VERONICA MARS

Will Mars Bars Save "Veronica"?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 11:17:02 -0700

Nuts worked for "Jericho" - now, will Mars Bars save "Veronica Mars"?

Some fans certainly hope so: They're sending more than 6,000 candy bars to CW headquarters and to network president Dawn Ostroff directly, hoping the sweets will grant their favorite show a reprieve. They say they've already bought all the Mars Bars available in the United States, along with several thousand Snickers Almond bars and more than 400 pounds of marshmallows. (Granted, it's no 20 tons of peanuts - but, well, you know how much a marshmallow weighs.) Fans who want to go in on a group shipment from The Indian Food Store have until 3 p.m. Central time today to donate.

Frankly, I'd be amazed if another show gets saved by truckloads of food this season. We'll know by Friday, the final deadline for all CW programming decisions. In the meantime, I sure hope Ostroff likes candy.

Photo courtesy of The CW

TV Tonight: The "Veronica Mars" Series Finale

BuzzSugar — Tue, 22 May 2007 04:59:56 -0700

It's been a month of sad goodbyes over on The CW - first "Gilmore Girls" last week, now "Veronica Mars" tonight. After months of will-they-or-won't-they rumors, the CW finally confirmed last week that it wouldn't renew the spy-girl series for a fourth season. That seems a shame, given that tonight's final two episodes look so good. In them, Veronica has to investigate a very personal mystery: Who put racy footage of her and Piz on the Internet? Because a decision about the show's fate was made so late, the episodes were finished before the cast and crew knew if this would be a season or series finale; even so, I hope the episodes give us some closure for the Neptune crew. To watch a preview for the finale, read more

Photo courtesy of The CW

The CW Cancels "Veronica," Adds Six Fall Shows

BuzzSugar — Thu, 17 May 2007 11:01:24 -0700

A year after the WB and UPN merged to become the CW, the network is shaking off many of the programs it inherited and coming up with a lineup all its own. It's heavy on reality shows, with a couple of dramas and a teen comedy thrown in for good measure.

But as for the big question: "Veronica Mars" is dead. However, network president Dawn Ostroff told reporters that she was talking to series creator Rob Thomas and star Kristen Bell about doing something else. She later gave this confusing quote to TV Guide's Michael Ausiello:

"Veronica Mars is over, but we're talking about something else. I don't know if it's going to be anything. I'm being honest with you. It could come back in some form, but I don't know what form that would be."

Update: Rob Thomas just said nobody's talked to him about a new project. Moment of silence, "Mars" fans. It doesn't look good.

On the positive side, the Bell-narrated "Gossip Girl" is a go, along with comedy "Aliens in America," supernatural series "Reaper," and family drama "Life is Wild." As for returning shows, here was some of the news:

"One Tree Hill" will stay off the air until midseason, then be retooled dramatically with the characters zooming four years into the future, after college graduation. A series of diaries posted online will help fill in the gap.
"Pussycat Dolls Present" will be back for a second season, though I'm not sure if they'll still be looking for another doll.
"Beauty and the Geek" is moving to Tuesday nights.

Gone: "All of Us," "Reba," "Gilmore Girls," "7th Heaven," "Veronica Mars"

Here's the network's press release, and to see the network's full schedule and read descriptions of the new shows, read more

All caps = new show
** = new time slot

MONDAY
8-8:30 p.m. "Everybody Hates Chris"
8:30-9 p.m. "ALIENS IN AMERICA"
9-9:30 p.m. "Girlfriends"
9:30-10 p.m. "The Game"

TUESDAY
8-9 p.m. "Beauty and the Geek"**
9-10 p.m. "REAPER"

WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. "America's Next Top Model"
9-10 p.m. "GOSSIP GIRL"

THURSDAY
8-9 p.m. "Smallville"
9-10 p.m. "Supernatural"

FRIDAY
8-10 p.m. "Friday Night SmackDown"

SUNDAY
7-7:30 p.m. "CW NOW"
7:30-8 p.m. "ONLINE NATION"
8-9 p.m. "LIFE IS WILD"
9-10 p.m. "America's Next Top Model" repeat

Coming midseason: "Crowned," "One Tree Hill," "Farmer Wants a Wife"

Here's how the CW describes the shows:

"Aliens in America"
Justin Tolchuk (Dan Byrd, "The Hills Have Eyes") is a sensitive, lanky 16-year-old just trying to make it through the social nightmare of high school in Medora, Wisconsin, with the help of his well-meaning mom Franny (Amy Pietz, "Caroline in the City"), aspiring-entrepreneur dad Gary (Patrick Breen, "Kevin Hill"), and his popular sister Claire (Lindsey Shaw, "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide"), who is sweetly unaware of how good-looking she is. When Franny signs up for the school's international exchange student program, she pictures an athletic, brilliant Nordic teen who will bestow instant coolness on her outsider son. However, when the Tolchuk's exchange student arrives, he turns out to be Raja Musharaff (Adhir Kalyan, "Fair City"), a 16-year-old Pakistani Muslim. Despite the cultural chasm between them, Justin and Raja quickly develop an unlikely friendship that just might allow them to navigate the minefield that is contemporary high school. It's going to be a very interesting year for Raja, Justin, his family and the entire population of Medora.

"Reaper"
For the first 20 years of his life, Sam (Bret Harrison, "The Loop," "Grounded for Life") wondered why his parents went so easy on him. Whether it was school, sports or career choices, Sam's mom (Allison Hossack, "Falcon Beach") and dad (Andrew Airlie, "The L Word") always let him get by with the least possible effort, while at the same time pressuring his younger brother Keith (Kyle Switzer, "15/Love") to excel. As a result, Sam skipped college, took a dead-end job and now wastes endless hours playing video games and wishing he had the guts to ask out his pretty co-worker, Andi (Nikki Reed, "Thirteen," "The O.C."). Everything in his slacker world changes the day Sam turns 21 and discovers the ungodly reason his parents let him slide: they sold his soul to the devil before he was born. Satan himself (Ray Wise, "24," "The Closer") drops by to personally explain that Sam must now serve as his bounty hunter, tracking down evil souls that have escaped and returning them to Hell. At first, Sam refuses to accept his bizarre fate, but after getting just a glimpse of Satan's temper, Sam realizes that breaking a deal with the devil has consequences that are very, very bad. Armed with a constantly changing series of vessels - starting with a Dirt Devil mini-vacuum - to collect the escapees, Sam immediately finds that the work is dangerous and frightening, even with the goofball help of his friends and fellow slackers, Bert "Sock" Wysocki (Tyler Labine, "Boston Legal," "Invasion") and Ben (Rick Gonzalez, "Coach Carter"), along with Sock's former-girlfriend-turned-paralegal, Josie (Valarie Rae Miller, "Dark Angel"). Still, as weird and scary as his life has become, Sam is surprised to find that he somehow feels good about his newfound "mission" - removing evil-doers from the world and sending them back where they belong. With his friends and his trusty vessel-of-the-week at his side, Sam is ready to face his destiny as the Reaper.

"Gossip Girl"
The privileged prep school teens on Manhattan's Upper East Side first learn that Serena Van Der Woodsen (Blake Lively, "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants") is back in town the way they learn all the important news in their lives ?? from the blog of the all-knowing albeit ultra-secretive Gossip Girl. No one knows Gossip Girl's identity, but everyone in this exclusive and complicated vicious circle relies on her text messages for the latest scoop. Serena's closest friend, Blair (Leighton Meester, "Surface"), is just as surprised as everyone else to find that Serena has suddenly ended her self-imposed exile to boarding school and returned to Manhattan. The tension between Blair and Serena isn't lost on Gossip Girl, who is determined to uncover and fuel any and all scandals. Does it involve Serena's brother Eric (Connor Paolo, "One Life to Live"), Blair's boyfriend Nate (Chace Crawford, "The Covenant") or Nate's buddy Chuck (Ed Westwick, "Children of Men") - Maybe it has something to do with Dan (Penn Badgley, "John Tucker Must Die") and his sister Jenny (Taylor Momsen, "Spy Kids 2," "How The Grinch Stole Christmas"), whose middle-class background keeps them on the fringes of this exclusive clique. Even the parents - from Serena's mother Lily (Kelly Rutherford, "Melrose Place"), a former ballerina/rock-groupie, to Nate's high-powered father Howie "The Captain" Archibald (Sam Robards, "The West Wing"), to Dan and Jenny's dad Rufus (Matthew Settle, "Brothers and Sisters"), a former rocker turned art gallery owner - are aware that their sons and daughters are constantly checking their Sidekicks to read Gossip Girl's latest sightings and overheard tidbits. Overriding all the shifting friendships, jealousies and turmoil in this wealthy and complex world, the central mystery remains - Who Is Gossip Girl?

"CW Now"
"CW Now" blends news and entertainment to create the ultimate source for everything that's hip, hot and happening right now in the world of young adults. With a team of experts focusing on the topics and trends that appeal specifically to The CW generation, this new series will feature informative and entertaining reports on the hottest fashions, the coolest music, the must-see movies and the must-have gadgets and technology. "CW Now" will be everywhere young adults are: from cyberspace profiling the best of the web, to hitting the streets and getting inside the most popular hotspots. With young adults' insatiable appetite for all things celebrity, each episode will report on the latest news and gossip from inside the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. Moving at a rapid-fire pace and utilizing eye-catching graphics and visuals, "CW Now" fits perfectly with the on-demand lifestyle of adults 18-34.

"Online Nation"
Young adults have taken their quest for fame into their own hands as the amount of user-generated entertainment continues to explode across the internet. Now The CW is giving them a nationally televised stage to show off what they've got. "Online Nation" scours the nearly infinite number of websites, blogs and user-generated materials on the internet to find the best, the hottest, the unique and sometimes, the flat-out bizarre, and presents it on The CW audience's other favorite screen: the TV screen. This fun, irreverent weekly series features everything and anything that has captured the attention of the online world, from the most popular sites to the addictive viral videos being shared by millions, to insights from the digital tastemakers. Born of the internet and tailored specifically for this generation, this series also features an innovative interactive element as viewers will be able to see what others are saying and communicate with them live on the air. The CW is turning mouse potatoes into couch potatoes by putting all the greatest internet clips in one ready-to-use package.

"Life is Wild"
Katie Clarke (Leah Pipes, "Clubhouse") may never forgive her veterinarian father, Danny (Brett Cullen, "Ghost Rider," "Friday Night Lights"), for dragging their entire blended family out of New York City to spend a year living in a broken-down lodge called The Blue Antelope in a game reserve deep inside South Africa. Everyone in the family, including Katie's 11-year-old brother Chase (K'sun Ray, "Smith"), Danny's second wife Jo (Judith Hoag, "Armageddon"), her rebellious teenage son Jesse (Andrew St. John, "General Hospital") and 7-year-old daughter, Mia (Mary Matilyn Mouser, "Eloise"), is sure Danny has lost his mind. But Danny's reasons go beyond his desire to keep his troubled family together while making a difference in the lives of the people and animals of South Africa: his deceased first wife Claire grew up at The Blue Antelope and it's still home to her reclusive father Art (David Butler). After just a few days in South Africa, the family has already encountered an injured lioness, a lost cub, and a gentle giraffe. They've also met a few locals, including a handsome young Brit, Oliver Banks (newcomer Calvin Goldspink) and his twin sister Emily (newcomer Tiffany Mulheron), whose father Colin Banks (Jeremy Sheffield), runs a safari business for wealthy tourists, and Tumelo (newcomer Atandwa Kani), a teen who dreams of becoming a veterinarian. While they are definitely outsiders, Katie and the rest of the family are nevertheless beginning to love the breathtaking vistas of the bush country and the vibrant culture enveloping them. A year in this strange but beautiful place might not be so bad after all.

"Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants"
Judges Carson Kressley ("Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"), former Miss U.S.A. Shanna Moakler ("Dancing with the Stars," "Meet the Barkers"), and television personality Cynthia Garrett referee an eight-episode competition that dares to pit mother/daughter teams against each other in a no-holds-barred beauty pageant. "Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants" explores one of the most emotional and volatile relationships as mothers and daughters from all walks of life must compete together ?? and against other mother/daughter teams ?? in order to win. Faced with challenges that focus on preparing them for the pageant show finale, the women will have to brand a 'style' for their mother/daughter team via clothing and swimwear, create ways of expressing a point of view about issues in the world, and practice for the big pageant dance number. Not only do good looks, talent and a penchant for world peace have to run in the family, each team must also have patience, teamwork and a healthy sense of humor. In the end, one mother/daughter team will be "crowned" the winner and will receive a valuable prize package, including a $100,000 cash award, and, of course, a fabulous pair of tiaras.

"Farmer Wants a Wife"
The CW cultivates romance a la "Green Acres" with "Farmer Wants a Wife," a comedic reality series designed to help one farm boy find the city girl of his dreams. Based on the hit British format, this first U.S. version will find a charming, hard-working farmer who is happy with his life but lacking romance and wondering if he might find happiness with a woman from the city. The show's producers will search the nation's cities to select a group of 10 women who have had it with bad dates in the big city and are open to making a big change. The group will consist of women looking for an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and wondering if a country man with country values might offer a more attractive lifestyle. "Farmer Wants a Wife" will bring these city women to the country farmer. The ladies will have to impress him with their heart and their newfound "love" of the country life, or they'll be sent back to the city. Are these city girls ready for the realities of life and work on a farm - driving a tractor, taking care of very large farm animals and attending bingo night? Through a series of challenges, group activities, shocking eliminations and cozy dates, 10 fast-lane women will see how they match up with a back-roads guy on the path to true love.

Photo courtesy of The CW

TV Tonight: "Veronica Mars"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 01 May 2007 04:30:18 -0700

No show has had more mixed messages about its fate this season than "Veronica Mars." First, it was rumored to be canceled. Then it was going to come back but be set four years in the future. Then that pitch was dropped. Then it wasn't. After all that, plus an eight-week absence to make room for the Pussycat Dolls show, I'd understand it if "Mars" fans were feeling a little put out right now.

So here's the good news: "Veronica Mars" will show five new episodes in a row now, starting tonight and ending May 22. Whether the two episodes airing on May 22 will serve as the season or the series finale won't be known until the CW announces its fall schedule on May 17, but I'd say fans should seize their time with the young supersleuth while they can. In tonight's episode, Veronica is hired to help solve a hate crime, and a death outside a bar prompts Keith to do his own investigation into the fake ID situation in Neptune. To see the first few minutes of the episode, read more

Photo courtesy of The CW

Save One Show Results: CW Shows Rule

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 11:24:03 -0700

The results of E! TV writer Kristin Veitch's Save One Show poll are in, and after more than 6 million votes, Kristin's declared not one but two winners: "Gilmore Girls" and "Veronica Mars." Kristin has an interesting account of how the voting went down, including "Gilmore"'s last-second comeback against "Veronica," which had been the clear winner.

I'm not surprised about the love for "Veronica." A lot of you seem to like it, and while I've only seen a few episodes myself, the buzz about the show has always been that it's underappreciated. But "Gilmore Girls" was more of a shock. My impression was that fans have been frustrated since creator Amy Sherman-Palladino left the show, but apparently it still has more devoted viewers than I realized.

The third- and fourth-place finishers, interestingly, are also CW shows: "One Tree Hill" (last year's Save One Show winner) and "Supernatural." They were followed by a trio of NBC shows: "Studio 60," "Crossing Jordan," and "Friday Night Lights." Check out the whole breakdown here.

Are you surprised by the results? Don't forget, you can also vote in my totally tongue-in-cheek Stop One Show poll.

Cancelation Rumors Swirl Around "Veronica Mars"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 10:55:51 -0700

The Internet is abuzz with rumors that The CW's "Veronica Mars" could be on the chopping block, but for now - at least - the show seems to be safe. E! Online's Kristin Veitch spoke with reliable sources this morning and reports that one of three things will probably happen to "Veronica":

The show will come back in a different form, set four years in the future, with "Veronica as a full-fledged FBI agent," writes Veitch.
The show will continue with Veronica in college.
The show could be canceled.

An article in today's Hollywood Reporter also mentioned the possibility of a four-year fast-forward for season four. For the rest of the details, read more

According to the Hollywood Reporter story:

Thomas is filming a trailer for the alternative fourth season of the Warner Bros. TV/Silver Pictures show, which will be submitted to the CW. The network's executives ultimately will decide whether to pick up the series for another season and, if they do, whether to stick to the drama's current plot line or go with the new version.

Though Hollywood Reporters says that the new version would be set at the FBI Academy, Veitch's sources tell her the show would focus on Veronica as a full-fledged agent. She adds that star Kristen Bell is the only cast member currently starring in Thomas's "five- to six-minute featurette." (We already learned that Chris Lowell, who plays Piz on "VM," has been cast in the possible "Grey's" spinoff.

I know people love "Veronica Mars," and I am a big fan of Bell, but transforming this into a whole different show seems like it could be disastrous. What do you guys think? For more discussion, check out the "Veronica Mars" group on team.

Photo courtesy of The CW

YAY - Geek of the Week

Moonpixie9 — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 10:04:22 -0800

Thank you for making Kristin Bell Geek of the Week! Veronica Mars is my hero!

Candid Interview: Kristin Bell and Chris Lowell

GeekSugar — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 16:21:02 -0800

This is one of my favorite candid interviews ever. I've seen Kristin Bell on Leno and wasn't all that impressed, but coupled with Chris Lowe she's hilarious. His flash cards are pretty great too. I wish all interviewers used those. It would certainly make early morning talk shows more interesting.

Should Parker date Logan?

Moonpixie9 — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 14:34:27 -0800

Now that we know he's going to ask her out, should Parker date him? Veronica says it's OK but is it really?

Heck no - Veronica fo' eva!

52%(11)

Well, Veronica said it's OK....

19%(4)

Yes! - Logan is a sexay beast, I'd date him..

29%(6)

Total votes: 21

The 10 questions I want to ask Kristen Bell:

eclaireassuch — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 16:03:36 -0800

The girls at Sugar get to talk to soooo many cool people. Maybe someday they'll get to chat with Kristen Bell. We should compile a list of things we, as fans, neeeeeed to know. I'll start it off.

1. Veronica, besides being an awesome and kick-ass female role model of sorts, is totally a fashion icon as well. What's your favorite outfit you've worn on the show?

2. The illustrious Rob Thomas and collected writers have made some interesting and controversial plot and writing decisions over the seasons; if you were the boss, were there any plot twists or character actions you would have changed or vetoed? Follow up, RT is notorious about keeping the story arc a secret and letting the actors in on a need-to-know basis. What surprises in the mysteries were the most shocking to you? What, if anything, did you not see coming?

3. Ok, honest, how often do you make out with your boyfriend and pretend he's Logan? Just kidding. Sort of.

4. What's the hardest thing about about playing Veronica? How are you the most like her? How are you the least?

5. I love you, but I'm seriously bad at watching scary movies. Do I need to see Pulse?

That's just a start. Let's add to this until Sugar gets us an exclusive with KB!