from the couch of Renzie Baluyut
With our old favorite TV shows coming back for new seasons, we can definitely expect a lot of great viewing these next few months. There will be surprise hits and flops, drama on- and off-cam, and of course, new chicks on TV!
So far, I have my eye on three great-looking women: Anna Torv of the J.J. Abrams FOX drama Fringe, Dania Ramirez, the deadly Maya from the hit NBC show Heroes, and then we have Mädchen Amick, who plays Nate Archibald's new cougar love interest on Gossip Girl on The CW.
Lets get to know them a little better, shall we?
Anna Torv of Fringe
As special agent Olivia Dunham, Anna Torv kicks ass every week on Fringe. And just like any other FBI field operative, she's chasing down criminals on foot, or vaulting over cars, or even across buildings.
What makes Dunham's character so bad-ass is the kind of crooks she hunts down: you'd think they're regular serial killers or terrorists, but these miscreants are actually part of some much larger, much more elaborate conspiracy she's still trying to figure out.
Anna Torv's character is forced to confront the systematic spread of weird, paranormal occurences (called 'The Pattern' on the show), and I have to say that Anna is doing great playing Olivia Dunham.
Anna is an Australian actress, with a few movies and TV shows to her credit, but this is the biggest role she has thus far, and I say good luck on this endeavor. She's doing a great job, and I can't wait to watch the next episode to see how The Pattern unfolds.
J.J. Abrams' Fringe is this season's new sci-fi action/thriller. I'd describe it as the new X-Files, though there are people who also see a little bit of Dark Angel, Twilight Zone and Lost in it.
Dania Ramirez of Heroes
We've actually seen Dania Ramirez's character, Maya, last season on the NBC hit drama. Remember that Mexican chick who'd always be crying black tears and then everyone in a hundred-foot-radius would suddenly drop dead?
Well, Maya is back this season, and while we didn't see much character development the last time she was on Heroes, she promises fans this time, "I cry a lot less this season and make out a lot more."
We can all appreciate that. Thank you, Dania.
Dania Ramirez actually came from the Dominican Republic, and has had a recurring role in The Sopranos' final season. You also may have caught her on the last X-Men movie (X-Men: The Last Stand in 2006) and on a music video here and there.
As for Dania's character on Heroes, well, we've seen some more of that "making out" the other night. That, plus more revealing clothes. Still no idea how her powers work though. Is it psionic in nature? Does she exude some kind of airborne nerve toxin? A fast-acting disease perhaps?
I suppose we'll have to find out in the next several episodes of Heroes. And I wouldn't mind seeing more Dania Ramirez in the process.
Mädchen Amick of Gossip Girl
Her name Mädchen means "girl" in German, and is pronounced mayd-shyen- remember that. You probably remember her as Shelly Johnson from the old TV drama Twin Peaks, or that chick in the Stephen King movie Sleepwalkers (1992).
OK, so she also had recurring roles on a lot of other shows including Gilmore Girls, E.R., Jake In Progress and Joey- that plus a number of movie roles and other gigs. So you get the idea: she has been around for quite some time, and now Mädchen is back, for the appreciation of a totally new audience on Gossip Girl.
Mädchen Amick plays the role of Catherine Mason, one of this season's new characters. She has a summer fling with Chace Crawford's character of Nate Archibald, which of course goes on to extend for several episodes just for fun.
We also find out later on that Catherine Mason is stepmom to Blair Waldorf's (Leighton Meester) love interest, Marcus. With all the characters running around, up to their usual Upper East-side scheming and shenanigans, you know that this makes for great Gossip Girl drama, and it can only be a good thing for viewers, right?
There will definitely be more Mädchen Amick and Catherine Mason this season. You know you love her.
Hey, you can check out our featured actresses on their own respective profiles on the Internet Movie Database: check out Anna Torv's here, Dania Ramirez's here, and Mädchen Amick's here.
As long as TV keeps coming up with delicious eye-candy, this blog's feature on "Favorite TV Chicks" will be on hand to get to know more about our fine female performers who make our TV shows a little bit more interesting. Only on "Too Much TV | Renzie on TV!"
Cheers, everyone!
by Renzie Baluyut
You've probably been waiting for it all year- the third volume of Heroes finally made its premiere last night. I caught it myself, and liked it. I'm sure a lot of my friends did too. But in the business of television, buzz is good, but ratings ultimately matter. The question is: was the NBC drama able to hold up well enough against the fierce Monday night competition?
Not quite heroically enough, according to a report on TV.com. In fact, according to figures from The Hollywood Reporter, viewership of Heroes: Villains is rather disappointing- down 25% this season, based on ratings of the third season premiere last night, pulling in only 9.9 million sets of eyeballs.
Which meant one in four who saw the second season premiere last year was probably watching something else, leaving it up to the DVR to record the show, or just busy doing other stuff. Heroes overload, perhaps?
We had three hours' worth of Heroes last night: a 1-hour clip show at 8pm, which pretty much just brings us up to speed with what went down the past couple seasons, then you had Episodes 1 and 2 of the "Villains" volume: "The Second Coming" at 9pm and "The Butterfly Effect" at 10pm.
Understand, however, that in my case, I also want to catch my other favorite Monday night shows- specifically: Gossip Girl (on The CW, at 8pm), How I Met Your Mother (on CBS, at 8:30pm), The Sarah Connor Chronicles (on FOX, at 9pm). So thank Bob for DVR's.
Now that's just MY demographic. What about the rest of Monday night primetime-viewing America? It seemed that ABC's Dancing with the Stars pulled in 21.1 million viewers- more than twice the number of Heroes' viewers- at 9pm, and then CBS kicks NBC's ass at 10pm with David Caruso's screaming hot shades with CSI: Miami's 16.9 million viewers.
The biggest draw for Monday night however, seemed to have come from Monday Night Football, with the return of Bret Favre, so all around, even the other Monday night shows got hit: The Sarah Connor Chronicles only had 5.8 million viewers, Prison Break (also on FOX) also took a slight dive, and so did Gossip Girl, which saw 20% less viewers compared to last week.
Possibly impressive: comedy newcomer Worst Week garnered more than 11 million viewers last night- still at least a million more viewers than the Heroes season 3 premiere.
I'm still hoping that our heroes (and villains) would rally by next week. Sure looks like the Petrellis have some hustling to do.
Cheers, everyone!
You already knew this was coming. Tina Fey is just going to be so all over Sarah Palin.
Exactly what I thought when I first saw Governor Sarah Palin, running mate of Republican presidential hopeful, Senator John McCain, on TV at that Republican Convention a few weeks back. She does look so much like Tina Fey, doesn't she? Check their photos out right here.
The resemblance is uncanny, wouldn't you agree?
In case you didn't know, Tina Fey is best known for her work on Saturday Night Live and on 30 Rock, both on NBC. On a recent airing of Saturday Night Live, the show opens with Tina Fey (as Gov. Palin) alongside Amy Poehler (as Sen. Hillary Clinton) as they address the nation. In true SNL form, the sketch just completely bowled me over. Watch and enjoy.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the new shows for the Fall Season are upon us. Yes, your favorite shows- at least most of 'em, anyway- are back to entertain you once again. So get your eyeballs ready- there's lots of great stuff coming out of primetime TV these next few months!
Week of Sept 01 to 07
Gossip Girl comes back with its second season on The CW, Monday, September 01.
Yet another cycle of America's Next Top Model- we're on season 11, btw- comes back on The CW on Wednesday, Sept 03
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, returns with all-new episodes on FOX, the second season premieres on Monday, Sept 08
House, now on its fifth season, comes back on Tuesday, Sept 16.
Heroes on NBC. With a 60-minute clip show preceeding the third season premiere. Sept 22.
Season 5 of CSI: New York comes back on CBS on Wednesday, Sept 24.
It's a special 2-hour premiere for season 5 of Grey's Anatomy; comes back on ABC on Sept 25.
The Amazing Race is back on CBS for its 13th season; it's another race around the world on Sunday, Sept 28.
ABC's Brothers and Sisters is on its third season, returning on ABC on Sunday, Sept 28.
The second season of Chuck comes back on NBC on Sept 29.
The Grey's Anatomy spinoff, Private Practice, is back for another run. Second season premieres on Wednesday, Oct 01 on ABC.
CSI: Las Vegas is back on CBS; season 9 premieres on Thursday, Oct 9.Summer is right on top of us- with the last season's shows already wrapping up, and networks announcing their primetime lineups for the coming fall. Welcome to Renzie Reviews the 2008 Fall Lineup- in this post we cover NBC. 
Returning Favorites on NBC
We'll be seeing new seasons of our favorites "30 Rock", "Chuck", "Heroes", "Life", "My Name Is Earl" and "The Office".
Also coming back are "Medium", "Lipstick Jungle", "Law & Order: SVU", "Law & Order", "Friday Night Lights", "ER", "Deal or No Deal", "Dateline NBC", "The Biggest Loser" and "The Apprentice".
Cancelled Shows
I was hoping they might be able to breathe new life into "Bionic Woman". Oh well- so much for that.
Axed this season were mostly game shows and competitions: "1 vs 100", "Amne$ia", "Clash of the Choirs", "My Dad is Better than Your Dad", "Phenomenon", and "The Singing Bee".
Also cancelled were "Las Vegas" and "Journeyman".
"Quarterlife" heads on over to NBC's sister cable channel Bravo.
New Shows on NBC
For new shows, there's a still-untitled spin-off of "The Office" in the pipeline, the new Christian Slater spy-drama "My Own Worst Enemy", a new Molly Shannon comedy "Kath & Kim", and the new Howie Mandell show, "Howie Do It".
Don't forget the re-imagined "Knight Rider"- though we heard it hardly has anything to do with the pilot that aired earlier this year.
Other new shows include dramas "Crusoe", "Kings", "The Listener", "Merlin", "The Philanthropist", and documentary/reality shows "America's Toughest Jobs", "The Chopping Block", "Shark Taggers", and "Who Do You Think You Are?"
Keep track of your favorite shows for the coming fall season on my continuing coverage: Renzie Reviews the 2008 Fall Lineup- our next posts will be covering ABC, FOX, CBS and The CW.
Cheers, everyone!
It's not a secret that NBC late night talk show host Conan O'Brien is into video games. As a matter of fact, he did manage to amuse himself and whatever was left of his staff with rounds of Rock Band during the Writers' Strike earlier this year.
So it's no surprise that he's been able to get himself a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV, the latest and hottest GTA title in the controversial game series, which immerses you in a shady world of violence, sex and drug-dealing.
Supposedly, the latest installment of the GTA series has addressed these issues. And for the past few shows, Conan has been kind enough to share his experiences with a more audience-friendly, mellowed-down Grand Theft Auto IV.
Take a look at these:
Too bad a lot of our shows had their number of episodes cut this season. Nevertheless, get ready as your favorite shows leave you hanging at the edge of your seats, answer some questions, or leave you with even more questions.
Let's check in on our most-watched shows as they wrap up in time for summer!
30 Rock (NBC). Jack lands himself a new job, Liz gets a pregnancy scare, and Tracy's porn-video game masterpiece is just about complete. We need more 30 Rock! Season 2 just ended last Thursday, May 8.
America's Next Top Model (The CW). Haven't we had enough top models already? Cycle 10 ends on Wednesday, May 14.
American Idol (FOX). The two Davids battle it out, but for some reason, I'm just not too excited about it this season. Season finale on Wednesday, May 21.
Battlestar Galactica (SciFi). We hit the episode 10 mark on Friday, June 13. No official word on when it's coming out, but the second installment of 10 episodes wraps up not just Season 4, but the entire series.
But hey, word is, we'll be getting the spin-off Caprica soon, and there might even be a BSG movie coming up!
CSI (CBS). Warrick finds himself in hot water in CSI's eighth season finale. This Thursday, May 15.
CSI: Miami (CBS). The entire Miami team is in danger, but Horatio is around to save the day. Find out what happens on the sixth season finale on (Monday) May 19.
CSI: New York (CBS). A bank heist goes terribly wrong- but you know the New York team is going to pull through as always. Could be fun! Season 4 wraps up on Wednesday, May 21.
Gossip Girl (The CW). The promos are hot, and as far as we can tell with the past few episodes, the first season finale is sure not to disappoint. Catch it Monday next week, May 19.
Grey's Anatomy (ABC). It's gonna be a 2-hour season finale, and you know there's gonna be lots of Seattle Grace drama going on. Fourth season wraps up on (Thursday) May 22.
The Hills (MTV). If you're a fan of Heidi, Spencer and Lauren, then you definitely wouldn't want to miss The Hills' third season finale! Airs on Monday, May 12.
House (FOX) is on its 4th season, and the two-hour finale airs this Monday, May 12.
How I Met Your Mother (CBS). We're almost at the end of Season 3, and we still don't know exactly how he did. Are we finally going to get some answers on (Monday) May 19?
Lost (ABC). Brace yourself for a two-hour season finale. More answers this time? Or just more questions? Check it out on (Thursday) May 29.
My Name is Earl (NBC). Earl must make a choice: his wife, or the list. The one-hour season finale airs this (Thursday) May 15.
The Office (NBC). Toby says goodbye and heads off to Costa Rica, and in comes his HR replacement. How does Michael Scott deal this time? Find out on Thursday, May 14.
One Tree Hill (The CW). I haven't watched a single episode, but I know a lot of my friends who do. The fifth season draws to a close on (Monday) May 19.
Reaper (The CW). It's Sam versus an entire army of demons as we wrap up the first season. Question is, will Reaper be back for Season 2? Airs on Tuesday, May 20.
Scrubs (NBC). Word is, they're moving to ABC next season. But not before the entire Sacred Heart staff winds up in a twisted fairy tale conjured up by Dr. Cox. Season 7 just ended last Thursday, May 8.
Smallville (The CW). What has Braniac been up to this time? Also- Clark faces off with Lex, Lana wakes up from her coma, and so much more going on as Season 7 of Smallville wraps up on (Thursday) May 15.
Supernatural (The CW). Dean has just 30 hours left until his pact with the demon Lilith expires. Can he, Sam and Bobby pull through? Season finale airs on Thursday, May 15.
Top Chef (Bravo). Just needed an excuse to put host Padma Lakshmi's picture up here. Season 4 has been really fun, and we may have some six episodes still on the way- which means we'll be seeing our top 2 chefs slug it out on (Wednesday) June 18.
Ugly Betty (ABC). Sorry, I don't watch this show, but my friends do. Season finale happens on (Thursday) May 22.
So there you have it- make sure you don't miss your shows! Stick around as we cover the fall line-ups soon. We'll get official word from the networks in a few days.
Cheers, everyone!
Thank YouTube for bringing back all those childhood memories, I always say. It's been decades since I actually saw anything Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, so featuring the clips here is really such a trip.
"Electra Woman and Dyna Girl", as I remembered was a live-action superhero (or, more appropriately, superheroine) series, which played a lot off on the popularity of the Adam West/Burt Ward "Batman" series. The show was actually part of "The Krofft Supershow", a variety show for kids, together with "Dr. Shrinker" and another old favorite, "Wonderbug".
Dierdre Hall of "Days of Our Lives" stars as Electra Woman, with Judy Strangis as her sidekick Dyna Girl. While not fighting crime, they're Lori and Judy, reporters for Newsmaker magazine.
Instead of utility belts, they each have a bulky wrist-mounted ElectraCom- which, by default, serves as their way of changing into their superheroine costumes, as well as acting as a 2-way communication device with Professor Frank Helkin (who invented the ElectraComs, btw), who's constantly monitoring their progress in the Electra-cave.
With the addition of certain cartridges, the ElectraCom can do just about anything from emitting a variety of beams, generate force fields, freeze targets, etc. depending on the mission-of-the-week.
They also have their own vehicle, the ElectraCar, which also transforms into the ElectraPlane.
70sVidKid shares with us the funky opening theme for the show on YouTube. Check it:
Ah, the 90's. You all remember Right Said Fred? C+C Music Factory? What about Ariel and Efrim? Then check out this clip and get ready for a laugh trip!
You've loved her in Juno! Now check out the incomparable Ellen Page as she deals with a zombie and -uh- Count Dracula. In dreamland. Um...just watch the video.
Well at least it looks like the shots were taken from Nathan Petrelli's office or something, using Nathan Petrelli-esque clothes. What do you think?
Saturday Night Live is back on the air, ladies and gentlemen. We've had three episodes (since the Writers' Strike) this year so far, bringing the total live broadcasts to eight this season (we're now on season 33, btw).
It's great to have some old favorites back on TV. Me, I've always been a huge fan of the SNL Digital Shorts. Check this one out called "Hero Song".
OK, so maybe not- but here's a little something for you Project Runway fans.
It was in December of 2005, midway into the 31st season, that Saturday Night Live started airing 3-minute short films called "SNL Digital Shorts" as part of its broadcast.
You gotta give credit to The Lonely Island guys- Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone and Andy Samberg for putting all their hard work and comedic talent into making these clips happen. From what I understand, the boys have been largely responsible for writing the stuff, shooting it themselves on digital video cameras, and editing them on a regular PC.
Which is what they've been doing for quite some time during their early Lonely Island days. The very first SNL digital short, which appeared on the 03 December 2005 episode was "Lettuce", which became an instant internet favorite. You can find a clip of "Lettuce" on the NBC official website, but the quality is really bad (we'll feature it when we find a better clip).
What really made it happen for the dudes, was this clip- "Lazy Sunday", which aired 2 weeks later on December 17. It was a huge internet favorite, and racked up some 5 million views on YouTube before NBC pulled it out (but it's now available on the NBC website). Check it out now!
NBC had once again revived the Knight Rider franchise. Knight Rider 2008, a made-for-tv movie/backdoor pilot, aired a couple of Sundays ago, 17 February 2008. It's a totally new storyline that ignores the earlier Knight Rider movies (one in 1991 and another in 1994), and that alternate-reality Team Knight Rider series.
This one pretty much comes from the timeline set from the old Knight Rider TV series. And without having to reveal too much, let's just say that, despite a whole new cast and a brand new car- yes, there IS still a Michael Knight connection.
The New Knight Rider
KITT- the Knight Industries Two Thousand- used to be a Black Pontiac Firebird/Trans Am that boasted a molecular bonded shell (read: bulletproof) and some serious AI (the car can talk, man!).
Our new KITT has a whole range of spiffy new enhancements and upgrades- so now it's the Knight Industries Three Thousand. I guess it's the extra 1000 that gives it that extra punch.
Instead of the Black Pontiac Firebird, the new KITT is a 2008 Ford Mustang GT500KR, but has generally the same features of the original KITT- it's black and it talks!
Check out the features of the new and improved KITT, as compiled by Wikipedia:
It is important to note that if KITT's Artificial Intelligence is offline, the self-regeneration mechanism is inactive, making it as vulnerable as an ordinary car. Part of the shutting down procedures of KITT's AI includes the release of the clutch pedal as well as a stick shift to allow manual control.
- 550 horsepower solar hybrid engine
- Sports-tuned suspension
- Xenon headlamps with infrared night-vision
- Metallic paint with nanotech enhanced camouflage including morphing License Plate.
- Military satellite access
- FBI database access
- Self-regeneration and damage repair
- High-speed Internet
- Artificial Intelligence
- Voice-activated GPS
- Apple Wireless Keyboard in the glove box under an accessory drawer
- Biometric Interface to access security features.
- Wireless headset to communicate with passengers within a limited distance.
- Biomedical Scanner.
Other details from the pilot film:Instead of the famous communicator watch, KITT communicates with its operators via a wireless headset, and can access wireless phone networks. Since KITT can tie into numerous computer systems, it is able to emulate many of the functions of the watch, such as unlocking doors.
- Driving cross-country, KITT can average a speed of 191 mph (307 km/h) and travel 627 mi (1,009 km) in 3 h 17 min.
- Although largely solar powered, KITT does use gasoline; with 91% of the energy being recycled, it averages 167 mpg (US) (1.4 l/100 km).
No word yet, as far as I can tell. The Knight Rider made-for-TV movie that aired was really a backdoor pilot- which means that, depending on how it was received by the audience, and on its commercial viability- a network can then choose to pick it up for a regular season, or just dump it in the TV Recycle Bin altogether.Finally, Jericho fans will be getting what they paid for in truckloads of nuts! A new episode comes out on Feb 12. So if you feel like doing some homework just before the new season premiere, you still have time to do some surfing or even watching the last few episodes all over again- which is what I'll probably be doing.
While we do have some shows to tide us over for now- The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Project Runway, The Apprentice and Lost, I'd sure like to get some resolution done for the whole lot of shows left midway through their respective seasons.
So here I am, still keeping tabs on the shows I usually watch. There are actually a lot of people asking me if a certain show has new episodes out, or if I know when a new show is coming back- so I thought I'd do everyone a service by posting a quick update on some of our favorite shows right here.
30 Rock last aired Episode 10 of Season 2 last Jan 10. It's been weeks since we got anything new.
Grey's Anatomy came back with "Lay Your Hands On Me" last January 10- but that was it. Nothing new from the guys since then.
Scrubs last went on with "My #1 Doctor" last December 6. No word yet when the guys will be out with a new episode."Chuck" is undoubtedly one of my more favorite shows for the season. It's a good mix of comedy and action-adventure, with lots of eye-candy, fun characters, and geek-culture references. Looks like production's on hold though, thanks to the ongoing writer's strike.
Which disappoints me to no end, because it means I have to wait quite a bit to see more Yvonne Strahovski on TV. Yvonne is probably this season's breakout female lead. She comes all the way from Australia, where she auditioned from to land the role of CIA Special Agent Sarah Walker on the hit NBC spy thriller-comedy. 
Basically her character keeps close to Chuck as a guardian angel of sorts. With a deadly proficiency for throwing knives and other concealed weapons, apparently.
Yvonne's name is really spelled as 'Strzechowski', as in Yvonne Strzechowski. To help us all out, she has been using the more phonetic spelling of Yvonne Strahovski as her stage name.
In any case, I'm just glad Josh Schwartz (same dude who gave us "The O.C." and "Gossip Girl") cast her for the part, and it always is something for fan-boys like me to look forward to whenever "Chuck" comes on.
Check out Yvonne's entry on IMDb here, and her Wikipedia entry here.
As long as TV keeps coming up with delicious eye-candy, this blog's feature on "Favorite TV Chicks" will be on hand to get to know more about our fine female performers who make our TV shows a little bit more interesting. Only on "Too Much TV: Renzie on TV!"
Cheers, everyone!
I might be a media guy, but my field is really more into radio and marketing more than anything else. For the most part, it means that what I know about television is pretty much stuff just about anyone can know- so don't expect me to go technical or anything. 
Hey, Renzie here at your service, and thanks for stopping by to check out the stuff on this blog.