This was essentially a half-season, thanks to the writers strike. Eleven episodes instead of the usual twenty-something, not to mention the finale was canceled and another episode was taken out of sequence and aired in its place, which left a giant continuity error.

I read an interview with Bill Lawrence, the show’s creator, and it’s clear there’s been a lot of D to the rama. NBC has essentially washed its hands of the show, which is unfortunate.

However, there’s an upcoming season of 18 episodes for ABC, which is quite exciting. It will be the final season, which is sad, but not as sad as ending the series without resolution.

This movie is divided into three parts; Heaven, Earth, and Hell. By the time I got to Hell, I was so depressed I had to eject the DVD and put on a comedy. I literally had a knot in my stomach that was making me ill; that’s how upsetting it was.

What I saw of it was beautiful, however.

EDIT: I watched the rest of the film, however it’s the only movie on All Consuming I’ve ever marked as “wishy-washy.”

Ryan Gosling is absolutely hypnotizing in this. He’s so vulnerable and broken.

They showed this on Turner Classic Movies today as part of their Mother’s Day programming.

It’s a great screwball comedy that involves a newly wed couple. The husband’s mother comes to work in the couple’s new home as a maid, but the wife has no clue she’s hired her mother-in-law.

Thelma Ritter plays the mother-in-law with so much charm that she steals the movie. Ritter was a mother herself, who put aside her career to raise a family. Because of this, she was 42 before she was ever in front of a camera. The Mating Season won her her second of six Oscar nominations for best supporting actress.

When Project Runway debuted late in 2004, I was hooked before I even saw the first episode. I wasn’t really into reality television, but the creative element of the show sucked me right in.

Bravo has reused the formula with hits like Top Chef and less successful shows like Shear Genius and Top Design, and now they’re turning their attention to dance.

I caught the first episode of Step It Up and Dance on Hulu. While there were certain choices that baffled me – Was Showgirls really enough for them to select Elizabeth Berkely to host? – the overall content was pretty good. Jerry Mitchell, who most recently adapted Legally Blonde for Broadway is around for encouragement. He’s kind of the Tim Gunn of the show, though not nearly as fabulous.

In every show, the dancers have an initial audition, are divided into a winning group and an elimination group, are taught a routine by a celebrity choreographer, and then perform. One person from the winning group wins and one person from the elimination group goes home.

The drama aside, the dancers are quite good, and so far the show has hosted some incredible choreographers: Luke Cresswell, a founding member of Stomp; Lee Martino who did a revival of Damn Yankees with Jason Alexander; and a team of choreographers who taught the contestants the Apache, a fascinatingly violent dance of French origin.

Also, Bravo’s website has “Dance Alongs” which give you the chance to take a virtual class with each week’s choreographer.

Step It Up and Dance isn’t going to change the world, but it’s a nice show for summer if you’re into dance or if you’ve enjoyed some of Bravo’s other reality series.

I never would have tried this were it not for Margaret. We made a run to the gas station for late-night study candy tonight, and she found this in the candy aisle. She insisted I get one.

I must admit I was skeptical, and after the first bite, I wasn’t all that impressed. It was mostly chocolate. But the second bite was a delicious combination of chocolate and marshmallow and a hint of coconut. Amazing!

Even better is that every pack comes with a “”http://s88204154.onlinehome.us/pmjack/pmtables/mallo/malloart.htm">play money" coupon that looks like it hasn’t been redesigned since the 1960s.

I’m hooked, which is bad news, because they’re apparently hard to find.

White wine and club soda. So simple it almost isn’t a cocktail.

Accoring to Wikipedia, the word comes from the German spritzen “spatter, squirt, spray, sprinkle”, i.e. adding water and thus diluting the wine so that it can be consumed in larger, thirst-quenching amounts. A drink for the wino with a deadline, really.

I feel like 30 Rock has really hit its stride this season. Liz and Jack’s relationship has gelled, Jack gets a serious love interest who is his complete opposite, and the ongoing hilarity of what the rest of the ensemble cast is up to never fails to amuse.

There are some amazing cameos and guest appearances, as usual. Carrie Fisher has a great role as an aging writer, Al Gore pops up around the same time David Schwimmer is losing his self-righteous mind, and Jerry Seinfeld is there to mock his past success. The show also touches on current events – national security, the war in Iraq, global warming – but only to be funny, not preachy.

Originally, 22 episodes were ordered for the season, but because of the writers’ strike, only 10 were produced. More were ordered and produced once the strike was over, but it still won’t turn out to be a full season.

There are no new episodes until April 10th! It’s killing me.

Here is a movie SO BIG that two studios combined forces to make it. When does that ever happen in Hollywood? Never, that’s when!

Here’s a movie with a simple plot: Burning!

Here’s a star-studded cast! Paul Newman! Steve McQueen! Faye Dunnaway! Fred Astaire! William Holden! O.J…. Simpson?

Here’s almost THREEHOURS of explosions, fire, and death! Here’s a movie with a body count in the triple digits!

Watch it already!

I was really looking forward to the clover field scene because it was what I most remembered from my childhood, and it truly didn’t disappoint.