That’s the title and the plot of the MTV series, which stars Bo Burnham and features cameraman Arshad Aslam.

The Means to an End

Premiering this year, the series has taken Zach from one means of becoming famous (with no talent) to another.

Aslam told me, “In one episode, Zach goes missing.  Of course, the media aims attention on him, and he tries to get famous that way.  In another episode, he wants to be a celebrity cook, but he can’t cook.  He’s constantly trying to pursue some means to become famous.”

Impressive Background

Aslam thus far hasn’t had to pursue a claim to fame without talent.  His talent is clear.

And he came to the Hasaad role from some pretty impressive guest appearances, including roles in RAISING HOPE and HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER.

About his role in RAISING HOPE, he said, “It just aired in January.  It was really nice to work with all these people, especially with both leads being at a really young age.”

In HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, he was fortunate enough to work with the entire cast on a segment, playing the character of Brian.

He told me, “James was an obnoxious guy who worked at the movie theatre the gang goes to.  It was just a fun character to play, and the audition was really fun.  I got to work with every single one of them, and I thought that was really cool.  Not everyone who’s a team player gets to work with every single cast member.  It was great just to be on set with all of them.”

How It Began

His audition for Hasaad was fun as well, but he didn’t hear anything for two months afterwards.  He told me, “The audition was very quick.  It was a same day audition.  I almost wasn’t able to make it, because I had a final in college.  I had worked with a couple of people on the show a few years before, so I told myself I HAD to make the audition.  So, I read for them and improvised a couple of lines, which they thought was funny.  Then, a couple of months later, they called and said I got the part.  I was like, ‘Sweet.’”

A Difficult Road

The show has also helped open some pretty heavily closed doors for Aslam.  When he told his parents he wanted to act, at the age of eight, there was virtually no ethnic market.  “There’s not a lot of parts out there for the Indian market,” he said.  So, he gave up acting and decided to put his dream away until after college.

Upon returning to the field years later, he was able to land some parts that he hopes will pave the way for ethnic roles.  “It’s been kind of difficult to overcome,” he told me.

On the Horizon

Aslam is now without doubt headed in the right direction.  His upcoming film, HOME, is to be released in October.  Though he couldn’t talk too much about the project, he did say that it is a thriller.  “I’m really excited,” he said.

He’s also looking ahead to a future in directing and producing, having made his directorial debut last year in a music video.  The prospect of writing and producing features at some point is also exciting to him.

Going back to his work in ZACH STONE, I asked what might be in the cards for the series.  He said, “Zach’s personality has to date been very much about himself and his goal to be famous.  We’ll start to see some real heart under the relationships he has with his family, his camera crew, and his girlfriend.”

Obviously, there’s much more to come from Arshad Aslam.

Cheryl has been a freelance TV/film writer for more than 10 years. Simultaneously, she has worked in PR for Bon Jovi Productions in NYC, PolyGram Records (also in NYC), and Rogers & Cowan Public Relations. Cheryl has published articles at suite101.com, “Sci-Fi Entertainment” magazine, and “Soap Opera Weekly.” She was also a credited researcher for English author Denis Meikle’s JOHNNY DEPP: A KIND OF ILLUSION. Cheryl enjoys writing for the entertainment industry and meeting new people. She is also an animal lover. 

Name of the Episode: A is for A-L-I-V-E

Let’s talk about that for a second, WHAT THE WHAT???

In the last episode all the Liars (Aria, Emily, Hanna and Spencer), including the one we love to hate (Mona) all survived the Lodge fire only to find the mud encrusted police cruiser with its light a-flashing away. What’s a Liar to do? Look in the trunk, obviously! And what did they find? LET’S TALK ABOUT IT

A dead pig. Gross. Like actual WHOLE giant pig. Gross. Naturally, Crafty Mona jumps into action, disassembling the cruiser hard drive to “save” Hanna’s Mom. That’s awfully…nice of her.

And then came the Revelation Montage: Crafty Mona laid it all out. Which of A’s pawns did what, including the revelation that CeCe came to Radley and Crafty Mona thought she was Alison (claiming she was in a drug-induced haze). Who was recruited when, etc. All those facts should have had a bigger landing, they deserved more than a montage! Mona coming clean about some of the details does help with some of the most skin-crawly incidences. But she is still claiming she doesn’t know who Red Coat is.

Pile everyone in the car and drive past the crime scene: SUDDENLY WILDEN! Oh he’s loads of dead. Buckets of dead.

Back to the Lodge; we saw Toby surveying the wreckage. Naturally he’s playing with the lighter that was dropped near him after he was knocked out. Dumb, Toby. Really dumb. Toby sees a burnt up red coat. You KNOW that there’s no way Red Coat was in there.

Back in town is Alison’s mother, Creepy Mommy.

Crafty Mona has access to some sort of farm thingy and that’s where she and Hanna stash the Trailer of Secrets.

Spencer and Toby are back together, and Spencer reads that Wilden was shot. A lot. We know that Hanna’s Mom didn’t shoot him. So there’s another mystery that needs solving, hopefully in this Summer season. Who shot Wilden?

Fitz is back teaching at Rosewood High; Aria is not pleased. Naturally. Her imagination was running wild as she pictured well, pictures being sent to the Vice Principal and Fitz being led out of the building in handcuffs for sex with a minor. Thankfully for her psyche, it was just a daydream.

Emily and Paige have a lovefest and decide to move cross-country for college. Yeah, sure. That’ll happen. When Jenna confronts Emily to “give Toby a message, the obvious burn on her hand, c’mon. Really?? I hate mis-directions like that. I’m not sure we’re going to find out that Jenna was there at the Lodge, and whether or not she knows for sure who Red Coat is? I doubt it’s going to be a significant gem. With her blindness, she probably burned herself making Top Ramen or something.

The Funeral of Wilden; There’s a suspicious Black Veiled Lady. Well it wasn’t so much a veil as it was a THICK lace sheet hanging over whomever’s face. Aria has an awkward interaction with Fitz. Hanna wears an inappropriately sheer outfit. (Don’t get me wrong, it looked hot on her, but really??? It’s a funeral!) Crafty Mona and Spencer find the Viewing Room with the closed casket. The room suspiciously empty with as many people in attendance in the church. A phone rings (seriously, why doesn’t anyone in that town believe in silencing their cell phones? Movie theater experiences in Rosewood must suck!) And the caller i.d. for missed calls reveals the contact: Kisses as (dunh-dunh-DUNNNNH) ringing to Hanna’s Mom’s cell phone answered by Hanna!! BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN???

Courtesy of Toby’s flashback, we get to see something of his Mother. It looks like we’re going to get some more insight onto the “Why” of Toby’s recruitment into the A-team this season.

Back at the funeral Creepy Mommy has the Liars sit in her pew, with a backhanded compliment to Hanna. Afterwards, it appears we’ve got a new Too Young of a Cop [Amrie comment: Sean Faris, always a delight] in town. Whether or not he’s with our Liars or eventually against them is yet to be determined.

AND ALWAYS MY FIST-SHAKING-FAVORITE: The end scene where, surprise surprise, The Veiled Lady from the funeral is revealed to be in an A Lair wearing a half-burned Alison mask. (I love how it used to be a Zombie Baby but now it just blatantly looks like Alison). SCAAAAAA-RRRRRY!

Well? What did you think? Was the premiere worth the wait?

It’s not the best show I’ve ever seen, but it isn’t terrible (is that another way of phrasing “I didn’t hate it?”).  The leads are likeable, and the chemistry between the three of them was believable (and it’s always nice to see Hastings Ruckle).  The story is intriguing enough, but they don’t seem to get to the depths of darkness and twisted drama that their lead-in PRETTY LITTLE LIARS was able to accomplish from the get-go, so it might not hold a candle to that ground-breaker.  Give it a shot, though, and tell us what you think!  Are you along for the TWISTED ride?

The new TNT Summer Mondays start tonight with MAJOR CRIMES returning for Season 2 at 9/8c, and new show KING & MAXWELL joining the network at 10/9c.  Follow the jump for thoughts on the premieres of both!

Up first, MAJOR CRIMES continues the trend of catching murderers, and offering them deals, just like season 1, but this season comes with a new Deputy DA (Nadine Velazquez, now a regular), a bump to regular status for Taylor and Dr Morales (Robert Gossett and Jonathan Del Arco were both upped to series regulars for S2), and a haircut for Rusty (I’m all about the TNT haircuts lately).  The story of the first episode follows the third wife of a big-wig Hollywood director found face down in the pool and the hunt for her killer, while the Phillip Stroh case continues to be the thorn in the paws of Sharon and Rusty.  The new DDA is not a very nice lady, the case gets sorted out in the final 15 minutes, and Flynn and Provenza continue to be one of the best partnerships on TV.  I’ll never like Sykes (Kearran Giovanni) and I’ll miss having Fitz (Jon Tenney) around, but all in all, a solid and consistent return for Season 2 of the show, and it will continue as one of my Monday must-sees!

I won’t have to miss Fitz too much this summer, however, now that Tenney has found himself a new place to land – he stars as Sean KING, ex-secret-service-agent, lawyer, private investigator, and partner to Michelle MAXWELL (Rebecca Romijn). The show is based on a series of books by David Baldacci.  The premiere of their show finds KING & MAXWELL 12-months into working together, as they stumble on a government coverup while investigating (much to the chagrin of the FBI) the death of one of Sean’s oldest friends.  Along the way, they find themselves working with savant Edgar Roy (my favorite, Ryan Hurst, physically a cross between his Opie and his Gary Berteer here, and playing a man of few words).  Watching the show, until the final 5-10 minutes, I don’t think I knew which way the show would zig or zag, and I had fun while along for the ride.  It’s an interesting take on the less-than-legal PI world.  I haven’t liked much of Romijn’s stuff (…EASTWICK, don’t get me started again…), but she’s delightful here, finding her niche as a smart-ass with some kick-ass moves.  Tenney and Romijn have an easy going charm that’s reminiscent of the fun the LEVERAGE gang had on their missions.  Give it a shot – let us know what you think!

When we left our friends in the 2nd Mass/Charleston, a new race of aliens had descended on our planet, before the show cut to black. When Season 3 picks up tonight at 9/8c on TNT, we get dropped right into the story, 7 months down the line.  Anne’s pregnancy is in full bloom, Matt has a new haircut, the new alien race (the Volm) have helped Charleston in their battle against the overlords, Hal is dealing with some DARK demons, and Maggie is there to be supportive, loving, and just all around the best character on the show.  Having survived in Charleston now for 7 months, the battle rages on, and Professor Tom Mason takes on a whole new role, the leader of the new free world.   

I have to admit – somewhere in the middle of Season 2, I had stopped watching, not for lack of effort, but because there was just too much on Sunday nights.  Over Memorial Day weekend, however, I recorded the marathon, and have been mainlining FALLING SKIES ever since.  What I love about how Season 2 ended and how Season 3 begins is that the show continues to push the envelope.  The fighting seems more intense, and more choreographed, as the Charleston forces have had so much practice these past 2 years.  The questions that were raised at the end of Season 2 aren’t solved or answered nicely with a red bow in the premiere, and even 5 episodes in to the new season, I found myself waiting to see how things from S2 would resolve themselves.  They don’t flashback to answer questions, and they just push forward, much like the 2nd Mass over the seasons, and you better strap in for a bumpy ride!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll continue saying it – as much as I loved John Carter on ER, I don’t think Noah Wyle has ever been better than he his here, as Tom Mason.  He’s a leader with a conscience, who feels for the human race, the rebel skitters, and this new alien race he can’t quite wrap his head around.  Drew Roy is playing the light and dark sides of Hal with such a subtlety, it’s a thing of beauty to watch.  And as the family drama comes to head with the drama of this fight against the invaders, FALLING SKIES continues to hold my attention and keep me guessing with each week.

Small things to look forward to this season:

• Robert Sean Leonard, who I promise you won’t recognize when he first comes onscreen
• Sarah Sanguin Carter’s continued struggle as Maggie – she’s incredible – have I mentioned she’s my favorite character?
• New weapons, new fights, new technology
• Great guest star turns from Gloria Reuben (who I never, ever seem to trust), Michael Hogan, Matt Frewer, Stephen Collins, Terry O’Quinn (and that’s all within the first 5 episodes)
• Cochise
• More death and destruction (and lots of tears)
• The cutest baby since the Creguts on RAISING HOPE
• More incredible interaction and growth in the relationship between Pope (Colin Cunningham) and Mason

Overall, a great start to the season, and I honestly am on the edge of my seat wondering what could possibly happen next!!

USA Network’s Emmy®-nominated original drama series and ratings juggernaut BURN NOTICE will air its seventh and final season beginning Thursday, June 6 at 9/8c. The hit series, from Fox Television Studios and creator Matt Nix, stars Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, Bruce Campbell, Sharon Gless and Coby Bell, and will join an elite group this season as the network’s third series to cross the 100 episode milestone.  The adrenaline-charged seventh season of BURN NOTICE will keep hearts racing as viewers uncover the details of the mysterious deal that fans’ favorite renegade spy, Michael Westen (Donovan) struck in the season six finale. Michael’s past and present collide as he tries to rebuild relationships with his family and friends while pursuing a dangerous mission involving the CIA and a lethal network of operatives.  Recurring guest stars this season include Jack Coleman (“Heroes”), Adrian Pasdar (POLITICAL ANIMALS) and Stephen Martines (“The Closer”).

Here’s what we’re giving away!!

• White hat with BURN NOTICE Logo
• Mini iPod Speakers
• Ray Ban Sunglasses
• White Drawstring Bag with BURN NOTICE Logo
• White t-shirt with BURN NOTICE Logo
• Water Gun with BURN NOTICE Logo
• BURN NOTICE on DVD

To enter to win, think back on the past 6 years, the almost-100-episodes you’ve spent with Michael, Fiona, and Sam.  Then check out this preview of tonight’s premiere, and tell us, in the comments, what you’ll miss most about your favorite Miami action heroes?

How will it all end?  I’m excited to find out!

Contest is open to US residents only

Netflix released the trailer for their next original series, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, based on the best-selling memoir of the same name by Piper Kerman, and created by Jenji Kohan (creator of WEEDS).  The show, which is being released on July 11 all in one fell swoop, follows Taylor Schilling’s Piper Chapman, whose decade-old relationship with drug-runner Alex (Laura Prepon) results in her arrest and year-long detention in a federal penitentiary. She finds herself in an unfamiliar world with a group of eccentric and outspoken inmates (among them, Natasha Lyonne and Taryn Manning).  The series also stars Kate Mulgrew, Pablo Schreiber, Danielle Brooks, Matt McGorry, and Laverne Cox; Jason Biggs plays Piper’s fiancé Larry.

Check out the trailer, and let us know if you’ll be watching when it’s released!

Tonight on ABC, catch the premiere of MISTRESSES – a new soapy, summer series starring familiar faces – Alyssa Milano, Rochelle Aytes (DETROIT 1-8-7), Yunjin Kim (LOST), and new-to-me Jes Macallan.  The series is based on a British soap of the same name – it follows four best friends who live through the tumultuous love affairs they find themselves having.  It’s dramatic and fun – it’ll get you thinking, for sure!

I spent some time chatting with the ladies of the show, and they tell us why MISTRESSES is a great way to pass the hour!

Be sure to check it out at 10/9c, after an all new episode of THE BACHELORETTE!

Season 2 on Blu-Ray and DVD (out June 18 in all major retailers and online) includes hilarious special features – bloopers (this cast is so funny off camera, it’s no wonder they break all the time), deleted scenes, and a Wilfred/Ryan Mash-Up.

For your chance to win Season 2 on Blu-Ray, all you have to do is enter your favorite WILFRED quote in the comments below.  To be entered a second time, you can do one of two things -

Tweet the following phrase: “I want to win WILFRED Season 2 on Blu-Ray from @mytakeontv!”

Or visit the MY TAKE ON TV Facebook page, like us, and leave us a comment about WILFRED!

It’s really that simple!  So what are you waiting for?

One winner will be chosen at random and notified via email on or around June 14.  This contest is open to residents of the US and Canada only!

Talking about MOTIVE – I had a chance to watch the first two episodes.  It’s a new take on the “cop” genre – I wondered what it was that got you involved?
It was just that little thing that makes it different, right?  That you know the victim and the killer right off the top.  And then I wanted to see how they did it, and I was really intrigued.  As you know, from seeing the first couple of episodes, you’re kind of wondering how the victim and killer cross paths – when you think you have it all figured out, there’s usually another little twist.  That continues every episode, which is quite a feat that the writers do, and it makes the show really fun and different.  I secretly think of it kind of old school like COLUMBO or something.

It feels like something people will gravitate to, because they’re so used to seeing the same old thing, that this changes it up enough.  We’re watching, and I felt involved in trying to figure it out myself.
Right!  It’s fun to do that.  It gives the audience credit, you know?  Which always efels good, and does get the audience involved.  A lot of times, that genre, they try to go more and more for shock value.  They’re running out of things – they get slicker and slicker, and shock-i-er and shock-i-er [laughs].  That gets boring after a while.  I’ve been frequently talking about how one of the things I enjoy so much about this show is that in this genre, it’s also very much character driven.  Each of our characters are very different.  You learn a lot about us, and we’re kind of more relatable than a lot of the slickest shows, and we’re all different in the same show, where I find in some shows, characters are all so similar that they even talk the same in that rapid fire, super articulate way.  I don’t know anybody that talks like that.  I’m constantly searching for the right word.  This is very refreshing for me.  At the same time, it’s shot in a very modern way. It looks amazing.

I didn’t realize that this was a Canadian production, and I don’t mean to knock Canadian production values, but it looks like a show that was shot down here, you know what I mean?
Oh I absolutely do!  It was something that made me hesitate doing the show at first, I have to be honest.  In retrospect, I look ridiculous.  I was afraid of doing a show that was entirely Canadian.  I live in Toronto now, and I see some entirely Canadian shows and you can just tell.  But this is not that at all.  When I saw the first episode, it totally competes with anything on American television.  It could be on a big network, it could be on cable, it could be anywhere.  I was not the least bit surprised that it was picked up and that it’s going to be on ABC now!

Talk a little bit about Betty, your character, and what we can expect throughout the season.
Dr Betty Rogers is the medical examiner and she’s really good at her job.  But one gets the feeling that she’s even better at her personal life. Or at least that it’s very full and fun.  She’s a sassy on; maybe a bit of a comic relief.  She usually makes an entrance; let’s put it that way.

Did you have to go through a specific training?
I did, because I like to do that, to get a feeling.  This was a particular area that I was a little bit nervous.  When I think back on my career, and I’ve done crazy things like ride-alongs in gang area in the middle of LA on a Friday night.  Nothing was as scary as going into my first morgue.  At first, it was pretty overwhelming but then it became incredibly fascinating.  You get a certain detachment going, almost.  I think they really consider themselves detectives with the crime scene being the body in front of them.  It’s very fascinating.

What I noticed, too, about the cast – we’re seeing the first episode, and we’re seeing them together for the first time, but they’re old hat, having worked together for a while.  It felt like you had been shooting together for as long – was the chemistry there from the get go?
I didn’t know anybody, and I refer to this a lot, when I talk about MOTIVE – it was very familiar to me from PICKET FENCES.  It was kind of like, the first day, it just felt like it gelled.  With the crew and the cast.  We immediately fell into a groove and they’re a great group of people. I can only say – people are always shocked that I fly across the country, sometimes twice a week, and what not.  This made it so easy, because each time my plane landed, I was happy.  I was happy to be home and see my boys, or I was happy to see my castmates.  Frequently, someone would meet me at the hotel and have a drink and catch me up on the week, and we’d go to work the next day.  It was a lot of fun.

What is the status of MOTIVE in Canada and the US?  Are you in a second season there?
We’re picked up – we’re quite a big hit in Canada, and we will be back shooting in August.  I’m hoping that US viewers feel the same way.  CTV, which airs the show here, is actually going to, even though our finale [was on last week], they are going to rerun the whole season right along with the US.

Beyond MOTIVE what do we have to look forward to from you?
I just shot a great move called HOOVEY with Sean McNamara – he directed it.  He directed SOUL SURFER.  I’m opposite Patrick Warburton; Cody Lindley and Allison Toner are our kids, and it’s a phenomenal true story.  We’re very excited about it.  I think it will be out early next year.

Before I let you go, I have to say that I’ve been doing this TV thing for a long time now, but I think it was PICKET FENCES that made me a true TV fan!
Oh thank you, I think it made me a true TV fan, too!

For more on MOTIVE, head to ABC.com!  MOTIVE airs tonight at 10/9c before moving to their home on Thursdays at 9/8c!