Caddickisms

The networks released their schedules for next year this week. No surprise: Smallville and 24 are both reappearing in the schedules. However, there has been surprising news/rumors about both shows…

24

Jack is back, and as an appeasement from the long wait since last season, we get a 2-hour movie on November 23rd:

24 is also scheduled to return full time in January of 2009. (A spoiler is below.) However, to reward fans who have not seen a new episode since May of 2007, there will be a 2-hour special on 11/23. According to Kiefer Sutherland, they are scheduled to start filming in the next few weeks in south Africa.

“Set and shot on location in Africa, Jack Bauer battles an international crisis, while here at home the nation prepares for a new president on inauguration day. Taking place just a few months before the new day dawns, this story will set the stage and raise the stakes for Season Seven.”

Day/Season 7 spoiler: Tony’s back. Wait a minute… is this a sci-fi show now?

Smallville

We already knew that Kristen Kreuk and Michael Rosenbaum were leaving the show as regulars. Apparently, that fact gave Allison Mack, who plays Chloe Sullivan, the guts to try renegotiating, since that would leave her as the only regular (other than Tom Welling) to have been on since the beginning. However, it looks like those negotiations may be going poorly, and Chloe may be on her way out.

So that would leave just Clark, Lois, and Jimmy as the only regulars. Hmm…. seems like we’re really leaving Smallville behind and just going straight to Superman. I don’t know - I really like the show, but I’m really worried that it’s going to suffer greatly without Lex. I’ve heard Lana will become recurring…. and I don’t care. She’s over, as far as I’m concerned. They ran out of good stuff to do with her character a few years ago. She only really had a couple good episodes in the last few seasons. Lex is the one that’s got to come back from time to time, if you ask me. Besides….

SPOILERS FOR SMALLVILLE SEASON 7 FINALE

… what are they going to do, leave him dead under the ice, buried in his attempt to kill Clark? Obviously Clark will be back somehow, and I really hope the season premiere resolves the whole Clark/Lex fight adequately. I kind of feel like the rug was pulled out from under me for this finale, and not in a good way. This show has had some great finales, but this one just seemed a bit anti-climactic to me. We saw almost the entire end of the show in the previews! Where was the big fight? Where was the surprise? Where was the “holy cow! Who’s gonna survive this?” moment? We know Clark’s going to survive so no drama there. Lex is going to survive somehow too (to do otherwise would really be a kick in the face to the fans). Lana healed (whoopie.) and left (Yeah!), though she’s open to come back (eh.). Jimmy and Lois were never in danger. Chloe was the candidate for cliffhanger-ness, but they gave her a totally happy ending. I guess Kara is still floating out there…

…but that leaves me with another question: what was the deal where Kara/Brainiac collapsed at the end of the previous episode after Kara’s “return”. It would have worked if Brainiac were controlling her, but if it’s really Brainiac, what’s with the weak collapse, and then all powerful for the opening of this episode?

Next season’s premiere better pull out all the stops, as I assumed this finale would.

Related posts

• Smallville, Dr. Who, and Torchwood facts and rumors (3)
• Quick Notes on Entertainment News (0)
• Wil Wheaton reviews the show that made everyone hate him (0)
• What I’ve been thinking (0)
• Smallville: Green is in this year (0)

Smallville will be back for an eighth season next year! But without Lex, and without Lana. Michael Rosenbaum and Kristen Kreuk are calling it quits after this year. Apparently they’re both open for guest spots next year, but that’s it. I’m okay with Lana leaving. I think they’ve milked that character for all it’s worth at this point. Dropping Lex, however, is a potential death knell for viewership. The interplay between Lex and Clark, and the demise of their relationship, is truly the center of this show. They’d have to find an equally compelling focal point for the series next season, and I don’t think that would be easy.

Dr. Who, as previously noted, will only have 4 specials in 2009, rather than a full season. The rumor mill continues to go back and forth as to whether David Tennant’s 10th Doctor will regenerate during those specials or after the 2010 season. Annoyingly, there seems to be agreement that we’ll be on the 11th Doctor by 2011.

Torchwood has all sorts of changes flying around the rumor mill. Apparently the “family friendly” versions of the show are doing pretty well, and they’re thinking of moving just to that format. It has not yet been renewed for a third season, so nothing is definite (what ever is?) but the word is that three of the major characters, including the show’s centerpiece, Captain Jack Harkness, will be gone. That would leave the character of Gwen and the transplanted Dr. Who companion, Martha, to run the show.

I think it’s a mistake to remove Jack. I think John Barrowman does a great job with the part, and he’s certainly an interesting character. That said, I think there are a couple ways the show could go on without him - though I still think it would suffer. Plus he’d apparently be around for guest spots.

So it’s mixed news for each show, apparently. Hmmm. Kinda leaves me rather apathetic.

Technorati Tags: smallville, doctor who, torchwood, michael rosenbaum, tom welling, kristen kreuk

Related posts

• TV updates: 24 and Smallville (w/spoilers) (0)
• Review: Doctor Who 2008 (2)
• Torchwood - Doctor Who spinoff (1)
• Review: Firefly (1)
• Review: Doctor Who 2007 (1)

I enjoyed the original Cheaper by the Dozen. Steve Martin is one of my favorite comedic actors, and Bonnie Hunt combines sweet and funny better than almost anyone. Adding Eugene Levy, another hilarious actor (given the right role), to the mix should have upped the ante and made it funnier, but it really didn’t.

Dozen 2 was sweet, funny at times, and a nice family movie. It was also rather bland, predictable, and formulaic. There were some good “parental learning moments” in the film, but not much growth by the kids, with the exception of Tom Welling’s character and his female counterpart in Levy’s family. While there was not much substance to it, I think those two actors handled their roles very well and made their characters the only ones that I wanted to see more. They also acted very naturally together, which wasn’t the case for the majority of the roles. Bonnie Hunt was an exception in that she made almost every interaction she had seem natural with every character.

In the end, while it was predictable, it was also enjoyable - a nice way to pass 90 minutes if you’re trying to relax. Three stars.

Technorati Tags: Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt, Eugene Levy, Tom Welling, movies, comedy, parenting, family

Related posts

• What I’ve been thinking (0)
• Review: Stardust (0)
• Review: Inside Man (0)
• Whatever you do… (0)
• TV updates: 24 and Smallville (w/spoilers) (0)