“Grimm”: “Tarantella” episode airs tonight
Amy Acker as Lena in "Grimm" - NBC Photo
In tonight’s episode of “Grimm,” Amy Acker guest stars as Lena, a Spinnetod, which is billed as the “black widow” of the creature world.
Lena is spinning her web of death on unsuspecting men in Portland and Nick (David Giuntoli) and Hank (Russell Hornsby) are assigned the task of tracking her down.
With Monroe’s (Silas Weir Mitchell) assistance, Nick is introduced to a Spinnetod who has gone the straight and narrow route in life like Monroe, and she is able to give Nick important information about the creature.
“Grimm” fans should enjoy this episode immensely.
Acker, who reunites with her former “Angel” executive producers David Greenwalt and Jim Kouf on this show, is mesmerizing as the tortured Spinnetod with secrets, and the story has all of the right elements to intrigue and thrill viewers.
Giuntoli is reliably good as Nick and the rapport he shares with Mitchell remains such a fun element to the series.
“Grimm” airs at 8 p.m. Fridays on NBC.
– Melissa Hayer
mhayer@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter: @MelissaHayer
From left, Silas Weir Mitchell and David Giuntoli in "Grimm" - NBC Photo
Miranda Lambert makes her acting debut on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” Wednesday
Miranda Lambert - Provided Photo
Tishomingo resident and country music star Miranda Lambert is making her acting debut on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” at 9 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, on NBC.
Lambert’s guest-starring role is a brief but solid performance on the show, which, according to a news release, is one of her favorite series.
In this episode, an aspiring actress is found unconscious in Central Park with drugs in her system and evidence of sexual trauma after she has auditioned for a reality show producer.
When New York Police Detectives Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Nick Amaro (Danny Pino) arrive to speak to the producer (Michael McKean), they catch him on the casting couch with another actress (Lambert) and prevent him from assaulting her.
After the producer is arrested, the story turns into a situation where his son (Cameron Monaghan) resorts to drastic measures to try and get his father out of jail.
Hargitay’s portrayal of Benson using her extensive skills to handle this crisis is commendable, and the chemistry between her and Harry Connick Jr. as ADA David Haden is appealing as the pair finds they work well together during this event.
Also starring in “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” are Ice-T, Dann Florek, Richard Belzer and Kelli Giddish.
– Melissa Hayer
mhayer@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter: @MelissaHayer
Mariska Hargitay of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" - NBC Photo
“Smash” lives up to the hype, hopefully ratings will also
From left, Katharine McPhee and Megan Hilty of "Smash" - NBC Photo
The first few episodes of NBC’s plentifully promoted new musical drama “Smash” prove that the series is worthy of the hype.
I was immediately drawn into this story of the making of a Broadway musical about Marilyn Monroe due to the super-talented cast, impressive musical numbers and just the right amount of soapy personal drama mixed into the plot.
Based on an idea of executive producer and multiple Academy Award and Emmy winner Steven Spielberg and with a pedigree that also includes a pilot written by playwright/screenwriter Theresa Rebeck (“NYPD Blue”) and original songs from Tony and Grammy winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (“Hairspray”), who also serve as executive producers, “Smash” delivers on every level.
The series begins as songwriting duo Julia Houston (Debra Messing) and Tom Levitt (Christian Borle) become enamored with the premise of creating a musical based on Marilyn’s famed life after Tom’s new assistant mentions how he’s fascinated with the iconic actress.
Although Julia is supposed to be taking time off from work so that she and her husband Frank (Brian d’Arcy James) can devote their attention to adopting a baby, she is able to persuade him that she can handle the demands of both matters.
Then producer Eileen Rand (Anjelica Huston) decides to get behind the musical project in full force, despite being in the middle of a bitter divorce from her wealthy, unfaithful husband.
She brings in Derek Wills (Jack Davenport), who is a brilliant Hollywood director, but one who also has a reputation as a narcissistic womanizer – and he has past issues with Tom.
Of course there has to be someone who can carry the show as Marilyn and there are two aspiring stars who establish themselves as the favorites for the role: Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty), a seasoned veteran of the Broadway chorus, and Karen Cartwright (Katharine McPhee), a waitress trying to get her big break into show business.
McPhee’s performance as the ambitious, naive yet strong Karen is right on target and Hilty’s portrayal of the even more ambitious Ivy, particularly when displaying her diva characteristics as well as her vulnerability, is outstanding.
Davenport plays Wills with the perfect amount of egotism, genius and just a bit of sleaziness, while Huston adds humor in the scenes where she’s bickering with her husband.
I found “Smash” to be highly entertaining and I hope lots of other viewers do, too.
The series, which also includes David Marshall Grant (“Brothers & Sisters), Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (“Chicago”) and Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey (“United States of Tara”) as executive producers, premieres at 9 p.m., Monday, Feb. 6 on NBC.
– Melissa Hayer
mhayer@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter: @MelissaHayer
Jack Davenport of "Smash" - NBC Photo
Actor Silas Weir Mitchell transforms into new role
Silas Weir Mitchell as Monroe in "Grimm" - NBC Photo
(This story was published in the Life section of The Oklahoman Monday, Nov. 21, 2011.)
Who’s afraid of the big, bad Blutbad?
“Monroe,” a reformed werewolf creature called a Blutbad, hopes no one is.
Actor Silas Weir Mitchell’s character is just trying to live a normal life among humans in the new drama “Grimm,” the series inspired by the classic Grimm’s Fairy Tales and which airs at 8 p.m. Fridays on NBC.
Mitchell appeared as convicted killer Glen Ake in the movie “Heaven’s Rain,” which was filmed and set in Oklahoma, but he’s back on television with “Grimm.”
Monroe assists Portland homicide detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) in solving crimes perpetrated by other creatures who don’t want to be as good as he is.
Burkhardt has discovered he’s a descendant of an elite line of criminal profilers known as “Grimms” who are charged with the responsibility of keeping balance between humanity and the mythological beings of the world.
The pair build a friendship as they work together on this mission.
Philadelphia native Mitchell, whose acting resume includes appearances on television shows such as “Prison Break,” “My Name Is Earl” and “24,” answered questions about “Grimm” and his role on the show during a recent NBC phone conference call.
Q: Would you elaborate on your character, and will more be learned about Monroe’s background in future episodes?
A: Well, to elaborate more on my character, basically, I suppose everything you hear in the pilot is, you know, that’s pretty much as far as we get. I mean, I’m a Blutbad, and I am sort of a reformed Blutbad. I’m trying to live as a human on the straight and narrow.
And, we will definitely learn more about my character in future episodes. But as far as sort of family history, we’re not getting into that yet. We do learn about me — I’m a clockmaker — but it doesn’t get too much into my history or anything.
Q: Would you talk a little bit about the process of establishing a relationship with your co-star in order to make the chemistry work for the characters?
A: I can only talk about this case in particular, but we’re very lucky in the sense that we love working together, and I have a lot of respect for David. I think he’s very well cast, and I think he’s just a lovely guy.
And he’s a smart guy, and we like working together, so establishing a rapport on camera is not difficult because we have a very good one off camera.
Q: Will viewers be seeing any of your bad wolf-suppressing Pilates techniques?
A: I think that it’s not out of the question that you’ll see some of the techniques that I employ to keep myself together, Pilates among them. That’s a fair statement, I would say.
Q: Is Monroe going to be able to keep his werewolf tendencies under wraps going forward, or are viewers going to see his inner beast popping out every now and then?
A: Oh, the inner beast pops out every now and then.
Q: It seems that your character has quite a sense of humor. Are you like that in real life?
A: I have a very, very good sense of humor, yes, you ask any of my friends.
I don’t know how to answer that really. I like to laugh, and I have a sense of humor about myself, let’s put it that way. I don’t take myself too seriously.
Q: Is there any makeup involved in your transformation, or is it entirely CGI?
A: No, it’s not. It’s both. The idea is that it’s CGI on top of makeup, but you still can tell that it’s my face. There’s a lot of stuff that goes into it, but the three ingredients really are prosthetics, computer graphics and my face.
Because the idea is that when someone morphs, they don’t just turn into a werewolf quote unquote, like generic, or someone is like a … beetle creature, or you know, whatever. They don’t just turn into a beetle, they turn into their beetle, you know what I mean?
They turn into what they would look like as this creature, so they really make an effort to fuse the prosthetics and the CGI in such a way that you can tell that it’s me underneath it. And they do that with other creatures that are coming down the pike.
Q: What can you share about upcoming episodes?
A: All I can tell you is the episodes get — they get sort of deliciously dark and creepy. And NBC is letting us go there, so to speak, which I think is fantastic.
– Melissa Hayer
mhayer@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter: @MelissaHayer
Silas Weir Mitchell plays Monroe on "Grimm." - NBC Photo
“Grimm” is another fresh, intriguing take on fairy tales
From left, Silas Weir Mitchell and David Giuntoli of "Grimm" - NBC Photo
NBC’s new drama “Grimm,” the second of two new series this week with a different take on fairy tales, premieres at 8 p.m. Fri., Oct. 28.
Although it’s as unique as ABC’s “Once Upon a Time,” it’s a somewhat darker story, inspired by the Brothers Grimm fairy tales.
As the series begins, Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli, “Turn The Beat Around”), a Portland homicide detective, finds out that he is descended from an elite line of criminal profilers known as “Grimms,” who have the responsibility of keeping balance between humanity and the mythological creatures of the world.
Because of the danger this heritage brings, he hides it from his fiance Juliette Silverton (Bitsie Tulloch, “quarterlife”) and his partner, Hank Griffin (Russell Hornsby, “Lincoln Heights”) as he becomes more involved in the ancient rivalries and alliances of the Grimm world.
Nick does befriend Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell, “Prison Break”), a reformed Grimm creature who assists him with navigating through the forces of a larger-than-life mythology, which includes facing off with Hexenbiests, Blutbads and all kinds of ancient evils, encompassing royal lines dating back to the original profilers themselves, The Grimm Brothers.
Executive produced by David Greenwalt (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel,”), Jim Kouf (“Angel,” “National Treasure”), Todd Milliner and Sean Hayes (“Hot in Cleveland”), this show, to me, is kind of like “The X-Files” meets the Brothers Grimm, and as an X-Files fan, I find it very entertaining.
Giuntoli is believable and likeable playing Nick as he tries to understand this new universe that’s been opened up to him while solving crimes as well.
His relationships with his partner Hank and his new ally Monroe also look to be fun and interesting to watch as the show goes on.
“Grimm” is yet another creative adaptation related to the fairy tales of the past that is a fascinating and engaging series.
– Melissa Hayer
mhayer@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter: @MelissaHayer
Claire Coffee as one of the mythological characters Schlauraffen - NBC Photo
“Whitechapel,” “American Horror Story” and “The Walking Dead” among top choices for Halloween-related viewing
From left, Phil Davis, Rupert Penry-Jones and Steve Pemberton of "Whitechapel" - BBC America Photo
My three top choices to get the Halloween goosebumps going for the Halloween television viewing season are as follows:
- BBC America delivers some pre-Halloween chills with the U.S. premiere of the series “Whitechapel” at 9 p.m. Wed., Oct. 26.
“Whitechapel” is set in modern day East London where the police are trying to solve murders that echo cases from the past, including those involving Jack the Ripper and the 1960s crime twins Ronnie and Reggie Kray.
The six part series, from the producers of “Downton Abby,” stars Rupert Penry-Jones (“MI-5,” “Persuasion), Phil Davis (“Sherlock,” “Bleak House”) and Steve Pemberton (“The League of Gentleman).
- “American Horror Story” continues its bloodcurdling run at 9 p.m. Wed. Oct. 26 on FX, with the first of two “Halloween” episodes: Part 1 features the line between the living and the dead blurring on Halloween and two of the house’s previous residents giving the Harmons decorating advice. Part 2, airing at 9 p.m. Wed., Nov. 2, involves Tate coming face-to-face with his past and Ben and Vivien being haunted by one of the house’s newest guests.
Dylan McDermott, Connie Britton and Jessica Lange star in “American Horror Story.”
- “The Walking Dead,” which has just been renewed for a third season, airs its third spine-chiling episode of its second season at 8 p.m. Sun., Oct. 30 on AMC, in which the group desperately awaits Shane’s return as he finds himself trapped in a school surrounded by zombies, while Daryl and Andrea search for someone in the woods.
Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies, Laurie Holden, Jeffrey DeMunn and Steven Yeun star in “The Walking Dead.”
– Melissa Hayer
mhayer@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter: @MelissaHayer
Other various Halloween-related viewing options include:
- “Ghost Adventures” airs at 8 p.m. Fri., Oct. 28 on the Travel Channel – Zak, Nick and Aaron have come to Letchworth to unlock “The Village of Secrets.”
- “Iris Johansen’s The Killing Game,” based on the bestselling crime novel of the same name and starring Laura Prepon (“How I Met Your Mother”), airs at 7 p.m. Sun., Oct. 30 on Lifetime Movie Network.
- “Martha Stewart’s Haunted House” re-airs at 9 a.m. Mon., Oct. 31 on the Hallmark Channel, actor Justin Long is a guest.
- “The Sing-Off” airs at 7 p.m. Mon., Oct. 31 on NBC and features an opening medley of “This Is Halloween,” “Werewolves of London” and “Ghostbusters.”
- “Watch What Happens Live” airs at 10 p.m. Mon., Oct. 31 on Bravo – live Halloween party hosted by Andy Cohen in the Bravo Clubhouse.
- The Sundance Channel is offering some movies to whet your Halloween appetite, including “Dream Home,” airing at 10:30 p.m. Fri., Oct. 28, which centers on the story of a newlywed couple who wanted the American dream but end up in the middle of a nightmare. Gary and Jessica have moved into a suburban home in the rural countryside when Jessica begins to have strange, haunting visions of a mysterious woman wandering the halls and the shady locals hint at a morbid and tragic back story to the house; and “One Missed Call,” which airs at 9 p.m. Sat., Oct. 29, and is about college student Beth Raymond, whose friends have all been dying in droves and the one connecting factor between all of the incidents is that just before their deaths, each of the victims received a message in which they heard themselves being killed. Beth receives her own terrifying phone call and has only three days to solve the mystery and cheat death.
- If you’d like some humor instead of horror, ABC’s Tuesday and Wednesday (Oct. 25 and 26) night comedies, including “Last Man Standing” (7 p.m. Tues.), “The Middle” (7 p.m. Wed.),” “Suburgatory” (7:30 p.m. Wed.), “Modern Family” (8 p.m., Wed.) and “Happy Endings” (8:30 p.m. Wed.) have Halloween themes.
- NBC’s Thursday (Oct. 27) night comedies featuring Halloween episodes include “Community” (7 p.m) “Parks & Recreation” (7:30 p.m.) and “The Office” (8 p.m.)
- Additionally, “The Simpsons’” 22nd annual installment of “Treehouse of Horror” airs at 7 p.m., Sun., Oct. 30, on Fox.
(Information on programs provided by BBC America, FX, AMC, Sundance, ABC, NBC, Fox, Travel Channel, Lifetime Movie Network, Hallmark Channel and Bravo.)
From left, Atticus Shaffer, Patricia Heaton, Jake Netter, Devon Laos, Andrew J. Fishman, Mason Cook and Aidan Potter of "The Middle" - ABC Photo
Oklahoman finalist in “Kathie Lee and Hoda Cutest Babies Contest”
Berkley Burroughs - Photo by Angel Porch/Art and Soul Photography
Berkley Burroughs, 23 months old, of Moore, was chosen as a top five finalist out of 38,000 entrants for the “Kathie Lee and Hoda Cutest Babies Contest” on the “Today” show.
“This was such an honor to be chosen and to be able to represent Oklahoma!” her mother Jennifer said in an email to NewsOK announcing her daughter had been selected as one of the top five in the contest.
The contest was narrowed down to 10 finalists, and then five finalists were decided upon by viewers.
Although Berkley is one of the five finalists in the contest, there won’t be one child singled out from the final five.
Berkley will be in a baby fashion show during the Kathie Lee and Hoda hour, from 10 to 11 a.m., on “Today” on NBC.
‘Sing-Off’ judges stay in tune with competitors
Sara Bareilles of "The Sing-Off" - NBC Photo
(This article was published in the Life section of The Oklahoman Monday, Sept. 26, 2011.)
“The Sing-Off” has returned for its third season with an expanded number of a cappella groups ranging in size and age competing for the grand prize of a Sony Music recording contract and $200,000.
At the beginning of this season, 16 groups instead of 10 were vying for the grand prize.
The groups have been critiqued along the way by celebrity judges Ben Folds, Shawn Stockman and Sara Bareilles, with the winner ultimately being chosen by viewers and revealed in a live finale.
“The Sing-Off,” hosted by Nick Lachey, airs at 7 p.m. Mondays on NBC.
Another change this season is new judge Bareilles. Bareilles replaced Nicole Scherzinger, who has joined Fox’s “The X Factor.”
Bareilles and fellow judge Folds participated in an NBC conference call recently to discuss the show.
Here are a few of the topics they covered:
Q: When it was first brought up to you that you could be part of “The Sing-Off,” what did you like about the premise of this show?
BAREILLES: For me, the decision was a totally easy one. I have an a cappella background, and I was also a fan of the show, as well as performed on the finale of Season 2.
So, when my management brought this up to me that this was even a possibility … it was kind of a no-brainer for me.
It’s a really special show with a lot of heart, and I love the other judges, and so it seemed like a really good thing to be a part of.
FOLDS: I’ll tell you the truth. When they first asked me, I think I told my manager no. But it hadn’t run yet, so I didn’t know much about the show. I just thought, “Well, I don’t know if I want to be a judge.”
But what convinced me to do it was that it was a cappella and … that it was unique and could be very musical. And I just worked with some a cappella groups.
I’ve never been in an a cappella group myself, but, yeah, I thought, well, this is something I regularly do anyway. I listen to music and I have an opinion about it and I know the inside of music, so I can talk about it a little bit.
It turned out to be a really good decision. I’ve really enjoyed it.
Q: Sara, how have you found connecting with the judges? They’ve already been together some time. Have you found your footing with them and connected with them?
BAREILLES: I can’t say enough good things about Ben and Shawn. They are both, I mean, at the heart of all things, they’re both really kind people and have made it really, really comfortable for me to join up with them in the panel of judges.
We had kind of a natural chemistry that started just from Day 1. Ben and I have known each other for a while now and have become friends. But I really met Shawn on the set of the show, and we had a really natural chemistry, the three of us.
Q: How difficult is it as a judge to compare apples to oranges when you have such a huge range of talent?
FOLDS: It is more of a range this year than the last two years, and that does make it hard, because if you have an amazing, you know, German polka group and they’re up against, like an amazing industrial noise group, … I think you should take personal preferences aside … and just really try to hone in on what they’re attempting to do, how effective it is to the people that would like what it is that they do and, you know, could this make a record.
I don’t like all records but, you know, a record is a record.
And, so, I think it is really hard because you try not to make it personal. You try to make it about how they’re working together, how well they’re doing and how effective it might be for their audience, and leave the preference to the apple or the orange out of it.
BAREILLES: I think it is hard to do, and I didn’t have anything to compare it to in terms of previous seasons of contestants.
But I think it does help clarify things, and you do keep in the back of your mind this is a competition for who’s going to be able to make a great record and hopefully connect to a mass audience and has a lot of depth and complexity to what they’re capable of.
And it makes it a little easier when you see groups that do it really, really well because you kind of know what’s possible. But I agree with Ben. I think the most important thing is to sort of keep your personal preference out of it.
It may not be the record you would run out and — like I would run out and buy — but, you know, if the group has got it, it’s easy to see.
– Melissa Hayer
mhayer@opubco.com
Folds comes to OKC
Ben Folds is scheduled to play with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic at 8 p.m. Nov. 3 at Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N Walker. The concert promises a mix of pop, folk, indie rock and orchestral music. Tickets, starting at $35, can be purchased by calling 842-5387.
Ben Folds of "The Sing-Off" - NBC Photo
Gov. Mary Fallin among “Education Nation” panel members
Gov. Mary Fallin - The Oklahoman Photo
Gov. Mary Fallin will participate in a special “Education Nation” panel session, hosted by Brian Williams and correspondent Kate Snow of NBC News, Monday, Sept. 26 at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.
The session will stream live on EducationNation.com at 1 p.m.
Topics of the discussion include budget cuts, the Common Core and college readiness, No Child Left Behind, the role of teachers unions, early childhood education, teacher effectiveness, college affordability and completion, charter schools, online learning and Race to the Top.
The assembly’s members will also field education questions from their own constituents, including teachers, principals, parents and students.
The list of other confirmed governors involved at this time with the session, entitled “The State of Education: The Governor’s Perspective,” provided in a news release, include:
- Gov. Lincoln Chafee (RI)
- Gov. Nathan Deal (GA)
- Gov. Bill Haslam (TN)
- Gov. John Hickenlooper (CO)
- Gov. Paul LePage (ME)
- Gov. Jack Markell (DE)
- Gov. Bob McDonnell (VA)
- Gov. Sean Parnell (AK)
- Gov. Scott Walker (WI)
For more information on previously announced sessions, click here.
Live or delayed viewing of the “Education Nation” sessions will be available on EducationNation.com.
To learn more about “Education Nation,” go to EducationNation.com, facebook.com/EducationNation or follow on Twitter @EducationNation.
Actor Tim Griffin embraces “Prime Suspect” role
Tim Griffin of "Prime Suspect" - NBC Photo
(This story was published in the Life section of The Oklahoman, Monday, Sept. 19, 2011.)
NBC is featuring an Americanized update of the revered British television police drama “Prime Suspect” in its fall lineup, and Chicago native Tim Griffin is embracing his co-starring role.
Meanwhile, Maria Bello is taking on the lead role formerly played by Helen Mirren.
Griffin, who has appeared on television shows including “Grey’s Anatomy” and “ER,” and in movies such as “Star Trek” and “The Bourne Supremacy,” plays Bello’s colleague in the series, New York police Detective Augie Blando, a character who relies on humor to cope with the stress of police work.
“Augie (is) definitely comic relief, which I was so thrilled, because I’ve done a lot of comedy, I’ve done a lot of drama, but rarely have I seen the two sort of meshed so perfectly as they are here, and it’s a dream come true to play, because I’m naturally somebody that loves to laugh and loves to enjoy life,” he said.
In a recent phone interview, Griffin described this version of “Prime Suspect,” which premieres at 9 p.m. Thursday on NBC, as a new imagining of the original series.
Although Mirren played British Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison, Bello plays Jane Timoney, who is a New York Police Department homicide detective.
Griffin thinks Bello is up to the task of making the lead character her own.
“I can’t think of another actor more qualified, or sort of with the potential, to really create something incredible and special. And she is delivering on all fronts. We are her ensemble, but she is our leader, and she is spectacular in this.”
Coincidentally, Bello and Griffin have appeared in three of the same recent projects: The independent movie “Carjacked” and the feature film “Abduction,” as well as “Prime Suspect,” though the pair weren’t on the set at the same time during the filming of “Abduction.”
The familiarity paid off for the actors at the beginning of the series, as Griffin recounted:
“Everybody’s nervous, and we’re all meeting each other for the first time when we did the read-through for ‘Prime Suspect’ in New York, it was an instant bond for the two of us, because it was like seeing a friendly face.”
– Melissa Hayer
mhayer@opubco.com
