Posts Tagged ‘The Good Wife’

Hollywoodland

CBS’ ‘The Good Wife’: ‘Breitbart Owned the Weiner Scandal’

by Hollywoodland

 

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In case you missed last night’s episode, here’s what looks to be a very well-written scene from this Emmy award-winning show. And, even better, a very simple statement of fact: “Breitbart owned the Weiner scandal.” No snide asides, no shots at Breitbart or, uhm, the Tea Party.

Hollywood did good. You have to wonder if they even comprehend how much 50% of their audience appreciates this mature approach to our side of the aisle. 

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John P. Hanlon

Preview: Emmy Awards Could Arrive with Some Surprises

by John P. Hanlon

This Sunday, the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards will be handed out to some of the best shows and actors from the past year. Although some shows and performances were snubbed, there are numerous nominees that are worth rooting for during the award show which will be hosted by Jimmy Fallon. In the midst of a lot of previously-nominated shows and performers, there are also some newcomers and previously-overlooked nominees that are worth getting excited about.

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In the best drama category, the highly-acclaimed and perennial winner “Mad Men” will be facing some mildly tough competition. It will be up against HBO’s “True Blood,” Showtime’s “Dexter,” AMC’s “Breaking Bad,” ABC’s “Lost,” and CBS’ “The Good Wife.” Even though “Lost” just aired its final season, many expect that “Mad Men” will walk away with its third consecutive best drama award. Several of last year’s nominees for this category were snubbed this year (“House,” “Big Love,” and “Damages”) along with at least one departing show that had previously won this competition (“24”).    (more…)

John P. Hanlon

Golden Globe Noms Shine Light On Worthy Programs

by John P. Hanlon

The Golden Globe nominations were released last week. As usual, many of the television categories were dominated with long-running programs. However, a few new shows received welcome nominations, a boost that could lend more credibility to these freshmen programs. 

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“Glee” was one of the new major nominees for the Globes, earning a nomination in the “Best Television Series: Musical or Comedy” category.  As I noted in a review of the program, “Glee”  revolves around a high school glee club.  Even though the show has stumbled a bit throughout this season, it has still emerged as as a entertaining and worthy hit. I was glad it got some attention from the Globes. The most obvious nomination for the program went to Jane Lynch, whose role as cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester is one of the highlights of the program. Other nominations for the show went to Matthew Morrison, who plays the glee coach, Will Schuester, and Lea Michele, who plays the overzealous singer Rachel. (more…)

John P. Hanlon

Review: ‘The Good Wife’ Off to Great Start

by John P. Hanlon

The new CBS program “The Good Wife” received a lot of press attention when it premiered several weeks ago, partly because of its novel subject matter. The show explores the life of a wronged political spouse who returns to the workforce after her cheating husband is sent to prison.  The show’s plot invited inevitable comparisons to many contemporary political spouses who have felt the glare of standing by their cheating partners in the media spotlight. Since its premiere, the show has quickly established itself as a smart and entertaining program that is not afraid to explore politics within the legal system and outside of it.

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Although many politicians from both political parties can be compared to the husband, played by Chris Noth, an obvious comparison springs up in the premiere episode as the lead character, Alicia Florrick who is played by Julianna Marguiles, returns to work as a lawyer. One of her supervisors, played by Christine Baranski, bluntly says to her, “Not only are you coming back to the workplace fairly late but you have some very prominent baggage.” She then adds, pointing to a picture of current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, “But hey, if she can do it, so can you.” Furthering the perception that the lead couple can be compared to President Bill Clinton and his wife, a recent article about the program from The Hill quoted one of the creators of the show offering a “suggestion” to a director about the character of the cheating husband. That suggestion was “Imagine Bill Clinton in prison.” (more…)