Fill Us with "Glee"

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You can keep your "Mad Men" and your "Breaking Bad." The best new show on television is "Glee." The name says it all. A joyous romp with singing and dancing. The new CW show does everything right that "Cop Rock" and "VEGAS" got wrong. The singing, is all justified (even if it takes a need to loosen up the football team to get a pack of shoulder pad wearing galoots to do the "Single Ladies" number on the field). And the relationships are complex. When was the last time you watched a show where a blue collar dad not only accepted his 16-year-old son's homosexuality but thanked the kid for telling him. It might sound corny but it's actually not. There's prime time soap opera worthy drama (the cheerleader who's not telling her boyfriend that her unborn child is his best friend's); two of the funniest actors in comedy history (Stephen Tobolowsky and Jane Lynch); and some of the most talented singers we've ever heard in one place this side of Broadway (take that "American Idol."). Already picked up for TWO SEASONS, the show will bring a little slice of happiness into your house. All we are saying is give "Glee" a chance.

Written by Amy & Nancy Harrington

The Cast of "thirtysomething:" Then and Now

Photo by Alan Light

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alan-light/ / CC BY 2.0

Quite simply, the hit ABC show "thirtysomething" changed the face of TV as we know it. The ensemble-based series kicked off a new TV genre about the everyday lives of a group of attractive friends. While it was inspired by the 1983 film "The Big Chill," we think that without "thirtysomething" there'd be no "Friends," no "Seinfeld," and no "How I Met Your Mother."

When it debuted in 1987, the Boomers of "thirtysomething," who spent the '60s fighting for peace and love, now found themselves longing for peace and quiet in their hectic yuppie lives. Creators Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick (who also brought us the beloved series "My So-Called Life" and "Once and Again") invited us into a world we'd never before seen on TV. It was unlike any other prime-time drama in that, for once, we could relate to these people. They weren't oil magnates and murderous vultures; they were friends, family, business partners, and spouses. They were ad men, teachers, artists, and stay-at-home moms, with the same problems we all faced.

At long last, the first season of the landmark series is now available on DVD. We pray that the other three seasons aren't too far behind. Until then, here's a look at the stars of "thirtysomething," then and now.

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The Most Dastardly Survivor

Move over, Jonny Fairplay, there's a new king of the castaways on "Survivor" and he knocked the crown off your head within the first 20 minutes of the season opener. Sure, you lied about your dead grandma, but Russell killed off an imaginary dog and enhanced his sympathy card play by invoking the name of one of the deadliest natural disasters in U.S history – Hurricane Katrina. Plus he burned someone socks. What kind of sick sociopath burns a man's socks when he's sleeping on a desert island? Is that where all our missing socks have gone? Does Russell sneak in to our homes in the middle of the night, pick them out of the dryer, and set them on fire? Is it some part of a master plan to outplay, outwit, and outlast the entire world population… one sock at a time? We're watching you Russell.

Written by Amy & Nancy Harrington

When KISS Meets ABBA

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What a day for music fans with diverse taste. As usual, the Rock Hall of Fame's list of nominated inductees reveals artists from a wide range of (not necessarily rock) genres. But we were giddy to see ABBA named alongside KISS when this year's nominees were revealed. As far as we're concerned, voters can have their pick among the other candidates for induction (is LL Cool J really more worthy than the Red Hot Chili Peppers? It's a fine and fuzzy line). But Gene Simmons better be harmonizing with Bjorn and Benny in the ceremony's final jam.

Written by Amy & Nancy Harrington

Our Favorite Stars Returning to TV This Fall

Photo by Alan Light
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alan-light/ / CC BY 2.0

Chevy Chase might not have been ready for prime time when he joined the cast of the new sketch comedy show "Saturday Night Live" in 1976. But Chase, the breakout star of "SNL's" first season, sure took late night by storm. His impression of Gerald Ford became more memorable than the then-President himself. And his smarmy news reports behind the "Weekend Update" anchor desk would set the tone not only for every "Update" actor who followed but also for such contemporary fake newsmen as Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. But with great fame, comes great ego. And Chase left "SNL" at the end of Season One.

The good news is that Chevy is finally coming back as a regular to series TV. See where you'll find him and some other veteran actors from shows gone by as we look at some of our favorite stars returning to TV this fall.

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We Keep Asking: "What Would Brian Boitano Make?"

How many times have you stood in your kitchen, willing a great culinary master to spice up your routinely boring dinner, and uttered the magic words, "What Would Brian Boitano Make?" Brian Boitano? The skater dude from the '90s? Bet you didn't know he could cook. Also bet you didn't know that he's hysterically funny. Not in a stand-up comedian kind of way, but in a so goofy and cute he's unbearably charming kind of way. And, most shocking of all, his food looks delicious! We gave his Coq Au Vin-guine recipe a try and we give Boitano (and his food) a perfect 10.


Written by Amy & Nancy Harrington

From Soap Stars to Superstars

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On September 18 the final episode of the record-breaking soap "Guiding Light" will air on CBS. The show is in "The Guinness Book of World Records" as both the longest-running soap opera and the longest-running drama in television history. It started as a radio show in 1937 and moved to TV in 1952. Now, 72 years later, the beacon of daytime is going dim. But "Guiding Light" has more than longevity as its claim to fame; the soap also introduced the world to some of our biggest stars.

From Darth Vader himself -- James Earl Jones -- to "CSI: New York's" Melina Kanakaredes and "Heroes'" Hayden Panettiere, many acclaimed big- and small-screen actors got their start on "Guiding Light." Kevin Bacon did a brief stint on "GL" as T.J. Werner (after a season on "Search for Tomorrow") before the films "Diner" and "Footloose" made him a movie star. Julianne Moore pulled off the ultimate soap coup, dual roles, on "As the World Turns."

"Guiding Light" is just one of the many soaps that have served as a springboard for great actors. Here are some of Hollywood's brightest stars who got their start on daytime dramas.

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