On Gear Live: Samsung S95C: The OLED TV You Can’t Afford (to Ignore!)

Whitney Bobby DRUM ROLL PLEASE…

No longer having Something in Common, Whitney Houston has separated from Bobby Brown.  da dum dum

While I can’t say that anyone is exactly surprised by this announcement, there is a bigger question to be answered:  How exactly did the two singers manage to stay together for 14 long years? Or more importantly—why after 14 years did Whitney finally decide it was time to get out?

Now I must admit that after watching Being Bobby Brown (I tried to take my eyes off the screen but it was just too trash-tastic), I did walk away feeling like I had witnessed some genuine moments of love.  I mean, how many other husbands would ‘help you’ when you are having issues in the bathroom?  And how many other wives would feel comfortable enough to ask their husbands for assistance?  Now if you don’t know what I am talking about…just be glad you don’t know.

Regardless of what happens between the two, let us all keep our fingers crossed for their 13-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina.  Between her and Frances Bean (Courtney Love’s kid), I’m not sure who’s had to experience the most screwed up celebrity childhood in recent years.

Read More | People

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NBC logo In a press release from NBC today, they announced that NBC.com will stream episodes of their new fall shows for free—Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Kidnapped, 30 Rock, Friday Night Lights and Heroes—following the original airing of the episodes. NBC.com is also going to offer blogs written by a variety of shows’ creators, producers or cast members. The blogs will be online for every show on the air, with an additional live blog immediately after the premiere episode.

Jeff Gaspin, President, NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, Digital Content and Cross-Network Strategy said of the news, “When you launch a new season, it’s important that you get the shows in front of as many eyeballs as possible. We’ve created a variety of new, engaging digital offerings to generate excitement and drive viewership to the network.”

Upcoming premiere blogs include:

  • Deal or No Deal (9/18), The Banker’s Blog
  • Studio 60 (9/18), Aaron Sorkin, Creator and Executive Producer and Thomas Schlamme, Executive Producer and Director
  • Kidnapped (9/20), Jason Smilovic, Creator and Executive Producer
  • My Name Is Earl (9/21), Greg Garcia, Creator and Executive Producer
  • The Office (9/21), Greg Daniels, Executive Producer
  • 30 Rock (11/11), Tina Fey, Creator and Executive Producer

A number of other blogs will accompany the shows’ premieres, including Law & Order, ER, Heroes, Friday Night Lights and Twenty Good Years, among others.

Read More | Lost Remote

Meredith Vieira Meredith Vieira woke up a little earlier than usual this morning to start her new gig on the Today show. While I was only able to catch about a half hour of the program, I’d say she’s off to a great start; Internet reviews agree, saying that Vieira had a solid debut. She seemed at ease and comfortable in her surroundings. She’s by no means a newbie at this sort of thing, but she does have big high heels to fill following Katie Couric’s departure. Her rapport with the rest of the Today show gang, her ability to handle tough news, as well as interject levity and silliness when necessary, all bode well for Today and its ratings. She has pretty wide appeal and I’m sure saying things like she felt “like it’s the first day of school and I’m sitting next to the cutest guy” (referring to Matt Lauer) will make her a welcome morning addition.

Today also revealed its studio, all shiny and cool for their venture into high-def. Bright and modern, the colors and furniture are sure to “pop” for high-def viewers.

Read More | CNN

Big Brother 7: All-Stars The finale of Big Brother 7: All-Stars aired last night—and it came down to two finalists I could have cared less about. I committed to the whole season this summer… a rigorous schedule of three episodes each week and countless hours spent following live feeds online. What a tremendous waste—to get to the final two and not care either way who won it. But, since I had already put in so much of my time, I had to see how it would all shake out. And more importantly, who would win the America’s Choice of $25,000.

After questioning from the jury, a lame live show had the jurors inserting the key of their chosen winner (Mike or Erika) into the key contraption-thingy. With little fanfare, Mike won by a landslide, emerging from the Big Brother house to take the prize. Ho-hum. Let’s get on to the interesting stuff—who would win America’s Choice? Of course, Janelle was the winner, so at least something interesting happened during the finale. It would have been a far more interesting show had Janelle and Dr. Will made it to final two, but those are the breaks. As for me, I think that was the last Big Brother I’ll watch.

Read More | Zap2it

Survivor logo If you are on the fence about whether or not to watch the new season of Survivor because of its racial experiment, you’re not alone. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) opposes the concept of splitting the teams by race, but will “reserve judgment until the reality-TV show actually airs.”

“Concerning the new season of Survivor, whether we like the concept or not—and for the record, we do not—it is premature to judge the show purely on conjecture,” according to a statement from the NAACP. “We will judge the show on what we see, and we will monitor the public response.”

In response, executive producer Mark Burnett said, “I agree with the NAACP in that ‘there is no escaping the reality that race is a complex and emotional issue in America, one we are still reluctant to confront and address,’ and I am happy that they have reserved judgment until they watch the series. I would encourage anyone to follow this lead and watch at least a few episodes to get a clear picture of how the dynamic will play out.”

The new season of Survivor: Cook Islands begins on Thursday at 8 p.m. The 20 contestants will be divided into the following groups: black, white, Hispanic and Asian.

Read More | Yahoo! News

Bradley Whitford This afternoon, AOL offered Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip for viewing one week ahead of its television broadcast. Similarly, the comedy Twenty Good Years will go live on AOL on Wednesday, October 4th. AOL joined forces with Warner Bros. Television and NBC to offer an online sneak peak at each of these series. Studio 60 will continue to be available throughout the week, commercial-free. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip debuts on NBC on September 18th, while Twenty Good Years can be seen on October 11th.

“We’re pleased to be offering consumers the chance to view two of our most highly-anticipated shows ahead of their broadcast premiere,” said John Miller, Chief Marketing Officer, NBC Universal Television Group. “This partnership with AOL allows us to continue our aggressive online preview campaign and ensures an enormous number of users will have an opportunity to sample our product.”

Read More | Coming Soon

Eva Longoria Eva Longoria told The Associated Press that she will not return to television following the end of Desperate Housewives, citing it as her last series. “I would never leave Desperate Housewives. I love doing both (TV and film), but I would never do another TV show after Desperate Housewives. No.” Seems a bit final, doesn’t it? Or perhaps, “famous last words” comes to mind. Longoria, a mere 31 years old, apparently would rather sink her hooks into big screen ventures rather than settle for small screen roles. Her role as Gabrielle Solis on Housewives is certainly meaty, so maybe she’s thinking that no other TV role could ever compare. She has really given no further information about her decision, but she is set to appear in the film How I Met My Boyfriend’s Dead Fiancee due in 2007. Earlier this year, she was seen with Michael Douglas in The Sentinel. Given all of her exposure from Housewives, it’s unlikely that she will see a shortage of movie roles any time soon. Desperate Housewives premieres September 24th.

Read More | Yahoo! News

Mario LopezInternet odds-makers have pegged Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell) to be this season’s Dancing with the Stars winner. Online bookie PinnacleSports.com has Lopez favored, with his odds of winning at 3-to-1. His professional partner is Karina Smirnoff, a newcomer to the series this year. With his background as a drummer and dancer on 1980s Kids Incorporated (remember that show?), maybe he will lead the pack.

Competition is sure to be tough—when Dancing with the Stars premieres Tuesday night, look for such adept hoofers as NFL’s Emmitt Smith, Tucker Carlson from MSNBC, and talk-show host Jerry Springer. OK, they don’t exactly scream dance talent, but the other contestants are Vivica A. Fox (odds of winning are 4-to-1), Monique Coleman (of High School Musical) at 9-to-2 odds, Joey Lawrence (6-to-1 odds), and Harry Hamlin with 13-to-2 odds. Shanna Moakler, Willa Ford and Sara Evans are also participating in the dancefest. Springer is the longshot, with odds at 49-to-1.

Read More | Zap2it

Anna NicoleJust days after the celebrating the arrival of her newborn daughter, Anna Nicole Smith is now coping with the death of her son.  Daniel Smith - often seen on camera during The Anna Nicole Show days - was found dead on Sunday.  The 20-year-old had been visiting the Bahamas where his mother gave birth last Thursday. 

The death—acknowledged by reps for TrimSpa (Anna’s diet product) and Smith’s personal website—remains a mystery.  “We have yet to learn the cause of death but do not believe that drugs or alcohol were a factor,” the web statement said.  Meanwhile, the Royal Bahamian Police Force will only confirm that a celebrity’s son was found deceased at Nassau’s private Doctor’s Hospital.

Read More | Anna Nicole Smith

Amazing RaceThings are starting to kick into high-gear now with the introduction of three high-profile reality shows and the finales of several others:

SUNDAY
Sunday Night Football (7pm EST on NBC):  TV sales will increase once women realize that football season will contend with Desperate Housewives.
FOX Comedies (starting @ 8pm):  Those men not already watching football—and/or live on the West Coast—will have a line-up of father-oriented comedies to watch:  The Simpsons, American Dad, Family Guy and The War at Home.

MONDAY
9/11 Anniversary (various):  Most of the networks will choose to pay tribute on the 5-year anniversary.  Other programming will most likely be interrupted by a scheduled Pres. Bush speech at 9pm EST.

TUESDAY
Big Brother (8pm on CBS):  The finale between Mike Boogie and Erika.  Sadly, someone has to be chosen the winner.  Maybe they can just have each other.
Dancing with the Stars (8pm on ABC):  The 2-hour debut of the ABC powerhouse.  Am I the only one who believes that Mario Lopez still deserves some karmic embarrassment for cheating on Ali Landry before their wedding?

WEDNESDAY
Today Show (NBC):  The debut of Meredith Vieira.  I’m betting she’s happy to have a little more testosterone in her life.
Rock Star: Supernova (8pm on CBS):  The winner will be announced.  If Dilana doesn’t win, I’ll be boycotting CBS.

THURSDAY
Survivor:  Cook Islands (8pm on CBS):  My 24-hour boycott of CBS will have ended when I return to watch this controversial racial experiment.  Being 1/2 Asian, 1/2 Hispanic…I’m not sure which team I will root for.  I just know that if those two tribes merge, the other groups could be in a world of hurt.

SUNDAY (9/17)
The Amazing Race 10 (8:30pm on CBS):  Twelve teams of two will depart from Seattle and travel around the world.  Twelve teams of two will also be that much closer to Phil Keoghan than I will ever be.


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