The Vampire Diaries Newest Villain, Mason Lockwood – Who would YOU cast?

Have you been chomping at the bit (no pun intended) for The Vampire Diaries to return from its already WAY TOO LONG hiatus?  Well, here’s some Season 2 scoopage to tide you over.  Apparently, bloodsucking vampires and witches on a rampage won’t be the only “supernatural problems” Mystic Falls will have to deal with next year.  Now, the not-so-sleepy Virginia town will also have to contend with . . . WEREWOLVES.

If you recall, during the show’s spectacular Season 1 finale episode, “Founders’ Day,” both Tyler Lockwood (played by Michael Trevino) . . .

. . . and his father, the Mayor, exhibited some “wolfy” tendencies, when faced with a “witchy” invention, whose intended purpose was to immobilize supernatural creatures.  Unfortunately, Mayor Lockwood didn’t survive the episode.

But, apparently, this means that his younger, hotter, brother must come to town and step into his shoes, or, perhaps more accurately, his doggie booties . . .

According to Michael Ausiello, over at Entertainment Weekly, the folks down at The Vampire Diaries have recently put out the following casting call:

Mason Lockwood: Described as Tyler’s “cool” uncle, Mason is sexy and athletic and possesses an easygoing charm. Though he has more control than his nephew, he can “flip in an instant” if crossed. Seeking Latin or Caucasian actors in their 30s for this recurring role.

Riiiiight, because that’s EXACTLY what The Vampire Diaries needs . . . MORE HOT MEN THAT LOOK GOOD WITH THEIR SHIRTS OFF (or open) . . .

Blatant male objectification aside, I thought it might be fun for me to try my hand at casting Mason Lockwood.  Here are my top five picks, in no particular order . . .

1) Michael Rosenbaum

Age: 37 (but he turns 38 on July 11th)

Where you’ ve seen him before:  He played Lex Luthor on Smallville.

Why he’d make a good Mason:  Let’s face it, no one does “sexy villian on a teen drama” like Michael Rosenbaum (except, maybe, Ian Somerhalder,  ;)).  Not only is Michael already a familiar face on the CW network, he’s definitely got the acting chops to pull off a “two-natured” (in more ways than one) role like this one.  It also might be nice to seem him in a role where he has HAIR, for a change . . .

2) Milo Ventimiglia

Age: 33 (just turned on July 8th – Happy belated, Milo!  What’s with me picking all these July babies for this role?)

Where you’ve seen him before: He played Peter Petrelli on Heroes and Jesse Mariano on Gilmore Girls.

Why he’d make a good Mason: Like Michael Rosenbaum, Milo is no stranger to the CW network (See Gilmore Girls reference above).  Nor would he be out of his element on a show featuring supernatural elements (See Heroes reference above).  Milo has already proven himself capable of playing a charming and likeable, yet volatile, persona.  He also bears a striking resemblance to Michael Trevino, who would play his nephew on the show.  And did you SEE that body?  Need I say more?

3) Scott Speedman

Age: 34

Where you’ve seen him before:  He played Ben Covington on Felicity, and Michael Corvin in all those Underworld movies.

Why he’d make a good Mason:  I can’t think of better preparation for playing a werewolf on a show featuring vampires and werewolves, than starring in a movie series as a  vampire / werewolf hybrid.  Can you?  Unlike Michael and Milo, Scott never starred on the CW, but he DID star on its predecessor channel, the WB, during his Felicity years.  Through Scott’s previous roles, he has definitely shown that he has enough innate masculinity and barely suppressed rage to fit in with the Lockwood clan.  And that uniquely raspy voice of his?  Pure sex . . .

4) Paul Walker

Age: 36

Where you’ve seen him before: Those Fast and Furious movies

Why he’d make a good Mason:  I’m not gonna lie.  I chose Paul almost exclusively for his beauty . . . and his body . . . and because Kerr Smith and Benjamin McKenzie are both already tied up with other television shows.  What can I say?  I’m only human!

5) Jesse Metcalfe

Age: 31

Where you’ve seen him before: He played that hot lawnmower dude, John, who got it on with Eva Langoria on Desperate Housewives.  He also played the title role in John Tucker Must Die.  (Too bad this character isn’t named “John.”  Because Jesse would have had the role in the bag.)

Why he’d make a good Mason:  Like Milo, I think Jesse kind of looks like Michael Trevino, which would weigh in his favor, for a part like this.  Plus, if these werewolves are anything like the werewolves in the Twilight series, they are going to have to be shirtless A LOT.  Clearly, this will be NO problem for Jesse.  On a more serious (and slightly selfish) note, Jesse Metcalfe is a very talented actor, and I’d really like to see him on my small screen again. 

 (Note:  When I was researching this post, I learned that Jesse Metcalfe is actually set to star in a new Jerry Bruckheimer-produced NBC pilot this fall, entitled Chase.  But everyone knows that most pilots don’t actually get picked up by the networks.  So as far as I am concerned, he’s still in the running  😉 . . .)

So, those are my picks.   Who would YOU cast as Mason Lockwood?

[ Season 2 of the Vampire Diaries premieres Thursday, September 9th at 8 p.m. on the CW Network. ]

P.S.  Apparently, less than 24-hours after I wrote this blog post, the producers over at The Vampire Diaries released their ACTUAL casting choice for Mason Lockwood.  (Special thanks to Amy, over at the always entertaining and fabulously fangirly imaginarymen blog, and first commenter Ellen O., for the late-breaking scoop!)  And the winner is . . . THIS GUY . . .

Taylor Kinney, who was best known for his role as EMT Glenn Morris on the NBC drama Trauma.  (Hey, that rhymes!)  And, just in case you were curious, here’s what he looks like without his shirt on . . .

Welcome to Fangirl Land, Mr. Kinney!  Prepare to be shamelessly objectified!

Hot Times, Summer in TV Land – What shows will YOU be watching during the “off-season?”

 

Hey!  Where did everybody go?

Remember when “original television programming,” during the summer season, meant nothing more than a bunch of lame ass game shows . . .

 . . . and mind-numbing reality series?

Well . . . it still does.

Fortunately, however, thanks to an increasing number of “pay” cable channels opting to provide their fans with original series ALL YEAR ROUND, summer television sucks a heck of a lot less than it did, say, five-years ago.

This morning, I was browsing through the online edition of Entertainment Weekly, when I came across this very cool article, which briefly summarized what television shows will be gracing our small screens this summer.  Based on this article, and some additional research on my part, I managed to compile a surprisingly full “Summer TV Watching Roster” for myself.  Here’s a list of the shows that made my “watch list.”

THE VETERANS, a.k.a shows that I’ve watched in the past, and think are AWESOME — Therefore, I will watch them again . . .

True Blood

Premieres Sunday, June 13th at 9pm on HBO.

This one sort of goes without saying, doesn’t it?  Particularly, since I have already been yammering on about the show on this blog, FOR WEEKS!  I mean, honestly, what could be better than a super raunchy, hilarious, and at-times very scary show, featuring all of the things I love best?  For the past two seasons it has been on the air, every SINGLE hour of True Blood has been jam packed with:

Shirtless Men;

Vampires;

Sex (sometimes, even ORGIES!);

Blood;

Love triangles;

and people who talk with funny accents!  And if that hasn’t sold you yet, this BRAND NEW extended trailer definitely WILL . . .

Entourage

Premieres Sunday, June 27th at 10:30 p.m. on HBO.

It’s hard to believe that this show is already heading into its SEVENTH SEASON!  It seems like only yesterday that “new hot young movie star” Vinnie Chase and his boys — uptight Eric, loveable loser Turtle, and dimwited has-been Johnny Drama — were making waves in the L.A. party scene, by bedding all the underage ladies, and pissing off all the celebrity guest stars. 

 Then again, maybe it WAS yesterday.  After all, one of the best things about Entourage is how comfortingly predictable it is.  Sure, Vinnie Chase is slightly less new and certainly less young than he was in early seasons.  And, yes,  his “hotness” as a character always tended to wax and wane, depending on what fake movie he was starring in, during a particular season (and how big his hair was at the time).  But other than that, most of the show’s episodes followed a pretty basic formula, and that formula WORKED! 

Basically, I think a lot of Entourage‘s long running success has to do with how well it caters to the basic male fantasy.  Seriously, what GUY wouldn’t want to do virtually nothing all day, but party with his friends and various celebrities (The latter usually drop in for cameos, playing exaggeratedly douchey versions of themselves).  And, yet, still be rich, successful, and highly oversexed?  Here is an example of a typical scene you might see during a run-of-the-mill episode of Entourage . . .

In conclusion, if you are a “dude,” or a girl who likes watching “dudes” do their thing on television, Entourage is the summer show for you!

Mad Men

Premieres Sunday, July 25th at 10 p.m. on AMC

A few months back, I wrote a blog entry that sort of functioned as unofficial tribute to all things Mad Men.  It has been almost a year since this one-hour drama, set during the early 1960s, about the employees of a successful New York City advertising agency, graced my television set.  And yet, I STILL consider the show to be one of the best written and most intelligent programs on television today.  (ESPECIALLY since Lost and The Sopranos are no longer on TV . . .).

The show’s third season finale was just JAM PACKED with OMFG moments.  Most notably, both Sterling AND Cooper QUIT Sterling & Cooper (along with the show’s main protagonist, Don Draper, and MOST of the other series regulars on the show) to start their OWN AD AGENCY!

Huh?

Wait a second . . . didn’t Sterling and Cooper ALREADY HAVE their own ad agency?  You know . . . the one that was NAMED after them!  Well . . . yes . . .  technically . . . But then this British ad agency came and bought them out.  Except, THAT agency ended up just wanting to . . . Well . . . maybe you should just Netflix Season 3, and see for yourself . . .

Oh, and did I mention that TV Super Couple, Don and Betty, are getting a divorce?

Or that I AM IN LOVE with Pete Campbell / Vincent Kartheiser?

Sorry . . . completely irrelevant, I know.  Sometimes, I just can’t help myself.

Having crafted a brilliant and unexpected Season 3 finale, it looks as though the Mad Men writers have laid the groundwork for what will undoubtedly be an exciting new season . . .

My Boys

Premieres, Sunday, July 25th at 10 pm on TBS (It looks like I’ll be taping this one . . .)

Television watching can’t be ALL DRAMA, ALL THE TIME, can it?  Especially during those hot summer months, I always like to throw a little light comedy into my TV watching schedule.  For the past three years, this little sitcom, about a twenty-something sports journalist from Chicago, and her rag tag gaggle of guy friends, has fit the bill just fine.  At the end of last season, P.J. tried to cope with her ex-boyfriend, Bobby’s upcoming marriage, by hooking up with Bobby’s older brother on the night of Bobby’s wedding. 

Sounds like a great idea, right?  And, perhaps, it would be, if Bobby didn’t walk in on the couple in flagrante, just as he was on the verge of telling P.J. that he still had feelings for HER!

My Boys may not be the most original sitcom out there, nor is it the funniest.  And yet, I’ve always found it enjoyable to watch.  Plus, TWO of P.J.’s “boys” are particularly easy on the eyes (Take a look at the cast pic above, and you will see exactly who I mean), which certainly doesn’t hurt . . .

THE ROOKIES, a.k.a. new shows I am willing to give the privilege of having a temporary slot on my TV-watching “dance card,” until they inevitably disappoint me with their suckiness . . .

The Gates

Premieres Sunday, June 20th at 10pm on ABC.

 

Interestingly enough, this show, about a snooty suburban community that just so happens to house residents with supernatural powers, was the only one on basic (non-pay) cable to make my Summer TV Watching list.  What can I say?   I’ve always been a “sucker” (pun intended) for a good vampire tale . . .

Haven

Premieres Friday, July 9th at 10pm on the SyFy

This “mystery-of-the week” type drama, created and produced by the same people who brought you The Dead Zone, has been described as “Twin Peaks meets the X-Files” ( says Entertainment Weekly), with a little bit of Fringe thrown in for good measure.  The show follows two FBI agents, as they investigate strange supernatural happenings (Are you noticing a pattern here?) occurring in a small town in Maine.  The program is purportedly based on a novella by Stephen King, entitled The Colorado Kid (as opposed to “The Maine Kid”?).

Stephen King tales tend to be genuinely spooky, with excellent plotting and great characterization to boot.  I’m hoping this series offers some of that as well.  Though I’m not generally a fan of horror, for whatever reason, I always find myself drawn to “scary” shows, during the summer months.   It looks like this summer will be no exception.  Plus, I like the fact that, unlike the other shows on my list, this show isn’t serialized.  So, if I have to miss an episode or two, I won’t be completely lost.

Melissa and Joey

Premieres Tuesday August 17th at 8pm on ABC Family

OK, I’m going to be completely honest here.  I’m pretty sure this show is gong to be AWFUL!  And yet, the little kid in me simply can’t resist the chance to see two of her favorite 90’s “teen idols” all-grown up, and starring in a show TOGETHER! 

Apparently, these two (Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence) starred in one of those lame made-for-tv movies, a little while back, and were such “a hit” together, that they decided to try for something a bit more permanent.  The sitcom is about a local politician (Hart) and a bankrupt Wall Street type (Lawrence), who end up living together.   Let the hilarity ensure!

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a promo for this show anywhere on the internet.  So, in honor of Hart and Lawrence, I’ve decided to show you THESE instead . . .

A nice hefty helping of CHEESE with your blog!  You’re welcome!

So, there you have it, my Summer TV Watch list .  . . what’s on YOURS?

 

 

Would the REAL Charlotte Lewis please stand up? (A Tale of Mistaken Identity, Blog-style)

I don’t tend to air my personal stuff on this blog.  However, I thought my fellow bloggers might find this tale to be particularly amusing.  You might have even experienced something like it for yourselves.  So, I decided to share it . . .

 So, I was browsing through today’s blog statistics, and noticed they were abnormally high.  This is great, right?  “You should be happy,” you say.

 But me, being the pessimistic person I am, I was a bit skeptical of my sudden “burst in popularity,” and decided to research a bit further.  I found out that the post that was raking in most of my hits was, oddly enough, a months old recap for the television show Lost, entitled,  “Keep Your Shirt off Sawyer!”

Now, granted, old as the post may be, it has ALWAYS been one of my more popular posts.  And, while, I would like to think, it is because the blogosphere truly values my “mad recapping skills,” I think it actually has more to do with the post’s slightly bawdy title . . . Oh, and did I mention it contains A LOT of sexy Josh Holloway as Sawyer pictures?  Like, for example, this one . . .

 . . . which I actually think I used about 3 or 4 times in the same post, because I liked it so much.  And this one . . .

 . . . featuring Josh Holloway as Sawyer, and Ken Leung as his bromantic buddy, Miles.  The above picture may not show as much skin as the first, but it’s still hot, in a homoerotic, Brokeback Mountain, sort of way.  Then of course, there was this one . . .

I have three words for you . . . BEAR . . . CAGE . . . SEX.

Now, while I know you all love Sawyer, that still didn’t explain HOW MUCH more popular this particular post was today, as opposed to say .  . . after the Lost episode I was writing about actually aired.  So, I decided to dig a little deeper.  And what I noticed was that an INSANE number of people found my blog today by searching for “Charlotte Lewis,” and a very good number of those searchers, clicked on this picture . . .

 . . . and this picture . . .

Both of which, of course, feature the actress Rebecca Mader, who played the now-dead Lost character named  . . .  you guessed it . . . CHARLOTTE LEWIS!

So, at this point, I got REALLY excited!

You see, I remembered that next week’s upcoming installment of Lost, the penultimate of the series, is entitled “What They Died For.”  And based on this article featured in Entertainment Weekly, I deduced that the episode might include some very intriguing island flashbacks of some heretofore dead Losties (including Charlotte Lewis), and explain . . . drumroll please . . . “what they died for.”  And THAT got me to thinking that SOMEONE on the World Wide Web had recently released some interesting information about the Charlotte Lewis character, and her upcoming Lost appearance, that I hadn’t heard about yet.

So, being the nosy nelly I am, I opened up my computer search engine, and, as many of YOU obviously did today, I typed in . . . wait for it . . . “Charlotte Lewis.”

The first article that popped up in my search was one entitled Charlotte Lewis claims she was sexually abused by Roman Polanski.

Huh?  Roman Polanski sexually abused a dead fictional character on Lost? 

Ooh, you’re gonna be sorry, Mr. Polanski, the Smoke Monster doesn’t take kindly to that . . .

But seeing as the above scenario is highly unlikely (But wouldn’t it be cool, if it were true?).  I decided to actually READ the internet article.

Shocking, I know.  Anyway, it turns out that this is the REAL Charlotte Lewis  .  . .

(Photo “borrowed” from Stir Online Magazine)

Apparently, back in the ’80s, this Charlotte Lewis was kind of a hottie.  She had a few bit parts in movies, and appeared in Playboy a bunch of times . . .

She actually looks a bit like actress Tia Carrerre, no?

So, apparently, according to Charlotte Lewis . . .

Yeah . . . that one.

Polanski sexually abused her, when she was only 16, while the two were on the set of Polanski’s film Pirates . . .

“ARRRRR!  Walk the plank . . . in MY PANTS!”

 . . . now maybe I’m wrong, and this was a fabulous film, but it sure looks lame from that poster.  (Not that making a lame film, is any excuse for allegedly raping teens, because it’s NOT!)

But what’s interesting is that, without researching my blog stats today, I might never have learned this important piece of information.  So, thank you WordPress!  Oh, and to all those blog searchers (that are clearly better informed than I am), who mistakenly stumbled upon my blog, while looking for information on Roman Polanski and non-Lost character Charlotte Lewis, my sincere apologies.  Here, let me give you something, to make it up to you . . .

I assume that all is forgiven now, RIGHT?

(Oh, and if anyone else out there has a fun “mistaken identity” blog tale, please feel free to stop by and share . . .)

“Hey, Show That Made Me Famous, YOU SUCK! Now give me my big fat check . . .”

“Hello everybody!  I’d like to introduce you to my High Horse!”

This week was a busy one for Outspoken TV Starlets.  It began with Katherine Heigl announcing that she was leaving Grey’s Anatomy, and that her formerly “temporary” hiatus from the show had just become a permanent one.  Thus making for a sort of unplanned, and awkward, ending for her character, Izzie Stevens. 

“Nice knowing ya, Emmy! Looks like I’ll never be seeing YOU again!”

 Then, later in the week, Entertainment Weekly released this “Sorry, I was such a bitch before,” interview from the absentee starlet.

Even LATER in the week, during an interview with the AV Club, Big Love star, Chloe Sevigny, had some not-so-nice things to say about her beloved HBO series’ rocky fourth season.

“The bad news is, I put my foot in my mouth.  The good news is, now a lot of people are going to start renting “The Brown Bunny” again to watch me put something ELSE in there . . .”

Here’s what she said . . .

AVC: This past season of Big Love has taken a lot of flak for being so over-the-top.

CS: It was awful this season, as far as I’m concerned. I’m not allowed to say that! [Gasps.] It was very telenovela. I feel like it kind of got away from itself. The whole political campaign seemed to me very farfetched. I mean, I love the show, I love my character, I love the writing, but I felt like they were really pushing it this last season. And with nine episodes, I think they were just squishing too much in. HBO only gave us nine Sundays, because they have so much other original programming—especially with The Pacific—and they only have a certain amount of Sundays per year, so we only got nine Sundays. I think that they had more story than episodes. I think that’s what happened.

AVC: It sort of became like Mormon Dynasty. 

CS: [Laughs.] I know, I know. I’ve heard a lot of other things like that.

AVC: What was it like when they first laid out what they wanted to accomplish this season? What was your reaction?

CS: They don’t. We only get it episode to episode. We never know what’s going to happen in the next episode until we’re almost finished shooting the one we’re shooting at present. Me and the girls [Jeanne Tripplehorn and Ginnifer Goodwin] definitely were not very happy with where it was going—or more kind of, “We really hope it’s going to work. It seems like they’re really pushing it.” I think next season, they’re going to go back to more just the family. I think that the stuff with Ben and Lois and that stuff was really great in Mexico, but… [Laughs.]

You can find THAT interview in its entirety here.

Of course, one day later, Chloe made HER obligatory mea culpa  . . . sort of.

“Just kidding!  LOL!”

What happened? Why’d you say it?
SEVIGNY: [Long pause] I feel like what I said was taken out of context, and the [reporter] I was speaking to was provoking me. I was in Austin [at the SXSW festival] and really exhausted and doing a press junket and I think I just… I wasn’t thinking about what I was saying. You know, after a day of junkets sometimes things slip out that you don’t mean, and I obviously didn’t mean what I said in any way, shape, or form. I love being on the show. I have nothing but respect and admiration for our writers and everybody involved with the show . . .

(It looks like she’s playing a bit of a “blame game” with the interviewer in question, which makes her apology seem a bit less than sincere . . . ).

You can read the rest of this SECOND interview here.

*          *           *              *

I have to admit, I am a bit torn, regarding my views on this type of “talk” from actors and actresses regarding their shows.  On one hand, I was a journalism major in college, and I went to law school after that.  Plus, I am a blogger and sort-of novelist in my spare time.  So, the First Amendment and I?  We are pretty close . . .

And, yes, Katherine Heigl and Chloe Sevigny kind of have a point when it comes to certain decisions that their writers have made regarding the shows on which they star (or formerly starred, in the case of Katherine).

As far as television romances go, “Gizzie” was kind of lame (And, let’s be honest, the moniker is vaguely pornographic, but NOT in a sexy way . . .)

“Perhaps “Spermie” would be more appropriate?”

And, then there were those bizarro episodes where Izzie cheated on Karev, by having Hallucination Sex with Dead Denny . . .

“It was a tight economy!  I wanted to save money on condoms!”

Oh, and let’s not forget that episode where Izzie saved the DEER!

“What the f*ck is this?  They told me I would get to be on Lost!  Get my agent on the phone, NOW!”

And as far as Big Love is concerned?  There WERE some good storylines during Season 4.  But there were also a lot of not-so-good ones . . .

Sorry Sissy . . .

ON THE OTHER HAND . . .

Actresses like Katherine Heigl and Chloe Sevigny are extremely fortunate people.  In a world where everyone and their mother wants to work in Hollywood, they are actually doing it.  In an economy, where 10 plus %of the country is unemployed, Katherine and Chloe are regularly pulling in big pay checks, living in large homes, and taking very long HIATUSES a.k.a.  vacations, every year . . . 

When you are on a show that has been around as long as Grey’s Anatomy, or even Big Love, you are bound to run across some bad storylines, weak episodes, and character inconsistencies.  And, yes, an actor or actress is certainly entitled to his or her opinion about the direction in which their show is traveling.  However, to express one’s grievances so publicly and in such a harsh manner, just seems a bit tacky to me, and a tad ungrateful.  

There are millions of actors and actresses out there who would literally KILL for an opportunity to be part of a GIZZIE, or have tumor-induced hallucination sex, or get artificially inseminated with their television daughter’s egg . . . but they CAN’T, because those jobs are already taken by people who don’t seem to really appreciate them.

 If I  ran crying to the news media every time I had a work-related gripe, I’d be willing to bet my bosses wouldn’t be as “supportive and understanding” as the producers of Grey’s Anatomy  or Big Love have been.  In fact, I’d probably be on the unemployment line so fast, I wouldn’t even have time to steal a Red Swingline Stapler from my desk . . .

“MY PRECIOUS . . .”

By denigrating their shows in this way, Katherine and Chloe were not only sticking it to the producers (who, in both cases, took a chance on them when they were fledgling stars, and helped to build their careers), they were also sticking it to the hardworking writers of their shows, their costars, and US, the fans, who have stuck by these series through thick and thin, and may or may not have agreed with all of their assessments. 

I don’t know about you, but when I watch a television program, I LIKE to separate from reality, and pretend the characters on the screen are real.  I can’t do THAT, if everytime I see Nikki Grant on screen, I imagine her inwardly rolling her eyes, and thinking, “Ugghh, not this awful Senate storyline again . . .”

But, then again . . . maybe, that’s just ME . . .

 

Hey, remember that show Party of Five? Do you think Dr. Jack Shepard does?

 

Matthew Fox IS Dr. Jack Shephard.  And I am pretty sure he will continue to BE Dr. Jack Shephard, for better or worse,  LONG after Lost airs its season finale.  However, when the first season of Lost aired, back in 2004, I found that I couldn’t look at “Jack” without thinking, “Hey, isn’t that the guy from that show I used to watch back when I was a kid?  The one with all the hot orphans?”

Dude, you’re just burying your dad NOW?  Hasn’t he been dead since 1994?

For those of you unfamiliar with the show, Party of Five was an hour-long drama that aired during the mid through late nineties.  The show revolved around the five Salinger siblings, who were forced to raise one another, after both of their parents were killed in a tragic drunk driving accident.  The clan included, early twenty-something Charlie Salinger (Matthew Fox), teens Julia and Bailey, young violin prodigy Claudia, and baby Owen.  

The acting on Party of Five was top notch.  It is no wonder that many of these “child stars” went on to have major movie and film careers.

Aside from Mathew Fox, there was . . .

the adorable Scott Wolf, who now stars in ABC’s show V;

Is it just me, or does this guy never age?  According to IMDB, he’s in his 40s now, and could probably STILL play a high schooler (well . . . maybe college).

Neve Campbell, who you might remember from the Scream movies;

Lacey Chabert of Mean Girls fame;

Ghost Whisperer Jennifer Love Hewitt; and

Jeremy London, who I always confuse with his twin brother, Jason.  He used to be pretty big in the ’90s. Now, I think, he just does a lot of Lifetime movies . . .

As a child, who was still a bit young to understand the true tragedy that had actually befallen the Salingers, I remember thinking about how much fun it would be to live in a house run by teenagers.  To eat pizza every night for dinner.  To sleep in a tent in the living room, like the Claudia character did (I was about that character’s age, at the time the show aired, so her living arrangements made TOTAL sense to me).  To not always have to clean up after myself (but, if you absolutely HAD to do chores, there would inevitably be singing and dancing involved). . .

Plus, I was an only child.  So I would have killed for a cool older sister, like Julia, to emulate, or a cool older brother like Bailey to pal around with.  And if I couldn’t be Claudia, and have Bailey for a big brother, I would have loved to date him like the shy bookish girl-next-door, Sarah Reeves.  I had a HUGE crush on Scott Wolf back then.  And even though I was closest in age to the Claudia character, Jennifer Love Hewitt’s Sarah reminded me most of myself.

Like most teen dramas, the show dealt with the typical issues that young adults face during their adolescence: friends, dating, academics, puberty, peer pressure, etc.  However, it also had added layers of complexity, involving the unique challenges associated with raising a family at a very young age.  Additionally, there were a couple of really powerful episodes, during the first season, that addressed the death of the Salinger parents, and how each character coped when forced to come face-to-face with the drunk driver who killed them.

Because you tend to watch television shows very differently in your pre-teens than in your twenties, I took the liberty of Netflixing the first season of Party of Five a few months back.  I am pleased to report it has withstood the test of time.  If anything, I appreciated the show more, upon second viewing, because I better understood its dramatic subtext and complex character relationships.

Like most shows, Party of Five went off the rails a bit in its final couple of seasons.  In my opinion, it became WAY too maudlin.  This is not to say that Charlie’s cancer storyline, and Bailey’s battles with alcoholism, weren’t well written.  They just weren’t exactly a joy to watch.  Plus, there was that oddly funny, but completely out-of-place plotline, involving the youngest child Owen, and his newfound penchant for cross-dressing.  I guess the show’s writers inserted the story as a means of comic relief, but I sort of didn’t get it . . .

Lackluster final seasons aside, Party of Five was a major player on my ’90s television viewing roster, which is why I decided to give it a shout out here.  And, who knows, maybe clips from the show will pop up in a Lost Dr. Jack Shepard flashback, sometime soon?  Boy would Entertainment Weekly’s Doc Jensen have a field day with that!

Grey’s Anatomy News Flash!: The Gasman Leaveth (seriously)

It seems like it was only three episodes ago, that we were meeting sexy Dr. Ben, a.k.a. the Gas Man, for the first time, and rooting for him to dethaw the icy walls of Miranda Bailey’s heart . . . Oh, wait . . . it WAS three episodes ago!  So you could imagine my surprise, when I opened up my Entertainment Weekly (online, of course), and came across this little gem . . .

“Oh HELL NO!!!”

Apparently, that bitchy resident from last week’s flashback episode isn’t the only one who has it in for our feisty heroine . . .

“I’ll get you my pretty, and your little (VERY little) love life too!”

. . . Shondra Rhimes is getting in on the act too.  Seemingly, just minutes after Bailey and Ben became an official item, Rhimes kidnapped Dr. Ben (who is played by Jason George) and whisked him off to star in yet another one of her pilots.  The name of the drama pilot responsible for the “Gas Man Snatching” is Off the Map.  And I bet you can’t guess what it’s about?

  . . . wait for it . . .

DOCTORS!!!!!

Yes, Rhimes has seemingly murdered Bailey’s last chance to get laid, all for a show about medics who practice at a clinic on a tropical island.  A medical drama?  About doctors who practice a laid-back form of medicine in a relaxed climate?  What a novel idea!

Oh . . . nevermind.

Sorry Bailey, it looks like your man has just been Addisoned . . .

“What the heck are you so smiley about?”

To boycott on Bailey’s behalf, I urge you all refuse to watch Private Practice.  Wait . . . we already do that . . .