Thursday, July 02, 2009

Sneak Peek: 'Leverage' Season Premiere

When I met up with blog buddies RBennie and Becky recently, the timing was perfect. I know that Becky is a big fan of TNT's Leverage and I just received the screener copy of the season premiere. How could I not? I'm including a video bit about the show and Becky's review. Once the season starts, I'll create a blog discussion post for the show.



From Becky, Guest Reviewer and Leverage fan:
The "Beantown Bailout Job": Thrills, cons and the pursuit of justice are back as TNT's fast-paced drama series LEVERAGE returns on July 15 with the Grifter, the Hitter, the Hacker, the Thief and the Brains returning for another season.

In case you missed last season, Timothy Hutton stars as Nate Ford, a former insurance investigator determined to bring down the kind of corrupt bigwigs whose neglect led to the death of his son. His highly skilled team includes Sophie Deveareaux (Gina Bellman), a grifter who uses her acting skills to corner her marks; Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane), a "retrieval specialist" with bone-crunching fighting skills; Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge), a gadget and technology wizard who keeps the team connected and informed; and Parker (Beth Riesgraft), a slightly off center thief adept at rappelling off buildings or squeezing into tight places.

During the first season, the team members put their energy, quick minds and keen intellects toward securing justice for society's underdogs. The five loners learn how to work as a team and to rely on each person's unique skills. They also developed a strong emotional bond.

After the destruction of their headquarters and the decision to go their separate ways at the end of the first season, the team now finds itself together again when Nate witnesses and attempted murder of a bank whistle-blower. Nate's new digs soon become the operational headquarters from which the team will conduct their activities.

When the group meets at a Sound of Music play starring Sophie, the not-so-good singer, they all profess that they enjoyed their six months away from each other. They then confess that Nate has "ruined" them for a life of selfish crime by making them one of the good guys. He has to be convinced to do "this one last job" to find justice for the bank employee. Some of their plans to vindicate the employee do not go as they thought they would, but they still overcome the obstacles for a delightful season opener.

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Tonight's 'So You Think You Can Dance' and 'America's Got Talent' ... plus Julie's BB11 House Tour

Yikes. I've been posting so much today! Eep.



But I wanted to give folks a place to comment on So You Think You Can Dance and America's Got Talent. I'm watching the first one and recording the second.

And here's another BB11 bonus -- Julie Chen's tour of the BB11 house:



The Big Brother 11 Cast Cheat Sheet

I'll be taking a closer look at the hamsters in posts down the line. However, I edited these images with their names, current location (well, real current location is either sequester or in the house!), ages, and occupations. I figure I can look back at this entry in the beginning when I can't keep track who is who. Or, is that who is whom? Only three are married -- Ronnie, Michele, and Casey.












BB11 Twist Revealed

All kinds of news today -- I'm still working on my intro posts for the hamsters.

Meanwhile, from a CBS Press Release:
07.01.2009
CBS INTRODUCES 12 NEW HOUSEGUESTS AND REVEALS A SURPRISE TWIST THAT EVERYONE CAN RELATE TO WHEN "BIG BROTHER" PREMIERES THURSDAY, JULY 9, ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

The Houseguests Will Be Going Back to High School as They Are Divided into Memorable High School Cliques - Popular, Athletes, Brainiacs and Off-Beats

A Mystery 13th Houseguest Will Also Join the Game

House Guests To Compete in House That Has Been Transformed into Green, Eco-Friendly Living Machine

What group did you fit into in high school? That is the question 12 strangers will face on the season premiere of BIG BROTHER, Thursday, July 9 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

12 strangers will move into the Big Brother house and learn that they will be ‘kickin it old school' this summer, high school to be exact. The House Guests will be shocked to learn that they will be playing the game in one of four familiar high school cliques - popular, athletes, brainiacs and off beats. They will compete for food, safety from eviction and luxury prizes as part of their clique.

They will also be surprised to discover that a mystery 13th Houseguest is coming to the BIG BROTHER house, to join the game and give an advantage to one of the cliques.

"You may have graduated, but the truth is we never leave high school and this summer we are going to prove it," says Allison Grodner, Executive Producer of BIG BROTHER. "From the brains to the jocks to the off-beat, everyone will be able to identify to one of these cliques, giving the viewers a group to root for and against from the very beginning. The division will cause instant drama."

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High school? Now I'm going to have nightmares! Your thoughts?

Big Brother 11 Cast on The Early Show Video

I'll be posting more later, but here's the video of the cast reveal on today's The Early Show --