Primetime Emmy Nominations Nod at Several Shows
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Award Shows, Comedy, Daytime, Drama, Late Night, Mini Series, Prime Time, Reality, ABC, Bravo, Cable, CBS, HBO, PBS, Amazing Race, The, American Idol, Daily Show, The, Dancing With The Stars, Entourage, Grey’s Anatomy, Heroes, House, The Office, The Sopranos, Top Chef,
The 59th annual Primetime Emmy Awards have been announced, giving the biggest honors (17 nominations) to HBO’s Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. AMC’s Broken Trail just missed the top slot with 16 nominations. After a review of the best comedy, drama, reality, and variety series of the year, a look at the TV movies and mini-series, the die has been cast. Many were nominated, but few will win. Did your favorite show, movie, or mini-series get the nod from the Primetime Emmys? There’s only one way to find out.
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Sopranos Fans: Please Stop
Posted by David L. Williams Categories: Drama, Prime Time, Cable, HBO, The Sopranos, Editorial, Features,
Man, am I ever readying myself for a barrage of anger.
Television viewers have en masse, according to many news outlets, anyway, decided what the greatest crime against humanity is. No, it’s not murder. Nope, not going to a house to sleep with a fifteen year old and finding Chris Hansen of Dateline. Evidently, the most egregious, damnation-worthy sin of them all is ambiguity.
HBO’s The Sopranos had its final episode the other day (in case you just woke up from a coma and happened to be serendipitiously staring at this webpage) and several papers, websites, and other TV shows have reported that the entire nation is up in arms because ... well, honestly, I’m not sure why. I thought the ending was perfect.
Tony Soprano is having dinner with his family, an image we’ve returned to time and time again on this series. The diner in which he sits is full of other families, a couple, what looked like a scout troop and scout leader, etc. If you knew nothing else, you’d see Tony, Carmela and A.J. (with Meadow soon approaching) as just another family. In a way, that’s been one of the points of the show.
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Lost Creator Comments on Series Ending
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Drama, Prime Time, ABC, Cable, HBO, Lost, The Sopranos, Cable/Satellite,
In the wake of the series finale of The Sopranos, Lost series creator Carlton Cuse is assuring fans that the Lost ending won’t go down the same way. No fade to black that leaves viewers wondering, “huh?” Cuse commented, “We will not be ending with a blackout,” at the annual Promax/BDA conference. He also said that there have been “minicamp” writers’ sessions to sketch out the last three seasons. The series is set to wrap after three 16 episode seasons, concluding in spring 2010. Co-creator Damon Lindelof said, “Obviously, we can’t wait to the 48th hour to say, ‘Here are all the mysteries of the show.” Lost fans are breathing a collective sigh, I’m sure, to know that over the course of the three years there will be some answers. Cuse said, “I’m not sure there is any ending that will satisfy everyone. Our hope is that the ending will be ... the logical conclusion of the story.” Ah, logical… sounds like a plan. To be sure, with all of the online speculation about the show, there are going to be some fans that aren’t thrilled with the ending, but at least it sounds promising, you know, with the logic and all. To hold fans over until the next season begins in 2008, they are planning on a series of “mobisodes”—90 second episodes featuring the cast that will keep the story fresh in everyone’s minds. More details to come about when the mobisodes will be made available.
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Gallery: Lost Creator Comments on Series Ending
David’s Channel Surfing Thoughts
Posted by David L. Williams Categories: Drama, Late Night, Music, Prime Time, ABC, Cable, FOX, HBO, NBC, American Idol, Saturday Night Live, Talent, The Sopranos, Editorial, Features, News,
Yes, even more thoughts I’ve had about TV for the past few days, laid out for you in easy-to-read paragraph format.
MOLLY SHANNON ANNOYS & DELIGHTS – Saturday Night Live came back with a new episode recently starring Molly Shannon (she’s ostensibly there to promote her movie “Year of the Dog,” but I really think SNL looks for any excuse to have it’s former cast members return) and it was … pretty much what I thought it was going to be. I used to remark when Ms. Shannon was on the show that she didn’t have many characters, just the same character in different outfits and wigs. That character comes out, goes through her catch phrases and/or crazy falls, and then the sketch is over. That’s Mary Katharine Gallagher, that’s Sally O’Malley (the I’m 50! Lady), that’s Ann Miller (from “Leg Up”).
And she did those first two characters when she hosted and it was annoying and really not funny. The laughter always felt more like a reflex from the audience than an actual “this is funny” laugh.
But what Molly Shannon also can do (and I heard Mike White, the writer/director of “Year of the Dog,” mention this in an interview) is be really funny when she’s quiet and not so over-the-top. Like the Delicious Dish sketch (aka Schwetty Balls) and her typical 80’s mulleted stand-up comedienne.
She did the stand-up comedienne character on Weekend Update and that was great, and she played a quieter part in a very good presidential debate sketch. So, it was a mixed bag: nothing great, but nothing too awful.
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This Week’s Channel Surfing Thoughts
Posted by David L. Williams Categories: Comedy, Drama, Reality, ABC, Cable, HBO, NBC, Saturday Night Live, Survivor, The Office, The Sopranos, Editorial, Features,
Otherwise known as thoughts I’ve had about the last few days of TV that aren’t long enough individually to make an entire article…
WOO-HOO, THEY LOST! – I lamented the possibility of Charla and Mirna winning The Amazing Race: (not really) All Stars, and they didn’t. They came in last (or third, really) and it was all…kinda lackluster. I didn’t want C&M to win, and I wanted the Beauty Queens to win, but they didn’t either. Eric & Danielle (aka, Team Not Charla & Mirna) won and their fakey relationship and the love between them will, I’m sure, flourish like a sunflower and I’m feeling underwhelmed. Then again, I felt underwhelmed most of the season, so I guess this is a fitting finale. By the way, Race Producers (and I know that you read all of my work), let’s try to make sure in the future that you not design the race legs so that the decisions made by the racers in the first thirty-five minutes of the episode don’t matter at all. I know you want to keep things close, but that’s just annoying.
BEST OF? REALLY, SNL? REALLY?? – Saturday Night Live was not new this week, but instead had their best of the 2006/2007 season episode. There are a couple of things wrong with this. The first is that they still have a few more episodes left. I’m not sure why they felt the need to jump the gun on this one, but maybe they were just tired of rerunning the Peyton Manning episode. Just a tip, NBC: maybe you should wait until the season is over before you start doing a “Best Of” episode. And this leads me to the other thing that’s wrong with this episode: just because you’ve chosen the best example of a recurring sketch, that doesn’t necessarily mean that what you’ve chosen is any good. I know that a lot of people like to hate on SNL on the internet (I believe the phrase “Is this show still on?” is a common “joke” (ironic quotes firmly in place)), but I can’t fully hate the show yet because there are always funny moments every week, and that’s why God invented TiVo (that has to be invented by God, right? Humans are not that good). But, SNL, “Deep House Dish” and that Bronx talk show … they’re not funny. Really not ever. And I really like Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, and Keenan Thompson. Those sketches, though, are just … ugh. Oh, and finally, SNL went online to have people cast votes on what their favorite digital short of the year was (and maybe the whole episode should have just been digital shorts). Did anybody really think “Dick in a Box” wouldn’t win?
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The Herve (Her-vay) Report: REGIS!!!
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Reality, ABC, HBO, Commercials, The Sopranos, Editorial, Spoilers,
The Herve (Her-vay) Report will take a look at the television industry and anything Kimberly Stewart tookis juicy in that all-consuming world of entertainment. And just like its namesake, the underrated and undersized Herve Villechaize, the report will be short and sweet, tackling a couple of topics and hitting you harder than a headbutt from Mr. Villechaize to the, well, we’ll call them the “crazies.”
Your Calendars!
Regis Philbin, the constant professional, will be making his return to HIS show (get out of the way, pretty boy Consuelos), “Live With Regis and Kelly” on April 26th after having triple bypass surgery about a month ago. The 75-year-old Philbin is most definitely a badass for wanting to come back to the daily grind and match wits with co-host, Kelly Ripa. So, give your props to the O.G.
The Men of Miami Will Feel the Heat
Okay, read Wendy Michaels’ post on what I call, “Menudo’s Back (And I Don’t Mean ...Side).” Want to know what I think? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Can’t we just leave it alone? Do we really need to find the next Menudo? What boy band from back in the day will be revisited with a lame reality show? Please don’t let it be “Newer Edition.” Please! Okay, wait, if Bobby Brown could host it and he’s really messed up, and by this I mean “high,” then okay I can go for it - only hilarity can ensue.
Wait, is Brown even NOT incarcerated to do this?
Aw, Shhhhhhh… It’s The Sopranos
Last night’s episode kicked butt! Thank goodness the violence is back!!! Okay, the ubiquitous SPOILER ALERT… seriously turn back before it’s too late. The New York mob is just a straight up mess, especially now that Johnny Sack died of the cancer while doing his bid in the big house. I loved the cameo of Sydney Pollack, but I was half-expecting him to critique Vince Curatola’s way of acting ala Pollack’s Cingular commercial you see in movie theatres. Anyway, who DOESN’T think that Christopher is going to go for Tony’s seat of power? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Gallery: The Herve (Her-vay) Report: REGIS!!!
Desperate Housewives Ratings Dip
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Comedy, Drama, Prime Time, ABC, HBO, Desperate Housewives, The Sopranos, Ratings,
If you caught Sunday night’s episode of Desperate Housewives and felt disappointed, you’re not alone. The show is just screaming for a decent storyline and the latest episode failed to deliver the goods. Ratings for Sunday were at their lowest for the series, drawing just 15.9 million viewers. Overall, the show has seen about 5 million fewer viewers from last season. ABC claims that the dip may have been because of the Easter holiday, the fact that The Sopranos’ last season aired at the same time, or the first time back for DH in five weeks. Maybe another scenario is that the show has just become boring. I was irked about Felicity Huffman’s character’s beef over wearing orange t-shirts as part of the restaurant uniform. That’s the best they can come up with?! Also there really was a void without Marcia Cross on the episode. Here’s hoping for better stories in the weeks to come before the season finale.
Read More | E! News
Gallery: Desperate Housewives Ratings Dip
The 2007 Golden Globe Awards
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Animation, Award Shows, Comedy, Drama, Music, Prime Time, ABC, CBS, FOX, HBO, NBC, Showtime, Syndication, 24, Desperate Housewives, Entourage, Grey’s Anatomy, House, Lost, Medium, My Name Is Earl, Scrubs, Talent, The Office, The Sopranos,
Ladies and Gents – I can’t tell you how excited I am about the 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards tonight!! It’s been a whole five months since I’ve done minute-by-minute coverage of an awards show and I’ve been dying to unload. (And yes—I am ignoring the fact that the People’s Choice Awards even exist).
The Academy Awards may get the largest viewing audience, but the Golden Globes telecast is the only one I really love to watch. A cross between the insignificant People’s Choice and the stuffy Oscars, this show mixes credibility with spontaneous fun. Yes—the Miss Golden Globe tradition is beyond lame. And yes—separating Dramas from Musicals/Comedies is something I will never understand. But knowing that I may see a star slam down a drink after bitterly losing is exciting defined.
As for who I think should win? Well, Jennifer Hudson is an absolute given. (Though Rinko Kikuchi from Babel would be a nice surprise). And it would be great to see Forest Whitaker beat out both Leo nominations. But no matter what happens, I’m ready for the ride. So bring it on!
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Gallery: The 2007 Golden Globe Awards
Second Season Will Be the Last for HBO’s Rome
Posted by Christina Furtado Categories: Drama, Prime Time, HBO, The Sopranos, Cable/Satellite, Cancellations,
On Wednesday, HBO announced that the upcoming second season of its original series Rome will be the last. The show, which is currently filming in Italy, will come back on Jan. 7, 2007.
The show had okay ratings, but is very expensive to produce, with the first season costing something like $100 million dollars. I’m sure that price tag figured into HBO’s decision, even though it’s a co-production with the BBC, which helps foot the bill. The second season will pick up after the death of Julius Caesar, which occurred in last season’s finale.
While Rome does have its flaws, I have always enjoyed it, and am sad it will only be getting one more season. That being said, however, I am pleased that they are announcing the cancellation before shooting wraps in October, so that the show’s creators will have the chance to wrap things up properly. This is more consideration than the network gave to David Milch and Deadwood, after all. Also, though I understand this move in terms of the network’s bottom line, it leads me to continue to question HBO’s seemingly wavering commitment to producing artistic, groundbreaking television.
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Gallery: Second Season Will Be the Last for HBO’s Rome
The Best (and Worst) Shows of 2005-06
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Comedy, Drama, Reality, ABC, Cable, CBS, FX, FOX, HBO, NBC, 24, Amazing Race, The, American Idol, Apprentice, The - Donald, Degrassi, Lost, My Name Is Earl, Prison Break, Scrubs, The Office, The Sopranos,
In a recent edition of Broadcasting & Cable, the trade magazine presented a list of the Best Shows on TV for the 2005-06 season. The 2nd annual poll, based on the views of 111 critics, didn’t reveal many shocking choices overall…but does give much love to some underappreciated gems. Let’s see how your choices compare:
BEST SHOW
BEST DRAMA:
Gold: Lost (ABC)—Really not much of a surprise on any of these choices. It’s only shocking to remember that Lost is the only one of these three to be shut out of the Best Drama category for the upcoming Emmys.
Silver: 24 (FOX)
Bronze: The Sopranos (HBO)
BEST COMEDY:
Gold: The Office (NBC)
Silver: My Name is Earl (NBC)
Bronze: Scrubs (NBC)—Woo hoo! Even if NBC doesn’t respect the comedic gem enough to give it a regular time slot (and a fall start), it’s reassuring to know that the show is still being noticed.
BEST REALITY:
Gold: American Idol (FOX)
Silver: The Amazing Race (CBS)—Race may not be able to compete against Idol in the ratings department, but it still wins in my heart. No popularity contests here. The prize goes to those who simply stick it out.
Bronze: Project Runway (Bravo)—Heidi Klum has it all. Good looks, two cute kids, a sexy husband—and now a highly respected show. I hate her. I may enjoy watching her show..but I still hate her.
BEST NEW SHOW:
Gold: My Name is Earl (NBC)
Silver: Prison Break (FOX)
Bronze: Big Love (HBO)—Although I’m personally obsessed with polygamy-based stories, I feared the subject might be too taboo for the average audience. Regardless of the subject matter, this show has been a hoot to watch..and it doesn’t hurt that Bill Paxton is still quite easy on the eyes. No wonder three women want to bear his children.
WORST SHOW:
Gold: Unan1mous (FOX)
Silver: The War at Home (FOX)
Bronze: The Apprentice (NBC)—While I will have to admit that my interest in this show has waned over the past year or so, I don’t think it’s one of the worst shows out there. But if Donald continues to make creepy remarks about the attractive females on his show, I may have to call the FCC myself.
CABLE NETWORK MORE PEOPLE SHOULD WATCH:
Gold: BBC America
Silver: FX
Bronze: The N—- Degrassi, Degrassi, Degrassi. I’ve said it before and I will say it again. The N is home to the best drama for teens…ever.
MOST MEMORABLE TV MOMENT:
Gold: Coverage of Hurricane Katrina
Silver: Uncle Junior shoots Tony on The Sopranos (HBO)
Bronze: Michael shoots Ana-Lucia and Libby on Lost (ABC)—I admit, I don’t watch The Sopranos so I may be a bit biased here. But Michael shot two people. That should definitely earn him a higher medal than Uncle Junior. I dare say Michael even deserves the gold, but he can’t compete with Nature.
Read More | Broadcasting & Cable
Gallery: The Best (and Worst) Shows of 2005-06
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