – www.beverlycenter.com

Cedars -Sinai – www.cedars-sinai.edu

Ringer – www.cwtv.com/shows/ringer

This week we discuss Key Decisions with the lovely Jessica (jlyn1980 on twitter). We all dress our best and go to the Desis. Katie, Ryan, and John get distracted by the wacky antics of Jessica and Kelly Jo. Ryan doesn’t care for GOB. Katie theatre fan girl comes out. John has a mental breakdown. Someone gets a shout out that we’re not sure he or she is going to like. …And Jessica doesn’t like Buffy or Sarah Michelle Gellar’s acting.

The episode description at the beginning of the episode is from TV.com

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Email: bluthcast@gmail.com
Call: (419)-86BLUTH (419-862-5884)
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On the Next BluthCast we’ll be discussing Visiting Ours!

PS: Kelly Jo here, once again apologizing about the lateness of this weeks episode. I’ve just been super busy. My schedule has been really hectic lately but it’s about to calm down so hopefully things will settle down soon. Also I apologize about the sound quality in this episode my Internet was awful that night. I did my best with what I have in editing equipment. With the way editing of next week’s show it should be out next week. *Knock on Wood*

I’ll admit I (like a lot of people I know) wasn’t exactly on board with the idea of season 6 of Supernatural. I thought that Kripke’s five season arch had told the story in completion, that it would be a hard, rough end for the Winchesters who had a hard, rough life. I went into this last season with trepidation. How could they top coming toe to toe with Lucifer?

The season started rough, as a lot of the later seasons of SPN do they make the mistake of having the brothers at odds with one another. I believe most people watch this show because of the brothers bonding against the world. We love their relationship when it’s good and the longer it’s bad the more annoyed we get. Yet, TV shows need and thrive on conflict. And in a show with really only two main characters, their only choices are the brothers.

Then, once the relationship was back, the show really heated up and reminded me, once again why I love this show. Some old faces popped up and one of my favorite episodes from season 6 harkened back to Season 2 when Dean tries to outrun a reaper. The moral questions that the boys have to answer make this more than some fantasy show about two hot guys running around in a car. It really makes me examine my own faith and thoughts on death, life and everything in between.

If you gave up on the season, pick up the DVDs and really stick it out. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the end and anxiously awaiting season 7 like I am.

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote Supernatural Season 6 on DVD.

Join Tabz, Kim and Faith as they discuss this very special 3D episode of Chuck.

TV.com recap:

Chuck has to protect rock star Tyler Martin, while Morgan wins two backstage passes to Martin’s concert, so he needs to decide who will become his “plus one”.

This is a special 3D episode.

Join our brand new Facebook Group for all the QuadZ podcasts!

[Press Release] ION Television premieres its newly acquired hit police drama “Flashpoint” on Tuesday, October 18 at 10pm ET/PT with new original episodes. ION Television, the new home for the award-winning series, will schedule “Flashpoint” in a two-hour block on Tuesdays from 10pm-12am ET/PT and again on Saturdays from 9-11pm ET/PT.

To support the series launch, ION Television will unveil an integrated marketing campaign, including television, print, out-of-home & digital advertising. As part of the campaign for the first-time ever, ION will feature a Quick Response code on all printed marketing elements, which will provide fans access to exclusive cast interviews, a never-before-seen sneak peek from the premiere episode and entry into the ‘Flashpoint Alert’ contest, starting September 26th. The online contest provides fans a chance to win weekly cash prizes by scheduling the premiere episode onto their digital calendars and their social media platforms.

ION Television, a top-10 network, acquired the rights to all existing episodes and future production of “Flashpoint” from CBS Television Distribution earlier this year. The production of the season’s upcoming episodes marked ION Television’s first venture into originals planned by the network in the coming year.

“Flashpoint” joins ION Television’s primetime line-up of hit off-network series such as “Psych,” Monk,” “Criminal Minds,” and “Without a Trace,” and its blockbuster theatricals, which have driven record ratings for the network. The new series joins the schedule on the heels of ION’s recent acquisition of the hit series “Leverage” and “House,” both set to launch on ION in 2012.

Starring Hugh Dillon (Durham County), Enrico Colantoni (Veronica Mars), Amy Jo Johnson (Felicity) and David Paetkau (Whistler), “Flashpoint” is the nail-biting cop drama and an emotional journey into the tough, risk-filled lives of a group of police in the Strategic Response Unit (inspired by Toronto’s Emergency Task Force). Members of a highly-skilled tactical team, they are trained in negotiating, profiling and getting inside the subject’s head to understand the emotional breaking point (the “flashpoint”) that triggered the crisis.

“Flashpoint” is produced by Pink Sky Entertainment and Avamar Entertainment in association with CTV and CBS. Executive producers are Anne Marie La Traverse and Bill Mustos. Creators are Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern. David Frazee is Series Consultant.

Join Kim, Murray, Carol and Ryan as they discuss their reactions to the Newbie Cast, their own memories of watching Firefly for the first time, their favorite characters and their review of the podcast. This is a companion cast. No, not that kind of companion.

Warning: Do not listen to this podcast if you have not seen all of Firefly (including the movie Serenity) as there are MAJOR spoilers. Also spoilers for Buffy, Dollhouse and Angel.

Links:

Kim – Between the Lines Studios & Upside Down and Halfway to Happyland

Carol -  find her lurking over at the PotentialCast FB Group

Murray – phoenix-taiko-kai.com

Ryan – BluthCast (here on QuadZ) and follow him on Twitter:  twitter.com/phikappa304

Send your feedback to betweenthelinesstudios@gmail.com

Or join our Facebook group for Still Flyin’!

Among my online friends there’s been a lot of talk lately about roommates. Specifically about the pain of living with roommates. Having to share a room with my sister did not adequately prepare me for the nightmare that was sharing a room in college. I had 6 different roommates in my years in college and most of them were, in some way or another, difficult. Then I lived in a three bedroom apartment with two other girls and that, also, was a bit of a nightmare. Lets just say that Passive Aggressive notes took a whole new level of amazing when I lived in that apartment. Of course, if we would have had a roommate agreement like Leonard and Sheldon some of that difficulty may have been avoided. At least we would have known where we stood.

My favorite roommate though was my junior year of college when I met Hannah. She was a fantastic roommate and we got along so well despite our obvious differences. We were both very busy, she was planning her wedding and trying to finish her senior year and I was a junior involved in every activity imaginable and my first boyfriend. Every night we’d come back to our rooms exhausted and crawl into bed and turn off the lights, but stay up for hours talking. She was a source of encouragement and wisdom, especially when my life seemed a hectic frenzy. I can’t say that I had changed any when I lived with Hannah, all of my faults were there (even more so because I was so stressed and busy), but Hannah was so radically different than any other roommate relationship I ever had.

Lately my pastor has been talking about what real love is and how real love overlooks flaws and just loves. I think that’s what I was missing in a lot of my roommate situations before and after that experience – love. Hannah really showed me what friendship and love were about.

When it comes to The Big Bang Theory as much as the other characters on the show and Leonard make fun of Sheldon and often get very annoyed with him – I think there’s a deeper friendship/love that they have for each other. It’s what keeps viewers like myself coming back to the show (okay, that and the geeky references and situations). But honestly, their friendship is one of the vital parts of the show. It might not always work, but Sheldon and Leonard have a friendship that most people would envy, a friendship that I had with Hannah. Hopefully (as far as fictional characters can) they appreciate it!

Catch up on The Big Bang Theory and Sheldon and Leonard’s roommate-ness buy buying Season 4 on DVD and Blu-Ray: http://bit.ly/nAnZ5T

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote The Big Bang Theory Season 4 on DVD.

The Killer Elite opens 9/23. Buy tickets now on Fandango.com.

Find out more about The Killer Elite at killerelite.com

I went to see “The Killer Elite” last week at a special press screening and I have to say I was blown away. I’m not normally one for assassin vs. assassin movies, but “The Killer Elite” is more than just your typical violence for the sake of violence film – it’s actually a real interesting story about trained assassins, government corruption and the role the West has played in the Middle East. Entirely relevant for the current culture and political times today.

Both myself and Lisa, who came along, walked out after seeing it surprised at how much we really enjoyed the film because, at the end of the day, it told a compelling, redemptive story. Added bonus? Yvonne Strahovski (Sarah Walker from Chuck) plays the romantic lead.

Synopsis:

“Based on a shocking true story, Killer Elite pits two of the world’s most elite operatives – Danny, an ex-special ops agent (Jason Statham) and Hunter, his longtime mentor (Robert De Niro) – against the cunning leader of a secret military society (Clive Owen).  Covering the globe from Australia to Paris, London and the Middle East, Danny and Hunter are plunged into a highly dangerous game of cat and mouse — where the predators become the prey.”

Non-Spoilery Verdict:

Come for the explosions, car chases, stellar cast and leave with a compelling story.

Jason Statham does what he does best in this role: he plays the hard on the outside, teddy bear on the inside lead. As Danny he gets to really play with the tortured soul who is pulled back into the assasian business because of his friend. Robert DeNiro gets to play an excellent role as a foil for Jason’s character adding to every scene he’s in without having to outshine the rest of the cast. Yvonne gets to play a good Australian country girl, and even though her role is smaller than the male leads, she really lights up the screen at every turn. I was pleasantly surprised that her character wasn’t as flat as I had anticipated she might be in this very male genre film.

Clive Owen is masterful and gripping in his role. Of the three male leads I really believed his character most of all.

At the beginning the movie did feel more like an independent film (long, non-actiony type shots), but the action picked up and left me interested through out. There were a couple unexpected turns that the movie made that I wasn’t expecting and the overall message was redemption is possible and who you were does not have to define who you become.

Downsides to the movie (for me) was it was rated R for language (brief nudity) and violence (though the violence wasn’t as bad as I thought it may be).

This is a really great movie based on a non-fiction book The Feather Men and I recommend you go see it for yourself.

WHAT: PSYCH FAN APPRECIATION DAY:  As a thank you to PSYCH’s most loyal fans, USA Network is hosting a Fan Apprecation Day featuring an advance screening of the sixth season premiere, Q&A’s before and after with the cast and creator, and a chance to mix and mingle with the greatest PSYCH-O’s of our time.  Beginning September 8 at 10am EST,  fans can go to psych.usanetwork.com to sign up for a chance to win a free pair of tickets to Fan Appreciation Day on October 6 at the historic Ziegfeld Theatre in NYC.  All cast members – James Roday, Dulé Hill, Corbin Bernsen, Timothy Omunson, Maggie Lawson, Kirsten Nelson plus series creator Steve Franks will be in attendance.  Popcorn, drinks and surprise giveaways will top off an exciting evening.  Fans who can’t make it to the event can catch the action from the comfort of their own home.  USA will stream live coverage of the event including green carpet interviews and an exclusive cast Q&A.

WHEN: September 8-21, 2011

Anderson Cooper has a new talk show so he sat down with US Weekly to discuss 25 things you may not know about him. Read more about Anderson over at US Weekly. Find out about his new talk show at andersoncooper.com.

1. I started going gray in college.

2. I wish I still had brown hair.

3. I love my Real Housewives of Atlanta and Beverly Hills. Miami, not so much.

4. I met Charlie Chaplin when I was 6. I have a photo, but no actual memory of it.

5. I am very disorganized.

6. Shopping for clothes makes my head hurt.

7. I work out nearly every day. Yes, I know how annoying that sounds.

8. I love fast food.

9. I need to eat better.

10. I collected toy soldiers when I was young.

11. I became a reporter by going to wars by myself with a camera and a fake press pass.

12. I’ve been addicted to TV since I was little.

13. I was a Dungeons & Dragons geek when I was young. I spent a lot of time indoors.

14. I can fall asleep anywhere at any time.

15. I was a child model. Embarrassing!

16. I don’t drink any hot liquids. No tea, no coffee.

17. Oddly, my favorite ice cream flavor is coffee.

18. I don’t like to wear sunglasses, no matter how bright out it is.

19. I struggled with dyslexia as a child.

20. Chocolate chip cookies make me happy.

21. I can’t sing, and won’t try.

22. I like to dance, but never on TV.

23. I’ve bitten my nails for as long as I can remember.

24. I am a dog person and have a dog named Molly, but I’ve recently discovered cats are OK too.

25. I like to assume the best about people, until I am proven wrong.

This past season of the Big Bang Theory we saw a lot more of the boys at work at CalTech. Their office life is something that I envy! Imagine being surrounded by cool lasers and a cafeteria that lets you take as many napkins as you want. My last office job was full of geeks much like CalTech, but it seemed to have a higher ratio of females than CalTech.

One of the things I love about the Big Bang Theory is a lot of the relationships between the characters are centered around hanging out and eating. It’s no different at their work where a lot of pivotal discussions and introduction of new character/plots happen in the cafeteria. A lot of my co-worker bonding time has been around food as well (shared lunches, free lunch Friday, etc). There’s something universal about sharing a meal together.

Of course, I’ve never spent overnight sleeping at my office like Sheldon did when he refused to learn how to drive. But in a lot of other ways my office experiences were similar to the ones you see on The Big Bang Theory… except for the laser part.

How about you? Do you and your co-workers bond over lunch? Do you get to work with lasers (okay, I’m super jealous of the laser bit, I admit)?

Buy The Big Bang Theory Season 4 on DVD/BluRay! http://bit.ly/nAnZ5T

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote The Big Bang Theory Season 4 on DVD.

I am a geek, but I am also a girl. I enjoy my geeky shows like Smallville, Buffy, and Star Wars, but I also enjoy a good teen drama, like The OC, Dawson’s Creek, and Gossip Girl. The characters on Gossip Girl are loved and hated, sometimes all in one episode.

Here are my top 5 favorite characters on Gossip Girl.

5. Eric van der Woodsen: Eric is the voice of reason many times on the show. He doesn’t agree with the fight for social power that Jenny and Blair undertake, though he gets caught up in it more times than he’d like. Eric isn’t one of the major players on the show, but he is one of the more true to life characters.

4. Gossip Girl: This never seen on the show character makes the list because we wouldn’t have the show without her. She has eyes everywhere and a must read blog. Voiced by Kristen Bell, Gossip Girl makes and breaks relationships, loves a good scandal, and outs anyone she can. Maybe one day we’ll find out her true identity.

3. Serena van der Woodsen: Serena is the good girl of the Upper East Side, well most of the time. Serena used to be a wild child, but she has reformed. When Serena does go a little crazy, it’s usually because of something to do with her best friend, Blair. Serena has been in an on-again-off-again relationship with Dan Humphrey for years, and sometimes with Nate Archibald in between. I like Serena best when she’s not with a guy, but trying some self discovery. Of course this usually leads to her hooking up with a guy!

2. Blair Waldorf: While Serena is usually thinking of things in the minute, Blair is always thinking about her future. While in high school, she made sure she was Queen Bee, top of the social ladder. She is always aware of what will help her reach her social potential, which is very important on the Upper East Side. This also applies to who Blair dates. She has been in love with Chuck for years, but might now be marrying a prince. Blair usually gets what she wants through questionable (or downright nefarious) means, which makes rooting for her a very strange experience as a viewer.

1. Chuck Bass: I hated Chuck in early season 1 of Gossip Girl. He was so slimy and basically evil. He is still both of those things, but he’s one of the bad boys you just love. I think it happened when he fell in love with Blair, that’s when Chuck became a person. Chuck has had some very bad things happen to him, so he’s a sympathetic character when he’s not being a jerk. Chuck can make anything happen. He has money, power, and influence. If it weren’t for his love of Blair Waldorf, he’d probably be the most powerful business man in New York. Blair is his weakness, and quite the distraction. Also, just to show my girly side, Chuck gets the number one spot because when he utters the line, “I’m Chuck Bass,” it’s just so hot!

Honorable Mention: Georgina Sparks must be included in this list somewhere, but not being a main character, I couldn’t put her in the top 5. When Georgina shows up, portrayed by Michelle Trachtenburg, you know that trouble is coming and mayhem will ensue.

Catch up on Gossip Girl S1 and click here to buy the entire series of Gossip Girl Books at DeepDiscount.com.

Special Features are something that makes or break any DVD set, especially for TV. The special features included add to the overall valube of a show that you may be able to get cheaper digitally. Recently I’ve been kind of disappointed by the lack of great features on DVDs that I’ve bought. Thankfully, The Vampire Diaries Season 2 DVDs have some really great features and is well worth buying the set for.

My favorite is “Her Own Worst Enemy…” which goes into explaining how they do split screen scenes (when one actor plays two characters in the same shot). Especially in Season 2 where in one episode Nina Dobrev has to play 12 pages of script Katherine and Elena just talking to each other. For Buffy fans it’s kind of like Dopplegangland when Aly had to play four different characters.

There’s also an amazingly fun “The Perfect Love Triangle…” that explains all of the romances on the show (with a fun little ‘family tree’ style chart) with actor/crew interviews explaining them. Then they try and explain Elena’s family tree. It’s freaking hilarious.

There’s also a bunch of small features on the werewolves and their mythology, a fantastic gag reel, deleted/unaired scenes, and a commentary on the pivotal episode “Masquerade.”

Check the fun features out for yourself and order your copy of The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Second Season on DVD/Blu-Ray here today: http://bit.ly/mkiZtx!

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Second Season on DVD/Blu-Ray.

Photo: Quantrell D. Colbert/The CW

Welcome to our newest introcast: Still Flyin’, a podcast about the show Firefly. Join Tabz, Harriet and Melanie as they discuss the episode “Serenity” from Firefly, why they don’t like Badger, why they adore Kaylee, and make predictions on the rest of the series!

WARNING: Minor spoilers for Buffy and Dollhouse in this episode.

Predictions:
Harriet – Some point we’re going to see the Reavers
Harriet & Melanie – Jayne’s going to turn on Mal
Melanie – Learn more about Shepherd Book
Melanie – More between Mal and Inara

Emails from James & Nutty! Thanks! Send your own feedback for “The Train Job” to betweenthelinesstudios@gmail.com.

Theme song: “Gotta Fly” by Marian Call
Intro/Credits: Dan Putnam (Mal from Firefly Between the Lines)

Next episode: “Serenity” with fans of Firefly (i.e. people who have seen the series already).

Join our FB Fan Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/135778716512955/

Links to subscribe are in the sidebar!

This period drama, from executive producers Jack Orman (ER, Men of a Certain Age), Thomas Schlamme (The West Wing, Parenthood, Mr. Sunshine) and Nancy Hult Ganis (Akeelah and the Bee) takes off on Sunday, September 25th at 10|9c!

Find out more:

Visit the Official Show Website: http://abc.go.com/shows/pan-am

Become a Fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PanAmABC

Follow @PanAmABC on Twitter to get the latest news, pics and behind-the-scenes info!

Are you going to be watching?

Season 6 of Supernatural brought the brothers into a strained relationship as they continued to fight in an epic war between Heaven and Hell. Yet, through new monsters, new angels, new problems — the brothers stuck together (for the most part). Proving once again that no matter what happens the Winchesters are always going to think of each other first.

That’s probably one of the themes I like most in Supernatural. No matter how crazy life gets or how stupid it might seem, family sticks together. The boys are ready to go to hell and back to protect each other (literally). It’s awesome to watch just how crazy it has to get for them before they realize all they have is each other.

I’d like to think my family would be similar, but it’s hard to tell with the amount of stress and pressure the boys are under. I know if I was the Winchesters I’d want some friends along too. How about you? Who would you take along with you if you had to become a hunter?

Pick up your copy of SPN Season 6: http://bit.ly/pOLPLa

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote Supernatural Season 6 on DVD.

Join Tabz and Emma as they discuss The Mighty Boosh! And why this is their favorite episode of the series.

Recap from TV.com:
Howard is hell bent on a career as a serious writer in the hope that he’ll improve his chances with Mrs Gideon. However, when famous publisher Hamilton Cork arrives at the Zoo-Niverse, he decides to publish Vince’s literary efforts about a pink bubblegum character called Charlie. Meanwhile, Bob Fossil has embarked on a new breeding programme for the pandas.

Lisa and Tabz present our new podcast, “Lisa and Tabz Get Lost in Los Angeles.” It’s kind of a travelog of our adventures doing stuff in Los Angeles because we love the city and there’s so many cool things to do. Join us and our co-host The Evil GPS as we talk about Flappers in Burbank (and a bunch of random things). Warning: if you want a structured podcast — this one isn’t for you.

Next time on this podcast: Lisa and Tabz get lost on the way to a press screening of KILLER ELITE, the upcoming action-thriller starring Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Robert De Niro and Yvonne Strahovski.

This episode was edited by Lisa.

Intro & Outro music is “Are We There Yet” by Beatnik Turtle
http://thesongoftheday.com/index.cgi?_w=1&_d=052509

Flappers in Burbank
http://www.comedycasting.com/h2fnew/index.php
http://www.facebook.com/FlappersComedyClubBurbank

Throwing Toasters (Grant Baciocco)
http://www.throwingtoasters.com/
http://www.facebook.com/throwingtoasters

Zoltan
http://www.comedycasting.com/h2fnew/index.php?pg=talentdetail_page&id=014cddaed23e89a

Jen Kober
http://www.jenkober.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jen-Kober/117056650390

Follow Tabz on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Tabz

Follow Lisa on Twitter: http://twitter.com/hypersensitive

ABC’s newest show “Revenge” dropped some new stills and a new promo. To find out more about the show visit the official website at: http://abc.go.com/shows/revenge.

I’m not sure about this one, but the new promo gets me a bit more interested. What say you? Going to watch the premiere of Revenge on 9/21?

Photos courtesy of ABC Studios.

[Press Release] September 1, 2011: CBS, America’s most watched network, has launched a free CBS Fall Preview iPad app, the first-of-its-kind, which gives iPad users a unique look at the Network’s new fall drama series UNFORGETTABLE, PERSON OF INTEREST and A GIFTED MAN, as well as its new comedy series 2 BROKE GIRLS and HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN.

This CBS Fall Preview app is now available here from the App Store or at http://www.itunes.com/appstore.

The CBS Fall Preview app’s unique iPad experience includes the following features:

● In-depth Previews: Includes special previews and behind-the-scenes videos of the new CBS line-up, as well as exclusive photo galleries of the shows’ casts.

● Unique, Integrated Video Elements: On the home screen, NCIS’s Pauley Perrette introduces each new show, while offering fun anecdotes about the cast, characters and storylines.

● An “Unforgettable” Memory Challenge: Gives users a fun way to test out their memory while interacting with the new series. Users also have the chance to win a new 50-inch plasma TV.

● Social Media Integration: Social media posts from the official Twitter accounts for all CBS shows are integrated directly into the app.

● CBS Fall Schedule: Gives users a look at the complete lineup on CBS this season. Calendar integration enables users to easily add the Network’s premiere and regular episode dates to their iPad calendar and share the information with friends online.

Fans without iPads can visit CBS.com for exclusive content, including videos, games, blogs and contests, for all of CBS’s new and returning series.