TCA Press Tour exclusive video: 'Glee's' Chris Colfer takes us for a high flying spin

There's a million and one reasons for Chris Colfer to celebrate these days. The 20-year-old has become a pop culture phenom as Kurt on Fox's hit "Glee," and even snagged an Emmy nomination for his role (one of 19 the show scooped up in case you're counting).

After show creator Ryan Murphy spilled the beans earlier in the day on a few things to expect for season two (catch our favorite bits here), we caught up with Colfer at the Fox party which was held at the Santa Monica Pier.

While network stars mingled with reporters and played carnival games, Colfer had his eyes set on the rides like any twentysomething would. The main target? The Gyro Loop. The ride, which is considered a game because the passengers operate the movement with a joystick, is a two-seater apparatus capable of 360-degree turns and falls going frontward and backward. Colfer said he'd ride if we did, and you don't turn down the chance to hang out with Colfer. 

He only had one request. If he puked, the cameras had to fade to black. Thankfully we both held in our dinner. Watch us freefall – and scream for our lives below.

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy

twitter.com/GerrickKennedy

Video: Maria Elena Fernandez

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TCA Press Tour exclusive video: Bravo's Jackie Warner makes us break a sweat

With Bravo's "Work Out," Jackie Warner showed viewers her tough-as-nails approach to whipping her clients into tip-top shape. But the show quickly became known for its drama outside the gym. Between a tumultuous relationship with her ex-girlfriend and tension among the crew she hired for her gym, the docu-series was less about working out and more about duking it out. 

But Warner had enough of all that drama. She's back to Bravo with a new show, "Thintervention," which again will show her helping clients make drastic lifestyle changes to cut pounds and get in shape. We wanted to put Warner to the challenge -- even if it embarrassed us -- so we asked her for some tips on getting into shape for those of us who have desk jobs.Take a look.

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy

twitter.com/GerrickKennedy

Video credit: Yvonne Villarreal

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TCA Press Tour: Ryan Murphy fuels our 'Glee' fever

What would Fox’s big day on the press tour be without its massively successful hit “Glee”?

Instead of a love fest with the cast members — who we hope are taking a great rest after a whirlwind of a first season, but we know that’s not true — we got the background players who make the show what it is. 

Ryan Murphy & Co. (which include co-creator and scribe Ian Brennan, executive producer Dante Di Loreto, music producer Adam Anders, choreographer Zach Woodlee and costume designer Lou Eyrich) were on hand to dish behind-the-scenes details and of course share secrets about the second season.

As reporters sipped ‘Glee’ packaged bottles of soda “for the pop star in all of us,” the crew — sans the cast — offered gems to fuel the anticipation for the show’s return, as if it wasn’t there. Here are some of our favorite deets:

1. On the show's lifespan: Murphy admits the writers haven’t quite thought about that. 

“We obviously have to deal with the cast and the show that we hope goes on for years. We’ve sort of mapped out the first four years with this original cast,” he said before joking that Brittney will just flunk every year. “The thing about the show is you have set competitions that are true. There are sectionals and nationals, [but we also] want to go to Copenhagen or Moscow for international competitions.”

2. Weekly themes are there to stay: All of the episodes will have a central theme, much like they did in the first season. Murphy confirmed the first episode back will be called “Auditions,” based on the notion that everyday life — particularly high school — is an audition. The third episode will be about faith, with the kids talking about what God means to them. It doesn’t take rocket science to know this will be the episode that Murphy teased at Comic Con, where Kurt will escort Mercedes to her church.

3. ‘Britney, Britney, Britney’: As you all know there will be a Britney Spears episode, ‘Britney, Britney, Britney’ (another Comic Con dish). Murphy said the tribute episode will be an unconventional one, compared to the Madonna and Gaga fests. Matthew Morrison has previously said in interviews that he hates the idea of doing a Spears episode, so Murphy used that as the part of the plot where Schue will continuously deny the kids they are doing a tribute to the pop princess. 

It won’t be the sole tribute episode next season. Murphy & Co. are in negotiations with a “big” pop artist which will be the episode in the highly coveted post-Super Bowl slot. 

4. Sir Paul goes ‘Gleek’: Murphy got a bit of a surprise recently when a mix tape from the one and only Paul McCartney made it his way.

“It just sort of came out of the blue. It said, ‘Hi Ryan I’d hope you’d considered these songs for Glee,” he said of the two-disc mix tape. “I’ve heard he’s a fan of the show. I was gobsmacked, I love this guy. Of course we’re going to do something.”

5. The kids flex their songwriting skills: One question that has continued to plague Murphy is whether the kids would take on original music — and they will. In the second half of the season Murphy said he plans on the kids taking on their own lyrics. 

“I think it has to be organic,” he said. “It wouldn’t work [before] if they just broke out and started singing their own songs. You wouldn’t get it. I think it has to be an assignment.”

6. About that merchandise – there is lots of it, lots: With greeting cards, video games and a clothing line on the horizon is there anything the gang would say no to? Apparently so.

“I’m very proud of the merchandise that we have. For every two things I accept, I turn down 10,” Murphy said about the oodles of branded merch hitting stores. “We clearly did not write them — we don’t have the time. We’re going to have Jane Lynch’s character write her own autobiography [and of course cross promote it]. That’s an example of a book we’d do together.” 

For “Glee The Beginning,” which is in stores Tuesday, here is a teaser, the opening line of the book:

“Rachel Berry paused outside the door to Principal Figgins’s office just long enough to straighten her kneesocks and smooth down the sides of her corduroy skirt.”

7. No need to save up for soundtracks: After releasing a whopping five soundtracks (three albums and two EPs), Murphy promises they will scale it down. 

“This year we will do less. We’re doing an Christmas episode with Susan Boyle, but I don’t think it will be separate CD,” he said. “We’re going to probably do an EP for the Super Bowl episode, like we did for Madonna.”

Murphy said he hopes to get the soundtracks down to two. But just in case, put a little money in your iTunes account ... just to be on the safe side.

Gleeks, are you ready?

— Gerrick D. Kennedy
twitter.com/GerrickKennedy

Photo credit: Fox.

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TCA Press Tour: Going 'Undercovers' with Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw [Video]

Boris Kodjoe hopes “Undercovers” will lay the foundation for other networks to take more risks and diversify their lead stars.

When J.J. Abrams’ new spy thriller premieres this fall on NBC, viewers will see a TV rarity: an action-packed show led by two black actors.

Kodjoe (Showtime’s “Soul Food”) and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (“Doctor Who”) star as a married couple who, after having retreated to a regular life, return to their espionage ways, fronted by a booming catering company.

Both stars took the time to chat with us at a TCA after-party this weekend about the show’s buzz and whether they felt like the show was revolutionizing television.

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy
twitter.com/GerrickKennedy

TCA Press Tour: Jimmy Fallon has a few tricks up his sleeves for the Emmys

Jennifer Lopez might be in the running for Fox’s “American Idol,” but if that doesn’t pan out for Jenny from the Block, the Peacock network might have a good use for her assets.

“I don’t want to give away things like that because surprise is a nice emotion,” said Jimmy Fallon, host of the upcoming Emmy Awards, which will broadcast Aug. 29. “We’ve booked J.Lo and Steven Tyler.”

Of course Fallon was joking, we think, we hope. But one thing Fallon promises for sure when viewers tune in to watch him take the stage for the first time as Emmy host is that it will be about embracing the season’s biggest hits.

“It’s not ‘Late Night With Jimmy Fallon’ hosting, it’s me hosting. It’s not about me, it’s about celebrating great television,” he said during the press tour. “New shows like ‘Modern Family’ and ‘Glee’ and old shows going away like ’24’ and ‘Lost’ – I’m still trying to figure out what happened [in the finale].”

With Fallon’s trademark off-brand humor, it’s only natural to assume that each Emmy winner would end up licking their statuette for $10. While we’re not sure this is the case, Fallon did assure us that everything he has up his sleeves has gotten NBC’s stamp of approval. He says he’s learned just how far he can go during his “Saturday Night Live” days.

“The academy has been so great with us, almost no notes. I think the only note is we have to give out awards. We wrote up some great stuff,” Fallon said. “We do throw away a lot of jokes sometimes, if they are too mean. But they are funny. I don’t dislike anyone, just a playful jab here and there.”

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy

twitter.com/GerrickKennedy

Photo credit: NBC

TCA Press Tour: The after-party shift with 'Nurse Jackie's' Paul Schulze

It might not have generated quite the same number of gasps as “Dexter’s” killer (literally) season finale, but the season-ending episode of Showtime’s “Nurse Jackie” was bone-chilling in its own right. Viewers watched as all the pills Jackie was juggling came tumbling down. Her pill-popping secret is out and it doesn’t help that her pharmacist sugar daddy (or is that pill daddy?) is getting chummy with her husband. It’s still a while before the third season premieres. But we spoke with Paul Schulze, who plays Eddie—pill daddy himself—during a TCA after-party earlier this week and he filled our prescription for all things “Nurse Jackie.”

Enjoy!

 --Gerrick D. Kennedy and Yvonne Villarreal

TCA Press Tour: 'Nikita' is more than just a pretty girl in high heels

She’s young. She’s hot. And she can kill you. 

Sydney Bristow, watch out.

In CW’s reboot of “La Femme Nikita” (which is a remake of the original French film), Maggie Q stars in the title role of the rogue assassin in the show set to premiere Sept. 9.

The Hawaiian-born actress is no stranger to the genre, having starred in her fair share of action flicks, including 2006’s “Mission: Impossible III,” and the upcoming vampire flick “Priest.”

She acknowledges that making the move to television wasn’t a walk in the park.

“I’ve done action movies, [but] never done an action TV show,” she said. “Your level never goes down. It’s such a challenge -- all of this action stuff. I’m half Asian and people think you must know kung fu. Yes, we wake up and do kung fu, then we brush our teeth.”

But why remake Nikita? Although “La Femme Nikita” was the No. 1 drama on USA Network during its run, it famously required a fan campaign to save it.

Executive producer Craig Silverstein asked himself the same question.

“That was my first challenge. It’s been done,” Silverstein said. “I took it upon myself to see if it could be done fresh.”

Silverstein said bringing the show to The CW was fairly simple because the network was looking to develop a female action show and Warner Bros. had the rights to the title.

In rebooting the show he wanted to keep the dark fairy tale of her origin story, yet make it contemporary, and he points out the show isn’t a rehash and has more of a Jason Bourne kind of tone.

McG, who also serves as an executive producer, said he thinks the series will show a hero that is often overlooked on television.

“I like the idea of empowered female characters. Maggie nails that voicing,” he said. “The show’s a very big departure for what you’d think CW would normally do. It’s a lot of pressure, but Craig went for it.”

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy

twitter.com/gerrickkennedy

Photo: Maggie Q as "Nikita." Credit: CW

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TCA Press Tour: Laura Linney will make you laugh -- and cry -- in 'The Big C'

Showtime is hoping to shed a comedic light on an unfunny matter: cancer.

In “The Big C,” set to air in the fall, Laura Linney stars as Cathy, an uptight Minneapolis schoolteacher who is diagnosed with terminal cancer and decides, as she is dying, to start living.

Linney, who also serves as executive producer, says the show is less about the subject of dying than viewers might think.

“When this script came to me, what hit me the most was the theme of time. What do you do with time, what are the choices that we make and how do we spend it,” she said. “That’s something that I think a lot of people have forgotten in the fast-paced world where youth is overly celebrated. More than anything else, it's more about time.”

The show costars Oliver Platt as Cathy’s “emotionally immature” husband and Gabourey Sidibe as Andrea, her mean and snotty student.

Sidibe is still adjusting to stardom after her Academy Award-nominated performance in “Precious.”

“It’s been a strange year,” she said, laughing, during the press tour. “I thought I’d be a receptionist. Being an actress wasn’t the plan at all -- it goes to show that whatever plan you have for your life, you’re wrong.”

Like Linney, Sidibe pointed to the story as what sold her on the show.

“The pilot I thought it was really smart. The way the writers handled the delicacy of this woman’s life is so endearing and so smart, I wanted to be a part of it,” she said. “And of course I don’t turn my nose up at Laura Linney, who is just amazing.”

The show's lead character was faced with impending death, executive producer Jenny Bicks said, but they were in no rush to see that character die. But with each season of the show representing a season of the year, six TV seasons will only amount to roughly 18 months of Cathy’s life.

“We want to be truthful about the disease. She has Stage 4 melanoma. There’s a truth to how much you live,” Bicks said. "We don’t think in terms of when" the character might die. "If it comes time [that] she goes, she goes.”

If you can't wait until the premiere on Aug. 16, Showtime is offering viewers the first episode in full, which you can find below.

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy

twitter.com/gerrickkennedy

Photo: Showtime

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TCA Press Tour: 'The Defenders' gets a scripted makeover

This is the true story of a group of defense attorneys partying it up in Las Vegas.

Sounds like the perfect idea for a reality show, right?

Not quite.

Before the drama starring Jerry O’Connell and Jim Belushi as two macho Vegas defense attorneys found a home on CBS’ fall schedule it started out life as yet another docu-series.

“[The show] was originally a reality series in development at Fox about two real-life Vegas attorneys,” CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler said during the tour’s executive session. “It was pitched to us as a reality series, and we didn’t quite see it that way. We loved the characters but used it as an inspiration to develop a scripted drama.” 

Belushi, who stars as Nick Morelli, said his character – like O’Connell’s Pete Kaczmarek – stays true to the source material. 

“These guys are like the characters in the original documentary. They have strategies in the courtroom. They’re put in a position where they have to defend guys that most people don’t like,” Belushi said. “[But] in their real lives they’re not so good -- they are bad with women. That intrigued me. They are great -- we hang out with these guys ... they can hold their liquor.”

Harry Gantz, who shot the documentary alongside brother Joe (both serve as executive producers of the series), said he doesn’t believe the essence of the story was lost and was pleased with the outcome.

“It wasn’t a concession, it was a great opportunity. We had been working on getting similar documentaries for about eight years. We were just thrilled,” Gantz said. “It had a lot of the spirit of the documentary. We were just so glad that it was taken this turn. It’s a much different approach.”

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy

Photo: Jim Belushi, left, and Jerry O'Connell. Credit: CBS
 

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COMIC-CON: 'The Simpsons' get 'Glee'-ful for upcoming season

The cast of “Glee” has checked in everywhere from the White House to the set of "Oprah," and now the McKinley High crew is headed to the land of Springfield.

“The Simpsons” showrunner Al Jean let the the news slip during a panel for the animated favorite Saturday afternoon.

In a panel that also included creator Matt Groening, executive producer Matt Selman and supervising director Mike Anderson, Jean announced that in an episode in the show's upcoming record-breaking 22nd season this fall, the town of Springfield will be greeted by the animated likenesses of our favorite “Glee” club. There was no word on if they are going to sketch up a yellow-hued version of Sue Sylvester.

Other guest stars slated for the season are Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, Cheech and Chong, Hugh Lourie and Wallace and Gromit.

'Modern Family' nabs another honor

Fresh off the heels of scoring 14 Emmy nominations, the cast of “Modern Family” has another reason to celebrate: They will be honored by GLSEN - the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, during its sixth annual Respect Awards in Los Angeles.

The hit freshman comedy will be honored for its portrayals of positive images and story lines that reflect a diverse America, including the depiction of a family headed by a gay couple, the organization said.

Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) and Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) have won over audiences for their antics as first-time parents who often get themselves into clumsy situations, usually involving raising baby Lily.

Both Stonestreet and Furguson garnered nominations for their roles - read Stonestreet's reaction of his nomination here.

New shows like “Modern Family” and “Glee” have received applause for continuing to tackle storylines revolving their respective gay characters.

“One of the wonderful things is we can talk about multiple shows out there like ‘Glee’ and ‘Modern Family’ that are touching on a lot of topics,” said the groups spokesman, Daryl Presgraves. “With ‘Modern Family’ we thought it was a show that really touched on the subjects that dovetail with what we stand for. [For example] inclusion - especially one that shows a gay family.  It brings in a bit of a sense of something you don’t normally see [on television]. It really represents the truth of what so many people experience in their daily life. On top of that, it’s pretty darn funny.”

Executive Director Eliza Byard said in a statement that GLSEN is honored to be the first national LGBT organization to recognize the show.

“As a lesbian mother of two, I am grateful to see a show like ‘Modern Family’ offer an honest and often hilarious look at family experiences frequently overlooked or ignored in prime time,” she said. “From its positive portrayal of gay parents to its handling of school bullying, [the show] provides an invaluable window into what family life is like for millions of American youth.”

The Respect Awards will be held Oct. 8 at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Past television honorees include Shonda Rhimes, Darren Star and Disney/ABC Television Group.

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy

twitter.com/GerrickKennedy

Photo credit: ABC

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Chad Ochocinco hopes to score with 'Ultimate Catch'

Chad Ochocinco is once again jumping into reality television.

Except this time, the Cincinnati Bengal is trading in his dancing shoes for a shot at his heart.

With “Ochocinco: The Ultimate Catch,” the "Dancing with the Stars" alum is hoping to score a touchdown at love and find the lady of his dreams -- on VH1. He already knows what you’re thinking.

Dating "is not working on the other side, off camera. At all. Like for real,” he says. “You’re laughing, but it’s not.”

It’s not that love is a laughing matter, it’s just the quest for love on national television, VH1 at that, hasn’t had the greatest track record of everlasting success. Flava Flav. Ray J. Bret Michaels. Chilli. The list goes on of celebrity dating shows, that although highly entertaining and drama-filled, aren’t exactly the stuff that true love is made of.

But in true Ochocinco fashion, he tells the naysayers not to doubt him.

“I was allowed to be me,” he assures. “Regardless of what show I’m on, I’m going to be me.”

On the show, that premieres Sunday, 85 women from across the country take part in his “dating training camp” which was held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.  He eventually whittled down his ladies to 17 draft picks for his team. Yes, there are teams.