It's late, I'm tired, so I'm sending you over to read Sharon Waxman's report at TheWrap.com, which is also home to our friend and TV-MoJoe blogger Joseph Adalian, who I'm sure will be following this story like a paparazzi follows Britney.
Apparently GE is tired of the network weighing down their balance sheet. Shoulda thought about that when you made a show marketer your programming chief. Stupid move, that was.
I'll keep you in the loop.
It's a brand new feature at TV.com and I plan to make good use of it.
Watchlist is the most innovative way for TV fans to easily organize and navigate your favorite shows, discover new shows, and connect with your friends through what they watch.
Check it out now at this link.
What it does is it compiles all your favorite shows and on one page you can click around, check out what's gonna happen this week, watch clips, read the latest about the show and the stars and ... saves you time.
Time that you can spend coming back here and leaving pithy comments under my snarky posts.
As you can see, FlashForward is on my watchlist, and tomorrow I'm headed up to No Good Television, invited by Carrie Keagan and the Big K (Kourosh, you rule!) to meet series creators Brannon Braga and David S. Goyer, so if you have any questions for them I'm here to be your conduit!
Send me an email (contact info in the third column) or leave a comment below. If you want to rewatch that pilot episode before you send in your voluminous queries, click this link.
US only. Sorry world, I have no control over Hulu.
East Cleveland Mayor Eric Brewer (above and below right) became one late night comedian's favorite politico this week, and you can't blame Craig. Stuff like this is comic gold.
Cleveland Plain Dealer, today:
(snip)
Brewer's re-election campaign was rocked less than a week before the election when photographs made public Sept. 23 purportedly showed him wearing women's lingerie, makeup and a wig. The effect of the scandal is unknown.
Brewer has neither confirmed nor denied that he is the man in the photographs. But he has accused Norton and the city's police officials of circulating the pictures.
Norton denies this.
What can't be denied? Eric Brewer should have never given his computer to someone to get fixed, not with these images on his hard drive.
What's up, politicians? What's the attraction to silky lacey undergarments, or tapping your toe in the Minneapolis Airport men's room (Larry Craig), or having your hooker dress you in diapers (David Vitter) or paying guys in a public park restroom to go down on them (Bob Allen)?
Paying a guy to go down on him? Really? Must not be very good at it, Bob, if you have to pay them. Get your damn teeth out of the way and maybe you'll save some $$$.
The best monologue in late night, after the jump.
Continue reading "Give Us This Day Our Daily Craig: Ferguson on East Cleveland Mayor Eric Brewer" »
It's not as sordid as it sounds. Well, you can fantasize all you want, but really ...
Guess who's joining Katee Sackhoff's AIDS Walk/LA team The Frak-Ups? That's right, it's her fellow go-to gal pal for bringing the sci fi heat, Tricia Helfer.
(See them above from that dream you had last week about hot chicks on bikes ... actually, this is from Tricia's official site, which deserves a look guys and gals. She's got so much going on that you should check back regularly.)
Now, it's your turn.
If I've sent you a link to this post personally it's because I know for a fact that you have more disposable cash than I do and I need you to help out. We are far from out of the woods on HIV/AIDS and these dollars go a long way to providing services and support to those with the illness.
Katee has an official site as well, at this link. And, as you might have heard, Katee is part of the cast of 24 this season. She'll no doubt heat that place up to scorching hot levels.
Thank you ladies, for all that you do. And thanks Lana, for getting the word out.
Oh, and that image to the right? You straight guys are just so easy to tease. Geez, print out the photo and get a room why don't you.
... I guess all you straight guys can use that "I'm here at your front door to administer a breast exam" scheme of which you are so fond.
Seriously, someone got arrested for that last year. I know! Click this link for details on that.
Join Alyson Hannigan, Emily Deschanel (see image above, hehehe), Kat McPhee, Minka Kelly and Jaime King in this great clip from Funny Or Die which really raises (or lowers, depending on your point of view) the bar on breast cancer awareness video.
In my opinion it seriously raises the bar. It's after the jump.
And, while you're at it, take out your credit card and click over to the Stand Up To Cancer website and show the love, gang. Show the love.
Or the Komen Foundation, your call.
When is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month anyway? Anyone? Buehler?
FOD, I expect a clip for that, too. Can you get Clooney for that shoot?
Continue reading "FunnyOrDie.com Video -- October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, So ..." »
When I need help, I go to the people who know. Know what? Know more than me.
That guy today is Michael Hinman, proprietor of the outstanding site Airlock Alpha (at this link). The site's one of only a few sites that you can depend on for great content, sci fi news as it breaks, interviews, clips ... and today you can click over there for news on the following ...
Summer Glau's return to the Whedonverse in Dollhouse
But here, today (actually right now) we're all about Stargate: Universe, the new offering from Syfy that debuts in the Battlestar Galactica timeslot this Friday night (though the premiere is a two-hour event starting at 9, future eps with be seen at 10 eastern).
I haven't seen anything in the world of Stargate since the original theatrical film starring James Spader and Kurt Russell, so homework is of the essence here, and ... okay, you might say this is my version of copying Michael's homework.
I sent him some questions a couple days ago and he was a mensch and spent a lot of time and effort to get me, and in turn you, up to speed.
It's all after the jump, with clips and pics.
I'm at the dentist. Talk amongst yourselves. Want a topic?
Dentistry has nothing to do with dens or dents. Discuss.
Wow! How lame was that?
Later.
I just can't decide. I can't. The email segment was great, and the Chris O'Donnell interview is critical, so what's a guy to do? Run both!
I'm still waiting for Craig to read a very special email. Gee, wonder who that could be from?
I'm almost three-quarters through Craig's memoir American on Purpose (buy it by clicking the icon in this post, again). I'm at the point that he's left the poorly written Maybe This Time starring Marie Osmond and Betty White and has just met wife #2 Sascha, who seems nice but obviously it doesn't work out with her.
Spoilers in real life? I know!
And, what I found out last night is that Craig is pretty friendly with Peter Capaldi who we last saw in Torchwood Children of Earth and the movie In The Loop. I certainly wish he would have come Stateside and promoted the series on Craig's show.
Then of course, after putting the book down, finally, at 12:30 last night I watch the monologue and email segments and then fell asleep and had a dream that Craig and I were sharing a hotel room somewhere and he had just had dinner with my mom and his wife while I tried to pack for him. I ended up packing some of the furniture in the room, trying to cram the stuff into luggage -- I know, very strange indeed buy my subconscious works in very mysterious ways.
Clip after the jump. Buy this book, it's an outstanding entertaining read.
Continue reading "Give Us This Day Our Daily Craig Extra: "Two Ferguson Clips? I Know!"" »
Do you? I never, ever think about it unless it comes up in an article about the show or in an episode preview. I just enjoy the show.
It is one of the few shows still on TV that gives me that joke-driven rhythm that I expect out of a multi-camera comedy. Sure I enjoy a bunch of the single-camera comedies, particularly those that come from Bill Lawrence (Scrubs) but ... and let the email and the comments commence ... most shows called comedies on TV, especially on cable, aren't really funny.
They're somewhat humorous and provide some mild bemusement (internal smiles and head nodding) but they aren't comedies. Showtimes's Weeds and The United States of Tara aren't comedies in the traditional sense. Neither was this year's Hung on HBO and even the breakout of this season, Modern Family, only made me laugh out loud once and it was the creampuff joke at the beginning of the episode.
(And don't even get me started on shows like Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives. Not comedies, they just aren't.)
Cougar Town looks very promising to me. I love Courtney, she does some great physical comedy and the jokes are there.
It's why I've turned to animated comedy to make me laugh. And, recently, I'm starting to watch Friends reruns again just to lighten things up.
As far as How I Met Your Mother goes, just keep bringing the funny, like last night with stripper doppelganger Lily and I'm happy.
And when Ted meets that woman I just hope she's funny.
Stripper doppelganger Lily clip after the jump.
Continue reading "Video -- HIMYM: I Don't Really Care How He Meets Their Mother" »
Hat tip to TVByTheNumbers.com, and boy are these numbers. What I said about this in their comments?
Newbie Kristin will make $90K/episode.
Hey, are you an actor on a primetime network series making less than this per episode? Do you run into these people at clubs on the weekends? Let them pay for the Grey Goose and Peruvian marching powder the next time, they're making bank.
Not that I'm suggesting that any member of this cast would ever do anything illegal. That would be wrong.
I prefer Audrina as a brunette, btw. So does my dad. He just loves that hamburger ad she does.
Hat tip to faithful reader bamberluvr. I love you folks and all the links you send my way.
SciFi Wire reports that a global confluence has saved those poor kids stuck up that damn tree with monsterous, disgusting-looking predators nipping at their heels:
If you're a fan of the Brit walking-with-dinosaurs sci-fi adventure series Primeval, you're in luck: Three months after ITV canceled the show, BBC America and U.K. pay channel UKTV are rescuing it from extinction.
Impossible Pictures will make another two runs totaling about 13 episodes.
In the new funding structure BBC Worldwide has overtaken ITV to become the largest partner, with BBC America – which broadcasts the series in the US – joining Germany's Pro7 as a co-production partner.
ITV1 will premiere the fourth series of the show in early 2011. Watch – which already airs sci fi shows Doctor Who and Torchwood – will repeat it soon after and then premiere the fifth series later the same year, followed by ITV1.
More, including a clip, because I know you love the clips, after the jump.
Well, how about that, huh? John came in a full eight percentage points in the poll, ahead of runner-up Alexander Skarsgard, 36 to 28.
Torchwood fans really came through on this one.
Jon Hamm came in fourth at only 8% below Jensen Ackles from Supernatural at 10%.
Interesting that the top two finishers aren't native Americans, though Barrowman did spend a significant amount of his youth in Aurora, Illinois.
Also spending a significant amount of their childhoods in Aurora? The two people pictured after the jump.
Continue reading "John Barrowman Wins MTV "Who Should Play Captain America" Poll" »
Fine? It was fine, Leonard?
That's just not a good sign. First time out and ... well, we saw the afterglow or lack thereof last week.
You gotta watch the clip if only to hear Sheldon discuss erectile dysfunction.
And, btw, about all these people on the web who wanna see the writers hook Penny up with Sheldon? On what planet does Sheldon Cooper get to have sex before 30? Or even 40?
Preview clip from tonight's episode after the jump.
Continue reading "Big Bang Theory Preview Video -- "It Was Just Fine"" »
Okay, maybe it didn't cure Richard Lawson's (not the actor, the TV.com writer) vodka hangover on Saturday, but it certainly made it less annoying.
Hell, it beats staring slack-jawed at National Treasure on TNT for the hundredth time, right?
I watched some of these when they aired in 2004 ... the guys on the show were entirely too old to play high school students, but that was okay because I was doing a little leering anyway and if they were younger I'd feel (once again) like a dirty ol' man.
Sean Faris was the lead and the cast included Jon Foster (costar of the abysmal Accidentally on Purpose this year on CBS -- hopefully not for too long) and Kelly Osbourne, who was really really good in this.
I've never seen Kelly act in anything else, but here she was vulnerable yet tough, not conventionally pretty yet very compelling and engaging, and she's actually what made me watch more than one episode.
And, per image right, her female costars were Missy Peregrym (Reaper, Heroes) and Jessica Lucas (who I don't find very appealing this season on Melrose Place, but again, that might just be because she's playing the Courtney Thorne-Smith role, and anything CT-S touches makes me sad).
The complete series (13 eps, only 11 aired) is available on DVD. You can buy it by clicking the icon below or getting off your butt and getting to the store.
See a clip with Kelly from the fifth episode after the jump.
Continue reading "TV.com Writer Successfully Uses ABC's Life As We Know It DVD as Hangover Cure" »
Yep, it was all Craig's doing. His son loved Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, he loved the movie, he brought the writers and directors of the movie on the show (former HIMYM writers Christopher Miller and Phil Lord) and it takes the top box office slot for the second week in a row, beating the Bruce Willis starring Surrogates.
(Hey, what is it with all these TV shows and movies about us living our lives through digital avatars, anyway? I thought that all went south with the waning interest in Second Life.)
Craig's guests this week include Chris O'Donnell tonight fresh off a big win for the NCIS: LA premiere, and later in the week tune in for James Spader (again?) Colby Smulders from HIMYM, Patricia Arquette from new CBS acquisition Medium and (I'm sure Craig's really looking forward to this) Project Runway's Tim Gunn.
I'm about 75 pages into Craig's memoir, American on Purpose. It's really delightful. Laugh out loud funny, sweet, frank, instructive (I never knew how to sniff glue before reading it) ... I'm having a great time reading it.
No, I'm not huffing glue. I'm an adult.
Andrew Ryan from the Toronto Globe and Mail spoke to Craig recently about the book and show, and here's the highlight, in my opinion:
Would you ever consider a move to the 10 p.m. timeslot, à la Leno?
No. I don't think people are ready for cussing shark puppets at 10 o'clock.
I dunno, I'm always ready for a cussing shark puppet. How about you?
Clip after the jump.
You know Wendy's a "wiggie" so she's always asking about hair. I betcha she asks about Kathy's hair, too.
If you remember, Kathy told the Cher dinner story during her latest Bravo standup special She'll Cut a Bitch, it's the second clip after the jump.
Kathy's book, titled Official Book Club Selection (a genius move imho) is currently #3 (that's right, bitches) on the New York Times Best Sellers list in hardcover non-fiction.
From the dept. of things I don't share or at least haven't until now her on the blog, I watch The Wendy Williams Show almost every day, at least her hot topics segment and Ask Wendy, because I just love her audience. They are my people.
I'm still waiting for Wendy to do an all gay show, all gay audience, all gay guests and an all-gay Ask Wendy would be something to tune in for, dontcha think?
One of her guests called her the new Mae West the other day and looking at her body and her demeanor I have to say they have something there. She's bawdy and fun and when she "goes off" on a topic it's priceless. She did a rant on disgraced South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford with some advise for wife Jenny a few weeks ago that was just remarkable.
(Though, I doubt that Jenny Sanford could ever "drop it like it's hot," Wendy. I don't think she even knows the meaning of the phrase.)
Most of you in the East will have to wait till tonight's replay on BET to see the Kathy Griffin interview, but check your local listings anyway. She airs here in So Cal on KTTV at 4 pm daily.
Buy Kathy's book from Amazon by clicking the icon below. Clips after the jump.
Wendy's show site at this link.
This is from the first few minutes of the outstanding Family Guy season premiere, Road to the Multiverse, and you should see it especially if you're a fan of Fringe or the multiverse theory or Michio Kaku the string theory specialist ... or a Family Guy fan, natch.
See? I can have a sense of humor about gay jokes, as long as they're funny. It's funny because it's true.
As usual with the Hulu embeds, after you watch the clip you can click the correct link to watch the entire episode, and you should, especially the Disney-inspired musical number in the middle that ends with a Walt Disney joke that you must, MUST, see.
Poor Mort Goldman, always the subject of Walt's disdain.
Speaking of Judaism, next week's episode is called Family Goy. And at the Fox press site I see an image of Peter wearing a tallit and yarmulka, though this website indicates he might be wearing it wrong.
Should be a good one. I hope Adult Swim will eventually run it in tandem with When You Wish Upon a Weinstein, maybe for Purim.
Continue reading "Family Guy Video -- How Many of Us Have Dated THIS Guy?" »
It's on my DVR, I haven't watched it yet, but I wanted to allow all of you to take a look at it.
From the episode embed after the jump:
And you can do that at this link, or just call your cable provider. But tell them you want the channel at $7.99/month per the deal at the Showtime website.
Episode embed after the jump. It can't be too hacked up, btw, because it runs almost the full hour. Probably small edits to conform to YouTube standards.
Wait, there are standards on YouTube, home of Two Girls One Cup?
The contest, btw, is still going. No winner yet. Click here for details.
Continue reading "Watch a "Slightly Altered" Version of the Dexter Premiere Right Here Right Now" »
If you took all the column inches that the Daily Mail in the UK devoted to either speculating or saying outright that a Friends theatrical motion picture was happening, you could probably circle the globe.
This latest news comes after the latest Jennifer Aniston movie bomb, which only gives fuel to the reports. Love Happens dropped 46% in its second week at the box 0ffice and it's been generally thought that it was Jen who was holding up the deal.
Of course if you need a Friends fix all you really have to do is turn on your TV at the right time or click over the TheWB.com (US only). Every Monday, TheWB.com gives you seven new episodes of the show.
One of my favorites, TOW the Cooking Class, is posted this week and you can watch it right here, I've embedded the full episode after the jump.
And ... I'll keep on this and try to find out more, but I'm reasonably sure this is just wishful thinking.
Continue reading "Full Episode Video -- Another Friends Movie Rumor? UK Daily Mail ... Once Again" »
From the UK site Pink News comes word about the new memoir from Torchwood's Capt. Jack going on sale today at UK bo0ksellers and on November 15 in th US (see Amazon icon below to preorder).
First big reveal from the book?
In his autobiography I Am What I Am, published today, he said he was warned early in his career he should pretend to be straight in order to achieve success.
Barrowman claimed a gay producer was sent by his bosses to give him the warning. He claimed the producer said: “John, we wondered if you really wanted to reveal that you’re gay? We think it might change how people feel about you.”
It's a blind item, the producer isn't named. However, when you look around IMDB I can try and guess.
Barrowman's worked in the US on the 1990's series' Central Park West (Darren Star) and Titans (Aaron Spelling), and I just have a sense that this happened here in the States.
Now, I'm not saying that Darren Star was the gay producer who did the deed and certainly it wasn't Spelling. However, there are a lot of producers listed at IMDB at each show, and although I was quite the gadabout in the 90s in Los Angeles none of those names ring a bell.
Then again, I imagine anyone who would take on such a task (imagine being gay and asking someone to stay in the closet) would live their life west of La Cienega Blvd. and I'm pretty strictly a west of Vermont - Silver Lake kinda guy with only occasional forays into WeHo, and usually to see my straight friends in the industry, ironically.
I just never fit into the whole WeHo ethos. I wouldn't shave every day and I liked my beer and donuts back then. Not together, of course, that would be ... well, you have to have something to dunk your donut into.
The book, of course, is a followup to his first autobiography Anything Goes. Click either icon below to order via Amazon.
No word yet on Torchwood series four, but IMDB does note his appearances in this year's Doctor Who Christmas special and what is being called Episode Dated 1 January 2010.
You know, the next regeneration episode. Oh, c'mon, we all know it's gonna happen. You can't pull off an Eccleston to Tennant every time. That was quite the surprise.
What? No canine demographic? No wonder all the networks are trying to get together and create a new method for TV metrics.
From Current TV's infoMania, Thursdays at 10 eastern, check your cable grid because it replays often. How often? It's playing in my head right now, that's how often.
Good morning TV junkies ... and you too, dogs of America. And please send Homer (above) a people meter, he feels left out.
Continue reading "Video -- These Law & Order Fans Aren't Counted By Nielsen?" »
I'm writing about The X-Factor, the UK singing competition that Simon Cowell produces because of the announcement the other day that it might make the trip Stateside to Fox as part of Cowell's deal to stick around on American Idol.
However, because I can't see the show on my TV I'm only following ... frankly ... the guys I think are cute.
So, sue me!
For both Jamie of the giant afro and schoolteacher Danyl, it was not as good a week as their audition week, I'll tell you that. With only piano accompaniment the flaws in both performances were readily evident. Both were pitchy and Danyl was too melismatic.
Melismatic = Melisma addicted, can't stop adding those flourishes a la Mariah.
Danyl chooses the Simply Red hit Holding Back The Years ... ouch. Not that it isn't in his range, which is quite broad, but you could hear his voice quivering. That combined with the trills and scales just made it sound like he was overreaching. He did, however, mix it up with the song choice after last week's With A Little Help From My Friends.
Jamie did better. U2's With Or Without You was a good choice for his voice and performing style, but maybe not different enough from his audition song from Kings of Leon. And I really liked when he summoned the audience to sing along on the chorus, but it would have worked better with more than piano accompaniment.
And, Dannii Minogue, Kylie's sister, is a sitting judge for the their performances. Graham Norton is right, Dannii doesn't have a bit of her original skin left on her face, does she.
Click over the jump for the clips.
One good thing about The X-Factor? No upper age limit. Will I audition if it comes to the States? Only on a dare.
Continue reading "2 Clips -- Catching Up With My X-Factor Faves Danyl and Jamie" »
I didn't hear it because they did some quick looping before the show's West Coast airing and the word "fucking" became "freaking" in the sketch Biker Chick Chat.
Rocket, who ended his own life in 2005 dropped an F-bomb in the closing moments of the Charlene Tilton-hosted episode in 1980 (very poor quality YouTube clip at this link).
The sketch can't be found on the SNL website or Hulu. What a coinkeedink, huh?
Lorne has power.
Anyway, it's a shame because it's her first time out and all, but let me quickly remark that neither Michaela not Casey ever dropped an F-bomb on the show.
(Also, Michaela is NOT too pretty to be funny and Casey is not fat. I like them a lot and look forward to their upcoming projects.)
Also not too pretty to be funny and not fat? Megan Fox. So, why did the season premiere suck so hard? Maybe it had something to do with the Thursday primetime half hour sucking up all that time and the good jokes.
I have been trying to find something from last night's show to post, but it's really tough if, you know, you have standards. Wow, what a sucky season premiere.
Not that it had anything to do with the new women on the show, Slate and Nasim Pedrad. In fact, with Fox hosting and eating up all the female characters with Kristin Wiig, neither got a chance to do much.
Watch Megan's monologue after the jump. The digital shorts were terrible, the Russian bride sketch was all Fred Armisen and the flight attendant bit was kinda lame. So, you get the monologue.
At least she looks pretty. And the monologue is okay, she takes on the naked Internet pics issue with some aplomb.
Continue reading "SNL Newcomer Jenny Slate Pulls a Charles Rocket (though I didn't hear it)" »
I'm posting the full episode from Hulu after the jump so that you can see it, because apparently a lot of you have something better to do at 9 Fridays besides watching the show.
(What did I say about happy hour going a bit too long for some of you on Fridays? You should check into that. TV might be addictive, but it won't destroy your liver.)
The Us in the headline means the fans of the show. The problem with Dollhouse is that it shoots in Los Angeles, has some big salaries to pay (Joss, Eliza, etc.) and looks remarkable on screen ... but the numbers just don't support the production.
TV By The Numbers posted yesterday and extrapolated the DVR viewing of the show over 7 days past the premiere date based on season one averages and notes:
Kevin Reilly is often cited about the time he talked about how much he liked the average numbers for Dollhouse’s first season, especially when it came to DVR increases. The problem is, that average was arrived at with a 2.0 adults L+SD 18-49 rating in the premiere that ended with a 1.0 L+SD adults 18-49 rating in the finale.
Friday night’s numbers are not very different than the numbers for the season one finale. However, the season one finale was well below the season average for the show even though it was included in the average. While not much different than the season one finale, Friday night was ~31% worse than the first season’s average, even when projecting the DVR numbers in. And the 18-49 numbers are down 50% from the season one premiere (or the season one premier did 100% better in 18-49 ratings, depending on how you want to look at it).
If you need explainers for such, click over to their site, link above, and learn about TV metrics from my go-to guys for ratings info.
More, including the episode (thanks, Hulu) after the jump.
And as you know, American on Purpose is on sale at your local bookseller or you can click the icon below and pick it up at Amazon.com.
I'm hoping to get to a taping of the show in the next couple of weeks. Will let you know all about that.
Clip after the jump.
Continue reading "Give Us This Day Our Daily Craig: Ferguson Talks to His Boss, Dave Letterman" »
He was on his way to the Zurich Film Festival where he was to receive an award and a tribute to his career was to take place.
The festival directors have received this news with great consternation and shock. They have decided that the "A Tribute to ... Roman Polanski" night will take place as planned.
It was 31 years ago when Polanski was convicted in abstentia of luring a 13-year-old girl back to the home of Jack Nicholson and engaging in sexual acts with her.
The events surrounding the arrest and trial of Polanski on these charges were detailed in the HBO documentary Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired. It one two primetime Emmys this month, for writing and direction.
Trailer and interview with director Marina Zenovich after the jump.
Michael Slezak at EW.com (is he Erika Slezak's son?) is asking what shows have you broken up with this year? The two shows he broke up with recently? Grey's Anatomy and Masterpiece Mystery.
The former I understand completely. But the latter? I loved ITV's Inspector Lewis (I watch it occasionally with mom) though always running in the back of my mind as I watch is the fact that Billie Piper could have found a much more attractive husband than Laurence Fox, dontcha think? He must be a helluva guy.
For me, I've broken up with The Office. Honestly, it was a tenuous relationship from the start. I don't particularly like the comedy of cringe. In fact, I almost broke up with Parks & Recreation for the same reason but Leslie's visit to a gay bar in the season premiere brought me back (also tenuously) and then I noted that the tone changed for the better. This week's episode was also quite funny and not so cringe-worthy.
How about you? Breaking up is hard to do, I know, but is there a show that you're about to have the "it's not you it's me" convo with?
Leave a comment or two (or a hundred) below.
First the big news ... something happens in the first 30 minutes of this episode that you just have to see. I can only tell you that much. I am sworn to secrecy.
(You thought the big news was the giveway? If you're that guy or gal, click over the jump for the details. And I'm sure that if you click around the web enough you'll find out what "the big news" is but I'm not gonna spoil it for you.)
This is a pivotal year for our anti-hero. New life, house in the burbs, new wife, instant dad to two ... how's a guy supposed to quench his bloodlust?
Folks, it's just like the megachurch preacher who needs to do meth and service male prostitutes ... if you wanna do it you find the time. True for just about everything in this life, dontcha think?
Time, like the time I didn't have to watch the end of season three? Yeah. However, for you guys and gals who like me got too hooked into other non-TV-related stuff last season like personal lives and family commitments, iTunes has a 99 cents deal on season one through three episodes that you can take advantage of by clicking this link.
Your bad guy this season? The only, the only, the man who can make you laugh or cry or entertain your little kiddies if he's so disposed, 3rd Rock from the Sun's John Lithgow as Walter Simmons, who you'll know as the Trinity Killer.
Have you not seen John play a killer? He's very intense. This is a return to the Lithgow of old, the Lithgow that made him a solid player in the TV and film biz. Before they let him be funny, Lithgow offed a lot of people.
On TV and in movie. Not really.
More, including giveaway details and two clips, after the jump.
Continue reading "Video -- Dexter Returns ... Win a Dexter Calendar & Baseball Cap, See Below" »
See this image above? Sara Paxton is feeling the exact opposite of that this morning. She probably turned down work to grab the lead in this show, poor girl.
Of course, I've been saying that it takes more than being pretty for years. And, before I date anyone, I have them do long division and diagram a sentence in front of me, just so I know they can.
And since I live in Southern California it means I don't date much.
The show was ... not good. So heavy handed, very predictable ... and I don't think it helped much that as it speeded toward cancelation its producer was tweeting about his anniversary dinner and how you can see the show on iTunes.
And the performances. And maybe lining up someone more famous than Zac Posen. Christian Siriano would have been a better choice for TV, he at least has a catchphrase that you could have employed.
Should have been working on the show's bible and the dialogue. He is the basis for this thing, right? Iowa farmboy with parents in financial difficulty gets discovered in the big city? Right?
This is the second scripted series from Ashton Kutcher's production company that has failed quickly. The last one was the Judy Greer vehicle Miss/Guided. And I like her so much that it actually hurt me physically when she did the few eps I saw.
Katalyst needs a scripted hit. Got one for them? Anyone? Buehler?
(Oops, not that I want him to try to mount another Ferris Buehler TV series, it's just a convention I use to note that there's no one listening out there. It's also the only fond memory I have of Ben Stein, who's become a tool for the political right since then. No need to revisit Ferris btw, the film is very rewatchable.)
And the reason I saw Katalyst needs a scripted hit? Because Ashton does put the charitable portion of his paycheck to very good use, and I'd like to see him be able to do more of that.
Alessandra Stanley of the New York Times sums it up pretty well in assessing the show as flat and traditional in the comedy department, but bold and daring pretty much everywhere else. See Mitchell (and his character, Chill) was paralyzed from the waist down in a 2001 motorcycle accident and is confined to a wheelchair. This disability is addressed in the first half hour of Brothers, but it's not the focus of the show.
Yeah, Richard, but it is kind of the whole basis of the bruised relationship between the two brothers. Chill seems to blame Mike for not being on time to pick him up from somewhere so he got in someone else's car and got into that accident that left him "on" a wheelchair.
(They make a lot over being on the chair vs. being in the chair on the show and in the press materials for the show, which is why I used "on." Personally, however, I use in to describe how I use a chair, I sit in one, not on one. I lay in bed not on bed. Is that a New York regionalism?)
Richard does agree with me in that they have to find more "funny" in this show, and fast. Without the funny it's not going anywhere. He even says, "The venerable CCH Pounder proves her worth as Mom, but you can't help but wish she'd been given some better material," echoing my post from the other day.
I don't know about you, but if I had just been robbed by my business manager after a bunch of years getting banged up on the football field, I'd do a little more to try and get my money back and I would enlist my family to help. If they don't go back to that at some point it just ruins the show's credibility.
Really Brian Croucher? Not much else to do in West Sussex?
He finished it last month by applying the last of three coats of clear varnish to the 480,000 matches which have been cut, shaped and sanded into the 5ft 3in extraterrestrial.
"I spent an hour or maybe two on it at a day because I have a bad back and it is difficult sitting still for such a long time," said Mr Croucher, a retired electroplater. "Besides, it can be a tedious business."
Less tedious? Just about everything you can think of, including ...
They have a pic of the actual item at the Telegraph link above. Dalek here is obviously not of the matchstick variety, it a remote controlled Dalek cake from PlanetOfTheCakes.com created by username PretzelBender.
It's very good. Very very good.
Don't miss this. And not just for the bus ads for ABC's Desperate Housewives and the billboards for Lost airline Oceanic Air (I see what you're doing, you sneaky sons of guns).
You probably know the deal already, the consciousness of everyone on the planet flashes forward to 10:00 pm Pacific time this coming April 29 for two minutes and 19 seconds. What they flashed forward to is now the only evidence, as sketchy as that is, that the powers that be have that can lead to the following questions being answered ...
I'm just missing where and when questions. Do you have any?
Nice to see Brit Jack Davenport from Coupling (above right) still on the show (and getting to use his own accent).
"But Joe, whaddaya mean still on the show? It just started!"
More including a full episode embed from Hulu after the jump.
I guess Jaleel White (right) does get to do something besides Urkel.
Gus must re-team with his estranged college singing buddies when a member of the old quartet is murdered.
Kenan Thompson and Jaleel White guest-star in "High Top Fade Out", premiering tonight at 10/9C!
It's not a show I watch, but it's nice to see him working. Preview after the jump.
The line in the header is from Jeff's Twitter account. It's the only thing I've read on Twitter (besides people tweeting my posts here) that I've actually enjoyed.
Leave it to a man who has a fondness for cheese that possibly eclipses mine.
Jeff's new Comedy Central set called Young & Handsome airs tonight at midnight, set your DVR or make sure when you roll in drunk from happy hour (man, that's a long happy hour, you might wanna check that with Dr. Drew) that the TV is tuned properly.
Clip after the jump. You can buy the uncensored version on DVD from Amazon by clicking the link at the bottom of this post.
And, Jeff is on The Soup tonight with Joel McHale.
Also, Curb Your Enthusiasm Sunday at 9 on HBO.
Clip after the jump. Watch tonight or buy above.
Continue reading "Video -- Jeff Garlin: "The Mighty Boosh + Elizabeth Berkley = Gerard Butler"" »
Here's your new Los Angeles team watching the TV I wish I had. Wall-sized? Sign me up.
(On a related note, I saw the new version of my Sony Bravia with 120Hz instead of my 60 Hz for less than I paid for mine. That really hurts.)
They open with Chris O'Donnell's character, G. Callen (just G., an orphan, they never told him what the G even stands for) leaving another scuzzy beach adjacent temp rental (too loud). His running buddy Sam Hanna (LL Cool J, hey what ever happened to him transitioning to Todd Smith?) meets him, brings him back to work (early, before he's due) at the Office of Special Projects in the most un-office looking office ever.
Actually looks like a palace in Morocco. In fact, the palace in Morocco that Patsy and Edina go to in this (LINK) episode of Ab Fab.
Hetty Lange (Linda Hunt) runs the joint, paying attention to the details. There's a psych on board to comment on everything from interrogation to body language, young computer-smart underlings and a whole bunch of people who just walk by who will probably end up dead in future episodes, you know how that goes.
(If you don't know what I mean, think about fate of the guy in the landing party on Star Trek that you've never seen before. Get it? Good.)
On the big TV (top of post, unseen) is Vance, who you know, no intr0ductions needed, right?
It does kind of seem, when you look at it that way that they've borrowed a little something from Lie To Me, something from 24, and the buddy cop first half hour of Law & Order. And I don't mind, because it works out.
You know if you've read this blog for a while that I'm not a big fan of child in peril stories, but I invested about a half hour in this episode before that revealed itself so I stuck with it. But, it also lowered my enjoyment level. Still, all the stuff you love from the original -- tight, well crafted stories that go somewhere laid out so that you have opportunity to play along (which I find important when watching this kind of thing), room for characters to breath but not too hard because it's mainly a procedural, an attractive cast ... it's all good.
On top of that, there's a lot more action, at least there was in this premiere episode. And a higher body count. An hour later allows more deaths? I guess.
More, including a preview of next week's episode, after the jump.
Continue reading "Video -- NCIS: Los Angeles Brings the Action and the Body Count" »
You can read Ken's blog at Entertainment Weekly at this link.
What he likes? The Good Wife, Community, Fringe season two and the True Blood finale.
What he doesn't like? Jay doing his 11:30 show at 10 (too awkward in his opinion as a host), The Biggest Loser being two hours long, ballroom dancing done by "celebrities," Project Runway in Los Angeles and the idea that the vampires on the CW keep diaries.
And "His Chatiness" seems to really like Joel McHale, despite the tallness and the skinny ties.
Buy Craig's book, it's out now! Clip after the jump.
Continue reading "Our Daily Craig -- Ferguson w/Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker on Fall TV" »
I feel bad for the people in the picture above. They deserve better words than this. Especially you, CCH Pounder.
Fox sent me the screener for Brothers, which premieres tomorrow night on the network and I dutifully threw it into the machine as I'm trying to watch as much new Fall content as I can for you people, because I'm a caring guy and I know your TV time is precious.
But, so's mine! And I wish I could get some of the 42 minutes back that I spent watching the first two out of the gate on this show, ostensibly a vehicle for former NY Giants star Michael Strahan.
BTW, this is once again a show that has virtually all black people in front of the camera and all white people (Don Reo, Ted Wass, Mitch Hurwitz, the Tannenbaums) behind the camera. Gee, you think that could be the problem here?
(Really, they just should have worked on a Blossom reunion show, I know Joey Lawrence is waiting for that call.)
Strahan plays Michael Trainor. Okay, he plays himself (a retired NY football player) with a different last name, basically, and with different circumstances. He's been called back home by mom (Pounder) who tells him dad (Carl Weathers, Rocky) has had a stroke.
More including a series trailer after the jump.
Continue reading "Video -- The Cast of Brothers on Fox Deserves Better than This" »
If you don't you know that between Battlestar and 24 she's developed enough skills to hunt you down and kick your ass into submission.
You better get your checkbook out.
NOW!
Click over to her fundraising page at this link and pony it up, boys and girls. Sponsoring someone else? I don't care. Neither does Katee.
You could also join her team and do some walking yourself.
I know who reads this blog. I know that there are major players in the TV biz clicking here every day to see what I might say about your next project. If I have done anything here on this blog that has contributed to your success you owe me.
And you can pay me back by supporting Katee and her team in AIDS Walk Los Angeles.
Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it.
Katee, sorry about the objectification (image top of post) but I though it would help the cause.
Help Katee make AIDS history.
He asks at Facebook what we think about the allegations she made on Oprah yesterday.
I say:
Not a chance he'll read this on the air, so I thought I'd post it here, too.
Clip after the jump, for those out of the loop.
There are things that happen to people in this life we lead that I think should remain personal. It doesn't mean that person can't share ... with friends and family, loved ones, someone that can help, etc. ... but not the general public.
You might remember him from the CBS vampire drama Moonlight (was it too soon for vampires in 2007?) costarring with former David Tennant flame Sophia Myles (who was, after all, The Girl in the Fireplace).
This season he's back on US TV screens in a show called Three Rivers, about an organ transplant team in a Pittsburgh hospital. TV.com has Alex for an exclusive fan chat on October 2nd, right before the show's premiere two days later. I've seen it and I'm hoping that the show does wonderful things to increase the number of us who carry organ donation cards around with us just in case the unthinkable happens.
The pilot episode was extremely watchable -- nice character development, solid story and good performances from most everyone but especially Katherine Moennig from Showtime's The L Word as a very intense young woman determined to save lives.
While you're waiting, and I know you are, watch a clip after the jump about Alex and the new show from CBS and then click over to this TV.com page (LINK) for more clips and this page (LINK) to bookmark it for the October 2 event.
And I'll say more about the show as we get closer to premiere day.
And a bonus clip for Moonlight fans, too. I'll find a fan tribute clip at YouTube and make it the second clip after the jump.
Very surprising news this AM out of wherever Simon is this morning ... London or LA or New York or some S&M dungeon south of Market.
(You're thinking the same thing ... all that bluster and "frankness" must be hiding a need to submit to a leggy blonde ... named Eric.)
Hollywood Reporter has the item today that this deal may happen, at Fox, and may be part of a deal that keeps Simon on Idol for two years past the current deal and bring The X-Factor to the States.
ITV in England, however, must be shaking in their boots, because you remember what happened when American Idol broke through in the US, Pop Idol disappeared from ITV.
And sure, it was replaced by The X-Factor, but do you really think that's not gonna be the trajectory here?
ITV is having enough trouble making money. They've already cut all new drama production for the pre-watershed period (kind of their family hour designation), including Primeval, where they sadly left half their cast stuck in a tree ... IN A TREE! ... at the end.
The Reporter story (LINK) from Nellie Andreeva also has conjecture on who might join the judging panel for the show in the US, including the UK judges Louis Walsh and Cheryl Cole, but they also mention Ms. Paula for a possible gig here.
And that gets Paula back in the Fox family, if it were to happen.
Watch two clips from this series of auditions from ITV's X-Factor YouTube account featuring schoolteacher Danyl Johnson and supermarket employee Jamie Archer, who you should watch at least to witness his rockin' 'fro, but mostly because he has the kind of voice you don't usually hear on these talent shows. I like him. I like both of them, actually.
Continue reading "Video -- The X-Factor USA? It Could Happen!" »
a) Michael Phelps -- totally baked but slicing through the water with the speed I fast forward through commercials.
b) One of the drummers from the Beijing opening ceremonies -- just one person, but a powerful statement when seen among my peers.
c) Nadia Comeneci -- scoring perfect 10s and Bart Conner.
Okay, I'm not Nadia.
(However, very true and very humbling story ... during the '72 Munich games -- I was 12 -- I took to getting up on the armrest of our plaid couch on Fairview Avenue on my knees, doing a tumble across the three couch cushions and landing square on the opposite armrest. I took to calling myself Olga -- as in Korbut -- for a while after. Yes, I know ...)
I watched so much new Fall TV yesterday it prompted this post. I'm going to try and write about all I watched today, but I have some out of home business to deal with this morning.
Back later. There's plenty to read here in the meantime.
... you will be eligible to be entered into a drawing to receive some of the Fall season swag that I've gotten from the networks.
(Don't worry networks, I'm not giving away the DVDs, they are for my eyes only. Understood.)
Of course, publicists, network contacts and anyone who has a static link here on my homepage will be ineligible, and I think that's just about everyone who currently subscribes in a reader of some kind. You can get the newsletter if it's more convenient but the swag giveaway is for those who don't have access to network swag.
And, I know who you all are, so don't try anything (Roco).
Nah, I'm just kidding you, Roco. Go visit his site by clicking above.
The subscription form is at the top far right of the page. Or, click the big envelope at the top of the post.
More on the giveaway at the end of the week.
I've got great stuff from Fox, Showtime, TBS and more.
Yes, I had to watch The Beautiful Life: TBL, if only to look at all the pretty kids, and they are pretty. I mean, just look above ... they are all certainly freaks of nature.
What? Yes, freaks of nature. More of us look like, well ... us, than look like that.
Something for your to always remember. That perfect nose, if it didn't come out of an operating room, came from the twisted strands of mutant DNA. There are many more average looking people on this planet than there are pretty.
(Also, notice that it's Ashley Madekwe from series two of Secret Diary of a Call Girl all the way to the left.)
So, how does this confection work? I'll lay it all out for you ... Raina (Sara Paxton) is a young model who gets plucked from semi-obscurity to wear the big dress of the evening at the Zac Posen Fashion Week show because Sonja (Mischa Barton) can't fit into it, which is the biggest of crimes in her world.
Wearing said dress, walking to the end of the runway and holding her hands up in victory (because she didn't trip?) makes her the next big thing, but she worries about Sonja liking her because -- and this is where it gets somewhat unrealistic -- Raina is ... nice.
So is Chris. He's with his Iowa farm family having lunch at a model hangout in NYC on vacation (as if models eat lunch) when model scout Simon, in between I dunno, sips of his Cosmo and sending anonymous tips to Perez (?!?) sees the farmboy and hands over his card.
Nice model girl and nice model boy meet cute at the agency, have a conversation with a woman named Claudia who looks just like Elle Macpherson without makeup on (played by Elle Macperson without makeup on) and go off to have a photographer capture farmboy's essence digitally, which looks kind of like this image to the right thanks to Raina's relaxation techniques, which looks just like coming on to a guy, strangely.
Meanwhile, we find out (at least I found out, I was paying attention) that Sonja has been out of the model scene having a baby. See, it's just post-partum poundage, all she needs to do is a little breastfeeding, right? I mean, she only gained two pounds, she says.
And, Sonja wants the job of wearing the silver sparkly Dolce & Gabanna mini for the ad so she's gotta sweet talk some photographer into getting her that gig.
More, including clips, after the jump.
Seen here as Belle at a very different party from series one of Secret Diary of a Call Girl. Series three debuts on Showtime in the States and ITV in England in 2010.
And here's Billie behind the scenes during shooting of series two catching up on the latest.
Here's a BBC promotional image from series one of the rebooted Doctor Who. Episodes from series one (not all of them, unfortunately, that would be too convenient) with Doctor #9 Chris Eccleston are currently on BBC America on Demand.
And, finally, what's a girl to do? They both have great hair. Really great hair.
And, you can watch the first episode right here after the jump. I've always heard good things about this show but never had access to the Channel 4 UK comedy.
(The Daily Show's John Oliver -- also co-star of NBC's Community -- can be seen in the first few seconds of this. Alas it's his only moments in the show, I believe.)
From the British Sitcom Guide:
Fantastic! A refreshing change from the bland comedies than normally fill our screens. Some viewers may find it takes a little while to get into this show because of its unconventional camera work and soap like on-going plotlines however it won't be long before most are hooked.
In fact Green Wing has one of the most dedicated fan bases of any modern comedy - a fact that should speak volumes!
Green Wing is packed full of so many funny moments and outstanding performances that we'd need pages to adequately praise everything. In our opinion Mark Heap, Michelle Gomez and Stephen Mangan deserve a special mention though for their excellent performances as do the writers for crafting some classic scenes.
Hulu embed after the jump. You have nothing else to watch? Even now in the Fall? Well, watch this then.
Continue reading "Video -- UK Hospital Comedy Green Wing at Hulu, Complete Series 1 & 2" »
The quote comes from a show debuting online in less than two hours called @KatieCouric, a web-0nly show where she'll interview people who are interesting but not interesting enough (or too controversial for, maybe?) the CBS Evening News or 60 Minutes.
Today's guest? Howard Beale + Stupid + Dry Drunk + Crazy + Mormon = Glenn Beck.
They won't be loving that now, will they! To all of them I have to say, "Sorry about your fearless leader talking out both sides of his ample ass, but crazy, stupid, LDS Church-going dry drunks will do that, you know. Even if they live with the rich people in New Canaan, CT."
Watch the clip after the jump, and then click over to the @KatieCouric page at CBS News to watch the entire interview at 7 eastern time.
I wonder if Beck will play this clip on HIS show today? I wonder if he has the stones to alienate his core audience? Maybe if he sends them all Reynolds Wrap coupons afterward.
For that hats, you know.
Beck graphic courtesty The Disorderly Report.
Because I love it when my worlds collide (unlike George Costanza). I'm off to buy Craig's book and then have lunch. More later.
Also, Craig today on The View without Hasselbeck who's still on maternity leave at this link.
No Hasselbeck means a much more tolerable clip.
Buy the book by clicking the icon below. Clip after the jump.
And what the hell, I'll throw a bonus clip ... last night's Craig email segment was genius and starts with Danny DeVito reading a selection from the book. Watch it!
It's a done deal, according to Hibberd at THR Live Feed:
I guess they decided to pay her her rate, whatever that is. And thank the TV gods that they did, it will immediately provide a boost to the ratings, I betcha, even this week.
(Note: You really should check out the first couple eps so that you get comfortable with all the new characters and their connection to the old characters before Amanda comes in and just knocks them all back with a flash of leg and a flurry of bitchy remarks cutting people to shreds.)
So, what happens tonight? I've got clips after the jump.
To see Amanda try to hook the possibly gay, possibly bisexual head of a Hollywood PR agency? I would kind of get a kick out of that.
Two preview clips (another Syd flashback and a pivotal scene from Jonah's music video shoot) from tonight and then a classic Amanda clip, so that you can kvell over the news.
Of course with all good comes a little bad ... you see a great Amanda clip but you have to suffer through Allison.
Continue reading "Clip Bonanza -- CW's Melrose: Three Words: Heather Locklear, Signed (Yes!)" »
Blogger, DVR superuser, comedy fan, sci fi guy, occasional period drama enthusiast, newshound ... also at http://www.facebook.com/TVJoe.
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