'The Closer' spinoff is coming to a television near you!

I get way too emotional when one of my television shows comes to an end.

A series finale is like a funeral to me.  There have been many times that I just won't watch the final episode because I just don't want to say goodbye.  If I don't watch it, then it never happened...right? (Like the final Oprah show!)

So imagine my glee when I found out that one of my favorite shows will be turning a spin-off when they wrap up!

I have watched TNT's The Closer since episode one and I will be there to the end.  There is nothing like Brenda Lee Johnson and Fritz make me laugh.

The end of 'The Closer' will be a short one - only six episodes. So that's pretty depressing.

The great thing about 'The Closer' is not just

Brenda & Fritz.  The ensamble cast is one of the most amazing in television - so I'm so excited to see that they will be the stars soon of their own show!

'Major Crimes' debutes on TNT on August 13, with the focus on the also hysterical Capt. Sharon Raydor.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the show will center on how the detectives and prosecutors work together to convict criminals.

Plus, Kyra Sedgwick said she hasn't ruled out dropping by Crimes sometime down the road.  WIN!

There's not a lot of information on the TNT website yet...but there is this great picture - and I'm so excited to see Buzz!!

 

DVR Alert! New Summer Shows Ahead!

It used to be summer meant reruns.  Sad, boring reruns.  For a telvision junkie like me, it was the most depressing time of the year.

But tv executives finally got smart.  Well, smarter.  Now for a junkie like me, the dark days are over!

Here's a look of what's to come:

June 10:
Mob Wives Chicago - VH1, 8pm

June 11:
Bunheads - ABC Family, 9pm
Chicagolicious - Style, 9pm
*So let me get this straight - Amy Sherman-Palladino (Gilmore Girls) has a new show and Emily Gilmore is also in it??? Plus Cameron from Ferris Bueller? HELL TO THE YES!  Sneak peak below:

June 14:
Suits - USA, 10pm

June 20:
Baby Daddy - ABC Family, 8:30pm

June 24:
The Newsroom - HBO, 10pm
**Aaron Sorkin?  A show based on a 24-hour cable news network??  Again- HELL TO THE YES!

June 27:
The Real World: St. Thomas - MTV, 10pm
(Yes I love the real world - do not judge me.)

July 1:
Weeds - Showtime, 10pm
Episodes - Showtime, 10:30p

July 9:
Bizarre Foods America - Travel, 9pm
The Closer - TNT, 9pm

July 11:
Beverly Hills Nannies - ABC Family, 9pm

July 25:
Top Chef Masters - Bravo, 10pm

July 27:
2012 London Olympics - Opening Ceremony!!!!

August 13:
Major Crimes - TNT, 10pm
**This news is SO big that I'm going to do a whole blog just abou that!**

August 19:
The Great Food Truck Race - Food Network, 10pm

 

There are many more - but these are the ones I will be DVR'ing.
So what are you watching this summer?

My Favorite Today Show Moment

Well, not really my favorite moment on the SHOW, but my favorite thing because of the show.

The Today Show has always been a part of my morning routine in some shape or form.  It has made me love news, has made me go into this crazy business and is partly to blame for my celebrity affections.

There was one magical night I got to meet two Today Show anchors...and it was awesome.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Happy 60th Today Show!

Globe Time...

Nominations are out for the first big award show of the year....
Here are the nominations for television...along with my personal picks...
I'm not listing the nominations for movies because, well, I never see movies.

Series, Drama:
"Big Love," HBO
"Damages," FX Networks
"Grey's Anatomy," ABC
"House," Fox
"Mad Men," AMC
"The Tudors," Showtime
Jen's pick: This one is a no-brainer....GREY'S ANATOMY!!

Actress, Drama:
Patricia Arquette, "Medium"
Glenn Close, "Damages"
Minnie Driver, "The Riches"
Edie Falco, "The Sopranos"
Sally Field, "Brothers & Sisters"
Holly Hunter, "Saving Grace"
Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"
Jen's pick: Hands down- Kyra Sedgwick. Brenda Lee makes you want to cringe- but be her all at the same time!

Actor, Drama:
Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"
Hugh Laurie, "House"
Jonathan Rhys Meyers, "The Tudors"
Bill Paxton, "Big Love"
Jen's Pick: Personally, I'm upset Patrick Dempsey is NOT on this list. He should be!! I've never heard of half these shows....so I'm going to go with Hugh Laurie- because he freaks me out- which means he's a good actor!

Series, Musical or Comedy:
"30 Rock," NBC
"Californication," Showtime
"Entourage," HBO
"Extras," HBO
"Pushing Daisies" ABC
Jen's pick: 30 Rock- no question

Actress, Musical or Comedy:
Christina Applegate, "Samantha Who?"
America Ferrera, "Ugly Betty"
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"
Anna Friel, "Pushing Daisies"
Mary-Louise Parker, "Weeds"
Jen's Pick: Tough category- all great actresses..this is one of those categories where it's "I'm just so proud to be considered with these fine women."
I'm going to put my money on Tina Fey...or Mary-Louise Parker.....I can't decide!


Actor, Musical or Comedy:
Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"
Steve Carell, "The Office"
David Duchovny, "Californication"
Ricky Gervais, "Extras"
Lee Pace, "Pushing Daisies"
Jen's Pick: I want to say Alec Baldwin. But, I think the voters might be a little turned off by his semi-recent controversy because of his phone call to his daughter. So I'm going to go with Steve Carell.

Miniseries or Movie:
"Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee," HBO
"The Company," TNT
"Five Days," HBO
"Longford," HBO
"The State Within" BBC America.
Jen's Pick: Never seen any of these..I'm going to go with......Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.

Actress, Miniseries or Movie:
Bryce Dallas Howard, "As You Like It"
Debra Messing, "The Starter Wife"
Queen Latifah, "Life Support"
Sissy Spacek, "Pictures of Hollis Woods"
Ruth Wilson, "Jane Eyre (Masterpiece Theatre)"
Jen's Pick: Let's go with Debra Messing. That's the only one on this list that I've seen- and I enjoyed it!

Actor, Miniseries or Movie:
Adam Beach, "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee"
Ernest Borgnine, "A Grandpa for Christmas"
Jim Broadbent, "Longford"
Jason Isaacs, "The State Within"
James Nesbitt, "Jekyll."
Jen's Pick: Again- no idea...I've never even heard of any of these actors!! Let's go with Ernest Borgnine...because I think I've heard his name before!

Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie:
Rose Byrne, "Damages"
Rachel Griffiths, "Brothers & Sisters"
Katherine Heigl, "Grey's Anatomy"
Samantha Morton, "Longford"
Anna Paquin, "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee"
Jaime Pressly, "My Name Is Earl."
Jen's Pick: I really want to go with Katherine Heigl because I love Grey's. But really...is she really that great of an actress? The role doesn't really seem to be that much of a stretch. I know...shocking I'm falling off the Grey's wagon. Because of my logic- I'm going with Jamie Pressly. I think that role is quite a stretch!

Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie:
Ted Danson, "Damages"
Kevin Dillon, "Entourage"
Jeremy Piven, "Entourage"
Andy Serkis, "Longford"
William Shatner, "Boston Legal"
Donald Sutherland, "Dirty Sexy Money"
Jen's Pick: I'm going with Donald Sutherland. He scares me. I think Entourage will cancel each other out. I like William Shatner- but I don't think that role is much of a stretch either. He plays a crazy old man....

What in the world?

In the, what will they think of next file...comes this very important next step for television ratings.
Right now, the television news your watching is most likely just about ratings. They don't care about you, but about what you buy and where you spend your money.
But that could all be changing.

Check out this article from today's Orlando Sentinel:

Hal Boedeker Sentinel Television Critic
September 26, 2007
Say goodbye to killer bras -- or whatever outrageous report you remember from sweeps month.Sweeps, as we know them, are doomed in Central Florida.Likely extinction date: February 2009.
Local People Meters will render obsolete those sweeps periods -- in February, May, July and November -- when stations hype reports to pull in viewers. The meters will go into service in Orlando, the nation's No. 19 market, in January 2009 after a preliminary start in November 2008."It is a turning point in local TV," Henry Maldonado, general manger of WKMG-Channel 6, said Tuesday. "That four-times-a-year rush you guys are kidding us about, to generate audience, will end."The Local People Meters replace the current system of household meters and diaries. Viewers fill out diaries to provide demographic information during sweeps. The stations sell advertising time based on demographics more than on household ratings.The Local People Meters make the diaries unnecessary and provide more accurate daily statistics on who's watching.The measuring shift is significant, said Bill Bauman, general manager of WESH-Channel 2. "I think advertisers are looking forward to this," he said. "They'll be able to see what they're paying for on a daily basis."The shift to Local People Meters will mean increased competition, station bosses agreed."It's going to be constant pressure every day on news organizations and promotion," said Shawn Bartelt, general manager of WFTV-Channel 9. "It's probably a good thing for viewers. The horse race will be taking place every day."Maldonado predicted that promotion will be more focused."Stations will be able to target specific groups and see the results the next day," he said. "The measuring is becoming more surgical, more narrow."The shift to Local People Meters can shake the pecking order in a market, said Tim Brooks, executive vice president of research for Lifetime."Diaries tend to favor long-established stations," Brooks said. "A change from less accurate to more accurate information can be disruptive. Diaries are out of date in today's multimedia world."In the top markets, where Local People Meters have been installed, sweeps months have changed, Brooks said."They still program for sweeps, but you don't have as many big events," he said. "That is going to spread to most of the country. There won't be the imperative to do a bizarre 11 o'clock news story."