I’ve been watching the cartoon series, Avatar: The Last Airbender because my teens loved that show.  Good show, so far. Today I noticed that the voice of a minor character sounded a lot like the character, Amanda, on Nikita.  So I looked it up, and sure enough, Melinda Clarke (who also played Julie Cooper on The O.C. and Matt’s mom on The Vampire ( Read more... )

Anyone else see the pilots for Mindy’s Kaling’s, The Mindy Project, or Matthew Perry’s new sitcom, Go On? What did you think?

I thought each pilot had potential.  They each had a tad too many clichés that could get old if that’s all they do with their show.  Here's hoping both shows move beyond the clichés and play with the little bit of freshness ( Read more... )

I watched the pilot for the sitcom, Ben and Kate, on Hulu.  There were a few good jokes amongst a lot of clichés and lame jokes, with a few nice moments at the end.  The actor who played Kate was really pretty though.  So I looked her up, turns out she’s Dakota Johnson, daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith. 

Has anyone else been watching Bunheads on ABC Family? It's written by the same woman who wrote Gilmore Girls and it's pretty much like a reboot of that show but in California instead of Connecticut.

Now Lorelei and Emily Gilmore are mother-in-law and daughter-in-law instead of mother and daughter and Emily Gilmore is a ballet teacher- hippy- ( Read more... )

Question: According to this article only 1/3 of TV viewers watch their shows live now. How do you watch TV mostly?  Do you watch your shows live? On DVR that night or later, online, on iTunes, DVDs, or On Demand?

My answer: I pretty much watch all my TV online now on Hulu, CBS online, or iTunes. That way I can be in the same room as the ( Read more... )

Which of your favorite TV shows do you most want renewed? Or which were you most relieved that they got renewed?

I was happily surprised Fringe got renewed for 5th season (w/ 13 episodes).  It’s my favorite show and I was sure it was going to be canceled.  Now I’m biting my nails waiting to hear if Nikita gets renewed because it’s my 2nd favorite ( Read more... )

Blogs:
How Reading Helps Kids Develop Empathy - If you have elementary-school-aged kids, or if you just enjoy middle grade books, check out the excellent Middle Grade blog, From the Mixed Up Files. It's chock full of helpful information for parents, teachers, and writers of middle grade readers. One of their recent posts is about how reading helps ( Read more... )

Books:
Title: Tuesdays at the Castle
Author: Jessica Day George
Date Published: October 2011
Rating: 4 out 5
Ages: 8 years and up
Format: Read eBook on Nook for Droid Phone

Every Tuesday Castle Glower adds new rooms to itself. For generations the castle has behaved like a living person, making life easier or harder for the inhabitants based on how much it ( Read more... )

2011 was a good year for me. I started biking, went on a writing retreat, camped at Assateague, and visited Vermont.  I even finished a first draft of my middle grade novel!  It's spectacularly crappy, but it's got a beginning, middle and end, and now I can start revising it into something better.

I also did all my grocery shopping by foot or bike ( Read more... )

Nikita
Why You Didn't Watch It The First Time: The previews for Nikita made the show seem like an bland, exploitative copy of La Femme Nikita. Also, the pilot took itself too seriously and the twist that makes the series different didn't come until the very end after you probably already stopped watching.

Why You Should Give It Another Chance:  ( Read more... )