Friday, Jul. 03, 2009

TV Tidbits

Want to feel old? It's the 25th anniversary of the improv classic "Spinal Tap," which will fly onto Blu-ray July 28.

Harry Shearer, one of the stars of the film, says it takes a special technique to do improv. "Every actor ideally is listening first and talking second. But for improvising you have to double that. You have to be much more of a listener and much less of a talker. So in a way perhaps it may have something to do with ego because when you're listening, ergo you're not talking and if you like to be the guy talking.

"Mistresses"

People who missed the first season of "Mistresses" on BBC America should seize the day and capture the DVD, which is in stores now. "Mistresses" is extremely well written and acted and depicts relationships between women much more accurately than "Sex and the City" or "Friends" ever did. There's not only a lot of hanky-panky but plenty of suspense. Sharon Small, who plays the forlorn little widow among them, is also timid in real life.

"I'm not actually a natural show-off," she confesses. "I'm chatty but I'm not a natural show-off, so weirdly you'd think acting is about showing off and it's not. It's about escaping into another character. I remember the first time I did it I remember thinking, 'Oh, this is a wonderful way of expressing without putting myself on the line.'"

Investigation Discovery

Investigation Discovery has a new idea for a show. With the popularity of forensic-based shows, ID will offer "Forensics: You Decide" beginning Aug. 3.

This 13-part series will present both sides of a case, featuring forensic experts -- who often contradict each other in real courtrooms -- and leave it up to the audience to determine whether the defendant is guilty or not.

Investigation Discovery will invite viewers to "Facebook Connect," where they can discuss the episode and argue the case from their own Facebook page. Online at InvestigationDiscovery.com/ForensicsYouDecide amateur PIs can learn more about forensic evidence by touring a virtual forensics lab and a mock crime scene, as well as assess their investigative knowledge with a quiz on forensic evidence.

Tidbits

Sendhil Ramamurthy, the Bollywood beauty of "Heroes," will guest star on USA's "Psych" in August. The show returns for season four on Aug. 7. ... MTV will rouse "Teen Wolf" from his moonless torpor to begin a new series based on the character from the '80s movie. ... Production has begun on "The Last Song" in Georgia, starring Miley Cyrus, Kelly Preston and Greg Kinnear. The film is based on another weepy Nicholas Sparks book which doesn't even hit stores until September.