The Closer introduced TV mystery fans to the prickly and intense Brenda Leigh Johnson, a brilliant CIA-trained interrogator recruited by L.A.P.D. Assistant Chief Will Pope to head a new homicide squad for high-profile cases. Johnson's thin veneer of Southern charm often cracks as she hones in on a suspect, but she gets results: "She's not Miss Congeniality, I'm aware of that, but she is a closer," Pope says. A ratings smash for TNT, The Closer won fans thanks to its twisty plots and the portrayal of Brenda by Kyra Sedgwick, showing a woman confident in her investigative skills but awkward at personal relationships. It also paved the way for the debut of other original cable-TV series during the summer-rerun doldrums -- and shows with strong female characters over 40, such as TNT's Saving Grace with Holly Hunter and Hawthorne with Jada Pinkett Smith, plus Damages with Glenn Close on FX. Go inside the initial season with this informative guide that includes detailed episode summaries, character bios, interesting trivia, and more.

ABOUT THE BOOK First screened back in 2004, House MD has captured the hearts and minds of viewers across the spectrum. Played by the eminent Hugh Laurie, a former comedian turned actor, Dr. Gregory House is that guy we all hate, but also often wish we could be always sarcastic, incorrigibly sardonic, frequently bitter, and undeniably brilliant. An engaging, fascinating character, many watch the series as much for Laurie as they do for anything else. Many have even gone so far as to make a comparison between Dr. House and Sherlock Holmes, with good reason but more on that in a moment. Set in the modern day, House is a medical drama that centers around the title character and his team of doctors, all of whom work at the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. The team is continually confronted with rare, baffling, and downright bizarre illnesses, and it often falls to House himself to show them the cure, or puzzle it out himself. All the while, each of the team members fight through their own personal problems, moral qualms, and workplace drama. MEET THE AUTHOR Nick's been writing since he was old enough to hold a pen. After graduating from the University of Calgary with a BA in English, he spent a year working at a thrift store- before realizing his life was going nowhere. He dropped the job, took up a career as a freelance writer, and hasn't looked back since. That was almost a year ago. Since then, he's written for a number of different blogs and clients. He most enjoys writing about gaming and technology- two passions that take almost as much precedence in his life as his love for the written word. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK What do you get when you take Sherlock Holmes, give him a medical degree, replace his cocaine addiction with a Vicodin addiction, and slap him down into the modern day? You get Dr. Gregory House: a misanthropic, sardonic, bitter medical genius, a man with a chip on his shoulder and a sense of genuine disdain for most of the men around him. In many ways, House is an insufferable ruffian, but few people have the heart to put him in his place as one of the most brilliant doctors of his time, he has a degree of freedom that most medical professionals can only dream of, and is (occasionally) kept in check by his close friend Dr. James Wilson, an Oncologist. The first season of the series introduces us to the titular main character and his cast of medical specialists, Dr. Allison Cameron, Dr. Eric Foreman, and Dr. Robert Chase, along with Houses boss Dr. Lisa Cuddy and his best friend Dr. James Wilson. As we move through the series, Houses relationship with his team begins to show cracks. Cameron feels shes not a valued professional, Foreman disagrees with Houses methodology and Chase clashes with both of them as a result of his propensity for taking Houses side. CHAPTER OUTLINE Quicklet on House, MD Season 1 (TV Show) + About House + About the Director and Producer + Overall Summary + Episode-by-Episode Commentary & Summary + ...and much more House, MD Season 1

Quicklets: Learn More. Read Less. Robert Kirkman is a New York Times bestselling author living in Richmond, Kentucky. Kirkman is currently a partner at Image Comics, which publishes The Walking Dead. His other works at the company include Invincible and The Astounding Wolf-Man. Invincible has been adapted into a motion comic. The Walking Dead won the 2010 Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series and the 2010 Scream Award for Best Comic Book. He also founded a new imprint at Image called Skybound, which focuses on up-and-coming series outside of the mass-market. He remains active on the television series as an executive producer and writer. The Walking Dead originated as a New York Times bestselling comic series written by Robert Kirkman. The first season's universally critically acclaimed. Whether it's because it packs a raw, emotional punch (TV Guide) or contains wonderfully skilled framed shots (Newsday), The Walking Dead shows that it's a unique entry on television network AMC.

ABOUT THE BOOK Dexter broke new grounds for Showtime in multiple ways. It debuted strong with more than 600,000 viewers during the premiere and its finale set a Showtime record with an audience of over a million people. However, Dexter's success was not strictly a matter of numbers. Serial killers are traditionally villains in TV and film but author Jeff Lindsay created a serial killer who lived in more "shades of grey." His original novel "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" allowed the reader to sympathize with main character Dexter Morgan and the show maintained the book's darker tones. Dexter embraced the concept of the anti-hero and took it to further extremes than most shows are willing to. That is one advantage to the show airing on Showtime instead of a broadcast network because the show creators have more creative freedom without worrying about censors. Editors recut the show for airing on CBS after the ratings success on Showtime and due to programming holes left in the CBS schedule from the writer's strike in 2008. Dexter is currently entering its seventh season on Showtime. MEET THE AUTHOR Dave Beaudrie is a graduate and valedictorian of Michigan State University with a B.A. in Advertising. He also studied Theatre and has performed in multiple productions around the country. He is a professional screenwriter as well with several projects either produced or in pre-production. He is licensed as a security specialist in the state of California and worked in the field for several years. Beaudrie is an avid mixed martial arts fan and has written extensively on the subject. He writes comedy as well under a pen name and resides in Los Angeles. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK The casting of Dexter was vital to the show’s success and producers found a star in Michael C. Hall. Fresh off his work in the HBO series "Six Feet Under" and an accomplished stage actor, Hall had proven himself worthy of emotionally demanding roles but the question remained as to whether he could anchor a series himself? The answer was a resounding "yes" as Hall's intense performance created a cultural icon the likes of which hadn't been seen on television before. Hall was charismatic and funny, even while playing a relatively emotionless character without a real sense of humor. The supporting cast was up to the task as well, with Jennifer Carpenter and Julie Benz standing out as the two women in Dexter's life. Carpenter brought a humor and neurosis to Dexter's foster-sister Debra that was an effective counter-balance to Dexter's stoicism. Benz's Rita was a good-hearted woman who desperately wanted to love Dexter but didn't know if she knew how. Dexter first used Rita as a smokescreen to appear "normal" to the outside world but eventually developed a genuine affection and sense of responsibility for both her and her kids, which he himself thought he was incapable of doing. The cast was rounded out by David Zayas as Angel, the closest thing Dexter has to a friend in his life, and Erik King as Sgt. Doakes, who suspects Dexter of illegal activity but can't prove anything. Lauren Velez played Dexter's flirtatious superior Lt. Maria LaGuerta, who had a bone to pick with Debra and who was often a better politician than a cop. Dexter's conscience is kept in check by the memory of his adopted father Harry, played warmly by James Remar. "Dexter" embraced the concept of the anti-hero and took it to further extremes than most shows are willing to. That is one advantage to the show airing on Showtime instead of a broadcast network because the show creators have more creative freedom without worrying about censors. Editors recut the show for airing on CBS after the ratings success on Showtime and due to programming holes left in the CBS schedule.

Glee had caused a fuss before the show even aired. From the first cryptic commercials to the success of the first episodes, potential future audiences wondered if a show about misfits singing in a show choir could "make it." The buzz was loud, expectations were high. In the end, however, Glee successfully managed to combine karaoke-style singing with astute commentary on the high-school experience and universal teenage dramas. Although TV had been enamored with the karaoke-style singing show format ever since American Idol premiered in the US in 2002, few had attempted to combine singing with elements of traditional comedy. Before Glee premiered in 2009, creator Ryan Murphy spent his time assuring potential audiences that the show wouldn't include only show tunes and that cast members wouldn't spontaneously break into song. People were put at ease when they saw that the show featured some of their favorite songs, including songs from Top 40 lists to oldies to yes, even a few show tunes. A hit with audiences, the TV show Glee, which was originally conceived as a feature-length film, quickly became a hit.

Quicklets: Your Reading Sidekick! ABOUT THE BOOK Pretty Little Liars centers around four teenage friends from an upscale small town in Pennsylvania, who are reunited after another friend disappears. The show debuted on ABC Family TV network on January 23, 2011 with a run of ten episodes. The idea for the series, however, began years before, when the producers at Alloy Entertainment, the company behind The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and the Gossip Girl series, first conceived of a book they described as Desperate Housewives for teens. To write the series, they hired author Sara Shepard, who grew up in a town much like Rosewood, Pa., where the Pretty Little Liars book series and television series takes place. They wanted to come up with something for her, Farrin Jacobs, an editor at HarperTeen books, told Publishers Weekly. It was a case of the right writer and the right idea at the right time. The first book in the series debuted in 2005 and proved popular. By 2012, the series had expanded to include Flawless, Perfect, Unbelievable, Wicked, Killer, Heartless, Wanted, Twisted, Ruthless, and Stunning. Shepard plans to write 12 books in all. Its a careful dance between giving readers something with each book, but also keeping them wanting to find out what happens next, said Jacobs of the books. They love the guessing game. MEET THE AUTHOR Claire Shefchik, a native of Minnesota, received an MFA in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College. Her writing on arts and entertainment has appeared on USAToday.com, Spinner, The Faster Times, and many blogs. She can be found on Facebook and on Twitter @clairels. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK Just like Alison, A seems to know all their secrets. Aria, an artsy girl who has just come back from a year in Iceland, has begun a relationship with her new English teacher, Ezra (aka Mr. Fitz). Emily, a top swimmer from a military family, has developed romantic feelings for a female friend, Maya St. Germain. Spencer, an intelligent overachiever, is fooling around with her sisters fiance. And Hanna, now the school It girl and best friends with formerly nerdy Mona Vanderwall, is a shoplifter and still insecure about the weight she had to lose to become popular. But most of all, the girls are worried about As knowledge of what they refer to as The Jenna Thing. Alison, with the girls help, made a plan to retaliate against Toby Cavanaugh, a neighborhood boy whom Alison had accused of spying on the girls. She sets fire to his house, but ends up blinding his stepsister, Jenna Marshall. Toby is blamed for the fire and sent away to reform school for a year. Now, however, both siblings are back in Rosewood and attending school... Buy a copy to keep reading! CHAPTER OUTLINE Quicklet On Pretty Little Liars, Season 1 (TV Show) + About the Show + About the Producers + Overall Summary + Episode Guide + ...and much more

While it takes the form of a fairly conventional murder mystery show, Castle delights in misdirection, red herrings, and character interaction. When other shows focus on forensic evidence or legal maneuvering, Castle tells the story of the victim: how they got to the point at which someone else felt compelled to snuff out his or her life. A crime novelist shadowing a police detective for three years requires some suspension of disbelief, but the trust Beckett shows in Castle, and the value he lends to investigations, makes it plausible. Castle also excels at blurring the lines between its fictional universe and the real world. It's not unusual for a modern television show to set up the occasional Web site as a promotional tool, but Castle doesn't stop there. Male lead Nathan Fillion is a Twitter star with well over a million followers, but his character Richard Castle also tweets regularly-though the latter can claim only 72,000 followers, as of this writing.