Something's not right in L.A.'s Priority Homicide division.

The writers on the fourth season of The Closer — TNT's hit drama series starring Kyra Sedgwick as a calm, no-nonsense, tough-as-nails professional Deputy Chief trying to command respect in a man's world while battling a fondness for sweets — have apparently decided that what cable's most-watched Emmy award-winning show really needs is More! Kyra! Naked!

Well, more Kyra in her underwear, anyway. And before some of you ask, no, this is not a good thing — not like this, anyway.

So far this season, Sedgwick's character Brenda Lee Johnson has been shown at length in her underwear or lingerie twice, once in each episode — double the number of times she has ever been shown undressed in the entire first three seasons — for reasons that appear to advance the plot not a whit. It's out of character, and it's jarring, like watching your co-worker suddenly strip down in front of you at the office. An attractive co-worker to be sure, but it still feels wrong. … continue reading

We're back in our regular groove this week, bringing you fun television highlights (and clips!) from the last few weeks from shows like 30 Rock, Blood Ties, and Moonlight.

And don't think we ignored Sarah Shahi's lesbian kiss on Life!

We've bucketed this week's shows into categories in our vlog. Can you guess which category applies to which show, before you watch?

I'll give you one hint: Women's Murder Club gets "Most Improved" — we tell you why in the vlog, and show you a scene involving a lesbian character in a recent episode. … continue reading

Choosing a favorite television character seems a little like choosing a favorite child. I don’t have kids, but I have cats — same thing, right? My favorite varies according to which one wakes me up at 4 a.m. or which one insists on sitting on my keyboard when I have a lot to do or which one throws up in my shoe.

Yet, the brave writers at Slate inspired me with a list of the characters they were most happy to see again in the new television season. Some of their choices make sense.

Others make me scratch my head. … continue reading

Ah, it's September: Time for the new fall TV schedule. It's always an exciting time in TV land, high with expectations and anticipation. New shows arrive and old favorites pick up where they left us hanging from a cliff the previous season. Yay to new TV! But uh-oh: This new TV season has a cloud hanging over its head. The writers may strike, and that may force TV and film production in the U.S. to shut down cold in October. Boo to that possibility. Networks are now dealing with a bad case of the "what ifs," as this article explains.

A strike would leave the major U.S. networks with only a fraction of the episodes completed for the various shows scheduled to air in prime time. What's a network to do? If TV creativity comes to a screeching halt, what will be the replacement? Even more non-scripted reality shows? Game shows? Nighttime news programming? Quelle horreur! The networks need a plan quick, and they are looking to international productions, independent productions and maybe even their own cable networks for a few loans. I must admit that I find the idea of pilfering from cable somewhat intriguing. It's not that I want a strike, believe me. But if it happens, just think of the exposure and boost some of our favorite shows with our favorite women might get if their parent networks were to showcase them as regular programming.

NBC owns USA, Bravo and Sci-Fi. With USA's Burn Notice (featuring Gabrielle Anwar), NBC could actually show a relatively new program with decent reviews. Sci-Fi channel could offer Battlestar Galactica, and just like that, true intergalactic science fiction could return to a major network at no real added cost.

And rather than creating more reality programming, NBC could air Bravo's Project Runway and Top Chef. Oh my, Padma Lakshmi in prime-time network glory? Be still my Padma-loving heart.

ABC is owned by Disney. Goodness, do they have an array of programs to choose from. Hannah Montana has 5 million viewers on the Disney Channel! Oh, and do not rule out a nice ABC ratings boost with as showing of High School Musical and High School Musical 2. Disney is also in a joint partnership with Hearst, making the Lifetime channel possible: Is there an Army Wives in ABC's future? … continue reading

Leading off the first segment of our video blog this weekend, Lori and I detail the many reasons we hated the pilot Lipstick Jungle (NBC), the mid-season drama from Sex and the City's Candace Bushnell that stars Lindsay Price, Brooke Shields, and Kim Raver as high-powered business women who "aren't looking for Mr. Big, they are Mr. Big" (we wish!).

Then we discuss the latest episodes of Damages (FX), The Closer (TNT), and The Best Years (The N), the South of Nowhere (The N) season premiere, and what we'd do if we had Ashley's $12.5 million inheritance. … continue reading

Tonight on The Late Late Show, Craig Ferguson welcomes Kyra Sedgwick and Paula Poundstone. Yes, that's two of my faves on the same talk show! Pinch me.

Speaking of dreams versus reality, in my own little world, I call Kyra Sedgwick "Kedgwick." I think it sounds like a British manor I'd like to visit. And I call Paula Poundstone "hilarious." But that's not very original.

Anyway, Sedgwick will no doubt be discussing The Closer, and Poundstone will probably talk about the syndicated Jury Duty, which debuts in September. On that show, celebrities will serve as jury members. I'm betting Poundstone will have to endure some sarcastic comments. Other jurors slated for service include Phyllis Diller, Tiffany, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Charlene Tilton and Lee Meriwether. Whoa. Charlene Tilton?!

In the second segment of our video blog this week (watch the first one on Lesbians and Ladies Rooms here), Lori and I rate and review the movies and TV shows we watched in the past 10 days or so, which include the new Harry Potter movie Order of the Phoenix, Gray Matters, Puccini for Beginners, Girltrash, Hell's Kitchen(Fox), Army Wives (Lifetime), Baldwin Hills (BET), Greek (ABC Family), Entourage (HBO), The Closer (TNT), Standoff (Fox), and the History Channel documentary The Star Wars Legacy.

Yes, I realize it looks like Lori and I did nothing but watch TV and movies this week, but we're discussing a few TV episodes from the previous week, too, and it's not very often that a Harry Potter movie and two lesbian movies get released around the same time. If only they would put a lesbian in a Harry Potter movie, our life would be complete!

You'll notice a few differences in this segment: We didn't use captions because it would have taken WAY too long, since we covered so much ground in this one — and as much as I like doing this vlog, I don't want to give up my entire Sunday for it. But we'll still use captions whenever it makes sense (which will be often).

We're also using this segment to introduce our new Bunny Designation System (BDS), which is sort of like a rating system, but with bunnies. It's hard to explain, but basically ... Lori likes bunnies. And it was better than anything else we could come up with. So if you don't like it, no chocolate from the Easter Bunny for you this year! … continue reading

Friday night's episode of Painkiller Jane was weirdly lesbianish, The Closer's third-season opener was (mostly) great, and the newest episodes of Standoff and Hidden Palms were pretty good, but probably only watched by me.

This morning I was talking to my girlfriend Lori about these shows, and it occurred to me that instead of writing up a blog post about all of them, I could just set up our new web cam in our home office and record our conversation about it. After I bribed Lori with smoothies and cupcakes, she finally agreed to do it.

Just to set expectations, this is Lori’s first time doing anything on camera, our home office is badly in need of some art on the walls, and once the camera was on, we somehow wandered from talking about Painkiller Jane and The Closer to South of Nowhere, Maeve Quinlan, Stevie Nicks and Renee O'Connor. But if you don't mind those things, you might find this an amusing way to pass 10 minutes.

I also added some snarky commentary to it after the fact, just for the fun of it. Watch it now here: … continue reading

In Sunday's New York Times, an article titled "In the Prime of Their Time" focused on older actresses on TV. Here are the (kind of silly) opening lines:

"Botox and plastic surgery allow actress to look younger. Television is permitting them to act their age. Older stars who once had to resign themselves to playing frustrated spinsters or docile moms are suddenly flaunting their ripened sex appeal on television. It's not 'The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone' anymore. This season marks the summer of hot cougar love."

Let's all take a moment to roll our eyes at the "cougar" thing. OK, done? Anyway, the first name mentioned in the article is, of course, Kyra Sedgwick's — The Closer starts its third season today (TNT, 9/8c). But Sedgwick's character, Deputy Police Chief Brenda Johnson, is dating someone age-appropriate, so the rest of the article focuses on some saucier pairings.

Too bad this photo of Holly Hunter and Laura San Giacomo doesn't actually depict a couple. They're just co-stars, in Saving Grace, which premieres July 18 on TNT. Hunter plays a cynical cop with a touched-by-an-angel-ish shot at redemption.

… continue reading

Kyra Sedgwick is the guest on tonight's episode of Inside the Actors Studio (Bravo, 8/7c). I'm sure it's no coincidence that The Closer returns next week (June 18 on TNT at 9/8c). But any reason is a good one if it means more Sedgwick on the screen.

Sedgwick's lesbian following, of which I am a happy member, goes waaay back. For me, it all began with Losing Chase (1996), in which she was lucky enough to lock lips with Helen Mirren. Sure, she ran away after that fateful kiss, but that's probably because Mirren is so irresistible and gorgeous. (Yes, I do enjoy my delusions.) … continue reading

by Sarah Warn

FX has ordered 13 episodes of a new Glenn Close legal thriller Damages, to debut this summer. The drama stars Close as Patty Hewes, one of America's foremost litigators going after corporate titans. Her co-stars include Rose Byrne (Marie Antoinette, Wicker Park), Ted Danson (Help Me Help You), Tate Donovan (The O.C.) and Zeljko Ivanek (Hannibal, Black Hawk Down).

According to FX Networks president and GM John Landgraf, Damages is "a very well-written, well-acted thriller, a legal show that never goes into the court room. It's very unusual relative to any legal shows you've seen."

Hmmm. I might have more faith in FX if they weren't also considering renewing Dirt (according to the article), and "bullish" on their new show The Riches, which like Dirt, started off okay, then went downhill pretty quickly. On the other hand, a series starring Glenn Close is at least worth checking out.

But if FX thinks Damages is going to compete with TNT's The Closer as my favorite summer show, they're going to have to seriously step up their game. An hour of Kyra Sedgwick bringing down the bad guys while wearing those glasses? Thank you!