Modern Family – Recap & Review – Arrested

photo: abc

Modern Family
Arrested

Original Air Date: Nov 7, 2012

Wyner C – Senior Reviewer
wyner@thetwocentscorp.com

Are YOU ready for the 3am phone call? Our favorite modern family is. They’ll deal with any problem…together. Hilary Clinton approves.

The phone rings in the middle of the night – Haley has been arrested for drinking. Claire calls Mitchell and Cam – she wants a lawyer present. Cam volunteers to look after Alex and Luke. Claire calls Jay to see if his judge friend can help – he can’t, the friend’s dead.

Top Chef – Recap & Review – The Ultimate Chef Test

photo: bravo

Top Chef
The Ultimate Chef Test

Original Air Date: Nov 7, 2012

Ryan O – Associate Staff Writer
ryano@thetwocentscorp.com

Top Chef is headed to Seattle! But hold on just a minute. The cheftestants have to please the judges in the judges’ own restaurants before earning a chance to get to Seattle. Fortunately, unlike last season, this qualifying round will only take one episode instead of last season’s interminable three episodes.

We’re starting with 21 chefs. Groups of five or six will go to the restaurants of the judges, Tom Colicchio, Hugh Acheson, Emeril Lagasse, and Wolfgang Puck.

Survivor: Philippines – Recap & Review – “Dead Man Walking”

photo: cbs

Survivor: Philippines
“Dead Man Walking”

Original Air Date: Nov 7, 2012

Ryan O – Associate Staff Writer
ryano@thetwocentscorp.com

Every season, there’s a couple episodes that stand out. An episode where something happens that makes you say, “WHOA!” The game changes in some unpredictable way. That’s this episode. The one thing that couldn’t happen happened and it make everyone in the game change their plans. Then, everything goes haywire.

This episode had a remarkable tribal council. People talked openly about what’s usually talked about very secretly. People reveal things often kept hidden. Then, it ends with a “WHUH?”

Burn Notice Renewed for 7th and Shorter Season

photo: usa

The USA Network today has renewed “Burn Notice” for a seventh season consisting of 13 episodes, which will bring the series to its 100 episode mark.

“Burn Notice is like a fine wine that gets better with age,” said USA Network co-presidents Chris McCumber and Jeff Wachtel. “Delivering high-octane action, gripping drama and nearly 7 million viewers for the mid-season finale, this veteran series is a proven staple of our portfolio.”

Burn Notice returns for the second half season six tomorrow, November 8 at 9PM ET/CT.

Sons of Anarchy – Recap & Review – Andare Pescare

photo: fx

Sons of Anarchy
Andare Pescare

Original Air Date: Nov 6, 2012

Lyssa G – TwoCents Reviewer
lyssa@thetwocentscorp.com

Welcome to week nine of Sons of Anarchy. After the disasters that happened last week, this is sure to be an interesting week. There is also the offer that Jax gave to Gemma so that she can get her family back we will see if she decides to take that offer.

Frankie Diamonds is currently in the wind. They need to be able to chase him down in order to prove that Clay is the one that has been calling the shots with the Nomads in order to try and push Jax out of the head of the table. When we left off last time, Chibs was knocked out on the side of the road and bleeding. Lets see where all of this leads.

Mankind: The Story of All of Us Coming to History

photo: history

Mankind The Story of All of Us, an epic six-part series, premieres Tuesday, November 13 at 9/8c on HISTORY. Acclaimed actor and Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (Milk, No Country for Old Men, and the upcoming Gangster Squad) narrates.

It takes nine billion years for the ideal planet to form, four billion more for the right conditions to emerge before it finally happens: mankind begins. From the dawning of time, mankind has faced numerous obstacles and made surprising leaps forward. In an epic overview of the human race, this fast paced story of us is history like viewers have never seen before. Each event has been chosen because it’s a key turning point— a stepping stone in our journey from hunter-gatherer to global citizen. Our story is all about connections— why some ideas take hold and spread around the world and how the lives of people in one part of the world are shaped by events in another.

Relive Great Moments from the First Two Seasons of Downton Abbey Nov. 25

photo: pbs

The extraordinarily popular PBS series “Downton Abbey,” created by Academy Award®-winning writer Julian Fellowes, tells the story of the noble Crawley family and the staff who serve them in their sumptuous Yorkshire estate. Filled with love and intrigue, “Downton Abbey” has been embraced by viewers and critics alike, making Season 2 the most-watched MASTERPIECE drama on record. Dame Maggie Smith was recently honored with a Primetime Emmy® Award for her portrayal of Violet, the Dowager Countess of Grantham. So what are millions of devoted fans supposed to do while breathlessly awaiting Season 3, which premieres on MASTERPIECE, January 6, 2013, on PBS?

A solution is at hand. Join Dame Maggie Smith, Elizabeth McGovern, Hugh Bonneville, Dan Stevens, Michelle Dockery, Siobhan Finneran and many more of the series’ most popular actors for DOWNTON ABBEY REVISITED, a fond recollection of favorite moments from Seasons 1 and 2, plus interviews with the actors and creative team and rare behind-the-scenes footage. Hosted by Angela Lansbury (an unabashed “Downton Abbey” fan), DOWNTON ABBEY REVISITED premieres Sunday, November 25, 2012, from 8:00-9:30 p.m. ET, followed by an encore performance from 9:30-11:00 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings).

Covert Affairs – Recap & Review – Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)

photo:usa

Covert Affairs
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)

Original Air Date: Nov 6, 2012

Karen – Sr Staff Writer
Karen@thetwocentscorp.com

Wow! What a crazy ride we went on with this episode, right? We are not done with the mysterious Khalid, as Annie tries to find and protect Meg when she disappears from protective custody. The real kicker is that Joan is still pissed at Annie and wants to send her to Blue Bonnet and stay away from Eyal…but unfortunately Annie leads a complicated life.

Arthur is rattled over the fact that something was missed, other than the doctored photos, and is determined to find out what it is. The review board is breathing down his back and wants some answers.

TwoCents and Five Questions with Simon Cowell

will the x factor succeed?

Simon Cowell, Producer

Simon Cowell is no stranger to fans of reality singing competitions. He helped create American Idol and appeared on the show as a judge for nine seasons. It was on Idol that he earned his reputation for being the “mean” judge, who “says it like it is”. Often Simon would say what everyone else was thinking, but was afraid to utter. It was this attitude that helped American Idol become such a huge hit. Along the way, Simon also brought us, America’s Got Talent, the country’s biggest talent show. Now, in it’s second season, Simon is trying to make the American version of The X Factor a hit. Last year didn’t do so well, so Simon dropped Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger and host Steve Jones. Enter Britney Spears and Demi Lovato as new judges and Mario Lopez and Khloe Kardashian Odom as the new hosts. Are the changes working? Here’s what Simon had to say.

TheTwoCents: ​I just wanted to say the series has been so great so far this season and all the judges have been really great. I know a lot of people were skeptical about Britney as a judge. How have you found her as a judge and a mentor so far?

TwoCents and Five Questions with Chloë Sevigny (#AHS: Asylum)

will she live?

Chloë Sevigny, Actor

Last Thursday, I had the opportunity to talk to Chloë Sevigny about her role on American Horror Story: Asylum. Chloë is certainly no stranger to television; having starred in HBO’s Big Love for its entire run as Nicolette Grant, one of Bill Paxton’s beleaguered wives. She has also been a huge part of many motion pictures: including “American Psycho” with Christian Bale, “Boys Don’t Cry” with Hilary Swank, “Zodiac” with Robert Downey, Jr., and “Party Monster” with Macauley Culkin. But this call was about Shelley. Her nymphomaniac psych patient who had just the previous night had her legs amputated by the evil Dr. Arden (James Cromwell). Chloë had a lot to say about Shelley. Please read on for more!

TheTwoCents: You’ve done a lot of themes and topics that have been explored in the season of American Horror Story before in other projects, but what was it that was specifically unique about AHS that drew you to the project?