L'EDICOLA DI LOU - Stralci, cover e commenti sui telefilm dai media italiani e stranieri


THE ATLANTIC
Ecco cosa ci mancherà di più di "HIMYM"
How I Met Your Mother's title sequence starts with a picture of Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hannigan) holding a disposable camera, one of those antiquated device that impoverished college students and struggling yuppies used to record memories during the early 2000s.
It’s a charmingly dated image—what 20-something would bring a disposable camera to a bar in the iPhone era? But that datedness actually fits the show perfectly. HIMYM, which will end on Monday after nine seasons on CBS, has been the old soul of network comedy for the past decade, and that’s why it’s so beloved—even if critics often scoffed at it.
Since 2005, the year HIMYM premiered, sitcoms have gotten pretty innovative. 30 Rock infused the format with unprecedented levels of snarky dialogue and clever satire. Single-camera shows like The Office and Modern Family introduced new stylistic sensibilities and satirized reality TV tropes. Non-network comedies like Louie and Girls used stark realism to achieve biting poignancy.
Viewed alongside these creative breakthroughs, the multi-camera, laugh-tracked comedy of HIMYM often seemed like a throwback to the Cheers era. Or, even more specifically, it often seemed like a faster-paced version of Friends. The premise, after all, is awfully similar: Five young New Yorkers spend an inordinate amount of time in a neighborhood bar (rather than a neighborhood coffeehouse), enjoy sleeping with one another, and engage in various shenanigans as they navigate the space between adolescence and adulthood. The primary difference between the two shows is that while Friends usually attempted to suppress the cheesier aspects of its plot, HIMYM has always been unapologetically sentimental. From its title to its overarching narrative, HIMYM offered a schmaltzy celebration of a hapless romantic and the four friends who endlessly support him in his quest to find Mrs. Right.
This was true from the inception. In the pilot episode, protagonist Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) comes to the realization that he’s not good at being single. He would rather settle down and become the head of a household, a role that he thinks will suit his dorky-dad-like qualities and his desire for the quiet life. And while ensuing seasons demonstrate that Ted is not quite as father-ready as he assumes himself to be—his character could be described as someone who really wants to be wiser than his years but isn’t quite there yet—this overt yearning to get past singledom forms the show’s thematic base.

The point of the show never lay in the exact machinations which led Ted to “the mother.” It lay in the events that shaped Ted into husband-worthy material.

At a time when Americans are increasingly getting hitched at later ages or avoiding nuptials altogether, the idea of an attractive 20-something living in one of the world’s most vibrant metropolises and wanting nothing more than to settle down with a wife and kids feels hopelessly old-fashioned. Yet HIMYM found nuance in the way people can still pursue a traditional vision of happiness.
The point of the show never lay in the exact machinations which led Ted to “the mother.” It lay in the events that shaped Ted into husband-worthy material. Before he could truly evolve into the dad who narrates the show, he had to learn from a slew of bad relationships with women he had little in common with, let the devastation of heartbreak mellow his overzealous soul, and stop confusing his close friendship with Robin for something more.
The writers made the sentimentality of that conceit bearable by pairing it with ridiculous, manic, and entertaining side plots: Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders) spent her youth in Canada as a Tiffanyesque teen pop star; Ted’s middle-school-classmate-turned-porn-star uses the alias Ted Mosby; Barney Stinson does Barney Stinson-esque things.
The cast helped nail that delicate balance between sweetness and silliness. Segel brought real quirk to Marshall, a role that could have devolved into a something more conventional and less enjoyable to watch—something akin to Ross on Friends. And as Barney, whose horniness coexists with a desperate desire for meaningful friendships, Neil Patrick Harris created one of television comedy’s most indelible characters. In a subversive twist, Barney’s predilections (a love of tailored clothes and expensive drinks) and deficiencies (the inability to drive or use simple household tools like a hammer) clashed with the stereotypical masculinity he so desperately strived to project. Josh Radnor, Cobie Smulders, and Alyson Hannigan provided lively presences for Segel and Harris to play off.

Perhaps HIMYM’s sentimentality is what prevented it from engendering more highbrow cred.

Though HIMYM featured smarter writing and better acting than most sitcoms, it never received much critical attention. In nine seasons, the show earned only a single Emmy nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series; for the sake of comparison, Friends received six such nominations and garnered one win in that category. Since 2005, critics and awards voters have been too busy praising shows like 30 Rock and Modern Family to notice the exceptional work of Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, HIMYM’s co-creators, and the actors who have come to embody the five beloved characters. This is unfortunate. While HIMYM has certainly had creative lulls during its nine-season run, the show’s best episodes—“Ten Sessions,” “Hopeless,” “P.S. I Love You”—were as funny and touching as any produced by contemporary sitcoms.
Perhaps HIMYM’s sentimentality is what prevented it from engendering more highbrow cred. Most cutting-edge television comedies today feature characters that the audience is meant to laugh at, rather than with. We chortle at the small-town yokels on Parks and Recreation and look forward to the weekly embarrassment of Phil Dunphy on Modern Family. Those sitcoms, while funny and creative, radiate a sly sense of superiority, since many of the laughs come from the humiliation of sad sacks.
This was never the case on HIMYM, whose unstated but understood mantra was “we’re all in this together.” Because the writers went to great lengths to humanize the principal characters—to imbue them with real ambitions, fears and shortcomings, and to put them in situations where they needed one another to pull through—they presented people with whom the audience was meant to empathize rather than mock. The best seasons revolved around friends helping coming together to resolve personal conflict: Lily and Marshall reconcile after a foolish break-up; Ted and Robin overcome the awkwardness of a past relationship; Barney connects with the father who walked out on him. It was a feel-good story about the importance of friendship and love. The earnestness of that tale can come across as maudlin nowadays, but it’s a characteristic that the current popular television landscape will be left without once HIMYM signs off forever.
(Kevin Craft, 28.03.2014)

L'EDICOLA DI LOU - Stralci, cover e commenti sui telefilm dai media italiani e stranieri

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L'EDICOLA DI LOU - Stralci, cover e commenti sui telefilm dai media italiani e stranieri

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GOSSIP - Se puzzi ti addento sul collo! Ian Somerhalder nuovo testimonial del profumo "Azzarò" (solo un vampiro poteva riesumare un marchio morto e sepolto...)
Ian Somerhalder di “The Vampire Diaries” (5° stagione inedita su Mya ogni giovedì) è diventato il nuovo testimonial del profumo “Azzarò Pour Homme”. Nel comunicato di rito di lancio della nuova fragranza, l’attore scrive che “quando un uomo si profuma è conscio di farlo soprattutto per gli altri, quindi è come se fosse un’intenzione di seduzione”. Vampire dixit (con buona pace dei vicini di metrò quando alzi l'ascella per attaccarti agli appositi sostegni in vista della fermata di Turro)!

NEWS - La "gostrippata" Momsen sorprende al concerto milanese con i Pretty Reckless (pubblico perlopiù di coetanee, maschi pochi), ma suona troppo poco e troppo vestita

Recensione del concerto tratta da Soundsblog
I The Pretty Reckless arrivano in Italia nella settimana in cui il loro nuovo disco, Going To Hell, debutta al quinto posto della classifica americana. Il già altissimo interesse per la band di Taylor Momsen, quindi, si alza ancor di più, al punto che il concerto viene prima spostato dai Magazzini Generali al più capiente Limelight, e la sera dello show si registra comunque il soldout. All’interno l’atmosfera è caldissima, e con sorpresa si scopre che il pubblico è per la maggior parte di sesso femminile e appena maggiorenne. Demografia interessante, per una cantante che fino a poco tempo fa suonava vestita solo da pezzi di nastro adesivo nero a coprirle i capezzoli*… eppure, è stata presa ad esempio da parecchie adolescenti, che dimostreranno tutto il loro affetto durante la serata.
Alla prova dal vivo, la band si dimostra composta da tre solidi mestieranti (Ben Phillips alla chitarra, Mark Damon al basso e Jamie Perkins alla batteria), ma l’attenzione è tutta catalizzata verso Taylor, magrissima eppure imponente sul palco. Non si stenta a capire perchè tutti gli occhi siano per lei: magnetica, con presenza scenica da ‘poetessa maledetta’. Dispiace per i musicisti, ma proprio non c’è storia contro un’attrice dotata di una gran voce. Perchè, sì, Taylor ha una buona voce, roca e rock al punto giusto, e nei pezzi più azzeccati la sa mettere a buon uso. Peccato che il concerto duri solo un’ora, undici brani in tutto: con due album all’attivo, è un po’ poco, ed è chiaro che il pubblico ne avrebbe voluto ancora. E ancora. E ancora. E invece, si trova solo fra le mani (e nelle orecchie) qualche ringraziamento al pubblico italiano, e qualche singolo di successo, alternato a qualche brano un po’ meno riuscito. I Pretty Reckless salveranno il futuro del rock? Probabilmente no, ma perlomeno sanno mettere in piedi un buono spettacolo.

*- per gli assatanati all’ascolto, sottolineiamo che no, Taylor non ha mai mostrato nudità durante il concerto, ha sempre indossato una sorta di tunica con il logo della band e degli aderentissimi pantaloni di pelle nera. Questa fa segnare il 2014 come annus horribilis per la categoria “donne che prima suonavano in topless coprendo i capezzoli con il nastro adesivo e ora suonano vestite” - già le Butcher Babies ci avevano illuso per poi presentarsi scollate ma vestite…

Per altre foto del concerto, basta cliccare su una per far partire la gallery, da cui poi si possono ingrandire ulteriormente gli scatti…

Tantissime altre foto del pubblico e delle prime file si trovano sulla pagina Facebook di MusicaMetal-Soundsblog

NEWS - Achtung, compagni! Chris Carter di "X-Files" al lavoro per una serie sull'Area 51 con quelli di "TWD"!
Notizia tratta da "Uproxx"
When we last heard about AMC’s semi-secretive new series based on Annie Jacobsen’s best-selling book about Area 51, it was being helmed by producers of The Walking Dead and The Good Wife. Well, strike that last part. AMC announced at its upfronts yesterday that the series is officially in development with Gale Anne Hurd from The Walking Dead executive producing, but now X Files creator Chris Carter has been brought to co-executive produce and write the script.
As far as actual information about the show… yeah. Maybe a tick or two above bupkis, max. All AMC said is that its “a contemporary conspiracy thriller revealing the true story behind the infamous Area 51, America’s most mysterious military installation,” which seems unnecessary seeing as the cinematic masterpiece Independence Day already spilled all the beans about Area 51 way back in 1996. But what do I know, right?
Here’s what The Hollywood Reporter had to say about the source material when the show was first announced a few years ago:

Jacobsen’s book revolves around the famed military installation in the world that has never been acknowledged by the U.S. government and explores the myths about the area and those who believe that region is home to aliens, underground tunnel systems and nuclear facilities. Jacobsen interviewed 19 men who served on the base and additional servicemen who were employed there.

So, there’s that, too. I guess we’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, here’s a picture I found on Getty when I searched for “Area 51.” I think it speaks volumes.

GOSSIP - Fermi tutti! Taylor "gostrippata" Momsen ce l'ha fatta col...cool! I suoi Pretty Reckless, stasera a Milano, al numero 1 delle classifiche con "Going to Hell" (e dove, se no?)
La "gostrippata" Taylor Momsen ce l'ha fatta! A dispetto di tutti noi che credevamo fosse un fuoco di paglia, l'ex interprete di "Gossip Girl" ha raggiunto la vetta delle classifiche con il recente singolo "Heaven knows", compreso nel secondo album dei suoi Pretty Reckless (stasera in concerto al Lime Light di Milano) intitolato non a caso "Going to Hell". E lei che ha più volte varcato la soglia del perbenismo con video, foto, dichiarazioni e soprattutto look e messe in scena, in qualche modo ha raggiunto l'obiettivo. All'inferno e ritorno, con tanto di cover dell'album in cui si mostra nuda di schiena con freccia che indica la direzione per l'inferno... o per il paradiso, chissà!

www.telefilmcult.tumblr.com

NEWS - Clamorosissimo al Terminus! Quella mezza sega di Carl in "TWD" ha una controfigura donna di 31 anni!

Articolo tratto da "Uproxx"
It is not surprising, of course, that Chandler Riggs has a stunt double, nor would it be that surprising, I guess, to know that she’s female. But that she’s 31, a female, and looks so much like Riggs? It’s a little weird. What’s funny is that, before Chandler Riggs’ hit puberty, his stunt double was a 21-year-old woman, Savana Jade Wehunt, who was also the stunt double for Sophia and Penny, the Governor’s daughter. She’s super cute.

La vera notizia non è Obama da Renzi o dal Papa. E' Matthew McConaughey dalla De Filippi. #TrueDetective #Amici13 #Amici #Canale5
— Leo Damerini (@LeoDamerini) 27 Marzo 2014

NEWS - Mamma single ex alcolizzata e tossicodipendente con figli e madre a carico: non è un dramma, è la sit-com della stagione! Da domani "Mom" su Joi

Una mamma single ex alcolizzata e tossicodipendente con figli e madre a carico in salotto, con un posto da cameriera in un ristorante chic dove si mette a piangere quando serve ai tavoli di coppie felici o quando ordinano torte di compleanni…Ma non è un dramma: è la sit-com della stagione, firmata da quel Chuck Lorre di “The Big Bang Theory” (5 Emmy Awards e un Golden Globe). Dal 28 marzo, in anteprima assoluta approda su JOI (Mediaset Premium) “Mom”, ogni venerdì, alle ore 21.10.

Anna Faris, regina delle parodie americane al cinema, debutta in una sit-com su misura confezionata da Lorre, ideatore dell’ipercult “The Big Bang Theory” (altro titolo fiore all’occhiello di JOI).

La protagonista, Christy, è una madre single di due figli con un passato di abusi di alcol e droghe che tenta di rifarsi una vita come cameriera. Vista la crisi economica, la nostra si vede costretta, per dividere le spese, a ospitare la madre Bonnie (Allison Janney, vincitrice di 4 Emmy Awards per “West Wing”), anch’essa con un passato turbolento di droghe e alcol, sua compagna di banco nei rehab. Le risate in sottofondo sono ispirate da una scrittura a tratti cinica che sfocia nello sferzante all’interno di un microcosmo familiare non del tutto anomalo ai giorni nostri.

La sit-com è stata rinnovata in Usa per una seconda stagione. Jon Cryer di “Due Uomini e Mezzo” (in onda su JOI dal lunedì al venerdì alle ore 18.50), altra sit-com cult firmata da Chuck Lorre, compare nella puntata-pilota.

“E’ una sit-com che mette alla berlina i rancori tra madre e figlia – ha commentato ‘Variety’ – esorcizzando l’autodistruzione con più di una risata”.

NEWS - Emmy per Emmy! Per premiare Rossum e compagnia "Shameless" con una statuetta (meritatissima!), gli Emmy Awards s'inventano di spostare la serie dalla categoria "drama" a quella "comedy" (ma se fa più piangere che ridere!)

Post di Alan Sepiwall per "Hitfix"

For the last four years, "Shameless" star Emmy Rossum has been giving one of the best performances in all of television, and yet despite the quality of that work — and the name that would be a headline writer's best friend — neither she nor the show she's on has gotten more than a whiff of Emmy recognition. Joan Cusack has been nominated three years in a row for guest actress in a drama, and that's it. Nothing for Rossum. Nothing for William H. Macy, who in his non-Frank Gallagher life has won two Emmys and been nominated for seven more. None for Jeremy Allen White or Emma Kenney or any of the other superb young actors the show has discovered, none for the other guest stars or the writing or directing.

The fact that Cusack keeps appearing in the guest category shows you how easy it can be to game the TV Academy's system — and now "Shameless" producer John Wells is trying to make like a Gallagher himself and try to game the system on a bigger scale. Having submitted the show in the Emmy drama categories the previous three years, Wells and Showtime today announced that "Shameless" will compete as a comedy at the 2014 Emmys.

Now, on the one hand I cannot blame Wells for trying this. I don't know that the genre has been the issue for "Shameless." Emmy voters have often seemed allergic to shows about extremely poor people, especially when they're not the type who suffer poverty with quiet dignity, but with the kind of brazen, hustling vulgarity with which the Gallaghers go through life. But odds are that Rossum was never going to break through in the drama actress category, not after a year when there were actually seven nominees and still no room at the inn for her, or for Tatiana Maslany, or several others. At a minimum, the comedy actress category will have a few openings, since Laura Dern and Tina Fey aren't eligible again, and Macy should have a much easier time than trying to crack a drama field that includes Cranston, Hamm, Spacey, and possibly McConaughey.

On the other hand, this move is, well, shameless. Absurd might be an even better word for it.

Yes, "Shameless" is a show that blends comedy and drama, and this year has had room for the usual black humor, like Carl Gallagher aggressively seeking detention to spend more time with a troublemaking girl he has a crush on, or Kev discovering what a money pit the bar he inherited really is. I even had arguments with Showtime executives in the first season that "Shameless" belonged more in the comedy categories, and not just because it was an easier path to nominations.

Not this year, though. This has been the darkest, most serious season to date, and especially for Rossum's Fiona. Never the show's funniest character to begin with, Fiona's been in a deep, bad spiral all season that included cheating on her boyfriend, getting high and letting her toddler brother Liam ingest cocaine (nearly dying and possibly suffering brain damage as a result), becoming a convicted felon on probation, and in the most recent episode, hitting rock bottom when being abandoned by fellow junkies at a gas station in Sheboygan.

It's been an impressive arc, and Rossum has again been amazing. I would gladly see her nominated for any and all awards for what she's doing this year, and what she's done throughout the show. And it is insane that she would be competing against performances by Amy Poehler and Melissa McCarthy. It's weird enough when Edie Falco is up for these things (and won one for the first year of "Nurse Jackie"), but that's at least a more overtly comic show and performance, and there's always the half-hour defense.

The rules are the rules, and if Wells can work within them and convince the Academy to allow "Shameless" to hop categories, then I suppose more power to him. It's a great show that deserves more recognition than it's gotten. But I don't know if it'll get substantially more this way, and it'll feel very strange if it does, all things considered.

That said, new episode Sunday at 9! I expect Fiona to suffer some more!

The fact that Cusack keeps appearing in the guest category shows you how easy it can be to game the TV Academy's system — and now "Shameless" producer John Wells is trying to make like a Gallagher himself and try to game the system on a bigger scale. Having submitted the show in the Emmy drama categories the previous three years, Wells and Showtime today announced that "Shameless" will compete as a comedy at the 2014 Emmys.

Now, on the one hand I cannot blame Wells for trying this. I don't know that the genre has been the issue for "Shameless." Emmy voters have often seemed allergic to shows about extremely poor people, especially when they're not the type who suffer poverty with quiet dignity, but with the kind of brazen, hustling vulgarity with which the Gallaghers go through life. But odds are that Rossum was never going to break through in the drama actress category, not after a year when there were actually seven nominees and still no room at the inn for her, or for Tatiana Maslany, or several others. At a minimum, the comedy actress category will have a few openings, since Laura Dern and Tina Fey aren't eligible again, and Macy should have a much easier time than trying to crack a drama field that includes Cranston, Hamm, Spacey, and possibly McConaughey.

On the other hand, this move is, well, shameless. Absurd might be an even better word for it.

Yes, "Shameless" is a show that blends comedy and drama, and this year has had room for the usual black humor, like Carl Gallagher aggressively seeking detention to spend more time with a troublemaking girl he has a crush on, or Kev discovering what a money pit the bar he inherited really is. I even had arguments with Showtime executives in the first season that "Shameless" belonged more in the comedy categories, and not just because it was an easier path to nominations.

Not this year, though. This has been the darkest, most serious season to date, and especially for Rossum's Fiona. Never the show's funniest character to begin with, Fiona's been in a deep, bad spiral all season that included cheating on her boyfriend, getting high and letting her toddler brother Liam ingest cocaine (nearly dying and possibly suffering brain damage as a result), becoming a convicted felon on probation, and in the most recent episode, hitting rock bottom when being abandoned by fellow junkies at a gas station in Sheboygan.

It's been an impressive arc, and Rossum has again been amazing. I would gladly see her nominated for any and all awards for what she's doing this year, and what she's done throughout the show. And it is insane that she would be competing against performances by Amy Poehler and Melissa McCarthy. It's weird enough when Edie Falco is up for these things (and won one for the first year of "Nurse Jackie"), but that's at least a more overtly comic show and performance, and there's always the half-hour defense.

The rules are the rules, and if Wells can work within them and convince the Academy to allow "Shameless" to hop categories, then I suppose more power to him. It's a great show that deserves more recognition than it's gotten. But I don't know if it'll get substantially more this way, and it'll feel very strange if it does, all things considered.

That said, new episode Sunday at 9! I expect Fiona to suffer some more!

What does everybody else think? Is the move to comedy fair or foul?
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/shameless-to-hop-emmy-categories-from-drama-to-comedy#Ru6WvlY2ZhQq5Yym.99

For the last four years, "Shameless" star Emmy Rossum has been giving one of the best performances in all of television, and yet despite the quality of that work — and the name that would be a headline writer's best friend — neither she nor the show she's on has gotten more than a whiff of Emmy recognition. Joan Cusack has been nominated three years in a row for guest actress in a drama, and that's it. Nothing for Rossum. Nothing for William H. Macy, who in his non-Frank Gallagher life has won two Emmys and been nominated for seven more. None for Jeremy Allen White or Emma Kenney or any of the other superb young actors the show has discovered, none for the other guest stars or the writing or directing.

The fact that Cusack keeps appearing in the guest category shows you how easy it can be to game the TV Academy's system — and now "Shameless" producer John Wells is trying to make like a Gallagher himself and try to game the system on a bigger scale. Having submitted the show in the Emmy drama categories the previous three years, Wells and Showtime today announced that "Shameless" will compete as a comedy at the 2014 Emmys.

Now, on the one hand I cannot blame Wells for trying this. I don't know that the genre has been the issue for "Shameless." Emmy voters have often seemed allergic to shows about extremely poor people, especially when they're not the type who suffer poverty with quiet dignity, but with the kind of brazen, hustling vulgarity with which the Gallaghers go through life. But odds are that Rossum was never going to break through in the drama actress category, not after a year when there were actually seven nominees and still no room at the inn for her, or for Tatiana Maslany, or several others. At a minimum, the comedy actress category will have a few openings, since Laura Dern and Tina Fey aren't eligible again, and Macy should have a much easier time than trying to crack a drama field that includes Cranston, Hamm, Spacey, and possibly McConaughey.

On the other hand, this move is, well, shameless. Absurd might be an even better word for it.

Yes, "Shameless" is a show that blends comedy and drama, and this year has had room for the usual black humor, like Carl Gallagher aggressively seeking detention to spend more time with a troublemaking girl he has a crush on, or Kev discovering what a money pit the bar he inherited really is. I even had arguments with Showtime executives in the first season that "Shameless" belonged more in the comedy categories, and not just because it was an easier path to nominations.

Not this year, though. This has been the darkest, most serious season to date, and especially for Rossum's Fiona. Never the show's funniest character to begin with, Fiona's been in a deep, bad spiral all season that included cheating on her boyfriend, getting high and letting her toddler brother Liam ingest cocaine (nearly dying and possibly suffering brain damage as a result), becoming a convicted felon on probation, and in the most recent episode, hitting rock bottom when being abandoned by fellow junkies at a gas station in Sheboygan.

It's been an impressive arc, and Rossum has again been amazing. I would gladly see her nominated for any and all awards for what she's doing this year, and what she's done throughout the show. And it is insane that she would be competing against performances by Amy Poehler and Melissa McCarthy. It's weird enough when Edie Falco is up for these things (and won one for the first year of "Nurse Jackie"), but that's at least a more overtly comic show and performance, and there's always the half-hour defense.

The rules are the rules, and if Wells can work within them and convince the Academy to allow "Shameless" to hop categories, then I suppose more power to him. It's a great show that deserves more recognition than it's gotten. But I don't know if it'll get substantially more this way, and it'll feel very strange if it does, all things considered.

That said, new episode Sunday at 9! I expect Fiona to suffer some more!

What does everybody else think? Is the move to comedy fair or foul?
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/shameless-to-hop-emmy-categories-from-drama-to-comedy#Ru6WvlY2ZhQq5Yym.99

For the last four years, "Shameless" star Emmy Rossum has been giving one of the best performances in all of television, and yet despite the quality of that work — and the name that would be a headline writer's best friend — neither she nor the show she's on has gotten more than a whiff of Emmy recognition. Joan Cusack has been nominated three years in a row for guest actress in a drama, and that's it. Nothing for Rossum. Nothing for William H. Macy, who in his non-Frank Gallagher life has won two Emmys and been nominated for seven more. None for Jeremy Allen White or Emma Kenney or any of the other superb young actors the show has discovered, none for the other guest stars or the writing or directing.

The fact that Cusack keeps appearing in the guest category shows you how easy it can be to game the TV Academy's system — and now "Shameless" producer John Wells is trying to make like a Gallagher himself and try to game the system on a bigger scale. Having submitted the show in the Emmy drama categories the previous three years, Wells and Showtime today announced that "Shameless" will compete as a comedy at the 2014 Emmys.

Now, on the one hand I cannot blame Wells for trying this. I don't know that the genre has been the issue for "Shameless." Emmy voters have often seemed allergic to shows about extremely poor people, especially when they're not the type who suffer poverty with quiet dignity, but with the kind of brazen, hustling vulgarity with which the Gallaghers go through life. But odds are that Rossum was never going to break through in the drama actress category, not after a year when there were actually seven nominees and still no room at the inn for her, or for Tatiana Maslany, or several others. At a minimum, the comedy actress category will have a few openings, since Laura Dern and Tina Fey aren't eligible again, and Macy should have a much easier time than trying to crack a drama field that includes Cranston, Hamm, Spacey, and possibly McConaughey.

On the other hand, this move is, well, shameless. Absurd might be an even better word for it.

Yes, "Shameless" is a show that blends comedy and drama, and this year has had room for the usual black humor, like Carl Gallagher aggressively seeking detention to spend more time with a troublemaking girl he has a crush on, or Kev discovering what a money pit the bar he inherited really is. I even had arguments with Showtime executives in the first season that "Shameless" belonged more in the comedy categories, and not just because it was an easier path to nominations. Not this year, though. This has been the darkest, most serious season to date, and especially for Rossum's Fiona. Never the show's funniest character to begin with, Fiona's been in a deep, bad spiral all season that included cheating on her boyfriend, getting high and letting her toddler brother Liam ingest cocaine (nearly dying and possibly suffering brain damage as a result), becoming a convicted felon on probation, and in the most recent episode, hitting rock bottom when being abandoned by fellow junkies at a gas station in Sheboygan.

It's been an impressive arc, and Rossum has again been amazing. I would gladly see her nominated for any and all awards for what she's doing this year, and what she's done throughout the show. And it is insane that she would be competing against performances by Amy Poehler and Melissa McCarthy. It's weird enough when Edie Falco is up for these things (and won one for the first year of "Nurse Jackie"), but that's at least a more overtly comic show and performance, and there's always the half-hour defense.

The rules are the rules, and if Wells can work within them and convince the Academy to allow "Shameless" to hop categories, then I suppose more power to him. It's a great show that deserves more recognition than it's gotten. But I don't know if it'll get substantially more this way, and it'll feel very strange if it does, all things considered.

That said, new episode Sunday at 9! I expect Fiona to suffer some more!

What does everybody else think? Is the move to comedy fair or foul?
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/shameless-to-hop-emmy-categories-from-drama-to-comedy#Ru6WvlY2ZhQq5Yym.99

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UPROXX
10 motivi (meno uno) per non perdere "The Americans"
"The Americans is three episodes into its second season on FX, and so far, the series has only improved upon an already stellar first season. It’s dark, it’s stylistic, it’s emotionally complicated, and it is riveting drama. Unfortunately, despite being an incredibly sexy show at times, The Americans often doesn’t get the kind of buzz that The Walking Dead or Game of Thrones or True Detective gets, even if it is often as good as those other dramas. I’m not entirely sure why. Maybe because it’s not a Sunday night show. Or maybe because there isn’t a fantasy element involved, or zombies, or sneering douchebag villains.

I wish that The Americans were more talked about on the Internet. I wish it was appointment viewing. I wish that it got the appreciation that it deserves. I wish that I could convince people that haven’t given it a chance yet to tune in, catch up (the first season is on Amazon), and make memes and mash-ups and GIFs and develop theories so that the Internet will jump on board, so that it can become one of the most discussed shows every Wednesday night and Thursday morning, and so that we can all share it together. Here’s the best 9 reasons why.
1. Because It Involves Anti-Villains — If you’re tired of the glut of anti-hero dramas on television, The Americans offers a nice twist: The Anti-Villain. Elizabeth and Phillip Jennings are Commie spies, and as capitalist Americans, we shouldn’t be rooting for them. But we do. Why? Because The Americans isn’t about the interest or the motivations of the character, it’s about the characters themselves, who we become intensely invested in.
2. Because It’s the Show Homeland Wanted to Be — Homeland was at its best in the first season, when we found ourselves rooting for Nicholas Brody, even though we knew he was probably a terrorist. The Americans is the Cold War equivalent of that, only the daughter in this equation is much less annoying than Dana Brody, and the writers don’t have any intention of flipping the script by turning The Jennings into FBI informants. In fact, one of the most compelling conflicts in The Americans is the tension between the Jennings’ duty to Mother Russia and their obligation to their American children, who essentially embody American suburban values.
3. Because It’s a Great History Lesson — I happen to know a writer on this show, and I happen to know that she spent a lot of time studying the period, which not only helps the writing staff get the details right, but they manage to work in bits and pieces of actual Cold War history into the show. It’s a fascinating examination of a period most of us were too young to experience, and that the television and film world barely explores outside of stereotypical Communist villains. The Americans humanizes the bad guys.
4. Because of the Wigs — There are so many fantastic wigs in this show. Does it actually disguise the Jennings? Not particularly, but they are ridiculously fun.
5. Because of the Soundtrack — So much of television and film that goes back to the 80s often focuses on the cheesy music of the era, but The Americans tends to include the darker, heavier songs of the early 80s in its soundtrack. In other words, the good stuff. There’s quite a bit of early Peter Gabriel, there’s The Cure, the Squeeze, Pete Townshend, and Roberta Flack. It’s fantastic, period-perfect, moody and often haunting music that’s not a bunch of Cyndi Lauper or a series of one-hit wonders (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
6. Because of the Writing — As great as the first season was, the writing is even better in the second season. It’s a show that takes its time. It doesn’t aim for huge, shocking episodes. It doesn’t throw in a lot of huge twists. It creates tension, then it slowly turns the screws, and it doesn’t release that tension every other episode with a killing spree designed to provide relief. Deaths are matter of fact, a sometimes necessary evil, but all they do is ratchet the tension, increasing the likelihood that the Jennings will be caught.
7. Because Sexy — The Americans is a very stylistic, and sometimes, dead sexy drama. Think Jennifer Garner in Alias, only with a more frequent (and more graphic) sex scenes (ironically, when J.J. Abrams cast Alias, his prototype was a kick-ass Felicity). Other times, that sexiness is awkward. For instance, when the daughter walks in on her parents in full-on 69 mode, a first for television (which happened in the same episode that Keri Russell’s character was also involved in a threesome).
8. Because Keri Russell is Seriously Bad Ass — If you only know Keri Russell from Felicity and other similar roles, you may be surprised by how adept she is in the action scenes. What’s perhaps even more remarkable is how sly she is about it: She doesn’t walk into a room and punch out three guards. She’ll sneak up on someone one in some nice lingerie and then, at their most vulnerable, she will SLASH THEIR F***KING THROAT. And maybe sometimes, she’ll just KICK SOMEONE’S HEAD THROUGH A WALL. She’s ruthless and cold.

9. Because of the moral ambiguity — There are no good guys or bad guys in The Americans. There are simply people doing their jobs, serving the interests of their own countries. The interests aren’t always good — on either the American or the Russian side — but the intentions of the characters are pure. We’re exploring the lives of bit players in a huge, decades long war. There are no individuals attempting to build empires or gain the throne. In fact, for the Jennings, it’s just the opposite: They want to serve their country with as little disruption to their suburban lives as possible. Their aspirations are nationalistic, not individual.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY SEASON FOUR: pic.twitter.com/6OHYzGjPMd

— Ryan Murphy (@MrRPMurphy) 24 Marzo 2014

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GOSSIP - Sophia nella rete! La Bush di "OTH" (e "Chicago PD") è la nuova "Maxim" girl
Sophia Bush looks quite arresting on the April 2014 cover of Maxim.
The Chicago P.D. actress strips down for the men's magazine, wearing a mesh corset and, well, not too much else. But Bush is more than just a pretty face—she's a talented actress and an outspoken activist.
Bush, 31, uses social media to highlight a variety of causes and social issues. "I realized I could have a dinner party conversation with 15 people, and I could use Twitter to have that same conversation with a million," says the California native, who volunteers for Pencils of Promise and charity: water.
Given that she's consistently been on TV screens since 2003, the actress has amassed quite an online following. "Well, it's funny. It's not often that someone gets a job at 20 and then does it for a decade. Those are the years you're supposed to be growing and exploring new things," Bush says of her One Tree Hill days. "But this show [Chicago P.D.]? It feels like the job I was supposed to be doing."
To prepare for her role as detective Erin Lindsay, a former confidential informant, Bush brushed up on creator Dick Wolf's other TV shows. "Well, I've watched his whole library, but I didn't sit and cram or anything. Although I did spend my Super Bowl Sunday watching a True Detective marathon on HBO."
The NBC drama shoots on location in the Windy City, which suits Bush just fine. "The restaurant scene is fantastic, and there a lot of great little bars," she says, noting that she hangs out with her co-stars regularly. "Our adventures are mostly about finding rare whiskeys and then dancing our faces off."