Lie to Me - Darkness & Light ...of The Lightman Group

by Jonathan Bredemeyer

Lie to Me (S02E21)

We open with Lightman and Foster soliciting a videographer to make a porn video. They make a good show of it as Foster asks for a threesome with a girl in a previous video of the videographer. After confessing he doesn't have the girl's number, they bribe him further and he caves.

Ironically, this is the day Emily gets to shadow Cal. Today's case appears to be tracking down a coach's missing daughter (pro bono) who turned up in several porn videos. Emily knows the coach's other daughter (conveniently) and Lightman questions Emily about her (this is probably hinting at something later). Lightman delivers the porn videos to Loker and Torres and creates a porn-watching contest for a promotion. Cal moves on to interviewing porn stars, the first of whom is the missing girl's (Molly) ex-roommate. The roommate guesses Molly was the 'damaged' type of porn star and leaves after (surprise surprise) Cal offends her. The coach/father reassures Foster and Lightman that he never molested her.

Meanwhile, Emily was in the middle of reassuring the missing girl's sister when the coach busts in and to tries to get out of there. The daughter defends the dad and they storm out. Reynolds comes back with a lead on a hospital bill. Foster, Lightman, and Reynolds crash a brothel at the address and find the missing girl upstairs. Lightman brings the girl his house where she adamantly refuses to go home. Cal, Emily, and Foster finally wear her down into telling them that her dad killed her mom.

Molly goes on to tell how she witnessed her dad ignoring her mom's fall down the stairs and repressed the memory until a year ago. Reynolds and Lightman head to the coach's house to threaten him with losing his other daughter and murder charges in hopes he'll talk. Emily, Foster, and Molly have some girl-bonding time. Emily and Foster try to convince her to like her real sister, Amy. Emily gets cold feet about getting to know a troubled girl like Molly. Foster encourages her to keep going (probably getting chastised by Lightman later for it).

Torres and Loker try several mind games on each other, including trying to get one another not to play Lightman's game. After another rather intense girl-bonding session with the girl trio, Loker and Torres end up drinking in a bar. They play 2 truths and a lie, which ends up in a make-out session. Meanwhile, back at the office, we're introduced to a new interrogation 'cube' as Lightman interviews the coach. He starts with telling him Molly has HIV, which freaks him out. Cal proposes that he put both he and Molly in the same room. This works as the coach finally tells his story and reveals it was Molly's fault that his wife died, as she was emulating a monkey in a cartoon by leaving toys around for people to slip on. The coach apparently kept this from everyone by picking up all the toys before the police got there to protect Molly.

Foster and Lightman suggest that the family keep this secret from Molly as it would traumatize her too much. Emily drops a hint that she's not cool with the situation, after Lightman reveals he was 18 when his mom killed herself with pills. Amy claims she has an idea for a lie that would work. Loker and Torres have slept together and have the awkward 'first work conversation' the next morning. Ironically, the office secretary reads their awkwardness and confirms the rumor of a new VP position. Torres confirms her desire for the promotion and turns downs Loker's offer to keep things the same.

Reynolds and Foster begin the hunt for the 'HIV spreader' in the local porn business. They track down the offender who proudly hands over a laminated card 'proving' he's clean... Lightman heads off to the 'clinic' to get tested. They arrest the doctor and give the coach a chance to confront the guy who infected his daughter. The 'story' they feed Molly is that her sister Amy is the one who left the toys out. Molly buys the collaborated lie that her dad was protecting both daughters by hiding the act.

Loker gets the promotion and Torres turns down his offer to 'celebrate.' Emily and Cal end the episode by bonding a bit and Emily deleting her essay.

So glad Fox has decided to have 'summer finale's as well... Lie to Me's is in two weeks.

Funniest Line: "Who said the FBI was just a bunch of puppets?" "That would be you, dad."

Burn Notice: Guilty as Charged... but still pleading not guilty

by Jonathan Bredemeyer

Burn Notice (S04E12)

This week's episode was accompanied with the first ever live online drinking game coordinated through Twitter. TheTalkingBox.com partnered with @AndDrink to tweet out exactly when to drink. I was definitely tipsy by the end, so depending how you were playing (shots vs. sips), 32 drinks later it was a good episode no matter what happened. Let us know if you liked it or would like AndDrink to do this with other TV shows. Also, we're taking suggestions for the rules of the Burn Notice Drinking Game, so don't be shy.

This week's episode opens with a review of the trouble Michael and gang have dug themselves into. A recap reminds us they've brought the 'biggest bad ever' (allegedly) to town and they've been outed to Jesse to appear more as foes than friends. Michael heads off to talk to John Barrett and set up a meeting to give him the Bible. It seems like Mike is trying to 'level up' again and tries to lobby for Barrett to give him a job. Michael meets with Vaughn to update him (and for some reason they re-introduce him with a text overlay...) where he learns Jesse popped up as a threat by digging into the 'intelligence community.' Michael covers for him with Vaughn and moves on with the plan: double cross Vaughn and capture Barrett.

Just as the plan appears to be a done deal and ready to be executed, a top defense attorney becomes a client (well, technically his five-year-old daughter is the client...) when his daughter is kidnapped. Being blackmailed by a client's brother, the attorney hires Michael to get her back. After some fake 'scoping out,' Sam and Fi tail the kidnappers back to where their headquarters is located. They tag the cars and then track those to where they're keeping the girl. With all this instant success, it feels like things are going a bit too smoothly... Jesse is spotted watching the little performance and speeds away before Fi can talk to him.

Sam reasons where the girl is being kept from the trackers on the cars, while Fi is apparently out looking for Jesse. Now comes the best part of the episode where the trio secures a submersible to use for a surprise for the kidnappers while going in after the girl. Michael gets to meet with Vaughn again (why???) and reassures him again (second time in twenty minutes...) that Jesse isn't a problem, even though Vaughn found where Jesse was staying. After Fi confesses to kissing Jesse for cover, Michael executes the plan to rescue the girl. Michael gets ambushed after the bad guys overheard the plan on her father's ex-wife's tapped phone line. After the failed attempt (with disappointingly no submarine footage), Michael cuts a deal with the bad guys to trade the girl for the kidnapper's now-imprisoned brother.

After chewing out the lawyer for screwing things up, Sam and Michael negotiate more gang help in the form of a foot soldier for the next plan. In the meantime, Michael's mom and Fi stakeout Jesse's place to talk. Fi tries the friend card and explains how and why they became friends, but Jesse drops the f-bomb (bleeped) and stays pissed. Michael's mom tells Jesse about Mike's current client and they give him a place to met up with Michael to talk.

Sam and Michael create a fake prison transport van complete with fake guard (cartel member) while Fi kidnaps the dick valet that she had to distract earlier at the kidnappers headquarters (ironically). Michael plays host to the kidnapper as they watch the fake break-out of his brother. After explaining and using a traffic light 'changer,' the charade runs like clockwork and they move on to exchange. Michael grabs the girls as Fi and Sam take out the kidnapper's helpers. They get away, but sloppily as they have to dodge more bullets than normal. After returning the kid, Mike keeps the submarine as payment... awesome.

Jesse takes the invite and shows up to see Michael. They exchange unfriendly words and Jesse doesn't commit to anything, and declines to help with Barrett. The trio decides to run the meet with significant risk to Michael. Barrett shows and Michael learns that Simon's Bible was his insurance policy against the people who burned him and Michael, a list of names encrypted with a book code. He wanted Michael to deliver it to Barrett so Barrett could go after Simon's enemies. Right after this explanation, a team shows up to fight Barrett's team and apparently capture him. It turns out to be Vaughn and friends which puts Michael in a bad place. Jesse shows up and appears to shoot Michael through the chest, but actually nails the guy behind him. Barrett then saves Michael and appears to drive them both to safety. Barrett still thinks Michael set him up and threatens to torture him. Running out of time (and blood), Michael grabs the steering wheel and flips the SUV they were getting away in. The episode ends with someone in boots picking up the case with the Bible, the code, and the list of information they decrypted. My money's on Jesse... (and exactly zero preview scenes from the next episode...)

Joke of the episode: After the member of a drug cartel unloads the submersible, Sam asks "So do we need to sign anything or... the keys are in it?"

New Rules to Remember: "You can learn a lot from patterns of movement... A spy can examine vehicle tails to find out where a target lives, does business, and hides the things he doesn't want found." & "Shooting through a friendly to hit a target is a tricky thing to put off." -Agreed.

2010 Emmy Winners!

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Well, let's think about the shows I watch regularly (including shows that were canceled in the last year)... The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Cake Boss, Huge, Minute to Win It, Melissa & Joey, 19 Kids & Counting, 16 and Pregnant/Teen Mom, If You Really Knew Me, Wipeout, Futurama, Little People Big World, House, How I Met Your Mother, The Simpsons, Family Guy, South Park, Hot in Cleveland, Burn Notice, Table for 12, Kate Plus Eight, Lie to Me, Sons of Tucson. Now, how many of those even had the slightest shot at an Emmy? um... 7? 7 out of 23 (yikes... actually the 23 number is a bit higher than I would've guessed, LoL). So, clearly I wasn't pulling for any big favorites (except the handsome and talented Neil Patrick Harris, of course).

Below you can see the category, my pick (in bold), the winner (in red), and slight commentary when I felt moved to mention something specific. If you want to see a complete list of this year's nominees and the reasons behind my picks, check out last week's post.

Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series

Glee "Pilot - Director's Cut" (FOX), Ryan Murphy, Director

Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series

Dexter "The Getaway" (Showtime), Steve Shill, Director

Outstanding Directing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special

Georgia O'Keeffe (Lifetime), Bob Balaban, Director

Temple Grandin (HBO), Mick Jackson, Director

- I hadn't heard of Temple Grandin before, but I learned a few tidbits about it last night, and I think it was probably pretty good.

Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Special

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony (NBC), Bucky Gunts, Director

- Yay, Olympics!

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

The Big Bang Theory (CBS), Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper

- I kinda wish I liked that show better.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series

Breaking Bad (AMC), Bryan Cranston as Walter White

House (FOX), Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie

The Prisoner (AMC), Sir Ian McKellen as Two

You Don't Know Jack (HBO), Al Pacino as Dr. Jack Kevorkian

- interesting acceptance speech, Mr. Pacino.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

The New Adventures Of Old Christine (CBS), Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine Campbell

Nurse Jackie (Showtime), Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton

- another strange speech.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

The Closer (TNT), Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson

The Good Wife (CBS), Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick

- I kinda loathe Kyra Sedgwick. And she wasn't looking great last night, either.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie

Temple Grandin (HBO), Claire Danes as Temple Grandin

- I kinda really want to see this now.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series

How I Met Your Mother (CBS), Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson

Modern Family (ABC), Eric Stonestreet as Cameron Tucker

- good for him!

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series

Breaking Bad (AMC), Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman

Damages (FX Networks), Martin Short as Leonard Winstone

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie

Hamlet (Great Performances) (PBS), Sir Patrick Stewart as Ghost / Claudius

Temple Grandin (HBO), David Strathairn as Dr. Carlock

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series

Glee (FOX), Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester

- I liked her ensemble last night.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

Burn Notice (USA), Sharon Gless as Madeline Westen

The Good Wife (CBS), Archie Panjabi as Kalinda Sharma

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie

Temple Grandin (HBO), Julia Ormond as Eustacia (Temple's Mom)

You Don't Know Jack (HBO), Brenda Vaccaro as Margo Janus

Outstanding Comedy Series

Modern Family (ABC)

Nurse Jackie (Showtime)

Outstanding Drama Series

The Good Wife (CBS)

Mad Men (AMC)

- I can't stand that show.

Outstanding Miniseries

The Pacific (HBO)

(I made no prediction in this category)

Outstanding Made For Television Movie

Georgia O'Keeffe (Lifetime)

Temple Grandin (HBO)

Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)

Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Outstanding Reality – Competition Program

The Amazing Race (CBS)

Top Chef (Bravo)

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

Modern Family "Pilot" (ABC)

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

The Good Wife "Pilot" (CBS)

Mad Men "Shut The Door. Have A Seat." (AMC)

Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special

You Don't Know Jack (HBO)

Outstanding Writing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Special

63rd Annual Tony Awards (CBS)

um, and this is where things get interesting. Apparently, some of the categories I made predictions in had already, um, had the winners announced... oops. The winners went out for press release at 9pm (EDT) on August 21st, and I posted my predictions at 12:45pm (EDT) on August 24th. oh well, I didn't cheat, haha.

Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Series

Saturday Night Live "Host: Betty White" (NBC), Don Roy King, Director

Outstanding Directing For Nonfiction Programming

By The People: The Election Of Barack Obama (HBO), Amy Rice, Director; Alicia Sams, Director

My Lai (PBS), Barak Goodman, Director

- wonder what that one is about...

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series

Glee "Dream On" (FOX), Neil Patrick Harris as Bryan Ryan

- cheers!

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series

Dexter "Road Kill" (Showtime), John Lithgow as Arthur Mitchell

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series

Saturday Night Live "Host: Betty White" (NBC), Betty White as Host

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series

Damages "Your Secrets Are Safe" (FX Networks), Lily Tomlin as Marilyn Tobin

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit "Bedtime" (NBC), Ann-Margret as Rita Wills

Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program

American Idol (FOX), Ryan Seacrest as Host

Survivor (CBS), Jeff Probst as Host

- when is that show going to end??

Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Special

Hope For Haiti Now (MTV)

The Kennedy Center Honors (CBS)

- another one I wonder about the plot of...

Outstanding Special Class Programs

63rd Annual Tony Awards (CBS)

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony (NBC)

- this is what I get for choosing sports over arts, LoL.

Outstanding Children's Program

iCarly (Nickelodeon)

Wizards Of Waverly Place: The Movie (Disney Channel)

Outstanding Children's Nonfiction Program

Nick News With Linda Ellerbee - The Face Of Courage: Kids Living With Cancer (Nickelodeon)

When Families Grieve (PBS)

Outstanding Nonfiction Special

By The People: The Election Of Barack Obama (HBO)

Teddy: In His Own Words (HBO)

Outstanding Nonfiction Series

The National Parks: America's Best Idea (PBS)

Outstanding Reality Program

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution (ABC)

Undercover Boss (CBS)
- also curious about this one.

Exceptional Merit In Nonfiction Filmmaking

Brick City (Sundance Channel)

Nerakhoon (The Betrayal) (PBS)

Outstanding Writing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Series

The Colbert Report "#5076 (in Iraq)" (Comedy Central)

Saturday Night Live "Host: Betty White" (NBC)

Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming

The National Parks: America's Best Idea "The Last Refuge" (PBS)

okay, the results were: 15 correct, 28 wrong, LoL. Maybe next time!

Are Your Ready for the Huge Finale??

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I've been watching Huge since it premiered, and I've really enjoyed the program. I'm thinking about picking up the books this holiday season (I've mentioned before that I read a lot when I travel, and the holiday season is super-high-travel for me). I was a fan of Nikki Blonsky (Will on the show) long before this show came around, and I took a quick liking to Raven Goodwin (Becca) and Ari Stidham (Ian) as well. I'm anti-Amber, and not a big fan of Chloe (although I believe that viewers are not supposed to side with those two!), and I find the whole Dr. Rand storyline peculiar at best. I've read all sorts of interesting things on other blogs about the show (my favorite discourse is over at The Feminist Spectator), and one of the most compelling episodes (for me) is the episode with the Talent Show. I think there were some great moments, and I totally loved Ian's song.

Well, luckily, in getting psyched for tomorrow night's season finale, I wanted to hear it (Ian's song from the talent show) again. GOOD NEWS! It's going to be available to download on ABCFamily's website TOMORROW as part of Free Music Mondays! So be sure to go check it out! I'll send out a reminder from my twitter account (@TheTalkingBox) tomorrow, too.

Update: here's the link to download Ian's song, today (Monday the 30th) only!

And, speaking of music, here's a little featurette made about the music that will be featured in tomorrow night's episode!

Things I Learned from Melissa Joan Hart, Part II

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

This is the second part of the entry on things I learned last Monday. You can read the first part here. I was actually surprised at how many of the questions asked by various parties were oriented toward Melissa Joan Hart's previous projects (both film and television). I know that of my four planned questions (so I wouldn't fumble on my turn if my previous ideas were taken), I tried to focus mainly on her new show, Melissa & Joey. But, when you've been in the business since you were four years old, there is a lot of ground to cover! Below you can find some information that I found interesting that I learned, specifically about the new sitcom. (The first entry was more of other projects in her career)

- They shoot the show live on Friday nights in LA. The pilot was shot the week after Dancing with the Stars wrapped up.

- Both Melissa and Joey messed up their first lines in front of a live studio audience. Sometimes they do a scene three or four times in front of the audience. And there's new terms and phrases to learn that Melissa hadn't come across before, even after 30 years in the industry.

- The original title was Annie's Manny, but neither Melissa or Joey liked that. They had thought about doing a Dharma and Greg or a Will and Grace type of title, but the example of Melissa & Joey just stuck.

- There are a bunch of different guest stars coming up.

- When Melissa did the pilot for Dirtbags, which FOX ended up passing on, she played a wacky girl, and she loved the way that felt so much that she wanted to do it again. That was part of how the Mel Burke character came to be. She didn't want to play a character who was really "put together."

- She seems to enjoy the Lucy-esue silliness that Mel embraces. And that makes sense, since she specifically didn't want a straight-man character but more of a "loose cannon." She likens the silly characters to both Lucy and Phoebe on Friends. She mentions that Mel is very much like her (and Clarissa was too, when she played her), but she and Sabrina were very different and it was difficult for her to play the whiny, unsure-of-herself, trying-to-lay-low Sabrina.

- A suggestion that Melissa made to the writers that we may see down the line on the show is that Mel takes Lennox to a karaoke bar for some bonding time. Interesting idea.

- The comparison to Who's the Boss had not crossed their minds until quite a while into it, after they began explaining the show to other people. Instead, Melissa has thought to compare various aspects to The New Adventures of Old Christine and Moonlighting.

- I appreciate the fact that it's a family show that's not for families (it is for 13+). It's not for small children to watch, and it's not for a serious lesson. As Melissa said, they're "just in it to make people laugh."

Things I Learned from Melissa Joan Hart, Part I

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Similar to when I had a Q&A with India Eisley from The Secret Life of the American Teenager, I was part of a teleconference last Monday morning with Melissa Joan Hart. I spent about an hour brainstorming about good things to ask, and ended up with four solid questions (since with India, my questions kept being taken by others, I wanted to be ready). One was taken fairly early, and another was lightly touched upon. So, when I got my turn, I had one good question and one follow-up for Melissa Joan Hart to expound upon. My other question was never addressed, but it was kinda my back-up question, LoL.

In case you haven't read my thoughts on the first few episodes (the pilot and the second ran together, then the third the following week), Melissa Joan Hart is in a new comedy on ABCFamily, opposite Joey Lawrence. It's called Melissa & Joey, although the characters' names on the show are Mel & Joe. Long story short, she's a local politician who has taken in her niece and nephew, and Joe is the live-in housekeeper/nanny. Now, on with things I learned! Speaking with her was so great, that I got a LOT out of the opportunity! Instead of one long post, I've decided to go with two shorter ones, so the first half (seen below) focuses more on her career prior to this show, and expect a second post tomorrow morning to look at more of the Melissa & Joey angle. :)

- Melissa made a great point that both she and Joey (Lawrence) have always wanted to work. Instead of the "I want to be rich and famous" mindset, for them it's more of a "I want longevity, I want to work" mindset.

- If, given the opportunity to do it over, Melissa wouldn't change a thing. Except, maybe, say no to things. She didn't want to do a horror film, so she didn't. But, it seemed that everyone else was doing that in the past ten years (and still is, really).

- In Clarissa Explains it All, she learned how to run a lighting board and how to operate a camera and how directing works. She also worked super-long days then, since she did school 4 days a week and taped the show 2 days a week, and all kinds of craziness. Plus, her family wasn't with her in Orlando most of the time. She also was around adults so much that being around peers her own age made her anxious to a certain extent.

- There was a fantastic crew camaraderie during Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. They'd eat pizza together, go bowling, shoot pool, carve pumpkins together, all kinds of stuff!

- In her early twenties, when doing the Sabrina show, the animated series (remember, she voiced Aunt Hilda), and filming Drive Me Crazy, she worked over 50 hours straight. She also worked over 50 days in a row without having a day off.

- She considers the Clarissa Explains it All wardrobe to be groovy, but sometimes she felt a little embarassed, while others she was comfortable in things like jeans and combat boots. With Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, the beginning was a bit bizarre, with the pantyhose and BeBe jackets and such, and the fun stuff happened whenever they had a costume built, like for the Alice in Wonderland episode. She does think Mel Burke's wardrobe is fun, since it's sassy and sexy and feminine, yet classy. The difficult part is walking in the high heels!

- Her current character is a local politician, but Melissa Joan Hart hasn't really gotten into local politics in Connecticut. Once she gets back and settled there again, she will hopefully have a chance. Currently, she just uses CNN in the car or on TV to catch up on national and international current events.

- She really enjoys the visual part of directing - like reading something in a book and making it come alive. She and Joey would both like to direct a bit if Melissa & Joey gets a second season.

- She would like to have a voice role in an animated feature (she has voiced cartoons in the past, remember). But she mentioned a couple times that it would really be great to be able to have a say in some things she'd be considered for... like she would have loved having a role in The Help or Dragon Tattoo, for instance.

Summer is Ending...

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Monday:
The Secret Life of the American Teenager (S03E12): Ashley's hair has gotten longer. I had not realized that nobody did anything for Amy's birthday. At least Ricky knew that not knowing Amy's birthday was pathetic. hahahahaha, Molly Ringwald (Anne) making the 16th birthday joke was PRICELESS! Haha, Ben has to get a different job. Betty has a random fake book of stuff in the library. Um, the random sapphire was also interesting Jack and Madison's dad was a weird scene. Grace wondering if there's an oral sex club was incredibly naive. "Gateway sex" is funny. Another young doctor? Betty's wordplay bothers Leo... hmmm... Madison and Jack have been together for a YEAR?? Wow... no phone and no computer AND it's summer?? haha, love how Jack keeps paying off Tom. And tricky thoughts on Jack trying to keep everyone abstinent just because he can't see Madison. And, strangely, Amy returned home early.
[I believe the season mid-finale is September 6th]

Cake Boss (S03E15): a cake for an ice cream company is kinda funny. Do they feel the need to show that the shop is constantly packed for a reason? Ground coffee in the cake and coffee instead of water... interesting mix. The lemon something-pastry (pustachuk?) sounded kinda weird. And I wonder where this rumor came from that it was Frank Sinatra's favorite... Anthony didn't seem very concerned that the oven wasn't working correctly. Juan, the new decorator who is a friend of Ralph's, must have spent all day on making those dots of light on the silhouette! Getting the new location must be really far out if we're going to go swapping two floors around at this point. The ice cream bars on the sides of the cake looked pretty neat. Great save making the strawberry look melty, too!

Huge (S01E09): ...and Dr. Rand lets it slip that Chloe and Alistair are related. Will has a "scathing" plan to yell at her parents? No wonder they didn't show up. "feelings aren't facts" was a great point by Rand's dad. The "Love Handles" thing they watch is weird. I was seriously just starting to think Will's parents must be exercise trainers when she opens the package and pulls out the CORE jacket. I found it a little strange there weren't more "large" parents. Ian's parents getting along are seriously weirding him out. Now I'm really confused on Becca's living situation. Amber's mom is WEIRD! No wonder Amber is so quiet about her! Why would Trent want to align his family with Ian's? I also couldn't read Rand's face when she was watching her dad teach Will how to dice tomatoes. Why is Jonathan (director of the athlete camp) texting Rand out of nowhere?? Chloe & Alistair's mom being in a wheelchair added a little diversity to the parents. I guess Teal (Amber's mom) can't live alone? I just thought she was financially irresponsible or possibly a drunk, but turns out she must have a mental issue. I was kinda happy that Amber didn't want the cookies in the shoebox. I am also starting to wonder if Isnarksi is gay. Why did Amber say she was going to the kitchen if she was really going to the laundry room? Why not just tell her mother she had to find a place to hide them? I also kinda wonder how certain parents decide to eat out while others sample the camp food. Ian's parents telling him that they're getting divorced shouldn't have shocked him so much if they were fighting all of the time... Becca and Alistair having a heart-to-heart about Chole was interesting. Was Amber heading to eat a cookie? Aha! Amber's over-eating is to cope with her mother, plain and simple. Can Teal drive herself places? It seems so.

Minute to Win It (S02E08): Miss Universes and Miss USAs are here... ten of them. And it's last "beauty" (man) standing style. They all have matching tank tops that label where they're from (country or state)
Game 1: Hanky Panky: the "pull out all 160 tissues" task. Last one loses. One of the Miss USAs loses.
Game 2: Temper Tantrum: vigorously shake your legs and get the most kicks on your pedometers to win. Don't let your legs or feet touch the ground. I had a bad feeling it would be Trinidad, but turns out Missouri went home.
Game 3: Face the Cookie: Cookie on forehead, use facial muscles to get it into your mouth. Slowest beauty loses. You can try with multiple cookies. Another USA loses.
Game 4: Go the Distance: Roll a ping pong ball to land in a shotglass, using a tape measure. Tennessee and Panama both struggled but after everyone else was done, Panama lost out.
Game 5: Spoon Frog: Use a teaspoon to launch another teaspoon into a glass. Last person to succeed loses. North Carolina goes home.
Game 6: Stack Attack: make the pyramid of cups (6-5-4-3-2-1) and then take them down again. Japan lost.
Game 7: CD Dominoes: 20 plastic CD cases have to be set up, ad blow to get them started, and eventually knock the last one into a bucket. Puerto Rico was crying pretty hard when this was the announced game. None of them got it on the first try. Two get it on the second try. Puerto Rico ends up losing.
Game 8: Bulb Balance: Stand an egg upright on top of a light bulb, using salt for balance (you can use two packets of it). Tennessee gets it pretty quickly, the other two get it but it doesn't stay long enough until the second attempts... and Trinidad loses by fractions of a second, really.
Game 9: Ping Tac Toe: head-to-head using water-filled glasses as a grid. Each person has a different color of ping-pong ball, and you have to be the first to get three in a row. It was close, and New York wins! aka Tennessee goes home.
Game 10 (for $1 million instead of $100,000 for her charity): Supercoin: big surprise... bounce quarters 15 feet to get one inside a 5-gallon water jug. She doesn't make it.

Tuesday:
Melissa & Joey (S01E03): haha, "I've had better" with the waffles. "bourbon pecan maple syrup" ?? Um, the grocery store thing was absolutely similar to a Who's the Boss episode that was on just an hour or so before this aired. But, on that show, he doesn't reveal that he is a nanny/housekeeper. hahaha, "I'm going to go pick out a tie to go with losing my shirt." "you had carbs without me" LoL. Gamma Gamma Gamma sounds like a strange sorority. Her office looks pretty plain... aka fake. Um, and the episode that ran just about the same time as the grocery episode had Tony do a one-night-stand with a sorority sister of Angela's... here, tho, they never get to the sex because she finds out the truth about his profession at the moment. I don't really like Mel's pink/purple dress. "screwed worse than pledge week" was funny, too. "I'm gonna go out and find myself a role model" ... the writers on this show are incredible! The kidney thing was over-the-top. the "iron man" thing completed it.

19 Kids and Counting (S05E05): Who drives the sportscar? Johannah got the chicken pox first, interesting. All of the older girls must have had chicken pox earlier, LoL. New font for the solid-screen-information screens. Oh, haha, yep, Jill was 3 when the chicken pox broke out last time. Grandma Duggar does 25 hours of laundry per week!! JimBob needing to be in charge of meds was interesting. Why live anywhere but the ground floor when Josie has that much stuff?? Wow, Michelle knew sunlight has vitamin D, LoL. "last one here is the last one here" ... boring. Josh didn't come over to help with the lawnmowing?? June 18th is a definite date for some point while the children had chicken pox. Everyone but Josie made it to Ohio for Michelle's dad's funeral. but... that means the kids traveled with chicken pox... hope nobody in Ohio caught it because of them!

Teen Mom (S02Exx): not this week.
Catelynn:
Maci:
Farrah:
Amber:

If You Really Knew Me (S01Exx): not this week.

Minute to Win It (S02E09): um, East Coast vs. West Coast girls today. Erica in red, Melissa in green. First person to lose two out of three challenges loses.
Game 1: Paper Dragon: unravel two party streamers each. Interesting how they had two very different approaches. My money was on Melissa, and she got it.
Game 2: Bulb Balance: get an egg to stand upright on a lightbulb, using salt for balance. You get one packet of salt and first person to get it to stay wins. They were both trying pretty intently, but neither seemed to have a clear strategy. Erica got it a split-second before Melissa.
Game 3: Ball Cap: 21 metal teeth are on a bottle cap. Caps are placed upside-down on bottles. Drop a golf ball onto a cap, knock it off, and get the ball to land on the mouth of the bottle. The person who gets the most correct out of ten wins. Erica won. Melissa was too quiet, anyway.
Game 4: Tea Party: swing your head to get both tea bags to land on the bill of the hat that they're attached to and that you're wearing. Erica has 60 seconds to do so. She kept getting one up and the other would fall down. Her boyfriend started getting worried about half-way through the game, and when the timer ran out, she failed. On the second attempt, she gets it in like 15 seconds or so.
Game 5: Egg Tower: use 4 paper towel rolls and 4 eggs to build a structure. You have quite a supply of both materials to work with. She kinds makes it look easy until near the end, where she never lets go and then runs out of time. Again, the boyfriend is mighty nervous. On the second go-around, she gets it with 15 seconds or so to spare.
Game 6: Spudnick: potato with bendy straws... get 5 straws into it and then get an M&M to balance on top of each straw. She gets it with 17 seconds to go.
Game 7: Tortilla Head: a plate is strapped to your head, and you have swim flipped on. Use the flippers to flip up tortillas from the floor, and only 1 out of 10 has to land and stay on the plate. The plate does have sides, so that helps. She gets it on the first try, in just 7 seconds or so. (that said, I didn't think it was all that hard of a challenge, anyway) But that whole "I know my way around a tortilla" got old FAST. And, rather than keep going, she leaves at this point, which is probably a good call, in all honesty.

Stephanie and Kaylin are BFFs who are professional dancers. Stephanie is wearing the capris, Kaylin has the shorts. wow, Stephanie's dad has had 107 major surgeries???!?
Game 1: Bucket Head: team game. stand 5 feet from a wall and bounce balls off the wall into buckets on their heads. Do it twice, each. Stephanie gets her second ball with just 3 seconds or so to spare.
Game 2: Movin' on Up: 39 blue cups and 1 red cup each. move cups from the top to the bottom, using alternating hands. Each must do it. They kinda sway from side to side as they work. Kaylin takes more time than Stephanie, and doesn't finish... by a single cup. They both have to do it again, and then we cut out to see more the next night.

Wipeout (S03E13): The 3D thing had me going for a split-second there. Jill was funny - couldn't believe the guy wanted to do it, LoL. The swimcap was random. Some good smackwall wipeouts. The trucker overlay was humorous. There's actually some talent on level two! BirthdayBoy holding on to the sweeper arm until the next track was impressive. A guy quit in the spincycle! yay BirthdayBoy!

Wednesday:
Minute to Win It (S02E10): Stephanie (capris) and Kaylin (shorts) are on again, picking up where they left off: trying Game 2: Movin' on Up again. This time, they finish with only 3 or 4 seconds to spare.
Game 3: Blind Ball: playing together, they're blindfolded (aka wearing black goggles) and spun around twice, then they have to walk around and find two balls each at various heights on the stage. Pick them up and hold them without knocking down any or dropping any. They're a little slow, and when the clock runs out, neither has any balls, and they did knock 2 over. I think the allowance to pace it while seeing is kinda cheating... but whatever. On their next attempt, two get knocked over and they don't capture any. They seem really sad... and they should be. I don't think anyone else ever walked away with just $1,000 (the minimum)

Kandis in white, Kristin in yellow (with the random wrist sweatband). Again, sisters. They really want to win money and take their grandmother to Italy (she's Sicilian, LoL).
Game 1: Tilt-a-cup: playing together, catch a ball into a cup, put another cup into it, catch another, etc. until you have 7 cup-and-ball pairs in the tower, but don't let it tip over. They get it with 8 seconds to spare.
Game 2: Clipper: roll ping pong balls down a slanted table using binder clips to act as bumpers to get the balls into three other binder clips. Kandis goes for it, and has 18 seconds left when she wins.
Game 3: Baby Blockin': wear a plate on your head and stack 5 blocks on to of one another on the plate, using one hand. Kristin goes for it, and speeds up a tad at the end, and is never able to let go of the tower. Then, Kandis goes for it, and while I thought her tower was a little shaky, she makes it. The blocks are totally larger than the standard baby block, I feel. (sidenote, this one would totally be my sister. she has a flatter head than I do, LoL)
Game 4: Volcano: working together, drop a Mentos into two-liter bottles filled with soda to get them to erupt. Each girl must do it once. The girls look like they haven't seen this one before, but they get it done with a whopping 43 seconds to spare! They also did a one-of-a-kind cheer after making this one, LoL.
Game 5: Flip your Lid: Playing together both girls must flip-cup (but face-down to face-down, not the normal way) onto a bottle 12 inches away. They almost got it at the same time, but both came off. They get off a TON of tries, since the floor is covered in cups, but neither makes it in the end. On the second attempt, Kristin gets it first, but they finish with 19 seconds to spare.
Game 6: Layin' Track: make a track of staples over some erasers and roll a marble down it to land in a cup. Kristin is going to do it. She took a LONG time setting it up, and was only gonna have one shot, so I was worried. BUT, she gets it with ONE SECOND to spare! another cheer (I think it might have been the first one again?)
Game 7: Chop Stack: use chopsticks to stack four tubes of chapstick. You can keep trying until time runs out. neither of them seemed to want to do it. In the end, Kristin convinces Kandis to do it, LoL. She's ridiculously shaky, and it keeps falling over with just two tubes. By the time she goes to stack the third, there's less than ten seconds left, so she loses out.

Thursday:
Futurama (S06E11): "two scoops of pixels in every scene" was a funny opening tag. Peeling a banana and getting a pickle inside was weird. haha, free admission to Comic-Con with ewok pelt. haha, Futurella not really having a chance was funny. And the question about The Sampsons second movie was funny since Bender was shot since that wasn't the topic, LoL. Lrrr having a midlife crisis of sorts was kinda boring. The comic book was only vaguely interesting as well. LoL, talking to Orson Welles. But the cheeselog kinda grossed me out.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Off season/Coming Up:
Little People, Big World (season 6 starts September 6th)
House, M.D. (season 7 starts September 20th)
How I Met Your Mother (season 6 starts September 20th)
The Simpsons (season 22 starts September 26th)
Family Guy (season 9 starts September 26th)
Mr. Sunshine (new show, starts in the Fall on ABC)
South Park (have not yet heard, but I assume October or so)
Burn Notice (back November 11)
Hot in Cleveland (back in January)
Table for 12: (missing "summer," "busy day," "jumping in," "brace yourself," "back to school")
16 and Pregnant (unknown)
Kate Plus Eight (not sure when season 1 continues)

First Ever Online International Live TV Show Drinking Game ...maybe

by Jonathan Bredemeyer

Come one, come all and bring your filled glasses, your impeccable sense of humor, and your regular Burn Notice-watching crew.

Tonight for the SUMMER finale of Burn Notice (there will be more in the fall...), and we'll be watching right along with you, so why not drink together? We'll be playing TheTalkingBox's very own Burn Notice drinking game and want you to join in. All you have to do is fire up your preferred Twitter client and follow @AndDrink. We'll tweet out when you should drink and what for. If you disagree or we miss one, let us so we don't fall behind. At the end we'll run the drink stats so you can see how many times you were supposed to drink, and what you actually gulped down during the 42 minutes of 'spy'-flying antics.

The @AndDrink account won't be active until just before showtime, so keep up with @TheTalkingBox in the meantime for updates. See you tonight, and don't forget to bring a drink.

Disclaimer: There are moments of TV Zen that simply must be honored. Should one of these occur during the show, the drinking game rules may be stretched to include these moments, so should you get more drunk than expected from blindly consuming alcohol when reading the word 'drink' from a ton of tweets, it ain't our fault...

A Look at the Emmys

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I feel like the nominations were announced super early this year. I've been reading about picks for a couple weeks already, and there's still 4 more days until the awards. Still, I haven't made an predictions yet, so I interrupt the normal Monday flow to do so today (even though it's Tuesday, I know). Oh, and I'm not touching the Creative Arts Emmys... maybe next year.

I do want to say, however, that it never ceases to amaze me that I watch a TON of television and most every show I watch is never nominated for anything, so I often feel like I have more of a basis for picking Oscar and Tony winners than I do picking Emmy winners...

Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series

Glee "Pilot - Director's Cut" (FOX), Ryan Murphy, Director

Glee "Wheels" (FOX), Paris Barclay, Director

Modern Family "Pilot" (ABC), Jason Winer, Director

Nurse Jackie "Pilot" (Showtime), Allen Coulter, Director

30 Rock "I Do Do" (NBC), Don Scardino, Director

- Not thrilled with this selection, but at least I saw it. I still feel like Glee is ridiculously overrated.

Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series

Breaking Bad "One Minute" (AMC), Michelle MacLaren, Director

Dexter "The Getaway" (Showtime), Steve Shill, Director

Lost "The End" (ABC), Jack Bender, Director

Mad Men "Guy Walks Into An Advertising Agency" (AMC), Lesli Linka Glatter, Director

Treme "Do You Know What It Means (Pilot)" (HBO), Agnieszka Holland, Director

- I've never seen three of these shows at all, and I'm anti-Mad Men, so that leaves Dexter.

Outstanding Directing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special

Georgia O'Keeffe (Lifetime), Bob Balaban, Director

The Pacific Part Eight (HBO), David Nutter, Director; Jeremy Podeswa, Director

The Pacific Part Nine (HBO), Tim Van Patten, Director

Temple Grandin (HBO), Mick Jackson, Director

You Don't Know Jack (HBO), Barry Levinson, Director

- Well, it sounds like an interesting subject...

Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Series

The Colbert Report "#5076 (in Iraq)" (Comedy Central), James Hoskinson, Director

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart "Episode #15054" (Comedy Central), Chuck O'Neil, Director

Late Show With David Letterman "Show #3289" (CBS), Jerry Foley, Director

Saturday Night Live "Host: Betty White" (NBC), Don Roy King, Director

The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien "#146" (NBC), Allan Kartun, Director

- um, Betty White for the win. >

Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Special

In Performance At The White House: A Celebration Of Music From The Civil Rights Movement (PBS), Ron de Moraes, Director

The Kennedy Center Honors (CBS), Louis J. Horvitz, Director

63rd Annual Tony Awards (CBS), Glenn Weiss, Director

The 25th Anniversary Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Concert (HBO), Joel Gallen, Director

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony (NBC), Bucky Gunts, Director

- Yay, Olympics!

Outstanding Directing For Nonfiction Programming

The Amazing Race "I Think We're Fighting The Germans, Right?" (CBS), Bertram van Munster, Director

By The People: The Election Of Barack Obama (HBO), Amy Rice, Director; Alicia Sams, Director

Monty Python: Almost The Truth (The Lawyer's Cut) "Lust For Glory" (IFC), Bill Jones, Director; Ben Timlett, Director

My Lai (PBS), Barak Goodman, Director

Terror In Mumbai (HBO), Dan Reed, Director

- Um, guessing blindly here. But, hey, what the heck. Let's support the President... after all, it's his election itself which may be the best thing he's done...

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

The Big Bang Theory (CBS), Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper

Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO), Larry David as Himself

Glee (FOX), Matthew Morrison as Will Schuester

Monk (USA), Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk

The Office (NBC), Steve Carell as Michael Scott

30 Rock (NBC), Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy

- Um, I'm sure not voting for Larry David, 30 Rock, or The Office. Big Bang is okay... I kinda hate Glee, and while Tony Shalhoub is great, that character didn't have much this season since it was pretty much over... so, Sheldon it is!

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series

Breaking Bad (AMC), Bryan Cranston as Walter White

Dexter (Showtime), Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan

Friday Night Lights (DirecTV), Kyle Chandler as Eric Taylor

House (FOX), Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House

Lost (ABC), Matthew Fox as Jack Shephard

Mad Men (AMC), Jon Hamm as Don Draper

- um, Hugh Laurie is amazing. That is all.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie

A Dog Year (HBO), Jeff Bridges as Jon Katz

The Prisoner (AMC), Sir Ian McKellen as Two

The Special Relationship (HBO), Michael Sheen as Tony Blair

The Special Relationship (HBO), Dennis Quaid as Bill Clinton

You Don't Know Jack (HBO), Al Pacino as Dr. Jack Kevorkian

- um, again, nothing solid to go on. But, Sir Ian McKellen gets my vote.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

Glee (FOX), Lea Michele as Rachel Berry

The New Adventures Of Old Christine (CBS), Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine Campbell

Nurse Jackie (Showtime), Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton

Parks And Recreation (NBC), Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope

30 Rock (NBC), Tina Fey as Liz Lemon

United States Of Tara (Showtime), Toni Collette as Tara Gregson

- I support Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

The Closer (TNT), Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson

Damages (FX Networks), Glenn Close as Patty Hewes

Friday Night Lights (DirecTV), Connie Britton as Tami Taylor

The Good Wife (CBS), Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC), Mariska Hargitay as Det. Olivia Benson

Mad Men (AMC), January Jones as Betty Draper

- um, I haven't seen this show, but Julianna Margulies was great in ER, so let's pretend she's great here, too.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie

Capturing Mary (HBO), Maggie Smith as Mary Gilbert

Georgia O'Keeffe (Lifetime), Joan Allen as Georgia O’Keeffe

Return To Cranford (Masterpiece) (PBS), Dame Judi Dench as Miss Matty

The Special Relationship (HBO), Hope Davis as Hillary Clinton

Temple Grandin (HBO), Claire Danes as Temple Grandin

- not sure what it's about, but I haven't seen Claire Danes in anything in the longest time, so kudos to her.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series

Glee (FOX), Chris Colfer as Kurt Hummel

How I Met Your Mother (CBS), Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson

Modern Family (ABC), Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell

Modern Family (ABC), Eric Stonestreet as Cameron Tucker

Modern Family (ABC), Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy

Two And A Half Men (CBS), Jon Cryer as Alan Harper

- Well this was an easy choice. NPH is brilliant as Barney!

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series

Breaking Bad (AMC), Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman

Damages (FX Networks), Martin Short as Leonard Winstone

Lost (ABC), Terry O'Quinn as John Locke

Lost (ABC), Michael Emerson as Ben Linus

Mad Men (AMC), John Slattery as Roger Sterling

Men Of A Certain Age (TNT), Andre Braugher as Owen

- Again, I've never seen any of these shows. But let's go Martin Short.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie

Emma (Masterpiece) (PBS), Michael Gambon as Mr. Woodhouse

Hamlet (Great Performances) (PBS), Sir Patrick Stewart as Ghost / Claudius

Return To Cranford (Masterpiece) (PBS), Jonathan Pryce as Mr. Buxton

Temple Grandin (HBO), David Strathairn as Dr. Carlock

You Don't Know Jack (HBO), John Goodman as Neal Nicol

- as a theatre scholar first, Sir Patrick Stewart as Claudius all the way.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series

Glee (FOX), Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester

Modern Family (ABC), Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy

Modern Family (ABC), Sofia Vergara as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett

Saturday Night Live (NBC), Kristen Wiig as Various Characters

30 Rock (NBC), Jane Krakowski as Jenna Maroney

Two And A Half Men (CBS), Holland Taylor as Evelyn Harper

- um, I think just about any average American is going with Sue Sylvester. And while I'm not personally a fan of the character, I think she's a good actor.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

Burn Notice (USA), Sharon Gless as Madeline Westen

Damages (FX Networks), Rose Byrne as Ellen Parsons

The Good Wife (CBS), Archie Panjabi as Kalinda Sharma

The Good Wife (CBS), Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart

Mad Men (AMC), Christina Hendricks as Joan Harris

Mad Men (AMC), Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson

- Aha! I finally have seen AND have a good perception of a nominee. As loyal readers know, Burn Notice is a biggie in my household, so I go with Sharon Gless.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie

Alice (Syfy), Kathy Bates as Queen of Hearts

Temple Grandin (HBO), Julia Ormond as Eustacia (Temple's Mom)

Temple Grandin (HBO), Catherine O'Hara as Aunt Ann

You Don't Know Jack (HBO), Brenda Vaccaro as Margo Janus

You Don't Know Jack (HBO), Susan Sarandon as Janet Good

- I go with the classic here, Brenda Vaccaro.

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series

Glee "Wheels" (FOX), Mike O'Malley as Burt Hummel

Glee "Dream On" (FOX), Neil Patrick Harris as Bryan Ryan

Modern Family "Travels With Scout" (ABC), Fred Willard as Frank Dunphy

Nurse Jackie "Chicken Soup" (Showtime), Eli Wallach as Bernard Zimberg

30 Rock "Emmanuelle Goes To Dinosaur Land" (NBC), Jon Hamm as Dr. Drew Baird

30 Rock "Into The Crevasse" (NBC), Will Arnett as Devin Banks

- and while I haven't actually seen this particular episode, I did hear some great things about Neil Patrick Harris guesting on that show.

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series

The Closer "Make Over" (TNT), Beau Bridges as Detective George Andrews

Damages "The Next One's Gonna Go In Your Throat" (FX Networks), Ted Danson as Arthur Frobisher

Dexter "Road Kill" (Showtime), John Lithgow as Arthur Mitchell

The Good Wife "Fleas" (CBS), Alan Cumming as Eli Gold

The Good Wife "Bad" (CBS), Dylan Baker as Colin Sweeney

Mad Men "Shut The Door. Have A Seat." (AMC), Robert Morse as Bertram Cooper

24 "1:00 PM - 2:00 PM" (FOX), Gregory Itzin as President Charles Logan

- well, not only is Dexter the only show here that I have ever seen, but John Lithgow is one of my favorites.

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series

The Big Bang Theory "The Maternal Congruence" (CBS), Christine Baranski as Beverly Hofstadter

Desperate Housewives "The Chase" (ABC), Kathryn Joosten as Karen McCluskey

Glee "The Rhodes Not Taken" (FOX), Kristin Chenoweth as April Rhodes

Saturday Night Live "Host: Tina Fey" (NBC), Tina Fey as Host

Saturday Night Live "Host: Betty White" (NBC), Betty White as Host

30 Rock "The Moms" (NBC), Elaine Stritch as Colleen Donaghy

Two And A Half Men "818-JKLPUZO" (CBS), Jane Lynch as Dr. Linda Freeman

- Well, I saw Kristin Chenoweth in that episode. But Betty White ALL THE WAY!!

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series

Big Love "The Mighty And The Strong" (HBO), Mary Kay Place as Adaleen Grant

Big Love "End Of Days" (HBO), Sissy Spacek as Marilyn Densham

The Cleaner "Does Everybody Have A Drink?" (A&E), Shirley Jones as Lola Zellman

Damages "Your Secrets Are Safe" (FX Networks), Lily Tomlin as Marilyn Tobin

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit "Bedtime" (NBC), Ann-Margret as Rita Wills

Lost "The End" (ABC), Elizabeth Mitchell as Juliet Burke

- I'm anti-Lost, and anti-Big Love, and I hate Law & Order. I recognize Lily Tomlin's name, so let's go with her.

Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program

The Amazing Race (CBS), Phil Keoghan as Host

American Idol (FOX), Ryan Seacrest as Host

Dancing With The Stars (ABC), Tom Bergeron as Host

Project Runway (Lifetime), Heidi Klum as Host

Survivor (CBS), Jeff Probst as Host

- I don't like DWTS (but at least I tried it) or Survivor. I've never seen Project Runway, and I'm not an Idol fan. I've seen a few episodes of The Amazing Race, but it was so long ago that I don't remember much at all. Thus, Ryan Seacrest, because he's pretty popular anyway.

Outstanding Comedy Series

Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)

Glee (FOX)

Modern Family (ABC)

Nurse Jackie (Showtime)

The Office (NBC)

30 Rock (NBC)

- I hate 30 Rock and The Office and Glee. I fell asleep halfway through the only episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm I've tried to watch. Modern Family just didn't grab me. Nurse Jackie it is.

Outstanding Drama Series

Breaking Bad (AMC)

Dexter (Showtime)

The Good Wife (CBS)

Lost (ABC)

Mad Men (AMC)

True Blood (HBO)

- I've seen and don't care for Dexter. Otherwise, I've got no back to my selection, except I like Julianna Margulies.

Outstanding Miniseries

The Pacific (HBO)

Return To Cranford (Masterpiece) (PBS)

- No selection made because I have absolutely no basis whatsoever.

Outstanding Made For Television Movie

Endgame (Masterpiece) (PBS)

Georgia O'Keeffe (Lifetime)

Moonshot (HISTORY)

The Special Relationship (HBO)

Temple Grandin (HBO)

You Don't Know Jack (HBO)

- I'm not a big HBO fan, and Georgia O'Keeffe sounds pretty interesting, actually.

Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series

The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)

Real Time With Bill Maher (HBO)

Saturday Night Live (NBC)

The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien (NBC)

- Um, I don't watch late-night junk. But SNL had Betty White, so okay.

Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Special

Bill Maher "...But I'm Not Wrong" (HBO)

Hope For Haiti Now (MTV)

The Kennedy Center Honors (CBS)

Robin Williams: Weapons Of Self Destruction (HBO)

The 25th Anniversary Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Concert (HBO)

Wanda Sykes: I'ma Be Me (HBO)

- I've got nothing. Choosing Haiti because people are still feeling bad for them.

Outstanding Special Class Programs

ABC's LOST Presents: Mysteries Of The Universe - The Dharma Initiative (abc.com/lost)

82nd Annual Academy Awards (ABC)

Avatar: Enter The World Of Pandora (HBO First Look) (HBO)

The Daily Show: Ask A Correspondent (thedailyshow.com)

30 Rock: Webisodes (NBC.com)

63rd Annual Tony Awards (CBS)

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony (NBC)

- I love the Olympics. That is all.

Outstanding Children's Program

Hannah Montana (Disney Channel)

iCarly (Nickelodeon)

Jonas (Disney Channel)

Wizards Of Waverly Place (Disney Channel)

Wizards Of Waverly Place: The Movie (Disney Channel)

- I know very little about children's programming that is not animated. The kids I taught over the summer were into iCarly more than anything else on here, but Phineas & Ferb was their absolute favorite. That, and SpongeBob. So... yeah.

Outstanding Children's Nonfiction Program

Nick News With Linda Ellerbee - The Face Of Courage: Kids Living With Cancer (Nickelodeon)

When Families Grieve (PBS)

-I actually really wanted to catch this special. I had read a lot about it and never saw it.

Outstanding Nonfiction Special

Believe: The Eddie Izzard Story (EPIXHD)

By The People: The Election Of Barack Obama (HBO)

Johnny Mercer: The Dream's On Me (TCM)

Saturday Night Live In The 2000s: Time And Again (NBC)

The Simpsons: 20th Anniversary Special – In 3-D! On Ice! (FOX)

Teddy: In His Own Words (HBO)

- Not sure what Teddy is or who Johnny Mercer is, but I'm not a big fan of Eddie Izzard or SNL. I saw the Simpsons special and it sucked. This leaves Barack Obama... by default.

Outstanding Nonfiction Series

American Experience (PBS)

American Masters (PBS)

Deadliest Catch (Discovery Channel)