Revolving Door of TV Openings: 2011-2012 Edition

Here's my annual look back at which  TV and movie stars have come back to TV in the 2011-2012 season. The idea of this list is to show how expansive the revolving door is and just how many familiar names and faces make it back to our airwaves every year. The list is created by looking at the rosters of all the TV shows to debut every year and all the additions to existing casts and adding any names to the list that I personally recognize. Of course, that makes this all very subjective. I recognized Annie Potts and Leslie Bibb from the GCB cast list because I recognized them from Ghostbusters and Talladega Nights, respectively, but you might recognize Jennifer Aspen from her role on Rodney or a 4-episode stint on Glee (which I didn't).

If they're a movie star and primarily known as that (Anjelica Huston, Dustin Hoffman, and Jessica Lange were making their TV debuts but there was no way I was leaving them off this list), I label them as such and if they're known only for one movie (again, that's subjective), I list that one movie with an (M) around it.

I try to note when their last project was and the year beside the project means when they're last show went off the air. A * means recurring role, an (A) means animated, a (TR) means a talk or reality show, and a (C) means creator. An animated role is far-less demanding then a live action role and often doesn't preclude them from further projects. Also, keep in mind, a person doesn't have to have left a previous show project to work on a new show like Stephen Merchant and Rickey Gervais adding "Life's Too Short" to their talk show on HBO.

I try to document just when their last TV gig was too:

Amanda Peete, Bent (Studio 60 2007)

Amber Head, Playboy Club (Hidden Palms, 2007, Zombieland [M])

Annie Potts, GCB (Ghostbusters (M), Dangerous Minds, Law and Order SVU* 2009)

Anjelica Huston, Smash (M)

Ashton Kutcher,  Two and a Half Men (Movies, That 70s Show 2006)

Brittany Snow, Person of Interest (American Dreams 2004)

Catherine Tate, The Office (Catherine Tate Show 2004 [C])

Chelsea Handler, Are You There, Vodka? (Chelsea Lately [TR])

Christina Ricci, Pan Am (M)

Claire Danes, Homeland (My So-Called Life 1995, Temple Grandin 2010)

Colm Meany, Hell on Wheels (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 1999)

Connie Britton, American Horror Story (Spin City 2000, Friday Night Lights 2011)

David Hornsby (A), Unsupervised-Creator (It’s Always Sunny*)

Dylan McDermott, American Horror Story (The Practice 2004, Big Shots 2008)

Debra Messing, Smash (Will and Grace 2006, The Starter Wife 2008)

Dennis Farina, Luck (M)

Dianne Ladd, Enlightened (M)

Diedrich Baker (A), Napoleon Dynamite (Drew Carey Show, Outsourced 2011)

Dustin Hoffman, Luck (M)

Garrett Morris, 2 Broke Girls (SNL, Jamie Foxx Show 2001)

Hank Azaria, Free Agents (Simpsons [A], Movies, Huff 2006)

Hector Elizondo, Last Man Standing (Monk 2009)

James Spader, The Office (Boston Legal 2009)

James van der Beek, Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 (Dawson’s Creek 2003)

Jason O’Mara, Terra Nova (Life on Mars 2009)

Jessica Lange, American Horror Story (M)

Jill Hennessy, Luck (Crossing Jordan 2007)

John Goodman*, Community (Roseanne, Normal Ohio, Damages* 2011)

Jonah Hill (C), Allen Gregory (M)

Jeffry Tambor, Bent (Arrested Development 2006, Welcome to the Captain 2008, Archer* [A])

Jessica St. Clair, Best Friends Forever (Best Week Ever)

Jon Heder (A), Nepoleon Dynamite (M) 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep (SNL, Seinfeld, New Adv. Of Old Christine, 2010)

Justin Long (A), Unsupervised (M)

Kat Dennings, Two Broke Girls (Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist [M])

Katherine McPhee, Smash (American Idol [TR])

Kathryn Hahn, Free Agents (Movies, Crossing Jordan 2007)

Kathy Bates, Harry’s Law (The Office 2011)

Kelsey Grammer, Boss (Frasier, Back to You, Hank 2011)

Kiefer Sutherland, Touch (24 2010)

Kristin Chenowith, GCB (West Wing, Pushing Daisies 2009, Sit Down Shit Up, 2010, Glee* 2011)

Laura Dern, Enlightened (M)

Laura Prepon, Are you There, Vodka? (That 70’s Show 2006)

Leslie Bibb, GCB (Talladega Nights [M])

Leslie Mann (A), Allen Gregory (M)

Luke Wilson, Enlightened (Movies)

Maria Bello, Prime Suspect (Movies)

Matt Walsh, Veep (Upright Citizens Brigade, Dog Bites Man 2006)

Mandy Patinkin, Homeland (M)

Maya Rudolph, Up All Night (SNL 2008)

Maulick Pancholy, Whitney (30 Rock 2011)

Nancy Travis, Last Man Standing (Almost Perfect, Becker, Bill Engvall Show 2009)

Nick Nolte, Luck (M)

Rachel Bilson, Heart of Dixie (The OC 2006)

Regnald vel Johnson, Heart of Dixie (Family Matters 1998) 

Ricky Gervais (C), Life's Too Short (Extras, Ricky Gervais Show [TR])

Stephen Merchant (C), Life's Too Short (Extras, Ricky Gervais Show [TR])

Ted Levine, Luck (Monk 2009)

Tim Allen, Last Man Standing (Home Improvement 1999)

Will Arnett, Up All Night (Arrested Development, 30 Rock, Running Wilde 2011)

Will Forte (A), Allen Gregory (SNL 2010)

Zooey Deschanel, New Girl (M)

Film reviews of 2007 based on the trailers

I haven't actually watched a single film in 2007 other than My Brother which I screened at a film festival. I usually don't watch much at the beginning of the year and use this time to catch up on films from the previous year, or maybe pursue other hobbies. I did this in December too before holiday season and so here are some reviews that I just guessed at what they'd be like using everything i know about movies. This is really a fun exercise. Anyway, many of these films have already come out, so please tell me how my blind guess compares with your experiences

TMNT-This strikes me as the exact opposite of what they might teach you in a film marketing class. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were popular when I was growing up in the early 90s and, well, me along with my age group aren’t necessarily a good audience for this movie, because we’ve kind of grown up. I’m not up-to-date with what cartoons are being played on Saturday mornings I don’t really know if anyone currently under the age of 14 even knows what the Ninja Turtles are, and the rest of us can’t explain it to them because we’ve sort of forgotten. .

Zodiac-I’m pretty sure that David Fincher (the director of this film as well as Fight Club and Se7en) is a jerk. His film “Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons” was filming throughout New Orleans when I was there and once I was near the shooting and everyone on his crew I talked to said he was, so he must really be bad. If one or two people think you’re a jerk, ok, but everyone seemed to just be in agreement about this. Anyway, as for Zodiac, it might win its opening weekend, but it’ll be forgotten within a year. Probably just a good thrill ride, nothing more, as some people are making it out to be.

Shooter-Mark Wahlberg, your last 2 movie choices were awesome so I’ll let this one slide, but this does not look like anything remotely original. It looks like a Bourne Identity copy-off, so please don’t talk about how much you love this movie when you’ll be having to eat your words when the bad reviews come in this week. And by the way, I don’t know why people responded so well the Bourne Identity or rather, could the people who responded well to it please admit that it was all about the cool car-chasing and fighting scenes and it had nothing to do with the plot or character development (because it had none)?

300-Sin City taught us (or at least me) that all the cool special effects in the world does not redeem a violent movie if it has no soul to it. Sin City wasn’t about real people. The people in that movie (except possibly Bruce Willis) drank nothing but alcohol, did nothing for recreation other than secure hookers and brutally kill each other, and had no moral qualms about anything. In other words, they weren’t real, just the embodiments of perverted adolescent fantasy. For that, I have a hunch that Frank Miller isn’t so much interested in the history of Greek warfare as he just wants to show a bunch of blood, gore, and other guy stuff. Consdering, he did actually seem moderately knowledgable about the historic period in an interview, I might be wrong though and I’d be eager to be proven so.

Blades of Glory-I’d have to say that this might be the make-or-break-it film for John Heder’s reputation. He will now be 3 films removed from Napoleon Dynamite. Benchwarmers did well at the box office but wasn’t amazingly well-received. School for Scoundrels did not do well at the box office despite aggressive marketing (although while I haven’t seen it, it looked like a good vehicle to me), so considering the hype for this film, it might be his last chance to win audiences over as John Heder or stay trapped in Napoleon Dynamite forever. I’m more anxious to see how SNLer Amy Poehler and Will Arnett do in this movie.


Wild Hogs-It’s a buddy comedy/road trip kind of movie, but what’s odd about it is its group of “buddies” are the four most random people in Hollywood. John Trovolta is a cult icon known for his singing and dancing, a few choicy roles and his scientology; William H. Macy is one of those character actors who nr, Martin Lawrence is a hack comedian, and Tim Allen have probably never been in the same room with each at the same time. They’ve probably never been within a 5-mile radius of each other

Meet the Robinsons-I couldn’t even stay awake through the trailer. It’s a cartoon

Breaking the Gates-If they really thought that a film about the Rwandan genocide would be a film of artistic merit, they would not have released it in the first three months of the year. They would have released it somewhere near the end for Oscar consideration. Thus we are left to conclude that it’s probably some generic action flick.

Astronaut Farmer-I have to wonder what Billy Bob Thornton is doing here. It’s one of those triumphant value-of-the-human-spirit movies and he seems like the least likely guy to be on screen when the orchestra swells up and plays that sappy music that it plays in these kinds of movies. His screen persona is that of a cynical and jaded personality. Let’s review what he’s been in: Intolerable Cruelty (a black comedy about the fickleness of marriage), Man Who Wasn’t There (a film noir), Bad Santa (another black comedy), Primary Colors (his character was one of the more shady members of President Clinton’s staff), A Simple Plan and Bandits. But I don’t know, I like space movies, so I might give him the benefit of the doubt.

Smoking Aces-This would be one of the few from the last couple of months that I’d have a mild interest in seeing and I can’t explain it because I don’t know much about it. I’m just attracted to it by the name. The title sounds cool: something with playing cards and guns. Or maybe they’re shooting at cards with guns? I don’t know. It’s probably some hip and shiek nourish thriller-type thing. The other thing I know about it is that I saw Jeremy Piven on Regis and Kelly and he said something like “this is the best movie I’ve ever been in.” On the one hand, he has been in Black Hawk Down, Runaway Jury and a bit part in the Rob Altman movie The Player whose cast included practically everyone in Hollywood. He’s also been in some of the worst movies of the last 2 decades: Rush Hour 2, Chasing Liberty, Very Bad Things and Singles.

Freedom Writers-Coach Carter, Glory Road and now this. Does anyone else see this pattern of January as Dead Poets’ Society rip-off month where they do the overused plot of actor stretches his range by being an inspirational teacher/coach who turns things around for a group of dummies/retarded people/repressed/at-risk youth, etc. I’m not saying that this wouldn’t be a good movie, but I am saying that if you’ve seen any of the above mentioned movies along with The Emperor’s Club, Mona Lisa Smile, Take the Lead, Stand and Deliver, Hoosiers, or We Are Marshall, I’m betting you’ve probably seen this movie too. Still, within the list above, I might cite a couple (Glory Road, Mona Lisa Smile) as slight variations, and if it’s based on a true story (unlike Emperor’s Club or Mona Lisa Smile) then it’s a story slightly more worth telling

Stardust-Is this a fantasy film or a period piece? What are Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer doing here? Is Robert De Niro just giving up on acting and trying to commit career suicide? He’s arguably the best actor of his generation so he shouldn’t take parts like this.

Georgia Rule-The standards for Lindsay Lohan are going to be high because the stories of her being late to set and upsetting the producer is going to more publicity than this movie is going to get. I actually think that this will be good and do decently. I won’t see it, but if you like this kind of film, I’d blindly recommend it.

Reign Over Me-I’m just flabbergasted. I have no idea what to think. Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle are such a random pair of variables that I can’t even begin to predict where this movie will go.

Blind Dating-So it looks like American Pie with blind people. That doesn’t sound funny, it sounds insensitive and mean-spirited. Oh, god forbid, you’re 22 and a virgin. Wasn’t the standard for it being an embarrassment that you’re a virgin 40 just last year? Oh, Jane Seymour is in this again, haha.

The Hawk is Dying-I love the music in the background, but, um, what the hell is this about, again? Let’s recap and I am not making this up: First, we see that this movie was an entry in Sundance Film Festival. Not that it won anything, it was just an entry. So basically the art house crowd let the movie be screened for them. Paul Giamatti spots a hawk through some binoculars and starts panicking. The hawk isn’t even attack him, he’s just sitting there in a field. If birdwatching is that stressful of an activity for him, maybe he should take up croquetting. Words appear on screen such as: “between passion and obsession” “sanity and madness” and these moments “define our lives.” There’s some talk about how he has to train a hawk or something. Some guy in voiceover says that “it’s possible for a man to live his whole life and not know whether he’s a coward or not.” Um, he’s just birdwatching and carrying a hawk on his arm, this isn’t really that big of a deal. Then some guy says “put down the bird” or something, like it’s a gun. Again, everyone here is just overreacting a lot. Oh yeah, and Paul Giamatti kisses someone towards the end of the trailer. How nice. Oh yeah, and Samuel L. Jackson is in it, dispensing advice to Paul Giamatti about his birdwatching obsession, or something. It’s confusing.. I need an aspirin,