Denette Wilford

Kristin Lehman: 'Motive' Success Doesn't Surprise Me

2013-05-15T14:41:11-04:00

If you've already caught "Motive" on CTV, then stop reading. I kid. The unique procedural, which focuses on the why and not the whodunit, has its first season finale this week on CTV, but in case you missed some or all of the episodes, you can watch it in its entirety when it premieres on ABC next week.

CTV's extensive promotional campaign for the series clearly worked. The first season averaged 1.1 million viewers, and its renewal was basically a done deal. But "Motive"'s accomplishments weren't a surprise to series star Kristin Lehman, who knew she had a good thing going.

HuffPost Canada TV spoke with Lehman about "Motive"'s success thus far, ABC's seemingly radically different take on the show and how Flynn and Vega will never be together. Ever.

Congratulations on the Season 2 pickup and the show getting picked up by ABC. How satisfying is all this for you?
It's very satisfying. That's a great way of putting it. Thank you for putting it so succinctly. Because everyone's been saying, "How do you feel about that?" and I feel so mixed. I chose to live and stay in Canada and do a show that shoots in Canada and when I signed on, there was no "ABC bought it!" In the beginning, I was thrilled that the producers and CTV could benefit so I was pleased that their goals were met, but my goal was getting a show in Canada, which is like wishing on a star. So I really felt satisfied to begin with. This is all very exciting and I'm really pleased that a show I'm very proud of -- the craftsmanship, our crew is fantastic, and we make it here -- can compete on an international and U.S. level. But I signed on not knowing any of that was going to be part of the package, and therefore not having expectations about it.

I've caught the odd episode on CTV, but I love that I get a chance to start over and see it in its entirety this summer. The promos on ABC are ... they're very different than CTV. [Laughs]
[Laughs] ABC, they cut good trailers. It's fun, it's slick, it's awesome. But it's such a dramatic departure from the way we promoted it. And it's interesting because all the European people that follow the show that tweet to me were like, "Wait 'til they see that the show's better than the trailer." I was like, "Really? Great, good, I'm glad you think so because this seems to be a trailer that's super-slick and sexy and I hope it's because ABC is totally behind this."

It's so much lighter. It's similar to the way they make ["Motive"'s lead-in] "Rookie Blue" look, and take away a bit of that darkness.
I kind of felt that way too. But I don't know. I don't know. Because here's the thing. ABC, they cut a good trailer. I love the music. It would get me excited to watch the show. It looks really great. It's a different industry down in the States. It's a cutthroat business based on a totally different financial structure. Having been on eight kajillion pilots that sometimes made it to the air and sometimes didn't, I can tell you. That's why I chose to do a show in Canada. But I think it's exciting that they're promoting it the way they are.

And I don't really get what makes it on American television. I can only say that I think we've made a show that is really solid entertainment and if people tune in because they love these slick, sexy ABC trailers, I have to believe they will also love the show even if the trailer is a puffed-up version of the show.

To be honest, while people moan and groan about procedurals being too formulaic, I don't mind that they're all kind of cut from the same cloth. That being said, I love how unique "Motive"'s angle is, and I'm surprised no one has ever thought of it before.
In my opinion, any suspenseful show or movie that revolves around a whodunit, they want you to guess who did it. And part of the guess, you're guessing why, based on information they are showing you as to why. So, really, we're giving people what they want anyway. Within five minutes of a movie, I'm always like, "Oh, he did it." People want that, they want the satisfaction of knowing who did it, and they stick around because that's what they want to know anyway. It's not like we reinvented the wheel, I just think we reframed it for people.

And we tend to sympathize with not just the victims, but the killers too.
That's right. There are so many nuances, and it sounds kind of crazy to be talking about a show that appeals to a broad demographic in this way, but I feel like some of what is subconsciously in there is our show doesn't just talk about the archetypes of good and bad, or right and wrong. It's much more nuanced in that, whether people know it or not, their preconceived notions of what a victim and a killer are are challenged immediately in the setting that they're introduced. It's a really important angle because that's what trickles down in the way we interact with our protagonists and killers and victims. I really feel the cops are there, not to enforce the good and scold the bad, it's really about, 'Wow, I have this unfortunate task of being present with someone who made shitty decisions, and there but for the grace of God go I." That's kind of what I feel it is.

Predominantly, crimes and horrible, horrible, horrible judgment don't have to do with sociopaths. It has to do with people who are not capable of maintaining or managing their frailties. And that's what the story is really exposing and that's the other reason people feel something, which I was not expecting to feel in a network show. I was not expecting to feel the amount of pathos and sympathy that I feel for the victims and the killers. And I really do feel it. I'm a hard nut to crack when it comes to content so I'm proud of that aspect of the show.

I love the relationship between Angie and Vega: the jokes, the playful jabs. It's clear they trust and care for one another very much. Actually, all the characters seem close. That's what I kind of dig the most, how established all the relationships seem. It doesn't seem new, it really does seem like you guys have all been working together for years.
Yeah, I agree. That's one of the things ABC said when they bought us, which I was proud of. The chemistry that we all have usually takes a long time to genuinely get on other shows. Some of that is because of Louis [Ferreira] and I; the original source material was a little different than the show we have now and there was more to their relationship. I don't mean romantically -- I just mean it was much more in-depth, much more personal, just because it was more serialized and more character-based. So we work real hard at it, every single day we work together, we commit multiple times a day to keeping each other loose, and where we can add in a human level of these people having intimacy that goes beyond the page that includes them knowing they're neeeeeeever going to be romantically involved. Never. Part of the reason they're so close is because they have failures in other places in their lives and they can genuinely trust and rely on each other. Always, always, always, every single day we're looking for that. And we have it with Brendan (Penny, Det. Lucas) because it's more there in the writing with him. It's less there in the writing for us.

We also genuinely like each other which makes it so much easier to play. Louis and I, we both care about the work, neither of us are spring chickens, the stakes are high to do work that matters to us, and we check in on a regular basis to try and do that. It sounds kind of hokey but it's all true.

But you don't want things to get romantic?
Nooooo!

Not even down the road?
Nope. I feel what they have is deeper than what either of them can contribute to a romantic relationship because once you get into a romantic relationship, your projections are different. Right now, their projections are heroic with each other and that would die. That would mean their trust with each other and their closeness would die. And nobody wants to see it. [Laughs] Nobody wants to see it. They want to see other stuff.

You'll still get people clamouring, I'm sure.
I know, but they'll just have to be satisfied with what we have.

I kind of do like it though. I like that it's not going there.
Yeah. I mean, really, if what people want is to see intimacy and banter, we're going to give it to them. If they want to see bums, it's not going to happen. Ain't no "NYPD Blue" here. [Laughs] I always say that to Louis, I'm like, "Get ready to see your bum. You're going to do a full Dennis Franz." I'll be Caruso, he's Dennis Franz. I'll show my bum too.

Just not together.
[Laughs] Just not together. In the locker room, we're both wearing jock straps. That's what they'll see. They'll be so disappointed.

Do you prefer that we don't know too much about the characters' personal lives, just little hints here and there?
No, I wish we knew more.

Yeah? Me too, OK.
Everybody says that, men and women. No, I want to know more. Thankfully, we're maybe dabbling in both enough right now that we can explore a little further in the second season.

I like the balance that "Criminal Minds" has, where the odd case affects one team member more because, I don't know, they have a small kid at home, or they were abused as a child, whatever. I think viewers can benefit from getting a glimpse into their personal lives.
I totally agree. After all, that's why they're committing to a show. If someone asks you to invest time in anything, it's because they need to know who they're investing in. What's also interesting is that you see how the person's life is actually influencing the way they approach the case. Not necessarily because they have something in common, but because something shitty happened, or because they're tired and they're not getting enough sleep. Even those brief glimpses, or that they just don't have the bandwidth in their personal life to constantly show leadership in their work life, that's interesting.

I love Flynn. How she handles herself, her relationship with her son...
I think Angie's a pretty spectacular character. I love her to pieces and I learn a lot from her personally.

Yeah, she's normal. Plus, the muscle car's pretty awesome.
Yeah, it's pretty awesome. It's smelly and slow in real life.

Well, it looks smelly and slow on the show, so...
My main thing is, is if I'm going to do this, I'm not going to apologize, I'm not going to pretend to be another age, I'm not going to pretend that I don't eat, I'm not going to play a woman who doesn't accept herself, I refuse to do that. And I have to uphold certain standards of beauty because this is television, so I'm going to do it like it's part of Angie. She wears makeup because she likes it, she thinks it looks good, she feels sexy. That's just me, that's just my little part of when I go to work, how I make it through the day. I'm glad that you like her beause I think those are some of the reasons people have been responding to is because she's not afraid to show who she is as a person, all of it.

She's more of a guy's guy, but I like that that doesn't make her any less sexy.
The way I kind of play her is just that she's a doer. Not so much from a gender perspective but from an architect's perspective, the feminine is the inspiration, the masculine is the action. Louis and I kind of reverse those roles, he's thoughtful, I'm more impulsive. And that's fun to play.

The Season 1 finale of "Motive" airs Thursday, May 16 at 10 p.m. ET on CTV.

Motive debuts on ABC in a special night and time, Monday, May 20 at 10 p.m. ET before moving to its summer timeslot, Thursday, May 23 at 10 p.m. ET. The episodes will be simulcast on CTV.

Once Upon A Time, Once Upon A Time Got Really Good

2013-05-13T10:49:54-04:00

NOTE: Contains some spoilers

The last few days have been a virtual bloodbath, with the cancellation of some of my favourite TV shows.

Happy Endings, Smash, Rules of Engagement, Golden Boy, Body of Proof, The New Normal .... OK, those are my favourites. But it seemed like nothing was left, as CSI: NY, Touch, Whitney, Go On, Guys With Kids, Vegas, How To Live With Your Parents (For The Rest Of Your Life), Malibu County, Family Tools, Up All Night, 1600 Penn, Deception, Red Widow all got pink-slipped. Don't get me wrong, I fully expected about three-quarters of that list to get the axe, but hearing it all at once was a little jarring. I mean, what's next, cancelling Christmas?

Which leads me to Once Upon a Time, a series that has never been must-see for me. It's the kind of show that I can have on in the background, but doesn't need total concentration as I work on stories, read through emails, or get my dreams crushed by Candy Crush. In fact, at the end of last season, I decided to forego Season 2 but somehow I got sucked back in, like the main characters into a portal.

My least favourites have always been drippy David/Charming (Josh Dallas), and Mary Margaret/Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin), whose pure goodness is way too saccharine for my taste. I've always found Jennifer Morrison to be such a vanilla leading lady, though I do like Emma. But they weren't the main focus this season, which explains the show's resurgence, in my eyes. I'm instantly captivated whenever Gold (Robert Carlyle), Regina (Lana Parrilla) and Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) are on-screen. That has always struck me as odd because I'm a big believer in good prevailing over evil, and I typically cheer on the good guys, but there's something about those flawed baddies that I can't help but root for. Because the focus has shifted a little, the show's sophomore season has been a breath of fresh air. It's almost like the darker the show gets, the better.

Reading those last sentences over, it sounds like I don't even like the show, but on the contrary, I find it quite well done (though the special effects could still use a little work). I love the introduction of Neil/Baelfire (Michael Raymond-James) and his ties to Rumpel, Emma and Henry (Jared Gilmore). And it was his appearance that really brought out a whole other evil -- Greg (Ethan Embry) or Owen or whatever his name is and Tamara (Sonequa Martin-Green) -- but they're just low-level villains compared to what's set to emerge.

So Peter Pan, the mischievous boy who never ages, who can fly, leader of the Lost Boys, who spends his never-ending childhood embarking on adventures in Neverland, he is the real bad guy?! Sure, when we meet him, he'll probably be cocky and fearless, but Pan is also the dude who steals people's shadows and rules his Land of Never with the heaviest of hands. And now he's about to get his creepy little hands on Henry. Things are getting awesome up in here.

The way this show has developed in two seasons is pretty remarkable. It began with exiled fairy tale characters stripped of their original memories, being banished to small-town Maine, all of which sounds good. But now that the townspeople/fairy tale characters have regained their memories but are still stuck in Storybrooke, things have finally gotten great. And with the introduction of magic, the intertwining fates of the two worlds, and new threats, Once Upon a Time is about to get even better. A long time ago in a land far, far away, it was predictable, hokey and, dare I say, boring. It was all very good vs. evil, black and white, no in-between, and now the unlikeliest of characters are drawn together and their tales are tangled, but not in a convoluted way.

Yes, networks, I know time is money, but if you give shows a chance to develop and establish themselves, they can prove it's not all bad. Once Upon a Time is proof of that.

Is The TV Musical Dead?

2013-05-06T13:34:03-04:00

People are surprised when they hear I still watch Glee. That's right, I'm a loyal Gleek. I think if glee clubs were a thing when I was in school, I would have been breaking into show tunes in the halls, getting Slushee-ed in the face. Of course, I like to think that I would have drop-kicked the first dude to do it, but I digress.

My love of the song-and-dance shenanigans as well as my abhorrence for anything to do with bullying may explain my fondness for Ryan Murphy's show. Even as the seasons go by and the storylines have changed so much that I can no longer watch with my kid, and I no longer download the songs, I still can't not record it. I don't mind the direction the show has taken -- or the new batch of students we're focusing on -- while we see the graduates do grown-up things. Sure, it's not as great as it once was (I absolutely hated guilty pleasures week), but I refuse to take it off my schedule. Not yet. I'm too invested.

As I am with the other TV musical on the air right now. I'm actually typing this on Saturday night as Smash plays on the television (and, no, not from my parents' basement), singing its way closer and closer to cancellation.

Smash's ratings on Tuesdays were low, admittedly, but considering how much NBC spends on it a week, it could have tested to see how it would do following The Voice. Instead, the network gave it two piddly weeks. And its punishment for disappointing ratings? A move to Saturdays, so it could burn off the remaining episodes and be able to say they aired it. I mean, honestly, it didn't even warrant a Friday night spot? It must have felt good when Smash's replacement, Ready for Love, was cancelled, but the reality show's successor, Grimm (which premiered in the Tuesday at 10 slot last week), won the hour, so the gloating was short-lived.

Sadly, the latest episodes of both Glee and Smash, "Wonder-ful" and "The Phenomenon," respectively, were, well, wonderful. As far as I'm concerned, any time Mike O'Malley (Burt Hummel) shows up on Glee (as one of television's most likable, sweet yet gruff characters -- and easily the best on-screen dad), the hour is guaranteed to be moving, heart-wrenching and tear-filled. In other words, awesome. And the most recent episode of the Broadway-filled musical-drama was its most touching of the season, though it showed how ridiculous Karen (Katharine McPhee) and Derek (Jack Davenport) would be together, and how Derek and Ivy (Megan Hilty) truly sizzle, even as friends.

Smash may be the show everyone loves to hate-watch, but I genuinely like it, maybe even more than Glee. As an aside, I don't know if hate-watching is even a thing; perhaps we just like crap TV and don't want to admit it. (Shhh, I won't tell if you won't.) I mean, I like The Good Wife and Mad Men as much as the next critic, but I also never miss Dancing With the Stars or Grey's Anatomy, so take my humble opinion for what it's worth. And if there were any shows to hate-watch, it's The Following or Revolution or 2 Broke Girls, the first which annoys and frustrates to the point of exasperation, while the latter two, well, I really do despise and stopped watching completely.

While Glee has been guaranteed two more seasons, Smash's future remains unknown -- but May 26 will probably be the last time we hear from Debra Messing, McPhee, Hilty, Davenport, Christian Borle, Jeremy Jordan and Anjelica Huston. And that sucks. But I suppose cancelling a show just as it's getting good (again) is nothing new. Better shows that have had fewer chances and more viewers have been cancelled for less so in some ways, it makes sense that unimpressive ratings should lead to a pink slip for Smash. I guess I just wish the network would stand by it or show some sort of devotion. Its numbers may have improved had it gotten more time in a post-Voice world but coulda, woulda, shoulda. Smash might not be a fantastic performer, but to pull it from its prime spot only to toss it in the crapper known as Saturday nights is a damn shame. At least let it go down fighting, and not kick it when it's already down.

(FYI, just to mess with the few viewers it has left, Smash's last Saturday episode airs on May 11, then it's off for a week, and it's two-hour finale airs the following Sunday. Got all that? No? Basically, at press time, it's still the season finale, not series finale, but this messed-up scheduling is basically the writing on the wall.)

Glee's Season 4 finale airs Thursday, May 9 at 9 p.m. ET on Global and Fox.

Smash's two-hour season/series finale airs Sunday, May 26 at 9 p.m. ET on CTV Two and NBC.

Family Tools Needs Some Retooling

2013-04-29T11:20:18-04:00

Confession time (I do a lot of that here, don't I?): I have a bit of a crush on Kyle Bornheimer. He's cute, funny, talented and plays the part of the goofball really, really well. But most of all, he's an underdog --and who doesn't love an underdog? Bornheimer was the best part of CBS's Worst Week and ABC's Romantically Challenged, but I've come to the conclusion that only NBC knows what to do with Bornheimer because it was his run on the hilarious, underrated comedy Perfect Couples that cinched it (or should I say him?) for me. Honestly, I was done for. (And I was in sitcom heaven when he reunited with his Perfect Couples co-star David Walton on the equally funny and mistreated Bent, but that's a whole other lovefest.)

I had high hopes for Bornheimer's latest offering, Family Tools, where he plays Jack Shea who, naturally, is as sweet and dopey as they come. The directionless Jack has a less-than-stellar work history (he's just been kicked out of seminary school), but he returns home so he can run the family repair business after his grumpy dad, Tony (J.K. Simmons, Oz, The Closer) has a heart attack. They're joined by Jack's wacky aunt (and Tony's sister-in-law) Terry (Leah Remini, The King of Queens) and her weirdo son Mason (Johnny Pemberton, Megadrive). Edi Gathergi (Twilight, House) and Danielle Nicolet (The Starter Wife) round out the cast as siblings Darren and Stitch, who work for Mr. Jiffy Fix and the local hardware store, respectively. Sounds all right, right? Er, not quite.

Family Tools' main problem is that it isn't super-original (doofus son takes over family business, has to deal with his quirky relatives and clients, tries -- and fails -- to prove he's not a total loser). Actually, scratch that. Its biggest issue is that it seems like it was put together in a blind frenzy. The series has 10 episodes to prove itself and if it wasn't smashed into a ridiculous May (!) premiere, I'd figure ABC would pull it after airing two episodes. But Family Tools might have a chance since it's sandwiched between The Middle and Modern Family. And, hey, if The Neighbors can cut it...

I admit, I guffawed when Jack and Darren were fighting about feet (yes, it's as infantile as it sounds but I was slightly relieved to be able to laugh once) and if there were more scenes like Jack's encounter with a bitchy neighbour (gleefully played by Adam Arkin), I'd be on board. Sadly, it's more meh than anything else and I'm not even sure if the writers knew what parts were supposed to be funny -- not that it mattered since they failed. And I loved Remini on King of Queens but she's wasted here in a throwaway role, and because I saw signs of Kevin James in her delivery, it only reminded me how funny a comedy can actually be -- and how unfunny Family Tools is.

Here's what ABC should've done: saved Happy Endings and a retooled (sorry) Family Tools for the summer. I know, I know, that sounds ridiculous, but so is shoving Happy Endings on Friday nights. Family Tools needs a visit from Mr. Jiffy Fix so it could've used a little more time to find itself. It's not the cast, because most of them are doing the best with what they've been given. Rather, it's the writing that could use a bit of an overhaul. If it just had more time to be rejigged, Kyle Bornheimer's latest series might've stood a chance. Instead, it looks like the actor will be looking for yet another job to showcase his talents. Get ready to snap him up, NBC.

Family Tools premieres Wednesday, May 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET on CTV Two in Canada and ABC.

Don't Dive In With Ryan Lochte

2013-04-22T08:59:23-04:00

Does anyone care what Ryan Lochte would do? Apparently E! thinks so, hence its newest reality show. I guess we should just be thankful it's not another series centring on a Kardashian.

"What Would Ryan Lochte Do?" follows the swimming phenom on his quest for love as he parties all night long and flirts like the player he may or may not be. We already know he's a spoon in a drawer full of knives, but his philosophizing and babbling only proves that just because he's a powerhouse in the pool doesn't mean his brain works in that same capacity. In fact, if The Situation and Kim Kardashian had a baby that was dropped a handful of times, it could easily be Lochte. Jeah!

The swimmer has put his name on everything, from this small-screen endeavour, to running shoes, to the word "entourage." That's right, people, he has what he calls his "Lochterage," his "inner circle dedicated to 'turning it up' at all times," all of whom are devoted to Lochtenation. And as far as Ryan's concerned, everyone should have the Lochte edge, even though he has no idea what that "edge" is. Honestly, you can't make this stuff up.

Ryan believes that if you do anything, you have to "go big or go home," whether it's a game of flag football, partying hard or laying it on thick with the ladies, and I'm assuming the same goes for his swim career. But I wish we could see more of that. The skirt-chasing, the wild parties, that should just be filler, the kind of stuff that fills an hour-long results show. I'd rather see more of his rigorous training sessions for the next Summer Games, or even some of his dud dates as he searches for The One, but E! is obviously more interested in the Jersey Shore-ish (well, Jersey Shore lite; this is E!, not MTV) aspect of Lochte's life.

If frat guy good looks, a hot swimmer's bod, and a dopey personality is your thing, then you might find Lochte's antics entertaining. The premiere episode highlighted Lochte Flag Football (a weekly occurance, we're made to believe), a Lochte House Party, the Lochte family out for a night of bowling, and a night in with Ryan's older sisters (maybe the most entertaining part of the show) as they geared up to watch his favourite movie, What Women Want ("If I could read women's minds, I'd be the king of the world," Ryan dreams aloud). But how there will be enough material to fill the remaining seven episodes is beyond me.

Half the time, I can't tell if he's acting stupid -- or if he's really that stupid. When asked about his reputation of douchebaggery, Lochte tries to be all philosophical. "What does douchebag even mean?" he asks. Insert long pause and that glazed over look he has perfected before he adds, "No, really, I don't know what it actually is." Aw. Combine that with his 11 Olympic medals, the fact that he looks fantastic in a pair of Speedos, is an aspiring fashion designer and has a lot of money to play with, naturally, he's the perfect star for his own reality show.

But is it just me or can we all agree that rather than WWRLD, Lochte would've fared better as the next Bachelor since it seems the main focus of this show is his quest for love (who is this Jamie and will we see more of the London lass?). Sean Lowe may have been the last dude to dole out roses, but Lochte would be ideal for the next instalment. Lochte also spoke about how important dancing is to him and the future Mrs. Lochte. Could "Dancing With the Stars" also be in Ryan's future? I hope so. Because that would be entertaining.

"What Would Ryan Lochte Do?" airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on E!

Lindsay Lohan Is The Best Thing About Anger Management. Really.

2013-04-15T16:46:51-04:00

Charlie Sheen has already donated $100,000 to the Lindsay Lohan Scholarship Freeloader Fund, not to mention arranging for a stylist to hook her up with a fancy designer dress (which she ruined by shredding it like a DIY project). But, instead of, I don't know, paying him back, Sheen figured he'd use LiLo for his own evil purposes and get the actress to guest-star on his show, Anger Management. And, what a coincidence -- she guests on the same week Scary Movie 5, in which they both cameo, hit theatres (not that it made any sort of impact).

The only show that's less funny than AM is Sheen's former show, Two and a Half Men, so I fully expected to hate everything about it. I figured after the half-hour was up, Lohan was going to wish her twin from The Parent Trap was real, or she could have done a little Freaky Friday switch-a-roo action with one of AM's other cast members, but actually, Lohan is probably the best thing about the episode, maybe even the best thing about the series thus far. I know, I know, not exactly rave reviews, but she isn't that bad. Perhaps it's because Lohan is playing herself, or rather, a sweet, exemplary version of herself. (Or rather still, the way Lohan truly sees herself. Yep, delusional as ever.)

In AM (which already aired on FX in the U.S. but premeres tonight on CTV), Lindsay Lohan is an innocent, sober homebody who just wants an ordinary life where she can shop for groceries without the paparazzi following her every move. Pfft. It's probably the most diverse role of her career. The lines her character are given were fairly amusing and Lohan plays the self-deprecating parts decently. But it's everyone else, even Sheen, who get the short end of the writers' sticks, though to be honest, I think that's a regular occurrence and Lohan just got lucky.

The episode plays up Lohan's notoriety, except there is good reason for all of it. All the things we read about Lohan are all part of the joke. She drinks and snorts too much, she steals anything that isn't nailed down; basically, she is everything that is wrong with America.

In real life, Lohan is an inspiration to hot messes everywhere. She's a diva, gets photographed in compromising, crack-y positions, destroyed a designer dress that was on loan, was caught stealing and with empty liquor bottles in her car. On AM's skewed version, Lindsay refuses to do a commercial because it exploits her struggles, eats a messy powdered donut, Charlie pulls a thread that ruins her dress, mistakes his daughter Sam's sunglasses for Lohan's, and the questionable empty bottles are from Sam's school recycling project. See -- Linnocent!

Funny enough, the episode manages to make fun of both Lohan and Sheen -- who is infamous for his own meltdowns but managed to go from #WINNING with tiger blood coursing through his veins to, gulp, mentor -- but they both play along and work quite well off one another.

For all of us who thought Lindsay Lohan forgot how to act and lost her talent like a fried extension, we were wrong. Lohan might even expect some sort of public apology but she may as well be asking for an Oscar and a unicorn while she's at it. At best, LiLo did confirm her acting skills are still as sharp as ever -- when she wants them to be -- and is probably hoping by the time she's out of rehab (this year), someone will want to hire her.

Really, though, her AM episode reminded me of that beautiful, red-haired, freckly Mean Girls star who was the next It girl, and it almost made me forget Liz & Dick. Almost. Unfortunately, there are just some things you can't unsee.

Anger Management airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV in Canada and on Thursdays on FX in the U.S.

Why Does ABC Want To Screw Happy Endings?

2013-04-08T11:32:38-04:00

Last April, I wrote about my love for Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23. Fast-forward a year and the Krysten Ritter/Dreama Walker/James Van Der Beek comedy is gone, pulled by ABC. So it's only fitting that I write about its former partner-in-crime, the awesome Happy Endings, which the network also seems to want to do away with.

In February, the alphabet net announced than when Happy Endings' two-month hiatus was up, it would be moving from Tuesday to Friday for Celebrity Wife Swap. Because ABC's powers-that-be hate us. Really, why would they move one of its edgiest, funniest shows to the dead zone? While CBS has seemingly cornered the market on end-of-the-week programming (Blue Bloods, CSI: NY, Ghost Whisperer, Numb3rs ... we'll see how Vegas performs), the other networks haven't fared as well.

Back-to-back episodes of Happy Endings is a fan's dream TV night. Back-to-back eps of Happy Endings on a Friday? Not so much. It's clear ABC wants the show to finish its ordered run before it inevitably gets cancelled, just so execs can say they aired every episode, but the network isn't even pretending it's willing to give the consistently laugh-out-loud, critically acclaimed show a chance. Brutal.

After watching the first four episodes of the show in its crappy new timeslot, it is still as good as ever. Even when it is a sub-par ep, it's still better than most of the stuff out there. Which is why it's so disappointing to watch ABC's shoddy treatment of the comedy.

Instead of bitching and moaning, however, I have a couple of solutions so ABC, listen up. You're about to get a scheduling lesson from a lowly blogger.

- Put Wife Swap on Fridays and Happy Endings back in its Tuesday night home.

- Cancel Red Widow (how it's still on is beyond me), bump Revenge to 10 p.m. (the timeslot it should be in anyway) and put Happy Endings between the guilty pleasure and Once Upon a Time. Yes, it seems random but it's still better than its current teaming with Shark Tank and 20/20.

- Shorten the Dancing With The Stars results show -- which has more filler than a hot dog -- to 30 minutes and let Happy Endings sit back and enjoy its highest ratings ever.

Sadly, my brilliant ideas will be disregarded, thrown away kicking and screaming like Better Off Ted, GCB, and that bitch in apartment 23 by the network that thought Man Up and Work It! were good ideas. Meh.

Happy Endings' best chance for survival will likely mean it will follow in Cougar Town's footsteps and find a new home on another network. The Courteney Cox comedy, which was in the same quicksand-like predicament last year as Happy Endings is in now, was valiantly rescued by TBS. USA -- which has been looking to build a decent comedy block for a while now -- could be the net that gets to play hero and benefit from ABC's poor judgment, so yay for us.

Whether ABC decides to keep Happy Endings in whatever crap timeslot they shove it in, or USA or another network that appreciates Dave (Zachary Knighton), Alex (Elisha Cuthbert), Penny (Casey Wilson), Max (Adam Pally), Jane (Eliza Coupe) and Brad (Damon Wayans Jr.), nabs them and allows Happy Endings to develop and flourish remains to be seen. Obviously USA is the better option, but at this point, I'll just be happy if it stays on the air.

Happy Endings airs Fridays at 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. ET (blech) on City and ABC.

Don't Go Rogue

2013-04-01T11:37:56-04:00

Rogue is the perfect name for a spy thriller -- just not this one. Well, unless the word is used in the cheating, defrauding sense, then, yeah, maybe. Because that's exactly what the show did: it made me believe it could be good, but after two episodes, not so much.

Thandie Newton (Mission: Impossible II) plays Grace Travis, an undercover detective working for ruthless mob boss Jimmy Laszlo (Marton Csokas, Alice in Wonderland). But Grace's personal and professional lives become intertwined when her son is mysteriously gunned down, leaving her temporarily out of the mob game and her relationships with her husband (Kavan Smith) and daughter (Sarah Jeffery) in turmoil.

Naturally, Grace is out for revenge and must get back into the mob life to find her son's killer. Rogue is meant to be supenseful and hard-hitting, but, really, it was far from entertaining. In all honesty, there wasn't a time during the first two episodes where I wasn't holding my phone, clicking through emails, lazily perusing Pinterest or playing 4 Pics 1 Word.

Newton is a decent lead but even as she mourns her dead son, I still don't care much about Grace -- never a good sign. The actress' looks can't be played down, so rather than try, the writers just worked her hotness into the script and whenever Grace walks by a couple of dudes, there's a lot of jaw-dropping and "humina-humina-huminas." It would be kind of funny if they worked some humour into those scenes, but that's just not how this show rolls. Ian Hart (Luck), Claudia Ferri (The Killing), Ian Tracey (Intelligence), Joshua Sasse, Matthew Beard (An Education), and Martin Donovan (Boss) round out the cast, while most of Lazlo's men look like they were either pulled straight from the Bourne movies, or appeared on various CBC series.

I'd like to say Rogue is unique and different from what's out there, but it's not. Grace walks a fine line (should she kill a guy for her boss, or do a line of coke with the boss' son?), but considering she's hell-bent on finding the people who killed her son, it seems like a small price to pay for her to get answers. Think Ashley Judd on Missing or Radha Mitchell on Red Widow; Newton is merely the latest in a line of TV moms doing what they have to do for their children (except in Rogue's case, Grace's maternal instincts aren't so great with her daughter, so she's not exactly first in line for Mom of the Year).

For some, the only thing it's got going for it is its penchant for sex and nudity but watching Hart's Wilson going at it with his exotic informant may be more than enough for viewers. Maybe that's just my alter-ego, Prudence McPrude, mayoress of Prudytown, resurfacing, but it all just seems so unnecessary. Or perhaps it's just me hating on mob shows yet again (sorry, I'm just not a fan).

I do like Grace's relationship with Mitch (Tracey) and I will admit, Rogue does improve in the second episode, where -- spoiler alert! -- Grace and Jimmy team up. It adds an interesting take, but after 120 minutes, I realized I no longer cared. A show, or components of one, should grab immediately, and this simply misses the mark. It's a shame since Newton on the small screen on a regular basis could've been great. Instead, it's just a waste.

Rogue premieres Wednesday, April 3 at 9 p.m. ET on The Movie Network and 8 p.m. PT on Movie Central in Canada, and on DirecTV's The Audience Network in the U.S.

Why Does CBS Hate Rules of Engagement?

2013-03-25T12:03:24-04:00

I admit, I don't have the most sophisticated taste when it comes to television. I watched Splash, for goodness' sake, and, no, not because I had to -- because I wanted to. Judge all you want but I'm OK with The Walking Dead and The Good Wife sharing DVR space with a D-list celebrity diving show and a B-list celebrity dancing show.

So it shouldn't be too surprising that one of my favourite comedies is Rules of Engagement. That's right, the show that stars Puddy and Joe Dirt. Honestly, though, Rules never disappoints and it guarantees laugh-out-loud moments every time.

When I learned series stars Patrick Warburton, David Spade and Adhir Kalyan have already signed on to pilots -- contingent on whether Rules gets cancelled at the end of the season -- I was pissed. It seems like I get pissed every year when the networks reveal what shows will be picked up, and CBS never has Rules on its safe list.

Rules of Engagement was brought on as a midseason replacement back in February 2007, and while it received full-season pickups in its first two years, it's been treated like crap ever since. Almost every year, CBS orders a crappy comedy and puts all its efforts into promoting it. And then once said crappy comedy has bitten it with viewers, it calls on Rules to save the day when the net has a 30-minute hole in its schedule to fill. Partners. How to Be a Gentleman. Rob. $#*! My Dad Says. Accidentally on Purpose. Worst Week.

Remember how NBC treated its bastard child, Just Shoot Me? Well, same goes for CBS and Rules. Moving the shows around, burying it deep into its lineup, never knowing its future, never being able to plan, never allowing an audience to build, never expecting anyone to tune in -- then what do you know? People do watch and then all of a sudden it's seven seasons later. An. Noy. Ing.

This season will probably be the show's last, which would be fitting because it would come to an end on its 100th episode. It would just be nice if the network would give the cast and crew its due respect and let them know, just so they can plan a goodbye episode, something that wraps up its seven seasons.

Will we witness Brenda (guest star Sara Rue) have Jeff (Warburton) and Audrey's (Megyn Price) baby? Will Adam (Oliver Hudson) and Jen (Bianca Kajlich) ever get married? Will Timmy (Kalyan) ever find love? And has Russell (Spade) finally met his match with Liz (guest star Wendi McLendon-Covey)? It would be nice for the show's writers to be able to pen some actual closure for the series, but I guess it's pretty consistent with how CBS has left them hanging in the past, and they'll receive no warning. I'm sure the producers are used to the brutal treatment, though, and hopefully they just create their own farewell episode -- on their terms.

Rules, you'll be missed.

Rules of Engagement airs Mondays at 8:30 p.m. ET on CBS and Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on Citytv.

Pretty Little Liars Is Messing With My Mind

2013-03-18T11:39:24-04:00

When it comes to TV, we all have guilty pleasures. Sure, sure, many of us are obsessed with acclaimed series like Homeland, The Walking Dead and The Good Wife, but then there are those shows that you would never admit out loud to anyone that you watch them. You know the ones I'm talking about: America's Funniest Home Videos. Snooki & JWoww. The Client List. Anything on TLC.

For me, I'm not ashamed to admit that I love Dancing With the Stars (Season 16 premieres tonight, woo hoo!), The Young and the Restless (Adam Newman, will you marry me?), and even though I'm not a 15-year-old girl, Pretty Little Liars. I've come to to terms with my love of shows that aren't particularly cool (really, it's OK to admit that some bad TV is just so damn good), but while DWTS and Y&R almost never fail to disappoint (though Victor and Nikki's recent hospital weddings have been way too hokey), PLL has confounded me all year.

It's been a long Season 3 for Pretty Little Liars, which began last June. Spencer's unwashed turn into Mehville has been like spiralling down the saddest, muckiest, most depressing rabbit hole ever. And, sorry to be heartless here, folks, but I don't get why.

Yes, I know that Toby was her great love, and the revelation that he is part of the "A" Team (now that was a great show) would devastate anyone, but that still doesn't explain how a strong, independent young woman like Spencer would devolve into the scraggly mess she's become. This unkempt zombie may have learned her boyfriend, whom she confided everything in, is one of the bad guys, but unless I missed an episode, she just took it, accepted it, and never confronted him about any of it. Everything's been about assumptions (albeit, most of them correct), but for Spencer not to lay a verbal smackdown on Toby has been the most baffling. I guess we're supposed to beieve Toby's dead now, thanks to the tattoo on the corpse, but one of the lead characters' boyfriends warrants an on-screen death, so I'm not buying that that's him in the morgue. Not yet, at least.

I have so many unanswered questions. This season has been so convoluted it's like the teenage version of Lost. So, Spencer has since joined the "A" Team, and is (reluctantly?) working with her nemesis, Mona. She even took Ezra's son. What I don't get is why would she join the "A" Team? Spence probably has her reasons, and I'm hoping it has to do with Aria, Hanna and Emily and keeping them safe, but I don't know what she gets out of it.

I also don't understand why the A team is so dead-set on torturing Spencer, Aria, Hanna and Emily. What did they do that was so bad that they deserve even more being thrown at them? Is it just their association with bitchy Alison, or is there more to it? The girls' torturers have already done so much to them, so when will enough be enough? When all four are dead? Because that's likely not going to happen.

Also, who's the girl in the red coat? Some past and present characters spring to mind -- Maya. CeCe. Jenna. Melissa. Alison. Alison's twin? Lucas? (OK, I don't think it's him, but I do wonder where he's been and think he can provide some answers.)

My biggest question, though, is how have the four girls never checked to see if their phones or rooms are bugged? As soon as something, anything happens, one or all of them receive a text from that pesky A. I just don't get how in all three seasons, it's never come up as to how they always get contacted at just the right times.

OK, I've vented. Anyone have answers? What have I missed? Help. Please. I want to be as well-informed as I can before tomorrow's finale. Because if the show's history has showed me anything, I'll be lucky if even one of my queries gets an answer.

The Pretty Little Liars finale airs Tuesday, March 19 at 8 p.m. ET on MuchMusic in Canada and on ABC Family in the U.S.

The Next Step Steps It Up

2013-03-11T12:49:05-04:00

I've been watching dance shows since childhood. Remember Dance Fever, Sha Na Na and Solid Gold? (No? Just me? Sigh. I'm old.) Times may have changed, but I still like me some Dancing With the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, America's Best Dance Crew and Shake It Up on a weekly -- sometimes twice-a-week -- basis.

DWTS may be back next week (with a Shake It Up star in the cast, FYI) but dance show fans can get a head start with Family's new serialized "reality" dance show, The Next Step. Serialized, you ask. Huh? Reality in air quotes? That's right, it's about as realistic as The Hills or any of those Kardashians shows, but that doesn't mean it's any less addictive.

I watched the premiere on Friday night (even though I had a screener of the first four episodes), only because I had just watched the Good Luck Charlie finale (easily, one of the funniest family sitcoms out there), and to be honest, I didn't expect much. But by the time the first episode, "Get the Party Started," had ended, I grabbed the screener and proceeded to watch the next three episodes. Yep, I'm officially a fan.

The Next Step centres on talented young dancers of the elite A Troupe of the Next Step Dance Studio. In the first episode, we meet the main characters and there are a dozen of them, from the skilled performers, to the studio's owner and head choreographer. But who cares about the grown-ups? It's the teenagers who are the stars.

There are the E Girls, a clique of smug, little bitches whose names end with an "e" sound (Stephanie, Riley, Tiffany, Chloe) and they are ruled by Emily (Alexandra Beaton), the resident mean girl, who makes Regina George and Quinn Fabray seem misunderstood. The only other character more annoying than her is her best friend and lap dog, Stephanie (Samantha Grecchi); and while I didn't mind Tiffany (Tamina Pollack-Paris) at first, she bugged me by the end of the fourth episode. Chloe (Jennifer Pappas) and Riley (Brittany Raymond) are, by far, the most normal but both girls are too afraid to stand up to Emily (who also happens to be Riley's sister), which gets a little maddening. Michelle (Victoria Baldesarra) is the new girl, all sweet, nice and naïve -- and completely clueless as to why Emily hates her.

The boys -- James (Trevor Tordjman), West (Lamar Johnson), Eldon (Isaac Lupien) and Daniel (Brennan Clost) -- haven't exactly made an impression, but Eldon is probably the most irksome, only because of his ridiculous crush on Emily.

The cast is comprised of dancers first and foremost, most of them newcomers to acting (which reminds me of the ensemble of the North American version of Skins, albeit much more family-friendly). The technical aspects of the show are done well, the music is fantastic (I can't get the theme song out of my head) and it's clear producers Frank van Keeken (Billable Hours), Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier (Being Erica) are on the ball since The Next Step has already been sold to BBC Worldwide for syndication. And despite how the scribes have written Emily, the rest of the characters seem much more real and connected.

Clearly, I can't stand Emily, but that's merely because I hate bullies and she hasn't given us one reason to like or understand her. But The Next Step isn't about the characters -- at least, not yet. If you love dance shows and have an appreciation for skilled and dedicated performers, then you'll be hooked. The Next Step's structure may be reality-based, from their rehearsals, to their one-on-one interviews, even to their plotting and in-fighting, but like Glee's New Directions, even though some can't stand others, they have to find a way to come together and bond as a team. Right? RIGHT?! Is it Friday yet? Bring on episode 5!

The Next Step airs Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. ET this March Break, and airs regularly Fridays at 7 p.m. ET on Family.

Red Widow Isn't Quite The Mother Of A Show ABC Is Hoping For

2013-03-04T12:20:05-05:00

Hot on the heels of ABC pulling Zero Hour from its lineup comes another series that will likely follow suit. I think the only question here is whether Red Widow will last more than three episodes, or if it can manage a run similar to what another failed mob show did (FYI, The Mob Doctor), and air all of its episodes.

Everything about Red Widow, from its network to its female lead to its cast, reminded me so much of last year's Missing. Yes, the network eventually pulled the plug on the Ashley Judd action-drama too, but it did earn the actress an Emmy nomination for her role on the miniseries (because only 10 episodes aired), so at least it has that.

But unlike Judd, who was so over-the-top the scenery didn't stand a chance, Red Widow's star, Radha Mitchell, is excellent. She plays Marta Walraven, a wife and stay-at-home mom who comes from a Russian crime family who has turned a blind eye to how involved her husband, Evan (Anson Mount), was in her family's business. But when Evan's partner -- who also happens to be Marta's greedy brother, Irwin (Wil Traval) -- digs them into a deep hole, it results in Marta becoming a widow being forced to take over her husband's job in smuggling drugs (probably not the import/export biz Art Vandelay had in mind).

And that's pretty much what the show is about. The series' two-hour premiere wasn't really bursting with fruit flavor (though the first hour was far more interesting than the second). A lot of it was about establishing relationships and showing viewers various relationships, but it drags. And if you thought things would pick up when we first meet the oh-so-scary mob boss Nicholae Schiller (Goran Visnjic), think again. He wasn't as menacing as I expected, though that may have been because we have yet to see his really bad side.

Mitchell is great, Visnjic is all right, and the rest of the cast does what they're supposed to. Mount looks like he stepped right off the Hell on Wheels set to film Red Widow, and he and Mitchell felt like an odd match. But I prefer his character to douchey Irwin, so hopefully Mount will return in flashbacks. I'd also love it if we saw more of Lee Tergesen (Oz), as Mike, Marta's begrudging partner and mentor, and Clifton Collins Jr. (The Event) as sympathetic FBI agent James Ramos, but I could care less about Marta's newly married sister Kat (Jaime Ray Newman, Eastwick) or her husband, Jay (Pedro Pascal, Nikita), who my husband suspects may have had something to do with Evan getting shot down in front of his youngest son.

Personally, I have suspicions about Marta's small-time crime boss papi Andrei Petrov (Rade Serbedzija, Taken 2) and his right-hand man, Luther (Luke Goss, Blade 2), who just seems like the kind of character where, if he was in another series, wouldn't have that much dialogue. They may have known Evan was going to turn on the family and decided to do something about it -- but to be honest, I don't know if I'm invested enough to find out.

The midseason schedule hasn't exactly been impressive thus far, and while Red Widow is OK ... it's just OK. Perhaps it's because networks can't handle drug-and-crime-filled shows like Breaking Bad or mob shows like The Sopranos. Red Widow may not be an original concept (it's inspired by the Dutch series Penoza), but like Missing, if you break the show down, it's about a mom doing whatever she can to protect her children.

Good premise -- just not good enough.

'Red Widow' airs Sundays at 10 p.m. EST on CTV Two in Canada and ABC in the U.S.

'Lost Girl' Season 4: Showcase Renews Hit Series

2013-02-28T14:02:27-05:00

Fae-tastic news for "Lost Girl" fans -- a fourth season of the Canadian series has been ordered.

"Lost Girl" is in the middle of Season 3 and has been one of Showcase's most impressive series. The show, which stars Anna Silk as a supernatural creature who feeds off sexual energy for her abilities, boasts crazy ratings, making it one of Canada's top-rated specialty dramas.

"'Lost Girl' remains an anchor series for Showcase, and with its sharp writing and palpable cast chemistry, it has amassed a fan following second-to-none," said Barbara Williams, Senior Vice President, Content, Shaw Media. "We are delighted to bring fans another season of the series and can't wait to see where the creative team takes the story next."

In its inaugural year, which aired in late 2010, "Lost Girl" was the number-one series on Showcase and has only grown in its following seasons. In fact, it remains the number-one specialty program in its Sunday timeslot in key demographics.

Production on Season 4 is set for this spring and is scheduled to air in late 2013. Executive producer of Prodigy Pictures, Jay Firestone, says there's plenty for fans to get excited about. "Bo's world is going to be turned upside down," he teased. "Her beliefs will be challenged and her allegiances will be questioned. Fans can look forward to a roller-coaster ride."

"Lost Girl"'s Season 3 finale airs Sunday, April 14 at 9 p.m. EST/PST on Showcase.

Golden Boy Meets World

2013-02-25T14:17:09-05:00

When I first heard that Ryan Phillippe was going to be the lead of Golden Boy, I was pretty pumped.

Sure, he's probably best known for playing Sebastian Valmont, the king of d-baggery in Cruel Intentions, but for me, he'll always be Billy Douglas from One Life to Live. His return to TV (minus his stint on Damages) could've been great, but since he bailed -- reportedly because he didn't want to commit to the demands of a network series -- Golden Boy seemed to lack a certain lustre.

Boy, was I wrong.

The most impressive thing on (new) leading man Theo James' resumé may have been Underworld: Awakening, but he truly shines on Golden Boy. The CBS/CTV show chronicles Walter Clark (James), a cop who rises quickly through the ranks from officer to homicide detective to police commissioner for the NYPD in a matter of a decade.

The series is told in a unique way, where each episode starts with present-day police commissioner Clark and those who have questions about how he got there. Clark breaks down the story and it's told in flashbacks, where we learn more about him and his colleagues, including his partner and mentor, Det. Don Owen (Chi McBride, Boston Public), his dillweed nemesis, Det. Christian Arroyo (Kevin Alejandro, Southland), Arroyo's partner, Det. Deb McKenzie (Bonnie Somerville, Cashmere Mafia), as well as Clark's one soft spot, his sister, Agnes (Stella Maeve, The Runaways).

Back to Theo James, though. Ryan Phillippe ... who, now? From a completely shallow point of view, he's pretty. The British actor looks, sounds and even acts like the product of James Franco and Chris Evans, if they mated. (Seriously, Conan and Andy would agree.) But enough about the superficial. He's good, and most importantly, convincing. James is believable as both a rookie homicide detective and an older and wiser commish. While the majority of an episode (the procedural parts) are typical, there's enough about it that makes it original and different than the other shows in its genre.

What -- or should I say who -- is most fascinating is Commissioner Clark. We learn what shaped him to who the man he is today, and it's enough to make viewers want more. They'll want to see if Owen is still a part of his life (McBride is fantastic as his gruff, experienced partner, but I believe that despite their differences, Owen and Clark could be friends), to know if Arroyo eventually gets his comeuppance (I've loved Alejandro since his Ugly Betty days, so I hate that he's a jerky asshat here) and to find out what happened to end his criminal-chasing days (spoiler alert: he now walks with a limp).

It's that kind of stuff that could give this show longevity, if given the chance. It's being promoted decently enough, I suppose, but the promos aren't exactly selling its strong points. Where it could run into a problem -- the show's only problem, really -- is when it's airing. Golden Boy debuts with what CBS is calling two special previews (on Tuesday Feb. 26 and Tuesday, March 5, at 10 p.m. on both nights) before it moves to its regular Friday at 9 p.m. EST timeslot on March 8. Will people follow it from Tuesdays to Fridays? Only time will tell. Golden Boy does seem like a perfect match with Blue Bloods, better than the tired CSI: NY. Here's hoping it settles in nicely and makes enough of an impression.

Golden Boy premieres Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 10 p.m. EST on CTV in Canada and CBS in the U.S.

Back To Body Of Proof For Season 3

2013-02-18T12:03:52-05:00

When Body of Proof debuted in March 2011, it put me in a tough spot.

It aired on Tuesday nights, which already featured two of my still-favourite shows -- The Good Wife and Parenthood -- and I was already having a hard time making a Sophie's Choice between them. Alicia Florrick and the Bravermans won, and Dana Delany was dropped, as a regular, at least. I would catch the odd episode every now and again, but because my PVR was already smoking that night, the ABC show really didn't stand a chance.

Since Parenthood already wrapped Season 4 last month and Good Wife now airs on Sundays, I no longer have an excuse to keep Body of Proof out of my Tuesday night lineup. But, boy, oh boy, has a lot changed since I last tuned in.

Gone is Peter Dunlop (Nicholas Bishop), who died at the hands of a serial killer, as well as detectives Bud Morris (John Carroll Lynch), now retired, and Sam Baker (Sonja Sohn), who departed for the FBI. Megan Hunt (Delany) will likely go through the entire season disapproving of every wannabe medicolegal investigator who wants Peter's old job, but no worries. She has her hands full with the new homicide team: Det. Adam Lucas (Elyes Gabel) and Det. Tommy Sullivan (Mark Valley), the latter with whom she shares a past.

Season 2's final episodes, which centred on a serial killer, helped boost the show's ratings and it looks like Proof will maintain that heightened, thriller element. Just look at this week's premiere.

Megan returns after her forced three-month leave in "Abducted, Part 1," and is thrown right into her first case -- a serial killer whose victims are young war veterans. But just when Hunt, Sullivan and Lucas think they've caught the bad guy, things come to an end (well, the end of Part 1) when Megan gets a call from the killer, who is holding her daughter, Lacey (Mary Mouser), hostage. (Sorry for the non-spoiler alert, but the episode begins with that phone call no parent wants, so I figured it was OK.) And all this while learning to deal with a man from her past on an ongoing basis? It's going to be a roller-coaster of a ride.

By mixing Megan's personal and professional lives, it's a way of keeping the show that much more energized. There'll be the will-they-won't-they aspect, but it'll be organic to the story, and not come out of nowhere. But if the writers eventually go there with Megan and Tommy, it'll make sense. They already share a nice, easy chemistry (perhaps from their Pasadena days) and there's already that Moonlighting banter between the two characters. But since Megan, who rarely lets anyone in, just lost someone close to her, I doubt anything romantic will happen anytime soon. It is nice to see one person who doesn't put up with her crap, though. It's more refreshing than all the ass-kissing and tiptoeing around everyone else seems to do.

If you thought Hunt was a handful in past seasons, she's even more abrasive after the death of Peter, and the reappearance of Tommy isn't helping. Valley always adds a little something to every show he's a part of, and it's nice that Tommy already knows what Megan is all about. I've loved Valley and that twinkle in his eye ever since he was the only viable Jack Deveraux recast on Days of Our Lives, and I mourned Human Target after it was cancelled. Grrr, it still bugs me.

I do fear one teensy thing, however -- that Valley (again, let me reiterate my love) might be a bit of a show-killer. Target, Pasadena, Keen Eddie, Boston Legal, Harry's Law ... but I do believe Body of Proof has enough going for it that it will live on, and I'm hoping this is the show where people finally realize that Valley's awesome. Amirite?!

Body of Proof premieres Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 10 p.m. ET on City and ABC.