Survivor: Panama: The Power Of the Idol
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Prime Time, Reality, CBS, Survivor, Features,
After having narrowly escaped elimination at the recent Tribal Council, Austin was feeling great for having survived another day. He was fully aware though that the incredibly stupid remarks he made could still cost him the game. NOTE TO ASPIRING CONTESANTS: Telling everyone that you purposely botched a challenge because you didn’t want to appear too strong is not something advised in the Survivor handbook. Needless to say, the former members of Casaya thought Austin was a slimeball that could not be trusted. They vowed early to on to vote him off at the next challenge. Trying to keep the La Mina contingent alive, Terry and Sally realized that they needed to woo two people over to their side very quickly. They believed that working on some of the ladies might be their best bet.
Click to continue reading Survivor: Panama: The Power Of the Idol
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Meredith Viera Joins Today
Posted by Christopher Stone Categories: Daytime, Games, Talk Shows, ABC, Talent, News,
To virtually no one’s surprise, and to the obvious delight of many, including Today co-host Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira is joining Today, filling the chair at the hosts’ desk being vacated by Katie Couric.
The 52-year-old Vieira currently co-hosts ABC’s daytime talker The View, and she hosts the syndicated Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
During an emotional segment of yesterday’s The View, Vieira announced her departure from the show. As for Millionaire, she will either negotiate her way out of a contract that runs for two more seasons, or she will negotiate a better shooting schedule that allows her to simultaneously co-host Today and continue hosting the game show. Right now, Millionaire tapes 200 new episodes per season over a grueling four months. That schedule will be incompatible with her Today responsibilities.
Although Couric departs Today after the May 31 show, Vieira won’t be sharing Studio 1-A with Lauer until September. Campbell Brown of Weekend Today is expected to be Lauer’s interim partner.
Smallville is Big for WB
Posted by Christopher Stone Categories: Action, Drama, Prime Time, Cable, WB,
100 episodes into its five-year run, Smallville continues to deliver big numbers for the WB. Above and beyond muscular Nielsens, the series about the super adolescent has been a winner in other arenas, too. Smallville‘s Seasons 1-4 DVDs have grossed in excess of $100 million for Warner Home Video. In 2004, ABC Family picked up the super series for syndication, paying $400,000. per episode for the privilege.
As WB and UPN morph into the CW, Smallville is definitely among the neophyte network’s most valuable assets.
Read More 
| The WB
Gloria Monty, ABC’s Queen of Daytime, Dies at 84
Posted by Christopher Stone Categories: Daytime, ABC, General Hospital, Talent, News,
Gloria Monty, a groundbreaking producer who reinvented the ABC daytime drama General Hospital, turning it into a pop culture phenomenon, died last Thursday of cancer, in her Rancho Mirage, California, home. When she took over GH in 1978, the series was hovering on the brink of cancellation. Dubbed ABC’s Queen of Daytime, Monty was 84-years-old.
She was also controversial. Her most daring storyline for GH had the characters Luke and Laura begin a romance after he raped her on the floor of a closed disco. At the time, Monty’s critics accused her of glorifying violence against women. Immune to criticism, the producer told the media, “Some people call it a rape. We call it a seduction.”
Once a sluggish drama targeting middle-aged housewives, General Hospital under Monty’s guidance won a massive audience of teenagers and young adults. The progressive producer added action-adventure and science fiction to plots; she quickened the pace, and hired attractive, younger actors. She brought in a Broadway designer to modernize the set.
Beyond her many contributions to daytime drama, Gloria Monty is said to have been the model for the motherly soap opera producer in the 1982 Dustin Hoffman classic motion picture Tootsie.
Please Expel Teachers
Posted by Christopher Stone Categories: Comedy, Prime Time, NBC, Scrubs, Editorial,
When an NBC comedy is good, it’s frequently very good. Just for openers, I’m thnking Frasier, Friends, and Seinfeld. Other times, NBC’s good comedies are simply good. In this case, my mind turns toward Scrubs, My Name is Earl, and The Office. On the flip side, when an NBC sitcom is bad, it’s likely to be god-awful. Couplings and Four Kings are two fairly recent examples. Last month, their rank was joined by Teachers, a situation edu-comedy about quirky, young teachers at a New Jersey high school.
Teachers, like The Office, is an adaptation of a UK hit. But, instead of The Office-style lightning striking twice, NBC has served up the Second Coming of Couplings. The network believed that the young and attractive cast would draw the coveted 18-49-year-old demographic. The cast might have pulled in big Nielsen numbers if it wasn’t simply re-arranging flotation devices on a Titanic of a sitcom. Somebody, please give Sarah Alexander (a survivor of the Couplings debacle), Justin Bartha, and Deon Richmond something worthy of their ability and potential. A few more sh**coms like Teachers, and the Peacock Network will be reduced to stripping special two-hour editions of Deal or No Deal, five nights a week.
Jessica Simpson To Fill Pamela Anderson’s Shoes In “Baywatch” Movie
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Drama, Reality, Talent, News,
Pop sensation and reality star Jessica Simpson is quickly racking up the movie credits. Although the blond superstar has lamented being viewed as a sex symbol, she doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to dispel that view. Case in point: she has recently been cast in the movie version of Baywatch, playing voluptuous lifeguard C.J. Parker, the character created by vixen Pamela Anderson.
Producers told The Sun, “Jessica has all the assets to make Pam’s part her own.”
Ahem, indeed. What do you think? Will a Baywatch movie, so long after the series was popular, be a success? Will Jessica have any hope of being taken seriously after this role?
Read More | Female First
Peabody Award Winner: South Park!
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Animation, Award Shows, Comedy, Editorial, News,
Is the sky falling? Did hell just freeze over? No doubt some stuffy television viewers think so. An illustrious Peabody award, long respected for recognizing the best in television writing, has been given to South Park.
That’s right; one of the raunchiest, naughtiest shows on TV has received the award long known for choosing the most dignified, uplifting, respectable television writing. And now that includes…South Park? We only have one question: what took so long to give this show an award like this?
Raunchy it may be, but South Park has long featured some of the wittiest, most enjoyable, socially aware writing on television. Featured in everything from documentaries to college classroom lectures, the adventures of Cartman and the gang can always be counted on to engage thought and conversation. In fact, it is often (dare we say?) downright brilliant. Certainly, this signals a delightful new trend in television: ignoring naysayers and prejudices in the quest to recognize true quality. Congratulations, South Park!
Read More | E! Online
NBC Laughs At Itself With “The More You Know” Spoofs
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Comedy, NBC, The Office,
Ah, those The More You Know public service announcements on NBC, featuring television stars speaking earnestly to the camera. They are so annoyingly straight-laced and slightly intrusive, with their entreaties to avoid drugs, eat dinner as a family, and bond with your children that we’re sometimes tempted to do the evil opposite, just to spite them.
Apparently, even NBC can take a joke. The network recently produced a series of online advertisements spoofing their own public service announcements. The faux-earnest ads educate viewers about everything from “short people” to “jellybeans.” With NBC appearing so good-natured, we can almost forgive them for canceling the brilliant Freaks and Geeks. No, we can’t. We’ll never forgive them for that. But check out the ads anyhow; they’re a hoot.
Do Your Homework Before Another Year at Degrassi
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Cable, Degrassi, Features,
Time to get bed early kids—a a new school year at Degrassi starts again this Friday, April 7th. In case you were forgot what your fellow classmates were up to before the long winter break, here’s a quick reminder:
- Spinner was still trying to redeem himself after Jimmy Brooks was shot. He recently started dating a new girl, Darcy, who has very strong religious beliefs.
- JT and Liberty were struggling with her unplanned pregnancy
- Manny was trying to keep her head high after her nude video was leaked on the internet by Peter
- Emma started having a flirtatious relationship with Peter behind Manny’s back
- Ellie and Manny were fighting for Craig’s attention. Manny appeared to have won it in the end.
- the kids of Degrassi just finished participating in a movie directed by Kevin Smith
BUT THERE IS A SO MUCH MORE!!! If you visit the Degrassi website, you will discover that a lot more has transpired during the break. There you can find nine Degrassi minis. These minis (about 2 minutes long each) are basically like snippets of a regular episode. What is unclear is whether or not you will have needed to watch these minis before the new season begins. Will those without access to a computer be missing a huge chunk of the characters’ storylines?? In case you don’t have the time to watch the minis for yourselves, study up on the following notes to make sure you’re ready for your return to school.
Click to continue reading Do Your Homework Before Another Year at Degrassi
America’s Number One Television Export: CNN Miami
Posted by Christopher Stone Categories: Action, Prime Time, CBS, Talent, News,
Earlier today, I was surprised to learn that America’s Number One television export is not about recording star wannabes, suburban housewives, or misfits stranded on a mysterious island. Nor does the Number One American show in the world address deals, or the lack thereof, hot medical practitioners, or things lawful and orderly.
According to CNN, outside of the United States, CSI Miami is the most popular American television series in the world. In this country, the series is 12th ranked in prime time for the season so far. But from Berlin to Bogota, and in Paris and Pretoria, the David Caruso series is America’s most popular television export.
Many David Caruso fans remember that the actor walked away from his first sizzling series, NYPD Blue, after one season, to pursue motion picture stardom that never materialized. Today, Caruso claims that he’s no longer chasing the big screen career rainbow. He intends to stay with CSI Miami for the duration.
Read More | CNN
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