Hoje apresentamos mais três novas séries a estrear na estação norte-americana ABC - The Unusuals, Better off Ted e Single with Parents.

The Unusuals - Para ser polícia, é bom ter sentido de humor - porque cada momento pode ser o último. Basta perguntar a Casey Shraeger (Amber Tamblyn; A Missão de Joan e The Grudge - A Maldição 2). Ela começou o seu dia como uma detetive de costumes de Nova Iorque que tinha de passar por prostituta no Tunel Lincoln e acabou-o transferida para a unidade de homicídios. Casey rapidamente se apercebeu de que, todos os que trabalham consigo na sua nova unidade têm um peculiar sentido de humor mas que todos eles têm um segredo que querem proteger a todo o custo: O Sargento Harvey Brown (Terry Kinney; Oz e A Firma) está apaixonado pela detective Allison Beaumont (Monique Curnen; O Cavaleiro das Trevas). O Detective Eric Delahoy (Adam Goldberg; O Resgate do Soldado Ryan e Uma Mente Brilhante) tem um tumor no cérebro e tenta a todo o custo ter uma morte nobre na defesa de Nova Iorque. O seu parceiro, o detective Leo Banks (Harold Perrineau; Lost - Perdidos) acabou de fazer 52 anos e teme que, assim como o seu pai, não chegue aos 53. O Detective Henry Cole (Joshua Close; O Exorcismo de Emily Rose) é extremamente religioso mas tem um passado sombrio. E apesar do novo parceiro de Casey, Joe Walsh (Jeremy Renner; 28 Semanas Depois e SWAT) parecer ser um homem honesto e sem segredos, a jovem detective rapidamente descobre que este pode ter um segredo ou dois quando investiga o homicídio do anterior parceiro de Walsh. E como todos escondem alguma coisa, Casey não pode fugir à regra. A jovem cresceu no seio da alta sociedade de Nova Iorque e tornou-se polícia por ter presenciado como o dinheiro pode por vezes manipular a justiça.

Considerada como uma mistura de NYPD Blue - Nova Iorque contra o crime e The Office - O Escritório, The Unusuals é uma comédia procedural única cujo ambiente realista torna as gargalhadas ainda mais sonantes, com o selo de qualidade da equipa produtiva responsável por Rescue Me - Socorro : Denis Leary, Jim Serpico e Peter Tolan. Stephen Hopkins (24) dirigiu o episódio piloto.

criada por Noah Hawley (Ossos)

produzida por Denis Leary, Peter Tolan, Jim Serpico, Merrill H. Karpf (Ed) e Noah Hawley

com Amber Tamblyn, Jeremy Renner, Harold Perrineau, Terry Kinney, Monique Curnen, Joshua Close, Kai Lennox, Cornell Womack e Adam Goldberg

Better off Ted - Ted Crisp (Jay Harrington; Donas de Casa Desesperadas) trabalha para a revolucionária empresa Veridian Technologies, onde nenhum desejo é demasiado surreal, e onde Ted adora trabalhar. Ele adora tudo o que há no seu trabalho. Adora a sua imparável chefe Veronica (Portia de Rossi; Ally McBeal, Arrested Development e Nip/Tuck), os seus colegas Lem (Malcolm Barrett), Phil (Jonathan Slavin; O Meu Nome é Earl) e Linda (Andrea Anders; Joey). Especialmente Linda. Mas acima de tudo, porque ele adora o que eles fazem. Esticar ao máximo a linha que divide a ciência da imaginação, transformando o ridiculamente impossível em algo plausível... e hilariante. O único problema do seu trabalho é que o termo "Ética" não faz parte do vocabulário da firma. Como diz Ted "O trabalho não se resume a certos e errados, mas sim a sucessos e fracassos". É graças à sua filha precoce Rose (Isabella Acres) que Ted continua a ter uma bússola moral. Mas o que é que acontece quando damos uma vista de olhos ao aparentemente perfeito trabalho de Ted? Porque é que a companhia quer congelar um dos cientistas que trabalha com Ted? Porque é que as novas cadeiras dão comichão? Quem é que rouba todo o chantilly da cantina?

Criada pelo talentoso escritor e produtor de O Meu Nome é Earl e Doido por Ti, Victor Fresco, Better off Ted é uma comédia que nos fará apreciar melhor a díficil tarefa que é ser um pai solteiro e ao mesmo tempo líder de uma equipa no emprego. Alguém tem que o fazer não é? Afinal, o que seria do mundo se não houvessem abóboras explosivas.

criada por Victor Fresco

produzida por Victor Fresco

com Jay Harrington, Andrea Anders, Jonathan Slavin, Malcolm Barrett, Isabella Acres, Maz Jobrani e Portia de Rossi

Single with Parents - Conheça Louisa (Alyssa Milano; O Meu Nome é Earl e Charmed - As Feiticeiras). Mas pode trata-la por Lou. Esta bela e sábia mulher de trinta anos está felicíssima com o divórcio dos pais - a sério! Exceptuando o facto de que tanto o seu pai (Beau Bridges; Stargate e O Meu Nome é Earl) como a sua mãe Elizabeth (Annie Potts; Ghostbusters) precisarem muito de si, ela está feliz. Decidida a viver a sua vida em pleno, Lou pede ao universo três pequenos favores: Uma mulher perfeita para o pai. Uma mulher amiga para a mãe e o homem ideal para si. Sem se aperceber, o universo concede-lhe os três desejos, quando conhece na casa do pai, Nancy (Meagen Fay), uma doce e generosa guia num oceanário local, que acaba por se tornar na sua madrasta. Com ela vêm os seus dois filhos, que não gostam nada de Lou. Entretanto Lou conhece Charlie (Eric Winter; Irmãos & Irmãs e Moonlight), o Homem Ideal, um homem atraente, sensível, inteligente e filho de Nancy... E como se isto não bastasse, Elizabeth, a mãe de Lou, decide que a sua melhor amiga será a sua adorada filha.

Uma comédia de meia hora, que o deixará envolvido na difícil vida de Lou e numa família altamente inconvencional.

criada por Kristin Newman (Foi Assim que Aconteceu e Que Loucura de Família)

produzida por Kristin Newman

com Alyssa Milano, Beau Bridges, Eric Winter, Meagen Fay, Amanda Detmer (Os Amigos de Brian), Aramis Knight, Stella Hudgens e Annie Potts

De fora ficaram muitos pilotos de drama e comédia, no entanto apenas a ausência de três deles é que me surpreendeu:

das comédias
- The Bad Mother's Handbook, protagonizada pelo trio Megan Mullally (Will & Grace), Alicia Silverstone (Clueless e Batman & Robin) e Alia Shawkat; Arrested Development).
- Roman's Empire, com Kelsey Grammer (Frasier e Back to You) no principal papel.

e do drama
- Good Behavior, desenvolvido por Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars) e com Catherine O’Hara (Sete Palmos de Terra, Penelope e Sozinho em Casa) como protagonista.

Fonte: ABC

Yes.  So immediately once I read the headline Gary Cole in for "Good Behavior" on Hollywood Reporter, ther first thing I thought was, WTF did Gary Coleman do to get in trouble again???  Wait.. Oops.  Nevermind, it's Gary Cole...Oh Gary Cole, how far you've fallen. 

Typically, when one hears the phrase "good behavior" one might think of a person in prison getting time off for it.  Which means I DEFINITELY read that wrong!  And of course the subsequent thought was... why would Gary Cole be IN for good behavior if he's in trouble... DUH!  I've had my moments, believe me.  But this has to be the most entertaining.  Sorry, Gary Cole.  I never would have believed that you were in any kind of trouble.  I mean, come on.  It's Gary Cole.  Mike Brady... I doubt he's done anything wrong... EVER.

Anyhoo, in actuality, Gary Cole has signed on to appear in the pilot episode of Good Behavior to premiere on ABC this September.  Incidentally, the show centers around a Matriarch (played by Catherine O'Hara) who decides that it is time that her criminal family try the straight and narrow path.  No wonder I was confused.  No less, I will definitely give this show the 3 episode chance.  See what happens.

Also scheduled to make appearances are Jeffrey Tambor and Ty Burrell.

I am not one of those deluded parents who imagine that my toddler is an angel. My toddlers are handfuls. I hesitate to say "bad". But I will say that they are "busy". By busy I mean they are literally into everything. Especially my two year old son. We are visiting relatives for the summer, (see previous post), and I am told constantly by my sister. "Whoo, your son is so bad." (Never mind that her two sons were NIGHTMARES while growing up. And their behavior even today as young adults leaves a lot to be desired.) But she, and a few others have commented that, "he is bad."

As his mother I feel that he is not bad but he is busy. Yes, very busy. Typical activities of his are; running everywhere he goes, he loves to climb up things and of course after reaching the top he has to jump off, he likes to take things out of wastebaskets, he likes to write on paper, and walls and carpets and table tops, he likes to throw things, okay everything, he opens doors and explores rooms, he will run outside, he pushes any button he can reach, he chases the cat, he opens the fish tank, he puts his hands in water, including the toilet bowl, he picks flowers, he likes to talk on the phone, and play on cell phones, he peels bananas, he makes copies, he...well you get the picture. If you can imagine it, he will do it.

Reading over this list, I'm thinking maybe he is bad. In his defense I will state that he does not do all of these activities at one time or in one day. He spaces it out nicely over a week. Sometimes he has a particularly busy "spurt". Sometimes he's quiet for a relatively long period of time. During this waiting period which generally lasts no more than thirty minutes, we sit waiting with baited breath for the next spurt. I believe that his behavior does not qualify as bad because it is age appropriate. When in a new environment he uses all of his senses to explore and understand his world. At his age, he learns by doing and experimenting. So he rolls and and drops things to see what will happen. He climbs and jumps because he is learning the limits of his physical ability and what his body can do. He puts everything in his mouth because this is a method of exploration at this age. He is my little scientist, a great and brave explorer in an unknown world.

I feel as his mother that my job is to encourage this exploration as a way of developing valuable learning skills that he will need to problem solve as he grows. My job is also to teach him what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Something things he knows, like he shouldn't throw everything. Sure sometimes he is testing the limits of my patience and gauging my reactions. But I feel that too is normal and appropriate. I am working on improving his behavior and reigning him in so he doesn't destroy your house. All I ask in return is a teeny tiny bit of patience and that you not label him as bad during this formative period.

Se Lost, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives e Ugly Betty (todas ótimas séries) não saciaram sua fome por qualidade, então prepare-se para novos itens no cardápio pois a ABC está preparando novas receitas com ótimos ingredientes.

Catherine O'Hara está em negociação para estrelar Good Behavior, piloto de uma dramédia que, se vingar, estrará na grade da emissora.  O intuito da série é contar o cotidiano de uma família de criminosos. O'Hara é cotada para interpretar a matriarca da tal família.

Porém, nada de cozinha para esta mamãe. Sua função será colocar os parentes nos eixos após o alvoroço estabelecido com a prisão de seu marido - que deverá ficar por trás das grades por cinco anos.

Também está nos planos da ABC um programa piloto chamado Motor City, uma novela baseada em Hamlet, de Shakespeare. Nele Andie MacDowell interpretaria a mãe de um professor de filosofia de Harvard que retorna para Detroit com a finalidade de tomar conta dos negócios automotivos da família.

Esses enredos malucos das séries da ABC assustam, mas no final acabam se mostrando deliciosos.

Fonte: tvguide.com

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Dateline: Friday, August 13, 1937

FRONT PAGE

Man Who Threw Gun AT Edward Released

LONDON, Aug. 13.--(INS)--George Andrew McMahon, who scared the wits out of England last year when he tossed a loaded revolver toward King Edward VIII, had Friday the 13th--and good behavior--to thank today for his early release from Wadsworth jail.

Time off for good behavior made today the date for the ex-clerk’s release. But on his plea of superstition, he was freed last night.

The origin of the situation (names changed of course) was that a few weeks before, when I had changed the classroom seating chart, I sat Jihane between two talkative boys, to try to keep them quiet. One of the boys, Mehdi, fell in love with Jihane after I sat them together. He began bothering her and harrassing her, following her around the playground, and never leaving her alone. Finally, in order to get Mehdi to leave her alone, Jihane followed the advice of another boy, and told Mehdi that she was in love with a third boy, Omar. Upon hearing that, Mehdi exploded with jealousy and went after both Omar and Jihane, deciding that he now "hated" Jihane. Meanwhile, when Omar heard from other boys that Jihane had said she was in love with him, he got angry at Jihane, and wanted to hit her, too. Now Jihane was terrified and crying, and some other girls were gathered around her trying to protect her.

Meanwhile, Omar heard from the boy who had suggested it to Jihane why Jihane had said that she was in love with him, so he wasn't angry any more. Mehdi was trying to hit Jihane, and Omar jumped between them, trying to protect Jihane and got hit in the eye. It required ice, but luckily was not a serious injury. Then, Sammy tried to stop Mehdi from hitting Jihane by grabbing Mehdi's arms from the back, and he got hurt, too. It was right at this time that the girls all ran to me with the whole story. Lunch was about over, so right after that I kept the kids who had been involved to try and work out the problem. Jihane was nearly hysterical and terrified to go to Arabic class because of Mehdi, and Mehdi himself was in tears and continuing to threaten Jihane, Omar, and Sammy.

It turned out that one reason the children had all been so upset with Mehdi was that he was threatening to stab Jihane to death with knives, and to tie up her whole family and kill her father, brother, and mother and sister. I thought this was quite serious, even from an eight-year-old. I asked Mehdi if it were true that he had said this. He not only said it was true, but continued to say it in front of me, and to shake his fists at the other students, especially Jihane. Right in front of me!!! I pointed out to him that even if we hate someone, about the strongest thing it is OK to say is, "I hate you!" We must never say things like we are going to tie someone up and stab them with knives, even if we are imagining it. I pointed out what if a robber came and did something like that to Jihane's family, people would turn and say, "Mehdi did it!" Instead of seeing the point, all he would say is, "Yes, and I am going to do it myself!" and "I would be really, really glad if someone did it!" I made it very clear to Mehdi that this behavior was unacceptable, and that the principal and his parents would be informed, as well as the incident would be written in a book (of bullying incidents) the school keeps. I also told him that if an incident like that happened again, he would be suspended.
After thirty minutes, I got the whole group (except Mehdi) calmed down, and sent off to Arabic. I kept Mehdi, and he talked to me about how he has no friends (he does, but didn't feel like it at that moment), how he hates this school and wants to go to another one. He told me about how the other kids don't want to be near him and say he's dirty because he has snot hanging out of his nose (he usually does). I talked to him about how to blow his nose, and gave him a private lesson in this. Then I asked if there were anyone in the class who he thought he could sit next to. He told me no one. But when I showed him the class list, he actually came up with about five people. One person he was very positive on was another little boy who recently broke up with his best friend, and has been disruptive and lonely ever since. So I put the two of them together, and Mehdi helped me rearrange all the desks before the rest of the class got back from Arabic. Mahdi really enjoyed helping me with the desks, was excited about his new desk mate, had a clean nose, and was very happy by the time the class got back.

The two boys together has been an instant success, and they are behaving well and getting along well. By the following day, even Jihane told me that they were all friends again, and the entire problem had blown over. The next day, the principal and I decided that I would call in the parents and speak to them myself. The mother was able to come right away, and was very, very nice. She was concerned, helpful, and cooperative. I told her that I thought Mehdi was a volatile in his emotions. She had already tried to work with Mehdi on the nose problem, but sometimes children are more resistent to their own parents than to their teachers. She said she would like to take him for a few visits to a psychologist--the only problem being none of us know any we have confidence in, in our city.

So, I guess the moral of this story for teachers is, if you seat students boy-girl-boy-girl, just try to be aware if something is developing that could make someone uncomfortable.

Eileen

As more and more students got on the Good Behavior List, I promised them that we could have a party when the whole class got on. Just before Christmas/New Year's vacation, we got the whole class on. But since we were having an end-of-term party that week, we postponed the "Good Behavior" party until today. My kids had a great time, and especially enjoyed when the other classes walked by at various times through the morning and saw that we were the only ones having a party. (Between eating everything they brought, and having some dancing, it was about a three-hour party. I have a wonderful assistant, and I had two great mothers who came and helped out, as well.)

The students' behavior has improved a lot this year, and they really feel proud of themselves!

Eileen

You may be asking yourself right now, "Is that my kind act for today?" Well, it's not a bad a idea, but no. Keep reading...

I was, however, bothered by the fact that my initial reaction was one of doom and gloom (or least one that expected bad manners) when the other boy ran ahead. Typically, generosity and kindness are my default mode, but today it wasn't so. I automatically assumed the worst (I'm not used to that; it is such an icky feeling.)

So, here is your first act of kindness for today...make thoughts of kindness and generosity your default mode. Expect your actions and the actions of another to be based on kindness rather than rudeness.  If someone fails to smile or say thank you, don't assume that they are rude. (Remember assuming make an ASS out of U and ME.) Instead, consider that their action - or lack of  action - is based on a greater good. Perhaps they failed to smile because they just preoccupied about thinking how to help a friend in need. Maybe that person didn't say thank you because they had a mouth full of food and didn't want to appear rude by talking with his or her mouth full. Whatever the situation, remember to program kind thoughts as your default mode.

Now, let's get back to the kind little gentleman at the school. I wanted to reciprocate the act of kindness to him. What could I do? Hmmmm.....I got it! I'm going to call his mom and tell him that I caught him being kind. As parents, we often get reports about less-than-stellar behavior, but what if  it was the opposite? What if we adopted the process of reporting good and kind behavior. Think of the standard it would set for kids. Instead of feeling down about something they did "wrong," kids could feel good about doing something kind. And, really, what feelings would you rather perpetuate - good or bad?

Anyway, I called the boy's mom, and said "I just wanted to call to tell you what Nick did this morning at school." You could feel her tension through the phone line. "Oh no, what'd he do now." So, I told her. I told her how he held the door open for me. I told her how he continued to hold the door open for other kids. I told her how completely beamed with pride.  She was so excited. After spending a few more minutes chatting, she said that this call had made her feel so good that she was going to make it a point to start calling other parents when she caught their kids being kind. She was going to pay it forward. And, now you have it - your second act of kindness for today (tomorrow too). Catch a child being kind and tell the parents.  Keep perpetuating those good karma feelings and they will return to you exponentially!

In chaos, karma, creativity and kindness,

Julie