You know that saying, “Looks good on paper”? Everything about The Return of Jezebel James looked good on paper. Bring together the original Queen of the Indies Parker Posey, Six Feet Under darling Lauren Ambrose and Gilmore Girls mastermind Amy Sherman-Palladino and, on paper, the result should be sheer genius. But, in reality, oh dear no.

The show's two-episode premiere last Friday showed us the sad reality of potential unmet as set to the tone-deafening clatter of a laugh track. The setup is pretty simple. A pair of estranged sisters reunite when the older sister Sarah (Parker), an uptight children’s book editor, asks her younger sister Coco (Lauren), a directionless slacker, to be her surrogate. At this point you might be thinking, hey, the whole surrogacy thing worked for Juno. At this point, you would be wrong.

Jezebel James fails to work as either a zany odd-couple comedy or a touching sister-bonding story. The characters feel flat and forced, the dialogue is smug instead of snappy. Were there funny moments? Sure; this is still Amy and Parker and Lauren we’re talking about here. But the potential was so tangible, it makes the show's inevitable weaknesses even more glaring. … continue reading

Doesn't it suck when things that seem so, so great end up going so, so horribly wrong? No, I'm not talking about Eliot Spitzer, though that certainly is disheartening. I'm talking about The Return of Jezebel James, the new series from Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino. It stars Parker Posey, Lauren Ambrose and Dianne Weist. The premiere is tonight at 8/7c on Fox.

But that litany of great names might add up to nothing. The reviews and promo clips are not pretty. Says the L.A. Times,

The problem is that from these folks you expect a fascinating female lead, but you get instead every uptight, cellphone-clenching, relationship-avoiding, food-issue-riven working woman you've ever seen (and never met).

Uh-oh. Plus, there's a laugh track, which ... why? The Boston Globe notes that the show's stars deserve better:

With her soft deadpan and her renegade vibe, [Ambrose] doesn't belong within a mile of a laugh track. ... Posey, so adept at being both ironic and sympathetic, is no better off in this unfunny mire.

Sigh. Still, I'll probably tune in, and maybe it will be better than it sounds. Or at least better than reading one more headline about Spitzer.

On Saturday, Lifetime offers the return of Alyssa Milano, in Wisegal. She plays a young widow who ascends to power in the mob. I dunno, Lifetime, that's not a very impressive title — why not something like Mother, May I Sleep With the Mob Now That My Husband Is Neither My Stepson nor My Lover?

Milano also produced the film. The Lifetime website has a gallery called "Alyssa Milano: Through the Years" to keep you entertained until Wisegal debuts. It includes this cute photo: … continue reading

When I think of big movie stars, I always go right to the grand dames with long careers, like Meryl Streep, Helen Mirren, Susan Sarandon, Sigourney Weaver, Diane Keaton and Glenn Close, or to the supernovas who seemed to change the entire industry, like Barbra Streisand and Katharine Hepburn. I sometimes wonder: Do they make 'em like they used to? So I've been pondering the current crop of starlets, and am pleased to say that several babyfaces remind me of their more weathered forebears. Here are six pairs of actresses who have a lot in common despite their generation gaps.

1. The rebels: Ellen Page and Debra Winger

Both Page and Winger have that twinkle in their eyes that makes you wonder, each time they open their mouths to speak, whether you're about to be charmed or affronted. It's an edge that will keep me tuning in, even if somewhat trepidatiously. And Page, like Winger, seems inclined to do exactly (and only) what she wants to do.

2. The students: Lauren Ambrose and Jodie Foster … continue reading

Well, this is just depressing. And no, I don't mean this eye-crossing wardrobe malfunction. Coordinating outfits isn't just for lesbian twins, girls.

It's bad enough that Gilmore Girls is off the air (and that its last two seasons were senselessly awful); it's bad enough that some humorless moron thought TV audiences wouldn't understand that Amy Sherman-Palladino is funny without mutilating setting her snappy bantering dialogue to a laugh track. Now, the Ausiello Report brings grim tidings that the original order for 13 episodes of The Return of Jezebel James — our only hope for the return of Palladino's humor and the presence of Parker Posey and Lauren Ambrose on our TVs — has been slashed to seven. … continue reading

When Gilmore Girls said goodbye, many of us were left wondering when the show's creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino, would be back. We don't have much longer to wait. Her new effort, The Return of Jezebel James, is part of Fox's fall lineup. Add Parker Posey and Lauren Ambrose to the mix as the show's stars, and many of us have been eagerly anticipating the show's arrival.

Then, throw in the news from TVGuide.com that yet another Oscar-winning actress is making her way to TV land. That's right, Oscar winner, Broadway star, and frequent character mom Dianne Wiest is playing mom to Posey and Ambrose.

… continue reading

Of the many interesting offerings coming to a TV near you this fall (Hello, Bionic Woman. Nice to meet you, The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Come sit next to me, Pushing Daisies.), one I’ve most breathlessly anticipated is The Return of Jezebel James. My excitement can be summed up in two reasons: Parker Posey and Lauren Ambrose. OK, one more: Amy Sherman-Palladino.

Parker and Lauren teaming up in a laughfest by Gilmores Girls creator Sherman-Palladino? How could it not be brilliant? How? But after seeing promo clips for the new show, I went from delighted squeals to a deflated confusion. I wouldn't call it bad, but alas, it’s nowhere near brilliant. At least not yet. … continue reading

Today Fox and The CW announced their fall lineups, and one of the first things you might notice (due to its marked absence) is that Veronica Mars didn't make the cut. The CW hasn't included the low-rated but critically celebrated drama in their fall lineup. Remember when Veronica investigated the case of the gay cheerleader? R.I.P., Ms. Mars?

Among Fox's new fall lineup is one series that I am highly anticipating, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, starring Lena Headey (Imagine Me & You) in the title role that Linda Hamilton made famous.

According to the press release, here's what you can expect: … continue reading

At the end of “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” Sarah vanquished the liquid metal Terminator sent from the future to kill her teenage son, John. Sarah and John now find themselves alone in a very dangerous, complicated world.