To fully appreciate this post, I'd like everyone to sing the Welcome Back, Kotter theme song. All together now: “Welcome back, your dreams were your ticket out…” Hmm, too young for the Sweathogs? OK, how about Eminem's “Without Me” instead? Ready: “Guess who's back? Back again…” Look, if you're too young for that one then it's time to go back to your carpet and finish nap time, m'kay? My point -- and I just might actually have one -- is that this week it's time to officially welcome back television. … continue reading

The roles seem to be piling up for Rashida Jones lately, and personally, I think the pile-up is a darn good thing. Since ending her stint on the popular American version of The Office, Jones has been hired for several parts in both film and television. The most recent job announcement came just this week. Jones is set to play opposite Paul Rudd in a romantic comedy from DreamWorks entitled I Love You, Man. Although it's billed as a romantic comedy, and in the film Jones and Rudd are engaged to be married, I was still a little thrown off by the "man" at the end of that title. But what the heck, it's from DreamWorks, and that's not chump change, right?

But it sounds like one of those male bonding movies. The early synopsis says it's about "a soon-to-be-married man who goes on a search to find a buddy to fill his empty best man spot." Hmm, yeah, OK. Whatever. I get it; it's another platonicomedy or platonomy (yes, I just made those up) between two straight men. They're all the rage these days. But forget about that at the moment and concentrate on Rashida Jones. I am.

Jones, the Harvard graduate and daughter of music guru Quincy Jones and actress Peggy Lipton, seems to be making steady headway in an on-screen career that poses barriers she has found difficult to break through. She has discussed more than once the challenges of being biracial in Hollywood: She is judged "too fair" for some roles and "too exotic" for others, and naturally, she finds it frustrating and irritating. … continue reading

By the end of today, the writers' strike should be officially over. I think we can all breathe a deep sigh of relief that the nightmare scenario of MILF Island, America’s Next Top Pirate and Are You Smarter Than a Dog? never came to fruition. Can I get a halle-freaking-lujah? Sure, the strike’s end means we’ll no longer get to see adorable shots of Tina Fey and others on the picket line. But I’ll gladly sacrifice a little photogenic solidarity for fresh episodes of my favorite shows. Pending a final vote today from Writers Guild of America members, scripted shows could begin production Wednesday. Of course, now you’re all thinking, but when? When will my show be back?

Well, don’t get mad when I tell you this, but you’re going to have to be a bit more patient. According to The New York Times, it takes at least of four weeks to get a 30-minute comedy completed from scratch and six to eight weeks for hour-long dramas. So that means, realistically, it will be mid-March or early April when new episodes start to flood the airwaves again. But they are coming. While some shows have already abandoned the rest of their seasons, others will be back for anywhere from four to ten new episodes.

The New York Times and TV Guide have made comprehensive lists of returning shows. Let’s run through some of the AfterEllen.com-friendly offerings together, shall we?

30 Rock: Five to ten more shows to air April/May. Thank God; life without Liz Lemon was one big blerg.

Battlestar Galactica: The first half of the final season begins April 4. Production on the second half could start in March, with an airdate not yet set.

Bionic Woman: According to TV Guide, “No new episodes expected. Ever.” Oh, Sarah Corvus, I think I’ll miss you most of all. … continue reading

I didn't watch all of the 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards broadcast last night. Actually, I forgot it was on. I guess I find it difficult to get excited about movies like There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men — which, as Jamie recently pointed out, might as well be called No Movie for Women at All.

But I think I caught the best moments anyway. First, Tina Fey won for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series.

She was self-effacing and adorable as usual. Here's her acceptance speech, in which she calls herself the "hat rack" to Alec Baldwin's Fred Astaire: … continue reading

OK, it's not really The Office live onstage. But if you're in Los Angeles this weekend, you can catch the cabaret debut of Melora Hardin, otherwise known as Jan on The Office.

And here she is as Jan.

She'll be performing at the Catalina Jazz Club tonight, tomorrow and Sunday, and will be singing a mixture of jazz and Broadway standards, as well as some of her own songs. (I'm particularly interested in her song titled “A Boy and His Cat.”) … continue reading

I'm a geek worshipper. It's really a form of positive self-esteem, since I am kind of a geek myself. I always love to find women in entertainment who seem to be geeks, not only in the characters they play, but also in real life. GeekSugar.com shares that sentiment and has kicked off a poll of the most popular female geeks of 2007.

First candidate: Mary Lynn Rajskub, Chloe O'Brian on 24.

The pictures are from her spread in Geek Monthly earlier this year. Although Chloe is an übergeek on 24, always able to hack into secret data just in time to save Jack's life, Rajskub herself is not too technically savvy. But in my opinion, she has geek cred because she does things like appear as a troubadour on Gilmore Girls and volunteer for the Young Storytellers Program. I do have one geekish issue with Chloe & company, though. Are we really supposed to believe that a government agency is smart enough to use Macs? … continue reading

I'll be honest. Michelle Trachtenberg is not high on my list of favorite actresses. Perhaps it's because I was always annoyed by her as Dawn in Buffy: The Vampire Slayer.

Recent casting news has done nothing to elevate Trachtenberg on my list of actresses to watch. In fact, the news has done the exact opposite. She's just signed on to join Zac Efron in the teen comedy 17. (Efron is another one of those celebs whose allure escapes me, but whatever floats your boat, I guess.) The fact that she's signed on to star opposite Efron is not what has her falling down my list. It's the plot of the film that has me all weirded out. … 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

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!

After last night's premiere bonanza, tonight is all about the returning shows.

On CSI (CBS), we may find out whether Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox) escaped from the miniature killer's clutches. We still won't know what she ever saw in Grissom.

On The Office (CBS), Michael thinks the office is cursed. The first four episodes this season are hour-long Pam-apaloozas. (No, they don't really focus on Pam, but I will.) … continue reading

Here is the thing: I think I’m becoming a Mandy Moore fan. It’s so unexpected and, at the same time, oddly invigorating.

In a churning sea of pop tarts and party princesses, Mandy stands out as an oasis of self-confidence and grounded calm. While she came up at the same time as the bubblegum brigade of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Jessica Simpson, her path diverged. At the time, she seemed the least promising of the bunch and now she could have the most staying power (no disrespect to X-tina and her unparalleled pipes — that girl can flat-out sing). But Mandy is an industry triple threat: She sings, she acts and she seems smart. … continue reading