I Am A TV Junkie

I Know, I Said "Light Posting," Not "No Posting"

Sorry, I've let the packing and moving get in the way of ... everything.

I'm taking a moment off to thank you all for the birthday wishes (it's today).

I still have so much stuff to do before moving day, but I have spent some time catching up on my DVR before I have to return it to Time Warner and I must say that there was some good stuff there. I caught up with Eastwick, Castle, Durham County and Stargate: Universe while letting my body heal from days of abuse (packing is hard!) and enjoyed all of it.

It helps that baseball is cutting into my Fox shows and that both Ferguson and The Daily Show were in repeats last week. Gave me enough time to clear the queue before judgment day.

Anyhoo, thanks gang for the birthday wishes.

Also wanted you to know that the Mary Tyler Moore Show DVD contest is over and winners should be getting their DVDs in the mail presently. Thanks everyone for playing.

Now, back to the work of putting my life in boxes. Cheers, all!

Sorry 'bout the Light Posting, I'm In the Process of Moving

Posting will be light and scattered until ... Thanksgiving, unfortunately.

Will do my best, this happened just at the wrong time, but it has to be done.

Video -- Sarah Silverman Wants to Sell the Vatican to End World Hunger

I agree. That's some great real estate ... and the stuff inside is worth some serious coin.

Mouths fed, bodies clothed, roofs built ... it's a winner of an idea.

Plus, I betcha she could get Christopher Hitchens on board. Just earmark a few bucks for an open bar at the demolition ceremony and he'll be there.

I don't think she's kidding. I'm not. Why does the Pope wear Prada?

If you wanna read some hateful anti-Jewish comments, though, you can click to the YouTube page and read some really horrific stuff coming out of the mouths of Christians. Stupid Christians that can't spell, but Christians still. They suggest that Sarah sell Israel, as if she owns it. You know, because she's a Jew.

I don't even think Sarah's that observant a Jew, but that doesn't matter to these people, they have aliases and a YouTube account and they hate Jews. That's license to be a bigot in 2009.

Clip after the jump. Remember that my comments are moderated, btw. And Sarah's not suggesting that the Catholic Church be sold or destroyed or anything like that, she just thinks that one of the world's great religions should put their money where their faith is.

I think.

Not to Pile On, But I'm Breaking Up With Heroes

I'm done. It's over.

And, I don't even have to tell you all why, which is just lovely because the more I think about it the more annoyed I am with myself about sticking with it so long.

I will say this ... you know how stimulant users love that first line or bump or pill or ... whatever? I think I've kept watching Heroes after season one in the same way stimulant users are always chasing that first outstanding, live-changing high that they got from that first time.

Ever since, it's just not been the same. In fact, much like the stimulant user, I've just been pissed at myself at the end of most episodes after the first year because it could never "get me high" the way it once did.

My apologies if anything I said here guided you down the same road.

Bye cheerleader. Bye, Senator. Bye, crazy then not crazy then crazy again watch repair technician.

Bye cutie nurse/paramedic. Bye Company Man. Bye pretty effed up mom with the dreams.

Bye Rob Buckley fave Ali Larter (who's been so many things I'd have to give her her own paragraph if I was being fair ... oh, but wait, I already did give her her own paragraph).

And, btw, I think I'm leaving just ahead of the whole thing going away, anyway.

Two weeks. I give it two weeks.

My Mad Men Marathon, Just In Time to Find Out That Don Draper is a Homophobe

Spent all of yesterday watching Mad Men, every episode I hadn't seen yet from this current season. As you'll remember I watched the premiere but then the broadcast networks started their seasons early and all those bright, shiny shows full of promise presented themselves.

(And some of them misrepresented themselves on the first date. Hey, TV shows are just like people!)

So yesterday (and a bit of the night before) I watched all the Mad Men episodes on my DVR, just in time to see Don look at Salvatore with contempt and use the phrase "you people " after Sal's run-in with the Lucky Strike guy, Lee Garner, Jr., in the edit bay.

Is Don a bigot, a product of his time and the prevailing wisdom, or does he have some history that has created this contempt in him?

Quick story ... I was the editor of a martial arts magazine in the mid-80s (I know! Me!) and our cover subject the second month I was there was a young, very goodlooking actor who was starring in a movie of said genre and we put him on the cover.

Cover shoot done, we (me, art director, photographer, ad sales guy) took him to lunch, where I had to spend an hour listening to this guy tell me how these "fags in Hollywood" were following him around the gym, into the locker room, into the steam room ... how he hated that, and them, and "fag this fag that fag the other."

I was too young and too scared of losing the job to even know how to deal with such things. I let it go. I probably wouldn't, today, but I was just a kid.

Has the dapper Draper had the same issue? Not that I would for a second excuse Don's derisiveness, especially since Salvatore did everything right. It's like I should have said to the guy on the cover of my second issue of that magazine, "Not all of us want to have sex with you, some of us just want you on the cover of the magazine we work for."

More after the jump.

Me? I'm Taking the Day Off, This is Your What You're Watching Open Thread

Not because it's Columbus Day, though I could embrace my Italian roots today and, I dunno ... eat some lasagna?

All these years on the left coast have just stripped me of ethnicity.

Back tomorrow. Watch some TV, tell me how it is below, and I'll be back tomorrow.

ABC's FlashForward -- Exactly Who Is Beilby Porteus Anyway?

You probably saw the scene in the second episode of FlashForward where the guy who bore quite the resemblance to WWE star The Undertaker quotes anti-slavery activist and Archbishop of London from the late 1700s Beilby Porteous.

Of course, I think the reason both the guy in the office of that doll factory in episode two who said, "He who foresees calamities, suffers them twice over" looks like The Undertaker (seen here to the right) as does that figure in the sports stadium that skulks around ominously during everyone's flash forward is because of the uniform.

I'm pretty sure the body in the shadows of that doll factory was wearing a black trenchcoat as was the Oxide Stadium observer which looks a lot like The Undertaker's duster which also looks like ... a black trenchcoat, as in the Trenchcoat Mafia (?!?) from ... well you know.

(So, ominous indeed. Thanks for borrowing that visual and making me feel all the more creepy about these people that gave people this 137-second long glimpse of their futures.)

And, what about this idea from the multiverse theory that every decision we make creates a slightly different version of our world and how will that play out when some people see their futures as needing fixing because of what they did (or in the case of Agent Noh) didn't see?

But, back to Beilby Porteus, there are a few sources on the web to start with, one being this Porteus family website (at this link, curated -- if you will -- by Bruce Porteus of Norwich, England) and particularly this page on the Archbishop, which provides a wealthy of background material.

Interestingly, this year on May 13 (but not April 29, which we know is a critical day for the show) is the bicentenary of the death of the Bishop.

Hmmmmm.

The bishop, btw, and obviously a number of other bishops are given the educational degree designation D.D., Doctor of Divinity, which I think might have something to do with the whole D.D. Gibbons thing. Possibly Thomas Gibbons? He was a contemporary of Porteus who like him had lived in England and in the Colonies before the American Revolution. Gibbons wrote about Calvinism and the Nonconformist churches of England who were looking to separate from the Anglican church right around the same time Porteus was advocating for that church to take a position on the horrendous conditions suffered by African and Carribbean slaves. He also worked in the House of Lords toward the abolition of slavery.

(Robert J. Sawyer, who wrote the book which the series is based on, is blogging about the show and his other projects and the world in general from his perspective at this link. Interesting, not spoilery so far, and I'm adding him to my links list to the right today. He lives in Mississauga, Ontario, home of Musclemag International, not that that means anything, it's just one of those random pieces of unremovable ephemera in my brain.)

I know, I know, I'm the king of digression. More about Porteus as we go forward. There are a few Porteus quotes with some real oomph to them not yet used, you can check them out at this link. Two preview clips for the next episode of FlashForward are in the widget from ABC.com after the jump.

Video -- SNL: People Do Love 'Em

You know ... weiners. I mean, have you seen this thing called the Internet?

It's full of 'em. And as long as I don't run across Larry King's weiner I'll continue to be interested in them, too.

LINK

Clip Bonanza -- Tonight on HBO, Wanda Sykes is More "Wanda Sykes" Than Ever

The first time I saw Wanda Sykes was in a VH1 Stand Up Spotlight episode in the late 80s, long before VH1 found the winning formula for the skankiest dating shows the world would ever see. Then, the next time I saw her, it was a standup special on Comedy Central was in 1998 when she was Wanda Sykes Hall, because she was married at the time to David Hall.

The marriage was over for her the same year. No more "Hall," just Wanda Sykes.

Now, Wanda Sykes is more herself than ever in her new HBO special I'ma Be Me. She's remarried to a woman (they are two of the fortunate Californians who jumped at the offer early as most of the rest of us didn't think there was a sunset date on full civil rights for all Americans), they have twins and Wanda talks about it all tonight at 10 eastern.

The special was recorded at the Warner Theatre in DC. The last time Wanda was in DC with a big gig was the White House Correspondents Dinner this past year which she'll talk about a bit tonight. Karl Rove called her performance there nasty, vicious, mean and ugly.

I think he was just looking in a mirror myself, but then I agree with her. Rush Limbaugh should get kidney failure and die. I would dance on his grave, in fact.

Funny thing is I wouldn't be alone, I can name 50 people from my personal life in about two minutes who would carry me, a sizeable man, on their backs to do that dance from anywhere in the country. In fact, it's the only time I am permitted by California law to dance.

That's how not pretty it is.

(Just 'cause he has a radio show and friends who can get on Fox News to spout off about his enemies doesn't mean he shouldn't die of kidney failure ... though I imagine it would be easier to protest if he weren't a fat fuck with a radio show who took so much OxyContin that he endangered those kidneys and rendered himself deaf.)

So if the reviews are such from Karl Rove, don't you think you should see her? Watch two clips after the jump (including some interview footage), watch the show tonight at 10 eastern, watch it again on HBO on Demand starting tomorrow and then buy the DVD when it comes out.

Because doing so just might prevent another fat fuck who lies on the radio for a living from destroying his body and ruining his hearing.

It's up to you, America. You never know when Mark Levin might discover pudding and hillbilly heroin.

The third clip is from the White House Correspondents Dinner. Eat it up, gang.

Ironically, Wanda's next project is a late night show, at Fox (not the news channel but their more creative, free thinking brother in the entertainment division that's unencumbered by ideology).

The weekly talk show will start Saturday, November 7 at 11 eastern. More on that at this Fox.com link.

Give Us This Day Our Daily Craig -- Aquaman (Ferguson) Is Not Available, Can Tim Gunn Help You?

That's Tim Gunn filling in for Aquaman, who's "off with his so-called Super Friends."

That bitch!

The clip's after the jump. Chris (not Dave) does look good, it must be the scuba gear.

Craig's memoir is #4 on the NYT Best Sellers list this Sunday. "I know!"

The Damned United's Michael Sheen: "I Have Become the Receptacle of Everybody's Shit"

Fresh off his appearance on Craig Ferguson's show where he was wearing really really tight pants without even being Kevin Jonas (see this link for explainers) Michael Sheen sits for a visit with my gal pal Carrie Keagan at NGTV for some talk on kicking balls.

Because Carrie's good like that.

You really have to watch the clip after the jump if only to figure out what the headline above means. Aren't you curious?

The movie opens today in select theatres.

Video -- Tonight on Letterman, Jon Hamm Talks About His Cinemax "Spanktravision" Past

Spanktravision is a word I stole from David Spade (I think), who knows a bit too much about spanking it.

Oh c'mon, you were thinking the same thing. At least he comes by it honestly.

(Hehehe, I said "comes.")

LINK

Other NBC Comedies Benefit From Pam & Jim's Wedding (but are nicer and kinder and I like them more)

As you may remember, I broke up with The Office this season. Unlike many people who break up with others, I didn't see fit to continue to honor my commitment to attend Pam and Jim's wedding last night, so I just stayed out of the way.

(The picture? I thought you guys might like it. Always thinking of you.)

(I'm sure it wasn't so incredibly cringeworthy as usual -- of maybe not, who can tell -- but I figure you should only show up to the party if you put in the time and I hadn't so I just watched infoMania from current on my DVR during that time).

However, I did catch up with Parks & Recreation and with Community (now at its new 8 pm slot on NBC Thursday) and there were some really funny bits and some lovely moments. I have clips after the jump.

I was reminded of such when I read TV.com's Conor Griff today in a piece titled, "Parks and Recreation: Too Good for Deathwatch" which also mentions our friends at TV By the Numbers today:

It's possible that audiences have dismissed Parks and Recreation after its inconsistent start last season. I was skeptical at first, because it seemed to be an inferior carbon copy of The Office. But I was wrong, and since it returned a month ago, every episode has been great. While P and R does use the same documentary-style format as The Office, and a shared sense of humor, the shows are very different. Amy Poehler's character of Leslie Knope is not a female version of Michael Scott, and the tone of the show, unlike The Office, stays away from "look how stupid these people are."

Instead, the tone is more "look how mean these people are," in the vein of Arrested Development or It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. And that tone is actually better! Last night's episode started with a politician confessing to an affair. "All I can say is, I wasn't just having sex," he says, "I was making love. To a beautiful woman. And her boyfriend. And a third person whose name I never learned. Furthermore, it was wrong for me to say I was building houses for the underprivileged, when I was actually having four-way sex in a cave in Brazil." This incites a contest at the Parks department to see who can dig up the most dirt on a co-worker. It turns ugly quickly and hilariously.

Go there and read the rest, it's a good piece.

And about those ratings, click over to TVByTheNumbers.com for all that statistical goodness.

Community actually gave me an ah-ha moment last night with Abed's explanation why he waited 26 hours for the test he was recruited for by Annie. He makes complete sense to me now.

It was a warm moment in an NBC comedy, which thanks to the events on P&R discussed above by  me and TV.com isn't as rare as it used to be.

I get that it's the comedy meme of the decade, the cringe-inducing thing and all, I just don't love it all that much.

Watch the Abed revelation and the Officer Dave scene from the end of Parks & Rec that matched it in that lovely, gooey warmth (ew, did I say that?) after the jump.

Louis C.K. is a great addition to the show, even if he's only recurring. And the Mark Sanford-inspired Parks & Rec subplot featuring the councilman was genius.

Hey gang, 30 Rock returns in less than a week now. Are you kvelling? Me too.

"Don Draper" is AskMen.com's Most Influential Man of the Year

I don't know, however, that that's a good thing.

"Don" is not so nice and not meant to be a role model, certainly. The self-involved usually are like that.

Sorry about the dearth of Mad Men coverage lately. I haven't kept up, and because of that I haven't been to Basket of Kisses, the Deb and Roberta Lipp blog on the show (and in fact I've been not even reading their Facebook pages because the episodes are all stacking up on my DVR hard drive).

Hey, nothing personal, D & R Lipp. Sometimes I'm not getting even the most cursory Maddow watching in, and you know how I love my Rachel Maddow.

Click to Basket of Kisses at this link but don't tell me what's going on there or on the show.

Click this link for the AskMen.com feature.

Gazing at the result of the freaky nature of genetics that makes Jon Hamm  just so, um ... yowie zowie ... can happen right here without a click involved.

2 Clips -- Rick Springfield On His Role on Showtime's Californication

I'm not a huge fan of the show, but I did check in to see what Ed Westwick did with the gay character crushing hard on newly-minted Professor Moody the other night, not that I watch Gossip Girl, either.

Westwick is just, uh ... intriguing, to me. Let's leave it at that. Check out a clip from his guest shot at this link.

Anyhoo, women of a certain age (that age being near mine) ... check out Rick Springfield in the clip after the jump. He plays a new client of Evan Handler's Charlie character in an arc that starts this Sunday on Showtime at 10 after Dexter.

Yes, he's still pretty dreamy. And Jessie's Girl is a great pop song, still, after all these years, and it's the second clip after the jump.

One thing about Madeleine Martin who plays Hank's daughter ... when do we get a Hallmark Hall of Fame Goth movie starring her and NCIS star Pauley Perrette? Or, maybe just a pictorial shot by Kelly Lind? Inquiring minds want to know.

(Visit Kelly's site, Erotique Digitale, at this link. Site NSFW, subscription required, taste of Kelly's work at his personal site at this link, he's a self-taught photographic genius in my estimation who will be huge, soon.)

Actual Doctor Who News from The Sun UK -- Intern Who Can't Handle His Sonic Screwdriver

Oh, he'll never live this down. If Matt Smith (seen with his back to you above with companion Karen Gillan and the tool in question) never works again after playing the Doctor and has to spend the rest of his life doing conventions for spending cash (hey, it happens!) he will have to answer for this forever.

The Sun has all the details and an image of the event as it happened, but since they never have any news I'm just gonna tell you about it and have you click this link so that you can experience what it's like to read actual news from a British tabloid, which is rare indeed.

Turns out Smith was holding his sonic screwdriver a bit too close to an umbrella in the rain and caught some sparks and burnt his hand a bit.

That's what you get, BBC, for cutting corners and hiring a kid to do a man's job.

(Okay, okay, I know, I didn't have a frickin' idea who David Tennant was before he took over in series two so I shouldn't bitch ... but c'mon, you were thinking the exact same thing.)

And I guess Smith will work after being the Doctor no matter how long he plays the role. If Sylvester McCoy can get work I guess he can too.

Tonight on BBC America, Jonathan Ross For a Full Hour With Barbra Streisand

(I'm posting this because it's important for me to amass some gay points during the baseball post-season. I forget sometimes about "my people and our events" especially this year while I'm cheering on both local home teams. I'm wearing my deluxe Angels jersey right now.)

Funny how the deteriorating music industry and the failure of radio to play much else other than Li'l Wayne makes for strange bedfellows.

A year ago I saw James Taylor on QVC hawking his new album. Now, tonight on BBC America (and it's already aired in the UK) Jonathan Ross has a full hour with Barbra Streisand.

The thing is ... I don't think they'd get along in real life. He's a bit, uh ... invasive for her tastes.

This is Streisand's first live performance on British TV ever (which I guess speaks to the star power of "Wossy" in the UK) and I have some of it for you right here.

I am by virtue of my sexual orientation obliged to note Streisand appearances, so check out the clip after the jump and if you'd like (and Streisand fans actually do still by CDs) to buy her new one, the number one album in the country this week, click the Amazon icon below.

Pres. Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize, Not That NBC's Today Show Would Let Me Enjoy It (even for a moment)

Note: I'm in the Pacific time zone and I was watching what they made a point of calling "a west coast edition of Today at 7 am."

So, what I first saw was Meredith and Matt in the studio and then a quick throw to Gregory and this, below.

LINK

If Matt Lauer ever starts a sentence with the words, "Not to be rude here, but ..." leave the room, 'cause nothing nice is gonna be said about you or anyone else.

And Lauer, one more thing, about your being of the mind that this Nobel Peace Prize is a double-edged sword ... first of all, it's a peace prize, would you prefer he won a war prize? And even more more thing ... people who would complain about a President of the United States seeking peace are crazy people not worth our attention.

Since when is seeking peace not a good thing?

And now the biggest thing ... Barack Obama could invent a way that only Republicans would be able to shit $50 bills out their asses and Republicans would complain that they weren't $100 bills.

Give me a fuckin' break. Then Lauer says, "Nobel Prize isn't getting healthcare passed." No one said it was, asshole.

Did you wake up with a smaller penis than yesterday, Matt?

Just for a couple minutes I wanted to enjoy that someone said something nice about the President, who shares my international worldview, and so in turn I felt the world was saying something nice about my international worldview.

Just a couple minutes to enjoy that, that's all I wanted.

And, while all kinds of member of Congress with "R"s after their names are going overseas and breaking that tradition that partisanship ends at our own borders it was nice to see that it wasn't taken too seriously by people you can respect.

And don't get me wrong here, I don't think he really deserves this yet, either. There's still no habeus corpus at Bagram, Gitmo is not yet closed and there's talk of lots more troops in Afghanistan and I mean "Shinseki at the beginning of Iraq"-style numbers.

I think if the Nobel committee could have given the award to the American people who voted for Barack Obama they would have. I think the intention, whether mentioned or not, was to encourage the goals and desires that Obama and his supporters embraced during the campaign.

(I also believe that a country with a long and troublesome history of race relations finally elected an African-American President and that might have had something to do with the decision.)

If that's true, Obama's acceptance of this award as a call to action for all nations to work toward the goals for peace and nuclear disarmament is an appropriate response.

Watch your President humbly accept the honor in the CNN clip after the jump, with thanks to Talking Points Memo and their YouTube acct.

Talking trash about this turn of events, though, is akin to those people in that astroturf group Americans for Prosperity funded by the Koch brothers cheering when Chicago didn't get the Olympics.

Video -- Olbermann's Full Hour on Healthcare Reform: Links and Clips and Keith's Pledge

I have to point out here that no one opposed to healthcare reform could p0ssibly do an entire hour on the subject without seriously compromising their position. Why? Because when you lie to support your argument, and the only way to defend one's objection to healthcare reform that includes a public option or even a single-payer system (which isn't even on the table, dammit) is to lie, the more you talk the more your house of cards falls in on itself.

Do you have 42-plus minutes to learn the facts about the healthcare reform debate? Click this link and watch Keith's entire hour on the topic.

After the jump, watch Keith's emotional, heartfelt pledge to show his support for American health reform by donating to the National Associations of Free Clinics to offer a free clinic every week in the capitol cities of the states of the six Democratic senators standing in the way of health reform in the Senate.

Who are those six senators?

• Blanche Lincoln (Arkansas)
  
• Mark Pryor (Arkansas)
  
• Ben Nelson (Nebraska)
• Mary Landrieu (Louisiana)
• Harry Reid (Senate Majority Leader, Nevada)
  
• Max Baucus (Montana)

Those links will take you to their Senate websites.

I'll go one further than Keith ... if you live in one of those states and it was your US Senator that blocked healthcare reform, make sure he or she knows that you are actively searching for a primary challenger for their next election.

Yes, even the majority leader. He may be a keen backroom negotiator but I've had serious issues with his "leadership style" since he got the post.

And, details for MSNBC Countdown viewer participation will be forthcoming.

Clip after the jump.

Welcome (?!?) My New Advertiser

Now, I have no idea why a company called Easy-Hookup.com, which is clearly geared toward straight guys looking for women who apparently don't have people in their lives to take photos of them (so they use their phone's cameras and a mirror) would want to specifically buy space on this site.

But they did.

And I'm watching to make sure the images in the ad don't get too weird or demeaning to women or ... well, you know what my issues are.

If you see anything there that offends you, send me a note.

If you see anything you like? Click the ad.

Thanks.

World Exclusive -- ABC's The Middle Discovers TV's Next Big Star

 

He's gonna be a huge star. First time out and he's acting, reacting and working with the leads -- amazing!

More of this guy please! Who is he? My research team tells me that his name is Jim Wilson. And he's versatile, too. In a different scene in a different shirt and glasses you would think he's a completely different guy!

Everyone, write to ABC and get on those forums and demand more Jim Wilson, not just in this show but in every show on the air. He can do it all.

His scene, which will always be known from here on in as the Jim Wilson scene in a clip from Hulu  (and further explanation) after the jump.

Give Us This Day Our Daily Craig -- First Musical Number in HD is "MmmBop-alicious"

Hey, who's the new girl? She's really pretty, and she can really move.

And Chris in pigtails? Just gives you something to hold onto when ...

... oops, that's for another blog, another time.

I must admit, I have always loved the song. Don't know the lyrics, can't sing along, but I love the song.

It's after the jumperoo, folks. I love the musical numbers. And, someone's -- actually two of someone -- has been working out.

Nice.

If you're not watching The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson all of your taste must be in your mouth.

It's the best show in late night.

Clip Bonanza -- TV.com Staff Picks for 13 Best South Park Episodes Has Glaring Omissions

You gals and guys at TV.com, I'm disappointed. Really, really disappointed. Though some of your picks are completely on target (Scott Tenorman Must Die, Awesom-O, Casa Bonita) you have picked some real stinkers in my very humble (HA! Me? Humble?) estimation.

And, you've left out some critical episodes of genius. More on my second favorite episode ever and the one really glaring omission with four clips (yes, four clips) after the jump.

I should share that South Park returns to Comedy Central tonight at 10, right before the debut of their new series Secret Girlfriend at 10:30. Click over to the South Park site for a preview of the new episode, Dead Celebrities.

Now, the TV.com picks I just don't understand ...

1. Make Love Not Warcraft -- I have never played an online game. Maybe that has something to do with my lack of enjoyment of this episode.

2. Imaginationland -- Nice thought, a parable on the so-called War on Terror (as if you can have a war on a tactic) but three parts? Man did that drag on.

3. Good Times With Weapons -- Kind of similar to Make Love Not Warcraft, or at least the visuals were similar. I just didn't care.

4. Up The Down Steroid -- Jimmy 'roids up for the Special Olympics. So? Oh, and he beat his girlfriend. Nice.

More and those four promised clips from that big omission, after the jump.

Remember Big Brother's Russell the MMA Fighter? Guess What? He Was ...

... acting!

I'm of course reminded of the old Master Thespian sketches that Lovitz did on SNL. Can't find one to show you, though, because in their infinite (lack of) wisdom, neither Hulu nor NBC.com have any Master Thespian sketches posted.

Idiots. Get moving, NBC.com, it's just an SNL classic is all.

Okay, back to Russell ... Stefanie Lee at TV.com:

It was impossible not to hate his smug grin, arrogant demeanor, loud bark, and porn-star-style facial hair. Well, guess what? He's not a jerk at all -- he just played one on TV.

Hold on a second -- acting? On a reality show? It's no secret that "reality TV" is hardly a true-to-life depiction of actual reality -- the dialogue on The Hills is about as real as Janice Dickinson's face. And it's common knowledge that producers manipulate cast members and editors splice footage to create dramatic TV. But if we're not even watching real people, what's the point? Is there any reality left? And does it matter, as long as it's entertaining?

In an exclusive interview with TV.com, Kairouz dished on his Big Brother experience, the tactics and strategies that made him Season 11's most memorable villain, and how little of his on-screen persona was actually real.

Of course, I had a sense of this ... if you'll remember Russell is from the Bay area and was an early defender of Kevin and the gay thing in general. Rare for an MMA fighter, indeed. Showed some intellect and some heart in doing so.

Not surprising at all. He didn't even audition for the thing, he was recruited. All those people who wanna be on Big Brother and he was recruited? That seems, uh, interesting.

Click over to Stef's interview with him for more. His BB exit interview after the jumperoo.

Video -- I May Be Breaking Up With Modern Family Tonight, Because The Men Are Assholes

Either read below or watch the clip from last week's episode after the jump.

I'm so frickin' sick and tired of husband-as-buffoon characters. Enter one Ty Burrell playing Phil Dunphy. What a moron! What's with all the male characters on TV being either ineffectual at their jobs or terrible husbands or clueless fathers?

What happened to men who understand what parenting is about? I see them all the time in my actual life ... my friends who are parents are good at it. If an alien race is picking up our TV signals, they must think penises are the implements by which we drain our bodies of intelligence.

The flip side of that is that Julie Bowen's Claire comes off as a shrew. Sure, but you'd be one too if you were married to Phil.

And it's not even just Burrell's character ... the two gay guys are racing to the title of idiot father of the year. I would have to break up with Mitchell just for being so lacking in the balls area (no guts) and Cameron, for all his faaaaabulousness can't seem to understand that last week's group playdate wasn't about him, it was about baby Lily.

That kid should be taken away from them, not because they're gay (I would never consider such, especially considering it's the one thing I regret not doing in my own life) but because they haven't made that paradigm shift away from it always being about them.

I must refer you now to that quote from the Craig Ferguson memoir I posted the other day, which ended, "I think when you become a parent you go from being a star in the movie of your own life to a supporting player in the movie of someone else's."

Sheesh, someone forward that quote to the show's writers. Please. Or buy the Modern Family writers his book, it's worth every penny and more.)

Jay (Ed O'Neill) doesn't do so well in the parenting department. Okay, he's the previous generation and maybe not expected to be as capable in the role, but he treats stepson Manny like a cockblock, and that's horrible. There's nothing funny in that, about that or even near that.

Even Manny's off-camera father sucks at it -- he didn't take the kid to Disneyland because he couldn't pull himself away from a craps table?

Nice.

They have one more week. After tonight, if things don't turn in a direction I can stomach, I'm done. Honestly, I watch comedies to laugh, anyway, and I haven't laughed out loud at this show more than once, and that happened two minutes into the pilot episode.

Watch Phil Dunphy be a total dick in the clip after the jump. As it's from Hulu, when it's over you can click the proper link and watch the whole episode.

(Speaking of Hulu, there was a big Business section cover story in the LA Times this week about a possible pay-for-content scheme being put together by Hulu. Will you pay for Hulu? I won't. I love my Hulu and really like my email buddy CEO Jason Kilar, but I won't pay to watch shows while I'm sitting in this desk chair. I like my TV to be consumed in a reclining position and on a bigger screen.)

Video -- That Mitchell & Webb Look Marathon Today on BBC America

Starts in 25 minutes. Get to your DVR and record them before you leave for work on the West Coast, or if you're anywhere with that DirecTV thing that lets you record from your mobile or online, do it.

You will not be disappointed. Very funny stuff from the stars of Peep Show in their own BBC sketch comedy series.

Go, NOW! Do it.

Representative clip after the jump.

Give Us This Day Our Daily Craig -- No Pithy Ferguson Headline. Why? Read On

Why no pithy Craig Ferguson headline from Joe today? Because there was just so much going on last night on Craig's show that the headline would have started here and ran through eight other blogs until it ended at the great blog Craig Ferguson's Guest List, the proprietor of which is the wonderful YouTube user Malinky2Stoatir, who clips out the show every day so that I can bring you these clips.

First there was Craig riffing on this not widely known news story about his boss Dave Letterman. You may have heard about it, maybe not, something having to do with crime and money and sex and schadenfreude you know how we Americans hate any combination of the four ... not!

Then, Michael Sheen, who stars in the new movie The Damned United, comes out on stage wearing the tightest pants that go with a suit I have ever seen in my life. Must be an Ozwald Boateng suit, I thought, or Sheen is fronting some UK punk band between movie gigs.

Tight pants? Who do you think you are, Sheen, the oldest Jonas Brother, Kevin?

(Sorry there's not a better image here, but watch the clip at this link and you'll see Sheen has to, ahem, adjust, just to sit down. Turns out Michael Sheen was a soccer player at one time and almost played for Arsenal. And he sports the tight pants much better than Kevin Jonas, anyway.)

Then, Viola Davis, who plays the Mayor of Philadelphia  in the new film Law Abiding Citizen, comes out in this tight, tight, tight dress that she just owns (not owns as in paid money for, although she might or it might have been borrowed from the designer) but that she wears like nobody's business. I love Viola Davis, have for years, and I've never seen her look so hot.

So hot! Viola, you are smokin'.

Where's the big film that makes Viola Davis a star, anyway? Meryl Streep wants it to happen, I want it to happen ... isn't that enough? Hey, movie execs, get to it!

Watch Viola talk to Craig at this link, if only for her throaty, sexy laugh, which I guess came with the dress.

However, I had to go with the cold opening with Craig's Letterman comments for the clip after the jump because ... well, because I know it's what I know you wanna see.

Maybe Craig will still have a show on CBS tonight, and if he does his guests will be Julia Louis-Dreyfus and The Avett Brothers.

And maybe Craig will try not to be so damned sexy. Because it can be dangerous in his job as late night host.

Video -- Entertainment Weekly's Dave Karger Talks to Carey Mulligan, An Education Opens This Friday (NY, LA)

As you all know by now, I follow the career of Carey Mulligan because she was first for me the lovely, intrepid and curious Sally Sparrow in Steve Moffat's award-winning Doctor Who series three episode titled Blink.

In fact, from that performance only, a guest shot, she won awards, that's how good she was. If you haven't seen Carey as Sally you should really find a friend who has the series three boxset. For a taste, I'll give you a second clip, after the interview with Entertainment Weekly's lovely (well, I think he's lovely) Dave Karger. They're both after the jump.

(It's from the Doctor Who Confidential, includes footage from the episode, some of David Tennant interviewing Moffat about the episode and David interviewing Carey. Not to be missed if you're a real fan of Doctor Who.)

There's very serious Oscar talk around the film and Carey's performance. I find her absolutely incandescent on camera. Just a lovely, thoughtful actor plying her trade and lucky enough to get a hold of some meaty roles.

Upcoming for her? The Mark Romanek film Never Let Me Go co-starring Keira Knightley, Oliver Stone's Wall Street 2 as the daughter of Gordon Gekko and the UK film Brighton Rock in which she stars alongside Helen Mirren and Pete Postlethwaite.

Big career ahead for this lovely young woman. I could not be more pleased for her, or pleased that I found her before many others.

Clips after the jump.

Graham Norton vs. John Barrowman -- Who's Hotter in Drag?

Click the image above for a larger version, because you should really study both images before leaving your comment below.

Both have recently played Albin/Zaza in the West End run of La Cage Au Folles at the Playhouse Theatre (click here for info, tickets, more).

I'm not asking who's a better Albin/Zaza, 'cause that's not fair. John Barrowman (currently starring) is a star of the musical theatre with a trained voice. Graham Norton (whose chat series started back up in the UK yesterday and next premieres a week from Friday here in the States (BBC America) is a comic/chat host/presenter.

I'm a big fan of both of them. And I love this picture of Barrowman as Zaza with pussy(cat) here to the left.

But, should you need to read reviews of both their performances, you can click here for reviews, first Graham (from the Telegraph, flattering) and then John (same paper, not so much, though I think they were expecting more because of John's theatre background) .

See a clip from Graham's first show back, with guests Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne and Ricky Gervais, after the jump.

No word yet on Torchwood series four. Hey, BBC, get to the commissioning, will you? We are all waiting for the next chapter of the Torchwood saga.

Clip Bonanza -- New Doctor Who Logo? Yessiree, BBC!

Of course, any sports fan knows what's going on here. They wanna sell new merchandise. I couldn't begin to tell you how much stuff is sold when a team gets a new logo or mints a new player a star (Ichiro in Seattle his rookie year, for example).

Did Doctor Who need a new logo? Probably not. We watch the show, not the logo.

Did they go ahead and do it anyway? Yes. Will you buy a new Doctor Who t-shirt? Probably. And, I probably will, too.

In fact, I'm wearing my Doctor Who t-shirt in my current Facebook profile pic.

I'm not about the change that photo just because of a new logo. Most people's profile pics are years old, anyway. At least mine was taken in the last 12 months.

Three clips from the BBC America Doctor Who site after the jump. First is the new logo as it will appear in motion, the second a look at the various logos throughout the years and the third is actually something you might be more interested in, a clip featuring some footage from the upcoming special The Waters of Mars, set to air in the UK in November and ... I have no idea when in the United States.

And for the record, I like the current logo (above left), which I have always very affectionately called "the surfboard logo."

New FTC Rules on Blogger Gifting, Celebrity Endorsers on Paid TV Appearances

First off, starting December 1 I'm supposed to tell you whenever I get some swag or a DVD and then write something about it.

I already do that. We're good, right? Thank you.

The other rule is a great one -- I have noticed especially in the pharmaceutical sector that their celeb endorsers often make appearances on talk shows talking about their medical conditions and how the product they endorse has helped them.

The two instances I can think of right now are both female figure skaters, Peggy Fleming and Dorothy Hamill. They've both made the rounds to talk about the products they use.

Ira Tenowitz at TheWrap.com:

Besides requiring celebrities to reveal any advertiser payments when they tout a product outside of traditional commercials, the new guidelines require that celebrities be able to justify any claims they make about the quality of the products they hype.

No longer acceptable is the excuse that they're just reading a script -- they have to actually use the product or have a reason for making any claims that product works.

The guideline also makes clear that celebrity endorsers have to be careful about what they say. Along with advertisers, they would be held liable for false and unsubstantiated claims.

That's a great thing in my opinion. They shouldn't be out there on the stump for those products, anyway. I would like to see a rollback on prescription pharmaceutical ads on TV as a whole.

Email/Facebook Money Scam: To My Readers, Facebook Friends and Email Buddies ...

I have not sent you any emails about being in London or anywhere else and that I need money to get home.

Your other friends probably haven't either.

I mean, what are the chances? Think, people, THINK! Or at least make a phone call to verify!

Please consider these email scams with due dilligence. Watch the Today show clip below and act accordingly.

LINK

I've Been Sleeping Off Some Oral Surgery

And that's why I haven't written anything today.

Though I did have a dream while I was asleep where I recruited my readers (particularly Toby for some reason, including a phone call)  into participating in a project where I build a website photographically documenting the changes in their local community's shopping districts over the years.

(Must be all those pics I looked at yesterday of me marching in jr. high and high school Memorial Day parades, trudging up and down Rockaway Ave. in Valley Stream, NY with the mouthpiece of a baritone horn slamming against my mouth ... I was never much of a marching-while-playing guy, especially with carrying a big twisted piece of brass in front of me.)

Which brings us back around to the oral surgery.

Anyway, part of that dream actually saw me walking into the local church where I was confirmed ... oh the things we do when we don't know better, huh?

Back later with something more on-topic.

Give Us This Day Our Daily Craig: Project Runway Fan Ferguson & The Elegant Tim Gunn

It's his favorite TV show ... that's not on CBS, of course.

There is a little bit of me (not much because I know it takes so much work) that admires how elegant Tim Gunn is every time you see him.

If a tabloid wanted to get a great cover shot, though, I think it would be of Tim ambling out of his home somewhere in the 'burbs in his boxers to pick up the morning paper. That's a copy of the Star that I would buy. I'd frame the cover and hang it in my home just as a reminder that everyone has their bad days.

Craig, as you know (because you watch the show every night at 12:37 eastern on CBS) is a huge fan of the show. Me? Not so much. I just don't like these competition shows where the contestants snipe at each other.

If it was 42 minutes sans commercials of Tim teaching me about fabrics and why cutting on the bias is important I might very well add the show to my DVR queue.

Watch Craig kvell over Tim and the show in the clip after the jump.

And, in the comments, tell me who you'd like to see cast in Project Runway, The Musical. Craig's right, the show sells itself.

NGTV FlashForward Preview -- In Which David Goyer Tells Me, Your TV Junkie, That I Don't Matter

And, though he's not quite right ... I do have another year to live inside the 18-49 demo ... you can't blame his logic. He's not speaking for himself, of course, he's talking for the network when he says that.

Goyer (The Dark Knight), who with Brannon Braga (24, Enterprise) created the ABC series FlashForward spent some time on Thursday with my friends Carrie Keagan and Shark Firestone (see image above) at the No Good Television studios in Beverly Hills (man, I hate the traffic on the west side) love the idea of making smart television for smart people and I love them for it.

Now, I don't wanna give away too much of what went on the in room, but it was a far-ranging and rollicking conversation that started with "No Joe, we're not going to tell you what happens" and then veered into a conversation about merkins, 80's straight porn (in which, thanks to college roommate Dave I'm pretty well schooled) to that mysterious kangaroo from the pilot.

(About the kangaroo, btw, I never did hear a definitive response on why the kangaroo ... hmmmm.)

Why 80s porn? Because it's No Good Television, of course. And we're always talking about 80s porn there, though in defense of the golden age of porn arguers (talkin' to you, Braga) I'd have to say that the mid 70s is the golden age of straight porn, what with The Devil & Miss Jones, Deep Throat and Behind the Green Door all being part of what I consider the 1939 of the X-rated movie business. Oh, and add the rest of the Mitchell Bros. stuff from up in San Francisco.

Of course the 80s, with the advent of video cassettes in one's home and the war between Beta and VHS being won by the latter because the porn industry embraced the format were the beginning of the power and money years for the industry.

Okay, I digress. Sorry. It's been on my mind ever since Thursday.

What so impressed me about the pilot (which is all I had seen at the time) was all the money they spent, especially on all the action that took place on and above the 101 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles. Goyer seemed particularly thrilled about having stopped traffic on the 101 in both directions for 20 minutes while they shot parts of that sequence.

When you see this interview in the next two weeks or so, and I'll have it right here for you, Goyer talks about getting texts from friends while on location there bitchwailing up and down at him for bringing LA to a standstill, and when you think about that it's quite the accomplishment.

More, including a full episode embed from Hulu of this past Thursday's show (US only, sorry) and a preview of next week, after the jump.

Video -- Scarlett Jo (Mrs. Reynolds) on SNL With Fred Armisen & Porcelain Fountains

The latest in the series of commercial parodies from Fred Armisen, who as I've said a bunch of times grew up in my hometown, Valley Stream, New York.

First it was chandeliers, then it was columns and now, porcelain fountains.

And Scarlett looks and sounds like many of the young women with whom we went to Central High School.

And there's more, Ryan Reynolds comes along as the son-in-law who installs them. Watch it, don't miss it, after the jump.

Video -- Battlestar Galactica's Tricia Helfer Needs You!

Tricia joins Katee Sackhoff's team The Frak-Ups for AIDS Walk/Los Angeles, but she's lagging a bit in fundraising so I'm pitching in for a moment and sending you to her donation page to do your part.

Click here to donate to Tricia's AIDS Walk effort.

Click here for Tricia's official site.

Click here for Tricia's blog post about walking this year with her bestie Katee.

After the jumperoo, watch the first of Tricia and Katee's YouTube clips in the Ask Katee and Tricia series, answering fan questions about that first physical encounter between Starbuck and Six.

And, don't forget ... we're only four months away from the premiere of Fox's Human Target, which features an amazing guest appearance from Tricia in the pilot episode. The series, starring Mark Valley, Chi McBride and Jackie Earle Haley premieres January 17th at9 eastern.

Besides that, Tricia stars in the Syfy movie Battlestar Galactica: The Plan this November.

Also, Katee stars in 24 this season. 

Your kick-ass women of science fiction TV are taking over, be a part of it.

Video -- This Tuesday 10/6, Mary Tyler Moore Show Season Five, Giveaway Details Here!

It is the seminal situation comedy of my adolescence.

It has won 29 Emmys awards during its run.

It made the careers of Ted Knight, Ed Asner, Valerie Harper, Cloris Leachman, Georgia Engel and Gavin McLeod.

It reminded the TV industry that Betty White can do it all.

The writers that cemented their TV careers on this show are too numerous to mention, but some of them are James L. Brooks & Allan Burns, Treva Silverman, Ed. Weinberger, Stan Daniels, David Lloyd, Bob Ellison, Lorenzo Music, Dick Clair & Jenna McMahon, Earl Pomerantz and Marilyn Suzanne Miller.

I obsessed over the MTM Show credits. The directors, led by Jay Sandrich and Jim Burrows were names I could pick out of any credit roll afterward.

This was THE show for me. It was guaranteed laughs, it was a TV mirror on the woman's movement in an almost subversive way because it did that it in such a clever manner.

You know, when I first moved to Los Angeles my first day trip was to 4024 Radford Ave. in Studio City, which in the 70s was called the CBS/MTM lot. I sat outside the studio gates in my rental car (hadn't even bought one yet) with the bagel and coffee I had gotten from that strip mall at the base of Radford and Ventura Blvd. and just stared, like if I stared hard enough they would all come barreling through the gate when they were finished for the day.

You can have a copy of the season five boxset, but you have to do stuff to get it. And I'm opening this contest up to everyone, no matter what your status with this blog, whether I link to you or you're a publicist for a show or ... even if you're a friend.

But no relatives. Sorry Cousin Joanne, I have to draw the line somewhere.

More, including giveaway details and a clip (because a clip is always nice) after the jump.

And if you just can't wait, you can preorder a copy right now at Amazon by clicking the icon below.

Give Us This Day Our Daily Craig Extra -- Medium's Patricia Arquette and An Education Star Dominic Cooper, And ...

Craig hosting the White House Correspondents' Dinner in 2008

... and I'm done with Craig's memoir, American on Purpose, which was the best literary experience of my year. Then again, I spend a lot of time (A LOT OF TIME) watching TV lately.

But, let me pull out what I think is my favorite excerpt from Craig's book, with all apologies to Harper Collins (and I believe this is fair use, and even if it isn't I've been promoting the hell outta the book so bite me if you've got a problem with this).

It comes from the top of page 231, right after Milo is born, and Craig writes ...

As I cut the umbilical cord, Milo started to cry and shiver. One of the nurses, a sour Russian woman who had bossed Sascha around a little too much for my liking, said, not unkindly, "Oh, baby, life is hard."

Shut up," I snapped. She looked at me with astonishment.

"He just got here. He doesn't need that shit yet," I told her.

She looked at me like I was insane, but I didn't five a toss. I think when you become a parent you go from being a star in the movie of your own life to a supporting player in the movie of someone else's.

I love that. Do you think Craig would adopt an aging TV blogger?

Buy American on Purpose at your local bookseller or click the icon below to get it from Amazon.

Clips after the jump. I'm always talking about how great the monologue is each night. Craig's also a great interviewer, and these two from Thursday's show are particularly entertaining.

And, Craig gave Cooper his first acting role, in the movie I'll Be There, which I know a lot more about now that I've read the book, like how much trouble it is to make a film for Morgan Creek.

Cooper stars with Peter Sarsgaard and our lovely Sally Sparrow (Doctor Who, Blink) Carey Mulligan in An Education, which premieres in NY and LA at the beginning of next month.

The movie's site at this link.

Go, watch the clips, enjoy!

In Which TV.com's Richard Lawson Takes His Own Parent Co. Re: Gay Characters on TV

Richard, you are the man. Good for you. TV.com is a product of CBS Interactive, so it took a particular kind of cojones to remark on the dearth of gay characters in primetime on that network.

And he does it in the first paragraph.

I'm proud of you, young man. I owe you lunch (somewhere reasonable though, I'm not made of gold).

In the second graph he says:

This is not going to launch into some didactic screed about this country's history of homophobia and the miles and miles we've still left to go before all citizens receive equal treatment and equal rights. I promise it won't. I'm really asking a sincere question. What is so hard about putting gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered characters on a network show? It's 2009 for god's sake, gay marriage is legal in, well, only six states, but still! Progress only ever moves forward, whether people like it or not. So a new America is inevitably emerging. One in which gay folks are just like everybody else. So couldn't television--which has pushed the culture envelope before--be a little ahead of the curve here?

Here here! This of course is all based on the latest GLAAD survey of primetime, which you can find at this link.

Video -- Stargate: Universe 2-Hr. Premiere Tonight at 9 on Syfy -- And From the Reviews ...

It's a mixed bag, as usual.

NY Times:

Syfy has promoted “Universe” as an “edgier” show than the earlier, jokier “Stargate” entries, which in space opera terms were Puccini to the Wagner of “Galactica.” And there’s plenty of tension in the premiere. The refugees’ troubles are only beginning when they escape to the alien ship, which is starting to break down after eons of travel. Already fault lines are developing between the soldiers and the civilians, just as in “Galactica.”

CinemaSpy.com:

On the technical side, Stargate Universe impresses in almost every department. The interior design of Destiny is different from that of ships in other space operas and, in my view, way cooler than the sterile inside of J.J. Abrams Enterprise. Elements of Gothic and Victorian styling give it an air of mystery that is sometimes unnerving.  The outside of the ship is more conventional and less impressive, with CGI sometimes being obvious. Nonetheless, the FX successfully suggest a ship of great size and the effect of faster-than-light travel is well realized. Interestingly, there are few other FX-heavy scenes in 'Air', which is in keeping with the greater sense of reality the writers are aiming for. This is the least epic of all the series-opening episodes of the Stargate franchise.

IGN.com:

Robert Carlyle does an excellent job portraying Dr. Nicholas Rush, a frustrated scientist trying to solve the perplexing puzzle behind the ancient stargate. Rush is really one of the main driving forces in this pilot. He's the one with the knowledge needed to figure out the ship's ancient language and technology, and he ends up taking a leadership role. But he's also kind of a shady fellow, who gives off sort of a Gaius Baltar vibe. His true motivations are questioned throughout the entire episode, and by the end we're left wondering what's really going on in that brilliant head of his.

More, and a clip, after the jump.

Video -- About This Dave Letterman Mess ...

Here's my take, not that you asked.

People at work hook up all the time. It's no different on a TV show.

Dave says it was consensual. The women haven't come forward.

This guy Haldeman, the former 48 Hours producer, is a scumbag in my view. Extortion is a crime, and he's been arrested and that's a good thing.

Is Dave a bad guy? I dunno. It depends on this one thing ... if it affected the workplace or one of these women got promoted or not fired or treated better financially or otherwise because of sex with Dave I have a problem with that.

Otherwise, this is over. The crime has been addressed and appropriate action is being taken.

Do I like it when the the boss has sex with "underlings?" (no pun intended)

No. But I don't work there so it's not really my business.

Do I have a problem with is sketchy and sensational coverage by other networks looking to make ratings hay in late night for their shows?

Definitely. I'm talking to you, NBC Today show.

Watch Dave talk about it from last night's show after the jump.

If O'Reilly even touches on this on his show, after the Mackris affair, he should be throttled. Forcibly.

The Wrap's Adalian on NBC Affiliate Late News and "The Leno Effect"

Great minds think alike.

Here's what Joseph Adalian is saying today at TheWrap.com with stats on NBC affiliate late news in the top five metered markets:

While it's still too early to draw many hard-and-fast conclusions about how Jay Leno at 10 is impacting NBC overall, premiere week ratings suggest the Peacock's bold move did no favors to the network's local newscasts.

Data from Nielsen's top five markets-- New York, LA, Chicago, Philadelphia and Dallas -- show NBC stations all saw their 11 p.m. newscasts drop by double digits during the first week of the 2009-10 season.

Clearly, that's not a good thing. But it's also no reason for anyone at the Peacock to panic, or rival stations to party. At least not yet.

Of course, I spent much of the Summer questioning the Leno move and its effect on those stations' late newscasts, but apparently those guys in the black tower in Universal City weren't reading this blog.

More after the jump.

NGTV Video -- Ricky Gervais Tells Carrie Keagan: "There's No Need to Swear"

Of course there is a reason to swear, could you imagine having to sit through these junket interviews without NGTV's Carrie and that mouth that she stole from a longshoreman? I can't. I don't do it anymore, I just watch No Good Television.

The movie, of course, is The Invention of Lying, costarring Jennifer Garner, Louis C.K. and Tina Fey.

Then Ricky turns to the camera to talk to Carrie's mom (who is this very lovely sweet woman from Upstate New York and ... well, I can't even repeat what he says to her.

But only because you should hear it from him. Oh, it's all in fun. No need for the Buffalo metro area to come running at Ricky with pitchforks and torches.

This very high concept comedy will be, in my not-so-humble estimation, the film that puts Ricky over the top here in the US, and if you miss it you're a fucking loser, to steal a word from Ms. Hottie HotHot and her naughty mouth.

Clip after the jump, movie opens tomorrow.

(And, btw, I'm on my way right after posting this to NGTV to meet the creators of FlashForward, so nothing new here until the end of the say. I need to get out and have some fun.)