ABC Highlights and Scoop from TCA: There’s a Whole Lotta B*tchin’ Going On
One thing that seems to be trending on ABC for their midseason: B*tches. With their new comedy Don’t trust the B---- in Apartment 23 starring James Van Der Beek (as himself!!!) and Krysten Ritter, as well as dramedy GCB (short for Good Christian B*tches), starring Leslie Bibb and Krisin Chenoweth, there are a lot of strong, female characters headed to your TV screen this winter. By Erin FoxHere are some of the highlights from the ABC TCA session:
Cougar Town
Well, for Cougar Town fans, this may not be a highlight. ABC Entertainment president Paul Lee said the show will return sometime in March but has no specific premiere date. He told critics, “We love the show. We haven’t yet landed where it’s going to go, but it’s tentatively in there for March, and it’s in there for a very good reason. We’re going to give it a really good launchpad.” Hmmm.
Apparently, Cougar Town creator Bill Lawrence, who wasn’t invited to TCA, doesn’t want to take this news lying down! He went rogue, and rented out the bar of the Langham Hotel and invited the critics of TCA to hang with his cast for an evening—drinks on him! Now that’s the way to roll… and get some positive attention for his fan fave show.
Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23
Cue music: “I don’t want to wait…” Yes, we went there. We went to that very memorable opening theme song from WB’s beloved Dawson’s Creek. But seriously, I don’t want to wait to see James Van Der Beek play an over-the-top, narcissistic version of himself. So over-the-top, in fact, that “James” will be appearing on Dancing with the Stars (in the world Apt. 23). For more on that, see TVGuide.com’s interview with James Van Der Beek.
Van Der Beek does play himself, but Apartment 23 really centers around the complicated relationship between “James’s” BFF Chloe (Krysten Ritter), described as having “the morals of a pirate,” and her new naïve roommate June (Dreama Weaver). Ritter told critics at TCA that it “is absolute candy to play someone so bold and badass…”
And because it was TCA, someone in the press just had to ask James about Katie Holmes: “Are you allowed to see Katie Holmes?” Van Der Beek blushed and laughed but didn’t answer. Instead, the show’s awesome executive producer Nahnatchka Kahn said, “Yes, but no one else is. That’s the thing. She’s going to be guesting on our show, just in a black shroud.” Heh.
See Katie Holmes in high school before she was famous!
Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 premieres on ABC on April 11 at 9:30 p.m. ET.
The River
If you puked your guts out in fear over the Paranormal Activity movies, get ready for a weekly dose with ABC’s mystery/thriller The River. Created by the evil geniuses behind Paranormal, the story follows a Crocodile Hunter-type character, Emmet Cole, played by Bruce Greenwood. Cole disappears without a trace deep in the Amazon, and six months later his emergency beacon goes off, setting off a massive search led by his wife Tess (Leslie Hope), son Lincoln (Joe Anderson), and an ex-producer (Paul Blackthorne)—who decides to film the rescue. We all know that this will not turn out well. Get your nightlights ready!
And in the tradition of “no-one-is-safe” shows like Lost, will characters on The River be disposable? Executive producer Michael Green said, “We like them to feel disposable. The Amazon is a place with real stakes and real danger.” And snakes. Don’t forget the snakes!
The River premieres on ABC on February 7 at 9 p.m. ET.
Where are they now? The cast of ABC’s My So-Called Life
G.C.B.
Don’t call this show Desperate Housewives, it’s G.C.B. (but if they had the same following and success as DH they would be honored!)! And, let’s be real, as over-the-top as Desperate Housewives seems, add the crazy world of superrich Dallas socialites to this party, and a new super-soap has been born.
This story centers on Amanda Vaughn (Leslie Bibb) as her marriage falls apart and she’s forced to go home again and face the sins of her mean-girl past with the help of her sassy mama (Annie Potts). And for anyone who had to deal with a mean girl in high school, those who were tortured never forget. Enter characters Carlene Cockburn (Kristin Chenoweth), Cricket Caruth-Reilly (Miriam Shor), Sharon Peacham (Jennifer Aspen), and Heather Cruz (Marisol Nichols), who all have their own very large bones to pick with Amanda as she tries to rebuild her life. And to bring this piece full circle for Amanda, payback will be a b*tch.
G.C.B. premieres on ABC on Sunday, March 4, at 10 p.m. ET.
Remember Annie Potts in Pretty in Pink? See where the cast is today!
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