The trailer (otherwise known as 30 seconds of visual bliss) upon first viewing looks like a Saturday Night Live spoof but spoof it is not. Rob Lowe earnestly performed the best line of dialogue ever delivered on the small screen (watch the video below, if you don’t believe me).  His silver pompadour, fake moustache and use of a garage door opener was pure gravy. This is why we love Rob Lowe, the man doesn’t take himself too seriously.

So it’s delightful news to learn that Rob has signed on for another Lifetime original film.  Lowe is on-board to play the prosecutor, Jeff Ashton in “Imperfect Justice: Prosecuting Casey Anthony.” I don’t know how anything can compare with the nefarious Drew Peterson role–the dashing Jeff Ashton, of course, was never accused of murder and is a well liked lawyer (Ashton has 7,000+ “likes” on facebook, if you don’t believe me).  But a girl can dream, hope, and continue to watch
Note: The book, Imperfect Justice by Jeff Ashton, was published by William Morrow–a sister imprint of ours at HarperCollins.

Dick Clark. I feel like I’ve known him my whole life. I have if you think about it. He was around every New Year’s Eve, rockin’ it in with good cheer. And while I’m a little young to have been an “American Bandstand” devotee, I’ve seen clips and there wasn’t a more dashing host. I should be too young to have been a fan of his game show “Pyramid” but in fact, I began watching it in utero and loved him ever since. That Clark was eternally young—before the world knew about chemical peels and Botox—made him a real life super hero. Eternal Teenage-Man!

Of course, his devastating stroke in 2004 didn’t stop him a bit. Sometimes hardship only illuminates how courageous a person really is. So, sadly I quote the man himself, “For now, Dick Clark…so long.”

Here are 5 reasons to tune in…

 1. Kappo

Eddie Kaye Thomas plays David “Kappo” Kaplan, a nerdy high school classmate of Ben’s who’s hit it big in hedge funds. He’s at once desperate for Ben’s friendship and also trying to be as cool as he perceives Ben and Cam to be. You know Thomas best from his role as Finch in the American Pie franchise.

2. Music

From the opening credits, which features the song “I Need A Dollar” by Aloe Blacc, music supervisor Scott Vener (aka Broke Mogul, also behind the sounds of Entourage) establishes the soundtrack as a pitch perfect balance between the gritty streets of the Lower East Side, and Cam and Ben’s big time dreams of making it.  

3. Victor Rasuk as Cam Calderon

He started as Ben’s sidekick but as season two unfolds, he’s evolved, partly inspired by his crush on friend and shop-owner Lulu. As he gets out from underneath the reign of his neighborhood kingpin coustin Rene (played by Luis Guzman), he gets his own place (see #5) and he proves his metal as a hustler worthy of Ben’s artistic talents. 

4. Lake Bell

Her character Rachel Chapman started as the typical recent ex-girlfriend of Ben, but this season has evolved into a more complicated woman, hooking up with their mutual friend, dogwalker/pot pusher Domingo (played by Scott Mescudi, aka Kid Cudi).

5. New York City

Not since Sex And the City has New York been such a powerful character in an HBO show. The city comes alive in all the ways that SATC, especially when Cam finally scores his own apartment, a vast improvement from his childhood bedroom that had a view of the dumpster-lined alley. His new pad has a terrace and views of the East River, a gem in the Harlem projects.

Why do you watch How To Make It in America?

Ringer – CW, Tuesdays at 9pm starting 9/13

Sarah Michelle Gellar makes her triumphant return to the small screen in this drama about  a woman who, after witnessing a murder, goes on the run, hiding out by assuming the life of her wealthy identical twin sister after she disappears – only to learn that her sister’s seemingly perfect life is more complicated and dangerous than meets the eye. If that doesn’t sound like the perfect vehicle for SMG, I don’t know what you all are waiting for.

2 Broke Girls – CBS, Mondays at 8:30pm starting 9/19 (series premiere is at 9:30pm, before returning to regular slot on 9/26)

Kat Dennings finally gets her own show. You may know Dennings from her roles as brooding, sexed up teens in The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist. The show’s about two down-and-out waitresses – one from humble background (Dennings) and the other cut off from her wealthy family (relative newcomer Beth Behrs) – who work at a Brooklyn restaurant in hopes of saving up to open their own cupcake shop. Let’s hope the creators Michael Patrick King (Sex and the City creator) and comedian Whitney Cummings can deliver.

New Girl – Fox, Tuesdays at 9pm starting 9/ 20

Zooey Deschanel is invading our living rooms weekly! After a surprise breakup with her model boyfriend, she eventually finds a new place to stay when she moves in with three single guys, who try to teach her a thing or two about men and love.

Whitney – NBC, Thursdays at 9:30 starting 9/22

Chelsea Handler-regular Whitney Cummings stars in this eponymous comedy about a happy, committed relationship that’s not on the fast track to marriage. As Whitney takes stock of the relationship, she tries some unusual ways of spicing it and seeks help from friends around her.

Pan Am — ABC, Sundays at 10p starting 9/25

A stylized, sexy show about flight attendants and pilots in the ‘60s, starring Christina Ricci. The women are newly empowered in the feminist movement sweeping the country and they’re looking for the opportunity to see the world and grab it by the balls.

Hart of Dixie  – CW, Mondays at 9pm starting 9/26

A medical drama about a NYC doc (Rachel Bilson) who lands in backcountry Alabama when she can’t find a job. Exec producer is Josh Schwartz, the man behind the O.C., Gossip Girl, and Chuck.

Terra Nova  – Fox, Mondays at 8pm starting Sep. 26 (first episode is 2 hours)

This is more of a TV event than another Fall show. From Spielberg and Peter Chernin comes an epic story taking place in the year 2149. Life on Earth is near extinction and, in an effort to save the human race, scientists develop a time machine that takes settlers 85 million years back in time to prehistoric Earth. Terra Nova is the first human colony on the other side of the temporal doorway and it is in the middle of a group of carnivorous dinosaurs.

How to Be a Gentleman — CBS, Thursdays at 8:30p starting 9/29

An etiquette columnist is told to put a modern, sexy twist on his conservative column or be fired. He enlists the help of an old friend, reformed “bad boy” played by Kevin Dillon, who shows him how to loosen up. This should provide your fill of bro humor between reruns of How I Met Your Mother.

What will you be watching?

Is it just me or does it seem like she was just  feuding over Aaron Carter with Lindsay Lohan? I guess that was all “So Yesterday“ since apparently now the two girls are totes over it. Ah, young love.

But enough of Hillz’s dark past. She is an icon and Lizzie McGuire was an inspiration. I mean, don’t even tell me that the Lizzie McGuire Movie didn’t win an Oscar; It did in my heart. Mistaken for half an Italian pop duo Paolo & Isabella, Lizzie galavants around Rome posing as Isabella and eventually uncovers the not-so-nice truth about Paolo, and of course,  falls in love.

Her cartoon inner-psyche would bounce around the screen telling us all what Lizzie was REALLY thinking, usually something profound like, “Nooooo” or “Ethan Craft just said ‘hi’ to me!!!” But more important than her profound declarations in cartoon form is the fact that Lizzie is and was a trendsetter. Perhaps Lizzie’s unmatching clothes weren’t understood at the time, but today, most likely due to Lizzie McGuire’s forward thinking fashion, mixing patterns are a fashion do.

Lizzie tackled the tough issues of the day like, eating disorders, hanging out with the wrong crowd, sneaking into R-rated movies, family issues, and growing up.

Now that Nick has brought back its 90’s classics – All That, Kenan & Kel, Clarissa Explains It All, and Doug – what about Disney? Bring back Lizzie McGuire!!! Oh, and maybe even throw in a little  Even Stevens, The Famous Jett Jackson, So Weird, and Kim Possible.

I miss you, Lizzie. I really do. XOXO

NEW YORK, NY (August 4, 2011) – It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced today that it has acquired Born to Be Brad: Life and Style Lessons from the Front Lines of Fashion, by TV and fashion personality Brad Goreski. The publication of the book will coincide with Goreski’s premiere season on BRAVO’s “It’s a Brad, Brad World,” produced by Shed Media and Television 360, in 2012.

Lisa Sharkey, Senior Vice President and Director of Creative Development at HarperCollins, acquired North American rights for It Books from Farley Chase of the Waxman Literary Agency. Amy Bendell will edit the book. Collaborating with Goreski is writer Mickey Rapkin, former editor at GQ and author of Pitch Perfect (2008), now in development from Universal Pictures.

Fans know Brad Goreski as a top celebrity stylist, fashion trendsetter, and the fun-loving former assistant to Rachel Zoe, but few know the story of how he got there. The book will recount Goreski’s childhood in Port Perry, Ontario, where he escaped the taunts of bullies by reading fashion magazines, performing in the local children’s theater group and playing stylist to Barbie. Moving to Toronto and landing an internship, and later a job at Vogue, helped him break into the competitive fashion world and eventually capture the hearts of millions as the quirky and endearing assistant on BRAVO’s The Rachel Zoe Project. Along with the moving story of his road to success, he will offer a glimpse into his world now, filled with insider access to behind-the-scenes photo shoots and the countless red carpets and awards shows. And of course, the book will also feature his fashion advice and style tips and tricks, complete with color photos.

“I couldn’t be more excited to be working with the creative team at It Books and to tell my story to my fans. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is be true to yourself. I hope that Born to be Brad will inspire others to pursue their dreams, because to make dreams come true we have to listen to our hearts and not be afraid to fail,” said Brad Goreski.
“There’s no one out there like Brad, and this book will be as unique and creative as the style trendsetter Brad has become. Fans everywhere will be empowered by his moving life story, and entertained by his wit,” said Lisa Sharkey.

About It Books: Launched in September 2009, It Books is dedicated to publishing exceptional books in entertainment, music, fashion, design, art, celebrity, pop culture and sports. It Books has published numerous New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times bestsellers including the # 1 New York Times bestsellers Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern and Red by Sammy Hagar as well as Getting the Pretty Back by MollyRingwald, Booky Wook 2 by Russell Brand, The Red Hot Chili Peppers by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead by Neil Strauss, All My Life by Susan Lucci and The EveryGirl’s Guide to Life by Maria Menounos. Upcoming publications include Dear Cary by Dyan Cannon and Beauty, Disrupted by Carré Otis. It Books is an imprint HarperCollins Publishers, one of the largest English-language publishers in the world and a subsidiary of News Corporation (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). It Books can be found online at www.YourItList.com, www.Facebook.com/YourItList, www.Twitter.com/YourItList and www.Twitter.com/ItBooks.

In addition to being awesome, it would need to possess certain qualities:  

• Satisfying to watch repeatedly
• Enough of a relationship to the rest of the show that hours of entertainment could be had by discussing (with yourself or your volleyball) the larger significance of the episode
• Not a cliffhanger. How evil would that be?

For me, the answer is, hands down, the Buffy musical episode, “Once More, With Feeling.”  

For those of you who have seen it, I know that you know what I’m talking about. This is clearly the right choice.  

For everyone else: First off, I can tell that you’re thinking, “A musical episode of a show about high school students who fight demons? How could that be good?”* Well, I’m not the only one who thinks so. It was nominated for an Emmy, and received rave reviews, like “‘Once More, with Feeling’ is rhapsodic, original, deeply affecting, and ultimately, transcendental. Quite simply, television at its best.” (The Toronto Star) Also, if you’re a fan of Glee, just think: wouldn’t Glee be even better with a few vampires and Joss Whedon’s writing?**  

The basic premise is that a demon (a dancing demon…no, something isn’t right there) shows up in Sunnydale, and suddenly everyone is singing and dancing about anything and everything: dry cleaning, parking tickets, the difficulty of feeling connected to life when you’ve been brought back from the dead by your well-intentioned friends, secret plans for leaving town, bunny conspiracy theories. You know, the usual. It doesn’t sound too demonic until you realize that A) some people are dancing until they burst into flames and B) nobody has any control over what they’re singing, so they end up spilling their innermost secrets.  

In terms of desert island appeal:  

• Think of the weeks of entertainment that could be gained by learning all of the songs (if, um, one didn’t already know them) and the corresponding dance moves.
• The execution is brilliant; hours could be spent marveling over how well the songs move the action forward. The songs are a realistic (within the Buffyverse) way of having secrets come into the open all at once–how cool a premise is that?
• Because of that, there are many major plot points happening within this episode, so there’s tons of stuff to analyze. (To be fair, this would only be helpful if you had seen, at a minimum, the first part of the season.)
• There are a number of jokes that are easy to miss the first time or five around, so it only gets better the more you watch.
• Spike. (Swoon.)
• Perhaps most importantly, if you are stuck on an island watching a single episode of anything over and over again, you need an episode that will motivate you to get your butt in gear, build a raft and/or signal fire, and figure out how to get off the island already.*** Buffy’s struggle to reconnect with her own life should resonate with you and motivate you in your time of need.

So–if you had to pick only one hour of TV to bring to your island, what would it be? 

*Technically, because this episode is in the 6^th season, only Dawn is still a high school student. The others graduated in epic Sunnydale style at the end of Season 3. Speaking of which–Alyssa Rosenberg has an excellent post about graduation & after here. 

**Yes.  

***It seems like Lost or Survivor might also have episodes that would be good for this particular purpose. But do they have singing and dancing? No. No, they do not.

As a child born in the late 80′s and raised in the 90′s I feel it is my duty, nay, my honor to share with you the joy that Nickelodeon gave to me in my childhood years (dramatic much?). This week Teen Nick launched “90′s Are All That” promoting the late night 90′s shows that are now back at Nickelodeon. These shows include: All That, Kenan & Kel, Clarissa Explains It All, and Doug (a personal favorite).

It is rumored that the executives over at Nick are open to suggestions for other 90′s favorites to be added to the late night list. Personally, I wouldn’t mind Rugrats, CatDog, Hey Arnold!, The Secret World of Alex Mack, or my favorite, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, to be added to the line-up.

Did I stay up late last night giggling like the child I was over the epic shorts from All That?
You bet your bottom dollar I did!

If you are like myself, and many other kids of the 90′s, then what are some of your favorite shows from way back when?

I’ll admit that I didn’t start watching ‘Friday Night Lights’ until I found out it was cancelled, which seems to be a general theme with my TV show-watching experiences (Arrested Development, I miss you). After being snubbed for the past four years at the Emmys (the New York Times called it “their most egregious wrong of the last four years”) the show was finally given a few nominations, including best drama, best actor Kyle Chandler (Coach Eric Taylor), and best actress Connie Britton (Tami Taylor). Chandler and Britton were also both nominated in 2010.

Based on the book by H.G. “Buzz” Bissinger Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream and the movie based on it, Friday Night Lights, the show just wrapped up its fifth and final season. Peter Berg, the second cousin of Bissinger, directed the movie version but wanted to do more exploration of the deep interpersonal topics from the book that he didn’t have time for in the film. So, he turned to television.

Berg envisioned a rather revolutionary way of TV filmmaking: They never rehearsed, the camera operators were trained to follow the actors rather than have them stand in one spot and have the cameras around them, the show used hundreds of local people as extras, everything was done in one shot at once (no cutting, little blocking) to keep an authentic feel, and the actors were allowed to change things that they thought weren’t true to their characters.

Critically acclaimed for its honest potrayl of middle America and exploration of its central characters, it’s definitely a show worth watching. It’s not just a show about football – it’s a show centered around a family and their life in a small Texas town. The show tackled contemporary issues, such as lack of economic opportunities, racism, drugs, and abortion. In addition to the recent Emmy nods, the show was awarded a Peabody Award, a Humanitas Prize, and a Television Critics Association Award, as well as several technical Primetime Emmy Awards.

“The moment that critics from New York to L.A. loved the show, I knew we were doomed.” — Brad Leland (Buddy Garrity)

The show overcame some hefty odds and low numbers. After airtime on NBC, the show struck a deal with DirecTV to offset some of the production costs. After season 3, they thought the show was for sure over, but they managed to push through to get two more seasons. You can catch Friday Night Lights seasons 1 through 4 on Netflix streaming and season 5 on Hulu Plus.

And as the lights turned off for ‘Friday Night Lights,’ Vulture prepared an homage to the many words of wisdom by Coach Taylor.

Clear eyes, full hearts. Texas Forever.

Nominations for the 63^rd Annual Emmy Awards were announced this morning, with HBO leading all other channels in nominations (104!).  Modern Family was the most nominated sitcom, and my personal favorite, 30 Rock, was close behind them. 

The Emmy’s are taking place this year on September 18^th.  Here are a few of the nominations that were announced this morning for the major categories:

–Nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series include 30 Rock, Modern Family, Glee, and the Office.

–Nominations for Outstanding Drama Series include Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men, Friday Night Lights, and The Good Wife.

–Nominations for Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Series include The Colbert Report, SNL, and my two favorite late night shows, Conan and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

–Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series include Matt LeBlanc (he’s on TV again??), Steve Carell, Alec Baldwin (30 Rock!), and Jim Parsons, while Lead Actor in a Drama Series includes Jon Hamm, Hugh Laurie, and Steve Buscemi.

–As for Actress in a Comedy Series, Melissa McCarthy, Edie Falco, Amy Poehler, and Tina Fey were nominated.  For Drama, Mariska Hargitay, Connie Britton, and Elisabeth Moss were among those nominated.

Click here for a full list!

Did your favorites make the list?