TVScreener.com is a very proud member of the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA), and today, we announce the nominees for our third annual Critics’ Choice Television Awards.

It’s a fantastic list of shows and stars, with The Big Bang Theory and American Horror Story: Asylum leading series nominees with six each, and HBO (21) and FX (19) leading the networks.

“This year’s nominations reflect the expanding definition of television, with nominated programs and performances representing new platforms as well as broadcast and cable,” BTJA President Joey Berlin says.  “As evidenced by nominations for the 3rd annual Critics’ Choice Television Awards, television continues to be a rich and diverse source of high quality entertainment.”

The Critics’ Choice Television Awards ceremony will be held on June 10 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, hosted by Parks and Recreation star Retta. Fans can watch the celeb-packed event in a live webcast at UStream.

Here, the complete list of nominees: 

BEST COMEDY SERIES
The Big Bang Theory – CBS
Louie – FX
The Middle – ABC
New Girl – FOX
Parks and Recreation – NBC
Veep – HBO

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Don Cheadle (House of Lies) – Showtime
Louis C.K. (Louie) – FX
Jake Johnson (New Girl) – FOX
Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS
Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation) – NBC
Jeremy Sisto (Suburgatory) – ABC

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Laura Dern (Enlightened) – HBO
Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) – FOX
Lena Dunham (Girls) – HBO
Sutton Foster (Bunheads) – ABC Family
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) – HBO
Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) – NBC

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Max Greenfield (New Girl) – FOX
Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS
Alex Karpovsky (Girls) – HBO
Adam Pally (Happy Endings) – ABC
Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) – NBC
Danny Pudi (Community) – NBC

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Carly Chaikin (Suburgatory) – ABC
Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS
Sarah Hyland (Modern Family) – ABC
Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS
Eden Sher (The Middle) – ABC
Casey Wilson (Happy Endings) – ABC

BEST GUEST PERFORMER IN A COMEDY SERIES
Melissa Leo (Louie) – FX
David Lynch (Louie) – FX
Bob Newhart (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS
Patton Oswalt (Parks and Recreation) – NBC
Molly Shannon (Enlightened) – HBO
Patrick Wilson (Girls) – HBO

BEST DRAMA SERIES
The Americans – FX
Breaking Bad – AMC
Downton Abbey – PBS
Game of Thrones – HBO
The Good Wife – CBS
Homeland – Showtime

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) – AMC
Damian Lewis (Homeland) – Showtime
Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead) – AMC
Timothy Olyphant (Justified) – FX
Matthew Rhys (The Americans) – FX
Kevin Spacey (House of Cards) – Netflix

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Claire Danes (Homeland) – Showtime
Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel) – A&E
Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife) – CBS
Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) – BBC America
Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) – AMC
Keri Russell (The Americans) – FX

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad) – AMC
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones) – HBO
Michael Cudlitz (Southland) – TNT
Noah Emmerich (The Americans) – FX
Walton Goggins (Justified) – FX
Corey Stoll (House of Cards) – Netflix 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter) – Showtime
Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) – HBO
Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad) – AMC
Regina King (Southland) – TNT
Monica Potter (Parenthood) – NBC
Abigail Spencer (Rectify) – Sundance

BEST GUEST PERFORMER IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jim Beaver (Justified) – FX
Jane Fonda (The Newsroom) – HBO
Martha Plimpton (The Good Wife) – CBS
Carrie Preston (The Good Wife) – CBS
Diana Rigg (Game of Thrones) – HBO
Jimmy Smits (Sons of Anarchy) – FX 

BEST MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
American Horror Story: Asylum – FX
Behind the Candelabra – HBO
The Crimson Petal and the White – Encore
The Hour – BBC America
Political Animals – USA
Top of the Lake – Sundance

BEST ACTOR IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
Benedict Cumberbatch (Parade’s End) – HBO
Matt Damon (Behind the Candelabra) – HBO
Michael Douglas (Behind the Candelabra) – HBO
Toby Jones (The Girl) – HBO
Al Pacino (Phil Spector) – HBO
Dominic West (The Hour) – BBC America

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
Angela Bassett (Betty & Coretta) – Lifetime
Romola Garai (The Hour) – BBC America
Rebecca Hall (Parade’s End) – HBO
Jessica Lange (American Horror Story: Asylum) – FX
Elisabeth Moss (Top of the Lake) – Sundance
Sigourney Weaver (Political Animals) – USA

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
James Cromwell (American Horror Story: Asylum) – FX
Peter Mullan (Top of the Lake) – Sundance
Zachary Quinto (American Horror Story: Asylum) – FX
Sebastian Stan (Political Animals) – USA
David Wenham (Top of the Lake) – Sundance
Thomas M. Wright (Top of the Lake) – Sundance

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
Ellen Burstyn (Political Animals) – USA
Sienna Miller (The Girl) – HBO
Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story: Asylum) – FX
Lily Rabe (American Horror Story: Asylum) – FX
Imelda Staunton (The Girl) – HBO
Alfre Woodard (Steel Magnolias) – Lifetime

BEST REALITY SERIES
Duck Dynasty – A&E
The Moment – USA
Pawn Stars – History Channel
Push Girls – Sundance
Small Town Security – AMC
Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan – BBC America

BEST REALITY SERIES – COMPETITION
Chopped – Food Network
Face Off – Syfy
Shark Tank – ABC
So You Think You Can Dance – FOX
Survivor – CBS
The Voice – NBC 

BEST REALITY HOST
Tom Bergeron (Dancing With the Stars) – ABC
Cat Deeley (So You Think You Can Dance) – FOX
Gordon Ramsay (Hell’s Kitchen/Masterchef) – FOX
RuPaul (RuPaul’s Drag Race) – Logo
Ryan Seacrest (American Idol) – FOX
Kurt Warner (The Moment) – USA

BEST TALK SHOW
Conan – TBS
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart – Comedy Central
The Ellen DeGeneres Show – Warner Brothers Television Distribution
Jimmy Kimmel Live! – ABC
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon – NBC
Marie – Hallmark Channel

BEST ANIMATED SERIES
Adventure Time – Cartoon Network
Archer – FX
Phineas and Ferb – Disney Channel
Regular Show – Cartoon Network
The Simpsons – FOX
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Cartoon Network

BTJA will also announce nominees for the Most Exciting New Series award on June 3.

The Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA) is a partner organization to the Broadcast Film Critics Association. BTJA includes TV, radio and Internet journalists who cover television on a regular basis. For more information, visit: CriticsChoice.com.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD FOR LAST NIGHT’S DEXTER EPISODE, “SUNSHINE AND FROSTY SWIRL”

I’m not saying last night’s Dexter storyline was a little bit ridiculous or anything, but, remember that episode of The Facts of Life where Blair was dating that dude who cheated on her (season 4, “Magnificent Obsession,” and no, not ashamed that I know that), and her friends couldn’t believe snooty Blair would allow herself to be treated that way by any guy? But she did, and when Mean Boy asked her to go away on a ski trip with him, the other girls didn’t want her to go, so they stayed up all night to keep her away from the dorm pay phone (pay phone … I know!) so she wouldn’t call him and tell him she would go and he would ski off without her?

Last night’s Dexter, and Deb’s plan to have nightly sleepovers with her brother to help him cure his serial killerness?

The Facts of Dexter’s Life.

And that other serial killer, who spouted wise to Dexter and actually had him briefly believing he might be able to change, before Other Serial Killer walked into a semi?

He’s the Mrs. Garrett of this scenario.

Homeland: The Complete First Season (Fox Home Entertainment)
Surprise Emmy Best Drama winner Homeland is one of those rare shows that is so carefully and cleverly crafted that you’ll pick up new things even on your second or third viewing. Is Claire Danes‘ CIA agent Carrie crazy, or are her suspicions that returning war hero Brody (Emmy winner Damian Lewis) is actually a terrorist correct? Watch, and enjoy the twists, especially with season two just a week away (Sept. 30 on Showtime).
Bonus features: Deleted scenes; Under Surveillance, a making-of featurette; and The Visit, a preview of season two

Dexter: The Sixth Season (Paramount Home Entertainment)
Season six started off with one of the funniest storylines in Dexter history, as our favorite serial killer attended his high school reunion (picture it: Dexter dancing). Things were a little rocky after that, with some crazy storylines involving guest stars Edward James Olmos and Colin Hanks, but the season ended with shocking Dexter/Deb happenings, and that’s where we pick up with season seven, which debuts on Showtime on Sept. 30.
Bonus features: Cast interviews and episodes of other Showtime series, like House of Lies, The Borgias and Californication.

Supernatural: The Complete Seventh Season (Warner Home Video)
A sad loss for Sam and Dean meant the Winchester brothers were on their own just when they were faced with their toughest and most dangerous foes ever. And in further twists, the discovery of a demon facility to concoct a cure for cancer turned out to be a very bad thing, and Sam and Dean ultimately had to help destroy a friend to save him from himself. Season eight of the CW drama premieres on Oct. 3.
Bonus features: Unaired scenes, gag reel, episode commentaries, featurettes on show directors and composers and a fan-favorite video of star Jensen Ackles singing an Air Supply classic.

The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Third Season (Warner Home Video)
Elena made a couple of maaaajor choices in season three, one involving her love life and one involving the continuing existence of, well, her, as a human. And those choices will continue to play out in season four, which kicks off on Oct. 11 on The CW.
Bonus features: Bloopers, favorite scenes and featurettes on Stefan, the original vampires and the show’s writers.

Revenge: The Complete First Season (Buena Vista Home Entertainment)
Orphaned Emily’s plot for revenge against those who turned against her father took some surprising turns in this first-season drama, a delicious, guilty pleasure primetime soap. Catch up with all 22 episodes in time for the Sept. 30 season two premiere on ABC, during which Emily will try to locate her previously-resumed-dead mom (Jennifer Jason Leigh).
Bonus features: Bloopers, deleted scenes, pilot episode commentary, music videos and featurettes like Roadmap to Revenge and Haute Hamptons: Femme Fatale Fashion.

The Mentalist: The Complete Fourth Season (Warner Home Video)
Yep, Patrick Jane is still trying to track down Red John, the serial killer who killed Jane’s family. And season four introduced him to Red John’s cohort, Lorelai (Entourage‘s Emmanuelle Chriqui), who just might become Jane’s new love interest in season five, which premieres Sept. 30 on CBS.
Bonus features: CBI: Behind the Badge featurette.

Suburgatory: The Complete First Season (Warner Home Video)
One of last season’s few new comedy hits, Suburgatory finds single dad George and his teen daughter Tessa leaving their hip Manhattan apartment behind for a house in the cookie cutter ‘burbs when George frets Tessa is growing up too quickly. Curb Your Enthusiasm star Cheryl Hines is a scene stealer as rich chic neighbor Dallas, who, in season two (premiering Oct. 17), will have her first date with George.
Bonus features: Gag reel, unaired scenes and the Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell: Life in Suburgatory featurette

Person of Interest: Season One (Warner Home Video)
High concept, yes, but fantastic performances by Michael Emerson and Jim Caviezel sold the first season of this drama about a billionaire who uses access to U.S. intelligence agency data to team with a presumed dead CIA agent to try and prevent violent crimes. Season two begins Sept. 27 on CBS and we’ll learn what exactly Root has up her sleeve for the kidnapped Finch (Emerson).
Bonus features: Pilot episode audio commentary, gag reel, extended pilot episode and Living in the Age of Surveillance featurette.

Castle: The Complete Fourth Season (Buena Vista Home Entertainment)
It’s the season that featured the season finale that answered the question: will they or won’t they? In case there’s still any doubt, the season five premiere, on Sept. 24 on ABC, will answer it definitively.
Bonus features: Audio commentaries, deleted scenes, bloopers and featurettes Nathan & Friends: Castle Goes Radio and Anatomy of a Stunt.

Private Practice: The Complete Fifth Season (Buena Vista Home Entertainment)
The fifth season ended with Kate Walsh‘s Addison “forced” to choose between two love interests, played by Taye Diggs and Benjamin Bratt. So, you know she had quite a season leading up to that. Her choice, by the way, will be revealed in the season six finale on ABC on Sept. 25.
Bonus features: Blooper reel and The Practice of Parenthood featurette.

The Office: Season Eight (Universal Home Entertainment)
James Spader made his exit as Robert California, Darryl finally got his dream girl, Andy got his shot at running the office and Jim and Pam’s marriage was just fine, despite that plotting co-worker who set her eyes on Mr. Halpert. That was the show’s penultimate season, and here’s hoping things end up on even happier notes for the Dunder Mifflin gang in its ninth and final season, which began last Thursday.
Bonus features: Deleted scenes, webisodes and extended episodes.

The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Fifth Season (Warner Home Video)
Howard got married, Leonard and Penny got back together (again) and that clever — and very patient — Amy Farrah Fowler finally got Sheldon to make her his girlfriend. As the new season debuts on Sept. 27 on CBS, AFF tried to push her relationship with her reluctant even further along.
Bonus features: A gag reel, a behind-the-scenes feature on the various departments that bring the show to life very week, a cast reflection on season five and The Big Bang Theory @ 100 feature on the show’s 100th episode.

2 Broke Girls: The Complete First Season (warner Home Video)
Roommate waitresses and aspiring cupcake shop owners Max and Caroline met up with Martha Stewart in season one, so, when the show kicks off season two on Sept. 24, they’re even more jazzed to launch their bakery. But first, Steven Weber will pop in as Caroline’s estranged, Bernie Madoff-y dad.
Bonus features: Unaired scenes and a behind-the-scenes featurette called 2 Girls Going 4 Broke with cast and crew interviews

Parks and Recreation: Season Four (Universal Home Entertainment)
Leslie Knope finally got her guy and her dream city council seat, and we got to see the funniest collection of supporting actors on TV: Rob Lowe‘s Chris (“lit-trally”), Chris Pratt‘s Andy, Aziz Ansari‘s Tom, Aubrey Plaza‘s April and, of course, Nick Offerman‘s Ron Swanson.
Bonus features: Deleted scenes, extended scenes, alternate scenes, webisodes, gag reel and The Swanson Zone, a series of mini features on Offerman and his scene-stealing Ron.

Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Second Season (HBO Home Entertainment)
If you’re following the show, you probably already know about Jimmy, even if you haven’t actually seen the episode yet. But the who/what/how/why/when backstory of how he got there — along with the continuing Emmy-worthy performance of star Steve Buscemi — is the reason to catch up with season two, so you can jump in on season three, which is already in progress.
Bonus features: Audio commentaries, promos, recaps and featurettes on the show’s new characters and changes to the season two landscape.

Grimm: Season One (Universal Home Entertainment)
Season two debuted in August, but it’s not too late to catch up with this drama about homicide detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli), who finds out he is a Grimm, a group of people who keep others safe from supernatural creatures.
Bonus features: Gag reel, audition tapes, highlight reel and multiple featurettes.

Grey’s Anatomy: The Complete Eighth Season (Buena Vista Home Entertainment)
A plane crashed, someone died and not all of the survivors are doing so well themselves. And that’s where season nine begins on Sept. 27 on ABC.
Bonus features: Deleted scenes, outtakes, an extended episode and a trip to Scotland with star Kevin McKidd.

The Walking Dead: The Complete Second Season (Anchor Bay Home Entertainment)
Shane … oh, Shane. The zombie drama that even non-zombie fans love just got better in season two, with fresh gruesome-ness (poor well-dwelling dude), fresh friction among the survivors and at least two shocking deaths. Catch up for season three, which premieres on AMC on Oct. 14 and promises to unfold the stories of the Governor, Michonne and life at the prison for Rick and company.
Bonus features: Audio commentary, deleted scenes and more than 10 featurettes.

HOORAY! We have our winners:

Caitlin and Ethan! Congrats, and thanks for entering. Your awesome prizes will be on their way to your mailbox shortly. Enjoy, and thanks again for checking us out at TV Screener.com!

And everyone, stay tuned to TVScreener.com … we’ve got lots more TV goodies coming your way!

The season five premiere is just a couple of weeks away, and TVScreener.com is thrilled that our friends at Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment have given us two copies of the Sons of Anarchy season four DVD box set to give away to readers who want to get up to speed with the show before season five action begins!

The box set is loaded with all 14 season four episodes, as well as bonus goodies like deleted scenes, extended scenes, commentary from series creator Kurt Sutter, director Peter Weller and stars Katey Sagal and Maggie Siff and a gag reel (which is always extra funny coming from an intense drama like SoA).

From Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment:

TV’s Affair with Drug Trafficking: Featuring Sons of Anarchy Season 4

Debuting on Blu-ray and DVD Aug. 28

In Sons of Anarchy’s fourth season, the SAMCRO gang gets involved in a dangerous and ruthless Mexican drug cartel led by Romeo Parada, played by Machete star Danny Trejo. This isn’t the first popular television show that has gotten mixed up in the underground world of drug trafficking, so here, we’ll take a look at fan favorite TV shows that fight cartels and work to get the perfect product.

Sons of Anarchy
Ride full-throttle with the Sons of Anarchy into the most intense, adrenaline-charged season ever! Out of prison and back in business, SAMCRO faces a powerful new nemesis as they forge an unlikely alliance and head in a dangerous new direction. As a deadly internal power struggle rocks the club to its very core, Jax struggles with the legacy of his father and makes plans for the future of his family amid chaos, corruption, betrayal, and murder. Action-packed with electrifying extended episodes, Sons of Anarchy Season Four will take you for the ride of your life!

Breaking Bad
Walter White (Brian Cranston) learns he has cancer he panics and decides he needs to find a way to save money for his family. Taking his chemistry knowledge, he partners with an ex-student/drug dealer Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) to create the most perfect form of crystal meth ever sold on the streets. But soon, the cartel is after the duo and they are in way over their heads.

Weeds
Mary-Louise Parker stars in this dark comedy as Nancy Botwin, a widowed suburban mom who turns to marijuana as a means for money to support her two sons. Throughout the series she becomes involved with the DEA and also international drug cartels, all to support her family.

The Wire
The HBO drama set in Baltimore takes each season and focuses on a different facet of the city, including illegal drug trade.  The many faces of character actors include a cop, a longshoreman, a drug dealer, a politician, a judge and a lawyer whose lives are all in peril.

True Blood
Following the complicated life of Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) and her on-again off-again love triangle with vampires Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) and Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard), True Blood takes a closer look at the fictional town of Bon Temps and the dangerous events that continue to unfurl. These side stories include Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) as a drug dealer of V – vampire blood – a substance that acts as a controlled substance for humans.

Now, for your chance of winning a copy of Sons of Anarchy season four on DVD, simply tell us who your favorite Sons character is.

Remember:
- Leave a comment on this post, with the name of your favorite Sons of Anarchy character, and an e-mail address where you can be reached. For this giveaway, U.S. and Canadian entries only, please
- Deadline to enter is September 11 at 11PM ET (according to recorded comment time)
- The winner will be chosen by random, using Random.org’s Random Number Generator
- The winner will be announced on the evening of September 11, as an update to this post

Good luck, Sons of Anarchy fans!

After last season’s finale — the Gus head and the flower pot reveal — how could the Breaking Bad season five opener (Sunday, AMC, 10PM ET) possibly live up to the expectations fans have for the final season of one of the best (the best, I’d argue) TV dramas of all time?

Yet, the first two episodes rate a five out of five stars, two thumbs up, 10 on a scale of one to 10 … by whatever rating system you use, the season premiere is flawless, picking up where season four left off and offering a hint into what I think is going to be Walter White’s downfall.

In short: his ego. Walt (Bryan Cranston) was feeling super badass after pulling off his Gus plot, but he’s not satisfied with being able to tell wife Skyler (Anna Gunn) that he won. Nor is he going to be satisfied with the fact that he did win. Without any major spoilers, there’s a moment in the season five premiere — the episode’s called “Live Free or Die” — where Walt Jr. (RJ Mitte) tells his dad that Hank (Dean Norris) is going to be hailed as a hero for being the only person to have been onto Gus’ real activities.

Walt’s reaction is priceless, and so telling. He bristles ever so slightly at the thought of Hank as a hero, or more specifically at the fact that Walt Jr. sees his uncle as one, and it’s not because Walt knows Hank’s ongoing investigation of Gus threatens to expose Walt’s own misdeeds.

It’s because Walt wants his son to know what a tough guy he is (or thinks he is). And more than wanting his son to know how tough he is, the things he’s gotten away with and the people who fear him, Walt wants Hank to know.

Hank, who’s been vulnerable and insecure himself since his shooting, spent years poking fun at Walt and his meek high school chemistry teacher persona. And now that Walt’s Mr. Chips-to-Scarface transformation — as Cranston and BB creator Vince Gilligan frequently refer to Walt’s journey — is near completion, Walt wants Hank to know he’s no longer the schlubby teacher.

Despite what it would mean if Hank (DEA officer Hank) found out, Walt is dying for him to know what he’s done, what he’s doing and who he’s doing it to/for/with/against.

And that, I’m guessing, is going to ultimately be the specific cause of Walt’s downfall (and no spoiler there, because Cranston and Gilligan have often said Walt is not going to get away with his bad works).

Speaking of … if you still had any smidgen of sympathy left for Walt after his plot with the ricin and kiddie Brock, a scene in the season premiere between an ever more manipulative Walt and a still too trusting Jesse (Aaron Paul) should take care of that.

There are a couple of little surprises in the first two episodes of the new season (“Live Free or Die” and “Madrigal” are the eps AMC provided for review), and a couple of much-welcome moments of levity (two words: truck and magnet), but the most chilling scene is the one in which Walt utters the words “I forgive you.”

Because he doesn’t, and the person he says it to is very aware of what that could mean.

And if that isn’t enough to get you jazzed for the new season, check out these Breaking Bad goodies:

– The Hollywood Reporter‘s cover story on BB, with tidbits like the network that rudely rejected the show and the actors AMC initially wanted to cast as Walter White (John Cusack?!?!).

– Though he’s gone (and how), Gus Fring (Emmy-deserving Giancarlo Esposito) will certainly not be forgotten, and he continues to play a big role in BB events. In honor of his exit, AMC has a fun little “Go Fring Yourself” game, in which you put your head on Gus’ body and, well, a few “ding ding dings” later, you’re, ahem, facing off with Tio (RIP).

– The New York Daily News has an interview with the underrated Dean Norris, who plays Walt’s brother-in-law Hank. Norris, a Harvard grad, says playing the moral character isn’t as fun as playing the bad guy, and is often overlooked come Emmy time, but he’s giving a standout performance in a cast where there isn’t a bad performance.

– Dish subscribers who are freaking out about being AMC-less for Sunday night’s premiere can sign up to watch the episode live at AMCTV.com.

– You will love Aaron Paul even more than you already do after reading GQ‘s interview with him.

– Bryan Cranston picks his 13 favorite Breaking Bad moments at The Daily Beast.com.

– The 27 best Breaking Bad memes (numbers 16 and 19 crack me up).

– 25 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Breaking Bad from Buzzfeed.com.

– Aaron Paul in a Corn Pops commercial.

– A Breaking Bad A to Z feature I wrote for AOL before season 4 (so yes, it’s in serious need of an update, but still fun).

Charlie Sheen, Russell Brand and Louis C.K. are getting most of the attention, but I’m most excited that one of the best new shows of last TV season — Wilfred – returns for its second season on FX tonight (10PM ET).

Season one of the series ended with a cliffhanger — had Ryan (Elijah Wood) just imagined Wilfred and their pot-smoking bonding sessions in the basement? Last week’s pre-season episode answered that question, hilariously (short answer: no … probably), and season two kicks off with the maddeningly endearing, teddy bear-humping, Matt Damon movie-loving, manipulative Wilfie pledging his friendship and devotion to a surprising, non-Ryan character.

I chatted with series star and creator Jason Gann about the new season, donning that hot, itchy dog suit again, what mischief Wilfred will spark for season two and what he thinks of the new movie Ted, with its similarities to Wilfred.

Have you seen the trailer for the movie Ted?
I’ve seen a couple of trailers for it.

I can’t help but think of Wilfred when I see the trailer, which looks very funny …
Yeah, when you see Ted smoking the bong on the sofa with Mark Wahlberg, I guess, you can’t help but draw comparisons, but it seems different enough for me. I’m sure both worlds can exist side by side. It is very different as far as the premise, I think. Are you asking me what I think of it?

Well, are you flattered that people, especially Wilfred fans, are going to see that trailer and almost certainly be reminded of Wilfred, which came first?
Look, I think that that’s flattering that people might think that. I think that Seth MacFarlane is in his own stratosphere as far as success goes. He probably wouldn’t even be … I know he is aware of us right now, because he joked the other day to our showrunner that everyone is saying he ripped off Wilfred. But I don’t think he has. We didn’t create talking … teddy bears. I’m not even the first writer in a dog suit, and we didn’t invent bong smoking. When I did the original pilot, the Australian version, back in 2004, I was nervous then that someone would come out and beat us to the punch, and so I was just relieved then that we got it out, so we were the first ones.

For it to be 2012 and there to be finally something similar, I think we’ve done pretty well. I really think Wilfred has evolved far more and is far deeper than smoking bongs and putting on a dog suit, acting inappropriate. Because that would get really tired really quick. There’s a lot of layers going on in the show.

I haven’t seen anything like that, in the previews, anyway, for Ted. It seems kind of standard fare … a movie comedy … it’s funny, silly. It’s probably got a bit of pathos at the three?quarter mark, and then it ends happy. That’s not the kind of story we’re telling, so they’re very different.

You’ve already filmed the whole second season of Wilfred … how are you feeling about it?
I’m pretty proud of it. It’s just getting at the stage where we’re starting to get some feedback and I’m really enjoying it. And it’s good to be out of the suit. I’ve been out of the suit for a week now. On reflection it’s always … it’s a lot more fun once it’s all done.

I’m just looking at some stuff now at the office and picking up some things, some last minute things that I left behind. These studios we’re working in, they’re actually being destroyed and they’re making apartment buildings here, so it’s pretty sad. They’re called Centinela Studios, and they’ve been around a while. They shot 7th Heaven here and a bunch of other stuff.  It’s been a lot of fun shooting here. Last year, we shot on locations for (the whole season). But this year, we actually rebuilt the house in a studio, Ryan’s house.

It was great. I mean, it’s just so great to be able to walk 20 feet to your dressing room instead of getting in a minivan and driving up to location. Last year it was kind of like we were the TV show without a home. We were like gypsies going from place to place and annoying neighbors wherever we went, whereas now we had our own place. We built about four or five different sets in here, for different scenes, like the office stuff was here as well.

But it’s the end of an era, because there’s been a lot of stuff shot here. It kind of reminds me of old Hollywood.

Season one ended with a cliffhanger, which you wrapped up in a very satisfying way with the episode that aired last week. Did you know all last season how you would resolve the cliffhanger, which could have radically changed the direction of the show?
No, we didn’t. We were already shooting season one when (executive producer) David (Zuckerman) had the idea of the closet being sealed off. We weren’t really sure. We loved it, (but) then it was just a matter of whether FX would. They don’t traditionally do cliffhangers for their shows. That was the only thing, whether we would go with a cliffhanger. Then in the end, they liked the idea, and supported it. You take a risk when you do a cliffhanger. If you don’t come back for season two, you look pretty silly and you drive your fans crazy.

Aside from building the sets and shooting the show in the studio, did you make any other changes after having had the experience of doing a complete season?
Wilfred changed a lot in season one from the Australian Wilfred in that he would take on little characters within his character, like whether he was being possessed by Sneakers, the dog of Ryan’s childhood, or he was the scientist plotting to poison Ryan with chocolate, or the aristocrat who was just trying to seduce the giraffe.

It was so much fun. That was something we just discovered in writing season one, and so I’ve continued with that and just the lightness of the character. Wilfred’s light and fun and almost childlike and innocent in certain areas, so I’ve taken that a bit further in season two.

When you said that, it made me think of the scene, which is one of my favorites of the first three episodes, when Wilfred’s having the discussion with the pigeons about how much he was loved by Ryan’s co-workers at the office.
I love that because suddenly Wilfred’s a standup comic. You know what I mean? I like the bit where he’s like, “So, how many of you work here? Show of hands?” He’s got that, like a street performer. It’s like, well, they all work here. This is where they work. It’s fun watching Wilfred struggle at things, as well, because he’s so manipulative. When things don’t work out for him, that’s a lot of fun.

When I talked to you last season, you mentioned that the Wilfred costume was particularly hot. Did you find a way to deal with that for season two?
Actually, it even was worse this year because we were in the studio, a big warehouse. In the morning, it’s cold, but as the day goes on, it just heats up. The suit that I wore is a different suit. You know when he goes in season one to seduce Raffi and he’s groomed? Whenever Wilfred gets groomed, it’s a different suit. Basically, it’s the same material, but it’s never been washed, so it’s actually twice as thick. The material doesn’t breathe at all. I wore that suit for a couple episodes toward the end of the season. Basically, I cook in it so much that, after a while, I go past the pain threshold into euphoria.

They’ll say, “Jason, Jason, do you want to get out of the suit?” I’m like, “No, no, let’s keep going. Let’s do another one. Let’s do another one.” I’ll be standing crazed, and people are hearing me singing from miles away, and it would look really weird if you didn’t know me or didn’t know what show you were watching.

It’s kind of like hitting the wall when you’re running?
Exactly. That’s right, yeah. Because otherwise, putting that suit on and off, people would think, “So what? You’re just putting on clothes, taking them off.” But it’s like water torture. If it’s a couple of drops of water, no problem. When it’s a couple of hundred thousand drops over and over and over, and something finally snaps inside my brain.

There are so many great little touches that I’m sure fans of the show notice and love … in last week’s episode, Wilfred’s wheelchair, and the arm that became his bong. Whose idea was that?
(Laughing) That was my pitch in the writers’ room. Because someone had pitched in the story that maybe he was passing a joint. I’m like, “No, no. He’s got to … ” I just said, “If you just pulled the arm off of the wheelchair and turned it around, and it’s a packed pipe, and he lights it up and offers it to Ryan …” Everyone was, “Yeah, that’s great.” Then I turn up on the day of filming, and there it is. It looks exactly like what I imagined. That’s one of the most fun parts of the job, is when just a random idea like that can come up, then one day you turn up and someone’s made it real. Then it’s shot and edited, and now you’ve seen it. To me that’s still the most incredible, exciting part about this job.

Do you get feedback from fans about details like that?
Yeah. I think our show is one of those likely that people are watching over and over, and so we have the little scenes in there that we’re quite aware that you may not notice on the first viewing. But the fans will get it on the second or the third.

How did the Robin Williams guest appearance come about for “Progress”? Was he a fan of the first season?
Yes, he was. That was exactly what happened. He was working with Elijah on publicity for Happy Feet 2. Elijah sent me an email to tell me that he is a big fan of the show, and thought Wilfred was hilarious, and that he would be interested in doing a guest spot. I went back into the writers’ room and said to David, “Robin Williams asked to be in our show. We’ve got to find something for him.” David said, “Well, we’ve broken all the stories. There are not really any characters.” I said, “No, no, you don’t understand. We have to find something for Robin Williams.” He was such a hero of mine as a kid. We were able to isolate that character and say, “OK, how can we finally make this work if Robin was to play it?” But still, we weren’t sure that he would do it, because we didn’t know if it was big enough, or if it was funny enough, or worthy enough for him to do. We sent it off and just hoped for the best. He read it and said, yeah, he’d be glad to do it. I haven’t been so nervous about meeting someone, so nervous and excited at the same time, about meeting someone as I was him. You know, going up to him and just those two days that he was on the show … it was a real highlight.

Do you have a guest star wish list?
I do have a guest star wish list, a wish list of one, which is Matt Damon.

I think we’ve got to do everything we can to get him on the show one day. But, season two, it didn’t come up. I mean, we really do put the characters first and create the show that we want to create, and sometimes when we’re at work on a character, we’ll say, “Oh, such?and?such would be good for this role.” But it really is one of those things where … even with Elijah playing his role, we needed a certain actor to play Ryan, and he won that role with his great acting. We don’t really do any stunt casting for the gimmick of it. I mean, people have been suggested to us before, that definitely fit into that stunt casting category and we’ve said, “No.” Then we’ll get, “Are you crazy? Imagine the publicity you’d get.” We’re like, “Yeah, but at what expense?” You know? We’re setting up this world.

You have had so many great guest stars. Will Dwight Yoakam return as Bruce in season two?
Yeah, yeah. I think I tweeted it … I said I thought this show was fucked in the head, and then Dwight Yoakam showed up. That guy … oh man, he’s his own person. He has a lot of fun with Bruce, and he really had even more fun this year. We love having him on the show.

Bruce is one of the few connections to Wilfred’s past. Will we find out more about Wilfred’s pre-Ryan life in season two?
Yeah. That’s one of the great things about Wilfred … he could be 100 years old. Do you know what I mean? He just has this history that may be real or may be fabricated, but we have no choice but to take him at his face value because you’re talking to a dog. We find out his middle name in one of the episodes.

One day, I’m reading the script, and I see it, and I’m like, “All right, it’s as good as any.”

You didn’t come up with the name, then? It was a surprise to you?
I didn’t come up with that one. That one was a surprise to me and then once it’s said in one episode, before you know it, it comes up again later in another episode. Then it’s season three, if we have a season three, we might find out where he got the name from. You don’t know, but it’s funny how these little threads start and then you pull it out and it becomes this big, ongoing thing.

You mentioned Twitter … do you enjoy it? Some people love it, some people hate it, but it must be interesting to have that direct interaction with fans.
It took me a long time. I’ve had that account for a few years now and I think I tweeted like three times before FX asked if I’d like to tweet (more) for the show. I’ve enjoyed it, but I think I was thinking about it too much, like it seemed like a lot of work for me. But now I, just about two months ago, fell in love with Twitter, because I was always just a Facebook guy. Now I have really been enjoying tweeting more as me. I’m looking forward to tweeting during the shows again this year. I would think I’ll do it a lot more.

I saw that someone had tweeted you a photo of a tattoo they’d gotten of Wilfred and Bear. That’s real commitment. Are people still sending you a lot of drawings and things of Wilfred?
People do art. Someone painted an oil painting of me. That’s why I’ve actually stopped by the studio today, because of another painting that a girl did, and I have the whole wall just covered with prints of people’s artistic impressions of Wilfred, or Wilfred and Bear, or Wilfred and Ryan. They’re all so different, but they’re all so brilliant. The most humbling thing for me is that people are taking their time and creative energy, and it’s inspiring them to use their creativity to express their attachment to the characters. It’s just wonderful.

Do you have a favorite thing that someone has done?
No, I don’t have a favorite. Well, the oil painting, I just had it framed, and I’m going to actually get a fireplace to put under it (laughing) … to me, that was … I just love them all, but to me, that was when I looked at that and said, “Oh wow.” Like, that painting will probably live way beyond me. I was trying to imagine, like you see, oil paintings of people from hundreds of years ago. That’s when I thought about how Wilfred has existed. Wilfred is here. One day, it will be gone, so I’ve got to enjoy it. I was wondering if my grandkids are going to look at that and wonder, “What was he thinking?”

Can you imagine, can you look down the road and see, if you’re doing a fifth season of Wilfred, what that would look like? What Ryan and Wilfred would be doing at that point?
Sometimes when I’m in that delirious, euphoric state that I was talking about earlier, in the suit … I come up with some really crazy ideas. I pitched something the other day and David just looked at me …

What’s the craziest thing Wilfred does this season?
I just walked by editing and saw (a scene with) Wilfred, just being like Rambo. He gets so caught up in those characters.

Breaking Bad: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray (Sony)

Over Time: My Life as a Sportswriter by Frank Deford (Grove/Atlantic)
Every sports fan has a list of favorite sportswriters, but if yours doesn’t include Frank Deford, it’s clearly because you haven’t read him yet. In this memoir, Sports Illustrated/NPR/The National (sigh … The National) legend Deford recalls his early, post-Princeton days at SI (which operated in a Mad Men-ish atmosphere), his friendships with athletes (like the late Arthur Ashe), covering the NBA in its early years, how sportswriting and the relationships between sportswriters and athletes have changed and how he juggled his career and his personal life. Deford’s writing transcends mere sports coverage, of course, and opening the book to any random section might leave you teary, as it did when I read the chapter on his long friendship with tennis great Ashe.

The Big Bang Theory T-Shirt (Entertainment Earth)
This cool shirt features a graphic of the entire cast … bazinga! It’s not the characters, but a graphic of their trademark outfits. Still a very cool tee.

Father’s Day: A Journey into the Mind and Heart of My Extraordinary Son by Buzz Bissinger (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
All great sportswriters are great writers no matter what their topic — think Mitch Albom, the aforementioned Frank Deford and Bissinger, who’s covered topics as diverse as Texas high school football (Friday Night Lights, of course), the Stephen Glass saga (in an article that was adapted into one of my favorite journalism-themed movies, Shattered Glass) and the Jerry Sandusky case. In this memoir, Bissinger writes about a road trip with one of his twin sons, 24-year-old Zach, a “savant, challenged by serious intellectual deficits but also blessed with rare talents: an astonishing memory, a dazzling knack for navigation, and a reflexive honesty that can make him both socially awkward and surprisingly wise.” Bissinger and Zach travel from their Philly hometown to Los Angeles, visiting places they’ve lived throughout the years as the Pulitzer-winning writer pursued his career. It’s a bonding trip, to put it simply, as Bissinger comes away with a newfound understanding of his son, their relationship and how his career pursuits have affected the rest of his life. Warning: It’s tough to get through the book jacket description without tearing up, so the story itself is an emotional one.

The Billy Bob Tapes: A Cave Full of Ghosts by Billy Bob Thornton and Kinky Friedman (HarperCollins)
Yup, he’s just as strange as you’ve heard he is, which he details himself in this colorful memoir (which includes a forward written by his blood vial-wearing ex-wife Angelina Jolie). He does have the weird phobias — real silverware skeeves him; he only likes plastic utensils, for example, and he refuses to say the phrase “tater tots”). But the book also showcases what a fantastic storyteller he is (something fans of Sling Blade already knew) and sheds light on some of his more interesting philosophies, like how too much liquor, Ding Dongs and sex being bad for you proves the existence of some sort of higher being.

Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Eighth Season (HBO)
Larry David at his Larry-est, with hilarious guest appearances by Michael J. Fox and Ricky Gervais, the instant classic “Palestinian Chicken” episode and bonus features including a roundtable discussion with David and the cast and a “Leon’s Guide to NYC” feature with J.B. Smoove.

Marvel Superheroes Spatulas (Williams-Sonoma)
In Spider-Man, The Hulk, Iron Man and Captain America versions, they’re perfecting for the grill or flipping Sunday morning pancakes.

The Truck Food Cookbook: 150 Recipes and Ramblings from America’s Best Restaurants on Wheels (Workman)
Food trucks are all the rage, from NYC to SF, and this photo-packed book collects recipes from some of the best, including such delights as Grilled Cheese Mac and Cheese Sandwich from The Grilled Cheese Truck in Venice, the Grilled Cheese Cheeseburger from Brunch Box in Portland, Oregon, Oatmeal Jammy Cookies from The Treats Truck in New York and Soft Serve Ice Cream with toasted coconut and wasabi pea dust from The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck in NYC. One you have to try: Elotes, the Mexican grilled corn on the cob with Cotija anejo, chili powder and mayonnaise.

Teen Wolf: The Complete Season One (MGM)
Yes, it’s a teen show on MTV, but it’s also a funny, suspenseful drama that’s better than several (most?) network dramas, and certainly worthy of primetime viewing by those of us post-MTV demographic. Season two just started, making this the perfect time to check out season one of the remake of the ’80s M.J. Fox flick and find a new summer TV pleasure.

The Last Great Game: Duke Vs. Kentucky and the 2.1 Seconds That Changed Basketball by Gene Wojciechowski (Penguin)
The story of — and the aftermath and everything leading up to — the shot, the 1992 NCAA tournament shot that Christian Laettner hit, with 2.1 seconds left in overtime, to give he and his Duke teammates a 104-103 win against Kentucky in the East Regional. The Blue Devils went on to win the national title, and, while the book is a must-read, watching Laettner make that shot after an inbounds pass from teammate Grant Hill again is a must-see, so click here.

Making a Difference: Stories of Vision and Courage From America’s Leaders by Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger (HarperCollins)
From one great leader to some others: Capt. Sully interviews a lineup of people he considers great American leaders, to get the scoop on what has inspired them to such success. Among those he interviews: retired Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, Costco CEO Jim Sinegal, former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, NYPD and LAPD chief Bill Bratton and first female governor of Michigan, Jennifer Granholm.

Seinfeld 50 References T-Shirt (NBC)
Puddy’s 8-ball jacket, the puffy shirt, the urban sombrero, Kramer’s Assman license plate, Jerry’s computer, muffin tops, toilet paper squares, the Kramer painting and George’s naughty photo are but a few of the Seinfeld references on this awesome tee, which includes the graphics and a key to their place in the series (as if anyone could forget how envelopes became a deadly weapon in season seven).

Sherlock: Season One and Two (BBC)
Forget the Robert Downey Jr./Jude Law movies (as they are quite forgettable) … this is the best Sherlock story being told. The British series stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Doctor John Watson, and is written by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, who conceived the series while working together on Doctor Who. To go into much detail would be to risk big spoilers, so suffice it to say that the show’s first two seasons have won BAFTAs and been nominated for Emmys and that a third season is scheduled to begin filming early next year.

Falling Skies: The Complete First Season Blu-ray (Warner Home Video)
Season two just began, making it the perfect time to catch up with ER alum Noah Wyle, who stars  as Tom, a history professor who’s become the leader of the human resistance after aliens invade Earth. Tom’s got an extra incentive to find out what the aliens’ real agenda is: among the people they’ve captured and are holding hostage is Tom’s teenage son.

Shut Up and Give Me the Mic by Dee Snider (Gallery)
5 quick facts about the “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock” singer: 1. His trademark look — with the wild fashions and hair — is courtesy of his wife, Suzette, to whom he has been married for 30 years; 2. Twisted Sister made him rich and famous, but by the ’90s, he’d lost all his money; 3. He wrote most of the songs on Stay Hungry, Twisted Sister’s breakout album, in less than an hour while his wife went to grocery store; 4. Animal House star Mark Metcalf‘s appearance in the “We’re Not Gonna Take It” video — one of the most memorable videos of all time — cost $1,000 and a round-trip plane ticket; 5. Snider’s wife helped their friend, Howard Stern, cultivate his rock star image (wearing sunglasses all the time, for instance), and Snider credits Stern with helping him realize he had talents outside music, which has led to his multi-hyphenate radio/TV/book/Broadway career (and comeback).

Game of Thrones Xbox 360 Game (Atlus)
The books, the HBO series and now, Game of Thrones is a 30-hour-plus RPG, where gamers play as one of two original characters who join the action in Westeros during the struggle for power of the Seven Kingdoms. The game’s story is unique to the world of Game of Thrones, as the two original characters — both former soldiers of Robert’s Rebellion — are enemies who must now work together against another common enemy. Should be a nice way to tide over the GoT fan ’til the third season of the HBO hit premieres next April.

Baseball’s Greatest Games: Collector’s Edition (A&E Home Video)
The collection of 10 classic baseball games comes with a bonus disc featuring additional footage, interviews from the games and an audio play-by-play track. As for the games, they include the 1960 World Series, game 7, with Bill Mazeroski’s game-winning home run; 1975 World Series Game 6, which was ranked number one on MLB Network’s 20 Greatest Games list; 1986 World Series Game 6 (Bill Buckner … ohhhh); and the 2004 American League Championship Series Game 4, with the Red Sox comeback after a 19-8 loss in Game 3 (and beginning their run to their first World Series win since 1918).

Doctor Who TARDIS Hooded Robe (Entertainment Earth)
Doctor Who fans will never get the chance to travel inside the TARDIS, but now they can lounge about in the soft, terry cloth comfort of this TARDIS-design robe.

Maverick: The Complete First Season (Warner Home Video)
For a fan of classic TV westerns, it doesn’t get better than Maverick, with James Garner playing the titular, wise-cracking cardsharp who, despite his high-stakes poker habits, often found the desire for a big payday taking a backseat to doing the right thing in a moral dilemma.

Episodes: The First Season (Lionsgate)
Matt LeBlanc plays Matt LeBlanc, or rather a version of himself, in this hilarious, underrated Showtime comedy. LeBlanc (the TV version of him) is itching to make a post-Friends and Joey career comeback, so he hooks up with a British duo (who are a personal and professional team) to make a new TV show. Various fun ensues, especially from LeBlanc’s complete willingness to poke fun at himself, and a season one cliffhanger adds a nifty little dramatic twist that will leave you anticipating season two, which premieres on July 1.

Sons of Anarchy Chucky’s Chili T-Shirt (FX)
Chucky’s Chili is “a head above the rest” the t-shirt says. HA! SOA fans will get the joke … everyone else should be busy watching the series DVDs so 1) they’ll eventually understand why it’s funny and 2) because it’s one of the best dramas on TV.

The Sarah Silverman Program: The Complete Series (Shout! Factory)
Whether annoying her sister (played by her real-life sister Laura) and her sibling’s boyfriend Officer Jay (Jay Johnston), hanging with her geeky gay neighbors Brian and Steve (Brian Posehn and Steve Agee) or plotting to marry Doug (her dog), Sarah Silverman has never been funnier than in this, her short-lived Comedy Central series. The DVD set collects all 32 episodes from the show’s three seasons, as well as animated shorts, behind-the-scenes videos, audio commentary, audition videos and the show’s 2007 Comic-Con panel.

History of the World in Two Hours Blu-ray (A&E Home Video)
Of course you are not going to learn in great detail everything you need to know about the Big Bang and the billions of years that have passed since, but this two-hour (actually, less than two hours minus the commercials that accompanied the network airing) History Channel special is still a novel and fun way to get an overview of, as the title promises, the history of the world, in 3D.

Titanic: The Complete Story (A&E Home Video)
The 100th anniversary of the Titanic’s journey has come and gone, but our fascination with the ship and its tragic ending lives on, and this collection of History Channel specials unfolds the ship’s complete story. Death of a Dream focuses on the ship’s storied unsinkable structure and the unheeded iceberg warnings that did it in; The Legend Lives On tells the story of the overpacked lifeboats and the passengers that were stranded and doomed to death, as well as the sea expedition to delve into the tragedy’s unanswered questions; and Titanic’s Achilles Heel, in which elite divers use CGI and other modern technologies to investigate the possibility that the Titanic had a fatal design flaw that caused it to sink.

USA has also put all 18 episodes of the show’s fifth season online — FREE! — so there’s another way to find out how one of Michael’s BFFs (for those of you who haven’t watched season five yet) ended up in the hoosegow.

HOORAY! We have our winner:

Ethan! Congrats, Ethan, and thanks for entering. Your awesome prize will be on its way to your mailbox shortly. Enjoy, and thanks again for checking us out at TV Screener.com!

And everyone, stay tuned to TVScreener.com … we’ve got lots more TV goodies coming your way!

The sixth season of Burn Notice premieres on Thursday, Psych returns with another season this fall and there’s yet another show to love on USA Network: the new cop dramedy Common Law (Fridays, 10PM ET/9PM CT).

Have you seen it? For the uninitiated, the show stars Michael Ealy and Warren Kole as Travis and Wes, a pair of LAPD detectives who are partners … and who can’t stand each other. Their LAPD captain’s (Rescue Me star Jack McGee) response: not to separate them, but to order them to couples therapy to work out their issues instead. Great premise, no?

The fun series also gets big points for filming in New Orleans (gotta love the production for pumping dollars into the NOLA economy), and Common Law premiered in May, so there’s plenty of time to catch up with the show. Video clips, previews and interviews with the cast are available at USANetwork.com.

And, to celebrate one of the network’s best new series, USA is giving fans the chance to win a Common Law Communication Survival Kit, valued at $155! Included in the kit:

A Custom Carryall: Make the most of your partnership with these communication-enhancing items conveniently packed in this sturdy canvas tote.

Tiebreakers: Flip these chips to settle a disagreement.

Do-It-Yourself Therapy Table Topics: Play your cards right to keep the conversation flowing.

POP Phone: To help you keep in touch when you’re apart.

Everlast Boxing Gloves: Duke it out when words just don’t cut it.

Now, for a chance to win the Common Law goodies package:
- Leave a comment on this post, with the name of your all-time favorite TV cop show, and an e-mail address to reach you
- Deadline to enter is June 22 at 8PM ET (according to recorded comment time)
- The winner will be chosen by random, using Random.org’s Random Number Generator
- The winner will be announced on the evening of June 22, as an update to this post
- For this content, U.S. residents only, please, and entrants must be at least 18 years of age

Good luck, Common Law fans!

As the World Turns: 20 Classic Episodes DVD (SoapClassics.com)
With Soapland dwindled down to just four daytime shows still on the air, and no regular access to episodes from defunct series, this set from Soap Classics is a gem that would make a great gift for any mom who ever spent her afternoons in front of the tube or who scheduled her college classes around her favorite soap. The 20 eps in the set are broken up into “Great Weddings,” “Secrets and Scandals,” “Oakdale Through the Years” and “Villains and Vixens,” and include classic ATWT moments like the weddings of Tom and Margo, Kim and Bob and Steve and Betsy (when Betsy was played by Meg Ryan, before her big-screen stardom), Luke Snyder’s coming out, a Snyder farm Christmas from 2009 and the (first) return of dastardly James Stenbeck.

Guiding Light: 20 Classic Episodes DVD (SoapClassics.com)
Sigh. This set makes me remember how much I loved GL and how much I miss it still. This set is broken into the same categories as the ATWT collection, except that “Springfield Through the Years” subs for Oakdale. And among the memorable GL moments included in the 20 episodes: the weddings of supercouple Kelly and Morgan, Quinton and Nola, Reva and Josh and Billy and Vanessa; the truth about who Phillip Spaulding’s parents are; the show’s 50th anniversary episode from 1987; the death of the evil Roger Thorpe; and, my favorite soap moment ever, Kim Zimmer‘s classic performance as Reva Shayne, stripping in a fountain and declaring, “I baptize myself the slut of Springfield!” PS — SoapClassics.com also offers GL collections of The Bauer Family Story, The Reva Shayne Collection and The Phillips Spaulding Story.

Girl Walks into a Bar . . .: Comedy Calamities, Dating Disasters, and a Midlife Miracle by Rachel Dratch (Gotham)
Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock alum Dratch penned this sweet and funny tome to answer those questions she’s asked again and again, namely, 1) what really happened with 30 Rock and 2) what’s the deal with you and your baby’s dad? As for 30 Rock, it was an awkward situation when she was replaced with Jane Krakowski, but Dratch explains that the casting switcheroo made perfect sense and that she has no bitter feelings about it given that. She also shares major details about taking a chance in her dating life, which led to meeting her boyfriend in a bar, which led to a very surprising fortysomething pregnancy. She addresses it all with humor and honesty, and you’ll be won over by both.

Chuck: The Complete Fifth Season on Blu-ray (Warner Home Video)
Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi) remains one of TV land’s all-time greatest geeks, and the NBC series had a good five-season run, even if fans had to eat a lot of Subway sammiches to help keep it on the air. In this final season, Chuck and his beloved Sara launched their own private spy biz, even though Chuck was no longer Intersect-loaded. His BFF Morgan Guillermo Grimes, through an unlikely, but still fan-pleasing scenario, became the new Intersect, Chuck and Sara went through some major romantic trials and lovable, patriotic grump John Casey found love with an equally intense partner, making it a short, but satisfying way to wrap the series.
Bonus features: The Blu-ray is filled with them including 2 full-length audio commentaries, deleted scenes, a gag reel, an extended version of the series finale, full versions of the Big Mike and Captain Awesome Buy More commercials and six featurettes, including “Sandwiches and Superfans: The Saving of a Show.”

Rizzoli & Isles: The Complete First and Second Seasons DVD (Warner Home Video)
Laverne and Shirley, Lucy and Ethel, Cagney and Lacey, Mary and Rhoda,  … Rizzoli and Isles. Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander have fantastic chemistry as BFFs — one’s a street-smart detective (Harmon), the other’s a somewhat naïve medical examiner — who also happen to be complete opposites.

Most Talkative: Stories From the Front Lines of Pop Culture by Andy Cohen (Henry Holt)
The face of Bravo shares some dishy info on the Real Housewives and pop culture in general in this memoir, written by a man who, the publisher stated in a press release, knew two things from a young age: “He was gay, and he loved television.” The book is indeed packed with juicy little tidbits, as well as his hilarious letters from camp and a few photos, including one of a much younger Cohen looking like he’s doing his best impression of Bon Jovi, circa 1987 (long, curly hair, vest with no short, jean cutoffs … oh yeah, you have to see it to believe it). Examples: his ponytailed days as a CBS News intern in NYC, where his fellow intern was Julie Chen; his interview with Tammy Faye Baker, who gave him homemade candy that he kept for decades; and the time Cybill Shepherd pitched him a reality series while taking her shirt off and goading him into getting topless, too.

Mildred Pierce: The Collector’s Edition Blu-ray & DVD (HBO)
Audio commentary from director Todd Haynes and behind-the-scenes featurettes make this Blu-ray edition worth buying, even if you’ve already seen the HBO miniseries. Kate Winslet, as tough mama Mildred, earned Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG awards for her portrayal, though Evan Rachel Wood as Mildred’s daughter-from-Hell Veda nearly steals the show in a performance that was every bit as awards-worthy.

Cinema Verite DVD (HBO)
Diane Lane, Tim Robbins, James Gandolfini and Thomas Dekker star in this HBO movie, a fictional account of An American Family, the 1973 PBS documentary series that’s considered one of the first reality TV shows. The most fascinating thing about the movie: that, after all the outrageous reality TV we’ve all seen in the last decade or so, Cinema Verite still manages to convey how shocking it was at the time to see the Loud family self-destruct in front of the TV audience. The DVD also features a making-of special and audio commentary, as well as updates on the Loud clan, including the surprising status of Pat and Bill Loud today.

Cupcakes, Cookies & Pie, Oh, My! by Alan Richardson and Karen Tack (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Because what girl doesn’t want to know how to make a cupcake that looks like a high heel? This book is full of cute and genius ideas for fashioning adorable cupcakes, no matter what your skill level with baking or cake decorating.

Boardwalk Empire: The Complete First Season on Blu-ray (HBO)
This souped-up release of the HBO Prohibition-era drama includes a making-of feature, a featurette on the history of Atlantic City as “the original Sin City,” six audio commentaries with cast and crew, a character guide and a feature on how the whole Boardwalk Empire world was created for the series.

Sansa Clip Zip MP3 Player (SanDisk)
Perfect for the gym, a long walk or your own personal soundtrack to accompany reading time, the Sansa Clip Zip is a nifty little MP3 player (it’s less than 2.5 inches tall) with a large color screen, stopwatch, backlight, FM radio, voice recorder and expandable memory card, capability to hold 60 hours of music, and it clips right onto your clothing (and weighs next to nothing — 16 grams). Bonus: it comes in a variety of colors, including red, orange, blue, purple, black and white.

Guts: The Endless Follies and Tiny Triumphs of a Giant Disaster by Kristen Johnston (Gallery Books)
The 3rd Rock From the Sun star has written a very funny book — she is as talented a writer as she is a performer — but there’s much more to this tale, as Johnston shares the surprising story of her addictions. The title refers to her excruciatingly painful, long and lonely stay in a London hospital when she was working in London and her guts literally burst open after years of abusing pills and booze. There’s much redemption in her story, and even more bravery in her decision to spill her guts — the good, the bad and the ugly — about her life.

Top of the Rock: Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV by Warren Littlefield (Doubleday)
Littlefield was the president of NBC during the ’90s, when the network truly was Must See TV, and he’s sharing hundreds of little tidbits that any true TV fan will love, from the complete backstory on how Seinfeld became a classic TV comedy (but only after nearly failing before and right after it made it on air) and the casting decisions that almost were (Craig Bierko was the first choice to play Chandler on Friends) to off-camera drama like how John Ratzenberger almost beat up Kelsey Grammer on Cheers and how George Costanza’s fiancé, Susan, was killed off partly because the actress who played her was, well, difficult. For the fan of ’90s TV, this is the must-read book of the spring/summer.

The Kissing Sailor: The Mystery Behind the Photo That Ended World War II by Lawrence Verria and George Galdorisi (Naval Institute Press)
You know the photo … the photo, the one of the sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square, minutes after Japan surrendered to the United States. After being published in LIFE magazine a couple of weeks later, the pic became one of the most iconic images of World War II — and history — but the true identities of the nurse and sailor have been an ongoing mystery and controversy since. Authors Verria and Galdorisi propose that they’ve finally got the scoop on the identities of the duo in the photo, and this engrossing read unfolds their detective work.

Jeneration X: One Reluctant Adult’s Attempt to Unarrest Her Arrested Development; Or, Why It’s Never Too Late for Her Dumb Ass to Learn Why Froot Loops Are Not for Dinner by Jen Lancaster (NAL Hardcover)
One of my all-time favorite authors, Lancaster is irreverent about things other people take way too seriously and takes things others poo-poo way too seriously herself. And that’s only one of her charms, and one of the things that, as a reader, makes you laugh out loud and want to recruit her as your new BFF. A new Lancaster release is always a treat, and Jeneration X is no exception, as the author makes the painful decision to make grown-up decisions about buying a house, engaging in financial planning and having kids. Hilarity, as it always does in Jennsylvania, ensues.

Harper’s Bazaar: Greatest Hits by Glenda Bailey (Abrams)
This gorgeous (and heavy: it weighs almost five pounds) collection of the best of the magazine’s past decade is the perfect coffee table book, one that will look pretty and interesting sitting on your coffee table or bookcase and which will provide endless hours of beautiful and inspiring fashion pics. Fashion names like Sarah Jessica Parker, Tom Ford, Alexander McQueen, Patrick Demarchelier, Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell and Agyness Deyn (who pays homage to Michael Jackson) pepper the full color book, but my fave: the magazine’s January 2006 cover, which proves that no one can rock kelly green like Julianne Moore.

The BBC Natural History Collection featuring Planet Earth (with Planet Earth, The Blue Planet: Seas of Life Special Edition, Life of Mammals and Life of Birds) (BBC Worldwide)
Hands down, the most spectacular, fascinating, visually mind-blowing nature documentaries ever filmed, and one of the few sets that will truly entertain the whole family.

Vogue: The Covers by Dodie Kazanjian (Abrams)
The book doesn’t include every cover since the magazine’s premiere on December 17, 1892, but there are more than 300 of them represented in this impressive tome, which is more than enough to paint a picture of how both the magazine and the fashion world have evolved (and make you and your mom very happy that we no longer have to wear what looks like 50 pounds of clothing every day). The book is full of fashion icons of every decade — and even includes last year’s Lady Gaga “Born This Way” cover — and includes in a special vellum envelope in the back a set of five frame-worthy cover reproductions. A highlight: page 73′s reprint of the Dec. 1, 1939 Christmas gifts issue, in which the Vogue logo is spelled out in jewelry.

Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season on Blu-ray (HBO)
Oh, c’mon, everybody’s watching it, even those of us who aren’t usually into the whole fantasy saga genre, because at its heart, it’s a really good (and graphically violent, admittedly) soap opera with fantastic performances (Peter Dinklage … really, it doesn’t get better). The Blu-ray set comes with a slew of bonus materials, including audio commentaries, a complete guide to Westeros, character profiles and a feature on adapting the books for TV.

Inspiration: Profiles of Black Women Changing Our World by Crystal McCrary/photographs by Lauri Lyons (Stewart, Tabori & Chang)
Released during Women’s History Month earlier this year, Inspiration features short, but sweet biographies and beautiful photographs of 30 black women who’ve influenced every part of the world from the White House (yes, Michelle Obama) and Wimbledon (Venus Williams) to Hollywood (Raven-Symone) and the music industry (Mary J. Blige). Among the other famous names who share their inspiring stories: Ruby Dee, Patty LaBelle, Whoopi Goldberg, Iman, Shonda Rhimes, Soledad O’Brien, Laila Ali and Oprah‘s BFF Gayle King (though Oprah herself is MIA … is there anything we don’t already know about her anyway?).

The Big C: The Complete Second Season (Sony)
The first season (also available on Sony DVD) earned Laura Linney a Golden Globe, as her Cathy dealt with the possibility of leaving her husband, son and brother behind when she was diagnosed with cancer. Season two found Cathy deciding to fight her stage four cancer head on, with the help of a new doctor (played by Alan Alda) and the companionship of a fellow stage four patient (Hugh Dancy), who was much more conflicted about how much longer he wanted to continue battling the disease. Fantastically written and performed, The Big C may not be quite the comedy it’s often billed as, but there are welcome moments of levity amongst all the drama.

I Brake for Yard Sales by Lara Spencer (Stewart, Tabori & Chang)
Yep, the Good Morning America co-host is also quite the garage sale/flea market/auction expert, and she uses her cheap finds and some DIY magic to decorate her home with some pretty fantastic wares. In this fun, photo-packed how-to book, Spencer shares her tips for finding and making over (often for as little as $5) such goodies as dilapidated chairs that become pink faux leather-covered treasures (page 37), cool, retro-chic re-done mirrors and lighting fixtures and endless end tables and footstools that have been transformed with a little bit of paint (and a lot of Spencer’s TLC and DIY know-how). Spencer even shares a list of some of her favorite bargaining haunts from across the country (Housing Works in New York City and the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena are, of course, among them), along with photos of the makeover she performed on Kathy Griffin‘s house and tips like how to use great fabric to make any cheap find look luxurious and how not to be afraid to make that occasional Dumpster dive for a find with lots of potential.

Pie it Forward: Pies, Tarts, Tortes, Galettes and Other Pastries Reinvented by Gesine Bullock-Prado (Stewart, Tabori & Chang)
Yes, the author and bakery owner is the sister of Sandra Bullock, but there’s only one reason to buy this cookbook: the yummy, yummy recipes and pie pics. A chapter on basic dough and cream recipes leads right into the sweet treats themselves, including the New England Berry Galette, Strawberry Rhubard Lattice Crumble Pie, “hand pies” (turnover-like mini pies), Gesine Confectionary Cherry Pie, pie pops (mini pies on a stick!), Buttermilk Peach Pie (seriously), Velvet Elvis Pie (yep, bananas and peanut butter) and Fleur de Del Caramel Almond Brownie Pie.

Route 66: The Complete Series (Shout! Factory)
The ’60s series with the iconic theme song, cool Corvette and impressive list of future stars as guests gets the full box set treatment. Among the guests Tod, Linc and Buz met in their travels: Robert Redford, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Walter Matthau, Martin Sheen, Buster Keaton, Julie Newmar, Ed Asner, Lee Marvin, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, William Shatner, Burt Reynolds, Gene Hackman and Alan Alda.

Total Memory Makeover: Uncover Your Past, Take Charge of Your Future by Marilu Henner (Gallery Books)
You know the show Unforgettable on CBS, about the cop who can remember every detail of every day of her life? She has Highly Superior Auto-biographical Memory (HSAM), and so does Taxi and Evening Shade alum Henner, who writes about it in this book. First of all, it is an amazing, and amazingly rare, ability; only 12 people, ever, have been confirmed to have it. Henner writes about HSAM, but the real point of the book is to show people how they can boost their own total recall, and then “turn your newfound memories into a treasure map to a successful future.”  She includes exercises throughout the book, as well as thoughtful, practical ways strengthening your memories — even, and sometimes especially, the bad ones — can be a really good thing.

Downton Abbey seasons 1 and 2 DVDs (PBS)
It’s the PBS drama that even people who usually only watch reality TV like. What more do you need to know?

You’re Not Doing It Right: Tales of Marriage, Sex, Death and Other Humiliations by Michael Ian Black (Gallery Books)
The Ed and The State actor is at his funniest in this new book of musings about, as the subtitle says, marriage, sex and other humiliations, like how he may not love his colicky baby and how it never occurred to him that he was to blame for his parents’ divorce until they continued to assure him that he wasn’t. And this gem, which is his takeaway from the joint therapy sessions he and his wife shared: “What I learn, and this is a tough pill to swallow, is that other people have their own stories in which I am not the star. From their point of view, whenever I do upsetting things, I am less like Harrison Ford as Han Solo and more like Mel Gibson as Mel Gibson.” PS: This particular book is probably, as that last quote illustrates, a good choice as a Father’s Day gift, too.

Never Say Never: Finding a Life That Fits by Ricki Lake (Atria Books)
Who doesn’t love Ricki Lake for at least one of her many Hollywood projects, be it her early John Waters movie career, her daytime talk show, her documentary The Business of Being Born or her recent stint on Dancing With the Stars? Lake will be hosting a new talk show in September, and in the meantime, she’s sharing some surprising and very personal stories in this memoir, in which she discusses her painful childhood — including sexual abuse and a relationship with her mother that led to estrangement as an adult — how she landed her career-launching role in Hairspray, her lifelong struggle with her weight, her talk show, her first marriage and its painful demise, the birth of her sons and her funny attempts at online dating as a celebrity.

Confessions of a Scary Mommy: An Honest and Irreverent Look at Motherhood — The Good, the Bad and the Scary by Jill Smokler (Gallery Books)
ScaryMommy.com blogger Smokler shares some of her blog missives, and adds plenty of fresh ones, as she shares the real spin on mommyhood, including her well-intentioned, but unsuccessful, attempt to breastfeed, how she curses at her kids (in her head) and how she once threw a birthday party for her three-year-old … and forgot to invite her husband! Smokler also shares confessions from anonymous mommies, like the mom who — rather cleverly — joined her gym only so she could read while her kids were in the gym’s free day care and the mom whose 18-month-old couldn’t say “mommy,” but could say the word “shit” and use it correctly.

Born to Be Brad: My Life and Style, So Far by Brad Goreski (It Books)
I used to find him annoying when he was Rachel Zoe‘s assistant, but the It’s a Brad, Brad World version of Brad Goreski revealed him to be a much savvier, talented, charming guy than he’d been portrayed as on The Rachel Zoe Project. And with a much more inspiring backstory, as he unfolds in greater detail in this memoir. Raised in a small Canadian town that was the opposite of a fashion hotbed, Goreski was always interested in all things fashion, something that alienated him from his schoolmates and sometimes even his parents. Angsty years led to drug problems later, and he was by no means an overnight success as a stylist, and that, along with his persistence, talent, clear love of what he does and his relationship with boyfriend Gary have made him nothing short of endearing. And yes, there are plenty of photos and style advice, like 9 Things Every Woman Should Have in Her Wardrobe, How to Buy Vintage Clothes, the most inspirational movies (fashion-wise) and a list of Goreski’s favorite style icons (Molly Ringwald is among them).

The Everygirl’s Guide to Life by Maria Menounos (It Books)
The TV hostess’s book is a complete lifestyle guide, and if you know nothing, or very little about her, this should clue you in on why the book is worth reading: “Growing up, I worked as a janitor cleaning nightclubs alongside my parents, and my last job before working in Hollywood was selling sausages on the streets of Boston,” she writes. “These days, I eat at places like Chili’s, shop at Target … watch bad reality TV, go to bargain matinee movies and even know my way around Home Depot.” Sounds like a down-to-earth girl you could hang with, right? So it’s a bonus that she’s written a book that’s full of practical, clever tips on everything from home and office organization and makeup tips to finances and home décor, as well as advice on dating, surrounding yourself with a “sunshine committee” of positive people, fitness, healthy eating and career moves.

The French Dog by Rachael McKenna (Stewart, Tabori & Chang)
Gorgeously designed coffee table book, chock full of photos of cute doggies in various locales around France … what’s not to love?

Hazan Family Favorites: Beloved Italian Recipes by Giuliano Hazan (Stewart, Tabori & Chang)
The frequent Today show guest shares the favorite recipes of his family (his mom was famous Italian cookbook writer Marcella Hazan), so they are tried and true dishes through multiple generations. The accompanying photos are nothing short of mouthwatering, including Maccheroni Soup with Sausage and Porcini, Bolognese Lasagne, Al Cantunzein’s Papparadelle with Sausage and Peppers, Uccellini Scappati and a perfectly pink homemade Strawberry Gelato.