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"I don't dance."

Yeah, it's true

Kelly mentioned in the comments the news that there's a Buffy movie being shopped around - a "reboot" without Joss, without Sarah Michelle Gellar, and without ANY supporting characters from the TV show.

In other words, the worst idea ever. And to top it off, the people behind it are the same ones who bought Joss' original movie script and turned it into the painfully campy disaster that is the Buffy movie. Considering they want to make a movie that's "darker" and has "franchise potential," I'm guessing they really have NO clue what happened on the TV series (if season 6 isn't dark, I don't know what is, and I'd say an official comics continuation, various unofficial comics and tie-in novels, video games, action figures, not to mention a TV spinoff that has spawned its own tie-in novels, comics, and action figures pretty much already constitutes a franchise).

Now, before you start to panic, keep in mind that no studio has picked this up, and it's possible this announcement was just a test balloon floated to gauge reaction to the idea (which was very, very negative among fans). So it's possible (likely?) that nothing will come of it.

What does Joss have to say about all this? "I hope it's cool."

Puzzle time!

For anyone looking for a good way to waste time, I give you the Joss Whedon crossword puzzle. You have to print it out to do it, but hey, if you're bored enough...

Hi, guys! Remember me?

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year's. I've been oddly busy (work-related) over the holidays, so not much time to post in what should be a downtime. As evidence, here's a few links from before the holidays that I never got around to posting. Hopefully, I'll be back soon with, you know, current stuff.

A not-too-good review of Dollhouse, and an article about Tahmoh Penikett. Also, confirmation that Michael Cera is the one holding up the Arrested Development movie (since Megan mentioned it at Christmas). Oh, well. I don't mind... I've only watched season 1, so I'm in no hurry for a movie. :)

I did start rewatching Angel over the holiday (actually, I started around Thanksgiving, and then got sidetracked, and then started up again this week). I forgot how awesome it was. I LOVE Doyle (or maybe it's just my newfound Irish love), and other than a few clunkers, season 1 was a lot better than I remember. And season 2 thus far has just been unbearably squee-worthy. Angel singing! Gangsta Gunn! Lorne! Darla! Yaaaaay!

I also watch TV

So, while the election is certainly the most important thing happening today, there's also lots of other stuff to mention. (Also, there's nothing to do in work and I'm bored. This is what happens when ever single legislator and their staffers leave town to campaign.)

Let's start with interviews. The showrunners of Bones and How I Met Your Mother both have interviews on where the shows are headed this season. There's also the first part of Christian Kane's interview about his new TV show, Leverage. And someone finally tracked down Jimmy Smits to see how he feels about the whole Obama/Santos comparison.

There's also a new Joss Whedon interview, in which the interviewer seems to be really, really defensive of Buffy and really, really hates the new vampire series True Blood. I'm not entirely sure why, other than "It's not Buffy." Joss, however, is happy to talk about both the Buffy comics and Dollhouse.

And finally, Jenna Fischer's got a new movie.

My cat is actually useful!

So, we seem to have settled into a nice compromise in the mornings. Chelsea appears to have learned what the alarm clock means, and doesn't wake me up before it goes off. Once it does, though, she's a little pest until I get out of bed. Which is helpful on days like today, when I just wanted to roll over and go back to sleep (and thus be late for work). The only trouble is that we haven't quite worked out the concept of the snooze button yet, so sometimes she pesters when I actually DO want to go back to sleep. We'll keep working on it.

Anyway, let's kick off with more Dr. Horrible stuff, since it's still my favorite thing ever. This blogger has ranked the singers in Dr. Horrible and Buffy's Once More With Feeling. Personally, I think Amber Benson deserves to be above Felicia Day, and Nathan Fillion should probably be switched with Sarah Michelle Gellar (did no one notice how off-key she was in some songs?). Overall, though, not terribly surprising.

Here's the eleventy millionth interview with Joss, and an interview with Tahmoh Penikett about Dollhouse.

Speaking of Tahmoh, word on the streets is that the last half of the last season of Battlestar Galactica will be supersized, although the exact details are sketchy. I can't remember if I posted the Caprica promo yet, so here it is just in case. And finally, an interview with Tricia Helfer, who's now guest starring on Burn Notice. (Sidebar: she should've done the Sweet'n'Low trick JM recommends for bleaching her hair.)

Oh, and this was posted in the comments, but I'm moving it out here for everyone to check out: the animated Buffy series (or at least, the first four minutes of it). There's also an interview with Jane Espenson that hints it may be making a comeback.

The only doom that's looming is you loving me to death...

...so I'll give you a sec to catch your breath.

It's a really slow day in work today - my boss and I actually took an hour-long trip to Starbucks because we don't feel like doing anything. I'm spending most of my time sending angry emails to BMG because they sent me a CD I didn't order. I get that whole bullshit about how they send you an email and you have to decline or they send you the CD, but I NEVER GOT AN EMAIL. Not only that, I never got an email saying they'd charged my credit card (which was expired, I haven't updated my information on the site in years, but they charged it anyway), and I never got an email saying anything was being shipped to me. If I hadn't seen the charge on my checking account statement, I'd never even have known about it. (I also never got the package, because my shipping information was also outdated.)

Anyway, lots and lots of Dr. Horrible stuff today. An online chat with Neil Patrick Harris, an interview with Joss (he also talks about Dollhouse), and an "oral history," which I think means, "All the people involved talk about how much fun it was."

And also, sort of related (it's all in the Buffy family), an interview with Jane Espenson about her projects (BSG! Buffy comics!).

My cat is psychotic

Chelsea broke the blinds last night. She spotted a bug on the ceiling, and rather than sit on the floor staring up and whining ineffectually like she usually does, she attempted to climb her way to the ceiling to get it. She jumped from the back of the sofa onto the window and clung to the blinds for a second before falling down, almost taking the lamp with her. She’s completely nutso.

Also, she keeps tipping her water bowl. I thought getting the new, heavier, no-sliding bowl would help, but she’s tipping that one, too. So last night, I pulled out the heaviest bowl I could find and put that there, and she STILL spilled water all over the floor. I don’t know what to do, other than glue the damn thing to the floor. I think she tips them – sticks her paw in and tips the bowl sideways until the water sloshes out. I’ve seen her try to do that a couple times. The bowls are usually upright when I check them, but there’s way too much water for her to just be splashing it around.

Anyway, lots of fun stuff today. First, a write-up with some awesome pictures for Dr. Horrible. I'm so in love with this already, and I haven't even seen it. Also Joss-related, an article about the Buffy comics and Buffy's visit to the future.

Apparently, Jane Espenson will be writing the BSG movie that as of yet no one is starring in. And EJO is directing - cool beans.

And finally, why David Tennant is the awesomest person ever.

OMG it just keeps coming

I read somewhere that someone was complaining that the coverage for the Buffy reunion was disappointing, and I'm wondering what the hell kind of expectations they have, because there's been tons of articles and reports and photos and video. I'm sure you're all probably sick of it by now (but not a whole lot else going on, so...).

Anyway, here's another MTV report, as well as IGN, which is probably the most detailed write-up I've seen without being a complete transcript. And believe it or not, I haven't even posted everything I've found, just the good stuff.

Also Whedon-related, he's considering some Buffy alums in the casting of Dollhouse. If it was anyone at the panel last week, they played it very cool, as Dollhouse wasn't even mentioned. I'm guessing it'll probably be recurring or guest characters from Buffy, none of the big names.

So, did anybody watch HIMYM last night? I thought Britney was fairly unremarkable. She wasn't great, but she wasn't stand-out terrible, either. I did notice her line delivery was kind of awkward, but I honestly couldn't tell if that was just her or the way the character was supposed to be played. I thought Sarah Chalke, on the other hand, was great, and I wish she had time for more appearances. In any case, here's hoping it gave the show the ratings boost they needed.

MORE Buffy panel

It's never-ending! Here are a few fan accounts of Paley Fest, including this one with video clips, this one, which has pics of James and Joss signing autographs and also talks about the Pushing Daisies panel, and this hilarious photo account of the all-important "Angel or Spike?" question.

Monday morning comes again

Hope everyone had a happy Easter. I had a parent-filled weekend, but they bought me things and fed me, so I'm happy.

First up, here's more coverage of the Buffy reunion. You can also see video clips from all the Paley events here, although the Buffy one is little more than the introductions and a little from Joss and Sarah. The Chuck panel had some pretty hilarious clips, though. I also found a podcast of the entire Buffy panel, as long as you don't mind the very loud girl in the audience.

In other news, Jericho has been canceled again, for good this time. Not really a surprise, although it's a little disappointing. I felt like the show really blossomed in the 7 episode run, and it deserved at least a full second season.

Some speculation on Dollhouse's chances from Matt Roush, as well as an update on Bones from David Boreanaz. And this is cute: Reasons I miss Psych. I miss it, too!

Oh, and don't forget to watch How I Met Your Mother tonight - it's the Britney episode!

Buffy Reunion!

Last night was the much-anticipated Buffy reunion panel at Paley Fest, and there's a shitload of coverage. Here's the TV Guide recap, as well as panel moderator Matt Roush's thoughts. Additional write-ups from E!'s Kristin, who is asking for Buffy quotes, along with Scifi Wire, iF Magazine, the Futon Critic, and TVSquad. Pics are up at Getty Images. The Paley Center will be posting their own photos and video clips, so I'll probably add that later. Also, there's talk of a DVD possibly being made available for purchase, but it requires the permission of everyone on the panel.

Hi, kids. I'm kinda tired today. My bedtime has started edging later again, I think because my schedule is still off from staying out all night and sleeping all weekend. Gotta start going to bed at 11, otherwise I'm dragging all day. Man, I feel old.

Anyway, Jericho last night drifted back into "WTF?" territory. And they were doing so well. In the rare chance that it gets picked up, here's a piece of advice - stick to the killing off and mourning of beloved characters and stay away from the government conspiracies. Because when Jericho does conspiracies... they kinda don't make any sense. I think they've explained the bomb plot like, three times now, and I still don't get it. Was the CIA behind it? Or just rogue members of the CIA? Or were Hawkins and the others CIA who infiltrated the terrorists? If this whole plan came from Mystery Phone Guy, then is he higher up than Valente? Is he Valente? No, he can't be, because he's been tracking the bomb, and if Valente knew where the bomb was, he wouldn't have needed to buy it from Sarah. But if MPG has been tracking the bomb this whole time, why didn't he just come find it and take it? Why has he been needling Hawkins to give it to him willingly? And why does he think that blowing up Cheyenne is a good idea? For that matter, why did he think blowing up the first 23 cities was a good idea? If his goal is to get rid of Jennings & Rall, he's not doing a very good job of it.

Oh, who cares? Hawkins is AWESOME. Jake is AWESOME. The Hawkins and Jake show, that's all I need. (Although, sidebar, I thought it was absolutely adorable when the Rangers sent the ransom note to Beck: "We have your trucks and your supplies and your guns. Give us Jake." Hee! They came up with a plan without Jake, how cute! I just wanted to pat them on the heads.)

Anyway, in other news, this week is the Paley Fest, which I desperately wanted to go to, but Kelly wouldn't go with me. Fortunately, TVGuide has me covered, and so I'll be posting their coverage of my favorite shows. Here's the report from the Chuck panel, as well as more information on the Chuck comic books. (Seriously, more comic books? I was willing to try it out for Buffy and Angel, but this is pushing my limits here.) Later this week: Friday Night Lights and the Buffy reunion panel (which, by the way, is supposed to have live streaming video coverage)! Next week is Damages and Mad Men.

Also Joss-related, he's writing a web musical starring Neil Patrick Harris as a "low-rent super-villain" called "Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog." I am not making this up.

Oh, and Battlestar Galactica will NOT be making a movie, but they will do a 2-hour TV special for the prequel, "Caprica." Okay. I just want my season 3 DVDs. (Now available from Blockbuster!!)

Craziness!!

First and foremost, since Megan mentioned it, here's a report from John McGinley that Scrubs has been picked up by ABC for another full season. They start filming again March 24th. (And that's why Sarah Chalke is too busy for more than one episode of HIMYM.)

This is kinda weird - they're making another spin-off of Beverly Hills 90210, and Rob Thomas might be writing it. Not really what I expected from the creator of Veronica Mars, but okay. I never watched 90210 or Melrose Place, so I doubt it will interest me.

Billy from BSG auditioned for Joss' new show, Dollhouse. Yay! I love Billy, I miss Billy. I wish he hadn't died. (Sidebar: WHEN are the season 3 DVDs coming out?? I'm about to chew my arm off.)

Oh, and in further awesomeness, Spike is getting his own After the Fall comic! I don't know if you've been following the Whedonverse comic developments, but After the Fall is the continuation of "Angel" set a couple months after that rainy battle in the alley. They're doing an arc called "First Night," which flashes back to tell the story of what happened during/immediately after the battle. One issue of that arc focuses on Spike and Illyria, and the Spike: ATF series apparently spins off from that. Whee!!

Also, just a random shout-out for the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which comes out April 18th. It was written by HIMYM star Jason Segal, and also stars Kristen Bell (!!!) and Paul Rudd. I'm super-excited, though I still probably won't see it until it's on DVD. I'm just like that.

Here's your damn update

So, it was ever so kindly brought to my attention *cough*Kelly*cough* that I haven't updated in a while. There's a very good reason for that. Normally, I update at work, when things are slow and I have time to troll the half-dozen websites I usually look to for news and random fun. But lately, I've been super-duper unbelievably out-of-control busy in work. So much so that I don't even have time to finish my actual work, let alone keep you people entertained.

BUT since Kelly demanded asked so nicely, I took some time after work today to check out what's been happening in the past... week? Ish.

I guess everyone knows by now that Heath Ledger died. It's absolutely shocking, especially since he never struck me as the drug-overdose kind of guy, even accidental. He was a talented actor, and always seemed to have his head on straight, unlike a lot of the out-of-control celebrities his age. It's a terrible shame.

Someone thought now was a good time to remind us all that Heath's first major role was in a short-lived TV show called Roar, which I mention because it was the first thing I ever saw him in, and I remember loving that show and being disappointed when it was canceled. And then, when everyone fell in love with him in 10 Things I Hate About You, I was all, "Hey, I saw him first!"

In happier news, NBC is having another auction, where you can bid on merchandise from their shows, including Friday Night Lights, Heroes, and The Office. Guess whose birthday is coming up? *grin*

Also on Friday Night Lights, this article pisses me off. It drives me crazy that TV has become all about franchising. That's the exact thing that kept me from watching Heroes at first. I'm glad there are no FNL trading cards or board games or... vibrating brooms? What? (Wow, Harry Potter fans are kinky...) Anyway, it's the simplicity of the show, the genuine reflection of everyday life, that makes it so wonderful. Turning it into a soulless commercialized franchise would totally destroy the magic, and I resent the fact that this purity is what keeps it from being a hit show. I felt the same way about Veronica Mars -I was so sorry to see it canceled, but at the same time, I would hate it if the show compromised its values and quality just to become a trashy hit. I worried that FNL was going that way in the beginning of season 2, but I think they've recovered, and I'm once again finding myself completely charmed by this little show. Don't take it away from me, you evil corporate bastards!

Okay, then. Jericho has two possible endings, one in the event it is canceled after its 7-episode 2nd season, and one if it's picked up for a third. Good plan, really, because God only knows how many nuts would be shipped to studio execs if the show got canceled on another cliffhanger.

Are you starting to feel the effects of the strike, as all of your favorite shows disappear from the prime time schedule? This feature might help you find a new show to watch. (I think my favorite is, "If you like Heroes, try Buffy the Vampire Slayer." I'm already into season 3 in rewatching my Buffy DVDs. Thanks, Strike!) Also, I'm throwing out my personal recommendation for Battlestar Galactica. I just watched all of the first two seasons on DVD, and now I'm ripping my hair out because season 3 doesn't come out on DVD until March. The fourth and final season airs starting in April.

Well, that should keep you busy at least until the weekend. I'd talk about politics, but that'd probably be a whole separate post (makes it easy for you all to ignore it that way, lol).

TV update

With the holiday season come and gone, I thought you might be curious when your favorite shows will be coming back. TV Squad has a list, although it looks incomplete... but that might be because there are more shows than I realized that aren't coming back at all due to the writer's strike. :( Anyway, here's the rundown of shows I care about:

1. Friday Night Lights has six episodes left, starting Friday, January 4th.
2. The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are both coming back January 7th with new episodes but no writers. Should be fun!
3. Psych is coming back to finish the second half of season 2 starting Friday, January 11th.
4. The seven-episode season 2 of Jericho starts Tuesday, February 12th.
5. Oh, the injustice! Bones doesn't come back until February 22nd (now relegated to Fridays - thanks American Idol!), with only three episodes left to air.

Nowhere to be seen: How I Met Your Mother, Heroes, Pushing Daisies, 24, and The Office (which I didn't expect to see), and Chuck, Reaper, and Dirty Sexy Money (which I did expect to have one more episode each). Also not on the list: Torchwood season 2 premieres January 26th, guest-starring James Marsters as a poodle-chasing, Jack-kissing, omnisexual time agent with absolutely no morals. And a big-ass sword.

There's also a bunch of new shows that are premiering as mid-season replacements, but I can't remember what any of them are about. I'll just go back to my Battlestar Galactica DVDs. I just started watching it, since everyone else seems to think it's the best thing ever, and although the miniseries was a little slow, I'm really getting into the show.

Also, a funny mixing of politics and Buffy: The Republican presidential candidates and their corresponding Buffy villains. Hee!

It's snowing! and a job question

First of all, it's snowing! We're supposed to get 1-3 inches today. *sigh* I miss the days when that'd be enough to get school canceled. Apparently, they don't close this place for anything.

So, work news. My boss just left and took a job at the State Board, and Teresa, the deputy director, just got promoted. So, that means the deputy spot is open. I asked Teresa, and she said they'll be hiring someone, but she doesn't know when. My mother thinks I should tell her I want to be considered. Am I the only one who thinks that would be obvious? Why wouldn't I be interested? But I also feel like I'm probably not qualified for the job. I've only been here 8 months, and Teresa had about four years more experience than I do when she started that job. Plus, if they were going to consider me for it, wouldn't that have already come up? I mean, the job directly above me opened up, so wouldn't I be the first logical consideration, if they thought I could do it?

Thoughts? Advice?

On a completely unrelated note, the writers' strike is looking like it may last a long time. Good thing I've got plenty of DVDs on my Blockbuster queue. Also, this is the most bizarre thing to put on a T-shirt ever. Any Buffy fans want one for Christmas?

Whedony people

Jane Espenson is promoting her new book, a series of essays on Firefly/Serenity, of which she is the editor. So she did an interview with Pop Candy, where she also talks a lot about the writers' strike. There's also an excerpt from the book - an essay by Captain Tightpants himself, Nathan Fillion. I'll be honest, I don't care about Firefly enough to buy this book, but Nathan's essay was a good read. I guess if you're a big fan, it makes a good Christmas present. :)

Also, Eliza Dushku has a new movie about group sex. Well, that's just... great. Good for her.

More on the strike

Here's a rundown of exactly how many episodes of various TV shows we can expect, if no more scripts are coming in due to the strike. Of course, that's not counting actors/producers who don't show up, meaning the episodes can't get filmed, or sets being shut down due to disruption by the strikers. It's also notable that the list is missing several of my shows - including Heroes, Chuck, Reaper, HIMYM, Bones, and The Office. Okay, that's almost ALL the shows I watch. So, this list is useless. Never mind then.

Joss Whedon was picketing yesterday, and you can read all about it on the new Dollhouse fansite. Apparently, Alyson Hannigan and Alexis Denisof were handing out candy bars, and Cobie Smulders (HIMYM's Robin) and David Boreanaz were also spotted on the picket lines. (Guess there's our answer on whether Bones and HIMYM are still filming...) It's nice to see actors supporting the writers, acknowledging that they're an equally important part of the process. It's easy to see actors as the face of a TV show (since, well, we see their faces on TV), but there are also a ton of people behind the scenes that put a lot of effort into making these shows.

The Buffy effect

Here's an article comparing Reaper and Moonlight, in the context of how they are influenced by Buffy. Basically, Reaper ripped off all the good things (young people battling supernatural monsters, mixture of humor and horror) while Moonlight ripped off all the bad things (overly broody main character and other way-too-specific details, "crossing the line from homage into grand larceny"). I must admit, though, if they'd actually called it Shmangel, I'd totally watch it, just for the giggles. (Jury is still out on Moonlight, by the way. I haven't gotten around to watching episode 2 yet, but I really don't want to like it.)

Also, Joss Whedon is directing another episode of The Office. As is his habit, he will be killing off main characters in a manner that is both gruesome and funny.