The T.V. Guru

What Have The Buffy The Vampire Slayer Stars Since The Show?

admin — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Ever wonder what Buffy, Xander and the rest of the “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” cast has been up to? Well most of the cast moved on to other projects.

Sarah Michelle Gellar, who played Buffy, went on to star in some chart topping movies. She played Daphne in “Scooby Doo” and Karen in “The Grudge” and it’s sequel, as well as other movie roles. In her personal life, her and husband Freddie Prinze Jr live happily in LA with their child.

Nicholas Brendon, Xander, stuck with small roles for awhile, but then got a chance to star in the hit show “Criminal Minds”. After it was canceled he moved onto the show “Private Practice”, which he currently stars in.

Alyson Hannigan, Willow, went on to finish the “American Pie” series with “American Wedding”. Since then she has played Lily on the hit television show “How I Met Your Mother” which is currently one of the best sitcoms on today.

We all know that David Boreanaz, Angel, landed a spinoff titled “Angel” which continued for one year after Buffy was canceled. After that, he played some small roles until a leading male role came along. He now plays Special Agent Seeley Booth on the hit television show “Bones”.

What Sci-Fi Contributions Did Buffy The Vampire Bring To The Genre?

admin — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Buffy the Vampire as a Sci-Fi genre brought in the idea of feminism. Most, if not all, science fiction genre, have males as their lead protagonist. Take, for example, one of the best well known science fiction film of all time, Star Wars. The lead protagonist is Luke Skywalker, who comes and saves the well known heroine, Princess Leia. On the other, Buffy the Vampire becomes the leading actor, who more often than not comes to save Spike, the tragic hero. In this science fiction show, Buffy takes on the role of the male, while Spike takes on the role of the female. Therefore, Buffy the Vampire was able to contribute to the idea that science fiction can have heroines as the leading protagonists. While most readers of science fiction are males, and thus the tendency of male leads, the popularity of Buffy the Vampire, shows that people are accepting of female leads. While it is still uncommon to see females as the leading protagonists in the science fiction genre, Buffy the Vampire was able to crack the wall into the genre as one of the first leading female protagonist. Now, because of Buffy the Vampire, we can expect to see more leading female protagonists in the science fiction genre.

What Feminist Ideals Were Brought Forth In Buffy The Vampire Slayer?

admin — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000

In Buffy The Vampire Slayer, there are many feminist ideals. Take Buffy, the lead character, she is the chosen one. Usually a man would be the chosen one. This changes the face of who can be a savior of the world. It’s always the man to the rescue. Buffy broke that barrier. Buffy is very strong and can kick ass just like a man. She is the leader of her group. She falls in love with a guy who is not as strong physically as she is. Many men are intimidated by a woman who either makes more money than he does or is physically stronger. You don’t think helpless when you think of Buffy. You think a beautiful, strong and independent woman. A modern Wonder Woman. The Amazon woman. When you watch the Buffy show, you get a sense of empowerment. You don’t feel like a fragile creature. The most basic and important feminist ideal brought forth in Buffy The Vampire Slayer is that of equality. There is the role reversal of the woman saving the day for a change. It’s also the idea that a woman can be the hero and not just the one who needs saving.

Golden Globe Nominees and Winners (2010)

www.thetvguru.com — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

If you weren’t able to catch this year’s Golden Globes on Direct TV this year because you were too busy tuning into some of the other great shows to watch, we provide the following recap of nominees and winners (designated by an ):Best Television Series (Drama)

Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
The Good Wife
Mad Men
The Walking Dead

Best performance by an Actress (Drama)

Julianna Margulies: The Good Wife
Elisabeth Moss: Mad Men
Piper Perabo: Covert Affairs
Katey Sagal: Sons of Anarchy
Kyra Sedgwick: The Closer

Best Performance by an Actor (Drama)

Steven Buscemi: Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston: Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall: Dexter
Jon Hamm: Mad Men
Hugh Laurie: House

Best Television Series (Comedy or Musical)

30 Rock
The Big Bang Theory
The Big C
Glee
Modern Family
Nurse Jackie

Best Performance by an Actress (Comedy or Musical)

Toni Collette: United States of Tara
Edie Falco: Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey: 30 Rock
Laura Linney: The Big C
Lea Michele: Glee

Best Performance by an Actor (Comedy or Musical)

Alec Baldwin: 30 Rock
Steve Carell: The Office
Thomas Jane: Hung
Matthew Morrison: Glee
Jim Parsons: The Big Bang Theory

Best Mini Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Carlos
The Pacific
Pillars of the Earth
Temple Grandin
You Don’t Know Jack

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Hayley Atwell: Pillars of the Earth
Claire Danes: Temple Grandin
Judi Dench: Return to Cranford
Romola Garai: Emma
Jennifer Love Hewitt: The Client List

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Idris Elba: Luther
Ian McShane: Pillars of the Earth
Al Pacino: You Don’t Know Jack
Dennis Quaid: The Special Relationship
Edgar Ramirez: Carlos

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Hope Davis: The Special Relationship
Jane Lynch: Glee
Kelly MacDonald: Boardwalk Empire
Julia Stiles: Dexter
Sofia Vergara: Modern Family

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Series, Mini Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Scott Caan: Hawaii Five-O
Chris Colfer: Glee
Chris Noth: The Good Wife
Eric Stonestreet: Modern Family
David Stratharin: Temple Grandin

Fun With The Bachelor

www.thetvguru.com — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Alright girls (and maybe some guys), if men out there can have all kinds of fun with their fantasy football, we should be able to have some fun with our Bachelor viewing.And just as they love to talk endlessly about how many yards their running back ran in Sunday’s game, we love to talk about the shenanigans that occur every Monday evening on ABC’s The Bachelor.But get this; now there’s a way to have some “betting fun” with the show similar to how guys have fun speculating odds with linebackers. All you really need to do is come up with a formula such as picking:

Top three girls
Girl you want as final winner (can also be one of your top three girls)
Name one girl each week who will not get a rose and ultimately be sent home
Name of one girl each week that will be selected to go on one-on-one date

In essence, of the three girls you select, you will earn four points each week if they remain in the running without being eliminated. If your selection is correct for the winner, you will receive 40 points, and if one of your girls ends as runner-up, you will receive 20 points.Bonus points can be added for one of your girls getting a rose on a date, getting selected for a one-on-one date. Or getting selected for a Hometown Date (you can ascribe whatever point value to each of these that you and your fellow Bachelor-fans see fit).An interesting twist is to add trade-outs as the season progresses, but with certain penalties (to allotted points) if this option is selected.The bottom line is to simply have fun and come up with some pretty interesting Tuesday morning water cooler conversation much like others have to endure wide receiver stats when it comes to football mania.Hey, fair is fair, right? Let’s only hope that this season’s bachelor truly mans up and selects someone to love; unlike his previous track record of sending all hopefuls home. That would kind of be like the letdown experienced by Vikings-Eagles fans on a Monday night earlier this season. Some things are just not done!

Some Top Shows

www.thetvguru.com — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Sometimes it’s easy to get caught in a rut of what you watch day-in and day-out. Personally, I never miss Jeopardy, and I’m certain there are shows being broadcast on other networks as I witness (yet again) Alex’s self-serving odd sort of humor. That being said, we provide the following list of some of the “most watched” televisions shows that you might be missing while watching your own version of my Alex-angst. I’m certain he’ll eventually wear himself way too thin on my nerves and I’ll be switching channels, and should you be going through a similar purge-mentality maybe you can find a replacement from the following, too:Friday Night Lights GleeHell’s Kitchen Any one of the crazy “Housewives of.” seriesLie to Me The Good Wife Parenthood True Blood Castle Gossip Girl How I Met Your MotherBig Bang Theory Modern Family How I Met Your Mother There’s more, of course, and we’ll be reviewing them in upcoming posts; but these should get you started switching channels if you find yourself wanting something new-and-different to keep you entertained in the upcoming winter months.

Two finales that have kept us waiting

admin — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 19:08:09 +0000

There’s nothing like a great finale to leave you counting the days until the show’s return. And last fall provided some of the best season endings on television. From the gripping, two part finale of “Grey’s Anatomy,” to the tragic, yet interesting ending of “House,” this fall promises to provide compelling and suspenseful seasons.2. “House” Throughout six seasons, Dr. House has been one of the most complex, yet interesting characters to watch. Not only does he struggle with a drug addiction, but he’s sarcastic and intelligent, pushing medical boundaries episode to episode. The season six finale featured a major accident, where the medical staff is sent to treat victims as they’re pulled from the wreckage. The primary case in this episode is a woman named Hanna: one of her legs is crushed, and it’s up to House to save it. The other story focuses on the attraction between House and Dr. Cuddy. The end is both tragic and shocking, as Hanna passes away and House and Cuddy start a relationship. Now, we’re eager to see how the Doctor’s relationship plays out, and we’ll find out starting September 20^th.1.”Grey’s Anatomy”- Not even fifteen minutes into the finale, Dr. Reed is dead and Meredith Grey is pregnant. Gripping its audiences from the beginning, the season finale features a hospital heist by Gary Clark, a man who has a history with Derek Shepherd. We watch helplessly, as over two episodes, Grey loses her baby, and Alex Karev, Dr. Charles and Derek get shot. While Dr. Charles dies, Alex and Derek are in critical condition at the end of the show. In regards to the multiple romances, we are left wondering, what will become of the Cristina Yang, Owen Hunt and Teddy triangle? Or what about the Alex, Lexie Grey, Mark Sloan relationship? As for Arizona Robbins and Callie Torres, have the finally resolved their issues? Find out how the Seattle Grace staff recovers after such tragedy on September 23^rd.

Undercover with NBC’s new series

admin — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 19:17:20 +0000

Coming to NBC, “Undercovers“ is a new series about married spies. And if the trailers are anything to go by, this fall will be hotter than we thought.While the idea is somewhat similar to the Mr. and Mrs. Smith concept, the story takes a completely different direction. After getting married, Steven and Samantha Bloom put their espionage careers aside. Now, successful business owners, the couple are enjoying married life in Los Angles. Yet like all ex-spies, that passion for undercover work never fully disappears. When the couple is offered a new mission, Steven and Samantha can’t resist. And as it turns out, the espionage life is exactly what it takes to heat up this couple’s already passionate marriage.J.J. Abrams, the man responsible for “Lost” and the story for Mission Impossible III, works side by side with writer and producer Josh Reims. Reims is best known for “Dirty Sexy Money” and “Everwood.” However, both producers have worked together before. On select episodes of such shows as “What About Brian” and “Felicity,” Abrams and Reims got to know each other’s styles. With their previous work offering heart-stopping, yet moving dramas, “Undercovers” promises to deliver a romantic, yet action packed series.The cast is equally impressive. Steven Bloom is played by Boris Kodjoe. With Kodjoe’s past in films like Surrogates, the actor has more than enough experience to play an action packed role. Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who has performed in “Doctor Who” as well as “Lost in Austen,” stars as Samantha. Based on her previous performances, Mbatha-Raw is sure to bring mystery and romance to her role as a wife and agent. Other cast members include Carter MacIntyre, Gerald McRaney and Ben Schwartz.With an exceptional cast and crew, “Undercovers” promises to become a hit. So don’t miss this new series starting September 22^nd on NBC.

The new teams for Dancing with the Stars

admin — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 18:25:40 +0000

With the season premiere for “Dancing with the Stars” only 17 days away, audiences are itching to know who will be paired with who. Well, the celebrity/professional dance partnerships have been released, and all we can say is, it’s going to be another interesting competition.As far as the television and film stars go, they have the largest group. Celebrity parings include Audrina Patridge with ballroom dancer Tony Dovolani, Florence Henderson and Latin sensation Corky Ballas, Kyle Massey swinging with Lacey Schwimmer, and Mike “the situation” Sorrentino with ballroom star Karina Smirnoff. Yet, one star gets special notice: Jennifer Grey, star of Dirty Dancing will be performing with Derek Hough. During the press conference, Grey was asked whether audiences should remember her Dirty Dancing background. Grey started laughing and said, “I cannot stress to you how unfair that would be. I’m fifty; it’s been a lot of years since then” (“Dancing with the Stars” website).The musical stars Brandy Norwood, Michael Bolton, and David Hasselhoff have also been paired. Bolton is working with working with Chelsie Hightower, whose previous partners have included The Bachelor’s Jake Pavelka and snowboarder Louie Vito. As for Brandy, she’s paired with the talented Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who has worked with his far share of musicians (Mel B and Willa Ford). And Hasselhoff, known for his songs “I Believe” and “Lonely is the Night,” will be partnered with Kym Johnson.Other celebrities this season include comedian Margaret Cho, Sarah Palin’s daughter Bristol, and athletes Kurt Warner and Rick Fox. Will Anna Trebunskaya (Warner’s partner) and Cheryl Burke (Fox’s partner) get these athletes from the sports stage to the dancing stage? And who will impress us the most: Mark Ballas and Bristol Palin or Louis Van Amstel and Margaret?To find out, tune into season eleven on September 20th. If you’ve never seen the show before, there’s never been a better time to start.

More Masterchef contestants are eliminated

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:59:28 +0000

Fox’s latest cooking show, “Masterchef” is down to the final six contestants. Chefs Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot, and Joe Bastianich are still searching for the first Master Chef. Alongside the prestigious position, the winner will get 250,000 and the chance to release a cookbook. Starting with 100 contestants, the fifth episode was stripped down to 9. And for the remaining 9 competitors, the challenges only got harder.Airing September 1^st, the final nine faced three different challenges. The first, put one of the chefs in a comprising situation. Contestants were asked to kill a live crab and make a gourmet seafood dish. From the results, the judges would pick the three most appetizing meals. One contestant struggled between her religious beliefs and the test before her. However, Sheetal Bhagat pulled through, and earned herself a position as one of the judges’ top three. Lee Knaz and Sharone Hakman joined Sheetal, with Lee winning the challenge for his Dungeness Crab Salad.The next test led to the first elimination. For winning the last contest, Lee got to pick the ingredients for the challenge. Asked to invent a romantic dish, Lee chose passion fruit for the competitors. The finished results left the judges furious, with Joe actually throwing one contestant’s (Slim Huynh) dish in the trash. Slim was given the chance to redeem herself when the judges asked her what she’d do with an extra hour. Slim’s attempt to fix her original dish upset the judges, and she was sent home.While the previous challenges were hard, the pressure of the final test was worse. The groups were split into two teams (red and blue) and asked to cater for a wedding with 230 guests. Unfortunately, the blue team suffered the most. From sending out overcooked food, to contestants buckling from the pressure, Ramsay and Elliot had to jump in to save the cuisine. The chefs’ disappointments left the blue team up for elimination, and the test was to cook an impressive handmade pasta meal. The judges felt Tracy Nailor’s pasta was unseasoned, and that the sauce tasted more like sloppy Joe. And while the chefs did like Jake Gandolfo dish, a few mistakes cost him the competition. Jake and Tracy were both eliminated from the competition.Now the final 6 contestants will face the hardest, most stressful challenges yet. To find out who is next to go home, tune in Wednesday.