I had to keep reminding myself that I trust Joss Whedon to make great television shows out of unpromising-sounding premises while watching the trailer for his new show, “Dollhouse.”

“Buffy, the Vampire Slayer” is about a high school girl who slays vampires when she isn’t dating them, and “Firefly” is about cowboys in space in the future, so I think he might just be able to make “Dollhouse” work. The show is centered around a girl programmed to become different characters, from an assassin to a lover, without being conscious of the changes. Then she suddenly becomes aware, drama and conflict ensue, etc etc.

It sounds more like a movie (“Minority Report,” maybe?) than a TV show, and the show’s star, Eliza Dushku, is one of my least favorite actresses. You can watch her trying to act and it’s painful because she just can’t (watch what I mean in this clip.)

So, in order to get myself pumped up about this show, I’m repeating my new mantra: “I trust Joss Whedon, I trust Joss Whedon, I trust…” Well, you get the idea.

In a complete anomaly of the writers’ strike, House was a new episode this Tuesday and will be new AGAIN (!) next week.

Aside from the weird feeling I got from watching a Christmas-themed episode when it wasn’t actually Christmastime, I thoroughly enjoyed watching House get his Scrooge on.

Since no one actually watches the episodes for the “medical mysteries” that make up the plotlines, I’m going to jump right in to making commentary about the new medical team.

Taub: It’s still kind of an enigma to me why this dude is on the show, to be honest. As an actor, he doesn’t impress me much, and as a character, he impresses me even less. I mean, what is his purpose? What is House going to do with a middle-aged plastic surgeon? My guess is he’ll develop some kind of illicit relationship with Thirteen. Read More »

“This writer’s strike is getting annoying,” I heard someone say on the corner of 2nd avenue yesterday. “What the hell is their problem? And why does it have to be my problem?”

Because of what I do and where I go to school, I’m in a position to hear about the Writer’s Strike all the time. But I can understand the frustration of those who don’t know all the details—from far away, it can look like a bunch of people walking around and complaining.

But it’s more than that.

UnitedHollywood, a new blog that’s blossomed in the wake of the strike, explains exactly why hundreds of television and film writers are marching, and does it in a funny, entertaining way. A few of TV’s bigger shows have made YouTube videos for the site, and after watching of few of them, two things become blindingly clear: 1) without these people, TV is gonna blow, and 2) big businesses are greedy. Read More »

During the school year, I don’t watch a lot of TV. I don’t have enough time to sleep, let alone catch the newest episode of whatever Aaron Sorkin is writing in a coked-up stupor. The summer is my time to catch up, watch way too much crap, and reevaluate some of the best shows on television.

Here’s a summer list of MY must-see TV:

Ghost Hunters – Sci Fi network – The TAPS crew provide hours of “what the hell was that?!” fun in this little show on the geek channel. Ghost Hunters follows a crew of “real” paranormal investigators on their quest to find and document supernatural events. Most of the time, you just hear about things they see off camera, but every once in a while, there’s a creepy voice recording and a weird, un-explainable chair movement. It’s a lot more entertaining than it sounds…especially if you’re easily scared. Like me.

Supernanny – ABC – There’s nothing better than watching psychotic kids kick their parents’ ass, plus, TV nanny Jo Frost actually seems like she knows what she’s talking about. And I repeat…psychotic kids making their parents cry. Read More »

Okay, so clearly I don’t dance like Britney Spears (although I guess she doesn’t really dance anymore either), and I know I don’t look like Aubrey from Diddy’s Danity Kane, but hey, when no one is looking, I can shake my ba-dunk-a-dunk, pop and lock and even do a spin or two. And I swear if I take a quick (like speed of light quick) glimpse in the mirror I can see a six-pack of my very own. Hey a girl can dream right?!

Well now, we can do more than just dream. Thanks to my favorite dance studio on earth, NYC’s notorious Broadway Dance Center, you can take dance lessons from the best of them. Famous for choreographing moves for the rich and famous, today’s hottest choreographers are heading out on the Pulse Tour 2007-2008. Read More »