HSB Recommends: The Good Guys

Summer has long been a disheartening season for TV fans, particularly in terms of the major networks. While cable and premium channels can boast new episodes of critical favorites like Mad Men and True Blood, viewers of the Big Four are stuck with tired reality shows and dusted-off reruns. One happy exception is Fox's The Good Guys.

Getting It Right: Three Things Hollywood Can Learn From Inception

By now, you've probably heard a lot about Christopher Nolan's Inception.  I saw the movie on opening weekend, walking into the theater with no more knowledge of the movie's plot than I had gleaned from the trailers, and I - along with the rest of the packed house - loved it.  I've since read mixed reviews.  I won't go into the criticisms of its detractors here: instead, here are three things I think Nolan did right, and why Hollywood should take a page from the Inception book.

Warning: mild spoilers ahead!

Get These Actors Together: Jon Hamm & Paul Rudd

Take a look at these two.  Now say it with me: "Awwwww."  (OK, maybe you didn't say "Awww." Maybe you drooled a little, or sighed loudly.  Or if you're a straight dude, you might have just rolled your eyes.)

But seriously.  Jon Hamm and Paul Rudd, you guys!  They're both incredibly handsome, skilled at both drama and comedy, successful in their careers ...

And they're longtime friends.

So answer me this: WHY in the name of all that is holy are they not also costars?  We at the HSB dare to imagine the awesomeness of a Hamm and Rudd double bill:

Network Affairs: BBC America

I love British television. In theory, thus, I should love BBC America. After all, that sounds like the channel for everything in British television, right? And surely, one would think, they would want to present a wide variety of the most excellent British programs available. Well, take a minute to look at the prime-time schedule, then we'll regroup.

May I Suggest An Intervention? Katherine Heigl Edition

Katherine Heigl is, by all accounts, a handful.

She's demanding.  She's outspoken.  She's difficult -- it's rumored that none of her leading men want to repeat the experience.  She has a positive knack for saying the wrong thing in almost every situation.  And her attempts to apologize - like this EW cover story a few months ago - come off as pretty insincere, even when it's clear she's struggling to play nice and say the right things.

But here's the thing: I kinda like her.

Happy Birthday!

In honor of my fellow HSB contributor and birthday girl Marisa, who is not in any way a chicken:

Enjoy.



Hollywood: let's get on this Arrested Development movie already. COME ON!

HSB Recommends: The Tobolowsky Files

The other day I was extremely pleased to find that one of my favorite workday time-wasters, had posted a story about the character actor Stephen Tobolowsky. Tobolowsky is a classic hey-it's-that-guy, most widely known as Ned Ryerson in the Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day. Mention his name to most people and you'll get a blank stare in return; but mention Ned Ryerson and the light of comprehension dawns.