Television News: Castle, Glee Updates
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again.
Squee!
As it happens, there are two squee-worthy bits of television news this week, both of which suggest that Joss Whedon’s patience in implementing his insidious plan to take over the world of television is finally paying off. (It’s about time!)
The most recent bit of good news comes from ABC, which has announced that it has extended its order for the mystery/cop show/romantic comedy Castle for a full season. Castle stars Nathan Fillion, veteran of Whedon projects Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, and most famously, Firefly.
The renewal comes despite what many have seen as flagging ratings for the sophomore show. However, Castle has held on to a decent chunk of the ratings from its lead-in, Dancing with the Stars. Its numbers may not hold up to CSI: Miami, but it is beating the pants off The Jay Leno Show. Castle also does well in the DVR +7 ratings, showing a consistent better-than-25% increase in viewers after its original airdate.
I was thrilled to hear about this; Castle has become one of my favorite shows. The dynamic between Fillion’s author/amateur detective Richard Castle and Stana Katic’s NYPD detective Kate Beckett has often been compared to the romantic sparring of Moonlighting. It’s a lot like that, except both Castle and Beckett get to be the smart, competent one. Add to that my intense crush on Nathan Fillion and the fact that Richard Castle is at least as obsessive about grammar as I am, and what’s not to love? (Heads up for all Browncoats: according to Fillion, next week’s episode,“Vampire Weekend”, will feature a special Firefly Easter egg.)
As happy as the Castle news made me, though, the best television news of the week came from quirky freshman hit Glee. It turns out that Joss Whedon himself has signed on to direct an episode of the label-defying dramedy/musical. (High School Musical for adults is the best way I can describe it, but that’s woefully inadequate.)
Whedon, of course, is no stranger to musicals, as a writer, director, and composer. He wrote and composed all of the music for the Hugo Award-nominated “Once More with Feeling” episode of Buffy. More recently, the musical Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Whedon’s internet project produced during the writers’ strike of 2008, won an Emmy.
So far, Whedon is set only to direct the episode, and hasn’t signed on to write any songs; Glee is known for its exceptional use of already-established hits to underscore the storylines, and hasn’t used original songs to date. But a fangirl can dream, right?
And even if Joss only directs, that’s fine. The important thing is that the actors, writers, and directors of the “Whedonverse” keep spilling out into the rest of primetime television. There’s a huge pool of talent there, and we’re fortunate to be able to enjoy it as viewers.
