Need something to help you pass the time today or usher in the weekend? Look no further: Hulu.com is here.

The new video site from NBC Universal and News Corp was officially launched last week, and if you haven't checked it out yet, you're missing something marvelous. The TV shows — which are very high quality and mostly full episodes — are from NBC, FOX, and the various affiliated cable networks like Bravo, FX, Sci Fi, Sundance and Oxygen. And the site offers movies, too (yes, full movies). And all of this for free (with occasional commercials). On demand.

Do I sound amazed? I kind of am. Here are some of the things I've been salivating over so far. (One caveat: Hulu.com is only available to U.S. users. Openhulu.com, after it has been updated, will provide access to users outside the U.S.)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Hulu has only Seasons 1 and 2 of Buffy right now, but what a great excuse to revisit the whole series from the beginning.

30 Rock

I can never decide who I love more: Tina Fey or Liz Lemon. Luckily, we don't have to choose.

Picket Fences

I loved this show when it first aired in the late '90s. Hulu has Season 1, including "Sugar & Spice," the episode in which Kimberly (Holly Marie Combs) kisses her friend Lisa (Alexondra Lee). I remember it well! … continue reading

I don't know about you guys, but the holidays (and our jam-packed editorial calendar) are making me feel a bit frazzled these days (no, I haven't had any tequila recently), as evidenced by the fact that I started off this episode of The Lo-Down with a typo. This week Sarah P. and I chat about A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila Episode 9, not Episode 8 as it says in the opening title, as well as Episode 10 ("Dig a Hole") of Life. Hey, at least that typo wasn't as bad as this one.

I also took note of your desires to have our vlog available on Daily Motion, so this time, instead of trying to edit our rambling down to 20 minutes, I cut the whole thing in two parts so that you can see them on either Veoh or Daily Motion. Here's what you can look forward to in Part 1: … continue reading

• Sarah reveals she, too, is actually starting to like Tila. ("Not that much!" Sarah insists.)
• Ding-dong! The witch Amanda is dead gone! But we will miss her rubber-tastic facial expressions.
• Dani's in the final two! Malinda and Sarah predict who will actually win a shot at love with Tila.
• Sarah Shahi gets kissed by a woman on Life, and why that should happen more often.
• If we were reincarnated, who would we come back as? Which is continued in ...

Yesterday you put up with my rant about the possibility of an untimely end to Battlestar Galactica. Today I have decided to grace you with a whiff of positivity. The same folks at NBC/Universal who are messing with my Starbuck fix have granted me more of Sarah Shahi, much to my pleasant surprise.

Recent news of a scheduling shift for Shahi's freshman series Life had me concerned about the ultimate fate of the show. (OK, Shahi isn't the "central" character, but she's close.) My original thought was, "Great, they're trying to wrap up what's left in the can so they can move on to other things." See, usually when I get sucked into a new show early in its run, I end up bemoaning its death after half a season or less. It happened to me last year with Studio 60, and it's happening again with Bionic Woman. At least in the case of Bionic Woman, it didn't take me long to jump off the bandwagon.

Well, as it happens, the decision by NBC seems to be a move for future ratings gain behind the Heroes juggernaught. The news was announced this week that NBC has placed a full season order for Life. Journeyman, the show currently occupying the post-Heroes slot, did not get the same happy news. Perhaps the powers that be are at last smiling upon one of my new program obsessions. … continue reading

This week on Shot at Love, something miraculous happened: Tila kissed Dani! And it was hot!

In honor of this momentous moment, Sarah P. and I focused pretty much all our attention this week on Dani — our favorite Shot at Love contestant, as well as Sarah Shahi's Dani Reese on Life.

Among the subjects that came up: … continue reading

Believe it or not, 2007 is quickly winding down. The new year will be upon us before you know it. As a result, I am currently trying to decide which new calendar will adorn my sparsely decorated cubicle in the coming year. Really, the idea of shopping around for a new calendar is the fault of Sporty, Posh and the rest of the Spice Girls. They will not be adorning my walls, but news of their new 2008 calendar is what prompted my train of thought.

Sure, they're not horrible to look at or anything, but the two-month reunion tour will be more than enough Spice Girls for me. A full 12 months would just be overkill in my world. Paris Hilton has a 2008 calendar too, but any time spent with her would be too much for me.

Instead, I'm thinking something more along the lines of Battlestar Galactica or The L Word. The only problem is, while my cubicle is sparsely decorated, I have room for only one 2008 calendar. And frankly, the options are almost endless. So, instead of shelling out my hard-earned cash for something published by someone else, I decided to create my own calendar for 2008. And what kind of blogger would I be if I didn't share my latest brainstorm with all of you? (A non-working one, that's what kind.) So, for your perusal and enjoyment, here is Siege's 2008 wall calendar.

January — Melissa Etheridge

Her voice alone would keep me warm on a cold January night in the Midwest, and frankly, it has. Oh, to be the lucky farm girl who gets to curl up next to this every night. … continue reading

Last week on The Lo-Down, Sarah P. and I asked you all whether we should talk about something other than Miss Bisexual MySpace, and most of you responded with a resounding "Hell yeah!" So this week, in addition to covering the shenanigans on Shot at Love, we also talk about our new favorite police procedural, Life, aka Sarah Shahi Is a Hot Cop.

Sarah P. and I were also floored by the amazing responses you gave to her question: Why do people have a problem with butches? So many of you answered with thoughtful, considerate answers that we both felt lots of warm fuzzies for the intelligence of AfterEllen.com's readers. Go you! To thank you all, I thought you might enjoy this belated Happy Halloween treat:

Yes, that's Sarah as the cowardly lion (from The Wizard of Oz) terrorizing an innocent little schoolgirl boy scout. (I came with a boy scout troop, but they all seem to have abandoned me to my fate.) … continue reading

Last week (it seems like an eternity ago), I launched a vlog about people of color in entertainment with my friend and co-host, Sarah Pecora, and we asked you guys to help us determine what we should call it. Well, you delivered! Although I still have a fondness for The P.O.C. Report, I was shamelessly won over by mlei's utilization of my last name in the phrase "The Lo-Down." So welcome to the first official episode of The Lo-Down!

This week, we talk about three shows we watched last week on TV (last week's episodes, not this week!):

• Heroes, including new hero Dania Ramirez's lesbian connection and her thrilling new X-Files-ish power.
• Why Sarah thinks Sarah Shahi is better on Life than in The L Word (Malinda maintains it's about hot pants).
• Our favorite lines from Ugly Betty, and Malinda's favorite fantasy role model from UB.

We also continue to provide relevant P.O.C. acronyms at key moments. Speaking of acronyms, last week several of you called us out for misspelling "Philipino Olympic Committee" (as an adjective, it's actually Filipino). Before I get started on my rant about spelling (believe me, I have one!), let me just say that we got the acronyms from AcronymFinder.com, but even then, I got things wrong. The actual acronym they suggested is Philippine Olympic Committee, which does exist.

Check out this week's vlog: … continue reading

This week on She Made Me Watch This!, we have a guestbian in the house: Karman Kregloe from the We're Getting Nowhere vlog. It's like the Different Strokes-Facts of Life crossover episode, which I guess would make Karman our Gary Coleman.

What does this mean? More Sarah Shahi! More Resident Evil! More interruptions!

… continue reading

Other topics discussed? Bionic Woman's Lesbian Moment That Wasn't, the travesty that was Saffron Burrows on Boston Legal, why not even Kate Walsh could save Private Practice, what we like about the new lesbian dramedy Exes & Ohs, and who each us would be if we were a character on The Office. We answered Jan, Jim, and Ryan the (Former) Temp, respectively — match us with our characters before watching the video, and win a spot on the Dunder Mifflin Party Planning Committee!

I really hope you weren't planning to do anything but watch TV tonight. I'm cursing my Xanadu tickets. Nah, not really, but there's a lot to take in on the tube tonight!

Let's get the obvious one out of the way: Kate Walsh has her own Private Practice starting tonight at 9/8c on ABC. I'm giving it one episode to impress me, and if it doesn't, I'm done, despite my abiding love for Audra McDonald.

Next, it's finally here: Bionic Woman premieres tonight at 9/8c on NBC. … continue reading

Well, damn. Now I’m going to have to watch Life, too. After carefully plotting out my fall TV viewing schedule, I had committed to not adding any more shows. I am but one poor, tired blogger. I cannot carry this weight alone. At some point I need to sleep and see sunlight again. Please, no more. But, alas, the television gods had other plans for me, because after I had decided against watching Life — despite the delicious Sarah Shahi — they had to go and show me this.

Oh, Sarah. A white tank top? You’re not even playing fair. It’s like the lesbian Field of Dreams: If you wear it, they will come. I fly the white flag of surrender. You win, I’ll watch. Go ahead and cover up now — your diabolical plan worked. … continue reading

Abbie Cornish is not, I repeat not, the new Bond Girl.

The Olsen twins also are not the new Bond Girls. And just to ease the minds of any aspiring Bond Girls out there, I have taken myself out of the running, too.

When actors go to the trouble of announcing that they are most definitely not in certain roles, I envision a kid in a classroom frantically waving her hand, “Pick me! Pick me!” In Cornish’s case, though, a rumor was circulating that she was under consideration for the part. Her good friend Rose Byrne even said it was true. But now that we know better, we can move on to more important things. Like who will be the next bikini-clad hottie to wave her barely covered cleavage my, er, Bond’s way. … continue reading

Sarah Shahi, still known to many of us as Carmen de la Pica Morales from The L Word, will be on Last Call With Carson Daly tonight at 1:35/12:35c on NBC. She'll no doubt be promoting her new series, Life, which premieres Sept. 26 at 10/9c on NBC. I have no idea what that show is about (Sarah and Lori do, though), nor do I care, as long as Shahi really is going to look like this once in a while:

And hey, more exposure — no, not like that; I mean TV appearances — can only be a good thing. But we'll always miss you, Carmen, almost as much as Shane does!