Grantland

matt bomer

Resize Font: A- A+

SUMMERWATCH

Team USA: White Collar Is Your One-Way Ticket to Bomer Town

By Juliet Litman at

Now that we are well into July, the good old USA Network has begun to trot out its heavyweights. White Collar owned Tuesday nights last summer (with some help with Covert Affairs, too; more on that next week), even beating out the networks in its time slot. We're just one episode into the fourth season. With a notable new face and 100 percent more caipirinhas, it's time to join the movement.

This is the show for you if you like: The Rat Pack and buddy-cop comedies. Neal Caffrey is a thief and a lover of the finer things in life, like expertly tailored suits, fedoras, and expensive paintings. FBI agent Peter Burke is a standup guy who hunted Neal for years before ultimately catching him. Now, the two are a team: Neal is Peter's partner in solving white collar crimes for "the bureau." (Peter says the words "the bureau" at least once per episode.) Instead of serving out a sentence in jail, Neal reports to Peter and together they take down high-level gambling rings, art forgers, and the like. Of course, Neal can't suppress all his con-man urges, so high jinks ensue and Peter often has to save (and cover for) Neal. Meanwhile, Neal is thrilled to be free from jail because he can return to wearing the '50s-style clothes that he somehow lucked into as they strut around New York City, just happening to always be in front of the city's most beautiful mid-century facades.

Resize Font: A- A+

MAGIC MIKE

Could the Cast of Magic Mike Cut It as Chippendales Dancers? The Experts Weigh In

By Amos Barshad at
Channing Tatum
Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Of all the things to make a movie about, Channing Tatum's former stripping career seems like a strange choice. So bless Steven Soderbergh, then, for having the chutzpah to do Magic Mike, his upcoming film based on Tatum’s early work as a dancer in a Chippendales-esque Florida nightclub show called Male Encounter. Joining Tatum himself (who'll play the film's title role) will be stripping novices Matthew McConaughey, Joe Manganiello, Alex Pettyfer, and Matt Bomer. Sure, these guys look the part — but can they dance? Can they entertain? Could they hack it as Chippendales dancers? For answers, we presented photos and YouTube evidence of the cast's dancing abilities to Chippendales general manager Kristen Makhatini and dancer Jaymes Vaughan. Here's what they told us.

Resize Font: A- A+

GRADING THE TRADES

Smurfs Sequel to Have a Script

Smurfs
Courtesy of Sony Pictures Animation

The writers responsible for The SmurfsDavid Stem, David Weiss, Jay Scherick, and David Ronn — will be back for Smurfs 2. In fact, because the live-action/CGI combo thing takes so long to produce, they’ve already turned in a draft of the screenplay for the 2013 sequel. People hoping for topical political humor are probably out of luck. Grade: C [HR]

Sarah Silverman’s working on a new show — about a woman re-entering single life after a decade long committed relationship — and ABC, NBC, and FOX all want it. Also, it’s being produced by Ron Howard’s Imagine TV, and Howard is apparently so into the concept that he’s tagging along to pitch meetings. Can they just make a show about Ron Howard and Sarah Silverman in pitch meetings? Grade: B+ [Deadline]

Top Stories

MOST POPULAR

  1. The brainless, semibrilliant 'Fast 6'
  2. Rating the lead singers of active bands in 2013
  3. From concussions to instant replays, WWE has started acting like the NFL
  4. Richard Simmons, still sweatin' to oldies
  5. The return of 'Arrested Development'