Random Question: Who's Your Favorite Sesame Street Muppet?

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

This morning I had my photo taken with none other than Elmo. The real Elmo, puppeteered by Kevin Clash. Immediately following, I sat in on a panel where critics asked Clash an assortment of questions, causing me to deepen my appreciation for him and his work.

Last night I saw the PBS documentary Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey, which brought me to tears three or four times. It was a heart-warming story and included some great archival footage of the late Jim Henson, among others. 

I'm older than many of the folks who love Elmo, and younger than many of the parents whose children were/are Elmo fanatics. This puts me in a special position. Although I grew up as big a Sesame Street fan as the next kid (and maybe quite a bit more, let's not lie...), Elmo wasn't a big Muppet for me. I was more of a Cookie Monster and Snuffy kind of kid, though Big Bird thoroughly fascinated me until I was old enough to understand how full-body puppets worked. I had a surprising number of Grover-themed items, but I personally attribute that to the fact that I was a youngster in the 80s, when SuperGrover was young and cool and had a few of those books that you followed along to the sound of Grover on cassette tape.

A couple of years ago I went to the Popular Culture Association Conference, where I was thrilled to win a Bert & Ernie shirt in a raffle, and witnessed for the first time a live muppeteering, with Fran Brill performing Prairie Dawn and Zoe. I was giddy at the time, so you might imagine my excitement when Elmo talked directly to me this morning, using my name, and putting his arm around me. 

Photo: Rahoul Ghose/PBS

Tell me about who your favorite Muppet from Sesame Street is!

Campfire Cake; Maci Moves Again; Workplace Wipeout

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Recaps & [Commentaries] for "unscripted" shows this week include: Cake Boss, Teen Mom, and Wipeout. Spoilers abound, so don't jump down if you don't want to know what happens!

Ricky Drama; Regina Knew; Lennox Models; & more...

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Oh my goodness. SO MUCH has happened in the past week! When I went to watch Secret Life on Monday, I felt like a month had passed since I saw the episode last week. And, since I saw many of the Falling Skies cast members in person last weekend, I felt like I was getting Falling Skies overkill by Sunday (not that I mind!). Still in Los Angeles at the TCA Press Tour for a few more days, follow along on Twitter if you'd like. Or facebook, if you prefer. That said, I'm also short on time to watch things let alone analyze them, so [commentary] is pretty brief this week.

Recaps & [Commentaries] for "scripted" shows this week include: Falling Skies, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Switched at Birth, Melissa & Joey, State of Georgia, Hot in Cleveland, Happily Divorced, and Futurama. Please note: spoilers abound, so don't jump down if you don't want to know what happens!

Throwback: David Silver's Bachelor Party

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I've written about Beverly Hills, 90210 quite a few times in the past several months. However, since I'm currently at the Beverly Hilton for an event (and I routed myself to the address that does indeed include the famed zip!), plus SOAPnet's daytime run of the show recently finished a run and is back at the early years of the show, I wanted to look at one more thing from it.

The final few episodes (um, yes, there will be spoilers if you haven't seen the show) deal with David and Donna's wedding. I was shocked the first time I saw this episode, as the lead-up was pretty short, though I guess they were just running out of time after ten years. I mean, wouldn't you think that Donna would want more time to plan a wedding?!? The respective bachelor parties were funny, with Mrs. Teasley making an appearance and Donna's, and the randomly-seen Muntz showing up at David's. But what i wanted to share today was the poem that Steve wrote for David's party, detailing the girls that he had been with throughout the show. I was thrown back by how many girls are mentioned, as I always thought of Brandon and Steve being the ones who had the many girlfriends on the show!

In fair Beverly Hills, a boy did reign,
Davey Silver was his name. 
From far and wide, the girls did speed
For they'd heard of Davey's bedroom deeds.
Donna Martin of the golden hair
Was the first into our David's lair.
Virgins we, the couple swore,
Till a girl named Ariel came through David's door.
Clare was next, then some fox named Malone,
Sophie and David took it all the way home.
Denise was fun, and Carole too.
Claudia couldn't get her green card,
That made poor Dave blue.
Don't forget Katie, the sex addict! She,
And Robyn who hated his radio personality.
Marta the artist, wasn't she fun?
And Gina Kincaid...number one!
One stop was left, her name was Camille...
We thought it might last.
But come on, guys: get real!
There was only one dame
Her name's Donna, she's fine.
My God, Silver: it's about time!

Now, the internet nitpickers have seemed to agree that there's a girl missing from this list. From an early episode that I can only barely remember (where Donna, David, Kelly, and Steve go to Palm Springs to see David's grandparents), there was a girl named Tuesday. But otherwise, it seems that David's conquests all made it into Steve's poem... all fourteen of them! That seems like a lot to me, especially when I think about how long some of these characters were around, LoL. Do you remember all of these (de)lovely ladies?

10 Things about Comic-Con

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Yeah... I have TONS of things I want to say about my time in San Diego for this year's Comic-Con. And, as I mentioned yesterday, there's still a lot going on. BUT, I wanted to take this Wednesday's list and tease you with a few things I saw and learned at Comic-Con. 

10. The people. You read about everyone being smelly, that nobody takes showers, that bad breath reigns, and that the general Con-goer is uber-geeky. Well, I only encountered a few smelly people throughout my time, though I was frequently surrounded by horriffic breath. But, more importantly, two things. First, everyone there is a dork about SOMETHING. Maybe their obsession isn't yours, but there is a camaraderie amongst those who are passionate about something in the pop culture realm. And second, people are friendly. Three of the four days I wasn't really near my friend Kelly at all, and I had no problems spending hours in line chatting with those around me.

9. Food. I read everywhere that food would be very, very expensive. And rather crappy. So, taking the advice of the internet, along with the kindheartedness of a friend of a friend, I went to a grocery store first thing off the plane Wednesday. And I proceeded to buy too much. I bought a loaf of french bread, a half-dozen bagels, a couple of the small bags of rice-cake-chips, four apples, a box of nutri-grain bars, and a bag of goldfish. I also brought a box of cheerios and three packs of poptarts from home. I was overstocked. But I also didn't have any protein... so the second afternoon I was feeling weak. (solved this bringing leftovers from the previous night's dinner for lunches!) And the food was a little higher than theme park prices, so it wasn't outrageous to me. I didn't actually purchase any, so I can't comment as to the quality, but I certainly saw plenty of people gobbling it down! (particularly the nachos and the soft pretzels!)

8. Previews. Many, many people will tell you that the main reason that they attend Comic-Con is for the previews. You can see trailers before they're released. You can see pilots of shows that have not yet aired. You can see full episodes and movies sometimes, weeks or months before they are set to broadcast. Some will be great (54 minutes of the pilot for Terra Nova?? yes, please!) and some won't (talking hot tub episode of American Dud Dad). There are more previews that you can possibly attend (three took place on Saturday afternoon, nearly simultaneously), so choose wisely!

7. Celebrities. As someone who has met a couple in real life and interviewed another handful of actors, I sometimes get a little desensitized to them. Plus, many will remind you that they're just regular people whose job is acting. Yes, it's cool that you're in the same room as Matt Groening or Bruce Campbell. But I tell you what... when Noah Wyle was introduced during the Falling Skies panel, I almost cried. Yep, I totally had a crush on him when he was on ER... and apparently I might not have completely gotten over that. I felt like a schoolgirl as I stared at him smile and wave.

6. Over-preparation. Everyone tells you to read everything you can. Study the maps. Print out the charts. Pack anything you might need. Pack extra shirts and socks so you can change into something not sweaty. But, that's too much. I read enough, and perhaps not even enough. But I overpacked. And over-printed (people say the book they gave you is too thick and heavy to deal with... but it's pretty easy to navigate and prevents you from going through multiple sets of pages!).

5. The airport. It's really close to downtown / the gaslamp district / the Con. This is notable because I was really nervous about how much traffic there would be leaving San Diego on Sunday. I had an 8:15 flight and I decided to take a 4:45 shuttle... which had me at the airport in less than fifteen minutes. I felt like it was a much longer trip when I arrived, but I guess I didn't go straight to the hotel, either.

4. Lines. People tell you that Cons are really just lines. Well, to a certain extent, that is certainly true. I waited in line for about 90 minutes just to get my badge to enter the Con. The next day, I waited for four hours to purchase passes for the 2012 Con... which meant that I indeed missed the opening panels of the day so that I could deal with something 51 weeks in advance. And that's not even talking about the lines for the individual rooms.

3. Time. Remember grad school? Or having young children at home? Or just those weeks when you are putting in a million hours at work and hardly sleeping? Comic-Con is kind of like that. Thursday and Friday I was out the door of my hotel at 6am to get in line half an hour later. Thursday night I didn't get back to the hotel until after 10, and Friday it was after 9. And I still had to do other things! Saturday and Sunday were slightly better... I left at 6:20 on Saturday, and I felt a world of difference... which is good since I didn't settle back in for the night until about 10:30pm. Sunday I slept until a leisurely 7:45am, though after my flight I had to drive home and was struggling to focus the last few miles at 10pm!

2. Priorities. Priorities are everything. You can either try and hit several things throughout the day that you are really excited about, or pick one room that has four or five things (or more!) that you are somewhat interested in seeing. That way, you're much less stressed out in trying to run around.

1. Swag. There were a lot of freebies throughout the Con. My favorite? The Falling Skies hoodie that everyone who was in the Falling Skies panel on Friday received a ticket for. My least favorite? The Simpsons, Family Guy, and American Dad pins that those panels gave us tickets for. We all wondered why the panelists and moderator kept mum about what we'd receive... it didn't take long to find out why!

If you've been to Comic-Con, do you agree? If you haven't, what did you find most surprising? And, yes, stay tuned as I crank out some more fabulous stuff about the Con!

Casting News; New Shows Coming; Show Interaction

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Yes, I am going to write about everything I saw and did at Comic-Con. I know that's what you're all looking forward to! But, as luck would have it, I'm already away on travel again, this time to Los Angeles. The Television Critics Association Press Tour starts tomorrow, and I'll be attending the first part this year (it's long. it goes for 12 days!). All sorts of wonderful things are going to happen, but they also take up the majority of every day, leaving me with very little time to do things like process Comic-Con and prepare giveaways. (Yes! you heard right. I'll be doing several contests for some free swag that I got!) If you want to read my third article for TVTango, it's here. Otherwise, enjoy the highlights of television news from the past week...

I mentioned last week that Mike Vogel had been cast in the new series PanAm. Well, it looks like they're even writing the role larger now that he's in the show!

Franklin & Bash got renewed for a second season. South Park will keep making new episodes through 2013. Happily Divorced also got picked up for a second season. On the other hand, Love Bites has been canceled.

Looks like Kevin Smith may be developing his own talk show. And, if you want to watch Shannen Doherty plan her wedding, apparently that's an upcoming option, too.

Odette Annable will join House in the fall. It doesn't look like she's taking Cuddy's role. In other casting news, John Goodman will be joining Community.

Want to experience Terra Nova? It may be coming to a city near you! If interaction is your thing, maybe you wanna bet on how Charlie Harper will be written out of Two and a Half Men... you can!

Mad Men is about to be available on Netflix streaming.

In November, TLC will roll out All-American Muslim which will look at several young adult Muslims as they balance their background with American culture. Another new show in development is The Exes (working title) for TVLand... which seems kinda similar to The Big Bang Theory in my opinion... But the most intriguing new show coming out is Same Name, where a person with the same name as a celebrity (in the pilot, David Hasselhoff) switches lives with that person for four days.

Collage of Cancer Cakes; Duggar Extractions; Ryan and Kyle Meet

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Recaps & [Commentaries] for "unscripted" shows this week include: Cake Boss, 19 Kids and Counting, Teen Mom, and Wipeout. Spoilers abound, so don't jump down if you don't want to know what happens!

Adrian at School; Toby Comes Clean; Lennox Tweets; Jo Googles...

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

A day late, I know. It's been a long week. I'm still at Comic-Con, and until I can get up some updates here, check out a couple articles (here and here) I've written from some of the things I've seen. I'll get up the remainder of the recaps from this week as soon as I can. :)

Recaps & [Commentaries] for "scripted" shows this week include: Falling Skies, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Switched at Birth, Melissa & Joey, State of Georgia, Hot in Cleveland, Happily Divorced, and Futurama. Please note: spoilers abound, so don't jump down if you don't want to know what happens!

Throwback: Favorite Cartoons

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Since Comic-Con officially starts today, I thought that I'd do a throwback that features some of my favorite cartoons. And not just those from childhood, either. I totally watched cartoons through high school, haha.Sure, I still catch them on Netflix every now and then, but I haven't regularly followed any (not counting The Simpsons and South Park, since they're not geared toward children anyway) regularly in years.

My mom tells me that I had a Rainbow Brite obsession as soon as I could discern specific programs on television. I remember renting a few at the video store when I was learning to read, but I honestly can't remember watching the show on regular television. I still love Rainbow Brite, and will be rocking a shirt from the show tomorrow! (Today is my Marvel shirt. of course.)

Now, my very favorite from elementary school: ThunderCats. You better believe that I was the only girl in the first grade rocking a ThunderCats lunchbox and thermos! I loved that show, from how cute Snarf was to how cool it looked when Cheetara ran to the Rober-Berbles and how neat it was to have robot pandas around. Mumm-ra was a pretty scary bad guy, but I thought he was unique.

Next, the cartoons that I watched religiously after school as part of the Disney Afternoon years: Gummi Bears, TaleSpin, and Chip 'n Dale's Rescue Rangers. As I've probably mentioned before, Rescue Rangers was what we talked about at snack time in Kindergarten, so I had to be up the latest adventures of Chip, Dale, Monty, Gadget, and Zipper! FatCat was my favorite villain, though Nimnul ran a close second! I thought that the storyline for Gummi Bears was just fabulous, and the characters were quite lovable. With TaleSpin, it was simply the characters. I thought that Don Carnage was a hilarious bad guy, and the idea of "cloud-kicking" blew my mind. The storylines were a bit outrageous (I wasn't the best at allowing myself to have a willing suspension of disbelief as a child) and wrapped themselves up all too quickly, but how could you not love Wildcat, Baloo, Molly, Kit, and the others?

And, on the weekends as a youngin', Foofur and Punky Brewster were my Saturday Morning Cartoons of choice. As a kid who was deathly afraid of dogs, the idea that a bunch of canines lived together (along with Fencer the cat and a few rats) with no real owner was amusing. The constant hiding from the realtor was funny to me, and I just remember laughing at the show all the time. With Punky, I think it was Glomer who first sucked me in. He seemed like such a cool "pet" and I had a fascination with magical creatures and the world of fun that they could create for someone. Sure, Punky and her friends were cool, but Glomer, he was amazing! 

Middle school was pretty simple for me... Rugrats and Doug. I was new to having Nickelodeon, and those two shows were big hits with me and my siblings. While everything that the rugrats ever did was pretty unbelievable, I adored their ability to teach about other cultures and holidays, and thought that the writing was great. Doug was quite a bit more believable (well, not the fact that people were blue, haha), and I thought that most of the secondary characters were well-written and developed... like Judy, Connie, and Mr. Dink. I'll even admit that I actually liked the Disney episodes of The Brand-Spankin' New Doug, which wasn't a hit with a lot of other people. I thought that aging the kids a year did a lot for the show and the way they handled the situations that were faced.

In high school my favorites included The Weekenders, Teacher's Pet, Recess, and Pepper Ann. The first two were Saturday morning shows, the latter two were afterschool shows (though they began on Saturdays, of course). I've written about a few of these before, but in a nutshell, it was the characters that kept me coming back. In The Weekenders, the cast was pretty small, so it was easy to latch on to each of the four, and understand where they were coming from and what they were doing. With Teacher's Pet, the idea that a dog went to school was pretty intriguing, but the fact that his teacher was also his owner (and she didn't realize who the dog was) baffled me to the point that I just couldn't stop watching, waiting for the day that she discovered the truth. My fourth grade wasn't like Recess in any way (we didn't even have cliques yet), but the storylines were incredibly believable to me, and the roles that the kids took in each scheme just made sense. Similarly, although I couldn't directly relate to Pepper Ann, I just "got" the show and her interactions with other characters was just moving for me. 

My college cartoon was totally As Told by Ginger, which I just thought was written well. There were a bunch of characters, the storylines were more pre-teen/teen-oriented, and the depiction of social life at school was a little more believable than a lot of other shows. Plus, there was a special where they went to camp, and I spent two of my summer during college working at a resident camp, so that held a special place in my heart. 

I know you're dying to share... what have your favorite cartoons been throughout life??

An Interview with Emily Osment about Cyberbully

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Did you catch Cyberbully on ABCFamily Sunday night? If not, you can catch it tonight! Emily Osment, who plays the main character in the original movie, took part in a Q&A last week about the film and its importance. I'm not going to give a detailed synopsis, but in a nutshell, a 17-year-old girl is bullied online to the point where it affects every aspect of her life. The bully eventually comes clean, but things are forever changed in both lives.

Now, straight to some notes from Emily Osment...

- They filmed the movie in Montreal. 

- Emily wrote a song for the movie as well, called "Drift," which took about three days. She described it as wholesome, jazzy, and almost a little bit more sexy. The single became available on July 12th.

- Emily mentioned that it's a great movie for kids and parents. It shows a mother who goes from not really knowing how to help her daughter to really becoming an advocate.

- As an ambassador for StompOutBullying.org and a speaker at the Delete Digital Drama rally last week, Emily shared three ways of dealing with a bully. There's finding good humor in it, saying something, or walk away/get help.

- Emily described her character, Taylor, as very insecure, wants to be normal, and wants to be liked. The role was also very dramatic and had Emily crying everyday on the set.

- To prepare for all of the emotion in the Taylor character, Emily listened to music and worked with the director to get in the right mindset... Taylor has a lot of levels of sadness in the film, and figuring out where she was in each scene took work.

- In doing this role, Emily learned that it's easy for her to get depressed. She was shocked over how much "the role and the attitude of the whole thing" impacted her. She would just go home and cry... "I was just sad for six weeks while we were shooting this." She also never considered herself a method actor until this role.

Casting News; Comic-Con Tips; Cancellations and Renewals

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

- Farrah from Teen Mom may be the next Charlie's Angel.

- Mike Vogel is taking on a lead role in PanAm.

- Kal Penn, who notably left his role on House to pursue a non-entertainment career for the Obama administration, is returning to television on How I Met Your Mother. I am not thrilled. It's also looking like Season 8 (2012-2013) will be the finale for the show. I'm okay with that.

- on a related note, Neil Patrick Harris is going to be a guest judge on So You Think You Can Dance.

- Speaking of House, Cuddy's been out, but Chase has re-signed. Thirteen is still up in the air.

- Tons of giveaways happen at Comic-Con, one of which are these bags from the WB. Um, and they're giving away a car.

- And, if you can't be at the Con, watch what you can on G4!

- If I wasn't going to the Con, I might've been heading to the San Francisco casting call for The Price is Right contestants! (it's way out in the middle of nowhere and not in the city though!) Other cities follow.

- Netflix won't be streaming any more episodes from NBC.

- Aubrey from 16 and Pregnant was caught shoplifting some makeup.

- Wall $t. Wives is seeking cast members.

- TNT canceled Men of a Certain Age.

- Teen Wolf was renewed. So was Single Ladies.

- The Gosselins went to Mount Rushmore... maybe that'll be seen on a future episode of Kate Plus Eight.

- Season 4 of Merlin will be on SyFy in 2012.

-FX picked up American Horror Story, to premiere in October with 13 episodes.

- Charlie Sheen will be in a show called Anger Management, based on the 2003 film. No network is attached yet.

- And, as a reminder, Doug will be returning to television. I'm excited.

Monday Special: Comic-Con Countdown

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I leave for Comic-Con in San Diego on Wednesday morning. It's a pretty short flight down there, and I'll be meeting up with my friend Kelly almost as soon as I land! It's my first Comic-Con, and as I mentioned yesterday, I've been planning out the wazoo! After going through the program three or four times, I've finally pinned down exactly what I'm planning to see and do while at the Con. This means that a) you can look forward to articles about these panels as soon as I get them up, and b) should you also be there, feel free to find me! I'll be the one with the long brown ponytail in a funny shirt, haha! More seriously, follow me on twitter (@TheTalkingBox and @AmyKB) for the play-by-play. (and to see which events I actually end up attending!)

Now, I already KNOW I'm trying to see more than is possible, so you don't need to tell me that. I have my sights on the big prizes in the end, but this is closer to an ideal world. It's the best-case-scenario and lets you and I both look forward to many fantastic things! You'll also see that I didn't set aside time to donate blood or head to the exhibition hall, which are also both on my list. yeah, I know. I'm crazy! :-P

Thursday:
10:30am-Noon: Fan Studies Panel (you know, for the academic in me)

Comics Arts Conference Session #1: Fan Studies— Scott Daniel Boras (Arizona State University) relates his experiences as "Ethnography Man," researching the world of cosplay at Comic-Con and investigating how cosplay both subverts and reinforces codes of conduct, and in the end is more about transcendence than escape. Beverly Taylor (School of the Art Institute of Chicago) presents her research into how the culture of physique athletes -- body builders, figure, and fitness athletes -- is influenced and inspired by superheroes, even to the point of considering their lives outside the gym to be their secret identities. Lincoln Geraghty (University of Portsmouth) looks at the culture of collectibles, focusing specifically on Comic-Con, to argue that these lunchboxes, toys, video games, and websites are such a part of the meaning-making process that they becomes texts to study in their own right.

1-2pm: Penguins of Madagascar: The Return of the Revenge of Dr. Blowhole (I love those penguins!)
Nickelodeon and DreamWorks Animation: The Penguins of Madagascar: The Return of the Revenge of Dr. Blowhole— Executive producers Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley (Kim Possible), supervising producer Nick Filippi (Wolverine and the X-Men), creative consultant and voice of Skipper Tom McGrath (Madagascar 1 & 2), and cast members Danny Jacobs (Epic Movie), John DiMaggio (Futurama), Jeff Bennett (T.U.F.F. Puppy), James Patrick Stuart (Wolverine and the X-Men), and Kevin Michael Richardson (The Cleveland Show) share an insider's look of how the show gets made, along with never-before-seen footage from their upcoming one-hour musical, The Return of the Revenge of Dr. Blowhole. Additionally, the all-star cast performs a table read of selected scenes, highlighted by the amazingly talented Danny Jacobs as the voice of King Julien, singing his booty off as he premieres a showstopper from the special. Followed by a Q&A session moderated by Rich Magallanes, vice president, animation for Nickelodeon.

2:30-3:30: Comic Arts: Inventing IronMan (I just think this sounds fascinating! )

Comics Arts Conference Session #4: Inventing Iron Man— Author E. Paul Zehr (University of Victoria) discusses his book Inventing Iron Man, physically deconstructing

Iron Man to find out how we could use modern-day technology to create a suit of armor similar to Tony Stark's. Examining contemporary brain-machine interfaces and the meeting of neurology and neural plasticity, Zehr finds that science is nearing the point where such a suit is possible but observes that "superherodom is not just about technology." He also considers our own physical limitations to ask whether a living human could truly become Iron Man.

3:45-4:45 Awake (I'm all about the screeners, and this sounds intriguing and different)
Awake— Exclusive screening of Awake, the new NBC sci-fi drama about the power of the mind, to be introduced by star Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter) and executive producers Howard Gordon (24) and Kyle Killen (The Beaver). The screening will be followed by a brief Q&A session

5-6pm: Figure Drawing (I'm at Comic-Con... I should learn to draw. Plus, there's no hope of getting into the Harry Potter Fandom Panel at this time...)

 Figure Drawing for Popular Media— Emilio Soltero, Ph.D. (Draw the Line, Figure It Out, John Buscema: A Life in Sketches), along with Alex Niño (Mulan, Marvel, DC) and Stephen Silver (Kim Possible, Clerks), presents a primer on drawing the figure for popular media, including drawing for comics and character design and a demonstration on figure drawing. There will be some cool giveaways and a chance to draw as well. Comeready to take notes and to draw.

6-7pm: LGBTX: Queer X-Men (honestly, I'm very interested to hear about the background and reception of these themes and characters. Blame it on my past life in Student Affairs)
LGBTX: The X-Men's Queer Characters, Themes, and Fans— The X-Men and their universe have always been popular with LGBT comics fans. The idea of mutants is seen as an allegory for the reality of difference and persecution, as well as community and power, experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. The X-Men have also included compelling queer characters in their roster, including the first gay superhero, Northstar. How have these themes and characters been handled? What are the plans for the future? Moderator Chance Whitmire (Fanboys of the Universe) tries to make sense of it all with panelists Peter David (X-Factor), Phil Jimenez (Astonishing XMen), Chuck Kim (Age of X), Marjorie Liu (Daken: Dark Wolverine), Scott Lobdell (Uncanny X-Men), and Zack Stentz (X-Men First Class).

7-8pm: Scoop at Simon & Schuster (win books? you bet!)
The Scoop at Simon & Schuster!— Get the inside word on Simon & Schuster's upcoming books and the chance to win exclusive prizes! Lucille Rettino (marketing director), Elke Villa (senior marketing manager), Carolyn Swerdloff (associate marketing manager), and Anna McKean (publicity manager) give you the scoop on upcoming books from exciting authors, including Cassandra Clare, Scott Westerfeld, Orson Scott Card, and Becca Fitzpatrick. Hear what is going on with S&S's hot properties -- Star Trek and The Smurfs -- and get a chance to win exclusive giveaways. All attendees will receive a limited edition T-shirt for Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Prince.

8-11pm: Hall H & Ballroom 20 Playbacks (I gotta catch up somehow!)
Hall H and Ballroom 20 Thursday Panel Playback— Didn't get into either Hall H or Ballroom 20 today? We feel your pain! In this three-hour block, Comic-Con rebroadcasts some of the day's popular panels from those two giant rooms. Best of all, those in attendance will get to vote on what they want to see. It's democracy at its finest and it's a second chance to see these panels. (Please note: these playbacks will include only the panel discussions. None of the film clips or footage shown at the live events will be shown.)

Friday:
10:30-11:30: Screening of Locke & Key (it's not even coming out until mid-season, so this is a realllllly early look!)
Locke & Key FOX Pilot Screening— The most talked-about pilot not on the fall schedule was the FOX production of Locke & Key. This screening of the entire pilot will show you just what a void there will be on your TVs this fall. Watch the special filmed adaptation of Welcome to Lovecraft, and see the Eisner-nominated comic brought to life.

1:45-2:45pm: Bones Panel (don't YOU want to know what's coming up?)
Bones— Creator/executive producer Hart Hanson, executive producer Stephen Nathan, and stars David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel discuss the shocking finale of Bones Season 6 as well as what's in store for Booth and Brennan in an exciting Season 7! Hanson will also introduce the audience to the stars of The Finder, his new FOX series premiering in January.

3:15-4:15pm: Falling Skies Panel (I'm so back-and-forth on this show. maybe this will push me into the pro camp!)

Falling Skies— TNT's powerful drama series Falling Skies follows a group of survivors who band together after a devastating alien invasion has incapacitated most of the world. Ordinary people are called upon to fight back against the occupying alien force as they struggle for the survival of the human race. Join stars Noah Wyle (ER), Moon Bloodgood (Terminator Salvation), Will Patton (Armageddon), Drew Roy (Secretariat), Collin Cunningham (Living in Your Car), and Sarah Sanguin Carter (Shark) and co-executive producer Mark Verheiden (Battlestar Galactica) in a Q&A, and watch exclusive never-before-seen footage from Falling Skies.

4:30-5:30pm: Marvel TV: Anime on G4 (I like to study adaptations of things...)
Marvel Television Presents: Anime on G4— Marvel Television and G4 take your favorite characters -- Iron Man, Wolverine, The X-Men, and Blade -- to Japan to tell their stories in a whole new way, beautifully animated by the anime masters at Madhouse. Hosted by Attack of the Show's Blair Butler, watch a never-before-seen episode with Marvel's head of TV Jeph Loeb and surprise guests. Plus, get a sneak peek at The X-Men's explosive first episode.

5:30-6:30pm: Can Comics Send You to Jail? (I love to travel, but things like this just worry me!)

CBLDF: Can Comics Send You To Jail?— What if the comics you took on a plane landed you in jail? That's the danger facing one American, who could spend a minimum of a

year in a foreign prison for doing just that. Turns out that anyone leaving or entering the country can be stopped, searched, or detained by customs agents because of comic art

in print or on laptops, tablets, or cell phones -- even without suspicion of criminal activity. Learn how the CBLDF is working to fight this trend and what you can do to help.

7-8pm: Teching Out with NCIS:LA (I'm not the biggest NCIS person, but looking specifically at the use of technology on the show sounds pretty cool.)
Teching Out with NCIS: LA— With a hot young cast and high-stakes adventures, it's no secret why 18 million fans tune in each week to watch the agents of NCIS: Los Angeles go undercover to protect national security. Utilizing some of the most advanced technologies available today, NCIS: LA offers a stunning window into the world of constant surveillance. In this panel, fans will be treated to a behind-the-scenes look at how the series uses some of the coolest and immersive technologies available today, as well as how the cast has used technology and social media in their own personal lives to connect to their fans. Creator and executive producer Shane Brennan, actor LL Cool J, and other NCIS: LA cast members explain what's real, what's not, and what's next for season three.

8-11pm: Hall H & Ballroom 20 Playbacks (more catch-up)
Hall H and Ballroom 20 Friday Panel Playback— Didn't get into either Hall H or Ballroom 20 today? We feel your pain! In this three-hour block, Comic-Con rebroadcasts some of the day's popular panels from those two giant rooms. Best of all, those in attendance will get to vote on what they want to see. It's democracy at its finest and it's a second chance to see these panels.

8-9pm: Reign of the Dinosaurs (in case I don't like what's being replayed in the other room...)

Reign of the Dinosaurs— In 2010, a group of the world's best dinosaur illustrators and animators gave Comic-Con fans a rare behind-the-scenes look at the artistic development of the Discovery Channel series Reign of the Dinosaurs (working title). The creative team returns to show off just how far their jaw-dropping animation and storytelling have come since last year's storyboarding and early animation phase. Set to premiere this fall, the series will reset the standard for immersive, inside-out dinosaur storytelling, giving an insiders' view into the private lives and strange behaviors of dinosaurs, with a narrative technique as revolutionary as the science it documents. Panelists include exec­utive producer/co-director Erik Nelson (Cave of Forgotten Dreams), director David Krentz (Disney's Dinosaur), artist Ricardo Delgado (Dark

Horse Comics' Age of Reptiles), and others.

9-10pm: Worst Cartoons Ever (...aren't you intrigued by the title alone??!?)
Worst Cartoons Ever— Jerry Beck (Cartoon Brew) once again compiles a new selection of the most terribly written, ugliest drawn, and unintentionally funniest animated films ever made. Cartoons include Mighty Mr. Titan (a physical fitness superhero) and Super President (a one-man weapon of mass destruction)!

9:15-10:15pm: Locke & Key Encore Screening (just in case)
Saturday:
11am-Noon: Terra Nova Screener (this is one of my most-anticipated Fall shows!)
Terra Nova— Star Stephen Lang (Avatar), executive producer Rene Echevarria (Castle, Medium, The 4400, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), executive producer Brannon Braga (24, Star Trek: Enterprise), and co-executive producer Jose Molina (Haven, Castle) premiere footage from the highly anticipated epic adventure series 85 million years in the making, set to premiere this September on FOX. This new event drama from the minds of Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park, The Pacific) and Peter Chernin follows an ordinary family on an extraordinary journey back in time to prehistoric Earth as a part of a massive expedition to save the human race.

12:15-1pm: Futurama Panel (not my favorite show, but I like some of the jokes.)
Futurama— Futurama is back! Again! On stage will be creator/executive producer Matt Groening, executive producer David X. Cohen, and stars Billy West (Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Dr. Zoidberg), Katey Sagal (Leela), John DiMaggio (Bender), and Maurice LaMarche (Kif Kroker, Calculon, Morbo). Get a sneak peek at never-before-seen footage of Futurama reincarnated as Japanese anime, along with a thrilling preview of this summer's new season on Comedy Central. Moderated by Bill Morrison.

1-1:45pm: The Simpsons Panel (not sure what sort of cool stuff they'll mention, but it kinda seems like the place to be with Milestone Episode 500 coming up...)
1:00-1:45 The Simpsons— Now entering its record-annihilating 23rd season on FOX and airing its landmark 500^th episode on February 19, 2012, The Simpsons has won 27 Emmy awards, was the subject of an international film smash in 2007, and inspired a ride you ride again at Universal Studios. Plus, Homer Simpson was named the greatest television character of the last 20 years by Entertainment Weekly. Get insight into the daily doings of this series from creator Matt Groening, showrunner Al Jean, co-executive producer Rob Lazebnik, co-executive producer Matt Warburton, supervising producer Mike Anderson, and producer/panel moderator Tom Gammill.

2-2:35pm: Family Guy Panel (again, not my favorite, but the pop culture parodies are GREAT!)
Family Guy— Alex Borstein, Seth Green, Adam West (Batman), and executive producers Mark Hentemann, Steve Callaghan, and Kara Vallow present a sneak peek at the new episode Stewie Goes for a Drive, featuring voice guest star Ryan Reynolds, followed by a Q&A session.

2:35-3:15pm: American Dad Panel (and sometimes you gotta stick it out to be in the right room later...)

American Dad— Catch a preview of the Season 7 premiere of American Dad,

featuring guest star Cee-Lo Green as a singing hot tub, followed by a Q&A with cast

members Wendy Schaal, Scott Grimes, Rachael MacFarlane, and Dee Bradley Baker

and executive producers Mike Barker, Matt Weitzman, and Kara Vallow.

5-6pm: Alcatraz Screening (living in the Bay Area and having been to Alcatraz twice, I think this is going to be an interesting series...)
Alcatraz Pilot Screening and Q&A— Catch a special pilot screening of Alcatraz, a chilling new thriller centering on America's most infamous prison and the mysterious return of its most notorious criminals. When an Alcatraz inmate is discovered walking the streets of present-day San Francisco -- not having aged a bit since the 1960s -- a sinister threat begins to unravel. Where have these prisoners been? Why are they back? After the screening, there will be a special Q&A with Alcatraz writer and executive producer Elizabeth Sarnoff (Lost) and series stars Sarah Jones (Sons of Anarchy) and Jorge Garcia (Lost). From Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Bad Robot Productions and Warner Bros. Television, Alcatraz will air midseason on FOX.  

6-7pm: Spirituality in Comics (I love the study of folks finding spiritual community outside the church. My Master's thesis even included a little bit about how Rocky Horror was like church.)
Spirituality in Comics: Is Mass Media Our New Church?— In comics, movies, and even Broadway musicals like The Book of Mormon, spiritual themed work seems to be unexpectedly coming from the least religious of sources. Panelists Sergio Cariello (The Action Bible), Buzz Dixon (Hits & Misses), Mike Shields (Blue Blazes), and Russell Dalton (Marvelous Myths: Marvel Superheroes and Everyday Faith) discuss how a new media world of comics and pop culture is exploring timeless truths. Special giveaways for those in attendance. Brought to you by the Christian Comic Arts Society.

8:30-11:30: Masquerade (watching in one of the overflow rooms)

HBO's True Blood Presents the Comic-Con International MasqueradeFabulous original and re-created costumes crafted by talented attendees appear on stage

before an audience of thousands, with impressive awards and cash prizes bestowed to those judged most outstanding. The masters of ceremonies will once again be writer/artists Phil Foglio and Kaja Foglio of Studio Foglio.

Sunday:
10-11am: Jim Henson Panel (this is as close to a Muppets panel we're getting...)
Archaia Entertainment and The Jim Henson Company: The Early Works of Jim Henson Screening with Special Tale of Sand Discussion— Jim Henson was a creative genius responsible for some of the most iconic properties today, including The Muppets, Fraggle Rock, and The Dark Crystal. But what was he like leading up to that success? Archaia and The Jim Henson Company explore his early works and creative process, complete with archival, rarely seen footage, brought to you by Henson archivist Karen Falk. Then, get an advance look at Tale of Sand, the new original graphic novel coming in September, based on a never-before-seen screenplay written by Jim Henson and his longtime collaborator, Jerry Juhl. Falk, Archaia editor-in-chief Stephen Christy, and A Tale of Sand artist Ramón Pérez will discuss the behind-the-scenes production of the book and debut some new images. Moderated by Archaia CEO P. J. Bickett.

11:30-12:45: Cartoon Voices (again, I think it's a Comic-Con experience)
Cartoon Voices II— It's another panel full of amazing folks who provide voices for animation. This one has Bill Farmer (Goofy), Laraine Newman (The Goode Family), Jason Marsden (The Fairly OddParents), Gregg Berger (The Garfield Show), Vanessa Marshall (The Avengers), and maybe a surprise or two. They'll be questioned by moderators Mark Evanier and Earl Kress.

2-3pm: Drawing The Simpsons (I play a lot of pictionary. Adding in Bart or Lisa is going to be great.)
Drawing The Simpsons— They're TV's first family of fun! Between their comics, television, and movie appearances, The Simpsons remain one of the most popular cartoons around the world. Emmy Award-winning artist Phil Ortiz (The Simpsons comic books) shows you how to draw Lisa and Bart in this fun hands-on drawing workshop for Simpsons fans of all ages!
3-4pm: Drawing Snoopy (sounds pretty sweet. very vintage. and it'll come in handy every Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas... when I inevitably watch the holiday specials!)
How to Draw Snoopy and His Friends— Hey, kids, let cartoonists show you how to draw Charlie Brown and all your favorite characters from the beloved gang. Peanuts artists Andy Beall (Iron Giant), Vicki Scott (Happiness is a Warm Blanket graphic novel), and Bob Scott (Toy Story 3) will show you how to turn simple shapes into your favorite Peanuts characters, and maybe even how to kick that football.

Well, that's all I have for now. Keep up with me!

Comic-Con: What Are You Excited About??

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

If you know me in real life, you know that I've been looking forward to going to Comic-Con since my friend and fellow television critic, Kelly, decided to go last fall. With someone to split a room with and enjoy some of the craziness, it didn't take me too long to agree! This will be my first Comic-Con, and I've done more research than a person should possibly consider doing for a four-day event centered around pop culture madness!

The schedule just became available last week, and I was wondering what panels and events YOU'D go to if you were going to be there. I've carefully constructed my own dream schedule, along with back-up plans galore! This isn't the first time I've toyed with wanting to be at multiple panels and events at once, but it is only the second time where I've feared sheer capacity will be my downfall!

Monday's normal spotlight (still on game shows) will be canceled this upcoming week to showcase my own schedule and what I'm dreaming of seeing & doing those four days in San Diego. In the meantime, tell me what you'd see if you were there!

101st Birthday Cake; Adoption Special; Repeat Contenders

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Recaps & [Commentaries] for "unscripted" shows this week include: 19 Kids and Counting, 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, and Wipeout. Spoilers abound, so don't jump down if you don't want to know what happens!

Ben is Back; Joe Speaks Japanese; A Wrinkle-Chaser...

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Recaps & [Commentaries] for "scripted" shows this week include: Falling Skies, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Switched at Birth, Melissa & Joey, State of Georgia, Hot in Cleveland, Happily Divorced, and Futurama. Please note: spoilers abound, so don't jump down if you don't want to know what happens!

Throwback: Where are the Huxtables?

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

With ABCFamily's State of Georgia as the newest thing on Wednesday nights, and the fact that A Different World is airing on weekday afternoons over on BET, I've been thinking about the actors from The Cosby Show. Some of them have been on the news in the past year, but others I haven't heard about... well... since they were Huxtables! So, I thought I would do a throwback of sorts today by looking at the actors from The Cosby Show and filling you in on what they've been up to since the show ended in 1992.

Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby):  After The Cosby Show (which came after Fat Albert, by the way), he did The Cosby Mysteries and Cosby, plus a few TV movies. He hasn't been incredibly active on-screen over the past ten years, and he did turn 74 just a few days ago. However, he is now up to ten published books. In 2002 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and in 2003 he received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award. Oh, and if you didn't know, his doctorate is real. He has a bunch of honorary degrees, but he did complete coursework and dissertation at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in 1976.

Clair Huxtable (Phylicia Rashad):  She's done a bunch of TV movies, plus a few small roles on television series. She starred as Bill Cosby's wife for another 4 years, in Cosby. Most notable is her 2004 Tony win for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play, as she was the first African-American to receive that honor. Four years later, she resumed that role in the film of A Raisin in the Sun. Her theatrical work also brought her to Broadway five other times since The Cosby Show, and she has even tried her hand at directing for the stage in 2007, with August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean for Seattle Rep.

Sondra Huxtable Tibideaux (Sabrina Le Beauf):  Her best-known work post-Cosby Show is voicing Norma Bindlebeep on Fatherhood. Le Beauf has her own interior design business and frequently works with the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, DC. She's also done performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford, The Goodman Theatre in Chicago, and at the Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference.

Denise Huxtable Kendall (Lisa Bonet):  It's commonly known that Bonet did A Different World in the middle of her Cosby Show appearances. She's acted in a handful of movies, including Enemy of the State and High Fidelity, and played a detective on Life on Mars for six episodes just a couple years ago.

Theo Huxtable (Malcolm-Jamal Warner):  Immediately following his success with The Cosby Show, Warner played AJ in the show Here and Now. He voiced The Producer in 43 episodes of The Magic School Bus, starred as Malcolm in Malcolm & Eddie for four years, was Kurdy in Jeremiah, played Bernie in Listen Up, and has recently done a few episodes as Andre in Community. Warner has also done a bunch of movies, both for-tv and wide releases. He also has done some directing (starting with five episodes of The Cosby Show), and is a performance poet. Pretty impressive for a relatively unknown guy pre-Cosby! 

Vanessa Huxtable (Tempestt Bledsoe):  Bledsoe didn't appear in anything immediately after finishing The Cosby Show, and has done mainly one-time appearances on television episodes and several tv-movies. She did have her own talk show for the 1995-1996 season, but it didn't last due to lack of viewership. In 2008, she began doing voicework on The Replacements, which she continued for 21 episodes. 

Rudy Huxtable (Keisha Knight Pulliam):  Pulliam also didn't do on-screen work immediately following The Cosby Show, choosing to finish high school and go to Spelman College, where she graduated in 2001. She has since starred in several films, including Beauty Shop and Madea Goes to Jail. She's currently on House of Payne as Miranda, a character that she has been playing since 2007.

Grandpa Russell Huxtable (Earle Hyman):  Now 84 years old, Hyman has had a few small roles on television series such as All My Children and Twice in a Lifetime, and has done a couple tv-movies, including Hijacked: Flight 285 and The Moving of Sophia Myles. Hyman also acted for the stage prior to and during his Cosby years, with his final Broadway production being The Master Builder in 1992.

Grandma Anna Huxtable (Clarice Taylor):  Taylor passed away in May, at the age of 93. When The Cosby Show ended, she was already in her mid-70s, so it's not too surprising that her work afterward is a short list. (Not everyone is Betty White!) Post-Cosby, she appeared in the films Sommersby and Smoke, and did an episode of Due South in 1995.

Elvin Tibideaux (Geoffrey Owens):  Owens has been around, playing Robert Watkins in Built to Last in the late 90s, and having small roles on series like Law & Order (both the original and Special Victims Unit), That's So Raven, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Boston Legal, Las Vegas, Medium, I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant, Without a Trace, FlashForward, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. He has also done several films.

Nelson Tibideaux (Gary LeRoi Gray as preschooler Nelson): Gray grew up to do a lot of acting. He did a few episodes of Living Single, played Little G on Family Matters, spent 7 episodes as Bobby on The Weird Al Show, and appeared on Party of Five, 7th Heaven, Even Stevens, and Rocket Power. He also played young Tiger Woods in a tv movie, voiced AJ in The Fairly OddParents, and has recently done small roles on House and CSI:Miami. He's also currently attending UCLA. Jessica Ann Vaughn, who played his twin sister, preschooler Winnie Tibideaux, did not go on to do any other on-screen work. 

Martin Kendall (Joseph C. Phillips):  Another busy actor, Phillips did small roles on Martin, Living Single, General Hospital, Any Day Now, City of Angels, Popular, The Parkers, The King of Queens, and Judging Amy before landing more regular roles on The District, Vanished, and Without a Trace. He's also been in several tv movies and a couple wide-release films, and most recently did two episodes of The Event in 2010. Off-screen he has written an autobiography and writes a weekly syndicated column promoting conservative viewpoints. 

Olivia Kendall (Raven-Symone):  I might argue that, along with Malcolm-Jamal Warner, she has had the steadiest work after The Cosby Show. She immediately transitioned to playing Nicole on Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, doing Little Rascals during the run of that show. Then, she did Doctor Doolittle (and the sequel), two of the Zenon tv movies, The Cheetah Girls, and some voicework. She appeared on many other Disney Channel shows and movies as well, including Kim Possible, Disney 411, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, That's So Raven, and Sonny with a Chance. She's also released four record albums and a fifth is in the works. She's continued with her voicework as well, and is currently providing the voice of Iridessa in the Tinker Bell films. Her newest venture is State of Georgia, which began airing only a few weeks ago. [post about Raven-Symone's thoughts on the show]

Kenny/Bud (Deon Richmond):  Shortly after the end of The Cosby Show, Richmond played Darren Dixon on Getting By before several years of small roles here and there. He was a regular on Sister, Sister, playing Jordan for 20 episodes in the late 90s. After that, he did a few movies, including Scream 3, Not Another Teen Movie, and Van Wilder. In 2006 he played Calvin on Teachers, and has mostly done largely unknown works since then.

Pam Tucker (Erika Alexander): She played Cheryl on Going to the Extremes just after The Cosby Show, then Maxine on Living Single. She's also done a recurring role on Judging Amy, a regular role on Street Time, and several episodes of In Plain Sight. She has a long list of one-time appearances as well, including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, 7th Heaven, ER, CSI, Numb3rs, CSI:Miami, Criminal Minds, and House.

15 Things from Ian Harding

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Not long after speaking with Troian Bellisario, we had the chance to be part of a Q&A with another Pretty Little Liars star, Ian Harding. Ian plays Ezra Fitz on the popular ABCFamily show. Ezra is an English teacher who is in a relationship with Aria, one of the main four girls on the show.

First, some things he said about the show:

- He really enjoyed shooting a particular upcoming episode, but because giving any explanation would give away some spoilers, he wasn't able to say much. Everyone had a good time, things were loose on set, and it was just fun to shoot.

- Another girl (or girls) will have an impact on Ezra & Aria's relationship. No more information was given, though!

- Ian believes that there's no way that the show could continue for a whole other season with Ezra in the dark about who "A" is.

- If he could, Ian would give Ezra a whole book of advice! He'd tell him to follow his heart, among other things.

- Ian's character hasn't interacted much with Torrey's or Sasha's, but he'd love to do scenes with either of them if it ever works out that way.

- Though it's probably not in the cards, some guest stars Ian would love to have on Pretty Little Liars include Carey Mulligan, Marion Cotillard, Christopher Plumber, Ewan McGregor, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.


 Now, some personal things: 

- When he receives a new script, he only reads his parts first. Then, at the first table-read, he experiences the entire episode for the first time while the entire cast is reading. There's usually something shocking in the episode that results in him having his jaw on the table the entire time. "Each episode, my jaw goes progressively lower to the floor."

- He hangs out with Torrey DeVitto and Keegan Allen off-set.

- The biggest challenge for him as a television actor (he did live theatre previously) is to not over-think things and just "let go and surrender to the situation, to the moment."

- The Ezra character reads a lot. Ian likes to read as well and has recently finished Painters. The next book on his agenda is Just Kids by Patti Smith. He likes to read everyday so that his mind doesn't go "to mush."

- Other things Ian likes to do include cooking, hanging out with friends, and seeing movies. He LOVES movies. He makes a good shortbread and does a raw beet and pear salad with mint. A while back he did an extremely tender standing rib roast.

- If he wasn't an actor, Ian would probably be a psychiatrist or be doing manual labor.

- As a guilty pleasure, he likes to watch Bully Beat Down.

- He has been auditioning around Los Angeles, although there really are no breaks in the filming schedule for Pretty Little Liars until December. 

- He's not too familiar with Twitter yet. When his name and that of his character were trending, he didn't understand the significance at first. But he now knows that it's a worldwide thing and it's cool. He feels blessed and thinks that Twitter has really helped with the show's popularity.

That's it for today! Thanks again to ABCFamily and New Media Strategies for the opportunity to chat with Ian Harding! 

Netflix Increases & More: This Week in TV News...

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Glee isn't planning to have guest stars during Season 3.

NBC finally released their fall schedule.

Looks like the role of Lily will be recast on Modern Family.

There's a new weight loss television docu-series in the works. If you are 75+ pounds overweight and work in a food-related industry, consider auditioning!

One-third of SpongeBob fans are adults. [I find this to be news!] But, more newsworthy, with a new episode coming Friday the 15th, they've decided to debut an original story created for Twitter. The Ice Race Cometh: A Twitter-Tale will be told through a series of tweets starting today.

A new version of Care Bears will be on television soon. A network has not yet been announced, but The Hub seems to be the leading contender.

Falling Skies got renewed. A second season will run 10 episodes next summer.

Looks like The Situation has left Jersey Shore.

Part of the pilot for the new ThunderCats series has been leaked. It has a much more youthful look than the original. Tygra and Lion-O are brothers, sons of the King. Wily Kit and Wily Cat are pickpockets. Cheetara is introduced. Lion-O is presented the Eye of Thundera sword. 


Melissa & Joey has been renewed for a second season.

More on the adoption stories of Catelynn and Ashley will be revealed on a special airing on MTV tonight: 16 and Pregnant: Adoption Special.

FOX's reality series Cops will have an animated spin-off, focusing on six officers.

TNT is rebooting Dallas, launching summer 2012.

The long-anticipated Terra Nova will only air 13 episodes in its first season. This will likely mean it'll air September-December, then be off again until September 2012. All because of the allegedly groundbreaking CGI.

BBC Worldwide is offering you the chance to rent their TV episodes via Facebook.

Sherwood Schwartz, creator of The Brady Bunch and Gilligan's Island, passed away at age 94 of natural causes.

Netflix is upping their prices. Well, for DVDs. If you want streaming-only, it's $7.99/month. For DVDs only, it's also $7.99... but if you was both, it starts at $15.98 in September (no grandfathering), and increases for options like blu-ray and multiple DVDs at a time.

If you can make great cakes or do a good impression of Buddy, send in your video to appear on a future episode of Cake Boss.

What do you think the biggest television news of the week was? My bet: the Netflix increase!

Double Dare!!

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

When I was about eight years old, I was mesmerized by the concept of Double Dare. You did gross things like reach your hand up a giant nose to find a flag. You got really dirty and slid down slides of chocolate syrup. You tried to catch ridiculous things in your pants on or your head. Being a kid who couldn't stand being dirty (I cried in third grade when I fell in some mud at recess. I wouldn't walk in the sand barefoot at the beach. My mom tells me that she used to have to wipe my mouth after every spoonful of baby food or I wouldn't take another bite.), I couldn't get over why these kids would want to get filthy on television! Of course, by the time I was 17 or so I was able to get a bit messy without freaking out, and I took part in several ridiculously gross activities while I was in college (including a slip-n-slide that had ketchup and mustard and raw rice on it)... so I came to comprehend the brilliant fun of Double Dare with time.

Brief history: First off, I'm talking about Marc Summers' Double Dare, not Alex Trebek's, which was a different show and aired in the 70s. The idea of mixing trivia questions with messy obstacles really helped out Nickelodeon. The show ran Monday-Friday and began in 1986, with taping taking place in Philadelphia. By 1988, the show was syndicated and many saw it on FOX stations, including me. Double Dare was actually the first cable game show to enter first-run syndication! In 1989, the tapings moved to Orlando, and in 1990 it switched to Family Double Dare, which taped at Universal Studios. The show was canceled in 1992, with reruns beginning in 1993. Throughout the run, over 500 episodes were made, some of which were taped at malls across the country as the game show toured. In 1987, Super Sloppy Double Dare ran for a while, taping in New York City. These episodes ran on the weekend rather than during the week. More of these Super Sloppy episodes were made in 1989, though they were filmed in Philadelphia and Orlando. You may recall Double Dare 2000, which lasted about a year back in 2000. The popularity of Double Dare extended beyond the show itself, and there was a board game, a computer game for Apple in 1989, an NES game, some VHS tapes, and even a lunchbox. Other countries had versions of the game show as well, including Australia (1989-1992), Brazil (1987-2000), and the UK (1987-1992). Lastly, the show has been parodied and featured numerous times in other media, such as Robot Chicken, The Simpsons, and even Ghost Dad.

The game: A toss-up game opened the half-hour episode. Two pairs of kids were playing against one another - a blue team and a red team. Family Double Dare consisted of of two kids and two parents on a team. Whichever team won the toss-up was asked the first trivia question. They could answer it for $10, or dare the other team to do so for $20. You were supposed to "dare" them if you didn't know the answer, but also when you thought they didn't know... that way they could turn it back and "double dare" you for $40. At that point you could opt for the challenge instead. In my opinion, the strategy of this part wasn't appreciated by most of the kids. If they knew the answer, they'd just give it and get $10, instead of hoping the other team would "double dare" you and you could win $40 for the same question. Values doubled in the second round of questions. The physical challenges varied wildly, from trying to see how many balloons you could stuff into a jumpsuit your partner is wearing to trying to get x amount of a substance into a specific container. If you failed to complete the challenge, the other team got the points and were asked the next question. After both rounds, the teams won whatever money they had earned, and the team with the higher amount went on to the Obstacle Course. The team were given 60 seconds to find and grab as many orange flags as possible. Each flag was hidden in a different obstacle, and team members alternated going after each. They won a prize with each flag grabbed, and could ultimately receive a vacation, or in some instances a car. 

Notable changes to the way the game is played: The values of the questions and toss-up rounds changed throughout the various incarnations of the show. For instance, Family Double Dare in the 90s and Double Dare 2000 gave $25 for a correct trivia answer, meaning $100 could be won in a "double dare." Also in 2000, almost every physical challenge was based on a 30-second limit. In the second round of 2000, there was a "Triple Dare Challenge" where you could win more, but the challenge got much more difficult as well. They also called the final challenge The Slopstacle Course.

Special contestants: Super Special Double Dare took care of this one. Cast members of Clarissa Explains it All were on it, plus some NBA All Stars, among others. Weird Al and Lou Ferrigno have also been on the show.

Favorite Rounds: Obstacle Course!! It was just really fun to watch the kids (and their parents on those episodes) run through and do crazy things and search for flags through piles and mounds and puddles! Here's an example of an obstacle course from Family Double Dare:



My take: When I was a kid, I wouldn't have wanted to be on it, for the reasons I outlined above. But now, heck yeah! I'd love to try this out! I'm a little torn as to who I'd choose as a partner... Heather, my roommate from graduate school, would be a great choice. She doesn't give up and is always ready to dive right in. Had this been ten years ago, my clear choice would've been my friend Jessica, with whom I had many of my first "it's okay to be messy" experiences. My other contender is BK, as we've actually done an obstacle course together, though it was nothing like the kind they have on the show!

Did you ever watch Double Date? Did you see more than one version of it, like Family or 2000? Who would you partner with if the show was still on the air and you were competing?