Emmys' Top Ten Finalists

The 60th Annual Emmy Awards will be held on September 21st at 8pm on ABC, but before then, we have to have some nominees.

Those won't be announced until July 17th, but the Academy did announce the top ten drama and comedy finalists.

The top ten comedies are:  "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Entourage," "Family Guy," "The Office," "Pushing Daisies," "30 Rock," "Flight of the Conchords," "Two and a Half Men," "Ugly Betty" and "Weeds."

The top ten dramas are:  "Boston Legal," "Damages," "Dexter," "House," "Lost," "Friday Night Lights," "Grey's Anatomy," "The Tudors," "The Wire," and "Mad Men."

According to the Academy announcement:

Step two in the process will be the Blue Ribbon Panel screenings, which will be conducted throughout this weekend of June 28-29.

The results of those panels, who will watch and judge the work of each finalist, represent 50 percent of the vote. Both results will be averaged together to come up with our five nominees in each category.

Now I have to admit, the only show I watch on the comedy list is "Ugly Betty."  So my final five comedies would be "Ugly Betty," "Ugly Betty," "Ugly Betty," "Ugly Betty," and "Ugly Betty."  I would have included "Desperate Housewives," but it seems the Academy didn't find "DH" worthy this year.  Boo on them.

My top five dramas are much more varied because I watch everything on that list except, "The Wire," "Boston Legal," and "Friday Night Lights."  So my drama nominees would be "Dexter," "House," "Lost," "Damages," "Grey's Anatomy," and "The Tudors." 

Oh wait...that's six. 

Too bad.  I can't choose just five.

I'll leave that to the Academy and then rip them apart when they get it wrong.

William Hurt Joins "Damages"

FX announced this week that when "Damages" returns, they'll be a new man in town.  He'll be played by Oscar winner William Hurt.

According to the FX press release:

Hurt joins "Damages" for a season-long arc as a new client of Patty Hewes (Glenn Close).  Details of Hurt's character are being kept under wraps but insiders have intimated that Hurt's character will not only share a professional past with Hewes, but a personal one as well.

Production of season two starts on June 24th in New York.

Glenn Close and William Hurt have worked together before in the 80's film "The Big Chill," so Hurt should be an excellent foil for Close's manipulative Patty Hewes.

There's still no word yet on the fate of Ted Danson's character Arthur Frobisher.  If William Hurt's going to be the new man in town, how's that going to affect our friend Art?  The only thing the FX press release guarantees is that Rose Byrne and Tate Donovan will be back.

I've got a feeling we haven't seen the last of Arthur Frobisher though.  He was just too good a character for them to leave him rotting in that empty field.

Glenn Close On "The View"

Glenn Close was on "The View" this morning trying to make sure that everyone knew that just because her alter ego, Patty Hewes had a dog killed on "Damages," and she played Cruella De Ville in "101 Dalmations," doesn't means she really hates our canine friends.

Daisy for one, is very happy to hear that.

Glenn, looking very lovely in a smart grey pantsuit came out to chat with the Gabby girls accompanied by her two adorable, fluffy "terrier mutts, Jake and Bill."  She was there to plug a new website started by her husband David Shaw and others called Fetchdog.com.

For the most part, the site is a shop where you can buy items for your dog, but the best part is Glenn's blog where she interviews dog owners about their pets.  It's called, "Lively Licks:  Portraits of Dogs and Their People."  Some of the dog owners she talks to are celebrities, like fellow "Damages" co-star Ted Danson and his wife Mary Steenburgen but some are people like Bill Campbell, an Iraq war veteran whose dog helps him cope with post traumatic stress.

She even has a post about prepping for her guest spot on "The View."  It's very cute stuff and Daisy and I will be checking back with Glenn and Fetchdog often.

Megan's TV Recap Update

If you're a loyal Megan's Minute reader, you know that I've written full length recaps of "Desperate Housewives" since the beginning of the 2007-2008 TV season.  During the writers' strike, I began recapping "Lost" and picked up my recapping of "American Idol" from last year.

I now find myself over extended.  I continue to write weekly posts for Blogher.com (which I love), and daily posts for Video Runway (which I also love), and am trying to keep the quality and frequency of posts at Megan's Minute as high as always.

Well, I'm only half succeeding.  My priorities have to be Blogher and Video Runway since they're helping keep Daisy in dog food, and me in fancy handbags, but I'm determined to keep Megan's Minute the blog that I started and get such joy and pleasure from writing.  So something's gotta give.

What I'm going to do, starting with the 4/13 episode of "Desperate Housewives" is write shorter recaps, or what I call "Snap Recaps" of "DH" for the rest of the season.  I will continue to write full length "Lost" recaps---I realize I'm still two episodes behind on those, but I'm working on it---and when the season is over, I'll reassess where I'm at in time for next season.

I will however, no matter what, continue to write full length recaps of "Damages" whenever it returns.  (The latest estimate is January of 2009.)

So please bear with me as I try and get this time management thing down, and I hope you continue to come back often and enjoy Megan's Minute as much as I enjoy writing it.

"Damages" and "Buffy" At The Paley Festival

Paley Fest was the hot ticket in Los Angeles the last two weeks.

The Paley Festival is an annual two week event that according to a nice wrap-up by IGN.com "spotlights a group of noteworthy television series and television luminaries, with each night devoted to a different show or person."

The biggest draw was the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" cast reunion with Joss Whedon, it's creator.  I literally would have sold my own first born for a ticket to that, but I had to hear about it from afar.  I read the transcript kindly provided by the Futon Critic and it made me nostalgic for those halcyon days, eagerly waiting every week for each brand new episode.  As you all know, "Buffy" is at the top of my list of best TV shows of all time and it was fun to relive some fun moments, even if it was via transcript.

One of the other evenings was a not so hot ticket, since according to the Futon Critic it wasn't very well attended.  But if I'd had the chance and been on the appropriate coast, I would have definitely attended  the "Damages" evening which included Glenn Close, Ted Danson, Tate Donovan, Anastasia Griffith, Zeljko Ivanek, Noah Bean and the shows creators.  No Rose Byrne because she was off shooting a movie.

Topics discussed during the evening included Mr. Deep Fried Southern Charm's accent, Fatal Attraction's red herring stalker storyline, why the show had such a high body count, and Glenn Close on women and power.

You can read the "Damages" transcript at the Futon Critic as well, and as always, my own "Damages" recaps here.

You can see video clips of all the Paley Fest events at the Paley Center for Media website, but to see the complete videos you'll have to go to one of the centers in New York or Los Angeles.

Ted Danson Shares His "Damages"

Today's TV Guide online has an extended interview with Ted Danson where he speculates about the future of "Damages" and his role as Arthur Frobisher.

Among the highlights, when asked what was his favorite,"colorful" Frobisher scene, he said:

"I tell you, what was great about that scene was beforehand I was going, "Well, this is a nice guy." Sure, he pumped up his stock and dumped it. That's illegal and wrong, but I can "justify" that. It happens all the time. Then the second script arrives and over the course of an eighth of a page I'm snorting coke and having sex with a hooker in the back of my Escalade, and then telling someone to go kill somebody else. In one eighth of a page!"

If you'll remember, that was one of the Frobisher sex scenes that by the end of the series I was begging the writers to spare us from.

With the end of the writers strike in sight, Ted was asked how soon production on the new season of "Damages" would begin.  His answer:

"Two and a half months from whenever the strike is over. It will probably take them that long. Would I like to work with them again? Oh my god, yes. Should I, will I...? We'll find out."

Of course Ted is referring to the fact that his character, Arthur Frobisher when last we saw him, had been shot and was lying in a deserted field potentially bleeding to death.

So if you're a fan of the show, check out this great TV Guide interview.  By the way, the first season of "Damages" is not out on DVD.  If you haven't seen the show, now's the time to catchup.  Then come on back and read the recaps.

Ted Danson Struts His Stuff On "Regis"

Ted Danson's in the new movie "Mad Money" and what better way to plug it than to make a return visit to "Live with Regis and Kelly" this morning.  The last time Ted was on the show was in October and he was there to plug "Damages."

First of all, Ted is looking mighty fine and sharrrrrrrrrrrrp.  He was wearing this expensive, beautifully tailored dark suit, with a white shirt open at the neck and no tie.  His platinum white hair was freshly cut and just short enough.

Regis told him he looked like Cary Grant.  Ted laughed.

Yo Reg, he's looking fine, but let's not get crazy. 

Anyway, for some reason, Regis brought up one of my favorite movies, "Body Heat" in which Ted played William Hurt's lawyer.  Regis mentioned the scene in the movie where Ted does a Broadway-esque dance for William Hurt while he's explaining something legal to him.  And the dance is very good.  Well, Ted said the reason it was so good was because during the Screen Actors Guild strike in 1980, he had a two and a half month break before they could continue filming.  So he went to a dance instructor and practiced for two and a half months to do the dance.  He said he can do anything well if he has two and a half months to practice.

Regis asked him if he would ever do "Dancing With The Stars."  Ted was like, hell no.  His chiropractor would never agree.

Plus Reg, Ted is a legitimate star and "Dancing With The Stars" only takes "C" Listers or below, and aging sports figures.

Then Ted brought up his sixtieth birthday...sixty!...and how his wife Mary Steenburgen bought him an electric car.  When he's tooling around town in it at the top speed of 25 miles and hour, he said he's a happy man.

Ted then talked about his Golden Globe nomination for "Damages" as Best Supporting Actor in a TV drama.  He said the strike is really, really terrible, but the best thing about the Golden Globes this year was he could sit in his pajamas in his house, watch the announcement of the winners and then when he lost, stand up and shout, "I lost, I lost, I lost!"  No pretending to be happy for the other guy.

Moving on to "Mad Money" he talked about how it's based on a true story of these three cleaning women who stole cash from the Federal Reserve before it was supposed to be shredded.  He plays the husband of one of the women.  Queen Latifah is in it, along with Diane Keaton and Mrs. Cruise herself, Katie Holmes.  He said Latifah is wonderful but "she's always just a little rock and roll late."  Heh.  I love that phrase.

He also said Katie was lovely and flew in pizza to the set for the crew from Chicago.  Ummm, Chicago pizza.  And even with millions of rabid photogs following her everywhere, all the time, Katie was a very sane, level headed and gracious young lady.  Give her time, Ted.  That'll change.

Then Ted was outta there.  It was a good interview 'cause not only was he funny, but he's getting very classy in his old age.

Glenn Close Wins At The Not So Golden Globes

Well they gave out the Golden Globes tonight and the good news is, Glenn Close won for Best Actress in a television drama for "Damages."

Now I know the Golden Globes don't have the prestige of the Emmys, Oscars or even SAG awards, but I will say it's great to see such a stand out performance get recognized.  Even if it is from "a shadowy organization of about ten guys from Canada."  Close's award was the only one of the four nominations "Damages" won.  It was up for Best Drama as well, but was beaten out by "Mad Men.":

According to the Associated Press via Yahoo, Close had this to say about her win:

"I was at the Brass Monkey Bar in the meatpacking district in New York, watching it on TV with a bunch of the cast and crew.  I was drinking bourbon on the rocks.  It was great.  This huge cheer went up."

USA Today had this quote on who she would have thanked:

"I'm so happy to be working with FX.  Of course Dan Zelman (Exec Prod/Writer) and Todd and Glenn Kessler (Writers), for creating this character---to be part of that is thrilling."  As for celebrating, she would be 'back home with my husband (David Shaw); we're going to have a nice evening.'"

So how was the much talked about "Golden Globes Winners" show?  That's what they called the hour long "press conference" hosted by Nancy O'Dell and Billy Bush of "Access Hollywood," since the real show was canceled because of the writers strike.

Well it was pretty cool to hear the categories one right after the other and not have to wait for the stupid patter between the presenters before hearing the winner.   It had the feel of the nominee announcement ceremonies except more dressed up.  It was also nice to know that when categories came up you didn't care about, you'd only have to wait a few minutes, instead of a few hours---hear that Academy?---before a category came up that you did care about.

The show had conservative, yet glitzy Golden Globe graphics and the set had the appearance of something you'd see on basic cable.  Like if "E" gave out the Golden Globes and didn't have any money to throw a dinner party for the stars to attend.  This is kind of what it would look like.

Every few minutes Billy and Nancy would throw it over to an interview with some guy from Entertainment Weekly.  He would tell us what he thought of the winners.  Honestly, I don't think I needed some two bit writer from Entertainment Weekly to tell me that Marion Cotillard's win for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical was a big shocker, since everyone thought newbie Nikki Blonsky would get it.  And a couple of times Billy especially seemed upset when someone unexpected won.  Like he was thinking, oh great, now I have to say something witty about Marion Cotillard?  Who the hell is she anyway?

In fact award-wise, there weren't many crowd pleasing moments.  Yes, I was happy about Glenn Close, Cate Blanchett and Johnny Depp, but Best Animated Feature?  Ratatouille?  Rata-phoo-ey!   Julie Christie?  She did her best work in the seventies.   I absolutely  love Daniel Day Lewis when he isn't playing a raving lunatic---run don't walk to rent "The Last Of The Mohicans"---but this character in "There Will Be Blood" looks like he's channeling  Bill the Butcher from "Gangs Of New York."   God knows I have no desire to experience that again, much less pay $10 for the pleasure.

So next up is the Big Kahuna.  The Oscars.  What's gonna happen to the Oscars?  Well, I don't know, but Tom Hanks is starting to make some noise about everybody going back to the table and getting a deal done.  Tom is known to be well liked by everyone in Hollywood, so maybe he's just the guy to nudge everybody back to the table.  I hope so.

(This post was updated on 1/14/08 with the quotes from Glenn Close.)

"Damages" Nominated For Four Golden Globes

The Golden Globe nominations came out yesterday and FX's legal thriller "Damages" got four nominations, the most for any television show.  It's up for Best Drama, Best Actress (Glenn Close), Best Supporting Actress (Rose Byrne), and Best Supporting Actor (Ted Danson).  That's pretty good for a show that was almost canceled due to low ratings.

According to TV Guide Glenn Close had this to say: 

"I am thrilled to be nominated and doubly thrilled that [the executive producers] and Ted [Danson] and Rose [Byrne] are nominated as well. Damages represents one of the best teams I've ever had the privilege of working with."

Now anyone that follows the crazy awards show season knows the Golden Globes are kind of like pretty curtains on a wall with no windows.  Fun, but totally unnecessary.  The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the architect of the Golden Globes, is a shadowy organization of about ten guys from Canada who years ago got together one day in a bar and said, "Let's put on an awards show!"

They hooked up with a few prominent stars, served them food and lots of booze and they had an awards show.  The thing's grown since then because the number of prominent stars increased and so did the food and the booze.  In fact the people who run the Oscars have been ripping their hair out the last few years because all those wonderfully heartfelt acceptance speeches from people like Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, Hilary Swank and George Clooney, sound just oh, so stale by the time the Oscars role around in February.  All those people gave the first really heartfelt version of the speech a month earlier at the Golden Globes.

But I'm all in favor of anything that brings attention to "Damages."  So if that means Golden Globe nominations, so be it.

The tricky part will be if the writer's strike is still on by January 13th when the show airs.  Glenn Close has already said she won't cross a picket line and considering all those stars who've been out on the street supporting the writers, the stargazing at the Golden Globes might be very thin.

What do you want to bet the Academy is just praying the strike settles after January 13th but before February when the Oscars are scheduled.  That way, all those heartfelt speeches will debut on the Oscars and actually sound...well, heartfelt.

Are These Patty Hewes' Sunglasses?

Do you think these are Patty Hewes' sunglasses from "Damages?"  You know, the ones she wore in all those flashbacks.

The reason I'm asking is because I got an email from a "Damages" fan who asked if I knew where to buy a pair like the ones Glenn Close wore in the show.  She wanted to buy them for her husband as a Christmas gift.  I told her I didn't know, but I would try to find out.

In my surfing of the webosphere, I discovered there were quite a few "Damages" fans out there also asking where they could buy the glasses.  I found lots of questions but no answers.

Well after a bit more cyber detective work, I came up with this pair.  I have no idea if Glenn Close wore these or not, but after examining the scenes very closely in the show and examining the glasses very closely on the web, if they're not the glasses she wore, they're a damn good facsimile.

So for any others of you out there who want your spouses to look like Patty Hewes running from the law, I wanted to post the info about these glasses.  They're from Ralph Lauren and they can be found here.  But looking like a movie star will cost you because they're $400.

If you can't afford that, my other suggestion is to find a pair of inexpensive prescription frames like these and have tinted non-prescription lenses put in.  That might come out a bit cheaper.

For any good friends of Glenn Close who might happen to browse by this blog, tell her I think she's fabulous, ask her where she got the glasses and then drop me a line. 

"Damages" On DVD In January

My favorite television legal thriller "Damages" is coming out on DVD on January 29, 2008.  It'll be a three disc set with all 13 episodes, behind the scenes featurettes, and deleted scenes and bloopers.

Relive all of Patty's dirty deeds, Frobisher's inappropriate sex, Caterer Katie and One Night Stand Greg's first meeting, Mr. Deep Fried Southern Charm's accent and Ellen's initiation into jail cell etiquette.

On Amazon.com the box set is listed at $34.99 and can be pre-ordered starting now.  Enjoy.

Loyal Fans Win "Damages"

The jury is in and loyal fans of excellent television drama have won their "Damages."

I'm so excited, I could spit!

The suits at FX finally got their keisters in gear and made the no-brainer decision to renew.  The real surprise is that the legal thriller starring Glenn Close and Rose Byrne has been renewed for not just one, but two seasons!  A full 26 episodes!

It's all the more welcome considering all those dire quotes from FX execs in recent weeks about the show's less than stellar ratings.

The show's renewal means all those lovely plot threads the writers planted in the show's finale a month ago will get picked up and woven together when the show begins it's second season run, I would assume sometime next summer.

If y'all remember, the end of the finale had legal newbie Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne) uncovering mentor Patty Hewes' plot to have her killed.  That led to her decision to work undercover for the FBI to bring Patty down.

According to USA Today production on the series will begin in New York early next year.  Whether or not Ted Danson will return as heavy Arthur Frobisher is still to be determined.  If y'all remember, Art got plugged by DE (disgruntled employee) Larry at the end of season one's finale.  As far as we know he's still lying in that empty field bleeding to death, but now we'll have two more seasons to find out what happens to him, Tommyhawk, Devil Child Michael, Caterer Katie, Hubby Phil, and Uncle Pete.

If you're new to "Damages," you can read my recaps here.  Hopefully that'll tide you over 'til the new season starts.

Woo hoo!

"Damages" Recap - Episode 13: Because I Know Patty

In honor of the "Damages" finale, this is a special live blog of the finale of "Damages" as it happens.  I'm losing sleep over this guys, so I hope you enjoy it.

We start this final episode the same way we started the first episode.  The operatic music cut with the stylized shots of New York and the ringing of the elevator bell as we cut to the entrance of Patty's apartment building.

Ellen listens to David's message about the videotape.

Ellen's attacker opens the door with a key and lures Corey out to the patio with a treat.  This guy's well-dressed and doesn't look like Scruffy the Killer's accomplice, but okay.

He's looking for something but what?  Corey starts barking and Ellen gets up.  She fights with the attacker and he falls on the knife.  She runs out.

Scruffy the Killer is sitting outside with...his accomplice!  The elevator bell rings and there's bloody Ellen running out.  Right past Scruffy the Killer and the accomplice.   The accomplice gets back in the car and as they recognize Ellen, they beat it out of there.

So if it wasn't Scruffy's accomplice, who was Ellen's attacker?

What do you want to bet he has something to do with Devil Child "Don't Tell My Mom I Was Here" Michael?

Ellen goes to her apartment only to find David.  She climbs out the window when the police knock at the door and...she's in jail.

They repeat the scene with Hollis Nye where the cops find out who she is.  The new scene that's added is we see Nye calling someone and saying they have a problem because the police came to talk to him about Ellen.

Flash forward ten days later.  Ellen's being watched by a guy in a car.  She's at her Mom's house with a man and a woman I assume are friends.  Her Mom baked cookies.  Ellen sees that as ironic.  So do I.

Ellen tells her friends she doesn't know who attacked her, but Patty's representing her.  They ask is she's going to David's funeral, but Ellen can't leave town.  Plus David's family might have a problem with his accused killer attending.  Ya think?

Opening credits.  I finally looked up the opening credits song.  It's called, "When I Am Through With You" and it's by VLA, a local LA band.

Should "Damages" Be Cancelled?

Ellen Gray, the television writer for Philly.com thinks so. She makes some interesting points in this article about why the show should end after tonight's finale.

Some excerpts:

"I want to get to the bottom of this twisted mystery as much as anyone. I'm just not interested in seeing the producers of "Damages" try to top themselves in a second season, something I don't think could be done without snapping the all-too-slender thread that ties the world of legal piranha Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) to reality."

She continues:

"I also don't want to see Patty, who already trades too much on the air of menace that inevitably attaches to Close, to become a caricature.

Not that I want to put the actress out of work. After what she's done on "Damages" and "The Shield," I'd love to see Close at the helm of a different, limited series every year: She's that good."

Ms. Gray reports some interesting information about how a lot of people watch "Damages" on DVR time shifting and advertisers aren't interested in those viewers because the assumption is they're skipping the commercials.  That's a very good assumption.

The problem is, when it comes to the decision to keep it or let it go, those advertisers have to be taken into consideration.

I still say, because of the quality of the show, it should be given a second season.  If they had set up the series as a mini-series and aired it that way, I might feel differently, but because I'm now invested, it would be hard to see Patty Hewes go away for good.

Thoughts?  Comments?

"Damages" Recap - Episode 12: There's No "We" Anymore

This is the episode we've all been waiting for.  The one with the red herrings and the real answers. The one we knew was coming from the very beginning.

The one that broke my heart.

Ellen and poor, doomed David are in bed contemplating their wedding rings and how they'll have to wear them for the rest of their lives.  They're all cute and sad.  Cute because they're so sincere and sad because we know it won't happen.

Ellen insists David doesn't try his on because it's bad luck.  Instead she wants him to lock both rings up in their "hiding place."

The phone rings and all of us except David know it's Patty.  Ellen listens for a minute and then says she'll be there right away.  She lies to David, telling him it was her sister and she needs to go to her.  "She's in the village.  They had another fight."

A while later Ellen walks into Patty's office and sees poor Ray Fiske still propped up against the wall.  He's dead, dead, dead and Ellen gasps in horror.   Patty walks up behind her. 

"He shot himself.  I need your help."

Patty gives Ellen the folder with the evidence against Ray and says no one, not even David can know what he was doing there.  This is the first time we've seen Patty this scared---except of course for the beach house freak out---and you can tell it's killing her to have to depend on someone else.

"Ellen, I can trust you?"  She asks fearfully.  Ellen nods.

Opening credits.