2008 Screen Actors Guild Awards
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Action, Award Shows, Comedy, Drama, Prime Time, Specials, ABC, Cable, CBS, FOX, HBO, NBC, Showtime, TNT-HD, 24, Desperate Housewives, Entourage, Extras, Grey’s Anatomy, Heroes, House, Lost, The Office, The Sopranos,
Thanks to the cancelation of the Golden Globes ceremony, the hottest ticket in town was tonight’s Screen Actors Guild Awards. Without a picket line to cross, celebrities from TV and Film were allowed to celebrate - and commiserate - together for the first time in a long while.
For star-deprived fans, the SAG red carpet was also a treat for sore eyes. What were our favorite actresses wearing? What were the latest trends? Which dresses were going to be copied by Allen Schwartz tomorrow?
Unfortunately, the evening was not all about partying. The recent deaths of Suzanne Pleshette and Heath Ledger cast a somber tone on what would normally be a festive occasion. Thankfully, tonight was not about dissecting their lives, but merely about honoring them.
Meanwhile, the neglected winners of this month’s Globes were also hoping to get a share of the honors. If they were able to pull off another victory tonight, maybe they would have a chance to give the speech they already had written.
Well, without further ado, here’s the play-by-play of tonight’s events coming to you from the fashionably late West Coast!
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Writers Return to ‘Mad Men’, ‘Weeds’
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Comedy, Drama, Cable, Showtime, Announcements, News, Renewals,
Thanks to an interim deal between Lionsgate and the WGA, fans of at least two scripted programs have the comfort of knowing their shows will eventually return.
Because they are part of Lionsgate Television, production on both Mad Men and Weeds can once again resume. Writing on the AMC drama was scheduled to begin way back on November 7th. Meanwhile, this recent turn of events has proved quite timely for the Showtime series; work on the 4th season was originally slated to start about now.
As a bonus, AMC has just started re-airing episodes from Mad Men’s first season. Those interested in catching up on the Golden Globe-award winning series should set their DVRs for Sunday nights @ midnight (12am on Mondays).
Variety
Could the Writers Strike Really Be Ending?
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Award Shows, News,
The Writers Guild has just dropped two of their demands: proposals to unionize animated movie and reality TV writers. This brings us all right back to the central issue: Internet and new-media revenue. By the Guild’s own admission, this concession (which comes only after the writers were repeatedly asked to make just this concession) is an olive branch - everyone wants the strike to end. Negotiations will continue this week as both sides try to reach some conclusion.
The writers have also made the decision not to picket the Grammy ceremony, which bodes well for the rest of the awards season. The striking writers, so far, have not agreed on an interim deal which will allow them to be a part of the musical spectacle. But there does seem to be some hope on the horizon…at last.
LA Times (Registration Required)
The Academy Award Nominations
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Award Shows, Prime Time, ABC, Announcements, News,
The nominations for the 80th Annual Academy Awards were announced early this morning from the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Assuming the ceremony goes on as scheduled, you can see the live broadcast Sunday, February 24th on ABC.
For a list of this year’s nominees and a quick summary on the major additions/omissions, check out our coverage on Film Crunch.
CBS Adds Showtime’s ‘Dexter’
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Drama, Cable, CBS, Showtime,
The writers’ strike has forced the networks to creatively fill their programming gaps. Some shows have been brought back earlier than planned (e.g. Big Brother) while others are airing multiple times a week (e.g. House). Then there are those networks who have sister channels to steal from. Thanks to NBC’s relationship with the USA Network, Law and Order: Criminal Intent was available to occupy an open Wednesday time slot. Now CBS will be adopting the same recycling strategy to beef up their Sunday nights.
Starting next month, the Eye network will re-air episodes of Showtime’s Dexter. Fortunately for CBS, the series about a forensics expert who moonlights as a vigilante serial killer already had a syndication version in the making. (Think Sex and the City on TBS.) Although many worry the Michael C. Hall vehicle will lose its edge under the editing scalpel, the show’s graphic content is supposedly on par with other network programs.
Look for the sanitized updates to hit the airwaves on February 17.
(Can’t keep up with all scheduling changes? Check out TV Envy’s Revamped Programming Schedule.)
TV Guide
Leno, Kimmel Provide Each Other Assistance
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Late Night, Talk Shows, ABC, NBC,
Although they are technically competitors, the inconvenient writers strike has given Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel something in common to gripe about: the struggle to land a guest. And since misery loves company, they have decided to set aside network differences to help each other out.
Usually one has to wait for a sweeps period to see a special crossover appearance. In this case, we only had to wait several weeks into January…and we get two in one night.
So if you really need your Kimmel fix, catch him as a guest on The Tonight Show this evening before flipping channels to see him as host. (The same remote instructions apply to Leno lovers as well.) Or you could simply stick to scripted fare and stay on CBS all night long.
Entertainment Weekly
Comedy Central Hosts Return
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Comedy, Late Night, Cable, Daily Show, The, Editorial, Gossip,
Late night TV (and Comedy Central) got a boost Monday night with the return of The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report. Absent from TV since November 1, 2007, both hosts winged it on-air without their writers, and neither was afraid to comment on the current scriptless situation. But even with these valiant efforts, viewers didn’t see the same shows they’re used to.
It’s been pondered for weeks now, and finally the question has been answered. How will Comedy Central’s two late night shows fare without writers? For these first episodes back, both hosts talked about the strike at length, each interviewing experts on labor relations and unions. Stewart, who has a background in stand-up comedy, seemed as relaxed and at home as ever on stage, though he referred to the present as “uncomfortable circumstances.” Stewart also announced a name change for the show, to be in effect for the duration of the strike: ‘A Daily Show’.
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Chicago Tribune
Golden Globes Officially Canceled
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Award Shows, NBC, Cancellations, News,
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced today what most people have known for weeks: the Golden Globe Awards simply cannot go on as planned. Even though the WGA failed to grant the awards ceremony an interim deal, the show’s producers had still hoped they could somehow carry on. Unfortunately, the Screen Actors Guild put the final nail in the coffin last week. After being told their presentation would lack all nominees, the HFPA finally conceded.
Although there was hope for something a bit splashier, the awards show was officially scaled down from a three-hour gala to a one-hour press conference today. The dry presser - to be hosted live by NBC News - will air this Sunday @ 6pm PT. Why the news division? Well that’s because their writers work under a different contract.
While I’m sad I won’t get to see my faves in their finest, there is one good thing to come out of all this. Now we won’t have to see Rumer Willis in her awkward stint as the next Miss Golden Globe.
Why Jay Leno’s Monologue Must Not Go On
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Late Night, NBC, News,
Hey, even celebrities have to follow the rules - a fact that is being pointed out to late night host Jay Leno by many major media outlets. Here’s the deal: there’s an active writers’ strike going on, but the Tonight Show must go on anyway. At least, that’s the stand taken by NBC.
During a recent new episode of his late night show, Leno delivered a monologue and announced that he’s writing his own jokes. However, under Writers Guild rules those who are still on strike are not allowed to write for any studio’s project. NBC maintains they’re following the rules, while the Guild says Leno is a member and subject to all the strike rules therein - which means, no writing. The entire issue is now going before a union panel.
With all this itty bitty quibbling, it’s no wonder no one can seem to get any negotiations scheduled which might actually end this thing.
E! Online
The Funniest Shows on Cable
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Comedy, Prime Time, Reality, Cable, MTV,
Need a cure for the rerun blues? Forget about network and don’t worry about repeats - if you’ve never seen the show, it’s not a rerun to you. Get acquainted with some of the shows you may not even know about…and in some cases, you might wonder how you ever got along without them.
Cable TV offers plenty of diversion, and sure a lot of shows get repeated. But in the middle of a writers strike while studios scramble to find anything to put on the tube, those obscure (and hilarious) cable shows may just become the saving grace of evening TV watching. Check out four relatively obscure, yet hysterical, cable shows and find out just how fun reruns can be.
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TV Guide
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