Birthday Girl: Martina Hingis

Today is a big day for 5-time Grand Slam champion Martina Hingis. Not only is she celebrating her 29th birthday, but today is also her last day of her unfairly doled out two-year drug suspension.

Funny thing actually since it was Martina Hingis who actually got me interested in tennis. No joke. I fell in love with her uncanny court sense and penchant for thinking about every shot rather than power the ball down the line. It's fitting that when she left the game in 2003, a new Swiss tennis player took over the tennis landscape and my tennis obsessed heart.

Hingis came back to the game briefly for about a year and a half reaching all the way to #7 in the rankings. Her comeback ended early when she was beset with injuries in the end of the 2007 and her confession that she tested positive for cocaine at Wimbledon. Instead of finding the ruling, she left the game.

CLICK HERE to read Sport Illustrated's tennis editor Jon Wertheim interview Martina Hingis talking about her retirement, her feelings about the suspension, and what she thinks about the future.

So while she doesn't see another competitive comeback in her future, I do hope she keeps connected to the tennis world. Lord knows the uninspired women's game would only benefit from her presence.

Sunday Night TV

The official "premiere week" ended yesterday with the premieres of Amazing Race on CBS, the animated shows on FOX, and ABC's Sunday lineup. I saw most of them.


Now lots of people bemoan the fact that Amazing Race has won the Emmy in its category for seven years straight. I am not one of those people. It's consistently great with entertaining contestants going through fun challenges amidst gorgeous exotic places around the world. And the season premiere had all of that in spades. In fact it was probably one of my favorite episodes of Amazing Race ever. It had everything from the first team eliminated before the starting line to a sushi/wasabi eating contest at a Japanese game show to herding 100+ ducks to getting muddy. Click here for my more detaield thoughts on the contestants themselves, but it's looking right another amazing season for this show.

Another highlight from last night was Family Guy's homage to the multiverse theory in which Brian and Stewie travel from one alternate universe to another. The best part had to be when they ended up in a Disney-drawn universe with singing and beating up the Jews. So inappropriately hilarious which is pretty much Family Guy's MO. Not so fantastic was Family Guy's spin-off The Cleveland Show which still needs time to get its groove. Brad Trechak at TV Squad said it best in his review:

Based on the pilot episode, the analogy that can be made is this: Family Guy is to All In The Family what The Cleveland Show is to The Jeffersons (with a little What's Happening and Good Times thrown in).

In Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters, it was more of the same from the seasons before. In the first show, Susan is still acting like a petulant child, Lynette is one more child away from committing homicide, Bree is having troubles with her husband, and oh yeah a new family has moved in with a mysterious past. More of the same. Brother & Sisters is a bit better since I actually like the characters, but how many Walker clan flights will they be until you get really really tired of it all? The episodes I like best is when I feel all warm and fuzzy and this wasn't a warm and fizzy episode at all.

Amazing Race: The Contestants

After only two legs, two teams have been eliminated and the rest of the teams are already in the other side of the world. Here are my initial thoughts on all of the teams in the order they came in during the most recent leg.

Gary & Matt (Father/Son) - They are running the race to spend more time together which is nice. And for now they seem to get along quite well and they seem really down-to-earth.

Sam & Dan (Brothers) - Their hook is that they are both gay. Both of them seem to work quite well and if the other teams aren't carefuly, they can take over. Their friendship with the Poker Girls will be something to look at. I love that Dan gets giddy about everything. He practically flailed when he reached the mat.

Flight Time & Big Easy (Harlem Globetrotters) - With their height and affable personalities, they stand out. They seem to be in good spirits which make me a fan. BTW their real names are Herbert and Nathaniel.

Lance & Keri (Engaged) - This is really the only team out of the whole lot that I do not like. She's okay for now, but he is an obnoxious jerk. The sad thing is I called him that after two seconds on screen. Oh please be eliminated next round.

Zev & Keri (Friends) - Zev has Asperger's which says a lot about how Justin seems to be really good friends with him. Not sure how Zev's disability will play into the competitions, but so far so good. In fact Zev (and Keri) are very likable.

Meghan & Cheyne (Dating) - I don't have much to say about this couple except to say that they seem nice. They're athletic, but they don't have an air of entitlement about having to win. In fact they're the one team that seems to be in awe of their surroundings and being in Amazing Race.

Maria & Tiffany (Pro Poker Players) - They had a rocky start first by lying about their livelihood and then getting lost in Tokyo, but they used their focus to survive into the next round. They're a bit sketchy, but I still like them.

Mika & Canaan (Newly Dating) - They're Christian and "sexually pure" for one another. Do I have to say anything else, really?

Marcy & Ron (Dating) - How cute are they? They're the "Elderly Couple" but they have energy and life to rival some of the other teams. I love that they're both navigating the dating world at their age.

Brian & Ericka (Married) - He's white. She's black. Hilarity ensues. But yeah, that's their hook. I can see them getting annoying, but for now they're okay with me.

Garrett & Jessica (Dating On/Off) - They got eliminated so it doesn't matter what I thought of them except he really really wanted to win and she was Colombian.

Eric & Lisa (Married Yoga Teachers) - They were the first team to get eliminated and the first team in the show's history to get eliminated BEFORE the starting line. I was sort of glad they got booted, because their zen-ness would've probably driven me insane.

Shaping up to be another great season of Amazing Race!

Friday Night TV

The Dollhouse premiere was chock full of goodies, I don't even know where to begin. Actually I just wanted to briefly comment on the unaired episode "Epitaph One" from last season which I only saw an hour before the new season started. Wow. It was pretty much a game changer sort of episode and it'll be interesting to see how the second season is affected by it.


While I loved seeing Echo, Paul, Topher, Adelle, etc., it was all about the guest stars for me this week. It was fantastic seeing Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica) playing a smarmy arms dealer and his scenes with Eliza Dushku were hot hot hot. I expected nothing less. Then there was our first glimpse of Alexis Denisof (Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) playing a senator out to get Rossum Corportation, the Dollhouse's parent company.

But the true star of the episode for me was Amy Acker (Angel) who played Dr. Saunders with an edge that wasn't there for the first season. Her inability to handle finding out that she's a doll really created some inspired bits of acting especially with the character of Topher. It's sad to see the actress go, but there's no doubt she'll be back.

Other than Dollhouse, the only other TV show I saw last night was Fringe which I recorded from the night before. The second episode was more "monster of the week" type of an episode with bits and pieces of the Big Mystery of the Alternate Universe popping up like Olivia's superhuman hearing and not!Charlie's stalkery ways. The monster of the week though was truly horrifying, a mutant child living underground? Yikes!

Thursday Night TV

Thursday was such a loaded night. In fact I have yet to watch Fringe and the season premiere of The Mentalist because I had to go to sleep! What I did get to see was the series premiere of FlashForward, the two-hour season premiere of Grey's Anatomy, Community, and Project Runway. Whew!

The big question of the night though is whether or not FlashForward is the new Lost or is it yet another high concept show that start out big only to fizzle out? After seeing the spectacular pilot I'm hoping it's not the latter, but I'm still worried. Matt Roush at TV Guide Magazine probably said it best in his review:

"It’s all very compelling, but obviously, embracing FlashForward will require quite a leap of faith. And therein lies another problem. Even critics and fans who are intrigued (as I am) by the often riveting pilot—which ends on a whopper of a cliffhanger twist—can’t help projecting a bit into our own future, one that’s informed by a past that’s littered with ambitious pilot episodes that ultimately didn’t measure up."

Then there's Grey's Anatomy. I have not been a fan of the show for awhile due to crummy plots and unlikable characters, but somehow I keep coming back. Having said that, I very much enjoyed the premiere. The death of George, especially the way it was eloquently handled by the writers, really grounded the episode and the usually manic characters within the hospital. I mean I was crying in the first five minutes already. The challenge is to keep it going though. I still remember earlier this year when Heroes delivered a very good spring premiere only for it to fall to its usual tangled mess of storylines. But I'm keeping an optimistic attitude for Seattle Grace and its doctors especially since it seems there is more dark times ahead.

Now can we talk about what happened on Project Runway last night? The talented Ra'mon bit off more than he could chew delivering a terrifying lizard/alien dress and was booted while "I'm all that and a bag of chips" Nicholas actually won a challenge. I'm not too pissed about Ra'mon leaving because his dress was THAT heinous, but I thought Epperson (or even Christopher) should've won over Nicholas. So lame.

Finally, I don't have much to say about Community except to say that I think this show can get better. With two episodes in, some of the characters are still not as fleshed out as I want them to be, and I'm especially talking about the main character played by Soup host Joel McHale.

Don't forget that the premiere of DOLLHOUSE is TONIGHT on FOX at 9PM. Watch it!!!

Wednesday Night TV

Let's just get straight to talking about Glee, because I thought they delivered their best episode yet. Most of it was focused on Kurt and him trying to come out to his father. Beyonce helped him out.


How fierce is THAT picture? To the tune of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" Kurt struts his stuff and in the end even the entire football team was dancing along. It was as surreal as it was ludicrous, but this show was never meant for subtlety. There are a few pregnant storylines happening as well, but I'm conveniently ignoring those.

Another highlight last night was the premiere of ABC's Modern Family. It's smart AND it's funny so while it did debut big, I wouldn't be shocked if it goes the way of 30 Rock in the ratings. Hey, if it matches that show award success, then gravy. Also I will forever laugh whenever I hear "Circle of Life" from the Lion King. This one is a definite keeper.

I also ended up checking out Cougar Town and Eastwick. They aren't totally bad, but right now they are pretty disposable. Eastwick is a sort of wacky blend of Charmed, Lipstick Jungle, and Gilmore Girls. Make from that what you will. As for Cougar Town, it's just a little disheartening to see Courtney Cox looking a little less Monica Gellar and a little more Janice Dickinson. Yikes.

Looking Forward To...

...Fall TV Edition


Dollhouse (FOX)
Premieres: Friday, Sept. 25 @ 9PM
Starring: Dichen Lachman, Enver Gjokaj, Fran Kranz, Eliza Dushku, Olivia Williams, Tahmoh Penikett, & Harry Lenix

Tuesday Night TV

The glut of Monday night gave way to having nothing to watch on Tuesday night. Usually I would be watching So You Think You Can Dance, but inexplicably it wasn't on last night and even if it was they are still in the audition rounds which I tend not to watch.

I also initially didn't have any interest in seeing any of the new shows that were premiering last night. Some good word-of-mouth from critics and friends, however led me to watch NCIS: Los Angeles with Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J and The Good Wife with Julianna Margulies.

In an earlier post, I mentioned that I would not watch any new shows that took place in "a hospital, a court room, or a police station." So, my bad.

Having said that, I DID enjoy the pilots for both. The chemistry of the NCIS team especially the two leads was really great and Julianna Margulies just delivered a knock out performance. Oh and did I mention Christine Baranski is in The Good Wife? That's enough reason to check it out, right? Time will tell though if I continue to watch both shows.

Monday Night TV

Welcome to the Fall TV Season! So Monday night was a night of TV premieres. In total I saw the premieres of four shows: How I Met Your Mother, Castle, Heroes, & Big Bang Theory. All of my friends are big House fans, but imagine my schedule if I was as well! Yikes!

In general, it was a good night. The only show that didn't meet my expectations was Heroes, but I fear it's less what happened on screen and more me just becoming tired of the show. The other shows, however, were just delightful. From Laurie Metcalf's hilarious return as Sheldon's mother in Big Bang Theory to Detective Beckett showing off her sexy Russian side in Castle.

But it was the exploration of Barney and Robin's relationship on HIMYM that gets my Must Watch award for the night. At the end of the episode, both of them decide to "lie" to their friends telling them what they thought they wanted to hear: that both of them are now boyfriend and girlfriend.

Robin: Really. We sat down. We had the talk. Barney's my boyfriend now.
Barney: And Robin's my girlfriend. I know it sounds nuts, but it feels good to say.
Robin: We're both afraid of commitment, but the fact is, we also can't live without each other.
Barney: And if the alternative is not being together then it's worth taking this risk, 'cause...

And at this point both of them seem to be laying it on thick. But then the tone in their voice changes and well...

Barney: She's awesome.
Robin: And he's awesome... He looks nice in a suit
Barney: She can handle her Scotch.
Robin: He's my boyfriend.
Barney: And she's my girlfriend.

I was a puddle on the floor after that moment. I cannot wait to see where the show takes this relationship.

The Emmys: The Winners

In my opinion, this was one of the best Emmy ceremonies we've had in years. Some (most?) of it was due to Neil Patrick Harris' brilliant stint as host delivering a kickass opening number and then keeping everyone laughing all the way to the end. But the pacing and the structure of the show, which I criticized last year, were also much better. Love the idea of breaking up the different genres like that. It really grounded the ceremony.

For the most part, I was very happy with the winners. The supporting categories were a complete delight minus Neil Patrick Harris' shock loss to Jon Cryer. The wins for Chenoweth, Emerson, and Jones will do much to help me get over NPH's loss. There were a few repeat winners (30 Rock, Mad Men), but there were still some upsets to be found to keep it all interesting. Overall, a good and entertaining show. So of course watch the ratings fall... ugh.

Congratulations to the winners below!

DRAMA
SERIES: Mad Men (AMC)
ACTOR: Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad (AMC)
ACTRESS: Glenn Close - Damages (FX)
SUPP. ACTOR: Michael Emerson - Lost (ABC)
SUPP. ACTRESS: Cherry Jones - 24 (FOX)
DIRECTING: Rod Holcomb - ER (NBC)
WRITING: Kater Gordon & Matthew Weiner - Mad Men (AMC)
GUEST ACTOR: Michael J. Fox - Rescue Me (FX)
GUEST ACTRESS: Ellen Burstyn - Law & Order: SVU (NBC)

COMEDY
SERIES: 30 Rock (NBC)
ACTOR: Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock (NBC)
ACTRESS: Toni Collette - United Stats of Tara (Showtime)
SUPP. ACTOR: Jon Cryer - Two and a Half Men (CBS)
SUPP. ACTRESS: Kristin Chenoweth - Pushing Daises (ABC)
DIRECTING: Jeffrey Blitz - The Office (NBC)
WRITING: Matt Hubbard - 30 Rock (NBC)
GUEST ACTOR: Justin Timberlake - Saturday Night Live (NBC)
GUEST ACTRESS: Tina Fey - Saturday Night Live (NBC)

MINISERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIALS
MINISERIES: Little Dorrit (PBS)
MADE FOR TELEVISION MOVIE: Grey Gardens (HBO)
ACTOR: Brendan Gleeson - Into the Storm (HBO)
ACTRESS: Jessica Lange - Grey Gardens (HBO)
SUPP. ACTOR: Ken Howard - Grey Gardens (HBO)
SUPP. ACTRESS: Shohreh Aghdashloo - House of Saddam (HBO)
DIRECTING: Dearbhla Walsh - Little Dorrit (PBS)
WRITING: Andrew Davies - Little Dorrit (PBS)

VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY PROGRAM
SERIES: Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)
DIRECTING: Bruce Gowers - American Idol (FOX)
WRITING: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)

REALITY
COMPETITION PROGRAM: The Amazing Race (CBS)
PROGRAM: Intervention (A&E)
HOST: Jeff Probst - Survivor (CBS)