Author: eric-rezsnyak

Independence Day
Wednesday 8pm, AMC
Celebrate our nation’s birthday by watching Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, and President Bill Pullman save the world by taking out a bunch of squid-looking aliens. Believe it or not, the blockbuster popcorn flick is 16 years old. If it was a person it could be getting a driver’s license. This means that if you saw it in the theater, you are old. The movie is pretty ridiculous, but there is still something impressive about watching the world’s various monuments blown up after all these years. Plus, it’s a reminder that while computer viruses might make your workday infuriating, they may one day save the planet. So you be nice. If you’re looking for more Hollywood patriotism, AMC will screen the Civil War flick Glory at 1:45pm and Mel Gibson’s Revolutionary War epic The Patriot at 4:30pm.

“Insane Coaster Wars”
Sunday 9pm, Travel Channel
This summer millions of Americans will head to theme parks. There they will pay too much for crappy food, fry in the sun, and wait 30 minutes in line for a three-minute ride. And I will proudly be one of them, with plans to hit at least three different parks before Labor Day. If you’re looking for some road trip-worthy thrills, this series on the Travel Channel might be up your loop-de-loop. “Insane Coaster Wars” is a six-part series in which various rides from across the country are compared and contrasted on specific criteria. Sunday night check out both “G-Force Giants” and “Hang’em High” (open-air coasters), and future installments will feature wooden coasters, mega-high coasters, and super-fast rides. If you like your theme parks wet, companion series “Xtreme Waterparks” debuts at 8pm. But, I won’t write about that because of the terrible intentional misspelling.

“Perception”
Monday 10pm, TNT
At this point the well must be running dry for new twists to the mystery-solving format, but this new show’s concept might push it into ridiculousness. Eric McCormack—best known as Will from “Will & Grace”—plays a brilliant neuroscientist who is brought on by the FBI to help solve complex mysteries. The problem: he may be a genius, but he’s also a paranoid schizophrenic who sometimes experiences vivid hallucinations. Helping to keep him on track are a former student and current FBI agent (played by Rachael Leigh Cook, the “stupid bet” from She’s All That) and his dean/friend played by Kunte Kinte/Geordi La Forge himself, LeVar Burton.

 “Hollywood Exes”
Wednesday 9pm, VH1
VH1 has found its latest niche in super-trashy versions of Bravo’s “Real Housewives” franchises. There’s “Basketball Wives” and its Los Angeles-based spin-off; “Mob Wives” and its Chicago spin-off (and another spin-off in the wings for fan favorite Big Ang); and now this series that follows the lives of a bunch of ex-wives of legitimately famous people. They would be Mayte Garcia, ex-wife of Prince (and former paramour of Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee); Andrea Kelly, ex-wife of R. Kelly; Sheree Fletcher, ex-wife of Will Smith; Nicole Murphy, ex-wife of Eddie Murphy; and Jessica Canseco, ex-wife of Jose Canseco. Most of the aforementioned men are delightfully scandalicious, so here’s hoping some of these ladies unpack the skeletons you just know are in their closets.

“Anger Management”
Thursday 9pm and 9:30pm, FX
Generally appalling human being Charlie Sheen continues his 987th professional comeback with this new sitcom in which he plays—wait for it—a guy named Charlie. Specifically a guy named Charlie who used to be a professional baseball player whose once-promising career was derailed by his temper (shades of Major League, anyone?). Now, he’s an unconventional therapist specializing in anger-management issues, and the show follows his sessions with assorted patients. The setup sounds perfectly serviceable, but I find it hard to divorce my feelings about Sheen and his reprehensible tiger-warlock-whatever behavior. How is it right that this guy, who should practically list relationship demolition expert on his resume, continues to get regular gigs while more talented actors who don’t have an ounce of Sheen’s personal baggage feast on acting scraps? Speaking of actors making due, poor Selma Blair (Cruel Intentions) and Shawnee Smith (the Saw franchise) are involved here.

“Weeds”
Sunday 10pm, Showtime
After eight seasons it’s time to say goodbye to Nancy Botwin and her drug-dealing family, and in truth it’s probably about two seasons too late. Season 7 ended on a massive cliffhanger, with the lead character (played by always-terrific Mary-Louise Parker) raising a toast to her newly reunited family, only for a sniper to interrupt with his bullet. Who got shot is being kept under wraps, but the five lead characters all seem to be coming back, so that should tell you something. My hope is that before it goes up in smoke (awful; fire me), the show finally admits what it’s been teasing us with its entire run: Nancy Botwin has a death wish, and she will not stop screwing up other people’s lives until someone finally puts her out of her misery.

 “The Soul Man”
Wednesday 10pm, TV Land
TV Land has emerged as the holding pen for some of T.V.’s most lovable second bananas. “Hot in Cleveland” has extended the careers of Valerie Bertinelli (“One Day at a Time”), Jane Leeves (“Frasier”), and Wendie Malick (“Just Shoot Me”), and helped Betty White reemerge as an unlikely pop-culture icon. “Happily Divorced” brought back Fran “The Nanny” Drescher and gave kick-about character actor John Michael Higgins a steady gig. “The Exes” is a C-list repository, featuring Kristen Johnston (“3rd Rock from the Sun”), Donald Faison (“Scrubs”), and Wayne Knight (Newman from “Seinfeld”). Now TV Land looks to bring some color to the line-up with this new “Hot in Cleveland” spin-off starring Cedric the Entertainer as a failed ’90s R&B singer who returns home to take over preaching duties in his father’s church. The always delightful Niecy Nash (“Reno 911”) stars as his wife.

“The Great Escape”
Sunday 10pm, TNT
This new adventure series comes from Oscar-winning director Ron Howard, producer Brian Grazer, and the creators of “The Amazing Race.” Each episodes sees three teams of two dropped into mind-bending scenarios like a deserted island, a maximum-security prison, or a sinking ship (oh, hi, nightmares) and tasked with using their wits, abilities, and whatever else they can find to get the hell out of there.

“Aqua Something You Know Whatever”
Sunday midnight, Adult Swim
One of the most bizarre cartoons currently on the airwaves—and that is saying something, given the wackadoo stuff out there—returns for its ninth season with a new name. “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” debuted in 2001, a spin-off of sorts from the ridiculous and much missed faux talk show “Space Ghost Coast to Coast.” The show was originally pitched as following three anthropomorphic fast food items—Master Shake, Frylock, and Meatwad—as they solved crimes. But that whole crime solving thing was BS to get picked up to series, and in short order the creators jettisoned it for episode after episode of random, hilarious crockery. Last season the creators got bored (they had already resituated the cartoon from New Jersey to Seattle, although everything remained exactly the same) and retitled it “Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1” for basically no reason. This season they’re doing the same with the new title, “Aqua Something You Know Whatever.” How to say this? Smoke ’em if you got ’em.

Josh Rachford (Courtesy subject)

On Sunday, June 24, HBO debuts “The Newsroom,” created by Aaron Sorkin, the man behind “The West Wing” and the Oscar-winning screenwriter of The Social Network. The show, which follows the behind-the-scenes drama of a 24-hour cable news network, stars Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, and Sam Waterston. But if you tune in to the season finale later this summer, you might spy a face familiar to Charlottesville: UVA alum Josh Rachford, who nabbed a small speaking part on the series.

Although he majored in cognitive science while at UVA, Rachford is now pursuing a career in entertainment. Since graduating in 2008, he’s worked with improv icons Upright Citizens Brigade and the Story Pirates (a group that stages original productions written by children), appeared in videos for websites Funny Or Die and College Humor, and been cast in national commercials for McDonald’s and First Bank.

C-VILLE recently talked with Rachford about his impending T.V.-show debut and the formerly local boy’s budding Hollywood career.

C-VILLE Weekly: What can you tell us about your role on “The Newsroom?”
Josh Rachford: “I play a mailroom intern that works at the T.V. network in the show. I come in and deliver a piece of news to Sam Waterston’s character. I have three lines.”

How did you land the role?
“The casting director called my commercial agent and asked me to audition for a series regular part, which I didn’t get. Then he called me a few months later to come in for this part. I didn’t think anything of it, since I struck out the first time. But I got a call the next day, saying I was going to do it.”

What was the shoot like?
“A little bit nerve-wracking. I was thrilled because I had a room in a trailer. We had rehearsal, and Aaron Sorkin was there, and that was very exciting. I got to meet him, and the director—who did the movie Superbad—and got to work with big-name and established actors who were in the scene. And they were all really nice to me.”

What were your impressions of Sorkin?
“He seemed very confident, relaxed. He was in a good mood, joking with everybody—but very professional. He was there for rehearsal, and then he left and we shot it like 30 times.”

What are your overall impressions of “The Newsroom”?
“It’s going to be amazing. I read the whole script of the episode I’m in. It’s really, really funny—I laughed out loud several times. But it’s moving at times, too. I had a range of responses to it. And it’s so smart. The level of political knowledge, and the understanding of how politics and news are intertwined—it’s just really smart. I grew up outside of D.C., and worked in media, and have had friends who worked in literal newsrooms. It seems to be very accurate to their experiences.”

How did you get involved in acting?
“I got involved in college. I was part of The Whethermen, and was an original member of Amuse-Bouche when that started at UVA. After graduation, I moved to New York City to study improv with the Upright Citizens Brigade. I was also working at Tumblr, and kind of discovered that I was more motivated to pursue a career in entertainment than in the Internet industry.”

How did you find the improv scene in Charlottesville?
“When you’re in college and in a college group, you understand you’re small and isolated from the mainstream improv groups in New York, Chicago, or L.A. But I find that college improvisers tend to have a lot more dedication to the art of improv than in some other places. The people doing improv in college really love it; it’s not about doing it for a career.”

What’s next for you?
“I’d like to continue to pursue more and bigger T.V. roles, and I’m always working on writing projects. I’d like to be producing more content for the Web. I’m considering pursuing stand-up more seriously and trying to book more gigs. I’m going on auditions, hoping to have a good year, move up the ladder for bigger parts. But it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
UVA grad and former C-VILLE intern, Josh Rachford, appears in the season finale of HBO’s cable news network drama “The Newsroom.”

“Dallas”
Wednesday 9pm, TNT
It’s time to return to Southfork Ranch as TNT brings back the Ewings. “Dallas” was a huge hit for CBS starting in 1978, and had a profound impact on pop culture during its 13-season run. This new series will continue the continuity of the original, with returning cast Patrick Duffy (Bobby), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen), Charlene Tilton (Lucy), and perhaps most importantly Larry Hagman as that bastard J.R. They’ll be joined by Josh Henderson and Jesse Metcalfe—playing J.R. and Bobby’s sons, respectively—as well as Jordana Brewster (The Fast and the Furious) and Brenda Strong (Mary Alice from “Desperate Housewives”). Honestly, I just hope this hits so that they’ll greenlight a revival of my favorite ’80s primetime soap, “Dynasty.” Now cue up that bitchin’ theme song!

“Suits”
Thursday 10pm, USA Network
Over the past five years or so USA has been killing it in the summer-programming department, with likable, well-made shows like “Psych,” “”Burn Notice,” “White Collar,” and “Covert Affairs.” One show that might have slipped your radar is “Suits,” a legal drama (yes, another one) about a lawyer with loose personal morals but rigid legal ethics and his brilliant associate who is hiding the fact that he never actually got his law degree. The show has its own style and charm, especially thanks to lead Gabriel Macht (his hotness is the only reason to watch the awful, insane film version of The Spirit) and the always fabulous Gina Torres (“Alias,” “Angel,” “Firefly”). Season 2 starts this week.

“The Glass House”
Monday 10pm, ABC
This new reality series locks 14 strangers in a house with heavy surveillance, puts them through a series of tasks, and whittles them down until one of them wins $250,000. Sound similar to “Big Brother”? CBS sure thought so, and last month it filed a lawsuit claiming copyright violation. ABC’s argument is that “House” is fundamentally different because the contestants don’t make decisions on who stays and goes—that ultimately falls to the viewing audience. Assuming this makes it on air, look for contestants to include a pretty boy who dredges rivers for gold, a single mom and former Playboy model who enjoys playing Pac-Man, a 48-year-old double-jointed bar mitzvah DJ, and a formerly homeless man who is now a certified life coach, magician, and rapper. I’m pulling for the self-effacing cocktail waitress with psoriasis and major law school debt. I can’t make this shit up.

 “The Choice”
Thursday 9pm, Fox
This show takes the giant spinning chairs and blind audition aspects from that similarly named NBC hit, but instead of people singing their hearts out, it’s a bunch of desperate girls trying to convince D-list celebrities to like them. Each episode will feature four male “celebrities” whittling down a crowd of women based on a series of questions. If the men like what they hear, they pull their “love handles” (help us, Darva Conger). After several rounds each gentlemen ends up with one girl to take out on a date. Among the bachelors are erstwhile Superman Dean Cain, teen heartthrob Joe Jonas, model Tyson Beckford, “American Idol” Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks (where’s your Soul Patrol now, ass?), and a bunch of athletes I don’t know. Cat Deeley somehow got roped into hosting this mess. And yes, I’ll be watching.

“Jersey Shore Shark Attack”
Saturday 9pm, Syfy
The impending motherhood of “Jersey Shore” star Snooki has signaled that the “Jersey” juggernaut is about to crumble. So now’s a good time to mock the living hell out of that awful armpit of popular culture with one of Syfy’s awesomely bad original films. The plot of “Jersey Shore Shark Attack” is self-explanatory—it’s a bunch of juiceheads and hot-dog-colored bimbos getting mauled by terribly CGI’d sharks. But what makes this film remarkable are the actors. Paul Sorvino from Goodfellas, Tony Sirico (Paulie G. on “The Sopranos”), and William Atherton (the ginger douchebag in both Ghostbusters and Real Genius) are featured players, with cameos by actual “Shore” cast member Vinny and NSync’er Joey Fatone, playing himself, getting eaten by a shark.

“True Blood”
Sunday 9pm, HBO
Last season “True Blood” sucked, with the exception of the balls-out finale that killed off four characters while bringing in three potential threats. To recap, those are crazed 3,000-year-old vamp Russell Edgington, who was buried in concrete at the end of Season 3 and who is now back and majorly pissed off at our heroine, Sookie Stackhouse; vampire-hating pastor Steve Newlin, who since Season 2 has apparently become a bloodsucker himself; and poor Terry Bellefleur’s former Army buddy, who is obviously up to no good. On top of that, this season we’ll also get another slice of prime beefcake in the form of “Law & Order: SVU”’s Christopher Meloni, playing the very powerful head of the American Vampire League. More proof that, even when the stories are bad, the male nudity on this show is primo.

“So You Think You Can Dance”
Thursday 8pm, Fox
Here’s the good news: America’s most artistically exciting dance competition is back. The bad news: due to the show’s ratings descent, it has been cut down to just one episode per week. So once we get to the live voting rounds, there will be no elimination show; couples deemed in danger the week prior will dance for their lives at the start of the next performance show. It’s truly a shame, because the show continues to feature incredible talent (although it’s true that at this point, it’s largely contemporary dancers in the mix, as the hip-hop and ballroom experts have seemingly dried up). This year the finals will feature a Top 18, and look for the all-stars format to kick in again at Top 10. Joining Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy on the judging panel will be guests Debbie Allen (yay!), Tyce Diorio (yay?), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (wearing out his welcome), Lil’ C (boo), and Adam Shankman (tiresome).

“Duets”
Thursday 8pm, ABC
ABC wants in on those massive singing competition ratings, but is taking a slightly different approach to the standard karaoke showdown. In “Duets” the four judges went across the country to listen to and recruit undiscovered singers. They each picked two protégés, and every week instead of sitting behind imposing desks or in giant chairs, they will perform alongside the contestants in front of a live audience. The judges/mentors/singers include original “American Idol” and current pop-chart-topper Kelly Clarkson, soul singer (and scion of Alan Thicke) Robin Thicke, Sugarland vocalist Jennifer Nettles, and forever r’n’b ingénue John Legend, who replaced the originally cast Lionel Richie due to “scheduling conflicts.” Legend has a great voice, but has anyone ever made a grotesquely misshapen clay bust of his head in a music video? No? Then he can take a seat. Anyway, go K-Clar!

“James May’s Man Lab”
Monday 10pm, BBC America
The basic gist of this show is that modern males are a bunch of useless, know-nothing pansies (guilty!), and “Top Gear” host James May is going to show us how the tough guys of the past got it done. Each week May and some British personality you’ve almost certainly never heard of engage in various manly pursuits, like escaping a prison, properly polishing a boot, dueling with sabers, etc. Beware: you may never order a decaffeinated soy latte again. 

 “Mrs. Eastwood and Company”
Sunday 10pm, E!
I think we can all agree that Clint Eastwood is and always will be a Hollywood A-lister. Actor, writer, director—the guy is a living legend. That’s why it is so mind-boggling that, starting this week, he will be appearing on a show on E!, riding on the sleazy coattails of the Kardashian clan. Mind you, the artist formerly known as Dirty Harry will only be making cameos on “Mrs. Eastwood.” The focus is on the lady of the title, Eastwood’s wife, Dina, as well as their two teenage daughters and the South African band that Dina manages. I know; the whole thing makes less sense the more you read. But crawl toward the madness, children, to see major drama courtesy of 18-year-old Francesca Eastwood and her 30-year-old boyfriend, controversial photographer Tyler Shields, who has a complicated history when it comes to his photographic images of women.

“House”
Monday 8pm, Fox
After eight seasons the once critically acclaimed—but now largely maligned—medical drama comes to a close with a final episode entitled “Everybody Dies.” That might sound apocalyptic—and it could be —but bear in mind that the series pilot was titled “Everybody Lies.” So there’s a nice bit of circular logic going on. Still, death has been hanging over the show for the entire season, with Dr. Gregory House’s best buddy, Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard), battling cancer, and genius doc House powerless to save him. It has been confirmed that a host of former cast members will be making cameos, including Olivia Wilde, Kal Penn, Jennifer Morrison, and Amber Tamblyn. But don’t hold your breath for the return of Lisa Edelstein’s Cuddy, who exited the series after Season 7’s controversial finale. Note that a series retrospective will precede the finale.

“American Ninja Warrior”
Monday 9pm, NBC
Folks, we’re living in a media landscape where one of the Big 3 television networks —NBC—is now scalping programming from a cable channel originally centered around video games. “American Ninja Warrior” is the anglicized version of the Japanese competition “Sasuke.” The basic gist is that athletes (serious athletes, not the jokes on “Wipeout”) attempt to complete a grueling obstacle course. If they make it to the end of the qualifying rounds without falling into the water, they advance. Ultimately they’ll tackle the insane final course in Las Vegas, and the person with the quickest time will win $500,000. New episodes air on both G4 and NBC.

 “Around the World in 80 Plates”
Wednesday 10pm, Bravo
Bravo attempts to launch another culinary competition show with this wild hybrid of several reality-TV concepts. “Around the World in 80 Plates”—hosted by celebrity chefs Cat Cora (“Iron Chef America”) and Curtis Stone (seemingly every show on television)—blends the cooking competition elements of “Top Chef,” the global travel of “The Amazing Race,” and the strategic voting of “Survivor.” The 12 contestants will travel 60,000 miles to various cities across the globe. There they will participate in various challenges as teams, learn the cuisine and culture, and then take over a restaurant and try to cook successfully for the locals. The losing team votes off one of their own, while the ultimate winner takes home $150,000.

“Desperate Housewives”
Sunday 9pm, ABC
“Desperate Housewives” premiered in October 2004 and became an almost instant ratings smash. A revival of the campy nighttime soap, it featured some legit acting and gripping mysteries (at least in the first season). It had its ups and downs over the course of eight seasons, but the ladies of Wisteria Lane call it quits tonight. The series finale wraps up the storylines for the four main characters—it is kind of astonishing that Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Eva Longoria, and Marcia Cross have been on the show the entire run—and features appearances by former castmates Dana Delaney (Katherine), James Denton (Mike Delfino), Steven Culp (Rex), Roger Bart (creepy George), and even Brenda Strong as Mary Alice, whose murder started off the whole series.

“America’s Got Talent”
Monday 9pm, NBC
After six seasons Executive Producer Simon Cowell knows his national talent show needs a buzzed-about star (Susan Boyle) like its across-the-pond predecessor (it looks like Britain’s got another one with viral-video stars Charlotte and Jonathan). So he’s given “America’s Got Talent” an image makeover, most importantly filling Piers Morgan’s former seat with legendary shock jock Howard Stern. Stern may not be the cultural juggernaut he was in the ‘90s, but he’s a great fit for the judging panel, which is rounded out by Sharon Osbourne and Howie Mandel. Nick Cannon continues on as host and the season preview shows some pretty astonishing acts, including human cannonballs, water-skiing squirrels, a goth opera singer, a formerly homeless contortionist, and a dog riding a pony. Honestly, we can call it a day after that. Pony Dog FTW!

 “America’s Next Top Model”
Wednesday 9pm, CW
What started out as a dreadful season has turned out to be a lot of fun. For “Top Model’s” 18th cycle, evil genius Tyra Banks launched a “British Invasion,” pairing seven new American would-be models with seven former contestants from “Britain’s Next Top Model.” The first few episodes were nearly painful to watch, with some of the dumbest photo shoots in the series’ history—and that’s saying a lot—and Tyra’s goofier tendencies indulged like never before (the supermodel super powers? Oh, Tyra…). But the remaining girls are actually lovely. I’d say it’s a safe bet that an American will take the win, but I’m pulling for Brit Sophie. In other news, Tyra just pink-slipped longtime cronies Jay Manuel, J. Alexander, and Nigel Barker, so get your fill of those bozos while you can.

“The Vampire Diaries”
Thursday 8pm, CW
This supernatural teen drama had killer freshmen and sophomore seasons, but that hot streak came to an end halfway through this third season, when this whole stupid “Originals” plotline went completely off the rails. Parts of the season have been handled well—Bad Stefan is a hoot; Elena’s burgeoning relationship with Damon has been nicely executed; the bit about Alaric’s magic woo-woo ring screwing him over was inspired. But anything to do with the insufferable Klaus and his siblings (minus the terrific Elijah) has been infuriating. The bloodline twist was novel, and it ratcheted up the drama. But this Originals shit has to end in these last few episodes of the season (although I hear it won’t…). One promising spoiler: the May 10 season finale will flashback to the night of the accident that killed Elena’s parents, a plot point that has always bugged me (specifically Stefan’s unclear role in it).

“30 Rock”
Thursday 8:30pm, NBC
After a couple of bum seasons “30 Rock” has made a big improvement this year, which has made an uneven year for “Parks and Recreation” and “Community” barely being on the air somewhat more tolerable. Jenna’s sexual walkabout, Jack’s continued mission to make his crappy Kabletown company legit, and Kenneth’s confusing career path have made for some great ongoing plotlines, and the jokes have generally been sharper, too. This week we get the return of “Queen of Jordan,” Angie’s hilarious “Real Housewives” parody that was a highlight of Season 5. Let’s see if D’Fwan remembers his catchphrase this time.