Watching Showtime

In a pretty accurate “top ten” done by Pop Eater, the top ten on-set love affairs were ranked, and Showtime’s very own Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter came in number 6!

Set against some pretty stiff competition, the couple beat out the likes of Ben Affleck/Jennifer Garner (#9) and Tim Robbins/Susan Sarandon (#7) to win their spot.

Ahead of them were Michelle Williams/Heath Ledger (#5) and Ryan Gosling/Rachel McAdams (#3), and taking the coveted #1 spot was the iconic Bogart-Bacall coupling from “To Have and Have Not”.

Surprisingly absent from the list? Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. I can only imagine this is due to the clandestine nature of the beginning of their relationship, but it’s interesting to note Deb and Dexter beat them out for a top ten spot. Here’s hoping their marriage works as well as their on-screen chemistry as bother/sister.

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I’ll fully admit that I cheat on Showtime when it comes to True Blood. The sexy HBO show brought Charlaine Harris’ books to life in a great way, and I’m not ashamed to admit my girlfriends and I have True Blood parties!

So when I read that the gorgeous Valerie Cruz was leaving Dexter for the HBO show, I was super excited. Cruz will play Isabel, who has been dubbed an “elegant Hispanic vampire.” Time to start counting down until both these shows make their season premiere’s in the fall, and with this move I’ll have no reason to hide my True Blood love from the masses - if even Showtime stars give it the thumbs up there can’t be anything wrong with my love for the show as well!

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Dexter stars (and newlyweds) Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter have been traversing the globe recently. And it hasn’t been on a honeymoon. The new couple have been hitting a few European cities to promote the newest season of Dexter, which is finally making it’s way to global audiences. Pictured above, the pair were in Berlin on March 11 where they were bombarded by fans and spent quite a bit of time signing autographs.

What a great way to spend the first few weeks and months of your marriage - from award shows to travelling across Europe, life hasn’t slowed down for the pair yet in 2009. And before they know it, they’ll be back on set to film the fourth season of Showtime’s hit show.

As for next season’s spoilers, the pair aren’t offering anything up yet - chances are they haven’t even seen a script!

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The Saturn Awards, a yearly nod to science fiction, horror and fantasy on both the big and small screens, handed out nominations recently, and a few Showtime shows and stars walked away with nods.

First up is Dexter, which is a clear choice for horror on television. It will be up against True Blood, amongst others, for the Syndicated/Cable Televison Series race. Also given the nod are the newlyweds, Jennifer Carpenter and Michael C. Hall. Each received a nod for their acting performances (she in a supporting role, he in a lead role).

That wasn’t the only nod for Jennifer Carpenter, however. Her most recent movie, Quarantine, was also given a nomination for best Horror film. Here’s hoping the newlyweds can walk away with some trophies!

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Once again, Showtime’s fabulous shows were shunned at an awards show. And while I should be sad about it, some amazing shows won awards – it’s a fabulous year for awards shows in general – so I can’t be too bitter. Besides, we got to see our favorite new married couple hit the red carpet for the second time this month!

Newlyweds Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter made their second red carpet appearance in less than a month, and the pair looked much more comfortable in front of the cameras this time around. More smiles, more touching, and in general they looked happier to be the center of all that attention.

While I’d wondered at the Emmy’s why the pair looked so shell-shocked, seeing them this time around, looking much happier and at ease, makes me wonder if they were more nervous about spilling the beans on their wedding earlier in the month!

In any case, Jennifer looked gorgeous (and much less anorexic), and Michael shined as always. While neither walked away with any awards (again), it was good to see them out!

Don’t forget to check out the Watching Showtime Twitter for even more Showtime news, gossip, and stories!

After Ellen staff writer Trish Bendix sat down with L Word stylist Cynthia Summers to chat about our favorite lesbians on television, how the fashion in the show as evolved over time, who she loved dressing the most, and so much more. source

At the Winter TCAs, Showtime’s President of Entertainment Robert Greenblatt talked with IGN.com about the future for both Weeds and Dexter. Both shows have been renewed through their 6th and 5th seasons respectively, which is good news for fans. Greenblatt wouldn’t give away any plot points, though, instead joking of the next season of Dexter, “Someone’s going to die!” source

Just when we all thought casting Leisha Hailey as the star of the L Word spin-off was a dead giveaway as to her guilt in the murder of Jenny Scheckter, think again. Both Hailey and Ilene Chakin, creator of the spin-off, have hinted at Alice’s possible innocence! source

Jonathan Rhys Meyers has a new modeling gig – this time for Energie Jeans. He will be their face for the brand for the next two seasons, so expect to see him strutting around in them often, as well as many gorgeous print ads showing up in magazines and billboards across the planet! source

This year’s Golden Globes held more than a few surprises for viewers, the least of which was Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter stepping out for the first time together since their New Year’s Eve wedding.

The couple wed outdoors in Big Sur and reports have been surfacing that they were trying to keep the nuptials a secret. I’m wondering if they were concerned about show ratings, what with fans being incredibly eeked out just at the thought of the on-screen siblings dating in real life. Apparently it crosses some sort of imaginary moral line?

No wedding shots have been released, and other than the tidbit that the pair were wed outdoors, no other information has been leaked. i like that they’re keeping their private lives private, actually. It would be nice if more stars did the same, a la Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johanson.

Here’s to the happy couple!

With Dexter about to enter it’s third season on Showtime, IGN.com sat down with screenwriter and co-executive producer Melissa Rosenburg to talk about transforming the books into a television show.

“With Darkly Dreaming Dexter, we as a group of writers had to take a rather thin novel and spread it out over the course of 12 episodes, and not only 12 episodes, but lay in story for everyone that’s going to take you through five years.”

And when asked about Erik King, one of the show’s great actors, and how the absence of his character Doakes will affect the third season, she had this to say.

“…it was a huge risk killing him off, because what do you do then? But we also felt we’d played out that story with him. Where else was that going to go? We probably could have struggled it out for another three years, but then you’re like, ‘Doakes is just kind of an idiot.’ So we just felt it had played itself out. He was too good to not kill.”

So where do they go now? The Bay Harbor Butcher has been “caught�?, but Dexter can’t just turn human on them. The show wouldn’t be worth making if Dexter suddenly grew a conscience and stopped killing. This is what Rosenburg had to say.

“We’ve been meeting for a month now for the third season and it’s been like, ‘What the hell are we going to do now?’” she says. “But I think we’ve come up with something that’s going to be hopefully as good. I can’t even hope to surpass it, but I can hope to do as well. It’s going to be tough. But it’s a challenge.”

The show should start filming soon, as it airs in the fall, so hopefully we’ll get some stills from production as filming begins!

Turns out stars like to talk about all the things they’re good at besides just acting, and in a recent Macon article, some of Showtime’s stars sounded off on this very topic.

David Duchovny (”Californication”) is good at sports or “anything like that. I’m terrible at anything mechanical. I can’t work anything. I’m stupid at it, and I’m impatient and every machine we get breaks. Both of us (he and his wife, actress Tea Leoni) - every computer, every television, every phone breaks. And we do not know how to work it. Not only do we not know how to work it, but we break it. Tea is terrible too. I’m not even good with cars. She can fix a car. It’s pretty impressive. I make a good sandwich.”

Michael C. Hall (”Dexter”): I think I’m really good at communicating, listening. I think I’m good at being a friend. Yet that’s the very thing I would say I’m bad at, but the thing I want to be better at and continue to cultivate. What I’m sometimes bad at is in my desire to be with another person, to communicate with them, is losing myself. What I’m bad at, what I’d like to get better at is maintaining that sense that I’m a good listener, communicator but also holding on to part of myself that can’t be touched and I maintain in spite of whatever goes right or wrong. It’s kind of an esoteric answer. What I’d like to get better at is having a sense of where this is all coming from and who I am.”

Cybill Shepherd (”The L Word”): I’m really good most of the time at talking to my children and defining limits … I’m hopeless at cleaning up the house. I’m a slob. I just always find something better to do like read or watch a movie or `Let’s go swimming!’”

Looks like Jennifer Carpenter kept herself busy between Dexter seasons, filming a new horror film called “Quarantine”.

Carpenter plays a television reporter assigned to spend the night shift with the LA Fire Department, and get the story of their lives when they’re sent out to an apartment where a woman who has been infected with something is screaming uncontrollably. Before they can escape, they find out the CDC has quarantined the building, and so they’ve been ostensibly cut off from everyone. By the time the quarantine is lifted, the only way to know what happened to the people inside is the news crew video.Sounds like Jennifer’s sticking to the dark-themed thrillers with this movie. Too bad she’s probably going to die in it, but I’m betting it’ll be a good one!

Here’s a few stills that have been released so far.

While I don’t really see what the big deal is, people are getting their panties in a serious bunch over Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter dating. On-screen, the pair play Dexter and Deb Morgan, siblings both working for the Miami PD on Dexter. Off-screen, the pair have enjoyed a quiet romance for at least several months. While on set, they keep things professional, but once the cameras have stopped, they take their romance public.

The latest spotting of the couple came just hours after it was announced that Dexter had garnered a coveted Peabody Award. They were spotted having a romantic dinner at the Sunset Tower, drinking champagne and “clearly celebrating” according to one source.

Personally, I’m happy for the pair, and can’t wait to see more pics of the couple surface.

Missing the “great romance�? that is Tibette? Sad that you can’t get your Jennifer Beals fix for almost a year? Have no fear, because Desolation Sound will air on Lifetime april 9th (Jennifer Beals stars). I have no idea what the movie is about, but seeing as it’s airing on Lifetime, I’m betting romantic somehow, sad in many ways, and totally worth hunkering down on a Wednesday to watch. If you’re too ashamed to turn Lifetime on in real-time, just Tivo it!

Julie Benz (Rita on Dexter for those not in the know), has signed on to be in Saw V. I have no idea if this is a good thing or not. I felt the same way about her being in Rambo, though, and I’m sure that’s done wonders for her career. But Saw? I can’t help but express my distaste, if only a little bit.

Some would say that winning a Peabody is more prestigious than winning an Emmy, so the creators and stars of Dexter must be celebrating, as their show has been granted the prestigious honor. Along with such greats as 30 Rock, Planet Earth and even Project Runway (the first reality show to take home such an honor), Dexter will be officially honored on June 16 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. The Peabody committee is acknowledging Dexter for its “complex and ambiguous meditation on morality�?, a tremendously accurate description of the show and the title character.

Brian Williams will be hosting the event, and although it won’t be televised, I’m sure we’ll get some great pictures of the red carpet. Congratulations to Dexter for the win!

• There’s some potential news about the third season of Dexter surfacing. Not sure how true it is, as the writers have just gotten down to the business of writing episodes, but at least it gives us one person’s take on what might happen. (Film Rotation)
• Salon.com has a review of The Tudors up on its site. Head on over there to read their take on all the sex and intrigue.
• Admiring Natalie Dormer has tons of videos up from the second season of The Tudors. Don’t click through to them if you don’t want to see spoilers, but I think that even the most naive viewer knows that Anne’s life isn’t long and happy!
• I love to read Paul’s reviews of shows, and his review of the season finale of The L Word didin’t disappoint! (Infinite Regress)