Tom Comi, Author at StayTuned Magazine

“Code: 9” amps up the pranks in second season on Disney XD

November 16, 2012 Tom Comi

How can I get on Code: 9? That seems to be the million-dollar question with kids and adults alike regarding the wildly-popular prank show, which returns for a second season Monday at 7:30pm ET/PT on Disney XD. There are a lot of hidden-camera programs on television — the barometer will always be Ashton Kutcher’s Punk’d on MTV — but what makes Code: 9 stand apart is its focus on regular people instead of celebrities. And unlike the classic Candid Camera, the folks here are having the wool pulled over their eyes by their own family members. Yes, you read that correctly. […]

“Burn Notice” returns to USA with two-hour fall premiere

November 8, 2012 Tom Comi

It is fitting that Burn Notice has its own comic book version, because there is something wonderfully campy about both the dialogue and action scenes in the USA Network drama — which returns tonight in a two-hour fall premiere at 9pm ET. Anybody who watches Burn Notice for the plot is probably tuning in for the wrong reason. Sure, there are some outrageously fun storylines to give the show some structure, but they merely serve as stage for a ton of explosions and what could be the most underestimated cast on all of television. It all begins with Jeffrey Donovan, who, […]

Wolfgang Puck joins “Top Chef Seattle” on Bravo

November 7, 2012 Tom Comi

As a person who rarely cooks, I can’t help but admire those who do it for a living. And as much pressure as those pros are under at their respective restaurants, it must pale in comparison to the heat the contestants feel on Bravo’s Top Chef Seattle. Premiering tonight at 10pm ET/PT, the popular culinary show heads to the state of Washington, and it’s celebrating its 10th season in high fashion by adding famed chef and restaurant mogul Wolfgang Puck to the judges panel alongside head arbiter Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, Hugh Acheson and Emeril Lagasse. Hosted by the elegant […]

“America’s Got Talent” Season 8 auditions begin this month

November 6, 2012 Tom Comi

If you watch the contestants on America’s Got Talent on NBC and think you could do a better job, it’s time to put your talent where your mouth is. Beginning on November 14, the hit reality show will hold auditions for people of all ages throughout the country — including California, Texas, Illinois, Louisiana, North Carolina and Virginia. The coveted $1 million prize is still on the line, but there will be a new look to the America’s Got Talent judges table with Sharon Osbourne moving on. There has been a lot of speculation as to who will join Howard Stern […]

Chef Gordon Ramsay shows gentler side on FOX’s “Kitchen Nightmares”

October 26, 2012 Tom Comi

There’s an old saying that warns you to get out of the kitchen if you can’t handle the heat, but that’s exactly where the best scenes take place in the vastly entertaining Kitchen Nightmares. Kicking off the show’s 5th season tonight of Kitchen Nightmares at 8pm ET, we get to see many facets of Gordon Ramsay’s personality as he tries to rescue flailing restaurants from going under. Those just expecting to see the abrasive, hot-tempered chef are better off tuning into Hell’s Kitchen, because here we occasionally get glimpses of his rarely-seen compassionate side. There’s not a lot of reality […]

If Mitt Romney fires Big Bird, he has other TV options

October 5, 2012 Tom Comi

If Mitt Romney fires Big Bird, the lovable Sesame Street character has other TV options. (Photo via Mashable) Presidential candidate Mitt Romney ruffled feathers during this week’s debate when he said he will cut funding to PBS if elected, leaving many Sesame Street fans across the country wondering what would happen to the beloved characters they grew up with – especially Big Bird, whom Romney mentioned by name. Regardless of whether it’s Romney or President Obama residing in the White House next year, we think this controversy has raised our feathery friend’s star power exponentially. In fact, we would be […]

Mark Cuban “Shark Tank” exclusive: new season features more fights, intensity

September 14, 2012 Tom Comi

ABC’s Shark Tank would obviously not be successful without the creative and not-so-creative inventions showcased every week, but one particular shark has been lurking in the water for some time and plans to emerge to give the show some much-needed bite. Of course we are referring to the affable yet downright cutthroat Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the NBA franchise Dallas Mavericks and chairman of AXS TV (in addition to countless other ventures). Cuban has emerged as a star on Shark Tank (season premiere tonight at 8pmET), and much of that has to do with how he engages with […]

With election season in full gear, “SNL” returns to NBC at perfect time

September 13, 2012 Tom Comi

Some might argue that Saturday Night Live isn’t as funny as it was many years ago, but what isn’t up for debate is that this weekend’s season premiere — thanks to politics and cast changes — is one of the most heavily anticipated in a very, long time. With the presidential race swinging into full gear, no other show on television has its finger on the pulse more than SNL (Saturday, 11:30pm ET). Host Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, Ted) and musical guest Frank Ocean will kick off the show’s 38th season, and most of the buzz centers around the two […]

CBS Sports Network features Arkansas Razorbacks

August 29, 2012 Tom Comi

You could probably base a soap opera around what has transpired with the Arkansas football program earlier this year, but most Razorback fans would much rather look forward to the upcoming season rather than dwelling on the past. Thanks to CBS Sports Network, College Football Confidential: Arkansas does just that. Premiering tonight at 7pm ET, the seven-part series will offer a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most talked-about teams for the upcoming season. And the best part is that the conversation will revolve around what is taking place on the field and not the chaos that took place when […]

Showtime’s “Episodes” needs some tweaks heading into season 3

August 28, 2012 Tom Comi

There’s was a scene in Sunday’s season 2 finale of Episodes in which a writer reveals that his pilot about an English couple coming to America to do a sitcom is picked up. The show would revolve around the couple having to produce their struggling series despite going through an uncomfortable divorce. Sounds pretty lame, huh? Regretfully, that fictitious premise is exactly what we got from Showtime’s sophomore campaign of Episodes. Although still funny and worth watching at times, the ludicrous plots made one of my favorite TV programs unwatchable more often than not. And the real shame is it […]