Emma Stone does Le Jeunes de Paris on SNL again

Emma Stone does Le Jeunes de Paris on SNL again

Loved this the last time she was on SNL, here she is doing the sketch about youth in Paris again on last nights SNL.

Here are 23 great old shows to watch with the family during the holidays.

Here are 23 great old shows to watch with the family during the holidays.

Comedy

NewsRadio

Between 1995 and 1999, the American public was blessed with this brilliant NBC sitcom, which takes place at an AM news station in New York City. Likely a precursor to shows like The Office, Party Down, and even Arrested Development, NewsRadio's zany workplace antics and all-star ensemble cast (including the late great Phil Hartman) make the business of satire look as smart as it is absurd.
Recommended relative pairing: Your sister's college roommate who swears she's "over" The Daily Show.

Felicity

A romantic gal named Felicity decides to pass on her acceptance to Stanford to attend the "University of New York," where she can chase her high school crush. What could go wrong? This WB classic was a mega-hit for the college-bound demo, but its PG-13, Sex and the City-meets-coming-of-age vibe holds up long after your college days have passed.
Recommended relative pairing: Your young-at-heart mother, who once lived vicariously through your college stories but needs a new outlet.

The Larry Sanders Show

This show is a veritable who's who of every single comedian who ever lived. Well, almost... but it does feature appearances from a baby Sarah Silverman, Roseanne, Janeane Garofalo, Jeffrey Tambor, Rip Torn, Jon Stewart, and plenty more. Think Curb Your Enthusiasm meets Late Show with David Letterman. This show did meta before meta was cool.
Recommended relative pairing: Your sauce-hitting uncle who corners people with his inappropriate knock-knock jokes.

Reno 911

Before the U.S. version of The Office ever aired, back when the word "mockumentary" was known only by Christopher Guest enthusiasts, there was Reno 911. A caricature of Cops set in desolate Reno, Nevada, the series follows a cast of inept, short-shorts-wearing officers who serve as proof that sometimes crime does pay.
Recommended relative pairing: Your single-again older brother who needs a dumb laugh.

Married... with Children

Modern Family's Ed O'Neill plays Al Bundy, a blue collar shoe salesman who's been stuck in a rut since the end of his high school football glory days. Middle-class, white-bred America has definitely seen darker days, but you'd hardly know from this '90s comedy. Oh, and don't miss Up All Night's Christina Applegate as Al's sexually-charged ditz of a daughter, Kelly.
Recommended relative pairing: Your sister's new fiancé who's still talking about the game-winning touchdown he made at State... eight years ago.

Psych

Now in its sixth season, this detective procedural follows a "psychic" Santa Barbara-based police consultant named Shawn (James Roday) and his partner, Gus (Dulé Hill), as they solve crimes and crack jokes. If you haven't yet caught the bug, now's the time: The first five seasons are on Netflix.
Recommended relative pairing: Your slightly geeky brother who likes to think he's not that geeky.


Drama

The Wonder Years

If you've somehow never heard of The Wonder Years, then I'm assigning this one as holiday TV homework. The series follows Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) as he attempts to navigate through adolescence in the late '60s/early '70s. It's riveting, it's genuine, and it's got a killer soundtrack.
Recommended relative pairing: Your stern, no-nonsense father.

Breaking Bad

It's time to jump on this train if you haven't already. Netflix now has Seasons 1 through 3, which will put you that much closer to not having to leave the room when your friends start talking about Walt's latest snafu. Break out the beakers, it's time to take science to the streets!
Recommended relative pairing: Your uncle who works for the DEA.

Sons of Anarchy

As one of FX's early breakout series, this criminal drama about a tight-knit motorcycle club on the outside of the law is kind of like a macho soap opera. Season 4 ends on December 6, but with the first three seasons on Netflix, you can be nearly caught up in no time.
Recommended relative pairing: Your aunt who recently started dating a hardcore biker enthusiast.

The Vampire Diaries

The CW has finally opened its doors to Netflix, which is now home to Seasons 1 and 2 of this vampy teen drama. Plus: CWtv.com and Hulu consistently stream the five most recent episodes, so most of Season 3 is at your bloody disposal, too. Plus plus: You can work your way through our TVD photo-recap treasury as you go.
Recommended relative pairing: Your melodramatic cousin who's been acting suspicious ever since she started hanging out with the goth crowd at school.

Carlos

This three-part French miniseries made waves at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. It's based on the life of Carlos the Jackal, a terrorist who was once one of the world's most wanted international fugitives. It's a great way to kill five-and-a-half hours, and you'll walk away feeling more worldly than you ever have while sitting through your uncle's Euro-trip slideshows.
Recommended relative pairing: Your college kid brother who was just evicted from Occupy Wall Street.


British

Downton Abbey

This period drama takes place around the time of World War I (in the pilot, the characters react to news of the sinking Titanic, two years before the war began) and essentially conveys what it was like to be filthy rich before and during the world's first major collapse into large-scale warfare. It was awarded the Guinness Book of World Records prize for "most critically acclaimed television show" in 2011, so you KNOW it's good.
Recommended relative pairing: Your wife's grandmother, who always sips her tea with her pinky up.

Lost In Austen

This British miniseries follows an obsessed Jane Austen fan who mysteriously swaps places with one of Austen's fictional characters, Elizabeth Bennet (an American remake is in development). Anyone who's seen A&E's epic Pride and Prejudice miniseries starring Colin Firth will laugh out loud, because Lost in Austen is practically a scene-by-scene parody.
Recommended relative pairing: Your crazy aunt who swears Colin Firth communicates with her directly through the TV whenever she's drunk and home alone.

Shameless

Yes, there was a British version long before William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum signed on to portray members of the uber-dysfunctional Gallagher clan. If you're curious about the series that inspired the American adaptation, look no further.
Recommended relative pairing: Your kid cousin, the kleptomaniac.

Skins

No, not the failed MTV version, the good version—the award-winning British version that tactfully scrutinizes the taboos of teenage life, from sex and drugs to broken families and body image issues. It gets bonus points for having a great soundtrack, too.
Recommended relative pairing: Your pushy aunt who keeps rattling on about what it was like to be young.


Sci-Fi

Sliders

No, not the kind you order at the gastropub. These "sliders" are an offbeat gang of scientists who've discovered a way to travel—or slide—between parallel and alternate universes but can't quite figure out how to get back home. Imagine what life would be like if America had lost the Revolutionary War—there's an episode about that. Imagine what life would be like if technology had been banned after Hiroshima—there's an episode about that, too. If you're looking to jump-start your imagination and with a little Jerry O'Connell love on the side, this is your show.
Recommended relative pairing: Your grandpa, the history-buff; Jeffy O'Connell fans.

Firefly

If you've never heard of this cult classic, it's probably because you've never crossed paths with a Firefly fan. Joss Whedon's 2002 space western is as cool as it sounds... because it's a space western, duh. Highly underrated at the time, it only lasted a single season, but it's a single season that lives on, thanks to the internet. You can find every episode on Netflix or Hulu Plus, but for those without subscription services, Hulu's basic service offers five free episodes at a time, and they stream on a rotating basis.
Recommended relative pairing: Your neo-anarchist cousin who always wears a vest and suspenders and ties a bandana around his neck.

Misfits

Technically we could have included this in the "British" section, but its sci-fi elements trump its accents. This is a show about a group of juvenile delinquents who get caught in an electrical storm while doing community service and wind up with special powers. Trust us, it's great.
Recommended relative pairing: Your shifty older cousin who swears he once got hit by lightening (he didn't).


"Nonfiction"

Gangland

This real-life look at real-life street gangs paints a jarring picture of the culture and politics behind the most notorious, feared gangs in America, proving gang culture threatens more than just our country's sense of style.
Recommended relative pairing: Your little cousin who's always pretending to be a thug.

Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking

Science is a ton of fun when there's nothing else on TV! Seriously, though, this documentary miniseries explores Stephen Hawking's complex theories on time, the universe, and aliens by accompanying them with CGI imagery and a symphonic soundtrack. If you're looking to learn something this weekend, this is your show.
Recommended relative pairing: Your precocious kid brother who refuses to watch anything on TV because he thinks it will rot his brain.

Jockeys

Prepare for the upcoming HBO drama Luck with this documentary reality series. If you don't think horse jockeys can be defined as "athletes," you might reconsider after watching; the series chronicles a group of jockeys as they ride in the famous 30-day Oak Tree Meet at Santa Anita Park.
Recommended relative pairing: Your grandma. She sure loves the track.

Teen Mom

We know this show is ridiculous. It's one of the most heinous shows on TV, featuring young girls who are now making a profit off of having babies while still babies themselves. But as far as trashy television is concerned, it's pretty easy to get sucked in. Seasons 1 and 2 are on Netflix, but all three seasons are available to stream at MTV.com.
Recommended relative pairing: The kid sister you're trying to scare straight.

It's a Boy for Curtis Stone and Lindsay Price

It's a Boy for Curtis Stone and Lindsay Price

Top Chef Masters host Curtis Stone and Beverly Hills, 90210 alum Lindsay Price are the proud new parents of a baby boy.

"Lindsay and I are so excited to welcome our sweet little baby boy into the world," Stone tweeted. "It feels so great to be a dad!!!!"Stone did not reveal the child's name, but The Herald Sun reports that the baby is named Hudson and was born Nov. 6 in the U.S.

This is the first child for Stone, 36, and Price, 34, who have been dating since 2009.

'Homeland' review: Claire Danes, the CIA's (and Showtime's) secret weapon

'Homeland' review: Claire Danes, the CIA's (and Showtime's) secret weapon

Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes in her first return to series TV since "My So Called Life") is a basket case. Seriously, she's potentially psychotic. She may also be the only person standing between the U.S. and another massive terrorist attack. In "Homeland," debuting Sunday (Oct. 2) on Showtime, Danes plays a CIA analyst with big-time doubts about a just-released prisoner of war.

The show, based on the lauded Israeli series "Prisoners of War," chronicles Mathison's personal mission to save the country from another 9/11-sized terrorist attack. Her Carrie Mathison takes personal responsibility for not preventing the devastating attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon and so she's haunted and convinced that -- if only she can figure it out, by any means necessary -- the next attack can be prevented.

British Transplant Damian Lewis ("Dreamcatcher") plays Nicholas Brody, who may be positioning himself as one of the most chilling characters to appear on TV since "Lost's" Benjamin Linus. He's a Marine sergeant who, after almost a decade in captivity, is freed from al Qaeda's clutches.

He returns home to a complicated family situation -- his wife kind of thought he wasn't coming back (draw your own conclusions) and his two kids have grown up without him around. Then there's the wife of Brody's best friend, who died while a POW with him, who just wants to know how it happened and was he there? The guy is scarred -- but the question is how did he heal?

Like all of fiction's best characters -- neither Carrie nor Nick are purely good or evil and the series opener keeps us in suspense about who to trust and whether or not one or both is maniacally dangerous. Is Nick a "Manchurian Candidate" who has been brainwashed into helping al Qaeda plot its next hit? Is Carrie a potentially paranoid psychotic nymphomaniac who has way too much access to sensitive information?

We're looking forward to the rest of the season to watch this finely drawn mystery unravel.

Also turning in a stellar, if understated, performance -- Mandy Patinkin ("Criminal Minds") as Saul, Carrie's CIA handler, mentor and father confessor.

"Homeland" airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on Showtime.

'Hell on Wheels' review: A slow ride but a lovely view

'Hell on Wheels' review: A slow ride but a lovely view

AMC has delivered some of the most compelling and intellectual dramas on television in recent years with "Mad Men," "Breaking Bad" and "The Walking Dead." The network is now seeking to add another program to that line-up with the series "Hell on Wheels."

The show focuses on the construction of the transcontinental railroad in post-Civil War America. And with this new America comes the challenges of integration, reconciliation and Westward expansion. It's an ambitious objective that sometimes delivers and sometimes goes a bit off track.

The main character is Cullen Bohannan (Anson Mount), a former Confederate soldier who is looking to start a new life while seeking to avenge his wife's murder. Hip-hop artist Common joins the cast as Elam Ferguson, a recently-freed slave who finds that life after the Emancipation Proclamation isn't significantly different than it was before. The rail building effort is run by Thomas "Doc" Durant (Colm Meaney), a corrupt businessman who is more focused on personal profit than creating the best railroad possible.

What's most impressive about "Hell on Wheels" is the production value. It appears that no detail was overlooked - from the costumes to the set design to the location. Because of this, the show instantly grabs viewers and takes them back in time. What was surprising and worthy of note is how graphic some of the violence and medical practices are. This is mostly a function of the equipment available in the 1860s, so it adds to the realism. But it can be a little much.

The pilot itself is a bit slow in the story department but strong in the character development. The series heats up in the second episode with the introduction of the railroad security chief The Swede (Christopher Heyerdahl). His quiet yet threatening presence is reminiscent of the Arnold Toht character from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (a.k.a. The guy who burns the medallion in his hand).

What's troublesome, sadly, is Cullen Bohannon. He's just your run-of-the-mill Western character in that he's a hard drinking, cigar smoking, rough-and-tumble kinda guy who won't take guff from anyone. He offers the predictable sneers from under his black hat but is seemingly unable to offer much humanity to balance his Western machismo. The biggest question about Bohannon is what will he do after he avenges his wife's murder. He doesn't seem to be particularly invested in the railroad construction and he's pretty much a lone wolf.

Common is competent in his role, although he's not give a lot to work with. Meaney, on the other hand, doesn't offer the bite this role requires. It really deserves someone who can exude conniving and ruthless, like Ian McShane.

At the end of the day, "Hell on Wheels" is beautifully-filmed project that offers exceptional attention to detail on everything but the main character. Here's hoping they can steer it in the right direction.

"Hell on Wheels" airs on AMC on Sunday at 10 p.m. ET.

'Leverage' Season 4: Aldis Hodge bares (almost) all as the season continues

'Leverage' Season 4: Aldis Hodge bares (almost) all as the season continues

"Leverage" returns on Sunday, Nov. 27, on TNT with the winter half of its season-four episodes, and fans will get to see a whole lot of series star Aldis Hodge.

In "The Experimental Job," tech wizard Alec Hardison (Hodge) and rest of the team -- grifter Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman); retrieval specialist Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane) and reformed thief Parker (Beth Riesgraf), led by former insurance investigator Nate Ford (Timothy Hutton) -- return to continue fighting for the little guy against giant corporations and overbearing government officials.

When homeless veterans start disappearing in Boston, the team must go back to college and infiltrate secret societies. And that's where things start getting dodgy for Hardison.

"Fans might get a little leg action," Hodge tells Zap2it, "because, my character, there's a scene where he's ... actually, I don't want to give it away."

aldis-hodge-320.jpgUrged to share a little bit, Hodge says, "My character, he goes to college, and there's a hazing that goes on where he has to jog around in his underwear. The ladies may be getting a little leg action, a little man-cake.

"We know the girls care, and we're trying to give the girls a little something."

Since the show shoots in Oregon, it wasn't exactly toasty warm while the scene was being filmed.

"We were shooting, of course, in Portland," says Hodge, "so it's cold even throughout the summer. Every now and then, you'll get a nice day, but not on that day. We were shooting at a college that was open. We sectioned off part of the property, but still everybody was going to school, doing their thing, and me and a bunch of dudes are running around in our underwear.

"We had to streak. It was weird because, not so much for the part where I'm streaking in front of strangers, but I was streaking in front of my work people, who I've been with for the last three, four years, and I've gotta see them again next week, next year, you know what I mean.

"It's like, 'Oh, dang, I don't want them to see this much of me.'"

Asked who made him suffer the most afterward, Hodge says, "Um, well, actually, I shot the scene with just a few other extras in the scene, so it wasn't with my fellow co-stars. I think they have yet to see it. I'm pretty sure the suffering will come right after the episode on Sunday."

Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for christian-kane-leverage-large.jpgAs to which cast member he expects to give him the most grief in the future, Hodge says, "Christian. Yeah, Christian, definitely."

Since Kane is a musician, perhaps he will immortalize the moment in song.

Hodge says, "He probably will."

Glee Club TV Competition Shows in Copyright Infringement Dispute

Glee Club TV Competition Shows in Copyright Infringement Dispute

What Fox's "Glee" has wrought: Dutch broadcaster NCRV, the creator of "The Singing Office," has accused the Canadian producer of "Canada Sings" ripping off its series' format after selling the worldwide rights to Endemol.

Patty Geneste, CEO of Amsterdam-based format distributor Absolutely Independent, on Friday said Insight Productions, the creator of Canada Sings, infringed on the copyright for The Singing Office by making the Canadian show without paying for the format rights.

“This is a no brainer for us,” Geneste said after recently viewing an episode of Canada Sings, which has ordinary Canadians form workplace singing groups and compete head-to-head against other employee teams.

“There’s only a few slight differences that had nothing to do with the structure or format,” she added.

The Singing Office, which has been sold into around 20 territories worldwide, also makes singing stars out of ordinary office workers.

Former 'NSync-er Joey Fatone and former Spice Girl Mel B hosted the U.S. version of The Singing Office on TLC.

But John Brunton, president and CEO of Insight Productions, said NCRV has no smoking gun because he got the inspiration for Canada Sings from Fox’s popular Glee drama series.

“We haven’t infringed on anyone’s copyright on that show,” Brunton said.

The stakes in the Dutch-Canadian format flap only got larger this week when Insight Productions announced it has sold the worldwide format rights to Canada Sings to Endemol.

Absolutely and NCRV have given Insight Productions and Endemol until Monday to respond to accusations of format plagiarism.

If Insight and Absolutely do not settle the copyright dispute on their own, the matter  is likely headed to mediation with FRAPA, which offers a dispute resolution structure for the format TV business.