One Tree Hill episode runs emotional gambit
January 6th, 2009 | Posted in One Tree Hill, Recap
If you opted to watch the Buckeyes last night, you’re still feeling the disappointment. But those who jumped on the One Tree Hill rollercoaster were left exhilarated and emotionally spent. It was arguably the best episode of the season, seamlessly weaving together seven storylines that had viewers choked up one minute and screaming the next. Peyton kicked things off with her pregnancy news; and Lucas showed a lot of class in his studio dealings with (surprise!) Julian’s father. Mouth and Millicent? Well, she made a big mistake with Owen, and Mouth seems unwilling to forgive. Meanwhile, Owen’s prescription drugs and alcohol relapse prompted the return of buddy Chase (Stephen Colletti), who quickly fell for Mia (Cleveland’s Kate Voegele)—mired in songwriter’s block. Nate staggered through his first day of D-League basketball, getting schooled by the team’s cocky point guard. And little Jamie helped Quentin’s brother and mother find some peace at the fallen star’s gravesite. As powerful as those scenes were, the night belonged to Sophia Bush (Brooke) and Ashley Rickards (Sam). The foster teen was kidnapped by the thug who killed Q and robbed Brooke earlier this season; and a heart-pounding rescue climaxed with Brooke pointing a gun at the murderer’s head. In a year full of surprise twists and highpoints, this may be One Tree Hill’s best yet. Agree?
It’s easy to assume that actors mirror their on-screen characters in real life, but usually that’s not the case, and it definitely doesn’t apply to 90210 co-stars AnnaLynne McCord and Kellan Lutz. At West Beverly High, “Naomi” is the troubled Rich Witch and “George” is a careless drug-peddler. But when the cameras stop rolling, they’re two down-to-earth youngsters who’ve found romance on-set, one of several CW twosomes. And yes, there’s life beyond the campus. As part of the Cullen vampire clan, Kellan is enjoying Twilight’s blockbuster success on the big screen; while AnnaLynne is passionate about raising awareness of The Blind Project, a group that assists victims of human/slave-trade, particularly in Southeast Asia. “Actors are so lucky,” she tells Pop on the Pop. “We have so much power, and it’s wrong to me, criminal even, to have that kind of power and not use it.” Many of the exploited trafficking victims are children, and it’s a tough issue to speak out about publicly—which is why celebrities like AnnaLynne are invaluable in focusing attention on the cause. This week, 90210 returns with the microscope trained on Naomi’s alleged half-brother, Sean (Josh Henderson). Is this kid really who he says he is? 
She’s known ‘round the globe for her neurotic character “Monica”, but Courteney Cox has no regrets about the challenges of reinventing a career. “I wouldn’t be sitting in this office if it wasn’t for Friends. It’s given me opportunities I would never have had and freedom financially,” she tells Britain’s Daily Mail in a candid interview. Cox and her husband, actor David Arquette, now run their own West Hollywood production company, while acting and doting on four-year-old daughter, Coco. She admits her marriage has had rocky patches, but “I get shocked by people getting divorced all the time, that’s why I choose to work on it. We love being together.” And motherhood clearly agrees with the 44-year-old. “I can’t imagine life without a child,” Courteney confides. “It’s all that really matters.” She and David have lots of help from best-friend Jennifer Aniston (Rachel), who is Coco’s godmother. “They see each other and play together every weekend. The other day Jen came over with her yoga teacher and Coco stuck it out for an hour doing yoga with them.” What makes her friendship with Aniston so enduring? “We’ve known each other nearly 15 years now, we grew up together emotionally. I lost my father, Jen got divorced, and I had a baby. We’ve been through huge life changes together; I can be myself around her.” Friends for life, you might say. 
Over the next 44 days, expect to see an awful lot of Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that! The Supernatural tandem, now Vancouver housemates, parlay their TV horror escapades into scary big-screen leading roles. My Bloody Valentine 3D opens January 16, with Jensen fingered as the mine-shaft killer whose pickax claimed twelve lives a decade earlier. It’s a remake of the underappreciated 1981 slasher flick produced for just over $2-mil and which grossed only a few million more than that. That version didn’t have a single ‘name’ star, however; and Jensen’s fanbase, alone, should make his film a winter success. An admitted “technical geek,” he says the 3D aspect is what attracted him to Valentine, the first 3D theatrical horror release in over 20 years. Jared, meanwhile, headlines a remake with strong pedigree: Friday the 13th. At serene Crystal Lake, he’ll encounter ski-masked psycho Jason Voorhees, a lingering nightmare throughout the 1980 original and ten sequels. This screamfest debuts in February on—naturally—Friday the 13th. “It was kind of a crazy shooting schedule,” Jared tells BlackBook, “a lot of handheld, a lot of run-and-gun. It felt like guerrilla filmmaking, but I think it’ll turn out great.” So which of the two Winchester boys will win the upcoming box-office battle? Seems like a dead heat.
Echoing Denny Crane’s infamous introduction, Ed Westwick slithers into his Gossip Girl role with three words: “I’m Chuck Bass.” Chuck is arrogant, underhanded and at times downright mean. But he’s also the character legions of fans have embraced. Show creators Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz loved Westwick from the moment he auditioned for the part of Nate, “but he looks like a serial killer,” they recall the network protesting. That ‘look’ was well-suited for Bad Boy Bass, whose love/hate spark with Blair has eclipsed every other Gossip Girl romance. “He’s my favorite actor to work with,” Leighton Meester tells TeenVogue, “we have really good chemistry.” The new face of K-Swiss, Westwick landed among the finalists for People Magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive; while Chuck and Blair topped EW’s annual list of TV’s Most Stylish Characters. Bow ties, smoking jackets, scarves and hankies are not your average high school attire, but costar Blake Lively says Chuck’s wardrobes are “so much fun” in WMagazine, “one insane prep-run-amok ensemble after another.” Schwartz notes that “peacock is the operative word—he’s strutting with the brightest feathers.” Whatever the socialites are wearing or scheming, Gossip Girl has ranked as Nielsen’s most blogged about TV show of the season—and much credit goes to the breakout popularity of Chuck Bass.
Over the next two days, WBNX has a sleighfull of holiday specials and Christmas-themed programs to keep your family occupied—before and after Santa’s arrival. Wednesday night, Emma Roberts and Norm McDonald are the voice stars of our brand new animated hour, The Flight Before Christmas; followed by The Story of Santa Claus—featuring old pals from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Betty White and Ed Asner. Earlier risers on Christmas morning will find TV specials beginning at 6am; and throughout the day, sitcom families celebrate the season in their own humor-filled ways. Sam and Dean Winchester aren’t laughing, however, when they track down the Anti-Santa on A Very Supernatural Christmas. Here’s a quick rundown of at least a dozen Yuletide shows you can enjoy: 
Viewers had the chance to be “a fly on the wall” for some intense moments during this week’s season finale of Stylista. The remaining three contestants—Megan, Dyshaun and Johanna—first sat down for one-on-one interviews with the Editor-In-Chief of Elle magazine, Roberta Myers, who was every bit as intimidating as weekly judge Anne Slowey. They survived the sessions, except for one glaring faux pas. Megan sealed her exit by failing to ask a single question of her prospective employer. Adios! But wait. Two hours later, she’s back, along with the three previous evictees—including everyone’s nemesis, Kate—paired off to assist in the final challenge: shooting a cover story with singer/actress Eve. After five minutes with Katie, Megan stormed off and announced to the producers, “I’m done!” She later reconsidered, only to diss Johanna behind her back back to Ms. Slowey & Co. At the judging table, Eve said she felt Dyshaun was unorganized, and frankly, he erred by using her best photo for the inside spread instead of the cover. Johanna had a clear story vision (“Purple Reign,” a focus on plum fashion and a mogul image for Eve), and executed it well enough to edge out Dyshaun and capture the junior editorial job at Elle, plus other perks, worth $100,000. And…shhh, though the series often portrayed Anne Slowey as a meanie, it was obvious last night that she’s genuinely nice and knows her business inside and out. This was truly one of the most enjoyable CW reality series ever.
The casting directors of 90210 seem to know exactly where they can find stunning eye-candy for their show: OHIO! Massillon native Matt Lanter joins the CW drama in early February for a continuing role, People confirms; and coming up Tuesday night, you can get a second look at Warren’s own hottie, Christopher Zylka, guest-starring as Annie’s corn-fed boyfriend from Kansas. Matt quickly rose to fame as the son of “U.S. President” Geena Davis on ABC’s Commander In Chief, followed by a first season arc as evil quarterback “Brody” on Heroes. He was also a finalist—and overwhelming fan favorite—on the male model competition, Manhunt. Matt will play against his nice guy persona on 90210, stirring up some trouble on campus with conniving Naomi (AnnaLynne McCord), in particular, as new student Liam. Whaddaya think: between Dustin Milligan, Tristan Wilds, Josh Henderson, Adam Gregory and Michael Trevino, where does Matt place in the West Beverly pecking order?
The Family Entertainment Awards recognized its “Best of 2008” this past weekend on WBNX, and Tyler Perry’s House of Payne was one of four acclaimed TV series. The multigenerational comedy tops everything else on television—all of network prime, all of cable and all of syndication—among its African-American target audiences, says Broadcasting & Cable magazine. That’s some serious demo clout. Joining the House of Payne cast in the victor’s circle was Blake Lively (Serena on Gossip Girl), who accepted the award for Best Feature Film on behalf of her Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2 costars. And voice guru John Ratzenberger (Cliff on Cheers) stood in for Best Animated Feature, Wall-E. Formerly the Family Television Awards, this annual ceremony was established by a coalition of 40 advertisers representing nearly a third of all U.S. TV ad dollars spent. Ten years ago, the group began funding family-friendly scripts at various networks, which has resulted in shows like Gilmore Girls, Everybody Hates Chris and Life is Wild. Their mission has since broadened to include family entertainment across all media platforms.
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