Movie Review: Shrek the Third

Shrek the Third arrives on the big screen as an undercooked lark that isn't half as witty as it thinks it is, nor is it half as deep as it would like to be. It has its moments of laugh out loud hilarity, but there is no connective tissue to string the gags together. This round with big guy takes a step back from the fractured fairy tale roots in favor of a plot thread that is a lot more mundane and a lot less energetic. The first two had standard fairy tale motifs of fairies, dragons, princesses trapped in towers, adventure, happy endings, and everything in between. This time out we get away from the fairy tale arc in favor of finding a rightful heir and dealing with impending fatherhood, and that is where I think the story fails to take off.

As the film starts, Fiona's father, King Harold, is on his deathbed. He announces that Shrek is the next in line for the throne, news that does not sit well with our green ogre. He also learns that there is another potential king, a teenager named Arthur. Eager to give up his shot at the throne in favor of his "vermin filled shack" he heads off to the town of Worcestshire in search of the youngster. Along for the ride are Donkey and Puss 'n Boots, which don't really have an impact on the story outside of some comic relief. As the trio head off on their quest another bombshell is dropped, Fiona is pregnant. This revelation gives our hero some more to think about outside of just finding the heir-apparent.

While the journey to find Arthur progresses, Prince Charming is up to his scheming tricks. The opening scene shows the would be king reduced to performing dinner theater, re-enacting the events of the first movie. This is clearly not where he wishes to be, so he rounds up the other downtrodden fairy tale villains and stages a coup of Far Far Away in lieu of a true king. In his role as the self proclaimed new ruler of the kingdom, he prepares for the return of Shrek and his inevitable defeat of his foe to claim his rightful place as ruler. En route to this end, he must face off with Fiona and her fellow fairy tale ladies, Rapunzel, Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. That doesn't even get into Pinnochio, Gingy, the Wolf, the Three Little Pigs, and the Blind Mice.

So, with Prince Charming preparing his endgame, we get to watch Shrek and company deal with the moody, nerdy teenager that is Arthur. Arthur is the Arthur of legend, as we also meet Gwendolyn and Lancelot, who are at the height of the school's popularity. This is where the story really slows down. Following this group travel back to Far Far Away is nothing short of agonizing, not much happens, the characters don't reveal anything of real interest and the jokes are way too sparse.

Anyway, everything builds to the climactic showdown between Charming and Shrek, where Shrek realizes where his true love lies. I kept waiting for the story to take off and takes somewhere, rather the whole thing feels like a prologue and when the inevitable climax does occur it feels rushed, as if the writers realized they were reaching their time limit and had to make sure to wrap everything up to leave on a note of lovable cuteness and have the audience leave with a spring in their step.

Sadly, the formula which carried the first two films to success fails here, as the whole fairy tale aspect is largely ignored in favor of this story of fatherhood and kingship which feels rather dull. Sure, there are fairy tale aspects in the appearance of all these characters that we know and love, but that is about it. There are some fun uses of pop music and culture references, there are some clever and witty one liners, but again, the story has no meat to hang them on.

The animation is gorgeous, easily some of the best seen this side of Cars. Likewise, the voice performances are all quite good and capture the essence of the characters, even if the dialogue fell flat. Mike Myer's Shrek is a lovable oaf who means well, while Eddie Murphy is as lively as ever as Donkey. Antonio Banderas returns as the suave kitty Puss 'n Boots, I only wish we had more of him, this character is one of my favorites. Among the other stars Cameron Diaz is back as Fiona, John Cleese and Rupert Everett are back as King Harold and Prince Charming. There is also a list of SNL performers including Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Cheri Oteri, and Amy Sedaris. There is just an enormous list of name performers whose voices appear here, Justin Timberlake (as Arthur), Ian McShane, Larry King, John Krasinski, Regis Philben, and Eric Idle.

Bottomline. I did enjoy the one liners and many of the comic touches, I just wish that everything came together in a stronger package. While the kids loved it, I was left a little flat. I laughed and had a good time, for the most part, but this could have been so much more. It is like a dumbing down of the Shrek films combined with Happily N'Ever After. It is fun for the spectacle, but lacks any real draw.

Mildly Recommended.

DVD/CD Review: Metalmania 2006 - XX Edition

The past few years have introduced me to the glory that is Poland's Metalmania festival. 2006 marked the twentieth anniversary of the festival which brings together metal bands, old and new, from all over the world to share a stage in front of a horde of hungry metalheads. A range of styles are always on display from thrash, to black, to death, and all manner in between. I can only imagine what a great time it is to actually be there, regardless of the language barriers, we all know the language of metal! Many of these bands I have never heard of, a few others I have heard of, and others I have been a fan of for awhile. The collection of bands serves as a good reminder that while I like a lot of bands, there are always more waiting around the corner to be introduced to my ear holes.

The show opens with black metal band Vesania. They are represented by a single song, "Marduke's Mazemerising," an interesting excurison into the black with a touch of progressive and a flair for the dramatic. They were onstage wearing face paint, standing still and creating a pretty imposing image. The performance was very good, I love the liberal use of keyboards and the jackhammer of the double bass. I had no idea what he was saying, but the growled vocals had a nicely evil feel to it.

Next up was Hieronymus Bosh with a pair of songs "The Apogee" and "Blind Widow Stare." This band out of Russia has a good sound, a style of progressive death, complete with growled vocals. It is those vocals which are the weakest part of their sound, they just didn't stand out for me. On the other hand, the music was pretty was intense and very technical. The performance was interesting, I wouldn't mind hearing more of them.

The third act to appear suffered from slightly muted audio, sounded a litte flat. I am sure this wasn't due to their performance, was pretty cool and a different direction than the first two bands. They are called Hunter and their submission is called "Plytki Dolek." A Polish metal band whose name was inspired by the Def Leppard song "Die Hard the Hunter." Their performance is good, despite the diminished audio. It has more of a mainstream sound, although it more unique than that sounds. They incorporate violin into the music which adds another layer of interest. I definitely wish they had more than one song to show off what they could do.

Following Hunter was the black metal of 1349 a black metal band out of Norway. They are named for the year that the black plague came to the homeland. They were onstage, a mass of swinging hair, growled vocals, jackhammer fast drums, and a raw blackness. The three song set was definitely charismatic, if not terribly technical. The band is raw and they play to that strength onstage. The set concludes with the downright evil sounds of "Satanic Propaganda."

Acid Drinkers took the stage next, bringing their Polish thrash metal to the stage in front of a home crowd. I first heard of the band not long ago, thinking they had a great band name. Their set of three was filled with head banging riffs, driving drums, and an interesting take on the thrash style. The band has been around for twenty years, and longevity has not dulled their in your face attack. I had no idea what they were singing during the likes of "Life Hurts More Than Death" or "Human Bazooka," but it didn't matter, the riffs were catchy, infectious, and easy to get into.

Now we get to a band that I am a little more familiar with, and have liked everything I have heard from them thus far. The band is Nevermore, a band that blends thrash, death, progressive, and power metal into their distinctive heavy sound. I saw them in 2005 on Gigantour and was very impressed with their live performance, and their contribution here does not disappoint. I only wish they had more than three songs here (or came back to my town, or released a live DVD)! Warrel Dane sounds great, and the rest of the band is on point as the play "Final Product," "The Heart Collector," and "Enemies of Reality."

Nevermore was followed by another band that I have been a fan of for awhile now, Moonspell, hailing from Portugal. I had the opportunity to see them this past Fall in a very small club where they were very impressive. Moonspell is big, bombastic, and incredibly dramatic. With the layers of guitars and keyboards, they have a full wall of sound backing Fernando Ribiero's deep vocals. Their set consisted of "Wolfshade," "Opium," and "Awake!"

As we near our headliner, we get a trio of songs from Anathema. This band from Britain offered a rather different experience than its predecessors, eschewing much of the dark theatrics and thrash tendencies to deliver a more atmospheric/progressive performance, complete with a string section. Sure, they rocked, but it was a definite change of pace, I got a bit of a heavy Radiohead vibe from them. All told, this was very good and helped to demonstrate the variety of styles on display at the festival.

The final band to appear on the disk is Therion, hailing from Sweden, they really surprised me. They are a band that I had heard of, but not heard, so I did not know what to expect. I did not expect the symphonic metal that greeted my ears when they started. Quite frankly, I was very impressed with what I heard, it was big, epic, complex, and had a unique flavor that I really liked. Their set included "Seven Secrets of the Sphinx," "Asgard," and "Siren of the Woods."

In addition to the 22 track DVD, there is also a twelve track CD featuring the bands that played the festival's side stage.

The disk kicks off with Belphegor's "Seyn Todt en Shwartz," a galloping black metal track that failed to interest me. It is followed by Shadows Land's "The Energy of Masses." This cut features a bit of a Nine Inch Nails electonic vibe before cutting into an epic black track that I found myself very much enjoying. Track three is a brief song from Antigama called "The View," it is comprised of a cacophony of swirling guitars.

Totem kicks off the second quarter of the album with an epic song called "Thrash the South," which reminded me of Slayer crossed with Sepultura. Corruption's "99% of Evil" was next with more of an old school thrash sound. "Mercyful Hate" by the No-Mads was next, it was cut from a straight up speed/thrash cloth and was not groundbreaking, but it was easy to bang your head to.

The first half of the album down, the secong half starts with Archeon's "Prayer," a strong progressive track that brought in a more technical sound than the previous side stage bands. Centinex followed with "Victorious Flag Rising." Can't say that I cared for it, but it sounded good loud. Closing out three quarters is SuidAkrA with "The IXth Legion," a strong cut from a band with an oddly capitalized title. It was medieval metal that brought Jag Panzer to mind.

Heading down the home stretch, we have Misanthrope's "The Stud Farm of Amazones," an interesting death/black style song with a curious title. Beseech brings us one closer to the end with "Innerlane." This was a good metal track with nice guitars and big dramatic vocals, reminiscent of Darzamat. Closing out the CD of second stage acts is The Old Dead Tree with their song "Out of Breath," a death metal song that has more straight metal leanings. Good song with an interesting structure.

Audio/Video. Neither are extraordinary, but they all do the job well. The 5.1 audio is a bit of a mixed bag depending on the band, it is not consistent all the way through. The video is consistently mediocre. Still, there is a lot of material hear, and it is in a nice package.

Extras. Not much, but they are here.

• Like previous Metalmania entries they include desktop images of the coverart, the current logo, and a history of the festival.
• If you go to the song selection page, you will be able to get video interviews with each of the main stage bands as well as text information about the bands for both main and side stage acts. This is a very nice bonus to include.

Bottomline. Once again we are given a nice DVD/CD set of metal, most of which many of us are likely unfamiliar with. It is a great way to get introduced to some great music and different styles. They also make me want to brave the language barrier and travel to Poland to attend the event in person.

Recommended.

New Movies and Box Office Predictions: Shrek the Third

Rather slim pickings this weekend, with only one new film entering wide release. The only thing is that it is poised to be a monster at the box office. It is the second of three franchises to reach their third films. We have already seen Spider-Man 3 break all manner of box office records in its opening frame two weeks back, and next week will see the return of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. So, if you wish to avoid the crowds, this would be a good time to catch up on the movies you may have missed, like the excellent 28 Weeks Later or the mediocre conservative exploitation of Georgia Rule.

Shrek the Third. (2007, 93 minutes, PG, animated comedy, trailer) Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, and Antonio Banderas return for the third romp through Far Far Away. When the king goes missing, Shrek and Fiona fill in until they can find a suitable replacement. A replacement is found in a high school slacker cousin named Artie. It is up to Shrek and the gang to convince him to take the crown. Now, I have been hearing some really bad things about this, some go so far as to say it is direct to video bad. I am taking this bad word into consideration, but I am still looking forward to seeing it. Despite the bad reviews, it is likely to become the second biggest opener of the year.

Waitress. (2007, 103 minutes, PG-13, romantic comedy, trailer) This film was written and directed by Adrienne Shelly, who was tragically murdered in her New York City apartment just prior to this film getting accepted to Sundance. It is a shame as the film has been very well received and, judging by the trailer it looks great. It stars Keri Russell as a waitress named Jenna who is unhappily married to Earl (Jeremy Sisto) and finds happiness in creating pies based on her mood. Whe she thinks she may be pregnant, she meets Dr. Pomatter (Serenity's Nathan Fillion) and the two find a romance in an unlikely place. I am looking forward to seeing this one.

Also opening this week, but not near me:

• Even Money
• Fay Grim
• Once
• Severance
• The Wendell Baker Story

Box Office Predictions
Shrek the Third is poised to strike it rich this weekend, and I predict that it will reach the century mark. The big question, I think, is how much the Spider-Man movie will be affected with its arrival. It took a big dive in its second week out, and it will likely continue its slide as more competition enters the fray. And, just like last week, the rest of the field is left to duke it out for the remaining places, and it is sure to be a bloody affair.

Here is how I think the top ten field will play out:

Rank	Title	Box Office
1	Shrek the Third	$100 million
2	Spider-Man 3	$30 million
3	28 Weeks Later	$7 million
4	Georgia Rule	$4 million
5	Disturbia	$3 million
6	Delta Farce	$2.5 million
7	Fracture	$2 million
8	The Invisible	$2 million
9	Meet the Robinsons	$1.5 million
10	Next	$1 million

What are you seeing this weekend?

Press Release: FOX ANNOUNCES PRIMETIME SLATE FOR 2007-2008 SEASON

FOUR NEW DRAMAS, THREE NEW COMEDIES AND THREE UNSCRIPTED SERIES JOIN SCHEDULE

DRAMAS "K-VILLE" AND "NEW AMSTERDAM" AND COMEDY "BACK TO YOU" DEBUT IN FALL

NEW UNSCRIPTED SERIES "THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BAND" (working title), "KITCHEN NIGHTMARES" AND "NASHVILLE" (working title) ALSO SLATED FOR FALL LAUNCH

DRAMAS "THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES" AND "CANTERBURY'S LAW" ALONG WITH COMEDIES "THE RETURN OF JEZEBEL JAMES" (working title) AND "THE RULES FOR STARTING OVER" (working title) TO PREMIERE MIDSEASON

New York (Thursday, May 17, 2007) Peter Liguori, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company, today unveiled the FOX primetime schedule for the 2007-2008 television season.

"This is the most stable and most vibrant schedule ever presented by FOX one that is sure to help us secure our fourth consecutive season as the No. 1 network in key demos," Liguori said. "We'll have a balanced schedule across the week, and we expect a significantly stronger fourth quarter. And in early 2008, 24 and AMERICAN IDOL, along with unprecedented sporting events in primetime including the Super Bowl on Feb. 3 will allow us to launch additional series and position ourselves for another dominant season."

Liguori went on to say: "We'll have returning shows on six nights in the fall and every night of the week come January. We're introducing new series that are distinctive, compelling, and which have impressive auspices. New series will be paired with returning hits to create a balanced, competitive, solid schedule."

The new dramas premiering this fall are K-VILLE (20th Century Fox Television), starring Anthony Anderson and Cole Hauser as police officers in post-Katrina New Orleans; and NEW AMSTERDAM (Regency Television), the first American television project from Oscar-nominated director/producer Lasse Hallstrm, featuring newcomer Nikolaj Coster Waldau as a New York City homicide detective unlike any other.

The new comedy slated for fall is BACK TO YOU (20th Century Fox Television), from executive producers Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd. Set at a TV news station in Pittsburgh, it stars Emmy Award winners Patricia Heaton and Kelsey Grammer and is directed by James Burrows.

The new unscripted series that will premiere this fall on FOX include, from the producers of AMERICAN IDOL, THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BAND (working title), which will do for undiscovered groups what IDOL has done for singers. Also with a musical theme, NASHVILLE (working title), from the producers of "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County," is an unscripted docu-soap chronicling a group of ambitious young people trying to make their mark on the music industry and Nashville society. And in KITCHEN NIGHTMARES, mercurial master chef Gordon Ramsay of HELL'S KITCHEN fame attempts to turn around floundering restaurants in less than a week.

Two additional dramas and two additional comedies will launch in midseason. Courtroom drama CANTERBURY'S LAW (Sony Pictures Television), from executive producers Denis Leary and Jim Serpico, writer Dave Erickson, and director Mike Figgis, stars Julianna Margulies as a rebellious female defense attorney who's willing to bend the law in order to protect the wrongfully accused. And THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES (Warner Bros. Television) is an intense new drama based on the celebrated heroine of the "Terminator" movies, with Lena Headey in the title role. THE RETURN OF JEZEBEL JAMES (working title) (Regency Television) is a sister comedy starring Parker Posey and Lauren Ambrose, from "Gilmore Girls" creator Amy Sherman-Palladino. And a spring launch is planned for THE RULES FOR STARTING OVER (working title) (20th Century Fox Television), starring Craig Bierko and Rashida Jones in the Farrelly Brothers' comedic take on a group of 30-somethings trying to find true love the second time around.

FOX series returning in 2007-2008 include: 24, AMERICAN DAD, AMERICAN IDOL, AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK, ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5th GRADER?, BONES, COPS, FAMILY GUY, HOUSE, KING OF THE HILL, MADtv, PRISON BREAK, THE SIMPSONS, TALKSHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN and TIL DEATH.

The summer 2007 schedule features established summer hits SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE and HELL'S KITCHEN, along with new series ON THE LOT, the moviemaking competition from Mark Burnett and Steven Spielberg, and ANCHORWOMAN (Fox 21), an unscripted reality comedy series about a big-city model who goes to work at a small-town news station and tries to succeed as an anchorwoman to help the station's ratings.

Following are the FOX primetime schedule for 2007-2008 and synopses of the new series:

FOX PRIMETIME SCHEDULE: FALL 2007 (All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM PRISON BREAK
9:00-10:00 PM K-VILLE

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM NEW AMSTERDAM
9:00-10:00 PM HOUSE

WEDNESDAY
8:00-8:30 PM BACK TO YOU
8:30-9:00 PM 'TIL DEATH
9:00-10:00 PM BONES

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5th GRADER?
9:00-10:00 PM KITCHEN NIGHTMARES

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN
BAND (working title)
9:00-10:00 PM NASHVILLE (working title)

SATURDAY 8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK
11:00 PM-MIDNIGHT MADtv
MIDNIGHT-12:30 AM TALK SHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN

SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 PM THE OT (NFL post-game)
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM KING OF THE HILL
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD

FOX PRIMETIME SCHEDULE: BEGINNING JANUARY 2008 (All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM K-VILLE (January)/PRISON BREAK (Spring)
9:00-10:00 PM 24

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL
9:00-10:00 PM HOUSE

WEDNESDAY (January)
8:00-8:30 PM BACK TO YOU
8:30-9:00 PM 'TIL DEATH
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL

WEDNESDAY (Spring)
8:00-8:30 PM BACK TO YOU
8:30-9:00 PM THE RETURN OF JEZEBEL JAMES (working title)
9:00-9:30 PM AMERICAN IDOL Results Show
9:30-10:00 PM 'TIL DEATH

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5th GRADER?
9:00-10:00 PM CANTERBURY'S LAW

FRIDAY (Spring)
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-10:00 PM NEW AMSTERDAM

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK
11:00 PM-MIDNIGHT MADtv
MIDNIGHT-12:30 AM TALKSHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN

SUNDAY (Spring)
7:00-7:30 PM KING OF THE HILL
7:30-8:00 PM AMERICAN DAD
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM FAMILY GUY
9:00-10:00 PM THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES

2007-2008 FOX PRIMETIME SCHEDULE NEW SERIES SYNOPSES

The following new dramas will premiere this fall on FOX:

K-VILLE (Mondays, 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT): From writer and executive producer Jonathan Lisco ("NYPD Blue," "The District") comes a heroic police drama set in New Orleans. Two years after Katrina, the city is still in chaos. Many cops have quit, and the jails, police stations and crime labs still haven't been properly rebuilt. But the cops who remain have courage to burn and a passion to reclaim and rebuild their city. MARLIN BOULET (Anthony Anderson, "The Departed," "The Shield") is a brash, funny, in-your-face veteran of the NOPD's Felony Action Squad, the specialized unit that targets the most-wanted criminals. Even when his partner deserted him during the storm, Boulet held his post, spending days in the water saving lives and keeping order. Now he's unapologetic about bending the rules when it comes to collaring bad guys. Boulet's new partner, TREVOR COBB (Cole Hauser, "The Break-Up," "ER"), was a soldier in Afghanistan before joining the NOPD. He's tough and committed, but if he's less than comfortable with Boulet's methods, it's because he's harboring a dark secret. Cobb has come to New Orleans seeking redemption, but redemption can be dangerous. Will Boulet be able to trust him? Will Cobb's past endanger them both? Rounding out the crew of cops are hotheaded BILLY "K-9" FAUST (Maximiliano Hernndez, "Law & Order," "Shark"), who often speaks before thinking; wisecracking JEFF "GLUE BOY" GOODEN (Blake Shields, "Sleeper Cell," "Veronica Mars"), the team's comic relief; tough-as-nails GINGER "LOVE TAP" LeBEAU (Tawny Cypress, "Heroes"), the only female on the squad, who gives as good as she gets; and CAPTAIN JAMES EMBRY (John Carroll Lynch, "Zodiac," "The Drew Carey Show"), who wrangles the eclectic personalities of his squad with equal parts humor and tenacity.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20th Century Fox Television

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/WRITER: Jonathan Lisco

DIRECTOR: Deran Sarafian

CAST: Anthony Anderson as Marlin Boulet, Cole Hauser as Trevor Cobb, Maximiliano Hernndez as Billy "K-9" Faust, Blake Shields as Jeff "Glue Boy" Gooden, Tawny Cypress as Ginger "Love Tap" LeBeau, John Carroll Lynch as Captain James Embry

NEW AMSTERDAM (Wednesdays, 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT): Directed and executive-produced by visionary Lasse Hallstrm ("My Life As a Dog," "The Cider House Rules," "Chocolat," "The Hoax") and written by Allan Loeb ("Things We Lost in the Fire," "21") and Christian Taylor ("Showboy," "Six Feet Under"), NEW AMSTERDAM is the story of a New York homicide detective unlike any other. He is brilliant, mysterious, reckless, magnetic, unknowable. And he has a profound secret he is immortal. In 1642, JOHN AMSTERDAM (Nikolaj Coster Waldau, "Kingdom of Heaven"), then a Dutch solider in the colony of New Amsterdam later to become New York City stepped in front of a sword to save the life of a Native Indian girl during a massacre of her indigenous tribe. The girl in turn rescued Amsterdam, weaving an ancient spell that conferred immortality upon him. Amsterdam will not age, she told him, until he finds his one true love. Only then will he become whole and ready for mortality. But Amsterdam has found this to be a mixed blessing. Over the course of three centuries, he's experienced endless adventure and honed his many talents. But everyone Amsterdam meets must leave him in time; lovers and children die while he remains young. His sole confidant and current lifelong friend is the sage jazz club owner OMAR (Stephen Henderson, "Law & Order: SVU"), the keeper of Amsterdam's secret, as well as a few of his own. As the exhilaration of eternal life has given way to emotional isolation and bitter loneliness, Amsterdam discovers the blessing has become a curse. Bringing to bear the unorthodox techniques and unique knowledge gained from his vast life experience, Amsterdam today is one of the NYPD's best homicide detectives, sparring with his vibrant, strong-willed partner EVA MARQUEZ (Zuleikha Robinson, "Rome," "The Lone Gunmen") as they solve difficult murder cases. But when Amsterdam suffers and then recovers from what appears to be a massive heart attack while chasing a suspect, and DR. SARA DILLANE (Alexie Gilmore, "Find Love") pronounces him dead in the ER, he realizes that the Indian girl's prophesy may have come true he felt the pain in his heart that she had foretold so long ago. His soul mate must have been nearby. As he works to find a killer on the streets of New York, Amsterdam understands that his own life and possibly his death have changed forever.

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Regency Television, Scarlet Fire Films

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Allan Loeb, David Manson, Lasse Hallstrm, Leslie Holleran, Steven Pearl

WRITERS: Allan Loeb & Christian Taylor

DIRECTOR: Lasse Hallstrm

CAST: Nikolaj Coster Waldau as John Amsterdam, Zuleikha Robinson as Eva Marquez, Alexie Gilmore as Dr. Sara Dillane, Stephen Henderson as Omar

The new comedy premiering this fall on FOX is:

BACK TO YOU (Tuesdays, 8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT): In the 90s, the local TV news scene in Pittsburgh was dominated by one team: CHUCK DARLING (Kelsey Grammer, "Frasier," "Cheers") and KELLY CARR (Patricia Heaton, "Everybody Loves Raymond"). They had that elusive quality all news teams need: chemistry ... at least on-screen. Off-screen, Chuck was a bit of a self-centered womanizer, Kelly a bit of an uptight know-it-all. So when Chuck got the call to move up to a larger market, no tears were shed. But after an embarrassing on-air tirade ended up on the Internet, Chuck found himself on the downswing career-wise. He even questioned whether his lifestyle of chasing women and living in hotels was as exciting as it used to be. So when he got the call to return to Pittsburgh, to reunite with Kelly and try to take the newscast back to No. 1, it was an offer he couldn't refuse. Back in Pittsburgh, Chuck has a new coworker in RYAN CHURCH (Josh Gad, "Mary and Joe"), the overstressed news director. There are also familiar faces like MARSH McGINLEY (Fred Willard, "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," "Best in Show"), the affable, endlessly inappropriate sports anchor, and GARY CREZYZEWSKI, pronounced Kre-shoov-ski (Ty Burrell, "In Good Company," "Out of Practice"), the perennially put-upon field reporter who always seems to get left out in the snow. But, mostly, there's Kelly, now a single mom to 10-year-old GRACIE (Laura Marano, "Without a Trace"). There was magic between them once. Can they find it again?

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: 20th Century Fox Television, Levitan/Lloyd Productions

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS/CREATORS: Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd

DIRECTOR: James Burrows

CAST: Kelsey Grammer as Chuck, Patricia Heaton as Kelly, Fred Willard as Marsh, Josh Gad as Ryan, Ty Burrell as Gary, Laura Marano as Gracie

New unscripted series joining the FOX schedule this fall include:

KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (Thursdays, 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT): Hell hath no fury like an angry chef, and no chef has a sharper temper than Gordon Ramsay when things go wrong in the kitchen. The star of the highly rated culinary boot camp "Hell's Kitchen" returns to FOX with another sizzling unscripted series. This time, Chef Ramsay hits the road in each episode, tackling a restaurant in crisis and exposing the stressful realities of trying to run a successful food business. Inspired by one of the UK's biggest hits, KITCHEN NIGHTMARES is seen in more than 50 territories around the globe, and the series reveals a whole new side to Ramsay. He's still prone to the explosive outbursts and spectacular confrontations familiar to fans of "Hell's Kitchen," but he also shows his sensitive and nurturing side a unique blend of fury, passion, inspirational leadership and tough love that can coax a small spark of talent into a roaring flame. There's no time for polite small talk as Ramsay embarks on his mission to turn things around. If the wine waiter's service isn't up to par, he'll be out the door before he can say "merlot." If the head chef doesn't match up to Ramsay's expectations, Ramsay will hammer him into shape, and if he can't stand the heat, he may quit the kitchen. Ramsay's reputation is on the line, so there's bound to be high blood pressure, raised voices and serious clashes as he attempts to do the impossible: turn a deserted dining room into the most sought-after venue in town in just a week.

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Granada America, Optomen Television, A. Smith & Co.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Arthur Smith, Pat Llewellyn, Kent Weed, Gerry McKean, Curt Northrup

CAST: Gordon Ramsay

THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BAND (working title) (Fridays, 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT): What "American Idol" did for individuals, THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BAND is going to do for musical groups. The producers of "American Idol" will conduct the ultimate search for an undiscovered band. THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BAND is scouring the country, seeking groups from all musical genres who think they have what it takes to make it big. Judges will narrow down bands from all walks of life musicians of different ages, family acts, garage bands, etc. to 10 semi-finalists, who will perform in front of a live studio audience. Viewers then will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite bands. The final three acts will compete for a major recording contract and the chance to become music superstars.

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: FremantleMedia North America, 19 TV LTD.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Simon Fuller, Nigel Lythgoe, Ken Warwick, Cecile Frot-Coutaz

NASHVILLE (working title) (Fridays, 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT): From the creative minds behind the hit series "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County" comes NASHVILLE, a high-stakes, high-drama docu-soap set in "the biggest small town in America." The show focuses on the dreamers and dream-makers in the music industry, as well as those trying to make their mark on Nashville's big business and high society. The series features a diverse, vibrant young cast perched on the cusp of achieving their greatest successes in a town that can make you or break you. Talent, power, drive, love and hope are the fuel that makes Nashville burn bright and makes this unique place the true embodiment of the American Dream. Behind every song there's a story waiting to be told, and there are many such stories in NASHVILLE.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: Go Go Luckey Productions

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Gary Auerbach, Julie Auerbach

The following new dramas are slated for January launches:

CANTERBURY'S LAW (Thursdays, 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT): From executive producers Denis Leary and Jim Serpico ("Rescue Me," "The Job") and writer Dave Erickson ("Murder in Greenwich") comes CANTERBURY'S LAW, a courtroom drama about a rebellious female defense attorney who's willing to bend the law in order to protect the wrongfully accused. ELIZABETH CANTERBURY (Julianna Margulies, "ER") is a force of nature. An attorney on the rise, she puts her career on the line to take on risky and unpopular cases, even when they take a toll on her personal life. Elizabeth and her law professor husband MATTHEW CANTERBURY (Linus Roache, "Batman Begins," "The Chronicles of Riddick"), haunted by the disappearance of their young son, have settled in Providence, Rhode Island, in an attempt to distance themselves from the tragedy and put their relationship back together. But those goals become elusive whenever Elizabeth's work provides a stark reminder of the justice absent in their own lives. At the office, Canterbury has surrounded herself with a brilliant but motley crew of attorneys. RUSSELL CROSS (Ben Shenkman, "Pi," "Angels in America") was forced out of the Providence District Attorney's Office when he went toe-to-toe with his morally bankrupt boss, D.A. Zach Williams. His reputation tarnished, Russell turned to Canterbury, the only attorney willing to take him in. Now Russell provides a much-needed voice of reason for Canterbury even when she doesn't want to hear it, his position of influence well-earned by their years of friendship. CHESTER FIELDS (Jocko Sims, "Dreamgirls," "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation") and MOLLY McCONNELL (Trieste Dunn, "United 93") are the associates rounding out Canterbury's legal crew. Chester is a blue-blooded congressman's son who is embarrassed by his privileged upbringing and has turned his back on politics. Molly, in contrast, is headstrong, passionate and quick to take sides even if she finds herself in the opposite corner from Canterbury.

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Sony Pictures Television, Apostle

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Denis Leary, Jim Serpico, Mike Figgis

WRITER: Dave Erickson

DIRECTOR: Mike Figgis

CAST: Julianna Margulies as Elizabeth Canterbury, Linus Roache as Matthew Canterbury, Ben Shenkman as Russell Cross, Trieste Dunn as Molly McConnell, Jocko Sims as Chester Fields

THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES (Sundays, 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT): Executive producers Josh Friedman ("War of the Worlds"), David Nutter ("Supernatural," "Smallville") and C-2 Pictures ("Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines") bring to television an intense new drama based on the celebrated heroine of the "Terminator" movies: Sarah Connor. At the end of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," Sarah vanquished the liquid metal Terminator sent from the future to kill her teenage son, John. Sarah and John now find themselves alone in a very dangerous, complicated world. Fugitives from the law, they are confronted with the reality that still more enemies from the future, and the present, could attack at any moment. THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES reveals what happens when SARAH (Lena Headey, "The Brothers Grimm," "300") stops running and goes on the offensive against an ever-evolving technological enemy bent on destroying her life, and perhaps the world. Her son, 15-year-old JOHN CONNOR (Thomas Dekker, "Heroes"), knows that he may be the future savior of mankind, but is not yet ready to take on the mantle of leadership that he's told is his destiny. John finds himself inextricably drawn to CAMERON (Summer Glau, "Serenity," "The Unit"), an enigmatic and otherworldly student at his high school, who soon proves to be much more than his confidante she assumes the role of Sarah and John's fearless protector. On their trail are not only threats from the future, but an intelligent and tough FBI agent, JAMES ELLISON (Richard T. Jones, "Judging Amy"), who soon becomes a powerful ally. Directed by David Nutter and produced by Warner Bros. Television and C-2 Pictures, THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES represents an exciting reinvention of the "Terminator" franchise, in which the strong and intrepid Sarah discovers that protecting her son and stopping the rise of the machines is more difficult than she had ever imagined.

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Warner Bros. Television, C-2 Pictures

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Josh Friedman, David Nutter, James Middleton, Mario Kassar, Andrew Vajna, Joel Michaels

WRITER: Josh Friedman

DIRECTOR: David Nutter

CAST: Lena Headey as Sarah Connor, Thomas Dekker as John Connor, Richard T. Jones as James Ellison, Summer Glau as Cameron

The new comedy scheduled to premiere in January is:

THE RETURN OF JEZEBEL JAMES (working title) (Wednesdays, 8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT): Can two estranged sisters, polar opposites, live together when one agrees to carry the other's baby? SARAH THOMKINS (Parker Posey, "For Your Consideration," "Best in Show") is a bright, optimistic, determined woman who seems to have it all a great job as a children's book editor, an eager-to-please assistant, BUDDY (Michael Arden), who helps keep her life together, and a no-strings-attached personal relationship with successful businessman MARCUS SONTI (Scott Cohen, "Kissing Jessica Stein"). Nevertheless, as her father, RONALD (Ron McLarty, "Law & Order"), is constantly pointing out, something is missing from Sarah's life. Her hard work may garner accolades, but when she goes home at night, she is very much alone. All too aware that she isn't getting any younger, Sarah decides to have a baby on her own and gets the shock of her life when the doctor tells her she can't get pregnant. Having no concept of the term "can't," Sarah wills herself to execute a plan. With nowhere else to turn, Sarah sets up a meeting with her quirky younger sister, COCO (Lauren Ambrose, "Six Feet Under"), and proposes a plan for Coco to carry her baby. They haven't seen each other in a while, and Coco refuses to go along with such a huge favor. But something happens when Sarah mentions that she's turned Coco's imaginary childhood friend, Jezebel James, into a children's book. Even though she doesn't say so out loud, Coco is clearly touched, and, realizing that her current living situation sharing a couch with her friend's sick dog isn't working out, Coco decides that this just might be worth a try.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: Regency Television

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Amy Sherman-Palladino, Dan Palladino

DIRECTOR: Amy Sherman-Palladino

CAST: Parker Posey as Sarah, Lauren Ambrose as Coco, Scott Cohen as Marcus, Michael Arden as Buddy, Ron McLarty as Ronald

The comedy slated for a spring debut is:

THE RULES FOR STARTING OVER (working title) (Date and Time TBA): From the creatively fruitful minds of the Farrelly Brothers comes a single camera comedy, set in Boston, about a group of newly single friends learning the painful lessons of starting over in their 30s. They'd all love to get remarried, if they could just find their true loves. JACK "GATOR" GATELY (Craig Bierko, "Cinderella Man," "Boston Legal") is a charismatic, optimistic leader who never expected to be single again. But now that he is, he's determined to make the best of it. He's going to sift through all the bruised, damaged, occasionally psychotic fruit until he finds "the one." Joining Gator in bachelorhood redux is his thrice-divorced best friend TOMMY (Johnny Sneed, "The Guardian," "Fever Pitch"). The founder and brewmaster of an upstart microbrewery, Tommy has a voracious appetite for food, beer and women. He falls in love easily and always disastrously, yet truly hopes his fourth starter marriage will be "the one." DR. FREDDY SAHGAL (Shaun Majumder, "24," "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle") has seen some pretty strange stuff during his years as a successful surgeon, but he's never seen any of it through the eyes of a single man. Probably the least equipped of the group to handle this unexpected life change is Dr. Freddy, who can execute a triple bypass in his sleep, but is all thumbs when it comes to the opposite sex. Rounding out the group is KATE (Rashida Jones, "The Office"), a smart, successful attorney who handled all three of the boys' divorces. Having just turned 30, Kate finds herself dumped after a seven-year engagement. She reluctantly joins the guys in negotiating the treacherous waters of dating. Kate owns the brownstone next to Gator's. Over time, this pair may find that "the one" is just a brick wall away.

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: 20th Century Fox Television, Conundrum Entertainment, Watson Pond Productions

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly, Bradley Thomas, Brad Johnson

WRITERS: Chris Pappas, Michael Bernier, Kevin Barnett

DIRECTORS: Bobby Farrelly and Peter Farrelly

CAST: Craig Bierko as Gator, Rashida Jones as Kate, Johnny Sneed as Tommy, Shaun Majumder as Freddy

The new unscripted series scheduled to premiere this summer is:

ANCHORWOMAN (Date and Time TBA): PHIL HURLEY is the owner of a tiny Texas news station, KYTX Channel 19, and he is desperate to turn the tide of his mediocre ratings, or even just compete with a rival channel. Phil has shocked the station and town of Tyler, Texas, by bringing in a gorgeous model and ex-WWE diva with no previous news experience to be his next ANCHORWOMAN all in hopes of reinventing the look of Channel 19 and overhauling its below-average 6 share to a number more like his competitor's dominating 36. Former Miss New York and ber-vixen LAUREN JONES packs up her Versace dresses and heads to the middle of nowhere to start a new career. Can this bombshell cut it as a serious reporter? Will she save KYTX, or make it the laughingstock of the Lone Star State? Lauren wants to show everyone she's no airhead, and this is her big chance to prove she's more than just a pretty face. The entire newsroom thinks the boss has made a giant mistake. Reigning anchor ANNALISA PETRAGLIA is not about to lose her Queen Bee status to some L.A. hottie. News Director DAN DELGADO is fit to be tied as his beloved journalistic standards go out the window. MICHELLE REESE, a hard-nosed reporter bound for CNN, will take no prisoners. Lauren will struggle not only with the news team and an unfamiliar town, but also with the not-so-Hollywood news stories covering bake sales, cowpie-tossing contests and county fairs like they were Watergate. News anchor or dead weight? Only the ratings will tell, so stay tuned for the next ANCHORWOMAN: Lauren Jones.

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Fox 21, The G Group

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Brian Gadinsky

SUPERVISING PRODUCERS/WRITERS: Chad Damiani, JP Lavin

CAST: Lauren Jones as herself, Phil Hurley as himself, Annalisa Petraglia as herself, Dan Delgado as himself, Michelle Reese as xherself

Press Release: THE CW KICKS OFF ITS SECOND SEASON WITH SIX NEW SERIES

NETWORK FRESHENS FALL SCHEDULE WITH THREE NEW DRAMAS, NEW COMEDY AND TWO NEW REALITY SERIES

New Drama “Gossip Girl,” Based on Bestselling Book Series, To Follow “America’s Next Top Model” on Wednesdays

Returning Hit “Beauty And The Geek” Leads Into Comical New Drama “Reaper” on Tuesdays

Comedy Block Remains on Monday Night With Three Returning Favorites and New Comedy “Aliens In America”

On Sunday, Two New Series, “Online Nation” and “CW Now,”

Bring Hottest Internet Videos and Latest Trends to Television,

Followed by New Family Drama “Life Is Wild,”

Filming Entirely in South Africa



Returning Hits “Smallville” and “Supernatural” and

The WWE’s “Friday Night Smackdown!”

Anchor Thursday and Friday



Midseason Series Include Returning Hits

“One Tree Hill” and “Pussycat Dolls Present” and

Two New Reality Series, “Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants”

and “Farmer Wants A Wife”



New Series from Esteemed Producers Josh Schwartz (“The O.C.”),

Stephanie Savage (“The O.C.”), Mark Gordon (“Grey’s Anatomy”),

Kevin Smith (“Clerks”) and Tom Spezialy (“Desperate Housewives”)

Fill the Fall Schedule



May 17, 2007 (New York, New York) ? The CW Network unveiled the schedule for its 2007-2008 season today at Madison Square Garden before more than 3,000 advertisers, affiliates and national media. The announcement was made by Dawn Ostroff, President of Entertainment, The CW.

“Our new shows have attitude and a sense of fun, and they’re going to define this network,” said Ostroff. “With that in mind, The CW is adding six new series to our schedule this fall. With established shows anchoring four nights and providing a launch pad for new programs, we will also have stability on our successful Thursday and Friday lineups. Shows that can be enjoyed by the whole family will air on Mondays and Sundays in the 8:00-9:00 hour, with the 7:00-8:00 hour on Sunday providing an innovative showcase for both viewers and advertisers.”



On Wednesday nights, the network’s top-rated series, AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL, showed double-digit growth last season and was the number one show in the timeslot with women 18-34. AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL will return in its successful 8:00-9:00 p.m. slot, followed by the premiere of the new drama GOSSIP GIRL from 9:00-10:00 p.m. From “The O.C.” producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, GOSSIP GIRL is based on the best-selling young-adult book series of the same name. The show features an ensemble cast of new and veteran actors, including Blake Lively (“The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”) and Leighton Meester (“Surface”), and focuses on the struggle for social supremacy among teens from both sides of the tracks in a posh Manhattan prep school. The fun, sexy and dramatic hour is a perfect companion piece for TOP MODEL’S strong female audience, making Wednesday “Girls Night In” on The CW.


Stability is the key on Thursday and Friday nights. On Thursday ? television’s most competitive night ? SMALLVILLE and SUPERNATURAL deliver a good mix of male and female viewers. On Friday, the wildly popular FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN! rules the night with two hours of original wrestling extravaganzas 52 weeks a year. SMACKDOWN! was last season’s number-one show in male viewers, giving the network a lock on young men on the night leading into the weekend.


Sundays will kick off the 7:00-8:00 p.m. hour with two new reality shows. At 7:00 p.m., CW NOW will premiere as the ultimate source for everything hip, hot and happening in youth culture. From the producers of the entertainment magazine show “Extra,” CW NOW utilizes eye-catching graphics and visuals in a fast-paced mix of celebrity gossip and current fashion and lifestyle trends. Advertisers can participate by incorporating their brand into the fabric of the show, expanding on the network’s success last season with content wraps. At 7:30 p.m., The CW is turning couch potatoes into mouse potatoes with ONLINE NATION, a series that takes the best of the web’s user- generated video and makes it available to television audiences. At 8:00 p.m., the new family drama LIFE IS WILD brings the beauty and drama of Africa to television. The show will be filmed entirely in South Africa, with a diverse cast of American, British and South African actors, and will feature film-quality production values. LIFE IS WILD is the story of a dysfunctional blended family from New York who moves to a rural South African town and finds they must rely on each other more than they ever did back home. The 9:00 p.m. hour will continue last season’s successful strategy of an encore presentation of AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL.

The popular Monday night comedy line-up returns with three favorites and one new series. From 8:00-8:30 p.m., the critically acclaimed EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS returns with a first-time ever guest appearance by the show’s co-creator and executive producer, Chris Rock. EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS provides the perfect lead-in for the ground-breaking new fish-out-of-water comedy ALIENS IN AMERICA, about a 16-year-old Wisconsin boy, Justin Tolchuk (Dan Byrd, “The Hills Have Eyes”), whose mother decides to improve his social status at school by importing an exchange student to be his friend. When the student turns out to be a Pakistani Muslim teenager named Raja (Adhir Kalyan, “Fair City”), issues of diversity, tolerance and coming of age in America take center stage in this sweet and insightful comedy.


The Monday comedy block continues with GIRLFRIENDS and THE GAME, the two highest-rated scripted shows on television among Africa-American adults and women 18-34, helping to make The CW the number one-rated programming option for African-American viewers on Monday nights.


On Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m., the hit reality series BEAUTY AND THE GEEK, from executive producers Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg, will return with a new crop of beauties and geeks in this funny and poignant social experiment competition. The devilish new drama REAPER will follow at 9:00 p.m. With executive producers Michelle Fazekas, Tara Butters, Mark Gordon, Deb Spera, Tom Spezialy and executive producer/director Kevin Smith, this humor-filled adventure is the story of a slacker named Sam (Bret Harrison, “The Loop,” “Grounded for Life”) who learns that his parents accidentally sold his soul to the devil before he was born, forcing him into a new life as the devil’s bounty hunter. Ray Wise (“24,” “The Closer”) plays Satan, and Tyler Labine (“Boston Legal,” “Invasion”) plays Sam’s best friend Bert “Sock” Wysocki.



MIDSEASON


In a strategy designed to give producers time to make a significant creative change, the hit drama ONE TREE HILL will be held until midseason. When it returns, the story will have advanced four years and the characters will have already graduated from college. Online digital diaries will premiere in the fall, allowing fans to learn what happened during the college years, and will lead into the midseason series return.


Midseason reality series include a second season of the popular PUSSYCAT DOLLS PRESENT, which averaged eight-million viewers a week in its premiere season, along with two new reality concepts. On FARMER WANTS A WIFE, a real-life farmer will search for a wife from the big city, and on CROWNED: THE MOTHER OF ALL PAGEANTS, mother/daughter teams must work together to win a beauty pageant. The three reality shows will enable the network to schedule original reality series in key time periods over the entire season.


Following is The CW’s 2007-2008 primetime schedule, a night-by-night breakdown and accompanying details on all the programs.



THE CW’s 2007-2008 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE



MONDAY


8:00-8:30 PM EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS

8:30-9:00 PM ALIENS IN AMERICA (New Series)

9:00-9:30 PM GIRLFRIENDS

9:30-10:00 PM THE GAME



TUESDAY


8:00-9:00 PM BEAUTY AND THE GEEK

9:00-10:00 PM REAPER (New Series)



WEDNESDAY


8:00-9:00 PM AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL

9:00-10:00 PM GOSSIP GIRL (New Series)



THURSDAY


8:00-9:00 PM SMALLVILLE

9:00-10:00 PM SUPERNATURAL



FRIDAY


8:00-10:00 PM FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN!



SUNDAY


7:00-7:30 PM CW NOW (New Series)

7:30-8:00 PM ONLINE NATION (New Series)

8:00-9:00 PM LIFE IS WILD (New Series)

9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL (Encore Presentation)





MONDAY



8:00-8:30 P.M. “EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS”

Returning for its third season, this hit comedy was inspired by the childhood experiences of comedian Chris Rock. Rock also serves as the narrator of this hilarious, touching story of a teenager growing up as the eldest of three children in Brooklyn, New York, during the early 1980s. Uprooted to a new neighborhood and bused into a predominantly white middle school two hours away by his strict, hard-working parents, Chris struggles to find his place while keeping his siblings in line at home and surmounting the challenges of middle school. This responsible, resilient adolescent brings a distinct, funny spin to his everyday trials and traumas, in the Golden Globe- and People's Choice-nominated comedy EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS. The single-camera comedy series stars Tyler James Williams (“Unaccompanied Minors”) as Chris, Terry Crews (“The Longest Yard”) as Julius, Tichina Arnold (“Martin”) as Rochelle, Tequan Richmond (“Ray”) as Drew, Imani Hakim as Tonya and Vincent Martella (“Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo”) as Greg. EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS is a production of CBS Paramount Network Television Inc. in association with Chris Rock Enterprises, Inc. and 3 Arts Entertainment. Co-creator and narrator Chris Rock (“Head of State”), co-creator and writer Ali LeRoi (“Head of State”), Michael Rotenberg (“King of the Hill”), Dave Becky (“Lucky Louie”) and Don Reo (“My Wife and Kids”) are executive producers.



8:30-9:00 P.M. “ALIENS IN AMERICA” (New Comedy)

Justin Tolchuk (Dan Byrd, “The Hills Have Eyes”) is a sensitive, lanky 16-year-old just trying to make it through the social nightmare of high school in Medora, Wisconsin, with the help of his well-meaning mom Franny (Amy Pietz, “Caroline in the City”), aspiring-entrepreneur dad Gary (Patrick Breen, “Kevin Hill”), and his popular sister Claire (Lindsey Shaw, “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide”), who is sweetly unaware of how good-looking she is. When Franny signs up for the school’s international exchange student program, she pictures an athletic, brilliant Nordic teen who will bestow instant coolness on her outsider son. However, when the Tolchuk’s exchange student arrives, he turns out to be Raja Musharaff (Adhir Kalyan, “Fair City”), a 16-year-old Pakistani Muslim. Despite the cultural chasm between them, Justin and Raja quickly develop an unlikely friendship that just might allow them to navigate the minefield that is contemporary high school. It’s going to be a very interesting year for Raja, Justin, his family and the entire population of Medora. ALIENS IN AMERICA is from CBS Paramount Network Television Inc. and Warner Bros. Television with executive producers Tim Doyle (“Jake in Progress”), Moses Port (“Just Shoot Me,” “Mad About You”) and David Guarascio (“Just Shoot Me,” “Mad About You”). Luke Greenfield (“The Girl Next Door”) directed the pilot.




9:00-9:30 P.M. “GIRLFRIENDS”

Returning for its eighth season, GIRLFRIENDS provides an open, honest exploration of the hot-button issues about family, friends, relationships and careers facing women today through the lives and loves of three Los Angeles women. Taking on universal subjects that interest all women with fearlessness and sincerity ? whether it's learning to date after divorce or balancing friendships and a new marriage ? GIRLFRIENDS treats them all with tenderness, care and respect. The series stars Tracee Ellis Ross (“Hanging Up”) as Joan Clayton, Golden Brooks (“Beauty Shop”) as Maya Wilkes, Persia White as Lynn Searcy and Reggie Hayes (“Getting Personal”) as William Dent. GIRLFRIENDS is a production of Happy Camper Productions and Grammnet Productions in association with CBS Paramount Network Television Inc. Kelsey Grammer (“Frasier,” “The Game”), creator Mara Brock Akil (“The Game,” “Moesha,” “The Jamie Foxx Show”) and Regina Hicks (“Sister, Sister”) serve as executive producers.









9:30-10:00 P.M. “THE GAME”

Returning for its second season, THE GAME is a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of the wives and girlfriends of pro-football players. This comedy tackles the way these women deal with egos, groupies and image consultants and shows how THE GAME is really played among the women behind the athletes. The series stars Tia Mowry (“Sister, Sister”) as Melanie Barnett, Coby Bell (“Third Watch”) as Jason Pitts, Pooch Hall (“Miracle’s Boys”) as Derwin Davis, Hosea Chanchez (“For Your Love”) as Malik Wright, Brittany Daniel (“White Chicks”) as Kelly Pitts and Wendy Raquel Robinson (“The Steve Harvey Show”) as Tasha Mack. THE GAME is a production of Happy Camper Productions and Grammnet Productions in association with CBS Paramount Network Television Inc. Kelsey Grammer (“Frasier,” “Girlfriends”), creator Mara Brock Akil (“Girlfriends,” “Moesha,” “The Jamie Foxx Show”) and Steve Stark serve as executive producers.



















TUESDAY


8:00-9:00 P.M. “BEAUTY AND THE GEEK”

Returning for its fourth cycle, BEAUTY AND THE GEEK is from the producing team of Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg. The hit social experiment pairs eight beautiful and socially savvy women with eight intellectually endowed, but socially stunted men. Living at opposite ends of the social spectrum, the geeks try to pass their brains on to the beauties, while the beauties provide social skills to the geeks. One couple will make it to the end and walk away gifted and gorgeous with a cash prize of $250,000. BEAUTY AND THE GEEK is from fox21, produced by Katalyst and 3 Ball Productions with executive producers Ashton Kutcher & Jason Goldberg (“Guess Who,” “Punk’d”), Nick Santora (“Prison Break,” “The Guardian,” “The Sopranos”), J.D. Roth (“The Biggest Loser,” “For Love or Money”) and Todd A. Nelson (“The Biggest Loser,” “For Love or Money”).



9:00-10:00 P.M. “REAPER” (New Drama)

For the first 20 years of his life, Sam (Bret Harrison, “The Loop,” “Grounded for Life”) wondered why his parents went so easy on him. Whether it was school, sports or career choices, Sam’s mom (Allison Hossack, “Falcon Beach”) and dad (Andrew Airlie, “The L Word”) always let him get by with the least possible effort, while at the same time pressuring his younger brother Keith (Kyle Switzer, “15/Love”) to excel. As a result, Sam skipped college, took a dead-end job and now wastes endless hours playing video games and wishing he had the guts to ask out his pretty co-worker, Andi (Nikki Reed, “Thirteen,” “The O.C.”). Everything in his slacker world changes the day Sam turns 21 and discovers the ungodly reason his parents let him slide: they sold his soul to the devil before he was born. Satan himself (Ray Wise, “24,” “The Closer”) drops by to personally explain that Sam must now serve as his bounty hunter, tracking down evil souls that have escaped and returning them to Hell. At first, Sam refuses to accept his bizarre fate, but after getting just a glimpse of Satan’s temper, Sam realizes that breaking a deal with the devil has consequences that are very, very bad. Armed with a constantly changing series of vessels ? starting with a Dirt Devil mini-vacuum ? to collect the escapees, Sam immediately finds that the work is dangerous and frightening, even with the goofball help of his friends and fellow slackers, Bert “Sock” Wysocki (Tyler Labine, “Boston Legal,” “Invasion”) and Ben (Rick Gonzalez, “Coach Carter”), along with Sock’s former-girlfriend-turned-paralegal, Josie (Valarie Rae Miller, “Dark Angel”). Still, as weird and scary as his life has become, Sam is surprised to find that he somehow feels good about his newfound “mission” ? removing evil-doers from the world and sending them back where they belong. With his friends and his trusty vessel-of-the-week at his side, Sam is ready to face his destiny as the Reaper. REAPER is from ABC Studios with executive producers Michelle Fazekas (“Ed,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”), Tara Butters (“Ed,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”), Mark Gordon (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Criminal Minds”), Deb Spera (“Criminal Minds”), Tom Spezialy (“Desperate Housewives”) and Kevin Smith (“Clerks,” “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”). Kevin Smith also directed the pilot.








WEDNESDAY



8:00-9:00 P.M. “AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL”

Returning with its ninth cycle, the runaway runway hit series features supermodel Tyra Banks. The show gives real people an opportunity to prove that they can make it in the high-stress, high-stakes world of supermodeling. With mentoring by Tyra Banks and exposure to high-profile fashion-industry gurus, young women of various backgrounds, shapes and sizes must endure a highly accelerated modeling boot camp and face weekly tests to determine who will make the cut as they vie for a professional modeling contract. The executive producers are Ken Mok (“Making the Band”), Tyra Banks and Daniel Soiseth (“Hell’s Kitchen”). The reality series was created by Tyra Banks and developed by Mok and Kenya Barris. AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL is produced by 10 by 10 Entertainment in association with Bankable Productions.



9:00-10:00 P.M. “GOSSIP GIRL” (New Drama)

The privileged prep school teens on Manhattan’s Upper East Side first learn that Serena Van Der Woodsen (Blake Lively, “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”) is back in town the way they learn all the important news in their lives ? from the blog of the all-knowing albeit ultra-secretive Gossip Girl. No one knows Gossip Girl’s identity, but everyone in this exclusive and complicated vicious circle relies on her text messages for the latest scoop. Serena’s closest friend, Blair (Leighton Meester, “Surface”), is just as surprised as everyone else to find that Serena has suddenly ended her self-imposed exile to boarding school and returned to Manhattan. The tension between Blair and Serena isn’t lost on Gossip Girl, who is determined to uncover and fuel any and all scandals. Does it involve Serena’s brother Eric (Connor Paolo, “One Life to Live”), Blair’s boyfriend Nate (Chace Crawford, “The Covenant”) or Nate’s buddy Chuck (Ed Westwick, “Children of Men”)? Maybe it has something to do with Dan (Penn Badgley, “John Tucker Must Die”) and his sister Jenny (Taylor Momsen, “Spy Kids 2,” “How The Grinch Stole Christmas”), whose middle-class background keeps them on the fringes of this exclusive clique. Even the parents ? from Serena’s mother Lily (Kelly Rutherford, “Melrose Place”), a former ballerina/rock-groupie, to Nate’s high-powered father Howie “The Captain” Archibald (Sam Robards, “The West Wing”), to Dan and Jenny’s dad Rufus (Matthew Settle, “Brothers and Sisters”), a former rocker turned art gallery owner ? are aware that their sons and daughters are constantly checking their Sidekicks to read Gossip Girl’s latest sightings and overheard tidbits. Overriding all the shifting friendships, jealousies and turmoil in this wealthy and complex world, the central mystery remains – Who Is Gossip Girl? Based on the popular series of young-adult novels by Cecily von Ziegesar, GOSSIP GIRL is from Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Paramount Television Inc. with executive producers Josh Schwartz (“The O.C.”) & Stephanie Savage (“The O.C.”), Bob Levy and Leslie Morgenstein (“Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”). Mark Piznarski (“Veronica Mars,” “Friday Night Lights”) directed the pilot.








THURSDAY



8:00-9:00 P.M. “SMALLVILLE”

Returning for its seventh season, this new interpretation of the enduring Superman mythology and its classic characters blends realism and adventure into an exciting action series. Fourteen years ago, a meteor shower burst from the heavens, raining destruction on the unsuspecting citizens of Smallville, Kansas. From the ashes of tragedy, emerged Clark Kent. Struggling to come to grips with his emerging superpowers, while battling the strange events that have plagued this idyllic Midwest hamlet since the meteor shower, Clark slowly learns to embrace his destiny. SMALLVILLE chronicles Clark’s journey toward becoming the Man of Steel and his relationships with girl-next-door Lana Lang, future love Lois Lane and soon-to-be arch-nemesis Lex Luthor. The series stars Tom Welling as Clark Kent, Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang, Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor, Erica Durance as Lois Lane, Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan, John Glover as Lionel Luther and Aaron Ashmore as Jimmy Olsen. Reinterpreting the Superman mythology from its roots, SMALLVILLE was developed for television by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar (“Shanghai Noon,” “Spiderman 2”), based on the DC Comics characters. Gough and Millar serve as executive producers, along with Ken Horton, Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins, Joe Davola, Kelly Souders & Brian Peterson and Todd Slavkin & Darren Swimmer. The series is produced by Tollin/Robbins Productions, Millar/Gough Ink and Warner Bros. Television. Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster.







9:00-10:00 P.M. “SUPERNATURAL”

Returning for its third season, this haunting series follows Sam and Dean Winchester, two brothers bound by tragedy and blood to their dangerous, other-worldly mission. Together, Sam and Dan journey into the dark world of the unexplained to find and destroy the demon that killed their mother. Crisscrossing the lonely and mysterious back roads of the country in their ‘67 Chevy Impala, the Winchester brothers encounter creatures that most people believe only exist in folklore, superstition and nightmares. Following the clues in their father’s journal, Dean and Sam take on his crusade to hunt down the evil that preys upon the innocent in the darkest corners of America. The series stars Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester. SUPERNATURAL is from Warner Bros. Television in association with Wonderland Sound and Vision, with executive producers McG (“Charlie’s Angels,” “The O.C.”), Eric Kripke (“Boogeyman”), Robert Singer (“Midnight Caller”) and Kim Manners (“The X-Files”).








FRIDAY


8:00-10:00 P.M. “FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN!”

The internationally popular, totally outrageous FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN! delivers all-new, action-packed shows and specials 52-weeks a year. As the number one show on Friday night for young men, this unique, bigger-than-life two-hour saga continues to ratchet up the drama and intensify the classic rivalries between some of the WWE’s biggest Superstars as they put on an astonishing display of high-flying, hard-hitting athleticism. The executive producer is Kevin Dunn. Taped before frenzied crowds all over the United States, the series is a production of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.



SUNDAY


7:00-7:30 P.M. “CW NOW” (New Reality Series)

CW NOW blends news and entertainment to create the ultimate source for everything that’s hip, hot and happening right now in the world of young adults. With a team of experts focusing on the topics and trends that appeal specifically to The CW generation, this new series will feature informative and entertaining reports on the hottest fashions, the coolest music, the must-see movies and the must-have gadgets and technology. CW NOW will be everywhere young adults are: from cyberspace profiling the best of the web, to hitting the streets and getting inside the most popular hotspots. With young adults’ insatiable appetite for all things celebrity, each episode will report on the latest news and gossip from inside the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. Moving at a rapid-fire pace and utilizing eye-catching graphics and visuals, CW NOW fits perfectly with the on-demand lifestyle of adults 18-34. CW NOW is a co-production of Telepictures Productions and Warner Horizon Television with executive producers Lisa Gregorisch (“Extra”) and Mike Miller (“Extra”).



7:30-8:00 P.M. “ONLINE NATION” (New Reality Series)

Young adults have taken their quest for fame into their own hands as the amount of user-generated entertainment continues to explode across the internet. Now The CW is giving them a nationally televised stage to show off what they’ve got. ONLINE NATION scours the nearly infinite number of websites, blogs and user-generated materials on the internet to find the best, the hottest, the unique and sometimes, the flat-out bizarre, and presents it on The CW audience’s other favorite screen: the TV screen. This fun, irreverent weekly series features everything and anything that has captured the attention of the online world, from the most popular sites to the addictive viral videos being shared by millions, to insights from the digital tastemakers. Born of the internet and tailored specifically for this generation, this series also features an innovative interactive element as viewers will be able to see what others are saying and communicate with them live on the air. The CW is turning mouse potatoes into couch potatoes by putting all the greatest internet clips in one ready-to-use package. ONLINE NATION is from Room 403 Productions with executive producers David Hurwitz (“Fear Factor”) and Paul Cockerill (“Trigger Happy TV,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live”).



8:00-9:00 P.M. “LIFE IS WILD” (New Drama)

Katie Clarke (Leah Pipes, “Clubhouse”) may never forgive her veterinarian father, Danny (Brett Cullen, “Ghost Rider,” “Friday Night Lights”), for dragging their entire blended family out of New York City to spend a year living in a broken-down lodge called The Blue Antelope in a game reserve deep inside South Africa. Everyone in the family, including Katie’s 11-year-old brother Chase (K’sun Ray, “Smith”), Danny’s second wife Jo (Judith Hoag, “Armageddon”), her rebellious teenage son Jesse (Andrew St. John, “General Hospital”) and 7-year-old daughter, Mia (Mary Matilyn Mouser, “Eloise”), is sure Danny has lost his mind. But Danny’s reasons go beyond his desire to keep his troubled family together while making a difference in the lives of the people and animals of South Africa: his deceased first wife Claire grew up at The Blue Antelope and it’s still home to her reclusive father Art (David Butler). After just a few days in South Africa, the family has already encountered an injured lioness, a lost cub, and a gentle giraffe. They’ve also met a few locals, including a handsome young Brit, Oliver Banks (newcomer Calvin Goldspink) and his twin sister Emily (newcomer Tiffany Mulheron), whose father Colin Banks (Jeremy Sheffield), runs a safari business for wealthy tourists, and Tumelo (newcomer Atandwa Kani), a teen who dreams of becoming a veterinarian. While they are definitely outsiders, Katie and the rest of the family are nevertheless beginning to love the breathtaking vistas of the bush country and the vibrant culture enveloping them. A year in this strange but beautiful place might not be so bad after all. LIFE IS WILD is a production of CBS Paramount Network Television Inc., Warner Bros. Television and Company Pictures, an All 3 Media Company, with executive producers Michael Rauch (“Love Monkey,” “Beautiful People”), Charlie Pattinson (“Wild at Heart,” “Shameless”) and George Faber (“Wild at Heart,” “Skins”). Bryan Gordon (“The Office,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) directed the pilot.





9:00-10:00 P.M. “AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL” (Encore Presentation)

Returning with its ninth cycle, the runaway runway hit series features supermodel Tyra Banks. The show gives real people an opportunity to prove that they can make it in the high-stress, high-stakes world of supermodeling. With mentoring by Tyra Banks and exposure to high-profile fashion-industry gurus, young women of various backgrounds, shapes and sizes must endure a highly accelerated modeling boot camp and face weekly tests to determine who will make the cut as they vie for a professional modeling contract. The executive producers are Ken Mok (“Making the Band”), Tyra Banks and Daniel Soiseth (“Hell’s Kitchen”). The reality series was created by Tyra Banks and developed by Mok and Kenya Barris. AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL is produced by 10 by 10 Entertainment in association with Bankable Productions.








MIDSEASON


“ONE TREE HILL”

Returning for its fifth season to the town of Tree Hill, this drama revolves around the lives of two young men, Lucas and Nathan, who have little in common aside from their love for hoops and the fact that they share the same father. The star of the high school basketball team, Nathan hails from a wealthy family, while his half-brother Lucas is the only child of a single mom. The inhabitants of Tree Hill have witnessed Lucas’ metamorphosis from loner to high school basketball star, Nathan and Haley’s troubled marriage, and Peyton and Brooke’s tumultuous friendship. While the teenagers struggle to find their places in the world, the adults in Tree Hill continue to deal with the residue of decisions they made years ago. The series stars Chad Michael Murray as Lucas Scott, James Lafferty as Nathan Scott, Hilarie Burton as Peyton Sawyer, Bethany Joy Galeotti as Haley James, Paul Johansson as Dan Scott, Sophia Bush as Brooke Davis, Barbara Alyn Woods as Deb Scott, Barry Corbin as Whitey Durham and Moira Kelly as Karen Roe. ONE TREE HILL is from executive producer and show creator Mark Schwahn (“Coach Carter”), executive producers Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins, Joe Davola (“Smallville”) and Greg Prange for Tollin/Robbins Productions and Warner Bros. Television.




“CROWNED: THE MOTHER OF ALL PAGEANTS” (New Reality Series)

Judges Carson Kressley (“Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”), former Miss U.S.A. Shanna Moakler (“Dancing with the Stars,” “Meet the Barkers”), and television personality Cynthia Garrett referee an eight-episode competition that dares to pit mother/daughter teams against each other in a no-holds-barred beauty pageant. CROWNED: THE MOTHER OF ALL PAGEANTS explores one of the most emotional and volatile relationships as mothers and daughters from all walks of life must compete together ? and against other mother/daughter teams ? in order to win. Faced with challenges that focus on preparing them for the pageant show finale, the women will have to brand a ‘style’ for their mother/daughter team via clothing and swimwear, create ways of expressing a point of view about issues in the world, and practice for the big pageant dance number. Not only do good looks, talent and a penchant for world peace have to run in the family, each team must also have patience, teamwork and a healthy sense of humor. In the end, one mother/daughter team will be “crowned” the winner and will receive a valuable prize package, including a $100,000 cash award, and, of course, a fabulous pair of tiaras. CROWNED: THE MOTHER OF ALL PAGEANTS is a production of Fox Television Studios, with creator/executive producer Laurie Girion (“Cheerleader Nation,” “Last Comic Standing 2”).









“FARMER WANTS A WIFE” (New Reality Series)

The CW cultivates romance a là “Green Acres” with FARMER WANTS A WIFE, a comedic reality series designed to help one farm boy find the city girl of his dreams. Based on the hit British format, this first U.S. version will find a charming, hard-working farmer who is happy with his life but lacking romance and wondering if he might find happiness with a woman from the city. The show’s producers will search the nation’s cities to select a group of 10 women who have had it with bad dates in the big city and are open to making a big change. The group will consist of women looking for an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and wondering if a country man with country values might offer a more attractive lifestyle. FARMER WANTS A WIFE will bring these city women to the country farmer. The ladies will have to impress him with their heart and their newfound “love” of the country life, or they’ll be sent back to the city. Are these city girls ready for the realities of life and work on a farm ? driving a tractor, taking care of very large farm animals and attending bingo night? Through a series of challenges, group activities, shocking eliminations and cozy dates, 10 fast-lane women will see how they match up with a back-roads guy on the path to true love. FARMER WANTS A WIFE is from Fremantle Media North American (FMNA) and Super Delicious LLC with executive producers Cecile Frot-Coutaz, Adam Cohen, Cara Tapper, and Joanna Vernetti.

Influential Albums: Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet

Welcome to the debut edition of Influential Albums. Influential to who you may ask. The answer is simple, me. This column will spotlight albums which have had an influence on me as a music fan, or stand out as classics and potential classics. You may agree, you may not agree, but that really isn't the point. The purpose is to share my thoughts on these albums that have shaped me through the years as my tastes have grown, expanded, and matured. I have gone through phases, some good, some bad, always for me. The first album is from 80's icons Bon Jovi, it is their breakthrough 1986 album Slippery When Wet, which has sold 12 million copies to date.

DVD Review: Because I Said So

When I say this in the theater one word came to mind, "delightful." Yes, that is the perfect word to describe Because I Said So. It is a light film that has a couple of poignant "real" moments adrift in the sea of a formulaic "chick flick." This is a movie that exists in that Hollywood created fantasy of the romantic comedy. It is a land where people who should not, and would not, have these problems in the real world have the problems that probably exist in one form or another in the lives of many of their real world counterparts.

Diane Keaton is the matriarch of a family that consists of three daughters produced by a strong gene pool. Keaton is Daphne Wilder, mother to Maggie, Mae, and Milly, played by Lauren Graham, Piper Perabo, and Mandy Moore (see what I mean by good genes?). Anyway, Daphne is a single mom, after her husband's early exit, so early in fact that he never appears in the movie, who's had to be the single point of influence for her girls. Her love knows no bounds, and may just be the slightest bit invasive, particularly when it comes to Milly.

You see, while Maggie and Mae are happily married, Milly seems to be particularly inept at finding a lasting relationship. She seems to have given up, in a way, throwing herself into her burgeoning catering business. Seeing a need for a man in her daughter's life, Daphne sets out to find one for her. This plan requires the placing of a tiny little internet ad, and setting up interviews. The interviews lead Daphne to Jason (Tom Everett Scott), a successful and handsome architect. She arranges for the two to have a "meet-cute" which leads to a dating situation. Of course things do not go as planned as Jason has a little competition, unbeknownst to him, in the form of Johnny (Gabriel Macht). Johnny is a musician who comes across as the more genuine of the two men, but they each are a good match for the lovely young Milly, if for different reasons.

By now you should probably be able to see where this going. If you can't, take a guess as you will most likely be right. This film follows the formula with no major deviations. Formula is generally used as a criticism of a movie; I have used it myself in that purpose, but it is not always the case. The formula is a formula for a reason, it worked at some point, and then it was used a few more times with more success than not. The key is to take your chosen formula and inject it with, in this case, likeable characters, some light comedy, and a happy ending. At the very least use the formula, but don't approach it as such, all too often bad formula movies are bad not because of the formula, but because they were used as a strict roadmap for their film. Here it is definitely formula, but it has an energy to it that it is easy to overlook it. Credit to Director Michael Lehman and screenwriters Karen Leigh Hopkins and Jessie Nelson for succeeding in making the formula work for them.

Along the way the formula is set aside to toss in a few elements that are not traditional, yet not distracting to the proceedings. The touches add a little flavor to the story and perhaps help it ring a little truer within its fantasy world. Things like not making Jason out to be a "bad guy," as would be the perfect convention to use, the addition of a love interest for the meddling mom, and the familial moments of true communication between mother and daughter add so much flavor.

The performances are about as groundbreaking as the story - in other words, they aren't. Still, they are injected with life and a likeability that will hold your attention. Diane Keaton is good; it may seem like a familiar performance, but it works. Then there is Mandy Moore who lights up the screen; she has great presence and a charisma that fits this type of film perfectly. While underused, Lauren Graham and Piper Perabo have some nice moments. Gabriel Macht is the stereotypical lovable rogue with a heart of gold, but he makes it work without seeming corny. Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention Tony Hale in a very small role as a psychiatric patient to Lauren Graham's practice. He is a funny guy, but it seems like a riff on his Buster role from Arrested Development.

Audio/Video. Audio is good, it is Dopby Digital 5.1 and does a fine job of giving us strong dialogue and spreading out the music. Nothing revolutionary, but the movie doesn't aim for that anyway. Video is pretty good, although it did seem a little drab to me, I remember the colors popping a little more on the big screen, still it looks pretty good. It is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen.

Extras. This is not a special edition, and the few extras prove it, these are not much of a selling point, at least for me.

• The Making of Because I Said So. This is a brief fluff piece that highlights the relationships between the women in the film and how they all came together on the project. To further the fluffiness of the piece, the DVD menu proclaims that it is "Brought to you by Volkswagen." Give me a break
• Designing a Wilder World. Another brief featurette. This one takes a look at how they chose Los Angeles to shoot in and how they wanted to show the beauty of the city. They also go into the costume designs. Plus the cakes and how they were their own characters in their own right.
• iVillage Pregnancy Ad. Why is this here?
• Music Video: "World Spins Madly On" by The Weepies. Lame pop track made up of clips from the movie.

Bottomline. A delightful, light comedy. It is an enjoyable watch, not a classic, but not everything needs to be. Watching Because I Said So put a smile on my face, something that we all need once in a while. Just don't bother with the "extras."

Recommended.

Press Release: CBS ANNOUNCES 2007-2008 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE

Five New Series Added To America's Most-Watched Network

New Shows Feature Diverse and Daring Concepts Including

"VIVA LAUGHLIN," Where Drama is Accented by Iconic Music;
"CANE," Starring Jimmy Smits as the Head of a Powerful South Florida Cuban Family;
"MOONLIGHT," a Romantic Thriller with a New Twist on the Vampire Legend;
"THE BIG BANG THEORY," a Comedy About Genius Geeks; and
"KID NATION," a New Reality Series Where 40 Kids Try to Build a New Society in an Abandoned Ghost Town

Seventeen Current Series Return to a Lineup

That Features More Time Period-Winning Programs Than Any Other Network

"THE AMAZING RACE" and "THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE" Picked Up for Mid-Season Along with the New Drama "SWINGTOWN"

Game Show "POWER OF 10," Hosted by Drew Carey, Ordered for Summer

CBS announced today its 2007-2008 Fall Primetime lineup, featuring five new series — one comedy, three dramas and one reality program.

These freshman series will join 17 returning programs on the current CBS lineup, which will win the 2006-2007 season in viewers and adults 25-54, continuing the Network's multi-year winning streak.

The five new series feature bold and creative concepts, including Viva Laughlin, where drama is accented by iconic music; Cane, starring Jimmy Smits as the head of a powerful South Florida Cuban-American family; Moonlight, a romantic thriller with a new twist on the vampire legend; The Big Bang Theory, a comedy about genius geeks from "Two and A Half Men" co-creator Chuck Lorre; and KID NATION, a reality series where 40 kids will try to build a new society in an abandoned ghost town.

"We approached our development this year with a specific goal in mind — to be daring and different," said Nina Tassler, President, CBS Entertainment. "The Fall and mid-season series we have selected offer creativity and variety with great potential to excite and surprise television audiences everywhere."

These new shows will be woven into a deep and successful lineup that returns more series and has more time period-winning programs than any other network. CBS will return television's Number One drama and scripted program, CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION; the Number One comedy, TWO AND A HALF MEN; the Number One new comedy, RULES OF ENGAGEMENT; the Number One news magazine, 60 MINUTES; and the premiere reality series, SURVIVOR.

Also returning are: HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, CSI: MIAMI, NCIS, THE UNIT, CRIMINAL MINDS, CSI: NY, WITHOUT A TRACE, GHOST WHISPERER, NUMB3RS, COLD CASE and SHARK, as well as 48 HOURS: MYSTERY and CRIMETIME SATURDAY.

The new 2007–2008 schedule is:

On Monday, CBS adds a new series to television's top rated comedy lineup. HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, with a young and loyal audience, returns at 8:00 PM, paired with the new genius comedy THE BIG BANG THEORY at 8:30 PM to form a young adult comedy block. From 9:00-10:00 PM, CBS returns television's top comedy, TWO AND A HALF MEN, followed by the Number One new comedy, RULES OF ENGAGEMENT. At 10:00 PM, CSI: MIAMI, the night’s Number One scripted series, returns for its sixth season.

On Tuesday, the Top 20 hit NCIS and THE UNIT return from 8:00-10:00 PM. This successful two-hour drama block will serve as a launching pad for the stylish new drama CANE at 10:00 PM.

On Wednesday, CBS returns its successful duo of CRIMINAL MINDS and CSI: NY from 9:00-11:00 PM. Earlier in the evening at 8:00 PM, the network will try something very different with a new reality series, KID NATION, starring 40 remarkable kids attempting to prove they can form a functioning society in an abandoned New Mexico ghost town, where their adult predecessors failed.

On Thursday, CBS returns one of television's top dramas, WITHOUT A TRACE, to 10:00 PM, joining forces once again with the time period-winning SURVIVOR at 8:00 PM and CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION, television's Number One drama, at 9:00 PM.

CBS will again use an established series as a launch pad for a new one on Friday. GHOST WHISPERER opens at 8:00 PM as a compatible lead-in to the new romantic thriller MOONLIGHT at 9:00 PM, followed by the return of the time period-winning drama NUMB3RS at 10:00 PM.

Saturdays will feature CBS's CRIMETIME programming from 8:00-10:00 PM, followed by 48 HOURS: MYSTERY, the night's top-rated program.

On Sunday, CBS will once again open with 60 MINUTES, the perennial Number One newsmagazine on television. At 8:00 PM, CBS will make one of its biggest moves with one of its boldest new shows, VIVA LAUGHLIN, a drama with music, based on the British hit "Viva Blackpool." From 9:00-11:00 PM, the network will program a two-hour block of successful crime and justice with the growing COLD CASE and the sophomore series SHARK.

In addition to the new series for Fall, the network announced the pick up of three programs for midseason, including the four-time Emmy Award-winning THE AMAZING RACE, the comedy THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE, starring Emmy Award winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and the provocative new drama SWINGTOWN.

The network also announced it has ordered the reality series POWER OF 10, hosted by comedian Drew Carey ("The Drew Carey Show") for this summer.

The new comedy is:

THE BIG BANG THEORY is a comedy from the Emmy Award nominated Co-Creator and Executive Producer of "Two and a Half Men" Chuck Lorre, about brainy best friends Leonard (Johnny Galecki, "Roseanne") and Sheldon (Jim Parsons "Judging Amy"), who can tell you anything you want to know about quantum physics, but when it comes to dealing with everyday life here on earth they're lost in the cosmos. Neither fully understands that scientific principles don't always apply in matters of the heart — until they meet their sexy new neighbor Penny (Kaley Cuoco, "8 Simple Rules…"), a friendly screenwriter/waitress from the midwest who also happens to be newly single. She quickly makes an impression on the other members of Leonard and Sheldon's geek squad — Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"), who portrays himself as the Casanova of Cal Tech, and fellow whiz kid Rajesh Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar, "NCIS"), who is rendered speechless around anyone unprepared to converse about the Theory of Relativity or other scientific jargon. The chemistry between this gaggle of geniuses and a delightful damsel is about to undergo a stimulating series of inter-personal experiments. Multiple Emmy Award winner James Burrows ("Will & Grace") directed the pilot. Lorre and Bill Prady ("Gilmore Girls," "Dharma & Greg") are executive producers for Warner Bros. Television.

The new dramas are:

Executive produced by Tony and Emmy Award winner Hugh Jackman ("The Boy from Oz," "X-Men"), VIVA LAUGHLIN is a mystery drama with music about eternal optimist and freewheeling businessman Ripley Holden, whose sole ambition is to run a casino in Laughlin, Nev. Occasionally using upbeat contemporary songs to accentuate the drama and humor and advance the story, the series is based on the hit BBC show "Viva Blackpool." Ripley (Lloyd Owen, "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles") is the ultimate gambler with an infectious personality who is on the brink of making a killing… just as soon as he opens his casino that's nowhere near completion. When his financing suddenly falls through, the fearless and tenacious Ripley approaches his enemy — dashing, sarcastic, wealthy casino owner Nicky Fontana (Hugh Jackman) for help. Though the odds are stacked against him, Ripley doesn't miss a beat, even when he becomes embroiled in a murder investigation after the body of his ex-business partner is found at his club. At home, Ripley uses his dry wit to adjust to the demands of his family: his gorgeous wife, Natalie (Madchen Amick, "ER"), wants more attention; his teenage daughter, Cheyenne (Ellen Woglom, "The O.C."), wants his approval; and his son, Jack (Carter Jenkins, "Surface"), wants to help him at work. All of this adversity would defeat a lesser man, but for the outgoing and passionate Ripley there's no such thing as bad news, only deals to be struck and wagers to be won in the intoxicating neon glow of Laughlin, where the cards are on the table, romance is in the air and lively music is on the stage. Eric Winter ("Wildfire") and D.B. Woodside ("24") also star. Directed by Gabriele Muccino ("The Pursuit of Happyness"). Golden Globe Award nominee Hugh Jackman, John Palermo ("X-Men: The Last Stand"), Bob Lowry ("Huff"), Paul Telegdy and Peter Bowker ("Viva Blackpool") are executive producers for BBC Worldwide Productions, Seed Productions, CBS Paramount Network Television in association with Sony Pictures Television.

CANE stars Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Jimmy Smits ("The West Wing") in an epic drama about the external rivalries and internal power struggles of a large Cuban-American family running an immensely successful rum and sugar business in South Florida. When the family patriarch, Pancho (Hector Elizondo, "Chicago Hope"), is offered a lucrative but questionable deal by his bitter adversary, the Samuels, to purchase thousands of acres of sugar fields, he's faced with a tough choice: Should he cash out of the sugar business and focus solely on rum, which would please his impulsive natural son, Frank (Nestor Carbonell, "Lost"), or protect the family legacy that he built from the ground up by not selling, and side with his adopted son, Alex (Smits), who mistrusts the Samuels and still sees value in sugar. Alex and Frank's approach to business is as different as their approach to life. While Frank might lose focus chasing women, Alex is deeply in love with his beautiful wife, Isabel (Paola Turbay, "Bailando por un Sueño"), who is also Pancho's daughter. Married when she was just 17 years old, Isabel balances Alex by choosing not to involve herself in the business, focusing instead on their three children, who are determined to forge their own paths outside the family. For the Duques, will family allegiance come first or will their secrets and acrimonious conflicts over love, lust and control of the family fortune be their downfall? Eddie Matos ("General Hospital"), Rita Moreno ("West Side Story"), Michael Trevino ("The Riches"), Lina Esco ("CSI: NY"), Sam Carman ("Bones"), Alona Tal ("Veronica Mars") and Polly Walker ("Rome") also star. Cynthia Cidre ("The Mambo Kings"), Jonathan Prince ("American Dreams"), Jimmy Iovine ("8 Mile") and Polly Anthony ("Lifehouse: Live in Portland!") are the executive producers for ABC Studios in association with CBS Paramount Network Television.

MOONLIGHT, from prolific movie producer Joel Silver ("The Matrix," Trilogy), is about Mick St. John (Alex O'Loughlin, upcoming "White Out"), a captivating "undead" private investigator who uses his acute vampire senses to help the living… instead of feeding on them. In an agonizing twist of fate, Mick was "bitten" 60 years ago by his new bride, the seductive and beguiling Coraline (Amber Valletta, "Hitch"). Immortal and eternally as young, handsome and charismatic as he was then, Mick is sickened by Coraline and other vampires who view humans only as a source of nourishment. With only a handful of undead confidantes for company, including deceitful ally Josef (Rade Serbedzija, "24"), Mick fills his infinite days protecting the living, and trying not to think about how his life would have been if he hadn't followed his heart. However, after six decades of resisting, he wonders if it's time to pursue the love of a mortal. He has his eyes on Beth Turner, a beautiful, ambitious reporter who has been covering the ongoing plague of unusual murders. But would Beth even consider giving up a normal life to be with him, and can Mick risk the pain of seeing himself as a monster in her eyes? As Mick lives between two realities, fighting his adversaries among the undead and falling in love with Beth, he knows he needs to figure out a reason to keep "living." MOONLIGHT is directed by executive producer Rod Holcomb ("ER"). Joel Silver, Ron Koslow ("Birds of Prey"), Trevor Munson and Gerard Bocaccio are also executive producers for Warner Bros. Television.

The new reality series is:

KID NATION is a reality-based series in which 40 kids will have 40 days to build a new world — in a ghost town that died in the 19th Century. These kids, ages 8-15, will spend more than a month without their parents or modern comforts in Bonanza City, N.M., attempting to do what their forefathers could not — build a town that works. They will cook their own meals, clean their own outhouses, haul their own water and even run their own businesses — including the old town saloon (root beer only). They'll also create a real government — four kid leaders who will guide the group through their adventure, pass laws and set bedtimes. Through it all, they'll cope with regular childhood emotions and situations: homesickness, peer pressure and the urge to break every rule they've ever known. At the end of each episode, all 40 kids will gather at an old fashioned Town Hall meeting where they will debate the issues facing Bonanza City. They'll show wisdom beyond their years and the unflinching candor that only kids can exhibit. There are no eliminations on KID NATION — you only go home if you want to. And in every Town Hall meeting, kids may raise their hands and leave. Will they stick it out? In the end, will these kids prove to adults everywhere (and their own parents!) that they have the vision to build a better world than the pioneers who came before them? And just as importantly, will they come together as a cohesive unit, or will they abandon all responsibility and succumb to the childhood temptations that lead to round-the-clock chaos? KID NATION is produced by Emmy Award winner Tom Forman ("Extreme Makeover: Home Edition") for Tom Forman Prods. and Good TV, Inc.

The new summer reality series is:

POWER OF 10, hosted by award-winning comedian Drew Carey ("The Drew Carey Show"), is a high-stakes game that challenges contestants to guess the behaviors, opinions and lifestyle choices of the American public for the chance to win $10 million. POWER OF 10 polls thousands of people across the U.S. asking them, well, just about everything — from "What percentage of married Americans said they were virgins the day they got married?" to "What percentage of American's believe they are smarter than the president?" Each week, contestants must decide if they have their finger on the pulse of the American majority and can accurately predict the results of these nationwide surveys. With the first question worth $1,000 and only five questions to answer, each one increasing 10 times in value, contestants participate in a potentially lucrative game where they just might walk away with $10 million. The higher they are on the money ladder, the closer they must be to the actual statistic. The studio audience and a friend can help them, but the final answer is theirs. Michael Davies ("Who Wants to be a Millionaire") is executive producer for Embassy Row in association with Sony Pictures Television.

The new midseason series is:

SWINGTOWN, from the director of "Big Love" and "Rome," peeks into the shag-carpeted suburban homes of the 1970s to find couples reveling in the sexual and social revolution that introduced open marriages, women's liberation and challenged many conventional wisdoms. During this heady era of provocative change, Susan (Molly Parker, "Deadwood") and Bruce Miller (Jack Davenport, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest") move their family to an affluent Chicago suburb in search of a different sense of community, and they look forward to barbecues and get-togethers with their new neighbors, as well as a change of pace for their teenage daughter and pre-teen son. Enter Tom (Grant Show, "Melrose Place") and Trina (Lana Parrilla, "24") Decker, a striking, outgoing couple on the hunt who redefine the term "neighborhood watch." After a mind-blowing evening with them, Susan and Bruce realize that couples in this town share much more than recipes, local gossip and a view of Lake Michigan, and are worlds apart from their former conservative neighbors, Janet (Miriam Shor, "Big Day") and Roger (Josh Hopkins, "Brothers & Sisters") Thompson. Susan's loyal friend Janet is appalled by what she witnesses in this new neighborhood, while Roger, though dutiful to his wife, may be more intrigued than she knows. In a changing social climate — defined by its music, fashion and style — everyone in SWINGTOWN is confronted with personal choices, experimentation and shifting attitudes. Shanna Collins ("Wildfire"), Aaron Howles and Brittany Robertson ("Freddie") also star. Mike Kelley ("The O.C.") and director Alan Poul ("Six Feet Under") are executive producers for CBS Paramount Network Television.


The following is the 2007-2008 CBS Television Network Primetime schedule"


CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

2007-2008 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE

(N=New, NT=New Time, all times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8:00-8:30 PM HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
8:30-9:00 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY (N)
9:00-9:30 PM TWO AND A HALF MEN
9:30-10:00 PM RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: MIAMI

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS
9:00-10:00 PM THE UNIT
10:00-11:00 PM CANE (N)

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM KID NATION (N)
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: NY

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM SURVIVOR
9:00-10:00 PM CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION
10:00-11:00 PM WITHOUT A TRACE (NT)

FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM GHOST WHISPERER
9:00-10:00 PM MOONLIGHT (N)
10:00-11:00 PM NUMB3RS

SATURDAY
8:00-9:00 PM CRIMETIME SATURDAY
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMETIME SATURDAY
10:00-11:00 PM 48 HOURS: MYSTERY

SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 PM 60 MINUTES
8:00-9:00 PM VIVA LAUGHLIN (N)
9:00-10:00 PM COLD CASE
10:00-11:00 PM SHARK (NT)

About CBS Television Network

America's most watched television network, CBS was established in 1928, when founder William Paley purchased 16 independent radio stations and christened them the Columbia Broadcast System. Today, with more than 200 television stations and affiliates reaching virtually every home in the United States, CBS is the Number One most watched network in primetime, with a total primetime network lineup that was watched by nearly 100 million people a week during the 2006/2007 season-to-date. The Network has the Number One drama on television, CSI; Number One newsmagazine, 60 MINUTES; Number One sitcom, TWO AND A HALF MEN; Number One daytime drama, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS. Its programming arms include CBS Entertainment, CBS News and CBS Sports.

About CBS Corporation

CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and CBS) is a mass media company with constituent parts that reach back to the beginnings of the broadcast industry, as well as newer businesses that operate on the leading edge of the media industry. The Company, through its many and varied operations, combines broad reach with well-positioned local businesses, all of which provide it with an extensive distribution network by which it serves audiences and advertisers in all 50 states and key international markets. It has operations in virtually every field of media and entertainment, including broadcast television (CBS and The CW – a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment), cable television (Showtime and CSTV Networks), local television (CBS Television Stations), television production and syndication (CBS Paramount Network Television and CBS Television Distribution), radio (CBS Radio), advertising on out-of-home media (CBS Outdoor), publishing (Simon & Schuster), interactive media (CBS Interactive), music (CBS Records), licensing and merchandising (CBS Consumer Products) and video/DVD (CBS Home Entertainment). For more information, log on to www.cbscorporation.com.