Shows I Need Watch More Of

I watch a lot of TV and I comment on what I love and what interests me and I also try to keep this as varied as humanly possible but it's not always going to be easy. Here are a couple of shows I intend to catch up on over the next few months ...

The Vampire Diaries: I loved the first season but I've only watched bits of the second season and now I've been a little behind so I'm going to catch up from the beginning. This show exceeded my expectations and I want to stick with it, especially given the developments that have been happening in the second year.

The Walking Dead: Apparently it's like True Blood with zombies and the bits I saw when FXUK were airing did impress me. Plus, I could catch up with six episodes, right? And we could do with a bit more zombies on TV as well.

Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena: Since the first season, the main actor has left sadly due to ill health and been replaced and Starz commissioned a six part prequel series that I think I will be paying some attention to. Hunky men and some good storytelling - yes please.

Downton Abbey: Never has there been a period drama so bloody well talked about in the last few months. With only seven episodes, I reckon I can catch up with this well before the summer and with a classy cast like Hugh Bonneville and Maggie Smith, this should make for an interesting viewing experience.

Boardwalk Empire: I actually watched the pilot episode and was impressed but I have a feeling that it's going to be like Mad Men, The Sopranos and The Wire for me in the sense that I'll love it but I won't be obsessed with it. Either way, it's been a huge hit for HBO and definitely one for Sky Atlantic as well.

Anything else big I'm missing?

It's The Afterbirth You Dickhead

Okay, this is probably the last TV jumble blog for 2010 and here are the end of a few shows I've been watching over the last few weeks.

Ugly Betty - Yes, Season 4 has finally finished up on E4 and while it continues to show us that Vanessa Williams was better here than in her new gig, I have to admit the last few episodes have been fun - Betty getting rid of her braces, Hilda getting married, Justin finally coming out, Wilhemina and Cliare burying the hatchet, Amanda finding her real father and of course, Betty leaving for London and Daniel going after her. The series wasn't perfect but it was a fun, feel-good antidote that will be missed.

Misfits - I loved the last two episodes of this show. The finale might have pulled something of a reset after the consequences of milk guy nearly killing everyone but it certainly made for a fun episode and it's incredible that even with a rubbish power, Brian could manage to be a fairly credible threat as well. As for the Christmas special, well, it certainly won't go down as too schmaltzy anyways. You had Marnie giving birth with Nathan stamping on the afterbirth for gore along with Nikki's swift death, a guy pretending to be Jesus, Simon and Alisha's reltionship developing and the gang losing their powers only to gain some new ones. Thank goodness this show is due for a third run.

The Vampire Diaries - Three episodes in a row and I've finally finished off the first season and it was fun. I liked learning more about Stefan and Damon first few hours as vampires, Isobel's brief entry into Alaric and Elena's lives was amusing enough and the writers have made sure I don't feel an ounce of compassion for John Gilbert. Heck, even when Katherine in the final minute chopped his bloody fingers off, I couldn't muster any empathy for the guy. Damon had some nice moments of decency, Jeremy lost another girlfriend with Anna and Tyler was also effected by the noise of that device, which can only mean there's something supernatural about him. Here's hoping TG4 don't waste too much time and air Season Two pretty sharpish.

Desperate Housewives - I was waiting for one episode this season to truly blow me away and I actually got it. Okay, so event episodes are all spectacle and I'm still not sure how Paul's storyline can be sustained for the rest of the season but at least someone had the freaking sense to shoot him. I'm betting it'll be someone like Mitzi or even Lee if they want to be a tad risky. As for the riot, it felt devastating enough and here's hoping that the remainder of the season will finally get the show back on track too.

The Apprentice - Irish/UK Versions - Ah, it's an all girl victory on both sides. Michelle predictably bagged it for the Irish and Stella (less predictably for me) won the UK one but either way, both versions had some enjoyable moments and sure, it won't be too long before the seventh series of Alan Sugar's version hits our screens again.

- Along with Caprica, SyFy have also pulled the plug on Stargate Universe. Wow, it's really not good to be a spin-off nowadays.

- The producers of Smallville have been trying to get Michael Rosembaum to reprise his role as Lex Luthor for the show's final run.

- Ian Somerhalder has revealed that Klaus in The Vampire Diaries will make Damon shake in his boots. Sounds like my kinda character, then.

- Damien Lewis, David Harewood, Mandy Patinkin, Claire Danes and Laura Fraser have all joined the cast for new Showtime series, Homeland.

- John Corbett has landed a multi-arc role on Parenthood.

You're A Bad One Miss Grinch

And here's another TV blog in the space of a week. I think I might be on a roll of some sort.

Glee - Christmas episodes are always going to be and should probably always been rather cheesy and this show made no exception to that long accepted rule. Here was an episode where a 16 year old Brittany still believed in Santa Claus and Sue herself actually dressed up as the Grinch when she did a spot of sabotaging at Will's expense. In terms of the songs, Rachel and Finn's rendition of Last Christmas and Kurt/Blaine's take on Baby, It's Cold Outside stodd out the most. US and Irish viewers will have to wait until February for the remaining episodes of the second season.
Misfits - With a finale and a Christmas special to look forward to in the next nine days, last night's episode was the oddest thing ever. Kelly finally nabs herself a bloke who adores her and he turns out to be a gorilla. Interesting to see that the storm affected animals along with humans but it was certainly the weirdest thing going. Less weird, however were Nathan and Alisha's attempts of protecting Simon from Jessica's psycho father while that mystery behind Curtis and Nikki's superhero encounter was finally resolved. The finale certainly looks like a bit of a game changer and while this episode was the weakest from the series, it still amused for the most part.

Desperate Housewives - I can't lie that I've been feeling widely disconnected from this series because even though this season isn't awful, it's just dawned on me that there's very little left it can actually offer. Paul's plot for the neighbourhood is tedious rather than terrifying and the potentially good plot with the baby swap is seemingly resolved, following the departures of Grace and her family. Oh and do I look like I care about Renee pining for Tom? On the plus, I am still enjoying Bree/Keith and the latter's parents for some reason. Hope their 'event' episode is much better though than these last two have been.

The Vampire Diaries - The good news is by December 22nd, TG4 will finally be finished with the first season. The not so great news is that there's no word as to when they'll air the second season but it'll be something to look forward to. As for the last two episodes I've viewed, well apart from the arrival of John Gilbert and the whole Miss Mystic Falls saga, things have felt a little quieter but from what I've read about the last three episodes, I am excited for events to come. Oh and while I won't ship Elena/Damon, they do look sorta good together.

The Apprentice - UK/Irish Versions - Ooh, things are getting good, aren't they? Liz Locke got the boot on the UK version of this show due to her tour guide team being bad and in the Irish version, it's a girl/girl final next with both Michelle and Niamh pitted against each other as Barry, Will and Panos all got the boot. So, who would I like to see win - Michelle for the Irish one, Jamie for the UK version.

- Skins will premiere on MTV from January 13th 2011. I'll be doing another blog in relation to the US version and one on the fifth series on the UK version.

- Glee will also be doing songs by Destiny's Child and Maroon 5 in the second half of Season 2, which premieres on E4/Channel 4 in January.

- Larry Hagman will be appearing in Desperate Housewives as a love interest for Lynette's mother, who's returning in the New Year. There's also rumours that Keith will have a child that he's unaware of.

- Look out for a proposal in an upcoming episode of Smallville.

- Brothers And Sisters could be doing another storyline about someone not being a Walker when an old flame (played by beau Bridges) of Nora's surfaces. Kevin and Scotty will also be adopting later in the season as well.

- MTV have announced that Bubba Lewis, Joey Pollari, Zack Pearlman and Mark L. Young will be the main cast for their version of The Inbetweeners.

Umbrella

And here's a catch up on some of the stuff I've been watching over the last few days ...

Glee - The last two episodes have certainly been interesting. The first one with Gwyneth Paltrow's Holly Holliday was a lot of fun and to be honest, auto-tuned or not, I did enjoy the mash-up of Umbrella/Singing In The Rain as well as Sue's pretty ruthless attempts of becoming principal, only to jack it in protest of Kurt being victimised by Karofsky in the next episode. It's nice that in the midst of Burt and Carole's wedding that the Glee club, Will and Sue finally stepped in trying to deal with Karofsky, even it backfired somehow. As for Sue's own wedding - um, weird but I did like seeing her mother and while it's nice to see more of Blaine and have Kurt transferred to Dalton, I only hope that Mercedes is due a storyline soon because protesting about tator tots is not good enough to be honest.
Merlin - I love this show, I honestly do and while I loved this episode, this show really needs to step up a gear. Tournaments aren't that exciting anymore and apart from the fact that Gilli wasn't a baddie and made some perceptive comments to Merlin about concealing his magic, this wasn't an episode that progressed much to be honest. Still though, the finale starts this weekend and that does look genuinely exciting.

Misfits - A fantastic second episode. I wasn't exactly in love with the idea of Nathan getting a brother out of nowhere but it certainly worked in helping him and his father overcome some of their own issues when said brother also died as well. It's also interesting that the influence of drugs has some pretty bad effects on the gang's powers as well but along with the ninja guy and mystery girl, Nikki, this show is definitely building up some interesting arcs this year. Oh and excellent choice in music at the start of this episode too.

The Vampire Diaries - One has to feel a little for Pearl. She's all about trying to start over in Mystic Falls and when she isn't having to deal with Anna's interest in Jeremy, she's got rebellious minions torturing the crap out of Stefan for fun as well. I suppose being emtombed for 145 years will do that to you though. On a serious note, these last two episodes have been good but not as good as previous ones, even if I do like Alaric being utilised into Stefan's rescue this week.

Desperate Housewives - Another two episodes which were interesting to varying degrees. Gabby's obsession with Grace is naturally causing problems with Carlos and Juanita but there were some amusing moments when Carlos and Bob hung out more and the latter reunited with Lee. Lynette and Tom's story with the latter's mum was far more affecting than Susan having to become babysitter after Paul made sure she was fired and I'm not sure if the casting was right for Keith's parents but I do like that him and Bree deepened a little more before going their seperate ways. Renee's still not working for me and Beth is only slightly more interesting than when she started. I knew she was a plant.

- Jessica Tuck has been promoted to series regular for Season 4 of True Blood. Janina Gavankar will play shapeshifter/school teacher Luna while Alexandria Breckinridge will play witch Daisy and Vedette Lim will play cage fighter Naomi.

- Grey's Anatomy are planning a musical episode in the second half of the seventh season.
- Calista Flockhart will not appear in the series 100th episode of Brothers And Sisters. Damn.
- Lucas Grabeel will be reprising his role as a teenage Lex Luthor in an upcoming episode of Smallville.

- Being Human US starts on Syfy from January 17th at 9pm. I'll be doing more spoiler blogs on it in the next month.

- The cast of Glee will appear at the semi-final of The X Factor next month. The series will also return in February after the last two episodes air in December.

- Teri Hatcher has denied reports that she's set to leave Desperate Housewives. Rumours did surface that she was due to quit her role in the series.

Let's Not Use The Beiste In That Way

Glee - Certainly the most eventful episode of the season so far. Kurt's bullying is something that's become out of hand in the last while and the constant fact that no-one seems to defend him against the closeted Karofsky is beginning to become increasingly frustrating. New guy Blaine definitely tried his damndest but it's the likes of Will and Figgins who really should be stepping up to the plate with this but hats off to Ryan Murphy for highlighting Kurt's plight all the more. In terms of the other storylines - I felt bad for Beiste being used by the kids as a source of 'cooling off' but I also wondered if it was wise of Will to give Beiste her first kiss as well. The song varied - liked the Dalton boys take on Teenage Dreams, our guys mash-up of Stop In The Name Of Love/Free Your Mind but wasn't overly impressed with the girls rendition of Start Me Up/Livin On A Prayer. As for Puck and Artie's friendship - it certainly has potential.

Lip Service - why haven't BBC3 confirmed a second season of this? It's becoming one of the best programmes they've done this year and this episode was certainly a corker and a half. Tess's birthday escalating from one disaster to another (bad botox, Chloe's engagement, Ed finally admitting his true feelings) were one this but the whole Sadie/Frankie/Cat/Sam quadrangle got interesting and messy all at once, especially given that Sadie left Frankie and Sam is becoming increasingly aware of how much closer Frankie and Cat have become. In terms of Frankie's own mystery, there wasn't much forwarding on that one and I wasn't too fussed about Becky finding out about Frankie and Jay either but overall, this was certainly a brilliant episode to watch.

The Vampire Diaries - The last two episodes I've seen have been fun ones to watch. Whether it's dealing with Matt's unpleasant mother or Elena becoming proactive in trying to track her own biological one, the show is certainly not sitting on it's honkers, that's for sure. While I had guessed that opening the tomb wouldn't give Katherine back to Damon, I am pleased to have Pearl around and I was pretty sad to see Bonnie's grandmother die but Alaric after being sidelined a little has become more interesting now that both Damon and Stefan are aware of who he really is. Why can't TG4 speed up with this series already?

Misfits - I fell in love with this series over the summer and I certainly wasn't intending on waiting for Channel 4 to air Season 2 in 2011 to see if it lived up to the first one. If this opener was anything to go by, then this season is going to be a lot of fun. Lucy the menacing shapeshifer caused chaos but evaded reprisals, the gang became aware of Nathan's immortality and Simon bumping off Sally all too quickly and there's a masked guy stalking the gang as well. More importantly the humour is still also pretty much intact as well, so overall, it's an almighty welcome back for this gang of troublemakers.

Desperate Housewives - I think apathy is beginning to set in because I'm just not loving this season as much as the last one. I don't really think Renee is fitting in that well as a character, I find Paul's attempts of trying to buy some of the neighbours houses not that interesting (even if he is trying to blackmail Susan at the moment) and seeing Lynette and Tom argue over and over again - this time over the latter's mother has gotten more and more repetitive than ever. The only bright sparks have been Gabby and Carlos coming to terms with meeting their biological daughter and Bree and Keith's fooling around. Five episodes in and this season needs to step up a gear.

- Rob Kazinsky has been cast as Dr Rick, the ex-boyfriend of Odetta Yustman's character, Annie for one episode of Brothers And Sisters.

- Courtney Ford has been cast as Andy Bellefleur's lawyer sister, Portia in the fourth season of True Blood. IDW will be releasing further comics of the series in 2011 as well.

- Teri Hatcher has revealed that she's done her cameo on Smallville as a gesture of respect for fans. How sweet!

- The younger versions of the Glee kids appears in next week's episode. Blaine is also not as confident as he appears to be as well.

- Kevin McKidd will direct an episode of Grey's Anatomy. He's the second cast member to do it this season.

It's Just A Jump To The Left

If you haven't seen certain shows, then spoilers people.

Glee - Well, the much hyped episode of The Rocky Horror Picture Show finally took place and it was definitely an entertaining episode for Halloween. Not the best of the five we've had so far but in terms of the actual songs, I don't think anyone put a foot wrong to be honest. Personally, There's A Light and Time Warp were my favourites (but no Planet Schmanet Janet - boo!) and the more cleaner Touch-A, Touch-A also worked pretty but the story wasn't the best from a plot point. Finn and Sam's body issues almost seemed to have come out of nowhere and Will's little scheming against Emma and Carl was uncalled for. Even Sue's attempts of bagging a local Emmy managed to blow up in her face - for now. Still, even this episode continues to show that the series isn't a one season wonder and Becky's line about threatening to cut Will if he didn't give her chocolate was the highlight of the episode.

The Vampire Diaries - I will catch up with the second season at some point but right now, the first one is getting better and better. I liked the flashbacks to the great vampire massacre but at the same time, I already know that Katherine didn't perish (or isn't entombed) and I certainly thought Stefan was a dolt for trying to get his vampire hating father on side as well. Stefan and Elena trying to hide things from Damon though wasn't a smart move on their part and I kind of wished that Jeremy would get the hint about Anna being more than a stalker. That being said, it'a actually a relief that Stefan is aware of Alaric being more than a historian though.

Desperate Housewives - Erm, not really all that fussed about the last two episodes I've seen. I mean, I like the dramatic implications of Gabby/Carlos's baby swap and Bree's pursuit of Keith is amusing enough but I still think Susan's main plot is dumb (even if we've seen some consequences from a rival girl) and her financial problems aren't being written realistically but both Lynette and Paul's plots are boring the shit out of me. And three episodes in and I still think that Renee isn't working out for the series, though she's marginally better than Paul's wife (who seems like a spy or something).

Smallville - Interesting finale. We've had better ones but I did like the fact that Tess has been seemingly rescued/revived by Granny Goodness, that Lois finally realised who exactly the Blur really is and that we got some lovely moments between Chloe and Oliver and the Justice team. I also liked the final scenes between Clark and Zod, which are more than enough incentive for me to watch the tenth season all the more.

The Event - I tried to watch both episodes of this last week on Channel 4, I really did but I couldn't stick it. I resisted Flashforward last year because I thought it was little more than a Lost rip-off and I wished that I hadn't bothered with this show either. It's dull, predictable, the overuse of flashbacks annoyed the heck out of me and none of the characters really stood out at all. Plus aliens - it's been done better on about seven different shows. I definitely won't be watching anymore of this one.

- Balthazar Getty will be returning to Brothers And Sisters for the show's 100th episode, due to air in 2011.

- Caprica has been cancelled by SyFy but another Battlestar Galactica spin-off is on the way.

- Sara Ramirez has teased that there's a "rough road ahead" for Callie and Arizona in Grey's Anatomy.

- Misfits second season begins on E4 from November 11th at 10pm.

- Merlin has been renewed for a fourth season but will only have 10 episodes, which are due to be filmed in March 2011.

- Zach Braff will appear in an upcoming episode of Cougar Town in animated form.

- ABC are developing a fairytale themed series, called Once Upon A Time which will modernise many popular fairytales and has a female protagonist with a unique background.

- Glee will release it's Christmas album on November 16th, three weeks prior to it's own Christmas themed episode. The album will have Kurt and Blaine doing a cover of Baby, It's Cold Outside.

Earthquake

Desperate Housewives - why I am nervous that both RTE2 and Channel 4 are airing this early? Oh, maybe because they did this before with Season 5 and that turned out to be rubbish. Might be premature to write off Season 7 though one thing I will say is that I'm not sold on Vanessa Williams's character, Renee Perry just yet. Too much like a watered-down Wilhemina for my liking and I just can't buy into her and Lynette's 'friendship' either. I'll need further convincing but on the plus side, it does look like the Paul vs. Felicia arc could be a lot of fun and the storylines with Gabby/Carlos lying to each other and Bree having the hots for her decorator, Keith have potentia. Susan's one involving cleaning in skimpy clothing for her landlady's website only seems to prove that the writers are struggling to come up with storylines for her nowadays. As for the first three minutes of this episode - some of the best/nostalgia fuelled ever.

Smallville - Martha Kent is Red Queen? What the hell? I'm all for seeing a bad ass side to Mrs Kent but not to this extent. I actually thought at one point that she was going to shoot Tess. After all, she had no problems using kryptonite on her own son, so shooting a morally ambiguous girl like Tess wouldn't have been a step too far but luckily, she didn't. I get that part of Martha's big plan was to protect her son/the world but I kind of wished she gone about it in a better way. Still, it was heaps better than the Clark/Lois stuff this week and I did like the return of Perry as well.

The Vampire Diaries - Memo to Damon, if you keep killing every person that wrongs you, eventually someone is going to get lucky and actually finish you off. There's only so many times that Damon will be able to save himself or require assistance from Elena or Stefan before meeting the end. I actually didn't blame Bree for setting Lexie's boyfriend on Damon and it's a shame that Damon killed her in this one because I'd rather see Gina Torres in this show than Gossip Girl. The stuff with Elena's adoption only served to prove how little versed I am in this world but I can already tell that Jeremy's new friend isn't what she seems. However the best stuff of this episode was the insight into Alaric's past and the Stefan/Bonnie interactions this week. I am definitely glad that I'm watching this show.

Modern Family - for a hyped episode, the earthquake episode was certainly interesting. Nathan Lane had an amusing cameo as an embarrassing friend of Mitchell and Cameron's and I certainly liked that Claire came to the realisation that she was turning into her mother but I'm beginning to think that Gloria is going a little overboard with her religious beliefs. Maybe she should accept the fact that Jay doesn't share them, instead of getting into a hissy fit over it, eh?

Lip Service - another overhyped new drama but I liked this one. Sure, it's pretty much The L Word in Scotland and certain characters here are similar to other (Frankie/Shane, Tess/Alice) but overall, this is a pretty decent series for BBC3 and while the sex scene in the funeral home won't be to a lot of people's tastes, I do think the show has the potential to be interesting enough without trying too hard to be shocking. Most of the characters are well rounded and the cast do seem to click well with each other. Even Roxanne McKee from Hollyoaks is working well on this one. Definitely one to consider.

- No Ordinary Family and Brothers And Sisters have both been commissioned four extra episodes each for their current season.
- It's looking more likely that Sam will now be a love interest for Quinn in Glee instead of Kurt. Oh, and Puck won't be pleased about it.

- Necar Zadegan has scored a recurring role as mystery character Isabelle on The Event. The series starts on Channel 4 on Friday at 9pm.

- V will return on January 4th on ABC and the series will be exploring more of the mythology behind the Visitors.
- HBO are developing a pilot for a fashion series with Tea Leoni called Spring/Fall. Six Feet Under scribe Kate Robin is writing the pilot for the series.

Oh For The Love Of Cheesus

Religion is a tricky topic on television and Glee certainly wasted zero time in getting their views across in last week's episode. I was happy that Burt Hummell was going to have more to do in the series but I wasn't expecting him to have heart problems and be the centre of a religious discussion. Here's my stance - I'm with the Kurt and Sue Sylvester's on the notion of religion and I found that people like Mercedes and Rachel, in spite of meaning well did force their opinions on Kurt too freely. Rachel herself also crossed a social line by singing Papa Can You Hear Me to a comatose Burt as well. In terms of the other song choices in this one - props for Kurt's rendition on I Wanna Hold Your Hand and the group's version of One Of Us but Finn's version of Losing My Religion left me cold as did his inane plot with a grilled cheesus sandwich. Some fans might not like the more topical of episodes on this show and while the religious arguments were pretty heavy handed, this was easily the strongest episode of the new season so far.

I like Modern Family and I pretty much dipped in and out of the first series, mostly enjoying it. Thursday saw the return of the series with the first two episodes airing back to back but it was the second episode that was the main highlight. It was the episode that the writers decided to tackle Mitchell's awkwardness with public displays of affection and finally give viewers an on-screen kiss with him and Cameron. Which the episode handled well but it wasn't the highlight of the first two episodes. I think the craziness with Claire's two daughters along with Gloria's insistence on her dead mother being in the room with them was somewhat more interesting. Overall, this remains a fun, feel-good series that for the most part doesn't try too hard to be too funny but still manages to get the right amount of laughs nonetheless.

There should be more episodes where Chloe and Tess have to spend time with each in Smallville. Tess might not be someone you'd trust with your life but her skills of deduction are certainly something that you'd wish would occassionally pass through both Clark and Oliver from time to time. We might not have needed Tess to point out how much Oliver is into Chloe but it certainly didn't harm the episode and their moments together were better than anything concerning Checkmate (Waller needs to get better) or Oliver's ham fisted attempts to take out Zod all by himself. Next time, Oliver, try to pay attention to the few times in which Clark is actually right about something. It helps, y'know.

That halfway point of The Vampire Diaries and whilst ITV2 viewers are enjoying the second season, I'm still with the first one. So, the last episode that I watched had Alaric staking Logan and Elena doing what every sensible girl would do when finding out that she resembled her beau's last girlfriend - fleeing. Every week, I keep getting surprised with this series and with Elena in dire straits at the end of the episode, I'm certainly looking to seeing her getting out of that one as well as learning more about the Glibert family tree.

Ugly Betty has been rather there for the last couple of weeks but because I've seen the episodes earlier in the year, I haven't been as anxious to rewatch them (that doesn't mean the series is bad, it's really not) but the Bahamas episode was a lot of fun. The Shakira appearance worked well in the show's favour and the varying hook-ups reminded me that this must've been a sweeps episode when it aired in the UK. Plus, it also brought the Wilhemina/Connor relationship to an end for now. Don't worry, folks, Grant Bowler will still appear later on in the series.

What is it with the CW and remakes nowadays? First there were 90210 and Melrose Place (which deservedly bombed) and now, Nikita? I've watched episodes of the original series and it was a wonderful precursor to Alias but this version, judging on the first episode alone is like the bastard child of Dollhouse and Battlestar Galactica. To say I was bored shitless would almost be a kind thing to say but Christ, this was certainly a wasted hour of my life. Maybe later episodes will be something interesting but overall, this was an incredibly dire start to a series that probably did not need resurrecting in the first place.

- Expect an infidelity plot with Kevin and Scotty in Brothers And Sisters as well as one of them briefly going missing. Sally Field is also an executive producer of the series now.

- Desperate Housewives Season 7 will air on Channel 4, Sundays at 10pm from October 17th.
- Modern Family actors, Jesse Tyler-Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet have appeared in a PSA in regards to teens being bullied. Mary Lynn Rajskub will also appear in an episode as a former girlfriend of Mitchell's.

- Glee will be tackling the nature of suicide in an upcoming episode as well as bullying. It's rumoured both stories will involve Kurt. Another episode will show us younger versions of Brittany and Santana.

- Christine Willes will be joining Smallville in the role of Granny Goodness. The character was briefly seen in the previous season but will have a bigger role this time around.

- Channel 4 have secured the rights to the new Camelot series for transmission in 2011. They'll also be airing The Event from October 22nd.

It's Brittany Bitches

And it came - the Britney Spears themed episode of Glee and despite the girl only popping up in three incredibly brief scenes (a good thing), the episode wasn't bad. The best ever - nah, but definitely fun. Having Brittany S. Pierce (yes, she has THAT surname) performing Me Against The Music with Santana and I'm A Slave 4 U were definitely stronger numbers as was Artie's take on Stronger, funnily enough. The group's rendition of Toxic, which sparked a sex riot was amusing but Rachel's Baby One More Time just didn't suit Lea Michele's vocals at all and The Only Exception from Paramore was tacked on at the end. In terms of actual plot with this episode - Beiste is still likeable, Sam/Sunshine aren't here, Emma works better with Carl than Will, Terri's appearance was a dead end, Sue getting injured when she pulled the fire alarm was amusing and anything involving Rachel and Finn was a snoozefest and the likes of Quinn, Puck, Mercedes and Kurt had naff all to do. Plus Jacob's level of perviness sky rocketed in this episode. Also the episode could've found a better reason for the Britney videos besides Carl's funky gas but overall, it was an enjoyable episode.

I do generally like lighter, comedic episodes of Merlin and after the rather darker two part opening to this season, I guess one was needed. The problem was that Goblin's Gold just didn't tickle my funny bones. I've watched the episode and I still didn't enjoy it. It was fun to see the goblin possess Gaius and it was refreshing that Arthur used his brain cells to realise that Merlin hadn't cursed everyone but overall, it was pretty much a disjointed and unengaging episode, though tonight's Gwen-centred episode does look promising.

Lois Lane popping out of a cake in a bunny costume? Haven't Smallville devised every excuse possible to get Erica Durance into skimpy attire? Probably but this was a mostly fun episode and it was interesting to see Lois give up the Blur for Clark as well, even if Clark did put her in danger by getting her to have a secret relationship with the Blur at the same time. Only two episodes and Season 9 is done on E4. Wonder if they'll speed up with Season 10.

I hate TG4 for airing The Vampire Diaries at an earlier time, especially on the same as another show I watch but I am getting more and more into the series. This week's episode was a gem for varying reasons - more screentime for Jenna, Logan's reappearance, the debut of Alaric and more importantly, Bonnie learning more about her ancestors, destroying a certain necklace and surviving being bitten by a rather incensed Damon. The only stuff that bogged down the episode was the Stefan and Elena but having Stefan and Damon taking the piss out of each other amended that for me. I'm starting to believe in them as brothers as this show progresses.

It's boot camp time at The X Factor and that only means one thing- the showe being on longer than it should be. There's only so much of this show that should be on and sometimes I do wonder if the increased amount of time is really a good thing. In terms of who wins the bloody thing, I still can't really decide. Cheryl Cole will probably bag it for a third year going.

By this time next week, I'll be talking about the UK and Irish versions of The Apprentice and it will be interesting to see which one is the better series as it'll be the first time that they've both been on at the same time. This week in the Irish had both Elev8 and Fusion having the unenviable tasks of trying to come up with an original diet menu for Unislim and when the lads lost, David predictably got the boot. I'm not liking the fact that so far, it's still male (with Ciara) versus females though. I think it's time the groups got mixed up now.

- Apparently Glee fans are pissed off that Gwyneth Paltrow will be appearing on the show. I know her site makes no sense and that she's a bit weird but I'm intrigued by her appearance.

- Sonia Braga has been cast to play Luc's mother in an upcoming episode of Brothers And Sisters. Her previous TV works have included Sex And The City and Alias.

- Mistresses actress Shelley Conn has landed a leading role in upcoming sci-fi series, Terra Nova.

- NBC have ordered a pilot from Jack Black and also are planning to do a remake of The Munsters.

- FX UK will be airing zombie series, The Walking Dead from November 5th.

- It's being heavily rumoured that Sky will be picking up Mad Men for next season while LivingTV will be airing the fourth season of Chuck from October 14th.