BTB Fest Entertainment

“Smallville” set a record in its first episode, drawing 8.4 million viewers to its story of young Superman (the largest audience ever recorded for the Warner Brothers network). The show follows young Clark Kent through his high school years in small-town America, sustaining interest in the future Superman with good acting and good stories.

“Smallville” succeeds because its actors create compelling characters, highlighting the personal struggles of the future hero rather than his uniform and superpowers. From the very first episode Clark finds emotional struggles, knowing that the meteor which brought him to earth also killed the parents of Lana Lang.

Lex’s character creates much of the show’s conflict, suspiciously eying his friend Clark for signs of his superpowers. But there’s another interesting wrinkle. Lex must also deal with difficult father Lionel, a ruthless businessman. Lionel’s machinations lend additional tension to the show.

Lana Lang, who was portrayed as “the girl who had a crush on Clark” in the comics has a pivotal role in Clark’s rise to Superman on Smallville. With the chemistry the two display on screen, it’s as tragic as a Shakesperean drama to watch two characters who are madly in love with one another and know that they’re ultimately not meant to be.

On Thursday September 24, 2009 the long awaited season premiere of Grey’s Anatomy finally premiered. Last season audiences were left with the most shocking cliff hanger of all five seasons: The death of either George O’Malley or Izzie Stevens! Unfortunately the inevitable happened when George O’Malley died.

Rumor has been circulating since last year that the actor who plays George is unhappy and wants off the show. After the infamous Isiah Washington scandal a rift that was never mended was created between T.R Knight and show creator Shonda Rhimes. Katherine Heigl who also plays Izzie Stevens is rumored to want off the show as well. She infamously chose to not submit her name for an Emmy nomination last year saying the writing did not merit an Emmy nomination. Naturally this was a slap in the face to the show writers. But regardless, the show did not grant her wish. Many speculate it’s because she is a box office star and can still bring in viewers.

NBC’s hit new series, Heroes, follows the stories of several average people that discover they have unusual abilities. Although it sounds clich at first, it is a very captivating show because it is so easy to relate to the characters. They may have superpowers but they certainly aren’t perfect, and that makes them feel very real and very human. It’s their flaws and confusion over what is happening to them that really draws you into the experience.

Not only does each story feel up close and personal, there are so many main characters that there’s bound to be one that you can relate to. In a TV world dominated by occupation-specific shows such as CSI or House it is rare to find a show with such a broad range of roles. It is interesting to see how differently a politician and an artist each react to the discovery of a personal superpower. And despite the fact that the plot branches out to follow each character, all the stories are continuously being interwoven. It’s even fun to speculate who will cross paths next and how it will happen.

It all started by taking the brothers, Dean and Sam Winchester, out investigating urban legends that we have all heard of and wondered about. From there it evolved into finding the demon responsible for killing their mother, all with a few plot twists thrown in, such as finding out several children born on the same day were intentionally given powers by the demon for a sinister purpose. Sam is one of those children.

This show is full of action and characterization. It combines both to great effect so not only does it keep you on the edge of your seat but you really care about what happens to the characters. The family dynamic and the interaction between the two brothers and how each one relates to his father is some of the best character interaction you’ll see on TV.

So, what’s to like about Supernatural? What’s not to like. Brother’s who bicker and love each other just like all siblings everywhere. The war being fought between Good and evil at the supernatural level and everything in between. Characters you can really identify with battling the war within, just like the rest of us do day in and day out. This is a show you don’t want to miss. Entertainment with substance. Watch it, you’ll love it!

Breathing life into an elderly curmudgeon, or a purple human-like creature from the Micronesian islands, or even a self-effacing, talking jalapeno-on-a-stick, Jeff Dunham is straight man to some of the funniest partners in show business.

Dunham’s comedic skill, impeccable technique, and sleight of hand make him a master of his craft. In fact, audiences often forget there is a person behind the puppets. His talent has parlayed him to the top of his game with multiple critical achievements and television appearances, including a recent profile on CBS’s “60 Minutes II.

Dunham was also voted “Funniest Male Stand-Up Comic”’ at the American Comedy Awards, an honor shared with the likes of Jerry Seinfeld, Jeff Foxworthy, and Robin Williams. Additionally, viewers recently voted Dunham to third place (for the second time in two years!) in Comedy Central’s “Standup Showdown.”

Some have accused Dunham’s characters of being racist caricatures, sexist, and homophobic. In 2008 a TV commercial for a ringtone featuring Dunham’s character Achmed the Dead Terrorist (see Characters below) was banned by the South African Advertising Standards Authority after a complaint was filed by a citizen stating that the ad was offensive to Muslims, and portrayed all Muslims as terrorists. Dunham responded that “Achmed makes it clear in my act that he is not Muslim.” However, the Advertising Standards Authority noted that the name Ahmed was of Arab origin and was one of the names of Muhammad.