'Mom' starts strong, 'The Crazy Ones' starts weak

CBS' Mom, which premiered last Monday night, gave a pretty nice debut. Anna Faris stars as a single mother of two kids, who also happens to be a recovering alcoholic. In the pilot, she runs into her mother (Allison Janney) for the first time in years. They definitely have some great chemistry going on. Despite its rather quirky premise, the actors and writing seems to be strong. 

CBS' other new comedy The Crazy Ones, starring Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar, didn't debut on such a high note. It has some great actors, including Hamish Linklater (ex-Matthew, The New Adventures of Old Christine) and special guest star in the pilot, Kelly Clarkson. However, the first episode was weak. The storyline was weak, and the chemistry among the cast was weak. It's very unfortunate, but there's also the chance that it was just a bad pilot episode, and the rest of the series will perk up. Catch Mom Mondays at 9:30/8:30c and The Crazy Ones Thursdays at 9/8c on CBS.

Fox's 'Sleepy Hollow' gives a stunning debut

Tom Mison and Nicole Beharie as Ichabod Crane and Abbie Mills

Fox's Sleepy Hollow, which premiered on Monday night, gave a stunning debut in an absolutely riveting hour of television. Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison) awakes in present day New England (in a small village called Sleepy Hollow), where soon after a mysterious headless horseman kills the town's sheriff. Crane may be the only one who holds the secret to how the headless horseman can be stopped. Nicole Beharie also gave an excellent performance as Abbie Mills, a cop who believes Crane is not insane and can help them find the truth. Their seemingly quiet town may actually hold century-old secrets that will come to light in what I hope to be an amazing season on television.

It appears I'm not the only one who thoroughly enjoyed Sleepy Hollow this week. The Toronto Star says, "Modern-day Sleepy Hollow shouldn't work, but it does", "Sleepy Hollow’s off-the-wall plot seems almost workable", as well as saying that it doesn't have a lot of competition in the sci-fi horror genre. James Hibberd of Entertainment Weekly reported that the series "lobbed off the competition Monday night", and The Chronicle Herald calls it "illogical, great fun". Could we possibly be looking at Fox's next hit drama? Very few shows debut with such an amazing pilot episode that leaves you thirsty for more, but somehow, Sleepy Hollow accomplished it. Catch the new series Mondays at 9/8c on Fox.

Exclusive: Victoria Rowell wants to come back to 'The Young and the Restless'

Ever since this blogger storyline has begun to unravel on The Young and the Restless, speculation has arose that Victoria Rowell (ex-Drucilla Winters) might be returning, with other rumours stating that the actress didn't have the time to reprise the role she originated in 1990. In the latest issue of Soap Opera Digest, Rowell speaks openly that she will "always have time for Y&R". Of recent return rumours, she states: "I don't like the audience being tricked into believing that I'm coming back when Steve Kent [senior executive Vice President, programming, Sony Pictures Television] hasn't called me. I heard yesterday from someone at Y&R that they're being told I don't want to come back. People are still campaigning for this character daily, going into seven years, for a return, and the brass ignores that."

Since leaving Y&R, Rowell has campaigned to have African American writers hired at the soap. The actress herself left in 2007 after calling the soap racist for not having enough African American crew members. She shares that she got the show's first African American writer at the 37-year mark. She states that she asked Steve Mosko (president of Sony Pictures Television) about a return, and he said he would talk about it with Steve Kent. That was two and a half years ago. 

Rowell didn't want to leave the soap opera genre behind, revealing that she wanted to test for a role on NBC's Days of our Lives. Long story short, her name was taken off the list for the role, and she later  learned that they thought she wouldn't want it because it was recurring role. The actress shares: "My agent wouldn't confirm me if I didn't want the job. We're actors and we work really hard, so for someone over there to say, 'Take her off the list. She won't do the role' is ludicrous." Rowell was also 

happy to report that the rift between her and former co-star Michelle Stafford (ex-Phyllis) has been resolved.

Rowell also has a new project in the works, turning her best selling novel, The Young and the Ruthless, into a prime time series that will feature several former Y&R stars. In the meantime, Rowell is completely open to reprise the role of Drucilla. She states: "I will always have time for Y&R, so I do not want that I'm too busy with other things to ever be used as an excuse by anyone. In the meantime, one must eat and one must be creative, which has only inspired me and empowered me to continue on."

'The Young and the Restless' finds its new head writer

                       Jean Passanante 

After much speculation, it appears The Young and the Restless has found its new head writer. After the current head writer, Josh Griffith, announced his exit last month, rumours were flying high that executive producer Jill Farren Phelps was urging to have him fired. Phelps has been met with overwhelming negativity with fans on social media; she even has her own hash tag on Twitter (#FireJFP). She is being called a "soap destroyer", and many think she is behind the soap's crummy storylines. 

After the announcement of Griffith's exit, speculation arose that Shelly Altman, a writer currently on the Y&R team, would take over. Before long, Jean Passanante's name joined the rumours. Passanante, who previously head wrote Another World and As the World Turns, was heavily rumoured to be co-head writer with Altman. Passanante herself confirmed her hiring on Twitter yesterday, despite the fact that there has still been no confirmation from the series. In response to a fan, she wrote: "I'm still at GH right now!!  But Shelly has taken over and she's fab." 

Passanante has been associate head writer of General Hospital since last May, and many are speculating that Phelps is trying to steal staff away from her old stomping grounds (a show she executive produced for 11 years). Passanante is also being met with much negativity, some saying she was the cause of both Another World and As the World Turns' cancellations as she was head writer at the time. I think this is merely coincidental. How can we criticize a writer when she hasn't even put pen to paper? We have to give these ladies a chance! Watch The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS.