Sneak Peek: 'Saving Grace' on TNT

Saving Grace is a new original drama scheduled to make its debut on TNT next Monday night, July 23, following The Closer.

I think that TNT is going to be building itself a pretty powerful 2-hour block running these two series back-to-back.

Holly Hunter stars as Grace, a rather wild-child fast-living Oklahoma City detective who has attracted a bizarre guardian angel named Earl (Leon Rippy from Deadwood).

I've never been keen on guardian angel shows. I mean, no offense to Della Reese, but I guess I just like my television on the more gritty side of life. But I liked my screener of the Saving Grace pilot. Oh, no! I must be going to heck in a handbasket, eh? I like an angel kind of show? Yipes!

Oh, but this one is different. It's definitely for a more adult audience and parents might not want their children to watch. But I find the concept, the acting, and the characters engaging. Grace's irrational behavior kind of stretches the acceptability level for cops, but angel Earl saves the day... in just as unconventional sort of way. One of Earl's other "clients" is a murderer on Death Row? I love the quirk!

Give it a shot next Monday night at 10 PM. After all, Holly Hunter has won both Emmys and an Academy Award (for The Piano). Do you think she would have taken just any ol' TV job? Nope! Then there's Earl, destined to be the most quirky angel ever on television.

'Big Brother 8' - Live Feeds - Overnight Into 7/17

Shhh... the houseguests are sleeping as I get this posted.

Yes, Dick just went to bed a bit ago, but he's nestled in there now. Hey, if he didn't go to bed so late, the East Coast wouldn't have the Evel Dick Show to watch while sipping their morning coffee!

Here are the late night events from that Big Brother house of Mrs. Robinson and Hopin' Joltin' Joe Will Go:

• Kail tried for three seasons to get on the show while Dustin was recruited -- it was Joe who applied.
• Nick told Amber that he wanted a good person win the money -- like her (Amber) or Jameka. He said that, to him, making good friends is more important than the money. (Now, if you want to make friends... go join a club or church, get involved in the community, even go to the local bar... why get locked in a house with madmen for three months?)
• Although Joe begged him, Dustin told him that he would not be voting for him to stay.
• That made Joe go on an anti-Dustin tantrum complete with namecalling and flame coming out of his ears. (Okay, I made the last part up. But he was mad.)
• Joe asked Eric if he sleepwalks. Eric denied it.
• Jen said she ranks number two in a Google search for the term "hot bikini model." Go ahead, try it and report back.
• Jessica and Joe took a shower together without the divider up. Joe thanked her for the lesson in female anatomy. @@
• Joe thinks he was a target since the first day because of the enemy twist. (I beg to differ -- it was his reaction to the twist, not the twist itself, which made him the target.)
• Dick, Daniele, Jessica, and Joe tried to move the topiary bunnies and deer (which are fake), but Big Brother yelled at them to put them back. So they just decorated them and set a scene.
• Dick told Daniele that Amber is too close to Dustin and he doesn't really trust Dustin. He thinks Dustin will have to go after Kail, Zach, and Jen.
• Daniele told Dick that it's very hard to use the veto knowing someone else had to be put up for eviction.
• Dick thinks he'll be safe from eviction for two or three weeks after this one. He doesn't know if he'll try for HOH. (He's telling us this in the Dick Show when he addresses the cameras and talks to the Internet.)
• Last one in bed was Dick. He finished drying the laundry, he hit the sack at almost 6 AM (PT) after greeting the sun.

'Big Brother 8' -Live Feeds Stuff - Into the Evening 7/16

Who will be evicted? Will it be Dick or Joe? Graphic artist Zoetawny wants to know!

Since the Power of Veto Ceremony, Joe's been even more annoying than usual. That, but of course, is good for Dick's cause. Although it often sounds like an ouster is a sure thing, until the votes are cast we really don't know how it'll all go down. But the more houseguests Joe can alienate in between now and the voting on Wednesday, the better chance Dick has of staying in the house.

Here's what's been happening in the Big Brother House of Frantic Campaigning:

• Nick told Amber and Jameka that he doesn't think Joe has enough votes to stay.
• Kail wants Mike to vote Dick out.
• Kail thinks that Mike, Nick, herself, and possibly Eric will vote Dick out. (She doesn't know that Eric's vote is OURS.)
• She thinks that she may be able to get Zach in on the Vote Out Dick Movement.
• When Joe approached her, Amber told him that she must vote for Dick to stay.
• Jen told Kail it's better if Joe goes -- if he stays, he'll be a target. Kail told her that Evel Dick owes her a favor.
• Kail doesn't understand why both Jen and Mike are bothered by Zach. She doesn't see the behavior.
• Jen said that no one wants Zach in sequester.
• Jen thinks it may be a close vote week which means everyone has to be nice to her. @@
• Joe, when begging Jessica for her vote, also asked her how to get Mike's vote... to stay, of course.
• Joe told Jessica he caught Dustin lying to him. The lie? He didn't tell him that Jen was putting him on the block when he knew that was the case. (I wouldn't tell him either!)
• Jen talked about Vanna White, the mother of the family for whom she's a nanny. Gag me with a spoon.
• Joe moaned that this season is "so scripted." I believe he means due to the presence of Dustin he can't play the game as he had planned.
• Daniele said Joe is putting too much pressure on her calling her his only hope to stay in the game.
• Eric thinks that if Joe stays and wins HOH, he'll put him on the block.
• Kail told Daniele that her father had asked her to spare her (Daniele) the week she was HOH so he could have another week with Daniele. She also told her that Dick said he owes her for doing so.
• Kail told Danielle she's still scared Dick might come after her if he stays. Daniele told Amber that she'll tell Dick to target Jen, Mike, or Zach... but to keep his word to Kail.
• Joe thinks he has Kail, Dustin, Mike, Zach, and Eric votes.
• When Dick asked Jessica if he was overconfident, she insisted he was staying.
• Dustin told Kail he wants Joe to go.
• Dick brought up the Spool of Lies. Heh.
• Dick told Kail that Daniele doesn't like Zach.
• Dick also told Kail that he heard that she said he was her target. She claimed it's only because she thought he was going to go after her, but she feels safe with him now. (We'll see how safe on Thursday. Dick and Kail are the two serious BB gamers in the house. It could be the War of the Worlds when those two collide.)
• Jen told Jessica that Amber offered to go up as a pawn to get Dick out of the house. (I vaguely recall that, but don't know how serious she was about it.)

So, there you go. It's a Spool of Lies on a wild Merry-Go-Round. I think that Dick is probably safe, but I know I'll vote for Eric to vote Joe out.

'Hell's Kitchen' - A Quick Take on Episode 7

It's down to six chefs, three men and three women, in this season's Hell's Kitchen. If you ask me, none of them are ready to take on the responsibilities of running a fine dining restaurant. None of them.

Julia is a personal favorite of mine. I think that in many areas, she may be the most competent chef all around. Alas, she's not all too familiar with the sort of restaurant which she would win. Plus, while she can take charge, I think her lack of fine dining experience hurts her own self-esteem.

Jen. I don't care for her. Technically, she may have the most experience on the womens' team, but I can't get past her planning to use pasta she retrieved from the trash can. I know I should get over it, but I just can't. Eww.

Then there's Bonnie. Chef Ramsay is slightly right when he implies (being kind here) that she's a bit dippy. She may be creative and have great ideas, but she can't follow through in the kitchen. From her own mouth tonight, "My creativity supercedes what I can do."

Onto the men, I found Brad especially annoying tonight. In the service, they had to make their own menus. He practically took over and wouldn't work with Josh or Rock at all. Then he screws up in the kitchen.

Josh has always been a bit of a non-entity to me throughout the season. He is in no way ready to run anything more involved than a chain restaurant. No, not fancy dining. Nuh-uh.

Now, I think Rock has the talent in the kitchen. But his personal skills are a bit lacking. He gets explosive and boils rather than attempting to actually work with a team.

Get rid of all of them and give us replacements, please.

Tonight the challenge was to serve one appetizer and two entrees out of leftovers provided to them. They had a half-hour to whip it all together. The guys won, partly because Julia made fish and chips which were good but won't fly in a fancy-schmancy restaurant. The men got to go play paintball with Ramsay while the women cleaned and took in the deliveries. They screwed up the checking in of the deliveries and caused themselves even more work.

In setting up the service in which each team chose its menu, the women substitured Julia's choice of NY strip steak at the last minute. Wise choice; it was the most popular dish.

The women got off to a great start while the men faltered. Before the service, Ramsay mentioned teamwork. Neither team knows the meaning of the word. The women refused to talk to each other and the lack of communication loused up their work. With the men, Josh was totally sinking when Ramsay told Rock and Brad to help him. Neither made a move to save their team.

At the end, Ramsay praised Julia and fired Brad. As it should be.

But, if it were me, I'd fire 'em all and give the kid from the fryer at the local roadside stand a chance at the big time.

Latest on TV Squad

Hey there! Head on over to my latest on TV Squad and make some noise! Er, polite yet engaging noise, please! :-)

I cover the quickie updates through the day here up through Joe's reaction to his nomination.