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By Rachel Bennett
Television Editor & Columnist

Every Friday, Rachel recaps the week’s major TV-related news, announcements and gossip!

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TOP STORIES

• In a surprising move, NBC’s Up All Night star Christina Applegate is leaving the comedy halfway through its second season, which is undergoing major behind-the-scenes changes. “It’s been a great experience working on Up All Night, but the show has taken a different creative direction and I decided it was best for me to move on to other endeavors,” says Applegate of her departure.

• ABC’s Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts is reclaiming her seat Feb. 20 following a battle with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare blood disorder. Welcome back!

• The end is in sight for NBC’s The Office: The one-hour series finale is set for May 16.

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By Rachel Bennett
Television Editor & Columnist

Every Friday, Rachel recaps the week’s major TV-related news, announcements and gossip!

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TOP STORIES

• CBS’s How I Met Your Mother was renewed for a ninth and final season. Maybe we will finally meet the mother?

• The rumors have been put to rest: HBO’s Girls is coming back for a third season and will feature 12 episodes instead of 10.

• Meet the girl at the center of Disney Channel’s Girl Meets World pilot: Following a lengthy search, 11-year-old Rowan Blanchard will play Riley Matthews, the daughter of Cory (Ben Savage) and Topanga (Danielle Fishel), in the spinoff of ABC’s Boy Meets World.  Sabrina Carpenter has been tapped as Maya Fox, Riley’s best friend.

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By Carson Blackwelder
Television Contributor

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With so many channels and series to choose from these days, there’s no shortage of evil characters you love to hate and hate to love on TV.

These characters are the targets of pranks, are the pranksters themselves and/or maintain a flaw that’s simultaneously endearing and irritating. It’s a delicate balance not every show — although many try — can pull off, but luckily, there are several on TV that I can’t wait to catch up with week after week.

While mass opinion may fluctuate regarding most of these characters, there’s something about each of them that makes tuning in simply fun.

Check out my top 10 characters I love to hate this season:

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By Rachel Bennett
Television Editor & Columnist

Every Friday, Rachel recaps the week’s major TV-related news, announcements and gossip!

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TOP STORIES

• In a rare occurrence, there’s a lot of Mad Men (AMC) news this week. The drama will kick off its sixth season April 7 with a two-hour premiere/movie, which will see the series jump forward in time — although creator Matthew Weiner isn’t revealing by how much. To tide you over, here are four promo shots from the new season.

• Sadly, it seems former NBC’s The Office star Steve Carell won’t be returning for the comedy’s series finale. Of the decision not to reprise his role, the actor says, “I just didn’t think it was right for the character because that character had had an arc within the story and kind of grew and sort of evolved past the idea of the documentary.”

• Two disappointing almost-cancellations to report: ABC and Fox have pulled Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 and Ben and Kate from their schedules, respectively. Although the comedies haven’t officially been canceled, don’t hold your breath for additional seasons.

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By Carson Blackwelder
Television Contributor

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The nominees of last year’s 64th Primetime Emmy Awards were filled with critical darlings, obvious snubs and a few fresh faces.

While the freshman class of nominees didn’t make a huge splash — unless your name is Homeland (Showtime) or the one-shot Game Change (HBO) — it did show the Academy is willing to recognize some breakout talent.

The 65th Primetime Emmy Awards won’t air until Sept. 22 on CBS, and the nominations won’t be announced until July 18, but it’s not too soon to consider potential nominees.

This season’s TV has already offered up some amazing performances, and the competition for the prized golden statues is sure to be heated. Unfortunately, for series that aren’t as popular as other shows or air their seasons long before the voting period, great performances can get overlooked.

Here’s a look at some fantastic performances we’ve seen so far on TV this year — ones I hope the Emmys won’t soon forget.

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By Rachel Bennett
Television Editor & Columnist

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Guys, we need to talk about Girls.

Ever since the HBO comedy premiered April 15, 2012, there’s been controversy following in its footsteps — and I’m a little sick of it.

Yes, the series is loved by most critics. The first season won rave reviews and nabbed Girls two Golden Globes, including Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy, just a week ago.

But thanks to the Internet, viewers and some critics have nitpicked — at times reasonably, but mostly not — at several issues surrounding Girls.

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By Rachel Bennett
Television Editor & Columnist

With the 70th annual Golden Globe Awards set to take place tonight on NBC, I have made my final predictions. I encourage you to share your predictions — with commentary — in the comments section at the bottom of the post.

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The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization that holds and selects the winners of the Golden Globes, is tricky to predict.

Unlike the Emmys, which tends to award the same shows year after year, the Golden Globes is more likely to honor nominees who are “out of the box.” Just take a look at last year’s ceremony, where Laura Dern (HBO’s Enlightened) and Matt LeBlanc (Showtime’s Episodes) walked away with statuettes.

At the same time, the Golden Globes is likely to spotlight nominees who are recent topics of watercooler conversation. This explains why in the past 10 years, it’s been rare to see an actor or actress win consecutively — aside from Hugh Laurie of Fox’s House M.D., Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin of NBC’s 30 Rock.

When making my predictions, I’ve tried to take this into account. Take a look at my choices below!

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By Rachel Bennett
Television Editor & Columnist

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Now that 2012 is behind us, it’s time to look forward to what 2013 has to offer.

Specifically, what TV should we check out this year? When taking into account new and returning shows, there’s a lot to choose from — and it’s a little overwhelming.

After careful consideration, I’ve chosen 13 series, new and old, that I can’t wait to check out. Take a look below that the top 13 most anticipated TV series of 2013, and let me know what you think!

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By Carson Blackwelder
Television Contributor

Every Friday, Rachel recaps the week’s major TV-related news, announcements and gossip! This week, Carson fills in.

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TOP STORIES

By Rachel Bennett
Television Editor & Columnist

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As it’s the end of the year, it’s time to reflect on our successes, regrets and, of course, favorite TV shows.

Below are my choices for the top 10 TV shows of 2012. This list wasn’t an easy one to make, as no list really is, but these are the series I simultaneously enjoyed the most and thought were the most noteworthy of the year.

Sadly, some programs didn’t make the cut, including HBO’s Game of Thrones, FX’s Justified and ABC’s Happy Endings, but they were certainly close.

Take a look at my picks, and let me know what you think.

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