Sandra Bullock knows how to put a smile on our faces

Sandra Bullock. She’s America’s sweetheart. She wins everyone over with her smile. She’s the girl next door, if you will, who just happens to be the highest paid actress of 2012 with $56 million, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Not your average girl-next-door salary, but she seems to deserve it because she’s so humble.

This week Bullock tackles a tough role as a mother from New York whose husband (Tom Hanks) was killed on 9/11 in “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” — adapted from the best-selling novel. After her 10-year-old son discovers a key left behind by his father, he decides to go on a coming-of-age journey across New York to find the lockbox to which the key belongs.

With such a serious role in hand, let’s look back at some of Sandra’s funniest and most-endearing roles of the last 20 years.

“Speed” (1994) — “There's a bomb on a bus,” reveals Dennis Hopper, the villain of the film and, in doing so, sets the premise for the entire movie. Alongside Keanu Reeves, the cop who is involved in Hopper’s mind game, Bullock is able to hold her own as overwhelmed, frazzled Annie who must take charge and keep the bus from going under 50 mph. Bullock provides a bit of comedy to the fast-paced action flick and it helped earn her a spot as a leading lady in Hollywood.

“Miss Congeniality” (2000) — I’ve seen this movie a thousand times and it, or Bullock for that matter, always makes me laugh. As an undercover FBI agent who must parade around at a beauty pageant in order to stop a group from bombing the event, Bullock’s character learns to make nice among beauty consultants, pageant coordinators and the contestants themselves. Bullock is so awkward and dorky and out of her element that it’s hard not to laugh at her. She does a great job at mocking the world of beauty pageants, all while playing a tough FBI agent ready to kick butt when necessary.

“While You Were Sleeping” (1995) — A classic romantic comedy that Bullock makes so easy to watch, “While You Were Sleeping” tells the story of Lucy, a token collector at a train station who has a crush on a particular commuter (Peter Gallagher). One day he is mugged and pushed onto the train tracks. Bullock’s character rescues him, only to find that he has fallen into a coma. She brings him to the hospital where the nurse mistakes her for his fiance and she doesn’t have the heart to tell his family the truth. She ends up spending a lot of time with the family, including the brother (Bill Pullman), with whom she soon falls in love. With a great supporting cast, Bullock couldn’t go wrong.

“The Blind Side” (2009) — The film that earned Bullock an Academy Award, Golden Globe and SAG award, Bullock really transformed herself for the role of Leigh Anne Tuohy, the mother who adopted Baltimore Ravens lineman Michael Oher. It is said that Bullock turned down the role several times because she didn’t want to portray a devout Christian. Well, it was well worth the wait, and the film turned out to be an underdog movie that opened up everyone’s hearts, and Bullock had a big part in doing that.

“The Proposal” (2009) — Released around the same time as “The Blind Side,” Bullock broke records for having two top-grossing releases at the same time. While “The Blind Side” captured our hearts, “The Proposal” tickled our funny bones. Alongside Ryan Reynolds and the one-and-only Betty White, Bullock had no trouble standing out as a publisher who pretends to be engaged to her assistant in order to not be deported to Canada. Temporary at first, the two quickly fall in love when they go to meet family in his home state of Alaska.

It sounds like a silly premise that could easily go wrong, as Bullock’s other comedy released that year, “All About Steve,” did. But what works is the chemistry between Reynolds and Bullock. They work hand-in-glove with each other and over the years Bullock has shown that she’s a well-rounded actress who has multiple sides to her craft. She always has something new up her sleeve and it seems to always put a smile on her face and ours.

Why aren't you watching 'Breaking Bad'?

For those of you who aren’t watching the ground-breaking AMC show “Breaking Bad,” shame on you. What are you waiting for? For actor Bryan Cranston to bump his Emmy total up to four? Well that will come soon enough. For now, AMC has given you an early Christmas present. The network has decided to air encore episodes of all four seasons of “Breaking Bad” from beginning to end, every Sunday night at midnight until the final season arrives next summer. And with the lack of most regularly-scheduled TV this holiday season, what better time to take advantage of such a great offering. You’ll be hooked in no time, craving for Sunday nights to arrive. And here’s why.

THE WRITING

Vince Gilligan, the creator of “Breaking Bad,” — who previously wrote and produced many episodes of “The X-Files” — has created one wild ride for us to enjoy.

A brief synopsis: In season one we meet Walter White, a bored high school chemistry teacher who finds out that he has lung cancer. While on a drug-bust raid with his DEA brother-in-law, Hank, Walter finds a former student, Jesse Pinkman, to be one of the dealers who happens to escape Hank’s wrath. From here, Walter decides to take his life into his own hands so that he can make sure his family is financially secure when the cancer takes his life. As a chemist, he is able to create the purest form of methamphetamine and, with the help of Jesse, Walter decides to produce and sell the drug. As the series develops, Walter and Jesse’s distribution grows and so does the number of people who want them out of the picture.

What Gilligan has done so brilliantly is present a character with whom you sympathize with at first, but as the series progresses you come to genuinely despise. Most writers tend to steer away from the audience hating the main character, but not Gilligan. When he was a chemistry teacher, Walter was as complacent as they come. But as his drug operation grows he becomes greedy, hostile and out of hand. Walter wants to be the boss and he won’t take s--t from anyone. It’s a complete 180 for a character that has the audience wondering who they should be rooting for.

THE ACTORS

The actors who must fill the shoes of the Walter and Jesse characters are Bryan Cranston, as Walter, and Aaron Paul, as Jesse.

When I first started watching “Breaking Bad” I had no idea Walter was portrayed by the same goofy guy who played father to Frankie Muniz on the family-comedy “Malcolm in the Middle.” It took me a couple episodes for it to click — simple because Cranston looks and acts so much more sinister in this role. Cranston is intense and encompasses the role in full force. He brings everything to the table as Walter White, and it may be the role he’ll be most remembered for.

I’d only seen Paul in brief one-episode TV appearances or teen comedies such as “Van Wilder.” He’s an actor who came out of nowhere. The character of Jesse requires balance between someone who is not only a “business savvy” meth distributor, but also a meth addict himself. Paul is just as intense as Cranston, and the two of them work hand-in-hand to create the energy and tension that holds “Breaking Bad” together.

Gilligan had initially wanted to kill off the character of Jesse Pinkman in the first season. But after seeing Paul’s performance, he opted not too. Which is all the better, especially for Paul, who followed Cranston’s lead and won an Emmy of his own for his season three performance in 2010.

THE VILLAIN

Over the course of the show, there are various drug dealers and members of a drug cartel that Walter and Jesse encounter. You could even say Hank — Walter’s DEA brother-in-law — is a villain in a way. But no one becomes quite as big of a threat as Gustavo “Gus” Fring, a business partner the two pair up with to distribute their meth in large quantities across the region in season two.

Gus, played by Giancarlo Esposito, is hands down the best villain TV has seen in the 21st century. With a subtle, low-key demeanor, Gus is a quiet businessman who runs his meth operations out of a fast food restaurant chain called Los Pollos Hermanos and a laundry facility. He is very smart and, rather than deal with the competition of Walter and Jesse, Gus takes them on to work for him, in a state-of-the-art mega lab.

As problems arise, Gus and Walter try to outsmart each other and it’s a battle of the wits. Gus is very powerful and you never know what is coming from him. He has a ruthless psyche hidden under his calm and collective manner.

Esposito — who has quite the resume, including starring in four Spike Lee joints and currently appearing on ABC’s “Once Upon a Time” — is so poised and polite as Gus, that when he does act out his villainous intentions, it’s quite scary. He never lets his guard down and he’s the type of villain who is always one step ahead of everyone else.

Grohl, Foo Fighters rock hard during Boston show

I had always heard the Foo Fighters — the rock band fronted by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl — were simply amazing in concert. Having never been a so-called ‘super-fan’ of the boys, they weren’t necessarily on the top of my “Must-See-in-Concert” list. But over the years, I’ve realized how consistent yet innovative the Foo Fighters were — hit after hit they always made it work, all while sticking to their rock n’ roll roots.

And so, when I saw tickets go on sale in July for their latest tour, I decided ‘What the heck?’ What made the idea of purchasing tickets even easier was the fact that they would be playing at the one-and-only TD Garden in Boston. That place was made for rock shows — and Celtics and Bruins games, of course.

The show kicked off at 7 p.m. — to a somewhat empty arena — with a band from Wales called The Joy Formidable. Rock n’ roll to the core, this trio performed their hearts out for six songs, including the radio-friendly hit “Whirring.” Lead singer Ritzy Bryan sure knows how to shred, and it’s too bad there weren’t more people in the arena to enjoy the intense performance.

Following suit was the legendary punk band Social Distortion. Despite an ever-revolving door of band members, Social D — with its originator, singer Mike Ness — has been in the game for the last 25 years.

Playing songs from way-back-when such as “Mommy’s Little Monster” and “Story of My Life” to their latest hit “Machine Gun Blues” to their ever-popular cover of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” Social D knows how to please their fans and have a good time doing it.

As the clock struck 9 p.m., the Foo Fighters took the stage for what would end up being a three-hour set. The Foo were in full force as they played “Bridge Burning” and “Rope,” songs off their latest album “Wasting Light.”

Along the way, the Foo made sure to get through many of the hits from year’s past — “My Hero,” “Monkey Wrench,” “Learn to Fly,” “Pretender” and “All My Life,” to name a few.

Covers of Pink Floyd’s “In the Flesh?” — which the Foo first performed on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” during Pink Floyd week in September with original Floyd member Roger Waters — and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ “Breakdown” were thrown into the mix of Foo Fighter staples, and the boys never slowed down one bit.

OK, maybe for three bits. Taking a slight break after 17 songs, Grohl and drummer Taylor Hawkins egged the audience on through backstage cameras as to how many more songs they should come on and play. The total jumped from two to six by the end of the gag.

From here, Grohl took to a rising platform stage in the middle of the arena to sing to the balcony seats with acoustic performances of “Wheels,” “Best of You” and “Times Like These” while the rest of the band took an extended break.

Ending the set with fan-favorite “Everlong” off the band’s 1997 album “The Colour and the Shape,” the Foo Fighters churned out 23 songs altogether, and put on one hell of a performance.

The key element to a great rock show is the frontman, and Dave Grohl is the frontman. He’s funny, sincere, full of crazy energy and appreciative of where he’s landed in life.

He’s encouraging — to all the kids in the audience, he urged them to pick up an instrument and see what comes of it. Some of the Foo never took lessons and he welcomed the idea that those kids could someday be up on stage just like they are.

He cares about his fans deeply — promising to return to play a small club in the area for a more intimate performance next time the band was in town.

He speaks to the crowd with honesty and he doesn’t need to put on a spectacle to have a great show — he lets the music do the talking. And judging by the fact that the crowd was filled with all ages of people, the band’s music speaks to a lot of different people. And that is why, I’m sure, Grohl’s energy will never die down and the Foo Fighters will stick together for many more years to come.

Wednesday night’s performance showed me what I’ve been missing all these years. And now it’s my turn to tell you to put the Foo Fighters on your “Must-See-in-Concert” list. You won’t be disappointed. I sure wasn’t.

Kirsten Dunst makes all walks of acting look easy

At the mere age of 29, Kirsten Dunst has worked with such acclaimed directors as Cameron Crowe (“Elizabethtown”), Woody Allen (“New York Stories”) and Sofia Coppola (“The Virgin Suicides”, “Marie Antoinette”).

And now she adds to the list the controversial, yet brilliant Lars von Trier, whose film “Melancholia” — which comes out this weekend — she had the pleasure of most recently starring in and which has already earned her a Best Actress Award from the Cannes Festival. It looks as if she could be on her way to claiming a second Golden Globe nomination from her performance as well (her first stemming from her performance in “Interview With the Vampire” at the ripe old age of 12).

With the resurgence of Dunst back on the big screen — she’ll star in at least three movies next year — I thought I’d take a look back at some of my favorite Dunst films — pre-Spider-Man franchise, aka 2002. And here's to Dunst giving us many more stunning performances to come.

“The Virgin Suicides” (1999)

A beautiful piece of work directed by Sofia Coppola, and based on the book by Jeffrey Eugenides, “The Virgin Suicides” tells the story of the Lisbon sisters — five girls who live in an overly strict and religious household in the ’70s. After the youngest of the sisters commits suicide, the girls are secluded even more than before.

Dunst plays Lux Lisbon, the sister eager to break the rules. After the Lisbon parents allow the girls to go to a school dance, Lux stays out late with a boy, only for him to leave her high and dry, asleep on the football field. After this event, the girls are no longer allowed to step foot out of the house — even to attend school.

In the end, the sisters make a suicide pact — and on the same night, all take their lives in a different manner.

It’s a depressing story, for sure, but wonderfully told all the same. And Dunst plays the sister who holds the story together. She does a wonderful job at embodying a girl who puts on such a sweet visage, but under it all is hiding a rebellious, insecure and disturbed girl.

“Little Women” (1994)

In the movie adaptation of the classic Louisa May Alcott novel, Dunst plays young Amy March, along with an ensemble cast of Winona Ryder, Clair Danes, Christian Bale, Eric Stoltz and Susan Surandon.

Amy is the youngest of four sisters, and is the brat of the bunch — but she also has a strong heart. Dunst does a fabulous job at balancing these two traits — portraying strong emotions mature beyond her 12-year-old years, but also giving the character a mischievous side that makes Amy hard not to like.

“Jumanji” (1995)

Who doesn’t like “Jumanji”? It’s such a fun — and somewhat creepy — movie in which a young boy, Alan (Robin Williams) gets trapped inside a jungle board game. After 26 years, he is released after Dunst’s character Judy and her brother find the game in an attic, and dare to play it. From here, the creatures of the jungle invade the city and it is up to Judy and her brother, along with Alan and his former opponent, Sarah (Bonnie Hunt), to put an end to the chaos, but only by finishing the game they had started so many years ago.

It helps that Dunst has a great storyline to follow, and after two dramatic roles — “Interview With the Vampire” and “Little Women” — Dunst gets to have a bit more fun, and she manages to hold her own against Williams and Hunt while doing it.

“Drop Dead Gorgeous” (1999)

A dark comedy in nature, but fun all the same. “Drop Dead Gorgeous” is shot in mockumentary form and takes place during an annual beauty pageant in small-town, Minn. Amber Atkins (Dunst) is hoping that by winning the pageant she can escape the small town and rise to success. But not if Rebecca Leeman (Denise Richards) has anything to do about it. Leeman is the daughter of former winner and current head of the pageant committee, Gladys Leeman (Kirstie Alley). After a series of mysterious — and silly — killings occur, Amber wonders if it is all worth it.

It’s a lesser-known movie, but it’s filled with a cast of young talent, including Denise Richards, Brittany Murphy and Amy Adams. And Dunst fits in well among her newbie actor peers.

“Bring it On” (2000)

Dunst plays Torrance Shipman, the cheer captain of a high school team, who is in need of some new moves after finding out that the previous captain stole all their moves from another high school. In order to make it to the championships, the squad must reinvent themselves and save their reputation.

It’s a movie that spawned four sequels and a stage musical along the way, but the original is the only one worthy of attention. It’s somewhat a parody of competitive cheerleading, but Dunst keeps it fun but putting just the right amount of pep into her role, without taking herself too seriously.

And any movie that can conjure up a catchphrase that is still commonly used today gets a spot in my book. Approach the phrase “Brrr ...It’s cold in here” to any girl in her 20s — even some boys, I’m sure — and they’ll be able to finish it with “There must be some Toros in the atmosphere.” Guaranteed.

New Christmas albums to get you in the holiday spirit

You here that? The faint sound of bells in the distance? Not yet? It’s out there. Just listen closer... closer... there! It’s the sound of Christmas music in the air!

Too soon?

As a lover of all things holiday-related, I must say as soon as that first snowflake hit the ground last weekend, I was ready to “Deck the Halls” and be “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” There’s something about Christmas music that just puts me in a good mood — I know many would argue it has the opposite effect on them — and the early snow gave me an excuse to start playing it a few weeks early.

But judging by the retail stores who are on the same page as me, it is never too soon to get in the holiday spirit. So here are two recently released Christmas albums that will be sure to get any Grinch or Scrooge in the holiday mood.

Michael Bublé — “Christmas”
You know Michael Bublé as the crooner of the 21st-century, combining a big-band instrumental feel with pop-like vocals. He’s perfected the style as his own, and he brings out the smooth vocals and finger-snapping rhythm in full form on his first full-length holiday album “Christmas.”

With a full array of horns on “Santa Clause Is Coming to Town,” or the jazz inspiration on “Jingle Bells,” to the beautiful string accompaniment on “Cold December Night” — a song in which Bublé penned himself — you won’t be let down.

For Bing Crosby fans out there looking for something a little new-age, Bublé is the perfect match taking on such classics as “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” and “Silent Night.”

Bublé’s “Christmas” is jam-packed with 16 songs — including a duet with Shania Twain on “White Christmas” — and it’s the perfect album to liven up a holiday gathering.

She & Him — “A Very She & Him Christmas”
On the softer side of things, She & Him strip down the holiday classics and make them their own for a perfect companion to a night next to the fireplace.

The duo, comprised of Matt Ward and bubbly actress Zooey Deschanel, really keep it low-key and simple, performing beautiful renditions of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “Christmas Wish.” What works is that the instrumental backing provided by Ward doesn’t overpower the earthy vocals of Deschanel — they both take on a happy medium, and stay in sync with one another.

The only downfall with “A Very She & Him Christmas” is that it leaves you wanting more. The album, comprised of 12 tracks, only runs for 32 minutes. With that aside, it’s an album worth scooping up for the holidays, if only for the duo’s reinvention of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” in which Deschanel once perfected in the film “Elf” alongside Will Ferrell.

'Beavis and Butt-head' return to MTV

Everyone’s favorite giggling, dim-witted boys are back in town, complete with the AC/DC and Metallica T-shirts they left with in the ’90s.

Beavis and Butt-head, the iconic animated characters from the mind of Mike Judge, have returned to the MTV airwaves just as immature as they ever were.

It’s been almost 15 years since the troublemakers last graced our television screens — with the original bout of shows airing from 1993-1997 — and from their antics two spin-offs emerged, “Daria” and “King of the Hill,” along with a feature-length film, “Beavis and Butt-head Do America,” thrown in there as well.

While originally the duo spent their time mocking music videos in a time when MTV actually played music videos, these days Beavis and Butt-head must find their amusement elsewhere with reality TV. The two take their usual seat on the sofa to mock such shows as MTV’s own “The Jersey Shore,” and “16 and Pregnant,” along with YouTube clips and UFC fights.

For their return, Judge has kept Beavis and Butt-head just as we left them: The somewhat-lovable man-childs are still the same age and at the same high school they attended those many years ago.

In turn, aside from the couch-laden snickering, Beavis and Butt-head will continue skipping school for their usual adventures as well. In this week’s return, the two find out that girls their age are all obsessed with the movie “Twilight” and they decide to try and become vampires and werewolves so that they can go out with said girls. In turn, they allow a homeless guy with hepatitis to bite them, mistaking him for an actual werewolf. You can only imagine what follows.

Judge has also managed to keep Beavis and Butt-head in the dark about the technology of the 21st century — the two are clueless as to what Twitter is and they are baffled by the notion that music videos can now be viewed on computers.

And that’s where the foreshadowing comes in. Are Beavis and Butt-head still relevant? In a day and age when anyone can voice their opinion on viral videos and dumb reality shows in an instance on Facebook and Twitter, and where shows such as “Talk Soup” and “Tosh.O” have emerged as clear front-runners on pop-culture commentary, will Beavis and Butt-head be able to survive among it all?

I think so. Beavis and Butt-head were the originators of the mock-commentary, and aside from their style being somewhat stale, I think it’s the characters that deserve the attention. And whether it be newbie teens getting their first dose of The Great Cornholio and “Hey Baby” pick-up lines or adults looking for a bit of nostalgia in their lives, I think Beavis and Butt-head will do America just as well as they used to.

3 fall shows to fill the void of those canceled

And so it begins — or should I say, ends. Over the last week, a crop of fall TV shows met their demise.

First went the sexy bunnies from NBC’s “The Playboy Club.”

Then “Free Agents,” the Hank Azaria-Kathryn Hahn workplace comedy got the ax from NBC.

From here, CW’s reality show “H8R” got canned. Not surprising for a show that involved celebrities such as Eva Longoria and Kim Kardashian confronting their biggest non-fans as to why they hate them and then trying to win them over.

Next, CBS’s “How to Be a Gentleman” starring Matt Dillon “stopped production” — which is essentially a cancellation — after their episode count dropped from 13 to 9, and was moved from Thursday to Saturday nights.

And finally, it was announced today that ABC’s first cancellation of the season would be the reboot of “Charlie’s Angels” after only four episodes.

Tough luck, eh? It’s a rough world out there. With the amount of money networks spend to produce new shows, they expect them to deliver. And when the ratings don’t go their way within a matter of weeks, away the shows shall go — quicker than you can change the channel on them.

Luckily for you, I have a solution or two...OK three, to fill the voids left on your DVR. A few shows that far exceeded their expectations, and that I should have included on my fall TV preview. Hey, we all make mistakes, right NBC?

Replace “The Playboy Club” or “Charlie’s Angels” with “Revenge”

“Revenge” is exactly that — a show about a young woman who heads to the Hamptons to enact revenge on the people who caused her father’s death, and in turn, ruined her family. Emily VanCamp, of “Everwood” fame, plays the part of the young woman leading a double life; she is only known as Emily Thorpe to the wealthy residents of the Hamptons, not Amanda Clarke, who they knew as a child.

Each week Thorpe gets rid of one of the people responsible for her father’s death in an ever-so-revengeful way — whether it be exposing an affair of a senator or causing best friends to turn on each other.

It’s a delightful little drama with the perfect amount of innocence that leaves you wanting more each week.

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“Revenge” airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on ABC

Replace “Free Agents” or “How to Be a Gentleman”
with “2 Broke Girls”

A laugh-out-loud comedy from the mind of Whitney Cummings. Now I bet you’re saying, doesn’t she have her own show this fall? Why, yes, she stars in “Whitney” over on NBC, but the Whitney writer has far exceeded the Whitney actress.

“2 Broke Girls” follows Max (Kat Dennings), a waitress in a NYC diner with a sassy attitude, and Caroline (Beth Behrs), a spoiled princess of a girl who comes to work at the diner after her father was caught in a Bernie Madofff-like Ponzi scandal and goes to jail, leaving Caroline with nothing.
Eventually the two become roommates and strive to open a bakery with Caroline’s business skills and Max’s knack for tasty cupcakes. Dennings and Behrs play off each other is great, and the comedy stylings are reminiscent of “Two and Half Men,” where sexual innuendoes and brass comedy fill the air.

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“2 Broke Girls” airs Mondays at 8:30 p.m. on CBS

Replace “H8R” with “Work of Art — The Next Great Artist”

From the mind of Sarah Jessica Parker, this reality show adds a bit of class to the reality world. After the first season’s brief run in the summer of 2010, “Work of Art” returned to Bravo on Wednesday and is as creative as ever.

The premise involves 14 artists — from painters to sculptors to performance artists — all vying for their own private art show at the famed Brooklyn Museum and a $100,000 prize. A gallery show is put on at the end of each week and, with the input of three judges, one person is then eliminated.

As kooky as some of the self-proclaimed artists are, the show is really about the art they produce. Each week the participants are given a theme, and it is their job to produce a piece of art in the medium of their choice. It’s not only interesting to see each artist bring out strengths within their forte, but also to see them step out of their comfort zone and produce an exquisite piece in a different medium they’re not used to. As the viewer, it’s intriguing to see how each artist interprets the idea and puts their own unique spin on things.

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“Work of Art” airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo.

Spooktacular shows

It’s October... well, you know that ... and that means Halloween will be here before you know it. But before you start digging out your devil ears and witches capes, prepare to be spooked right in your own living room. These aren’t Halloween specials... these are a crop of horror happenings that will keep you on the edge of your seat well after your Halloween candy has gone stale. So rather than wait until the end of the month, sit back, grab a hold of someone near you and get ready to be scared straight through the end of the year. And don’t worry... I promise no poltergeists will drag you into the TV.

THE MOST GRUESOME
“Dexter” — Showtime — Sundays at 9 p.m.

By now most people at least know of Dexter Morgan — Miami Metro Homicide’s blood splatter analysist by day and vigilante serial killer by night. After last year’s somewhat demure season, “Dexter” returned in full force with last Sunday’s season six premiere.

This season Dexter runs into a series of faith-based murders committed by a professor (Edward James Olmos) and student (Colin Hanks) from a religious cult, with the first victim having his intestines replaced with snakes; in turn Dexter takes into question his own sense of faith and religion.

“The Walking Dead” — AMC — Sundays at 9 p.m.

Zombies — you either love ’em or hate ’em. With the critically acclaimed “The Walking Dead” it is hard not to love ’em. Season one’s short six-episode arc left viewers wanting much more, and after a year-long wait, they can finally rejoice.

We last left the group of zombie apocalypse survivors fleeing from the Center for Disease Control after a bomb went off inside. With the premiere episode of season two on Oct. 16, we find the survivors searching for higher ground. They find it by leaving Atlanta and heading for the countryside.

“American Horror Story” — FX — Wednesdays at 10 p.m.

As I stated in my fall TV preview, “American Horror Story” is a show to watch. And judging by Wednesday’s premiere, it may be one show you’ll need to watch in the daytime. It’s a creepy, frightful show from the creator of “Nip/Tuck” that pushes the boundaries, just as “Nip/Tuck” did, especially when it brought us the character of The Carver.

Here, a family looking for a fresh start moves into a haunted house filled with past residents — ghosts if you will — who were all doomed by the house itself; ergo, this new family is also doomed. If only they were smart enough to leave the house when the first ghastly ghoul showed up, but then we wouldn’t have a show on our hands.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FRIGHTS
“Halloween Wars” — Food Network — Sundays at 9 p.m.

No need to whisk the kids out of the room for this one, as the only zombies and haunted houses on this show are made out of cake.

Food Network’s “Halloween Wars” brings together the country’s best cake decorators, sugar artists and pumpkin carvers to compete for a $50,000 grand prize. A four-part series, with the first installment airing last Sunday (it will be re-run this Sunday at 7 p.m.), “Halloween Wars” divvies up five expert cake makers, sugar blowers and pumpkin carvers into teams, one of each specialty on each, to create amazing works of art. An the end of each episode, one team is eliminated.

The pumpkin carvers are my favorite — the detail that the artist carves into any size pumpkin from ity-bitty mini ones to 300-pounders in a matter of minutes is just crazy. They really know how to bring a pumpkin to life. Add in sugar artists who can create glass hair strands for a witch with cake artists who sculpt buttercream into grim reapers and you’ve got yourself some great “Halloween Wars.”

“Once Upon a Time” — ABC — Sundays at 8 p.m. — Starts on Oct. 23

What if one day you found out Snow White and Prince Charming were your parents? Crazy right? Well that’s the premise of “Once Upon a Time,” a show that brings classic fairy tales to life in a modern-day setting as viewers travel to Storybrooke, Maine.

It’s a premise that is out there — Storybrooke is actually another universe where fairy tale characters look like your average joes but happen to not remember their true identities or their former lives — but if you can get past how unrealistic this show is, you might be in for a fun treat. With appearances by characters such as the Evil Queen, Jiminy Cricket and Rumpelstiltskin, along with actors Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison and Giancarlo Esposito, you might wish you were part of the fairy tale world yourself.

“The Secret Circle” — CW — Thursdays at 9 p.m.

After her mother dies in a car accident, a young girl, Cassie, returns to her mother’s hometown to live with her grandmother. While there she makes plenty of friends, who she soon finds out have all descended from witches — and it turns out, Cassie has too. They’ve been waiting for her to complete the sacred Secret Circle, but after Cassie finds an old spellbook of her mother’s in her childhood room, Cassie realizes she could be dealing with some dangerous and dark powers — some of which may have led to her mother’s not-so-accidental death.

“The Secret Circle” is the sister series of CW’s “The Vampire Diaries” to which I’ve heard is quite good. Both are helmed by horror writer Kevin Williamson (“Scream” “I Know What You Did Last Summer”), so you know you’re in for a surprise or two along the way.

'The Good, the Bad, and the Emmys'

It’s Saturday, and I realize the Emmys were on nearly a weekago, but I can’t just not write about them. As you know, I love my award shows — and I’d say the Emmys are my favorite, simply for the entertainment factor. And so, since many people are still talking about what went down last Sunday, here’s my take with the second annual ‘The Good, the Bad, and the Emmys.’

THE GOOD

• Although I wasn’t psyched with JaneLynch as host, her opening number was decent. Not as good as Jimmy Fallon was last year, but Lynch had her moments. The opening had her traveling through an apartment building that happened to house every TV show out there, all while showcasing her “Glee-ful” chops with a tune called “TV is a Vast Wonderland.”

There were cameos from characters Ari Gold of “Entourage,” Doug Benson of “Weeds,”and personalities Randy Jackson from “American Idol,” Andy Richter of “Conan” and even the guys behind “Mythbusters” — Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman. And let’s not forget Leonard Nimoy himself playing the part of Mr. President of Television.

It was a neat concept, especially when Lynch stopped in on “The Big Bang Theory” and had some fun with the piped-in laugher effect. Another highlight was when she made her way over to “Mad Men.” Lynch told those ad executives of the ’60s that, in 2011, you can watch TV on your phones and even fast-forward through commercials. To which, Don Draper (Jon Hamm) responds: “You’re gonna turn around, you’re gonna walk out of here and we’re going to pretend like we never

met you.”

Overall, it was a tad on the long side, which Lynch even admitted in her song, but it worked for the most part, and got the show off to a good start.

• Congrats to the cast and crew of “Modern Family.” This ABC comedy is a personal fave, and the show and its team swept the comedy category. In total, the show picked up five wins — including Outstanding Comedy Series, Supporting Actor — Ty Burrell, Supporting Actress — Julie Bowen, Writing, and Directing.

After their fourth win, Lynch put it best: “Welcome back to the ‘Modern Family’ awards. We’ve decided to throw them into the drama category to see what happens.”

• Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon presenting the award for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. While on stage, they discussed whether Fallon had a speech ready in case he won for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series, in which he was nominated. Fallon denied saying that “The Daily Show” would surely win.

Having his suspicions, Kimmel leaps on Fallon and after a small struggle pulls an acceptance speech out of Fallon’s pocket. Kimmel reads it out loud, and at the conclusion of Fallon’s written speech, it states “But most of all, I want to thank Jimmy Kimmel. Jimmy has been there for me since day one — he’s the kindest and most supportive person in my life. He would never mock me or belittle me, especially in a large public venue such as this. I love you, Jimmy Kimmel.” Though obviously staged, Kimmel appeared slightly embarrassed but humbled all the same. Well played boys.

• A pre-taped skit involving the cast of “The Office” with numerous other TV characters making appearances and talking to the camera as the members of “The Office” do on a weekly basis.

Appearances from characters Jessie Pinkman of “Breaking Bad,” Tracy Jordan of “30 Rock,” and Roger Sterling of “Mad Men,” and a conclusion with Ashton Kutcher thinking he’s the new manager of Dunder Mifflin made for quite a laugh.

• “Mad Men” winning — for the fourth year in a row — the award for Outstanding Drama Series. The show’s fourth season was its best yet, so here’s to season 5 — you can’t come soon enough.

• The nominees for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for being original. As each of their names were announced — Amy Poehler, Martha Plimpton, Laura Linney, Tina Fey, Edie Falco and Melissa McCarthy — they descended upon the stage as if they were beauty pageant contestants. When McCarthy took home the win (a surprise one at that), she was also handed a tiara and roses to complete the look.

• This joke from “Modern Family” co-creator Steve Levitan as he accepted the award for Outstanding Comedy Series: He stated that a gay couple approached him and said “You’re not just making people laugh; you’re making them more tolerant. And I thought to myself, ‘Well, they are right; we are showing the world that there is absolutely nothing wrong with a loving, committed relationship between an old man and a hot young woman.’ And looking around this room tonight, I see many of you agree.”

• Kate Winslet wins Lead Actress in a Miniseries for “Mildred Pierce.” She’s now one Tony award away from completing the coveted EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony award). And I have a feeling she’ll have no trouble doing so.

• This joke from Jane Lynch: “Some people wonder why I’m a lesbian.” Without skipping a beat: “Ladies and gentlemen, the cast of ‘Entourage.’ ”

THE BAD

• The Emmytones: Before each category, a group of TV stars introduced the overall genre (Comedy, Drama, etc. etc.) in a sing-song chorus style. The group consisted of Joel McHale of “Community,” Zachary Levi of “Chuck,” Kate Flannery of “The Office,” Cobie Smulders of “How I Met Your Mother,” Taraji P. Henson of “Person of Interest,” and … Wilmer Valderrama of “That ’70s Show”? All five others are current TV stars. Wilmer Valderrama — why were you there? Did Ashton hook you up or something? Either way, it was an unnecessary gag.

• Steve Carrell losing out on forever winning an Emmy for his role as Michael Scott on “The Office.” He’s been nominated six times, and this was his last chance. Instead Jim Parsons of “The Big Bang Theory” won Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for the second year in a row.

MODERATE

• For the ninth consecutive year, “The Daily Show” won for Outstanding Variety Show, despite many other great contenders including the likes of Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher and “Saturday Night Live.”

I said it last year, and I’ll say it again: Spread the wealth, Jon Stewart. “The Daily Show” is a great show, with smart writing, I know. But other people are funny and clever too! Maybe after they win next year, they’ll give it a rest with 10 and retire out of the category.

• Kyle Chandler of “Friday Night Lights” picks up Lead Actor in a Drama. Bryan Cranston of “Breaking Bad” has won the last three years, deservedly so, but unfortunately the fourth season was not eligible in time for this year’s awards. So with Cranston out of the picture, this was the category to which many thought long-overdue nominees such as “Mad Men’s” Jon Hamm, Michael C. Hall of “Dexter” or Hugh Laurie of “House” would finally win. Throw in Steve Buscemi of “Boardwalk Empire” and Timothy Olyphant of “Justified” and you’ve got quite a list of contenders.

But the underdog won it — and I say good for him. After all, it was the last season for “Friday Night Lights,” and although I’ve never watched the show, all I’ve ever heard for it is praise.

• Charlie Sheen returned to present, as he said, his former category — Lead Actor in a Comedy. He was surprisingly subdued, and even took the time to wish his former “Two and a Half Men” colleagues the best with their new season. “From the bottom of my heart, I wish you nothing but the best for this upcoming season. I know you will continue to make great television.”
What now? Where’s the crazy Sheen from six months ago? Cleaned-up Sheen is not nearly as amusing but good for him. Here’s hoping he comes back to television with a bang.

'Price is Right' celebrates 40

On Monday, the classic game show “The Price is Right” will boldly go where no game show has gone before… over the hill. As television’s longest-running game show (over 7,000 episodes), contestants of “The Price is Right” have been guessing the actual retail value of living room sets, gym equipment and BRAND…NEW…CARS... for 40 seasons under the guidance of longtime host Bob Barker (1972-2007) and current host Drew Carey.

Everyone has their own memories of watching “The Price is Right.” I think it’s safe to say that for any generation, it was the one show you always managed to watch when you were home sick from school as a kid — it’s as if Barker’s voice soothed the pain away.

For me, whenever we visited my grandmother “The Price is Right” was always on just as the clock turned 11. We’d watch it on her tiny 10-inch TV in her kitchen while we gathered for lunch, always saying how one day we’d “show them how it’s done” by getting ourselves on the show.

Lucky for me, I managed to do so. Well, I never got up on stage, but I did have the pleasure of being in the coveted studio audience. It happened by accident, really.

My friend and I had taken a vacation to California about a year-and-a-half ago — L.A. was our first stop, and we wandered around on Hollywood Boulevard for most of the first day. That’s where we were given free tickets to “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “Dr. Phil” — all being taped at the same time. Obviously Dr. Phil was out — and after much debate we ended up opting for the crazy Craig Ferguson because he had better guests that day.

As we were waiting in the CBS parking lot to head into “The Late Late Show,” we saw people with the infamous “Price is Right” nametags on their shirts coming out of the building — it never occurred to us that this was the place that housed “The Price is Right” studio. We decided to ask one of the interns who was herding us in how we could score tickets to a “Price is Right” showing. We didn’t think much would come of it — assuming the shows were booked months in advance — but low-and-behold, he had two tickets available for us to “Come on down!” the next day for a taping.

Even with tickets though, we were not expecting the entire process — including the taping of the show — to last nearly eight hours. It was a long day, to say the least, but it was still worth it.

Here’s a brief rundown of how it all went down: For a 12:30 afternoon taping we were required to be in line at 6 a.m., just to make sure we got in — we had what they called ‘general admission’ tickets, where apparently they give out more tickets than there are seats in case a large group doesn’t show up. The gates opened at 8 a.m., and we filed into a line outside where we filled out a very brief survey about who we were: where we were from, why we were in L.A., etc. etc. During this waiting period we were also required to pose for a picture, so that they have us on file, (Unlike talk shows, I think the rule was we can’t be on “The Price is Right” more than once in a span of 10 years — something ridiculous like that.) and we also received our lovely yellow nametags.

After a lot of waiting, we were brought up in groups of 12 for a 1-minute interview with the announcer (Rich Fields in my case), as interns next to him judged us and took notes on whether we were deserving enough to make it on stage.

After what seemed like ages, we were brought into the colorful studio. Our first impression — as is everyone’s, it seemed — was “Wow, it’s so small.” It sure was — I thought after all that waiting, we weren’t even going to get a seat. But somehow they squeezed us all in, and the show was set.

From here, Drew came out and said hello before the cameras began rolling and Fields explained the rules. The number one rule: Don’t look to your friends in the audience for help on bidding — it takes up too much time. And how many people do you see per show doing just that? Exactly. Pretty much all of them.

Aside from the major rule that no one follows, we were told to cheer, clap and laugh a lot at Drew’s corny jokes. After an hour-and-a-half show, when that slight hopeful feeling you had before the show that you just might get up on stage goes away, you file out and find the next batch of hopefuls waiting in line for the 4 p.m. show, and ‘The Big Wheel’ spins on.

So what’s the key to getting up on stage? Either being part of a group of 15 or more — during our show, it seemed one person from every color-coded T-shirt-wearing group made it to the Contestants’ Row — or having one heck of story that you can tell in that 1-minute interview. The woman waiting in line next to us said she made it on stage when she was first pregnant with her son. Now, 18 years later, she returned with her son in hopes of making it on stage again — and she did. She made it all the way to the final Showcase where she took home a massive boat or something. It’s stories like that that make the producers go crazy… and a little bit of luck, I guess.

So here’s to “The Price is Right” — a big Happy 40th to You! And may you continue to keep us guessing for another 40 years.

FUN FACTS
• As of November 2009, the show had given away approximately $250,000,000 in cash and prizes.
• The most expensive prize ever offered was a Tesla Roadster valued at nearly $113,000.
• The record for the largest amount won in a single episode is $147,517.
• Only two people in the daytime show’s history of “The Price is Right” have guessed the final Showdown price exactly correct.

Fall TV Preview

It was an overwhelming task this year to single out a select few television shows for my Fall TV Preview; there is an overabundance of new selections being offered on every major network, and I must say, most of them surpass the not-bad category.

We’ve got shows coming out of every which era, including a reboot of “Charlie’s Angels” on ABC, NBC’s risqué “The Playboy Club,” and everyone’s favorite animated dimwits from the ’90s, “Beavis and Butthead,” return to MTV on Oct. 27.

We’ve also got plenty of returning sitcom stars gracing our presence: Tim Allen is back with ABC’s “Last Man Standing”; Christina Applegate — who played clueless teen Kelly Bundy on “Married with Children” — will be taking on the role of a first-time mother in NBC’s “Up All Night,” alongside SNL vets Will Arnett and Maya Rudolph; and we have the return of Ms. Buffy the Vampire Slayer herself, Sarah Michelle Geller, playing somewhat-evil twins on the CW series “Ringer.”

We’ve even got fairy tales with ABC’s “Once Upon a Time” starring Ginnifer Goodwin (“HBO’s “Big Love”) and Jennifer Morrison (“House”), and NBC’s “Grimm,” a tale about detectives who have the ability to see nonhuman creatures, and set out to catch the mythological bad guys.
From there you’ve got your usual cop procedural (NBC’s “Prime Suspect” starring Maria Bello), medical drama (CBS’s “A Gifted Man” with a he-can-see-dead-people twist), sci-fi time-travel (FOX’s “Terra Nova”) and (girl) buddy comedy (CBS’s “2 Broke Girls”).

And, of course, “Two and a Half Men” sans Charlie Sheen.

The start of the season is just around the corner so take a look at the plentiful group of newbies headed to your television screen and add some to your list of favorites. To get you started, here’s some choice picks from yours truly.

“New Girl” — FOX — 9 p.m. — Tuesday, Sept. 20
“New Girl” stars the ever-adorable Zooey Deschanel (“Elf,” “(500) Days of Summer”), and that should be reason enough for you to tune in. The premise of the show revolves around her character, Jess, who after a major breakup from her boyfriend, runs off to live a new life. From here, she decides to move in with three random dudes who help her learn the way to winning over a man’s heart. Deschanel’s quirky, yet charming Jess is infectious, and along the way the new boys in her life, who are more brotherly than anything, learn a little something from her, as well.

“Pan Am” — ABC — 10 p.m. — Sunday, Sept. 25
A period drama set in 1963, “Pan Am” revisits the days when stewardesses were some of the most desired women in the world, especially if you worked for the sleek, luxurious Pan Am airlines. Following four attendants, one role taken on by indie-darling Christina Ricci, “Pan Am” is out to show them, and us, the world, at a time when most women’s ambitions were pushed to the side. With “Mad Men” being as popular as it is, “Pan Am” should garner an easy following and take off without a hitch.

“American Horror Story” — FX — 10 p.m. — Wednesday, Oct. 5
So far the previews for “American Horror Story” have been vague — which makes it all the more intriguing. What we do know is a family (led by Dylan McDermott) moves into an old haunted house — unbeknownst to them — where previous residents have been doomed to death. From the creator of “Nip/Tuck,” it’s sure to push boundaries and take us on a weird and wild ride.

“The Chew” — ABC — 1 p.m. — Monday-Friday — Starts Sept. 26
Mix it up with a little daytime television with “The Chew,” which was made to fill the void left from the daily soaps. It features a number of co-hosts including Iron Chef Michael Symon and nutrition expert Daphne Oz, and aims to teach viewers every facet that revolves around food — from home entertaining to affordable meals to new food trends. If you’re any sort of Food Network lover, “The Chew” should be just your taste.

“Person of Interest” — CBS — 9 p.m. — Thursday, Sept. 22
From executive producers J.J. Abrams (“Fringe,” “Lost”) and Jonathan Nolan (screenwriter “The Dark Knight"), “Person of Interest” essentially revolves around two guys: One, an engineer (“Lost’s” Michael Emerson) who has designed software that can recognize if a person is about to be a victim or an assailant of a particular crime; and two, an ex-CIA agent (Jim Caviezal — you may know him best as Jesus in “The Passion of the Christ”) who teams up with the engineer to help track down these people and put an end to a crime that could have happened.

CBS tends to get it right when it comes to investigation shows — see “C.S.I.” — and “Person of Interest” plays off that theme. It’s a definite action show with a thriller underlining, and it’s a role that fits Caviezal well, reminiscent of his role in “Frequency” back in 2000.

“Whitney” — NBC — 9:30 p.m. — Thursday, Sept. 22
Inspired by Whitney Cummings’ stand-up, the laughs in “Whitney” revolve around her and her boyfriend, who have been happily unmarried for three years. and the questions that arise from their friends on their unconventional lifestyle

Cummings’ stand-up can be a little off-putting, but having to tone it down for sitcom television, I think Cummings will do some funny stuff here.

Time to get rollin' with 'Great Food Truck Race'

Seabirds. Hodge Podge. Devilicious. Korilla. What do these mumbo-jumbo names have in common? They are all food trucks competing in the second season of Food Network’s “The Great Food Truck Race.”

Along with Roxy’s Grilled Cheese, Café con Leche, the Lime Truck, and Sky’s Gourmet Tacos, these eight trucks take to the road to serve up some delicious food to cities all over the United States, and to earn a $100,000 prize and the title of Best Food Truck in America.

“The Great Food Truck Race” is hosted by Tyler Florence, a chef and host of several Food Network shows including “Tyler’s Ultimate,” where he combines recipes to make the ultimate version of something — such as the ultimate Mac n’ Cheese. On “The Great Food Truck Race” Florence is out to find the ultimate food truck. Each week, whoever earns the least amount of money from that week’s sales goes home.

And as some of the teams find out, in order to win, it’s not all about the food — the teams earn money by thinking smart: Location, networking, marketing and time management are all key parts to earning the most money each week. Especially when Florence throws a wrench in the teams’ plans and calls them up with a so-called “Speed Bump,” such as not letting them cook with propane or requiring one member (out of a 3-person team) to handle all the work. It spices up the competition and provides make-or-break challenges.

There are also “Truck Stops,” where teams are given a challenge that could give them a potential advantage if they win it. Last week, for instance, the trucks took to Colorado, and were given a challenge where they needed to forage for wild mushrooms and create a dish ‘on the fly’ for a local chef to taste test. Whoever’s dish the chef liked best was rewarded with an interview on a local radio station, where they could get the word out about where their truck would be and what food they had to offer. In a city where no one knows that any of the trucks are even there, that is a big advantage.

I’ve been hooked on Food Network for most of the summer — watching plenty of cake challenges and cupcake wars to give me a whole mouthful of sweet teeth — and it was just a few weeks ago that I saw a promo for “The Great Food Truck’s” second season. As it turns out (if you have Comcast), my On Demand service was airing all six episodes of season one, and on a rainy Sunday I had myself a bit of a marathon and watched the entire season. We’re now in the fourth week of season two, but it’s a show that’s easy to catch up on and well worth your time.

What’s great about this show is the fast-paced feel of it all. It’s amazing how these on-the-go cooks (some professionally trained, others not-so-much) can create something so uniquely delicious and serve it in a fast-food manner. In the first season there was a food truck that specialized in French Cuisine. They served frog legs and escargot. I didn’t think they’d make it past the first week, but people bought it, even at $20 a pop. It’s all about coming up with something original and seeing how far you can take it, whatever setting you’re in.

And that’s the key — adapting a menu you can sell in any part of the country. Most of these food trucks usually sell in big cities like New York or Los Angeles, but as we’ll see with tomorrow night’s episode, Florence takes the gang on a trip to a tiny town in Kansas. How will the Seabirds — an all-vegan food truck — do? Will Korilla — which specializes in Korean BBQ food — win out in a place where lines may not be forming around the corner? Can Boston’s own Roxy’s Grilled Cheese bring it home?

They’ll just have to get rollin’ to find out. And you should get rollin’ to watch this delightful little show on Food Network — if not for the high-energy of the competition, then at least to salivate over the delicious dishes these food trucks have to offer.

The fourth episode of season two of “The Great Food Truck Race” airs tomorrow at 9 p.m. on Food Network.

Plenty of movies to choose from this fall

Starting last weekend and running until after Labor Day, we find ourselves in a bit of a lull when it comes to movie-going. Summer is wrapping up — students are headed back to school and vacations are coming to an end — which puts us in a damper mood and the movie studios in one as well. Last weekend’s new releases, “Conan the Barbarian,” and “Fright Night,” both underperformed; this week’s “Our Idiot Brother” isn’t getting a lot of love from critics and Paul Rudd fans alike; and next week’s “Seven Days in Utopia” is a G-rated flick about golf — I can’t see a lot of people flocking to theaters on their Labor Day weekend just to see that.

And so we wait. We wait for this three-week lull to pass. And when it does, we are in for a surprisingly great fall movie season. Here’s a list of seven movies I’m looking forward to this season — believe me, it was tough to pick and choose. And so, following my picks, there is also a brief listing of other possibilities that might interest you. Enjoy!

“Contagion”; Kate Winslet, Matt Damon; Sept. 9

Beware: If you’re not a germaphobe yet, this movie will surely put things into perspective for you. Directed by Steven Soderbergh (“Erin Brockovich,” “Traffic”), this thriller takes germs to a whole new level, when a virus wipes out millions of people worldwide in just a few days. Panic spreads as doctors try to find a cure before the whole world gets wiped out. It features Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Judd Law, and how each of their characters’ lives cross paths during this devastating time.

“50/50”; Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogan; Sept. 30

A comedy about cancer — can it be done? I think it can with “50/50.” Based on the real friendship between actor Seth Rogan and a friend of his who was diagnosed with spinal cancer (and who also wrote the screenplay), “50/50” follows their friendship from the initial phases of diagnoses and throughout his treatment. It’s 50 percent comedy (using cancer to get the girls) and 50 percent drama, showcasing the real moments that cancer deals with, such as chemotherapy. It’s a nice balance, which is what makes it work.

“Young Adult”; Charlize Theron; Dec. 9

Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman, the writer and director of “Juno,” team-up again for this adult comedy starring Charlize Theron. Theron plays a successful novelist who heads back to her hometown after receiving a marriage announcement from her high school sweetheart. From here on out, she’s on a mission to regain her sense of popularity and reclaim her sweetheart. If Cody and Reitman can recreate any of the success they had with “Juno,” this is a sure thing for some gut-busting laughs. Plus, it’ll be interesting to see Theron in a comedic role.

“Drive”; Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan; Sept. 16

An intense action-thriller about a Hollywood stunt driver (Gosling) who uses his skill to take on a second job as a getaway driver. During one heist, things get out of hand and he must escape some seriously dangerous men; from here he takes you on one crazy drive. It’s dark and gritty and Gosling proves he’s more than just a pretty face.

“The Big Year”; Jack Black, Owen Wilson, Steve Martin; Oct. 14

Two words: competitive bird-watching; three laugh-out-loud stars.

“The Muppets”; Jason Segal, Amy Adams; Nov. 23

Who doesn’t love the Muppets? Actor/writer Jason Segal has been working hard to bring the lovable puppets back to life, along with director James Bobin, and he’s succeeded with their first big screen debut since “Muppets From Space” back in 1999. It’s a star-studded musical comedy that involves saving the Muppet Theater from being destroyed by an evil, empire of an oil company. “The Muppets” is a must-see attraction for both adults and children; all your favorite Muppet characters will be there — Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear and even a new Muppet named Walter.

“The Artist”; Nov. 23

The first things you should know about “The Artist” is that 1). It’s a silent film, and 2.) It’s also a French film. But don’t let either of those aspects deter you! I adore silent films, particularly Charlie Chaplin films, and you should give them a chance in an age full of CGI, blow-em-up movies — it’s a nice change of pace. “The Artist” in particular was quite popular at this year’s Cannes festival. The plot takes place during the transition from silent films to talkies, and how one actor’s career comes tumbling down with the transition. It’s also a great way to learn some film history while you’re at it.

WHAT ELSE IS COMING
Sports films:

“Warrior” (mixed martial arts); Tom Hardy; Sept. 9
“Moneyball” (baseball); Brad Pitt; Sept. 23
“Real Steel” (robot boxing); Hugh Jackman; Oct. 7

Top-notch director films:
“Pearl Jam Twenty”; Cameron Crowe; Sept. 20
“J. Edgar”; Clint Eastwood; Nov. 9
“Melancholia”; Lars von Trier; Nov. 11
“Hugo”; Martin Scorsese; Nov. 23
“The Adventures of Tin Tin”; Steven Spielberg; Dec. 23
“War Horse”; Steven Spielberg; Dec. 28
“Carnage”; Roman Polanski; TBA

Animal films:
“Shark Night 3D”; Sept. 2
“The Lion King 3D”; Sept. 16
“Piranha 3DD”; Nov. 23
“Dolphin Tale”; Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd; Sept. 23
“Puss in Boots”; Antonio Banderes, Salma Hayak; Nov. 4

Documentaries:
“Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey”; Oct. 21
“Revenge of the Electric Car”; Oct. 21
“The Whale”; Sept. 16

Remakes, sequels, trilogies, etc:
“Footloose”; Kenny Wormald; Julianne Hough; Oct. 14
“Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol”; Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner; Dec. 21
“Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows”; Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law; Dec. 16
“Paranormal Activity 3”; Oct. 21
“Happy Feet Two”; Elijah Wood; Nov. 18

Highly anticipated:
“The Rum Diary”; Johnny Depp; Oct. 28
“The Iron Lady”; Meryl Streep; Dec. 16
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”; Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig; Dec. 21
“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1”; Kristin Stewart, Robert Pattinson; Nov. 18
“My Week with Marilyn”; Michelle Williams; Nov. 4

Comedies:
“Jack and Jill”; Adam Sandler; Nov. 11
“A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas”; John Cho, Kal Penn; Nov. 4
“Tower Heist”; Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy; Nov. 4
“What’s Your Number?”; Anna Faris; Sept. 20

Kutcher vs. Danson: Who are you more excited to see return to TV?

In a TVGuide.com poll this week, the site asked “Who are you more excited to see return to TV this fall?” The choices were between Ashton Kutcher, who will be taking over for Charlie Sheen in “Two and a Half Men,” or Ted Danson, who will be taking over for Laurence Fishburne in “CSI.” Out of nearly 16,000 votes, 59 percent of people answered they’re more excited to see Kutcher return than Danson.

What’s wrong with this picture?

There is no way that people would rather watch Kutcher over Danson — I just don’t see it.

On the one hand, you have Kutcher — best known for his role as dim-witted Michael Kelso on “That ’70s Show” for eight seasons — which, I’ll admit, is a great character — and for marrying Demi Moore, a woman 16 years his senior. He also “PUNK’d” a bunch of celebrities for five years, and worked his magic in Nikon camera commercials, which was more amusing than any of his movie performances. Oh, and his biggest accomplishment yet — aside from snagging Sheen’s role — is being the first person on Twitter to have a million followers, narrowly beating out CNN. If that’s not a win, I’m not sure what is… (catch the sarcastic tone there).

On the other hand, you have Danson — best known for his 11-season stint as Sam Malone on “Cheers” — a role that earned Danson two Emmy wins and two Golden Globe wins. From there, Danson went on to a number of successful TV series — “Becker,” “Damages” and “Bored to Death” — as well as big screen performances such as “3 Men and a Baby” and “Saving Private Ryan.”

I understand that Danson has been in the game a lot longer and Kutcher still has time to prove us wrong, but at this point where Kutcher is making $700,000 an episode over Danson’s $225,000 — making Kutcher the highest paid actor on television — I don’t understand it. After all, Danson has talent, whereas Kutcher is just a pretty face.

The way I see it, people cast their votes for Kutcher because they’re more excited to see what the writers have up their sleeves for “Two and Half Men” without Playboy Sheen in the house, rather than actually being excited to see Kutcher take over their television sets. Or maybe they’re just excited to see Kutcher fail. At least that’s what I hope.

Until then, give Danson some love and check out some old episodes of “Cheers” — it’ll put more of a smile on your face than Kutcher will any day.

Get to know the charming Emma Stone

Emma Stone. Some of you may not recognize the name — after all, at 22 years old she hasn’t been in the acting game all that long. Yet, within the last five years she’s managed to be a break-out star in every role she’s taken — leading her to snag a part in next summer’s Spider-Man remake as Peter Parker’s first love interest, Gwen Stacy.

But that’s next summer. This summer Stone takes on a central role in the anticipated release of Kathryn Stockett’s best-selling novel “The Help,” released in theaters Wednesday. Stone plays Skeeter Phelan, an aspiring writer in the 1960s who decides to write a tell-all book about the life of black maids. Alongside actresses Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer, Stone showcases her dramatic side, which we haven’t seen much of in her previous work. It’s a role that will surely move her out of the supporting actress category and into the spotlight.

For now, get to know Emma Stone a little better by looking back at four of my favorite performances from her.

Jules in “Superbad” (2007) — Emma Stone first showed off her acting chops in this Judd Apatow directed flick. Stone plays Jules, the love interest of man-boy Seth (Jonah Hill) in the R-rated summer hit. You can easily see why Seth would like her — Stone’s character comes across as both funny and genuinely nice, despite being portrayed as the popular girl in the film. She’s a character who’s able to hang out with the boys, and I think it’s a role that most resembles the girl-next-door aura that Stone gives off in real life.

Wichita in “Zombieland” (2009) — Wichita was just one great aspect of a fabulous movie staring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg and Abigail Breslin in which zombies take over America.

Stone plays a zombie survivor, who along with her sister, are simply trying to survive, even if it means conning others to get what they need. On the way, the two girls come across Columbus (Eisenberg) and Tallahassee (Harrelson), and the four actors play off each other well. Wichita is slightly more devious than Stone’s “Superbad” persona, but still just as fun.

Natalie in “The House Bunny” (2008) — An underrated flick, I might add — “The House Bunny” stars Anna Faris as Shelley, a former Playboy Playmate who gets kicked out of Hef’s mansion for being too old. With nowhere to go, Shelley stumbles upon a socially-awkward sorority that happens to need a den mother, as well as a major makeover. Stone plays Natalie, the president of the sorority, as well as the resident geeky girl who can’t catch the boy of her dreams.

It’s hard to believe Stone could ever be the resident geeky girl — her character actually comes off quite normal among the other girls of the sorority — but Stone plays the role in a charming way, and it shows most when she’s interacting with the bubbly, yet slightly dimwitted Shelley.

Olive in “Easy A” (2010) — A new-age take on “The Scarlet Letter,” “Easy A” casts Stone as high school student Olive who gets caught in the middle of a rumor involving her losing her virginity to a college guy. Rather than trying to defend herself from everyone, Olive decides to embrace the image the rumor has created of her. From here, she starts a mock business for boys who have trouble catching the attention of girls. Olive takes their money, and in exchange the boys get to say they had sex with her, therefore boosting their popularity.

Stone’s performance outshines the storyline here — there’s a wonderful scene that will have you in tears involving Olive constantly singing Natasha Bedingfield’s “Pocketful of Sunshine” — and the one-liners she’s given are right on point, especially in the scenes opposite her overly-religious fellow student Marianne (Amanda Bynes)

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There's a doc for everybody

In terms of the TV stratosphere, I hope you’re not feeling too overwhelmed this week. I know there’s a lot going on. We’ve got Shark Week taking place on the Discovery Channel, Mob Movie week over on AMC and my favorite late night host, Craig Ferguson, has taken us all on a trip to Paris for the week. And saddled in between all of that, the fourth season of everyone’s favorite guilty pleasure, “The Jersey Shore,” debuted.

Aside from all that greatness (Admit it: You want to see “The Jersey Shore” kids make a fool of themselves in Italy just as much as the next person.), Current TV is airing a weekly segment going by the title of “50 Documentaries to See Before You Die” that I suggest you check out. It’s hosted by “Super Size Me” creator Morgan Spurlock, and focuses on documentaries released in the last 25 years. From sports (“Hoop Dreams”) to animals (“March of the Penguins”) and to global warming (“An Inconvenient Truth”) to spelling bees (“Spellbound”), this documentary series touches on them all — one of my personal favorite being Errol Morris’ “The Thin Blue Line.” And what makes it even better is Current TV is airing many of the documentaries on the list throughout the month.

I might add, that aside from the typical countdown aspect of the series, host Spurlock also tracks down and interviews some the filmmakers whose movies are on the list, as well as “characters” of the films.

For instance, in the first segment Spurlock drives out to Florida to snatch a few moments away from Billy Mitchell, a main player in the 2007 documentary “The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters” by Seth Gordon. Mitchell, at the time, held the world record for most points in the arcade game “Donkey Kong.” In the film, Mitchell is challenged by Steve Wiebe, an underdog in all aspects of life, who claims he can beat Mitchell’s high score. Throughout the film, we get an inside look at the world of competitive gaming — and just how intense it really gets.

The first hour-long segment of “50 Documentaries to See Before You Die” aired Tuesday, but don’t fret, you can find reruns playing constantly throughout the week, and practically up until the final installment premiers on Aug. 30. So take some time away from the shark-infested TV set, and sneak a peak at the realistic side of film — it’ll be well worth it

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NOTE: The next four segments of “50 Documentaries to See Before You Die” will air every Tuesday at 9 p.m. from here on out, with the last installment premiering on Aug. 30. For Comcast subscribers, you’ll find Current TV on channel 107. For all other subscribers, check www.current.com for channel listings.