Tuesday News

April is TV Month! It’s been a long time since we’ve seen new episodes of our favorite shows, so April is feeling like fall premiere season all over again. Here’s what I’ll be watching:

Men in Trees — Wednesdays (currently airing new episodes)

NUMB3RS — Friday,April 4 (6 new episodes)

Samantha Who? — Monday, April 7 (6 new episodes)

30 Rock — Thursday, April 10 (5 new episodes)

The Office — Thursday,April 10 (6 new episodes)

Brothers and Sisters — Sunday, April 20 (possibly 6 new episodes)

Gossip Girl — Monday, April 21 (5 or 6 new episodes; note the new night)

Grey's Anatomy — Thursday, April 24 (not sure, but there should be 4 or 5 new episodes)

For the writers out there, April is conflict month with The Wet Noodle Posse. On April 8 I'll be blogging about characters' goals, motivation and conflict, and about writing GMC statements for our characters. But it gets better!

"Along with the award-winning Wet Noodle Posse authors, we have a star-studded
line-up of guest bloggers, including bestselling authors Jo Beverley (whose new
book, A Lady's Secret, is out today!), Susan Gable, Anna Campbell, Tawny Weber,
and Christie Kelley. You won't want to miss a single day! We will be giving away
a signed copy of a Jo Beverley novel on the 24th to a lucky participant, but you
must comment to enter. So please plan to join us all month long and bring your
questions and comments to our knowledgeable group of writers."

The Posse hopes you'll join us and our guests this month for lively discussions about conflict and the chance to win some great prizes!

Talk to you later.
Lee

Tuesday News—Oscar Chatter, etc.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Academy Awards on Sunday, even though my top picks didn’t win. I was pleased that slightly offbeat newcomer Diablo Cody won for Best Screenplay for Juno.

And although I already liked Katherine Heigl and Anne Hathaway, I’m now completely infatuated with both of them. They’re talented and quite possibly the two most gorgeous people on the planet. Both looked absolutely stunning on Oscar night, but I also get the sense that both are grounded and genuinely nice people. And anyone who disses Katherine Heigl for looking like Marilyn Monroe is simply jealous :)

Speaking of Katherine Heigl, I recently read that the Grey’s Anatomy set has banned plastic bottles. Instead, every member of the cast and crew uses a refillable thermos. Not just eco-friendly, but probably healthier too.

And on the subjects of grounded people and going green, Newman's Own, the food company started by Paul Newman, is launching Newman's Own Wines next month. In partnership with Rebel Wine Co., they’ll be selling two organic California wines—a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon. According to the company's website, "Paul Newman has given over $200 million to thousands of charities worldwide since 1982." Very impressive.

Cheers!
Lee

TV—On again, Off again

Programming is on again, off again, and so is my TV. I don’t watch a huge amount of television, but I always watch my favorite shows. Some are already off the air, though, and production of others has been shut down, which means the end is in sight.

I’m thrilled that Men in Trees will continue through the winter, but I’m already missing The Office. Thursday nights won’t be the same without it.

But in the midst of this, a bit of good news. The second season of October Road starts tomorrow night! Happy Thanksgiving! I don’t know if this was planned or if it’s a coincidence, but I hadn’t expected to see the new season until sometime in 2008. It will be on tomorrow night after Grey’s Anatomy, then move to what will be its regular timeslot on Monday nights at 10 pm.

I loved the first season of this show because it has all the story elements I love—family, friends, community, romance, and wonderful characters. If you missed the first season you can catch it this Saturday on SOAPNET because they’re having an October Road season one marathon! Six back-to-back episodes! Hope you have a chance to tune in.

Later,
Lee

Grey’s Anatomy—“Physical Attraction, Chemical Reaction”

The episode also could have been titled, “What Were We Thinking?”

The ick factor that was George/Izzy, the one that’s been irritating so many of us, was finally played out last night.

Finally.

Of course the real problem with the whole scenario was that fans of the show knew the two didn’t belong together. Still, as resolutions go, last night was unfortunate, and when it ended I was left with the feeling that the show’s creators and writers thought George and Izzy discovering they had no chemistry created a humorous situation.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, people, but that was not comedy. It was just icky. There were no laughs. No smiles. When it was over, I felt relieved, but also confused about why we’d been subjected to it at all.

Also felt the Chief’s demands on McDreamy, and McDreamy’s reaction to them, came out of left field and were way too over the top for the Grey’s we know and love. Give me a break. That was so not funny.

I will say, though, that I’m loving the new friendship between McDreamy and McSteamy. The scene a couple of weeks ago, when the new cardio surgeon Dr. Hahn asked them if they were a couple . . .

LOL! Well played and very funny, because it was completely unexpected. And that, I think, is an element of good comedy. Throw something unexpected at the viewer, or reader, and take them by surprise. That's why George and Izzy's revelation wasn't funny. They might have been surprised, but we sure weren't.

The conflict between Meredith and Lexie is extremely well done, and every week we get a new layer. Also, Lexie and Alex together . . . I’m liking that. A lot. I’m hoping they (the writers) give them, and us, some time together before they shoe horn Izzy into that relationship.

All things considered, a fairly good episode, especially given that we’ve finally seen the end of Gizzy.

Men in Trees is on tonight! Yay!

Back tomorrow,
Lee

Grey’s Anatomy

Seriously . . . is the old Grey’s back or what? Last night I finally got around to watching the season premiere from last week, and then I watched last night’s episode. Snappy dialogue, humor, emotion, and plenty of snark to go around. I fell in love with the characters all over again, and I think it’s safe to say I’ve signed on for the whole season.

I’m wondering if we’ll see some of Alex’s armor stripped away this season. And will Rebecca be back? Is he telling Meredith her sister is hot just to bug her? According to him to there’s no such thing as a happy family, and yet he’s so fiercely protective of the people he cares about. I’m ready to find out more about who Alex really is, and I look forward to seeing what the writers have in store for us.

Tough-as-nails Christina, assigning numbers to her interns so she doesn't have to remember their names. Bartering her wedding gifts for surgical favors. But I’m wondering when she’ll finally have a melt down. Or at least sit down and have a good cry.

McSteamy went to Seattle to get McDreamy back. Oh, to have been a fly on the wall during the read-through when those actors first read those lines. Way to go, writers. And won’t it be fun to see what happens when those two launch themselves into the dating scene? I’m feeling more than a little uneasy about Derek and Lexie, though. He wouldn’t. Would he?

I’m still totally lukewarm about George and Izzy. I’m trying not to be, but I am. At the end of last season I didn’t think the writers needed to put them together. This season I’m still not feeling it. There’s no chemistry between the two actors, and something about the two characters together doesn’t work for me. Maybe because they’re both like a couple of deer in the headlights.

Speaking of deer . . . I don’t even care that reviving the injured deer in the hospital parking lot was beyond unbelievable. It was classic Izzy. She's the polar opposite of Christina, and that was summed up so well when she was trying to convince Christina to give her the Mix Master. And Christina said no, you have nothing I want. Did I mention the snappy dialogue? The snark? Go, Christina!

I’m not missing Burke or Addison, so I guess it was time for them to go. Haven’t watched this week’s episode of Private Practice, either. Good thing this will be a long weekend. I have a lot of catching up to do!

See you tomorrow.

Lee

At Home on TV

The list of my favorite shows in the sidebar might seem a tad eclectic—dramas and comedies for adults and young adults, and settings ranging from small towns to big cities or, in some cases, stories set primarily in a single building. I’m not saying these are the best shows on TV. They’re simply the ones that have a struck a chord for me.

Different as they may seem, I see lots of similarities. Gilmore Girls (even though it’s been cancelled, it’s still a favorite), Men in Trees and October Road are set in small town America. To me, those communities are like secondary characters in their respective stories. But communities don’t have to be towns and cities. In The Office and Grey’s Anatomy, communities exist within the walls of a building. The Office’s boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell) has almost as much affection for the building as he has for his staff. Seattle Grace is practically home for the surgeon and interns of Grey’s Anatomy. In Degrassi: TNG, the community is a high school and, for the first time last season, a university.

Home and family are important factors in most of these shows. The contrast between Lorelei’s home and her parents’ home was a major story element in Gilmore Girls, and Rory eventually leaving home became a major part of the show. In Men in Trees, Marin Frist leaves her home in New York and finds a new one in the unlikely town of Elmo, Alaska. October Road is about a character returning home after a long absence and having to come to terms with what has changed and what has stayed the same. The relationship between two very different brothers and their father is an important element of NUMB3RS and for me it’s one of the things that sets it apart from most other crime shows on television. Their family home is a retreat from the chaotic, albeit predictable according to Charlie, world around them.

Brothers and Sisters is all about family. I didn’t watch it during the regular season last year, but I caught the summer reruns. At first I thought it might be too political for my taste, but that’s overshadowed by each family member’s individual story arc and the adult children’s relationships with their, um, slightly neurotic mother, Nora Walker (Sally Field).

I’m still debating which new shows I’ll watch this year. I saw the first episode of Gossip Girl and will definitely check out a few more before I make up my mind about that one. Since The Practice is a spinoff from Grey’s Anatomy, I’ll give that one a chance, too.

Any recommendations?

Back tomorrow.

Lee

Who Has The Remote?

This is my first post on my new blog. Thank you for stopping by! First, a bit about me. I am a romance author, thrilled to be writing for Harlequin’s American Romance series. Yes, those covers in the sidebar are for my first two books! Aren’t they gorgeous?

Along with writing, the most important things in my life are family and friends. Which makes American Romance a perfect place for me because that’s what these books are about—everyday people overcoming difficulties with the help of their family and friends, and finding love and happiness in the communities they call home. If you’re already a fan of these books, you’ll know exactly what I mean. If you’re new to American Romance, I hope you’ll love them as much as I do.

Readers tell me they love my characters and I’m always thrilled to hear that because creating characters is my favorite part of the writing process. And it’s so much easier than developing a plot. Fortunately, after I get to know my characters, they fill me in on their story as I write. As unbelievable as that might sound, that’s how the process works for me.

The hardest part is coming up with a book proposal to send to my editor before I’ve actually written the book. How can someone like me write a synopsis for an unwritten book when she doesn’t have the faintest idea what’s going to happen? I’ve struggled with this and finally managed to get a handle on it when I learned a little about scriptwriting and storyboarding techniques.

A TV or film script is a thing of beauty. Dialogue and a few stage directions—an entire story arc, stripped to its bare bones. It’s similar to what I might come up with if I were plotting a book, and it sort of resembles a first draft. Then I get to take off my scriptwriter’s hat and become the costume and set designer, director and camera operator as I flesh out the story. That’s the fun of being a novelist!

I still have a lot to learn and believe it or not, and watching my favorite TV shows is part of the process. I’m especially looking forward to this week because many of the season premieres for those shows will be on.

The Office (NBC) (one-hour season premiere!)—Thursday, September 27
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)—Thursday, September 27
NUMB3RS (CBS)—Friday, September 28
Whistler (CTV)—Saturday, September 29 (only in Canada)
Brothers and Sisters (ABC)—Sunday, September 30

My top fav, Men in Trees (ABC), doesn’t start until Friday, October 12. Still three weeks away, and I’m trying very hard to be patient.

Every week I’ll blog about my take on what I’ve seen, why I love these shows, and what I’ve learned. I may discuss what I as a writer might have done differently, but I’m not a critic so don’t expect in-depth analyses and critical reviews. Also, don’t expect Hollywood gossip—it’s not my thing.

From time to time I’ll also post news and reviews about my own writing, and there’ll be the occasional guest blogger and even a contest or two. And of course I’d love to hear your insights and recommendations or anything else that’s on your mind, so drop by any time.

See you tomorrow.

Lee