Notes on Pop Culture: Poehler on 'SNL,' 'Grey's' Sneak Peek & 'Modern Family'

One of my favorite comedians, Amy Poehler -- of NBC's underrated Parks & Recreation -- is hosting the season premiere of Saturday Night Live. I cannot wait. She’s been especially good when she’s appeared on SNL since departing as a cast regular, though I don’t think it’s possible for her to top the "Palin Rap" she performed when she was pregnant out . . . to . . . there . . . in 2008. NBC has released some promos:



Meanwhile, ABC has released a sneak peek of Grey’s Anatomy’s season seven post-hospital shooting premiere. I watched that shooting episode repeat last week, eerily on the same day when a real life shooting took place at Johns Hopkins. I hope that Shonda Rhimes & Company can deftly capitalize on the raw human emotions that an event like that would spawn but in a non-exploitative way, allowing the after-shocks to linger, instead of just pushing them aside for crazy-case-of-the-week drama.

Judging by a video excerpt ABC released, Derek's response to nearly dying after being shot by a disgruntled patient's husband is to speed like a maniac on the highway and get busted for it.

Don’t forget, tonight Modern Family and The Middle both return tonight. I’m hoping they’ll build upon strong freshmen seasons and that the Modern Family crew -- like the Mad Men folks -- will take its award accolades with grace, not let it destroy the sharp humor of the simple in the show and not muck it up with too many guest stars. *fingers crossed*

Fall TV Previews: 'Grey's Anatomy' Releases Season 7 Promo Posters

Grey’s Anatomy had one of the best season finales of the spring back in May with its taut, grisly shooter-in-Seattle Grace storyline. (Refresh your memory with my season six finale review for CliqueClack TV here. Just watching the video below gave me that edge-of-your-seat feeling all over again.)



Derek sustained a serious gunshot wound. Alex was shot and bleeding out. Owen was shot in the shoulder. Meredith miscarried her baby. Two Mercy Westers were murdered, one shot to the head, another shot then bled out in Dr. Bailey’s arms. The hospital staff was completely traumatized as more than one person (Owen, the Chief, Meredith) put him- or herself in harm’s way in order to save others.

When Grey’s Anatomy returns on Sept. 23, it’ll be in the wake of all this violent carnage. In the meantime, ABC has released several promotional posters for the medical drama’s seventh season all of which are a bit edgy, a long way from the emphasis on the sexcapades in on-call rooms, and all feature some take on the theme of “healing.”