Six months ago you probably had no clue who Ellen Page was. Sure, she played Kitty Pryde in X-Men: The Last Stand, but the role was so small, she was easy to miss. That summer she also earned excellent reviews for her powerhouse performance in Hard Candy, but unless you lived in a major city like New York or Los Angeles, the thriller never made it to your local theater. In fact, for a girl who just turned 21, Ellen Page has a resume packed with films you never saw. However, since Juno became a box office phenomenon, and Page was nominated for an Academy Award, the world can’t seem to get enough of this Alternative It Girl. Gritty, sarcastic, and entirely imperfect, she’s the anti-Miley, someone girls can actually identify with rather than just worship. Read more…

You know that girl – the one who doesn’t dress like anyone else, listens to weird music, doesn’t even have a MySpace page, and couldn’t care less – the one you’re privately jealous of, because she seems cool despite being an outcast? That’s Nancy Drew, or at least the latest version of Nancy Drew from the movie starring Emma Roberts, now on DVD. Read more…

Pushing Daisies (ABC) – Ratings were consistently good for this high-concept dramedy, and, as a result, it received an early fall renewal. They produced only nine episodes, but all of them managed to live up to the promise of the first three, and those who doubted the show could maintain the Burton-esque style without becoming annoying ate their words. We give ourselves a hearty pat on the back for selecting this one.

Reaper (CW) – Ratings for this supernatural dramedy have been neither great nor terrible by the CW standards. Still, the network has yet to renew it. Consistently clever and entertaining, this series may end up in the company of short-lived cult classics like “Firefly” and “Dead Like Me”. Whether the powers-that-be realize what they have and give it another shot, or whether it winds up on “Brilliant But Cancelled”, we stand by our selection of this Ghost Busters tribute, and look forward to three new episodes starting tomorrow night.

Big Shots (ABC) – Okay, we truly liked the first two episodes of this male answer to “Sex in the City”, but each week it got progressively worse (and boring – they beat the tranny hooker and the crazy mistress storylines to death), until we couldn’t force ourselves to watch the final few episodes before its cancellation. We humbly admit we were dead wrong about this mercifully defunct snoozer.

Dirty Sexy Money (ABC) – The ratings were consistently good for this urban “Dynasty”, so it too received an early fall renewal. While we have some concerns – the Peter Krause character and his “normal” family are wearing on us – we love the wacky Darlings and their high society naughtiness, especially Brian Darling, the angry and foul mouthed reverend. Overall, this soapy drama makes for a good time, and we congratulate ourselves on a good pick.

Gossip Girl (CW) – Due to its consistently good ratings, this teen drama received the CW’s first fall renewal. While the series of books on which the show is based appeals to kids only, this East Coast “O.C.” is addictive for adults as well. Blair Waldorf is the Erica Kane of primetime. Do we love her? Do we hate her? Or do we love her, because we hate her? Either way, don’t hate us, because we were so right about “Gossip Girl”. Happily, the final four episodes start tonight.

Life (NBC) – Ratings for this crime drama were mediocre, but that didn’t prevent the network from granting it a fall renewal. We love how they gave us just enough information about the underlying mystery to keep us from getting frustrated, while withholding enough to keep us interested, guaranteeing we’ll tune in after the nine month hiatus. Once again, go us.

Okay, so we were mostly right about the winners, but what about the shows that didn’t make the cut – did we miss anything good? We certainly did. First, “The Big Bang Theory” is hysterical. “Back to You” may have been an attempt to fill the void left by “Frasier’s” cancellation four years ago, but this nerd-based sitcom does the job without feeling stale. Second, we gave “Chuck” a hard time in the beginning, and while we’re still not sold on the “Intersect” business, we’re hooked on the romantic arc and think the folks at Buy More are a riot. Thankfully, both of these shows have been renewed for the fall even though we failed to pick them in the Fall Premiere Challenge.

Finally, who would have won had we had a Spring Premiere Challenge? Easy – “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.” Who knew the Terminator universe was so much better without Arnold? There’s still no word whether FOX is bringing it back in the fall, so let’s keep our fingers crossed. [note: as of Tuesday morning, Sarah Connor has been renewed for 13 episodes.]

Oh, and one more thing, what do the three images above have in common?

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However, some of our other favorite shows, which we’ve listed below, are still floating around on the bubble. We’re not panicking yet, but we’ve included some mail campaign ideas just in case.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (FOX) – After suffering through the immensely disappointing “Bionic Women”, we were reluctant to tune into this chick-kicking-ass sci fi drama, but we were so glad we did. Reminiscent of mid-series “Buffy”, the acting is solid, the premise is meticulous (it picks up a year after T2), and every episode is about saving the world. (Show-saving suggestion: any kind of chip – use your imagination)

Cashmere Mafia (ABC) – We still haven’t decided whether we prefer “Lipstick Jungle” or “Cashmere Mafia”, but we know we’d like another season to debate the issue. The former got the green light from NBC today, so it would be pretty gutsy of ABC to go ahead and renew their version of “Sex in the City”-minus-the-sex. (Show-saving suggestion: shoes – we know you’ve got some you can give to a good cause)

October Road (ABC) – This show used to feel unoriginal, but somewhere during its abbreviated second season, derivative became nostalgic. Maybe it’s because we Peanuts are such fans of the movie Beautiful Girls, or maybe it’s because the wonky way they talk started to sound cool, but we’re hoping winter never comes to Knights Ridge. Unfortunately, ABC tried to sell the series to Lifetime, but its sister network wasn’t buying, so we may never find out if Eddie Latekka is Sam’s father. (Show-saving suggestion: Pizza – it’s impossible to mail an air guitar)

Reaper (CW) – This series started out strong, every episode had a perfect polish, but halfway through the season, we started to wonder if it was going anywhere. Well, it was. The boys have moved in next door to a gay couple who happen to be fallen angels looking to take down the big guy (that’s Satan). The creators of this show did some hard time on “Law and Order: SVU,” and now they’re having fun. (Show-saving suggestion: Devil Dogs, in honor of that awesome mini hellhound from the pilot)

How I Met Your Mother (CBS) – CBS has been quiet about its plans for this outstanding sitcom, now in its third and arguably best season so far. Hints during the past couple of episodes that we’re finally close to meeting “the Mother” are making us nervous about the network’s intentions for drawing out the series. Still boosted ratings from a smart scheduling change and guest appearance by an actually-funny Britney Spears could sway the execs to give this best kept comedy secret another shot. (Show-saving suggestion: yellow umbrellas, of course)

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