David Letterman Returns With Writer Support
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Late Night, Talk Shows, ABC, Cable, CBS, NBC, Daily Show, The, News,
David Letterman has accomplished what no other late night host has managed to do: reach an agreement with the writers. Of course, owning your own company does have its perks.
Letterman and his production company, WorldWide Pants, have been sitting down with the Writers Guild for some time now in hopes of working out a deal. Late today, the two sides came to terms on an independent agreement that would allow both The Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson to come back on Jan. 2nd. Although the two talk shows will technically be competing with the returns of Leno, O’Brien and Kimmel, CBS will easily have the advantage. Letterman and Ferguson will be the only ones with the scripted jokes.
Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart will also be returning - sans writers - on January 7th.
Reuters
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The ‘Knight Rider’ Teaser
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Action, Prime Time, Specials, NBC, Video,
So here it is, the teaser for the Knight Rider movie coming to NBC next month. I must say the network played it very smart. The incredibly short clip will either whet your appetite or make you wonder what crappy scenes were left out.
The “two-hour event” - which may also a serve as the pilot for a new fall series - stars Justin Bruening as Michael Knight’s son and Will Arnett (Arrested Development) as the voice of KITT. It will also include a David Hasselhoff appearance (woo hoo!). Be listening for the roar of the new Ford Mustang on Feb. 17th.
Hollywood Reporter
Three Networks to Broadcast Patriots Game
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Sports, CBS, NBC, Announcements, Cable/Satellite,
If you were to look up the word ‘overkill’ in the dictionary, I’m sure some reference to an event this weekend would be in there.
For the first time since Super Bowl I, more than one network will be simulcasting the same football game. And we haven’t even reached the playoffs yet.
The 15-0 New England Patriots will be working to complete the first perfect NFL season since 1972’s Miami Dolphins (14-0). In order to accomplish this, they will need to finish off the New York Giants (10-5) in Giants Stadium this Saturday. To appease all the Brady-haters and lovers - and members of Congress - who are highly interested in this game, the NFL Network is agreeing to let this one matchup be seen outside of its borders. Now football fans who are not also subscribers of the channel will have access to the same feed via CBS or NBC. (Yes, this does also mean we’ll be getting three times the Bryant Gumbel as well.)
Oh - and in case you are still having trouble figuring out how to see the game, know that it is on starting @ 8pm EST.
Variety
Engagement News for Fergie, New York
Despite turning down a proposal from George “Tailor Made” Weisgerber on the recent finale of her show, People is reporting that Tiffany “New York” Pollard recently had a change of heart. After selecting George at the end of I Love New York 2’s second season, Pollard, 25, told her suitor she wanted to wait before agreeing to any nuptials. Although he agreed to wait the requested 24-months, the attention-seeking
lovesick Weisgerber, 32, decided to try again anyway. Fortunately, it turns out the 2nd-time was a charm. (Let’s just hope the same can be said of this engagement; New York’s season one betrothal only lasted a few months.) Fans of the series can witness the awkward/romantic moment for themselves when I Love New York 2’s reunion special airs on January 6.
Meanwhile, another star familiar to the viewers of the cable channel has news of her own to celebrate. Fergie, 2007’s It Girl, just became engaged to actor Josh Duhamel. The Black Eyed Peas singer, 32, and star of Las Vegas, 35, have been together for three years. The couple started dating shortly after she made an appearance on his NBC show.
People
Christmas Day TV
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Animation, Comedy, Daytime, Kids, Prime Time, Reality, Specials, ABC, Cable, CBS, MTV, NBC, TNT-HD, Family Guy, The Hills,
Looking for a distraction from the holiday season? Want to check out that new HD TV Santa left under the tree? Or, do you just want to put something on the tube to undercut happy holiday melodrama? Use Christmas Day TV to give you an escape when holiday pressure has you looking for the nearest exit.
ABC will offer fanciful diversion for the kids with the Walt Disney World parade starting at 10 am. Later in the afternoon, the network will offer NBA action while CBS gets sporty with golf. NBC will show the Holiday Celebration on Ice in the afternoon. On cable, ABC Family will showcase holiday movies including A Very Brady Christmas and Santa Baby. At 6 in the evening, Disney’s The Incredibles will offer CGI delight.
Click to continue reading Christmas Day TV
TV Guide
This Week on TV (12/24-12/30)
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Animation, Award Shows, Games, Kids, Music, Prime Time, Reality, Specials, ABC, Cable, CBS, FOX, The CW, Amazing Race, The,
MONDAY (12/24)
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas (ABC, 8pm): Am I the only one who still gets creeped out when I see the Grinch? He’s not exactly kid-friendly.
- It’s A Wonderful Life (NBC, 8pm): You officially have one last chance to be grateful before Christmas officially begins.
- Cheaper by the Dozen (FOX, 8pm): In case you need a reminder why having more kids during the holidays might not be a good thing.
- Madagascar (ABC, 9pm): If you don’t want to get your child a pet, force them to watch this movie and convince them that animals were meant to be free.
Click to continue reading This Week on TV (12/24-12/30)
Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart Return to Work
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Late Night, Talk Shows, ABC, Cable, CBS, NBC, Daily Show, The, Announcements, News,
Comedy Central has just announced the January return of its two late-night talk show hosts. Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert will ring in their new years on January 7th, five days after Kimmel, Leno and O’Brien have scheduled their starts. The Daily Show and The Colbert Report - like the ABC and NBC programs - will resume production sans writers. What this means for these ‘news’ shows and their largely scripted formats is unknown.
Stewart and Colbert, who are also members of the Writers Guild of America, released a joint statement about the decision:
’‘We would like to return to work with our writers. If we cannot, we would like to express our ambivalence, but without our writers we are unable to express something as nuanced as ambivalence.’‘
Meanwhile, we may get details later today about the plans for CBS’ late-night programs. David Letterman’s company, Worldwide Pants, will be meeting with members of the WGA today. If they can reach an interim agreement, both The Late Show With David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson could also be hitting the airwaves - with scribes - come January 2nd.
No matter how you feel about the writers’ situation, what do you think about The Daily Show and The Colbert Report returning? Could they possibly be as good as they were pre-strike—or do you think the quality will suffer? Will you simply be happy to see them back regardless of the content?
Variety
2008 Screen Actors Guild Award Nominations (TV)
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Action, Award Shows, Comedy, Drama, Prime Time, ABC, Cable, CBS, FOX, HBO, NBC, Showtime, TNT-HD, 24, Desperate Housewives, Entourage, Extras, Grey’s Anatomy, Heroes, House, Lost, The Office, The Sopranos,
Take note. If you want to see your favorite actors and actresses lined up in their finest, this may be the gala to watch. Thanks to the relationship between the WGA and the Screen Actors Guild, the 14th Annual SAG Awards presentation will be allowed to go on as planned. (The same cannot currently be said of the Golden Globes or the Academy Awards.) So set your Tivo to TNT on January 27. This may be last time you get to see a group of actors celebrating together for quite some time.
This year’s television nominees are:
OUTSTANDING MALE PERFORMANCE - DRAMA SERIES
- James Gandolfini, The Sopranos (HBO)
- Michael C. Hall, Dexter (Showtime)
- Jon Hamm, Mad Men (AMC)
- Hugh Laurie, House (FOX)
- James Spader, Boston Legal (ABC)
OUTSTANDING FEMALE PERFORMANCE - DRAMA SERIES
- Glenn Close, Damages (FX)
- Edie Falco, The Sopranos (HBO)
- Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters (ABC)
- Holly Hunter, Saving Grace (TNT)
- Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer (TNT)
Click to continue reading 2008 Screen Actors Guild Award Nominations (TV)
Screen Actors Guild
Tuesday Ratings: ‘The Biggest Loser’ Inches Past CBS
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Comedy, Drama, Games, Music, Prime Time, Reality, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, The CW, House, Ratings,
Although NBC narrowly lost in the viewers to CBS, it outweighed its competitors in the demos.
8pm
- NCIS* (2.8/8 in 18-49 demo) was easily the hour’s largest draw.
- Clash of the Choirs (7.7 million, 2.4/7) was down 200,000 in its second showing.
- Duel (2.4/7) challenged 7.3 million.
- Bones* (5.9 million, 2.0/6) was about even with last week.
- Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants* (0.6/2) strutted to 1.4 million.
9pm
- Approx. 11.4 million watched Bill crowned The Biggest Loser (4.6/13 in 18-49).
- The Unit (2.8/7) weighed in second with 10.8 million viewers.
- House* (9.9 million, 3.3/9) did slightly better than one week ago.
- According to Jim* (4.4 million, 1.5/4) dropped about 1.3 million.
- Reaper (1.4 million, 0.6/2) did just as well as its lead-in.
10pm
- Boston Legal (7.7 million, 2.1/6) saw a decrease of 1.3 million.
- Cane (7.2 million, 1.8/5) was off by 600,000.
(You can review last Tuesday’s ratings here.)
Programming Insider
Jimmy Kimmel Joins Late Night Returns
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Late Night, Talk Shows, ABC, CBS, NBC, News,
ABC has announced the return of Jimmy Kimmel Live, effective Jan. 2nd. The talk show will air new episodes the same evening The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O’Brien also start anew. Despite their support of the WGA, all three hosts hope their participation can prevent other job losses.
Although an official announcement has not yet been made, CBS may soon be seeing a spark of life in late-night as well. David Letterman and his company, Worldwide Pants, are hoping to broker an independent deal with the union. This could allow his program and the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson to return with their normal writers in tow.
Hollywood Reporter
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