With August coming to an end and September right around the corner it’s time to get prepared for start of the new fall season of television. This year there are many new shows that will be debuting and even more old favorites returning. I haven’t yet decided which new shows I plan on checking out, but there are a ton of returning goodies that I can’t wait to tune in to.
Glee premieres on September 13 on Fox and I am ready for this new “revolutionary” season.
Grimm returns to its regular time slot on September 21 on NBC after and early post Olympic premiere this past Monday.
New Girl returns to Fox on September 25. “Who’s that girl? It’s Jess!”
Modern Family premieres the next day, September 26, on ABC.
The Big Bang Theory rounds out the week of sitcom returns that I’m looking forward to on September 27 over at CBS.
And finally, Once Upon a Time returns to ABC on September 30. ***Sidenote: I have joined a new podcast called Onceable, which is all about this fantastic show. I will be joining four other wonderful ladies (including fellow blogger Karen Rought) starting with episode 2 of the podcast. You can check it out on Hypable or iTunes.
There are many other shows that I watch – yes, I watch way too much TV – but these are the ones I’m most looking forward to. What about you? Are you excited about any of the shows I have mentioned? Which shows did I leave off that you are excited about? You can check out a premiere date calendar here and then let me know in the comments.
Hey everyone! I have two fun things to share with you guys. In several blog posts I have hinted at some new writing responsibilities. Well, the time has finally come where I can share what they are.
As you probably know, one of my favorite websites is Hypable.com. Their motto is “by fans, for fans” and that is really accurate. They cover a TON of different fandoms, most of which are ones that I love. Back in September of last year I applied to be a co-host on a Hypable podcast all about one of my favorite TV shows, Glee. When I actually got selected it was an absolute dream come true. I suddenly found myself, however peripherally, involved with the people responsible for TWO of my favorite websites (the creators of Hypable had also run MuggleNet.com, which I visited multiple times a day, every day, for about 7 years).
Fast forward to a little over a month ago. An announcemet was made on the site that they were going to be expanding the site to include “fandom hubs,” which would be hubs for encyclopedic type information on specific fandoms they covered, and they were looking for content writers. I really didn’t have the time, but I didn’t care and applied for it anyway. Two weeks later I got an email that I got the job. They chose me to be one of two content writers for Glee. That’s right, I am now an official member of the very talented writing staff at Hypable.com. Goodness, that still sounds so weird to say.
Late last night Hypable launched their new design, complete with the new fandom hubs. All the content that I spent many, many hours putting together (I did the episode and songs guides for seasons 1, 2, & 3, the information on future seasons, and the cast list) is now available AND I have a bio on their staff page! Insanity!
Okay, my excited rambling is now finished.
The other thing I have to share is my latest vlog. I am joined by my best friend who helps me sing the song ‘For Good’ from the Broadway musical Wicked. I hope you enjoy it.
I would normally be starting a new series this week, but since I didn’t do the post I intended last week, I am pushing everything back a week.
Several months ago when I heard that NBC was getting ready to come out with a musical television show as an answer to Glee I was outraged and swore that I would never watch it. I started to hear bits and pieces of news about this show they were dubbing Smash and, darn it, it sounded interesting. And Debra Messing, whom I love, was going to play a role in it. I stubbornly clung to a bizarre sense of loyalty and told myself that none of that mattered, I was NOT going to watch it. Then I went to see a movie and the little preview thing that plays before the movie starts gave a first look at the show. Crap. It looked amazing. Once again I was going to have to eat my words as I changed my tune.
Once I made the decision that I would not be betraying Glee by watching this show that looked like it was going to be very different anyway, I felt a weight lifted. Suddenly I was beyond excited for the premiere of Smash. So excited in fact, that I, along with two of my pals from Glee Chat, decided to begin a podcast about the show before it had even aired. It has now been on for three weeks (the forth episode airs tonight at 10PM EST) and I am completely hooked.
Smash takes a behind the scenes look at what goes into creating and producing a Broadway musical as songwriting team, Julia (Debra Messing) and Tom, come up with the idea of writing a musical about the life of Marilyn Monroe. From the songwriting and storyboarding trials to the search for funding to casting and directing, we are taken on this journey with all the players involved as they work through these things on top of their own personal lives and situations. The show also stars Katharine McPhee (from American Idol) and Broadway star Megan Hilty as two young actresses, Karen and Ivy, who compete against each other for a chance to finally be a star.
I can not give enough praise to this show. The cast and characters that they play are all incredible. What’s nice is that, even though they all represent a different stereotype (naive smalltown girl, sleazy director, actress willing to do whatever it takes, etc) they are still complex, layered characters who manage to avoid falling into the caricature trap. It is clear that there are many underlying motivations within each person that we are not yet aware of. I can’t wait to see what is revealed about each and every one of them.
It should come as no surprise that I adore Debra Messing’s character, Julia, and the relationship she has with her writing partner Tom, who is very much gay. Their characters are completely different from those of Will & Grace, but I still get a nice feeling of nostalgia every time I see them together. But the character that grabbed the spot of my favorite from her very first scene, much to my surprise, was musical producer, Eileen (played by Anjelica Huston). Compared to the rest of the cast, Eileen does not have as much screen time, but what time she does have is always memorable and exciting. Whether she is tossing a Manhattan in her soon to be ex-husband’s face or simply walking down the street, she has a presence about her that takes over the scene and completely draws you in. I love her. So much.
My favorite part about this show, however, is the music. There are only 3-4 songs each episode and usually one of those is an original song with the rest being covers. What I love about Smash is that, so far at least, the music is integrated into the show in a way that makes sense within the narrative. It’s not like in Glee where someone just randomly breaks into song while walking down a hallway, instead, all of the songs are done in what are real life situations – auditions, demo recordings, karaoke bars, etc. There will still be some fantasy sequences, especially during the original numbers written for the Broadway show, but those sequences are usually to show what the number would actually look like on the stage and just add to the excitement and thrill of the song.
I can’t wait to see where this show goes over the course of the season. I love the characters, I love the stories, I love the music, I love the choreography, I love the sets, I love the costumes…I pretty much love everything. It is so much fun to see the world of Broadway brought to life on my TV screen and I hope that it continues for some time to come.
Have you watched Smash? What do you think of it? What do you like? Not like? Let me know in the comments.
Be sure to check out new episodes every Monday at 10PM EST on NBC and check out the podcast I host, Hypable’s Smash Chat, where we rehash each episode and the latest Smash news.
I had planned on writing a completely different post for today, but after being gone all weekend camping (I will share pictures and stories on Wednesday) I don’t really have the time to write up my original idea and do it justice. Soooo, instead I am sharing the newly posted “Sh*t Gleeks Say” Video that I and some of my fellow Glee Chat hosts made. If you are any kind of Glee fan, you have probably said a few of these. And you may or may not get to see some bow action from yours truly.
What do you guys think? Have you or any Gleeks you know been caught saying a few of these things? What is some other sh*t Gleeks say? Let me know in the comments.
Last week I talked about how I no longer get that excited anticipation for Christmas as I did in childhood, but I still always love the actual day. This year was no exception. Christmas morning I got to watch my two 3 year old nephews tear through wrapping paper as fast as their tiny hands could rip it open and squeal in delight at what they uncovered. My husband and I then got to spend the rest of the day with my family members. It was a day full of good food and lots of laughter.
This year, for the first time in ages, I was really excited about the gifts we had gotten for everyone. We had a little more money than we usually do, so we were able to get some really nice things that we knew our friends and family really wanted. Watching all of them open their gifts was just as thrilling as I had hoped. Everyone was so pleased (and surprised) with what we were able to give them. It felt amazing to be able to give back a little something to the people who give us so much throughout the year.
And then it was my turn.
I must have been a really good girl this year because, let me tell ya, Santa got me some good stuff. I know it’s not supposed to be about what you get from others, but it would be wrong of me not to brag on the things they got me. Right?
As usual my mom went overboard and got me boxes and boxes of fabulous clothes (even after all these years she does most of my clothes shopping). My sister got me some clothes and a super fun Glee bag (pictured above). From my in laws I got a Glee board game, some boots, the entire DVD set of the BBC Robin Hood series, and some other goodies. My dad got me some groovy pajamas and a Kindle (woot woot!).
One of the funnest things I got was from two of my really good friends. They got me a wand, but not just any wand. This wand can be programmed to be a remote control for the TV. With 13 different wand movements I can adjust the volume, change channels, and all kinds of other stuff. How fun is that??
Then there are the gifts from my husband. He outdid himself this year. He got us a two night stay at this really nice bed and breakfast that is on a ranch. Included in this stay are four 2-hour horseback riding sessions. I am beyond excited. I’ve only ridden a horse once and I loved it. Gah! I can’t wait!
But not even that was my favorite gift. My husband also got me a recurve bow and some arrows. I can now live out my fantasy of being Robin Hood (or the bad ass version of Maid Marian from the BBC series).
Thank you for indulging my need to gush over my fantastic Christmas gifts. I am sure that the two gifts from my husband will make for some fun blog posts in the future. Especially when you take into account my extreme klutziness.
What about you? Any especially awesome gifts you got this year? Any other holiday stories you would like to share? Let me know in the comments.
This week my guest post comes from the wonderful Coleen Patrick. Coleen started writing at a young age and today writes contemporary YA fiction. She has written a fabulous post for us today in which she discusses the power of music – the way it can alter our mood and connect us to memories. This post is sure to make you smile as you join Coleen for a walk down musical memory lane.
What’s your happy song?
This weekend I took a little road trip to take my son to camp. With nothing on the radio, I dug around and came up with a cassette. It had no artist cover, just my loopy, teenage handwriting all over the paper liner.
Yes, it was a mix tape.
From 1987.
So I popped it in the player and started to sing (while my son pushed his headphones deeper into his ears). I found myself thinking about the power of music, and I don’t just mean the power that is remembering lyrics from a 25 year old song (although that is pretty amazing especially when I can’t always remember why I walked into a room), no I’m talking about the power it has to give you a boost.
I GOT A FEELING
Music improves your mood. It can make you happy, make you want to dance or inspire you. Some of the top happy, upbeat songs (they say so in the title) are:
Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t worry be happy “
U2’s “Beautiful day”
Don McLean’s “American Pie” (okay, so it doesn’t exactly say it in the title, but the song rocks and who doesn’t love pie?)
Or this oldie, but goodie:
Even that outfit makes me smile
GLORY DAYS
Music not only evokes emotion, but memory. Forget the beat or the lyrics, sometimes a song can lift you up simply because it reminds you of a happy moment.
For me a big one is the day my fourth grade teacher passed out the slightly damp, freshly copied lyrics to “We will rock you” and “We are the champions.” We all sniffed the paper (ah, remember those days?) and then sang along to Queen, slapping our palms to our desk to the beat (Mrs. Fearn rocked).
COME TOGETHER
Music brings people together. Think about the last concert you went to, wasn’t it amazing singing along with thousands of people to one song?
But it doesn’t have to be that big.
I can also think about dancing in my room to Club Nouveau’s “Lean on Me” with my sister B (small favors that the recording technology was not as accessible as it is today).
Or, there’s the synthesized beats of a-ha that will always remind me of high school, and my friend Selina. And Jimmy Buffet will always make me think of college and singing with everyone at Sully’s (including my future husband).
Here is my roommate Amy and I on a Sully’s night that we forever referred to as “Stripes Night.” I think you can crack the code on that reference.
Then there was this song that reminds me of going to parties with my friend Livia. To this day it makes me want to turn it up and scream along (even if I’m still not sure what it’s about).
Yes, whether the song is cool or cheesy, it can lead to happy connections.
DON’T STOP BELIEVING
Everybody loves a song that can lift your mood, empower you or even make you feel like a superhero, as it apparently did for Henry David Thoreau:
“When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest.”
(And he lived in a cabin in the woods for 2 years!)
Who doesn’t want to listen to a song that makes you feel like that?
Whether you prefer the original or one of the many covers, here’s a rocking, positive song (so good it apparently summed up the entire six seasons of HBO’s Sopranos).
What is your happy song?
* * *
I want to say a huge thank you to Coleen for sharing this post with us! Be sure to connect with her on twitter and her blog.
Here in Florida we are still wearing shorts and sweating as soon as we walk outside, yet I know Fall has arrived. The only reason I know this is because the new seasons of Fall television have begun. As I mentioned in a previous post one of my favorite television series is Glee and it was my most anticipated premiere. After a very uneven second season I was hopeful that the show was going to get back on track based on several comments made by show creator Ryan Murphy. As 8:00 rolled around the night of the premiere I could scarcely sit still I was so excited and by the time it was over I knew my faith had been rewarded.
There was so much jam-packed into “The Purple Piano Project” that it took me several viewings to be able to take it all in (episode synopsis available here). Arguably the biggest, and most controversial, event was Blaine’s transfer from Dalton Academy to McKinley High. I for one was thrilled with this change. Klaine (Kurt & Blaine) is my absolute favorite couple on the show and anything that allows me to see more of them together is a good thing. As much as I enjoyed Blaine performing in the Dalton Glee Club called The Warblers I just didn’t see how they would cohesively fit into the plot with Kurt no longer a part of the group. Moving Blaine to McKinley made the most sense. From what I have observed the main outcry against this move was the excuse given – that Blaine didn’t want to go through the school year apart from Kurt if he didn’t have to. I was okay with this. Blaine made up his own mind and did what he felt was best for him. I truly felt that if he had decided to stay at Dalton, Kurt would have accepted that and moved on. I don’t think that he manipulated Blaine into the transfer at all.
In the latter part of the second season a wonderful friendship had begun to blossom between my two favorite characters, Rachel and Kurt, and that friendship has thankfully carried over. I adored every scene with the two of them. Their performance of “Ding-Dong the Witch is Dead” was a highlight of the show. It was just so joyful and fun. You could see the comraderie between the two of them as they flitted around the stage. When they were faced with the harsh reality that there are many others just as talented as they are whom they will be competing against for college the resultant scene in the car was touching. I loved watching them commiserate in shared sorrow and then build up and encourage one another. It was a lovely picture of the true love found in friendship.
I am interested to see how things play out within the New Directions as they have gotten quite a shake up. It seemed clear from Finn’s outburst that he feels at least somewhat threatened by Blaine which could lead to some interesting conflict since he and Kurt are stepbrothers. I am still in shock that Santana actually got kicked out of the group and yet, while I was sad to see her go, it was good to see that she finally faced some consequences for her underhanded behavior at Sue’s behest. The only thing I can think of for her motivation in helping Sue is her desire to cover up the secret of her sexual orientation and maybe she thinks that being a Cheerio is a better way of doing that than being a member of Glee. Whatever her motives, however, I really hope it gets worked out soon so that she is back among the New Directions. Similarly, I don’t see Quinn’s rebellion lasting long. I think she really wants to be back in Glee as evidenced by her looking in on them during “You Can’t Stop the Beat”.
In the end “The Purple Piano Project” got me very excited for Glee‘s upcoming season. Even though I did not discuss everything from the episode I am looking forward to seeing how all of it plays out. I am hopeful that this season is going to be the best one yet and will give the graduating seniors a worthy send off.
As a side note, if you are interested in hearing more of my thoughts on Glee throughout the season you can do so through the podcast Glee Chat of which I am a co-host.
What about you? Did you watch the season premiere of Glee? What plots were you excited about? Which ones disappointed you? Let me know any thoughts you have in the comments!
Two years ago I heard about a new television show that was going to be in the style of a musical called Glee. I had never been more excited for a premiere than I was for this one and I was not disappointed. I instantly fell in love with Glee. It has been nearly 10 years since I graduated from high school and Glee reminds me of everything I loved from those years. I went to a school of the arts as a vocalist and all four of my high school years were taken up with various chorales, show choir ensembles, and other music classes. Whenever I watch Glee I see myself and the people I went to high school with in the characters. For one hour every week I am transported back to the world of performing and it just leaves me feeling happy. Naturally, when it was announced that the Glee Concert would be released as a 3D movie I became very excited and was eagerly awaiting it’s release. I have finally been able to see it and I loved it!
The movie opened with the cast singing what has become their anthem: “Don’t Stop Believin’”. Even though we have heard this song from them a lot I never grow tired of it and thought it was the perfect way to begin the movie. After that the movie did a great job of highlighting performances that showcased all of the members of New Directions as well as a three song segment with the Warblers. It was great getting to see old favorites from Season 1 as well as some of the great songs from Season 2 performed. My personal favorites were Rachel’s performance of “Don’t Rain on My Parade” as well as her duet with Kurt singing the mash-up of “Happy Days are Here Again” and “Get Happy”. Rachel and Kurt are by far my favorite characters on the show. Their voices are unbelievable and I could listen to them sing all day (their songs certainly get the most play time on my iPod). Another thing I really enjoyed were all the added and expanded dance numbers. They had a very talented group of back up dancers that added a new dynamic and energy, not to mention the fact that Brittany and Mike got to have their dance skills showcased as never before.
Sprinkled throughout the between musical number segments were hysterical blurps of the characters behind the scenes. I really hope that there are more of these scenes on the DVD because I found them very entertaining, but much too few. The bulk of these segments were instead taken up by clips of audience members talking about their favorite characters and why they love Glee. They also featured three fans – a little person, a girl with Aspergers, and a gay male – showing bits of their lives and showing how Glee has helped them with the struggles they have faced. While I appreciated and was moved by the stories featured I wish that they had taken up less time in the movie. They could have fit in several more musical numbers with the time that was spent on these stories. It would have been nice to have a shortened version of these personal stories shown in the theaters with the longer versions added to the DVD.
In the recent trend of 3D movies I have not been the biggest fan, but I thought it worked with Glee. The 3D added a great deal of depth to the movie so that it really felt like you were watching the performances live. The only thing that bothered me were the few instances when the cameras were using a wide shot and a dancer or audience member would suddenly pop out in front of you as the camera moved. It would just be very jarring when you were so focused on watching whoever was singing and BAM there’s a dancer’s legs right in front of you. Thankfully this did not happen very often.
When the movie ended I found myself smiling ear to ear and longing for more. It was so much fun getting to see the characters I have grown to love so much perform on stage, even if it was through a movie and not live. I enjoyed all of the performances (with the exception of an overrated surprise guest performer) and can’t wait to get the DVD whenever it comes out. In the meantime I will content myself with belting out to the CDs in my car.
