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tv shows

WGA Addresses The White, Male Elephant In The Writers' Room

In a time-nurtured rite of well-intentioned, industry accountability taking, Hollywood will sporadically hold up a full-length mirror to itself, proclaim, "Hey—I'm predominantly white and have a penis!" then sate any momentary pangs of guilt by making a mental note to try to be less so in the future. This discouraging report from the WGA keeps the tradition alive:
More »

3:41 PM on Tue May 16 2006
By Seth
195 views, 2 comments

tv shows

Hollywood Out Of Ideas: Talking Cars Edition

Not too long after they announced their reimagining of Welcome Back Kotter as a starring vehicle for Ice Cube, the Weinstein Company once again declares its intention to plunder the beloved televised entertainments of our youth with today's news that it will give Hasselhoffian masterwork Knight Rider a deeply unnecessary update. Reports THR: More »

12:03 PM on Tue May 9 2006
By Mark
164 views, 3 comments

nbc

NBC Finally Discovers Celebrity Activity Public Not Interested In Watching


Sometimes "Online Only" denotes bonus materials specially developed for the internet, a now-vital distribution platform for the networks. Other times, as in the case of the almost simultaneously premiered and canceled Celebrity Cooking Showdown, it means "we spent million of dollars on this shit, but it's still not good enough for us to waste Bravo airtime we're using for Blow Out reruns, and we gotta dump it somewhere." More »

4:26 PM on Thu Apr 20 2006
By Mark
86 views, 2 comments

tv shows

California Supreme Court Rejects 'Friends' Lawsuit, Defends Sanctity Of Writers' Room

Sitcom producers all over town will be relieved to discover that the California Supreme Court upheld the no-dead-baby-rape-joke-too-foul sanctity of the writers' room today, ruling that the Friends staff was merely performing their duties when they speculated about the contents of Courteney Cox's uterus, discussed their personal views on the necessity of foreplay, or pitched out unorthodox ideas for Joey's day job: More »

1:55 PM on Thu Apr 20 2006
By Mark
987 views, 2 comments

the wb

CBS Teen Orgy Scares The WB Into Hiding Bi-Curious Antics On Web

Last week's stunning $3.6 million fine of CBS for its now-infamous Without a Trace "teen orgy scene" has other network executives crapping their collective pants in fear, as they realize that the venerated practice of using some primetime-boundary-pushing sex for an easy Nielsen spike may have expensive consequences. Today, the NY Times reports that The WB has willingly self-censored the first episode of its soon-to-premiere series The Bedford Diaries (the first time we'd ever heard of the show—if this is a publicity stunt, nice job! It's working.), banishing the slightly racier, lesbian-lite version to their web site: More »

1:12 PM on Thu Mar 23 2006
By Mark
238 views, Comment

jeremy piven

Aridise: Jeremy Piven's Journey Of A Lifetime


Call it a radical image recalibration for one of Hollywood's most ubiquitous club monkeys, call it a seeker's spiritual journey through the subcontinent, or call it an opportunity to scam on some totally slammin' Indian chicks (voiceover for a Piven-grinding-on-the-dancefloor montage: "With 500 million female targets, you gotta love the odds."), whatever. All we know is that on concept alone, Jeremy Piven's Journey of a Lifetime has a chance to touch Taradise-level greatness, even if he never gets around to going drunk-parasailing with Cusack and some local talent. More »

1:12 PM on Mon Mar 13 2006
By Mark
1,201 views, 7 comments

Latest by Ernst Stavro Blofeld: I'll hold my breath waiting for that. more »

tv shows

Jenna Elfman Can Do It All!

We thought we were joylessly slogging through yet another "Are you (or is your current character) exactly like/nothing like you (or your last character)?" story, this time about Jenna Elfman and her new sitcom, Courting Alex, when we came across this passage about Elfman's level of involvement in the project: More »

4:44 PM on Mon Jan 30 2006
By Mark
201 views, 8 comments

tv shows

Dancing With The Dead Stars


After the unexpected success of the initial run of Dancing With the Stars this summer, the producers knew they would have to up the ante for the sophomore edition, and what better way than reviving a long-gone Beatle with a Weekend at Bernie's 2-inspired voodoo curse, a hex which forces the enchanted to waltz in the presence of music? More »

8:51 AM on Thu Jan 5 2006
By Mark
182 views, Comment

tv shows

"Book Of Daniel" Doesn't Play In Indiana

After getting "hundreds" of complaints about NBC's Book of Daniel, in which the pill-poppingest Episcopal holy man in primetime navigates a complicated world with the help of a Cool Jesus only he can see, a station in Terre Haute, IN, has decided not to show the series' premiere on Friday. Reports Broadcasting & Cable: More »

4:16 PM on Wed Jan 4 2006
By Mark
137 views, 2 comments

carson daly

A Read Along New Year's With Carson Daly

For those of you who care not to get crunk with Erik Paladino on the Paramount lot, nor does the thought sound appealing of watching Dick Clark pretend he didn't have a stroke as Ryan Seacrest, his frosted-haired, dwarf replacement, stands at his side, eager to snatch the Rockin' Eve baton from his now perma-clenched hands, there is a third New Year's Eve option. NBC's New Year's Eve with Carson Daly, Presented by Chevrolet, promises to be the best of all possible New Year's worlds: you get the arguably talent-free host, minus the awkward All About Eve political infighting, without ever having to leave the comfort of your home! And to sweeten the deal, we are including some exclusive script excerpts so you can read along at home with Carson. We don't think we're giving anything away when we tell you a big ball is dropped and everyone screams, but there still are some cliffhangers that even the script doesn't answer. For example: Will Megan and Peter fill in the required missing statistics in time? We'll just have to wait and see! More »

12:19 PM on Thu Dec 29 2005
By Seth
285 views, Comment

deaths

What To Do When Your Show's Star Up And Dies On You

The sudden passing of West Wing actor John Spencer leaves the show's writers with the logistical problem of finishing the season without him. USA Today uses the occasion to compile an exhaustive chart chronicling how past TV productions dealt with the sudden, inconvenient removal of a cast member by the icy finger of the Reaper: More »

11:05 AM on Mon Dec 19 2005
By Seth
330 views, Comment

dave chappelle

The Chappelle Theory

A little while ago, an e-mail with a link to a website called The Chappelle Theory arrived in our inbox. We spent the next 45 minutes devouring the whole thing, and it's either the single most paranoid screed or the best straight-faced satire we've ever read. Here's how it begins: More »

6:14 PM on Fri Dec 16 2005
By Mark
2,605 views, 6 comments

deaths

'West Wing' Actor John Spencer Dies

johnspencer.jpgA heart attack has claimed the life of actor John Spencer, who was nominated for an Emmy five times, winning once, for his work on the West Wing. His character coincidentally also had a heart attack, but survived: More »

4:14 PM on Fri Dec 16 2005
By Seth
683 views, 3 comments

tv shows

Hollywood On High Alert! Showbiz Show Renewed! Save Yourselves!

Early this morning, Comedy Central issued a press release announcing a second season of The Showbiz Show with David Spade. The reaction all over Hollywood, now on "high alert," has been predictable and disastrous, and one needs only to throw open the nearest window to watch the terrified citizenry running through the streets, yanking out their hair by the roots as they desperately search for the scarce armor-plated underthings that might—just might—prevent the show's sphincter-rending host from "tearing them a new one" with his drowsy, joyless recitations of Telepromptered copy. Clasp your hands over your ears and prevent further hearing loss from the air-raid sirens sounded by this excerpt from the press release, complete with typically hilarious Spade commentary: More »

10:29 AM on Thu Dec 8 2005
By Mark
207 views, 8 comments

Latest by Malis in Wonderland: I swear I saw a funny joke on that show last week. Perhaps I was just drunk from playing Paula's game. more »

tv shows

ABC Presents Mel Gibson's The Holocaust

If a major broadcast network were to undertake a miniseries about a sensitive subject like, say, the Holocaust, you would assume that if they partnered up with the son of a notorious Holocaust denier (and who also directed Passion of the Christ, a film that many considered anti-Semitic), they'd be doing so for a compelling and principled reason, right? So tell us, ABC, what was the high-minded explanation for Mel Gibson's potentially explosive involvement in such a project? More »

4:55 PM on Tue Dec 6 2005
By Mark
614 views, 8 comments

Latest by CHFDigital: Heh, The Australian has picked the latter paragraph as fact: http://www.theaustra more »

tv shows

Oprah Vs. Letterman: Clash Of The Titans


The hype was so all-consuming that we stayed up three hours past our bedtime to witness the historic, televised hatchet-burying reunion of the hero of our insomniac youth (David Letterman) and the goddess of our housebound, shiftless now (Oprah). The evening did not disappoint. After a monologue and Top Ten list dedicated to the Queen of Daytime, Letterman beckoned Winfrey to his desk. The World's Most Powerful Woman emerged, regally (Can Oprah move in any other way? No, she cannot. ) crossed the stage, and with arms outstretched and ready for a feud-ending embrace, was immediately floored by a surprise Letterman haymaker. The twin titans tumbled to the floor, and the next two minutes were a blur of fists, teeth, and razor-sharp manicures, the desperate grunts of the combatants mixing dissonantly with the nasal protestations of stunned bandleader Paul Shaffer.
More »

8:58 AM on Fri Dec 2 2005
By Mark
761 views, 5 comments

Latest by ukexpat: I am no fashion guru but that looked like absolutely the worst dress for Oprah's body shape -- she looked all squished in there... more »

tv shows

UPDATE: Prison Break Producer Found Dead

Sad news: a producer of Fox's hit series Prison Break was found dead yesterday in his room at Chicago's Drake Hotel, from what appears to be a drug overdose: More »

1:24 PM on Tue Nov 15 2005
By Seth
512 views

trade round-up

Trade Round-Up: America Does Not Want Its Al-Jazeera TV

· Lions Gate makes a deal with Panamax Films to produce a slate of Spanish language telenovela films aimed towards a growing Hispanic population, proving the time-tested studio technique of underestimating your audience s intelligence knows no cultural bounds. [Variety]
· Robert DeNiro returns to familiar mob territory in The Winter of Frankie Machine, playing a bait shop owner who upon finding out that he's "been targeted for a hit, gets back in the business. Ari Emanuel excitedly anticipates future opportunities to trot out his hilarious just when I think I m out, they pull me back in! Pacino impression. [Variety]
· NBC renews E-Ring when the show gets a modest ratings boost after a timeslot switcheroo with Martha Stewart s lame duck Apprentice, which in turn pits her against ABC s unstoppable Lost. Martha learns the hard way that audiences would much rather see a dirt-smeared Michelle Rodriguez blow Shannon away then watch a room of semi-retarded candidates slap-fight over flower arrangements. [THR]
· Al-Jazeera is having a tough time selling its English language network to the US, with a rep explaining, There is still a negative perception of the Al-Jazeera brand." Apparently America is just not ready for the next razzle-dazzle reality sensation, Dancing With The Suicide Bombing Stars. [Variety]
· Mandy Moore will play daughter to Diane Keaton s meddling mother in Gold Circle Films' Because I Said So, hotly buzzed to be the best forgettable, mediocre meddling-mother /daughter movie since Anywhere But Here. [Variety]

12:53 PM on Tue Nov 15 2005
By Seth
51 views

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