I Am A TV Junkie

Video -- In Which I Attempt to Predict Golden Globes TV Winners & BIEBER NEWS

Here he is, girls. More pics of Biebs at the Globes rehearsal day at this link to the Golden Globes site.

Note that the background of the image indicates that Justin will be sitting at a table with Halle Berry. I predict that by 7:00 pacific time there will be a rumor on Twitter that Halle is pregnant with his baby and five minutes after that girls on Twitter will make death threats on Halle.

Because it's 2011 and that's the world we live in.

Okay, enough Bieberpimping. Click over the jump for my TV predictions. I'm never right, but it doesn't stop me from trying.

Lotsa Clips -- So Much TV Tonight You Need a Professional Schedule Consult?

Not to worry, I've got it handled for you. Above is an image of my living room so I'm all set, but some of you might not have this set up.

First off, if you're watching football on the east coast today just dismiss this whole post. I can't figure out your optimal viewing strategy if you're committed to a show that has no definitive end time.

The big event is of course the Golden Globe Awards on NBC despite the kerfuffle with Dick Clark Productions and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and between the HFPA and the guy who came forward with allegations of wrongdoing in the organization.

By the way -- and you know I'm serious here because I haven't used the acronym btw -- it cracks me up that once again someone has come forward with allegations against HFPA. Duh, of course there's wrongdoing, we've kinda known that for a long time. Pia Zadora, remember? Sure these people may be lining their pockets and they are also hardly journalists and certainly not at the level of the the people who do that job here in the US. But the Globes is a Teflon brand, nothing sticks and nothing stays, and I think the reason is twofold: 1) The Globes ceremony itself a party-riffic event perfect for TV that NBC wants to hold on to without injury to it, and 2) No one really cares enough to do anything about the irregularities and the allegations of corruption.

Here is the west coast we are enjoying our second year of watching the Globes live (previously only the Academy Awards aired live here), which is fortunate because there is so much more tube to watch tonight.

More after the jumperoo, with clips.

Hot Blonde Seeks Your Attention For An Hour Each Weekday, No Strings

Sounds good, huh? Well you can't touch you can only look and listen. I oughta smack you for what you're thinking, wayward straight guy who's clicked over inadvertantly to one of the gayer TV blogs.

She's my pal Carrie Keagan. No, you can't have her number. You can watch her on VH1 every weekday morning at 10 am, though. She'll fill you in on cool stuff in music, on TV and at the movies and have some fun with the people who make that stuff.

Regulars here know Carrie from her work for No Good Television (like, f'rinstance, her sitdown with the stars of Tron: Legacy which you can watch by clicking this link). She's also a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Assn. and her experience in the music industry just about qualifies her as a hotter, blonder more female Ken Tucker from Entertainment Weekly.

And with a much bigger rack. Ken's boobies just don't compare. Sorry Ken.

3 dots -- Other women I love

As I format this post I'm watching the end of the Bette Midler HBO Special The Showgirl Must Go On. Maybe Bette has lost a half a step over the years but it certainly doesn't bother me. I wasn't tuning in for the swift stage crosses and footwork anyway. In fact I don't even expect her to sing the hits in the keys they were written in as long as there's some heart behind it, and that's one thing Ms. M has in spades. Great show, you gotta love her ... Coming this Saturday night to BBC America is an episode of Graham Norton with guests Cher and Dawn French, both of whom have considerable gay fan bases worldwide, preview clips by clicking here and here ... I was particularly distressed about a couple of omissions from the Golden Globes and SAG awards for outstanding performance by an actress in a drama. No Bones star Emily Deschanel? Are they high? And what of Anna Torv's dual role on this year's Fringe? Watch these very strong eps from this season (Bones here) (Fringe here) and see for yourself.

Can't miss Monday TV

A new season of Triple D? I'm so in. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network returns tomorrow at 9 eastern on the Food Network and fans of the show in the Sacramento area should be on notice that your fave haunts will be featured, including the Golden Bear (their website here). Monday's episode also marks what I believe is the first appearance of tofu (yes, tofu) that I've seen. I'm skeptical, but I'll be tuning in.

See you tomorrow.

In Which I Quickly Tell You Who Should Win Golden Globes TV Awards

First Golden Globes ever to be broadcast live in the West, which is a good thing, but after the awards do you know what my NBC affiliate is running?

They're running the Golden Globe Awards. So good you had to see it twice? We'll see Ricky Gervais.

Watch Ricky promote the show by clicking here. Hey, what's with Gervais substituting the big open-mouth laugh look for smiling? Have you noticed? He doesn't smile anymore, he just opens up like a Pez dispenser.

My picks, after the jump.

Video -- Golden Globes Awards TV Noms Announced: Glee, Dexter, Mad Men, 30 Rock, More

The Golden Globes ...

No, not them ... these!

 

Those golden globes above, btw, if you had not guessed, belong to Pamela Anderson, my go-to girl for all things golden and globie.

(Speaking of Globie, very excited about the resurgence of Pee-Wee Herman, but I digress.)

All the nominations at this link from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Watch the announcement of the major nominees at this link from John Krasinski, Diane Kruger and a particularly cheeky Justin Timberlake.

With a year-high four nominations including nods for performers Lea Michele (predicted by me at this link), Matthew Morrison and Jane Lynch, freshman Fox series Glee  scored big.

Following with three was a tie between AMC's Mad Men (drama, Jon Hamm, January Jones) , the FX legal thriller Damages (drama, Glenn Close, Rose Byrne), Showtime's Dexter (including nods for star Michael C. Hall and for the outstanding work from John Lithgow this season as the Trinity Killer) and NBC awards magnet 30 Rock (Tina, Alec, Comedy).

More after the jumperoo.

Hollywood Reporter Video -- Big Bang's Parsons, Glee's Michele Recount The Auditions That Got Them Hired

I grabbed this off the Hollywood Reporter website because watching it confirmed to me that these are two young people who are really serious about their craft. I mean, look at Jim Parsons in the image above, really listening to watch Lea Michele has to say about her Glee audition. So often you watch actors being interviewed and one of them is talking and the other is just sitting there with some ridiculous grin on their faces as a cover for them repeating in their head over and over what THEY'RE gonna say.

These two are different and it shows in their performances on the tube. I can't remember the last time an actor in a comedy has broken out the way Jim has on The Big Bang Theory and from the moment I heard the first word and first note out of Lea's mouth on Glee I knew she had it. The bright part of her voice just gave me chills, she has major comedy chops, and she's great at the physical humor, as Parsons is as well.

Watch the clip by hovering your mouse right here at the filmstrip graphic from Apture.com and the clip will pop up for your viewing pleasure.

I'm embarassed to say that I'm currently backlogged by four or five episodes on Glee, but I have plenty of time to catch up. American Idol starts in January and begins to wreak havoc on the Fox schedule. After this Wednesday Glee won't be back until April 13, but I'll have "new to me" episodes for a little while. Strange move on Fox's part in my opinion since the most recent

(Fringe is also being given a hiatus, btw, not that I'm happy about that. I don't think it serves a show with serial elements to pull it from the schedule. Didn't we learn that from a show that was once a hit and will probably now just drift off into the sunset ... what was it called ... Heroes, was it?)

Check out a slightly Bye, Bye Birdie-esqueclip from that Fall finale of Glee right here and ... instead of a preview, let's try to find a Best of Sheldon fan compilation clip from The Big Bang Theory for us BBT geeks, and place it right here.

I'm pretty sure we'll be hearing both their names come December 15 when the Golden Globes nominations are announced. The ceremony (for the first time ever not time-delayed on the West Coast this year -- Yea!) will be held on my sis' b-day, Jan. 17, with festivities (and alcohol pouring) starting at 8 eastersn, 5 pacific on NBC.

Let the drunken thanks commence.

Video -- Laura Linney Wins a Globe and Then It's Off to James Lipton

Because part of the award season experience one just can't miss is a trip Inside the Actors Studio for some modern sycophancy from James Lipton.

And why not? It's not hanging with a sycophant that's bad, it's being one. But Lipton kinda makes it work for himself.

Also, it's not a surprise to anyone that Lipton's season starts during awards season. The show books itself when there are at least 20 actors each year up for lead and supporting in films, and there's always an NBC-Uni TV project to plug on Bravo with a cast visit or two.

And strangely, despite it all it works for me.

Laura talks to Lipton about John Adams in the clip after the jump. It's on tonight at 7 eastern. On Bravo.

Even More Globes Video -- Seacrest Pulls Miley Aside Re Inappropriate BF

So he didn't get Brangelina, he did manipulate a teenager on live TV. And that's something.

And, not for nothing, but Mrs. Billy Ray could eat something from time to time, know what I mean?

Hope she's not "competing."

LINK

UPDATED: Golden Globes Video -- Brangelina Disses Seacrest, E! Catches It From Above; Megan Fox Admits She's a Man

UPDATE: I found a much better copy of the clip, and it's after the jump.

Man, I wish I had the clip on this. It was the most uncomfortable television I've seen since Holly thought Kevin was special.

Then, minutes later, Megan Fox tells the world she's a tranny. Then, tells us Brian Austin Green didn't come because he didn't want to be seen with her because she's just so horrible looking, an Alan Alda doppelganger.

Now that's some good TV. But does there really need to be more reason sto question the judgment of Brian Austin Green.

And Piven? Here with his mom, just as I predicted.

And E! goes four minutes over, because the spillover is good for their quarter hour number? Anyone?

I think that's why. That's how I missed Kate Winslet winning for The Reader.

Of course, I'm not seeing it live. The Oscars are the only show that goes live in the LA market.

I'll keep looking for the Seacrest diss. There's a low quality version at this link.

I have Megan Fox after the jump with Giuliana.

Are You in Golden Globes Countdown Mode? Here Are My TV Predictions?

And, just for kicks, I'll include my preferred choices, too. Though I think giving awards to movies, TV shows and music is just insane. Isn't every day an award show for some of these people?

Here we go.

TV Drama: House will win, but my favorite drama this year was True Blood. And yes, Dexter is also very good and Michael C. Hall deserves a prize for playing the lead, but House is the network show and the one that gets the most press. And has the highest viewership. And that will give it the win.

TV Drama Actress: Kyra Sedgwick will win and she will say nothing about Bernie Madoff. But it would be cool if she did. The Closer is a HFPA fave. I would choose January Jones if only for that one episode where Mad Men's Betty starts going downhill and wears that polka-dot dress ... for days!

TV Drama Actor: I have no idea who will win. Hamm? Laurie? Hall? You got me! I'd go with Jon Hamm. It might be Laurie (see above).

TV Comedy: It'll be 30 Rock. The HFPA is in love with Tina Fey. And I guess I'll agree, though I have a soft spot (on the top of my head, I guess) for Samantha Who?

TV Comedy Actress: Tina. It's her year. Even more than last year. These journos ate up the Sarah Palin thing on SNL. Not applicable you say? They won't see the line between them.

TV Comedy Actor: David Duchovny's playing himself in Californication, I'm tired of Shaloub winning for Monk (though he seems like a very pleasant guy) and that leaves Steve Carell and Alec Baldwin, though they do throw in Kevin Connelly in what I just assumed would be a supporting nom for him from Entourage. I think Carell's arc with Amy Ryan's Holly gives him the win this year. When David Wallace calls and tells Michael Holly has to leave I laughed and cried at the same moment, and no one else did that to me this season so far.

All Awards Having to do only with TV Movies of Miniseries: I DON"T CARE!!! But John Adams will win the majority of them. Next year I'll be looking for a nom for Torchwood: Children of Earth, at least I'd better be, and noms for Eve Myles and Lucy Cohu, but that's next year.

Supporting Actress All Categories: As long as it's not that shrew Catherine Keener. Can't stand her. During the press junket for Friends With Money she displayed her See You Next Tuesday attitude and I turned off, completely, forever. May she be cast in the TV version of Death to Smoochy and languish there forever with a downmarket version of Ed Norton.

Supporting Actor All Categories: ABP, Anyone But Piven. And the good news is he has not a chance this year, I believe, with Blair Underwood's In Treatment role and Tom Wilkinson in John Adams.

The Red Carpet starts at 7 on NBC.

Do you think that after Jack Nicholson dies (not that I know anything about that, he's fine as far as I know) they'll still have a Golden Globes?

EW's Whitney Pastorek Rips the People's Choice Awards a New One

 

And she's really on the mark here.

A taste:

Even as mindless distraction, this awards show was a failure. There was no suspense; every category could be easily predicted by remembering who you'd already spotted in the audience. Would the "Favorite Rock Song" be "All Summer Long" by Kid Rock, or those other two thingies performed by people who were not currently located inside the Shrine Auditorium? To quote "winner" Rock: What a surprise. Chris Brown accepted his "Favorite Combined Forces" award (for "No Air" with Jordin Sparks) "live via satellite" from Dublin, Ireland -- where by my calculations it would have been approximately 3:30 in the morning. Rascal Flatts were handed a statue immediately after completing their unconvincing Rascal Flatts impersonation, and like 200 people rose as one from the good seats to collect the "Favorite TV Drama" award for House. Yes, tipping the winners off ahead of time has become pretty much de rigeur at this sort of thing, but when those "winners" stretch the limits of plausibility or common sense, I start sawing at my wrists with Twizzlers.

As bad as this awards show is, I have even more of a problem with the Globes. Not the TV experience of watching the Golden Globes, it's always top shelf with Dick Clark Productions doing a great job. What I have a problem with is the people who vote, who are usually just slightly more worthy and talented than your average blogger, but with the additional overlay of being foreign, thus Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

I'm not dissing their countries of origin, but I will say that many of the foreign journos have a more limited ethical sense than reporters in America. And I don't think they take it seriously.

Certainly, whoever was up for an award the year Pia Zadora got hers will tell you that there's a bit of flimflam going on.

Look at the post right before this one for my story about going to the People's Choice Awards in 1985.

Golden Globes Video? Okay, If I Must, But Awards Mean Nothing!!!

All the nominees are at this link. Scroll down for the TV nominees.

Surprises?

January Jones in Mad Men -- not because she doesn't deserve (she totally does) but because she hasn't taken advantage of the press tsunami at all.

True Blood -- What a great surprise! And good for them, it's a rockin' show. Love it. Presses every one of my buttons in a good way.

Debra Messing in The Starter Wife -- Honestly, I don't watch the show, but this indicates that Ms. Messing will indeed shower in 2009.

Melissa George in In Treatment -- Really not too much of a surprise until you realize that her castmate, the young Mia Wasikowska, is not nominated. That's just ageism. Dianne Wiest is nominated for the show as well.

Only one of the drama series nominees comes from the broadcast networks. Obviously none at NBC, but the one network show is House, which is produced by NBC-Uni (should have kept it for yourselves, guys).

On the film side, strangely no best picture drama nod for Milk, though Sean Penn gets a nomination.

And of course the movie that I star in in my mind? No nominations, AGAIN!

Mad Men and Jon Hamm Win Globes

Pretty unexpected stuff, huh?

All of my Mad Men posts from the season are at this link.

Also, if you're in Canada ...

Canadian broadcaster CTV said Thursday it has acquired rights to the first two seasons of Mad Men, the dramatic series about 1960s advertising executives that was a breakout hit for AMC last year.

CTV said it would say “soon” when it would begin airing the first 13-episode season, which debuted on AMC in July 2007. No other terms were announced, other than that CTV had also acquired broadband and video-on-demand rights to Mad Men’s second season. The second season hasn’t yet been produced.

I'm sure that other international markets will follow suit. Quickly, if they're smart.

And about Jon Hamm, Austin 360 has a great profile piece on the actor (and boyfriend of Jennifer Westfeldt from Notes From the Underbelly and Kissing Jessica Stein) and says:

If times were hard for Hamm, he was used to it. His mother died when he was 10. His father followed 10 years later. "What my mother had left me was a trust that was used to pay for my high school and a little bit for college," he says.

"And my father had nothing when he passed away.

"My mother — it sounds very Dickensian and romantic — but my mother's dying wish was that I go to this particular private school, John Burroughs School in St. Louis, Mo., because friends had gone there. I have to say it was the single most profound, resonating decision ever made in my life. It wasn't made by me, but it's what every mother should want for her child."

They would be very proud of their son, Jon.

LINK

Golden Globes Best TV Comedy? Extras . Comedy Actress? Tina Fey!

(Note: I'm actually sitting here waiting for them to say ...)

... Extras!

Well, at least it isn't Ugly Betty, which is not a comedy.

Honestly, though, I think the HFPA gave it to Extras because of the holiday finale that HBO just ran, not so much the second series. The finale was remarkable.

Thing is, the finale for the most part, wasn't really a comedy. Think of the Ashley Jensen arc of the finale and then tell me that the show you saw was a comedy. Sure there were funny bits, but Gervais' and Merchant's script was more an analysis of fame and the shortcomings thereof than a yuckfest.

Still it was fab.

In that second series that this award was supposedly for, this was a great few moments from the Daniel Radcliffe episode.

LINK

Yes, that was Dame Diana Rigg picking the condom out of her hair.

Tina Fey as outstanding actress in a comedy? Really? I'm shocked. My choice was Christina Applegate.

Piven was a given, but I prefer Neil Patrick Harris.

Mad Men wins outstanding drama series? WOW! AMC must be thrilled! And, of course, the Lipp sisters.

UPDATE: Now wait a minute, was it Mad Men or Damages? I'll correct later, in the meantime we can all get excited about Jon Hamm winning best actor.

Don't know who the Lipp sisters are? Shame on you.

More Golden Globes stuff later.

Gloden Globes Press Conference to Be Aired Live on KNBC

My local NBC owned station here in SoCal, KNBC, usually runs the Golden Globe Awards on a delay (only the Oscars runs live in this area, all other award shows are held for prime time).

Not this time. They've decided that the 60-minute press conference by the Hollywood Foreign Press to announce the winners in this strike-hampered year should air live, so they're gonna.

Hollywood Reporter:

The TV station originally was scheduled to air the tape-delayed telecast at 9 p.m. Sunday along with the rest of the West Coast, but it has now decided to air the program live at 6 p.m. Sunday.

KNBC also will air the tape-delayed telecast at 9 p.m.

Why not grab an rerun of Life or Journeyman or Bionic Woman (or two eps of 30 Rock from last season) to run in that spot later on? I dunno, but the last thing I'm putting in prime time in the #2 national market is a bunch of pasty HFP people announcing award winners.

Hollywood Foreign Press Plans Hour-Long Press Conference to Announce Globes Winners

Doesn't that just sound like the most exciting way to spend an hour? Wow, let me take a Xanax to relax me, the tension is...

... just ... too ... great!

This is what our pal Ray Richmond from the Reporter said at his Past Deadline blog:

Yeah, I know that when I watch an awards show, there's nothing I like better than a bare stage and the cold opening of an envelope accompanied by an absentee winner. It just doesn't get any more powerful than that. Good thing NBC News will be there to capture all of the raw, momentous detachment and gripping anticlimax of this joyless, celebration-free affair that subs out the red carpet for a black cloud.

Go click over to Ray for more, he's a friend and you're allowed, but you gotta promise to come back and read all of my other 2,800+ posts.

Okay?

Okay.