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    Blog Posts by Rachel Stein

    • ‘Ringer’ Reimagined: How a New Lead Character Could Save the Show

      Should someone take Sarah Michelle Gellar's place in the front of this photo? (Art Streiber/The CW)Should someone take Sarah Michelle Gellar's place in the front of this photo? (Art Streiber/The CW)

      (Television Without Pity) — One of the most boring things about "Ringer" is the fact that we see the show exclusively from Bridget's and (sometimes) Siobhan's vantage points. We think this underwhelming program would be greatly improved if it was told from the perspective of one of the supporting characters -- any of them, in fact. Here's how the story of once-bitchy, now-sweet Siobhan Martin could play out if it starred her family, friends, or enemies:

      Gemma Butler
      This is the story of an up-and-coming NYC interior designer juggling her career and raising twin boys, who is so convinced that her husband, Henry, is cheating on her that she drunkenly slaps other women at parties and points fingers at her lesbian nanny. Her world is rocked when she discovers that it's actually her best friend, Siobhan, who is having the affair with Henry. And to make things worse: She doesn't learn about the affair until her friend is dead. Struggling to regain control of her life, she blackmails Shiv's twin sister into sleeping with her husband -- but little does she know, he'll do whatever it takes to gain custody of his children.

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    • Why ‘Work of Art’ Is TV’s Most Underrated Reality Show

      "Work of Art" is back with a whole new cast of artists (Andrew Eccles/Bravo)"Work of Art" is back with a whole new cast of artists (Andrew Eccles/Bravo)

      (Television Without Pity) — It was really easy to blow off Season 1 of "Work of Art: The Next Great Artist." Last season, most of the world either tore it apart or completely ignored it because of its premise and/or its execution. Or maybe it's because many Bravo fans want to watch rich housewives pull out each other's weaves and cheftestants douse everything in liquid nitrogen without having to ponder what it all actually means, or because your average critic has little patience for ridiculous reality TV drama. I do think I'd be giving "Work of Art" too much credit if I said that it revolutionized or even challenged anything about the way we watch TV, but I will say that it's an underrated series and that I'm happy that it's back for a second season. In fact, I'd argue that this is one of Bravo's best shows, and we definitely saw glimpses of that on last night's premiere. Here's how:

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    • Why We’re Already Worried About David Cross on ‘Modern Family’

      Does David Cross fit in with this 'Family'? (Richard Foreman/ABC)Does David Cross fit in with this 'Family'? (Richard Foreman/ABC)

      (Television Without Pity) — This week's "Door to Door" episode of "Modern Family" was problematic in a lot of ways, not least of which was the introduction of David Cross's recurring character, Duane, the city councilman. There are a few reasons we're worried about Duane's role on the show, as seen by last night's issues. (Though, it needs to be said, we absolutely agreed with him: Ice cream cake is not the same thing as regular cake.) Here's why we're apprehensive:

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    • Not Really a ‘New Girl’: How Zooey Deschanel Plays the Same Character in Everything

      Zooey Deschanel is Jess on 'New Girl' (Autumn Dewilde/Fox)Zooey Deschanel is Jess on 'New Girl' (Autumn Dewilde/Fox)

      (Television Without Pity) — Zooey Deschanel is polarizing, to say the least. While 99 percent of the planet adores her and her adorable adorableness, others find her shtick irritating. But whether you love or hate her characters (there is no in-between), there's good news: She always plays the same role, so it's easy to decide to watch her in (adorable) action or avoid her like a twee plague of kittens and rainbows. Let's look at her most memorable roles and see how they align with her instantly recognizable persona.

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    • ‘Up All Night’: What Will Arnett Can Learn From His Canceled Shows

      Will, we have some friendly advice for you (D Dipasupil/FilmMagic)Will, we have some friendly advice for you (D Dipasupil/FilmMagic)(Television Without Pity) — Full disclosure: We love Will Arnett. Frankly, we don't know many people who don't think he's hilarious and wonderful, with the perfect family. But this relationship -- ours and his, not his and Amy Poehler's, obviously -- can be one-sided for only so long: We've been giving him chances to have a new and interesting character in a funny and likable series for years now, and every time he sorely disappoints. Maybe it's not fair to blame him for his failures in the past few years, but it seems like every job he takes, he refuses to play a different character. In "Up All Night," there are pangs of change and a small glimmer of hope that he'll finally broaden his range, and if he learns from his former mistakes, he'll be golden. Here's our advice:

      Quit Playing Gob
      There will always be a place in our hearts for "Arrested Development," especially considering its language has seeped into our vocabulary, but come on! Give it a rest with the Gob act, already. From

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