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I've come across some TV Tie-Ins that I've enjoyed so I thought I should share them with my fellow TV & book lovers!

The Bro Code for Parents: What to Expect When You're Awesome by Barney Stinson

Ok, so I was sold on this one because Neil Patrick Harris narrates the audiobook. Neil Patrick Harris really needs to narrate more because he is awesome.

Thanks to Netflix, I've recently become a fan of How I Met Your Mother, which after a long marathon, I am caught up on. The book is written by Barney and narrated by Barney, so be prepared for lots of laughs and Barney-appropriate baby advice. It's sure to make you laugh and maybe roll your eyes, but it's all out of Barney love, right? He even has new versions of songs to sing with your kids, new bro-approved stories to tell, and lots of helpful bro advice like when is the best time to conceive your child so you don't miss the Game of Thrones premiere.

A short, fun audiobook that would make a great gift to new and expecting parents who are fans of the show.

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Many TV shows have returned to production and with that comes a shift in the balance of power. Check out who is coming and going on your favorite shows, see how you can win a trip to the Emmy’s and learn which favorite fandom will launch new webisodes this very week. It’s all right here.  Read on, MacDuff.

MORE OR LESS

According to TVGuide, Grey’s Anatomy is looking to extend Lauren Stamile’s (Rose) run on the series, so don’t expect that McDreamy triangle to end so soon.

On Numb3rs, Aya Sumika (Liz) has been upgraded from recurring to regular.  I love Liz, so I’m thrilled.

On the downside, two Panther players, Gaius Charles (Smash) and Scott Porter (Jason) have been demoted to “recurring” characters in the upcoming season of Friday Night Lights. The producers site a sagging budget as the reason.

You’ll also be seeing a lot more of The Justice League on Smallville this season as Justin Hartley (Green Arrow) has been locked in for 12 episodes.  According to TV Guide, “He’ll start this new chapter by gathering Aquaman and Black Canary to rescue Clark. Alan Ritchson and Alaina Huffman will reprise their roles, as will Phil Morris, whose Martian Manhunter also appears in the opener, titled ‘Odyssey.’”

CASTING COUCH

Gilmore Girls‘ star Matt Czuchry will star in the new film I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, based on the best-selling book by Tucker Max.

Ntare Mwine joins the cast of Heroes as an artist who is “close to many of the original heroes”.  I just report ‘em, I don’t always understand ‘em.

ENTER HERE

Want to be a Red Carpet reporter? People.com is a holding a contest on YouTube and the winner will cover the Emmy Awards for the site. Show them you have the right stuff by entering a demo video before July 21.

WATCH THIS

Sci-Fi Channel has renewed its Ani-Monday block of anime programming, moving it to Monday nights at 1 a.m. starting in July. The lineup will feature movies, series and shorts from Starz Media’s anime distribution arm, Manga Entertainment.

Among the movies set to air during the Ani-Monday block are Strait Jacket, Blood: The Last Vampire, Ghost in the Shell, Jack, Dead Leaves, Go Shogun and Negadon: The Monsters From Mars.  The block will also feature the TV premieres of the classic anime series Now and Then, Here and There and Descendants of Darkness, as well as the U.S. debuts of Gurren Lagann and Gundam 00.

SITE OF THE WEEK

Calling all Heroes fans! Feed the need with a new trilogy of webisodes beginning Monday on NBC.com.  The series will introduce Echo De Mille, an ordinary mailman with super powers. New webisodes premiere each Monday this month.

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Avatar returns, The Prisoner is in the works, and there’s something strange going on around The Fringe. It’s a quick look at the fannish TV news.

IN THE WORKS
AMC is developing an American version of the cult British classic The Prisoner. Jim Caviezel and Ian McKellen are slated to star in the series about a government agent who finds out the hard way that there’s no quitting the biz. He’s drugged, kidnapped and dropped in “The Village,” a mysterious community where people are just numbers and from which there is no escape.  The original was known for its perplexing plot and highly metaphoric imagery, a style that is much more popular today in TV. I expect the new series will be highly ficable!

CASTING COUCH

Clea DuVall is taking over co-pilot duties on Ronald D. Moore’s Virtuality.

WATCH THIS

Calling all Avatar: the Last Airbender fans! The last 10 new episodes of book three, including the showdown between Aang and the Firelord, are about to begin. 

Nickelodeon bows the new Avatar episodes beginning Monday, July 14, with an hour-long special, The Boiling Rock, on Wednesday.  The week will end with the debut of the 2-hour TV movie Sozin’s Comet, Saturday, July 19, 8-10p.   Meanwhile, that same week, Nicktoons Network will host daily Avatar 5-hour marathons each day, Monday-Saturday, July 14-19, featuring 10 episodes of Avatar each day.

And don’t forget, Stargate Atlantis returns for a fifth season this Friday, July 11.

READ THIS

Need a Lost fix?  ABC.com is here to help with their new “Lost Book Club.”

The club gives fans a new insight to a number of books that have been referenced or seen on episodes of Lost. Each week, a new book will be introduced with a synopsis and reference of how it fits into the show. Then a message board area will be created for the discussion.  Books include Sawyer reading Watership Down, Juliet’s book club reading Carrie and an orientation film hidden behind The Turn of the Screw.

LISTEN TO THIS
Fox’s new radio ads for their upcoming X-Files-ish series, Fringe are leaving many people scratching their heads in wonder. First up is a typical auto dealership radio spot which is disrupted first by static and then the words “find the pattern.” Next up is a news report that is disrupted and finally a strange report over a police scanner about a wedding party who can’t remember a thing.

The commercial spots make no mention of Fringe, though there is a whispered “Fox” at the end of each indicating that it’s likely a promo for a TV show.  Listen in:

According to Fox, these radio ads are just the start of the convoluted and cryptic campaign they have planned. Have you spotted “the pattern?” If you have a link to a part of the Fringe puzzle, post it in the comments below.

SITE OF THE WEEK

Tired of seeing your favorite show canned because of a ratings system that is horribly outdated? Viewers with Voices agrees with you and they’re banning together to give Nielsen what for.  The forum is hoping to united the fannish communities for shows such as Jericho, Moonlight and Dark Angel into one, loud and proud force to be reckoned with. The long term goal? To rework the method of collecting TV ratings so it gives a more accurate sampling of how many people are actually watching a show.

Sadly, the one thing ratings will never be able to evaluate is the level of enthusiasm fans have for any given show. Grey’s Anatomy might be one of the highest rated programs on TV, but how many fans of that show will buy the mug, the books, the TV shirt and convention tickets to see the stars?

YOUR TURN

I can’t do this alone people. Use the comment section to add your casting news, production news, con reports, vids, podcasts, charity efforts — if it’s about a fan favorite TV show we want to hear about it.  NO SPOILERS in the comments please, but feel free to link to them with a proper spoiler warning.

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Welcome to the first edition of TV Talk, a round up of TV news for all your favorite fandoms. So let’s get started.

WATCH THIS

If you haven’t been watching The Middleman, you must! Don’t let the fact that it’s on ABC Family fool you. It’s witty and fun - kind of Austin Powers meets The X-Files and every episode is a pop culture trivia game. Check it out Mondays at 8:00 on ABC Family.

Start your jumpers, Stargate Atlantis returns for a fifth season starting on July 11. It begins with the exciting “Search and Rescue” effort for Teyla and her unborn baby and it’s a non-stop action-palooza with the promise of much more to come. I can’t wait.

CASTING COUCH

Supernatural’s Eric Kripke told TV Guide that Katie Cassidy (Ruby) was being let go due to budget cuts. Months ago, Lauren Cohan (Bela) was also released so we’re back to square one. Spoilers for the season opener include two new characters and rumor has it that both of them may become recurring.

In a related note, Cassidy is said to be appearing in Chris Carter’s “secret movie” Fencewalker. Yes, the X-Files guru is keeping quiet about the project which may, or may not be shooting right this second in Los Angeles, somewhere. . .

And in another related (in family tree kind of way) note, Battlestar Galactica’s Tricia Helfer has been cast to play a shrink in the new series Inseparable. The series, from the wonderfully twisted mind of Shaun Cassidy (Uncle of Katie Cassidy, as noted above), revolves around a partially paralyzed forensic psychiatrist whose alter ego is a charismatic criminal.

On a completely unrelated note, Shark’s Sophina Brown will be joining the FBI, replacing Diane Farr on Numb3rs. And New Amsterdam star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has signed on as mission commander of the very first Earth starship in the backdoor pilot for Fox called Virtuality.

LISTEN UP

Moonlight creator, Trevor Munson was interviewed on BuzzWireRadio the other day. You can listen to the playback at their blog.

Supernatural’s Jared Padalecki was a guest at the Supanova Con in Australia last week.  Couldn’t make it? No problem.  Jared’s 45 minute Q&A is now available to watch on YouTube.

SITE OF THE WEEK

Remember The WB?  Michigan J. Frog and those neon signs for Buffy, Gilmore Girls and The OC? Well, The WB is back, sort of. It’s now a website where you can watch episodes of WB shows. In addition to watching TV, you can play games such as the Gilmore Girls pop culture quiz and you can snip your favorite scenes to send to friends. There is also a video search that swears it will find the scene you want if you give it enough information, but when I try it crashes my browser.

Right now, the site is in beta mode but you can sign up to be a tester. Personally, I’d like to see more show related text content - articles, interviews - but it’s a good start.

YOUR TURN

I can’t do this alone people. Use the comment section to add your casting news, production news, con reports, vids, podcasts, charity efforts - if it’s about a fan favorite TV show, we want to hear about it.  NO SPOILERS in the comments please, but feel free to link to them with a proper spoiler warning.

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It was a dark and stormy night when... two very good old friends of mine decided to chuck it all and move to Vermont. To do what, you inquire? Why, no mystery here-- to open a new bookstore. Yes, a new independent bookstore! (Oh, how much fun to write that!)

So if mysteries make your blood curdle, check it out-- it's called Mystery on Main Street, and it's located at 119 Main Street in Brattleboro. They've started a blog, too.

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