The last weeks of summer are fast approaching. As these penultimate days play-through, many face a difficult decision. Spend this fleeting time enjoying the verdant earth in all its lazy summer glory, or catch up on all the best TV shows before the Fall season comes around? This list is for those who choose the latter (better) option.

The best are:

Supernatural

After 149 episodes, the CW’s “Supernatural” has no right to still be this good. Seven years in and the classic, Patrick Swayze popularized, combination of paranormal activities and glistening abs has yet to lose its well-lubricated sheen. But to reduce its brilliance to a pair of favorably-positioned nipples is to do the series a great wrong. Ghoul hunters, Sam and Dean, have been to hell and back during the course of the show. Literally. The journey that the brothers have undertaken has been rife with drama, intrigue, action and wry wit.

Some of the narrative arcs during the middle seasons lagged; the fight for Sam’s soul became the fight for Dean’s soul, which became the fight for Sam’s soul, which became a long period of watching “Friends” re-runs instead. But, recently, “Supernatural” has returned to the ‘joie-de-vivre’ of its charismatic youth and season 8 ushers in the the fresh voice of new show-runner, Jeremy Carver (Being Human).

At its very best, “Supernatural” delivers breathtaking plot-twists that will hit the viewer like a souped up Chevy Impala barreling down a long, dark road. At its worst, “Supernatural” is still the show that has the guts to include God, THE God, as a primary character, and in “Supernatural”‘s worldview, God is no Yoda-meets-Santa Clause figure in a white robe and Birkenstocks.

So, come this fall season, “who you gonna call?”

Boardwalk Empire

The 1st and 2nd seasons of HBO’s prohibition gangster drama “Boardwalk Empire” have received a lot of somewhat counter-intuitive flack from the critics. Some suggest that many of the key elements of the show may constitute factors that could be described, unfavourably, as Emmy/Oscar-bait– expansive and involved plot, painstakingly reproduced sets, carefully maintained historical context, big name actors, and a pilot episode directed by Martin Scorcese.

But my gosh what a show! — expansive and involved plot, painstakingly reproduced sets, carefully maintained historical context, big name actors and a pilot episode directed by Martin Scorsese! In addition, taking a leaf out of “Game of Thrones’” gilded tome, “Boardwalk Empire” is not afraid to make the necessary sacrifices in the name of good TV. Some compare “Boardwalk Empire” to “Mad Men.” If this comparison is supposed to be a veiled insult, it’s very well hidden indeed; “Mad Men” is great, and so is this show.

Gossip Girl

Many people would approach with skepticism any reviewer who recommends the CW’s adolescent soapie, “Gossip Girl”, as appropriate viewing material for the thinking mind. But, this much dismissed show has been the medium for some of the greatest TV plot-twists of the past 5 years. Yes, a lot of the “Gossip Girl’s” screen-time is taken up by frequent scenes of attractive hairless people making out next to superbly maintained indoor pools, but one can forgive the writers their indulgent moments if one takes into consideration two truths:

1. “Gossip Girl” approaches satire in its level of keenly absurdist self-awareness. Everything about “Gossip Girl” is done to deliberate excess– it’s a thing of laconic, one-liner stuffed, beauty.
2. “Gossip Girl” caters to the wishes of its audience like no other. If you’ve blogged about it, internet world, it might well make an appearance. In some respects, “Gossip Girl” is like a serial version of ‘Snakes on a Plane’… in Louboutins.

The combination of these two basic principles has been enough to attract some incredible guest stars not only amongst actors, but also amongst the Manhattan gliterati.

The last season was not good, it’s true. However, nobody, nowhere, nohow does a finale like “Gossip Girl” does. And, as this 7th season is slated to be the show’s last, one can expect the UESiders to go out not with a whimper, but a bang (no pun intended.)

Community

Though Zooey Deschanel cavorts around in broad-rimmed glasses being all adorkable on Fox’s “New Girl,” the real home of weird is most certainly NBC’s “Community.” Having been on the verge of cancellation, the show has undergone some changes– namely, Dan Harmon has recently been ejected from his position as showrunner.

Nonetheless, the thing that keeps “Community” consistently hysterical is an unshakably strong ensemble cast whose comedic chemistry is infectious; “Community” is “Friends” meets “Big Bang Theory” meets a whole planet of crazy. Everything on the show is done with complete and utter commitment and the ever revolving chain of guest writers has made for 3 seasons in which every episode has been totally unique. Changtastic.

The Walking Dead

AMC’s “The Walking Dead” has been breaking records (and fictional skulls) everywhere during its first two seasons on air. The success of the show is unsurprising considering the fact that its list of screenwriters includes names that would make Shakespeare blush in professional shame. Oh, and there are zombies too!

“The Walking Dead” is shot so convincingly that one might be forgiven for feeling like one was actually watching footage of the Zombie Apocalypse– it’s gray, it’s bleak and it’s gory. However, before the world at large grabs a 9 gauge in one hand and a ‘Queen’ record in the other, one should remember that this is only a show–  albeit a very good one.

Honorable Mentions:

Parks and Recreation

Leslie Knope and the colorful inhabitants of Pawnee– the US’s most dysfunctionally happy city–transform middle America from a cautionary Green Day music video into the epitome of rustic charm. Miraculously consistent, “Parks and Rec” is poised for another great season driven by its 2 most compelling, and always hilarious, isms: optimism and Swansonism.

Raising Hope

Has political correctness gone mad? Not really, because somebody somewhere continues to endorse the televising of “Raising Hope.” Unsurprisingly, that somebody is a TV executive at Fox. But, where Fox regular Seth MacFarlane is crude, brash and in-your-face, “Raising Hope” approaches its subjects with subtlety. Indeed, for a show whose titular character is the illegitimate toddler of a convicted serial killer and a ‘special’ checkout clerk who lives with his white-trash parents, “Raising Hope” has managed to lend a surprising degree of intelligent, quirky restraint to both its 1st and 2nd season.

Modern Family

The beauty of this show is that, in a world of seat-squirmingly bleak “Louie,” “Peep Show” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Modern Family” gives its audience a chance to laugh with, not at, it. In the last season, particularly, many of the most hilarious moments were tempered with genuine sentiment, edging away from the didacticism of the voice-over with some raw, very human, emotion. “Modern Family” is apple-pie and ice cream and a Christmas sweater. It is also very funny.

The article Five Shows to Catch Up on before the Fall Season Starts appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Santa Monica, U.S.A., Vancouver, Canada – Lionsgate’s acclaimed AMC drama “Mad Men” and hit Showtime comedy “Nurse Jackie” earned a total of 22 Emmy nominations today, including a fifth consecutive drama series nomination for “Mad Men,” which made history last year with its fourth consecutive win tying the all-time Emmy record in the category, and a third consecutive comedy nomination for four-time Emmywinner Edie Falco, who won the Lead Actress trophy for her role in the first season of “Nurse Jackie.”

“Mad Men” scored 17 nominations – the most for any series — including nods for Jon Hamm as Lead Actor (fifth drama nomination), Elisabeth Moss as Lead Actress (third nomination in this category), Christina Hendricks as Supporting Actress (third nomination), Jared Harris as Supporting Actor, Julia Ormond as Guest Actress and Ben Feldman as Guest Actor, in addition to the Outstanding Drama Series nomination, three nominations for Writing and a Directing nod.

In addition to Edie Falco’s nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and Merritt Wever’s nod for Outstanding Supporting Actress, “Nurse Jackie” earned nominations for Bobby Cannavale as Guest Actor, as well as Casting, and Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour).

“This is a very proud day for Lionsgate and we thank the TV Academy for this wonderful recognition,” said Kevin Beggs, president, Lionsgate Television Group. “The continuing success of “Mad Men” and “Nurse Jackie” is extraordinary, and we salute Matthew Weiner, Edie Falco and all of the remarkable artists involved in both series who strive to set the bar higher each year.”

Lionsgate has now amassed a total of 120 Emmy nominations and 19 wins, including 69 nominations in the past three years alone.

“Mad Men” received the following nominations:

• Outstanding Drama Series
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series – Jon Hamm
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series – Elisabeth Moss
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in Drama Series – Christina Hendricks
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series – Jared Harris
• Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series – Julia Ormond
• Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series – Ben Feldman
• Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series – Phil Abraham – “The Other Woman”
• Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series – Semi Chellas, Matthew Weiner, “The Other Woman”
• Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series – Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, “Commissions and Fees”
• Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series – Erin Levy, Matthew Weiner, “Far Away Places”
• Outstanding Art Direction for a Single Camera Series – Dan Bishop, Production Designer; Christopher L. Brown, Art Director; Claudette Didul, Set Decorator, “At the Cod Fish Ball”
• Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series – Laura Schiff, Carrie Audino
• Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series – Christopher Manley, ASC, Director of Photography, “The Phantom”
• Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series – Chris Gay, Edited By, “Far Away Places”
• Outstanding Hairstyling for a for a Single Camera Series – Theraesa Rivers, Department Head Hairstylist;Lucia Mace, Key Hairstylist; Arturo Rojas, Additional Hairstylist; Maria Sandoval, Additional Hairstylist;David Blair, Additional Hairstylist, “The Phantom”
• Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) – Lana Horchowski, Dept Head Makeup Artist; Ron Pipes, Key Makeup Artist; Ken Niederbaumer, Makeup Artist; Keith Sayer, Makeup Artist

“Nurse Jackie” received the following nominations:

• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series – Edie Falco
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Merritt Wever
• Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series – Bobby Cannavale
• Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series – Julie Tucker, Ross Meyerson
• Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation – Jan McLaughlin, M.P.S.E., Production Sound Mixer; Peter Waggoner, Re-Recording Mixer

“Mad Men” is one of the most honored series in television history. With its fourth consecutive Emmy win for Outstanding Drama Series last year, it tied the all-time record for Emmy wins in the category, joining an illustrious group of only three other shows in history that have achieved this milestone (“Hill Street Blue’s,” “L.A. Law,” ”The West Wing”). The series has also won four consecutive Golden Globes for Best Drama, along with a host of additional awards.

Set in New York in the 1960′s, “Mad Men” has riveted audiences with the seductive and intriguing Madison Avenue world of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, and stars an outstanding ensemble cast, including Golden Globe winner Jon Hamm, January Jones, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, Christina Hendricks, John Slattery, Jared Harris, Jessica Pare, Rich Sommer, Aaron Staton, Robert Morse, Kiernan Shipka, Jay Ferguson and Christopher Stanley. Produced by Lionsgate, the series is created, written and executive produced by Matthew Weiner in association with Weiner Bros. Joining Weiner are executive producers Scott Hornbacher and Andre and Maria Jacquemetton, and co-executive producer Victor Levin.

“Nurse Jackie,” which brought four-time Emmy winner Edie Falco her first Lead Actress Emmy for a comedy in the first season of the series, stars Falco as a strong-willed, fiercely loyal, deeply dedicated but very flawed emergency nurse working in a New York City hospital. Also starring are Eve Best, Paul Schulze, Dominic Fumusa, Anna Deavere Smith, Ruby Jerins, Mackenzie Aladjem and Peter Facinelli, with special guest star Bobby Cannavale. Co-produced by Lionsgate and Showtime Networks, the series was created by Evan Dunsky and Liz Brixius & Linda Wallem and is executive produced by Wallem, Brixius, Richie Jackson and Caryn Mandabach.

Image Courtesy of   Mad Men

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‘Mad Men’ returned for its fifth season last month, and executive producer Matthew Weiner seems more interested than ever in exploring how his female characters cope with the myriad of personal and professional challenges American women faced in the 1960s.

From race and employment, to marriage and motherhood, the women of ‘Mad Men’ are in increasingly independent positions, while some male characters are struggling just to stay relevant. Here is how the series’ three principal female characters are faring this season:

Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss): Peggy entered the advertising firm of Sterling Cooper in the first episode of ‘Mad Men’ as the naive secretary who soon worked her way up to a Junior Copywriter position, forcing her to contend more bluntly with the patronizing attitudes of her male colleagues and clients.

At the end of Season 3, Peggy was one of only two women at the agency to transfer over to the new Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce agency, and in last Sunday’s episode she bartered with founding partner Roger Sterling in a remarkable show of power play:

Roger: What do you make a week, sweetheart?

Peggy: You don’t know, huh? That’s helpful.

Roger: You know, I could fire you… Fine, how much you want?

Peggy: How much you got?

Roger: $400.

Peggy: Give me all of it.

Roger: Jesus! You better be good.

Peggy: Do you want me to take your watch?

Roger’s desperate bargaining with a female subordinate several decades his junior is indicative of the power and importance Peggy is gradually beginning to wield in her professional life.

Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks): Joan can be described of something as a ‘Queen Bee,’ as she mediates between the workers and the partners while confidently exhibiting her sexuality in her role as Office Manager. This would explain why she has been frequently frustrated with Peggy, initially when she was a meek secretary, and later when she ascended the career ranks so swiftly.

Late last season, Joan discovered that she was pregnant and has been on maternity leave through the first four episodes of the season. Joan initially feared that motherhood meant the end of her career at the agency, but this was put to rest when she was told that they “couldn’t operate a parking meter” without her.

Yet, it was in Sunday’s episode that Joan’s development took a significant turn: after finding out that her husband Greg, a soldier newly returned from overseas, had volunteered to re-enlist after being away for over a year, she told him that their marriage was over and finally confronted him about being raped by him in Season 2:

Joan: I’m glad the Army makes you feel like a man, because I’m sick of trying to do it.

Greg: The Army makes me feel like a good man.

Joan: You’re not a good man. You never were, even before we were married, and you know what I’m talking about.

At this, Greg left and the series will now move forward with Joan as a single, working mother – a situation wholly unique in the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce offices of 1966.

Betty Francis (January Jones): During the first three seasons of ‘Mad Men’, Betty was the archetypal unhappy suburban housewife of the 1960s. She repressed her unhappiness about having no life outside of the domestic sphere, and represented the antithesis to Peggy, a woman who gave away her own baby in order to secure her independence and career opportunities.

After separating from Don Draper at the end of Season 3, Betty remarried in the hopes of leading a happier life. However, when Season 5 began, Betty was shown to have undergone a significant weight gain and asked for diet pills from her doctor:

Dr. Horton: Mrs. Francis, when a housewife has rapid weight gain, the cause is usually psychological. Unhappiness, anxiety, boredom, things that cause us to lose our self-control.

The doctor lists all of the issues which have plagued Betty since the series began, revealing that trading one husband for another has not led to her becoming either a fulfilled or secure woman.

‘Mad Men’ features several other female characters, and this season has seen the introduction of Teyonah Parris, as the agency’s first African-American employee.

However, it is these three women who serve as the principal female figures on their series: Peggy, who represents independence and ambition; Betty, who represents domestic isolation; and Joan, who represents somewhat a combination of the two as she strives to meld motherhood and her career. Their development will undoubtedly continue to play a key aspect of the series in this season and beyond.

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AMC’s smash hit zombie thriller ‘The Walking Dead’ will conclude its second season this Sunday with a dramatic episode set to deal with the fallout from last week’s cliffhanger.

In the most recent episode, “Better Angels”, Shane (Jon Bernthal) was killed off before immediately reanimating as a zombie without coming into contact with one – which the series had previously intimated was the sole way of transforming into one. This has led fans to ponder if all of the surviving characters are already infected with the deadly condition that has being driving the series’ main storylines since its very first episode, and an answer is expected to be given in this Sunday’s episode.

As for the other cliffhanger from the March 11 episode, the last scene showed dozens of zombies making their way toward the farm where the characters have been staying for the majority of this season, setting up a probable confrontation and potential character deaths in the much-hyed season ender.

Jon Bernthal’s exit from the series last week, when his character Shane was killed during a confrontation with Rick (played by Andrew Lincoln) came as little surprise to fans of the comic book series on which the television is based, as Shane was originally killed off much earlier in the story.

For fans of the television series who were unaware of the narrative timeline in the comic books, Shane’s death also came as a relatively minor shock, following the announcement in January that Bernthal was set to join the cast of ‘L.A. Noir’, a new series from Frank Darabont, who was in fact ‘The Walking Dead”s original show-runner until disagreements with the network led to his departure from the series last summer.

As for the remaining actors on the series, there have been no announcements about any of them joining new television projects, leaving the fates of their characters in this week’s finale unknown. However, the death of Bernthal’s character came just one episode after the death of fellow original cast member Jeffrey DeMunn’s character Dale, leading fans to speculate that the season finale could mark the most severe loss of life yet.

‘The Walking Dead’ already centred its mid-season finale around the revelation that the series’ youngest survivor from the pilot – Sophia, played by Madison Lintz – had died and transformed into a zombie, forcing group leader Rick to execute her in front of her mother Carol.

The relatively high number of on-screen deaths in recent week has been welcomed by some fans, after the first half of the season was criticised for being too slow-paced and lacking any particularly gripping storylines.

In spite of these criticisms, ‘The Walking Dead’ has continued to perform well in the ratings, maintaining its status as AMC’s number one program. Season-to-date, ‘The Walking Dead’ has averaged 6.7 million viewers per week over its 12 airings, up more than 20% compared to the 5.2 million average it received for its 6-episode first season. AMC has has given the series a vote of confidence by renewing it for a 16-episode third season.

This increased episode order makes ‘The Walking Dead’ one of only two series on AMC, the other being ‘Breaking Bad’, to go beyond the network’s standard 13-episode order, a standard still in place for ‘The Killing’ and its Emmy-favourite veteran ‘Mad Men’, which will take over ‘The Walking Dead”s time-slot when it returns for its fifth season on March 25.

As for whether ‘The Walking Dead’ will end its season on a cliffhanger or hint at what the characters will face in the future, fans have only a few more days left to wait and see.

Image Courtesy of    https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkingDeadAMC

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Banana Republic, the brand focused on workplace style, and AMC are proud to announce an encore installment to the acclaimed Banana Republic ‘Mad Men’ capsule, which launches exclusively at Banana Republic North America retail locations and online at bananarepublic’s website beginning March 1, 2012, building up to the season five premiere of “Mad Men” on AMC on Sunday, March 25 at 9:00 p.m. EDT/CDT.

In response to consumer demand following the strong debut of the Banana Republic ‘Mad Men’ collection in August 2011, the Banana Republic ‘Mad Men’ spring capsule returns, offering fans a fresh twist on the 1960′s era polish and panache, taking inspiration from country club scenes featured in the Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning “Mad Men” series.

Designed by Banana Republic in collaboration with Emmy Award-winning “Mad Men” Costume Designer Janie Bryant, the collection features more than 40 pieces of apparel and jewelry for men and women and embodies the style tenets of the time, including polished sportswear and chic essentials.

Set through the Banana Republic lens of must-have versatile work wear with style, the Banana Republic ‘Mad Men’ collection offers a fresh twist of stylish modernity to the “Mad Men” aesthetic.

“It’s been a fantastic experience working with Janie again on this new spring capsule,” says Simon Kneen, creative director, Banana Republic. “We continually find fresh ways to reimagine stylish work wear for our customers,” says Kneen. “Spring delivers a whole new palette and gave us an excuse to draw from different scenes and wardrobe from the show as inspiration.

Janie’s perspective was invaluable in helping us create a collection that is both chic and modern, while remaining true to the aesthetic of the 1960s era.” The menswear collection features dapper dressing separates, including bright polos, bold checked woven shirts, argyle vests, and a sporty spring-weight navy blazer – sharp for the board room or the club lounge.

The women’s collection offers ladylike pieces in brights and bolds, like sophisticated dresses in graphic florals and solids – including a cap-sleeve dress with reversible waist sash in lush cream and a cheery pink nip-waist dress – cardigans and feminine lace shell blouses and chic coral cropped capris. Accents of versatile statement jewelry accessorize the looks perfectly from desk to dinner.

“It was incredible to see the extraordinary reaction to the first Banana Republic ‘Mad Men’ capsule. I couldn’t wait to work with Simon and his team to help inspire the new spring collection,” says Bryant. “Drawing inspiration from some of my favorite spring pieces from the series, we’ve given fans the tools to create their own looks, just like their favorite ‘Mad Men’ characters – taking you from the office to country club and everywhere in between.”

Banana Republic and AMC will celebrate the launch of the collection with two special access events. Customers and fans can visit Banana Republic’s Facebook page and AMC’s Mad Men website for details, and are encouraged to join the conversation on Twitter using #BRMadMen.

The capsule is featured in Banana Republic’s March advertising campaign, which will appear in print, outdoor, online, direct mail and in store. In addition, Banana Republic cardholders gain early access to a pre-sale of the full collection at 5:00 p.m. on February 29, 2012 before doors open to the public at 6:00 p.m.

NataliaYeromina / Shutterstock.com

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