Mid-season TV schedule full of familiar faces

Now that the holidays are over, it’s time for our favorite shows to resurface. And along with our usual favorites, there’s always a new crop of mid-season shows hoping to capture our attention. This year, it’s all about the familiar faces.

Ashley Judd makes the leap to television — after a fairly prolific movie career — with “Missing” (Wednesday, March 15). “Missing” takes Judd’s character overseas to find her son after he disappears while studying abroad.

The entire original cast of 2004’s underground hit “Napoleon Dynamite” return (Sunday, Jan. 15) in an animated series on Fox. Should be friggin’ sweet.

Laura Prepon, best known as Donna on “That 70’s Show,” takes a stab (Wednesdays) at playing comedian and late night host Chelsea Handler (along with Handler, who plays the best friend, not herself) on NBC’s “Are You There, Chelsea?”

And who can forget about SNL vet, Mr. Deuce Bigalow himself, Rob Schneider. He’ll return (Thursdays on CBS) to television with aptly named comedy “Rob” — a sitcom that follows Rob’s newlywed life and the very close Mexican-American family he inherits, which includes cult-icon Cheech Marin.


Aside from those, here are five more shows that I think will fare well among viewers, all with a familiar face, or two, in the cast.

“Alcatraz” (Monday, Jan. 16 — Fox — 8 p.m.)

A J.J. Abrams-produced show that reunites him with former “Lost” actor Jorge Garcia, “Alcatraz” explores the mystery behind a group of criminals who begin to reappear after a supposed 50-year disappearance from the famed prison.

Abrams brought us “Alias,” “Lost” “Fringe” and most recently “Person of Interest,” and I have no worries that “Alcatraz” will bring forth the great storytelling that Abrams is known for.

“Luck” (Sunday, Jan. 29 — HBO — 9 p.m.)

The one-and-only Dustin Hoffman stars as the central character in HBO’s newest alongside Nick Nolte in a story about the world of competitive horse racing, the gamblers involved and the people who run the show. It’s an easy bet we can’t go wrong by watching.

“Smash” (Monday, Feb. 6 — NBC — 10 p.m.)

“Will and Grace’s” Debra Messing, and former “American Idol” contestant Katherine McPhee join forces in the newest sing-song sitcom “Smash.”

If you’re any fan of “Glee” I’m sure this will be right up your alley, as it follows the production of a Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe and all the behind-the-scenes drama that ensues.

Veteran actress Anjelica Huston also stars, so you’ll be sure to get a big enough bang for your buck.

“GCB” (Sunday, March 4 — ABC — 10 p.m.)

Much like Diablo Cody’s newest film “Young Adult,” “GCB” tells the story of a former bully of a girl returning to her hometown after her marriage goes kapute, only to find she must make nice with the women she once played mean girl to in high school.

These women are all out for payback, including Miss Adorable “Wicked” star Kristin Chenoweth. Chenoweth’s character, once the ugly girl in high school, now has the picture-perfect life and the picture-perfect looks to go with it, and she’s not pleased to find her nemesis return.

“GCB” reads like a soap opera, but it combines the gossip and rumor-filled drama with the perfect amount of comedy. It’s sure to be a good fit now that “Desperate Housewives” is on its way out.

“Touch” (Monday, March 19 — Fox — 9 p.m.)

Kiefer Sutherland returns to Fox not as action-adventure man Jack Bauer of “24,” but as a widowed father whose autistic son can predict the future. “Touch” will follow a group of seemingly unrelated characters who eventually affect each other in one way or another. With Sutherland at the reigns, and a puzzle-like plot, “Touch” will surely grab our attention.

Stay away from the 'House of Lies'

Don Cheadle. The man who wooed us over in “Hotel Rwanda” and “Crash,” — heck, even in “Ocean’s Eleven” as an explosive enthusiast — Cheadle’s charm always shows through his work. With Cheadle at the helm, as he is with the new 30-minute Showtime comedy “House of Lies,” you can’t go wrong, right?

Very wrong indeed, my friends.

But first, let’s go off course for a bit.

Showtime. It’s a network filled with characters we shouldn’t relate to, yet somehow we find ourselves living vicariously through them, time and time again.

We have Dexter Morgan, a vigilante serial killer with a “dark passenger”; Nancy Botwin, a drug-dealing mother simply trying to support her family; Hank Moody, a sex-aholic writer; and the Gallagher family, a bunch of gypsy thieves, among others. With “House of Lies” we can add money-hungry management consultants to the list.

And this is where Cheadle comes into play. Cheadle tackles the role of central character Marty Kaan, a cut-throat consultant who will do anything to land the client. Which is all good and well if his character wasn’t portrayed as a complete sleezball.

When we first meet Kaan, he is waking up next to his drugged-out ex wife - who happens to be his main competition in the consulting world. Following this shameful incident, we meet Marty’s other half, his pre-pubescent son who is discovering his other side of his sexuality — he really wants to nab the role of Sandy in his elementary school’s performance of “Grease” — to which Marty tries to ignore. And that’s just in the first five minutes.

Cheadle, an actor so refined, really takes a big step down with this role. What’s written for him is an over-the-top, sloppy, crude and disrespectful guy to all those involved. Including another fine actress who gets pulled into the “House of Lies” undertow, Kristen Bell — of “Veronica Mars” and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” fame. Bell plays Jeannie Van Der Hooven, an Ivy-leaguer and right-hand woman to Kaan within his team of consultants — which also includes “Parks and Recreations” actor Ben Schwartz and Australian actor Josh Lawson, as Clyde and Doug, respectively. Bell’s character is meant to be strong and independent, but she’s so entwined with Marty in the overall scheme of things, that it creates a turn-off. I realize that Showtime is a prolific network, but Bell can do so much better.

It’s a fast-paced world when it comes to management consulting — which is probably why “House of Lies” feels the need to stop every five minutes or so in freeze-frame style and explain things to us, a tactic that gets real old, real fast — and I think the creators of “House of Lies” will soon come to find that it’s all a little too much. Viewers aren’t going to want to sympathize with Marty’s character as they do with other Showtime faves. Unless the creators of “House of Lies” can clean the show up a bit and make it smarter rather than sleazier, than I’m sorry to say the creators are the ones lying to themselves if they think “House of Lies” will make it past a first season.

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“House of Lies” debuts tomorrow at 9 p.m. on Showtime, but if you want to take a look sooner, though I highly recommend you don’t waste your time, TVGuide.com is showing the first episode online for free.

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.