Don’t have much time before tonight’s all new episode of COUGARTOWN, but you should watch and find out what this picture is all about.  Hint:  It’s my favorite scene of the best episode so far!

You guys, seriously, is there a funnier brand new comedy this season than ABC’s MODERN FAMILY?  Every single episode of the show has me laughing out loud at least once, and for my money, one of the funniest cast members is the genius Eric Stonestreet, who plays Cameron.  In tonight’s all new episode, Cameron dresses up as Fizbo the clown for Luke’s birthday party, and as one can only imagine, hilarity definitely ensues!  I had a chance to speak with Eric last week about what’s coming up so check out a few minutes with Eric, and be sure to watch tonight’s all new episode at 9PM on ABC!

I’m very excited to talk to you – I have to say, I love the show!  Love it, love it!
Oh thank you!

What’s coming up, what can we expect in the next couple of episodes?
Well we had Liz Banks and Edward Norton where Liz Banks plays our best friend Sal, and she’s very jealous of not just the baby, but she’s specifically jealous of Lily, and that turns into some really funny stuff.  We have the Fizbo episode, where it’s revealed that Cameron used to be a clown and he brings back his clown character one more time for a birthday party, which is based off of my experience as a kid.  I wanted to be a clown, and that’s how I sort of expressed my desire to perform very early on in my age.  We have the Christmas episode, which is going to be great!  It’s very heartwarming and spirited.  It’s about forgiveness.  Just a lot of stuff.  I gotta tell you!  A lot of really funny stuff.  What’s really great is that people are loving the show right now, and what we as actors and producers and writers on the show know is that we have 5 episodes shot that are just fantastic.

I love everything that I’ve seen, and you always expect or worry about something that falters, but it hasn’t, and I don’t think it’s going to!
That’s just a testament to our leaders, Steve and Chris, and our writers.  We have a writing room that’s full of showrunners.  We have people that are qualified all to have their own shows.  It’s the state of the business right now that we’re fortunate enough to have those guys!  We have very gifted, skilled people crafting that.  For myself, I’ve learned a true appreciation of what writers do and how it’s just so not about a line here, a line there.  It’s about story, and character building, an arc, it’s just fantastic to watch.  Without jinxing us, with the staff we have in place, and the talented actors on the show, I don’t think we’re going to falter!

You can tell just through even reading Twitter streams, you all seem to really get along as a cast, outside of the show, too!
We all had our journey with this part, with each of our own parts, all of us had our specific little journey, expect Jesse loves to rub it in everybody’s face that he got his part very easily [laughs], but we all had our journey in this business.  We’ve all had varying degrees of success.  We’re all normal, regular, very humble-grounded people, who come from pretty similar backgrounds.  Ty is just a good old guy from Pacific Northwest, Jesse is from Albuquerque, I’m from Kansas, we’re all just regular people who’ve had enough time in the business to ride the big wave, and understand that there’s going to be ups and downs and really appreciate an up when it happens, and that’s what we happen to be on right now, so we’re all very thankful for that.

You mentioned Liz Banks, and of course Edward Norton.  The show is attracting the guest stars, Minnie Driver, now we hear about Fred Willard, and of course Shelley (Long).  Is there anyone that you would love to see come on the show that you think would fit perfectly?
I think there’s a lot of people of varying degrees of fame.  Being in the comedy world, I have a lot of friends who I feel like are deserving of being on the show.  I just did a read today with an actor named Andrew Daly who I go way back with, who was in the Will Ferrell basketball movie, and I said, oh my god, you gotta be on the show, I would love it if you played Cameron and Mitchell’s friend.  It’s the producers job to attract the famous people, and we have a great casting director who is always going to give actors that have been working hard in our business a shot to get a part.  We have a great actor who is on the Christmas episode, named Brian Finney, who plays a Santa Claus in the mall.  He’s a theatre actor, stage actor, he’s been doing it for a long time.  I love it because, that’s me, I just happen to have a job right now, and I’m on a TV show.  Last year, I was out there beating the pavement, trying to get a job, so I have an appreciation for all that, and that’s who I want to be on the show!

That’s it for me today – thank you again!
Thank you so much – hope you continue to enjoy it!!

I’m talking to SCRUBS stars Dave Franco (yes he’s James’ brother and yes, he’s awesome in the first two episodes) and Donald Faison (who doesn’t love Turk, I mean seriously?) on Monday, for just a few minutes.  Send me some questions for the new costars!

I’m sure you know by now that everyone’s favorite accidental spy, Chuck Bartowski, is coming back to us sooner than we thought!  January 10 (a Sunday), CHUCK premieres with 2 episodes, and the premiere celebration continues into its regular timeslot on Monday the 11th.  Here are some promos to get you revved up!

Who’s excited?  I AM!

See what I did there?  V = 5 in Roman numerals?  Anyway!  Having watched tonight’s episode over the weekend, I’ve been dying to share some information with you all.  The 5 reasons I want to share are naturally the 5 things that the studio has asked I keep secret.  So here is the second 5 reasons you need to tune in to tonight’s finale!

1.  The show has been getting better with every hour, and this hour is no different.  More depth is given to each character and you start to understand the motivation of people on both sides!  For the first time since the pilot, I saw Scott Wolf’s Chad Decker as more than just a journalist after the story, and Anna’s creepy factor is skyrocketing each time she’s on screen!

2.  The Tyler character that everyone seems to be hating on is given a good solid story line in the hour that will propel the show forward, come the return of new episodes in early Spring!  There’s some good mother/son interaction tonight, and a nice twist. 

3.  The 5th Column stuff is getting juicy juicy!!!  Love that Joshua, and I think you’ll love him even more after you see what he has to do tonight!  The reveals of who is involved, what is involved, and what the Vs might actually be up to is enough to keep me coming back to this show for sure!

4.  Morris Chestnut is a freaking badass.  Just everything about him intrigues me to no end!  I’m kind of obsessing over him at the moment, and that’s not just because his smile lights up a room.  He’s a V with a plan.

5.  This episode ratchets up the tension and makes me immediately ready for new episodes.  That’s the plan, I’d imagine, and a big old reason to watch tonight’s show (not only tonight but multiple times between now and the Spring prmiere) is to get stoked for what’s to come.

Be sure to check it out, and don’t forget to read all about what’s coming up in V from Anna herself.

We all heard the news last month that FOX had shut down production on their latest midseason replacement series PAST LIFE, starring a bunch of people you might not recognize and that guy from THE WEST WING that you might (Richard Schiff).  What started as a 13 episode order was quickly shortened to 7, with FOX stating that they simply didn’t have the schedule space to air all 13 (which is true).

Reliable sources close to the show now say that FOX isn’t planning to air any of the episodes of the series and that those of us who saw the pilot won’t get a chance to see anything past that.  Interesting turn of events in what’s been an incredibly unpredictable first half of the season!

Tonight on CBS, check out an all new episode of THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE featuring a guest star turn by series star Clark Gregg’s real life wife Jennifer Grey (Baby Houseman, DIRTY DANCING) and Christine’s coming to terms with the fact that she’s got nothing substantial to show for her life so far.

I love Jennifer Grey, and I love her turn here as Richard’s equally as shallow new girlfriend with a whole lot of crazy.  And, spoiler alert, any time Dave Foley returns to this show, it makes me smile, especially when he turns the tables on Christine!  There is some small character growth (I mean, as much as there can be with a protagonist as self-centered and oblivious and immoral as Old Christine).  There’s also a lovely little reveal towards the end of the episode that will add a whole lot of story going forward.  Only thing missing from the episode to make it even better is Wanda Sykes offering her Barb point of view!

Be sure to check it out tonight on CBS at 8:00PM!

Are you guys as hooked on V as I have been?  From the minute I watched the pilot a few months back, to the end of episode 2 last week, I’ve been dying to see more.  In tonight’s episode, ABC says “Chad reports from the Peace Ambassador Center as 100 diplomatic visas are being issued to the first wave of American Visitors, with Anna getting the 1st, but not everyone agrees with the decision. Meanwhile Erica has started tracking a death threat while paired with a V officer, as she actually has to protect the V’s, and Ryan starts reaching out to his old friends to build up opposition forces and help fight-off the V’s”.  It is bound to be a doozy of an episode, leading up to next week’s 4th hour, that sounds like cliffhanger after cliffhanger will keep us on the edge of our seats until the show returns in the spring.

I had the chance to speak with the lovely Morena Baccarin early last week to talk about the fan reaction, what she wants to see for her character Anna, and what else she does when she’s not gaining a huge Science Fiction fan following!

I am very excited to talk to you – loved the pilot; I think this it’s a great start to what is sure to be a lot of fun.  What’s the fan reaction been like, have you heard?
My friends love it!  From what I’ve been reading online.  I haven’t looked too much because I’m afraid I’m going to see something that scares me [laughs], but general consensus seems to be good.

I’m interested to hear what drew you to this character? What drew you to Anna?
Well, I think she’s such a great character.  So much fun, so many different layers to play with.  She is this sort of political, presidential like figure, but without being overbearingly so, and there are sides of her that are nurturing.  I just think that there are so many different qualities to her.  I thought it was so interesting to play an alien that was so human-like!

What can we expect for the next few episodes?
[laughs] Well, not everybody is who you think they are.  There are a lot of different colors and personalities to everybody.  There are a lot of surprising plot twists.

Is each episode as you get it a bit more shocking with twist and turn here and there?
I think a little bit of both.  We definitely want to establish a rhythm and not constantly be pulling the rug out from everybody’s feet, but there are definite things, by the end of the 4 episodes, there’s enough surprises that keeps people interested, but also enough to ground you so you don’t feel like you’re constantly catching up.

Had you been a fan of the original miniseries?
I hadn’t watched it in a really long time, but I remember watching.  I don’t remember specifics about it; I mean, I remember the Hallmark moments, you can’t forget those.  I remember watching it with my brother, and I remember just the feeling of being creeped out by it!

It’s funny with a show like yours – there’s always doubters that expect someone in the cast to not be up to snuff, but with the cast assembled for V, everyone is fantastic.
I agree, it’s really been wonderful.

We haven’t gotten to see you interact with many people, do you get a chance to get off the ship, meet the rest of the cast?
Yeah, there will be some new characters that I interact with.  And I have some interaction with some other characters, with Tyler, with Lisa, so you see some new story lines pop up.

Why do you think people should tune in?
Because it’s fun! [laughs] I watched it with my friends, and I had seen it before, so I kind of knew what to expect, but seeing it with a group of people, and people who had never seen it before, I really saw it through their eyes and I truly enjoyed it.  I think it’s one of those shows that is so entertaining and fun.  It’s an hour of television that flies by, but at the same time has some heart, and some really interesting characters that you can connect with, and some interesting parallels to the world we live in today.  You can’t just walk away and go “oh that was great” and not think about it; there is some thought-provoking stuff. At the bottom of it, it’s a really cool, cool show.

You have had some behind the scene shakeups – has the change from Scott [Peters] to Scott [Rosenbaum] done anything to how the show was going to continue?
I don’t think so.  I think that we’ve been up in Vancouver working, so we’ve been a little removed from all the things that are happening down here in LA, which I think is a blessing because we’ve been able to keep working and plugging away at it.  As you see, we have a great show on our hands.  For whatever reason, they’re making some creative changes. The show has a very clear voice, and I think that that will continue and I think they’re just doing whatever they can find is the best thing to do to keep the show as great as it is.

What would you love to see happen for your character in the next batch of episodes?
I am dying to see if the Vs like fall in love, and what their process of being in love and having a mate means for them.

You’ve got one of the most recognizable names in the SciFi world – is it a conscious decision to play these SciFi type of characters, or is it just a matter of going where good writing is?
I go where good writing is, and I’ve done a lot of other things, but the SciFi things kind of stick together.  Once you do one SciFi thing and you do another, then you have fans for life.

Especially when you do a Joss Whedon SciFi thing!
Exactly, lovely!  I’ve done a few plays and indies and movies and things that are regular things.  They’re out there, just not as followed.

Is there anything else that you have coming up besides V right now?
I just a movie with Jon Hamm and Josh Lucas called “Stolen Lives”.  I’m not sure if it’s gotten distribution yet.  It’s a little indie.  Other than that, I have just been in V land.

Do you get a chance to watch a lot of TV in your spare time?
Sometimes.  I watch very little television, but I’ve recently gotten addicted to MODERN FAMILY.  I think it’s one of the greatest shows [laughs].

I have to agree – it’s fantastic! I think ABC has really hit the ball out of the park this year.
Yeah, it’s really great!

Some shows, when they have what I refer to as a “filler episode,” stop the momentum, take the story lines out of the linear, and show us information about Jack’s Tattoo (for example…cough, LOST, cough).  Other shows, like SUPERNATURAL and tonight’s must watch episode of SONS OF ANARCHY manage to have a “filler episodes” that aren’t as heavy on the typical action but that still move the story line, still tug at the heart strings, and still fire you up for what’s to come.

After last week’s brilliant and heartbreaking “Balm”, SAMCRO is back tonight with an episode called “Service” that’s equally about setting a plan in motion to avenge Gemma’s brutal attack and getting SAMCRO back to a place where everyone is on solid ground.  There is so much truth being thrown about in tonight’s episode, along with a shocking hookup and some incredible work by Maggie Siff, Ally Walker, and Ryan Hurst (Opie) (among the rest of the amazing cast), that I found myself dying to watch the episode again, and I’m getting antsy thinking about the final two episodes of the season beyond tonight!

Where other shows have myriad supporting players that don’t get to shine aside from rare moments that are often few and far between, this season of SONS OF ANARCHY has gone out of its way to showcase every single member of the club, their allies, and their enemies.  Do yourself a favor and figure out a way to catch up on this entire season of SONS OF ANARCHY.  It’s been one hit after another and the ridiculous amount of ways this story could end has my heart aflutter with worry and excitement!

What about now?