Random clicking of news and tidbits on current and past television programming in the U.S., as well as what's happening in the TV-on-DVD market. Pop culture on the tube. Reliving our childhood one disc at a time.
Glee is heading to New York City...and saying good-bye to Lima, Ohio.
While new episodes of the musical drama won't begin airing until February 25, it was revealed at the Television Critics Association winter press tour that Glee will be focusing the second half of the current fifth season in New York City.
"Exclusively" is more like the description given.
Since several veteran cast members will be graduating high school in Lima, the show will shift over to New York City for the remainder of its run, which is only through next year's final season. Of course it doesn't make sense that everyone will relocate to the Big Apple so expect to see the final appearances of the newer New Directions members. Additionally, not all those graduating seniors will be making the move to NYC so expect some good-byes.
But don't fret Gleeks, some of these departing characters (Jane Lynch's Sue Sylvester will remain in Lima) will appear in special episodes. All these changes are in preparation for the series finale next year.
As Gleeprepares to celebrate its 100th episode on March 18, 2014, details are beginning to emerge regarding the milestone extravaganza.
According to co-creator Ryan Murphy, all the Gleeoriginals have been invited to return for the 100th episode bash. Amber Riley (Mercedes), Mark Saling (Puck), Harry Shum, Jr. (Mike), and Heather Morris (Brittany) have all been confirmed to appear. While Amber, Mark, and Harry have made appearances on the show this season, Heather Morris has been absent from the canvas (and glaringly during the Cory Monteith tribute episode) since the departing the show last spring. Additionally, Broadway royalty Kristin Chenoweth will reprise her role of April Rhodes.
Update: Another original member, Dianna Agron (Quinn) will also be returning for the 100th episode. Rumors began swirling that there was bad blood within the cast when Agron was absent from the Cory Monteith tribute episode.
The episode will also feature the ten fan-chosen Glee songs from previous episodes, newly remixed and performed by the current members of New Directions. Voting for the faves has already taken place and closed so you'll just have to wait and see what songs the public requested.
FOX's Glee has had a difficult year with the passing of original cast member Cory Monteith, who portrayed quarterback Finn Hudson. The loss has forced creators to reexamine the show's endgame in next year's final season.
One idea that is currently being mulled on the set is making a full-time move to New York City. Now before you East Coasters start jumping for joy, it doesn't mean that the show's production is going to move from LA...though on-location shoots most likely will increase. What it means is that the Lima, Ohio setting will be phased out and the show will entirely be set in NYC. The switch is being considered for all of next season but there have been several hints that the change could occur as early as this current season.
Currently, Rachel, Kurt, and Santana are the only McKinley High characters living in NYC. Decisions will have to be made on which Lima characters would make the sojourn to the Big Apple, and exactly how they would fit in.
If the show decides to move in this direction, it would be a refreshing change for the weakening musical drama.
Glee, the musical drama following a high school glee club will end in 2015 after its sixth season.
Co-creator Ryan Murphy confirmed the show's ending Wednesday night while attending an event at the Paley Center. The show is currently in its fifth season and taking a breather after recently airing the special tribute episode to fallen castmember Cory Monteith.
The actor's passing has caused a major re-write for the show's endgame season and finale. Murphy shares that the final season was supposed to center heavily on the Rachel/Finn relationship to give the couple a happy ending in the finale. The co-creator does have another idea in mind that will honor the actor and his character's memory during those final moments next year.
Glee is currently on hiatus during Major League Baseball and will return November 7 on FOX.
Tonight, we are shown the other side of Wonderland and a drama says farewell to a friend.
Once Upon a Time's much-hyped spinoff, OUAT in Wonderland, premieres tonight with an Alice and Wonderland we were never told. Set in a period after Alice's original adventure in Wonderland, the little girl is a bit older and locked up in an asylum. Sitting before a medical panel, Alice defends the existence of Wonderland and all the characters she encountered. Before she is subject to severe shock treatment, Alice is released thanks to the White Rabbit and Knave of Heart. Alice travels once again down the rabbit hole/portal in search for her lost love, genie Cyrus, and along the way has to contend with the obstacles of the Red Queen and Jafar (Hmmm, genies and Jafar...could this be an Aladdin reference?). 8 pm on ABC.
McKinley High says goodbye to Finn Hudson on Glee. Original cast members reunite to pay tribute to their fallen castmate in an emotional hour packed with a powerful track list. Don't forget your Kleenex. 9 pm on FOX.
Grey's Anatomy celebrates its 200th episode with a big fundraising gala for the deteriorating hospital. Break out the champagne and watch out for Death. He always seems to strike this medical drama, especially during big parties. 9 pm on ABC.
This week's episode of Glee wraps up the Beatles tribute that began in the season opener last week. Next week's episode, however, will address Cory Monteith's passing with a Finn tribute episode. Details of the tribute have been hushed these past several weeks. Until today...possibly.
Though unconfirmed by the network, a track list for 'The Quarterback' has been leaked out featuring the songs and performers used in that hour.
“Seasons of Love”
“I’ll Stand By You” by The Pretenders and performed by Mercedes
“Fire and Rain” by James Taylor
“If I Die Young” by The Band Perry and performed by Santana
“No Surrender” by Bruce Springsteen
“Make You Feel My Love” by Bob Dylan and performed by Rachel,
which is also rumored to be the only scene she'll appear in for the episode.
A lot of TV-on-DVD goodies, old and new, are released today so be sure to swing by your local shop and pick up a copy.
Comedy Pick-of-the-Week
Happy Endings - The Complete Third (and Final) Season
The fan favorite but low-rated comedy gem, Happy Endings, has its final season released on DVD. While expectations for the show getting picked up by another network have evaporated, fans can enjoy all 23 episodes of their favorite gang.
Drama Pick-of-the-Week
Glee - The Complete Fourth Season (BD/DVD)
The fourth season of Glee was full of transitions as the split time between high school in Lima, Ohio and college in New York City. While the doppelgangers filled the exact mold of the vacated graduates, the show had stalled and started throughout the season. Musical numbers galore on this set, and some are much more entertaining than actual plots.
Retro Drama Pick-of-the-Week
China Beach - Season 1
After years of requests, StarVista/Time Life has finally released China Beach on DVD. Most of the delay was due to music rights but the company was able to retain most of the original Vietnam-era songs. The first season focuses on the doctors and nurses of the 510th Evacuation Hospital in Vietnam during the late 1960s. The show was geared towards a female view of the war and thus focused on the lives of nurses, volunteers, and prostitutes.
Retro Toon Picks-of-the-Week
Heathcliff & the Catillac Cats - Season 1, Volume 2
Beverly Hills Teens - Volume 2
1980s animation is reborn on DVD with these two releases. Mischievous cat Heathcliff creates havoc around his neighborhood while Riff-Raff and the Catillac Cats have their series of adventures in the junkyard. Meanwhile, those teenagers from Beverly Hills go through the typical adolescent problems but with excessive style.
Re-release Picks-of-the-Week
The Big Bang Theory - The Complete 1st Season and The Complete 2nd Season (BD)
The CBS comedy about that kooky gang of nerds gets released on Blu-ray.
Magnum P.I. - The Complete Series
Murder, She Wrote - The Complete Series
Both Magnum P.I.and Murder, She Wrote have seen individual season sets released over the years. Today's release just compresses each show into one neat package; all 162 episodes of Magnum and all 264 episodes of Murder. Both crime-solving shows were powerhouses in the 1980s.
Exclusive Picks-of-the-Week
Petticoat Junction - The Official 1st and 2nd Seasons; The Official 3rd Season
The Beverly Hillbillies - The Complete Fourth Season
Classic shows Petticoat Junction and The Beverly Hillbillies get exclusive releases this week. Both shows are only available at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club. Whilethe former is your normal grandmother's show, The Beverly Hillbillies has been a staple of syndication these past 30-plus years. We haven't seen the fourth season set yet but we're eager to see if the theme song will still be intact. Music rights and issues have kept this classic comedy from being totally released.
Honorable Mention Picks
New Girl - Season 2
How I Met Your Mother - Season 8
Party of Five - The Complete Sixth Season
Are you looking forward to a particular release today? Share with us below.
Tonight is the night for the return of big dramas and great comedies!
New and Returning Premieres
Parks and Recreation kicks off its sixth season with an hour-long premiere that sees most of the gang heading to London when Leslie wins an award. Meanwhile, Chris and Ann begin their swan song journey to exiting the show. 8 pm on NBC.
America's favorite nerdy bunch returns for a seventh season. Tonight's double helping of The Big Bang Theory delves further into the Sheldon and Penny dynamic while Leonard is away. Oh and let us say, secrets will be revealed. Later, Leonard returns and his relationship with Sheldon will be put to a test. Good or bad thing? You'll have to tune in. 8 pm on CBS.
Glee returns for its fifth season tonight with the first part of a two-part Beatles tribute episode. Beatles fans will either love it or hate it but rumor has it that Rachel's rendition of "Yesterday" will be the one everyone talks about at the water cooler on Friday. The first two episodes of the musical drama will lead up to the Cory Monteith tribute episode. 9 pm on FOX.
The two-hour 10th season premiere of Grey's Anatomy picks up with the aftermath of the superstorm. Fresh off giving birth to lil' Bailey, Meredith has to make a difficult choice. Girlie just can't catch a break on this show. Callie and Arizona have big issues to resolve, and viewers will finally learn what fate has in store for Richard. 9 pm on ABC.
Robin Williams' heralded return to the world of sitcoms occurs tonight with the premiere of The Crazy Ones. Co-starring Buffy's Sarah Michelle Gellar, the comedy focuses on a dynamic father-daughter advertising team (i.e. they're polar opposites...can you imagine the comedy?). The one thing this pilot episode has going for it is that Davide E. Kelley wrote it. It'll be interesting to see Williams back on television, and moderated...hopefully, and Gellar in a comedic format. 9 pm on CBS.
The Michael J. Fox Show premieres tonight and we have to say that this is our pick of the night. Whether it's seeing Michael J. Fox back on television or just loving the premise of the half-hour sitcom, we have been looking forward to this show. Read here why we already love this new show. Fox plays a news anchor who returns to work after several years away dealing with Parkinson's disease. Plus we get two episodes tonight, what more could we ask for? 9 pm on NBC.
Change is afoot when Two and a Half Menreturns for its 11th season. Angus T. Jones is out and Amber Tamblyn is in as the new "half" of the show. Tamblyn makes her debut as Jenny, Charlie's long-lost lesbian daughter who is definitely a chip off the old, dead block. Cue the laugh track. 9:30 pm on CBS.
The modern-day re-imaging of Sherlock Holmes and Watson returns for its sophmore season. Elementary starts the night with Holmes and Watson traveling to London to help solve a puzzling case. The trip also fuels a family reunion of sorts as Holmes reunites with his estranged brother, Mycroft. 10 pm on CBS.
Home is where the heart is, and everything if anything is about family. The fifth season of Parenthood begins with the household shake-up brought on by a certain recent newborn. Also, an old flame returns to Sarah's life and literally takes her by surprise. 10 pm on NBC.
Also on TV Tonight
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. repeats its premiere episode on ABC, meanwhile The X Factor continues its auditions. The CW repeats its season ending episodes in preparation for their fall premieres.
Audiences really like Hollywood Game Night, as does NBC.
NBC's surprising summer hit has been renewed for a second season. Hollywood Game Night was certainly a gamble for the network, especially introducing a game show format into the primetime lineup. It sure has paid off and NBC has renewed the celebrity-infused game show for a 10-episode second season, which will most likely return next summer. Glee'sJane Lynch hosts the hour-long competition show that pits two teams against each other. Six celebrities, mostly from television, are invited to participate each week as they try to win money for a charity of their choice. The success of Hollywood Game Night has ignited interests in reviving the variety/entertainment show format though we cannot forget the disastrous Jay Leno variety show.
Hollywood Game Night airs Thursday nights on NBC.
Keep it locked to Stay Tuned for future updates on anything and everything television.
Today was FOX's turn at the TCA rodeo in Beverly Hills and while details were given about new shows Sleepy Hollow and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, it was news about Gleethat got the most attention. With the death of Cory Montieth several weeks ago, production was delayed for a week and a tribute episode is being prepared to air as the third episode of the upcoming fifth season. Additionally, cast members are taping public service announcements that will air after that special episode. While the third episode will mark Finn Hudson's exit from the show, no details were given on exactly how the character will be written out.
The show's fifth season is slated to premiere September 26, pushed back one week following Montieth's death. Fox Entertainment Chairman Kevin Reilly expressed the network's plan for Glee, particularly its ending. Reilly believes the show will not go past a sixth season thus making 2015 the targeted ending of the popular musical comedy-drama. Several original cast members have already been dropped to recurring status for this newl season, and actress Jayma Mays will depart the show at the season's end in Spring.
Keep it locked to Stay Tuned for future updates of anything and everything television.
Oxygen announced today that it has canceled The Glee Project after two seasons. The reality show courted talented singers to participate on the show for a chance to star in an multi-episode arc on the hit FOX show. According to a Oxygen network representative "The Glee Project will not be returning to Oxygen, but we are
extremely proud of this series which launched the careers of several
talented individuals. The show had so much heart and we thank Ryan
Murphy and all of the creative talent who helped make the series a
critical darling.” It was reiterated that the decision was in the works several weeks ago and has nothing to do with the recent death of Glee star Cory Monteith.
Sources are reporting that Glee star Cory Monteith was found dead this afternoon at Vancouver's Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel. No official cause of death has been determined by it is being speculated that it was an overdose. Monteith was 31.
Stay Tuned will update as more information becomes available.
