First Trailer for New, "Adult" Muppet Show!

They're back! They're back! The Muppets are back on TV! Everybody flail!

Ok, now that we've gotten that out of the way, here's the deal: As we previously reported, the Muppets are going to be making a return to prime time TV this fall with a more "adult" oriented series. This does not, thankfully, mean they're going full Avenue Q. Based on the trailer below, what it does mean is that the Muppets will be making a Parks and Req/The Office style comedy about the behind the scenes drama that goes into making The Muppet Show. This could be fantastic. It could be really awkward. Thankfully, the trailer is on point, capturing all the characters in a way that doesn't feel at all out of place. Check it out after the jump, and let us know what you think!

ABC Considering Return of The Muppet Show

Consider this the Best News this Friday.

The Hollywood Reporter is telling us that ABC Studios is considering moving ahead with a new Muppet Show series. Bill Prady, co-creator of the Big Bang Theory, and Bob Kushell, creator of Anger Management and 3rd Rock From the Sun, are currently in the process of writing a pilot script that they will present to ABC at May's presentation to advertisers. If the advertisers like it, the show could be ordered directly to series. THR's sources say the pilot concerns bringing Ms. Piggy back into the fold after she and Kermit are on the rocks once again.

Man, there's so much to hate in that paragraph. The Big Bang Theory, Anger Management, Advertisers being in control of the Muppets' fate....but we're so friggin' excited at the prospect of a new Muppet Show coming into our lives that I'll let it go, and simply be content with this:

We Already Have a Great Wonder Woman Show - It's Called Agent Carter.

Agent Carter promotional television show poster

During Maggie Gyllenhaal's acceptance speech at the 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards last Sunday, she mentioned how proud she was to see that women were gaining a voice and being represented, multi-dimensionally, in entertainment. On a recent commercial, ABC made claims to being a leader in representing women by showing a span of a few of their television shows over the last decade, including ALIAS, Scandal, and now, Agent Carter. To me, (and many others out there) one character comes to mind with whom most identify women's equality, and that's Wonder Woman. Agent Carter, now three episodes in, has surprised me. Because Marvel comics has accomplished something that the owners of Wonder Woman haven't been able to do in almost 40 years. They've brought Wonder Woman's essence back, and done it better than the company that owns the rights to the character.

Galavant Sings His Way into Our Hearts - For Now

We here at the Ace of Geeks have been looking forward to Galavant ever since the first trailers dropped. What was not to like - a musical comedy, with music by the team behind Tangled (legendary composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater), and a villain played by Timothy Omundson. It seemed like the exact sort of goofy distraction the mid-season break needed. And thank god, it's going to stay as just that.

BLADES OF GLORY - An Interview with Shondo Blades

     My first introduction to Shondo Blades was on ABC's The Quest. Initially, I was interested in the idea of a fantasy reality show. As the show progressed, I became slightly disappointed with the show's 'slight of hand' trick played on the audience. The show claimed to be a test to see who the 'one true hero' was. However, it appeared to be more of a Big Brother type of popularity contest where lemmings determined both the public perception and fate of their counterparts. (We agree. - Ed) But I digress....I'm happy to say that I came away from the show inspired. The inspiration did not come from the gorgeous landscape. Nor did it come from the fantastic makeup. It also did not come from the amazing actors who gave near perfect performances as the lands inhabitants. For me, the inspiration came from one person...Shondo Blades. Why? Because here is what I saw on the show from Shondo: He always gave 100%. He didn't complain. He didn't tear anyone down, and always lifted people up. Especially himself. I think that's what was most inspiring. It was nice to see someone speak well about himself without an excessive amount of hubris. That's why when I had a chance to speak with Shondo on that sunny Los Angeles afternoon a couple of weeks ago I was more excited than I've been in a while to speak with someone. Little did I know that I would find out he was even more powerful and direct one on one than on television.

So, I hear you played football? 
Yeah, I played football all through high school and college. At the tail end of college, I decided to do something that I had wanted to more in control of, and that was MMA fighting.

Wow. It was just that simple. And you seemed to excel at it as well. 
Yes, I did excel in MMA. I think it was the athleticism of football which aided me. That and YouTube. I had YouTube accessibility so I would watch videos of technique and fighting styles. I really do need to give a shout out to YouTube! You can learn pretty much anything on there. Anyway, I went on to do my first fight and I was hooked. Went on to win in the men's division.

A Music Video Featuring Shondo Blades.

So how did you make the transition to acting?
I was training for a fight in LA and I was encouraged to try acting. So, I went back to Texas, packed everything up, and I was in Hollywood a month after that.

And you even booked some national commercials? 
Yes. Nike, Chevy, some music videos. In one particular music video for Wilkinson, I even played a twisted version of a black cupid. After that the deal with ABC to do The Quest went through and it was all good.

That's awesome! How was it auditioning for The Quest? 
Auditioning for The Quest was like any other audition. The best part of the experience I had was when we each had to stand up and say why we belonged in a show like this. I announced my love of GhostBusters and whoever wanted to challenge me on GhostBusters trivia could go down there and then. Afterward, I was told that I hadn't filled out something correctly on my paperwork. So, I needed to stay for a minute while they had me fill it out. Little did I know, that was their way to slyly get me to stay and do another 30 minutes of audition.

So, what's the next step for you? 
I want to be the next action star. When I watch the movie rush hour I feel like I have the ability to deliver a combination like the film: laughs and ass whooping. Almost a new era of Eddie Murphy's Beverly Hills Cop.

That's really awesome and I can definitely see that. So, your powerfully positive attitude...where does it come from? 
Definitely from my Mom. She's a motivational speaker and always taught me that the glass is half full. She had a simple approach to everything, and now I have a simple approach to everything. I'm very self sufficient because she taught me from a very early age that nobody's gonna love you like you. Positive self talk is vital. It's what I do because the spoken word is powerful and can manifest itself.

Do you feel that minorities can benefit from this positive approach? 
Yes, they can definitely benefit. Especially if they are feeling like they are 'less than' someone or something.

Being a minority in Hollywood, have you experienced adversity or challenge? 
Let me just say that I don't see it that way. I just see myself as a person. Now, keep in mind, I'm not blind to understand the current state of affairs in the industry. However, I feel like that can often be a handicap for others because that's all they see and it ends up stopping them. When I went into the audition room for The Quest, I said to them that it would be beneficial to have African Americans represented, and I would like to be that person for them. You see, I don't see it as a challenge. I see it as something to empower me.

That's really fantastic. So, what are you working on next? 
A show for Bravo might be on the horizon, although, I can't say much about it. I'm currently shooting a pilot for a show that follows me around as an actor/performer in Hollywood. I want to clear up any misconceptions that people might have about me. I've even heard some think that I have childhood issues, but I want to show them the other side. I had loving parents, a good childhood, and I want people to see that and disperse with those misconceptions. Because I'm just normal. Of course, I've been called so many things I can't even count. But the best is when they call me delusional. I'm Shondo, baby, and I was delusional enough to be on ABC on Saturday nights!

Thank you, Shondo. It's been a real pleasure! 

So, as you can see, Shondo is an amazing human being. He doesn't let people or circumstance define him, and does it via positive perception and the celebration of the human spirit in all of us. This kind of positive energy is what we all need. Not just in the entertainment industry, but in all industries around the world. I wish that more people subscribed to this school of thought. Because we might not see the amount of hurt and destruction in the world today. Let's get everyone to let their inner "Shondo" shine and howl  at the challenges that we face.

I have a feeling that you're going to see some VERY BIG things from Shondo in the years and even upcoming months.

Brian J. Patterson is a writer, producer and actor that splits his time between San Francisco and Los Angeles. His house is a shrine to Wonder Woman and Xena.

Did you enjoy this article? Follow us on Facebook to get more great content! We have a weekly podcast you can find on our main site. Also follow us on Twitter and Tumblr!

So I'm going to review this show, but first, let me take a "Selfie"

Yeah I'm concerned too.

Let me preface this review,  I love My Fair Lady, like, in a really deep way.  I will literally kill to play Eliza Doolittle. I have all the songs and words memorized in case the occasion rises and I need to be Eliza. I've been known to sing "Just You Wait, Henry Higgins" in lieu of glaring at my husband. With that in mind, you understand how I was prepared to hate "Selfie" with every fiber of my being. How could they take a social commentary piece about the shallowness of society, judging a person based on how they speak, and make a show about the shallowness of society, judging a person based on her social networking addictions?  Oh. Huh. That actually works.

It's Eliza, Ms. Dooley if you're nasty

Selfie is an ABC network show based loosely on My Fair Lady (according to the ABC.com website).  They've modernized the story and instead of teaching Eliza (Karen Gillian, who you remember from Guardians of the Galaxy and Doctor Who) how to speak, Henry (John Cho, who you remember from Harold and Kumar and Star Trek) is teaching her how to be a real person, not a social media flake.  For being "loosely" based on My Fair Lady, they really referenced it a lot.  Not just in plot points (organized into a handy dandy chart below), but they actually reference the play at one point, when Eliza tells Henry to go all "my fair lady" on her.

They've kinda hit all the major plot points in the first episode, so I'm not sure how they plan on maintaining it.

It is also clear that the creator intended this to be a musical.  Henry and Eliza have a tendency for speaking in rhyme for no reason, and there was an acapella Lady Gaga moment that really made no sense. Why they would take the musical out but leave the rhymes in is a mystery.

Here is my problem with the random spoken word and musical-ish interludes.  When you are studying theater, they say that if you can't say it, you sing it.  If you can't sing it you dance it.  Music provides a way to express emotions and feelings that mere words cannot carry.  Having someone read lyrics you have written just doesn't carry the same power as if they sang it, or had a kickin' beat behind it, a la "In the Heights".  When you have good actors, and you are filming them, they don't need to sing or dance. The camera can capture the minute expressions of feeling that cross their face. Bless their souls, Cho and Gillian handle the random moments as naturally as they could but it is still odd and disconcerting.

I'll give it a few more episodes and then pass my final judgement. Overall, it is an enjoyable show and I love Karen Gillian and John Cho. I just hope they grow out of the awkward references and just fly on their own.

Mae Linh Fatum has been a musical theater fan her entire life, starting from the moment one of the Cats in Cats put their head in her lap. One day, she will play Eliza Doolittle. Or you will all suffer.

Did you enjoy this article? Follow us on Facebook to get more great content! We have a weekly podcast you can find on our main site. Also follow us on Twitter and Tumblr!

The Quest: Fantasy Brought Crashing Back into Reality. by Mike Fatum

Last week, ABC launched reality TV's newest attempt to worm its way into the hearts and pocketbooks of nerds and geeks everywhere with its new series The Quest. Created by some of the producers behind The Lord of the Rings and The Amazing Race (but none of the creative minds behind either of those), The Quest brings twelve "ordinary people" together to live out a fantasy-world dream, in the hopes of finding which of these people can become the True Hero.

If I sound cynical, it's only because I am. My wife loves Reality TV. Devours it by the truckload. And, being the supportive husband I am, I used to watch it with her. But my thing is - I watch TV and film to see how the world should be, not how it is. That's why I prefer Star Trek to Game of Thrones, and why Reality TV drives me nuts. From using editing tricks to make that one poor nerd on Top Chef into a villain so they could justify another contestant putting him in a choke hold, to the Rock's show "The Hero", which devolved into screaming matches before the end of episode one, reality TV has never managed to do anything but disappoint.

With that in mind, I kept my expectations managed for The Quest. Would it keep the promise of delivering on a fantasy world brought to life, or would it follow the same pitfalls that make Reality TV so unbearably unwatchable to me? The true answer is - a bit of both.