My Name is Earl Welcomes….Paris Hilton
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Comedy, NBC, My Name Is Earl, Gossip,
I never thought I’d see the day when a perfectly good comedy wastes its time on celebutante trash. Unfortunately, this news is real: Paris Hilton will guest star on an episode of My Name is Earl.
Granted, there was a time when Tara Reid was seen roaming the halls of Scrubs—but I actually believe that was during her less skanky period.
The show’s creator confirmed that Hilton will be featured in one of Earl’s dream sequences. (Let’s hope it’s a dream of Joy and Catalina pulling her extensions out.)
The cameo will happen during the show’s official return: April 3.
Paris Hilton
Advertisement
Will Scrubs Find a New Home on ABC?
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Comedy, Prime Time, ABC, NBC, Scrubs, Editorial, News, Renewals,
The state of affairs for the future of Scrubs has been growing curiouser and curiouser by the day. But the latest round of strange developments could produce a nice bonus for devoted fans.
Regular viewers of the show have grown accustomed to seeing their comedy treated poorly over the years. Time shifts, day shifts, long hiatuses…but this viewing season has been particularly hard for Sacred Heart watchers. Just when we thought the series finale would wrap up on a nice note, the writers strike happened.
Although there are currently five episodes still sitting in the can (those will start airing come April 10), creator Bill Lawrence has been fighting NBC for the chance to shoot more post-strike eps. Up until recently, it was even rumored that those additional segments may wind up on - of all things - DVD. Seriously. Is that how a show gets treated after seven seasons? Is that how the Peacock execs show their audiences respect?
That’s when ABC stepped in.
Click to continue reading Will Scrubs Find a New Home on ABC?
Hollywood Reporter
Quarterlife Already Yanked from NBC Schedule
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Drama, Bravo, Cable, NBC, Cancellations, Internet, News, Ratings,
Question: What dubious honor do Anchorwoman and quarterlife have in common? Answer: They’re both one-and-out shows.
After just one airing, NBC has already decided to pull the plug on its experimental project. (Apparently the network wasn’t feeling quite daring anymore.) Quarterlife - a project created by My So-Called Life‘s Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick - was an internet hit long before it hit the boob tube this week. The Peacock execs, thinking the series’ built-in popularity would bring insta-ratings, gave the show a special debut earlier this week with plans to have it regularly air on Sunday nights. Unfortunately, the idea was far too ambitious for its fickle viewers.
The show’s premiere gave NBC its lowest ratings in the Tuesday 10pm slot in approximately 17 years. While I would usually chide a network for giving up so easily, in this case, I can’t say I blame them. If the program couldn’t succeed in SVU‘s regular time slot, where would it?
Those still interested in watching quarterlife play out can either find it on the web or on its new home - Bravo (NBC’s sister station).
Hollywood Reporter
Game Show AMNE$IA Premieres On NBC
Posted by Jacci Lewis Categories: Games, Prime Time, NBC, Editorial,
Amne$ia premiered on NBC last night and all I can say is - this is not your father’s game show nor is it a cheap ripoff of This is Your Life.
Game shows are inherently cheesy. The whole premise of doing some odd collection of tasks in order to win a prize precludes any sophistication or real style. Not that it isn’t entertaining to say, watch someone figure out how much Top Ramen, pantyhose and a coffee maker cost (The Price is Right), but generally the viewer agrees to suspend any expectation of real humor or insight in order to watch someone try to make a few bucks or win a new car.
Amne$ia is different somehow. Maybe it is the delightfully droll host Dennis Miller or a better crop of contestants, but this show may just be an exception to the cheesy game show rule.
First of all, the premise is interesting: one contestant, all the most important people in his or her life and the chance to win big bucks by remembering the most minute details of their past. Sounds easy, right? I mean afterall who knows you better than yourself? But would you recall your 3rd grade music teacher’s name? How about her classroom number or even where you sat? Those are the kinds of facts that Amne$ia producers mine from contestant’s lives to try to stump them.
Click to continue reading Game Show AMNE$IA Premieres On NBC
Post-Strike Television Schedule
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Action, Animation, Comedy, Drama, Food & Home, Games, Music, Prime Time, Reality, Sci-Fi/Horror, Sports, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, The CW, Hell’s Kitchen, American Idol, Apprentice, The - Donald, Dancing With The Stars, Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, House, Lost, Medium, Prison Break, Survivor, The Bachelor,
Now that we have come to the end of the writers’ strike, it’s time to once again update our television programming schedules.
Mid-season replacements have had seen their debuts shuffled (e.g. New Amsterdam), some programs are coming back with new episodes (e.g. Scrubs, 30 Rock) while other shows aren’t slated to return until next year (Pushing Daisies).
Here you can find a
compilation of the 2008 post-strike schedulesfor the five major networks. I would highly recommend printing this out since there are major changes across the board.
Two notes:
- This is the updated schedule as of May 6. Be prepared to see more changes and settling in the weeks to come.
- The list consists of premieres and dates for new episodes.
- If a particular time slot/network is not mentioned, either nothing has changed or no specific announcement has been made yet.
MONDAY
8pm:
- Dancing With the Stars, ABC
- My Dad is Better Than Your Dad, NBC
- The Big Bang Theory, CBS
- Bones, FOX (new as of 4/14)
- Gossip Girl, CW (new as of 4/21)
8:30pm:
- How I Met Your Mother, CBS
9pm:
- Two and a Half Men, CBS
- House, FOX (new as of 4/28)
- One Tree Hill, CW (new as of 4/14)
9:30pm:
- Samantha Who?, ABC (new as of 4/7)
- Rules of Engagement, CBS (returns 4/14)
10pm:
- The Bachelor, ABC
- CSI: Miami, CBS
Click to continue reading Post-Strike Television Schedule
New Gladiators Announced
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Prime Time, Reality, NBC, Renewals,
In an action-packed two-hour finale, the two American Gladiators champions were crowned Sunday night. I expected more tough events and plenty of competition, but much of the broadcast was soaked with longer contender interviews, replays of favorite moments from the show and lengthy segments on the four competitors at home.
Twenty minutes were gone in the broadcast before NBC finally gave me what I wanted - an event. The gladiators were in top form, making it difficult for any of the contenders to score points. Lightning-quick Evan Dollard did wow the audience with a spectacularly quick climb up The Wall, for the third time in the show’s history. “Soccer mom” Monica Carlson scored big in Assault, sending Gladiator Helga flying from the platform to smack a pool of water. Quickly, it all started to come down to the Eliminator - the obstacle course that’s broken so many competitors throughout the season.
Click to continue reading New Gladiators Announced
Chicago Tribune
Deal or No Deal: How Far Will They Go?
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Games, Prime Time, Reality, NBC, Gossip, Ratings,
There’s no nice way to say it: NBC has had trouble in the ratings department the last few seasons. In an ever-increasing attempt to compete with the runaway success of American Idol and keep their own reality contest relevant, the network has launched a promotional tactic that’s doing nothing but mounting: The Million-Dollar Mission.
Every time a contestant on Deal or No Deal fails to win that million-dollar case, another million gets added. As of Wednesday’s Idol-competing episode, they were up to 13 (that’s right 13) million-dollar cases. The contestant has been chosen and the game is under way…but will she go far enough to get the prize?
According to the show’s official site, the mission will continue through next week. NBC is also throwing a special Deal or No Deal episode at fans Thursday night to drum up more excitement and ratings for the show. Host Howie Mandel says he won’t give up until a million is given away…but how long will that take?
NBC
Jane Fonda Drops the C-Word on Morning TV
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Talk Shows, NBC, News, Video,
Actress Jane Fonda woke up the Today show audience this morning when she let a colorful word slip. The best part? She didn’t even blink. She just kept on going…
Unfortunately, host Meredith Viera was forced to clean up the mess later and issued an apology. (You can see that clip after the jump.)
Click to continue reading Jane Fonda Drops the C-Word on Morning TV
Tuesday Ratings: Hurray for Hollywood Week
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Comedy, Drama, Music, Prime Time, Reality, Sci-Fi/Horror, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, The CW, American Idol, Ratings,
The return of American Idol‘s Hollywood Week meant the return of boffo ratings for FOX.
8pm
- About 29.9 million saw instruments introduced on American Idol (12.3/29 in 18-49).
- NCIS* (11.7 million, 2.3/6) grew by almost 3 million from last week.
- The Biggest Loser (7.5 million, 3.0/7) lost 500,000 on the viewer scale.
- Just for Laughs (1.4/3) entertained just 4.9 million.
- Reaper* (2 million, 0.8/2) maintained last Tuesday’s numbers.
Click to continue reading Tuesday Ratings: Hurray for Hollywood Week
Tina Fey Returns to Saturday Night Live
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Comedy, Late Night, NBC, Saturday Night Live, Announcements, News,
Ok, well kind of…
Tina Fey, SNL‘s former head writer and co-anchor of the ‘Weekend Update’, will be making a welcome return to her old stomping grounds. But instead of taking the lead behind the scenes, the recent Golden Globe-winner will be front and center on the main stage. On Feb. 23rd, the 30 Rock star will be the host of Saturday Night Live.
With or without Fey, the late-night program will undoubtedly receive a warm reception when it reboots next weekend. Fans not only need something - anything - new to watch, they desperately need some political satire. Stat. It’ll be interesting to see how the variety show encapsulates almost four months of election news.
A week after Tina’s gig, another big-named guest will help bring laughter back to Saturday nights: Juno‘s Ellen Page.
TV Guide
Advertisement
© Gear Live Media, LLC. 2007 – User-posted content, unless source is quoted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain License. Gear Live graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, videos, articles, blogs, forums, scripts and other service names are the trademarks of Gear Live Inc.