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BENITO MARTINEZ

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SELMA BLAIR

SELMA BLAIR

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS:�������������� ���������������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������ ����������������������������������������������� �� ������ ��������� ���� ����� ����� ���� �������� ��� ���� ����� ��� ���� ����� ����� ���� ������ �������� ��������� ���� ������� ������ �������� �������� ���������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������� �������������������������������������������������� �������������������������������������������� ��������� ��������� ������ ���� ������ �������� ���� ������������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������� ���������� ���� ���� ��������� �������� �������� ��������� ��� ������� ���� ��������� ���� ������� �������� ������������ ���� ����� ����� ���� �������� ����������������������������������������������� ��� ����� ��� ���� ������ ����� ����������� ����� ��� ��������������������������������������������� ���������� ��������� �������� �� ����� ����� ������ �������������������������������������������������� ����� �������� ����� ���� ����������� ������������ �������������������������������������������������� ���� �������� ��������� ��� ������� ������� ����� �������������������������������������������������� �������� �������� ������ ������ ���� ������ �������� ���������������������� ���������������� ������� ������������������������������������������������ ����������������������������������������������� ������ ����� ��������� ����� ����� ���� ����������� ����������� ���� ������ ���� �������� ��������� ��� ���� ���� ����� ����� ��� ���������� ��� ������ ������ �������� ���� ����������� ������ ������������ ��� ����� �������������������������������������������������� �������� �������� ���� ����� ����� ����� ������� ��������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������� ������� �������� ������� ���������� ������� ���� �������������������������������������������������� ������������ ��������� –John C. Snider TOWELHEAD: �������������������������������� ��������� ������� ���� ����� �������� ����� ��������������������������������������������� �������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������� ���������� ������� ������������ ����� ���� ������� ������������� ��� �� ������������ ����� ��������� ����� ������ ������� �������� ��������� ������������������������������������������������� ����������� ��������� ������� ��� �� ������ ������ ����������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������ ������������������������������� ��������������� ����������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������� ����� ����� ������ ���������� ������ ���� ������� �������� ����������� ���� ��� ���� ������ �� �������� ��������������������������������������������������� ����� ��������� �������� ���������� ������������� ���������� ������� ����� ������� ���� ���� ����� ���� ���� ��������� ��� �� �������� ������ ��� ����������������������������������������������� ����� �������� ������� �� ������ ���� ����� ��������� ���������� ����������� ��� �������� ��������� ���� ������������ ����������� ������ ����� ���� ����� �������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������ ������������������������������������������������ ������ ��� �������� ����� ���� ����� ��������������� �������� ��� ���� ������ ������������� ��� ����� ����� ���������� ��� ����������� ���������� ���� ��������������� ��������� �� ������� ������������ ��� ���� �������� ����� ��� ���� ���������� ��� ������ �� ������������� ������� ���� ��� ��������� �������� ��� ������������������������������������������������ ����� ���� ����������� ���� ����� �������������� ��������� ��� ���� ����� ���� ������ �������� �� ���������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������� ����� ����� ������������ ��������� ����� ������ ������������������������������������������������� ���������� ������ ��� ����� ������� ����� �� ������� ������������������������ �������������� ������� ����������������������� �������� –Benjamin Carr

TROPIC THUNDER:� ��� ����� ������������ ������� ��� ����� ������� ������� ����� ������ ��� ���� ����������� ����� ���������� ��������� ���� ����� ��������������������������� ���������������� �������������������������������� ��������������� �������� ������������� ��� ��� ��������� ���� ��� ������ ���� �������� ����� ������� �������� ���� ����� ������� ����� ��� �� ���� ��������� ����� ����� ������� ��������� ���� ����������� ����� ���� ��������������������������������������������� ������������ ������� –Ryan Loftis

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TROUBLE THE WATER: ��������������������� ������ ���� ������ ���� ����� �������� ������ ������ ����� ������� ��� �� ������ ������ ������ ����� ������ �������������� ��� ������� �������� ����� �� ������� �������� ���� ���� ���������� ��� ��������� ������������������������ ��������� ������� �������� ��� ����� ��������� ������������ ������ ���������� �������� ����� ����� ���� ���������� ������ ������� ������������ ��� �� ���� �������� �������� ������ ����� �� ������ ��� ���� ��������� �������������������������������������������� ���� ����������� ���� ���������� ������ ���� �������� ����� ����� ���� ������� ������� ������ ��� ������ ��� ��������� ����� ��� ���������� ������ ������� ����� ���������� ������������� ��������� ����� �������� ������ ����������� ���������� ������� ��������� ���� �������� ���������� �������� ����������������������������������������������� ������ ������ ��� ���������� ��� ��������� ���� �������� ���� �������� ���� ���������� ����� ��� ���������� ��� ������ ������ ��� ���� ������ ������ ������������������������������������������������ ������������������������������������������������ ������ ��������������������� ������ ���������� ����� ���� ���� ��������� ����� ��� ������ ����� ��� �������� ��������� �������� ���� ���� �������� ��������������������������������������������� ���� ���� �������� ����� ��� ���������� ������� ��������������� ��������������� ��������������� ����������� ���� ������������ ��� ������ ����� ������������������������������������������� ���� ������� ���� ����� ������ ����� ��� �� ���������� ����������������������������������������������� ����������������������������������������������� �������� ������ ���� �������� ����� �� �������� ������������������������ �������� –B. Love

AYBE IT’S BECAUSE I HAVEN’T SEEN THEWIRE YET, but for my money there’s no crime drama on TV quite as brilliant as The Shield. It’s a show that manages to shock its viewers six seasons after its debut, but never with a cheap ploy. It’s the disturbing honesty and depth of the characters that continue to hammer the characters. Benito Martinez plays Councilman David Aceveda, who had one of the most surprising storylines over the course of the series. Set up as the main antagonist to Michael Chiklis’ shady cop, Vic Mackey, the series has seen Aceveda elected, raped, and conspiring to commit murder, yet he’s not an evil man. There are no heroes and villains on the show, only people. We spoke with Martinez about playing the complex council man and the show’s final season. Was there anything you were hoping to see David accomplish before the end of the series? Benito Martinez: Oh, that’s a good one. Wow, what I wish the audience could see more of was David out there serving the community a bit more in his political arena and how he was able to effect change that way. But, you know, it pales in comparison to what they were able to do. I lack the imagination that the writers have. I really have to say I am very satisfied and complete in the journey that David was. well-polished political figures on TV . You never see the little quirks and the little mistakes that they make, and the little blemishes that they may have. By writing a whole show about it on ours you really get the sense of who they are, their whole life, the complete person. Yet, at the same time, we as people, in this case our characters, struggle as hell to hide those blemishes to make sure no one sees our flaws. They really did a great job, and I think they had a blast doing that. Now that the show is entering it’s final season, how do you think The Shield has changed the nature of the crime drama? The nature of the crime drama? I don’t know if it will have changed it greatly, to be honest. I think that the biggest effect will be, and it’s still lasting today, is being able to produce quality work on extended cable. We kind of kicked open those doors and said that you can have quality drama on other than HBO or network. FX has continued along those lines with wonderful dramas and now the most recent one is Damages and Sons of Anarchy starting up in the fall. The Closer and Saving Grace, and the names escape me right now, but a whole slew of just wonderful shows. Is BY MATT GOLDBERG THIS IS THE END: A Q&A WITH THE SHIELD’S BENITO MARTINEZ TV INTERVIEW M

What has surprised you most about David’s transformation over the course of the series? When I first got the guy, got the role and everything else, I thought, and this is the fun part about taking everything from your own character’s perspective, but I thought the show was about me, and it was going to be about David’s personal life, it was going to be about his accomplishments, what a good guy he is, what a great leader he is, and I always saw the show from that angle. One side of my brain said, no, it’s not; it’s something else. The other part of me always said, it’s my story; it’s my journey. As it unfolded and the complications got thrown in there about different things for David, making misssteps and the time that David stole the kid’s bike because he thought he was doing the right thing, they showed a lot of wonderful aspects about human nature, in all the characters, but I really loved the way they played it in David because—and I said they, the writers, came up with these wonderful ideas. You never see this stuff with these

itAMC or is it A&E that just has Mad Men, you have these wonderful shows that would not be picked up on network. They just wouldn’t. I think that’s where our legacy will be made, that we were able to mine this new territory successfully and really open up a quality vein in the industry.

Can you talk a little bit about filming the final episodes or maybe the last few days on the set what the mood was like, and just kind of how people were, I guess, just coming to terms with the fact that this was kind of the end of the series? We have such a large cast that we were doing little bits and pieces, I’m talking about the last couple of episodes, that we kind of were seeing each other in the hallways and in passing, going “Did you finish your last scene on this? Oh, wow, we’ve only got one more episode.” We started realizing about this ending only towards the very end. Then, this being a business, we got a shocking reminder when the writers went on strike. We got our final script like the Friday before the Monday the writers went on strike. We read it. We had the table read. We all sat there. We read it. We cried. We had a great time, and we looked around and said, “This is fantastic. I hope this strike doesn’t happen.” Monday started and our leader, Shawn Ryan, was gone, the guy who has always been there as a support and a wonderful guide, so that last episode was hard. But, on the other side of that, we had Clark Johnson, who directed the pilot for us and we were by that point a very well oiled machine. We were doing it to the best of our quality, there was just a sadness because some people were unemployed and some people were fighting this well deserved battle about their rights and their contracts and stuff like that. So, it was murky waters to say the least. On the last couple of days we ran long, so we had a wrap party before we actually finished filming. We fin ished filming on a Monday, but we had the wrap party the Saturday before. There were little bits of stuttering to an end, not a big ending for us as far as filming and putting down the cameras, and walking away and saying “Well, that’s it.” It really helped ease the blow because it was very emotional for most of us to put these characters to bed and to finish this journey, and to do it in the middle of a strike, and our boss was one of the guys leading the strike. It was hard. It was tough. We really had to lean on each other a lot and the director a lot and the crew a lot. It was very effecting. That’s kind of the tone of what it was like getting that last script during the last two episodes. We never really ended with a big tah-dah. It was more like we’re done now, and the whole city was shut down. It was like, Okay, now the waiting is over. The strike is over. It’s going to come out inSeptember. So, now we’re all coming back out of the woodwork going, “Hey, how have you been? I’m dying to see what happens.” I don’t know, kind of like that.

TV FALL TV Preview

HE OLYMPICS ARE OVER, BUT TO THE NETWORKS, the real games have just begun. It’s that time of year when they unleash their new shows on the viewing public and then anxiously watch to see which shows are clicking with audiences, what’s generating the hot buzz, whether or not it was a good idea to invest all that money in a particular show. Who needs casino action when you’re a network executive?

As George W.Bush once said, “Most of our imports come from other countries.” That’s certainly true this fall, when the networks seem to have often looked overseas for inspiration. Some of the biggest new shows this season are adaptations of programs that originally aired in England, Australia and even Israel. And it’s not just geography but history too playing a significant role. Series from the ‘80s and ‘90s are being dusted off and introduced to a new audience.

Many of the actors appearing in this season’s new crop are not well known, providing an opportunity for a number of breakout stars to emerge. The fall lineup is a mix of seeming sure things and titles that appear to have barely made it out of the gate. Of course, there have always been sure things that tanked, just like there have always been unknowns that catapult into ratings glory. Only the changing of the season will tell for sure.

CBS THE EX LIST(Fri, 9 PM) THE STARS: Elizabeth Reaser, Rachel Boston, Adam Rothenberg, Alexandra Breckenridge, AmirTalai THE SHILL: A psychic tells Bella Bloom (Reaser), a 30-something business owner, that she has already met and broken up with her future husband. If she doesn’t find him in a year, she will be single for the rest of her life. She begins exploring all of her failed previous relationships, hoping to find a clue about the identity of her soul mate. THE SKINNY: Revisiting all one’s exes could be a rich source of material, but it’s important that the premise feels natural and not like a simple plot gimmick. Ghost Whisperer fans will likely stay tuned for this. ELEVENTH HOUR(Thu, 10 PM) THE STARS:Rufus Sewell, Marley Shelton THE SHILL: Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Eleventh Hour stars Sewell as Dr. Jacob Wood, a brilliant biophysicist who is employed by the government to investigate scientific abuses. Called on when time is running on, his investigations pit him against characters looking to corrupt science for their own personal gain. Shelton is the decorated FBI protection officer assigned to guard Wood. THE SKINNY: Expectations are high for this one: CBS paid $4 million for the pilot and agreed in advance to a pay-or-play license fee of ap proximately $1.75 million per episode for 13 shows. IfEleventh Hour fails, it will be painful for all involved. It’s not likely to fail, though – combining science with a crime procedural allowed Bruckheimer to create a brand name with the CSI trilogy, and Eleventh Hour follows that formula. Putting it after the original – and still most popular – CSI almost guarantees another Top 10 show on Bruckheimer’s résumé. WORST WEEK(Mon, 9:30 PM) THE STARS:KyleBornheimer, Erinn Hayes, Kurtwood Smith, Nancy Lenehan THE SHILL: In this adaptation of the British comedy The Worst Week of MyLife, entertainment magazine editor Sam (Bornheimer) is in love with Melanie (Erinn Hayes), whose conservative parents (Smith and Lenehan) disapprove of him. His efforts to win them over are doomed for failure since he constantly makes a fool of himself in stead. That’s going to make breaking the news that Sam and Melanie are engaged and expecting a baby difficult. THE SKINNY: Producer Matt Tarses has previous experience pro ducing the Emmy winning shows Sports Night and Scrubs, a useful pedigree for a new show. The premise is very familiar, as it was already covered in two Meet the Parents movies, as is Smith’s role as a grumpy old dad, which he already played to perfection on That ‘70sShow. Lack of originality aside, WorstWeek should do well in its cushy time slot between Two and a HalfMen and CSI:Miami. THE MENTALIST(Tue, 9 PM) THE STARS:SimonBaker, RobinTunney, OwainYeoman, TimKang, Amanda Righetti THE SHILL: Baker is Patrick Jane, an independent consultant with the California Bureau of Investigation who uses his brilliant observation skills to solve crimes. Prior to his law enforcement career he was a psychic medium who falsely claimed to have paranormal abili ties. His superior, Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon (Tunney), doesn’t like his attitude but has to admit he’s useful in cracking tough cases. THE SKINNY: With eight crime dramas already airing on CBS, not including the new Eleventh Hour, it would seem there would be no room for The Mentalist, but apparently not. Golden Globe nominee Baker is a rising actor, andTV heroes who aren’t always admirable are often more interesting than their noble coun terparts – think Hugh Laurie in House. Crime drama fans are sure to find it, since it’s perched between NCIS and Without a Trace. GARY UNMARRIED (Wed, 8:30 PM) THE STARS: Jay Mohr, Paula Marshall, Jaime King, Ryan Malgarini, Laura Marano, Ed Begley Jr. THE SHILL: Painting contractor Gary (Mohr) is beginning a new life following the end of his 15-year marriage to Allison (Marshall). They share custody of their adolescent children, and Gary has the privi lege of being seen as the fun parent. He’s reluctant to reveal the new romance he’s found with a client – until he learns his ex-wife is engaged to their marriage counselor (Begley). THE SKINNY: Mohr and Marshall are enormously appealing actors, but neither has what could be called a sterling television track record, particularly Marshall, who was called “show killer” by the Web site Television Without Pity. Still, placing this family friendly comedy after The New Adventures of Old Christine, also about a protagonist adjusting to life after divorce, should deliver ratings high enough to create the Wednesday night comedy block CBS is looking to establish.

ABC OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS (Tue, 8 PM) THE STARS: J.D. Roth, various American families BY RYAN LOFTIS T AMERICA’S TOUGHEST JOBS ELEVENTH

HOUR

THE SHILL: Each week host Roth will knock on a family’s door and invite them to participate in a game show that could earn them hundreds of thousands of dollars and a truckload of prizes. The questions are all family related, so the more the members know about each other, the better. The show will take place on the family’s front lawn after the 150-person staff constructs the set. THE SKINNY: This show continues Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’s tradition of giving ordinary families an opportunity at a better life. By targeting families looking for something to watch together, Opportunity Knocks could have the same mass appeal Who Wants to be a Millionaire? had for ABC nearly a decade ago.

LIFE ON MARS (Thu, 10 PM) THE STARS: Jason O’Mara, Harvey Keitel, Michael Imperioli, Gretchen Mol, Jonathan Murphy THE SHILL: Based on a popular British series of the same name, Life on Mars tells the story of modern-day NYPD Detective Sam Tyler (O’ Mara), who is hit by a car while chasing a suspect and finds himself transported back to 1973. Not only is the social climate different – the Vietnam War, women’s liberation and the civil and gay rights movements are hot topics – but Tyler must do without the hi-tech crime-fighting techniques he’s used to. Adding to his frustrations is his clashes with Lieutenant Gene Hunt (Keitel), who favors brawn over brains in fighting crime. While longing to get back to his 2008 girlfriend, he develops a friendship with female cop Annie Norris (Mol). THE SKINNY:If nothing else, Keitel and Imperioli will be at home on the streets of New York, but the show’s troubled past could hinder its success. The production was moved from Los Angeles to New York, all the original cast members save for O’ Mara were fired after the initial pilot and reins of the show transferred from Emmy winner David E. Kelley to three producers whose last effort was the failed October Road, which aired in this show’s time slot. Everyone involved needs to hope producing a quality show wasn’t forgotten amidst all the turmoil.

NBC AMERICA’S TOUGHEST JOBS (Mon, 9 PM) THE STARS: Josh Temple, 13 career people THE SHILL: A reality show that redefines a hard day’s work, as 13 men and women leave their regu lar jobs behind to participate in a series of hazardous occupations, including logging in the Oregon forest, drilling for oil in Texas and driving trucks on icy roads. Job performance of the novice con testants is expected to equal that of the professionals. Contestants are sent home at the end of each episode, and the last one remain ing receives the combined annual salaries of every job featured on the show as the grand prize. THE SKINNY: The people on Survivor think they’re tough? They should try working a job with a fatality rate 90 times higher than average the way these contes tants will. The inherent drama and suspense of inexperienced people thrown into difficult situations should attract a lot of reality fans. The fact that this is a reality show actually dealing with real-life situations should also help. OPPORTUNITY

KNOCKS

TV FALL TV Preview

CRUSOE(FRI, 9 PM) THE STARS: Philip Winchester, Anna Walton, Tongayi Chirisa, Joaquim De Almeida, SamNeill THE SHILL: Based on Daniel Defoe’s classic 1719 novel, Crusoe follows Robinson Crusoe (Winchester) and his native friend Friday (Chirisa) as they fight to survive being stranded on a desert island. Standing in the way of survival are militias, cannibals looking for their next meal, wild cats, deadly lighting storms and starvation. While looking for a way to escape, Crusoe reflects on courting his wife Susannah (Walton) and his relationship with his mentor Jeremiah Blackthorn (Neill). THE SKINNY: ABC is already tackling this basic storyline with Lost. It seems unfair to make this comparison, since Defoe’s novel precedes the ABC series by about 300 years, but it’s the truth. With no big names and a tough time slot, this show is highly unlikely to be as revered as the book.

KATH & KIM(Thu, 8:30 PM) THE STARS: Molly Shannon, Selma Blair, John Michael Higgins, Mikey Day THE SHILL: Adapted from a popular Australian sitcom of the same name, this American version stars Shannon as Kath, a 40ish divorcee and Blair as her self-absorbed daughter, Kim. After separating from her husband, Kim decides to move back home, cramping Kath’s search for love. THE SKINNY: It’s great to see the talented Shannon doing weekly comedy again, and Blair is a good actress who can get laughs. What’s most important is that there’s the right chemistry between them. If it’s not there, all will be lost.

MY OWN WORST ENEMY(Mon, 10 PM) THE STARS:Christian Slater, Mike O’Malley, Saffron Burrows, Yara Martinez, Cierra Ramirez, Taylor Lautner, Alfre Woodard THE SHILL: Slater is two different people in this drama. As Harry Spivey, he’s an efficiency expert living in the suburbs with his wife and kids. As Edward Albright, he’s a multi-lingual operative and trained killer. The only thing they have in common is a body, but when the line separating their lifestyles begins to blur, each man finds himself in a dangerous situation. THE SKINNY: The premise is interesting, but unfortunately Slater’s star dimmed a long time ago, and the show has a formidable time slot competitor in CSI : Miami. Expect the real enemy to be a lack of viewers.

KNIGHT RIDER (Wed, 8 PM) THE STARS: Justin Bruening, Deanna Russo, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Bruce Davison, Yancey Arias, Paul Campbell THE SHILL: The hit 1980s series returns to NBC, this time featur ing the Knight Industries Three Thousand (KITT), a car with an artificial intelligence that can break into almost any system, a first-rate weapons arsenal and a body capable of transforming itself into other vehicles. Bruening is Michael Traceur, the estranged son of the star of the original series, Michael Knight, who was played by David Hasselhoff. Like his father, Traceur uses his car to fight crime. THE SKINNY: In bringing back one of its ‘80s shows, NBC was right to update the real star: the KITT .Today’s tech-savvy audiences would demand it. Car enthusiasts will no doubt get a kick out of the new Knight Rider, but more than a cool car will be needed for this show to have staying power.

THE SHILL: A workplace sitcom set in one of New York City’s most popular hotels, The Inn. O’Connell leads the ensemble cast as Neal, the egotistical general manager determined to make sure the hotel and its employees measure up to his standards. Employees with various quirks make up the upstairs and downstairs staffs. THE SKINNY: FOX hasn’t had a successful live action sitcom since The Bernie MacShow debuted 7 years ago, and O’Connell’s most recent TV effort, Carpoolers, lasted only 13 episodes last season. Not a promising collaboration. This time slot should be vacant before too long.

FRINGE(Tue, 9 PM) THE STARS:AnnaTorv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble,Lance Reddick, Kirk Acevedo, Mark Valley, Blair Brown, Jasika Nicole THE SHILL: FBISpecial Agents Olivia Dunham and John Scott (Torv and Valley) are assigned to investigate when all the passengers and crew aboard an international flight to Boston are discovered to have died grisly deaths. The search for answers leads to research scientist Walter Bishop (Noble), a genius who has spent 20 years in an in stitution and has an estranged son (Jackson), as well as corporate ex ecutive Nina Sharp (Brown). The agents eventually discover what happened to the passengers is part of a larger plot. THE SKINNY: Co-creator J.J. Abrams knows how to design shows that attract devoted audiences, as Alias and Lost have proved. The unexplained phenomena and sense of a large conspiracy at work is sure to satisfy X-Files fans. This has the poten tial to be a breakout hit, if the pilot episode being leaked on the Internet doesn’t hurt it.

CW 90210(Tue, 8 PM) THE STARS: Shenae Grimes, Rob Estes, Tristan Wilds, AnnaLynne McCord, Dustin Milligan, Ryan Eggold, Jessica Stroup, Michael Steger, Lori Loughlin, Jessica Walter THE SHILL: The long-awaited spin-off of the iconic ‘90s teen drama Beverly Hills 90210 follows the Wilson family – dad Harry (Estes), mom Debbie ( Loughlin), daughter Annie (Grimes) and son Dixon (Wilds) – as they move to Beverly Hills to watch over Harry’s mother Tabitha (Walter) a former television star and veteran of the Betty Ford Clinic. Annie and Dixon’s attempts to maneuver through the strange new world of West Beverly Hills High are made more difficult with their father being the new principal. Jennie Garth and Shannen Doherty are among the Beverly Hills, 90210 cast members reprising their original roles in the new series. THE SKINNY: Perhaps the closest thing that the fledging CW has had to a surefire hit. Today’s teenage girls will watch because they already like One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl, while older women will tune in for nos talgia. The blend of new and old faces offers 90210 wider appeal than your typical soap.

PRIVILEGED (Tue, 9 PM) THE STARS: Joanna Garcia, Ashley Newbrough, Lucy Kate Hale,AnneArcher, Brian Hallisay, Kristina Apgar, Michael Cassidy, Allan Louis THE SHILL : Yale graduate Megan Smith (Garcia) is fired from a tabloid and becomes the live-in tutor for the rebellious twin teen granddaughters of cosmetics mogul Laurel Limoges ( Archer) in Palm Beach. The twins are less than enthusiastic about this new authority figure, but Megan’s position does have its perks, including a private suite, her own convertible and a live-in chef. Then there’s the rich and handsome boy next door ( Hallisay) who wants Megan but unfortunately is already dating her estranged sister. THE SKINNY: The 90210 audience will likely stick around for this, with its young, attractive cast and romantic storylines. If 90210 and Privileged connect with audiences in the way Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars failed to do two years ago, Tuesday could become the CW’s dominant night.

STYLISTA(Wed, 9 PM) THE STARS:AnneSlowey, Joe Zee, fashion enthusiasts THE SHILL: What does it take to work for Elle magazine? Eleven contestants will find out during the course of this reality show, com peting for a paid editorial position. Slowey, Elle’s fashion news director, consults with Zee, the magazine’s creative director, each week to decide who will be fired. THE SKINNY: Wednesday is now Fashion Night at the CW, with this following America’s Next TopModel. With Elle being the world’s largest fashion magazine, Stylista certainly has a big potential audience. If any of the contestants worth rooting for, viewers will keep coming back.

TNT RAISING THE BAR(MON, 10 PM) THE STARS: Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben, Currie Graham, Jane Kaczmarek, J. August Richards, Jonathan Scarfe, Melissa Sagemiller, Natalia Cigliuti, Teddy Sears THE SHILL: Steven Bochco executive produces this legal drama that focuses on prosecutors, public defenders and judges. Showdowns will occur both inside and outside the courtroom as the relationships among people on opposing sides of the law are explored. THE SKINNY: TNT may be the place to be right now for crime drama, with the highly popular series The Closer and Saving Grace. Raising the Bar will fit right alongside them, and its cast, including Bochco veterans Gosselaar and Graham, is first-rate. Bochco, who certainly knows how to put together a good legal drama, should have his first hit since NYP DBlue debuted 15 years ago.

HBO TRUE BLOOD (Sun, 9 PM) THE STARS: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, RutinaWesley, Nelsan Ellis THE SHILL: The invention of synthetic blood has allowed vampires to rap idly evolve from monsters to average citizens. Sookie Stackhouse (Paquin) is a waitress in the small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana with the ability to hear people’s thoughts. While the inclusion of vampires in mainstream so ciety is bitterly debated, Sookie is openminded about it. But her attitudes may change as she is drawn into the world of Bill Compton (Moyer), a 173-year-old vampire who lives up the road. THE SKINNY: HBO has certainly nev er been shy about dealing with daring subject matter, and that’s no different this time. What sounds like a cheesy exploitation series has a terrific pedigree: The creator is Oscar and Emmy Award winner Alan Ball, who created another landmark HBO series, Six Feet Under. Paquin, the second youngest Oscar winner in history, successfully transitioned into mature adult roles long ago. Since it’s HBO, a lot of blood can probably be expected, too. TRUIE BLOOD

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